diff --git a/apps/app/src/components/explainer-cards.test.tsx b/apps/app/src/components/explainer-cards.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..348ae15
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/app/src/components/explainer-cards.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { cleanup, render, screen, waitFor } from "@testing-library/react";
+import "@testing-library/jest-dom/vitest";
+import { ExplainerCardsPortal } from "./explainer-cards";
+
+function welcomeScreen() {
+  const welcome = document.createElement("div");
+  welcome.setAttribute("data-testid", "copilot-welcome-screen");
+  const content = document.createElement("div");
+  content.appendChild(document.createElement("div"));
+  welcome.appendChild(content);
+  return welcome;
+}
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  cleanup();
+  document.body.innerHTML = "";
+  vi.restoreAllMocks();
+});
+
+describe("ExplainerCardsPortal", () => {
+  it("watches the chat's direct children and follows welcome screen changes", async () => {
+    const chat = document.createElement("div");
+    chat.setAttribute("data-testid", "copilot-chat");
+    const firstWelcome = welcomeScreen();
+    chat.appendChild(firstWelcome);
+    document.body.appendChild(chat);
+
+    const observe = vi.spyOn(MutationObserver.prototype, "observe");
+    render(<ExplainerCardsPortal />);
+
+    expect(observe).toHaveBeenCalledWith(chat, { childList: true });
+    expect(screen.getByText("Generative UI")).toBeInTheDocument();
+
+    const originalPortal = document.getElementById("explainer-cards-portal");
+    originalPortal?.remove();
+    await waitFor(() => {
+      expect(document.getElementById("explainer-cards-portal")).not.toBe(
+        originalPortal
+      );
+      expect(screen.getByText("Generative UI")).toBeInTheDocument();
+    });
+
+    firstWelcome.remove();
+    await waitFor(() => {
+      expect(screen.queryByText("Generative UI")).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+    });
+
+    chat.appendChild(welcomeScreen());
+    await waitFor(() => {
+      expect(screen.getByText("Generative UI")).toBeInTheDocument();
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/apps/app/src/components/explainer-cards.tsx b/apps/app/src/components/explainer-cards.tsx
index 0b4e970..f4003a5 100644
--- a/apps/app/src/components/explainer-cards.tsx
+++ b/apps/app/src/components/explainer-cards.tsx
@@ -86,28 +86,49 @@ export function ExplainerCardsPortal() {
   const [portalTarget, setPortalTarget] = useState<HTMLElement | null>(null);
 
   useEffect(() => {
+    const chat = document.querySelector<HTMLElement>('[data-testid="copilot-chat"]');
+    if (!chat) return;
+
     const WELCOME_SELECTOR = '[data-testid="copilot-welcome-screen"]';
     const PORTAL_ID = "explainer-cards-portal";
+    let observedContent: HTMLElement | null = null;
+    let contentObserver: MutationObserver | null = null;
 
     const tryAttach = () => {
-      const welcomeScreen = document.querySelector<HTMLElement>(WELCOME_SELECTOR);
+      const welcomeScreen = chat.querySelector<HTMLElement>(WELCOME_SELECTOR);
       if (!welcomeScreen) {
+        contentObserver?.disconnect();
+        contentObserver = null;
+        observedContent = null;
+        setPortalTarget(null);
+        return;
+      }
+
+      // Insert portal container inside the welcome screen's main content div,
+      // before the suggestions row
+      const mainContent = welcomeScreen.children[0] as HTMLElement | undefined;
+      if (!mainContent) {
+        contentObserver?.disconnect();
+        contentObserver = null;
+        observedContent = null;
         setPortalTarget(null);
         return;
       }
 
-      // Reuse existing portal container if present
-      let portal = document.getElementById(PORTAL_ID);
+      if (mainContent !== observedContent) {
+        contentObserver?.disconnect();
+        observedContent = mainContent;
+        contentObserver = new MutationObserver(tryAttach);
+        contentObserver.observe(mainContent, { childList: true });
+      }
+
+      // Reuse the container if CopilotKit kept it during a welcome update.
+      let portal = mainContent.querySelector<HTMLElement>(`#${PORTAL_ID}`);
       if (portal) {
         setPortalTarget(portal);
         return;
       }
 
-      // Insert portal container inside the welcome screen's main content div,
-      // before the suggestions row
-      const mainContent = welcomeScreen.children[0] as HTMLElement | undefined;
-      if (!mainContent) return;
-
       portal = document.createElement("div");
       portal.id = PORTAL_ID;
       portal.style.width = "100%";
@@ -125,21 +146,14 @@ export function ExplainerCardsPortal() {
 
     tryAttach();
 
-    const observer = new MutationObserver(() => {
-      const welcomeScreen = document.querySelector<HTMLElement>(WELCOME_SELECTOR);
-      if (!welcomeScreen) {
-        // Welcome screen removed (chat started) — clean up
-        const stale = document.getElementById(PORTAL_ID);
-        if (stale) stale.remove();
-        setPortalTarget(null);
-      } else if (!document.getElementById(PORTAL_ID)) {
-        // Welcome screen appeared but no portal yet
-        tryAttach();
-      }
-    });
-
-    observer.observe(document.body, { childList: true, subtree: true });
-    return () => observer.disconnect();
+    // The welcome screen is a direct child of the chat. Streaming updates
+    // happen deeper in the message tree and do not need to wake this observer.
+    const chatObserver = new MutationObserver(tryAttach);
+    chatObserver.observe(chat, { childList: true });
+    return () => {
+      chatObserver.disconnect();
+      contentObserver?.disconnect();
+    };
   }, []);
 
   if (!portalTarget) return null;