diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/MainContent.test.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/MainContent.test.tsx
index e91f16ace3..0ed864dcd2 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/MainContent.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/MainContent.test.tsx
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import { describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
 import { render } from 'ink-testing-library';
 import { Text } from 'ink';
 import { MainContent } from './MainContent.js';
+import { SCROLL_TO_ITEM_END } from './shared/VirtualizedList.js';
 import { UIStateContext, type UIState } from '../contexts/UIStateContext.js';
 import {
   UIActionsContext,
@@ -769,6 +770,40 @@ describe('<MainContent />', () => {
       expect(lastFrame()).toMatch(/VP_ITEM:1[\s\S]*VP_ITEM:2/);
     });
 
+    it('anchors to the top on a fresh session so the banner is not pushed to the bottom', () => {
+      scrollableListPropsSpy.mockClear();
+
+      // Fresh session: banner + a startup notice, but no conversation turn.
+      renderMainContent(
+        createUIState({
+          useTerminalBuffer: true,
+          history: [{ id: 1, type: 'info', text: 'Tips: try /help' }],
+        }),
+      );
+
+      expect(
+        scrollableListPropsSpy.mock.calls.at(-1)?.[0].initialScrollIndex,
+      ).toBe(0);
+    });
+
+    it('scrolls to the end once a conversation turn exists', () => {
+      scrollableListPropsSpy.mockClear();
+
+      renderMainContent(
+        createUIState({
+          useTerminalBuffer: true,
+          history: [
+            { id: 1, type: 'info', text: 'Tips: try /help' },
+            { id: 2, type: 'user', text: 'hello' },
+          ],
+        }),
+      );
+
+      expect(
+        scrollableListPropsSpy.mock.calls.at(-1)?.[0].initialScrollIndex,
+      ).toBe(SCROLL_TO_ITEM_END);
+    });
+
     it('keeps ShowMoreLines reachable in VP mode (regression of OverflowProvider misplacement)', () => {
       const { lastFrame } = renderMainContent(
         createUIState({
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/MainContent.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/MainContent.tsx
index b15e1130d4..b1441da69e 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/MainContent.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/MainContent.tsx
@@ -413,6 +413,19 @@ export const MainContent = () => {
       uiState.availableTerminalHeight ?? 0,
     );
 
+    // Anchor the initial view to the top until there is an actual conversation
+    // turn. On a fresh session the list holds only the banner plus startup
+    // notices (tips / MOTD / info), which is length > 1 — so keying the anchor
+    // off length alone made it scroll-to-end and pin the banner to the bottom
+    // of the viewport, leaving the top half of the VP screen blank. Once the
+    // user submits (or a response streams in) we resume scroll-to-end so the
+    // latest output stays in view.
+    const hasConversationTurn =
+      pendingHistoryItems.length > 0 ||
+      visibleHistory.some(
+        (item) => item.type === 'user' || item.type === 'user_shell',
+      );
+
     return (
       <OverflowProvider>
         <ScrollableList
@@ -422,9 +435,7 @@ export const MainContent = () => {
           renderItem={renderVirtualItem}
           estimatedItemHeight={virtualEstimatedItemHeight}
           keyExtractor={virtualKeyExtractor}
-          initialScrollIndex={
-            allVirtualItems.length <= 1 ? 0 : SCROLL_TO_ITEM_END
-          }
+          initialScrollIndex={hasConversationTurn ? SCROLL_TO_ITEM_END : 0}
           isStaticItem={virtualIsStaticItem}
           containerHeight={scrollContainerHeight}
           showScrollbar={showScrollbar}