diff --git a/src/components/chat/ChatUI.tsx b/src/components/chat/ChatUI.tsx
index cac6448..d9cb649 100644
--- a/src/components/chat/ChatUI.tsx
+++ b/src/components/chat/ChatUI.tsx
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ export default function ChatUI({
     stop: [''],
     repeatPenalty: 1.1,
     seed: 0,
-    stream: false,
+    stream: true,
     keepAlive: '5m',
   });
 
@@ -108,7 +108,8 @@ export default function ChatUI({
 
     if (!res.ok) {
       let message = 'Request failed';
-      if (res.status === 500) message = 'Server error (likely model too large or OOM)';
+      if (res.status === 500)
+        message = 'Server error (likely model too large or OOM)';
       else if (res.status === 401) message = 'Unauthorized';
       else message = data?.message ?? data?.error ?? message;
       throw new Error(message);
@@ -179,55 +180,60 @@ export default function ChatUI({
           />
         </header>
 
-        {/* Messages */}
+        {/* Messages + centered input when empty */}
         <main className="flex-1 overflow-y-auto flex flex-col p-6">
-          <div className="w-full max-w-2xl mx-auto space-y-3">
-            {messages.map((msg, i) => (
-              <div key={i} className="text-sm">
-                <b>{msg.role === 'user' ? 'You' : 'AI'}:</b> {msg.content}
-                {/* Blinking cursor shown on the last message while streaming */}
-                {loading &&
-                  settings.stream &&
-                  i === messages.length - 1 &&
-                  msg.role === ASSISTANT_ROLE && (
-                    <span className="inline-block w-[2px] h-[1em] bg-current ml-0.5 align-middle animate-pulse" />
-                  )}
-              </div>
-            ))}
-            {loading && !settings.stream && (
-              <div className="text-xs text-muted">Thinking...</div>
-            )}
-          </div>
-        </main>
-
-        {/* Input — floats center when empty, slides to bottom on first message */}
-        <div
-          className={`
-            transition-all duration-500 ease-in-out
-            ${
-              messages.length === 0
-                ? 'absolute inset-0 flex items-center justify-center pointer-events-none'
-                : 'p-4'
-            }
-          `}
-        >
-          <div className="w-full max-w-2xl mx-auto pointer-events-auto transition-all duration-500 ease-in-out">
-            {messages.length === 0 && (
-              <p className="text-center text-primary text-sm mb-3 opacity-60">
+          {messages.length === 0 ? (
+            /* ── Empty state: input centered within the chat column only ── */
+            <div className="flex-1 flex flex-col items-center justify-center">
+              <p className="text-primary text-sm mb-3 opacity-60">
                 Start a conversation…
               </p>
-            )}
+              <input
+                value={input}
+                onChange={(e) => setInput(e.target.value)}
+                onKeyDown={(e) =>
+                  e.key === 'Enter' && !loading && sendMessage()
+                }
+                disabled={loading}
+                className="w-full max-w-2xl p-3 rounded-xl bg-black/20 border border-muted outline-none disabled:opacity-50"
+                placeholder="Message..."
+              />
+            </div>
+          ) : (
+            /* ── Active chat: messages list ── */
+            <div className="w-full max-w-2xl mx-auto space-y-3">
+              {messages.map((msg, i) => (
+                <div key={i} className="text-sm">
+                  <b>{msg.role === 'user' ? 'You' : 'AI'}:</b> {msg.content}
+                  {loading &&
+                    settings.stream &&
+                    i === messages.length - 1 &&
+                    msg.role === ASSISTANT_ROLE && (
+                      <span className="inline-block w-[2px] h-[1em] bg-current ml-0.5 align-middle animate-pulse" />
+                    )}
+                </div>
+              ))}
+              {loading && !settings.stream && (
+                <div className="text-xs text-muted">Thinking...</div>
+              )}
+            </div>
+          )}
+        </main>
+
+        {/* Input bar — only shown once conversation has started */}
+        {messages.length > 0 && (
+          <div className="p-4">
             <input
               value={input}
               onChange={(e) => setInput(e.target.value)}
               onKeyDown={(e) => e.key === 'Enter' && !loading && sendMessage()}
               disabled={loading}
-              className="w-full p-3 rounded-xl bg-black/20 border border-muted outline-none disabled:opacity-50"
+              className="w-full max-w-2xl mx-auto block p-3 rounded-xl bg-black/20 border border-muted outline-none disabled:opacity-50"
               placeholder="Message..."
             />
           </div>
-        </div>
+        )}
       </div>
     </div>
   );
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/src/components/chat/stream.ts b/src/components/chat/stream.ts
index 7f247e3..7e1648d 100644
--- a/src/components/chat/stream.ts
+++ b/src/components/chat/stream.ts
@@ -118,4 +118,4 @@ export async function fetchChatStream(
   }
 
   return res;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}