diff --git a/llm-fe/src/llm-fe/components/AsyncChat/AsyncChat.tsx b/llm-fe/src/llm-fe/components/AsyncChat/AsyncChat.tsx
index e12ca6d..bf993bc 100644
--- a/llm-fe/src/llm-fe/components/AsyncChat/AsyncChat.tsx
+++ b/llm-fe/src/llm-fe/components/AsyncChat/AsyncChat.tsx
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ type AsyncChatProps = {
 
 const validationSchema = Yup.object().shape({
   prompt: Yup.string()
+    .trim()
     .min(1, "Need to have at least one character")
     .required("This is requried"),
 });
@@ -206,20 +207,24 @@ const AsyncChat = ({
     { resetForm }: any,
   ): Promise<void> => {
     // send the prompt to be saved
+    const trimmedPrompt = (prompt ?? "").trim();
+    if (!trimmedPrompt) {
+      return;
+    }
     console.log(fileType);
     try {
       const tempConversations: ConversationPrompt[] = [
         ...conversationDetails,
-        new ConversationPrompt({ message: prompt, user_created: true }),
+        new ConversationPrompt({ message: trimmedPrompt, user_created: true }),
         new ConversationPrompt({ message: "", user_created: false }),
       ];
       conversationRef.current = tempConversations;
       setConversationDetails(tempConversations);
       // TODO: add the file here
       console.log(
-        `Sending message. ${prompt} ${selectedConversation} ${fileType}`,
+        `Sending message. ${trimmedPrompt} ${selectedConversation} ${fileType}`,
       );
-      sendMessage(prompt, selectedConversation, file, fileType);
+      sendMessage(trimmedPrompt, selectedConversation, file, fileType);
       resetForm();
     } catch (e) {
       console.log(`error ${e}`);
diff --git a/llm-fe/src/llm-fe/contexts/WebSocketContext.js b/llm-fe/src/llm-fe/contexts/WebSocketContext.js
index bd6cdb9..cb879cf 100644
--- a/llm-fe/src/llm-fe/contexts/WebSocketContext.js
+++ b/llm-fe/src/llm-fe/contexts/WebSocketContext.js
@@ -91,6 +91,13 @@ function WebSocketProvider({ children }) {
         return false;
       }
 
+      const trimmedMessage =
+        typeof message === "string" ? message.trim() : "";
+      if (!trimmedMessage) {
+        console.log("Error sending message. Message text is empty");
+        return false;
+      }
+
       if (file) {
         const reader = new FileReader();
         reader.onload = () => {
@@ -98,7 +105,7 @@ function WebSocketProvider({ children }) {
           if (base64File && isSocketOpen(ws.current)) {
             ws.current.send(
               JSON.stringify({
-                message,
+                message: trimmedMessage,
                 conversation_id,
                 email: accountRef.current?.email,
                 file: base64File,
@@ -112,7 +119,7 @@ function WebSocketProvider({ children }) {
       } else {
         current.send(
           JSON.stringify({
-            message,
+            message: trimmedMessage,
             conversation_id,
             email: accountRef.current?.email,
             file: null,
diff --git a/llm-fe/src/llm-fe/contexts/WebSocketContext.test.js b/llm-fe/src/llm-fe/contexts/WebSocketContext.test.js
index 7cf0705..1e15918 100644
--- a/llm-fe/src/llm-fe/contexts/WebSocketContext.test.js
+++ b/llm-fe/src/llm-fe/contexts/WebSocketContext.test.js
@@ -246,4 +246,35 @@ describe('WebSocketProvider', () => {
     expect(payload.message).toBe('hi');
     expect(payload.email).toBe('test@example.com');
   });
+
+  it('does not send empty or whitespace-only messages', async () => {
+    let sendMessage;
+    function Capture() {
+      const ctx = useContext(WebSocketContext);
+      sendMessage = ctx[3];
+      return null;
+    }
+
+    render(
+      <AccountContext.Provider
+        value={{ account: { email: 'test@example.com' }, setAccount: () => {} }}
+      >
+        <WebSocketProvider>
+          <Capture />
+        </WebSocketProvider>
+      </AccountContext.Provider>,
+    );
+
+    await waitFor(() => expect(MockWebSocket.instances.length).toBe(1));
+    await act(async () => {
+      MockWebSocket.instances[0].open();
+    });
+
+    const before = MockWebSocket.instances[0].sent.length;
+    await act(async () => {
+      expect(sendMessage('   ', 1, null, null, 'FAST')).toBe(false);
+      expect(sendMessage('', 1, null, null, 'FAST')).toBe(false);
+    });
+    expect(MockWebSocket.instances[0].sent.length).toBe(before);
+  });
 });
diff --git a/llm-fe/src/llm-fe/pages/AsyncDashboard2/AsyncDashboard2.tsx b/llm-fe/src/llm-fe/pages/AsyncDashboard2/AsyncDashboard2.tsx
index 6aa4fb1..78da260 100644
--- a/llm-fe/src/llm-fe/pages/AsyncDashboard2/AsyncDashboard2.tsx
+++ b/llm-fe/src/llm-fe/pages/AsyncDashboard2/AsyncDashboard2.tsx
@@ -273,6 +273,7 @@ const VisuallyHiddenInput = styled.input`
 
 const validationSchema = Yup.object().shape({
   prompt: Yup.string()
+    .trim()
     .min(1, "Need to have at least one character")
     .required("This is required"),
 });
@@ -326,16 +327,20 @@ const AsyncDashboardInner = (): JSX.Element => {
     { prompt, file, fileType, modelName }: PromptValues,
     { resetForm }: any,
   ): Promise<void> => {
+    const trimmedPrompt = (prompt ?? "").trim();
+    if (!trimmedPrompt) {
+      return;
+    }
     try {
       const tempConversations: ConversationPrompt[] = [
         ...conversationDetails,
-        new ConversationPrompt({ message: prompt, user_created: true }),
+        new ConversationPrompt({ message: trimmedPrompt, user_created: true }),
         new ConversationPrompt({ message: "", user_created: false }),
       ];
 
       conversationRef.current = tempConversations;
       setConversationDetails(tempConversations);
-      sendMessage(prompt, selectedConversation, file, fileType, modelName);
+      sendMessage(trimmedPrompt, selectedConversation, file, fileType, modelName);
       trackEvent(AnalyticsEvents.MESSAGE_SENT, {
         hasConversation: Boolean(selectedConversation),
         hasAttachment: Boolean(file),