diff --git a/packages/tui/src/app.tsx b/packages/tui/src/app.tsx
index 6cb331f7371f..9afc18eacc95 100644
--- a/packages/tui/src/app.tsx
+++ b/packages/tui/src/app.tsx
@@ -494,14 +494,22 @@ function App(props: { pair?: DialogPairCredentials }) {
   const clipboard = useClipboard()
   const terminalEnvironment = useTuiTerminalEnvironment()
   let systemThemeTimeout: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | undefined
+  let terminalTitleTimeout: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | undefined
+  const [terminalTitleReady, setTerminalTitleReady] = createSignal(false)
   const prepareSystemTheme = () => {
     // The native writer can still be flushing the frame when FRAME fires. Keep OSC probes behind visible app output.
     systemThemeTimeout = setTimeout(themes.prepareSystem, 50)
   }
-  onMount(() => renderer.once(CliRenderEvents.FRAME, prepareSystemTheme))
+  const finishFirstFrame = () => {
+    // Native terminal updates serialize behind frame output, so keep them from forcing an empty frame ahead of Home.
+    prepareSystemTheme()
+    terminalTitleTimeout = setTimeout(() => setTerminalTitleReady(true), 50)
+  }
+  onMount(() => renderer.once(CliRenderEvents.FRAME, finishFirstFrame))
   onCleanup(() => {
-    renderer.off(CliRenderEvents.FRAME, prepareSystemTheme)
+    renderer.off(CliRenderEvents.FRAME, finishFirstFrame)
     if (systemThemeTimeout) clearTimeout(systemThemeTimeout)
+    if (terminalTitleTimeout) clearTimeout(terminalTitleTimeout)
   })
   createEffect(() => {
     if (client.connection.status() !== "connected") return
@@ -616,6 +624,7 @@ function App(props: { pair?: DialogPairCredentials }) {
     const session = route.data.type === "session" ? data.session.get(route.data.sessionID) : undefined
     if (session) active = { id: session.id, title: session.title }
     if (!terminalTitleEnabled()) return
+    if (!terminalTitleReady()) return
 
     if (route.data.type === "home") {
       renderer.setTerminalTitle("OpenCode")
@@ -639,6 +648,7 @@ function App(props: { pair?: DialogPairCredentials }) {
   })
 
   const args = useArgs()
+  const promptFirstHome = () => route.data.type === "home" && !args.sessionID && !args.continue
   const startupPrompt = args.prompt ? { text: args.prompt, files: [], agents: [], pasted: [] } : undefined
   onMount(() => {
     batch(() => {
@@ -1323,14 +1333,14 @@ function App(props: { pair?: DialogPairCredentials }) {
           <SessionTabs orientation="vertical" width={tabsResize.size()} />
         </Show>
         <box flexGrow={1} minWidth={0} flexDirection="column">
-          <Show when={plugins.ready()}>
+          <Show when={promptFirstHome() || plugins.ready()}>
             <box flexGrow={1} minHeight={0} flexDirection="column">
               <Show when={tabsVisible() && !tabsVertical()}>
                 <SessionTabs />
               </Show>
               <Switch>
                 <Match when={route.data.type === "home"}>
-                  <Home />
+                  <Home ready={plugins.ready()} />
                 </Match>
                 <Match when={route.data.type === "session"}>
                   <Show when={route.data.type === "session" ? route.data.sessionID : undefined} keyed>
@@ -1351,7 +1361,9 @@ function App(props: { pair?: DialogPairCredentials }) {
                 </Match>
               </Switch>
             </box>
-            <Slot path="app" />
+            <Show when={plugins.ready()}>
+              <Slot path="app" />
+            </Show>
           </Show>
         </box>
         <Show when={verticalTabsVisible()}>
@@ -1361,7 +1373,7 @@ function App(props: { pair?: DialogPairCredentials }) {
       <Show when={devtools() && !(route.data.type === "plugin" && route.data.id === "opencode.stats")}>
         <DevToolsBar />
       </Show>
-      <Show when={!startup.skipInitialLoading}>
+      <Show when={!startup.skipInitialLoading && !promptFirstHome()}>
         <StartupLoading ready={plugins.ready} />
       </Show>
       <Show when={showReconnecting()}>
diff --git a/packages/tui/src/component/logo.tsx b/packages/tui/src/component/logo.tsx
index 32b5e96b1f1a..d1163d07a90d 100644
--- a/packages/tui/src/component/logo.tsx
+++ b/packages/tui/src/component/logo.tsx
@@ -4,6 +4,26 @@ import { useTerminalDimensions } from "@opentui/solid"
 import { useTheme } from "../context/theme"
 import { tint } from "../theme/color"
 import { go, logo } from "../logo"
+import { stringWidth } from "../util/string-width"
+
+export function logoSize(width: number, height: number) {
+  if (height < 12) return { width: 0, height: 0 }
+  if (width < 22)
+    return {
+      width: Math.max(...go.right.slice(1).map((line) => stringWidth(line))),
+      height: go.right.length - 1,
+    }
+  if (width < 44) {
+    const lines = [...logo.left.slice(1), ...logo.right]
+    return { width: Math.max(...lines.map((line) => stringWidth(line))), height: lines.length }
+  }
+  return {
+    width: Math.max(
+      ...logo.left.map((line, index) => stringWidth(line) + 1 + stringWidth(logo.right[index] ?? "")),
+    ),
+    height: logo.left.length,
+  }
+}
 
 export function Logo() {
   const theme = useTheme()
@@ -50,7 +70,7 @@ export function Logo() {
   }
 
   return (
-    <box>
+    <box id="home-logo">
       {dimensions().height < 12 ? null : dimensions().width < 22 ? (
         <For each={go.right.slice(1)}>
           {(line) => <box flexDirection="row">{renderLine(line, theme.text.default, true)}</box>}
diff --git a/packages/tui/src/context/theme.tsx b/packages/tui/src/context/theme.tsx
index 9c402ca6a89d..c6f490c0d7ef 100644
--- a/packages/tui/src/context/theme.tsx
+++ b/packages/tui/src/context/theme.tsx
@@ -157,7 +157,8 @@ const themeContext = createSimpleContext({
         draft.lock = lock
         const active = config.theme?.name ?? "opencode"
         draft.active = typeof active === "string" ? active : "opencode"
-        draft.ready = false
+        // Built-ins are complete synchronously; custom and system themes still gate their first paint on discovery.
+        draft.ready = active !== "system" && Boolean(draft.themes[active])
       }),
     )
 
diff --git a/packages/tui/src/feature-plugins/home/footer.tsx b/packages/tui/src/feature-plugins/home/footer.tsx
index b13dae513356..57773a561145 100644
--- a/packages/tui/src/feature-plugins/home/footer.tsx
+++ b/packages/tui/src/feature-plugins/home/footer.tsx
@@ -2,14 +2,7 @@ import { Plugin } from "@opencode/plugin/tui"
 import { createMemo, Match, Show, Switch } from "solid-js"
 import { useTerminalDimensions } from "@opentui/solid"
 import { usePlugin } from "../../plugin/context"
-
-export function homeFooterVisibility(width: number) {
-  return {
-    mcpCommand: width >= 64,
-    pluginCommand: width >= 80,
-    version: width >= 64,
-  }
-}
+import { homeFooterHeight, homeFooterVisibility } from "../../ui/layout"
 
 function Mcp(props: { context: Plugin.Context }) {
   const dimensions = useTerminalDimensions()
@@ -76,13 +69,14 @@ function Plugins(props: { context: Plugin.Context }) {
 function View(props: { context: Plugin.Context }) {
   const dimensions = useTerminalDimensions()
   const visibility = createMemo(() => homeFooterVisibility(dimensions().width))
+  const height = createMemo(() => homeFooterHeight(dimensions().width, dimensions().height))
 
   return (
-    <Show when={dimensions().height >= 12 && dimensions().width >= 44}>
+    <Show when={height() > 0}>
       <box
         width="100%"
-        paddingTop={dimensions().height < 16 ? 0 : 1}
-        paddingBottom={dimensions().height < 16 ? 0 : 1}
+        paddingTop={height() === 1 ? 0 : 1}
+        paddingBottom={height() === 1 ? 0 : 1}
         paddingLeft={2}
         paddingRight={2}
         flexDirection="row"
diff --git a/packages/tui/src/routes/home.tsx b/packages/tui/src/routes/home.tsx
index 0712eacd2fba..b5193ddf8c03 100644
--- a/packages/tui/src/routes/home.tsx
+++ b/packages/tui/src/routes/home.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { Prompt, type PromptRef } from "../component/prompt"
 import { createEffect, createMemo, createSignal, onMount, Show, untrack } from "solid-js"
-import { Logo } from "../component/logo"
+import { Logo, logoSize } from "../component/logo"
 import { useArgs } from "../context/args"
 import { useRouteData } from "../context/route"
 import { usePromptRef } from "../context/prompt"
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import { useTheme } from "../context/theme"
 import { useUpdateNotification } from "../context/update-notification"
 import { useExit } from "../context/exit"
 import { FadeInText } from "../component/fade-in-text"
+import { homeFooterHeight } from "../ui/layout"
 
 let once = false
 const placeholder = {
@@ -22,7 +23,7 @@ const placeholder = {
   shell: ["ls -la", "git status", "pwd"],
 }
 
-export function Home() {
+export function Home(props: { ready: boolean }) {
   const route = useRouteData("home")
   const promptRef = usePromptRef()
   const [ref, setRef] = createSignal<PromptRef | undefined>()
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@ export function Home() {
   const location = useLocation()
   const dimensions = useTerminalDimensions()
   const [logoWidth, setLogoWidth] = createSignal(0)
+  const reservedLogoSize = createMemo(() => logoSize(dimensions().width, dimensions().height))
   // Global MCP elicitations can arrive without a session route, so keep them reachable from Home.
   const currentLocation = () => route.location ?? data.location.default()
   const forms = createMemo(() => data.session.form.list("global", currentLocation()) ?? [])
@@ -88,12 +90,16 @@ export function Home() {
         <box flexGrow={1} minHeight={0} />
         <box height={3} minHeight={0} flexShrink={1} />
         <box
+          width={reservedLogoSize().width}
+          height={reservedLogoSize().height}
           flexShrink={0}
           onSizeChange={function () {
             setLogoWidth(this.width)
           }}
         >
-          <Logo />
+          <Show when={props.ready}>
+            <Logo />
+          </Show>
         </box>
         <box height={1} flexShrink={0} />
         <UpdateNotification width={logoWidth()} />
@@ -102,9 +108,16 @@ export function Home() {
         </box>
         <box flexGrow={1} minHeight={0} />
       </box>
-      <box width="100%" flexShrink={0}>
-        <Slot path="home.footer" />
-      </box>
+      <Show
+        when={props.ready}
+        fallback={
+          <box width="100%" height={homeFooterHeight(dimensions().width, dimensions().height)} flexShrink={0} />
+        }
+      >
+        <box width="100%" flexShrink={0}>
+          <Slot path="home.footer" />
+        </box>
+      </Show>
       <Show when={forms()[0]?.id} keyed>
         {(_) => {
           const form = forms()[0]
diff --git a/packages/tui/src/ui/layout.ts b/packages/tui/src/ui/layout.ts
index 9bf3494a1db5..c72673575950 100644
--- a/packages/tui/src/ui/layout.ts
+++ b/packages/tui/src/ui/layout.ts
@@ -20,3 +20,16 @@ export function clampSessionPaneWidth(width: number, total: number) {
   // Preserve the equal split when there is not enough room for both pane minima.
   return Math.max(Math.min(24, half), Math.min(width, Math.max(half, total - SESSION_CONTENT_MIN_WIDTH)))
 }
+
+export function homeFooterHeight(width: number, height: number) {
+  if (height < 12 || width < 44) return 0
+  return height < 16 ? 1 : 3
+}
+
+export function homeFooterVisibility(width: number) {
+  return {
+    mcpCommand: width >= 64,
+    pluginCommand: width >= 80,
+    version: width >= 64,
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/tui/test/app-lifecycle.test.tsx b/packages/tui/test/app-lifecycle.test.tsx
index dc592db9fdae..cec8656a9561 100644
--- a/packages/tui/test/app-lifecycle.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/tui/test/app-lifecycle.test.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { expect, test } from "bun:test"
-import { EmbeddedTerminalRenderable } from "@opentui/core"
+import { EmbeddedTerminalRenderable, TextareaRenderable } from "@opentui/core"
 import { createTestRenderer } from "@opentui/core/testing"
 import { Effect, FileSystem } from "effect"
 import { AppNodeBuilder } from "@opencode/core/effect/app-node-builder"
@@ -430,6 +430,115 @@ test("session title generated while an untitled session is loading remains visib
   }
 })
 
+test.each([
+  { name: "wide", width: 100, height: 30 },
+  { name: "narrow", width: 40, height: 12 },
+])("prompt-first Home preserves its production prompt through plugin readiness ($name)", async (size) => {
+  await using state = await tmpdir()
+  const requested = Promise.withResolvers<void>()
+  const plugins = Promise.withResolvers<{ directory: string }>()
+  await using setup = await createAppFixture({
+    width: size.width,
+    height: size.height,
+    state: state.path,
+    config: { animations: false, tabs: { enabled: false }, plugins: ["fixture"] },
+    packages: {
+      prepare: async () => {
+        requested.resolve()
+        return plugins.promise
+      },
+    },
+  })
+
+  try {
+    await requested.promise
+    await setup.ready
+    await setup.waitFor(() => setup.renderer.currentFocusedEditor instanceof TextareaRenderable)
+    const prompt = setup.renderer.currentFocusedEditor!
+    await setup.mockInput.typeText("typed before plugins")
+    await setup.waitForFrame((frame) => frame.includes("typed before plugins"))
+    const geometry = { x: prompt.x, y: prompt.y, width: prompt.width, height: prompt.height }
+    expect(setup.renderer.root.findDescendantById("home-logo")).toBeUndefined()
+
+    plugins.resolve({ directory: "" })
+    await setup.waitFor(() => setup.renderer.root.findDescendantById("home-logo") !== undefined)
+    await setup.renderOnce()
+
+    expect(setup.renderer.currentFocusedEditor).toBe(prompt)
+    expect(prompt.plainText).toBe("typed before plugins")
+    expect({ x: prompt.x, y: prompt.y, width: prompt.width, height: prompt.height }).toEqual(geometry)
+    await setup.mockInput.typeText(" and remains usable")
+    await setup.waitFor(() => prompt.plainText === "typed before plugins and remains usable")
+    expect(setup.renderer.currentFocusedEditor).toBe(prompt)
+  } finally {
+    const prompt = setup.renderer.currentFocusedEditor
+    if (prompt instanceof TextareaRenderable && prompt.plainText) {
+      setup.mockInput.pressKey("c", { ctrl: true })
+      await setup.waitFor(() => prompt.plainText === "")
+    }
+    plugins.resolve({ directory: "" })
+  }
+})
+
+test.each([
+  { name: "session", args: { sessionID: "ses_startup_gate" } },
+  { name: "continue", args: { continue: true } },
+])("initial $name routing stays gated while plugins load", async ({ args }) => {
+  await using state = await tmpdir()
+  const requested = Promise.withResolvers<void>()
+  const plugins = Promise.withResolvers<{ directory: string }>()
+  const session = {
+    id: "ses_startup_gate",
+    title: "Startup gate fixture",
+    projectID: "proj_test",
+    location: { directory },
+    cost: 0,
+    tokens: { input: 0, output: 0, reasoning: 0, cache: { read: 0, write: 0 } },
+    time: { created: 1, updated: 1 },
+  }
+  await using setup = await createAppFixture({
+    state: state.path,
+    args,
+    config: { animations: false, tabs: { enabled: false }, plugins: ["fixture"] },
+    packages: {
+      prepare: async () => {
+        requested.resolve()
+        return plugins.promise
+      },
+    },
+    fetch: (url) => {
+      if (url.pathname === "/api/session") return json({ data: [session], cursor: {} })
+      if (url.pathname === `/api/session/${session.id}`) return json({ data: session })
+      if (url.pathname === `/api/session/${session.id}/message`) return json({ data: [], cursor: {} })
+      if ([`/api/session/${session.id}/inbox`, `/api/session/${session.id}/permission`].includes(url.pathname))
+        return json({ data: [] })
+      return undefined
+    },
+  })
+
+  try {
+    await requested.promise
+    await setup.ready
+    await setup.renderOnce()
+    expect(setup.renderer.currentFocusedEditor).toBeNull()
+    expect(setup.renderer.root.findDescendantById("home-logo")).toBeUndefined()
+    expect(setup.captureCharFrame()).not.toContain("Ask anything")
+
+    plugins.resolve({ directory: "" })
+    await setup.waitFor(() => setup.renderer.currentFocusedEditor instanceof TextareaRenderable)
+    expect(setup.renderer.root.findDescendantById("home-logo")).toBeUndefined()
+    await setup.mockInput.typeText("session prompt ready")
+    await setup.waitForFrame((frame) => frame.includes("session prompt ready"))
+  } finally {
+    const prompt = setup.renderer.currentFocusedEditor
+    if (prompt instanceof TextareaRenderable && prompt.plainText) {
+      setup.mockInput.pressKey("c", { ctrl: true })
+      await setup.waitFor(() => prompt.plainText === "")
+    }
+    plugins.resolve({ directory: "" })
+  }
+})
+
 test("vertical session tabs collapse to a compact rail with the terminal", async () => {
   await using state = await tmpdir()
   await Bun.write(path.join(state.path, "test", "tui", "layout.json"), JSON.stringify({ verticalTabsWidth: 42 }))
diff --git a/packages/tui/test/cli/tui/theme-mode.test.tsx b/packages/tui/test/cli/tui/theme-mode.test.tsx
index fbd09a623e4a..1bc7fe1585cf 100644
--- a/packages/tui/test/cli/tui/theme-mode.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/tui/test/cli/tui/theme-mode.test.tsx
@@ -129,6 +129,54 @@ test.each([
   }
 })
 
+test("mounts built-in theme contents while custom theme discovery continues", async () => {
+  const discovery = Promise.withResolvers<Record<string, unknown>>()
+  const discovered = Promise.withResolvers<void>()
+  let mounts = 0
+  let themes: ReturnType<typeof useThemes> | undefined
+
+  function Probe() {
+    mounts++
+    themes = useThemes()
+    return <text>ready</text>
+  }
+
+  const app = await testRender(
+    () => (
+      <ConfigProvider config={createTuiResolvedConfig({})}>
+        <ThemeProvider
+          mode="dark"
+          source={{
+            discover: async () => {
+              const value = await discovery.promise
+              discovered.resolve()
+              return value
+            },
+          }}
+        >
+          <Probe />
+        </ThemeProvider>
+      </ConfigProvider>
+    ),
+    { width: 20, height: 2 },
+  )
+  app.renderer.start()
+
+  try {
+    expect(mounts).toBe(1)
+    expect(themes?.ready).toBeTrue()
+    expect(themes?.selected).toBe("opencode")
+    discovery.resolve({})
+    await discovered.promise
+    await app.renderOnce()
+    expect(mounts).toBe(1)
+    expect(themes?.selected).toBe("opencode")
+  } finally {
+    discovery.resolve({})
+    app.renderer.destroy()
+  }
+})
+
 test("contextual hooks resolve overrides and fall back to a standalone theme's base view", async () => {
   const standalone = {
     version: 2,
diff --git a/packages/tui/test/component/logo.test.ts b/packages/tui/test/component/logo.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..34fa64d71643
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/tui/test/component/logo.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+import { expect, test } from "bun:test"
+import { logoSize } from "../../src/component/logo"
+
+test("logo reserve follows the production responsive breakpoints", () => {
+  expect(logoSize(100, 11)).toEqual({ width: 0, height: 0 })
+  expect(logoSize(21, 12)).toEqual({ width: 4, height: 3 })
+  expect(logoSize(22, 12)).toEqual({ width: 19, height: 7 })
+  expect(logoSize(43, 12)).toEqual({ width: 19, height: 7 })
+  expect(logoSize(44, 12)).toEqual({ width: 39, height: 4 })
+})
diff --git a/packages/tui/test/feature-plugins/home-footer.test.ts b/packages/tui/test/feature-plugins/home-footer.test.ts
index d2c6544d402e..acb3a8cba185 100644
--- a/packages/tui/test/feature-plugins/home-footer.test.ts
+++ b/packages/tui/test/feature-plugins/home-footer.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { describe, expect, test } from "bun:test"
-import { homeFooterVisibility } from "../../src/feature-plugins/home/footer"
+import { homeFooterHeight, homeFooterVisibility } from "../../src/ui/layout"
 
 describe("home footer visibility", () => {
   test("keeps failure labels readable at the minimum supported width", () => {
@@ -11,3 +11,11 @@ describe("home footer visibility", () => {
     expect(homeFooterVisibility(80)).toEqual({ mcpCommand: true, pluginCommand: true, version: true })
   })
 })
+
+test("home footer height matches its responsive visibility and padding", () => {
+  expect(homeFooterHeight(43, 30)).toBe(0)
+  expect(homeFooterHeight(44, 11)).toBe(0)
+  expect(homeFooterHeight(44, 12)).toBe(1)
+  expect(homeFooterHeight(44, 15)).toBe(1)
+  expect(homeFooterHeight(44, 16)).toBe(3)
+})
diff --git a/packages/tui/test/fixture/app.ts b/packages/tui/test/fixture/app.ts
index 22f4844c840d..72fce33d6a2d 100644
--- a/packages/tui/test/fixture/app.ts
+++ b/packages/tui/test/fixture/app.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ export async function createAppFixture(
     state?: string
     config?: Config.Info
     args?: TuiInput["args"]
+    packages?: TuiInput["packages"]
     fetch?: FetchHandler
   } = {},
 ) {
@@ -33,7 +34,7 @@ export async function createAppFixture(
       app: { name: "test", version: "test", channel: "test" },
       server: { endpoint: { url: server.url.toString() } },
       config: { get: async () => input.config ?? { animations: false }, update: async () => ({}) },
-      packages: { prepare: async () => ({ directory: "" }) },
+      packages: input.packages ?? { prepare: async () => ({ directory: "" }) },
       terminalHandoff: async () => ({ renderer: setup.renderer, mode: "dark", complete: ready.resolve }),
       args: input.args ?? {},
       log: () => {},