diff --git a/.mcp.json b/.mcp.json
index 9bf8ac1..bd98b4f 100644
--- a/.mcp.json
+++ b/.mcp.json
@@ -1,10 +1,8 @@
 {
   "mcpServers": {
     "shadcn": {
-      "command": "cmd",
+      "command": "npx",
       "args": [
-        "/c",
-        "npx",
         "shadcn@latest",
         "mcp"
       ]
diff --git a/src/main/ai/orchestrator.ts b/src/main/ai/orchestrator.ts
index 9e65e38..d13d71b 100644
--- a/src/main/ai/orchestrator.ts
+++ b/src/main/ai/orchestrator.ts
@@ -946,3 +946,27 @@ export async function orchestrate(input: OrchestrateInput): Promise<OrchestrateR
     return { response: '', error: errMsg };
   }
 }
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Daily Brief (dedicated entry point)
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+const DAILY_BRIEF_PROMPT =
+`Act as a professional and efficient executive assistant. Give me a concise daily brief for today. 
+
+Strict Rules:
+- Adopt a polite, formal, and helpful tone. Do not use emojis, slang, or overly casual encouragement.
+- Focus strictly on actionable or critical items: tasks due today, upcoming deadlines this week, overdue items, and significant project activity. 
+- Do NOT mention zero-counts (e.g., "no overdue items") or general statistics (e.g., "2 active projects", "2 completed tasks"). Only report what needs my attention.
+- Do NOT include any headers, titles, dates, or greetings.
+- Do NOT use labels like "Due today:" or "Overdue:". Integrate the information naturally into sentences.
+- Use **bold** for key phrases, task names, or project names.
+- Keep the entire response to 3-5 sentences.`;
+
+export async function dailyBrief(sender?: Electron.WebContents): Promise<OrchestrateResult> {
+  return orchestrate({
+    message: DAILY_BRIEF_PROMPT,
+    context: { type: 'global' },
+    sender,
+  });
+}
diff --git a/src/main/router/index.ts b/src/main/router/index.ts
index f7ef537..85c2c48 100644
--- a/src/main/router/index.ts
+++ b/src/main/router/index.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import { getDb } from '../db';
 import { clients, projects, tasks, checkpoints, notes, taskComments } from '../db/schema';
 import { getStore } from '../store';
 import { saveTokenAndInit, hasActiveToken } from '../ai/provider';
-import { orchestrate } from '../ai/orchestrator';
+import { orchestrate, dailyBrief } from '../ai/orchestrator';
 import { upsertNoteEmbedding } from '../db/vectordb';
 import type { TRPCContext } from '../ipc';
 
@@ -572,6 +572,15 @@ const aiRouter = router({
       await saveTokenAndInit(input.token);
       return { success: true };
     }),
+  dailyBrief: publicProcedure
+    .mutation(async ({ ctx }) => {
+      try {
+        return await dailyBrief(ctx.sender);
+      } catch (err) {
+        const msg = err instanceof Error ? err.message : 'Unknown error';
+        return { response: '', error: msg };
+      }
+    }),
   hasToken: publicProcedure.query(async () => {
     return hasActiveToken();
   }),
diff --git a/src/renderer/components/ai/AIChatPanel.tsx b/src/renderer/components/ai/AIChatPanel.tsx
index d6aca60..ae57c10 100644
--- a/src/renderer/components/ai/AIChatPanel.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/components/ai/AIChatPanel.tsx
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ export function AIChatPanel({
 
   const streamingContentRef = useRef('');
   const chatMutation = trpc.ai.chat.useMutation();
+  const briefMutation = trpc.ai.dailyBrief.useMutation();
 
   const scrollToBottom = useCallback(() => {
     const el = messagesContainerRef.current;
@@ -98,28 +99,21 @@ export function AIChatPanel({
       setDailyBrief(briefContentRef.current);
     });
 
-    chatMutation.mutate(
-      {
-        message:
-          'Give me a concise daily brief for today. Highlight tasks due today and this week, any overdue items, and recent project activity. Use **bold** for key phrases. Keep it to 3-5 sentences.',
-        context: { type: 'global' },
-      },
-      {
-        onSuccess: (data) => {
-          if (data.error) {
-            unsubscribe();
-            setDailyBrief(null);
-            setBriefLoading(false);
-          }
-        },
-        onError: () => {
+    briefMutation.mutate(undefined, {
+      onSuccess: (data) => {
+        if (data.error) {
           unsubscribe();
           setDailyBrief(null);
           setBriefLoading(false);
-        },
+        }
       },
-    );
-  }, [isHomePage, hasTokenQuery.data]); // chatMutation excluded — only fire once
+      onError: () => {
+        unsubscribe();
+        setDailyBrief(null);
+        setBriefLoading(false);
+      },
+    });
+  }, [isHomePage, hasTokenQuery.data]); // briefMutation excluded — only fire once
 
   const handleSend = useCallback(() => {
     const trimmed = input.trim();
@@ -256,53 +250,78 @@ export function AIChatPanel({
         viewportRef={messagesContainerRef}
         viewportClassName={
           isHomePage && !hasMessages
-            ? undefined
+            ? '[&>div]:!flex [&>div]:!flex-col [&>div]:!min-h-full [&>div]:!justify-center'
             : '[&>div]:!flex [&>div]:!flex-col [&>div]:!min-h-full [&>div]:!justify-end'
         }
         onWheel={handleWheel}
       >
         {/* Home page initial state: greeting + brief */}
         {isHomePage && !hasMessages && (
-          <div className="mx-auto w-full max-w-3xl px-6 pt-8 pb-44">
-            <div className="flex flex-col gap-6">
-              {/* Greeting + badge */}
-              <div className="flex items-center justify-between gap-4 flex-wrap">
-                <h1 className="text-[30px] font-semibold" style={{ letterSpacing: '-1px' }}>
-                  ✦ Hello, {userName}
-                </h1>
-                <Badge variant="secondary">
-                  {dueCount} Task{dueCount !== 1 ? 's' : ''} due
-                </Badge>
+          <div className="mx-auto w-full max-w-3xl px-6 pt-8 pb-8">
+            <div className="flex flex-col gap-8">
+              {/* Greeting + brief grouped closely */}
+              <div className="flex flex-col gap-1">
+                <div className="flex items-center justify-between gap-4 flex-wrap">
+                  <h1 className="text-[30px] font-semibold" style={{ letterSpacing: '-1px' }}>
+                    ✦ Hello, {userName}
+                  </h1>
+                  <Badge variant="secondary">
+                    {dueCount} Task{dueCount !== 1 ? 's' : ''} due
+                  </Badge>
+                </div>
+
+                {/* Daily brief */}
+                <div>
+                {hasTokenQuery.data === false ? (
+                  <div className="flex flex-col items-center gap-3 py-2">
+                    <KeyRound size={24} className="text-muted-foreground" />
+                    <p className="text-sm text-muted-foreground text-center">
+                      Configure your AI provider in Settings to enable the daily brief.
+                    </p>
+                    <Button variant="outline" size="sm" onClick={onOpenSettings}>
+                      Open Settings
+                    </Button>
+                  </div>
+                ) : briefLoading && !dailyBrief ? (
+                  <div className="space-y-2">
+                    <Skeleton className="h-4 w-3/4" />
+                    <Skeleton className="h-4 w-1/2" />
+                    <Skeleton className="h-4 w-2/3" />
+                  </div>
+                ) : dailyBrief ? (
+                  <ChatMarkdown content={dailyBrief} />
+                ) : (
+                  <p className="text-sm text-muted-foreground">
+                    Your daily brief will appear here.
+                  </p>
+                )}
+                </div>
               </div>
 
-              {/* Daily brief card */}
-              <Card>
-                <CardContent className="pt-6">
-                  {hasTokenQuery.data === false ? (
-                    <div className="flex flex-col items-center gap-3 py-2">
-                      <KeyRound size={24} className="text-muted-foreground" />
-                      <p className="text-sm text-muted-foreground text-center">
-                        Configure your AI provider in Settings to enable the daily brief.
-                      </p>
-                      <Button variant="outline" size="sm" onClick={onOpenSettings}>
-                        Open Settings
-                      </Button>
-                    </div>
-                  ) : briefLoading && !dailyBrief ? (
-                    <div className="space-y-2">
-                      <Skeleton className="h-4 w-3/4" />
-                      <Skeleton className="h-4 w-1/2" />
-                      <Skeleton className="h-4 w-2/3" />
-                    </div>
-                  ) : dailyBrief ? (
-                    <ChatMarkdown content={dailyBrief} />
-                  ) : (
-                    <p className="text-sm text-muted-foreground">
-                      Your daily brief will appear here.
-                    </p>
-                  )}
-                </CardContent>
-              </Card>
+              {/* Inline input + suggestion chips */}
+              <div>
+                <ChatInput
+                  input={input}
+                  isStreaming={isStreaming || briefLoading}
+                  onInputChange={setInput}
+                  onKeyDown={handleKeyDown}
+                  onSend={handleSend}
+                  isHomePage={isHomePage}
+                />
+                <div className="grid grid-cols-2 sm:grid-cols-4 gap-2 mt-3">
+                  {SUGGESTION_CHIPS.map((chip) => (
+                    <button
+                      key={chip.label}
+                      type="button"
+                      className="flex items-start gap-2 rounded-xl border border-border bg-background px-3 py-2.5 text-left text-sm text-foreground shadow-sm transition-colors hover:bg-muted cursor-pointer"
+                      onClick={() => setInput(chip.label)}
+                    >
+                      <chip.icon size={16} className="shrink-0 mt-0.5 text-muted-foreground" />
+                      <span>{chip.label}</span>
+                    </button>
+                  ))}
+                </div>
+              </div>
             </div>
           </div>
         )}
@@ -311,13 +330,11 @@ export function AIChatPanel({
         {isHomePage && hasMessages && (
           <div className="mx-auto w-full max-w-3xl px-6 pt-8 pb-44">
             <div className="flex flex-col gap-4">
-              {/* Brief card persists */}
+              {/* Brief persists */}
               {dailyBrief && (
-                <Card className="mb-2">
-                  <CardContent className="pt-6">
-                    <ChatMarkdown content={dailyBrief} />
-                  </CardContent>
-                </Card>
+                <div className="mb-2">
+                  <ChatMarkdown content={dailyBrief} />
+                </div>
               )}
 
               {/* Chat messages */}
@@ -440,37 +457,22 @@ export function AIChatPanel({
         )}
       </ScrollArea>
 
-      {/* Fixed input — pinned to the bottom */}
-      <div className="absolute bottom-0 left-0 right-0 z-10 px-6 pb-4 pt-12 pointer-events-none">
-        <div className="absolute inset-x-0 top-0 h-full bg-gradient-to-b from-transparent via-background/80 to-background" />
-        <div className={`relative pointer-events-auto mx-auto ${isHomePage ? 'max-w-3xl' : 'max-w-[1088px]'}`}>
-          <ChatInput
-            input={input}
-            isStreaming={isStreaming || briefLoading}
-            onInputChange={setInput}
-            onKeyDown={handleKeyDown}
-            onSend={handleSend}
-            isHomePage={isHomePage}
-          />
-
-          {/* Suggestion chips (home page only, before first message) */}
-          {isHomePage && !hasMessages && (
-            <div className="flex flex-wrap gap-2 mt-3">
-              {SUGGESTION_CHIPS.map((chip) => (
-                <Button
-                  key={chip.label}
-                  variant="outline"
-                  className="gap-2 h-auto py-2.5 px-4 text-left"
-                  onClick={() => setInput(chip.label)}
-                >
-                  <chip.icon size={16} className="shrink-0" />
-                  <span className="text-sm">{chip.label}</span>
-                </Button>
-              ))}
-            </div>
-          )}
+      {/* Fixed input — pinned to the bottom (hidden on home initial state) */}
+      {!(isHomePage && !hasMessages) && (
+        <div className="absolute bottom-0 left-0 right-0 z-10 px-6 pb-4 pt-12 pointer-events-none">
+          <div className="absolute inset-x-0 top-0 h-full bg-gradient-to-b from-transparent via-background/80 to-background" />
+          <div className={`relative pointer-events-auto mx-auto ${isHomePage ? 'max-w-3xl' : 'max-w-[1088px]'}`}>
+            <ChatInput
+              input={input}
+              isStreaming={isStreaming || briefLoading}
+              onInputChange={setInput}
+              onKeyDown={handleKeyDown}
+              onSend={handleSend}
+              isHomePage={isHomePage}
+            />
+          </div>
         </div>
-      </div>
+      )}
     </div>
   );
 }