diff --git a/src/apps/chat/components/ChatMessageList.tsx b/src/apps/chat/components/ChatMessageList.tsx
index 9cf24d27f..534ee7e49 100644
--- a/src/apps/chat/components/ChatMessageList.tsx
+++ b/src/apps/chat/components/ChatMessageList.tsx
@@ -374,7 +374,6 @@ export function ChatMessageList(props: {
           sx={{
             mt: 'auto',
             overflowY: 'auto',
-            minHeight: 64,
           }}
         />
       )}
diff --git a/src/apps/chat/components/Ephemerals.tsx b/src/apps/chat/components/Ephemerals.tsx
index 3bfb26f6a..aab8460f4 100644
--- a/src/apps/chat/components/Ephemerals.tsx
+++ b/src/apps/chat/components/Ephemerals.tsx
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@ import * as React from 'react';
 import type { SxProps } from '@mui/joy/styles/types';
 import { Box, Grid, IconButton, Sheet, styled, Typography } from '@mui/joy';
 import CloseRoundedIcon from '@mui/icons-material/CloseRounded';
-import PushPinIcon from '@mui/icons-material/PushPin';
+import MaximizeIcon from '@mui/icons-material/Maximize';
+import MinimizeIcon from '@mui/icons-material/Minimize';
 import VerticalSplitIcon from '@mui/icons-material/VerticalSplit';
 import VerticalSplitOutlinedIcon from '@mui/icons-material/VerticalSplitOutlined';
 
@@ -111,107 +112,112 @@ function EphemeralItem(props: {
 
   const { ephemeral, conversationHandler } = props;
 
+  // Event handlers
   const handleDelete = React.useCallback(() => {
     conversationHandler.overlayActions.ephemeralsDelete(ephemeral.id);
   }, [conversationHandler, ephemeral.id]);
 
-  const handleTogglePinned = React.useCallback(() => {
-    conversationHandler.overlayActions.ephemeralsTogglePinned(ephemeral.id);
+  const handleToggleMinimized = React.useCallback(() => {
+    conversationHandler.overlayActions.ephemeralsToggleMinimized(ephemeral.id);
   }, [conversationHandler, ephemeral.id]);
 
   const handleToggleShowState = React.useCallback(() => {
-    conversationHandler.overlayActions.ephemeralsToggleShowState(ephemeral.id);
+    conversationHandler.overlayActions.ephemeralsToggleShowStatePane(ephemeral.id);
   }, [conversationHandler, ephemeral.id]);
 
-  const showStatePane = ephemeral.showState && !!ephemeral.state;
 
-  return <Box
-    sx={{
-      p: { xs: 1, md: 2 },
-      position: 'relative',
+  const showStatePane = ephemeral.showStatePane && !!ephemeral.state;
+
+  return (
+    <Box sx={{
       borderTop: '1px solid',
       borderTopColor: 'divider',
       // border: (i < ephemerals.length - 1) ? `2px solid ${theme.palette.divider}` : undefined,
-    }}>
-
-    {/* Title */}
-    {ephemeral.title && (
-      <Typography level='title-sm' sx={{ mt: -0.25, mb: 2, color: 'success.solidBg' }}>
-        {ephemeral.title} Internal Monologue
-      </Typography>
-    )}
-
-    {/* Vertical | split */}
-    <Grid container spacing={2}>
-
-      {/* Left pane (log) */}
-      <Grid xs={12} md={showStatePane ? 6 : 12}>
-        {/* New renderer, with */}
-        <Box sx={leftPaneSx}>
-          <ScaledTextBlockRenderer
-            text={ephemeral.text}
-            contentScaling={props.contentScaling}
-            textRenderVariant='markdown'
-          />
-        </Box>
-      </Grid>
-
-      {/* Right pane (state) */}
-      {showStatePane && (
-        <Grid xs={12} md={6} sx={rightPaneSx}>
-          <StateRenderer
-            state={ephemeral.state}
-            contentScaling={props.contentScaling}
-          />
-        </Grid>
-      )}
-
-    </Grid>
-
-
-    {/* Buttons */}
-    <Box sx={{
-      position: 'absolute',
-      top: 0,
-      right: 0,
-      m: 1,
       display: 'flex',
-      gap: 1,
+      flexDirection: 'column',
     }}>
 
-      {/* Pin */}
-      <IconButton
-        size='sm'
-        variant={ephemeral.pinned ? 'soft' : 'plain'}
-        onClick={handleTogglePinned}
-        sx={{
-          '& > *': { transition: 'transform 0.2s' },
-        }}
-      >
-        <PushPinIcon sx={ephemeral.pinned ? { transform: 'rotate(45deg)' } : undefined} />
-      </IconButton>
+      {/* Top Line - Title and Buttons */}
+      <Box sx={{
+        py: 1,
+        px: { xs: 1, md: 2 },
+        backgroundColor: 'success.softHoverBg',
+        display: 'flex',
+        gap: 1,
+        alignItems: 'center'
+      }}>
 
-      {/* Show State */}
-      <IconButton
-        size='sm'
-        variant={ephemeral.showState ? 'soft' : 'plain'}
-        onClick={handleToggleShowState}
-      >
-        {ephemeral.showState ? <VerticalSplitIcon /> : <VerticalSplitOutlinedIcon />}
-      </IconButton>
+        <Typography level='title-sm' sx={{ flex: 1, color: 'success.solidBg' }}>
+          {ephemeral.title} Internal Monologue
+        </Typography>
 
-      {/* Close */}
-      <IconButton
-        size='sm'
-        variant={ephemeral.done ? 'solid' : 'outlined'}
-        onClick={handleDelete}
-      >
-        <CloseRoundedIcon />
-      </IconButton>
+        {/* Show State */}
+        {!ephemeral.minimized && (
+          <IconButton
+            size='sm'
+            variant={ephemeral.showStatePane ? 'solid' : 'outlined'}
+            onClick={handleToggleShowState}
+          >
+            {ephemeral.showStatePane ? <VerticalSplitIcon /> : <VerticalSplitOutlinedIcon />}
+          </IconButton>
+        )}
+
+        {/* Minimize/Expand Button */}
+        <IconButton
+          size='sm'
+          variant={'outlined'}
+          onClick={handleToggleMinimized}
+        >
+          {ephemeral.minimized ? <MaximizeIcon /> : <MinimizeIcon />}
+        </IconButton>
+
+        {/* Close */}
+        <IconButton
+          size='sm'
+          variant={ephemeral.done ? 'solid' : 'outlined'}
+          onClick={handleDelete}
+        >
+          <CloseRoundedIcon />
+        </IconButton>
+
+      </Box>
+
+      {/* Content */}
+      {!ephemeral.minimized && <Box sx={{
+        py: 1,
+        px: { xs: 1, md: 2 },
+      }}>
+
+        {/* Content Grid */}
+        <Grid container spacing={2} sx={{ mt: 0.5 }}>
+
+          {/* Left pane (log) */}
+          <Grid xs={12} md={showStatePane ? 6 : 12}>
+            {/* New renderer, with */}
+            <Box sx={leftPaneSx}>
+              <ScaledTextBlockRenderer
+                text={ephemeral.text}
+                contentScaling={props.contentScaling}
+                textRenderVariant='markdown'
+              />
+            </Box>
+          </Grid>
+
+          {/* Right pane (state) */}
+          {showStatePane && (
+            <Grid xs={12} md={6} sx={rightPaneSx}>
+              <StateRenderer
+                state={ephemeral.state}
+                contentScaling={props.contentScaling}
+              />
+            </Grid>
+          )}
+
+        </Grid>
+      </Box>}
 
     </Box>
-
-  </Box>;
+  );
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/common/chat-overlay/ConversationHandler.ts b/src/common/chat-overlay/ConversationHandler.ts
index 2a39275fc..f4f18e765 100644
--- a/src/common/chat-overlay/ConversationHandler.ts
+++ b/src/common/chat-overlay/ConversationHandler.ts
@@ -14,14 +14,10 @@ import { getChatLLMId } from '~/common/stores/llms/store-llms';
 
 import { getChatAutoAI } from '../../apps/chat/store-app-chat';
 
-import { createDEphemeral } from './store-perchat_ephemerals_slice';
+import { createDEphemeral, EPHEMERALS_DEFAULT_TIMEOUT } from './store-perchat_ephemerals_slice';
 import { createPerChatVanillaStore } from './store-perchat_vanilla';
 
 
-// configuration
-const EPHEMERAL_DELETION_DELAY = 5 * 1000;
-
-
 /**
  * ConversationHandler is a class to overlay state onto a conversation.
  * It is a singleton per conversationId.
@@ -250,16 +246,15 @@ export class ConversationHandler {
   // Ephemerals
 
   createEphemeralHandler(title: string, initialText: string) {
-    const { ephemeralsAppend, ephemeralsUpdate, ephemeralsDelete, ephemeralsIsPinned } = this.overlayActions;
+    const { ephemeralsAppend, ephemeralsUpdate, ephemeralsDelete, getEphemeral } = this.overlayActions;
 
     // create and append
     const ephemeral = createDEphemeral(title, initialText);
     const eId = ephemeral.id;
     ephemeralsAppend(ephemeral);
 
-    // delete if not pinned
-    const deleteIfNotPinned = () => {
-      if (!ephemeralsIsPinned(eId))
+    const deleteIfMinimized = () => {
+      if (getEphemeral(eId)?.minimized)
         ephemeralsDelete(eId);
     };
 
@@ -269,7 +264,7 @@ export class ConversationHandler {
       updateState: (state: object) => ephemeralsUpdate(eId, { state }),
       markAsDone: () => {
         ephemeralsUpdate(eId, { done: true });
-        setTimeout(deleteIfNotPinned, EPHEMERAL_DELETION_DELAY);
+        setTimeout(deleteIfMinimized, EPHEMERALS_DEFAULT_TIMEOUT);
       },
     };
   }
diff --git a/src/common/chat-overlay/store-perchat_ephemerals_slice.ts b/src/common/chat-overlay/store-perchat_ephemerals_slice.ts
index 9b4c55862..2aea4f48c 100644
--- a/src/common/chat-overlay/store-perchat_ephemerals_slice.ts
+++ b/src/common/chat-overlay/store-perchat_ephemerals_slice.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,11 @@ import type { StateCreator } from 'zustand/vanilla';
 import { agiUuid } from '~/common/util/idUtils';
 
 
+// configuration
+export const EPHEMERALS_DEFAULT_TIMEOUT = 6000;
+const EPHEMERALS_DEFAULT_MINIMIZED = true;
+
+
 /**
  * DEphemeral: For ReAct sidebars, displayed under the chat
  */
@@ -11,9 +16,9 @@ export interface DEphemeral {
   title: string;
   text: string;
   state: object;
-  done: boolean;
-  pinned: boolean;
-  showState: boolean;
+  done: boolean;        // is complete, shall close after timeout
+  minimized: boolean;   // collapsed to a single line
+  showStatePane: boolean;   // show the state object
 }
 
 type DEphemeralId = string;
@@ -25,16 +30,16 @@ export function createDEphemeral(title: string, initialText: string): DEphemeral
     text: initialText,
     state: {},
     done: false,
-    pinned: lastEphemeralPinned,
-    showState: lastEphemeralShowState,
+    minimized: lastMinimized,
+    showStatePane: lastShowStatePane,
   };
 }
 
 
 /// Ephemerals Overlay Store ///
 
-let lastEphemeralPinned = false;
-let lastEphemeralShowState = false;
+let lastMinimized = EPHEMERALS_DEFAULT_MINIMIZED;
+let lastShowStatePane = false;
 
 interface EphemeralsOverlayState {
 
@@ -48,11 +53,10 @@ export interface EphemeralsOverlayStore extends EphemeralsOverlayState {
   ephemeralsDelete: (ephemeralId: DEphemeralId) => void;
   ephemeralsUpdate: (ephemeralId: DEphemeralId, update: Partial<DEphemeral>) => void;
 
-  ephemeralsIsPinned: (ephemeralId: DEphemeralId) => boolean;
-  ephemeralsTogglePinned: (ephemeralId: DEphemeralId) => void;
+  ephemeralsToggleMinimized: (ephemeralId: DEphemeralId) => void;
+  ephemeralsToggleShowStatePane: (ephemeralId: DEphemeralId) => void;
 
-  ephemeralsIsShowState: (ephemeralId: DEphemeralId) => boolean;
-  ephemeralsToggleShowState: (ephemeralId: DEphemeralId) => void;
+  getEphemeral: (ephemeralId: DEphemeralId) => Readonly<DEphemeral> | undefined;
 
 }
 
@@ -75,10 +79,10 @@ export const createEphemeralsOverlayStoreSlice: StateCreator<EphemeralsOverlaySt
 
   ephemeralsUpdate: (ephemeralId, update) =>
     _set((state) => {
-      if (update.pinned !== undefined)
-        lastEphemeralPinned = update.pinned;
-      if (update.showState !== undefined)
-        lastEphemeralShowState = update.showState;
+      if (update.minimized !== undefined)
+        lastMinimized = update.minimized;
+      if (update.showStatePane !== undefined)
+        lastShowStatePane = update.showStatePane;
       return {
         ephemerals: state.ephemerals.map((e) =>
           e.id === ephemeralId
@@ -88,28 +92,21 @@ export const createEphemeralsOverlayStoreSlice: StateCreator<EphemeralsOverlaySt
       };
     }),
 
-  ephemeralsIsPinned: (ephemeralId) =>
-    _get().ephemerals.find((e) => e.id === ephemeralId)?.pinned || false,
-
-  ephemeralsTogglePinned: (ephemeralId) => {
-    const { ephemerals, ephemeralsDelete, ephemeralsUpdate } = _get();
-    const ephemeral = ephemerals.find((e) => e.id === ephemeralId);
-    if (ephemeral) {
-      if (ephemeral.pinned && ephemeral.done)
-        ephemeralsDelete(ephemeralId);
-      else
-        ephemeralsUpdate(ephemeralId, { pinned: !ephemeral.pinned });
-    }
-  },
-
-  ephemeralsIsShowState: (ephemeralId) =>
-    _get().ephemerals.find((e) => e.id === ephemeralId)?.showState || false,
-
-  ephemeralsToggleShowState: (ephemeralId) => {
+  ephemeralsToggleMinimized: (ephemeralId) => {
     const { ephemerals, ephemeralsUpdate } = _get();
     const ephemeral = ephemerals.find((e) => e.id === ephemeralId);
     if (ephemeral)
-      ephemeralsUpdate(ephemeralId, { showState: !ephemeral.showState });
+      ephemeralsUpdate(ephemeralId, { minimized: !ephemeral.minimized });
   },
 
+  ephemeralsToggleShowStatePane: (ephemeralId) => {
+    const { ephemerals, ephemeralsUpdate } = _get();
+    const ephemeral = ephemerals.find((e) => e.id === ephemeralId);
+    if (ephemeral)
+      ephemeralsUpdate(ephemeralId, { showStatePane: !ephemeral.showStatePane });
+  },
+
+  getEphemeral: (ephemeralId) =>
+    _get().ephemerals.find((e) => e.id === ephemeralId),
+
 });