diff --git a/packages/ui/src/components/chat/ChatContainer.tsx b/packages/ui/src/components/chat/ChatContainer.tsx
index 3b2fc7a7..8bf2783d 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/components/chat/ChatContainer.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/components/chat/ChatContainer.tsx
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ import { getSessionMaterializationStatus } from '@/sync/materialization';
 import { usePlanDetection } from '@/hooks/usePlanDetection';
 import { getAllSyncSessions } from '@/sync/sync-refs';
 import { useI18n } from '@/lib/i18n';
+import { isVSCodeRuntime } from '@/lib/desktop';
 
 const EMPTY_MESSAGES: Array<{ info: Message; parts: Part[] }> = [];
 const EMPTY_PERMISSIONS: PermissionRequest[] = [];
@@ -527,8 +528,10 @@ export const ChatContainer: React.FC<ChatContainerProps> = ({ autoOpenDraft = tr
     }, [currentSessionId, sessionMessages.length, sessionPrefetchInfo, sync]);
 
     const { isMobile } = useDeviceInfo();
+    const isVSCode = isVSCodeRuntime();
     const draftOpen = Boolean(newSessionDraft?.open);
     const isDesktopExpandedInput = isExpandedInput && !isMobile;
+    const useCompactDraftLayout = isMobile || isVSCode;
     const messageListRef = React.useRef<MessageListHandle | null>(null);
     const draftProjectLabel = React.useMemo(() => {
         const selectedProject = newSessionDraft?.selectedProjectId
@@ -787,7 +790,7 @@ export const ChatContainer: React.FC<ChatContainerProps> = ({ autoOpenDraft = tr
 	if (!currentSessionId && draftOpen) {
 		return (
 			<div className="relative flex h-full flex-col bg-background transform-gpu">
-				{isMobile && !isDesktopExpandedInput ? (
+				{useCompactDraftLayout && !isDesktopExpandedInput ? (
 					<div className="flex min-h-0 flex-1 items-center justify-center px-6 text-center">
 						<h1 className="text-balance text-3xl font-medium tracking-tight text-foreground">
 							{draftProjectLabel
@@ -801,7 +804,7 @@ export const ChatContainer: React.FC<ChatContainerProps> = ({ autoOpenDraft = tr
 						'relative z-10 flex min-h-0',
 						isDesktopExpandedInput
 							? 'flex-1 bg-background'
-							: isMobile
+							: useCompactDraftLayout
 								? 'bg-background px-0'
 								: 'flex-1 items-center justify-center bg-background px-0 pb-[6vh]'
 					)}
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/components/chat/ChatInput.tsx b/packages/ui/src/components/chat/ChatInput.tsx
index f72799de..edc548ec 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/components/chat/ChatInput.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/components/chat/ChatInput.tsx
@@ -3787,7 +3787,7 @@ const ChatInputComponent: React.FC<ChatInputProps> = ({ onOpenSettings, scrollTo
             )}
             style={isMobile && inputBarOffset > 0 ? { marginBottom: `${inputBarOffset}px` } : undefined}
         >
-            {newSessionDraftOpen && !isDesktopExpanded && !isMobile ? (
+            {newSessionDraftOpen && !isDesktopExpanded && !isMobile && !isVSCode ? (
                 <div className="chat-input-column mb-7 text-center">
                     <h1 className="text-balance text-2xl font-medium tracking-tight text-foreground md:text-3xl">
                         {draftProjectLabel
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/components/session/SessionSidebar.tsx b/packages/ui/src/components/session/SessionSidebar.tsx
index 8d1e1e8f..29c74507 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/components/session/SessionSidebar.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/components/session/SessionSidebar.tsx
@@ -1010,7 +1010,7 @@ export const SessionSidebar: React.FC<SessionSidebarProps> = ({
   });
 
   const sectionsForSidebarRender = React.useMemo(() => {
-    if (!isVSCode || hasSessionSearchQuery || recentSessionIds.size === 0) {
+    if (isVSCode || hasSessionSearchQuery || recentSessionIds.size === 0) {
       return sectionsForRender;
     }
 
@@ -1355,7 +1355,7 @@ export const SessionSidebar: React.FC<SessionSidebarProps> = ({
     ],
   );
 
-  const topContent = showRecentSection && !hasSessionSearchQuery ? (
+  const topContent = showRecentSection && !isVSCode && !hasSessionSearchQuery ? (
     <SidebarActivitySections
       sections={activitySections}
       renderSessionNode={renderSessionNode}
@@ -1552,7 +1552,7 @@ export const SessionSidebar: React.FC<SessionSidebarProps> = ({
     >
       <SidebarHeader
         hideDirectoryControls={hideDirectoryControls}
-        mobileVariant={mobileVariant}
+        showRecentControls={!isVSCode}
         handleOpenDirectoryDialog={handleOpenDirectoryDialog}
         openNewSessionDraft={handleOpenNewSessionDraftFromHeader}
         canOpenMultiRun={projects.length > 0}
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/components/session/sidebar/SidebarHeader.tsx b/packages/ui/src/components/session/sidebar/SidebarHeader.tsx
index 893665f7..7b08f953 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/components/session/sidebar/SidebarHeader.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/components/session/sidebar/SidebarHeader.tsx
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ import { useI18n } from '@/lib/i18n';
 
 type Props = {
   hideDirectoryControls: boolean;
-  mobileVariant: boolean;
+  showRecentControls: boolean;
   handleOpenDirectoryDialog: () => void;
   openNewSessionDraft: () => void;
   canOpenMultiRun: boolean;
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ export function SidebarHeader(props: Props): React.ReactNode {
   const { t } = useI18n();
   const {
     hideDirectoryControls,
-    mobileVariant,
+    showRecentControls,
     handleOpenDirectoryDialog,
     openNewSessionDraft,
     canOpenMultiRun,
@@ -89,21 +89,19 @@ export function SidebarHeader(props: Props): React.ReactNode {
               <TooltipContent side="bottom" sideOffset={4}><p>{t('sessions.sidebar.header.actions.addProject')}</p></TooltipContent>
             </Tooltip>
 
-            {mobileVariant ? (
-              <Tooltip>
-                <TooltipTrigger asChild>
-                  <button
-                    type="button"
-                    onClick={openNewSessionDraft}
-                    className={headerActionButtonClass}
-                    aria-label={t('sessions.sidebar.header.actions.newSession')}
-                  >
-                    <Icon name="chat-new" className={headerActionIconClass} />
-                  </button>
-                </TooltipTrigger>
-                <TooltipContent side="bottom" sideOffset={4}><p>{t('sessions.sidebar.header.actions.newSession')}</p></TooltipContent>
-              </Tooltip>
-            ) : null}
+            <Tooltip>
+              <TooltipTrigger asChild>
+                <button
+                  type="button"
+                  onClick={openNewSessionDraft}
+                  className={headerActionButtonClass}
+                  aria-label={t('sessions.sidebar.header.actions.newSession')}
+                >
+                  <Icon name="chat-new" className={headerActionIconClass} />
+                </button>
+              </TooltipTrigger>
+              <TooltipContent side="bottom" sideOffset={4}><p>{t('sessions.sidebar.header.actions.newSession')}</p></TooltipContent>
+            </Tooltip>
 
             <Tooltip>
               <TooltipTrigger asChild>
@@ -202,14 +200,18 @@ export function SidebarHeader(props: Props): React.ReactNode {
                   <span>{t('sessions.sidebar.header.displayMode.minimal')}</span>
                   {displayMode === 'minimal' ? <Icon name="check" className="h-4 w-4 text-primary" /> : null}
                 </DropdownMenuItem>
-                <DropdownMenuSeparator />
-                <DropdownMenuItem
-                  onClick={toggleRecentSection}
-                  className="flex items-center justify-between"
-                >
-                  <span>{t('sessions.sidebar.header.displayMode.showRecent')}</span>
-                  {showRecentSection ? <Icon name="check" className="h-4 w-4 text-primary" /> : null}
-                </DropdownMenuItem>
+                {showRecentControls ? (
+                  <>
+                    <DropdownMenuSeparator />
+                    <DropdownMenuItem
+                      onClick={toggleRecentSection}
+                      className="flex items-center justify-between"
+                    >
+                      <span>{t('sessions.sidebar.header.displayMode.showRecent')}</span>
+                      {showRecentSection ? <Icon name="check" className="h-4 w-4 text-primary" /> : null}
+                    </DropdownMenuItem>
+                  </>
+                ) : null}
                 <DropdownMenuSeparator />
                 <DropdownMenuItem onClick={collapseAllProjects} className="flex items-center gap-2">
                   <Icon name="contract-up-down" className="h-4 w-4" />