diff --git a/webview-ui/src/components/chat/ChatView.tsx b/webview-ui/src/components/chat/ChatView.tsx
index 53102d9b1d..33b8c6c2e9 100644
--- a/webview-ui/src/components/chat/ChatView.tsx
+++ b/webview-ui/src/components/chat/ChatView.tsx
@@ -136,27 +136,29 @@ const ChatViewComponent: React.ForwardRefRenderFunction<ChatViewRef, ChatViewPro
 	const textAreaRef = useRef<HTMLTextAreaElement>(null)
 	const [sendingDisabled, setSendingDisabled] = useState(false)
 	const [selectedImages, setSelectedImages] = useState<string[]>([])
+	const selectedImagesRef = useRef(selectedImages)
+	const draftHydratedRef = useRef(false)
+
+	type SaveDraftFn = (text: string, images: string[]) => void
+	type SaveDraftDebouncedFn = debounce.DebouncedFunction<SaveDraftFn>
 
 	// Debounced draft save to prevent excessive writes
-	const saveDraftDebounced = useMemo(
-		() =>
-			debounce((text: string, images: string[]) => {
-				vscode.postMessage({ type: "saveDraftMessage", text, images })
-			}, 500),
-		[],
-	)
+	const saveDraftDebounced: SaveDraftDebouncedFn = useMemo(() => {
+		return debounce((text: string, images: string[]) => {
+			vscode.postMessage({ type: "saveDraftMessage", text, images })
+		}, 500)
+	}, [])
 
 	// Cleanup debounce on unmount
 	useEffect(() => {
 		return () => {
-			if (saveDraftDebounced && typeof (saveDraftDebounced as any).clear === "function") {
-				;(saveDraftDebounced as any).clear()
-			}
+			saveDraftDebounced.clear()
 		}
 	}, [saveDraftDebounced])
 
 	// Request saved draft on mount
 	useEffect(() => {
+		draftHydratedRef.current = false
 		vscode.postMessage({ type: "getDraftMessage" })
 	}, [])
 
@@ -212,6 +214,10 @@ const ChatViewComponent: React.ForwardRefRenderFunction<ChatViewRef, ChatViewPro
 		inputValueRef.current = inputValue
 	}, [inputValue])
 
+	useEffect(() => {
+		selectedImagesRef.current = selectedImages
+	}, [selectedImages])
+
 	useEffect(() => {
 		isMountedRef.current = true
 		return () => {
@@ -594,6 +600,14 @@ const ChatViewComponent: React.ForwardRefRenderFunction<ChatViewRef, ChatViewPro
 		[selectedImages, saveDraftDebounced],
 	)
 
+	// Persist drafts when images change (e.g., image-only drafts)
+	useEffect(() => {
+		if (!draftHydratedRef.current) {
+			return
+		}
+		saveDraftDebounced(inputValueRef.current, selectedImages)
+	}, [selectedImages, saveDraftDebounced])
+
 	/**
 	 * Handles sending messages to the extension
 	 * @param text - The message text to send
@@ -876,15 +890,16 @@ const ChatViewComponent: React.ForwardRefRenderFunction<ChatViewRef, ChatViewPro
 					playSound("notification")
 					break
 				case "draftMessage":
-					// Only restore draft if there's no active task input
-					if (messagesRef.current.length === 0 || clineAskRef.current === undefined) {
-						if (message.text) {
+					// Avoid overwriting local input; only restore into an empty composer.
+					if (inputValueRef.current.trim() === "" && selectedImagesRef.current.length === 0) {
+						if (message.text !== undefined) {
 							setInputValue(message.text)
 						}
-						if (message.images && message.images.length > 0) {
+						if (message.images !== undefined) {
 							setSelectedImages(message.images)
 						}
 					}
+					draftHydratedRef.current = true
 					break
 			}
 			// textAreaRef.current is not explicitly required here since React
diff --git a/webview-ui/src/components/chat/__tests__/ChatView.draft-message.spec.tsx b/webview-ui/src/components/chat/__tests__/ChatView.draft-message.spec.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2de7efa729
--- /dev/null
+++ b/webview-ui/src/components/chat/__tests__/ChatView.draft-message.spec.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,268 @@
+// npx vitest run src/components/chat/__tests__/ChatView.draft-message.spec.tsx
+
+import React from "react"
+import { act, render, waitFor } from "@/utils/test-utils"
+import { QueryClient, QueryClientProvider } from "@tanstack/react-query"
+
+import { ExtensionStateContextProvider } from "@src/context/ExtensionStateContext"
+import { vscode } from "@src/utils/vscode"
+
+import ChatView, { type ChatViewProps } from "../ChatView"
+
+vi.mock("@src/utils/vscode", () => ({
+	vscode: {
+		postMessage: vi.fn(),
+	},
+}))
+
+vi.mock("use-sound", () => ({
+	default: vi.fn().mockImplementation(() => {
+		return [vi.fn()]
+	}),
+}))
+
+vi.mock("../BrowserSessionRow", () => ({
+	default: () => null,
+}))
+
+vi.mock("../ChatRow", () => ({
+	default: () => null,
+}))
+
+vi.mock("../AutoApproveMenu", () => ({
+	default: () => null,
+}))
+
+vi.mock("../common/TelemetryBanner", () => ({
+	default: () => null,
+}))
+
+vi.mock("../Announcement", () => ({
+	default: () => null,
+}))
+
+vi.mock("../TaskHeader", () => ({
+	default: () => null,
+}))
+
+vi.mock("../SystemPromptWarning", () => ({
+	default: () => null,
+}))
+
+vi.mock("../ProfileViolationWarning", () => ({
+	default: () => null,
+}))
+
+vi.mock("../CheckpointWarning", () => ({
+	CheckpointWarning: () => null,
+}))
+
+vi.mock("../QueuedMessages", () => ({
+	QueuedMessages: () => null,
+}))
+
+vi.mock("../history/HistoryPreview", () => ({
+	default: () => null,
+}))
+
+vi.mock("@src/components/welcome/RooHero", () => ({
+	default: () => null,
+}))
+
+vi.mock("@src/components/welcome/RooTips", () => ({
+	default: () => null,
+}))
+
+vi.mock("@src/hooks/useCloudUpsell", () => ({
+	useCloudUpsell: () => ({
+		isOpen: false,
+		openUpsell: vi.fn(),
+		closeUpsell: vi.fn(),
+		handleConnect: vi.fn(),
+	}),
+}))
+
+vi.mock("@src/components/cloud/CloudUpsellDialog", () => ({
+	CloudUpsellDialog: () => null,
+}))
+
+vi.mock("react-i18next", () => ({
+	useTranslation: () => ({
+		t: (key: string) => key,
+	}),
+	initReactI18next: {
+		type: "3rdParty",
+		init: () => {},
+	},
+	Trans: ({ i18nKey }: { i18nKey: string }) => <>{i18nKey}</>,
+}))
+
+type MockChatTextAreaProps = {
+	inputValue?: string
+	selectedImages?: string[]
+	setInputValue: (value: string) => void
+	setSelectedImages: React.Dispatch<React.SetStateAction<string[]>>
+}
+
+let lastChatTextAreaProps: MockChatTextAreaProps | undefined
+
+vi.mock("../ChatTextArea", () => {
+	// eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-require-imports
+	const mockReact = require("react")
+
+	const ChatTextAreaComponent = mockReact.forwardRef(function MockChatTextArea(
+		props: MockChatTextAreaProps,
+		ref: React.ForwardedRef<{ focus: () => void }>,
+	) {
+		lastChatTextAreaProps = props
+		mockReact.useImperativeHandle(ref, () => ({
+			focus: vi.fn(),
+		}))
+		return <div data-testid="chat-textarea" />
+	})
+
+	return {
+		default: ChatTextAreaComponent,
+		ChatTextArea: ChatTextAreaComponent,
+	}
+})
+
+const defaultProps: ChatViewProps = {
+	isHidden: false,
+	showAnnouncement: false,
+	hideAnnouncement: () => {},
+}
+
+const queryClient = new QueryClient()
+
+const renderChatView = (props: Partial<ChatViewProps> = {}) => {
+	return render(
+		<ExtensionStateContextProvider>
+			<QueryClientProvider client={queryClient}>
+				<ChatView {...defaultProps} {...props} />
+			</QueryClientProvider>
+		</ExtensionStateContextProvider>,
+	)
+}
+
+const hydrateState = (state: Record<string, unknown>) => {
+	window.dispatchEvent(
+		new MessageEvent("message", {
+			data: {
+				type: "state",
+				state: {
+					version: "1.0.0",
+					clineMessages: [],
+					taskHistory: [],
+					shouldShowAnnouncement: false,
+					cloudIsAuthenticated: false,
+					telemetrySetting: "enabled",
+					mode: "code",
+					customModes: [],
+					messageQueue: [],
+					organizationAllowList: { allowAll: true, providers: {} },
+					apiConfiguration: { apiProvider: "anthropic" },
+					...state,
+				},
+			},
+		}),
+	)
+}
+
+const sendExtensionMessage = (data: unknown) => {
+	window.dispatchEvent(new MessageEvent("message", { data }))
+}
+
+describe("ChatView - draftMessage", () => {
+	beforeEach(() => {
+		vi.clearAllMocks()
+		lastChatTextAreaProps = undefined
+	})
+
+	afterEach(() => {
+		vi.useRealTimers()
+	})
+
+	it("requests a saved draft on mount", async () => {
+		renderChatView()
+		hydrateState({})
+		await waitFor(() => {
+			expect(vscode.postMessage).toHaveBeenCalledWith({ type: "getDraftMessage" })
+		})
+	})
+
+	it("restores draft into an empty composer", async () => {
+		renderChatView()
+		hydrateState({})
+		await act(async () => {
+			sendExtensionMessage({
+				type: "draftMessage",
+				text: "hello",
+				images: ["data:image/png;base64,abc"],
+			})
+		})
+		await waitFor(() => {
+			expect(lastChatTextAreaProps?.inputValue).toBe("hello")
+			expect(lastChatTextAreaProps?.selectedImages).toEqual(["data:image/png;base64,abc"])
+		})
+	})
+
+	it("does not overwrite non-empty composer when draftMessage arrives", async () => {
+		renderChatView()
+		hydrateState({})
+		await waitFor(() => {
+			expect(lastChatTextAreaProps).toBeDefined()
+		})
+		await act(async () => {
+			lastChatTextAreaProps?.setInputValue("keep")
+		})
+		await waitFor(() => {
+			expect(lastChatTextAreaProps?.inputValue).toBe("keep")
+		})
+		await act(async () => {
+			sendExtensionMessage({
+				type: "draftMessage",
+				text: "overwrite?",
+				images: ["data:image/png;base64,zzz"],
+			})
+		})
+		await waitFor(() => {
+			expect(lastChatTextAreaProps?.inputValue).toBe("keep")
+		})
+	})
+
+	it("saves draft when images change after hydration", async () => {
+		vi.useFakeTimers()
+		renderChatView()
+		hydrateState({})
+
+		await act(async () => {
+			await Promise.resolve()
+		})
+		expect(vscode.postMessage).toHaveBeenCalledWith({ type: "getDraftMessage" })
+
+		// Mark hydration complete
+		await act(async () => {
+			sendExtensionMessage({
+				type: "draftMessage",
+				text: "",
+				images: [],
+			})
+		})
+		expect(lastChatTextAreaProps).toBeDefined()
+
+		// Change images only
+		vi.clearAllMocks()
+		await act(async () => {
+			lastChatTextAreaProps?.setSelectedImages(["data:image/png;base64,img1"])
+		})
+		await act(async () => {
+			vi.advanceTimersByTime(600)
+		})
+		expect(vscode.postMessage).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+			type: "saveDraftMessage",
+			text: "",
+			images: ["data:image/png;base64,img1"],
+		})
+	})
+})