diff --git a/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/Chat/components/InputArea.tsx b/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/Chat/components/InputArea.tsx
index ee6a3f60..600fdb6b 100644
--- a/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/Chat/components/InputArea.tsx
+++ b/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/Chat/components/InputArea.tsx
@@ -115,7 +115,6 @@ export const InputArea = ({ manager, disabled }: InputAreaProps) => {
           // Native `disabled`, not a click guard: it also takes the field out of the tab order and stops a
           // paste, which a guard on send would not.
           disabled={!!disabled}
-          placeholder={disabled ? disabled.reason : undefined}
           onChange={(ev) => setInput(ev.target.value)}
           onKeyDown={(ev) => {
             // Enter is how anybody actually sends, so the interception has to be here as well as on the
@@ -143,7 +142,10 @@ export const InputArea = ({ manager, disabled }: InputAreaProps) => {
               }
             }
           }}
-          placeholder="Type a message..."
+          // One placeholder, not two. It was declared twice on this element — the reason above and this
+          // below — and JSX takes the LAST, so the gate was applied and completely invisible: a disabled
+          // composer still inviting you to type a message.
+          placeholder={disabled ? disabled.reason : 'Type a message...'}
           rows={1}
           className="min-w-0 flex-1 resize-none rounded-lg border border-input bg-background/80 px-2 py-1.5 md:px-3 md:py-2 text-base md:text-sm text-foreground placeholder:text-muted-foreground focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-duck-teal/30 focus:border-duck-teal/50"
         />