diff --git a/lib/app/app_controller_desktop_core.dart b/lib/app/app_controller_desktop_core.dart
index 323890cd..af71a7a9 100644
--- a/lib/app/app_controller_desktop_core.dart
+++ b/lib/app/app_controller_desktop_core.dart
@@ -199,6 +199,12 @@ class AppController extends ChangeNotifier {
     environmentOverrideInternal = environmentOverride == null
         ? null
         : Map<String, String>.unmodifiable(environmentOverride);
+    if (environmentOverrideInternal != null) {
+      resolvedUserHomeDirectoryInternal =
+          resolveUserHomeDirectoryFromControllerEnvironmentInternal(
+            environmentOverrideInternal,
+          );
+    }
     gatewayAcpClientInternal = GatewayAcpClient(
       endpointResolver: resolveGatewayAcpEndpointInternal,
       authorizationResolver: resolveGatewayAcpAuthorizationHeaderInternal,
@@ -717,3 +723,22 @@ class AppController extends ChangeNotifier {
   double get assistantSkillCount => skills.length.toDouble();
   int get currentAssistantSkillCount => skills.length;
 }
+
+String resolveUserHomeDirectoryFromControllerEnvironmentInternal(
+  Map<String, String>? environment,
+) {
+  if (environment == null) {
+    return resolveUserHomeDirectory();
+  }
+  final resolved = resolveUserHomeDirectory(environment: environment);
+  if (resolved.isNotEmpty) {
+    return resolved;
+  }
+  if (Platform.environment.containsKey('FLUTTER_TEST')) {
+    final suffix = DateTime.now().microsecondsSinceEpoch;
+    return Directory.systemTemp
+        .createTempSync('xworkmate-test-home-$suffix-')
+        .path;
+  }
+  return '';
+}
diff --git a/lib/app/app_controller_desktop_settings_runtime.dart b/lib/app/app_controller_desktop_settings_runtime.dart
index 1c2cd66d..9145c919 100644
--- a/lib/app/app_controller_desktop_settings_runtime.dart
+++ b/lib/app/app_controller_desktop_settings_runtime.dart
@@ -457,8 +457,11 @@ extension AppControllerDesktopSettingsRuntime on AppController {
 
   Future<void> initializeInternal() async {
     try {
-      resolvedUserHomeDirectoryInternal =
-          await skillDirectoryAccessServiceInternal.resolveUserHomeDirectory();
+      resolvedUserHomeDirectoryInternal = environmentOverrideInternal == null
+          ? await skillDirectoryAccessServiceInternal.resolveUserHomeDirectory()
+          : resolveUserHomeDirectoryFromControllerEnvironmentInternal(
+              environmentOverrideInternal,
+            );
       await settingsControllerInternal.initialize();
       final loadedAppUiState = await storeInternal.loadAppUiState();
       final sanitizedAppUiState = sanitizeAppUiStateInternal(loadedAppUiState);
diff --git a/lib/features/assistant/assistant_page_state_actions.dart b/lib/features/assistant/assistant_page_state_actions.dart
index d6af742b..bc3ebd1c 100644
--- a/lib/features/assistant/assistant_page_state_actions.dart
+++ b/lib/features/assistant/assistant_page_state_actions.dart
@@ -86,7 +86,9 @@ extension AssistantPageStateActionsInternal on AssistantPageStateInternal {
     if (rawPrompt.isEmpty) {
       return;
     }
-    if (controller.hasAssistantPendingRun) {
+    if (controller.assistantSessionHasPendingRun(
+      controller.currentSessionKey,
+    )) {
       await createNewThreadInternal();
     }
     final submittedSessionKey = controller.currentSessionKey;
@@ -343,7 +345,16 @@ extension AssistantPageStateActionsInternal on AssistantPageStateInternal {
     if (!mounted) {
       return;
     }
-    composerFocusNodeInternal.requestFocus();
+    void requestFocus() {
+      if (!mounted) {
+        return;
+      }
+      FocusScope.of(context).requestFocus(composerFocusNodeInternal);
+      composerFocusNodeInternal.requestFocus();
+    }
+
+    requestFocus();
+    WidgetsBinding.instance.addPostFrameCallback((_) => requestFocus());
   }
 
   Future<bool> runTaskSessionActionWithRetryInternal(
diff --git a/test/runtime/app_controller_thread_workspace_binding_test.dart b/test/runtime/app_controller_thread_workspace_binding_test.dart
index 70e54a6e..856faee7 100644
--- a/test/runtime/app_controller_thread_workspace_binding_test.dart
+++ b/test/runtime/app_controller_thread_workspace_binding_test.dart
@@ -10,6 +10,32 @@ import 'package:xworkmate/runtime/go_task_service_client.dart';
 import 'package:xworkmate/runtime/runtime_models.dart';
 
 void main() {
+  test(
+    'empty environment override keeps thread workspaces out of real HOME',
+    () async {
+      final realHome = Platform.environment['HOME']?.trim() ?? '';
+      final controller = AppController(
+        environmentOverride: const <String, String>{},
+      );
+      addTearDown(controller.dispose);
+
+      await controller.sessionsController.switchSession('draft:test-task-a');
+
+      expect(controller.userHomeDirectory, isNot(isEmpty));
+      if (realHome.isNotEmpty) {
+        expect(controller.userHomeDirectory, isNot(realHome));
+      }
+      expect(
+        controller.localThreadWorkspacePathInternal('draft:test-task-a'),
+        isNot(contains('$realHome/.xworkmate/threads/draft-test-task-a')),
+      );
+      expect(
+        controller.localThreadWorkspaceDisplayPathInternal('draft:test-task-a'),
+        '\$HOME/.xworkmate/threads/draft-test-task-a',
+      );
+    },
+  );
+
   test('does not expose gateway chat messages from another session', () async {
     final controller = AppController(
       environmentOverride: const <String, String>{},