diff --git a/static/js/ui.js b/static/js/ui.js
index aa82cc6..90cab07 100644
--- a/static/js/ui.js
+++ b/static/js/ui.js
@@ -519,7 +519,20 @@ export function getAutoScroll() {
 export function autoResize(textarea) {
   const lineHeight = parseInt(getComputedStyle(textarea).lineHeight);
   const isMobile = window.innerWidth <= 768;
-  const maxHeight = isMobile ? 150 : lineHeight * 8;
+  const autoMaxHeight = isMobile ? 150 : lineHeight * 8;
+
+  // Keep a height chosen with the native desktop resize handle. Automatic
+  // changes are recorded before the observer runs, so only a real drag
+  // updates the manual floor.
+  if (!textarea._manualResizeObserver && typeof ResizeObserver !== 'undefined') {
+    textarea._manualResizeObserver = new ResizeObserver(() => {
+      const height = textarea.offsetHeight;
+      if (Math.abs(height - (textarea._autoResizeHeight || height)) > 1) {
+        textarea._manualResizeHeight = height;
+      }
+    });
+    textarea._manualResizeObserver.observe(textarea);
+  }
 
   // Use a hidden clone to measure without disrupting the real textarea
   let clone = textarea._resizeClone;
@@ -539,9 +552,12 @@ export function autoResize(textarea) {
   clone.style.width = textarea.offsetWidth + 'px';
   clone.value = textarea.value;
   clone.style.height = '0';
-  const newHeight = Math.min(Math.max(clone.scrollHeight, lineHeight), maxHeight);
+  const manualHeight = textarea._manualResizeHeight || 0;
+  const maxHeight = Math.max(autoMaxHeight, manualHeight);
+  const newHeight = Math.min(Math.max(clone.scrollHeight, lineHeight, manualHeight), maxHeight);
+  textarea._autoResizeHeight = newHeight;
   textarea.style.height = newHeight + 'px';
-  textarea.style.overflow = newHeight >= maxHeight ? 'auto' : 'hidden';
+  textarea.style.overflow = newHeight >= autoMaxHeight ? 'auto' : 'hidden';
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/static/style.css b/static/style.css
index b45424d..b3d9407 100644
--- a/static/style.css
+++ b/static/style.css
@@ -2192,12 +2192,12 @@ body.bg-pattern-sparkles {
       background: transparent;
       border: none;
       outline: none;
-      resize: none;
+      resize: vertical;
       font-size: 14px;
       line-height: 1.5;
       color: var(--fg);
       min-height: 24px;
-      max-height: 200px;
+      max-height: min(60vh, 600px);
       padding: 0;
       font-family: inherit;
       transition: height 0.12s ease-out;
diff --git a/tests/test_prompt_bar_manual_resize.py b/tests/test_prompt_bar_manual_resize.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5792c13
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_prompt_bar_manual_resize.py
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+from pathlib import Path
+
+
+CSS = Path("static/style.css").read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+UI_JS = Path("static/js/ui.js").read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+
+
+def test_prompt_bar_exposes_desktop_resize_handle():
+    assert "resize: vertical;" in CSS
+    assert "max-height: min(60vh, 600px);" in CSS
+
+
+def test_auto_resize_preserves_a_manually_chosen_height():
+    assert "textarea._manualResizeHeight = height;" in UI_JS
+    assert "const manualHeight = textarea._manualResizeHeight || 0;" in UI_JS
+    assert "const maxHeight = Math.max(autoMaxHeight, manualHeight);" in UI_JS