diff --git a/frontend/src/components/WorkspaceChatWidget.vue b/frontend/src/components/WorkspaceChatWidget.vue
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b2021e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/components/WorkspaceChatWidget.vue
@@ -0,0 +1,274 @@
+<script setup lang="ts">
+import { ref, nextTick, onMounted, onUnmounted } from 'vue';
+import { useChatStore } from '@/stores/chat';
+import ChatPanel from '@/components/ChatPanel.vue';
+import ChatInputBar from '@/components/ChatInputBar.vue';
+
+const props = defineProps<{ projectId: number }>();
+
+const chatStore = useChatStore();
+
+type WidgetState = 'closed' | 'collapsed' | 'expanded';
+const widgetState = ref<WidgetState>('collapsed');
+
+const chatPanelRef = ref<InstanceType<typeof ChatPanel> | null>(null);
+const inputBarRef = ref<InstanceType<typeof ChatInputBar> | null>(null);
+
+let workspaceConvId: number | null = null;
+let isNewConv = false;
+
+function _storageKey(pid: number) {
+  return `workspace_conv_${pid}`;
+}
+
+function open() { widgetState.value = 'collapsed'; }
+function expand() {
+  widgetState.value = 'expanded';
+  nextTick(() => chatPanelRef.value?.focus());
+}
+function collapse() {
+  widgetState.value = 'collapsed';
+  nextTick(() => inputBarRef.value?.focus());
+}
+function close() { widgetState.value = 'closed'; }
+
+async function restart() {
+  const conv = await chatStore.createConversation();
+  workspaceConvId = conv.id;
+  isNewConv = true;
+  localStorage.setItem(_storageKey(props.projectId), String(conv.id));
+  await chatStore.fetchConversation(conv.id);
+}
+
+/** Auto-expand and send — used when user submits from collapsed input. */
+async function onCollapsedSubmit(payload: { content: string; contextNoteId?: number }) {
+  widgetState.value = 'expanded';
+  await chatStore.sendMessage(payload.content, payload.contextNoteId, undefined, false);
+}
+
+function prefill(text: string) {
+  if (widgetState.value === 'expanded') {
+    chatPanelRef.value?.prefill(text);
+  } else {
+    inputBarRef.value?.prefill(text);
+  }
+}
+
+onMounted(async () => {
+  const key = _storageKey(props.projectId);
+  const storedId = localStorage.getItem(key);
+
+  if (storedId) {
+    const existingId = Number(storedId);
+    try {
+      await chatStore.fetchConversation(existingId);
+      workspaceConvId = existingId;
+      isNewConv = false;
+      chatStore.reconnectIfGenerating(existingId);
+    } catch {
+      localStorage.removeItem(key);
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (workspaceConvId === null) {
+    const conv = await chatStore.createConversation();
+    workspaceConvId = conv.id;
+    isNewConv = true;
+    await chatStore.fetchConversation(conv.id);
+    localStorage.setItem(key, String(conv.id));
+  }
+});
+
+onUnmounted(async () => {
+  if (workspaceConvId !== null && isNewConv) {
+    const conv = chatStore.conversations.find((c) => c.id === workspaceConvId);
+    if (conv && conv.message_count === 0) {
+      await chatStore.deleteConversation(workspaceConvId);
+      localStorage.removeItem(_storageKey(props.projectId));
+    }
+  }
+});
+
+defineExpose({ prefill });
+</script>
+
+<template>
+  <!-- Closed: small floating handle -->
+  <button
+    v-if="widgetState === 'closed'"
+    class="ws-chat-handle"
+    title="Open project chat"
+    @click="open"
+  >
+    💬 Chat
+  </button>
+
+  <!-- Collapsed or expanded: floating panel -->
+  <div
+    v-else
+    class="ws-chat-widget"
+    :class="{ 'ws-chat-widget--expanded': widgetState === 'expanded' }"
+  >
+    <!-- Header (expanded only) -->
+    <div v-if="widgetState === 'expanded'" class="ws-chat-header">
+      <span class="ws-chat-title">Project chat</span>
+      <div class="ws-chat-header-actions">
+        <button class="btn-icon-sm" title="History" disabled>▾</button>
+        <button class="btn-icon-sm" title="Restart conversation" @click="restart">↻</button>
+        <button class="btn-icon-sm" title="Collapse" @click="collapse">
+          <svg width="12" height="12" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2.5">
+            <polyline points="6 9 12 15 18 9"/>
+          </svg>
+        </button>
+        <button class="btn-icon-sm" title="Close chat" @click="close">✕</button>
+      </div>
+    </div>
+
+    <!-- Expanded body: full ChatPanel (includes its own input bar) -->
+    <div v-if="widgetState === 'expanded'" class="ws-chat-body">
+      <ChatPanel
+        ref="chatPanelRef"
+        variant="full"
+        :projectId="projectId"
+        placeholder="Message the agent…"
+      />
+    </div>
+
+    <!-- Collapsed: standalone input bar with expand affordance -->
+    <div v-else class="ws-chat-collapsed">
+      <button class="ws-chat-expand-btn" title="Expand chat" @click="expand">
+        <svg width="14" height="14" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2.5">
+          <polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"/>
+        </svg>
+      </button>
+      <div class="ws-chat-input-row">
+        <ChatInputBar
+          ref="inputBarRef"
+          placeholder="Message the agent…"
+          @submit="onCollapsedSubmit"
+          @abort="chatStore.cancelGeneration()"
+        />
+      </div>
+    </div>
+  </div>
+</template>
+
+<style scoped>
+.ws-chat-handle {
+  position: absolute;
+  right: 1rem;
+  bottom: 1rem;
+  z-index: 20;
+  padding: 0.5rem 0.9rem;
+  border-radius: 999px;
+  border: 1px solid var(--color-border);
+  background: var(--color-surface);
+  color: var(--color-text);
+  cursor: pointer;
+  font-size: 0.82rem;
+  box-shadow: 0 4px 16px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.25);
+}
+.ws-chat-handle:hover {
+  border-color: var(--color-primary);
+  color: var(--color-primary);
+}
+
+.ws-chat-widget {
+  position: absolute;
+  right: 1rem;
+  bottom: 1rem;
+  z-index: 20;
+  width: 380px;
+  display: flex;
+  flex-direction: column;
+  background: var(--color-surface);
+  border: 1px solid var(--color-border);
+  border-radius: 12px;
+  box-shadow: 0 8px 32px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.35);
+  overflow: hidden;
+  transition: height 0.2s ease, width 0.2s ease;
+}
+.ws-chat-widget--expanded {
+  width: 420px;
+  height: 560px;
+}
+
+.ws-chat-header {
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  justify-content: space-between;
+  padding: 8px 12px;
+  border-bottom: 1px solid var(--color-border);
+  flex-shrink: 0;
+}
+.ws-chat-title {
+  font-size: 0.78rem;
+  font-weight: 600;
+  text-transform: uppercase;
+  letter-spacing: 0.06em;
+  color: var(--color-text-muted);
+}
+.ws-chat-header-actions {
+  display: flex;
+  gap: 4px;
+  align-items: center;
+}
+.btn-icon-sm {
+  background: none;
+  border: none;
+  color: var(--color-text-muted);
+  cursor: pointer;
+  padding: 2px 6px;
+  font-size: 0.9rem;
+  line-height: 1;
+  border-radius: 4px;
+}
+.btn-icon-sm:hover:not(:disabled) {
+  color: var(--color-text);
+  background: color-mix(in srgb, var(--color-primary) 10%, transparent);
+}
+.btn-icon-sm:disabled {
+  opacity: 0.4;
+  cursor: not-allowed;
+}
+
+.ws-chat-body {
+  flex: 1;
+  min-height: 0;
+  overflow: hidden;
+  display: flex;
+  flex-direction: column;
+}
+.ws-chat-body :deep(.chat-body) {
+  flex: 1;
+  min-height: 0;
+}
+
+.ws-chat-collapsed {
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: stretch;
+}
+.ws-chat-expand-btn {
+  flex-shrink: 0;
+  padding: 0 10px;
+  background: none;
+  border: none;
+  border-right: 1px solid var(--color-border);
+  color: var(--color-text-muted);
+  cursor: pointer;
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  justify-content: center;
+}
+.ws-chat-expand-btn:hover {
+  color: var(--color-primary);
+  background: color-mix(in srgb, var(--color-primary) 8%, transparent);
+}
+
+.ws-chat-input-row {
+  flex: 1;
+  min-width: 0;
+  padding: 10px 12px;
+  flex-shrink: 0;
+}
+</style>