diff --git a/frontend/app/aipanel/aipanel.tsx b/frontend/app/aipanel/aipanel.tsx
index 146f0c72f6..ba5881c991 100644
--- a/frontend/app/aipanel/aipanel.tsx
+++ b/frontend/app/aipanel/aipanel.tsx
@@ -354,6 +354,7 @@ const AIPanelComponentInner = memo(({ className, onClose }: AIPanelProps) => {
         // sendMessage uses UIMessageParts
         sendMessage({ parts: uiMessageParts });
 
+        model.isChatEmpty = false;
         globalStore.set(model.inputAtom, "");
         model.clearFiles();
 
diff --git a/frontend/app/aipanel/waveai-model.tsx b/frontend/app/aipanel/waveai-model.tsx
index 9d3fe063ac..8b17c24103 100644
--- a/frontend/app/aipanel/waveai-model.tsx
+++ b/frontend/app/aipanel/waveai-model.tsx
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ export class WaveAIModel {
     containerWidth: jotai.PrimitiveAtom<number> = jotai.atom(0);
     codeBlockMaxWidth!: jotai.Atom<number>;
     inputAtom: jotai.PrimitiveAtom<string> = jotai.atom("");
+    isChatEmpty: boolean = true;
 
     private constructor() {
         const tabId = globalStore.get(atoms.staticTabId);
@@ -127,6 +128,7 @@ export class WaveAIModel {
 
     clearChat() {
         this.clearFiles();
+        this.isChatEmpty = true;
         const newChatId = crypto.randomUUID();
         globalStore.set(this.chatId, newChatId);
 
@@ -166,6 +168,11 @@ export class WaveAIModel {
         }
     }
 
+    hasNonEmptyInput(): boolean {
+        const input = globalStore.get(this.inputAtom);
+        return input != null && input.trim().length > 0;
+    }
+
     setModel(model: string) {
         const tabId = globalStore.get(atoms.staticTabId);
         RpcApi.SetMetaCommand(TabRpcClient, {
@@ -186,7 +193,9 @@ export class WaveAIModel {
         const chatId = globalStore.get(this.chatId);
         try {
             const chatData = await RpcApi.GetWaveAIChatCommand(TabRpcClient, { chatid: chatId });
-            return chatData?.messages ?? [];
+            const messages = chatData?.messages ?? [];
+            this.isChatEmpty = messages.length === 0;
+            return messages;
         } catch (error) {
             console.error("Failed to load chat:", error);
             this.setError("Failed to load chat. Starting new chat...");
@@ -200,6 +209,7 @@ export class WaveAIModel {
                 meta: { "waveai:chatid": newChatId },
             });
 
+            this.isChatEmpty = true;
             return [];
         }
     }
diff --git a/frontend/app/block/blockframe.tsx b/frontend/app/block/blockframe.tsx
index 812bf8f325..7e788b5cfd 100644
--- a/frontend/app/block/blockframe.tsx
+++ b/frontend/app/block/blockframe.tsx
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import {
     useBlockAtom,
     WOS,
 } from "@/app/store/global";
+import { uxCloseBlock } from "@/app/store/keymodel";
 import { WorkspaceLayoutModel } from "@/app/workspace/workspace-layout-model";
 import { RpcApi } from "@/app/store/wshclientapi";
 import { TabRpcClient } from "@/app/store/wshrpcutil";
@@ -40,8 +41,7 @@ function handleHeaderContextMenu(
     blockData: Block,
     viewModel: ViewModel,
     magnified: boolean,
-    onMagnifyToggle: () => void,
-    onClose: () => void
+    onMagnifyToggle: () => void
 ) {
     e.preventDefault();
     e.stopPropagation();
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ function handleHeaderContextMenu(
         { type: "separator" },
         {
             label: "Close Block",
-            click: onClose,
+            click: () => uxCloseBlock(blockData.oid),
         }
     );
     ContextMenuModel.showContextMenu(menu, e);
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ function computeEndIcons(
         elemtype: "iconbutton",
         icon: "xmark-large",
         title: "Close",
-        click: nodeModel.onClose,
+        click: () => uxCloseBlock(nodeModel.blockId),
     };
     endIconsElem.push(<IconButton key="close" decl={closeDecl} className="block-frame-default-close" />);
     return endIconsElem;
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ const BlockFrame_Header = ({
 
     const onContextMenu = React.useCallback(
         (e: React.MouseEvent<HTMLDivElement>) => {
-            handleHeaderContextMenu(e, blockData, viewModel, magnified, nodeModel.toggleMagnify, nodeModel.onClose);
+            handleHeaderContextMenu(e, blockData, viewModel, magnified, nodeModel.toggleMagnify);
         },
         [magnified]
     );
diff --git a/frontend/app/store/global.ts b/frontend/app/store/global.ts
index 29311d51e9..146721ec6d 100644
--- a/frontend/app/store/global.ts
+++ b/frontend/app/store/global.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ import {
 import { getWebServerEndpoint } from "@/util/endpoints";
 import { fetch } from "@/util/fetchutil";
 import { setPlatform } from "@/util/platformutil";
-import { deepCompareReturnPrev, getPrefixedSettings, isBlank } from "@/util/util";
+import { deepCompareReturnPrev, fireAndForget, getPrefixedSettings, isBlank } from "@/util/util";
 import { atom, Atom, PrimitiveAtom, useAtomValue } from "jotai";
 import { globalStore } from "./jotaiStore";
 import { modalsModel } from "./modalmodel";
@@ -481,12 +481,12 @@ async function createBlock(blockDef: BlockDef, magnified = false, ephemeral = fa
     return blockId;
 }
 
-async function replaceBlock(blockId: string, blockDef: BlockDef): Promise<string> {
+async function replaceBlock(blockId: string, blockDef: BlockDef, focus: boolean): Promise<string> {
     const layoutModel = getLayoutModelForStaticTab();
     const rtOpts: RuntimeOpts = { termsize: { rows: 25, cols: 80 } };
     const newBlockId = await ObjectService.CreateBlock(blockDef, rtOpts);
-    setTimeout(async () => {
-        await ObjectService.DeleteBlock(blockId);
+    setTimeout(() => {
+        fireAndForget(() => ObjectService.DeleteBlock(blockId));
     }, 300);
     const targetNodeId = layoutModel.getNodeByBlockId(blockId)?.id;
     if (targetNodeId == null) {
@@ -496,7 +496,7 @@ async function replaceBlock(blockId: string, blockDef: BlockDef): Promise<string
         type: LayoutTreeActionType.ReplaceNode,
         targetNodeId: targetNodeId,
         newNode: newLayoutNode(undefined, undefined, undefined, { blockId: newBlockId }),
-        focused: true,
+        focused: focus,
     };
     layoutModel.treeReducer(replaceNodeAction);
     return newBlockId;
diff --git a/frontend/app/store/keymodel.ts b/frontend/app/store/keymodel.ts
index 4b1e652efe..83e2f78967 100644
--- a/frontend/app/store/keymodel.ts
+++ b/frontend/app/store/keymodel.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 
 import { WaveAIModel } from "@/app/aipanel/waveai-model";
+import { focusManager } from "@/app/store/focusManager";
 import {
     atoms,
     createBlock,
@@ -18,7 +19,7 @@ import {
     replaceBlock,
     WOS,
 } from "@/app/store/global";
-import { focusManager } from "@/app/store/focusManager";
+import { TabBarModel } from "@/app/tab/tabbar-model";
 import { WorkspaceLayoutModel } from "@/app/workspace/workspace-layout-model";
 import { deleteLayoutModelForTab, getLayoutModelForStaticTab, NavigateDirection } from "@/layout/index";
 import * as keyutil from "@/util/keyutil";
@@ -104,23 +105,80 @@ function shouldDispatchToBlock(e: WaveKeyboardEvent): boolean {
     return true;
 }
 
-function genericClose() {
-    const ws = globalStore.get(atoms.workspace);
+function getStaticTabBlockCount(): number {
     const tabId = globalStore.get(atoms.staticTabId);
     const tabORef = WOS.makeORef("tab", tabId);
     const tabAtom = WOS.getWaveObjectAtom<Tab>(tabORef);
     const tabData = globalStore.get(tabAtom);
-    if (tabData == null) {
+    return tabData?.blockids?.length ?? 0;
+}
+
+function isStaticTabPinned(): boolean {
+    const ws = globalStore.get(atoms.workspace);
+    const tabId = globalStore.get(atoms.staticTabId);
+    return ws.pinnedtabids?.includes(tabId) ?? false;
+}
+
+function simpleCloseStaticTab() {
+    const ws = globalStore.get(atoms.workspace);
+    const tabId = globalStore.get(atoms.staticTabId);
+    getApi().closeTab(ws.oid, tabId);
+    deleteLayoutModelForTab(tabId);
+}
+
+function uxCloseBlock(blockId: string) {
+    if (isStaticTabPinned() && getStaticTabBlockCount() === 1) {
+        TabBarModel.getInstance().jiggleActivePinnedTab();
+        return;
+    }
+
+    const workspaceLayoutModel = WorkspaceLayoutModel.getInstance();
+    const isAIPanelOpen = workspaceLayoutModel.getAIPanelVisible();
+    if (isAIPanelOpen && getStaticTabBlockCount() === 1) {
+        const aiModel = WaveAIModel.getInstance();
+        const shouldSwitchToAI = !aiModel.isChatEmpty || aiModel.hasNonEmptyInput();
+        if (shouldSwitchToAI) {
+            replaceBlock(blockId, { meta: { view: "launcher" } }, false);
+            setTimeout(() => WaveAIModel.getInstance().focusInput(), 50);
+            return;
+        }
+    }
+    const layoutModel = getLayoutModelForStaticTab();
+    const node = layoutModel.getNodeByBlockId(blockId);
+    if (node) {
+        fireAndForget(() => layoutModel.closeNode(node.id));
+    }
+}
+
+function genericClose() {
+    const focusType = focusManager.getFocusType();
+    if (focusType === "waveai") {
+        WorkspaceLayoutModel.getInstance().setAIPanelVisible(false);
         return;
     }
-    if (ws.pinnedtabids?.includes(tabId) && tabData.blockids?.length == 1) {
-        // don't allow closing the last block in a pinned tab
+    if (isStaticTabPinned() && getStaticTabBlockCount() === 1) {
+        TabBarModel.getInstance().jiggleActivePinnedTab();
         return;
     }
-    if (tabData.blockids == null || tabData.blockids.length == 0) {
-        // close tab
-        getApi().closeTab(ws.oid, tabId);
-        deleteLayoutModelForTab(tabId);
+
+    const workspaceLayoutModel = WorkspaceLayoutModel.getInstance();
+    const isAIPanelOpen = workspaceLayoutModel.getAIPanelVisible();
+    if (isAIPanelOpen && getStaticTabBlockCount() === 1) {
+        const aiModel = WaveAIModel.getInstance();
+        const shouldSwitchToAI = !aiModel.isChatEmpty || aiModel.hasNonEmptyInput();
+        if (shouldSwitchToAI) {
+            const layoutModel = getLayoutModelForStaticTab();
+            const focusedNode = globalStore.get(layoutModel.focusedNode);
+            if (focusedNode) {
+                replaceBlock(focusedNode.data.blockId, { meta: { view: "launcher" } }, false);
+                setTimeout(() => WaveAIModel.getInstance().focusInput(), 50);
+                return;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    const blockCount = getStaticTabBlockCount();
+    if (blockCount === 0) {
+        simpleCloseStaticTab();
         return;
     }
     const layoutModel = getLayoutModelForStaticTab();
@@ -427,16 +485,11 @@ function registerGlobalKeys() {
         return true;
     });
     globalKeyMap.set("Cmd:Shift:w", () => {
-        const tabId = globalStore.get(atoms.staticTabId);
-        const ws = globalStore.get(atoms.workspace);
-        if (ws.pinnedtabids?.includes(tabId)) {
-            // switch to first unpinned tab if it exists (for close spamming)
-            if (ws.tabids != null && ws.tabids.length > 0) {
-                getApi().setActiveTab(ws.tabids[0]);
-            }
+        if (isStaticTabPinned()) {
+            TabBarModel.getInstance().jiggleActivePinnedTab();
             return true;
         }
-        getApi().closeTab(ws.oid, tabId);
+        simpleCloseStaticTab();
         return true;
     });
     globalKeyMap.set("Cmd:m", () => {
@@ -468,11 +521,15 @@ function registerGlobalKeys() {
         if (blockId == null) {
             return true;
         }
-        replaceBlock(blockId, {
-            meta: {
-                view: "launcher",
+        replaceBlock(
+            blockId,
+            {
+                meta: {
+                    view: "launcher",
+                },
             },
-        });
+            true
+        );
         return true;
     });
     globalKeyMap.set("Cmd:g", () => {
@@ -604,4 +661,5 @@ export {
     registerGlobalKeys,
     tryReinjectKey,
     unsetControlShift,
+    uxCloseBlock,
 };
diff --git a/frontend/app/tab/tab.scss b/frontend/app/tab/tab.scss
index 2afac47fbd..4b33a48f92 100644
--- a/frontend/app/tab/tab.scss
+++ b/frontend/app/tab/tab.scss
@@ -141,3 +141,54 @@ body.nohover .tab.active .close {
 .tab.new-tab {
     animation: expandWidthAndFadeIn 0.1s forwards;
 }
+
+@keyframes jigglePinIcon {
+    0% {
+        transform: rotate(0deg);
+        color: inherit;
+    }
+    10% {
+        transform: rotate(-30deg);
+        color: rgb(255, 193, 7);
+    }
+    20% {
+        transform: rotate(30deg);
+        color: rgb(255, 193, 7);
+    }
+    30% {
+        transform: rotate(-30deg);
+        color: rgb(255, 193, 7);
+    }
+    40% {
+        transform: rotate(30deg);
+        color: rgb(255, 193, 7);
+    }
+    50% {
+        transform: rotate(-15deg);
+        color: rgb(255, 193, 7);
+    }
+    60% {
+        transform: rotate(15deg);
+        color: rgb(255, 193, 7);
+    }
+    70% {
+        transform: rotate(-15deg);
+        color: rgb(255, 193, 7);
+    }
+    80% {
+        transform: rotate(15deg);
+        color: rgb(255, 193, 7);
+    }
+    90% {
+        transform: rotate(0deg);
+        color: rgb(255, 193, 7);
+    }
+    100% {
+        transform: rotate(0deg);
+        color: inherit;
+    }
+}
+
+.pin.jiggling i {
+    animation: jigglePinIcon 0.5s ease-in-out;
+}
diff --git a/frontend/app/tab/tab.tsx b/frontend/app/tab/tab.tsx
index 156d740b0a..26e807a8ef 100644
--- a/frontend/app/tab/tab.tsx
+++ b/frontend/app/tab/tab.tsx
@@ -8,9 +8,11 @@ import { Button } from "@/element/button";
 import { ContextMenuModel } from "@/store/contextmenu";
 import { fireAndForget } from "@/util/util";
 import clsx from "clsx";
+import { useAtomValue } from "jotai";
 import { forwardRef, memo, useCallback, useEffect, useImperativeHandle, useRef, useState } from "react";
 import { ObjectService } from "../store/services";
 import { makeORef, useWaveObjectValue } from "../store/wos";
+import { TabBarModel } from "./tabbar-model";
 import "./tab.scss";
 
 interface TabProps {
@@ -51,6 +53,9 @@ const Tab = memo(
             const [tabData, _] = useWaveObjectValue<Tab>(makeORef("tab", id));
             const [originalName, setOriginalName] = useState("");
             const [isEditable, setIsEditable] = useState(false);
+            const [isJiggling, setIsJiggling] = useState(false);
+
+            const jiggleTrigger = useAtomValue(TabBarModel.getInstance().jigglePinAtom);
 
             const editableRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
             const editableTimeoutRef = useRef<NodeJS.Timeout>(null);
@@ -141,6 +146,16 @@ const Tab = memo(
                 }
             }, [isNew, tabWidth]);
 
+            useEffect(() => {
+                if (active && isPinned && jiggleTrigger > 0) {
+                    setIsJiggling(true);
+                    const timeout = setTimeout(() => {
+                        setIsJiggling(false);
+                    }, 500);
+                    return () => clearTimeout(timeout);
+                }
+            }, [jiggleTrigger, active, isPinned]);
+
             // Prevent drag from being triggered on mousedown
             const handleMouseDownOnClose = (event: React.MouseEvent<HTMLButtonElement, MouseEvent>) => {
                 event.stopPropagation();
@@ -224,7 +239,7 @@ const Tab = memo(
                         </div>
                         {isPinned ? (
                             <Button
-                                className="ghost grey pin"
+                                className={clsx("ghost grey pin", { jiggling: isJiggling })}
                                 onClick={(e) => {
                                     e.stopPropagation();
                                     onPinChange();
diff --git a/frontend/app/tab/tabbar-model.ts b/frontend/app/tab/tabbar-model.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d54ff3b0ba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/app/tab/tabbar-model.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+// Copyright 2025, Command Line Inc.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+import { atom, type PrimitiveAtom } from "jotai";
+import { globalStore } from "@/app/store/jotaiStore";
+
+export class TabBarModel {
+    private static instance: TabBarModel | null = null;
+
+    jigglePinAtom: PrimitiveAtom<number> = atom(0);
+
+    private constructor() {
+        // Empty for now
+    }
+
+    static getInstance(): TabBarModel {
+        if (!TabBarModel.instance) {
+            TabBarModel.instance = new TabBarModel();
+        }
+        return TabBarModel.instance;
+    }
+
+    jiggleActivePinnedTab() {
+        globalStore.set(this.jigglePinAtom, (prev) => prev + 1);
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/frontend/app/view/launcher/launcher.tsx b/frontend/app/view/launcher/launcher.tsx
index ceb87b32c1..cdde41e19d 100644
--- a/frontend/app/view/launcher/launcher.tsx
+++ b/frontend/app/view/launcher/launcher.tsx
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ export class LauncherViewModel implements ViewModel {
 
     async handleWidgetSelect(widget: WidgetConfigType) {
         try {
-            await replaceBlock(this.blockId, widget.blockdef);
+            await replaceBlock(this.blockId, widget.blockdef, true);
         } catch (error) {
             console.error("Error replacing block:", error);
         }
diff --git a/frontend/layout/lib/layoutModel.ts b/frontend/layout/lib/layoutModel.ts
index 8fadbe097e..c031022afd 100644
--- a/frontend/layout/lib/layoutModel.ts
+++ b/frontend/layout/lib/layoutModel.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 // Copyright 2025, Command Line Inc.
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 
-import { atoms, getSettingsKeyAtom } from "@/app/store/global";
 import { focusManager } from "@/app/store/focusManager";
+import { getSettingsKeyAtom } from "@/app/store/global";
 import { atomWithThrottle, boundNumber, fireAndForget } from "@/util/util";
 import { Atom, atom, Getter, PrimitiveAtom, Setter } from "jotai";
 import { splitAtom } from "jotai/utils";
@@ -1051,7 +1051,7 @@ export class LayoutModel {
                 animationTimeS: this.animationTimeS,
                 ready: this.ready,
                 disablePointerEvents: this.activeDrag,
-                onClose: () => fireAndForget(() => this.closeNode(nodeid)),
+                onClose: () => fireAndForget(() => this.closeNode(nodeid)), // no longer used (instead we use keymodel uxCloseBlock)
                 toggleMagnify: () => this.magnifyNodeToggle(nodeid),
                 focusNode: () => this.focusNode(nodeid),
                 dragHandleRef: createRef(),
diff --git a/pkg/wcore/workspace.go b/pkg/wcore/workspace.go
index 6f4253316b..385255378e 100644
--- a/pkg/wcore/workspace.go
+++ b/pkg/wcore/workspace.go
@@ -309,8 +309,12 @@ func DeleteTab(ctx context.Context, workspaceId string, tabId string, recursive
 	// if the tab is active, determine new active tab
 	newActiveTabId := ws.ActiveTabId
 	if ws.ActiveTabId == tabId {
-		if len(ws.TabIds) > 0 && tabIdx != -1 {
-			newActiveTabId = ws.TabIds[max(0, min(tabIdx-1, len(ws.TabIds)-1))]
+		if len(ws.TabIds) > 0 {
+			if tabIdx != -1 {
+				newActiveTabId = ws.TabIds[max(0, min(tabIdx-1, len(ws.TabIds)-1))]
+			} else {
+				newActiveTabId = ws.TabIds[0]
+			}
 		} else if len(ws.PinnedTabIds) > 0 {
 			newActiveTabId = ws.PinnedTabIds[0]
 		} else {