diff --git a/components/auth/user-menu.tsx b/components/auth/user-menu.tsx
index 3998c42..f2b68b1 100644
--- a/components/auth/user-menu.tsx
+++ b/components/auth/user-menu.tsx
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import {
   CircleUser,
   CreditCard,
   Gift,
+  LogIn,
   LogOut,
   MessageCircleQuestion,
   Monitor,
@@ -31,7 +32,7 @@ import {
 const FOOTER_LINKS = [
   { href: "/settings/preferences", label: "Profile", Icon: CircleUser },
   { href: "/settings", label: "Account Settings", Icon: SettingsIcon },
-  { href: "/settings/billing", label: "Pricing", Icon: CreditCard },
+  { href: "/settings/billing", label: "Pricing", Icon: CreditCard, external: true },
   {
     href: "https://github.com/OpenSIN-Code/SIN-Code-WebUI-v2#readme",
     label: "Documentation",
@@ -58,35 +59,19 @@ export function UserMenu() {
   const { data: session, isPending } = useSession()
   const { theme, setTheme } = useTheme()
 
-  if (isPending) {
-    return (
-      <div className="flex items-center gap-2 px-1 opacity-50">
-        <span className="flex size-5 shrink-0 items-center justify-center rounded-full bg-muted text-[9px] font-bold text-muted-foreground">
-          …
-        </span>
-      </div>
-    )
-  }
-
-  if (!session?.user) {
-    return (
-      <button
-        type="button"
-        onClick={() => router.push("/login")}
-        className="flex min-w-0 flex-1 items-center gap-1.5 rounded-md px-1.5 py-1 text-[12.5px] text-sidebar-foreground hover:bg-sidebar-accent"
-      >
-        <span className="flex size-5 shrink-0 items-center justify-center rounded-full bg-brand text-[9px] font-bold text-white">
-          ?
-        </span>
-        <span className="truncate font-medium">Anmelden</span>
-      </button>
-    )
-  }
-
-  const user = session.user as { name?: string | null; email?: string | null }
-  const displayName = user.name || user.email || "User"
-  const initial = (user.name || user.email || "U").charAt(0).toUpperCase()
-  const email = user.email || ""
+  // Show trigger even while pending / unauthenticated — the v0-style dropdown
+  // is always present at the sidebar footer.
+  const user = session?.user as
+    | { name?: string | null; email?: string | null }
+    | undefined
+  const isLoggedIn = Boolean(user?.name || user?.email)
+  const displayName = isLoggedIn
+    ? user!.name || user!.email || "User"
+    : "Anmelden"
+  const initial = isLoggedIn
+    ? (user!.name || user!.email || "U").charAt(0).toUpperCase()
+    : "?"
+  const email = user?.email || ""
 
   async function handleSignOut() {
     const { signOut } = await import("@/lib/auth/client")
@@ -95,32 +80,50 @@ export function UserMenu() {
     router.refresh()
   }
 
+  function handleSignIn() {
+    router.push("/login")
+  }
+
   return (
     <DropdownMenu>
       <DropdownMenuTrigger
         render={
           <button
             type="button"
-            aria-label="User menu"
-            className="flex min-w-0 flex-1 items-center gap-1.5 rounded-md px-1.5 py-1 text-[12.5px] text-sidebar-foreground hover:bg-sidebar-accent"
+            aria-label={isLoggedIn ? "User menu" : "Sign in"}
+            className={cn(
+              "flex min-w-0 flex-1 items-center gap-1.5 rounded-md px-1.5 py-1 text-[12.5px] text-sidebar-foreground hover:bg-sidebar-accent",
+              isPending && "opacity-60",
+            )}
           />
         }
       >
         <span className="flex size-5 shrink-0 items-center justify-center rounded-full bg-brand text-[9px] font-bold text-white">
-          {initial}
+          {isPending ? "…" : initial}
         </span>
         <span className="truncate font-medium">{displayName}</span>
       </DropdownMenuTrigger>
 
       <DropdownMenuContent align="start" side="top" className="w-60">
-        <div className="flex flex-col gap-0.5 px-3 py-2">
-          <span className="truncate text-[13px] font-semibold text-foreground">
-            {displayName}
-          </span>
-          {email ? (
-            <span className="truncate text-[12px] text-muted-foreground">{email}</span>
-          ) : null}
-        </div>
+        {isLoggedIn ? (
+          <div className="flex flex-col gap-0.5 px-3 py-2">
+            <span className="truncate text-[13px] font-semibold text-foreground">
+              {displayName}
+            </span>
+            {email ? (
+              <span className="truncate text-[12px] text-muted-foreground">{email}</span>
+            ) : null}
+          </div>
+        ) : (
+          <div className="flex flex-col gap-0.5 px-3 py-2">
+            <span className="truncate text-[13px] font-semibold text-foreground">
+              Nicht angemeldet
+            </span>
+            <span className="truncate text-[12px] text-muted-foreground">
+              Melde dich an, um Chats zu speichern
+            </span>
+          </div>
+        )}
         <DropdownMenuSeparator />
 
         <DropdownMenuGroup>
@@ -129,7 +132,12 @@ export function UserMenu() {
               key={label}
               render={
                 external ? (
-                  <a href={href} target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" className="flex items-center gap-2">
+                  <a
+                    href={href}
+                    target="_blank"
+                    rel="noreferrer"
+                    className="flex items-center gap-2"
+                  >
                     <Icon className="size-4" />
                     {label}
                   </a>
@@ -194,7 +202,7 @@ export function UserMenu() {
           </Link>
         </div>
 
-        {/* Chat Position — stub (single layout) */}
+        {/* Chat Position — stub */}
         <div className="flex items-center justify-between px-3 py-1.5">
           <span className="text-[13px] text-foreground">Chat Position</span>
           <Link
@@ -208,18 +216,33 @@ export function UserMenu() {
         <DropdownMenuSeparator />
 
         <DropdownMenuGroup>
-          <DropdownMenuItem
-            render={
-              <button
-                type="button"
-                onClick={handleSignOut}
-                className="flex w-full items-center gap-2"
-              >
-                <LogOut className="size-4" />
-                Sign Out
-              </button>
-            }
-          />
+          {isLoggedIn ? (
+            <DropdownMenuItem
+              render={
+                <button
+                  type="button"
+                  onClick={handleSignOut}
+                  className="flex w-full items-center gap-2"
+                >
+                  <LogOut className="size-4" />
+                  Sign Out
+                </button>
+              }
+            />
+          ) : (
+            <DropdownMenuItem
+              render={
+                <button
+                  type="button"
+                  onClick={handleSignIn}
+                  className="flex w-full items-center gap-2"
+                >
+                  <LogIn className="size-4" />
+                  Anmelden
+                </button>
+              }
+            />
+          )}
         </DropdownMenuGroup>
       </DropdownMenuContent>
     </DropdownMenu>
diff --git a/components/chat/chat-view.tsx b/components/chat/chat-view.tsx
index f20710c..a7d2076 100644
--- a/components/chat/chat-view.tsx
+++ b/components/chat/chat-view.tsx
@@ -1,12 +1,15 @@
 "use client"
 
-import { useRef, useEffect } from "react"
+import { useRef, useEffect, useState } from "react"
+import { Check, Copy, SquareTerminal } from "lucide-react"
 import { Message } from "@/components/chat/message"
 import { ThinkingIndicator, LoadingDots } from "@/components/chat/thinking-indicator"
 import { ToolCall } from "@/components/chat/tool-call"
 import { PromptComposer } from "@/components/chat/prompt-composer"
 import { MarkdownMessage } from "@/components/chat/markdown-message"
 import { ChatHeader } from "@/components/chat/chat-header"
+import { DashedSpinner, Starburst } from "@/components/icons"
+import { cn } from "@/lib/utils"
 
 export interface ChatPart {
   type: "text" | "tool"
@@ -32,6 +35,51 @@ interface ChatViewProps {
   title?: string
 }
 
+/* v0-style code block with copy button (preserved from initial commit) */
+function CopyCodeBlock({ body, lang = "code" }: { body: string; lang?: string }) {
+  const [copied, setCopied] = useState(false)
+  async function handleCopy() {
+    try {
+      await navigator.clipboard.writeText(body)
+      setCopied(true)
+      setTimeout(() => setCopied(false), 1500)
+    } catch {
+      /* clipboard not available */
+    }
+  }
+  return (
+    <div className="overflow-hidden rounded-xl border border-border/60 bg-card">
+      <div className="flex items-center justify-between border-b border-border/50 px-3 py-2">
+        <div className="flex items-center gap-2">
+          <SquareTerminal className="size-3.5 text-muted-foreground" />
+          <span className="text-[11px] text-muted-foreground">{lang}</span>
+        </div>
+        <button
+          type="button"
+          aria-label={copied ? "Copied" : "Copy code"}
+          onClick={handleCopy}
+          className="flex size-6 items-center justify-center rounded text-muted-foreground hover:bg-accent hover:text-foreground"
+        >
+          {copied ? <Check className="size-3.5" /> : <Copy className="size-3.5" />}
+        </button>
+      </div>
+      <pre className="overflow-x-auto p-4 font-mono text-[12.5px] leading-[1.6]">
+        <code>{body}</code>
+      </pre>
+    </div>
+  )
+}
+
+/* v0-style tool badge (preserved from initial commit) */
+function ToolBadge({ name }: { name: string }) {
+  return (
+    <div className="flex items-center gap-2 rounded-lg border border-border/60 bg-card px-3 py-2">
+      <DashedSpinner className="size-3.5 animate-[spin_2s_linear_infinite] text-muted-foreground" />
+      <span className="font-mono text-[12px] text-muted-foreground">{name}</span>
+    </div>
+  )
+}
+
 export function ChatView({
   messages,
   status,
@@ -48,19 +96,22 @@ export function ChatView({
 
   const isStreaming = status === "streaming"
   const lastMessage = messages[messages.length - 1]
+  const hasMessages = messages.length > 0
 
   return (
     <div className="flex h-dvh flex-col bg-background">
       <ChatHeader title={title} />
       <div className="flex-1 overflow-y-auto">
-        <div className="mx-auto flex max-w-3xl flex-col px-4 py-6">
-          {messages.length === 0 && (
-            <div className="flex flex-1 flex-col items-center justify-center gap-2 py-32">
-              <h1 className="text-2xl font-semibold text-balance">
+        <div className={cn("mx-auto flex flex-col px-4 py-6", hasMessages ? "max-w-3xl" : "w-full")}>
+          {!hasMessages && (
+            <div className="flex flex-1 flex-col items-center justify-center gap-4 py-16">
+              <Starburst className="size-10 text-brand" />
+              <h1 className="text-balance text-2xl font-semibold">
                 What do you want to create?
               </h1>
-              <p className="text-sm text-muted-foreground">
+              <p className="max-w-md text-balance text-center text-sm text-muted-foreground">
                 Ask the SIN-Code agent to build, fix, or explain anything.
+                Press <kbd className="rounded border border-border bg-muted px-1.5 py-0.5 font-mono text-[11px]">Enter</kbd> to send.
               </p>
             </div>
           )}
@@ -68,6 +119,18 @@ export function ChatView({
           {messages.map((msg) => {
             const streamingThis =
               isStreaming && msg.id === lastMessage?.id && msg.role === "assistant"
+            if (msg.role === "user") {
+              return (
+                <div key={msg.id} className="flex justify-end">
+                  <div className="max-w-[85%] rounded-[18px] bg-secondary px-4 py-2.5 text-[14px] leading-relaxed text-foreground">
+                    {msg.parts
+                      .filter((p) => p.type === "text")
+                      .map((p) => p.text)
+                      .join("")}
+                  </div>
+                </div>
+              )
+            }
             return (
               <Message
                 key={msg.id}