diff --git a/src/cli/App.tsx b/src/cli/App.tsx
index ca49d3e..23f0776 100644
--- a/src/cli/App.tsx
+++ b/src/cli/App.tsx
@@ -8130,10 +8130,14 @@ export default function App({
         }
 
         // Special handling for /new command - start new conversation
-        if (msg.trim() === "/new") {
+        const newMatch = msg.trim().match(/^\/new(?:\s+(.+))?$/);
+        if (newMatch) {
+          const conversationName = newMatch[1]?.trim();
           const cmd = commandRunner.start(
             msg.trim(),
-            "Starting new conversation...",
+            conversationName
+              ? `Starting new conversation: ${conversationName}...`
+              : "Starting new conversation...",
           );
 
           // New conversations should not inherit pending reasoning-tier debounce.
@@ -8150,8 +8154,14 @@ export default function App({
             const conversation = await client.conversations.create({
               agent_id: agentId,
               isolated_block_labels: [...ISOLATED_BLOCK_LABELS],
+              ...(conversationName && { summary: conversationName }),
             });
 
+            // If we created the conversation with an explicit summary, mark it as set
+            // to prevent auto-summary from first user message overwriting it
+            if (conversationName) {
+              hasSetConversationSummaryRef.current = true;
+            }
             await maybeCarryOverActiveConversationModel(conversation.id);
 
             // Update conversationId state
@@ -13939,6 +13949,11 @@ If using apply_patch, use this exact relative patch path: ${applyPatchRelativePa
                         messageHistory: resumeData.messageHistory,
                       };
 
+                      // If the conversation already has a summary, prevent auto-summary from overwriting it
+                      if (selectorContext?.summary) {
+                        hasSetConversationSummaryRef.current = true;
+                      }
+
                       settingsManager.setLocalLastSession(
                         { agentId, conversationId: convId },
                         process.cwd(),
diff --git a/src/cli/components/ConversationSelector.tsx b/src/cli/components/ConversationSelector.tsx
index 6a5fab7..3f92e1e 100644
--- a/src/cli/components/ConversationSelector.tsx
+++ b/src/cli/components/ConversationSelector.tsx
@@ -441,20 +441,6 @@ export function ConversationSelector({
       const bracket = <Text dimColor>{"⎿  "}</Text>;
       const indent = "   "; // Same width as "⎿  " for alignment
 
-      // Priority 1: Summary
-      if (conv.summary) {
-        return (
-          <Box flexDirection="row" marginLeft={2}>
-            {bracket}
-            <Text dimColor italic>
-              {conv.summary.length > 57
-                ? `${conv.summary.slice(0, 54)}...`
-                : conv.summary}
-            </Text>
-          </Box>
-        );
-      }
-
       // Priority 2: Preview lines with emoji prefixes
       if (previewLines.length > 0) {
         return (
@@ -516,9 +502,15 @@ export function ConversationSelector({
             bold={isSelected}
             color={isSelected ? colors.selector.itemHighlighted : undefined}
           >
-            {isDefault ? "default" : conv.id}
+            {conv.summary
+              ? `${conv.summary.length > 40 ? `${conv.summary.slice(0, 37)}...` : conv.summary} (${conv.id})`
+              : isDefault
+                ? "default"
+                : conv.id}
           </Text>
-          {isDefault && <Text dimColor> (agent's default conversation)</Text>}
+          {!conv.summary && isDefault && (
+            <Text dimColor> (agent's default conversation)</Text>
+          )}
           {isCurrent && (
             <Text color={colors.selector.itemCurrent}> (current)</Text>
           )}
diff --git a/src/tests/agent/model-preset-refresh.wiring.test.ts b/src/tests/agent/model-preset-refresh.wiring.test.ts
index 6d5d011..58c4459 100644
--- a/src/tests/agent/model-preset-refresh.wiring.test.ts
+++ b/src/tests/agent/model-preset-refresh.wiring.test.ts
@@ -153,8 +153,9 @@ describe("model preset refresh wiring", () => {
       ) ?? [];
     expect(carryOverCalls.length).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(3);
 
-    const newCmdAnchor = source.indexOf('if (msg.trim() === "/new")');
-    expect(newCmdAnchor).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(0);
+    const newCmdAnchor = source.indexOf(
+      "const newMatch = msg.trim().match(/^\\/new(?:\\s+(.+))?$/);",
+    );
     const newCmdWindow = source.slice(newCmdAnchor, newCmdAnchor + 1800);
     expect(newCmdWindow).toContain(
       "await maybeCarryOverActiveConversationModel(conversation.id);",
diff --git a/src/tests/cli/bootstrap-reminders-reset-wiring.test.ts b/src/tests/cli/bootstrap-reminders-reset-wiring.test.ts
index 3f79bdd..2f8ef3c 100644
--- a/src/tests/cli/bootstrap-reminders-reset-wiring.test.ts
+++ b/src/tests/cli/bootstrap-reminders-reset-wiring.test.ts
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ describe("bootstrap reminder reset wiring", () => {
     const anchors = [
       'origin: "agent-switch"',
       'const inputCmd = "/new";', // new-agent creation flow
-      'if (msg.trim() === "/new")',
+      "const newMatch = msg.trim().match(/^\\/new(?:\\s+(.+))?$/);",
       'if (msg.trim() === "/clear")',
       'origin: "resume-direct"',
       'if (action.type === "switch_conversation")', // queued conversation switch flow