diff --git a/internal/llm/agent/mcp-tools.go b/internal/llm/agent/mcp-tools.go
index baeac3f2546c9668d6d34dec49f9fef5cde4bf8e..181f32b7280faf3eb36040d2ebecf3f892350f53 100644
--- a/internal/llm/agent/mcp-tools.go
+++ b/internal/llm/agent/mcp-tools.go
@@ -377,30 +377,35 @@ func createAndInitializeClient(ctx context.Context, name string, m config.MCPCon
 		}
 	})
 
+	// XXX: ideally we should be able to use context.WithTimeout here, but,
+	// the SSE MCP client will start failing once that context is canceled.
 	timeout := mcpTimeout(m)
-	initCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, timeout)
-	defer cancel()
+	mcpCtx, cancel := context.WithCancel(ctx)
+	cancelTimer := time.AfterFunc(timeout, cancel)
 
-	if err := c.Start(initCtx); err != nil {
+	if err := c.Start(mcpCtx); err != nil {
 		updateMCPState(name, MCPStateError, maybeTimeoutErr(err, timeout), nil, 0)
 		slog.Error("error starting mcp client", "error", err, "name", name)
 		_ = c.Close()
+		cancel()
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	if _, err := c.Initialize(initCtx, mcpInitRequest); err != nil {
+	if _, err := c.Initialize(mcpCtx, mcpInitRequest); err != nil {
 		updateMCPState(name, MCPStateError, maybeTimeoutErr(err, timeout), nil, 0)
 		slog.Error("error initializing mcp client", "error", err, "name", name)
 		_ = c.Close()
+		cancel()
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	cancelTimer.Stop()
 	slog.Info("Initialized mcp client", "name", name)
 	return c, nil
 }
 
 func maybeTimeoutErr(err error, timeout time.Duration) error {
-	if errors.Is(err, context.DeadlineExceeded) {
+	if errors.Is(err, context.Canceled) {
 		return fmt.Errorf("timed out after %s", timeout)
 	}
 	return err
diff --git a/internal/tui/components/dialogs/models/keys.go b/internal/tui/components/dialogs/models/keys.go
index ef4a6228b839c43a3862e251999dadf81dd6403f..4ec1a487e865981edc0be5852bb6c044ddf04c1f 100644
--- a/internal/tui/components/dialogs/models/keys.go
+++ b/internal/tui/components/dialogs/models/keys.go
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ func DefaultKeyMap() KeyMap {
 	return KeyMap{
 		Select: key.NewBinding(
 			key.WithKeys("enter", "ctrl+y"),
-			key.WithHelp("enter", "confirm"),
+			key.WithHelp("enter", "choose"),
 		),
 		Next: key.NewBinding(
 			key.WithKeys("down", "ctrl+n"),
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ func DefaultKeyMap() KeyMap {
 		),
 		Close: key.NewBinding(
 			key.WithKeys("esc", "alt+esc"),
-			key.WithHelp("esc", "cancel"),
+			key.WithHelp("esc", "exit"),
 		),
 	}
 }
diff --git a/internal/tui/components/dialogs/sessions/keys.go b/internal/tui/components/dialogs/sessions/keys.go
index bc7ec1ba9f83915caee9189504abf0b07bd4a24b..73c50899f7ae7da3655fc8a3e3a3dd34c4c22f95 100644
--- a/internal/tui/components/dialogs/sessions/keys.go
+++ b/internal/tui/components/dialogs/sessions/keys.go
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ func DefaultKeyMap() KeyMap {
 	return KeyMap{
 		Select: key.NewBinding(
 			key.WithKeys("enter", "tab", "ctrl+y"),
-			key.WithHelp("enter", "confirm"),
+			key.WithHelp("enter", "choose"),
 		),
 		Next: key.NewBinding(
 			key.WithKeys("down", "ctrl+n"),
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ func DefaultKeyMap() KeyMap {
 		),
 		Close: key.NewBinding(
 			key.WithKeys("esc", "alt+esc"),
-			key.WithHelp("esc", "cancel"),
+			key.WithHelp("esc", "exit"),
 		),
 	}
 }