diff --git a/src/apps/chat/AppChat.tsx b/src/apps/chat/AppChat.tsx
index 0f1a470ae..23c58da2a 100644
--- a/src/apps/chat/AppChat.tsx
+++ b/src/apps/chat/AppChat.tsx
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ export function AppChat() {
   const {
     title: focusedChatTitle,
     chatIdx: focusedChatNumber,
+    isNoChat: isNoChat,
     isChatEmpty: isFocusedChatEmpty,
     areChatsEmpty,
     newConversationId,
@@ -337,27 +338,24 @@ export function AppChat() {
 
   const handleConversationClear = React.useCallback((conversationId: DConversationId) => setClearConversationId(conversationId), []);
 
-  const handleConfirmedDeleteConversation = () => {
-    if (deleteConversationId) {
-      let nextConversationId: DConversationId | null;
-      if (deleteConversationId === SPECIAL_ID_WIPE_ALL)
-        nextConversationId = wipeAllConversations(focusedSystemPurposeId ?? undefined, activeFolderId);
-      else
-        nextConversationId = deleteConversation(deleteConversationId);
-      setFocusedConversationId(nextConversationId);
-      setDeleteConversationId(null);
-    }
-  };
-
   const handleConversationsDeleteAll = React.useCallback(() => setDeleteConversationId(SPECIAL_ID_WIPE_ALL), []);
 
-  const handleConversationDelete = React.useCallback(
-    (conversationId: DConversationId, bypassConfirmation: boolean) => {
-      if (bypassConfirmation) setFocusedConversationId(deleteConversation(conversationId));
-      else setDeleteConversationId(conversationId);
-    },
-    [deleteConversation, setFocusedConversationId],
-  );
+  const handleConversationDelete = React.useCallback((conversationId: DConversationId, bypassConfirmation: boolean) => {
+    // show dialog if not bypassed
+    if (!bypassConfirmation)
+      return setDeleteConversationId(conversationId);
+
+    const nextConversationId = conversationId === SPECIAL_ID_WIPE_ALL
+      ? wipeAllConversations(activeFolderId /* restricted to this folder (or null for all) */, focusedSystemPurposeId ?? undefined)
+      : deleteConversation(conversationId, focusedSystemPurposeId ?? undefined);
+    setFocusedConversationId(nextConversationId);
+
+    setDeleteConversationId(null);
+  }, [activeFolderId, deleteConversation, focusedSystemPurposeId, setFocusedConversationId, wipeAllConversations]);
+
+  const handleConfirmedDeleteConversation = React.useCallback(() => {
+    deleteConversationId && handleConversationDelete(deleteConversationId, true);
+  }, [deleteConversationId, handleConversationDelete]);
 
   // Shortcuts
 
@@ -393,7 +391,7 @@ export function AppChat() {
         activeConversationId={focusedConversationId}
         activeFolderId={activeFolderId}
         chatPanesConversationIds={chatPanes.map(pane => pane.conversationId).filter(Boolean) as DConversationId[]}
-        disableNewButton={isFocusedChatEmpty}
+        disableNewButton={isFocusedChatEmpty && !isNoChat}
         onConversationActivate={setFocusedConversationId}
         onConversationDelete={handleConversationDelete}
         onConversationExportDialog={handleConversationExport}
@@ -402,15 +400,15 @@ export function AppChat() {
         onConversationsDeleteAll={handleConversationsDeleteAll}
         setActiveFolderId={setActiveFolderId}
       />,
-    [activeFolderId, chatPanes, focusedConversationId, handleConversationDelete, handleConversationExport, handleConversationImportDialog, handleConversationNew, handleConversationsDeleteAll, isFocusedChatEmpty, setFocusedConversationId],
+    [activeFolderId, chatPanes, focusedConversationId, handleConversationDelete, handleConversationExport, handleConversationImportDialog, handleConversationNew, handleConversationsDeleteAll, isFocusedChatEmpty, isNoChat, setFocusedConversationId],
   );
 
   const menuItems = React.useMemo(() =>
       <ChatPageMenuItems
         isMobile={isMobile}
         conversationId={focusedConversationId}
+        disableItems={!focusedConversationId || isFocusedChatEmpty}
         hasConversations={!areChatsEmpty}
-        isConversationEmpty={isFocusedChatEmpty}
         isMessageSelectionMode={isMessageSelectionMode}
         onConversationBranch={handleConversationBranch}
         onConversationClear={handleConversationClear}
diff --git a/src/apps/chat/components/ChatDrawer.tsx b/src/apps/chat/components/ChatDrawer.tsx
index a158018f2..1893492d0 100644
--- a/src/apps/chat/components/ChatDrawer.tsx
+++ b/src/apps/chat/components/ChatDrawer.tsx
@@ -112,8 +112,7 @@ function ChatDrawer(props: {
   // derived state
   const selectConversationsCount = chatNavItems.length;
   const nonEmptyChats = selectConversationsCount > 1 || (selectConversationsCount === 1 && !chatNavItems[0].isEmpty);
-  const singleChat = selectConversationsCount === 1;
-  const softMaxReached = selectConversationsCount >= 10;
+  const softMaxReached = selectConversationsCount >= 40;
 
 
   const handleButtonNew = React.useCallback(() => {
@@ -130,8 +129,8 @@ function ChatDrawer(props: {
 
 
   const handleConversationDelete = React.useCallback((conversationId: DConversationId) => {
-    !singleChat && conversationId && onConversationDelete(conversationId, true);
-  }, [onConversationDelete, singleChat]);
+    conversationId && onConversationDelete(conversationId, true);
+  }, [onConversationDelete]);
 
 
   // Folder change request
@@ -288,7 +287,6 @@ function ChatDrawer(props: {
           <ChatDrawerItemMemo
             key={'nav-' + item.conversationId}
             item={item}
-            isLonely={singleChat}
             showSymbols={showSymbols}
             bottomBarBasis={(softMaxReached || debouncedSearchQuery) ? bottomBarBasis : 0}
             onConversationActivate={handleConversationActivate}
diff --git a/src/apps/chat/components/ChatDrawerItem.tsx b/src/apps/chat/components/ChatDrawerItem.tsx
index 0b1ed4b56..9b921838d 100644
--- a/src/apps/chat/components/ChatDrawerItem.tsx
+++ b/src/apps/chat/components/ChatDrawerItem.tsx
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ export const FadeInButton = styled(IconButton)({
 export const ChatDrawerItemMemo = React.memo(ChatDrawerItem, (prev, next) =>
   // usign a custom function because `ChatNavigationItemData` is a complex object and memo won't work
   isDeepEqual(prev.item, next.item) &&
-  prev.isLonely === next.isLonely &&
   prev.showSymbols === next.showSymbols &&
   prev.bottomBarBasis === next.bottomBarBasis &&
   prev.onConversationActivate === next.onConversationActivate &&
@@ -65,7 +64,6 @@ export interface FolderChangeRequest {
 function ChatDrawerItem(props: {
   // NOTE: always update the Memo comparison if you add or remove props
   item: ChatNavigationItemData,
-  isLonely: boolean,
   showSymbols: boolean,
   bottomBarBasis: number,
   onConversationActivate: (conversationId: DConversationId, closeMenu: boolean) => void,
@@ -307,7 +305,7 @@ function ChatDrawerItem(props: {
           <Box sx={{ flex: 1 }} />
 
           {/* Delete [armed, arming] buttons */}
-          {!props.isLonely && !searchFrequency && <>
+          {!searchFrequency && <>
             {deleteArmed && (
               <Tooltip disableInteractive title='Confirm Deletion'>
                 <FadeInButton key='btn-del' variant='solid' color='success' size='sm' onClick={handleConversationDelete} sx={{ opacity: 1 }}>
diff --git a/src/apps/chat/components/ChatPageMenuItems.tsx b/src/apps/chat/components/ChatPageMenuItems.tsx
index a3180f1cc..c2d29743c 100644
--- a/src/apps/chat/components/ChatPageMenuItems.tsx
+++ b/src/apps/chat/components/ChatPageMenuItems.tsx
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@ import { usePaneDuplicateOrClose } from './panes/usePanesManager';
 export function ChatPageMenuItems(props: {
   isMobile: boolean,
   conversationId: DConversationId | null,
+  disableItems: boolean,
   hasConversations: boolean,
-  isConversationEmpty: boolean,
   isMessageSelectionMode: boolean,
   onConversationBranch: (conversationId: DConversationId, messageId: string | null) => void,
   onConversationClear: (conversationId: DConversationId) => void,
@@ -38,9 +38,6 @@ export function ChatPageMenuItems(props: {
   const { canAddPane, isMultiPane, duplicateFocusedPane, removeOtherPanes } = usePaneDuplicateOrClose();
   const [showSystemMessages, setShowSystemMessages] = useChatShowSystemMessages();
 
-  // derived state
-  const disabled = !props.conversationId || props.isConversationEmpty;
-
 
   const handleToggleMultiPane = React.useCallback((_event: React.MouseEvent) => {
     if (isMultiPane)
@@ -118,30 +115,30 @@ export function ChatPageMenuItems(props: {
 
     <ListDivider />
 
-    <MenuItem disabled={disabled} onClick={handleConversationBranch}>
+    <MenuItem disabled={props.disableItems} onClick={handleConversationBranch}>
       <ListItemDecorator><ForkRightIcon /></ListItemDecorator>
       Branch
     </MenuItem>
 
-    <MenuItem disabled={disabled} onClick={handleToggleMessageSelectionMode}>
+    <MenuItem disabled={props.disableItems} onClick={handleToggleMessageSelectionMode}>
       <ListItemDecorator>{props.isMessageSelectionMode ? <CheckBoxOutlinedIcon /> : <CheckBoxOutlineBlankOutlinedIcon />}</ListItemDecorator>
       <span style={props.isMessageSelectionMode ? { fontWeight: 800 } : {}}>
         Cleanup ...
       </span>
     </MenuItem>
 
-    <MenuItem disabled={disabled} onClick={handleConversationFlatten}>
+    <MenuItem disabled={props.disableItems} onClick={handleConversationFlatten}>
       <ListItemDecorator><CompressIcon color='success' /></ListItemDecorator>
       Compress ...
     </MenuItem>
 
     <ListDivider inset='startContent' />
 
-    <MenuItem disabled={disabled} onClick={handleConversationClear}>
+    <MenuItem disabled={props.disableItems} onClick={handleConversationClear}>
       <ListItemDecorator><ClearIcon /></ListItemDecorator>
       <Box sx={{ flexGrow: 1, display: 'flex', justifyContent: 'space-between', gap: 1 }}>
         Reset Chat
-        {!disabled && <KeyStroke combo='Ctrl + Alt + X' />}
+        {!props.disableItems && <KeyStroke combo='Ctrl + Alt + X' />}
       </Box>
     </MenuItem>
 
diff --git a/src/common/state/store-chats.ts b/src/common/state/store-chats.ts
index 552576c0e..dc36c27e5 100644
--- a/src/common/state/store-chats.ts
+++ b/src/common/state/store-chats.ts
@@ -119,8 +119,8 @@ interface ChatActions {
   prependNewConversation: (personaId: SystemPurposeId | undefined) => DConversationId;
   importConversation: (conversation: DConversation, preventClash: boolean) => DConversationId;
   branchConversation: (conversationId: DConversationId, messageId: string | null) => DConversationId | null;
-  deleteConversation: (conversationId: DConversationId) => DConversationId | null;
-  wipeAllConversations: (personaId: SystemPurposeId | undefined, folderId: string | null) => DConversationId;
+  deleteConversation: (conversationId: DConversationId, newConversationPersonaId?: SystemPurposeId) => DConversationId;
+  wipeAllConversations: (folderId: string | null, newConversationPersonaId?: SystemPurposeId) => DConversationId;
 
   // within a conversation
   startTyping: (conversationId: string, abortController: AbortController | null) => void;
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ export const useChatStore = create<ConversationsStore>()(devtools(
         return branched.id;
       },
 
-      deleteConversation: (conversationId: DConversationId): DConversationId | null => {
+      deleteConversation: (conversationId: DConversationId, newConversationPersonaId?: SystemPurposeId): DConversationId => {
         let { conversations } = _get();
 
         // abort pending requests on this conversation
@@ -245,37 +245,39 @@ export const useChatStore = create<ConversationsStore>()(devtools(
 
         // remove from the list
         conversations = conversations.filter(_c => _c.id !== conversationId);
+
+        // create a new conversation if there are no more
+        if (!conversations.length)
+          conversations.push(createDConversation(newConversationPersonaId));
+
         _set({
           conversations,
         });
 
         // return the next conversation Id in line, if valid
-        return conversations.length
-          ? conversations[(cIndex >= 0 && cIndex < conversations.length) ? cIndex : conversations.length - 1].id
-          : null;
+        return conversations[(cIndex >= 0 && cIndex < conversations.length) ? cIndex : conversations.length - 1].id;
       },
 
-      wipeAllConversations: (personaId: SystemPurposeId | undefined, folderId: string | null): DConversationId => {
+      wipeAllConversations: (onlyInFolderId: string | null, newConversationPersonaId?: SystemPurposeId): DConversationId => {
         let { conversations } = _get();
 
         // abort any pending requests on all conversations
         conversations.forEach(conversation => conversation.abortController?.abort());
 
         // If a folder is selected, only delete conversations in that folder
-        if (folderId) {
+        if (onlyInFolderId) {
           const { folders, removeConversationFromFolder } = useFolderStore.getState();
-          const folderConversations = folders.find(folder => folder.id === folderId)?.conversationIds || [];
+          const folderConversations = folders.find(folder => folder.id === onlyInFolderId)?.conversationIds || [];
           conversations = conversations.filter(conversation => !folderConversations.includes(conversation.id));
 
           // Update the folder to remove the deleted conversation IDs
-          folderConversations.forEach(conversationId => removeConversationFromFolder(folderId, conversationId));
-
+          folderConversations.forEach(conversationId => removeConversationFromFolder(onlyInFolderId, conversationId));
         }
 
-        const conversation = createDConversation(personaId);
+        const conversation = createDConversation(newConversationPersonaId);
 
         _set({
-          conversations: folderId ? conversations : [conversation],
+          conversations: onlyInFolderId ? conversations : [conversation],
         });
 
         return conversation.id;
@@ -556,6 +558,7 @@ export const useConversation = (conversationId: DConversationId | null) => useCh
   const conversation = conversationId ? conversations.find(_c => _c.id === conversationId) ?? null : null;
   const title = conversation ? conversationTitle(conversation) : null;
   const chatIdx = conversation ? conversations.findIndex(_c => _c.id === conversation.id) : -1;
+  const isNoChat = chatIdx === -1;
   const isChatEmpty = conversation ? !conversation.messages.length : true;
   const areChatsEmpty = isChatEmpty && conversations.length < 2;
   const newConversationId: DConversationId | null = (conversations.length && !conversations[0].messages.length) ? conversations[0].id : null;
@@ -564,6 +567,7 @@ export const useConversation = (conversationId: DConversationId | null) => useCh
   return {
     title,
     chatIdx,
+    isNoChat,
     isChatEmpty,
     areChatsEmpty,
     newConversationId,