diff --git a/mistralrs-core/src/pipeline/mod.rs b/mistralrs-core/src/pipeline/mod.rs
index 298a8d570a..c4bb97738e 100644
--- a/mistralrs-core/src/pipeline/mod.rs
+++ b/mistralrs-core/src/pipeline/mod.rs
@@ -224,6 +224,18 @@ pub enum ModelCategory {
     Speech,
 }
 
+impl std::fmt::Debug for ModelCategory {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut std::fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> std::fmt::Result {
+        match self {
+            ModelCategory::Text => write!(f, "ModelCategory::Text"),
+            ModelCategory::Vision { .. } => write!(f, "ModelCategory::Vision {{ prefixer: .. }}"),
+            ModelCategory::Diffusion => write!(f, "ModelCategory::Diffusion"),
+            ModelCategory::Audio => write!(f, "ModelCategory::Audio"),
+            ModelCategory::Speech => write!(f, "ModelCategory::Speech"),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 impl PartialEq for ModelCategory {
     fn eq(&self, other: &Self) -> bool {
         match (self, other) {
diff --git a/mistralrs-quant/src/lib.rs b/mistralrs-quant/src/lib.rs
index 54bc7788e7..1051453d77 100644
--- a/mistralrs-quant/src/lib.rs
+++ b/mistralrs-quant/src/lib.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ use std::{
     borrow::Cow,
     fmt::Debug,
     num::NonZeroUsize,
-    sync::{atomic::AtomicUsize, Arc, Mutex, MutexGuard, OnceLock},
+    sync::{atomic::AtomicUsize, Arc, Mutex, MutexGuard},
 };
 
 use blockwise_fp8::blockwise_fp8_linear_b;
@@ -63,33 +63,26 @@ pub use utils::{log, BitWiseOp, CumSumOp, LeftshiftOp, NonZeroOp, SortOp, UQFF_Q
 use candle_nn::{Linear, Module};
 use serde::{Deserialize, Deserializer, Serialize};
 
-#[derive(Clone)]
+#[derive(Clone, Debug)]
 pub struct ImmediateIsqParams {
     pub guard: QuantizeOntoGuard,
     pub ty: Option<IsqType>,
     pub predicates: Vec<Regex>,
 }
 
-static IMMEDIATE_ISQ: OnceLock<Mutex<ImmediateIsqParams>> = OnceLock::new();
+static IMMEDIATE_ISQ: Mutex<Option<ImmediateIsqParams>> = Mutex::new(None);
 
 pub fn set_immediate_isq(isq: Option<IsqType>, predicates: Vec<Regex>) {
-    IMMEDIATE_ISQ
-        .get_or_init(|| {
-            Mutex::new(ImmediateIsqParams {
-                guard: QuantizeOntoGuard::new(),
-                ty: None,
-                predicates,
-            })
-        })
-        .lock()
-        .unwrap()
-        .ty = isq;
+    let mut guard = IMMEDIATE_ISQ.lock().expect("IMMEDIATE_ISQ mutex poisoned");
+    *guard = Some(ImmediateIsqParams {
+        guard: QuantizeOntoGuard::new(),
+        ty: isq,
+        predicates,
+    });
 }
 
 pub fn get_immediate_isq() -> Option<ImmediateIsqParams> {
-    IMMEDIATE_ISQ
-        .get()
-        .map(|guard| guard.lock().unwrap().clone())
+    IMMEDIATE_ISQ.lock().ok().and_then(|guard| guard.clone())
 }
 
 pub fn should_apply_immediate_isq(vb: &ShardedVarBuilder) -> bool {
@@ -545,7 +538,7 @@ pub trait QuantizedSerde {
 }
 
 /// Used to gate access to quantizing onto the host device
-#[derive(Clone)]
+#[derive(Clone, Debug)]
 #[allow(unused)]
 pub struct QuantizeOntoGuard(Arc<Mutex<()>>);
 
diff --git a/mistralrs-web-chat/static/index.html b/mistralrs-web-chat/static/index.html
index e60959ee07..9be45870c2 100644
--- a/mistralrs-web-chat/static/index.html
+++ b/mistralrs-web-chat/static/index.html
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
     <h2>Control panel</h2>
     <select id="modelSelect"></select>
     <button id="newChatBtn">➕ New chat</button>
-    <button id="clearBtn">🗑️ Clear chat</button>
+    <button id="clearBtn">🧹 Clear chat</button>
     <button id="renameBtn">✏️ Rename chat</button>
     <button id="deleteBtn">🗑️ Delete chat</button>
     <ul id="chatList"></ul>
@@ -22,11 +22,19 @@ <h1 style="margin-top:0;">Mistral.rs Chat</h1>
 
     <div id="log"></div>
 
-    <form id="form" autocomplete="off">
-      <textarea id="input" placeholder="Type your message… (Press Ctrl+Enter to send)" rows="1"></textarea>
-      <label id="imageLabel" for="imageInput">📎 Image</label>
-      <input id="imageInput" type="file" accept="image/*" />
-      <button type="submit">Send</button>
+    <form id="form">
+      <textarea
+        id="input"
+        placeholder="Type your message… (Press Ctrl+Enter to send)"
+      ></textarea>
+
+      <!-- hidden file input -->
+      <input type="file" id="imageInput" accept="image/*" hidden />
+
+      <!-- image label and send button share the same class -->
+      <label for="imageInput" class="btn" id="imageLabel">📎 Image</label>
+      <button type="submit" class="btn">Send</button>
+      <div id="spinner" class="spinner hidden" aria-hidden="true"></div>
     </form>
 
     <div id="image-container"></div>
diff --git a/mistralrs-web-chat/static/js/websocket.js b/mistralrs-web-chat/static/js/websocket.js
index 98b218eaa3..cc1954ad04 100644
--- a/mistralrs-web-chat/static/js/websocket.js
+++ b/mistralrs-web-chat/static/js/websocket.js
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@ function handleWebSocketMessage(ev) {
   }
   
   if (!assistantDiv) {
+    // remove inline spinner when first assistant data arrives
+    const spinner = document.getElementById('spinner');
+    if (spinner) spinner.remove();
     assistantDiv = append('', 'assistant');
   }
   
@@ -58,6 +61,12 @@ function sendMessage() {
   assistantBuf = ''; 
   assistantDiv = null;
   ws.send(msg);
+  // dynamically add spinner in log area
+  const log = document.getElementById('log');
+  const spinnerEl = document.createElement('div');
+  spinnerEl.classList.add('spinner');
+  spinnerEl.id = 'spinner';
+  log.appendChild(spinnerEl);
   input.value = ''; 
   
   // Trigger textarea resize
diff --git a/mistralrs-web-chat/static/styles.css b/mistralrs-web-chat/static/styles.css
index 7138db1a70..2fdba2047f 100644
--- a/mistralrs-web-chat/static/styles.css
+++ b/mistralrs-web-chat/static/styles.css
@@ -191,13 +191,23 @@ body {
   font-family: inherit;
 }
 
-#form button[type="submit"] {
+.btn {
+  display: inline-flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  justify-content: center;
   background: var(--primary);
   color: #fff;
   border: none;
   padding: 0.6rem 1.2rem;
   border-radius: var(--radius);
+  cursor: pointer;
   transition: background 0.2s;
+  font-family: inherit;
+  font-size: 1rem;
+}
+
+.btn:hover {
+  background: var(--primary-hov);
 }
 
 #form button[type="submit"]:hover {
@@ -209,19 +219,6 @@ body {
   display:none; 
 }
 
-#imageLabel {
-  padding:0.6rem 1.2rem;
-  border-radius:var(--radius);
-  background:var(--accent);
-  color:#fff;
-  cursor:pointer;
-  transition:background 0.2s;
-}
-
-#imageLabel:hover { 
-  background:var(--accent-hov); 
-}
-
 img.chat-preview {
   max-width: 150px;
   max-height: 150px;
@@ -305,3 +302,21 @@ pre {
 pre:hover .copy-btn { 
   opacity: 1; 
 }
+
+/* Spinner */
+.spinner {
+  width: 1.5rem;
+  height: 1.5rem;
+  border: 3px solid var(--border-color);
+  border-top: 3px solid var(--primary);
+  border-radius: 50%;
+  animation: spin 1s linear infinite;
+}
+
+.spinner.hidden {
+  display: none;
+}
+
+@keyframes spin {
+  to { transform: rotate(360deg); }
+}
diff --git a/mistralrs/src/messages.rs b/mistralrs/src/messages.rs
index 2c10e6958d..2688202b71 100644
--- a/mistralrs/src/messages.rs
+++ b/mistralrs/src/messages.rs
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ use serde_json::{json, Value};
 /// A type which can be used as a chat request.
 pub trait RequestLike {
     fn messages_ref(&self) -> &[IndexMap<String, MessageContent>];
+    fn images_ref(&self) -> &[DynamicImage];
     fn take_messages(&mut self) -> RequestMessage;
     fn take_logits_processors(&mut self) -> Option<Vec<Arc<dyn CustomLogitsProcessor>>>;
     fn take_adapters(&mut self) -> Option<Vec<String>>;
@@ -85,6 +86,9 @@ impl RequestLike for TextMessages {
     fn messages_ref(&self) -> &[IndexMap<String, MessageContent>] {
         &self.0
     }
+    fn images_ref(&self) -> &[DynamicImage] {
+        &[]
+    }
     fn take_messages(&mut self) -> RequestMessage {
         let mut other = Vec::new();
         std::mem::swap(&mut other, &mut self.0);
@@ -205,6 +209,9 @@ impl RequestLike for VisionMessages {
     fn messages_ref(&self) -> &[IndexMap<String, MessageContent>] {
         &self.messages
     }
+    fn images_ref(&self) -> &[DynamicImage] {
+        &self.images
+    }
     fn take_messages(&mut self) -> RequestMessage {
         let mut other_messages = Vec::new();
         std::mem::swap(&mut other_messages, &mut self.messages);
@@ -523,6 +530,10 @@ impl RequestLike for RequestBuilder {
         &self.messages
     }
 
+    fn images_ref(&self) -> &[DynamicImage] {
+        &self.images
+    }
+
     fn take_messages(&mut self) -> RequestMessage {
         if self.images.is_empty() {
             let mut other = Vec::new();