diff --git a/csync/slices.go b/csync/slices.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..388ad074d53a9bd7188418b231afbf39adca0565
--- /dev/null
+++ b/csync/slices.go
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+package csync
+
+import (
+	"iter"
+	"sync"
+)
+
+type LazySlice[K any] struct {
+	inner []K
+	mu    sync.Mutex
+}
+
+func NewLazySlice[K any](load func() []K) *LazySlice[K] {
+	s := &LazySlice[K]{}
+	s.mu.Lock()
+	go func() {
+		s.inner = load()
+		s.mu.Unlock()
+	}()
+	return s
+}
+
+func (s *LazySlice[K]) Iter() iter.Seq[K] {
+	s.mu.Lock()
+	inner := s.inner
+	s.mu.Unlock()
+	return func(yield func(K) bool) {
+		for _, v := range inner {
+			if !yield(v) {
+				return
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/csync/slices_test.go b/csync/slices_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..d1c7af8cf30f3d58a84046f899f8dd89f80beb51
--- /dev/null
+++ b/csync/slices_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+package csync
+
+import (
+	"sync/atomic"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+func TestLazySlice_Iter(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	data := []string{"a", "b", "c"}
+	s := NewLazySlice(func() []string {
+		// TODO: use synctest when new Go is out.
+		time.Sleep(10 * time.Millisecond) // Small delay to ensure loading happens
+		return data
+	})
+
+	var result []string
+	for v := range s.Iter() {
+		result = append(result, v)
+	}
+
+	assert.Equal(t, data, result)
+}
+
+func TestLazySlice_IterWaitsForLoading(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	var loaded atomic.Bool
+	data := []string{"x", "y", "z"}
+
+	s := NewLazySlice(func() []string {
+		// TODO: use synctest when new Go is out.
+		time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
+		loaded.Store(true)
+		return data
+	})
+
+	assert.False(t, loaded.Load(), "should not be loaded immediately")
+
+	var result []string
+	for v := range s.Iter() {
+		result = append(result, v)
+	}
+
+	assert.True(t, loaded.Load(), "should be loaded after Iter")
+	assert.Equal(t, data, result)
+}
+
+func TestLazySlice_EmptySlice(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	s := NewLazySlice(func() []string {
+		return []string{}
+	})
+
+	var result []string
+	for v := range s.Iter() {
+		result = append(result, v)
+	}
+
+	assert.Empty(t, result)
+}
+
+func TestLazySlice_EarlyBreak(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	data := []string{"a", "b", "c", "d", "e"}
+	s := NewLazySlice(func() []string {
+		time.Sleep(10 * time.Millisecond) // Small delay to ensure loading happens
+		return data
+	})
+
+	var result []string
+	for v := range s.Iter() {
+		result = append(result, v)
+		if len(result) == 2 {
+			break
+		}
+	}
+
+	assert.Equal(t, []string{"a", "b"}, result)
+}
diff --git a/internal/llm/agent/agent.go b/internal/llm/agent/agent.go
index 523a81e417242bd4b4f939a73629d0f12b54e3e6..2f76cc7771e3f0383f20b4ef1dffe448e06a253c 100644
--- a/internal/llm/agent/agent.go
+++ b/internal/llm/agent/agent.go
@@ -8,9 +8,9 @@ import (
 	"slices"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
-	"sync/atomic"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/charmbracelet/crush/csync"
 	"github.com/charmbracelet/crush/internal/config"
 	fur "github.com/charmbracelet/crush/internal/fur/provider"
 	"github.com/charmbracelet/crush/internal/history"
@@ -68,8 +68,7 @@ type agent struct {
 	sessions session.Service
 	messages message.Service
 
-	toolsDone atomic.Bool
-	tools     []tools.BaseTool
+	tools *csync.LazySlice[tools.BaseTool]
 
 	provider   provider.Provider
 	providerID string
@@ -168,24 +167,10 @@ func NewAgent(
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	agent := &agent{
-		Broker:              pubsub.NewBroker[AgentEvent](),
-		agentCfg:            agentCfg,
-		provider:            agentProvider,
-		providerID:          string(providerCfg.ID),
-		messages:            messages,
-		sessions:            sessions,
-		titleProvider:       titleProvider,
-		summarizeProvider:   summarizeProvider,
-		summarizeProviderID: string(smallModelProviderCfg.ID),
-		activeRequests:      sync.Map{},
-	}
-
-	go func() {
+	toolFn := func() []tools.BaseTool {
 		slog.Info("Initializing agent tools", "agent", agentCfg.ID)
 		defer func() {
 			slog.Info("Initialized agent tools", "agent", agentCfg.ID)
-			agent.toolsDone.Store(true)
 		}()
 
 		cwd := cfg.WorkingDir()
@@ -214,8 +199,7 @@ func NewAgent(
 		}
 
 		if agentCfg.AllowedTools == nil {
-			agent.tools = allTools
-			return
+			return allTools
 		}
 
 		var filteredTools []tools.BaseTool
@@ -224,10 +208,22 @@ func NewAgent(
 				filteredTools = append(filteredTools, tool)
 			}
 		}
-		agent.tools = filteredTools
-	}()
+		return filteredTools
+	}
 
-	return agent, nil
+	return &agent{
+		Broker:              pubsub.NewBroker[AgentEvent](),
+		agentCfg:            agentCfg,
+		provider:            agentProvider,
+		providerID:          string(providerCfg.ID),
+		messages:            messages,
+		sessions:            sessions,
+		titleProvider:       titleProvider,
+		summarizeProvider:   summarizeProvider,
+		summarizeProviderID: string(smallModelProviderCfg.ID),
+		activeRequests:      sync.Map{},
+		tools:               csync.NewLazySlice(toolFn),
+	}, nil
 }
 
 func (a *agent) Model() fur.Model {
@@ -449,10 +445,7 @@ 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)
-	if !a.toolsDone.Load() {
-		return message.Message{}, nil, fmt.Errorf("agent is still initializing, please wait a moment and try again")
-	}
-	eventChan := a.provider.StreamResponse(ctx, msgHistory, a.tools)
+	eventChan := a.provider.StreamResponse(ctx, msgHistory, slices.Collect(a.tools.Iter()))
 
 	assistantMsg, err := a.messages.Create(ctx, sessionID, message.CreateMessageParams{
 		Role:     message.Assistant,
@@ -501,7 +494,7 @@ func (a *agent) streamAndHandleEvents(ctx context.Context, sessionID string, msg
 		default:
 			// Continue processing
 			var tool tools.BaseTool
-			for _, availableTool := range a.tools {
+			for availableTool := range a.tools.Iter() {
 				if availableTool.Info().Name == toolCall.Name {
 					tool = availableTool
 					break