diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a0bbe04..3e18b86 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ the project. Set `model` when the OpenCode server default is not usable.
 - Select code and run `:'<,'>Brokencode` to send that code as the prompt.
 - `:BrokencodeMessage` opens a message dialog. Press `Ctrl-S` to send.
 - `:BrokencodeChat` opens the current conversation in a virtual buffer.
+- `:BrokencodeClear` creates a new session and clears the conversation.
 - `:BrokencodeNew` clears the project session selection.
 
 The session remains on the OpenCode server. The plugin stores its session ID
diff --git a/lua/brokencode/init.lua b/lua/brokencode/init.lua
index 972e907..7605083 100644
--- a/lua/brokencode/init.lua
+++ b/lua/brokencode/init.lua
@@ -40,6 +40,23 @@ local function resolve_model(cwd, current_id, callback)
   end)
 end
 
+local function create_session(cwd, model, callback)
+  client.create(cwd, model, function(err, session)
+    if err then
+      vim.notify(err, vim.log.levels.ERROR)
+      return
+    end
+
+    if not session or not session.id then
+      vim.notify("OpenCode returned an invalid session", vim.log.levels.ERROR)
+      return
+    end
+
+    state.set(cwd, session.id)
+    callback(session.id)
+  end)
+end
+
 local function ensure_session(cwd, callback)
   local session_id = state.get(cwd)
   if session_id then
@@ -61,20 +78,7 @@ local function ensure_session(cwd, callback)
   end
 
   resolve_model(cwd, nil, function(model)
-    client.create(cwd, model, function(err, session)
-      if err then
-        vim.notify(err, vim.log.levels.ERROR)
-        return
-      end
-
-      if not session or not session.id then
-        vim.notify("OpenCode returned an invalid session", vim.log.levels.ERROR)
-        return
-      end
-
-      state.set(cwd, session.id)
-      callback(session.id)
-    end)
+    create_session(cwd, model, callback)
   end)
 end
 
@@ -83,22 +87,30 @@ local function poll(session_id, attempts)
     client.active(function(err, active)
       if err then
         vim.notify("Brokencode status check failed: " .. err, vim.log.levels.WARN)
+        ui.set_running(session_id, false)
         ui.refresh(session_id)
         return
       end
 
-      ui.refresh(session_id)
       if active and active[session_id] and attempts > 0 then
+        ui.refresh(session_id)
         poll(session_id, attempts - 1)
+        return
       end
+
+
+      ui.set_running(session_id, false)
+      ui.refresh(session_id)
     end)
   end, 1000)
 end
 
 local function submit(text, retry, cwd)
   ensure_session(cwd, function(session_id)
+    ui.set_running(session_id, true)
     client.prompt(session_id, text, function(err)
       if err then
+        ui.set_running(session_id, false)
         if retry and err:find("Session not found", 1, true) then
           state.clear(cwd)
           submit(text, false, cwd)
@@ -126,6 +138,7 @@ end
 
 function M.chat()
   ensure_session(directory(), function(session_id)
+    ui.render({}, session_id)
     ui.refresh(session_id)
   end)
 end
@@ -150,6 +163,16 @@ local function command(opts)
   ui.input(M.send)
 end
 
+local function clear()
+  local cwd = directory()
+  resolve_model(cwd, nil, function(model)
+    create_session(cwd, model, function(session_id)
+      ui.render({}, session_id)
+      vim.notify("Brokencode session created")
+    end)
+  end)
+end
+
 function M.setup(opts)
   config.setup(opts)
   if loaded then
@@ -163,6 +186,7 @@ function M.setup(opts)
   end
   vim.api.nvim_create_user_command("Brokencode", command, { nargs = "*", range = true })
   vim.api.nvim_create_user_command("BrokencodeChat", M.chat, {})
+  vim.api.nvim_create_user_command("BrokencodeClear", clear, {})
   vim.api.nvim_create_user_command("BrokencodeMessage", function() ui.input(M.send) end, {})
   vim.api.nvim_create_user_command("BrokencodeNew", function()
     state.clear(directory())
diff --git a/lua/brokencode/ui.lua b/lua/brokencode/ui.lua
index 6f89afc..11e0363 100644
--- a/lua/brokencode/ui.lua
+++ b/lua/brokencode/ui.lua
@@ -1,7 +1,13 @@
 local client = require("brokencode.client")
 local config = require("brokencode.config")
 
-local M = { chat_buf = nil, chat_win = nil }
+local M = {
+  chat_buf = nil,
+  chat_win = nil,
+  current_session = nil,
+  messages = {},
+  running = {},
+}
 
 -- check this file for bugs
 local function valid(value, check)
@@ -12,9 +18,13 @@ local function append_text(lines, text)
   vim.list_extend(lines, vim.split(text or "", "\n", { plain = true }))
 end
 
-local function message_lines(messages)
+local function message_lines(messages, running)
   local lines = { "# OpenCode", "" }
 
+  if running then
+    vim.list_extend(lines, { "> **Request running...**", "" })
+  end
+
   for _, message in ipairs(messages or {}) do
     if message.type == "user" then
       vim.list_extend(lines, { "## You", "" })
@@ -66,14 +76,29 @@ function M.open()
   end
 end
 
-function M.render(messages)
+function M.render(messages, session_id)
+  if session_id then
+    M.current_session = session_id
+  end
+  M.messages = messages or {}
+
   M.open()
   vim.bo[M.chat_buf].modifiable = true
-  vim.api.nvim_buf_set_lines(M.chat_buf, 0, -1, false, message_lines(messages))
+  local running = M.current_session and M.running[M.current_session]
+  vim.api.nvim_buf_set_lines(M.chat_buf, 0, -1, false, message_lines(M.messages, running))
   vim.bo[M.chat_buf].modifiable = false
   vim.api.nvim_win_set_cursor(M.chat_win, { vim.api.nvim_buf_line_count(M.chat_buf), 0 })
 end
 
+function M.set_running(session_id, running)
+  if M.current_session and M.current_session ~= session_id then
+    M.messages = {}
+  end
+  M.current_session = session_id
+  M.running[session_id] = running or nil
+  M.render(M.messages, session_id)
+end
+
 function M.refresh(session_id, callback)
   client.messages(session_id, function(err, messages)
     if err then
@@ -84,7 +109,7 @@ function M.refresh(session_id, callback)
       return
     end
 
-    M.render(messages)
+    M.render(messages, session_id)
     if callback then
       callback(nil, messages)
     end
diff --git a/tests/session_spec.lua b/tests/session_spec.lua
index 68882e5..d260fd0 100644
--- a/tests/session_spec.lua
+++ b/tests/session_spec.lua
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ local current = "ses_old"
 local created = 0
 local prompted = 0
 local inherited
+local rendered
 
 package.loaded["brokencode.client"] = {
   sessions = function(_, callback)
@@ -12,7 +13,7 @@ package.loaded["brokencode.client"] = {
   create = function(_, model, callback)
     created = created + 1
     inherited = model
-    callback(nil, { id = "ses_new" })
+    callback(nil, { id = created == 1 and "ses_new" or "ses_clear" })
   end,
   prompt = function(session_id, _, callback)
     prompted = prompted + 1
@@ -33,11 +34,23 @@ package.loaded["brokencode.state"] = {
 package.loaded["brokencode.ui"] = {
   refresh = function() end,
   input = function() end,
+  set_running = function() end,
+  render = function(messages, session_id) rendered = { messages = messages, session_id = session_id } end,
 }
+package.loaded["brokencode.bridge"] = { start = function() end }
 
-require("brokencode").send("hello")
+local brokencode = require("brokencode")
+brokencode.send("hello")
 
 assert(created == 1, "a replacement session was not created")
 assert(prompted == 2, "the prompt was not retried once")
 assert(current == "ses_new", "the replacement session was not saved")
 assert(inherited and inherited.id == "working", "the recent model was not inherited")
+
+brokencode.setup()
+vim.cmd("BrokencodeClear")
+
+assert(created == 2, "BrokencodeClear did not create a session")
+assert(current == "ses_clear", "BrokencodeClear did not save the new session")
+assert(rendered and rendered.session_id == "ses_clear", "BrokencodeClear did not select the new session")
+assert(vim.tbl_isempty(rendered.messages), "BrokencodeClear did not clear the conversation")
diff --git a/tests/ui_spec.lua b/tests/ui_spec.lua
index 3b856bb..8ca7698 100644
--- a/tests/ui_spec.lua
+++ b/tests/ui_spec.lua
@@ -1,9 +1,49 @@
 local ui = require("brokencode.ui")
+local client = require("brokencode.client")
+
+local source_win = vim.api.nvim_get_current_win()
 
 ui.render({
   { type = "user", text = "first line\nsecond line" },
 })
 
+assert(vim.api.nvim_get_current_win() == source_win, "render changed the current window")
+
 local lines = vim.api.nvim_buf_get_lines(ui.chat_buf, 0, -1, false)
 assert(vim.tbl_contains(lines, "first line"), vim.inspect(lines))
 assert(vim.tbl_contains(lines, "second line"), vim.inspect(lines))
+
+local replacement = vim.api.nvim_create_buf(false, true)
+vim.api.nvim_win_set_buf(ui.chat_win, replacement)
+ui.render({ { type = "user", text = "restored" } })
+assert(vim.api.nvim_win_get_buf(ui.chat_win) == ui.chat_buf, "chat buffer was not restored")
+
+ui.set_running("ses_test", true)
+lines = vim.api.nvim_buf_get_lines(ui.chat_buf, 0, -1, false)
+assert(vim.tbl_contains(lines, "> **Request running...**"), vim.inspect(lines))
+
+ui.set_running("ses_test", false)
+lines = vim.api.nvim_buf_get_lines(ui.chat_buf, 0, -1, false)
+assert(not vim.tbl_contains(lines, "> **Request running...**"), vim.inspect(lines))
+
+local callbacks = {}
+local messages = client.messages
+client.messages = function(_, callback)
+  table.insert(callbacks, callback)
+end
+
+ui.refresh("ses_test")
+ui.refresh("ses_test")
+callbacks[2](nil, { { type = "user", text = "new response" } })
+callbacks[1](nil, { { type = "user", text = "stale response" } })
+lines = vim.api.nvim_buf_get_lines(ui.chat_buf, 0, -1, false)
+assert(vim.tbl_contains(lines, "new response"), vim.inspect(lines))
+assert(not vim.tbl_contains(lines, "stale response"), vim.inspect(lines))
+
+ui.set_running("ses_new", true)
+ui.set_running("ses_old", false)
+ui.refresh("ses_old")
+callbacks[3](nil, { { type = "user", text = "old session" } })
+assert(ui.current_session == "ses_new", "old polling replaced the active session")
+
+client.messages = messages