diff --git a/desktop-shared/src/main/kotlin/io/askimo/ui/chat/ChatInputField.kt b/desktop-shared/src/main/kotlin/io/askimo/ui/chat/ChatInputField.kt
index 2bdfee1bd..88a71c037 100644
--- a/desktop-shared/src/main/kotlin/io/askimo/ui/chat/ChatInputField.kt
+++ b/desktop-shared/src/main/kotlin/io/askimo/ui/chat/ChatInputField.kt
@@ -313,6 +313,14 @@ fun chatInputField(
     // Session-scoped web-search-in-RAG toggle. Resets when the session changes.
     var webSearchInRag by remember(sessionId) { mutableStateOf(false) }
 
+    // Cache web-search enabled flag — AppConfig.webSearch hits the OS keychain on every
+    // call (SecureKeyManager.retrieveSecretKey). Read off the UI thread so the first
+    // composition is never blocked (avoids navigation lag into ProjectView).
+    var webSearchEnabled by remember { mutableStateOf(false) }
+    LaunchedEffect(Unit) {
+        webSearchEnabled = withContext(Dispatchers.IO) { AppConfig.webSearch.enabled }
+    }
+
     // Notify caller whenever the user changes the enabled server selection.
     LaunchedEffect(enabledServerIds) {
         onEnabledServerIdsChange?.invoke(enabledServerIds)
@@ -789,7 +797,7 @@ fun chatInputField(
                         )
 
                         // ── Web search in RAG chip — only in project sessions when web search is configured ──
-                        if (isProjectSession && AppConfig.webSearch.enabled) {
+                        if (isProjectSession && webSearchEnabled) {
                             Spacer(modifier = Modifier.width(4.dp))
                             webSearchRagChip(
                                 active = webSearchInRag,
diff --git a/desktop-shared/src/main/kotlin/io/askimo/ui/common/theme/AppComponents.kt b/desktop-shared/src/main/kotlin/io/askimo/ui/common/theme/AppComponents.kt
index e43c88f23..cbdff49b7 100644
--- a/desktop-shared/src/main/kotlin/io/askimo/ui/common/theme/AppComponents.kt
+++ b/desktop-shared/src/main/kotlin/io/askimo/ui/common/theme/AppComponents.kt
@@ -791,6 +791,7 @@ object AppComponents {
                                     modifier = Modifier
                                         .fillMaxWidth()
                                         .padding(horizontal = contentPadding)
+                                        .padding(top = sectionSpacing, bottom = sectionSpacing)
                                         .padding(end = dialogScrollbarPadding)
                                         .verticalScroll(scrollState),
                                     verticalArrangement = Arrangement.spacedBy(sectionSpacing),
diff --git a/desktop/src/main/kotlin/io/askimo/desktop/project/ProjectView.kt b/desktop/src/main/kotlin/io/askimo/desktop/project/ProjectView.kt
index 13400c952..6e972ed14 100644
--- a/desktop/src/main/kotlin/io/askimo/desktop/project/ProjectView.kt
+++ b/desktop/src/main/kotlin/io/askimo/desktop/project/ProjectView.kt
@@ -128,11 +128,6 @@ fun projectView(
     }
 
     // Local UI state
-    var inputText by remember { mutableStateOf(TextFieldValue("")) }
-    var attachments by remember { mutableStateOf<List<FileAttachmentDTO>>(emptyList()) }
-    var currentEnabledServerIds by remember { mutableStateOf(emptySet<String>()) }
-    var selectedDirective by remember { mutableStateOf<String?>(null) }
-    var webSearchInRag by remember { mutableStateOf(false) }
     var showProjectMenu by remember { mutableStateOf(false) }
     var showDeleteDialog by remember { mutableStateOf(false) }
     var showReIndexConfirmDialog by remember { mutableStateOf(false) }
@@ -353,41 +348,14 @@ fun projectView(
                 }
             } // end scrollable content column
 
-            // Fixed chat input footer — width-constrained, outside scroll
-            Box(
-                modifier = Modifier.fillMaxWidth(),
-                contentAlignment = Alignment.TopCenter,
-            ) {
-                Column(
-                    modifier = Modifier
-                        .widthIn(max = ThemePreferences.CONTENT_MAX_WIDTH)
-                        .fillMaxWidth()
-                        .padding(start = 24.dp, end = 36.dp, bottom = 24.dp),
-                ) {
-                    chatInputField(
-                        inputText = inputText,
-                        onInputTextChange = { inputText = it },
-                        attachments = attachments,
-                        onAttachmentsChange = { attachments = it },
-                        onSendMessage = { mode ->
-                            if (inputText.text.isNotBlank()) {
-                                onStartChat(currentProject.id, mode, inputText.text, attachments, currentEnabledServerIds, selectedDirective, webSearchInRag)
-                                inputText = TextFieldValue("")
-                                attachments = emptyList()
-                            }
-                        },
-                        onEnabledServerIdsChange = { currentEnabledServerIds = it },
-                        onNavigateToMcpSettings = onNavigateToMcpSettings,
-                        selectedDirective = selectedDirective,
-                        onToggleDirective = { selectedDirective = it },
-                        isProjectSession = true,
-                        onWebSearchInRagChange = { webSearchInRag = it },
-                        sessionId = currentProject.id,
-                        placeholder = stringResource("project.new.chat.placeholder", currentProject.name),
-                        modifier = Modifier.padding(top = Spacing.large),
-                    )
-                }
-            }
+            // Fixed chat input footer — isolated composable so keystrokes only
+            // recompose the footer, not the entire project view.
+            projectChatInputFooter(
+                projectId = currentProject.id,
+                projectName = currentProject.name,
+                onStartChat = onStartChat,
+                onNavigateToMcpSettings = onNavigateToMcpSettings,
+            )
         } // end outer Column
 
         VerticalScrollbar(
@@ -1102,3 +1070,57 @@ private fun skippedFilesWarning(skippedFileNames: List<String>) {
         }
     }
 }
+
+/**
+ * Isolated footer composable that owns all chat-input state.
+ * Keeping state here prevents keystrokes from recomposing the heavy scrollable
+ * content above (hero card, knowledge sources panel, session cards).
+ */
+@Composable
+private fun projectChatInputFooter(
+    projectId: String,
+    projectName: String,
+    onStartChat: (projectId: String, mode: CreationMode, message: String, attachments: List<FileAttachmentDTO>, enabledServerIds: Set<String>, directiveId: String?, useWebSearch: Boolean) -> Unit,
+    onNavigateToMcpSettings: (() -> Unit)? = null,
+) {
+    var inputText by remember { mutableStateOf(TextFieldValue("")) }
+    var attachments by remember { mutableStateOf<List<FileAttachmentDTO>>(emptyList()) }
+    var currentEnabledServerIds by remember { mutableStateOf(emptySet<String>()) }
+    var selectedDirective by remember { mutableStateOf<String?>(null) }
+    var webSearchInRag by remember { mutableStateOf(false) }
+
+    Box(
+        modifier = Modifier.fillMaxWidth(),
+        contentAlignment = Alignment.TopCenter,
+    ) {
+        Column(
+            modifier = Modifier
+                .widthIn(max = ThemePreferences.CONTENT_MAX_WIDTH)
+                .fillMaxWidth()
+                .padding(start = 24.dp, end = 36.dp, bottom = 24.dp),
+        ) {
+            chatInputField(
+                inputText = inputText,
+                onInputTextChange = { inputText = it },
+                attachments = attachments,
+                onAttachmentsChange = { attachments = it },
+                onSendMessage = { mode ->
+                    if (inputText.text.isNotBlank()) {
+                        onStartChat(projectId, mode, inputText.text, attachments, currentEnabledServerIds, selectedDirective, webSearchInRag)
+                        inputText = TextFieldValue("")
+                        attachments = emptyList()
+                    }
+                },
+                onEnabledServerIdsChange = { currentEnabledServerIds = it },
+                onNavigateToMcpSettings = onNavigateToMcpSettings,
+                selectedDirective = selectedDirective,
+                onToggleDirective = { selectedDirective = it },
+                isProjectSession = true,
+                onWebSearchInRagChange = { webSearchInRag = it },
+                sessionId = projectId,
+                placeholder = stringResource("project.new.chat.placeholder", projectName),
+                modifier = Modifier.padding(top = Spacing.large),
+            )
+        }
+    }
+}