diff --git a/src/frontend/web/von_interface/static/js/chatTab.js b/src/frontend/web/von_interface/static/js/chatTab.js
index d76c2051..482dd953 100644
--- a/src/frontend/web/von_interface/static/js/chatTab.js
+++ b/src/frontend/web/von_interface/static/js/chatTab.js
@@ -2263,17 +2263,18 @@ function clampThinkingCardBodyHeightPx(value) {
     );
 }
 
+function getThinkingCardInitialBodyHeightPx(detailEl = null) {
+    const contentHeight = (detailEl instanceof HTMLElement && Number.isFinite(detailEl.scrollHeight))
+        ? detailEl.scrollHeight
+        : THINKING_CARD_BODY_DEFAULT_HEIGHT_PX;
+    return clampThinkingCardBodyHeightPx(
+        Math.max(contentHeight, THINKING_CARD_BODY_DEFAULT_HEIGHT_PX)
+    );
+}
+
 function ensureThinkingCardBodyHeightPx(request, detailEl = null) {
     if (!request || typeof request !== 'object') {
-        const contentHeight = (detailEl instanceof HTMLElement && Number.isFinite(detailEl.scrollHeight))
-            ? detailEl.scrollHeight
-            : THINKING_CARD_BODY_DEFAULT_HEIGHT_PX;
-        return clampThinkingCardBodyHeightPx(
-            Math.min(
-                Math.max(contentHeight, THINKING_CARD_BODY_MIN_HEIGHT_PX),
-                THINKING_CARD_BODY_DEFAULT_HEIGHT_PX
-            )
-        );
+        return getThinkingCardInitialBodyHeightPx(detailEl);
     }
 
     const existingHeight = Number(request.thinkingCardBodyHeightPx);
@@ -2282,15 +2283,7 @@ function ensureThinkingCardBodyHeightPx(request, detailEl = null) {
         return request.thinkingCardBodyHeightPx;
     }
 
-    const contentHeight = (detailEl instanceof HTMLElement && Number.isFinite(detailEl.scrollHeight))
-        ? detailEl.scrollHeight
-        : THINKING_CARD_BODY_DEFAULT_HEIGHT_PX;
-    request.thinkingCardBodyHeightPx = clampThinkingCardBodyHeightPx(
-        Math.min(
-            Math.max(contentHeight, THINKING_CARD_BODY_MIN_HEIGHT_PX),
-            THINKING_CARD_BODY_DEFAULT_HEIGHT_PX
-        )
-    );
+    request.thinkingCardBodyHeightPx = getThinkingCardInitialBodyHeightPx(detailEl);
     return request.thinkingCardBodyHeightPx;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/frontend/web/von_interface/static/js/test/chatTab.test.js b/src/frontend/web/von_interface/static/js/test/chatTab.test.js
index 271c2fac..161cc837 100644
--- a/src/frontend/web/von_interface/static/js/test/chatTab.test.js
+++ b/src/frontend/web/von_interface/static/js/test/chatTab.test.js
@@ -8346,12 +8346,12 @@ describe('thinking card toggle accessibility', () => {
         const retained = getRetainedThinkingCardElements();
         retained.toggleButton.click();
 
-        expect(retained.detail.style.height).toBe('120px');
-        expect(retained.sizeDecreaseButton.disabled).toBe(true);
+        expect(retained.detail.style.height).toBe('220px');
+        expect(retained.sizeDecreaseButton.disabled).toBe(false);
         expect(retained.sizeIncreaseButton.disabled).toBe(false);
 
         retained.sizeIncreaseButton.click();
-        expect(retained.detail.style.height).toBe('200px');
+        expect(retained.detail.style.height).toBe('300px');
         expect(retained.sizeDecreaseButton.disabled).toBe(false);
 
         retained.sizeIncreaseButton.click();
@@ -8431,6 +8431,22 @@ describe('active thinking card manual resize persistence', () => {
         };
     }
 
+    test('starts tall enough for the initial thinking-card content', () => {
+        const request = createActiveThinkingRequest();
+        __testOnly_setThinkingCardRequests(request, null);
+
+        const detail = document.getElementById('loadingIndicatorDetail');
+        Object.defineProperty(detail, 'scrollHeight', {
+            configurable: true,
+            value: 360
+        });
+
+        __testOnly_refreshThinkingCardProgressUi(request);
+
+        expect(request.thinkingCardBodyHeightPx).toBe(360);
+        expect(detail.style.height).toBe('360px');
+    });
+
     test('keeps a manually dragged active thinking-card height across live refreshes', () => {
         const request = createActiveThinkingRequest();
         __testOnly_setThinkingCardRequests(request, null);