diff --git a/lua/opencode/ui/input_window.lua b/lua/opencode/ui/input_window.lua
index 48f86a3c..d805ce2d 100644
--- a/lua/opencode/ui/input_window.lua
+++ b/lua/opencode/ui/input_window.lua
@@ -187,6 +187,10 @@ M._prompt_add_to_context = function(cmd, output, exit_code)
 end
 
 M._append_to_input = function(text)
+  if M._hidden then
+    M._show()
+  end
+
   if not M.mounted() then
     return
   end
@@ -378,12 +382,22 @@ end
 
 function M.set_content(text, windows)
   windows = windows or state.windows
-  if not M.mounted(windows) then
+  if not windows or not windows.input_buf then
     return
   end
-  ---@cast windows { input_win: integer, input_buf: integer }
 
   local lines = type(text) == 'table' and text or vim.split(tostring(text), '\n')
+  local has_content = #lines > 1 or (lines[1] and lines[1] ~= '')
+
+  if has_content and M._hidden then
+    M._show()
+    windows = state.windows
+  end
+
+  if not M.mounted(windows) then
+    return
+  end
+  ---@cast windows { input_win: integer, input_buf: integer }
 
   vim.api.nvim_buf_set_lines(windows.input_buf, 0, -1, false, lines)
 end
diff --git a/tests/unit/input_window_spec.lua b/tests/unit/input_window_spec.lua
index 17409689..4abb2e8b 100644
--- a/tests/unit/input_window_spec.lua
+++ b/tests/unit/input_window_spec.lua
@@ -84,8 +84,7 @@ describe('input_window', function()
         output_lines = lines
       end
 
-      output_window.clear = function()
-      end
+      output_window.clear = function() end
 
       vim.system = function(cmd, opts, callback)
         vim.schedule(function()
@@ -358,4 +357,73 @@ describe('input_window', function()
       state.windows = nil
     end)
   end)
+
+  describe('auto-show when hidden', function()
+    local input_buf, output_buf, input_win, output_win
+
+    before_each(function()
+      input_buf = vim.api.nvim_create_buf(false, true)
+      output_buf = vim.api.nvim_create_buf(false, true)
+      input_win = vim.api.nvim_open_win(input_buf, true, {
+        relative = 'editor',
+        width = 80,
+        height = 10,
+        row = 0,
+        col = 0,
+      })
+      output_win = vim.api.nvim_open_win(output_buf, false, {
+        relative = 'editor',
+        width = 80,
+        height = 10,
+        row = 11,
+        col = 0,
+      })
+
+      state.windows = {
+        input_buf = input_buf,
+        input_win = input_win,
+        output_buf = output_buf,
+        output_win = output_win,
+      }
+    end)
+
+    after_each(function()
+      pcall(vim.api.nvim_win_close, input_win, true)
+      pcall(vim.api.nvim_win_close, output_win, true)
+      pcall(vim.api.nvim_buf_delete, input_buf, { force = true })
+      pcall(vim.api.nvim_buf_delete, output_buf, { force = true })
+      state.windows = nil
+      input_window._hidden = false
+    end)
+
+    it('should auto-show when set_content is called with non-empty content while hidden', function()
+      input_window._hidden = true
+      pcall(vim.api.nvim_win_close, input_win, true)
+      state.windows.input_win = nil
+
+      input_window.set_content('test content')
+
+      assert.is_false(input_window._hidden)
+    end)
+
+    it('should not auto-show when set_content is called with empty content while hidden', function()
+      input_window._hidden = true
+      pcall(vim.api.nvim_win_close, input_win, true)
+      state.windows.input_win = nil
+
+      input_window.set_content('')
+
+      assert.is_true(input_window._hidden)
+    end)
+
+    it('should auto-show when _append_to_input is called while hidden', function()
+      input_window._hidden = true
+      pcall(vim.api.nvim_win_close, input_win, true)
+      state.windows.input_win = nil
+
+      input_window._append_to_input('appended content')
+
+      assert.is_false(input_window._hidden)
+    end)
+  end)
 end)