diff --git a/packages/app/src/hooks/use-agent-screen-state-machine.test.ts b/packages/app/src/hooks/use-agent-screen-state-machine.test.ts
index 631131a3e..2de63aa10 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/hooks/use-agent-screen-state-machine.test.ts
+++ b/packages/app/src/hooks/use-agent-screen-state-machine.test.ts
@@ -47,6 +47,19 @@ function createAgent(id: string): Agent {
   };
 }
 
+function createAgentWithStatus({
+  id,
+  status,
+}: {
+  id: string;
+  status: Agent["status"];
+}): Agent {
+  return {
+    ...createAgent(id),
+    status,
+  };
+}
+
 function createBaseInput(): AgentScreenMachineInput {
   return {
     agent: null,
@@ -357,6 +370,86 @@ describe("deriveAgentScreenViewState", () => {
     expect(handoffReady.agent.id).toBe("draft-agent");
   });
 
+  it("keeps optimistic running status while authoritative agent is still bootstrapping", () => {
+    const memory = createBaseMemory();
+    const input: AgentScreenMachineInput = {
+      ...createBaseInput(),
+      agent: createAgentWithStatus({ id: "agent-1", status: "idle" }),
+      placeholderAgent: createAgent("agent-1"),
+      shouldUseOptimisticStream: true,
+    };
+
+    const result = deriveAgentScreenViewState({ input, memory });
+    const ready = expectReadyState(result.state);
+
+    expect(ready.source).toBe("optimistic");
+    expect(ready.agent.status).toBe("running");
+  });
+
+  it("keeps optimistic running status while authoritative agent is initializing", () => {
+    const memory = createBaseMemory();
+    const input: AgentScreenMachineInput = {
+      ...createBaseInput(),
+      agent: createAgentWithStatus({ id: "agent-1", status: "initializing" }),
+      placeholderAgent: createAgent("agent-1"),
+      shouldUseOptimisticStream: true,
+    };
+
+    const result = deriveAgentScreenViewState({ input, memory });
+    const ready = expectReadyState(result.state);
+
+    expect(ready.source).toBe("optimistic");
+    expect(ready.agent.status).toBe("running");
+  });
+
+  it("hands off to authoritative once agent reaches running", () => {
+    const memory = createBaseMemory();
+    const input: AgentScreenMachineInput = {
+      ...createBaseInput(),
+      agent: createAgentWithStatus({ id: "agent-1", status: "running" }),
+      placeholderAgent: createAgent("agent-1"),
+      shouldUseOptimisticStream: true,
+    };
+
+    const result = deriveAgentScreenViewState({ input, memory });
+    const ready = expectReadyState(result.state);
+
+    expect(ready.source).toBe("authoritative");
+    expect(ready.agent.status).toBe("running");
+  });
+
+  it("hands off to authoritative for terminal error states", () => {
+    const memory = createBaseMemory();
+    const input: AgentScreenMachineInput = {
+      ...createBaseInput(),
+      agent: createAgentWithStatus({ id: "agent-1", status: "error" }),
+      placeholderAgent: createAgent("agent-1"),
+      shouldUseOptimisticStream: true,
+    };
+
+    const result = deriveAgentScreenViewState({ input, memory });
+    const ready = expectReadyState(result.state);
+
+    expect(ready.source).toBe("authoritative");
+    expect(ready.agent.status).toBe("error");
+  });
+
+  it("hands off to authoritative for terminal closed states", () => {
+    const memory = createBaseMemory();
+    const input: AgentScreenMachineInput = {
+      ...createBaseInput(),
+      agent: createAgentWithStatus({ id: "agent-1", status: "closed" }),
+      placeholderAgent: createAgent("agent-1"),
+      shouldUseOptimisticStream: true,
+    };
+
+    const result = deriveAgentScreenViewState({ input, memory });
+    const ready = expectReadyState(result.state);
+
+    expect(ready.source).toBe("authoritative");
+    expect(ready.agent.status).toBe("closed");
+  });
+
   it("emits history refresh toast only on transition into toast catch-up state", () => {
     const memory = createBaseMemory({
       hasRenderedReady: true,
diff --git a/packages/app/src/hooks/use-agent-screen-state-machine.ts b/packages/app/src/hooks/use-agent-screen-state-machine.ts
index d1a2c39c4..fac82e819 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/hooks/use-agent-screen-state-machine.ts
+++ b/packages/app/src/hooks/use-agent-screen-state-machine.ts
@@ -93,7 +93,17 @@ export function deriveAgentScreenViewState({
     nextMemory.hadInitialSyncFailure = true;
   }
 
-  const candidateAgent = input.agent ?? input.placeholderAgent;
+  const useOptimisticCreateFlowAgent =
+    input.shouldUseOptimisticStream &&
+    Boolean(input.placeholderAgent) &&
+    (!input.agent ||
+      input.agent.status === "initializing" ||
+      input.agent.status === "idle");
+
+  const candidateAgent =
+    input.agent && useOptimisticCreateFlowAgent && input.placeholderAgent
+      ? { ...input.agent, status: input.placeholderAgent.status }
+      : input.agent ?? input.placeholderAgent;
   if (candidateAgent) {
     nextMemory.hasRenderedReady = true;
     nextMemory.lastReadyAgent = candidateAgent;
@@ -132,11 +142,13 @@ export function deriveAgentScreenViewState({
     };
   }
 
-  const source: "authoritative" | "optimistic" | "stale" = input.agent
-    ? "authoritative"
-    : input.shouldUseOptimisticStream
-      ? "optimistic"
-      : "stale";
+  const source: "authoritative" | "optimistic" | "stale" = useOptimisticCreateFlowAgent
+    ? "optimistic"
+    : input.agent
+      ? "authoritative"
+      : input.shouldUseOptimisticStream
+        ? "optimistic"
+        : "stale";
 
   let sync: AgentScreenReadySyncState;
   if (!input.isConnected) {
diff --git a/packages/app/src/screens/agent/agent-ready-screen.tsx b/packages/app/src/screens/agent/agent-ready-screen.tsx
index e24bc24fd..8e2f2a456 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/screens/agent/agent-ready-screen.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/screens/agent/agent-ready-screen.tsx
@@ -652,6 +652,14 @@ function AgentScreenContent({
   }, [optimisticStreamItems, streamItems]);
 
   const shouldUseOptimisticStream = isPendingCreateForRoute && optimisticStreamItems.length > 0;
+  const authoritativeStatus = agent?.status;
+  const isAuthoritativeBootstrapping =
+    authoritativeStatus === "initializing" || authoritativeStatus === "idle";
+  const showPendingCreateSubmitLoading =
+    isPendingCreateForRoute &&
+    (!authoritativeStatus || isAuthoritativeBootstrapping);
+  const canFinalizePendingCreate =
+    Boolean(authoritativeStatus) && !isAuthoritativeBootstrapping;
 
   const placeholderAgent: Agent | null = useMemo(() => {
     if (!shouldUseOptimisticStream || !resolvedAgentId) {
@@ -730,7 +738,7 @@ function AgentScreenContent({
         item.kind === "user_message" &&
         item.id === pendingCreate.clientMessageId
     );
-    if (agent && hasUserMessage) {
+    if (hasUserMessage && canFinalizePendingCreate) {
       if (
         resolvedAgentId &&
         pendingCreate.images &&
@@ -760,7 +768,7 @@ function AgentScreenContent({
       clearPendingCreate();
     }
   }, [
-    agent,
+    canFinalizePendingCreate,
     clearPendingCreate,
     isPendingCreateForRoute,
     markPendingCreateLifecycle,
@@ -1239,6 +1247,7 @@ function AgentScreenContent({
               agentId={resolvedAgentId}
               serverId={serverId}
               autoFocus
+              isSubmitLoading={showPendingCreateSubmitLoading}
               onAddImages={handleAddImagesCallback}
             />
           )}