diff --git a/internal/llm/agent/agent.go b/internal/llm/agent/agent.go
index 57c30f41078f9a577d2f7bdbca5303da0eb83724..1067a2fd9505d25e0d63988d606c9da5ef2ecabd 100644
--- a/internal/llm/agent/agent.go
+++ b/internal/llm/agent/agent.go
@@ -449,8 +449,8 @@ func (a *agent) createUserMessage(ctx context.Context, sessionID, content string
 
 func (a *agent) streamAndHandleEvents(ctx context.Context, sessionID string, msgHistory []message.Message) (message.Message, *message.Message, error) {
 	ctx = context.WithValue(ctx, tools.SessionIDContextKey, sessionID)
-	eventChan := a.provider.StreamResponse(ctx, msgHistory, slices.Collect(a.tools.Seq()))
 
+	// Create the assistant message first so the spinner shows immediately
 	assistantMsg, err := a.messages.Create(ctx, sessionID, message.CreateMessageParams{
 		Role:     message.Assistant,
 		Parts:    []message.ContentPart{},
@@ -461,6 +461,9 @@ func (a *agent) streamAndHandleEvents(ctx context.Context, sessionID string, msg
 		return assistantMsg, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create assistant message: %w", err)
 	}
 
+	// Now collect tools (which may block on MCP initialization)
+	eventChan := a.provider.StreamResponse(ctx, msgHistory, slices.Collect(a.tools.Seq()))
+
 	// Add the session and message ID into the context if needed by tools.
 	ctx = context.WithValue(ctx, tools.MessageIDContextKey, assistantMsg.ID)
 
diff --git a/internal/llm/agent/mcp-tools.go b/internal/llm/agent/mcp-tools.go
index ac4385d2725c600c01a8ac479c8364c99b0cb217..a4d68965c62fa6b9e328e6b0bb9fac790c574f02 100644
--- a/internal/llm/agent/mcp-tools.go
+++ b/internal/llm/agent/mcp-tools.go
@@ -274,6 +274,8 @@ func doGetMCPTools(ctx context.Context, permissions permission.Service, cfg *con
 				}
 			}()
 
+			ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, 10*time.Second)
+			defer cancel()
 			c, err := createMcpClient(m)
 			if err != nil {
 				updateMCPState(name, MCPStateError, err, nil, 0)