diff --git a/x-pack/platform/packages/shared/kbn-ai-assistant/src/chat/chat_flyout.tsx b/x-pack/platform/packages/shared/kbn-ai-assistant/src/chat/chat_flyout.tsx
index 4dfc899ec6729..72a3edeb4bf3d 100644
--- a/x-pack/platform/packages/shared/kbn-ai-assistant/src/chat/chat_flyout.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/platform/packages/shared/kbn-ai-assistant/src/chat/chat_flyout.tsx
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ export enum FlyoutPositionMode {
 
 export function ChatFlyout({
   initialTitle,
-  initialMessages,
+  initialMessages: initialMessagesFromProps,
   initialFlyoutPositionMode,
   onFlyoutPositionModeChange,
   isOpen,
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ export function ChatFlyout({
   const knowledgeBase = useKnowledgeBase();
 
   const [conversationId, setConversationId] = useState<string | undefined>(undefined);
+  const [initialMessages, setInitialMessages] = useState(initialMessagesFromProps);
 
   const [flyoutPositionMode, setFlyoutPositionMode] = useState<FlyoutPositionMode>(
     initialFlyoutPositionMode || FlyoutPositionMode.OVERLAY
@@ -90,6 +91,7 @@ export function ChatFlyout({
 
   const onConversationDuplicate = (conversation: Conversation) => {
     conversationList.conversations.refresh();
+    setInitialMessages([]);
     setConversationId(conversation.conversation.id);
   };
 
diff --git a/x-pack/platform/packages/shared/kbn-ai-assistant/src/hooks/use_conversation.test.tsx b/x-pack/platform/packages/shared/kbn-ai-assistant/src/hooks/use_conversation.test.tsx
index 47a4f63717fd0..ca9c81f4d6aad 100644
--- a/x-pack/platform/packages/shared/kbn-ai-assistant/src/hooks/use_conversation.test.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/platform/packages/shared/kbn-ai-assistant/src/hooks/use_conversation.test.tsx
@@ -84,6 +84,28 @@ describe('useConversation', () => {
     jest.clearAllMocks();
   });
 
+  describe('with initial messages and a conversation id', () => {
+    it('throws an error', () => {
+      expect(() =>
+        renderHook(useConversation, {
+          initialProps: {
+            chatService: mockChatService,
+            connectorId: 'my-connector',
+            initialMessages: [
+              {
+                '@timestamp': new Date().toISOString(),
+                message: { content: '', role: MessageRole.User },
+              },
+            ],
+            initialConversationId: 'foo',
+            onConversationDuplicate: jest.fn(),
+          },
+          wrapper,
+        })
+      ).toThrow(/Cannot set initialMessages if initialConversationId is set/);
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('without initial messages and a conversation id', () => {
     beforeEach(() => {
       hookResult = renderHook(useConversation, {
@@ -388,7 +410,7 @@ describe('useConversation', () => {
           result.current.saveTitle('my-new-title');
         } catch (e) {
           expect(e).toBeInstanceOf(Error);
-          expect(e.message).toBe('Cannot save title if conversation is not stored');
+          expect(e.message).toBe('Cannot set initialMessages if initialConversationId is set');
           done();
         }
       });
diff --git a/x-pack/platform/packages/shared/kbn-ai-assistant/src/hooks/use_conversation.ts b/x-pack/platform/packages/shared/kbn-ai-assistant/src/hooks/use_conversation.ts
index ad8ae926d2fe2..aa9c4853b5c14 100644
--- a/x-pack/platform/packages/shared/kbn-ai-assistant/src/hooks/use_conversation.ts
+++ b/x-pack/platform/packages/shared/kbn-ai-assistant/src/hooks/use_conversation.ts
@@ -84,6 +84,10 @@ export function useConversation({
   const initialMessages = useOnce(initialMessagesFromProps);
   const initialTitle = useOnce(initialTitleFromProps);
 
+  if (initialMessages.length && initialConversationId) {
+    throw new Error('Cannot set initialMessages if initialConversationId is set');
+  }
+
   const update = (nextConversationObject: Conversation) => {
     return service
       .callApi(`PUT /internal/observability_ai_assistant/conversation/{conversationId}`, {
@@ -221,12 +225,7 @@ export function useConversation({
           }
         : currentUser,
     state,
-    next: (_messages: Message[]) =>
-      next(_messages, (error) => {
-        if (error) {
-          conversation.refresh();
-        }
-      }),
+    next: (_messages: Message[]) => next(_messages, () => conversation.refresh()),
     stop,
     messages,
     saveTitle: (title: string) => {