diff --git a/ui/src/pages/chat/chat-state-controller.ts b/ui/src/pages/chat/chat-state-controller.ts
index b37e05de9dda..b623bdb02bc3 100644
--- a/ui/src/pages/chat/chat-state-controller.ts
+++ b/ui/src/pages/chat/chat-state-controller.ts
@@ -102,6 +102,9 @@ export class ChatStateController<TState extends ChatPageHost> implements Reactiv
       const result = navigateInputHistory(input);
       if (result.handled) {
         this.composerPersistence.schedule();
+        // A history recall mutates chatMessage directly; without invalidating,
+        // the composer textarea stays empty until an unrelated event re-renders.
+        state.renderLifecycle.invalidate();
       }
       return result;
     };
diff --git a/ui/src/pages/chat/chat-state.test.ts b/ui/src/pages/chat/chat-state.test.ts
index c78a8f62dae5..cd7fa87f0ab7 100644
--- a/ui/src/pages/chat/chat-state.test.ts
+++ b/ui/src/pages/chat/chat-state.test.ts
@@ -485,6 +485,126 @@ describe("ChatStateController render lifecycle", () => {
     expect(cancelAnimationFrame).toHaveBeenCalledWith(2);
     expect(painted).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
+
+  it("invalidates the render lifecycle when input history recall mutates the draft", () => {
+    const requestUpdate = vi.fn();
+    const host = {
+      addController: () => undefined,
+      removeController: () => undefined,
+      requestUpdate,
+      updateComplete: Promise.resolve(true),
+    } satisfies ReactiveControllerHost;
+    const controller = new ChatStateController<ChatPageHost>(host);
+    controller.hostConnected();
+    const renderLifecycle = controller.createRenderLifecycle();
+
+    const navigateHistory = vi.fn().mockReturnValue({
+      handled: true,
+      preventDefault: true,
+      restoreCaret: "up" as const,
+      decision: "handled:history-up" as const,
+      historyNavigationActiveBefore: false,
+      historyNavigationActiveAfter: true,
+      selectionStart: 0,
+      selectionEnd: 0,
+      valueLength: 10,
+    });
+
+    const state = {
+      settings: undefined,
+      assistantAgentId: null,
+      agentsList: null,
+      hello: null,
+      sessionKey: "agent:main:current",
+      chatLoading: false,
+      chatMessages: [],
+      chatQueue: [],
+      renderLifecycle,
+      handleSendChat: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined),
+      handleChatDraftChange: vi.fn(),
+      handleChatInputHistoryKey: navigateHistory,
+    } as unknown as ChatPageHost;
+
+    controller.attach(state);
+
+    const input = {
+      key: "ArrowUp" as const,
+      selectionStart: 0,
+      selectionEnd: 0,
+      valueLength: 0,
+      altKey: false,
+      ctrlKey: false,
+      metaKey: false,
+      shiftKey: false,
+      isComposing: false,
+      keyCode: 0,
+    };
+    const result = state.handleChatInputHistoryKey!(input);
+
+    expect(result.handled).toBe(true);
+    expect(navigateHistory).toHaveBeenCalledWith(input);
+    expect(requestUpdate).toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it("does not invalidate the render lifecycle when input history key is not handled", () => {
+    const requestUpdate = vi.fn();
+    const host = {
+      addController: () => undefined,
+      removeController: () => undefined,
+      requestUpdate,
+      updateComplete: Promise.resolve(true),
+    } satisfies ReactiveControllerHost;
+    const controller = new ChatStateController<ChatPageHost>(host);
+    controller.hostConnected();
+    const renderLifecycle = controller.createRenderLifecycle();
+
+    const navigateHistory = vi.fn().mockReturnValue({
+      handled: false,
+      preventDefault: false,
+      restoreCaret: null,
+      decision: "blocked:modifier-or-composition" as const,
+      historyNavigationActiveBefore: false,
+      historyNavigationActiveAfter: false,
+      selectionStart: 0,
+      selectionEnd: 0,
+      valueLength: 10,
+    });
+
+    const state = {
+      settings: undefined,
+      assistantAgentId: null,
+      agentsList: null,
+      hello: null,
+      sessionKey: "agent:main:current",
+      chatLoading: false,
+      chatMessages: [],
+      chatQueue: [],
+      renderLifecycle,
+      handleSendChat: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined),
+      handleChatDraftChange: vi.fn(),
+      handleChatInputHistoryKey: navigateHistory,
+    } as unknown as ChatPageHost;
+
+    controller.attach(state);
+
+    const input = {
+      key: "ArrowUp" as const,
+      selectionStart: 5,
+      selectionEnd: 5,
+      valueLength: 10,
+      altKey: false,
+      ctrlKey: false,
+      metaKey: false,
+      shiftKey: false,
+      isComposing: false,
+      keyCode: 0,
+    };
+    const result = state.handleChatInputHistoryKey!(input);
+
+    expect(result.handled).toBe(false);
+    expect(navigateHistory).toHaveBeenCalledWith(input);
+    expect(requestUpdate).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
 });
 
 describe("session pull request refresh", () => {