diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/diff-comments/DiffCommentDraftCard.test.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/diff-comments/DiffCommentDraftCard.test.tsx
index 463f5fda720..47bd6b52df3 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/diff-comments/DiffCommentDraftCard.test.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/diff-comments/DiffCommentDraftCard.test.tsx
@@ -28,7 +28,9 @@ describe('DiffCommentDraftCard', () => {
 
     expect(view.getByText('Line 42')).toBeDefined()
     expect(view.queryByText('You')).toBeNull()
-    expect(view.getByPlaceholderText('Add note for the AI')).toBeDefined()
+    const textarea = view.getByPlaceholderText('Add note for the AI')
+    expect(textarea).toBeDefined()
+    expect(document.activeElement).toBe(textarea)
     expect(view.getByRole('button', { name: 'Add note' })).toBeDefined()
     expect(view.getByRole('button', { name: 'Cancel' })).toBeDefined()
   })
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/diff-comments/DiffCommentDraftCard.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/diff-comments/DiffCommentDraftCard.tsx
index 3aefe3ad590..18d5205acf9 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/diff-comments/DiffCommentDraftCard.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/diff-comments/DiffCommentDraftCard.tsx
@@ -71,6 +71,16 @@ export function DiffCommentDraftCard({
     textarea?.focus()
   }, [])
 
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const focusTextarea = (): void => textareaRef.current?.focus()
+    focusTextarea()
+    if (typeof requestAnimationFrame !== 'function') {
+      return
+    }
+    const frame = requestAnimationFrame(focusTextarea)
+    return () => cancelAnimationFrame(frame)
+  }, [])
+
   useLayoutEffect(() => {
     const card = cardRef.current
     if (!card || !onContentResizeRef.current) {
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/diff-comments/diff-comment-draft-zone.ts b/src/renderer/src/components/diff-comments/diff-comment-draft-zone.ts
index de0a3745198..8366282cefa 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/diff-comments/diff-comment-draft-zone.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/diff-comments/diff-comment-draft-zone.ts
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ export function useDiffCommentDraftZone({
 
   const openDraft = useCallback(
     (draft: DiffCommentDraft, initialBody = ''): void => {
-      if (!editor || !onCreateCommentRef.current || !canOpenDraft) {
+      if (!editor || !editor.getModel() || !onCreateCommentRef.current || !canOpenDraft) {
         return
       }
 
@@ -88,12 +88,24 @@ export function useDiffCommentDraftZone({
         const disposeDomMouseDownStopper = installDiffCommentZoneMouseDownStopper(dom)
         const disposeMarginMouseDownStopper = installDiffCommentZoneMouseDownStopper(marginDom)
         const root = createRoot(dom)
+        let didFocus = false
         const delegate: monacoEditor.IViewZone = {
           afterLineNumber: draft.lineNumber,
           heightInPx: DRAFT_ZONE_DEFAULT_HEIGHT,
           domNode: dom,
           marginDomNode: marginDom,
-          suppressMouseDown: false
+          suppressMouseDown: false,
+          onDomNodeTop: () => {
+            if (didFocus) {
+              return
+            }
+            const textarea = dom.querySelector<HTMLTextAreaElement>('textarea')
+            if (!textarea) {
+              return
+            }
+            didFocus = true
+            textarea.focus()
+          }
         }
         const zoneId = accessor.addZone(delegate)
         const entry: DraftZoneEntry = {
@@ -177,7 +189,7 @@ export function useDiffCommentDraftZone({
     }
     pendingDraftRef.current = { draft: current.draft, body: current.body }
     disposeDraftZone()
-    if (!editor || !onCreateCommentRef.current || !canOpenDraft) {
+    if (!editor || !editor.getModel() || !onCreateCommentRef.current || !canOpenDraft) {
       return
     }
     reanchorFrameRef.current = requestAnimationFrame(() => {
@@ -190,6 +202,29 @@ export function useDiffCommentDraftZone({
     })
   }, [canOpenDraft, disposeDraftZone, editor, monacoModelIdentity, openDraft])
 
+  // A combined-diff model refresh can briefly clear the editor ref before the replacement mounts.
+  // Re-anchor any carried draft when that replacement becomes available.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!editor || !canOpenDraft || !pendingDraftRef.current) {
+      return
+    }
+    const pending = pendingDraftRef.current
+    pendingDraftRef.current = null
+    reanchorFrameRef.current = requestAnimationFrame(() => {
+      reanchorFrameRef.current = null
+      openDraft(pending.draft, pending.body)
+    })
+    return () => {
+      if (reanchorFrameRef.current !== null) {
+        cancelAnimationFrame(reanchorFrameRef.current)
+        reanchorFrameRef.current = null
+      }
+      if (!draftZoneRef.current) {
+        pendingDraftRef.current = pending
+      }
+    }
+  }, [canOpenDraft, editor, openDraft])
+
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!editor) {
       return
@@ -199,7 +234,6 @@ export function useDiffCommentDraftZone({
         cancelAnimationFrame(reanchorFrameRef.current)
         reanchorFrameRef.current = null
       }
-      pendingDraftRef.current = null
       disposeDraftZone(false)
     }
   }, [disposeDraftZone, editor])
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/editor/diff-section-comment-submit.test.ts b/src/renderer/src/components/editor/diff-section-comment-submit.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0332839c134
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/editor/diff-section-comment-submit.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+import { toast } from 'sonner'
+import { submitDiffSectionComment } from './diff-section-comment-submit'
+import type { DiffSection } from './diff-section-types'
+
+vi.mock('sonner', () => ({ toast: { error: vi.fn() } }))
+
+const section: DiffSection = {
+  key: 'section-1',
+  path: 'src/example.ts',
+  status: 'modified',
+  originalContent: 'before',
+  modifiedContent: 'after',
+  collapsed: false,
+  loading: false,
+  dirty: false,
+  diffResult: null,
+  largeDiffRenderLimit: null
+}
+
+describe('submitDiffSectionComment', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.mocked(toast.error).mockClear()
+  })
+
+  it('surfaces persistence failures while keeping the draft open', async () => {
+    const addDiffComment = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(null)
+
+    const result = await submitDiffSectionComment({
+      addDiffComment,
+      body: 'Needs revision',
+      target: { lineNumber: 4 },
+      section,
+      worktreeId: 'worktree-1'
+    })
+
+    expect(result).toBe(false)
+    expect(toast.error).toHaveBeenCalledWith('Failed to save comment')
+  })
+})
diff --git a/tests/e2e/diff-note-draft.spec.ts b/tests/e2e/diff-note-draft.spec.ts
index 3d913d27e9e..270971d11f9 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/diff-note-draft.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/e2e/diff-note-draft.spec.ts
@@ -73,6 +73,9 @@ test.describe('Diff note draft', () => {
     await expect(draftCard).toBeVisible({ timeout: 15_000 })
     await expect(draftCard).toContainText('Line 6')
     await expect(draftCard).not.toContainText('You')
+    await expect
+      .poll(() => textarea.evaluate((element) => document.activeElement === element))
+      .toBe(true)
     await expect(orcaPage.locator('.orca-diff-comment-draft-margin')).toBeVisible()
     await expect
       .poll(