diff --git a/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/ai-bot-header-icon.gjs b/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/ai-bot-header-icon.gjs
index 3cbda25c..70ba429c 100644
--- a/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/ai-bot-header-icon.gjs
+++ b/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/ai-bot-header-icon.gjs
@@ -2,14 +2,17 @@ import Component from "@glimmer/component";
 import { action } from "@ember/object";
 import { service } from "@ember/service";
 import DButton from "discourse/components/d-button";
+import { defaultHomepage } from "discourse/lib/utilities";
 import { i18n } from "discourse-i18n";
 import { composeAiBotMessage } from "../lib/ai-bot-helper";
+import { AI_CONVERSATIONS_PANEL } from "../services/ai-conversations-sidebar-manager";
 
 export default class AiBotHeaderIcon extends Component {
-  @service currentUser;
-  @service siteSettings;
   @service composer;
+  @service currentUser;
   @service router;
+  @service sidebarState;
+  @service siteSettings;
 
   get bots() {
     const availableBots = this.currentUser.ai_enabled_chat_bots
@@ -23,11 +26,30 @@ export default class AiBotHeaderIcon extends Component {
     return this.bots.length > 0 && this.siteSettings.ai_bot_add_to_header;
   }
 
+  get icon() {
+    if (this.clickShouldRouteOutOfConversations) {
+      return "shuffle";
+    }
+    return "robot";
+  }
+
+  get clickShouldRouteOutOfConversations() {
+    return (
+      this.siteSettings.ai_enable_experimental_bot_ux &&
+      this.sidebarState.currentPanel?.key === AI_CONVERSATIONS_PANEL
+    );
+  }
+
   @action
-  compose() {
+  onClick() {
+    if (this.clickShouldRouteOutOfConversations) {
+      return this.router.transitionTo(`discovery.${defaultHomepage()}`);
+    }
+
     if (this.siteSettings.ai_enable_experimental_bot_ux) {
       return this.router.transitionTo("discourse-ai-bot-conversations");
     }
+
     composeAiBotMessage(this.bots[0], this.composer);
   }
 
@@ -35,8 +57,8 @@ export default class AiBotHeaderIcon extends Component {
     {{#if this.showHeaderButton}}
       <li>
         <DButton
-          @action={{this.compose}}
-          @icon="robot"
+          @action={{this.onClick}}
+          @icon={{this.icon}}
           title={{i18n "discourse_ai.ai_bot.shortcut_title"}}
           class="ai-bot-button icon btn-flat"
         />
diff --git a/assets/javascripts/discourse/services/ai-conversations-sidebar-manager.js b/assets/javascripts/discourse/services/ai-conversations-sidebar-manager.js
index ce41d0f1..c79ffe59 100644
--- a/assets/javascripts/discourse/services/ai-conversations-sidebar-manager.js
+++ b/assets/javascripts/discourse/services/ai-conversations-sidebar-manager.js
@@ -10,7 +10,12 @@ export default class AiConversationsSidebarManager extends Service {
   @tracked newTopicForceSidebar = false;
 
   forceCustomSidebar() {
-    // Set the panel to your custom panel
+    // Return early if we already have the correct panel, so we don't
+    // re-render it.
+    if (this.sidebarState.currentPanel?.key === AI_CONVERSATIONS_PANEL) {
+      return;
+    }
+
     this.sidebarState.setPanel(AI_CONVERSATIONS_PANEL);
 
     // Use separated mode to ensure independence from hamburger menu
diff --git a/spec/system/ai_bot/homepage_spec.rb b/spec/system/ai_bot/homepage_spec.rb
index 30024148..fea48518 100644
--- a/spec/system/ai_bot/homepage_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/system/ai_bot/homepage_spec.rb
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ RSpec.describe "AI Bot - Homepage", type: :system do
   let(:topic_page) { PageObjects::Pages::Topic.new }
   let(:composer) { PageObjects::Components::Composer.new }
   let(:ai_pm_homepage) { PageObjects::Components::AiPmHomepage.new }
+  let(:header) { PageObjects::Pages::DiscourseAi::Header.new }
   let(:sidebar) { PageObjects::Components::NavigationMenu::Sidebar.new }
   let(:header_dropdown) { PageObjects::Components::NavigationMenu::HeaderDropdown.new }
   let(:dialog) { PageObjects::Components::Dialog.new }
@@ -92,14 +93,14 @@ RSpec.describe "AI Bot - Homepage", type: :system do
   context "when `ai_enable_experimental_bot_ux` is enabled" do
     it "renders landing page on bot click" do
       visit "/"
-      find(".ai-bot-button").click
+      header.click_bot_button
       expect(ai_pm_homepage).to have_homepage
       expect(sidebar).to be_visible
     end
 
     it "displays error when message is too short" do
       visit "/"
-      find(".ai-bot-button").click
+      header.click_bot_button
 
       ai_pm_homepage.input.fill_in(with: "a")
       ai_pm_homepage.submit
@@ -111,7 +112,7 @@ RSpec.describe "AI Bot - Homepage", type: :system do
     it "renders sidebar even when navigation menu is set to header" do
       SiteSetting.navigation_menu = "header dropdown"
       visit "/"
-      find(".ai-bot-button").click
+      header.click_bot_button
       expect(ai_pm_homepage).to have_homepage
       expect(sidebar).to be_visible
       expect(header_dropdown).to be_visible
@@ -119,7 +120,7 @@ RSpec.describe "AI Bot - Homepage", type: :system do
 
     it "hides default content in the sidebar" do
       visit "/"
-      find(".ai-bot-button").click
+      header.click_bot_button
 
       expect(ai_pm_homepage).to have_homepage
       expect(sidebar).to have_no_tags_section
@@ -132,7 +133,7 @@ RSpec.describe "AI Bot - Homepage", type: :system do
 
     it "shows the bot conversation in the sidebar" do
       visit "/"
-      find(".ai-bot-button").click
+      header.click_bot_button
 
       expect(ai_pm_homepage).to have_homepage
       expect(sidebar).to have_section("ai-conversations-history")
@@ -142,7 +143,7 @@ RSpec.describe "AI Bot - Homepage", type: :system do
 
     it "navigates to the bot conversation when clicked" do
       visit "/"
-      find(".ai-bot-button").click
+      header.click_bot_button
 
       expect(ai_pm_homepage).to have_homepage
       sidebar.find(
@@ -151,6 +152,24 @@ RSpec.describe "AI Bot - Homepage", type: :system do
       expect(topic_page).to have_topic_title(pm.title)
     end
 
+    it "displays the shuffle icon when on homepage or bot PM" do
+      visit "/"
+      expect(header).to have_icon_in_bot_button(icon: "robot")
+      header.click_bot_button
+
+      expect(header).to have_icon_in_bot_button(icon: "shuffle")
+
+      # Go to a PM and assert that the icon is still shuffle
+      sidebar.find(
+        ".sidebar-section[data-section-name='ai-conversations-history'] a.sidebar-section-link",
+      ).click
+      expect(header).to have_icon_in_bot_button(icon: "shuffle")
+
+      # Go back home and assert that the icon is now robot again
+      header.click_bot_button
+      expect(header).to have_icon_in_bot_button(icon: "robot")
+    end
+
     it "displays sidebar and 'new question' on the topic page" do
       topic_page.visit_topic(pm)
       expect(sidebar).to be_visible
@@ -193,7 +212,7 @@ RSpec.describe "AI Bot - Homepage", type: :system do
       sign_in(user_2)
 
       visit "/"
-      find(".ai-bot-button").click
+      header.click_bot_button
       expect(ai_pm_homepage).to have_homepage
       expect(sidebar).to have_no_section_link(pm.title)
     end
@@ -204,7 +223,7 @@ RSpec.describe "AI Bot - Homepage", type: :system do
 
     it "opens composer on bot click" do
       visit "/"
-      find(".ai-bot-button").click
+      header.click_bot_button
 
       expect(ai_pm_homepage).to have_no_homepage
       expect(composer).to be_opened
diff --git a/spec/system/page_objects/pages/discourse_ai/header.rb b/spec/system/page_objects/pages/discourse_ai/header.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9a3e956a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/system/page_objects/pages/discourse_ai/header.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+module PageObjects
+  module Pages
+    module DiscourseAi
+      class Header < ::PageObjects::Pages::Header
+        def click_bot_button
+          find(".ai-bot-button").click
+        end
+
+        def has_icon_in_bot_button?(icon:)
+          page.has_css?(".ai-bot-button .d-icon-#{icon}")
+        end
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end