diff --git a/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/chat/ChatForm/ChatFormInput/ChatFormInputRich.svelte b/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/chat/ChatForm/ChatFormInput/ChatFormInputRich.svelte
index 5ce788d5a6..629001bb44 100644
--- a/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/chat/ChatForm/ChatFormInput/ChatFormInputRich.svelte
+++ b/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/chat/ChatForm/ChatFormInput/ChatFormInputRich.svelte
@@ -625,7 +625,7 @@
 		}
 
 		if (rootElement && (event.key === 'ArrowLeft' || event.key === 'ArrowRight')) {
-			const isWordJump = (event.altKey || event.ctrlKey) && !event.metaKey;
+			const isWordJump = (event.altKey || event.ctrlKey) && !event.metaKey && !event.shiftKey;
 			const isPlainLeft =
 				event.key === 'ArrowLeft' && !event.altKey && !event.ctrlKey && !event.metaKey;
 
diff --git a/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/chat/ChatScreen/ChatScreen.svelte b/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/chat/ChatScreen/ChatScreen.svelte
index e025beff1b..7afb4c0cf0 100644
--- a/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/chat/ChatScreen/ChatScreen.svelte
+++ b/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/chat/ChatScreen/ChatScreen.svelte
@@ -73,9 +73,7 @@
 	});
 	const { handleKeydown } = useKeyboardShortcuts({
 		deleteActiveConversation: () => {
-			const conversation = conversationsStore.activeConversation;
-
-			if (conversation) {
+			if (conversationsStore.activeConversation) {
 				showDeleteDialog = true;
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/chat/ChatTabs/ChatTabs.svelte b/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/chat/ChatTabs/ChatTabs.svelte
index 8d19ff4fc2..763241c56d 100644
--- a/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/chat/ChatTabs/ChatTabs.svelte
+++ b/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/chat/ChatTabs/ChatTabs.svelte
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
 	let loadingIds = $derived(new Set(chatStore.getAllLoadingChats()));
 
 	function handleClose(id: string) {
-		void tabsStore.close(id, activeId ?? null);
+		void tabsStore.close(id, activeId);
 	}
 
 	function handleStop(id: string, event: MouseEvent) {
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@
 
 	$effect(() => {
 		const currentIds = new Set(tabs.map((t) => t.id));
-		const addedIds = tabs.filter((t) => !previousTabIds.has(t.id)).map((t) => t.id);
+		const hasAddedTab = tabs.some((t) => !previousTabIds.has(t.id));
 
 		previousTabIds = currentIds;
 
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@
 		previousActiveId = activeId;
 
 		// scroll when the active tab changes (a click) or when a new tab is added
-		if (addedIds.length === 0 && !activeChanged) return;
+		if (!hasAddedTab && !activeChanged) return;
 
 		// wait for the new tab to be laid out before scrolling to it
 		void tick().then(() => {
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@
 				`[${UI_DATA_ATTRS.ACTIVE_TAB}]`
 			);
 
-			if (el && activeId) {
+			if (el) {
 				carousel.scrollToCenter(el);
 			}
 		});
@@ -82,8 +82,8 @@
 
 <nav
 	class="group sticky pl-1 top-0 z-10 hidden md:block chat-tabs-fade transition-[padding] duration-200 ease-in-out pt-3.25 {uiStore.isSidebarExpanded
-		? CHAT_TABS_MAX_WIDTH.COLLAPSED_SIDEBAR
-		: CHAT_TABS_MAX_WIDTH.EXPANDED_SIDEBAR}"
+		? CHAT_TABS_MAX_WIDTH.EXPANDED_SIDEBAR
+		: CHAT_TABS_MAX_WIDTH.COLLAPSED_SIDEBAR}"
 	aria-label="Open conversations"
 >
 	<div class="relative">
diff --git a/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/navigation/SidebarNavigation/SidebarNavigation.svelte b/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/navigation/SidebarNavigation/SidebarNavigation.svelte
index 86b97325eb..424f2feca9 100644
--- a/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/navigation/SidebarNavigation/SidebarNavigation.svelte
+++ b/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/navigation/SidebarNavigation/SidebarNavigation.svelte
@@ -343,7 +343,7 @@
 					iconSize="h-4.5 w-4.5 md:h-4 md:w-4"
 					class="{uiStore.isSidebarExpanded
 						? 'bg-muted! md:bg-foreground/5!'
-						: 'bg-transparent'} md:h-9 md:w-9 h-10 w-10 rounded-full md:hover:bg-foreground/10! pointer-events-auto"
+						: 'bg-transparent!'} md:h-9 md:w-9 h-10 w-10 rounded-full md:hover:bg-foreground/10! pointer-events-auto"
 					href={uiStore.isSidebarExpanded ? ROUTES.START : undefined}
 					onclick={uiStore.isSidebarExpanded ? undefined : toggleExpandedMode}
 					tooltip={uiStore.isSidebarExpanded ? undefined : 'Open Sidebar'}
diff --git a/tools/ui/src/lib/hooks/use-keyboard-shortcuts.svelte.ts b/tools/ui/src/lib/hooks/use-keyboard-shortcuts.svelte.ts
index 3e36c559b4..7d8249b721 100644
--- a/tools/ui/src/lib/hooks/use-keyboard-shortcuts.svelte.ts
+++ b/tools/ui/src/lib/hooks/use-keyboard-shortcuts.svelte.ts
@@ -54,11 +54,11 @@ export function useKeyboardShortcuts(callbacks: KeyboardShortcutsCallbacks) {
 			// act so the synchronous navigation does not cascade-close every tab
 			if (event.defaultPrevented) return;
 
-			event.preventDefault();
-
 			// close-tab only makes sense with conversation tabs enabled
 			if (!settingsStore.config.conversationTabs) return;
 
+			event.preventDefault();
+
 			const activeId =
 				page.params.id ?? (page.route.id === '/(chat)' ? NEW_CHAT_TAB_ID : undefined);
 
diff --git a/tools/ui/src/lib/stores/tabs.svelte.ts b/tools/ui/src/lib/stores/tabs.svelte.ts
index 878ae8ba03..04b476cb60 100644
--- a/tools/ui/src/lib/stores/tabs.svelte.ts
+++ b/tools/ui/src/lib/stores/tabs.svelte.ts
@@ -88,7 +88,10 @@ class TabsStore {
 		// still kept so a reload on `#/` does not drop the tab the user is on
 		const isLive = (id: string) => validIds.includes(id) || id === NEW_CHAT_TAB_ID;
 		const persisted = this.load().filter(isLive);
-		const extras = this.openTabs.filter((id) => isLive(id) && !persisted.includes(id));
+		// tabs already in openTabs come from the live route, so they stay as they
+		// are: `validIds` is a snapshot and a conversation created while the list
+		// was loading is not in it
+		const extras = this.openTabs.filter((id) => !persisted.includes(id));
 
 		this.openTabs = [...persisted, ...extras];
 		this.initialized = true;
diff --git a/tools/ui/src/lib/types/navigation.d.ts b/tools/ui/src/lib/types/navigation.d.ts
index fa8da7fa71..af1e21d0ab 100644
--- a/tools/ui/src/lib/types/navigation.d.ts
+++ b/tools/ui/src/lib/types/navigation.d.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { SidebarAction } from '$lib/enums';
+import type { SidebarAction } from '$lib/enums';
 import type { Component } from 'svelte';
 
 /**
diff --git a/tools/ui/src/routes/(chat)/+page.svelte b/tools/ui/src/routes/(chat)/+page.svelte
index 99c85544dc..95a3e19470 100644
--- a/tools/ui/src/routes/(chat)/+page.svelte
+++ b/tools/ui/src/routes/(chat)/+page.svelte
@@ -61,10 +61,10 @@
 			}
 		}
 
-		// ?q= sends an immediate prompt in a fresh conversation
+		// ?q= creates the conversation, the chat route sends the prompt once the
+		// conversation id is in the URL
 		if (qParam !== null) {
 			await conversationsStore.createConversation();
-			await chatStore.sendMessage(qParam);
 			clearUrlParams();
 		} else if (modelParam) {
 			clearUrlParams();