diff --git a/api/app/clients/OpenAIClient.js b/api/app/clients/OpenAIClient.js
index efb09a6ed3..0d9e43e196 100644
--- a/api/app/clients/OpenAIClient.js
+++ b/api/app/clients/OpenAIClient.js
@@ -1250,14 +1250,23 @@ ${convo}
         throw new Error('Chat completion failed');
       }
 
-      const { message, finish_reason } = chatCompletion.choices[0];
-      if (chatCompletion) {
-        this.metadata = { finish_reason };
+      const { choices } = chatCompletion;
+      if (!Array.isArray(choices) || choices.length === 0) {
+        logger.warn('[OpenAIClient] Chat completion response has no choices');
+        return intermediateReply;
       }
 
+      const { message, finish_reason } = choices[0] ?? {};
+      this.metadata = { finish_reason };
+
       logger.debug('[OpenAIClient] chatCompletion response', chatCompletion);
 
-      if (!message?.content?.trim() && intermediateReply.length) {
+      if (!message) {
+        logger.warn('[OpenAIClient] Message is undefined in chatCompletion response');
+        return intermediateReply;
+      }
+
+      if (typeof message.content !== 'string' || message.content.trim() === '') {
         logger.debug(
           '[OpenAIClient] chatCompletion: using intermediateReply due to empty message.content',
           { intermediateReply },
diff --git a/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/Markdown.tsx b/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/Markdown.tsx
index 07c64d6443..be66f61c8e 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/Markdown.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/Markdown.tsx
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ const Markdown = memo(({ content = '', isEdited, showCursor, isLatestMessage }:
     return (
       <div className="absolute">
         <p className="relative">
-          <span className="result-thinking" />
+          <span className={isLatestMessage ? 'result-thinking' : ''} />
         </p>
       </div>
     );
diff --git a/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/MessageContent.tsx b/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/MessageContent.tsx
index d191aecb87..e0f6b70d07 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/MessageContent.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/MessageContent.tsx
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ const DisplayMessage = ({ text, isCreatedByUser, message, showCursor }: TDisplay
     <Container message={message}>
       <div
         className={cn(
+          isSubmitting ? 'submitting' : '',
           showCursorState && !!text.length ? 'result-streaming' : '',
           'markdown prose message-content dark:prose-invert light w-full break-words',
           isCreatedByUser ? 'whitespace-pre-wrap dark:text-gray-20' : 'dark:text-gray-100',
diff --git a/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/Part.tsx b/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/Part.tsx
index bb6673b753..436afdc9c6 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/Part.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/Part.tsx
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ const DisplayMessage = ({ text, isCreatedByUser = false, message, showCursor }:
   return (
     <div
       className={cn(
+        isSubmitting ? 'submitting' : '',
         showCursorState && !!text.length ? 'result-streaming' : '',
         'markdown prose message-content dark:prose-invert light w-full break-words',
         isCreatedByUser ? 'whitespace-pre-wrap dark:text-gray-20' : 'dark:text-gray-70',
diff --git a/client/src/style.css b/client/src/style.css
index b0d97bc77e..dd07363308 100644
--- a/client/src/style.css
+++ b/client/src/style.css
@@ -1742,7 +1742,7 @@ button.scroll-convo {
     transform: scale3d(1.25, 1.25, 1);
   }
 }
-.result-thinking:empty:last-child:after {
+.submitting .result-thinking:empty:last-child:after {
   -webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased;
   -webkit-animation: pulseSize 1.25s ease-in-out infinite;
   animation: pulseSize 1.25s ease-in-out infinite;