diff --git a/src/ClaudeDev.ts b/src/ClaudeDev.ts
index bb58eef..cf09fc5 100644
--- a/src/ClaudeDev.ts
+++ b/src/ClaudeDev.ts
@@ -247,9 +247,9 @@ export class ClaudeDev {
 
 	constructor(
 		provider: ClaudeDevProvider,
-		task: string,
 		apiConfiguration: ApiConfiguration,
 		maxRequestsPerTask?: number,
+		task?: string,
 		images?: string[]
 	) {
 		this.providerRef = new WeakRef(provider)
@@ -323,26 +323,24 @@ export class ClaudeDev {
 			: []
 	}
 
-	private formatIntoToolResponse(text?: string, images?: string[]): ToolResponse {
+	private formatIntoToolResponse(text: string, images?: string[]): ToolResponse {
 		if (images && images.length > 0) {
-			const textBlock: Anthropic.TextBlockParam = { type: "text", text: text ?? "" }
+			const textBlock: Anthropic.TextBlockParam = { type: "text", text }
 			const imageBlocks: Anthropic.ImageBlockParam[] = this.formatImagesIntoBlocks(images)
 			// Placing images after text leads to better results
 			return [textBlock, ...imageBlocks]
 		} else {
-			return text ?? ""
+			return text
 		}
 	}
 
-	private async startTask(task: string, images?: string[]): Promise<void> {
+	private async startTask(task?: string, images?: string[]): Promise<void> {
 		// conversationHistory (for API) and claudeMessages (for webview) need to be in sync
 		// if the extension process were killed, then on restart the claudeMessages might not be empty, so we need to set it to [] when we create a new ClaudeDev client (otherwise webview would show stale messages from previous session)
 		this.claudeMessages = []
 		this.apiConversationHistory = []
 		await this.providerRef.deref()?.postStateToWebview()
 
-		// This first message kicks off a task, it is not included in every subsequent message.
-
 		let textBlock: Anthropic.TextBlockParam = { type: "text", text: `Task: \"${task}\"` }
 		let imageBlocks: Anthropic.ImageBlockParam[] = this.formatImagesIntoBlocks(images)
 
diff --git a/src/providers/ClaudeDevProvider.ts b/src/providers/ClaudeDevProvider.ts
index 6506f5e..3e35ad0 100644
--- a/src/providers/ClaudeDevProvider.ts
+++ b/src/providers/ClaudeDevProvider.ts
@@ -133,15 +133,15 @@ export class ClaudeDevProvider implements vscode.WebviewViewProvider {
 		this.outputChannel.appendLine("Webview view resolved")
 	}
 
-	async initClaudeDevWithTask(task: string, images?: string[]) {
+	async initClaudeDevWithTask(task?: string, images?: string[]) {
 		await this.clearTask() // ensures that an exising task doesn't exist before starting a new one, although this shouldn't be possible since user must clear task before starting a new one
 		const { apiProvider, apiKey, openRouterApiKey, awsAccessKey, awsSecretKey, awsRegion, maxRequestsPerTask } =
 			await this.getState()
 		this.claudeDev = new ClaudeDev(
 			this,
-			task,
 			{ apiProvider, apiKey, openRouterApiKey, awsAccessKey, awsSecretKey, awsRegion },
 			maxRequestsPerTask,
+			task,
 			images
 		)
 	}
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ export class ClaudeDevProvider implements vscode.WebviewViewProvider {
 						// Could also do this in extension .ts
 						//this.postMessageToWebview({ type: "text", text: `Extension: ${Date.now()}` })
 						// initializing new instance of ClaudeDev will make sure that any agentically running promises in old instance don't affect our new task. this essentially creates a fresh slate for the new task
-						await this.initClaudeDevWithTask(message.text!, message.images)
+						await this.initClaudeDevWithTask(message.text, message.images)
 						break
 					case "apiConfiguration":
 						if (message.apiConfiguration) {
diff --git a/webview-ui/src/components/ChatView.tsx b/webview-ui/src/components/ChatView.tsx
index 7d8f603..cff4cc3 100644
--- a/webview-ui/src/components/ChatView.tsx
+++ b/webview-ui/src/components/ChatView.tsx
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ const ChatView = ({ messages, isHidden, vscodeThemeName, showAnnouncement, hideA
 
 	const handleSendMessage = () => {
 		const text = inputValue.trim()
-		if (text) {
+		if (text || selectedImages.length > 0) {
 			if (messages.length === 0) {
 				vscode.postMessage({ type: "newTask", text, images: selectedImages })
 			} else if (claudeAsk) {
@@ -598,7 +598,7 @@ const ChatView = ({ messages, isHidden, vscodeThemeName, showAnnouncement, hideA
 						appearance="icon"
 						aria-label="Send Message"
 						onClick={handleSendMessage}>
-						<span className="codicon codicon-send" style={{ marginBottom: -1 }}></span>
+						<span className="codicon codicon-send"></span>
 					</VSCodeButton>
 				</div>
 			</div>