diff --git a/references/ai-chat/src/components/chat-app.tsx b/references/ai-chat/src/components/chat-app.tsx
index df0a248c4..2d77ffe94 100644
--- a/references/ai-chat/src/components/chat-app.tsx
+++ b/references/ai-chat/src/components/chat-app.tsx
@@ -55,7 +55,6 @@ export function ChatApp({
 
   // Model for new chats (before first message is sent)
   const [newChatModel, setNewChatModel] = useState(DEFAULT_MODEL);
-  const [preloadEnabled, setPreloadEnabled] = useState(true);
   const [idleTimeoutInSeconds, setIdleTimeoutInSeconds] = useState(60);
 
   const handleSessionChange = useCallback((chatId: string, session: SessionInfo | null) => {
@@ -107,14 +106,7 @@ export function ChatApp({
     setActiveChatId(id);
     setMessages([]);
     setNewChatModel(DEFAULT_MODEL);
-    if (preloadEnabled) {
-      // Eagerly create the session + first run before the user types.
-      // Transport calls `startSession({ chatId: id, taskId: taskMode })`.
-      // `idleTimeoutInSeconds` lives on the agent definition's
-      // `idleTimeoutInSeconds`, not per-call.
-      void transport.preload(id);
-      void idleTimeoutInSeconds;
-    }
+    void idleTimeoutInSeconds;
   }
 
   function handleSelectChat(id: string) {
@@ -173,8 +165,6 @@ export function ChatApp({
         onNewChat={handleNewChat}
         onDeleteChat={handleDeleteChat}
         onWipeAll={handleWipeAll}
-        preloadEnabled={preloadEnabled}
-        onPreloadChange={setPreloadEnabled}
         idleTimeoutInSeconds={idleTimeoutInSeconds}
         onIdleTimeoutChange={setIdleTimeoutInSeconds}
         taskMode={taskMode}
@@ -193,6 +183,7 @@ export function ChatApp({
             onModelChange={isNewChat ? setNewChatModel : undefined}
             session={activeSession}
             dashboardUrl={process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_TRIGGER_DASHBOARD_URL}
+            projectDashboardPath={process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_TRIGGER_PROJECT_DASHBOARD_PATH}
             onFirstMessage={handleFirstMessage}
             onMessagesChange={handleMessagesChange}
           />
diff --git a/references/ai-chat/src/components/chat-settings-context.tsx b/references/ai-chat/src/components/chat-settings-context.tsx
index 7c8f2087f..0d9e605b5 100644
--- a/references/ai-chat/src/components/chat-settings-context.tsx
+++ b/references/ai-chat/src/components/chat-settings-context.tsx
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@ import { createContext, useContext, useState, type ReactNode } from "react";
 type ChatSettings = {
   taskMode: string;
   setTaskMode: (mode: string) => void;
-  preloadEnabled: boolean;
-  setPreloadEnabled: (enabled: boolean) => void;
   idleTimeoutInSeconds: number;
   setIdleTimeoutInSeconds: (seconds: number) => void;
 };
@@ -15,14 +13,11 @@ const ChatSettingsContext = createContext<ChatSettings | null>(null);
 
 export function ChatSettingsProvider({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
   const [taskMode, setTaskMode] = useState("ai-chat");
-  const [preloadEnabled, setPreloadEnabled] = useState(true);
   const [idleTimeoutInSeconds, setIdleTimeoutInSeconds] = useState(60);
 
   const value: ChatSettings = {
     taskMode,
     setTaskMode,
-    preloadEnabled,
-    setPreloadEnabled,
     idleTimeoutInSeconds,
     setIdleTimeoutInSeconds,
   };
diff --git a/references/ai-chat/src/components/chat-sidebar-wrapper.tsx b/references/ai-chat/src/components/chat-sidebar-wrapper.tsx
index ecfcb10e1..2827e901d 100644
--- a/references/ai-chat/src/components/chat-sidebar-wrapper.tsx
+++ b/references/ai-chat/src/components/chat-sidebar-wrapper.tsx
@@ -26,8 +26,6 @@ export function ChatSidebarWrapper({
   const {
     taskMode,
     setTaskMode,
-    preloadEnabled,
-    setPreloadEnabled,
     idleTimeoutInSeconds,
     setIdleTimeoutInSeconds,
   } = useChatSettings();
@@ -83,8 +81,6 @@ export function ChatSidebarWrapper({
       onNewChat={handleNewChat}
       onDeleteChat={handleDeleteChat}
       onWipeAll={handleWipeAll}
-      preloadEnabled={preloadEnabled}
-      onPreloadChange={setPreloadEnabled}
       idleTimeoutInSeconds={idleTimeoutInSeconds}
       onIdleTimeoutChange={setIdleTimeoutInSeconds}
       taskMode={taskMode}
diff --git a/references/ai-chat/src/components/chat-sidebar.tsx b/references/ai-chat/src/components/chat-sidebar.tsx
index 588f6bae6..11dd05475 100644
--- a/references/ai-chat/src/components/chat-sidebar.tsx
+++ b/references/ai-chat/src/components/chat-sidebar.tsx
@@ -25,8 +25,6 @@ type ChatSidebarProps = {
   onNewChat: () => void;
   onDeleteChat: (id: string) => void;
   onWipeAll: () => void;
-  preloadEnabled: boolean;
-  onPreloadChange: (enabled: boolean) => void;
   idleTimeoutInSeconds: number;
   onIdleTimeoutChange: (seconds: number) => void;
   taskMode: string;
@@ -40,8 +38,6 @@ export function ChatSidebar({
   onNewChat,
   onDeleteChat,
   onWipeAll,
-  preloadEnabled,
-  onPreloadChange,
   idleTimeoutInSeconds,
   onIdleTimeoutChange,
   taskMode,
@@ -93,15 +89,6 @@ export function ChatSidebar({
       </div>
 
       <div className="shrink-0 border-t border-gray-200 px-3 py-2.5 space-y-2">
-        <label className="flex items-center gap-2 text-xs text-gray-500 cursor-pointer select-none">
-          <input
-            type="checkbox"
-            checked={preloadEnabled}
-            onChange={(e) => onPreloadChange(e.target.checked)}
-            className="rounded border-gray-300"
-          />
-          Preload new chats
-        </label>
         <div className="flex items-center gap-2 text-xs text-gray-500">
           <span className="shrink-0">Idle timeout</span>
           <input
diff --git a/references/ai-chat/src/components/chat-view.tsx b/references/ai-chat/src/components/chat-view.tsx
index 4cce58571..ddd48bb04 100644
--- a/references/ai-chat/src/components/chat-view.tsx
+++ b/references/ai-chat/src/components/chat-view.tsx
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ export function ChatView({
       isNewChat={isNewChat}
       session={activeSession}
       dashboardUrl={process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_TRIGGER_DASHBOARD_URL}
+      projectDashboardPath={process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_TRIGGER_PROJECT_DASHBOARD_PATH}
       onFirstMessage={handleFirstMessage}
       onMessagesChange={handleMessagesChange}
     />
diff --git a/references/ai-chat/src/components/chat.tsx b/references/ai-chat/src/components/chat.tsx
index 5179a3569..c438955a2 100644
--- a/references/ai-chat/src/components/chat.tsx
+++ b/references/ai-chat/src/components/chat.tsx
@@ -192,6 +192,7 @@ function DebugPanel({
   status,
   session,
   dashboardUrl,
+  projectDashboardPath,
   messageCount,
   ttfbHistory,
 }: {
@@ -200,9 +201,14 @@ function DebugPanel({
   status: string;
   session?: { publicAccessToken: string; lastEventId?: string; isStreaming?: boolean };
   dashboardUrl?: string;
+  projectDashboardPath?: string;
   messageCount: number;
   ttfbHistory: TtfbEntry[];
 }) {
+  const runsUrl =
+    dashboardUrl && projectDashboardPath
+      ? `${dashboardUrl}${projectDashboardPath}/env/dev/runs?tags=${encodeURIComponent(`chat:${chatId}`)}`
+      : undefined;
   const [open, setOpen] = useState(false);
 
   const latestTtfb = ttfbHistory.length > 0 ? ttfbHistory[ttfbHistory.length - 1]! : undefined;
@@ -243,6 +249,7 @@ function DebugPanel({
           <Row label="Model" value={model} />
           <Row label="Status" value={status} />
           <Row label="Messages" value={String(messageCount)} />
+          {runsUrl && <Row label="Runs" value="View in dashboard" link={runsUrl} />}
           {session ? (
             <>
               <Row label="Last Event ID" value={session.lastEventId ?? "—"} mono />
@@ -313,6 +320,7 @@ type ChatProps = {
   onModelChange?: (model: string) => void;
   session?: { publicAccessToken: string; lastEventId?: string; isStreaming?: boolean };
   dashboardUrl?: string;
+  projectDashboardPath?: string;
   onFirstMessage?: (chatId: string, text: string) => void;
   onMessagesChange?: (chatId: string, messages: ChatUiMessage[]) => void;
 };
@@ -327,6 +335,7 @@ export function Chat({
   onModelChange,
   session,
   dashboardUrl,
+  projectDashboardPath,
   onFirstMessage,
   onMessagesChange,
 }: ChatProps) {
@@ -550,6 +559,7 @@ export function Chat({
       promote: (id: string) => actionsRef.current.promote(id),
       send: (text: string) => actionsRef.current.send(text),
       stop: () => actionsRef.current.stop(),
+      sendAction: (action: unknown) => transport.sendAction(chatId, action),
 
       // ── Waiters ───────────────────────────────────────────────────
       waitForStatus: (target: string, timeoutMs = DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_MS) =>
@@ -844,6 +854,7 @@ export function Chat({
         status={status}
         session={session}
         dashboardUrl={dashboardUrl}
+        projectDashboardPath={projectDashboardPath}
         messageCount={messages.length}
         ttfbHistory={ttfbHistory}
       />
@@ -882,6 +893,22 @@ export function Chat({
           >
             Send
           </button>
+          {/* Preload — only visible before the first message lands. After
+              the user sends, the transport creates the session lazily, so
+              session becomes truthy and this button hides itself. The
+              transport tracks an in-flight preload internally; double-clicks
+              are a no-op. */}
+          {messages.length === 0 && !session && (
+            <button
+              type="button"
+              onClick={() => {
+                void transport.preload(chatId);
+              }}
+              className="rounded-lg bg-emerald-600 px-4 py-2 text-sm font-medium text-white hover:bg-emerald-700 disabled:opacity-50"
+            >
+              Preload
+            </button>
+          )}
           {status === "streaming" && (
             <button
               type="button"