diff --git a/web/src/app/app/(primary_layout)/(chat_experience)/chats/[chatId]/page.tsx b/web/src/app/app/(primary_layout)/(chat_experience)/chats/[chatId]/page.tsx
index 8ce2ac231..fdeff9839 100644
--- a/web/src/app/app/(primary_layout)/(chat_experience)/chats/[chatId]/page.tsx
+++ b/web/src/app/app/(primary_layout)/(chat_experience)/chats/[chatId]/page.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 'use client';
 
 import { FileIndeterminateLoader } from '@/components/features/FileIndeterminateLoader';
-import { StatusCard } from '@/components/ui/card/StatusCard';
 import { ReasoningController } from '@/controllers/ReasoningController';
 import { useChatIndividualContextSelector } from '@/layouts/ChatLayout/ChatContext';
 
@@ -15,12 +14,8 @@ export default function Page(params: { params: { chatId: string } }) {
 
   return (
     <>
-      <FileIndeterminateLoader />
-      <div className="p-5">
-        <StatusCard
-          title="Error"
-          message="If you are seeing this, tell Nate and screenshot this whole page including the URL and logs..."
-        />
+      <div className="animate-in fade-in hidden delay-300 duration-500">
+        <FileIndeterminateLoader />
       </div>
     </>
   );
diff --git a/web/src/components/ui/inputs/InputTextAreaButton.tsx b/web/src/components/ui/inputs/InputTextAreaButton.tsx
index 42549321c..c8c340673 100644
--- a/web/src/components/ui/inputs/InputTextAreaButton.tsx
+++ b/web/src/components/ui/inputs/InputTextAreaButton.tsx
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ const inputTextAreaButtonVariants = cva(
     variants: {
       variant: {
         default:
-          'has-[textarea:hover]:border-foreground shadow has-[textarea:focus]:border-foreground has-[textarea:disabled]:border-border'
+          'has-[textarea:hover]:border-foreground shadow bg-background has-[textarea:focus]:border-foreground has-[textarea:disabled]:border-border'
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/web/src/layouts/ChatLayout/ChatLayoutContext/ChatLayoutContext.tsx b/web/src/layouts/ChatLayout/ChatLayoutContext/ChatLayoutContext.tsx
index e0a1f8995..bcf5895e9 100644
--- a/web/src/layouts/ChatLayout/ChatLayoutContext/ChatLayoutContext.tsx
+++ b/web/src/layouts/ChatLayout/ChatLayoutContext/ChatLayoutContext.tsx
@@ -44,9 +44,7 @@ export const useChatLayout = ({ appSplitterRef }: UseChatSplitterProps) => {
     renderViewLayoutKey
   } = useSelectedFileAndLayout({ animateOpenSplitter });
 
-  const { onCollapseFileClick } = useLayoutCollapse({
-    animateOpenSplitter
-  });
+  const onCollapseFileClick = useLayoutCollapse({ onSetSelectedFile });
 
   const fileLayoutContext = useChatFileLayout({
     selectedFileId: selectedFile?.id,
diff --git a/web/src/layouts/ChatLayout/hooks/useLayoutCollapse.tsx b/web/src/layouts/ChatLayout/hooks/useLayoutCollapse.tsx
index 5daddfb4e..289197dd7 100644
--- a/web/src/layouts/ChatLayout/hooks/useLayoutCollapse.tsx
+++ b/web/src/layouts/ChatLayout/hooks/useLayoutCollapse.tsx
@@ -1,30 +1,16 @@
 'use client';
 
 import { useMemoizedFn } from '@/hooks';
-import { useEffect, useMemo, useState } from 'react';
-import { SelectedFileParams } from './useSelectedFileAndLayout';
-import { ChatLayoutView } from '../interfaces';
+import { useSelectedFileAndLayout } from './useSelectedFileAndLayout';
 
 export const useLayoutCollapse = ({
-  animateOpenSplitter
+  onSetSelectedFile
 }: {
-  animateOpenSplitter: (side: 'left' | 'right' | 'both') => void;
+  onSetSelectedFile: ReturnType<typeof useSelectedFileAndLayout>['onSetSelectedFile'];
 }) => {
   const onCollapseFileClick = useMemoizedFn((close?: boolean) => {
-    // if (selectedFile && selectedFile.type === 'reasoning') {
-    //   animateOpenSplitter(!isCloseAction ? 'both' : 'left');
-    // } else if (isFileLayout) {
-    //   // For file layout, toggle between 'both' and 'right'
-    //   animateOpenSplitter(!isCloseAction && selectedFile ? 'both' : 'right');
-    // } else {
-    //   // For other layouts, toggle between 'right' and 'both'
-    //   animateOpenSplitter(isCloseAction ? 'left' : 'both');
-    // }
-
-    animateOpenSplitter('left');
+    onSetSelectedFile(null);
   });
 
-  return {
-    onCollapseFileClick
-  };
+  return onCollapseFileClick;
 };
diff --git a/web/src/layouts/ChatLayout/hooks/useSelectedFileAndLayout/initializeSelectedFile.ts b/web/src/layouts/ChatLayout/hooks/useSelectedFileAndLayout/initializeSelectedFile.ts
index 4e10820ff..f1f8eba2a 100644
--- a/web/src/layouts/ChatLayout/hooks/useSelectedFileAndLayout/initializeSelectedFile.ts
+++ b/web/src/layouts/ChatLayout/hooks/useSelectedFileAndLayout/initializeSelectedFile.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import type { SelectedFile } from '../../interfaces';
 import type { ChatURLParsed } from './parsePathnameSegments';
 
-export const initializeSelectedFile = (params: ChatURLParsed): SelectedFile | undefined => {
+export const initializeSelectedFile = (params: ChatURLParsed): SelectedFile | null => {
   const { metricId, collectionId, datasetId, dashboardId, chatId, messageId } = params;
 
   if (metricId) {
@@ -25,5 +25,5 @@ export const initializeSelectedFile = (params: ChatURLParsed): SelectedFile | un
     };
   }
 
-  return undefined;
+  return null;
 };
diff --git a/web/src/layouts/ChatLayout/hooks/useSelectedFileAndLayout/useSelectedFileAndLayout.ts b/web/src/layouts/ChatLayout/hooks/useSelectedFileAndLayout/useSelectedFileAndLayout.ts
index c51ba5f57..59d5cba5d 100644
--- a/web/src/layouts/ChatLayout/hooks/useSelectedFileAndLayout/useSelectedFileAndLayout.ts
+++ b/web/src/layouts/ChatLayout/hooks/useSelectedFileAndLayout/useSelectedFileAndLayout.ts
@@ -5,11 +5,7 @@ import type { ChatLayoutView, SelectedFile } from '../../interfaces';
 import { usePathname } from 'next/navigation';
 import { parsePathnameSegments } from './parsePathnameSegments';
 import { useMemoizedFn } from '@/hooks';
-import {
-  createChatAssetRoute,
-  createChatRoute,
-  createFileRoute
-} from '../../ChatLayoutContext/helpers';
+import { createChatAssetRoute, createChatRoute } from '../../ChatLayoutContext/helpers';
 import { useAppLayoutContextSelector } from '@/context/BusterAppLayout';
 import { initializeSelectedFile } from './initializeSelectedFile';
 import { BusterRoutes, createBusterRoute } from '@/routes';
@@ -26,7 +22,7 @@ export const useSelectedFileAndLayout = ({
 
   const { chatId } = params;
 
-  const [selectedFile, setSelectedFile] = useState<SelectedFile | undefined>(() =>
+  const [selectedFile, setSelectedFile] = useState<SelectedFile | null>(() =>
     initializeSelectedFile(params)
   );
 
@@ -51,6 +47,7 @@ export const useSelectedFileAndLayout = ({
     if (!file || !fileType || !fileId || !chatId) {
       if (chatId) {
         await onChangePage(createChatRoute(chatId));
+        setSelectedFile(null);
         animateOpenSplitter('left');
       } else {
         await onChangePage(createBusterRoute({ route: BusterRoutes.APP_HOME }));
@@ -62,7 +59,7 @@ export const useSelectedFileAndLayout = ({
       ? createChatRoute(chatId)
       : createChatAssetRoute({ chatId, assetId: fileId, type: fileType });
     setRenderViewLayoutKey('both');
-    setSelectedFile(isSameAsCurrentFile ? undefined : file);
+    setSelectedFile(isSameAsCurrentFile ? null : file);
     await onChangePage(route);
     startTransition(() => {
       onChangePage(route); //this is hack for now...