diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/v2/manager-chat.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/v2/manager-chat.tsx
index 9993df67..833f8a92 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/v2/manager-chat.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/v2/manager-chat.tsx
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import { BasicMarkdownText } from "../thread/markdown-text";
 import { ErrorState } from "./types";
 import { CollapsibleAlert } from "./collapsible-alert";
 import { Loader2 } from "lucide-react";
+import { parsePartialJson } from "@langchain/core/output_parsers";
 
 function MessageCopyButton({ content }: { content: string }) {
   const [copied, setCopied] = useState(false);
@@ -82,6 +83,23 @@ function extractResponseFromMessage(message: Message): string {
   if (!isAIMessageSDK(message)) {
     return getMessageContentString(message.content);
   }
+  if (
+    Array.isArray(message.content) &&
+    ["input_json_delta", "tool_use"].includes(
+      message.content[0].type as string,
+    ) &&
+    "input" in message.content[0] &&
+    message.content[0].input
+  ) {
+    try {
+      const parsedJson = parsePartialJson(message.content[0].input as string);
+      if (parsedJson.response) {
+        return parsedJson.response;
+      }
+    } catch {
+      // no-op
+    }
+  }
   const toolCall = message.tool_calls?.[0];
   const response = toolCall?.args?.response;
 
@@ -91,6 +109,50 @@ function extractResponseFromMessage(message: Message): string {
   return response;
 }
 
+function LoadingMessageDots() {
+  return (
+    <div className="text-foreground flex items-center space-x-1 overflow-x-hidden text-sm">
+      <style jsx>{`
+        @keyframes dotBounce {
+          0%,
+          80%,
+          100% {
+            transform: scale(0.8);
+            opacity: 0.5;
+          }
+          40% {
+            transform: scale(1.2);
+            opacity: 1;
+          }
+        }
+        .dot-bounce {
+          animation: dotBounce 1.4s infinite ease-in-out;
+        }
+      `}</style>
+      <div className="flex space-x-1">
+        <div
+          className="dot-bounce h-1 w-1 rounded-full bg-current"
+          style={{
+            animationDelay: "0ms",
+          }}
+        />
+        <div
+          className="dot-bounce h-1 w-1 rounded-full bg-current"
+          style={{
+            animationDelay: "200ms",
+          }}
+        />
+        <div
+          className="dot-bounce h-1 w-1 rounded-full bg-current"
+          style={{
+            animationDelay: "400ms",
+          }}
+        />
+      </div>
+    </div>
+  );
+}
+
 export function ManagerChat({
   messages,
   chatInput,
@@ -153,9 +215,13 @@ export function ManagerChat({
                             <MessageCopyButton content={messageContentString} />
                           </div>
                         </div>
-                        <BasicMarkdownText className="text-foreground overflow-x-hidden text-sm">
-                          {messageContentString}
-                        </BasicMarkdownText>
+                        {messageContentString ? (
+                          <BasicMarkdownText className="text-foreground overflow-x-hidden text-sm">
+                            {messageContentString}
+                          </BasicMarkdownText>
+                        ) : (
+                          <LoadingMessageDots />
+                        )}
                       </div>
                     </div>
                   );
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/v2/terminal-input.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/v2/terminal-input.tsx
index ec20077c..9e8cf3cf 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/v2/terminal-input.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/v2/terminal-input.tsx
@@ -110,6 +110,25 @@ export function TerminalInput({
 
         // set session storage so the stream can be resumed after redirect.
         sessionStorage.setItem(`lg:stream:${newThreadId}`, run.run_id);
+
+        // Store the initial message for optimistic rendering
+        try {
+          const initialMessageData = {
+            message: newHumanMessage,
+            timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
+          };
+          sessionStorage.setItem(
+            `lg:initial-message:${newThreadId}`,
+            JSON.stringify(initialMessageData),
+          );
+        } catch (error) {
+          // If sessionStorage fails, continue without optimistic rendering
+          console.error(
+            "Failed to store initial message in sessionStorage:",
+            error,
+          );
+        }
+
         push(`/chat/${newThreadId}`);
         clearCurrentDraft();
         setMessage("");
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/v2/thread-view.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/v2/thread-view.tsx
index 376222a0..920cc6a3 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/v2/thread-view.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/v2/thread-view.tsx
@@ -18,7 +18,10 @@ import {
 } from "@open-swe/shared/open-swe/types";
 import { ActionsRenderer } from "./actions-renderer";
 import { ThemeToggle } from "../theme-toggle";
-import { HumanMessage } from "@langchain/core/messages";
+import {
+  coerceMessageLikeToMessage,
+  HumanMessage,
+} from "@langchain/core/messages";
 import {
   DO_NOT_RENDER_ID_PREFIX,
   PROGRAMMER_GRAPH_ID,
@@ -43,6 +46,8 @@ import {
 } from "@open-swe/shared/open-swe/custom-node-events";
 import { StickToBottom } from "use-stick-to-bottom";
 import { TokenUsage } from "./token-usage";
+import { HumanMessage as HumanMessageSDK } from "@langchain/langgraph-sdk";
+import { getMessageContentString } from "@open-swe/shared/messages";
 import { useUser } from "@/hooks/useUser";
 
 interface ThreadViewProps {
@@ -100,6 +105,8 @@ export function ThreadView({
     useState<ManagerGraphState["programmerSession"]>();
   const [isTaskSidebarOpen, setIsTaskSidebarOpen] = useState(false);
   const [programmerTaskPlan, setProgrammerTaskPlan] = useState<TaskPlan>();
+  const [optimisticMessage, setOptimisticMessage] =
+    useState<HumanMessageSDK | null>(null);
 
   const { status: realTimeStatus, taskPlan: realTimeTaskPlan } =
     useThreadStatus(displayThread.id, {
@@ -108,6 +115,60 @@ export function ThreadView({
 
   const [errorState, setErrorState] = useState<ErrorState | null>(null);
 
+  // Load optimistic message from sessionStorage
+  useEffect(() => {
+    try {
+      const storedData = sessionStorage.getItem(
+        `lg:initial-message:${displayThread.id}`,
+      );
+      if (storedData) {
+        const { message: stringifiedMessage } = JSON.parse(storedData);
+        const message = coerceMessageLikeToMessage(stringifiedMessage);
+        const reconstructedMessage: HumanMessageSDK = {
+          type: "human",
+          id: message.id,
+          content: getMessageContentString(message.content),
+        };
+        setOptimisticMessage(reconstructedMessage);
+      }
+    } catch (error) {
+      console.error(
+        "Failed to load optimistic message from sessionStorage:",
+        error,
+      );
+    }
+  }, [displayThread.id, stream.messages.length]);
+
+  // If there's more than 1 message, we've received both the human and ai message, so we can remove the optimistic message
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (stream.messages.length > 1 && optimisticMessage) {
+      setOptimisticMessage(null);
+      if (displayThread.id) {
+        try {
+          sessionStorage.removeItem(`lg:initial-message:${displayThread.id}`);
+        } catch (error) {
+          console.error(
+            "Failed to remove optimistic message from sessionStorage:",
+            error,
+          );
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }, [stream.messages, optimisticMessage, displayThread.id]);
+
+  // Clean up sessionStorage on unmount
+  useEffect(() => {
+    return () => {
+      if (displayThread.id) {
+        try {
+          sessionStorage.removeItem(`lg:initial-message:${displayThread.id}`);
+        } catch {
+          // no-op
+        }
+      }
+    };
+  }, [displayThread.id]);
+
   const [customPlannerNodeEvents, setCustomPlannerNodeEvents] = useState<
     CustomNodeEvent[]
   >([]);
@@ -279,6 +340,14 @@ export function ThreadView({
     return !message.id?.startsWith(DO_NOT_RENDER_ID_PREFIX);
   });
 
+  // Merge optimistic message with stream messages
+  const displayMessages = optimisticMessage
+    ? [
+        optimisticMessage,
+        ...filteredMessages.filter((msg) => msg.id !== optimisticMessage.id),
+      ]
+    : filteredMessages;
+
   return (
     <div className="bg-background flex h-screen flex-1 flex-col">
       {/* Header */}
@@ -320,7 +389,7 @@ export function ThreadView({
       {/* Main Content - Split Layout */}
       <div className="flex w-full pt-12">
         <ManagerChat
-          messages={filteredMessages}
+          messages={displayMessages}
           chatInput={chatInput}
           setChatInput={setChatInput}
           handleSendMessage={handleSendMessage}