diff --git a/pkg/api/handlers/assistants.go b/pkg/api/handlers/assistants.go
index 889039432..a9f45db66 100644
--- a/pkg/api/handlers/assistants.go
+++ b/pkg/api/handlers/assistants.go
@@ -176,7 +176,9 @@ func convertAssistant(agent v1.Agent) types.Assistant {
 		IntroductionMessage: agent.Spec.Manifest.IntroductionMessage,
 		Icons:               icons,
 	}
-	assistant.ID = agent.Spec.Manifest.Alias
+	if agent.Spec.Manifest.Alias != "" {
+		assistant.ID = agent.Spec.Manifest.Alias
+	}
 	return assistant
 }
 
diff --git a/ui/user/src/lib/components/Thread.svelte b/ui/user/src/lib/components/Thread.svelte
index ba8c02363..807a165b1 100644
--- a/ui/user/src/lib/components/Thread.svelte
+++ b/ui/user/src/lib/components/Thread.svelte
@@ -6,31 +6,23 @@
 	import Message from '$lib/components/messages/Message.svelte';
 	import { fade } from 'svelte/transition';
 	import { onDestroy } from 'svelte';
-	import { currentAssistant, assistants } from '$lib/stores';
 	import { toHTMLFromMarkdown } from '$lib/markdown';
 
 	interface Props {
-		assistant?: string;
+		assistant?: Assistant;
 	}
 
-	let { assistant = '' }: Props = $props();
+	let { assistant }: Props = $props();
 	let messages: Messages = $state({ messages: [], inProgress: false });
 	let thread: Thread | undefined = $state<Thread>();
 	let messagesDiv = $state<HTMLDivElement>();
-	let current = $derived.by<Assistant | undefined>(() => {
-		let a = $assistants.find((a) => a.id === assistant);
-		if (!a && $currentAssistant.id === assistant) {
-			a = $currentAssistant;
-		}
-		return a;
-	});
 
 	$effect(() => {
-		if (!assistant || thread) {
+		if (!assistant?.id || thread) {
 			return;
 		}
 
-		const newThread = new Thread(assistant, {
+		const newThread = new Thread(assistant.id, {
 			onError: () => {
 				// ignore errors they are rendered as messages
 			}
@@ -49,7 +41,7 @@
 
 	function onLoadFile(filename: string) {
 		if (assistant) {
-			EditorService.load(assistant, filename);
+			EditorService.load(assistant.id, filename);
 		}
 	}
 </script>
@@ -64,12 +56,12 @@
 			<div in:fade|global class="flex flex-col gap-8">
 				{#if messages.messages.length < 7}
 					<div class="message-content self-center">
-						{#if current?.introductionMessage}
-							{@html toHTMLFromMarkdown(current.introductionMessage)}
+						{#if assistant?.introductionMessage}
+							{@html toHTMLFromMarkdown(assistant.introductionMessage)}
 						{/if}
 					</div>
 					<div class="flex gap-2 self-center">
-						{#each current?.starterMessages ?? [] as msg}
+						{#each assistant?.starterMessages ?? [] as msg}
 							<button
 								class="rounded-3xl border-2 border-blue p-5"
 								onclick={() => {
diff --git a/ui/user/src/routes/[agent]/+page.svelte b/ui/user/src/routes/[agent]/+page.svelte
index f52ccad41..45c4919f6 100644
--- a/ui/user/src/routes/[agent]/+page.svelte
+++ b/ui/user/src/routes/[agent]/+page.svelte
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
 	<!-- these divs suck, but it's so that we have a relative container for the absolute input and the scrollable area is the entire screen and not just
 			 the center content. Plus the screen will auto resize as the editor is resized -->
 	<div class="relative flex-1 overflow-auto">
-		<Thread assistant={$currentAssistant.id} />
+		<Thread assistant={$currentAssistant} />
 	</div>
 
 	{#if $editorVisible || term.open}