diff --git a/apps/code/src/renderer/features/message-editor/components/PromptInput.tsx b/apps/code/src/renderer/features/message-editor/components/PromptInput.tsx
index 4e5482872..0c1bc1730 100644
--- a/apps/code/src/renderer/features/message-editor/components/PromptInput.tsx
+++ b/apps/code/src/renderer/features/message-editor/components/PromptInput.tsx
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { ArrowUp, Stop } from "@phosphor-icons/react";
 import { InputGroup, InputGroupAddon, InputGroupButton } from "@posthog/quill";
 import { Flex, Text, Tooltip } from "@radix-ui/themes";
 import { cycleModeOption } from "@renderer/features/sessions/stores/sessionStore";
+import { trpcClient } from "@renderer/trpc/client";
 import { EditorContent } from "@tiptap/react";
 import { hasOpenOverlay } from "@utils/overlay";
 import clsx from "clsx";
@@ -182,6 +183,31 @@ export const PromptInput = forwardRef<EditorHandle, PromptInputProps>(
       clearFocusRequest(sessionId);
     }, [focusRequested, focus, clearFocusRequest, sessionId, isReady]);
 
+    // Populate the draft-store skills list as a fallback for the / command
+    // popup. The agent emits an `available_commands_update` shortly after a
+    // session starts, but typing `/` before that arrives would otherwise show
+    // only the built-in /good /bad /feedback commands.
+    useEffect(() => {
+      if (!enableCommands) return;
+      let cancelled = false;
+      trpcClient.skills.list
+        .query()
+        .then((skills) => {
+          if (cancelled) return;
+          useDraftStore.getState().actions.setCommands(
+            sessionId,
+            skills.map((s) => ({ name: s.name, description: s.description })),
+          );
+        })
+        .catch(() => {
+          // Best-effort fallback — agent-supplied commands remain authoritative.
+        });
+      return () => {
+        cancelled = true;
+        useDraftStore.getState().actions.clearCommands(sessionId);
+      };
+    }, [sessionId, enableCommands]);
+
     useHotkeys(
       "escape",
       (e) => {
diff --git a/apps/code/src/renderer/features/message-editor/suggestions/getSuggestions.test.ts b/apps/code/src/renderer/features/message-editor/suggestions/getSuggestions.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0b643b2df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/code/src/renderer/features/message-editor/suggestions/getSuggestions.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,170 @@
+import type { AcpMessage } from "@shared/types/session-events";
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+
+vi.mock("@renderer/trpc/client", () => ({
+  trpc: {
+    git: {
+      searchGithubRefs: {
+        queryOptions: () => ({ queryKey: [], queryFn: () => [] }),
+      },
+    },
+  },
+}));
+
+vi.mock("@renderer/trpc", () => ({
+  trpcClient: {
+    secureStore: {
+      getItem: { query: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(null) },
+      setItem: { query: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined) },
+      removeItem: { query: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined) },
+    },
+  },
+}));
+
+import { useSessionStore } from "../../sessions/stores/sessionStore";
+import { useDraftStore } from "../stores/draftStore";
+import { getCommandSuggestions } from "./getSuggestions";
+
+const SESSION_ID = "task-123";
+const TASK_ID = "task-123";
+const TASK_RUN_ID = "run-1";
+
+function seedDraftCommands(commands: { name: string; description: string }[]) {
+  useDraftStore.getState().actions.setCommands(SESSION_ID, commands);
+}
+
+function seedSessionContext(taskId: string | undefined) {
+  useDraftStore.getState().actions.setContext(SESSION_ID, { taskId });
+}
+
+function seedSessionAvailableCommands(
+  commands: { name: string; description: string }[],
+) {
+  const events: AcpMessage[] = [
+    {
+      direction: "agent_to_client",
+      message: {
+        jsonrpc: "2.0",
+        method: "session/update",
+        params: {
+          sessionId: TASK_RUN_ID,
+          update: {
+            sessionUpdate: "available_commands_update",
+            availableCommands: commands,
+          },
+        },
+      },
+    } as unknown as AcpMessage,
+  ];
+
+  useSessionStore.setState((state) => {
+    state.sessions[TASK_RUN_ID] = {
+      taskId: TASK_ID,
+      taskRunId: TASK_RUN_ID,
+      events,
+      processedLineCount: 0,
+      configOptions: [],
+      pendingPermissions: new Map(),
+      messageQueue: [],
+      optimisticItems: [],
+    } as unknown as (typeof state.sessions)[string];
+    state.taskIdIndex[TASK_ID] = TASK_RUN_ID;
+  });
+}
+
+function resetStores() {
+  useDraftStore.setState((state) => {
+    state.commands = {};
+    state.contexts = {};
+  });
+  useSessionStore.setState((state) => {
+    state.sessions = {};
+    state.taskIdIndex = {};
+  });
+}
+
+interface Scenario {
+  name: string;
+  contextTaskId?: string;
+  sessionCommands?: { name: string; description: string }[];
+  draftCommands?: { name: string; description: string }[];
+  expectContains: string[];
+  expectNotContains?: string[];
+}
+
+const SCENARIOS: Scenario[] = [
+  {
+    name: "built-ins are always present",
+    expectContains: ["good", "bad", "feedback"],
+  },
+  {
+    name: "agent-supplied skills surface from session events",
+    contextTaskId: TASK_ID,
+    sessionCommands: [
+      { name: "review", description: "Review code" },
+      { name: "ship-it", description: "Ship the change" },
+    ],
+    expectContains: ["review", "ship-it"],
+  },
+  {
+    name: "falls back to draft-store skills when session has no commands_update yet",
+    contextTaskId: TASK_ID,
+    draftCommands: [{ name: "review", description: "Review code" }],
+    expectContains: ["review"],
+  },
+  {
+    name: "agent-supplied commands win over draft-store fallback once reported",
+    contextTaskId: TASK_ID,
+    draftCommands: [
+      { name: "fallback-only", description: "Should not appear" },
+    ],
+    sessionCommands: [{ name: "agent-cmd", description: "From agent" }],
+    expectContains: ["agent-cmd"],
+    expectNotContains: ["fallback-only"],
+  },
+  {
+    name: "uses draft-store skills when there is no running task",
+    draftCommands: [{ name: "my-skill", description: "User skill" }],
+    expectContains: ["my-skill"],
+  },
+  {
+    name: "agent reporting an empty list suppresses the draft-store fallback",
+    contextTaskId: TASK_ID,
+    draftCommands: [
+      { name: "fallback-only", description: "Should not appear" },
+    ],
+    sessionCommands: [],
+    expectContains: ["good", "bad", "feedback"],
+    expectNotContains: ["fallback-only"],
+  },
+];
+
+describe("getCommandSuggestions", () => {
+  beforeEach(resetStores);
+
+  it.each(SCENARIOS)(
+    "$name",
+    ({
+      contextTaskId,
+      sessionCommands,
+      draftCommands,
+      expectContains,
+      expectNotContains,
+    }) => {
+      if (contextTaskId) seedSessionContext(contextTaskId);
+      if (draftCommands) seedDraftCommands(draftCommands);
+      if (sessionCommands) seedSessionAvailableCommands(sessionCommands);
+
+      const names = getCommandSuggestions(SESSION_ID, "").map(
+        (s) => s.command.name,
+      );
+
+      for (const expected of expectContains) {
+        expect(names).toContain(expected);
+      }
+      for (const unexpected of expectNotContains ?? []) {
+        expect(names).not.toContain(unexpected);
+      }
+    },
+  );
+});
diff --git a/apps/code/src/renderer/features/message-editor/suggestions/getSuggestions.ts b/apps/code/src/renderer/features/message-editor/suggestions/getSuggestions.ts
index 14aded371..1a05728f4 100644
--- a/apps/code/src/renderer/features/message-editor/suggestions/getSuggestions.ts
+++ b/apps/code/src/renderer/features/message-editor/suggestions/getSuggestions.ts
@@ -159,9 +159,15 @@ export function getCommandSuggestions(
 ): CommandSuggestionItem[] {
   const store = useDraftStore.getState();
   const taskId = store.contexts[sessionId]?.taskId;
-  const agentCommands = taskId
-    ? getAvailableCommandsForTask(taskId)
-    : (store.commands[sessionId] ?? []);
+  // Agent commands (from `available_commands_update`) are authoritative once a
+  // session has reported them, but they arrive async after session startup —
+  // fall back to the trpc-fetched skills list so users don't see only the
+  // built-in /good /bad /feedback commands during that window. `null` means
+  // "agent hasn't reported yet"; an empty array means "agent reported empty"
+  // and we respect it.
+  const sessionCommands = taskId ? getAvailableCommandsForTask(taskId) : null;
+  const draftCommands = store.commands[sessionId] ?? [];
+  const agentCommands = sessionCommands ?? draftCommands;
   const merged = [...CODE_COMMANDS, ...agentCommands];
   const commands = [...new Map(merged.map((cmd) => [cmd.name, cmd])).values()];
   const filtered = searchCommands(commands, query);
diff --git a/apps/code/src/renderer/features/message-editor/tiptap/CommandMention.ts b/apps/code/src/renderer/features/message-editor/tiptap/CommandMention.ts
index 399a300e5..fff6f47f3 100644
--- a/apps/code/src/renderer/features/message-editor/tiptap/CommandMention.ts
+++ b/apps/code/src/renderer/features/message-editor/tiptap/CommandMention.ts
@@ -13,8 +13,6 @@ export function createCommandMention(options: CommandMentionOptions) {
     name: "commandMention",
     char: "/",
     chipType: "command",
-    startOfLine: true,
-    autoCommit: true,
     items: (query) =>
       sessionId ? getCommandSuggestions(sessionId, query) : [],
     resolveChipAttrs: (item) => {
diff --git a/apps/code/src/renderer/features/message-editor/tiptap/extensions.ts b/apps/code/src/renderer/features/message-editor/tiptap/extensions.ts
index 6eb8deb02..64330e77b 100644
--- a/apps/code/src/renderer/features/message-editor/tiptap/extensions.ts
+++ b/apps/code/src/renderer/features/message-editor/tiptap/extensions.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import Placeholder from "@tiptap/extension-placeholder";
 import StarterKit from "@tiptap/starter-kit";
-import { createCommandGhostText } from "./CommandGhostText";
 import { createCommandMention } from "./CommandMention";
 import { createFileMention } from "./FileMention";
 import { createIssueMention } from "./IssueMention";
@@ -51,7 +50,6 @@ export function getEditorExtensions(options: EditorExtensionsOptions) {
 
   if (commands) {
     extensions.push(createCommandMention({ sessionId }));
-    extensions.push(createCommandGhostText(sessionId));
   }
 
   return extensions;
diff --git a/apps/code/src/renderer/features/sessions/hooks/useSession.ts b/apps/code/src/renderer/features/sessions/hooks/useSession.ts
index 12edb747c..31326083d 100644
--- a/apps/code/src/renderer/features/sessions/hooks/useSession.ts
+++ b/apps/code/src/renderer/features/sessions/hooks/useSession.ts
@@ -30,28 +30,36 @@ export const useSessionForTask = (
     return s.sessions[taskRunId];
   });
 
+/**
+ * Returns `null` when the agent hasn't sent an `available_commands_update` yet,
+ * so callers can distinguish that from an explicit empty list.
+ */
 export const useAvailableCommandsForTask = (
   taskId: string | undefined,
-): AvailableCommand[] => {
+): AvailableCommand[] | null => {
   return useSessionStore((s) => {
-    if (!taskId) return [];
+    if (!taskId) return null;
     const taskRunId = s.taskIdIndex[taskId];
-    if (!taskRunId) return [];
+    if (!taskRunId) return null;
     const session = s.sessions[taskRunId];
-    if (!session?.events) return [];
+    if (!session?.events) return null;
     return extractAvailableCommandsFromEvents(session.events);
   }, shallow);
 };
 
+/**
+ * Returns `null` when the agent hasn't sent an `available_commands_update` yet,
+ * so callers can distinguish that from an explicit empty list.
+ */
 export function getAvailableCommandsForTask(
   taskId: string | undefined,
-): AvailableCommand[] {
-  if (!taskId) return [];
+): AvailableCommand[] | null {
+  if (!taskId) return null;
   const state = useSessionStore.getState();
   const taskRunId = state.taskIdIndex[taskId];
-  if (!taskRunId) return [];
+  if (!taskRunId) return null;
   const session = state.sessions[taskRunId];
-  if (!session?.events) return [];
+  if (!session?.events) return null;
   return extractAvailableCommandsFromEvents(session.events);
 }
 
diff --git a/apps/code/src/renderer/features/task-detail/components/TaskInput.tsx b/apps/code/src/renderer/features/task-detail/components/TaskInput.tsx
index 85253604a..b4c2b3475 100644
--- a/apps/code/src/renderer/features/task-detail/components/TaskInput.tsx
+++ b/apps/code/src/renderer/features/task-detail/components/TaskInput.tsx
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ import { ButtonGroup } from "@posthog/quill";
 import { Flex, Text, Tooltip } from "@radix-ui/themes";
 import { useAuthStore } from "@renderer/features/auth/stores/authStore";
 import { useDraftStore } from "@renderer/features/message-editor/stores/draftStore";
-import { trpcClient, useTRPC } from "@renderer/trpc/client";
+import { useTRPC } from "@renderer/trpc/client";
 import { toast } from "@renderer/utils/toast";
 import {
   type TaskInputReportAssociation,
@@ -499,22 +499,6 @@ export function TaskInput({
   const { isOnline } = useConnectivity();
   const promptSessionId = sessionId;
 
-  // Populate command list for @ file mentions + / skills on mount
-  useEffect(() => {
-    let cancelled = false;
-    trpcClient.skills.list.query().then((skills) => {
-      if (cancelled) return;
-      useDraftStore.getState().actions.setCommands(
-        promptSessionId,
-        skills.map((s) => ({ name: s.name, description: s.description })),
-      );
-    });
-    return () => {
-      cancelled = true;
-      useDraftStore.getState().actions.clearCommands(promptSessionId);
-    };
-  }, [promptSessionId]);
-
   const hasHistory = useTaskInputHistoryStore((s) => s.entries.length > 0);
   const getPromptHistory = useCallback(
     () => useTaskInputHistoryStore.getState().entries.map((e) => e.text),
diff --git a/apps/code/src/renderer/utils/session.ts b/apps/code/src/renderer/utils/session.ts
index ec99a997d..721d6ca9d 100644
--- a/apps/code/src/renderer/utils/session.ts
+++ b/apps/code/src/renderer/utils/session.ts
@@ -155,10 +155,12 @@ export function convertStoredEntriesToEvents(
 /**
  * Extract available commands from session events.
  * Scans backwards to find the most recent available_commands_update.
+ * Returns `null` if the agent has not emitted one yet — callers can use this
+ * to distinguish "not yet received" from "received an empty list".
  */
 export function extractAvailableCommandsFromEvents(
   events: AcpMessage[],
-): AvailableCommand[] {
+): AvailableCommand[] | null {
   for (let i = events.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
     const msg = events[i].message;
     if (
@@ -174,7 +176,7 @@ export function extractAvailableCommandsFromEvents(
       }
     }
   }
-  return [];
+  return null;
 }
 
 /**