diff --git a/backend/src/main/java/com/petshop/backend/service/OpenRouterAiService.java b/backend/src/main/java/com/petshop/backend/service/OpenRouterAiService.java
index 026b9a3f..149bd4dc 100644
--- a/backend/src/main/java/com/petshop/backend/service/OpenRouterAiService.java
+++ b/backend/src/main/java/com/petshop/backend/service/OpenRouterAiService.java
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ public class OpenRouterAiService {
     @Value("${openrouter.api-key:}")
     private String apiKey;
 
-    @Value("${openrouter.model:openai/gpt-oss-120b:free}")
+    @Value("${openrouter.model:google/gemma-4-31b-it:free}")
     private String model;
 
     private final String openRouterUrl = "https://openrouter.ai/api/v1/chat/completions";
diff --git a/backend/src/main/java/com/petshop/backend/service/OpenRouterService.java b/backend/src/main/java/com/petshop/backend/service/OpenRouterService.java
index 6f851bfd..a70ece30 100644
--- a/backend/src/main/java/com/petshop/backend/service/OpenRouterService.java
+++ b/backend/src/main/java/com/petshop/backend/service/OpenRouterService.java
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ public class OpenRouterService {
     @Value("${openrouter.api-key:}")
     private String apiKey;
 
-    @Value("${openrouter.model:meta-llama/llama-3.3-70b-instruct:free}")
+    @Value("${openrouter.model:google/gemma-4-31b-it:free}")
     private String model;
 
     private final ObjectMapper objectMapper = new ObjectMapper();
diff --git a/web/app/ai-chat/page.js b/web/app/ai-chat/page.js
index 6dbf101a..fc879dbc 100644
--- a/web/app/ai-chat/page.js
+++ b/web/app/ai-chat/page.js
@@ -84,6 +84,8 @@ function AiChatPage() {
   const [convsLoading, setConvsLoading] = useState(false);
   const [closedExpanded, setClosedExpanded] = useState(false);
   const [selectedFile, setSelectedFile] = useState(null);
+  const [botTyping, setBotTyping] = useState(false);
+  const [switchingConv, setSwitchingConv] = useState(false);
 
   const messagesEndRef = useRef(null);
   const messagesAreaRef = useRef(null);
@@ -93,6 +95,7 @@ function AiChatPage() {
   const fileInputRef = useRef(null);
   const lastScrolledIdRef = useRef(null);
   const initialLoadDoneRef = useRef(false);
+  const botTypingTimeoutRef = useRef(null);
 
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!authLoading && !user) {
@@ -108,11 +111,22 @@ function AiChatPage() {
     lastScrolledIdRef.current = lastMsg.id;
     const area = messagesAreaRef.current;
     if (!area) return;
-    const nearBottom = area.scrollHeight - area.scrollTop - area.clientHeight < 150;
-    if (nearBottom) {
+    const isOwn = lastMsg.senderId === user?.id;
+    if (isOwn) {
       messagesEndRef.current?.scrollIntoView({ behavior: "smooth" });
+    } else {
+      const nearBottom = area.scrollHeight - area.scrollTop - area.clientHeight < 150;
+      if (nearBottom) messagesEndRef.current?.scrollIntoView({ behavior: "smooth" });
     }
-  }, [messages]);
+  }, [messages, user?.id]);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!botTyping) return;
+    const area = messagesAreaRef.current;
+    if (!area) return;
+    const nearBottom = area.scrollHeight - area.scrollTop - area.clientHeight < 150;
+    if (nearBottom) messagesEndRef.current?.scrollIntoView({ behavior: "smooth" });
+  }, [botTyping]);
 
   const fetchMessages = useCallback(async (convId) => {
     if (!token || !convId) return;
@@ -183,6 +197,8 @@ function AiChatPage() {
           const msg = JSON.parse(frame.body);
           setMessages((prev) => prev.some((m) => m.id === msg.id) ? prev : [...prev, msg]);
           lastMessageIdRef.current = msg.id;
+          if (botTypingTimeoutRef.current) clearTimeout(botTypingTimeoutRef.current);
+          setBotTyping(false);
         } catch { /* silent */ }
       });
       const convTopic = user?.role === "CUSTOMER"
@@ -310,6 +326,11 @@ function AiChatPage() {
       const msg = await res.json();
       setMessages((prev) => prev.some((m) => m.id === msg.id) ? prev : [...prev, msg]);
       lastMessageIdRef.current = msg.id;
+      if (!isEscalated) {
+        setBotTyping(true);
+        if (botTypingTimeoutRef.current) clearTimeout(botTypingTimeoutRef.current);
+        botTypingTimeoutRef.current = setTimeout(() => setBotTyping(false), 30000);
+      }
     } catch {
       setError("Network error. Please try again.");
       setInput(text);
@@ -414,10 +435,11 @@ function AiChatPage() {
     if (stompRef.current) { stompRef.current.deactivate(); stompRef.current = null; }
     setMessages([]);
     setError(null);
-    setLoadingConv(true);
+    setBotTyping(false);
+    setSwitchingConv(true);
     await fetchConversation(convId);
     await fetchMessages(convId);
-    setLoadingConv(false);
+    setSwitchingConv(false);
     connectStomp(convId);
     router.replace(`/ai-chat?id=${convId}`, { scroll: false });
   }
@@ -629,6 +651,24 @@ function AiChatPage() {
                       </div>
                     );
                   })}
+
+                  {botTyping && !isEscalated && (
+                    <div style={{ ...s.messageRow, ...s.messageRowAgent }}>
+                      <div style={s.aiAvatarSmall}>🐾</div>
+                      <div style={{ ...s.messageBubble, ...s.bubbleAgent, display: "flex", alignItems: "center", gap: "4px", padding: "0.6rem 0.9rem" }}>
+                        <span className="fc-dot" />
+                        <span className="fc-dot" style={{ animationDelay: "0.2s" }} />
+                        <span className="fc-dot" style={{ animationDelay: "0.4s" }} />
+                      </div>
+                    </div>
+                  )}
+
+                  {switchingConv && (
+                    <div style={{ textAlign: "center", padding: "1rem", color: "#aaa", fontSize: "0.85rem" }}>
+                      Loading messages…
+                    </div>
+                  )}
+
                   <div ref={messagesEndRef} />
                 </div>
 
diff --git a/web/app/chat/page.js b/web/app/chat/page.js
index dbee3ed3..3e243e8f 100644
--- a/web/app/chat/page.js
+++ b/web/app/chat/page.js
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ function ChatPage() {
   const [convsLoading, setConvsLoading] = useState(false);
   const [closedExpanded, setClosedExpanded] = useState(false);
   const [selectedFile, setSelectedFile] = useState(null);
+  const [switchingConv, setSwitchingConv] = useState(false);
 
   const messagesEndRef = useRef(null);
   const messagesAreaRef = useRef(null);
@@ -108,11 +109,14 @@ function ChatPage() {
     lastScrolledIdRef.current = lastMsg.id;
     const area = messagesAreaRef.current;
     if (!area) return;
-    const nearBottom = area.scrollHeight - area.scrollTop - area.clientHeight < 80;
-    if (nearBottom) {
+    const isOwn = lastMsg.senderId === user?.id;
+    if (isOwn) {
       area.scrollTop = area.scrollHeight;
+    } else {
+      const nearBottom = area.scrollHeight - area.scrollTop - area.clientHeight < 80;
+      if (nearBottom) area.scrollTop = area.scrollHeight;
     }
-  }, [messages]);
+  }, [messages, user?.id]);
 
   const fetchMessages = useCallback(async (convId) => {
     if (!token || !convId) return;
@@ -416,10 +420,10 @@ function ChatPage() {
     if (stompRef.current) { stompRef.current.deactivate(); stompRef.current = null; }
     setMessages([]);
     setError(null);
-    setLoadingConv(true);
+    setSwitchingConv(true);
     await fetchConversation(convId);
     await fetchMessages(convId);
-    setLoadingConv(false);
+    setSwitchingConv(false);
     connectStomp(convId);
     router.replace(`/chat?id=${convId}`, { scroll: false });
   }
@@ -640,6 +644,11 @@ function ChatPage() {
                   </div>
                 );
               })}
+              {switchingConv && (
+                <div style={{ textAlign: "center", padding: "1rem", color: "#aaa", fontSize: "0.85rem" }}>
+                  Loading messages…
+                </div>
+              )}
               <div ref={messagesEndRef} />
             </div>