diff --git a/apps/web/components/task/chat/use-chat-input-container.test.ts b/apps/web/components/task/chat/use-chat-input-container.test.ts
index 3e160f47f3..62b2d36092 100644
--- a/apps/web/components/task/chat/use-chat-input-container.test.ts
+++ b/apps/web/components/task/chat/use-chat-input-container.test.ts
@@ -33,9 +33,25 @@ function renderInputState(overrides: Partial<Parameters<typeof useChatInputConta
 }
 
 describe("useChatInputContainer", () => {
-  it("keeps the editor enabled while setup is still blocking submit", () => {
+  it("disables the editor while the session is still STARTING", () => {
+    // The editor must stay uneditable until the agent reaches RUNNING — if
+    // the user can press Cmd+Enter mid-startup, the backend rejects with
+    // "Failed to send message to agent" because the agent process isn't
+    // ready yet. This is the regression from earlier rounds where the e2e
+    // quick-chat suite kept failing on race conditions.
     const { result } = renderInputState({ isStarting: true });
 
-    expect(result.current.isDisabled).toBe(false);
+    expect(result.current.isDisabled).toBe(true);
+    expect(result.current.submitDisabled).toBe(true);
+    expect(result.current.submitDisabledReason).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+  it("surfaces the setup tooltip only while a container/sandbox is preparing", () => {
+    const { result } = renderInputState({
+      isStarting: true,
+      isPreparingEnvironment: true,
+    });
+
+    expect(result.current.submitDisabledReason).toBe("The agent is still being set up.");
   });
 });
diff --git a/apps/web/components/task/chat/use-chat-input-container.ts b/apps/web/components/task/chat/use-chat-input-container.ts
index 598d0f8bff..1b8b9d7c46 100644
--- a/apps/web/components/task/chat/use-chat-input-container.ts
+++ b/apps/web/components/task/chat/use-chat-input-container.ts
@@ -102,18 +102,23 @@ function computeDerivedState(params: {
   isAgentBusy: boolean;
   hasAgentCommands: boolean;
 }) {
+  // STARTING is included so the editor itself stays uneditable until the
+  // session reaches RUNNING. Without this, the e2e suite's wait-for-
+  // contenteditable would fire mid-STARTING, the test would press Cmd+Enter,
+  // and the backend would reject with "Failed to send message to agent"
+  // before the agent process is ready to receive prompts.
   const isDisabled =
+    params.isStarting ||
     params.isMoving ||
     params.isSending ||
     params.isFailed ||
     params.needsRecovery ||
     params.executorUnavailable;
-  // Only an active container/sandbox prepare blocks the submit and surfaces
-  // the "agent still being set up" tooltip. The brief STARTING transition
-  // every session passes through (including local quick-chat) intentionally
-  // does NOT block — the e2e suite presses Cmd+Enter as soon as the editor
-  // becomes editable, and a STARTING-only block silently dropped messages.
-  const submitDisabled = params.isPreparingEnvironment || isDisabled;
+  const submitDisabled = isDisabled;
+  // The "agent still being set up" tooltip is only meaningful while a
+  // container/sandbox is actively bootstrapping. The brief STARTING
+  // transition for local quick-chat sessions doesn't deserve its own
+  // tooltip — the editor is disabled, that's the signal.
   const submitDisabledReason = params.isPreparingEnvironment
     ? "The agent is still being set up."
     : undefined;