diff --git a/client/src/components/Chat/Input/AskUserQuestionPopover.tsx b/client/src/components/Chat/Input/AskUserQuestionPopover.tsx
index 1df592e213..8493258705 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Chat/Input/AskUserQuestionPopover.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/Chat/Input/AskUserQuestionPopover.tsx
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 import { memo, useEffect, useRef } from 'react';
 import { useWatch } from 'react-hook-form';
-import { Button } from '@librechat/client';
-import { Check, ChevronDown, CornerDownLeft, TriangleAlert, X } from 'lucide-react';
+import { Button, TooltipAnchor } from '@librechat/client';
+import { ChevronDown, CornerDownLeft, TriangleAlert } from 'lucide-react';
 import useAskAnswerMode from '~/hooks/Input/useAskAnswerMode';
+import AskOptions from '~/components/Chat/ask/options';
 import { useChatFormContext } from '~/Providers';
 import { useLocalize } from '~/hooks';
-import { cn } from '~/utils';
 
 /**
  * Composer popover for a live `ask_user_question` pause. Single-select rows
@@ -15,10 +15,10 @@ import { cn } from '~/utils';
  * Submit confirms —
  * folding in any free-form text typed in the composer, exactly like Enter
  * would. The footer hint is a button that focuses the composer — the
- * free-form answer box. Collapse (chevron) hides the popover but keeps
- * answer mode live via the chat card; × dismisses it entirely. Pure
- * rendering off {@link useAskAnswerMode}; disappears the moment an answer
- * submits from any surface, and locks while one is in flight.
+ * free-form answer box. The chevron moves the question to the chat card and
+ * releases the composer (the card's chevron moves it back). Pure rendering
+ * off {@link useAskAnswerMode}; disappears the moment an answer submits from
+ * any surface, and locks while one is in flight.
  */
 function AskUserQuestionPopoverContent({
   conversationId,
@@ -66,7 +66,6 @@ function AskUserQuestionPopoverPanel({
     submit,
     submitOption,
     skip,
-    dismiss,
     collapse,
     handlePopoverKeyDown,
   } = ask;
@@ -108,7 +107,7 @@ function AskUserQuestionPopoverPanel({
           scroll region: the panel is absolutely positioned, so anything that
           overflows it is unreachable by page scroll. */}
       <div
-        className="popover border-token-border-light flex max-h-[60vh] flex-col rounded-2xl border bg-white p-2 shadow-lg dark:bg-gray-700"
+        className="flex max-h-[60vh] flex-col rounded-2xl border border-border-light bg-surface-secondary p-2 shadow-lg [view-transition-name:ask-question]"
         onKeyDown={handlePopoverKeyDown}
       >
         <div className="flex shrink-0 items-start justify-between gap-2 p-2">
@@ -122,60 +121,34 @@ function AskUserQuestionPopoverPanel({
               </p>
             )}
           </div>
-          <div className="flex items-center">
-            <button
-              type="button"
-              aria-label={localize('com_ui_collapse')}
-              className="rounded p-1 text-text-secondary hover:bg-surface-hover"
-              onClick={collapse}
-            >
-              <ChevronDown className="h-4 w-4" aria-hidden="true" />
-            </button>
-            <button
-              type="button"
-              aria-label={localize('com_ui_close')}
-              className="rounded p-1 text-text-secondary hover:bg-surface-hover"
-              onClick={dismiss}
-            >
-              <X className="h-4 w-4" aria-hidden="true" />
-            </button>
-          </div>
-        </div>
-        <div ref={listRef} className="relative min-h-0 flex-1 overflow-y-auto">
-          {options.map((option, index) => {
-            const isChecked = multiSelect && checked.includes(index);
-            return (
+          {/* Single exit: moves the question to the chat card and hands the
+              composer back for normal messages. */}
+          <TooltipAnchor
+            description={localize('com_ui_ask_move_to_chat')}
+            side="top"
+            render={
               <button
-                key={option.value}
-                ref={(el) => {
-                  optionRefs.current[index] = el;
-                }}
                 type="button"
-                role={multiSelect ? 'checkbox' : undefined}
-                aria-checked={multiSelect ? isChecked : undefined}
-                disabled={locked}
-                className={cn(
-                  'flex w-full items-center gap-3 rounded-lg p-2 text-left text-sm text-text-primary',
-                  selected === index ? 'bg-surface-active' : 'hover:bg-surface-hover',
-                  locked ? 'cursor-not-allowed opacity-60' : '',
-                )}
-                onClick={() => (multiSelect ? toggleChecked(index) : submitOption(index))}
+                aria-label={localize('com_ui_ask_move_to_chat')}
+                className="rounded-md p-1 text-text-secondary transition-colors hover:bg-surface-hover hover:text-text-primary focus-visible:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-border-heavy"
+                onClick={collapse}
               >
-                <span
-                  className={cn(
-                    'flex h-5 w-5 shrink-0 items-center justify-center rounded text-xs',
-                    isChecked
-                      ? 'bg-surface-submit text-white'
-                      : 'bg-surface-tertiary text-text-secondary',
-                  )}
-                >
-                  {isChecked ? <Check className="h-3.5 w-3.5" aria-hidden="true" /> : index + 1}
-                </span>
-                <span className="min-w-0 flex-1 [overflow-wrap:anywhere]">{option.label}</span>
+                <ChevronDown className="size-4" aria-hidden="true" />
               </button>
-            );
-          })}
+            }
+          />
         </div>
+        <AskOptions
+          options={options}
+          multiSelect={multiSelect}
+          checked={checked}
+          selected={selected}
+          locked={locked}
+          onActivate={(index) => (multiSelect ? toggleChecked(index) : submitOption(index))}
+          optionRefs={optionRefs}
+          listRef={listRef}
+          className="relative min-h-0 flex-1 overflow-y-auto"
+        />
         {/** A failed submission keeps the question answerable (controls stay
          *   enabled), but the chat card that would show the error is hidden
          *   while the popover is up — so surface it here for retry guidance. */}
@@ -188,7 +161,7 @@ function AskUserQuestionPopoverPanel({
         <div className="flex shrink-0 items-center justify-between gap-2 p-2">
           <button
             type="button"
-            className="text-xs italic text-text-secondary hover:text-text-primary hover:underline"
+            className="cursor-text rounded-md text-xs text-text-secondary transition-colors hover:text-text-primary focus-visible:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-border-heavy"
             onClick={() => textAreaRef?.current?.focus()}
           >
             {options.length === 0
diff --git a/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/AskUserQuestion.tsx b/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/AskUserQuestion.tsx
index ccea2ef9f7..59f4aff4c2 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/AskUserQuestion.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/AskUserQuestion.tsx
@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
 import { useContext, useMemo, useState } from 'react';
-import { ChevronUp, TriangleAlert } from 'lucide-react';
-import { Button, TextareaAutosize } from '@librechat/client';
+import { Button, TextareaAutosize, TooltipAnchor } from '@librechat/client';
+import { ChevronUp, MessageCircleQuestion, TriangleAlert } from 'lucide-react';
 import type { Agents } from 'librechat-data-provider';
+import { splitOtherOption, ASK_USER_DECLINED_ANSWER } from '~/utils/approval';
 import { useAskSubmitStatus, useResumeSubmit } from './ApprovalContext';
 import useAskAnswerMode from '~/hooks/Input/useAskAnswerMode';
+import AskOptions from '~/components/Chat/ask/options';
 import { ChatContext } from '~/Providers/ChatContext';
-import { splitOtherOption } from '~/utils/approval';
 import { useLocalize } from '~/hooks';
+import { cn } from '~/utils';
 
 /**
  * Renders an `ask_user_question` pause: the prompt, optional description, any
@@ -49,10 +51,8 @@ export default function AskUserQuestion({
   );
 
   const status = getAskStatus(actionId);
-  if (popoverVisible && isLivePause) {
-    return null;
-  }
   const locked = status === 'submitting' || status === 'submitted' || status === 'expired';
+  const showPlaceholder = popoverVisible && isLivePause;
 
   if (status === 'submitted') {
     return null;
@@ -88,6 +88,18 @@ export default function AskUserQuestion({
     }
   };
 
+  /** `answerMode.skip()` is gated on answer mode being ACTIVE, which a
+   *  dismissed (×'d) question is not — and that is precisely when this card
+   *  is the only surface left. Decline through the answer path instead,
+   *  which is gated on the live pause rather than on answer mode. */
+  const handleSkip = () => {
+    if (isLivePause) {
+      answerMode.submitAnswer([ASK_USER_DECLINED_ANSWER]);
+      return;
+    }
+    submitAskAnswer(actionId, ASK_USER_DECLINED_ANSWER);
+  };
+
   const submitCombined = () => {
     const values = multiSelect
       ? checkedIndices
@@ -107,46 +119,61 @@ export default function AskUserQuestion({
     submitAskAnswer(actionId, values.join(', '));
   };
 
-  return (
-    <div className="my-2 flex w-full flex-col gap-2 rounded-lg border border-border-light bg-surface-secondary p-3">
+  /**
+   * The live card shares its view-transition-name with the popover panel, so
+   * collapse/expand morphs one surface into the other. The placeholder copy
+   * is `visibility: hidden` (out of the tab order and the a11y tree) and
+   * carries NO transition name — duplicate names would void the morph — but
+   * it still occupies the card's exact footprint, so the thread reserves the
+   * space while the question lives in the composer and nothing reflows when
+   * it moves back.
+   */
+  const card = (
+    <div
+      className={cn(
+        'my-2 flex w-full flex-col gap-2.5 rounded-xl border border-border-light bg-surface-secondary p-3',
+        showPlaceholder && 'invisible',
+      )}
+      aria-hidden={showPlaceholder || undefined}
+      style={isLivePause && !showPlaceholder ? { viewTransitionName: 'ask-question' } : undefined}
+    >
       <div className="flex items-start justify-between gap-2">
-        <p className="min-w-0 text-sm font-medium text-text-primary [overflow-wrap:anywhere]">
-          {question.question}
-        </p>
+        <div className="min-w-0">
+          <p className="text-sm font-medium text-text-primary [overflow-wrap:anywhere]">
+            {question.question}
+          </p>
+          {question.description != null && question.description.length > 0 && (
+            <p className="mt-0.5 text-xs text-text-secondary [overflow-wrap:anywhere]">
+              {question.description}
+            </p>
+          )}
+        </div>
         {collapsed && isLivePause && (
-          <button
-            type="button"
-            aria-label={localize('com_ui_expand')}
-            className="rounded p-1 text-text-secondary hover:bg-surface-hover"
-            onClick={expand}
-          >
-            <ChevronUp className="h-4 w-4" aria-hidden="true" />
-          </button>
+          <TooltipAnchor
+            description={localize('com_ui_ask_move_to_composer')}
+            side="top"
+            render={
+              <button
+                type="button"
+                aria-label={localize('com_ui_ask_move_to_composer')}
+                className="rounded-md p-1 text-text-secondary transition-colors hover:bg-surface-hover hover:text-text-primary focus-visible:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-border-heavy"
+                onClick={expand}
+              >
+                <ChevronUp className="size-4" aria-hidden="true" />
+              </button>
+            }
+          />
         )}
       </div>
-      {question.description != null && question.description.length > 0 && (
-        <p className="text-sm text-text-secondary [overflow-wrap:anywhere]">
-          {question.description}
-        </p>
-      )}
 
       {choices.length > 0 && (
-        <div className="flex flex-wrap gap-2">
-          {choices.map((option, index) => (
-            <Button
-              key={option.value}
-              size="sm"
-              variant={multiSelect && checkedIndices.includes(index) ? 'submit' : 'outline'}
-              role={multiSelect ? 'checkbox' : undefined}
-              aria-checked={multiSelect ? checkedIndices.includes(index) : undefined}
-              disabled={locked}
-              className="h-auto min-h-9 max-w-full whitespace-normal py-1.5 text-left [overflow-wrap:anywhere]"
-              onClick={() => (multiSelect ? toggleIndex(index) : submitSingle(index))}
-            >
-              {option.label}
-            </Button>
-          ))}
-        </div>
+        <AskOptions
+          options={choices}
+          multiSelect={multiSelect}
+          checked={checkedIndices}
+          locked={locked}
+          onActivate={(index) => (multiSelect ? toggleIndex(index) : submitSingle(index))}
+        />
       )}
 
       <TextareaAutosize
@@ -156,26 +183,48 @@ export default function AskUserQuestion({
         minRows={2}
         maxRows={12}
         placeholder={otherLabel ?? localize('com_ui_your_answer')}
-        className="w-full resize-none rounded-md border border-border-light bg-surface-primary p-2 text-sm"
+        className="w-full resize-none rounded-lg border border-border-light bg-surface-chat px-3 py-2 text-sm text-text-primary placeholder:text-text-secondary focus:outline-none"
         aria-label={localize('com_ui_your_answer')}
       />
 
       <div className="flex items-center gap-3">
-        <Button size="sm" variant="submit" disabled={!canSubmit || locked} onClick={submitCombined}>
+        <Button size="sm" variant="outline" disabled={locked} onClick={handleSkip}>
+          {localize('com_ui_skip')}
+        </Button>
+        {(status === 'expired' || status === 'error') && (
+          <span className="flex min-w-0 items-center text-xs text-text-warning">
+            <TriangleAlert className="mr-1.5 size-4 shrink-0" aria-hidden="true" />
+            {localize(status === 'expired' ? 'com_ui_approval_expired' : 'com_ui_approval_error')}
+          </span>
+        )}
+        <Button
+          size="sm"
+          variant="submit"
+          className="ml-auto"
+          disabled={!canSubmit || locked}
+          onClick={submitCombined}
+        >
           {status === 'submitting' ? localize('com_ui_submitting') : localize('com_ui_submit')}
         </Button>
-        {status === 'expired' && (
-          <span className="flex items-center text-xs text-text-warning">
-            <TriangleAlert className="mr-1.5 h-4 w-4" aria-hidden="true" />
-            {localize('com_ui_approval_expired')}
-          </span>
-        )}
-        {status === 'error' && (
-          <span className="flex items-center text-xs text-text-warning">
-            <TriangleAlert className="mr-1.5 h-4 w-4" aria-hidden="true" />
-            {localize('com_ui_approval_error')}
-          </span>
-        )}
+      </div>
+    </div>
+  );
+
+  if (!showPlaceholder) {
+    return card;
+  }
+
+  /** Popover has the question: the reserved card sits hidden underneath the
+   *  same compact in-progress row the other tools use, so the turn still
+   *  shows the call is running. */
+  return (
+    <div className="relative">
+      {card}
+      <div className="absolute inset-x-0 top-0 my-1 flex h-5 items-center gap-2.5">
+        <MessageCircleQuestion className="size-4 shrink-0 text-text-secondary" aria-hidden="true" />
+        <span className="tool-status-text shimmer font-medium text-text-secondary">
+          {localize('com_ui_asking')}
+        </span>
       </div>
     </div>
   );
diff --git a/client/src/components/Chat/ask/options.tsx b/client/src/components/Chat/ask/options.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a9e13a2ccf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/src/components/Chat/ask/options.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+import { Check } from 'lucide-react';
+import { cn } from '~/utils';
+
+export interface AskOption {
+  label: string;
+  value: string;
+}
+
+/**
+ * The single option-row list shared by every `ask_user_question` surface
+ * (composer popover and chat card), so the same question looks and behaves
+ * identically wherever it renders. Numbered badges double as the popover's
+ * digit shortcuts; multi-select swaps the number for a check.
+ */
+export default function AskOptions({
+  options,
+  multiSelect,
+  checked,
+  selected,
+  locked,
+  onActivate,
+  optionRefs,
+  listRef,
+  className,
+}: {
+  options: AskOption[];
+  multiSelect: boolean;
+  checked: number[];
+  selected?: number | null;
+  locked: boolean;
+  onActivate: (index: number) => void;
+  optionRefs?: React.MutableRefObject<(HTMLButtonElement | null)[]>;
+  listRef?: React.RefObject<HTMLDivElement>;
+  className?: string;
+}) {
+  return (
+    <div ref={listRef} className={className}>
+      {options.map((option, index) => {
+        const isChecked = multiSelect && checked.includes(index);
+        return (
+          <button
+            key={option.value}
+            ref={(el) => {
+              if (optionRefs) {
+                optionRefs.current[index] = el;
+              }
+            }}
+            type="button"
+            role={multiSelect ? 'checkbox' : undefined}
+            aria-checked={multiSelect ? isChecked : undefined}
+            disabled={locked}
+            className={cn(
+              'flex w-full items-center gap-2.5 rounded-lg px-2.5 py-2 text-left text-sm text-text-primary',
+              'focus-visible:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-border-heavy',
+              selected === index ? 'bg-surface-active' : 'hover:bg-surface-hover',
+              locked && 'cursor-not-allowed opacity-60',
+            )}
+            onClick={() => onActivate(index)}
+          >
+            <span
+              className={cn(
+                'flex size-5 shrink-0 items-center justify-center rounded-md text-[11px] font-medium tabular-nums transition-colors',
+                isChecked
+                  ? 'bg-surface-submit text-white'
+                  : 'bg-surface-tertiary text-text-secondary',
+              )}
+            >
+              {isChecked ? <Check className="size-3.5" aria-hidden="true" /> : index + 1}
+            </span>
+            <span className="min-w-0 flex-1 [overflow-wrap:anywhere]">{option.label}</span>
+          </button>
+        );
+      })}
+    </div>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/client/src/locales/en/translation.json b/client/src/locales/en/translation.json
index a5ea0235b3..d2113da337 100644
--- a/client/src/locales/en/translation.json
+++ b/client/src/locales/en/translation.json
@@ -872,6 +872,8 @@
   "com_ui_artifacts_subtext": "Lets the agent render React, HTML, SVG, Markdown, and Mermaid as interactive artifacts in a side panel instead of plain code blocks.",
   "com_ui_ascending": "Asc",
   "com_ui_ask_answer_error": "Your answer couldn't be sent. Try again.",
+  "com_ui_ask_move_to_chat": "Answer later in the chat",
+  "com_ui_ask_move_to_composer": "Answer from the message box",
   "com_ui_ask_type_below": "Or type your answer below",
   "com_ui_ask_type_below_only": "Type your answer below",
   "com_ui_ask_user": "Ask User",