diff --git a/src/main/ipcHandlers.ts b/src/main/ipcHandlers.ts
index bcf4e70..7f05ab9 100644
--- a/src/main/ipcHandlers.ts
+++ b/src/main/ipcHandlers.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import {
 import type { Market, Submission, StoryMeta, TelemetrySession } from './fileSystem'
 import { streamMessage, streamPrompt, resetClient } from './aiService'
 import type { AIPayload } from './aiService'
-import { readGlobalConfig, writeGlobalConfig } from './globalConfig'
+import { readGlobalConfig, writeGlobalConfig, getApiKey } from './globalConfig'
 import type { GlobalConfig } from './globalConfig'
 
 export function registerIpcHandlers(): void {
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ export function registerIpcHandlers(): void {
   ipcMain.handle('telemetry:read', async () => readTelemetry())
 
   // ── Config ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+  ipcMain.handle('config:isAIEnabled', async () => !!getApiKey())
   ipcMain.handle('config:read', async () => readGlobalConfig())
   ipcMain.handle('config:write', async (_e, updates: Partial<GlobalConfig>) => {
     writeGlobalConfig(updates)
diff --git a/src/preload/index.ts b/src/preload/index.ts
index e0402cc..4949105 100644
--- a/src/preload/index.ts
+++ b/src/preload/index.ts
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ contextBridge.exposeInMainWorld('api', {
   loadRevision: (path: string, id: string): Promise<string> => ipcRenderer.invoke('revisions:load', path, id),
 
   // Config
+  isAIEnabled: (): Promise<boolean> => ipcRenderer.invoke('config:isAIEnabled'),
   readConfig: (): Promise<GlobalConfig> => ipcRenderer.invoke('config:read'),
   writeConfig: (updates: Partial<GlobalConfig>): Promise<void> => ipcRenderer.invoke('config:write', updates),
   pickFolder: (): Promise<string | null> => ipcRenderer.invoke('config:pickFolder'),
diff --git a/src/renderer/App.tsx b/src/renderer/App.tsx
index e5c48a4..03fe30c 100644
--- a/src/renderer/App.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/App.tsx
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ export default function App(): JSX.Element {
   } = useBorgesStore()
 
   const [settingsOpen, setSettingsOpen] = useState(false)
-  const [, setIsFirstRun] = useState(false)
+  const [aiEnabled, setAiEnabled] = useState(false)
 
   // Initialise app
   useEffect(() => {
@@ -40,11 +40,7 @@ export default function App(): JSX.Element {
       setMarkets(marketsList)
       setSubmissions(subsList)
       await loadSession()
-      const cfg = await window.api.readConfig()
-      if (!cfg.apiKey) {
-        setIsFirstRun(true)
-        setSettingsOpen(true)
-      }
+      setAiEnabled(await window.api.isAIEnabled())
     }
     init()
   }, [])
@@ -146,12 +142,16 @@ export default function App(): JSX.Element {
               onClick={() => toggleSeg('sub')}
               title={submissionPanelOpen ? 'Hide submission panel' : 'Show submission panel'}
             />
-            <div className="app-layout-toggle-seg app-layout-toggle-seg--mid" style={{ width: '4px' }} />
-            <button
-              className={`app-layout-toggle-seg${chatOpen ? ' active' : ''}`}
-              onClick={() => toggleSeg('chat')}
-              title={chatOpen ? 'Hide AI chat' : 'Show AI chat'}
-            />
+            {aiEnabled && (
+              <>
+                <div className="app-layout-toggle-seg app-layout-toggle-seg--mid" style={{ width: '4px' }} />
+                <button
+                  className={`app-layout-toggle-seg${chatOpen ? ' active' : ''}`}
+                  onClick={() => toggleSeg('chat')}
+                  title={chatOpen ? 'Hide AI chat' : 'Show AI chat'}
+                />
+              </>
+            )}
           </div>
           <button
             className={`app-titlebar-btn${revisionPanelOpen ? ' active' : ''}`}
@@ -188,11 +188,11 @@ export default function App(): JSX.Element {
       <main className="editor-area">
         {activeStoryId ? (
           <>
-            <AnalysisToolbar />
+            {aiEnabled && <AnalysisToolbar />}
             <MarkdownEditor />
           </>
         ) : (
-          <Dashboard />
+          <Dashboard aiEnabled={aiEnabled} />
         )}
       </main>
 
@@ -202,9 +202,11 @@ export default function App(): JSX.Element {
       </aside>
 
       {/* Chat panel */}
-      <aside className="chat-area">
-        <ChatPanel />
-      </aside>
+      {aiEnabled && (
+        <aside className="chat-area">
+          <ChatPanel />
+        </aside>
+      )}
 
 
 {/* Settings */}
diff --git a/src/renderer/components/Dashboard/Dashboard.tsx b/src/renderer/components/Dashboard/Dashboard.tsx
index 4860752..e817b73 100644
--- a/src/renderer/components/Dashboard/Dashboard.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/components/Dashboard/Dashboard.tsx
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ type StoryRow =
   | { kind: 'ready'; storyId: string; storyTitle: string; storyPath: string; wordCount: number }
   | { kind: 'accepted' | 'rejected'; storyId: string; storyTitle: string; storyPath: string; marketName: string }
 
-export function Dashboard(): JSX.Element {
+export function Dashboard({ aiEnabled }: { aiEnabled: boolean }): JSX.Element {
   const { stories, submissions, markets, setActiveStory, markSaved, isDirty, activeStoryPath, activeStoryContent } = useBorgesStore()
 
   const openStory = async (path: string, id: string): Promise<void> => {
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ export function Dashboard(): JSX.Element {
 
   return (
     <div className="dashboard">
-      <PromptHero />
+      {aiEnabled && <PromptHero />}
       <div className="dashboard-greeting">
         {stories.length === 0
           ? 'Welcome to Borges. Create your first story to get started.'
diff --git a/src/renderer/components/Settings/SettingsDialog.tsx b/src/renderer/components/Settings/SettingsDialog.tsx
index 455cfba..eaada0b 100644
--- a/src/renderer/components/Settings/SettingsDialog.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/components/Settings/SettingsDialog.tsx
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ type Tab = 'general' | 'editor' | 'collection'
 export function SettingsDialog({ onClose }: Props): JSX.Element {
   const { theme, fontSize, setFontSize } = useBorgesStore()
   const [tab, setTab] = useState<Tab>('general')
-  const [apiKey, setApiKey] = useState('')
   const [collectionPath, setCollectionPath] = useState('')
   const [defaultTarget, setDefaultTarget] = useState('')
   const [collectionContext, setCollectionContext] = useState('')
@@ -18,7 +17,6 @@ export function SettingsDialog({ onClose }: Props): JSX.Element {
 
   useEffect(() => {
     window.api.readConfig().then((cfg) => {
-      setApiKey(cfg.apiKey ?? '')
       setCollectionPath(cfg.collectionPath ?? '')
       setDefaultTarget(String(cfg.defaultWordCountTarget ?? ''))
     })
@@ -30,7 +28,6 @@ export function SettingsDialog({ onClose }: Props): JSX.Element {
   const save = async (): Promise<void> => {
     setSaving(true)
     await window.api.writeConfig({
-      apiKey: apiKey.trim() || undefined,
       collectionPath: collectionPath || undefined,
       defaultWordCountTarget: defaultTarget ? parseInt(defaultTarget) : undefined,
       theme
@@ -66,16 +63,6 @@ export function SettingsDialog({ onClose }: Props): JSX.Element {
             {tab === 'general' && (
               <div>
                 <div className="settings-section-title">General</div>
-                <div className="settings-field">
-                  <label className="settings-label">Anthropic API key</label>
-                  <input
-                    type="password"
-                    value={apiKey}
-                    onChange={(e) => setApiKey(e.target.value)}
-                    placeholder="sk-ant-…"
-                  />
-                  <div className="settings-hint">Used for all AI features (Compression, Ending, Tone, Market fit).</div>
-                </div>
                 <div className="settings-field">
                   <label className="settings-label">Collection folder</label>
                   <div className="settings-field-row">
@@ -121,10 +108,10 @@ export function SettingsDialog({ onClose }: Props): JSX.Element {
                     className="context-textarea"
                     value={collectionContext}
                     onChange={(e) => setCollectionContext(e.target.value)}
-                    placeholder="Describe the themes, aesthetic, and goals of your collection. This is injected into AI prompts when 'Collection context' is enabled."
+                    placeholder="Describe the themes, aesthetic, and goals of your collection."
                     rows={8}
                   />
-                  <div className="settings-hint">Enable via the 'Collection' toggle in the analysis toolbar.</div>
+                  <div className="settings-hint">Used when the 'Collection' context toggle is enabled.</div>
                 </div>
               </div>
             )}
diff --git a/src/renderer/types/global.d.ts b/src/renderer/types/global.d.ts
index 201249a..3df2918 100644
--- a/src/renderer/types/global.d.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/types/global.d.ts
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ declare global {
       loadRevision(path: string, id: string): Promise<string>
       appendTelemetrySession(session: TelemetrySession): Promise<void>
       readTelemetry(): Promise<TelemetrySession[]>
+      isAIEnabled(): Promise<boolean>
       readConfig(): Promise<GlobalConfig>
       writeConfig(updates: Partial<GlobalConfig>): Promise<void>
       pickFolder(): Promise<string | null>