diff --git a/assets/keymaps/vim.json b/assets/keymaps/vim.json
index 4786a4db2229a92782766adf1ca735ed992d917e..04eb4aef8effa7623fdea89e7878e233525c3915 100644
--- a/assets/keymaps/vim.json
+++ b/assets/keymaps/vim.json
@@ -838,6 +838,19 @@
       "tab": "editor::AcceptEditPrediction"
     }
   },
+  {
+    "context": "MessageEditor > Editor && VimControl",
+    "bindings": {
+      "enter": "agent::Chat",
+      // TODO: Implement search
+      "/": null,
+      "?": null,
+      "#": null,
+      "*": null,
+      "n": null,
+      "shift-n": null
+    }
+  },
   {
     "context": "os != macos && Editor && edit_prediction_conflict",
     "bindings": {
diff --git a/crates/agent/src/message_editor.rs b/crates/agent/src/message_editor.rs
index 53d1d2d189e4925ddde1d1bac842fabf16a4e21d..9e3467cca6676d6ecfb3c5d542b8df5af7c8e407 100644
--- a/crates/agent/src/message_editor.rs
+++ b/crates/agent/src/message_editor.rs
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@ pub(crate) fn create_editor(
         editor.set_placeholder_text("Message the agent – @ to include context", cx);
         editor.set_show_indent_guides(false, cx);
         editor.set_soft_wrap();
+        editor.set_use_modal_editing(true);
         editor.set_context_menu_options(ContextMenuOptions {
             min_entries_visible: 12,
             max_entries_visible: 12,
diff --git a/crates/vim/src/test/vim_test_context.rs b/crates/vim/src/test/vim_test_context.rs
index 188ae1c248761ee86ad80c85d5d397c37415a6dd..f8acecc9b103426f25b805bd16460275e9edd2f1 100644
--- a/crates/vim/src/test/vim_test_context.rs
+++ b/crates/vim/src/test/vim_test_context.rs
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 use std::ops::{Deref, DerefMut};
 
 use editor::test::editor_lsp_test_context::EditorLspTestContext;
-use gpui::{Context, Entity, SemanticVersion, UpdateGlobal};
+use gpui::{Context, Entity, SemanticVersion, UpdateGlobal, actions};
 use search::{BufferSearchBar, project_search::ProjectSearchBar};
 
 use crate::{state::Operator, *};
 
+actions!(agent, [Chat]);
+
 pub struct VimTestContext {
     cx: EditorLspTestContext,
 }
diff --git a/crates/vim/src/vim.rs b/crates/vim/src/vim.rs
index 891fb8c15756f8fd14508babc52b48b15cb5fbe7..88bd2fb744e0c48b0b58bf71af40d4225c86076a 100644
--- a/crates/vim/src/vim.rs
+++ b/crates/vim/src/vim.rs
@@ -433,6 +433,12 @@ impl Vim {
     fn activate(editor: &mut Editor, window: &mut Window, cx: &mut Context<Editor>) {
         let vim = Vim::new(window, cx);
 
+        if !editor.mode().is_full() {
+            vim.update(cx, |vim, _| {
+                vim.mode = Mode::Insert;
+            });
+        }
+
         editor.register_addon(VimAddon {
             entity: vim.clone(),
         });