diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/react/src/sidebar-tsx/SidebarThreadSelector.tsx b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/react/src/sidebar-tsx/SidebarThreadSelector.tsx
index 42d2fa6d..0cfcae1c 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/react/src/sidebar-tsx/SidebarThreadSelector.tsx
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/react/src/sidebar-tsx/SidebarThreadSelector.tsx
@@ -295,12 +295,13 @@ const PastThreadElement = ({ pastThread, idx, hoveredIdx, setHoveredIdx }: { pas
 
 	const numMessages = pastThread.messages.filter((msg) => msg.role === 'assistant' || msg.role === 'user').length;
 
-	const dateHTML = <span
-		className='inline-flex items-center'
-		data-tooltip-id='void-tooltip'
-		data-tooltip-content={`Last modified ${formatTime(new Date(pastThread.lastModified))}`}
-		data-tooltip-place='top'
+	const optionsHTML = <span
+		className='gap-1 inline-flex items-center'
+		// data-tooltip-id='void-tooltip'
+		// data-tooltip-content={`Last modified ${formatTime(new Date(pastThread.lastModified))}`}
+		// data-tooltip-place='top'
 	>
+		{/* <span>{numMessages}</span> */}
 		{formatDate(new Date(pastThread.lastModified))}
 	</span>
 
@@ -315,10 +316,6 @@ const PastThreadElement = ({ pastThread, idx, hoveredIdx, setHoveredIdx }: { pas
 		}}
 		onMouseEnter={() => setHoveredIdx(idx)}
 		onMouseLeave={() => setHoveredIdx(null)}
-		data-tooltip-id='void-tooltip'
-		data-tooltip-content={`${numMessages} messages`}
-		data-tooltip-place='top'
-		data-tooltip-delay-show={500}
 	>
 		<div className="flex items-center justify-between gap-1">
 			<span className="flex items-center gap-2 min-w-0 overflow-hidden">
@@ -328,7 +325,7 @@ const PastThreadElement = ({ pastThread, idx, hoveredIdx, setHoveredIdx }: { pas
 			<div className="flex items-center gap-2 opacity-60">
 				{idx === hoveredIdx ?
 					<TrashButton threadId={pastThread.id} />
-					: dateHTML
+					: optionsHTML
 				}
 			</div>
 		</div>
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/react/src/styles.css b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/react/src/styles.css
index 58ddedab..f195c334 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/react/src/styles.css
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/react/src/styles.css
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 	--void-bg-1-alt: var(--vscode-badge-background);
 	--void-bg-2: var(--vscode-sideBar-background);
 	--void-bg-2-alt: color-mix(in srgb, var(--vscode-editor-background) 30%, var(--vscode-sideBar-background) 70%);
-	--void-bg-2-hover: color-mix(in srgb, var(--vscode-editor-foreground) 5%, var(--vscode-sideBar-background) 95%);
+	--void-bg-2-hover: color-mix(in srgb, var(--vscode-editor-foreground) 2%, var(--vscode-sideBar-background) 98%);
 	--void-bg-3: var(--vscode-editor-background);
 
 	--void-fg-0: color-mix(in srgb, var(--vscode-tab-activeForeground) 90%, black 10%);
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/react/src/util/inputs.tsx b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/react/src/util/inputs.tsx
index d9a266a7..917ef5a0 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/react/src/util/inputs.tsx
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/react/src/util/inputs.tsx
@@ -689,7 +689,7 @@ export const VoidCustomDropdownBox = <T extends NonNullable<any>>({
 									key={optionName}
 									className={`flex items-center px-2 py-1 pr-4 cursor-pointer whitespace-nowrap
 									transition-all duration-100
-									${thisOptionIsSelected ? 'bg-void-bg-2-hover' : 'bg-void-bg-2 hover:bg-void-bg-2-hover'}
+									${thisOptionIsSelected ? 'bg-void-bg-2-hover' : 'bg-void-bg-2-alt hover:bg-void-bg-2-hover'}
 								`}
 									onClick={() => {
 										onChangeOption(option);
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/react/src/void-settings-tsx/Settings.tsx b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/react/src/void-settings-tsx/Settings.tsx
index bb8ab757..810def44 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/react/src/void-settings-tsx/Settings.tsx
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/react/src/void-settings-tsx/Settings.tsx
@@ -686,7 +686,7 @@ const transferTheseFilesOfOS = (os: 'mac' | 'windows' | 'linux' | null, fromEdit
 			}, {
 				from: URI.joinPath(URI.from({ scheme: 'file' }), userprofile, '.cursor', 'extensions'),
 				to: URI.joinPath(URI.from({ scheme: 'file' }), userprofile, '.void-editor', 'extensions'),
-			}]
+			}] 
 		} else if (fromEditor === 'Windsurf') {
 			return [{
 				from: URI.joinPath(URI.from({ scheme: 'file' }), appdata, 'Windsurf', 'User', 'settings.json'),
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/sidebarActions.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/sidebarActions.ts
index ba257dc4..d6c85982 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/sidebarActions.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/sidebarActions.ts
@@ -202,7 +202,19 @@ registerAction2(class extends Action2 {
 })
 
 
+const openNewThreadAndFireFocus = (accessor: ServicesAccessor) => {
 
+	const stateService = accessor.get(ISidebarStateService)
+	stateService.setState({ isHistoryOpen: false, currentTab: 'chat' })
+	const chatThreadService = accessor.get(IChatThreadService)
+	chatThreadService.openNewThread()
+
+	// focus
+	stateService.fireFocusChat()
+	const window = getActiveWindow()
+	window.requestAnimationFrame(() => stateService.fireFocusChat())
+
+}
 
 
 // New chat menu button
@@ -213,6 +225,25 @@ registerAction2(class extends Action2 {
 			title: 'New Chat',
 			icon: { id: 'add' },
 			menu: [{ id: MenuId.ViewTitle, group: 'navigation', when: ContextKeyExpr.equals('view', VOID_VIEW_ID), }],
+
+		});
+	}
+	async run(accessor: ServicesAccessor): Promise<void> {
+
+		const metricsService = accessor.get(IMetricsService)
+		metricsService.capture('Chat Navigation', { type: 'New Chat' })
+
+		openNewThreadAndFireFocus(accessor)
+
+	}
+})
+
+// New chat keybind
+registerAction2(class extends Action2 {
+	constructor() {
+		super({
+			id: 'void.newChatKeybindAction',
+			title: 'New Chat Keybind',
 			keybinding: {
 				primary: KeyMod.CtrlCmd | KeyMod.Shift | KeyCode.KeyL,
 				weight: KeybindingWeight.VoidExtension,
@@ -220,19 +251,16 @@ registerAction2(class extends Action2 {
 		});
 	}
 	async run(accessor: ServicesAccessor): Promise<void> {
-		const stateService = accessor.get(ISidebarStateService)
+
 		const metricsService = accessor.get(IMetricsService)
+		const commandService = accessor.get(ICommandService)
+		metricsService.capture('Chat Navigation', { type: 'New Chat Keybind' })
 
-		metricsService.capture('Chat Navigation', { type: 'New Chat' })
+		openNewThreadAndFireFocus(accessor)
 
-		stateService.setState({ isHistoryOpen: false, currentTab: 'chat' })
-		const chatThreadService = accessor.get(IChatThreadService)
-		chatThreadService.openNewThread()
+		// add user's selection to chat
+		await commandService.executeCommand(VOID_CTRL_L_ACTION_ID)
 
-		// focus
-		stateService.fireFocusChat()
-		const window = getActiveWindow()
-		window.requestAnimationFrame(() => stateService.fireFocusChat())
 	}
 })
 
@@ -247,13 +275,27 @@ registerAction2(class extends Action2 {
 		});
 	}
 	async run(accessor: ServicesAccessor): Promise<void> {
+
+		// do not do anything if there are no messages (without this it clears all of the user's selections if the button is pressed)
+		// TODO the history button should be disabled in this case so we can remove this logic
+		const thread = accessor.get(IChatThreadService).getCurrentThread()
+		if (thread.messages.length === 0) {
+			return;
+		}
+
 		const stateService = accessor.get(ISidebarStateService)
 		const metricsService = accessor.get(IMetricsService)
 
+
 		metricsService.capture('Chat Navigation', { type: 'History' })
 
+		openNewThreadAndFireFocus(accessor)
+
+		// doesnt do anything right now
 		stateService.setState({ isHistoryOpen: !stateService.state.isHistoryOpen, currentTab: 'chat' })
 		stateService.fireBlurChat()
+
+
 	}
 })
 
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/sidebarStateService.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/sidebarStateService.ts
index 799ae14d..bd56657e 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/sidebarStateService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/sidebarStateService.ts
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import { VOID_OPEN_SIDEBAR_ACTION_ID } from './sidebarPane.js';
 
 // service that manages sidebar's state
 export type VoidSidebarState = {
-	isHistoryOpen: boolean;
+	isHistoryOpen: boolean; // this isn't doing anything right now
 	currentTab: 'chat';
 }