diff --git a/web/src/App.tsx b/web/src/App.tsx
index 43455d6..9dac246 100644
--- a/web/src/App.tsx
+++ b/web/src/App.tsx
@@ -729,6 +729,8 @@ export default function App() {
   const wasSendingRef = useRef(false);
   const pendingReplyScrollRef = useRef(false);
   const transcriptTailSpacerHeightRef = useRef(TRANSCRIPT_BOTTOM_GAP);
+  const transcriptTailSpacerSettleFrameRef = useRef<number | null>(null);
+  const transcriptViewKeyRef = useRef<string | null>(null);
   const [contextMenu, setContextMenu] = useState<ContextMenuState | null>(null);
   const [isMobileSidebarOpen, setIsMobileSidebarOpen] = useState(false);
   const [sidebarQuery, setSidebarQuery] = useState("");
@@ -753,6 +755,7 @@ export default function App() {
   const settleTranscriptTailSpacer = () => {
     const container = transcriptContainerRef.current;
     const currentSpacerHeight = transcriptTailSpacerHeightRef.current;
+    if (currentSpacerHeight <= TRANSCRIPT_BOTTOM_GAP) return;
     if (!container) {
       setTranscriptTailSpacer(TRANSCRIPT_BOTTOM_GAP);
       return;
@@ -760,7 +763,22 @@ export default function App() {
 
     const scrollHeightWithoutSpacer = container.scrollHeight - currentSpacerHeight;
     const requiredSpacerHeight = container.scrollTop + container.clientHeight - scrollHeightWithoutSpacer;
-    setTranscriptTailSpacer(requiredSpacerHeight);
+    setTranscriptTailSpacer(Math.min(currentSpacerHeight, requiredSpacerHeight));
+  };
+
+  const requestSettleTranscriptTailSpacer = () => {
+    if (transcriptTailSpacerHeightRef.current <= TRANSCRIPT_BOTTOM_GAP) return;
+    if (typeof window === "undefined") {
+      settleTranscriptTailSpacer();
+      return;
+    }
+    if (transcriptTailSpacerSettleFrameRef.current !== null) {
+      window.cancelAnimationFrame(transcriptTailSpacerSettleFrameRef.current);
+    }
+    transcriptTailSpacerSettleFrameRef.current = window.requestAnimationFrame(() => {
+      transcriptTailSpacerSettleFrameRef.current = null;
+      settleTranscriptTailSpacer();
+    });
   };
 
   const focusComposer = () => {
@@ -1032,6 +1050,7 @@ export default function App() {
   }, [quickPrompt, isQuickQuestionOpen]);
 
   const selectedKey = selectedItem ? `${selectedItem.kind}:${selectedItem.id}` : null;
+  const transcriptViewKey = draftKind ? `draft:${draftKind}` : selectedKey ?? "empty";
   const selectedChatPendingState = selectedItem?.kind === "chat" ? pendingChatStates[selectedItem.id] ?? null : null;
   const selectedSearchRunState = selectedItem?.kind === "search" ? runningSearchStates[selectedItem.id] ?? null : null;
   const selectedChatIsActive = selectedItem?.kind === "chat" && (!!selectedChatPendingState || !!activeRuns.chats[selectedItem.id]);
@@ -1053,11 +1072,13 @@ export default function App() {
   };
 
   useEffect(() => {
+    const didViewChange = transcriptViewKeyRef.current !== transcriptViewKey;
+    transcriptViewKeyRef.current = transcriptViewKey;
     shouldAutoScrollRef.current = true;
-    if (!isSendingActiveChat) {
+    if (didViewChange && !pendingReplyScrollRef.current) {
       setTranscriptTailSpacer(TRANSCRIPT_BOTTOM_GAP);
     }
-  }, [isSendingActiveChat, selectedKey]);
+  }, [transcriptViewKey]);
 
   useEffect(() => {
     selectedItemRef.current = selectedItem;
@@ -1116,6 +1137,10 @@ export default function App() {
 
   useEffect(() => {
     return () => {
+      if (transcriptTailSpacerSettleFrameRef.current !== null) {
+        window.cancelAnimationFrame(transcriptTailSpacerSettleFrameRef.current);
+        transcriptTailSpacerSettleFrameRef.current = null;
+      }
       for (const controller of chatStreamAbortRefs.current.values()) {
         controller.abort();
       }
@@ -1144,6 +1169,16 @@ export default function App() {
     if (selectedChatPendingState) return selectedChatPendingState.messages.filter(isDisplayableMessage);
     return messages.filter(isDisplayableMessage);
   }, [messages, selectedChatPendingState]);
+  const displayMessagesLayoutKey = useMemo(
+    () => displayMessages.map((message) => `${message.id}:${message.content.length}`).join("|"),
+    [displayMessages]
+  );
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (isSearchMode || isSendingActiveChat) return;
+    requestSettleTranscriptTailSpacer();
+  }, [displayMessagesLayoutKey, isSearchMode, isSendingActiveChat, selectedKey]);
+
   const quickAnswerText = useMemo(() => {
     for (let index = quickQuestionMessages.length - 1; index >= 0; index -= 1) {
       const message = quickQuestionMessages[index];
@@ -1480,6 +1515,11 @@ export default function App() {
   };
 
   const handleSendChat = async (content: string, attachments: ChatAttachment[]): Promise<SidebarSelection> => {
+    const selectedModel = model.trim();
+    if (!selectedModel) {
+      throw new Error("No model available for selected provider");
+    }
+
     pendingReplyScrollRef.current = true;
     expandTranscriptTailSpacer(getReplyScrollBufferHeight());
 
@@ -1563,11 +1603,6 @@ export default function App() {
       },
     ];
 
-    const selectedModel = model.trim();
-    if (!selectedModel) {
-      throw new Error("No model available for selected provider");
-    }
-
     const chatSummary = chats.find((chat) => chat.id === chatId);
     const hasExistingTitle = Boolean(selectedChat?.id === chatId ? selectedChat.title?.trim() : chatSummary?.title?.trim());
     if (!hasExistingTitle && !pendingTitleGenerationRef.current.has(chatId)) {
@@ -1687,13 +1722,17 @@ export default function App() {
       if (currentSelection?.kind === "chat" && currentSelection.id === chatId) {
         await refreshChat(chatId);
       }
-      settleTranscriptTailSpacer();
       removePendingChatState(chatId);
       removeActiveRun("chat", chatId);
+      if (currentSelection?.kind === "chat" && currentSelection.id === chatId) {
+        requestSettleTranscriptTailSpacer();
+      }
       return { kind: "chat", id: chatId };
     } catch (err) {
       removePendingChatState(chatId);
       removeActiveRun("chat", chatId);
+      pendingReplyScrollRef.current = false;
+      setTranscriptTailSpacer(TRANSCRIPT_BOTTOM_GAP);
       throw err;
     }
   };
@@ -1954,6 +1993,9 @@ export default function App() {
       chatStreamAbortRefs.current.delete(chatId);
       removePendingChatState(chatId);
       removeActiveRun("chat", chatId);
+      if (isCurrentSelection(target)) {
+        requestSettleTranscriptTailSpacer();
+      }
     }
   };
 
@@ -2303,6 +2345,10 @@ export default function App() {
         sentTarget = await handleSendChat(content, attachments);
       }
     } catch (err) {
+      if (!sentAsSearch) {
+        pendingReplyScrollRef.current = false;
+        setTranscriptTailSpacer(TRANSCRIPT_BOTTOM_GAP);
+      }
       const message = err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err);
       if (message.includes("bearer token")) {
         handleAuthFailure(message);
@@ -2564,6 +2610,9 @@ export default function App() {
               if (!container) return;
               const distanceFromBottom = container.scrollHeight - container.scrollTop - container.clientHeight;
               shouldAutoScrollRef.current = distanceFromBottom < 96;
+              if (!isSearchMode && !isSendingActiveChat && distanceFromBottom > 0) {
+                settleTranscriptTailSpacer();
+              }
             }}
           >
             {!isSearchMode ? (