diff --git a/packages/ui/src/components/chat/ChatContainer.tsx b/packages/ui/src/components/chat/ChatContainer.tsx
index f06c2a61..70d893e5 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/components/chat/ChatContainer.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/components/chat/ChatContainer.tsx
@@ -49,8 +49,73 @@ const IDLE_SESSION_STATUS = { type: 'idle' as const };
 const SESSION_RESELECTED_EVENT = 'openchamber:session-reselected';
 const DEFAULT_RETRY_MESSAGE = 'Quota limit reached. Retrying automatically.';
 const CHAT_SCROLL_STYLE = { overflowAnchor: 'none' } as const;
+const CHAT_NAVIGATION_IGNORED_TARGET_SELECTOR = [
+    'a[href]',
+    'button',
+    'input',
+    'select',
+    'textarea',
+    '[contenteditable="true"]',
+    '[role="button"]',
+    '[role="combobox"]',
+    '[role="dialog"]',
+    '[role="listbox"]',
+    '[role="menu"]',
+    '[role="menuitem"]',
+    '[role="option"]',
+    '[role="textbox"]',
+    '[data-radix-popper-content-wrapper]',
+].join(',');
 type SessionMessageRecord = { info: Message; parts: Part[] };
 
+const isHTMLElement = (target: EventTarget | null): target is HTMLElement => {
+    return target instanceof HTMLElement;
+};
+
+const shouldIgnoreChatNavigationTarget = (target: EventTarget | null): boolean => {
+    if (!isHTMLElement(target)) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    return Boolean(target.closest(CHAT_NAVIGATION_IGNORED_TARGET_SELECTOR));
+};
+
+const shouldIgnoreChatNavigationForFocus = (activeElement: Element | null, scrollContainer: HTMLElement | null): boolean => {
+    if (typeof document === 'undefined') {
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    if (!activeElement || activeElement === document.body || activeElement === document.documentElement) {
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    if (shouldIgnoreChatNavigationTarget(activeElement)) {
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    return !scrollContainer?.contains(activeElement);
+};
+
+const hasBlockingChatOverlay = (): boolean => {
+    const {
+        isAboutDialogOpen,
+        isCommandPaletteOpen,
+        isHelpDialogOpen,
+        isImagePreviewOpen,
+        isMultiRunLauncherOpen,
+        isSessionSwitcherOpen,
+        isSettingsDialogOpen,
+    } = useUIStore.getState();
+
+    return isAboutDialogOpen
+        || isCommandPaletteOpen
+        || isHelpDialogOpen
+        || isImagePreviewOpen
+        || isMultiRunLauncherOpen
+        || isSessionSwitcherOpen
+        || isSettingsDialogOpen;
+};
+
 type HydratingToolSkeletonRow = {
     id: string;
     titleWidth: string;
@@ -111,6 +176,18 @@ const ChatViewport = React.memo(({
     sessionPermissions,
     isProgrammaticFollowActive,
 }: ChatViewportProps) => {
+    const focusScrollContainer = React.useCallback((event: React.MouseEvent<HTMLElement>) => {
+        if (event.defaultPrevented || shouldIgnoreChatNavigationTarget(event.target)) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        if (typeof window !== 'undefined' && window.getSelection()?.type === 'Range') {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        scrollRef.current?.focus({ preventScroll: true });
+    }, [scrollRef]);
+
     return (
         <div
             className={cn(
@@ -128,6 +205,8 @@ const ChatViewport = React.memo(({
                     style={CHAT_SCROLL_STYLE}
                     observeMutations={false}
                     hideTopShadow={isMobile && stickyUserHeader}
+                    tabIndex={0}
+                    onClick={focusScrollContainer}
                     data-scroll-shadow="true"
                     data-scrollbar="chat"
                 >
@@ -533,6 +612,49 @@ export const ChatContainer: React.FC = () => {
         resumeToBottom: timelineController.resumeToBottomInstant,
     });
 
+    React.useEffect(() => {
+        if (typeof window === 'undefined' || !currentSessionId || isDesktopExpandedInput) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        const handleChatTurnKeyDown = (event: KeyboardEvent) => {
+            if (event.defaultPrevented || event.isComposing) {
+                return;
+            }
+
+            if (event.key !== 'ArrowUp' && event.key !== 'ArrowDown') {
+                return;
+            }
+
+            if (event.altKey || event.ctrlKey || event.metaKey || event.shiftKey) {
+                return;
+            }
+
+            const { activeMainTab } = useUIStore.getState();
+            if (activeMainTab !== 'chat' || hasBlockingChatOverlay()) {
+                return;
+            }
+
+            const scrollContainer = scrollRef.current;
+            if (shouldIgnoreChatNavigationForFocus(document.activeElement, scrollContainer)) {
+                return;
+            }
+
+            if (shouldIgnoreChatNavigationTarget(event.target)) {
+                return;
+            }
+
+            event.preventDefault();
+            const offset = event.key === 'ArrowUp' ? -1 : 1;
+            void navigation.scrollByTurnOffset(offset, { resumePastEnd: false });
+        };
+
+        window.addEventListener('keydown', handleChatTurnKeyDown);
+        return () => {
+            window.removeEventListener('keydown', handleChatTurnKeyDown);
+        };
+    }, [currentSessionId, isDesktopExpandedInput, navigation, scrollRef]);
+
     React.useEffect(() => {
         if (typeof window === 'undefined' || !currentSessionId) return;
 
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/components/chat/MessageList.tsx b/packages/ui/src/components/chat/MessageList.tsx
index 8110db07..7e621494 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/components/chat/MessageList.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/components/chat/MessageList.tsx
@@ -1474,21 +1474,22 @@ const MessageList = React.forwardRef<MessageListHandle, MessageListProps>(({
                     return false;
                 }
 
-                const targetIsTail = trailingStreamingEntry !== undefined && index >= historyEntries.length;
-                if (targetIsTail) {
-                    return false;
-                }
-
                 const container = resolveScrollContainer();
                 if (!container) {
                     return false;
                 }
                 const turnElement = container.querySelector<HTMLElement>(`[data-turn-id="${turnId}"]`);
-                if (!turnElement) {
-                    return scrollHistoryIndexIntoView(index, behavior);
+                if (turnElement) {
+                    turnElement.scrollIntoView({ behavior, block: 'start' });
+                    return true;
                 }
-                turnElement.scrollIntoView({ behavior, block: 'start' });
-                return true;
+
+                const targetIsTail = trailingStreamingEntry !== undefined && index >= historyEntries.length;
+                if (targetIsTail) {
+                    return false;
+                }
+
+                return scrollHistoryIndexIntoView(index, behavior);
             },
 
             scrollToMessageId: (messageId: string, options?: { behavior?: ScrollBehavior }) => {
@@ -1498,13 +1499,12 @@ const MessageList = React.forwardRef<MessageListHandle, MessageListProps>(({
                     return false;
                 }
 
-                const targetIsTail = trailingStreamingEntry !== undefined && index >= historyEntries.length;
-                if (targetIsTail) {
-                    return false;
-                }
-
                 return scrollMessageElementIntoView(messageId, behavior)
-                    || scrollHistoryIndexIntoView(index, behavior);
+                    || (
+                        trailingStreamingEntry !== undefined && index >= historyEntries.length
+                            ? false
+                            : scrollHistoryIndexIntoView(index, behavior)
+                    );
             },
 
             captureViewportAnchor: () => {
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/components/chat/hooks/useChatTurnNavigation.ts b/packages/ui/src/components/chat/hooks/useChatTurnNavigation.ts
index 8990ebe4..c69bf340 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/components/chat/hooks/useChatTurnNavigation.ts
+++ b/packages/ui/src/components/chat/hooks/useChatTurnNavigation.ts
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ interface UseChatTurnNavigationOptions {
 export interface ChatTurnNavigation {
     scrollToTurnId: (turnId: string, options?: { behavior?: ScrollBehavior; updateHash?: boolean }) => Promise<boolean>;
     scrollToMessageId: (messageId: string, options?: { behavior?: ScrollBehavior; updateHash?: boolean }) => Promise<boolean>;
-    scrollByTurnOffset: (offset: number) => Promise<boolean>;
+    scrollByTurnOffset: (offset: number, options?: { resumePastEnd?: boolean }) => Promise<boolean>;
     resumeToLatest: () => void;
 }
 
@@ -133,14 +133,23 @@ export const useChatTurnNavigation = ({
         return scrollToMessage(messageId, { behavior: options?.behavior });
     }, [scrollToMessage]);
 
-    const scrollByTurnOffset = React.useCallback(async (offset: number): Promise<boolean> => {
-        const target = resolveTurnOffsetTarget(turnIdsRef.current, activeTurnIdRef.current, offset);
+    const scrollByTurnOffset = React.useCallback(async (
+        offset: number,
+        options?: { resumePastEnd?: boolean },
+    ): Promise<boolean> => {
+        const turnIds = turnIdsRef.current;
+        const target = resolveTurnOffsetTarget(turnIds, activeTurnIdRef.current, offset);
 
         if (target.kind === 'noop') {
             return offset === 0;
         }
 
         if (target.kind === 'resume') {
+            if (options?.resumePastEnd === false) {
+                const lastTurnId = turnIds[turnIds.length - 1];
+                return lastTurnId ? scrollToTurnId(lastTurnId, { behavior: 'auto' }) : false;
+            }
+
             setHash(null);
             resumeToBottom();
             return true;