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/components/Auth/index.tsx b/src/components/Auth/index.tsx
index 540514c5e..de683c64e 100644
--- a/src/components/Auth/index.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Auth/index.tsx
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ export const AuthGuard = ({ children }: PropsWithChildren) => {
         setQueuedSourcesFeatureFlag(res.data.queuedSources)
         setCustomSchemaFeatureFlag(res.data.customSchema)
         setRealtimeGraphFeatureFlag(res.data.realtimeGraph || false)
-        setChatInterfaceFeatureFlag(res.data.chatInterface || false)
+        setChatInterfaceFeatureFlag(res.data.chatInterface || true)
         setFastFiltersFeatureFlag(res.data.fastFilters || false)
       }