diff --git a/x-pack/packages/kbn-elastic-assistant/impl/assistant/assistant_body/index.tsx b/x-pack/packages/kbn-elastic-assistant/impl/assistant/assistant_body/index.tsx
index 72d33d7a52460..08d3fcd922990 100644
--- a/x-pack/packages/kbn-elastic-assistant/impl/assistant/assistant_body/index.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/packages/kbn-elastic-assistant/impl/assistant/assistant_body/index.tsx
@@ -13,7 +13,14 @@ import React, {
   useMemo,
   useRef,
 } from 'react';
-import { EuiFlexGroup, EuiFlexItem, EuiPanel, EuiText } from '@elastic/eui';
+import {
+  EuiEmptyPrompt,
+  EuiFlexGroup,
+  EuiFlexItem,
+  EuiLoadingLogo,
+  EuiPanel,
+  EuiText,
+} from '@elastic/eui';
 import { HttpSetup } from '@kbn/core-http-browser';
 import { euiThemeVars } from '@kbn/ui-theme';
 import { css } from '@emotion/react';
@@ -33,6 +40,7 @@ interface Props {
   isAssistantEnabled: boolean;
   isSettingsModalVisible: boolean;
   isWelcomeSetup: boolean;
+  isLoading: boolean;
   refetchCurrentUserConversations: () => Promise<
     QueryObserverResult<Record<string, Conversation>, unknown>
   >;
@@ -50,6 +58,7 @@ export const AssistantBody: FunctionComponent<Props> = ({
   setCurrentSystemPromptId,
   http,
   isAssistantEnabled,
+  isLoading,
   isSettingsModalVisible,
   isWelcomeSetup,
   refetchCurrentUserConversations,
@@ -103,7 +112,12 @@ export const AssistantBody: FunctionComponent<Props> = ({
   return (
     <EuiFlexGroup direction="column" justifyContent="spaceBetween">
       <EuiFlexItem grow={false}>
-        {isWelcomeSetup ? (
+        {isLoading ? (
+          <EuiEmptyPrompt
+            data-test-subj="animatedLogo"
+            icon={<EuiLoadingLogo logo="logoSecurity" size="xl" />}
+          />
+        ) : isWelcomeSetup ? (
           <WelcomeSetup
             currentConversation={currentConversation}
             handleOnConversationSelected={handleOnConversationSelected}
diff --git a/x-pack/packages/kbn-elastic-assistant/impl/assistant/assistant_header/index.test.tsx b/x-pack/packages/kbn-elastic-assistant/impl/assistant/assistant_header/index.test.tsx
index ebca6fab0978f..fa358b26c2c3a 100644
--- a/x-pack/packages/kbn-elastic-assistant/impl/assistant/assistant_header/index.test.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/packages/kbn-elastic-assistant/impl/assistant/assistant_header/index.test.tsx
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ const testProps = {
     ELASTIC_WEBSITE_URL: 'https://www.elastic.co/',
     DOC_LINK_VERSION: 'master',
   },
+  isLoading: false,
   isDisabled: false,
   isSettingsModalVisible: false,
   onConversationSelected,
diff --git a/x-pack/packages/kbn-elastic-assistant/impl/assistant/assistant_header/index.tsx b/x-pack/packages/kbn-elastic-assistant/impl/assistant/assistant_header/index.tsx
index 31ec2923ba986..cf0e990545996 100644
--- a/x-pack/packages/kbn-elastic-assistant/impl/assistant/assistant_header/index.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/packages/kbn-elastic-assistant/impl/assistant/assistant_header/index.tsx
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import {
   EuiPanel,
   EuiConfirmModal,
   EuiToolTip,
+  EuiSkeletonTitle,
 } from '@elastic/eui';
 import { css } from '@emotion/react';
 import { euiThemeVars } from '@kbn/ui-theme';
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@ interface OwnProps {
   selectedConversation: Conversation | undefined;
   defaultConnector?: AIConnector;
   isDisabled: boolean;
+  isLoading: boolean;
   isSettingsModalVisible: boolean;
   onToggleShowAnonymizedValues: () => void;
   setIsSettingsModalVisible: React.Dispatch<React.SetStateAction<boolean>>;
@@ -62,6 +64,7 @@ export const AssistantHeader: React.FC<Props> = ({
   selectedConversation,
   defaultConnector,
   isDisabled,
+  isLoading,
   isSettingsModalVisible,
   onToggleShowAnonymizedValues,
   setIsSettingsModalVisible,
@@ -145,6 +148,7 @@ export const AssistantHeader: React.FC<Props> = ({
   return (
     <>
       <FlyoutNavigation
+        isLoading={isLoading}
         isExpanded={!!chatHistoryVisible}
         setIsExpanded={setChatHistoryVisible}
         onConversationCreate={onConversationCreate}
@@ -197,11 +201,15 @@ export const AssistantHeader: React.FC<Props> = ({
               overflow: hidden;
             `}
           >
-            <AssistantTitle
-              title={selectedConversation?.title}
-              selectedConversation={selectedConversation}
-              refetchCurrentUserConversations={refetchCurrentUserConversations}
-            />
+            {isLoading ? (
+              <EuiSkeletonTitle data-test-subj="skeletonTitle" size="xs" />
+            ) : (
+              <AssistantTitle
+                title={selectedConversation?.title}
+                selectedConversation={selectedConversation}
+                refetchCurrentUserConversations={refetchCurrentUserConversations}
+              />
+            )}
           </EuiFlexItem>
 
           <EuiFlexItem grow={false}>
@@ -241,6 +249,7 @@ export const AssistantHeader: React.FC<Props> = ({
                   button={
                     <EuiButtonIcon
                       aria-label="test"
+                      isDisabled={isDisabled}
                       iconType="boxesVertical"
                       onClick={onButtonClick}
                       data-test-subj="chat-context-menu"
diff --git a/x-pack/packages/kbn-elastic-assistant/impl/assistant/assistant_overlay/flyout_navigation.tsx b/x-pack/packages/kbn-elastic-assistant/impl/assistant/assistant_overlay/flyout_navigation.tsx
index 3f7c3f7ea1bcb..348fbb1ad3496 100644
--- a/x-pack/packages/kbn-elastic-assistant/impl/assistant/assistant_overlay/flyout_navigation.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/packages/kbn-elastic-assistant/impl/assistant/assistant_overlay/flyout_navigation.tsx
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import { NEW_CHAT } from '../conversations/conversation_sidepanel/translations';
 
 export interface FlyoutNavigationProps {
   isExpanded: boolean;
+  isLoading: boolean;
   setIsExpanded?: (value: boolean) => void;
   children: React.ReactNode;
   onConversationCreate?: () => Promise<void>;
@@ -35,7 +36,14 @@ const VerticalSeparator = styled.div`
  */
 
 export const FlyoutNavigation = memo<FlyoutNavigationProps>(
-  ({ isExpanded, setIsExpanded, children, onConversationCreate, isAssistantEnabled }) => {
+  ({
+    isLoading,
+    isExpanded,
+    setIsExpanded,
+    children,
+    onConversationCreate,
+    isAssistantEnabled,
+  }) => {
     const onToggle = useCallback(
       () => setIsExpanded && setIsExpanded(!isExpanded),
       [isExpanded, setIsExpanded]
@@ -44,7 +52,7 @@ export const FlyoutNavigation = memo<FlyoutNavigationProps>(
     const toggleButton = useMemo(
       () => (
         <EuiButtonIcon
-          disabled={!isAssistantEnabled}
+          disabled={isLoading || !isAssistantEnabled}
           onClick={onToggle}
           iconType={isExpanded ? 'arrowEnd' : 'arrowStart'}
           size="xs"
@@ -66,7 +74,7 @@ export const FlyoutNavigation = memo<FlyoutNavigationProps>(
           }
         />
       ),
-      [isAssistantEnabled, isExpanded, onToggle]
+      [isAssistantEnabled, isExpanded, isLoading, onToggle]
     );
 
     return (
@@ -99,7 +107,7 @@ export const FlyoutNavigation = memo<FlyoutNavigationProps>(
                       color="primary"
                       iconType="newChat"
                       onClick={onConversationCreate}
-                      disabled={!isAssistantEnabled}
+                      disabled={isLoading || !isAssistantEnabled}
                     >
                       {NEW_CHAT}
                     </EuiButtonEmpty>
diff --git a/x-pack/packages/kbn-elastic-assistant/impl/assistant/index.tsx b/x-pack/packages/kbn-elastic-assistant/impl/assistant/index.tsx
index 10938ab21b299..725adde176fd6 100644
--- a/x-pack/packages/kbn-elastic-assistant/impl/assistant/index.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/packages/kbn-elastic-assistant/impl/assistant/index.tsx
@@ -145,6 +145,18 @@ const AssistantComponent: React.FC<Props> = ({
       Object.keys(conversations).length > 0,
   });
 
+  const isInitialLoad = useMemo(() => {
+    return (
+      (!isFetchedAnonymizationFields && !isFetchedCurrentUserConversations && !isFetchedPrompts) ||
+      !(currentConversation && currentConversation?.id !== '')
+    );
+  }, [
+    currentConversation,
+    isFetchedAnonymizationFields,
+    isFetchedCurrentUserConversations,
+    isFetchedPrompts,
+  ]);
+
   // Welcome setup state
   const isWelcomeSetup = useMemo(
     () =>
@@ -158,7 +170,10 @@ const AssistantComponent: React.FC<Props> = ({
         : (connectors?.length ?? 0) === 0,
     [connectors?.length, conversations]
   );
-  const isDisabled = isWelcomeSetup || !isAssistantEnabled;
+  const isDisabled = useMemo(
+    () => isWelcomeSetup || !isAssistantEnabled || isInitialLoad,
+    [isWelcomeSetup, isAssistantEnabled, isInitialLoad]
+  );
 
   // Settings modal state (so it isn't shared between assistant instances like Timeline)
   const [isSettingsModalVisible, setIsSettingsModalVisible] = useState(false);
@@ -438,6 +453,7 @@ const AssistantComponent: React.FC<Props> = ({
             >
               <EuiFlyoutHeader hasBorder>
                 <AssistantHeader
+                  isLoading={isInitialLoad}
                   selectedConversation={currentConversation}
                   defaultConnector={defaultConnector}
                   isDisabled={isDisabled || isLoadingChatSend}
@@ -502,6 +518,7 @@ const AssistantComponent: React.FC<Props> = ({
                   handleOnConversationSelected={handleOnConversationSelected}
                   http={http}
                   isAssistantEnabled={isAssistantEnabled}
+                  isLoading={isInitialLoad}
                   isSettingsModalVisible={isSettingsModalVisible}
                   isWelcomeSetup={isWelcomeSetup}
                   refetchCurrentUserConversations={refetchCurrentUserConversations}
diff --git a/x-pack/packages/kbn-elastic-assistant/impl/connectorland/connector_selector/index.tsx b/x-pack/packages/kbn-elastic-assistant/impl/connectorland/connector_selector/index.tsx
index 12cb0a30c0c9c..db48adce0db61 100644
--- a/x-pack/packages/kbn-elastic-assistant/impl/connectorland/connector_selector/index.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/packages/kbn-elastic-assistant/impl/connectorland/connector_selector/index.tsx
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ export const ConnectorSelector: React.FC<Props> = React.memo(
               <EuiButtonEmpty
                 data-test-subj="addNewConnectorButton"
                 href="#"
+                isDisabled={localIsDisabled}
                 iconType="plus"
                 size="xs"
               >
@@ -91,7 +92,7 @@ export const ConnectorSelector: React.FC<Props> = React.memo(
           </EuiFlexGroup>
         ),
       };
-    }, []);
+    }, [localIsDisabled]);
 
     const connectorOptions = useMemo(
       () =>
@@ -188,6 +189,7 @@ export const ConnectorSelector: React.FC<Props> = React.memo(
           <EuiButtonEmpty
             data-test-subj="addNewConnectorButton"
             iconType="plusInCircle"
+            isDisabled={localIsDisabled}
             size="xs"
             onClick={() => setIsConnectorModalVisible(true)}
           >