diff --git a/web/src/App.tsx b/web/src/App.tsx
index d534d1b..bd60ce4 100644
--- a/web/src/App.tsx
+++ b/web/src/App.tsx
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
 type Provider = "openai" | "anthropic" | "xai";
 type AuthMode = "open" | "token";
 type SidebarSelection = { kind: "chat" | "search"; id: string };
+type DraftSelectionKind = "chat" | "search";
 type SidebarItem = SidebarSelection & {
   title: string;
   updatedAt: string;
@@ -132,6 +133,7 @@ export default function App() {
   const [selectedItem, setSelectedItem] = useState<SidebarSelection | null>(null);
   const [selectedChat, setSelectedChat] = useState<ChatDetail | null>(null);
   const [selectedSearch, setSelectedSearch] = useState<SearchDetail | null>(null);
+  const [draftKind, setDraftKind] = useState<DraftSelectionKind | null>(null);
   const [isLoadingCollections, setIsLoadingCollections] = useState(false);
   const [isLoadingSelection, setIsLoadingSelection] = useState(false);
   const [isSending, setIsSending] = useState(false);
@@ -163,6 +165,7 @@ export default function App() {
     setSelectedItem(null);
     setSelectedChat(null);
     setSelectedSearch(null);
+    setDraftKind(null);
   };
 
   const refreshCollections = async (preferredSelection?: SidebarSelection) => {
@@ -277,9 +280,9 @@ export default function App() {
   }, [isAuthenticated, selectedKey]);
 
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (selectedItem?.kind === "search") return;
+    if (draftKind === "search" || selectedItem?.kind === "search") return;
     transcriptEndRef.current?.scrollIntoView({ behavior: "smooth", block: "end" });
-  }, [selectedChat?.messages.length, isSending, selectedItem?.kind]);
+  }, [draftKind, selectedChat?.messages.length, isSending, selectedItem?.kind]);
 
   const messages = selectedChat?.messages ?? [];
 
@@ -294,6 +297,8 @@ export default function App() {
   }, [searches, selectedItem]);
 
   const selectedTitle = useMemo(() => {
+    if (draftKind === "chat") return "New chat";
+    if (draftKind === "search") return "New search";
     if (!selectedItem) return "Sybil";
     if (selectedItem.kind === "chat") {
       if (selectedChat) return getChatTitle(selectedChat, selectedChat.messages);
@@ -303,69 +308,34 @@ export default function App() {
     if (selectedSearch) return getSearchTitle(selectedSearch);
     if (selectedSearchSummary) return getSearchTitle(selectedSearchSummary);
     return "New search";
-  }, [selectedChat, selectedChatSummary, selectedItem, selectedSearch, selectedSearchSummary]);
+  }, [draftKind, selectedChat, selectedChatSummary, selectedItem, selectedSearch, selectedSearchSummary]);
 
-  const isSearchMode = selectedItem?.kind === "search";
+  const isSearchMode = draftKind ? draftKind === "search" : selectedItem?.kind === "search";
   const isSearchRunning = isSending && selectedItem?.kind === "search";
 
-  const handleCreateChat = async () => {
+  const handleCreateChat = () => {
     setError(null);
-    try {
-      const chat = await createChat();
-      setSelectedItem({ kind: "chat", id: chat.id });
-      setSelectedChat({
-        id: chat.id,
-        title: chat.title,
-        createdAt: chat.createdAt,
-        updatedAt: chat.updatedAt,
-        messages: [],
-      });
-      setSelectedSearch(null);
-      await refreshCollections({ kind: "chat", id: chat.id });
-    } catch (err) {
-      const message = err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err);
-      if (message.includes("bearer token")) {
-        handleAuthFailure(message);
-      } else {
-        setError(message);
-      }
-    }
+    setDraftKind("chat");
+    setSelectedItem(null);
+    setSelectedChat(null);
+    setSelectedSearch(null);
   };
 
-  const handleCreateSearch = async () => {
+  const handleCreateSearch = () => {
     setError(null);
-    try {
-      const search = await createSearch();
-      setSelectedItem({ kind: "search", id: search.id });
-      setSelectedSearch({
-        id: search.id,
-        title: search.title,
-        query: search.query,
-        createdAt: search.createdAt,
-        updatedAt: search.updatedAt,
-        requestId: null,
-        latencyMs: null,
-        error: null,
-        results: [],
-      });
-      setSelectedChat(null);
-      await refreshCollections({ kind: "search", id: search.id });
-    } catch (err) {
-      const message = err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err);
-      if (message.includes("bearer token")) {
-        handleAuthFailure(message);
-      } else {
-        setError(message);
-      }
-    }
+    setDraftKind("search");
+    setSelectedItem(null);
+    setSelectedChat(null);
+    setSelectedSearch(null);
   };
 
   const handleSendChat = async (content: string) => {
-    let chatId = selectedItem?.kind === "chat" ? selectedItem.id : null;
+    let chatId = draftKind === "chat" ? null : selectedItem?.kind === "chat" ? selectedItem.id : null;
 
     if (!chatId) {
       const chat = await createChat();
       chatId = chat.id;
+      setDraftKind(null);
       setSelectedItem({ kind: "chat", id: chatId });
       setSelectedChat({
         id: chat.id,
@@ -433,11 +403,15 @@ export default function App() {
   };
 
   const handleSendSearch = async (query: string) => {
-    let searchId = selectedItem?.kind === "search" ? selectedItem.id : null;
+    let searchId = draftKind === "search" ? null : selectedItem?.kind === "search" ? selectedItem.id : null;
 
     if (!searchId) {
-      const search = await createSearch();
+      const search = await createSearch({
+        query,
+        title: query.slice(0, 80),
+      });
       searchId = search.id;
+      setDraftKind(null);
       setSelectedItem({ kind: "search", id: searchId });
     }
 
@@ -542,6 +516,7 @@ export default function App() {
     setSelectedItem(null);
     setSelectedChat(null);
     setSelectedSearch(null);
+    setDraftKind(null);
     setComposer("");
     setError(null);
   };
@@ -638,7 +613,10 @@ export default function App() {
                     "mb-1 w-full rounded-lg px-3 py-2 text-left transition",
                     active ? "bg-slate-700 text-slate-50" : "text-slate-200 hover:bg-slate-800"
                   )}
-                  onClick={() => setSelectedItem({ kind: item.kind, id: item.id })}
+                  onClick={() => {
+                    setDraftKind(null);
+                    setSelectedItem({ kind: item.kind, id: item.id });
+                  }}
                   type="button"
                 >
                   <div className="flex items-center gap-2">