diff --git a/apps/web/src/features/legal/screen.tsx b/apps/web/src/features/legal/screen.tsx
index b2d1a9c..d7fbb8e 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/features/legal/screen.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/features/legal/screen.tsx
@@ -51,10 +51,14 @@ export default function Screen(props: { children: React.ReactNode }) {
   useEffect(() => {
     let active = true;
 
-    setLoading(true);
+    const shouldBlockRender = userId === undefined || userId === 0;
+
+    if (shouldBlockRender) {
+      setLoading(true);
+    }
+
     setError("");
     setErrorDescription("");
-    setHasContinued(false);
 
     void load("user_id").then(async (id) => {
       if (!active) {
@@ -64,7 +68,9 @@ export default function Screen(props: { children: React.ReactNode }) {
       setUserId(id);
 
       if (id === 0) {
-        setLoading(false);
+        if (shouldBlockRender) {
+          setLoading(false);
+        }
         return;
       }
 
@@ -134,7 +140,9 @@ export default function Screen(props: { children: React.ReactNode }) {
         acceptTOS(false);
       }
 
-      setLoading(false);
+      if (shouldBlockRender) {
+        setLoading(false);
+      }
     });
 
     return () => {
diff --git a/packages/chat/src/components/input.tsx b/packages/chat/src/components/input.tsx
index d95d2e1..897962d 100644
--- a/packages/chat/src/components/input.tsx
+++ b/packages/chat/src/components/input.tsx
@@ -41,6 +41,17 @@ export default function InputComponent() {
     const time = Date.now();
     const currentValue = value;
     const currentUserId = userId();
+    const currentSharedSecret = sharedSecret();
+
+    if (!Number.isSafeInteger(currentUserId) || currentUserId <= 0) {
+      toast("error", "No conversation selected");
+      return;
+    }
+
+    if (!currentSharedSecret) {
+      toast("error", "Conversation key not ready yet");
+      return;
+    }
 
     addLiveMessage({
       height: 0,
@@ -50,7 +61,7 @@ export default function InputComponent() {
       sent_by_self: true,
     });
 
-    const encryptedContext = await encrypt(sharedSecret(), currentValue);
+    const encryptedContext = await encrypt(currentSharedSecret, currentValue);
 
     send("message_send", {
       height: 0,
diff --git a/packages/chat/src/screen.tsx b/packages/chat/src/screen.tsx
index 807949c..76fd5d7 100644
--- a/packages/chat/src/screen.tsx
+++ b/packages/chat/src/screen.tsx
@@ -26,11 +26,13 @@ export default function Screen() {
   } | null>(null);
 
   const chatUserId = userId();
+  const hasValidChatUser = Number.isSafeInteger(chatUserId) && chatUserId > 0;
 
   const messagesQuery = useInfiniteQuery({
     queryKey: ["chat-messages", String(chatUserId)],
     initialPageParam: 0,
     queryFn: ({ pageParam }) => getMessages(PAGE_SIZE, Number(pageParam)),
+    enabled: hasValidChatUser,
     getNextPageParam: (lastPage, allPages) => {
       if (lastPage.length < PAGE_SIZE) {
         return undefined;
@@ -175,6 +177,14 @@ export default function Screen() {
     void onScroll();
   }, [onScroll]);
 
+  if (!hasValidChatUser) {
+    return (
+      <div className="w-full h-full flex items-center justify-center text-sm text-muted-foreground">
+        Select a conversation to start chatting.
+      </div>
+    );
+  }
+
   return (
     <div className="w-full h-full flex flex-col overflow-hidden px-2">
       <div