diff --git a/ui/src/components/task-chat/TaskChatComposer.test.tsx b/ui/src/components/task-chat/TaskChatComposer.test.tsx
index 84780d4bc97..af6b93b5041 100644
--- a/ui/src/components/task-chat/TaskChatComposer.test.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/components/task-chat/TaskChatComposer.test.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 // @vitest-environment jsdom
 
-import type { ReactElement } from "react";
+import { StrictMode, type ReactElement } from "react";
 import { flushSync } from "react-dom";
 import { createRoot, type Root } from "react-dom/client";
 import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
@@ -547,6 +547,18 @@ describe("TaskChatComposer", () => {
       expect(onAdd).toHaveBeenCalledWith("unsent draft", undefined, undefined);
     });
 
+    it("preserves a restored draft through the StrictMode effect probe", () => {
+      localStorage.setItem(KEY, "still here");
+      render(
+        <StrictMode>
+          <TaskChatComposer onAdd={vi.fn()} workMode="standard" draftKey={KEY} />
+        </StrictMode>,
+      );
+
+      expect(editable().textContent).toBe("still here");
+      expect(localStorage.getItem(KEY)).toBe("still here");
+    });
+
     it("saves the body to localStorage after the debounce window", () => {
       vi.useFakeTimers();
       try {
@@ -578,6 +590,20 @@ describe("TaskChatComposer", () => {
       }
     });
 
+    it("flushes a pending draft before the page unloads", () => {
+      vi.useFakeTimers();
+      try {
+        render(<TaskChatComposer onAdd={vi.fn()} workMode="standard" draftKey={KEY} />);
+
+        typeText("save before reload");
+        window.dispatchEvent(new Event("beforeunload"));
+
+        expect(localStorage.getItem(KEY)).toBe("save before reload");
+      } finally {
+        vi.useRealTimers();
+      }
+    });
+
     it("clears the draft key on a successful send (not via the empty-body debounce)", async () => {
       localStorage.setItem(KEY, "queued message");
       const onAdd = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined);
diff --git a/ui/src/components/task-chat/TaskChatComposer.tsx b/ui/src/components/task-chat/TaskChatComposer.tsx
index 1bd94209881..f8880b18e2b 100644
--- a/ui/src/components/task-chat/TaskChatComposer.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/components/task-chat/TaskChatComposer.tsx
@@ -156,7 +156,10 @@ export function TaskChatComposer({
   mobile = false,
   draftKey,
 }: TaskChatComposerProps) {
-  const [body, setBody] = useState("");
+  // Read the initial value during state initialization. The cleanup below runs
+  // during React StrictMode's effect probe, so starting with an empty body and
+  // restoring in an effect could erase a saved draft before that restore runs.
+  const [body, setBody] = useState(() => (draftKey ? loadDraft(draftKey) : ""));
   const [submitting, setSubmitting] = useState(false);
   const [pendingMode, setPendingMode] = useState<IssueWorkMode>(workMode);
   const [pendingAssignee, setPendingAssignee] = useState<string | null>(null);
@@ -192,6 +195,15 @@ export function TaskChatComposer({
     };
   }, [draftKey]);
 
+  // React unmount cleanup is not guaranteed to run during a page unload. Save
+  // synchronously so a recent keystroke does not depend on the debounce timer.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!draftKey) return;
+    const flushDraft = () => saveDraft(draftKey, bodyRef.current);
+    window.addEventListener("beforeunload", flushDraft);
+    return () => window.removeEventListener("beforeunload", flushDraft);
+  }, [draftKey]);
+
   const modeMeta = workModeMetaFor(pendingMode);
   const canAcceptFiles = Boolean(onAttachImage || onImageUpload);
   const showAssignee = Boolean(enableReassign && reassignOptions && reassignOptions.length > 0);
@@ -320,17 +332,17 @@ export function TaskChatComposer({
     const reopen = shouldImplicitlyReopenComment(issueStatus, assigneeValue) ? true : undefined;
 
     setSubmitting(true);
-    setBody("");
     try {
       if (pendingMode !== workMode && onWorkModeChange) {
         await onWorkModeChange(pendingMode);
       }
       await onAdd(fullBody, reopen, reassignment);
       if (draftKey) clearDraft(draftKey);
+      setBody("");
       setAttachments([]);
       setPendingAssignee(null);
     } catch {
-      setBody(trimmed); // restore on failure (chips stay + the draft save effect re-fires)
+      // Keep the body and its pending draft while the user resolves the failure.
     } finally {
       setSubmitting(false);
     }