diff --git a/src-ui/src/app/components/chat/chat/chat.component.html b/src-ui/src/app/components/chat/chat/chat.component.html
index 9432c4af8..51ea30eb2 100644
--- a/src-ui/src/app/components/chat/chat/chat.component.html
+++ b/src-ui/src/app/components/chat/chat/chat.component.html
@@ -12,7 +12,11 @@
               @if (message.isStreaming && !message.content) {
                 <div class="d-flex align-items-center text-muted">
                   <div class="spinner-border spinner-border-sm me-2" role="status"></div>
-                  <ng-container i18n>Thinking...</ng-container>
+                  @if (slowResponse()) {
+                    <ng-container i18n>Still thinking...</ng-container>
+                  } @else {
+                    <ng-container i18n>Thinking...</ng-container>
+                  }
                 </div>
               } @else if (message.role === 'assistant') {
                 <div class="chat-markdown text-break text-wrap" [innerHTML]="message.content | markdown"></div>
diff --git a/src-ui/src/app/components/chat/chat/chat.component.spec.ts b/src-ui/src/app/components/chat/chat/chat.component.spec.ts
index d9cb2ee92..cf159252d 100644
--- a/src-ui/src/app/components/chat/chat/chat.component.spec.ts
+++ b/src-ui/src/app/components/chat/chat/chat.component.spec.ts
@@ -170,6 +170,21 @@ describe('ChatComponent', () => {
     expect(component.loading()).toBe(false)
   })
 
+  it('should show a slow response message while waiting', () => {
+    component.input.set('Hello')
+    component.sendMessage()
+    fixture.detectChanges()
+    const messagesEl = fixture.nativeElement.querySelector('.chat-messages')
+    expect(messagesEl.textContent).not.toContain('Still thinking...')
+
+    jest.advanceTimersByTime(8000)
+    fixture.detectChanges()
+    expect(messagesEl.textContent).toContain('Still thinking...')
+
+    mockStream$.next('Hi')
+    expect(component.slowResponse()).toBe(false)
+  })
+
   it('should enqueue typewriter chunks correctly', () => {
     const message = { content: '', role: 'assistant', isStreaming: true }
     component.enqueueTypewriter(null, message as any) // coverage for null
diff --git a/src-ui/src/app/components/chat/chat/chat.component.ts b/src-ui/src/app/components/chat/chat/chat.component.ts
index 3b74a04bc..d58068574 100644
--- a/src-ui/src/app/components/chat/chat/chat.component.ts
+++ b/src-ui/src/app/components/chat/chat/chat.component.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ import {
   parseChatResponse,
 } from 'src/app/services/chat.service'
 
+const SLOW_RESPONSE_DELAY_MS = 8000
+
 @Component({
   selector: 'pngx-chat',
   imports: [
@@ -36,6 +38,7 @@ export class ChatComponent implements OnInit {
   readonly loading = signal(false)
   readonly input = signal('')
   readonly documentId = signal<number>(undefined)
+  readonly slowResponse = signal(false)
 
   private chatService: ChatService = inject(ChatService)
   private router: Router = inject(Router)
@@ -45,6 +48,7 @@ export class ChatComponent implements OnInit {
 
   private typewriterBuffer: string[] = []
   private typewriterActive = false
+  private slowResponseTimeout: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout>
 
   public get placeholder(): string {
     return this.documentId()
@@ -83,11 +87,16 @@ export class ChatComponent implements OnInit {
     }
     this.messages.update((messages) => [...messages, assistantMessage])
     this.loading.set(true)
+    this.slowResponseTimeout = setTimeout(
+      () => this.slowResponse.set(true),
+      SLOW_RESPONSE_DELAY_MS
+    )
 
     let lastVisibleContent = ''
 
     this.chatService.streamChat(this.documentId(), this.input()).subscribe({
       next: (chunk) => {
+        this.clearSlowResponse()
         const nextResponse = parseChatResponse(chunk)
 
         if (nextResponse.content.length < lastVisibleContent.length) {
@@ -105,12 +114,14 @@ export class ChatComponent implements OnInit {
         this.notifyMessagesChanged()
       },
       error: () => {
+        this.clearSlowResponse()
         assistantMessage.content += '\n\n⚠️ Error receiving response.'
         assistantMessage.isStreaming = false
         this.notifyMessagesChanged()
         this.loading.set(false)
       },
       complete: () => {
+        this.clearSlowResponse()
         assistantMessage.isStreaming = false
         this.notifyMessagesChanged()
         this.loading.set(false)
@@ -121,6 +132,11 @@ export class ChatComponent implements OnInit {
     this.input.set('')
   }
 
+  private clearSlowResponse(): void {
+    clearTimeout(this.slowResponseTimeout)
+    this.slowResponse.set(false)
+  }
+
   private resetTypewriter(message: ChatMessage, content: string): void {
     this.typewriterBuffer = []
     this.typewriterActive = false