diff --git a/ui/desktop/src/App.test.tsx b/ui/desktop/src/App.test.tsx
index fcbb69c6..d594441e 100644
--- a/ui/desktop/src/App.test.tsx
+++ b/ui/desktop/src/App.test.tsx
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 import React from 'react';
 import { screen, render, waitFor } from '@testing-library/react';
 import { vi, describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach } from 'vitest';
-import { AppInner } from './App';
+import { AppInner, resolveSessionInitialMessage } from './App';
 import { IntlTestWrapper } from './i18n/test-utils';
 
 // Set up globals for jsdom
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ vi.mock('./sessions', () => ({
     .fn()
     .mockResolvedValue({ sessionId: 'test', messages: [], metadata: { description: '' } }),
   generateSessionId: vi.fn(),
+  createSession: vi.fn(),
 }));
 
 // Mock the ConfigContext module
@@ -161,7 +162,7 @@ const mockElectron = {
 
 // Mock appConfig
 const mockAppConfig = {
-  get: vi.fn((key: string) => {
+  get: vi.fn((key: string): string | null => {
     if (key === 'GOOSE_WORKING_DIR') return '/test/dir';
     return null;
   }),
@@ -191,6 +192,10 @@ describe('App Component - Brand New State', () => {
     vi.clearAllMocks();
     mockNavigate.mockClear();
     mockSetSearchParams.mockClear();
+    mockAppConfig.get.mockImplementation((key: string): string | null => {
+      if (key === 'GOOSE_WORKING_DIR') return '/test/dir';
+      return null;
+    });
 
     // Reset search params
     mockSearchParams.forEach((_, key) => {
@@ -290,4 +295,20 @@ describe('App Component - Brand New State', () => {
     // App should still initialize without any navigation calls
     expect(mockNavigate).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
+
+  it('should seed recipe sessions with the recipe prompt when no initial message is provided', () => {
+    expect(
+      resolveSessionInitialMessage(
+        {
+          recipe: {
+            prompt: 'Write a release note for the latest change',
+          },
+        },
+        undefined
+      )
+    ).toEqual({
+      msg: 'Write a release note for the latest change',
+      images: [],
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/ui/desktop/src/App.tsx b/ui/desktop/src/App.tsx
index 445997e6..ca32d04d 100644
--- a/ui/desktop/src/App.tsx
+++ b/ui/desktop/src/App.tsx
@@ -68,6 +68,16 @@ const HubRouteWrapper = () => {
   return <Hub setView={setView} />;
 };
 
+export function resolveSessionInitialMessage(
+  session: { recipe?: { prompt?: string | null } | null },
+  initialMessage?: UserInput
+): UserInput | undefined {
+  return (
+    initialMessage ??
+    (session.recipe?.prompt ? { msg: session.recipe.prompt, images: [] } : undefined)
+  );
+}
+
 const PairRouteWrapper = ({
   activeSessions,
 }: {
@@ -105,12 +115,13 @@ const PairRouteWrapper = ({
             recipeId: recipeIdFromConfig,
             allExtensions: extensionsList,
           });
+          const sessionInitialMessage = resolveSessionInitialMessage(newSession, initialMessage);
 
           window.dispatchEvent(
             new CustomEvent(AppEvents.ADD_ACTIVE_SESSION, {
               detail: {
                 sessionId: newSession.id,
-                initialMessage,
+                initialMessage: sessionInitialMessage,
               },
             })
           );
diff --git a/ui/desktop/src/components/BaseChat.tsx b/ui/desktop/src/components/BaseChat.tsx
index 88891bc0..23e80ba8 100644
--- a/ui/desktop/src/components/BaseChat.tsx
+++ b/ui/desktop/src/components/BaseChat.tsx
@@ -137,12 +137,15 @@ export default function BaseChat({
     return initialMessage;
   }, [initialMessage, recipe?.prompt, session?.user_recipe_values]);
 
+  const canAutoSubmit = !recipe || hasNotAcceptedRecipe === false;
+
   useAutoSubmit({
     sessionId,
     session,
     messages,
     chatState,
     initialMessage: resolvedInitialMessage,
+    canAutoSubmit,
     handleSubmit,
   });
 
@@ -206,7 +209,7 @@ export default function BaseChat({
   const sessionLoaded = session !== undefined;
 
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (!recipe) return;
+    if (!recipe || !isActiveSession) return;
 
     (async () => {
       const accepted = await window.electron.hasAcceptedRecipeBefore(recipe);
@@ -217,7 +220,7 @@ export default function BaseChat({
         setHasRecipeSecurityWarnings(scanResult.has_security_warnings);
       }
     })();
-  }, [recipe]);
+  }, [recipe, isActiveSession]);
 
   const handleRecipeAccept = async (accept: boolean) => {
     if (recipe && accept) {
@@ -525,7 +528,7 @@ export default function BaseChat({
         </div>
       </MainPanelLayout>
 
-      {recipe && (
+      {recipe && isActiveSession && (
         <RecipeWarningModal
           isOpen={!!hasNotAcceptedRecipe}
           onConfirm={() => handleRecipeAccept(true)}
diff --git a/ui/desktop/src/hooks/useAutoSubmit.test.tsx b/ui/desktop/src/hooks/useAutoSubmit.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fce4395b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/desktop/src/hooks/useAutoSubmit.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach } from 'vitest';
+import { renderHook } from '@testing-library/react';
+import { MemoryRouter } from 'react-router-dom';
+import type { PropsWithChildren } from 'react';
+import { useAutoSubmit } from './useAutoSubmit';
+import { ChatState } from '../types/chatState';
+import type { Session } from '../api';
+import type { UserInput } from '../types/message';
+
+function makeSession(overrides: Partial<Session> = {}): Session {
+  return {
+    id: 'sess-1',
+    name: 'untitled',
+    message_count: 0,
+    created_at: new Date().toISOString(),
+    updated_at: new Date().toISOString(),
+    working_dir: '/tmp',
+    extension_data: { active: [], installed: [] },
+    ...overrides,
+  } as Session;
+}
+
+const initialMessage: UserInput = {
+  msg: 'Run the recipe',
+  images: [],
+};
+
+describe('useAutoSubmit', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.clearAllMocks();
+  });
+
+  it('does not auto-submit while recipe acceptance is unresolved', () => {
+    const handleSubmit = vi.fn();
+    const dispatchEventSpy = vi.spyOn(window, 'dispatchEvent');
+
+    const wrapper = ({ children }: PropsWithChildren) => (
+      <MemoryRouter initialEntries={['/pair?resumeSessionId=sess-1']}>{children}</MemoryRouter>
+    );
+
+    renderHook(
+      () =>
+        useAutoSubmit({
+          sessionId: 'sess-1',
+          session: makeSession(),
+          messages: [],
+          chatState: ChatState.Idle,
+          initialMessage,
+          canAutoSubmit: false,
+          handleSubmit,
+        }),
+      { wrapper }
+    );
+
+    expect(handleSubmit).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(dispatchEventSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it('auto-submits once recipe acceptance is confirmed', () => {
+    const handleSubmit = vi.fn();
+    const dispatchEventSpy = vi.spyOn(window, 'dispatchEvent');
+
+    const wrapper = ({ children }: PropsWithChildren) => (
+      <MemoryRouter initialEntries={['/pair?resumeSessionId=sess-1']}>{children}</MemoryRouter>
+    );
+
+    const { rerender } = renderHook(
+      ({ canAutoSubmit }) =>
+        useAutoSubmit({
+          sessionId: 'sess-1',
+          session: makeSession(),
+          messages: [],
+          chatState: ChatState.Idle,
+          initialMessage,
+          canAutoSubmit,
+          handleSubmit,
+        }),
+      {
+        initialProps: { canAutoSubmit: false },
+        wrapper,
+      }
+    );
+
+    expect(handleSubmit).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+    rerender({ canAutoSubmit: true });
+
+    expect(handleSubmit).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(handleSubmit).toHaveBeenCalledWith(initialMessage);
+    expect(dispatchEventSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/ui/desktop/src/hooks/useAutoSubmit.ts b/ui/desktop/src/hooks/useAutoSubmit.ts
index 4d4eb525..a64d653c 100644
--- a/ui/desktop/src/hooks/useAutoSubmit.ts
+++ b/ui/desktop/src/hooks/useAutoSubmit.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ interface UseAutoSubmitProps {
   messages: Message[];
   chatState: ChatState;
   initialMessage: UserInput | undefined;
+  canAutoSubmit?: boolean;
   handleSubmit: (input: UserInput) => void;
 }
 
@@ -32,6 +33,7 @@ export function useAutoSubmit({
   messages,
   chatState,
   initialMessage,
+  canAutoSubmit = true,
   handleSubmit,
 }: UseAutoSubmitProps): UseAutoSubmitReturn {
   const [searchParams] = useSearchParams();
@@ -65,6 +67,10 @@ export function useAutoSubmit({
       return;
     }
 
+    if (!canAutoSubmit) {
+      return;
+    }
+
     if (chatState !== ChatState.Idle) {
       return;
     }
@@ -107,6 +113,7 @@ export function useAutoSubmit({
     sessionId,
     messages.length,
     chatState,
+    canAutoSubmit,
     clearInitialMessage,
     hasUnfilledParameters,
   ]);