diff --git a/src/agent/agents/subagents/tangentResearcher.ts b/src/agent/agents/subagents/tangentResearcher.ts
index 43c902c6b..08ec7a963 100644
--- a/src/agent/agents/subagents/tangentResearcher.ts
+++ b/src/agent/agents/subagents/tangentResearcher.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
  */
 import { Agent } from "@openai/agents";
 
-import { requireOrchestratorModel } from "../../config";
+import { getAgentModelConfig } from "../../config";
 import { attachObservabilityHooks } from "../../middleware/observability";
 import tangentResearcherPrompt from "../../prompts/tangentResearcher.md?raw";
 import type { AgentSession, RecentPipelineRun } from "../../session";
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ export function createTangentResearcherAgent(session: AgentSession): Agent {
       hyperparameter-tuning and experiment ideas. Read-only — cannot edit the pipeline or submit runs.`,
     instructions,
     tools: [runTools.getRunStatus, csom.getPipelineState],
-    model: requireOrchestratorModel(),
+    ...getAgentModelConfig(session.aiConfig),
     modelSettings: { reasoning: { effort: "high" } },
   });
   attachObservabilityHooks(agent, session.emitStatus);
diff --git a/src/routes/v2/pages/RunView/components/RunDetailsContent.tsx b/src/routes/v2/pages/RunView/components/RunDetailsContent.tsx
index 0532b7f05..71a89824e 100644
--- a/src/routes/v2/pages/RunView/components/RunDetailsContent.tsx
+++ b/src/routes/v2/pages/RunView/components/RunDetailsContent.tsx
@@ -13,14 +13,18 @@ import { CopyText } from "@/components/shared/CopyText/CopyText";
 import PipelineIO from "@/components/shared/Execution/PipelineIO";
 import { InfoBox } from "@/components/shared/InfoBox";
 import { LoadingScreen } from "@/components/shared/LoadingScreen";
+import { useFlagValue } from "@/components/shared/Settings/useFlags";
 import { StatusBar } from "@/components/shared/Status";
 import { TagList } from "@/components/shared/Tags/TagList";
+import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button";
+import { Icon } from "@/components/ui/icon";
 import { BlockStack, InlineStack } from "@/components/ui/layout";
 import { Paragraph, Text } from "@/components/ui/typography";
 import { useUserDetails } from "@/hooks/useUserDetails";
 import type { ComponentSpec } from "@/models/componentSpec";
 import { useBackend } from "@/providers/BackendProvider";
 import { useExecutionData } from "@/providers/ExecutionDataProvider";
+import { useStartOptimizationChat } from "@/routes/v2/pages/RunView/hooks/useStartOptimizationChat";
 import { useSpec } from "@/routes/v2/shared/providers/SpecContext";
 import {
   PIPELINE_NOTES_ANNOTATION,
@@ -121,6 +125,8 @@ function RunDetailsContentLoaded({
         {spec.name ?? "Unnamed Pipeline"}
       </CopyText>
 
+      <OptimizationButton />
+
       {metadata && <RunInfoSection metadata={metadata} />}
 
       {spec.description && (
@@ -155,6 +161,20 @@ function RunDetailsContentLoaded({
   );
 }
 
+function OptimizationButton() {
+  const aiEnabled = useFlagValue("ai-assistant");
+  const startOptimizationChat = useStartOptimizationChat();
+
+  if (!aiEnabled) return null;
+
+  return (
+    <Button variant="secondary" onClick={startOptimizationChat}>
+      <Icon name="Sparkles" />
+      Suggest optimization
+    </Button>
+  );
+}
+
 function RunInfoSection({ metadata }: { metadata: PipelineRunResponse }) {
   return (
     <KeyValueList
diff --git a/src/routes/v2/pages/RunView/hooks/useAiChatWindow.tsx b/src/routes/v2/pages/RunView/hooks/useAiChatWindow.tsx
index 1e305e034..048362d9a 100644
--- a/src/routes/v2/pages/RunView/hooks/useAiChatWindow.tsx
+++ b/src/routes/v2/pages/RunView/hooks/useAiChatWindow.tsx
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { createRunViewToolBridge } from "@/routes/v2/pages/RunView/toolBridge/ru
 import { AiChatContent } from "@/routes/v2/shared/components/AiChat/AiChatContent";
 import { useSharedStores } from "@/routes/v2/shared/store/SharedStoreContext";
 
-const AI_CHAT_WINDOW_ID = "run-ai-assistant-chat";
+export const AI_CHAT_WINDOW_ID = "run-ai-assistant-chat";
 
 export function useAiChatWindow(enabled: boolean) {
   const { windows } = useSharedStores();
diff --git a/src/routes/v2/pages/RunView/hooks/useStartOptimizationChat.tsx b/src/routes/v2/pages/RunView/hooks/useStartOptimizationChat.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0dde4d78e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/routes/v2/pages/RunView/hooks/useStartOptimizationChat.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+import { useAiChatStore } from "@/routes/v2/shared/components/AiChat/AiChatStoreContext";
+import { useSharedStores } from "@/routes/v2/shared/store/SharedStoreContext";
+
+import { AI_CHAT_WINDOW_ID } from "./useAiChatWindow";
+
+const OPTIMIZATION_PROMPT = "Suggest optimization scenario for this pipeline";
+
+/**
+ * Surfaces the AI Assistant window, starts a fresh chat thread, and
+ * queues an optimization prompt for it. The send itself happens inside
+ * the chat window (which owns the tool bridge).
+ */
+export function useStartOptimizationChat() {
+  const { windows } = useSharedStores();
+  const aiChat = useAiChatStore();
+
+  return function startOptimizationChat() {
+    const win = windows.getWindowById(AI_CHAT_WINDOW_ID);
+    if (win) {
+      if (win.state === "hidden" || win.isMinimized) {
+        win.restore();
+      } else {
+        win.bringToFront();
+      }
+    }
+    aiChat.startThreadWithPrompt(OPTIMIZATION_PROMPT);
+  };
+}
diff --git a/src/routes/v2/shared/components/AiChat/AiChatContent.tsx b/src/routes/v2/shared/components/AiChat/AiChatContent.tsx
index 34223658d..05ebca6c8 100644
--- a/src/routes/v2/shared/components/AiChat/AiChatContent.tsx
+++ b/src/routes/v2/shared/components/AiChat/AiChatContent.tsx
@@ -116,6 +116,16 @@ export const AiChatContent = observer(function AiChatContent({
     });
   }
 
+  // Dispatch a prompt queued externally (e.g. a "suggest optimization"
+  // button on another panel). This component owns the tool bridge, so it
+  // is the right place to actually send the message.
+  const pendingPrompt = aiChat.pendingPrompt;
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!pendingPrompt || !thread) return;
+    const prompt = aiChat.consumePendingPrompt();
+    if (prompt) handleSend(prompt);
+  }, [pendingPrompt, thread, aiChat]);
+
   if (!isAiConfigured) {
     return <AiProviderSetup />;
   }
diff --git a/src/routes/v2/shared/components/AiChat/aiChatStore.ts b/src/routes/v2/shared/components/AiChat/aiChatStore.ts
index b84be416a..69f5936ac 100644
--- a/src/routes/v2/shared/components/AiChat/aiChatStore.ts
+++ b/src/routes/v2/shared/components/AiChat/aiChatStore.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,12 @@ export interface AiChatStoreConfig {
 export class AiChatStore {
   @observable.shallow accessor threads: AgentThread[] = [];
   @observable accessor activeThreadId: string | null = null;
+  /**
+   * Prompt queued by a consumer (e.g. an external "ask the assistant"
+   * button) to be sent on the active thread. {@link AiChatContent} owns
+   * the tool bridge, so it observes this and dispatches the send.
+   */
+  @observable accessor pendingPrompt: string | null = null;
 
   constructor(private readonly config: AiChatStoreConfig) {
     makeObservable(this);
@@ -62,11 +68,30 @@ export class AiChatStore {
     return thread;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Starts a fresh thread and queues a prompt to be sent on it. The
+   * dispatch happens in {@link AiChatContent}, which holds the tool
+   * bridge required to fulfil tool calls.
+   */
+  @action startThreadWithPrompt(prompt: string): AgentThread {
+    const thread = this.newThread();
+    this.pendingPrompt = prompt;
+    return thread;
+  }
+
+  /** Returns and clears the queued prompt, guarding against double-sends. */
+  @action consumePendingPrompt(): string | null {
+    const prompt = this.pendingPrompt;
+    this.pendingPrompt = null;
+    return prompt;
+  }
+
   @action disposeAll() {
     for (const thread of this.threads) {
       thread.dispose();
     }
     this.threads = [];
     this.activeThreadId = null;
+    this.pendingPrompt = null;
   }
 }