diff --git a/dashboard/src/lib/components/ChatForm.svelte b/dashboard/src/lib/components/ChatForm.svelte
index b5cc7166..e768ce33 100644
--- a/dashboard/src/lib/components/ChatForm.svelte
+++ b/dashboard/src/lib/components/ChatForm.svelte
@@ -1,9 +1,6 @@
 <script lang="ts">
   import {
     isLoading,
-    sendMessage,
-    generateImage,
-    editImage,
     editingImage,
     clearEditingImage,
     selectedChatModel,
@@ -28,7 +25,7 @@
     modelTasks?: Record<string, string[]>;
     modelCapabilities?: Record<string, string[]>;
     onSend?: () => void;
-    onAutoSend?: (
+    onAutoSend: (
       content: string,
       files?: {
         id: string;
@@ -216,49 +213,10 @@
     uploadedFiles = [];
     resetTextareaHeight();
 
-    // When onAutoSend is provided, the parent controls all send logic
-    // (including launching non-running models before sending)
-    if (onAutoSend) {
-      onAutoSend(content, files);
-      onSend?.();
-      setTimeout(() => textareaRef?.focus(), 10);
-      return;
-    }
-
-    // Use image editing if in edit mode
-    if (isEditMode && currentEditingImage && content) {
-      editImage(content, currentEditingImage.imageDataUrl);
-    }
-    // If user attached an image with an ImageToImage model, use edit endpoint
-    else if (
-      currentModel &&
-      modelSupportsImageEditing(currentModel) &&
-      files.length > 0 &&
-      content
-    ) {
-      // Use the first attached image for editing
-      const imageFile = files[0];
-      if (imageFile.preview) {
-        editImage(content, imageFile.preview);
-      }
-    } else if (
-      currentModel &&
-      modelSupportsTextToImage(currentModel) &&
-      content
-    ) {
-      // Use image generation for text-to-image models
-      generateImage(content);
-    } else {
-      sendMessage(
-        content,
-        files,
-        modelSupportsThinking() ? thinkingEnabled : null,
-      );
-    }
-
+    // Parent controls all send logic (including image routing,
+    // launching non-running models before sending, etc.)
+    onAutoSend(content, files);
     onSend?.();
-
-    // Refocus the textarea after sending
     setTimeout(() => textareaRef?.focus(), 10);
   }
 
diff --git a/dashboard/src/lib/stores/app.svelte.ts b/dashboard/src/lib/stores/app.svelte.ts
index c31da1a7..44fd2962 100644
--- a/dashboard/src/lib/stores/app.svelte.ts
+++ b/dashboard/src/lib/stores/app.svelte.ts
@@ -1577,6 +1577,7 @@ class AppStore {
     // Remove messages after user message (including the user message for image requests
     // since generateImage/editImage will re-add it)
     this.messages = this.messages.slice(0, lastUserIndex);
+    this.updateActiveConversation();
 
     switch (requestType) {
       case "image-generation":
diff --git a/dashboard/src/routes/+page.svelte b/dashboard/src/routes/+page.svelte
index 7f8a0382..262a8338 100644
--- a/dashboard/src/routes/+page.svelte
+++ b/dashboard/src/routes/+page.svelte
@@ -42,6 +42,9 @@
     setSelectedChatModel,
     selectedChatModel,
     sendMessage,
+    generateImage,
+    editImage,
+    editingImage,
     messages,
     debugMode,
     toggleDebugMode,
@@ -834,6 +837,52 @@
     if (!model?.tasks) return false;
     return model.tasks.includes("ImageToImage");
   }
+
+  // Route a message to the correct endpoint based on model capabilities.
+  // Image models go to generateImage/editImage; text models go to sendMessage.
+  function routeMessage(
+    content: string,
+    files?: {
+      id: string;
+      name: string;
+      type: string;
+      textContent?: string;
+      preview?: string;
+    }[],
+  ) {
+    const model = selectedChatModel();
+    if (!model) {
+      sendMessage(content, files, null);
+      return;
+    }
+
+    const currentEditImage = editingImage();
+
+    // Image editing mode (explicit edit or attached image with ImageToImage model)
+    if (currentEditImage && content && modelSupportsImageEditing(model)) {
+      editImage(content, currentEditImage.imageDataUrl);
+      return;
+    }
+    if (
+      modelSupportsImageEditing(model) &&
+      files?.length &&
+      files[0].preview &&
+      content
+    ) {
+      editImage(content, files[0].preview);
+      return;
+    }
+
+    // Text-to-image generation
+    if (modelSupportsImageGeneration(model) && content) {
+      generateImage(content);
+      return;
+    }
+
+    // Default: text chat
+    sendMessage(content, files, null);
+  }
+
   let selectedSharding = $state<"Pipeline" | "Tensor">("Pipeline");
   type InstanceMeta = "MlxRing" | "MlxJaccl";
 
@@ -2851,7 +2900,7 @@
         // Running model is same or better tier — use it directly
         setSelectedChatModel(bestRunning.id);
         if (!chatStarted) createConversation();
-        sendMessage(content, files);
+        routeMessage(content, files);
         return;
       }
     }
@@ -2868,7 +2917,7 @@
     if (hasRunningInstance(autoModel.id)) {
       setSelectedChatModel(autoModel.id);
       if (!chatStarted) createConversation();
-      sendMessage(content, files);
+      routeMessage(content, files);
       return;
     }
 
@@ -3021,7 +3070,7 @@
       if (pendingAutoMessage) {
         const msg = pendingAutoMessage;
         pendingAutoMessage = null;
-        sendMessage(msg.content, msg.files);
+        routeMessage(msg.content, msg.files);
       }
       return;
     }
@@ -3100,7 +3149,7 @@
     // Model is selected and running — send directly
     if (model && hasRunningInstance(model)) {
       chatLaunchState = "ready";
-      sendMessage(content, files, null);
+      routeMessage(content, files);
       return;
     }