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 29b938943..b3bc20ddf 100644
--- a/src-ui/src/app/components/chat/chat/chat.component.html
+++ b/src-ui/src/app/components/chat/chat/chat.component.html
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
   <div ngbDropdownMenu class="dropdown-menu-end shadow p-3" aria-labelledby="chatDropdown">
     <div class="chat-container bg-light p-2">
       <div class="chat-messages font-monospace small">
-        @for (message of messages; track message) {
+        @for (message of messages(); track message) {
           <div class="message d-flex flex-row small" [class.justify-content-end]="message.role === 'user'">
             <div class="p-2 m-2" [class.bg-body]="message.role === 'user'">
               <span>
@@ -36,11 +36,12 @@
             id="chatInput"
             class="form-control form-control-sm" name="chatInput" type="text"
             [placeholder]="placeholder"
-            [disabled]="loading"
-            [(ngModel)]="input"
+            [disabled]="loading()"
+            [ngModel]="input()"
+            (ngModelChange)="input.set($event)"
             (keydown)="searchInputKeyDown($event)"
             />
-          <button class="btn btn-sm btn-secondary" type="button" (click)="sendMessage()" [disabled]="loading">Send</button>
+          <button class="btn btn-sm btn-secondary" type="button" (click)="sendMessage()" [disabled]="loading()">Send</button>
         </div>
       </form>
     </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 c32e4f9d5..5b8e12af8 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
@@ -56,44 +56,53 @@ describe('ChatComponent', () => {
   it('should update documentId on initialization', () => {
     jest.spyOn(router, 'url', 'get').mockReturnValue('/documents/123')
     component.ngOnInit()
-    expect(component.documentId).toBe(123)
+    expect(component.documentId()).toBe(123)
   })
 
   it('should update documentId on navigation', () => {
     component.ngOnInit()
     routerEvents$.next(new NavigationEnd(1, '/documents/456', '/documents/456'))
-    expect(component.documentId).toBe(456)
+    expect(component.documentId()).toBe(456)
   })
 
   it('should return correct placeholder based on documentId', () => {
-    component.documentId = 123
+    component.documentId.set(123)
     expect(component.placeholder).toBe('Ask a question about this document...')
-    component.documentId = undefined
+    component.documentId.set(undefined)
     expect(component.placeholder).toBe('Ask a question about a document...')
   })
 
-  it('should send a message and handle streaming response', () => {
-    component.input = 'Hello'
+  it('should send a message and render the streaming response', async () => {
+    component.input.set('Hello')
     component.sendMessage()
 
-    expect(component.messages).toHaveLength(2)
-    expect(component.messages[0].content).toBe('Hello')
-    expect(component.loading).toBe(true)
+    expect(component.messages()).toHaveLength(2)
+    expect(component.messages()[0].content).toBe('Hello')
+    expect(component.loading()).toBe(true)
 
     mockStream$.next('Hi')
-    expect(component.messages[1].content).toBe('H')
+    expect(component.messages()[1].content).toBe('H')
     mockStream$.next('Hi there')
     // advance time to process the typewriter effect
-    jest.advanceTimersByTime(1000)
-    expect(component.messages[1].content).toBe('Hi there')
+    await jest.runAllTimersAsync()
+    await fixture.whenStable()
+    expect(component.messages()[1].content).toBe('Hi there')
+    expect(
+      fixture.nativeElement.querySelector('.chat-messages').textContent
+    ).toContain('Hi there')
 
     mockStream$.complete()
-    expect(component.loading).toBe(false)
-    expect(component.messages[1].isStreaming).toBe(false)
+    await jest.runAllTimersAsync()
+    await fixture.whenStable()
+    expect(component.loading()).toBe(false)
+    expect(component.messages()[1].isStreaming).toBe(false)
+    expect(fixture.nativeElement.querySelector('#chatInput').disabled).toBe(
+      false
+    )
   })
 
   it('should parse references from the metadata trailer without showing it', () => {
-    component.input = 'Hello'
+    component.input.set('Hello')
     component.sendMessage()
 
     mockStream$.next(
@@ -101,14 +110,14 @@ describe('ChatComponent', () => {
     )
     jest.advanceTimersByTime(1000)
 
-    expect(component.messages[1].content).toBe('Hi there')
-    expect(component.messages[1].references).toEqual([
+    expect(component.messages()[1].content).toBe('Hi there')
+    expect(component.messages()[1].references).toEqual([
       { id: 42, title: 'Bread Recipe' },
     ])
   })
 
   it('should render document reference links under assistant messages', () => {
-    component.input = 'Hello'
+    component.input.set('Hello')
     component.sendMessage()
 
     mockStream$.next(
@@ -123,12 +132,12 @@ describe('ChatComponent', () => {
   })
 
   it('should remove delimiter fragments that were already streamed', () => {
-    component.input = 'Hello'
+    component.input.set('Hello')
     component.sendMessage()
 
     mockStream$.next(`Hi there${CHAT_METADATA_DELIMITER.slice(0, 8)}`)
     jest.advanceTimersByTime(1000)
-    expect(component.messages[1].content).toBe(
+    expect(component.messages()[1].content).toBe(
       `Hi there${CHAT_METADATA_DELIMITER.slice(0, 8)}`
     )
 
@@ -137,21 +146,21 @@ describe('ChatComponent', () => {
     )
     jest.advanceTimersByTime(1000)
 
-    expect(component.messages[1].content).toBe('Hi there')
-    expect(component.messages[1].references).toEqual([
+    expect(component.messages()[1].content).toBe('Hi there')
+    expect(component.messages()[1].references).toEqual([
       { id: 42, title: 'Bread Recipe' },
     ])
   })
 
   it('should handle errors during streaming', () => {
-    component.input = 'Hello'
+    component.input.set('Hello')
     component.sendMessage()
 
     mockStream$.error('Error')
-    expect(component.messages[1].content).toContain(
+    expect(component.messages()[1].content).toContain(
       '⚠️ Error receiving response.'
     )
-    expect(component.loading).toBe(false)
+    expect(component.loading()).toBe(false)
   })
 
   it('should enqueue typewriter chunks correctly', () => {
@@ -166,7 +175,7 @@ describe('ChatComponent', () => {
       ChatComponent.prototype as any,
       'scrollToBottom'
     )
-    component.input = 'Test'
+    component.input.set('Test')
     component.sendMessage()
     expect(scrollSpy).toHaveBeenCalled()
   })
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 0920af027..4525808a4 100644
--- a/src-ui/src/app/components/chat/chat/chat.component.ts
+++ b/src-ui/src/app/components/chat/chat/chat.component.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,11 @@
-import { Component, ElementRef, inject, OnInit, ViewChild } from '@angular/core'
+import {
+  Component,
+  ElementRef,
+  inject,
+  OnInit,
+  signal,
+  ViewChild,
+} from '@angular/core'
 import { FormsModule, ReactiveFormsModule } from '@angular/forms'
 import { NavigationEnd, Router, RouterModule } from '@angular/router'
 import { NgbDropdownModule } from '@ng-bootstrap/ng-bootstrap'
@@ -23,10 +30,10 @@ import {
   styleUrl: './chat.component.scss',
 })
 export class ChatComponent implements OnInit {
-  public messages: ChatMessage[] = []
-  public loading = false
-  public input: string = ''
-  public documentId!: number
+  readonly messages = signal<ChatMessage[]>([])
+  readonly loading = signal(false)
+  readonly input = signal('')
+  readonly documentId = signal<number>(undefined)
 
   private chatService: ChatService = inject(ChatService)
   private router: Router = inject(Router)
@@ -38,7 +45,7 @@ export class ChatComponent implements OnInit {
   private typewriterActive = false
 
   public get placeholder(): string {
-    return this.documentId
+    return this.documentId()
       ? $localize`Ask a question about this document...`
       : $localize`Ask a question about a document...`
   }
@@ -57,14 +64,14 @@ export class ChatComponent implements OnInit {
 
   private updateDocumentId(url: string): void {
     const docIdRe = url.match(/^\/documents\/(\d+)/)
-    this.documentId = docIdRe ? +docIdRe[1] : undefined
+    this.documentId.set(docIdRe ? +docIdRe[1] : undefined)
   }
 
   sendMessage(): void {
-    if (!this.input.trim()) return
+    if (!this.input().trim()) return
 
-    const userMessage: ChatMessage = { role: 'user', content: this.input }
-    this.messages.push(userMessage)
+    const userMessage: ChatMessage = { role: 'user', content: this.input() }
+    this.messages.update((messages) => [...messages, userMessage])
     this.scrollToBottom()
 
     const assistantMessage: ChatMessage = {
@@ -72,12 +79,12 @@ export class ChatComponent implements OnInit {
       content: '',
       isStreaming: true,
     }
-    this.messages.push(assistantMessage)
-    this.loading = true
+    this.messages.update((messages) => [...messages, assistantMessage])
+    this.loading.set(true)
 
     let lastVisibleContent = ''
 
-    this.chatService.streamChat(this.documentId, this.input).subscribe({
+    this.chatService.streamChat(this.documentId(), this.input()).subscribe({
       next: (chunk) => {
         const nextResponse = parseChatResponse(chunk)
 
@@ -93,26 +100,30 @@ export class ChatComponent implements OnInit {
         }
 
         assistantMessage.references = nextResponse.references
+        this.notifyMessagesChanged()
       },
       error: () => {
         assistantMessage.content += '\n\n⚠️ Error receiving response.'
         assistantMessage.isStreaming = false
-        this.loading = false
+        this.notifyMessagesChanged()
+        this.loading.set(false)
       },
       complete: () => {
         assistantMessage.isStreaming = false
-        this.loading = false
+        this.notifyMessagesChanged()
+        this.loading.set(false)
         this.scrollToBottom()
       },
     })
 
-    this.input = ''
+    this.input.set('')
   }
 
   private resetTypewriter(message: ChatMessage, content: string): void {
     this.typewriterBuffer = []
     this.typewriterActive = false
     message.content = content
+    this.notifyMessagesChanged()
     this.scrollToBottom()
   }
 
@@ -135,11 +146,16 @@ export class ChatComponent implements OnInit {
 
     const nextChar = this.typewriterBuffer.shift()
     message.content += nextChar
+    this.notifyMessagesChanged()
     this.scrollToBottom()
 
     setTimeout(() => this.playTypewriter(message), 10) // 10ms per character
   }
 
+  private notifyMessagesChanged(): void {
+    this.messages.update((messages) => [...messages])
+  }
+
   private scrollToBottom(): void {
     setTimeout(() => {
       this.scrollAnchor?.nativeElement?.scrollIntoView({ behavior: 'smooth' })