diff --git a/internal/ui/list/list.go b/internal/ui/list/list.go
index aec21715fcd924fde40ab9c41e9a4b6e65727ee8..32a8e661a5caaba2c8f36235eb554a2044ee14e0 100644
--- a/internal/ui/list/list.go
+++ b/internal/ui/list/list.go
@@ -77,9 +77,7 @@ func (l *List) Gap() int {
 
 // AtBottom returns whether the list is showing the last item at the bottom.
 func (l *List) AtBottom() bool {
-	const margin = 2
-
-	if len(l.items) == 0 || l.offsetIdx >= len(l.items)-1 {
+	if len(l.items) == 0 {
 		return true
 	}
 
@@ -94,7 +92,7 @@ func (l *List) AtBottom() bool {
 		totalHeight += itemHeight
 	}
 
-	return totalHeight-l.offsetLine-margin <= l.height
+	return totalHeight-l.offsetLine <= l.height
 }
 
 // SetReverse shows the list in reverse order.
diff --git a/internal/ui/model/chat.go b/internal/ui/model/chat.go
index a424bd1053134496688d422b0ee19aef3a0b4e35..ccd2325507545b35c9ee2e664cd869da9d2a8a4f 100644
--- a/internal/ui/model/chat.go
+++ b/internal/ui/model/chat.go
@@ -59,6 +59,10 @@ type Chat struct {
 
 	// Pending single click action (delayed to detect double-click)
 	pendingClickID int // Incremented on each click to invalidate old pending clicks
+
+	// follow is a flag to indicate whether the view should auto-scroll to
+	// bottom on new messages.
+	follow bool
 }
 
 // NewChat creates a new instance of [Chat] that handles chat interactions and
@@ -93,8 +97,8 @@ func (m *Chat) Draw(scr uv.Screen, area uv.Rectangle) {
 func (m *Chat) SetSize(width, height int) {
 	m.list.SetSize(width, height)
 	// Anchor to bottom if we were at the bottom.
-	if m.list.AtBottom() {
-		m.list.ScrollToBottom()
+	if m.AtBottom() {
+		m.ScrollToBottom()
 	}
 }
 
@@ -120,7 +124,7 @@ func (m *Chat) SetMessages(msgs ...chat.MessageItem) {
 		items[i] = msg
 	}
 	m.list.SetItems(items...)
-	m.list.ScrollToBottom()
+	m.ScrollToBottom()
 }
 
 // AppendMessages appends a new message item to the chat list.
@@ -239,31 +243,72 @@ func (m *Chat) Blur() {
 	m.list.Blur()
 }
 
+// AtBottom returns whether the chat list is currently scrolled to the bottom.
+func (m *Chat) AtBottom() bool {
+	return m.list.AtBottom()
+}
+
+// Follow returns whether the chat view is in follow mode (auto-scroll to
+// bottom on new messages).
+func (m *Chat) Follow() bool {
+	return m.follow
+}
+
+// ScrollToBottom scrolls the chat view to the bottom.
+func (m *Chat) ScrollToBottom() {
+	m.list.ScrollToBottom()
+	m.follow = true // Enable follow mode when user scrolls to bottom
+}
+
+// ScrollToTop scrolls the chat view to the top.
+func (m *Chat) ScrollToTop() {
+	m.list.ScrollToTop()
+	m.follow = false // Disable follow mode when user scrolls up
+}
+
+// ScrollBy scrolls the chat view by the given number of line deltas.
+func (m *Chat) ScrollBy(lines int) {
+	m.list.ScrollBy(lines)
+	m.follow = lines > 0 && m.AtBottom() // Disable follow mode if user scrolls up
+}
+
+// ScrollToSelected scrolls the chat view to the selected item.
+func (m *Chat) ScrollToSelected() {
+	m.list.ScrollToSelected()
+	m.follow = m.AtBottom() // Disable follow mode if user scrolls up
+}
+
+// ScrollToIndex scrolls the chat view to the item at the given index.
+func (m *Chat) ScrollToIndex(index int) {
+	m.list.ScrollToIndex(index)
+	m.follow = m.AtBottom() // Disable follow mode if user scrolls up
+}
+
 // ScrollToTopAndAnimate scrolls the chat view to the top and returns a command to restart
 // any paused animations that are now visible.
 func (m *Chat) ScrollToTopAndAnimate() tea.Cmd {
-	m.list.ScrollToTop()
+	m.ScrollToTop()
 	return m.RestartPausedVisibleAnimations()
 }
 
 // ScrollToBottomAndAnimate scrolls the chat view to the bottom and returns a command to
 // restart any paused animations that are now visible.
 func (m *Chat) ScrollToBottomAndAnimate() tea.Cmd {
-	m.list.ScrollToBottom()
+	m.ScrollToBottom()
 	return m.RestartPausedVisibleAnimations()
 }
 
 // ScrollByAndAnimate scrolls the chat view by the given number of line deltas and returns
 // a command to restart any paused animations that are now visible.
 func (m *Chat) ScrollByAndAnimate(lines int) tea.Cmd {
-	m.list.ScrollBy(lines)
+	m.ScrollBy(lines)
 	return m.RestartPausedVisibleAnimations()
 }
 
 // ScrollToSelectedAndAnimate scrolls the chat view to the selected item and returns a
 // command to restart any paused animations that are now visible.
 func (m *Chat) ScrollToSelectedAndAnimate() tea.Cmd {
-	m.list.ScrollToSelected()
+	m.ScrollToSelected()
 	return m.RestartPausedVisibleAnimations()
 }
 
@@ -438,10 +483,10 @@ func (m *Chat) MessageItem(id string) chat.MessageItem {
 func (m *Chat) ToggleExpandedSelectedItem() {
 	if expandable, ok := m.list.SelectedItem().(chat.Expandable); ok {
 		if !expandable.ToggleExpanded() {
-			m.list.ScrollToIndex(m.list.Selected())
+			m.ScrollToIndex(m.list.Selected())
 		}
-		if m.list.AtBottom() {
-			m.list.ScrollToBottom()
+		if m.AtBottom() {
+			m.ScrollToBottom()
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -549,11 +594,11 @@ func (m *Chat) HandleDelayedClick(msg DelayedClickMsg) bool {
 		// Toggle expansion if applicable.
 		if expandable, ok := selectedItem.(chat.Expandable); ok {
 			if !expandable.ToggleExpanded() {
-				m.list.ScrollToIndex(m.list.Selected())
+				m.ScrollToIndex(m.list.Selected())
 			}
 		}
-		if m.list.AtBottom() {
-			m.list.ScrollToBottom()
+		if m.AtBottom() {
+			m.ScrollToBottom()
 		}
 		return handled
 	}
diff --git a/internal/ui/model/ui.go b/internal/ui/model/ui.go
index 04b644361be47ed223201ba9d0744e084feb7119..52b12fd4ff827d5fd9ad7a8061eda81c8d767912 100644
--- a/internal/ui/model/ui.go
+++ b/internal/ui/model/ui.go
@@ -53,6 +53,10 @@ import (
 	"github.com/charmbracelet/x/editor"
 )
 
+// MouseScrollThreshold defines how many lines to scroll the chat when a mouse
+// wheel event occurs.
+const MouseScrollThreshold = 5
+
 // Compact mode breakpoints.
 const (
 	compactModeWidthBreakpoint  = 120
@@ -661,7 +665,7 @@ func (m *UI) Update(msg tea.Msg) (tea.Model, tea.Cmd) {
 		case uiChat:
 			switch msg.Button {
 			case tea.MouseWheelUp:
-				if cmd := m.chat.ScrollByAndAnimate(-5); cmd != nil {
+				if cmd := m.chat.ScrollByAndAnimate(-MouseScrollThreshold); cmd != nil {
 					cmds = append(cmds, cmd)
 				}
 				if !m.chat.SelectedItemInView() {
@@ -671,7 +675,7 @@ func (m *UI) Update(msg tea.Msg) (tea.Model, tea.Cmd) {
 					}
 				}
 			case tea.MouseWheelDown:
-				if cmd := m.chat.ScrollByAndAnimate(5); cmd != nil {
+				if cmd := m.chat.ScrollByAndAnimate(MouseScrollThreshold); cmd != nil {
 					cmds = append(cmds, cmd)
 				}
 				if !m.chat.SelectedItemInView() {
@@ -882,7 +886,6 @@ func (m *UI) loadNestedToolCalls(items []chat.MessageItem) {
 // if the message is a tool result it will update the corresponding tool call message
 func (m *UI) appendSessionMessage(msg message.Message) tea.Cmd {
 	var cmds []tea.Cmd
-	atBottom := m.chat.list.AtBottom()
 
 	existing := m.chat.MessageItem(msg.ID)
 	if existing != nil {
@@ -915,7 +918,7 @@ func (m *UI) appendSessionMessage(msg message.Message) tea.Cmd {
 			}
 		}
 		m.chat.AppendMessages(items...)
-		if atBottom {
+		if m.chat.Follow() {
 			if cmd := m.chat.ScrollToBottomAndAnimate(); cmd != nil {
 				cmds = append(cmds, cmd)
 			}
@@ -923,7 +926,7 @@ func (m *UI) appendSessionMessage(msg message.Message) tea.Cmd {
 		if msg.FinishPart() != nil && msg.FinishPart().Reason == message.FinishReasonEndTurn {
 			infoItem := chat.NewAssistantInfoItem(m.com.Styles, &msg, m.com.Config(), time.Unix(m.lastUserMessageTime, 0))
 			m.chat.AppendMessages(infoItem)
-			if atBottom {
+			if m.chat.Follow() {
 				if cmd := m.chat.ScrollToBottomAndAnimate(); cmd != nil {
 					cmds = append(cmds, cmd)
 				}
@@ -938,7 +941,7 @@ func (m *UI) appendSessionMessage(msg message.Message) tea.Cmd {
 			}
 			if toolMsgItem, ok := toolItem.(chat.ToolMessageItem); ok {
 				toolMsgItem.SetResult(&tr)
-				if atBottom {
+				if m.chat.Follow() {
 					if cmd := m.chat.ScrollToBottomAndAnimate(); cmd != nil {
 						cmds = append(cmds, cmd)
 					}
@@ -973,7 +976,6 @@ func (m *UI) handleClickFocus(msg tea.MouseClickMsg) (cmd tea.Cmd) {
 func (m *UI) updateSessionMessage(msg message.Message) tea.Cmd {
 	var cmds []tea.Cmd
 	existingItem := m.chat.MessageItem(msg.ID)
-	atBottom := m.chat.list.AtBottom()
 
 	if existingItem != nil {
 		if assistantItem, ok := existingItem.(*chat.AssistantMessageItem); ok {
@@ -1022,7 +1024,7 @@ func (m *UI) updateSessionMessage(msg message.Message) tea.Cmd {
 	}
 
 	m.chat.AppendMessages(items...)
-	if atBottom {
+	if m.chat.Follow() {
 		if cmd := m.chat.ScrollToBottomAndAnimate(); cmd != nil {
 			cmds = append(cmds, cmd)
 		}
@@ -1035,7 +1037,7 @@ func (m *UI) updateSessionMessage(msg message.Message) tea.Cmd {
 func (m *UI) handleChildSessionMessage(event pubsub.Event[message.Message]) tea.Cmd {
 	var cmds []tea.Cmd
 
-	atBottom := m.chat.list.AtBottom()
+	atBottom := m.chat.AtBottom()
 	// Only process messages with tool calls or results.
 	if len(event.Payload.ToolCalls()) == 0 && len(event.Payload.ToolResults()) == 0 {
 		return nil