diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/chat/browser/chat.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/chat/browser/chat.ts
index 7c8900defcf0c..3615c5de859f5 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/chat/browser/chat.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/chat/browser/chat.ts
@@ -161,6 +161,7 @@ export interface IChatListItemRendererOptions {
 	readonly renderCodeBlockPills?: boolean;
 	readonly renderDetectedCommandsWithRequest?: boolean;
 	readonly renderTextEditsAsSummary?: (uri: URI) => boolean;
+	readonly referencesExpandedWhenEmptyResponse?: boolean;
 }
 
 export interface IChatWidgetViewOptions {
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/chat/browser/chatContentParts/chatReferencesContentPart.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/chat/browser/chatContentParts/chatReferencesContentPart.ts
index 04ec43faa61ad..5ef216ffdd4a4 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/chat/browser/chatContentParts/chatReferencesContentPart.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/chat/browser/chatContentParts/chatReferencesContentPart.ts
@@ -57,6 +57,10 @@ export interface IChatReferenceListItem extends IChatContentReference {
 
 export type IChatCollapsibleListItem = IChatReferenceListItem | IChatWarningMessage;
 
+export interface IChatCollapsibleListOptions {
+	expandedWhenEmptyResponse?: boolean;
+}
+
 export class ChatCollapsibleListContentPart extends Disposable implements IChatContentPart {
 	public readonly domNode: HTMLElement;
 
@@ -70,6 +74,7 @@ export class ChatCollapsibleListContentPart extends Disposable implements IChatC
 		labelOverride: string | undefined,
 		context: IChatContentPartRenderContext,
 		contentReferencesListPool: CollapsibleListPool,
+		options: IChatCollapsibleListOptions,
 		@IOpenerService openerService: IOpenerService,
 		@IMenuService menuService: IMenuService,
 		@IInstantiationService private readonly instantiationService: IInstantiationService,
@@ -83,7 +88,13 @@ export class ChatCollapsibleListContentPart extends Disposable implements IChatC
 			localize('usedReferencesPlural', "Used {0} references", data.length) :
 			localize('usedReferencesSingular', "Used {0} reference", 1));
 		const iconElement = $('.chat-used-context-icon');
-		const icon = (element: IChatResponseViewModel) => element.usedReferencesExpanded ? Codicon.chevronDown : Codicon.chevronRight;
+		const isExpanded = () =>
+			element.usedReferencesExpanded ?? (
+				options.expandedWhenEmptyResponse && element.response.value.length === 0
+			);
+		const icon = (element: IChatResponseViewModel) => {
+			return isExpanded() ? Codicon.chevronDown : Codicon.chevronRight;
+		};
 		iconElement.classList.add(...ThemeIcon.asClassNameArray(icon(element)));
 		const buttonElement = $('.chat-used-context-label', undefined);
 
@@ -100,15 +111,15 @@ export class ChatCollapsibleListContentPart extends Disposable implements IChatC
 		this.domNode = $('.chat-used-context', undefined, buttonElement);
 		collapseButton.label = referencesLabel;
 		collapseButton.element.prepend(iconElement);
-		this.updateAriaLabel(collapseButton.element, referencesLabel, element.usedReferencesExpanded);
-		this.domNode.classList.toggle('chat-used-context-collapsed', !element.usedReferencesExpanded);
+		this.updateAriaLabel(collapseButton.element, referencesLabel, isExpanded());
+		this.domNode.classList.toggle('chat-used-context-collapsed', !isExpanded());
 		this._register(collapseButton.onDidClick(() => {
 			iconElement.classList.remove(...ThemeIcon.asClassNameArray(icon(element)));
-			element.usedReferencesExpanded = !element.usedReferencesExpanded;
+			element.usedReferencesExpanded = !isExpanded();
 			iconElement.classList.add(...ThemeIcon.asClassNameArray(icon(element)));
-			this.domNode.classList.toggle('chat-used-context-collapsed', !element.usedReferencesExpanded);
+			this.domNode.classList.toggle('chat-used-context-collapsed', !isExpanded());
 			this._onDidChangeHeight.fire();
-			this.updateAriaLabel(collapseButton.element, referencesLabel, element.usedReferencesExpanded);
+			this.updateAriaLabel(collapseButton.element, referencesLabel, isExpanded());
 		}));
 
 		const ref = this._register(contentReferencesListPool.get());
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/chat/browser/chatContentParts/chatTaskContentPart.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/chat/browser/chatContentParts/chatTaskContentPart.ts
index 8510cb1350790..4e306372b46e2 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/chat/browser/chatContentParts/chatTaskContentPart.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/chat/browser/chatContentParts/chatTaskContentPart.ts
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ export class ChatTaskContentPart extends Disposable implements IChatContentPart
 		super();
 
 		if (task.progress.length) {
-			const refsPart = this._register(instantiationService.createInstance(ChatCollapsibleListContentPart, task.progress, task.content.value, context, contentReferencesListPool));
+			const refsPart = this._register(instantiationService.createInstance(ChatCollapsibleListContentPart, task.progress, task.content.value, context, contentReferencesListPool, {}));
 			this.domNode = dom.$('.chat-progress-task');
 			this.domNode.appendChild(refsPart.domNode);
 			this.onDidChangeHeight = refsPart.onDidChangeHeight;
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/chat/browser/chatListRenderer.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/chat/browser/chatListRenderer.ts
index 84b7734190ad8..f95b614d52168 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/chat/browser/chatListRenderer.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/chat/browser/chatListRenderer.ts
@@ -878,7 +878,7 @@ export class ChatListItemRenderer extends Disposable implements ITreeRenderer<Ch
 	}
 
 	private renderContentReferencesListData(references: IChatReferences, labelOverride: string | undefined, context: IChatContentPartRenderContext, templateData: IChatListItemTemplate): ChatCollapsibleListContentPart {
-		const referencesPart = this.instantiationService.createInstance(ChatCollapsibleListContentPart, references.references, labelOverride, context, this._contentReferencesListPool);
+		const referencesPart = this.instantiationService.createInstance(ChatCollapsibleListContentPart, references.references, labelOverride, context, this._contentReferencesListPool, { expandedWhenEmptyResponse: this.rendererOptions.referencesExpandedWhenEmptyResponse });
 		referencesPart.addDisposable(referencesPart.onDidChangeHeight(() => {
 			this.updateItemHeight(templateData);
 		}));
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/chat/browser/chatViewPane.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/chat/browser/chatViewPane.ts
index 8455f189e6e36..c5664239a6b3e 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/chat/browser/chatViewPane.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/chat/browser/chatViewPane.ts
@@ -182,6 +182,7 @@ export class ChatViewPane extends ViewPane implements IViewWelcomeDelegate {
 						renderTextEditsAsSummary: (uri) => {
 							return this.chatOptions.location === ChatAgentLocation.EditingSession;
 						},
+						referencesExpandedWhenEmptyResponse: this.chatOptions.location !== ChatAgentLocation.EditingSession,
 					},
 					enableImplicitContext: this.chatOptions.location === ChatAgentLocation.Panel,
 					editorOverflowWidgetsDomNode: editorOverflowNode,
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/chat/common/chatViewModel.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/chat/common/chatViewModel.ts
index 6f58726d1679b..e5f2abcc3b1f8 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/chat/common/chatViewModel.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/chat/common/chatViewModel.ts
@@ -538,7 +538,7 @@ export class ChatResponseViewModel extends Disposable implements IChatResponseVi
 			return this._usedReferencesExpanded;
 		}
 
-		return this.response.value.length === 0 && !this.errorDetails;
+		return undefined;
 	}
 
 	set usedReferencesExpanded(v: boolean) {