diff --git a/src/vs/platform/void/browser/llmMessageService.ts b/src/vs/platform/void/browser/llmMessageService.ts
index 61f51ed8..79fbb138 100644
--- a/src/vs/platform/void/browser/llmMessageService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/platform/void/browser/llmMessageService.ts
@@ -27,16 +27,28 @@ export interface ISendLLMMessageService {
 export class SendLLMMessageService implements ISendLLMMessageService {
 
 	readonly _serviceBrand: undefined;
-	private readonly channel: IChannel;
+	private readonly channel: IChannel // LLMMessageChannel
 
 	private readonly _disposablesOfRequestId: Record<string, IDisposable[]> = {}
 
+	private readonly onTextEvent: Event<ProxyOnTextPayload>
+	private readonly onFinalMessageEvent: Event<ProxyOnFinalMessagePayload>
+	private readonly onErrorEvent: Event<ProxyOnErrorPayload>
 	constructor(
 		@IMainProcessService mainProcessService: IMainProcessService // used as a renderer (only usable on client side)
 	) {
 
+
 		this.channel = mainProcessService.getChannel('void-channel-sendLLMMessage')
-		// const service = ProxyChannel.toService<LLMMessageChannel>(mainProcessService.getChannel('void-channel-sendLLMMessage')); // lets you call it like a service, not needed here
+
+		console.log('setting up IPC')
+
+		// this sets up an IPC channel and takes a few ms, so should happen immediately
+		this.onTextEvent = this.channel.listen('onText')
+		this.onFinalMessageEvent = this.channel.listen('onFinalMessage')
+		this.onErrorEvent = this.channel.listen('onError')
+
+		// const service = ProxyChannel.toService<LLMMessageChannel>(mainProcessService.getChannel('void-channel-sendLLMMessage')); // lets you call it like a service
 	}
 
 	_addDisposable(requestId: string, disposable: IDisposable) {
@@ -54,28 +66,26 @@ export class SendLLMMessageService implements ISendLLMMessageService {
 
 		// listen for listenerName='onText' | 'onFinalMessage' | 'onError', and call the original function on it
 
-		const onTextEvent: Event<ProxyOnTextPayload> = this.channel.listen('onText')
 		this._addDisposable(requestId_,
-			onTextEvent(e => {
+			this.onTextEvent(e => {
 				if (requestId_ !== e.requestId) return;
 				onText(e)
 			})
 		)
 
-		const onFinalMessageEvent: Event<ProxyOnFinalMessagePayload> = this.channel.listen('onFinalMessage')
 		this._addDisposable(requestId_,
-			onFinalMessageEvent(e => {
+			this.onFinalMessageEvent(e => {
 				if (requestId_ !== e.requestId) return;
 				onFinalMessage(e)
 				this._dispose(requestId_)
 			})
 		)
 
-		const onErrorEvent: Event<ProxyOnErrorPayload> = this.channel.listen('onError')
 		this._addDisposable(requestId_,
-			onErrorEvent(e => {
+			this.onErrorEvent(e => {
+				console.log('sendLLMMessageService - error event received (havent checked req)')
 				if (requestId_ !== e.requestId) return;
-				console.log('event onError', JSON.stringify(e))
+				console.log('sendLLMMessageService - error event received', JSON.stringify(e))
 				onError(e)
 				this._dispose(requestId_)
 			})
diff --git a/src/vs/platform/void/common/configTypes.ts b/src/vs/platform/void/common/configTypes.ts
index 134433ff..8a81841a 100644
--- a/src/vs/platform/void/common/configTypes.ts
+++ b/src/vs/platform/void/common/configTypes.ts
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ export type VoidProviderState = {
 
 type UnionOfKeys<T> = T extends T ? keyof T : never;
 
-type ProviderSettingName = UnionOfKeys<VoidProviderState[ProviderName]>
+export type ProviderSettingName = UnionOfKeys<VoidProviderState[ProviderName]>
 
 
 
@@ -361,5 +361,5 @@ type VoidFeatureState = {
 	} | null,
 }
 export type FeatureName = keyof VoidFeatureState
-export const featureNames = ['Ctrl+L', 'Ctrl+K', 'Autocomplete']
+export const featureNames = ['Ctrl+L', 'Ctrl+K', 'Autocomplete'] as const
 
diff --git a/src/vs/platform/void/electron-main/llmMessageChannel.ts b/src/vs/platform/void/electron-main/llmMessageChannel.ts
index f4646f8b..1ca4ece8 100644
--- a/src/vs/platform/void/electron-main/llmMessageChannel.ts
+++ b/src/vs/platform/void/electron-main/llmMessageChannel.ts
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ export class LLMMessageChannel implements IServerChannel {
 	}
 
 	// the only place sendLLMMessage is actually called
-	private _callSendLLMMessage(params: ProxyLLMMessageParams) {
+	private async _callSendLLMMessage(params: ProxyLLMMessageParams) {
 		const { requestId } = params;
 
 		if (!(requestId in this._abortRefOfRequestId))
@@ -76,9 +76,9 @@ export class LLMMessageChannel implements IServerChannel {
 
 		const mainThreadParams: SendLLMMMessageParams = {
 			...params,
-			onText: ({ newText, fullText }) => { this._onText.fire({ requestId, newText, fullText }); },
-			onFinalMessage: ({ fullText }) => { this._onFinalMessage.fire({ requestId, fullText }); },
-			onError: ({ error }) => { this._onError.fire({ requestId, error }); },
+			onText: ({ newText, fullText }) => { console.log('sendLLM: firing onText'); this._onText.fire({ requestId, newText, fullText }); },
+			onFinalMessage: ({ fullText }) => { console.log('sendLLM: firing finalMsg'); this._onFinalMessage.fire({ requestId, fullText }); },
+			onError: ({ error }) => { console.log('sendLLM: firing err'); this._onError.fire({ requestId, error }); },
 			abortRef: this._abortRefOfRequestId[requestId],
 		}
 		sendLLMMessage(mainThreadParams, this.metricsService);
diff --git a/src/vs/platform/void/electron-main/metricsMainService.ts b/src/vs/platform/void/electron-main/metricsMainService.ts
index 42849bef..c27772da 100644
--- a/src/vs/platform/void/electron-main/metricsMainService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/platform/void/electron-main/metricsMainService.ts
@@ -10,18 +10,12 @@ import { IMetricsService } from '../common/metricsService.js';
 import { PostHog } from 'posthog-node'
 
 
+// posthog-js (old):
 // posthog.init('phc_UanIdujHiLp55BkUTjB1AuBXcasVkdqRwgnwRlWESH2', { api_host: 'https://us.i.posthog.com', })
 
 // const buildEnv = 'development';
 // const buildNumber = '1.0.0';
 // const isMac = process.platform === 'darwin';
-// // TODO use commandKey
-// const commandKey = isMac ? '⌘' : 'Ctrl';
-// const systemInfo = {
-// 	buildEnv,
-// 	buildNumber,
-// 	isMac,
-// }
 
 export class MetricsMainService extends Disposable implements IMetricsService {
 	_serviceBrand: undefined;
@@ -43,9 +37,9 @@ export class MetricsMainService extends Disposable implements IMetricsService {
 	}
 
 	capture: IMetricsService['capture'] = (event, params) => {
-		console.log('Capturing', { event, params })
-		console.log('full capture:', { distinctId: this._distinctId, event, properties: params })
-		this.client.capture({ distinctId: this._distinctId, event, properties: params })
+		const capture = { distinctId: this._distinctId, event, properties: params } as const
+		// console.log('full capture:', capture)
+		this.client.capture(capture)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/react/src/sidebar-tsx/SidebarChat.tsx b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/react/src/sidebar-tsx/SidebarChat.tsx
index 70168aa5..0bf2bf99 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/react/src/sidebar-tsx/SidebarChat.tsx
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/react/src/sidebar-tsx/SidebarChat.tsx
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ import { IDisposable } from '../../../../../../../base/common/lifecycle.js';
 import { ErrorDisplay } from './ErrorDisplay.js';
 import { LLMMessageServiceParams } from '../../../../../../../platform/void/common/llmMessageTypes.js';
 import { getCmdKey } from '../../../getCmdKey.js'
-import { HistoryInputBox } from '../../../../../../../base/browser/ui/inputbox/inputBox.js';
+import { HistoryInputBox, InputBox } from '../../../../../../../base/browser/ui/inputbox/inputBox.js';
 import { VoidInputBox } from './inputs.js';
 
 // read files from VSCode
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ const ChatBubble = ({ chatMessage }: { chatMessage: ChatMessage }) => {
 
 export const SidebarChat = () => {
 
-	const chatInputRef = useRef<HTMLTextAreaElement | null>(null)
+	const inputBoxRef: React.MutableRefObject<InputBox | null> = useRef(null);
 
 	const modelService = useService('modelService')
 
@@ -134,11 +134,11 @@ export const SidebarChat = () => {
 	useEffect(() => {
 		const disposables: IDisposable[] = []
 		disposables.push(
-			sidebarStateService.onDidFocusChat(() => { chatInputRef.current?.focus() }),
-			sidebarStateService.onDidBlurChat(() => { chatInputRef.current?.blur() })
+			sidebarStateService.onDidFocusChat(() => { inputBoxRef.current?.focus() }),
+			sidebarStateService.onDidBlurChat(() => { inputBoxRef.current?.blur() })
 		)
 		return () => disposables.forEach(d => d.dispose())
-	}, [sidebarStateService, chatInputRef])
+	}, [sidebarStateService, inputBoxRef])
 
 	// config state
 	const voidConfigState = useConfigState()
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ export const SidebarChat = () => {
 	const onChangeText = useCallback((newStr: string) => { setInstructions(newStr) }, [setInstructions])
 	const isDisabled = !instructions
 	const formRef = useRef<HTMLFormElement | null>(null)
-	const inputBoxRef: React.MutableRefObject<HistoryInputBox | null> = useRef(null);
+
 
 	const onSubmit = async (e: FormEvent<HTMLFormElement>) => {
 
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ export const SidebarChat = () => {
 							<VoidInputBox
 								placeholder={`${getCmdKey()}+L to select`}
 								onChangeText={onChangeText}
-								inputBoxRef={inputBoxRef}
+								onCreateInstance={inputBoxRef}
 								multiline={true}
 								initVal=''
 							/>
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/react/src/sidebar-tsx/SidebarProviderSettings.tsx b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/react/src/sidebar-tsx/SidebarProviderSettings.tsx
index d82626a0..c4d09f3e 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/react/src/sidebar-tsx/SidebarProviderSettings.tsx
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/react/src/sidebar-tsx/SidebarProviderSettings.tsx
@@ -3,44 +3,45 @@
  *  Void Editor additions licensed under the AGPLv3 License.
  *--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
 
-import React, { Fragment } from 'react'
-import { displayInfoOfSettingName, ProviderName, providerNames } from '../../../../../../../platform/void/common/configTypes.js'
+import React, { Fragment, useCallback, useRef } from 'react'
+import { displayInfoOfSettingName, ProviderName, providerNames, ProviderSettingName, VoidProviderState } from '../../../../../../../platform/void/common/configTypes.js'
 import { VoidCheckBox, VoidInputBox, VoidSelectBox } from './inputs.js'
 import { useConfigState, useService } from '../util/services.js'
 
+
+const Setting = ({ val, providerName, settingName }: { val: string, providerName: ProviderName, settingName: any }) => {
+
+	const { title, type, placeholder } = displayInfoOfSettingName(providerName, settingName)
+	const voidConfigService = useService('configStateService')
+
+	const initValRef = useRef(val)
+
+	return <>
+		<h2>{title}</h2>
+		{<VoidInputBox
+			initVal={initValRef.current}
+			placeholder={placeholder}
+			onChangeText={useCallback((newVal) => {
+				voidConfigService.setState(providerName, settingName, newVal)
+			}, [voidConfigService, providerName, settingName])
+			}
+			multiline={false}
+		/>}
+	</>
+
+}
+
 const SettingsForProvider = ({ providerName }: { providerName: ProviderName }) => {
 	const voidConfigState = useConfigState()
-	const voidConfigService = useService('configStateService')
 	const { models, model, ...others } = voidConfigState[providerName]
+	const voidConfigService = useService('configStateService')
 
 	return <>
 		<h1>{providerName}</h1>
 
 		{/* other settings (e.g. api key) */}
-		{Object.entries(others).map(([settingName, defaultVal], i) => {
-			const sName = settingName as keyof typeof others
-
-			const { title, type, placeholder } = displayInfoOfSettingName(providerName, sName)
-
-			return <Fragment key={i}>
-				<h2>{title}</h2>
-				{
-					type === 'boolean' ?
-						<VoidCheckBox
-							initVal={defaultVal === 'true'}
-							onChangeChecked={(newVal) => { voidConfigService.setState(providerName, sName, newVal ? 'true' : 'false') }}
-							label={settingName}
-							checkboxRef={{ current: null }}
-						/>
-						:
-						<VoidInputBox
-							initVal={defaultVal}
-							placeholder={placeholder}
-							onChangeText={(newVal) => { () => { voidConfigService.setState(providerName, sName, newVal) } }}
-							multiline={false}
-							inputBoxRef={{ current: null }}
-						/>}
-			</Fragment>
+		{Object.entries(others).map(([settingName, val], i) => {
+			return <Setting key={settingName} val={val} providerName={providerName} settingName={settingName} />
 		})}
 
 		<h2>{'Models'}</h2>
@@ -49,12 +50,10 @@ const SettingsForProvider = ({ providerName }: { providerName: ProviderName }) =
 			: <VoidSelectBox
 				initVal={models[0]}
 				options={models}
-				onChangeSelection={(newVal) => { () => { } }}
+				onChangeSelection={(newVal) => { voidConfigService.setState(providerName, 'model', newVal) }}
 				selectBoxRef={{ current: null }}
 			/>}
 
-
-
 	</>
 }
 
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/react/src/sidebar-tsx/inputs.tsx b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/react/src/sidebar-tsx/inputs.tsx
index 6c944b5f..82ea209a 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/react/src/sidebar-tsx/inputs.tsx
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/react/src/sidebar-tsx/inputs.tsx
@@ -1,29 +1,54 @@
-import React, { useEffect, useRef } from 'react';
+import React, { useCallback, useEffect, useRef } from 'react';
 import { useService } from '../util/services.js';
 import { HistoryInputBox, InputBox } from '../../../../../../../base/browser/ui/inputbox/inputBox.js';
 import { defaultCheckboxStyles, defaultInputBoxStyles, defaultToggleStyles } from '../../../../../../../platform/theme/browser/defaultStyles.js';
 import { SelectBox, unthemedSelectBoxStyles } from '../../../../../../../base/browser/ui/selectBox/selectBox.js';
 import { Checkbox, Toggle } from '../../../../../../../base/browser/ui/toggle/toggle.js';
-
+import { ObjectSettingCheckboxWidget } from '../../../../../preferences/browser/settingsWidgets.js'
+import { Widget } from '../../../../../../../base/browser/ui/widget.js';
+import { IDisposable } from '../../../../../../../base/common/lifecycle.js';
 // settingitem
 
-export const VoidInputBox = ({ onChangeText, initVal, placeholder, inputBoxRef, multiline }: {
+
+
+export const WidgetComponent = <CtorParams extends any[], Instance>({ ctor, propsFn, dispose, onCreateInstance }
+	: {
+		ctor: { new(...params: CtorParams): Instance },
+		propsFn: (container: HTMLDivElement) => CtorParams,
+		onCreateInstance: (instance: Instance) => IDisposable[],
+		dispose: (instance: Instance) => void,
+	}
+) => {
+	const containerRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement | null>(null);
+
+	useEffect(() => {
+		const instance = new ctor(...propsFn(containerRef.current!));
+		const disposables = onCreateInstance(instance);
+		return () => {
+			disposables.forEach(d => d.dispose());
+			dispose(instance)
+		}
+	}, [ctor, propsFn, dispose, onCreateInstance, containerRef])
+
+	return <div ref={containerRef} className='w-full' />
+}
+
+
+
+export const VoidInputBox = ({ onChangeText, onCreateInstance, initVal, placeholder, multiline }: {
 	onChangeText: (value: string) => void;
+	onCreateInstance?: { current: InputBox | null } | ((instance: InputBox) => void | IDisposable[]);
 	placeholder: string;
-	inputBoxRef: React.MutableRefObject<InputBox | null>;
 	multiline: boolean;
 	initVal: string;
 }) => {
 	const contextViewProvider = useService('contextViewService');
 
-	const containerRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
 
-	useEffect(() => {
-		if (!containerRef.current) return;
-
-		// create and mount the HistoryInputBox
-		inputBoxRef.current = new InputBox(
-			containerRef.current,
+	return <WidgetComponent
+		ctor={InputBox}
+		propsFn={useCallback((container) => [
+			container,
 			contextViewProvider,
 			{
 				inputBoxStyles: {
@@ -34,32 +59,29 @@ export const VoidInputBox = ({ onChangeText, initVal, placeholder, inputBoxRef,
 				flexibleHeight: multiline,
 				flexibleMaxHeight: 500,
 				flexibleWidth: false,
-
 			}
-		);
-		inputBoxRef.current.value = initVal;
-
-
-		inputBoxRef.current.onDidChange((newStr) => {
-			console.log('CHANGE TEXT on inputbox', newStr)
-			onChangeText(newStr)
-		})
-
-		// cleanup
-		return () => {
-			if (inputBoxRef.current) {
-				inputBoxRef.current.dispose();
-				if (containerRef.current) {
-					while (containerRef.current.firstChild) {
-						containerRef.current.removeChild(containerRef.current.firstChild);
-					}
-				}
-				inputBoxRef.current = null;
+		] as const, [contextViewProvider, placeholder, multiline])}
+		dispose={useCallback((instance: InputBox) => {
+			instance.dispose()
+			instance.element.remove()
+		}, [])}
+		onCreateInstance={useCallback((instance: InputBox) => {
+			instance.value = initVal
+			const disposables: IDisposable[] = []
+			disposables.push(
+				instance.onDidChange((newText) => onChangeText(newText))
+			)
+			if (typeof onCreateInstance === 'function') {
+				const ds = onCreateInstance(instance) ?? []
+				disposables.push(...ds)
 			}
-		};
-	}, [inputBoxRef, contextViewProvider, placeholder, multiline, initVal, onChangeText]);
-
-	return <div ref={containerRef} className="w-full" />;
+			if (typeof onCreateInstance === 'object') {
+				onCreateInstance.current = instance
+			}
+			return disposables
+		}, [initVal, onChangeText, onCreateInstance])
+		}
+	/>
 };
 
 
@@ -113,27 +135,39 @@ export const VoidSelectBox = ({ onChangeSelection, initVal, selectBoxRef, option
 export const VoidCheckBox = ({ onChangeChecked, initVal, label, checkboxRef, }: {
 	onChangeChecked: (checked: boolean) => void;
 	initVal: boolean;
-	checkboxRef: React.MutableRefObject<Toggle | null>;
+	checkboxRef: React.MutableRefObject<ObjectSettingCheckboxWidget | null>;
 	label: string;
 }) => {
 	const containerRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
 
+	const themeService = useService('themeService');
+	const contextViewService = useService('contextViewService');
+	const hoverService = useService('hoverService');
+
 	useEffect(() => {
 		if (!containerRef.current) return;
 
 		// Create and mount the Checkbox using VSCode's implementation
-		checkboxRef.current = new Toggle({
-			title: label,
-			isChecked: initVal,
-			...defaultToggleStyles
-		});
 
-		containerRef.current.appendChild(checkboxRef.current.domNode);
+		checkboxRef.current = new ObjectSettingCheckboxWidget(
+			containerRef.current,
+			themeService,
+			contextViewService,
+			hoverService,
+		);
+
+
+		checkboxRef.current.setValue([{
+			key: { type: 'string', data: label },
+			value: { type: 'boolean', data: initVal },
+			removable: false,
+			resetable: true,
+		}])
+
+		checkboxRef.current.onDidChangeList((list) => {
+			onChangeChecked(!!list);
+		})
 
-		checkboxRef.current.onChange(checked => {
-			console.log('CHANGE checked state on checkbox', checked);
-			onChangeChecked(checked);
-		});
 
 		// cleanup
 		return () => {
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/registerSidebar.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/registerSidebar.ts
index be81879f..327fa1b6 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/registerSidebar.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/registerSidebar.ts
@@ -70,6 +70,9 @@ export type ReactServicesType = {
 	sendLLMMessageService: ISendLLMMessageService;
 	clipboardService: IClipboardService;
 
+	themeService: IThemeService,
+	hoverService: IHoverService,
+
 	contextViewService: IContextViewService;
 	contextMenuService: IContextMenuService;
 }
@@ -113,6 +116,8 @@ class VoidSidebarViewPane extends ViewPane {
 				inlineDiffService: accessor.get(IInlineDiffsService),
 				sendLLMMessageService: accessor.get(ISendLLMMessageService),
 				clipboardService: accessor.get(IClipboardService),
+				themeService: accessor.get(IThemeService),
+				hoverService: accessor.get(IHoverService),
 				contextViewService: accessor.get(IContextViewService),
 				contextMenuService: accessor.get(IContextMenuService),
 			}