diff --git a/lib/ai_bot/playground.rb b/lib/ai_bot/playground.rb
index 1ce5d3ec..1f9a53d3 100644
--- a/lib/ai_bot/playground.rb
+++ b/lib/ai_bot/playground.rb
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ module DiscourseAi
   module AiBot
     class Playground
       BYPASS_AI_REPLY_CUSTOM_FIELD = "discourse_ai_bypass_ai_reply"
+      BOT_USER_PREF_ID_CUSTOM_FIELD = "discourse_ai_bot_user_pref_id"
 
       attr_reader :bot
 
@@ -64,6 +65,33 @@ module DiscourseAi
         user_id.to_i <= 0
       end
 
+      def self.get_bot_user(post:, all_llm_users:, mentionables:)
+        bot_user = nil
+        if post.topic.private_message?
+          # this ensures that we reply using the correct llm
+          # 1. if we have a preferred llm user we use that
+          # 2. if we don't just take first topic allowed user
+          # 3. if we don't have that we take the first mentionable
+          bot_user = nil
+          if preferred_user =
+               all_llm_users.find { |id, username|
+                 id == post.topic.custom_fields[BOT_USER_PREF_ID_CUSTOM_FIELD].to_i
+               }
+            bot_user = User.find_by(id: preferred_user[0])
+          end
+          bot_user ||=
+            post.topic.topic_allowed_users.where(user_id: all_llm_users.map(&:first)).first&.user
+          bot_user ||=
+            post
+              .topic
+              .topic_allowed_users
+              .where(user_id: mentionables.map { |m| m[:user_id] })
+              .first
+              &.user
+        end
+        bot_user
+      end
+
       def self.schedule_reply(post)
         return if is_bot_user_id?(post.user_id)
         mentionables = nil
@@ -75,7 +103,6 @@ module DiscourseAi
           mentionables = AiPersona.allowed_modalities(user: post.user, allow_topic_mentions: true)
         end
 
-        bot_user = nil
         mentioned = nil
 
         all_llm_users =
@@ -84,18 +111,8 @@ module DiscourseAi
             .joins(:user)
             .pluck("users.id", "users.username_lower")
 
-        if post.topic.private_message?
-          # this is an edge case, you started a PM with a different bot
-          bot_user =
-            post.topic.topic_allowed_users.where(user_id: all_llm_users.map(&:first)).first&.user
-          bot_user ||=
-            post
-              .topic
-              .topic_allowed_users
-              .where(user_id: mentionables.map { |m| m[:user_id] })
-              .first
-              &.user
-        end
+        bot_user =
+          get_bot_user(post: post, all_llm_users: all_llm_users, mentionables: mentionables)
 
         mentions = nil
         if mentionables.present? || (bot_user && post.topic.private_message?)
@@ -126,6 +143,8 @@ module DiscourseAi
 
         if bot_user
           topic_persona_id = post.topic.custom_fields["ai_persona_id"]
+          topic_persona_id = topic_persona_id.to_i if topic_persona_id.present?
+
           persona_id = mentioned&.dig(:id) || topic_persona_id
 
           persona = nil
@@ -141,7 +160,7 @@ module DiscourseAi
           end
 
           # edge case, llm was mentioned in an ai persona conversation
-          if persona_id == topic_persona_id.to_i && post.topic.private_message? && persona &&
+          if persona_id == topic_persona_id && post.topic.private_message? && persona &&
                all_llm_users.present?
             if !persona.force_default_llm && mentions.present?
               mentioned_llm_user_id, _ =
@@ -162,7 +181,15 @@ module DiscourseAi
         end
       end
 
-      def self.reply_to_post(post:, user: nil, persona_id: nil, whisper: nil, add_user_to_pm: false)
+      def self.reply_to_post(
+        post:,
+        user: nil,
+        persona_id: nil,
+        whisper: nil,
+        add_user_to_pm: false,
+        stream_reply: false,
+        auto_set_title: false
+      )
         ai_persona = AiPersona.find_by(id: persona_id)
         raise Discourse::InvalidParameters.new(:persona_id) if !ai_persona
         persona_class = ai_persona.class_instance
@@ -178,6 +205,8 @@ module DiscourseAi
           whisper: whisper,
           context_style: :topic,
           add_user_to_pm: add_user_to_pm,
+          stream_reply: stream_reply,
+          auto_set_title: auto_set_title,
         )
       end
 
@@ -444,6 +473,8 @@ module DiscourseAi
         whisper: nil,
         context_style: nil,
         add_user_to_pm: true,
+        stream_reply: nil,
+        auto_set_title: true,
         &blk
       )
         # this is a multithreading issue
@@ -479,13 +510,23 @@ module DiscourseAi
           reply_user = User.find_by(id: bot.persona.class.user_id) || reply_user
         end
 
-        stream_reply = post.topic.private_message?
+        stream_reply = post.topic.private_message? if stream_reply.nil?
 
         # we need to ensure persona user is allowed to reply to the pm
         if post.topic.private_message? && add_user_to_pm
           if !post.topic.topic_allowed_users.exists?(user_id: reply_user.id)
             post.topic.topic_allowed_users.create!(user_id: reply_user.id)
           end
+          # edge case, maybe the llm user is missing?
+          if !post.topic.topic_allowed_users.exists?(user_id: bot.bot_user.id)
+            post.topic.topic_allowed_users.create!(user_id: bot.bot_user.id)
+          end
+
+          # we store the id of the last bot_user, this is then used to give it preference
+          if post.topic.custom_fields[BOT_USER_PREF_ID_CUSTOM_FIELD].to_i != bot.bot_user.id
+            post.topic.custom_fields[BOT_USER_PREF_ID_CUSTOM_FIELD] = bot.bot_user.id
+            post.topic.save_custom_fields
+          end
         end
 
         if stream_reply
@@ -609,7 +650,7 @@ module DiscourseAi
         end
         post_streamer&.finish(skip_callback: true)
         publish_final_update(reply_post) if stream_reply
-        if reply_post && post.post_number == 1 && post.topic.private_message?
+        if reply_post && post.post_number == 1 && post.topic.private_message? && auto_set_title
           title_playground(reply_post, post.user)
         end
       end
diff --git a/lib/utils/search.rb b/lib/utils/search.rb
index 6e124b5a..744e8a86 100644
--- a/lib/utils/search.rb
+++ b/lib/utils/search.rb
@@ -125,6 +125,7 @@ module DiscourseAi
 
       def self.format_results(rows, args: nil, result_style:)
         rows = rows&.map { |row| yield row } if block_given?
+        column_names = nil
 
         if result_style == :compact
           index = -1
@@ -142,7 +143,8 @@ module DiscourseAi
           column_names = column_indexes.keys
         end
 
-        result = { column_names: column_names, rows: rows }
+        result = { rows: rows }
+        result[:column_names] = column_names if column_names
         result[:args] = args if args
         result
       end
diff --git a/spec/lib/discourse_automation/llm_persona_triage_spec.rb b/spec/lib/discourse_automation/llm_persona_triage_spec.rb
index 9e1f2a9b..2ca5d188 100644
--- a/spec/lib/discourse_automation/llm_persona_triage_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/discourse_automation/llm_persona_triage_spec.rb
@@ -165,6 +165,30 @@ describe DiscourseAi::Automation::LlmPersonaTriage do
     expect(context).to include("support")
   end
 
+  it "interacts correctly with a PM with no replies" do
+    pm_topic = Fabricate(:private_message_topic, user: user, title: "Important PM")
+
+    # Create initial PM post
+    pm_post =
+      Fabricate(
+        :post,
+        topic: pm_topic,
+        user: user,
+        raw: "This is a private message that needs triage",
+      )
+
+    DiscourseAi::Completions::Llm.with_prepared_responses(
+      ["I've received your private message"],
+    ) do |_, _, _prompts|
+      automation.running_in_background!
+      automation.trigger!({ "post" => pm_post })
+    end
+
+    reply = pm_topic.posts.order(:post_number).last
+    expect(reply.raw).to eq("I've received your private message")
+    expect(reply.topic.reload.title).to eq("Important PM")
+  end
+
   it "interacts correctly with PMs" do
     # Create a private message topic
     pm_topic = Fabricate(:private_message_topic, user: user, title: "Important PM")
diff --git a/spec/lib/modules/ai_bot/playground_spec.rb b/spec/lib/modules/ai_bot/playground_spec.rb
index 6261aef8..d65842e0 100644
--- a/spec/lib/modules/ai_bot/playground_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/modules/ai_bot/playground_spec.rb
@@ -637,13 +637,14 @@ RSpec.describe DiscourseAi::AiBot::Playground do
           create_post(
             title: "I just made a PM",
             raw: "Hey there #{persona.user.username}, can you help me?",
-            target_usernames: "#{user.username},#{persona.user.username}",
+            target_usernames: "#{user.username},#{persona.user.username},#{claude_2.user.username}",
             archetype: Archetype.private_message,
             user: admin,
           )
       end
 
-      post.topic.custom_fields["ai_persona_id"] = persona.id
+      # note that this is a string due to custom field shananigans
+      post.topic.custom_fields["ai_persona_id"] = persona.id.to_s
       post.topic.save_custom_fields
 
       llm2 = Fabricate(:llm_model, enabled_chat_bot: true)
@@ -662,6 +663,22 @@ RSpec.describe DiscourseAi::AiBot::Playground do
       expect(last_post.raw).to eq("Hi from bot two")
       expect(last_post.user_id).to eq(persona.user_id)
 
+      current_users = last_post.topic.reload.topic_allowed_users.joins(:user).pluck(:username)
+      expect(current_users).to include(llm2.user.username)
+
+      # subseqent replies should come from the new llm
+      DiscourseAi::Completions::Llm.with_prepared_responses(["Hi from bot two"], llm: llm2) do
+        create_post(
+          user: admin,
+          raw: "just confirming everything switched",
+          topic_id: post.topic_id,
+        )
+      end
+
+      last_post = post.topic.reload.posts.order("id desc").first
+      expect(last_post.raw).to eq("Hi from bot two")
+      expect(last_post.user_id).to eq(persona.user_id)
+
       # tether llm, so it can no longer be switched
       persona.update!(force_default_llm: true, default_llm_id: claude_2.id)
 
diff --git a/spec/lib/utils/search_spec.rb b/spec/lib/utils/search_spec.rb
index d8dfdbf9..728b3864 100644
--- a/spec/lib/utils/search_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/utils/search_spec.rb
@@ -72,8 +72,26 @@ RSpec.describe DiscourseAi::Utils::Search do
       GroupUser.create!(group: group, user: user)
 
       # Now should find the private post
-      results = described_class.perform_search(search_query: private_post.raw, current_user: user)
+      results =
+        described_class.perform_search(
+          search_query: private_post.raw,
+          current_user: user,
+          result_style: :detailed,
+        )
       expect(results[:rows].length).to eq(1)
+      # so API is less confusing
+      expect(results.key?(:column_names)).to eq(false)
+
+      results =
+        described_class.perform_search(
+          search_query: private_post.raw,
+          current_user: user,
+          result_style: :compact,
+        )
+
+      expect(results[:rows].length).to eq(1)
+      # so API is less confusing
+      expect(results[:column_names]).to be_present
     end
 
     it "properly handles subfolder URLs" do