diff --git a/static/boot.js b/static/boot.js
index c932108f..1ff1087a 100644
--- a/static/boot.js
+++ b/static/boot.js
@@ -1465,6 +1465,17 @@ window._hermesTtsSynth=function(id, text, opts){
   window._voiceModeDeactivate=_deactivate;
   window._voiceModeImmediateSend=_voiceModeSend;
 })();
+function _currentSessionIsReusableEmptyChat(){
+  if(!S.session) return false;
+  const hasVisibleMessages=Array.isArray(S.messages)
+    && S.messages.some(m=>m&&m.role&&m.role!=='tool');
+  return (S.session.message_count||0)===0
+    && !hasVisibleMessages
+    && !S.busy
+    && !S.session.active_stream_id
+    && !S.session.pending_user_message;
+}
+
 $('fileInput').onchange=e=>{addFiles(Array.from(e.target.files));e.target.value='';};
 $('btnNewChat').onclick=async()=>{
   // If the current session has no messages AND nothing is in flight, just focus
@@ -1478,11 +1489,7 @@ $('btnNewChat').onclick=async()=>{
   // couldn't actually start a parallel chat. Use the same in-flight signal as
   // `_restoreSettledSession()` in messages.js: an active stream id or a queued
   // pending user message means the session is real, not empty.
-  if(S.session
-     && (S.session.message_count||0)===0
-     && !S.busy
-     && !S.session.active_stream_id
-     && !S.session.pending_user_message){
+  if(_currentSessionIsReusableEmptyChat()){
     $('msg').focus();closeMobileSidebar();return;
   }
   if(typeof _restoreRememberedNewChatDraftSession==='function'
@@ -1746,11 +1753,7 @@ document.addEventListener('keydown',async e=>{
     // the composer rather than creating another empty session that will clutter
     // the sidebar list (#1171). See the matching guard in $('btnNewChat').onclick
     // and bug #1432 for why the in-flight check is needed.
-    if(S.session
-       && (S.session.message_count||0)===0
-       && !S.busy
-       && !S.session.active_stream_id
-       && !S.session.pending_user_message){
+    if(_currentSessionIsReusableEmptyChat()){
       $('msg').focus();return;
     }
     // Cmd/Ctrl+K should always create a new conversation, even while the current
diff --git a/tests/test_issue_new_chat_draft_restore.py b/tests/test_issue_new_chat_draft_restore.py
index 50d02465..7f6c7436 100644
--- a/tests/test_issue_new_chat_draft_restore.py
+++ b/tests/test_issue_new_chat_draft_restore.py
@@ -53,6 +53,30 @@ def test_new_chat_button_restores_remembered_draft_before_creating_session():
     )
 
 
+def test_new_chat_empty_reuse_guard_checks_loaded_visible_messages():
+    helper_start = BOOT_JS.find("function _currentSessionIsReusableEmptyChat()")
+    helper_end = BOOT_JS.find("$('fileInput').onchange", helper_start)
+    assert helper_start != -1 and helper_end != -1, "empty-chat reuse helper not found"
+    helper = BOOT_JS[helper_start:helper_end]
+    assert "S.session.message_count||0" in helper, (
+        "empty-chat reuse should still honor the server-side session message count"
+    )
+    assert "S.messages.some(m=>m&&m.role&&m.role!=='tool')" in helper, (
+        "empty-chat reuse must not focus-only when loaded transcript messages are visible"
+    )
+    assert "S.session.active_stream_id" in helper and "S.session.pending_user_message" in helper, (
+        "empty-chat reuse must continue to treat in-flight zero-count sessions as real sessions"
+    )
+
+    button_body = _btn_new_chat_handler()
+    assert "if(_currentSessionIsReusableEmptyChat())" in button_body
+    shortcut_start = BOOT_JS.find("if((e.metaKey||e.ctrlKey)&&e.key==='k')")
+    shortcut_end = BOOT_JS.find("// Cmd/Ctrl+, opens/closes Settings", shortcut_start)
+    assert shortcut_start != -1 and shortcut_end != -1, "Cmd/Ctrl+K handler block not found"
+    shortcut_body = BOOT_JS[shortcut_start:shortcut_end]
+    assert "if(_currentSessionIsReusableEmptyChat())" in shortcut_body
+
+
 def test_restore_helper_validates_candidate_with_session_metadata():
     assert "const NEW_CHAT_DRAFT_SESSION_KEY = 'hermes-new-chat-draft-session';" in SESSIONS_JS
     assert "async function _restoreRememberedNewChatDraftSession()" in SESSIONS_JS