diff --git a/ui/goose2/src/features/chat/ui/ChatInput.tsx b/ui/goose2/src/features/chat/ui/ChatInput.tsx
index f46a6c65ff..9153a83a5b 100644
--- a/ui/goose2/src/features/chat/ui/ChatInput.tsx
+++ b/ui/goose2/src/features/chat/ui/ChatInput.tsx
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ interface ChatInputProps {
   // Personas
   personas?: Persona[];
   selectedPersonaId?: string | null;
-  onPersonaChange?: (personaId: string) => void;
+  onPersonaChange?: (personaId: string | null) => void;
   onCreatePersona?: () => void;
   // Provider (secondary -- auto-set by persona but overridable)
   providers?: AcpProvider[];
@@ -97,20 +97,11 @@ export function ChatInput({
   const textareaRef = useRef<HTMLTextAreaElement>(null);
   const containerRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
 
-  const defaultPersonaId = useMemo(
-    () => personas.find((persona) => persona.id === "builtin-solo")?.id ?? null,
-    [personas],
-  );
   const activePersona = useMemo(
     () => personas.find((persona) => persona.id === selectedPersonaId) ?? null,
     [personas, selectedPersonaId],
   );
-  const stickyPersona =
-    activePersona &&
-    selectedPersonaId !== null &&
-    selectedPersonaId !== defaultPersonaId
-      ? activePersona
-      : null;
+  const stickyPersona = activePersona;
 
   const canSend = text.trim().length > 0 && !isStreaming && !disabled;
 
@@ -213,10 +204,8 @@ export function ChatInput({
       : placeholder;
 
   const handleClearStickyPersona = useCallback(() => {
-    if (defaultPersonaId) {
-      onPersonaChange?.(defaultPersonaId);
-    }
-  }, [defaultPersonaId, onPersonaChange]);
+    onPersonaChange?.(null);
+  }, [onPersonaChange]);
 
   return (
     <TooltipProvider delayDuration={300}>
diff --git a/ui/goose2/src/features/chat/ui/ChatInputToolbar.tsx b/ui/goose2/src/features/chat/ui/ChatInputToolbar.tsx
index b79b363d14..00f88d8b26 100644
--- a/ui/goose2/src/features/chat/ui/ChatInputToolbar.tsx
+++ b/ui/goose2/src/features/chat/ui/ChatInputToolbar.tsx
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ interface ChatInputToolbarProps {
   // Personas
   personas: Persona[];
   selectedPersonaId: string | null;
-  onPersonaChange?: (personaId: string) => void;
+  onPersonaChange?: (personaId: string | null) => void;
   onCreatePersona?: () => void;
   // Provider
   providers: AcpProvider[];
diff --git a/ui/goose2/src/features/chat/ui/ChatView.tsx b/ui/goose2/src/features/chat/ui/ChatView.tsx
index 73604865cf..014b4b82ea 100644
--- a/ui/goose2/src/features/chat/ui/ChatView.tsx
+++ b/ui/goose2/src/features/chat/ui/ChatView.tsx
@@ -49,8 +49,8 @@ export function ChatView({
 
   // Persona state
   const personas = useAgentStore((s) => s.personas);
-  const [selectedPersonaId, setSelectedPersonaId] = useState<string>(
-    initialPersonaId ?? "builtin-solo",
+  const [selectedPersonaId, setSelectedPersonaId] = useState<string | null>(
+    initialPersonaId ?? null,
   );
   const session = useChatSessionStore((s) =>
     s.sessions.find((candidate) => candidate.id === activeSessionId),
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ export function ChatView({
 
   // When persona changes, update the provider to match persona's default
   const handlePersonaChange = useCallback(
-    (personaId: string) => {
+    (personaId: string | null) => {
       setSelectedPersonaId(personaId);
       const persona = personas.find((p) => p.id === personaId);
       if (persona?.provider) {
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ export function ChatView({
       // Persist persona selection to session store
       useChatSessionStore
         .getState()
-        .updateSession(activeSessionId, { personaId });
+        .updateSession(activeSessionId, { personaId: personaId ?? undefined });
     },
     [personas, providers, activeSessionId, handleProviderChange],
   );
@@ -205,19 +205,14 @@ export function ChatView({
   // Validate persona still exists — fall back to default if deleted
   useEffect(() => {
     if (
+      selectedPersonaId !== null &&
       personas.length > 0 &&
       !personas.find((p) => p.id === selectedPersonaId)
     ) {
-      const fallback =
-        personas.find((p) => p.id === "builtin-solo") ?? personas[0];
-      if (fallback) {
-        setSelectedPersonaId(fallback.id);
-        useChatSessionStore
-          .getState()
-          .updateSession(activeSessionId, { personaId: fallback.id });
-      }
+      // Selected persona was deleted — reset to no persona
+      setSelectedPersonaId(null);
     }
-  }, [personas, selectedPersonaId, activeSessionId]);
+  }, [personas, selectedPersonaId]);
 
   const displayAgentName = selectedPersona?.displayName ?? agentName;
   const personaAvatarSrc = useAvatarSrc(selectedPersona?.avatar);
diff --git a/ui/goose2/src/features/chat/ui/PersonaPicker.tsx b/ui/goose2/src/features/chat/ui/PersonaPicker.tsx
index 70e328ea74..fde73e2d87 100644
--- a/ui/goose2/src/features/chat/ui/PersonaPicker.tsx
+++ b/ui/goose2/src/features/chat/ui/PersonaPicker.tsx
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import type { Persona } from "@/shared/types/agents";
 interface PersonaPickerProps {
   personas: Persona[];
   selectedPersonaId: string | null;
-  onPersonaChange: (personaId: string) => void;
+  onPersonaChange: (personaId: string | null) => void;
   onCreatePersona?: () => void;
   compact?: boolean;
   className?: string;
@@ -33,7 +33,10 @@ export function PersonaPicker({
   triggerVariant = "default",
 }: PersonaPickerProps) {
   const selected = useMemo(
-    () => personas.find((p) => p.id === selectedPersonaId) ?? personas[0],
+    () =>
+      selectedPersonaId
+        ? personas.find((p) => p.id === selectedPersonaId)
+        : undefined,
     [personas, selectedPersonaId],
   );
 
@@ -46,7 +49,7 @@ export function PersonaPicker({
     [personas],
   );
 
-  const label = selected?.displayName ?? "Select persona";
+  const label = selected?.displayName ?? "Goose";
 
   return (
     <DropdownMenu>
@@ -85,6 +88,24 @@ export function PersonaPicker({
         align="start"
         className="max-h-[min(70vh,32rem)] w-[22rem] overflow-y-auto"
       >
+        <DropdownMenuItem
+          onSelect={() => onPersonaChange(null)}
+          className="flex items-start gap-2.5 py-2"
+        >
+          <div className="flex h-6 w-6 items-center justify-center rounded-full bg-foreground/10 text-foreground">
+            <Sparkles className="h-3.5 w-3.5" />
+          </div>
+          <div className="flex min-w-0 flex-1 flex-col gap-0.5">
+            <span className="text-sm font-medium">Goose</span>
+            <span className="text-[11px] leading-snug text-foreground-tertiary">
+              No persona — chat directly with the agent
+            </span>
+          </div>
+          {selectedPersonaId === null && (
+            <Check className="mt-0.5 h-4 w-4 shrink-0 text-foreground-secondary" />
+          )}
+        </DropdownMenuItem>
+        <DropdownMenuSeparator />
         {builtinPersonas.length > 0 && (
           <>
             <DropdownMenuLabel className="text-[11px] uppercase tracking-wider text-foreground-tertiary">
diff --git a/ui/goose2/src/features/chat/ui/__tests__/ChatInput.test.tsx b/ui/goose2/src/features/chat/ui/__tests__/ChatInput.test.tsx
index 704f14b542..2ba6826880 100644
--- a/ui/goose2/src/features/chat/ui/__tests__/ChatInput.test.tsx
+++ b/ui/goose2/src/features/chat/ui/__tests__/ChatInput.test.tsx
@@ -29,7 +29,9 @@ function StatefulChatInput({
 }: {
   onSend?: (text: string, personaId?: string) => void;
 }) {
-  const [selectedPersonaId, setSelectedPersonaId] = useState("builtin-solo");
+  const [selectedPersonaId, setSelectedPersonaId] = useState<string | null>(
+    "builtin-solo",
+  );
 
   return (
     <ChatInput
diff --git a/ui/goose2/src/features/home/ui/HomeScreen.test.tsx b/ui/goose2/src/features/home/ui/HomeScreen.test.tsx
index 3498360950..ee74df8880 100644
--- a/ui/goose2/src/features/home/ui/HomeScreen.test.tsx
+++ b/ui/goose2/src/features/home/ui/HomeScreen.test.tsx
@@ -57,10 +57,10 @@ describe("HomeScreen", () => {
     expect(screen.getByText("Good afternoon")).toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 
-  it("renders the chat input placeholder with persona name", () => {
+  it("renders the chat input placeholder with default agent name when no persona selected", () => {
     render(<HomeScreen />);
     expect(
-      screen.getByPlaceholderText("Message Solo... (type @ to mention)"),
+      screen.getByPlaceholderText("Message Goose... (type @ to mention)"),
     ).toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 
diff --git a/ui/goose2/src/features/home/ui/HomeScreen.tsx b/ui/goose2/src/features/home/ui/HomeScreen.tsx
index ceb34d2ab2..de0d63630c 100644
--- a/ui/goose2/src/features/home/ui/HomeScreen.tsx
+++ b/ui/goose2/src/features/home/ui/HomeScreen.tsx
@@ -61,7 +61,9 @@ export function HomeScreen({
 
   const personas = useAgentStore((s) => s.personas);
   const projects = useProjectStore((s) => s.projects);
-  const [selectedPersonaId, setSelectedPersonaId] = useState("builtin-solo");
+  const [selectedPersonaId, setSelectedPersonaId] = useState<string | null>(
+    null,
+  );
   const [providers, setProviders] = useState<AcpProvider[]>([]);
   const [selectedProvider, setSelectedProvider] = useState("goose");
   const [selectedProjectId, setSelectedProjectId] = useState<string | null>(
@@ -96,7 +98,7 @@ export function HomeScreen({
 
   const handleSend = useCallback(
     (message: string, personaId?: string) => {
-      const effectivePersonaId = personaId ?? selectedPersonaId;
+      const effectivePersonaId = personaId ?? selectedPersonaId ?? undefined;
 
       onStartChat?.(
         message,