diff --git a/frontend/app/view/waveai.tsx b/frontend/app/view/waveai.tsx
index d821aa3b..3d52e3c2 100644
--- a/frontend/app/view/waveai.tsx
+++ b/frontend/app/view/waveai.tsx
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ export class WaveAiModel implements ViewModel {
     addMessageAtom: jotai.WritableAtom<unknown, [message: ChatMessageType], void>;
     updateLastMessageAtom: jotai.WritableAtom<unknown, [text: string, isUpdating: boolean], void>;
     simulateAssistantResponseAtom: jotai.WritableAtom<unknown, [userMessage: ChatMessageType], Promise<void>>;
+    textAreaRef: React.RefObject<HTMLTextAreaElement>;
 
     constructor(blockId: string) {
         this.blockId = blockId;
@@ -127,6 +128,14 @@ export class WaveAiModel implements ViewModel {
         return history;
     }
 
+    giveFocus(): boolean {
+        if (this?.textAreaRef?.current) {
+            this.textAreaRef.current?.focus();
+            return true;
+        }
+        return false;
+    }
+
     useWaveAi() {
         const [messages] = jotai.useAtom(this.messagesAtom);
         const [, addMessage] = jotai.useAtom(this.addMessageAtom);
@@ -341,18 +350,17 @@ interface ChatInputProps {
     onChange: (e: React.ChangeEvent<HTMLTextAreaElement>) => void;
     onKeyDown: (e: React.KeyboardEvent<HTMLTextAreaElement>) => void;
     onMouseDown: (e: React.MouseEvent<HTMLTextAreaElement>) => void;
+    model: WaveAiModel;
 }
 
 const ChatInput = forwardRef<HTMLTextAreaElement, ChatInputProps>(
-    ({ value, onChange, onKeyDown, onMouseDown, termFontSize }, ref) => {
+    ({ value, onChange, onKeyDown, onMouseDown, termFontSize, model }, ref) => {
         const textAreaRef = useRef<HTMLTextAreaElement>(null);
 
         useImperativeHandle(ref, () => textAreaRef.current as HTMLTextAreaElement);
 
         useEffect(() => {
-            if (textAreaRef.current) {
-                textAreaRef.current.focus();
-            }
+            model.textAreaRef = textAreaRef;
         }, []);
 
         const adjustTextAreaHeight = () => {
@@ -586,6 +594,7 @@ const WaveAi = ({ model }: { model: WaveAiModel }) => {
                 <ChatInput
                     ref={inputRef}
                     value={value}
+                    model={model}
                     onChange={handleTextAreaChange}
                     onKeyDown={handleTextAreaKeyDown}
                     onMouseDown={handleTextAreaMouseDown}
diff --git a/pkg/wshutil/wshrpc.go b/pkg/wshutil/wshrpc.go
index da677325..8b52677a 100644
--- a/pkg/wshutil/wshrpc.go
+++ b/pkg/wshutil/wshrpc.go
@@ -363,6 +363,12 @@ func (handler *RpcRequestHandler) Context() context.Context {
 }
 
 func (handler *RpcRequestHandler) SendCancel() {
+	defer func() {
+		if r := recover(); r != nil {
+			// this is likely a write to closed channel
+			log.Printf("panic in SendCancel: %v\n", r)
+		}
+	}()
 	msg := &RpcMessage{
 		Cancel: true,
 		ReqId:  handler.reqId,
@@ -444,6 +450,13 @@ func (handler *RpcResponseHandler) SendMessage(msg string) {
 }
 
 func (handler *RpcResponseHandler) SendResponse(data any, done bool) error {
+	defer func() {
+		if r := recover(); r != nil {
+			// this is likely a write to closed channel
+			log.Printf("panic in SendResponse: %v\n", r)
+			handler.close()
+		}
+	}()
 	if handler.reqId == "" {
 		return nil // no response expected
 	}
@@ -467,6 +480,13 @@ func (handler *RpcResponseHandler) SendResponse(data any, done bool) error {
 }
 
 func (handler *RpcResponseHandler) SendResponseError(err error) {
+	defer func() {
+		if r := recover(); r != nil {
+			// this is likely a write to closed channel
+			log.Printf("panic in SendResponseError: %v\n", r)
+			handler.close()
+		}
+	}()
 	if handler.reqId == "" || handler.done.Load() {
 		return
 	}
@@ -506,7 +526,13 @@ func (handler *RpcResponseHandler) IsDone() bool {
 	return handler.done.Load()
 }
 
-func (w *WshRpc) SendComplexRequest(command string, data any, expectsResponse bool, timeoutMs int) (*RpcRequestHandler, error) {
+func (w *WshRpc) SendComplexRequest(command string, data any, expectsResponse bool, timeoutMs int) (rtnHandler *RpcRequestHandler, rtnErr error) {
+	defer func() {
+		if r := recover(); r != nil {
+			log.Printf("panic in SendComplexRequest: %v\n", r)
+			rtnErr = fmt.Errorf("panic: %v", r)
+		}
+	}()
 	if command == "" {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("command cannot be empty")
 	}