diff --git a/tui/main.go b/tui/main.go
index a93e0ee..a18a419 100644
--- a/tui/main.go
+++ b/tui/main.go
@@ -1591,20 +1591,22 @@ func (m *model) syncViewport() {
 
 func (m *model) history(width int) string {
 	if len(m.messages) == 0 {
-		if width < 28 {
-			return softStyle.Render(compactText("Ready — ask anything", width))
+		if width < 44 || (m.height > 0 && m.historyHeight() < 9) {
+			return brandStyle.Render(compactText("◆ OPENKYROZEN  ·  READY — ASK ANYTHING", width))
+		}
+		bannerWidth := maxInt(1, minInt(72, width-8))
+		rows := bannerRows(bannerWidth)
+		for index, row := range rows {
+			style := brandStyle
+			if index == 3 {
+				style = softStyle
+			}
+			rows[index] = style.Render(row)
 		}
-		body := strings.Join([]string{
-			brandStyle.Render("◆  WORKSPACE READY"),
-			titleStyle.Render("What will we build?"),
-			mutedStyle.Render("Ask naturally, or start with a focused workflow."),
-			"",
-			softStyle.Render("/plan") + mutedStyle.Render(" plan") + "   " +
-				softStyle.Render("/attach") + mutedStyle.Render(" context") + "   " +
-				softStyle.Render("/graph") + mutedStyle.Render(" inspect"),
-		}, "\n")
-		boxWidth := maxInt(1, minInt(68, width-8))
-		return welcomeStyle.Copy().Width(boxWidth).MaxWidth(boxWidth).Render(body)
+		rows = append(rows, "", greenStyle.Render("● WORKSPACE READY"),
+			mutedStyle.Render(compactText("Ask anything  ·  /plan  ·  /attach  ·  /graph", bannerWidth)))
+		content := strings.Join(rows, "\n")
+		return lipgloss.NewStyle().Width(width).MaxWidth(width).Height(m.historyHeight()).MaxHeight(m.historyHeight()).Align(lipgloss.Center, lipgloss.Center).Render(content)
 	}
 	var lines []string
 	for index := range m.messages {
diff --git a/tui/main_test.go b/tui/main_test.go
index 543d03e..d975357 100644
--- a/tui/main_test.go
+++ b/tui/main_test.go
@@ -560,10 +560,39 @@ func TestFocusedCockpitRailBreakpointAndCompactGraph(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestFocusedCockpitMessageHierarchyAndEmptyState(t *testing.T) {
 	m := initialModel("", true)
-	empty := m.history(80)
-	if !strings.Contains(empty, "WORKSPACE READY") || !strings.Contains(empty, "/plan") || !strings.Contains(empty, "/graph") {
+	m.width, m.height = 120, 30
+	mainWidth, _ := m.layoutWidths()
+	empty := m.history(mainWidth)
+	if !strings.Contains(empty, "OPENKYROZEN") || !strings.Contains(empty, "WORKSPACE READY") || !strings.Contains(empty, "/plan") || !strings.Contains(empty, "/graph") {
 		t.Fatalf("empty state is incomplete: %s", empty)
 	}
+	if lipgloss.Height(empty) != m.historyHeight() {
+		t.Fatalf("empty state height is %d, want %d", lipgloss.Height(empty), m.historyHeight())
+	}
+	bannerLine := -1
+	for index, line := range strings.Split(empty, "\n") {
+		if strings.Contains(line, "◈  OPENKYROZEN  ◈") {
+			bannerLine = index
+			break
+		}
+	}
+	if bannerLine < 3 || bannerLine > m.historyHeight()-4 {
+		t.Fatalf("empty-state banner is not vertically centered: line %d of %d", bannerLine, m.historyHeight())
+	}
+	for _, size := range [][2]int{{60, 16}, {80, 24}, {120, 30}, {140, 40}} {
+		sized := initialModel("", true)
+		sized.width, sized.height, sized.screen = size[0], size[1], screenChat
+		sized.resize()
+		content := sized.View().Content
+		if !strings.Contains(content, "OPENKYROZEN") || len(strings.Split(content, "\n")) != size[1] {
+			t.Fatalf("%dx%d empty state lost the banner or terminal bounds", size[0], size[1])
+		}
+		for index, line := range strings.Split(content, "\n") {
+			if width := lipgloss.Width(line); width > size[0] {
+				t.Fatalf("%dx%d empty-state line %d is %d cells wide", size[0], size[1], index, width)
+			}
+		}
+	}
 	m.messages = []chatMessage{
 		{role: "user", text: "Review this"},
 		{role: "assistant", text: "Working **carefully**.", streaming: true},
@@ -579,6 +608,9 @@ func TestFocusedCockpitMessageHierarchyAndEmptyState(t *testing.T) {
 	if strings.Contains(history, "private details") {
 		t.Fatalf("collapsed tool receipt exposed details: %s", history)
 	}
+	if strings.Contains(history, "◈  OPENKYROZEN  ◈") {
+		t.Fatal("empty-state banner remained after the conversation started")
+	}
 }
 
 func TestFocusedCockpitDoesNotDuplicateModelTelemetry(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/tui/theme.go b/tui/theme.go
index c364275..fafd441 100644
--- a/tui/theme.go
+++ b/tui/theme.go
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@ var (
 	contextStyle    = lipgloss.NewStyle().Background(lipgloss.Color(deep))
 	badgeStyle      = lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(lipgloss.Color(cyan)).Background(lipgloss.Color(surfaceHi)).Bold(true).Padding(0, 1)
 	sectionStyle    = lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(lipgloss.Color(muted)).Bold(true)
-	welcomeStyle    = lipgloss.NewStyle().Background(lipgloss.Color(deep)).Border(lipgloss.RoundedBorder()).BorderForeground(lipgloss.Color(border)).Padding(1, 2)
 	assistantStyle  = lipgloss.NewStyle().BorderLeft(true).BorderForeground(lipgloss.Color(border)).PaddingLeft(1)
 	userStyle       = lipgloss.NewStyle().Background(lipgloss.Color(surface)).BorderLeft(true).BorderForeground(lipgloss.Color(cyan)).Padding(0, 1)
 	thinkingStyle   = lipgloss.NewStyle().BorderLeft(true).BorderForeground(lipgloss.Color(amber)).PaddingLeft(1)