diff --git a/internal/tui/model.go b/internal/tui/model.go
index 216afcc..6216313 100644
--- a/internal/tui/model.go
+++ b/internal/tui/model.go
@@ -212,17 +212,18 @@ func (m *Model) updateLayout() {
 
 	rightWidth := 42
 	leftWidth := m.width - rightWidth - 3
-	headerHeight := 3
-	mainHeight := m.height - headerHeight - 1
-	inputHeight := 5
-	chatHeight := mainHeight - inputHeight
-	if chatHeight < 10 {
-		chatHeight = 10
+
+	headerHeight := 2
+	mainHeight := m.height - headerHeight
+	if mainHeight < 10 {
+		mainHeight = 10
+	}
+	chatHeight := mainHeight - 9
+	if chatHeight < 5 {
+		chatHeight = 5
 	}
 
 	m.textarea.SetWidth(leftWidth)
-	m.viewport.Width = leftWidth
-	m.viewport.Height = chatHeight
 
 	if !m.ready {
 		m.viewport = viewport.New(leftWidth, chatHeight)
@@ -265,33 +266,18 @@ func (m Model) View() string {
 		return "Initializing..."
 	}
 
-	rightWidth := 42
-	leftWidth := m.width - rightWidth - 3
+	rightWidth := 40
+	leftWidth := m.width - rightWidth - 2
 
 	header := m.renderHeader()
-	headerHeight := lipgloss.Height(header)
-	mainHeight := m.height - headerHeight
-	inputHeight := 5
-	chatHeight := mainHeight - inputHeight
-	if chatHeight < 10 {
-		chatHeight = 10
-	}
 
-	chatBox := boxStyle.Width(leftWidth).Height(chatHeight).Render(m.viewport.View())
+	chatBox := boxStyle.Width(leftWidth).Height(m.height - 8).Render(m.viewport.View())
 	inputBox := boxStyle.Width(leftWidth).Render(m.textarea.View())
 	leftPanel := lipgloss.JoinVertical(lipgloss.Left, chatBox, inputBox)
 
 	stats := m.renderStats()
 	agents := m.renderAgents()
-
-	statsHeight := lipgloss.Height(stats)
-	agentsHeight := lipgloss.Height(agents)
-	remainingHeight := mainHeight - statsHeight - agentsHeight - 2
-	if remainingHeight < 3 {
-		remainingHeight = 3
-	}
-
-	empty := boxStyle.Width(rightWidth - 4).Height(remainingHeight).Render("")
+	empty := boxStyle.Width(rightWidth - 2).Height(m.height - lipgloss.Height(stats) - lipgloss.Height(agents) - 5).Render("")
 	rightPanel := lipgloss.JoinVertical(lipgloss.Left, stats, agents, empty)
 
 	if m.loading {
@@ -299,19 +285,21 @@ func (m Model) View() string {
 	}
 
 	body := lipgloss.JoinHorizontal(lipgloss.Top, leftPanel, rightPanel)
-	return lipgloss.JoinVertical(lipgloss.Left, header, body)
+	return header + "\n" + body
 }
 
 func (m Model) renderHeader() string {
 	version := "v0.1.0"
-	title := titleStyle.Render("orca.agent ") + mutedStyle.Render(version)
+	title := "orca.agent " + version
+	line := strings.Repeat("─", m.width-2)
 	return lipgloss.NewStyle().
 		Width(m.width).
 		Padding(0, 1).
-		BorderBottom(true).
-		BorderStyle(lipgloss.NormalBorder()).
-		BorderForeground(lipgloss.Color(colors.border)).
-		Render(title)
+		Bold(true).
+		Foreground(lipgloss.Color(colors.primary)).
+		Render(title) + "\n" + lipgloss.NewStyle().
+		Foreground(lipgloss.Color(colors.border)).
+		Render(line)
 }
 
 func (m Model) renderStats() string {
@@ -319,16 +307,22 @@ func (m Model) renderStats() string {
 	b.WriteString(titleStyle.Render("Statistics") + "\n\n")
 
 	tools := 0
-	if tm := m.kernel.ToolManager(); tm != nil {
-		tools = tm.Count()
+	if m.kernel != nil {
+		if tm := m.kernel.ToolManager(); tm != nil {
+			tools = tm.Count()
+		}
 	}
 	skills := 0
-	if sm := m.kernel.SkillManager(); sm != nil {
-		skills = len(sm.ListSkills())
+	if m.kernel != nil {
+		if sm := m.kernel.SkillManager(); sm != nil {
+			skills = len(sm.ListSkills())
+		}
 	}
 	agents := 0
-	if as := m.kernel.ActorSystem(); as != nil {
-		agents = as.AgentCount()
+	if m.kernel != nil {
+		if as := m.kernel.ActorSystem(); as != nil {
+			agents = as.AgentCount()
+		}
 	}
 
 	b.WriteString(statLabelStyle.Render("Tools: "))
@@ -345,15 +339,17 @@ func (m Model) renderAgents() string {
 	var b strings.Builder
 	b.WriteString(titleStyle.Render("Active Agents") + "\n\n")
 
-	if as := m.kernel.ActorSystem(); as != nil {
-		for _, info := range as.AgentInfos() {
-			status := "idle"
-			style := idleAgentStyle
-			if info.Status == actor.StatusProcessing || m.agentRuns[info.ID] {
-				status = "running"
-				style = activeAgentStyle
+	if m.kernel != nil {
+		if as := m.kernel.ActorSystem(); as != nil {
+			for _, info := range as.AgentInfos() {
+				status := "idle"
+				style := idleAgentStyle
+				if info.Status == actor.StatusProcessing || m.agentRuns[info.ID] {
+					status = "running"
+					style = activeAgentStyle
+				}
+				b.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("• %s: %s\n", info.ID, style.Render(status)))
 			}
-			b.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("• %s: %s\n", info.ID, style.Render(status)))
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/internal/tui/model_test.go b/internal/tui/model_test.go
index cf7e218..926e57b 100644
--- a/internal/tui/model_test.go
+++ b/internal/tui/model_test.go
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
 package tui
 
 import (
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
+
+	"github.com/charmbracelet/bubbles/textarea"
 )
 
 func TestEventWriter(t *testing.T) {
@@ -74,3 +77,26 @@ func TestModelFormatMessage(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Error("system message should not be empty")
 	}
 }
+
+func TestViewContainsHeader(t *testing.T) {
+	ta := textarea.New()
+	ta.ShowLineNumbers = false
+	ta.KeyMap.InsertNewline.SetEnabled(false)
+
+	m := Model{
+		width:     120,
+		height:    40,
+		textarea:  ta,
+		messages:  []ChatMessage{},
+		events:    make(chan Event, 10),
+		agentRuns: make(map[string]bool),
+	}
+	m.updateLayout()
+	view := m.View()
+	if view == "Initializing..." {
+		t.Fatal("view should not be initializing")
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(view, "orca.agent") {
+		t.Errorf("view should contain 'orca.agent', got:\n%s", view[:min(200, len(view))])
+	}
+}