diff --git a/src/components/App/index.tsx b/src/components/App/index.tsx
index bf355b12b..c8de1568c 100644
--- a/src/components/App/index.tsx
+++ b/src/components/App/index.tsx
@@ -322,10 +322,10 @@ export const App = () => {
   }, [runningProjectId, setRunningProjectMessages])
 
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (!splashDataLoading) {
+    if (chatInterfaceFeatureFlag && !splashDataLoading) {
       setUniverseQuestionIsOpen()
     }
-  }, [setUniverseQuestionIsOpen, splashDataLoading])
+  }, [setUniverseQuestionIsOpen, splashDataLoading, chatInterfaceFeatureFlag])
 
   return (
     <>
@@ -340,7 +340,7 @@ export const App = () => {
           <Wrapper direction="row">
             <FormProvider {...form}>
               <LazyMainToolbar />
-              {!universeQuestionIsOpen && <LazySideBar />}
+              {!universeQuestionIsOpen && chatInterfaceFeatureFlag && <LazySideBar />}
               <LazyUniverse />
               <Overlay />
               <AppBar />
diff --git a/src/stores/useAppStore/index.ts b/src/stores/useAppStore/index.ts
index 370a08756..7a68b8e15 100644
--- a/src/stores/useAppStore/index.ts
+++ b/src/stores/useAppStore/index.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import { create } from 'zustand'
 import { TAboutParams } from '~/network/fetchSourcesData'
-import { useFeatureFlagStore } from '~/stores/useFeatureFlagStore'
 
 export type SecondarySidebarActiveTab = '' | 'sentiment' | 'sources' | 'about'
 
@@ -72,11 +71,7 @@ export const useAppStore = create<AppStore>((set, get) => ({
       transcriptIsOpen: !sidebarIsOpen ? false : get().transcriptIsOpen,
     }),
   setTranscriptOpen: (transcriptIsOpen) => set({ transcriptIsOpen }),
-  setUniverseQuestionIsOpen: () => {
-    const { chatInterfaceFeatureFlag } = useFeatureFlagStore.getState()
-
-    set({ universeQuestionIsOpen: chatInterfaceFeatureFlag ? !get().universeQuestionIsOpen : false })
-  },
+  setUniverseQuestionIsOpen: () => set({ universeQuestionIsOpen: !get().universeQuestionIsOpen }),
   setAppMetaData: (appMetaData) => set({ appMetaData }),
   setShowCollapseButton: (showCollapseButton) => set({ showCollapseButton }),
   setSelectedColor: (selectedColor) => set({ selectedColor }),