diff --git a/packages/instantsearch-ui-components/src/components/chat/Chat.tsx b/packages/instantsearch-ui-components/src/components/chat/Chat.tsx
index 0cfa2f41368..921f0484b93 100644
--- a/packages/instantsearch-ui-components/src/components/chat/Chat.tsx
+++ b/packages/instantsearch-ui-components/src/components/chat/Chat.tsx
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import { createChatMessagesComponent } from './ChatMessages';
 import { createChatPromptComponent } from './ChatPrompt';
 import { createChatToggleButtonComponent } from './ChatToggleButton';
 
-import type { MutableRef, Renderer, ComponentProps } from '../../types';
+import type { Renderer, ComponentProps } from '../../types';
 import type { ChatHeaderProps } from './ChatHeader';
 import type { ChatMessagesProps } from './ChatMessages';
 import type { ChatPromptProps } from './ChatPrompt';
@@ -62,8 +62,6 @@ export function createChatComponent({ createElement, Fragment }: Renderer) {
   const ChatMessages = createChatMessagesComponent({ createElement, Fragment });
   const ChatPrompt = createChatPromptComponent({ createElement, Fragment });
 
-  const promptRef: MutableRef<HTMLTextAreaElement | null> = { current: null };
-
   return function Chat({
     open,
     maximized = false,
@@ -95,14 +93,16 @@ export function createChatComponent({ createElement, Fragment }: Renderer) {
         >
           <ChatHeader {...headerProps} maximized={maximized} />
           <ChatMessages {...messagesProps} />
-          <ChatPrompt {...promptProps} ref={promptRef} />
+          <ChatPrompt {...promptProps} />
         </div>
 
         <ChatToggleButton
           {...toggleButtonProps}
           onClick={() => {
             toggleButtonProps.onClick?.();
-            promptRef.current?.focus?.();
+            if (!open) {
+              promptProps.promptRef?.current?.focus();
+            }
           }}
         />
       </div>
diff --git a/packages/instantsearch-ui-components/src/components/chat/ChatPrompt.tsx b/packages/instantsearch-ui-components/src/components/chat/ChatPrompt.tsx
index 2c64492a12c..b52304ed8d4 100644
--- a/packages/instantsearch-ui-components/src/components/chat/ChatPrompt.tsx
+++ b/packages/instantsearch-ui-components/src/components/chat/ChatPrompt.tsx
@@ -122,9 +122,9 @@ export type ChatPromptProps = Omit<
    */
   onInput?: ComponentProps<'textarea'>['onInput'];
   /**
-   * Ref callback to get access to the focus function
+   * Ref to the prompt textarea element for focus management
    */
-  ref?: MutableRef<HTMLTextAreaElement | null>;
+  promptRef?: MutableRef<HTMLTextAreaElement | null>;
 };
 
 export function createChatPromptComponent({ createElement }: Renderer) {
@@ -158,12 +158,12 @@ export function createChatPromptComponent({ createElement }: Renderer) {
 
   const setTextAreaRef = (
     element: HTMLTextAreaElement | null,
-    ref?: MutableRef<HTMLTextAreaElement | null>
+    promptRef?: MutableRef<HTMLTextAreaElement | null>
   ) => {
     textAreaElement = element;
 
-    if (ref) {
-      ref.current = element;
+    if (promptRef) {
+      promptRef.current = element;
     }
 
     if (element) {
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ export function createChatPromptComponent({ createElement }: Renderer) {
       onSubmit,
       onKeyDown,
       onStop,
-      ref,
+      promptRef,
       ...props
     } = userProps;
 
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ export function createChatPromptComponent({ createElement }: Renderer) {
         >
           <textarea
             {...props}
-            ref={(element) => setTextAreaRef(element, ref)}
+            ref={(element) => setTextAreaRef(element, promptRef)}
             data-max-rows={maxRows}
             className={cx(cssClasses.textarea)}
             value={value}
diff --git a/packages/instantsearch.js/src/widgets/chat/chat.tsx b/packages/instantsearch.js/src/widgets/chat/chat.tsx
index e75353b0d2c..f1965152110 100644
--- a/packages/instantsearch.js/src/widgets/chat/chat.tsx
+++ b/packages/instantsearch.js/src/widgets/chat/chat.tsx
@@ -198,6 +198,7 @@ const createRenderer = <THit extends NonNullable<object> = BaseHit>({
       const [isClearing, setIsClearing] = state.use(false);
       const [maximized, setMaximized] = state.use(false);
       const [isScrollAtBottom, setIsScrollAtBottom] = state.use(true);
+      const [promptRef] = state.use({ current: null });
 
       const onClear = () => setIsClearing(true);
       const onClearTransitionEnd = () => {
@@ -226,6 +227,7 @@ const createRenderer = <THit extends NonNullable<object> = BaseHit>({
             tools: toolsForUi,
           }}
           promptProps={{
+            promptRef,
             status,
             value: input,
             onInput: (event) => {
diff --git a/packages/react-instantsearch/src/widgets/Chat.tsx b/packages/react-instantsearch/src/widgets/Chat.tsx
index e5293f0cf16..1f0b46f8040 100644
--- a/packages/react-instantsearch/src/widgets/Chat.tsx
+++ b/packages/react-instantsearch/src/widgets/Chat.tsx
@@ -104,6 +104,8 @@ export function Chat<
   const [isClearing, setIsClearing] = React.useState(false);
   const [isScrollAtBottom, setIsScrollAtBottom] = React.useState(true);
 
+  const promptRef = React.useRef<HTMLTextAreaElement>(null);
+
   const tools = React.useMemo(() => {
     const defaults = createDefaultTools(itemComponent, getSearchPageURL);
 
@@ -205,6 +207,7 @@ export function Chat<
         ...messagesProps,
       }}
       promptProps={{
+        promptRef,
         status,
         value: input,
         // Explicit event type is required to prevent TypeScript error