diff --git a/src/frontends/tui/components/App.tsx b/src/frontends/tui/components/App.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..02f5dde
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/frontends/tui/components/App.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+import React, { useState, useCallback } from 'react';
+import { Box, useApp, useInput } from 'ink';
+import { StatusBar } from './StatusBar.js';
+import { MessageList } from './MessageList.js';
+import { InputBar } from './InputBar.js';
+import type { Message, ModelClient } from '../../../models/types.js';
+import type { ManagedSession } from '../../../session/index.js';
+
+export interface AppProps {
+  session: ManagedSession;
+  modelClient: ModelClient;
+  systemPrompt: string;
+  model: string;
+  onExit?: () => void;
+}
+
+export function App({
+  session,
+  modelClient,
+  systemPrompt,
+  model,
+  onExit,
+}: AppProps): React.ReactElement {
+  const { exit } = useApp();
+  const [input, setInput] = useState('');
+  const [messages, setMessages] = useState<Message[]>(session.getHistory());
+  const [isLoading, setIsLoading] = useState(false);
+
+  useInput((inputChar, key) => {
+    if (key.escape) {
+      onExit?.();
+      exit();
+    }
+  });
+
+  const handleSubmit = useCallback(async (value: string) => {
+    const trimmed = value.trim();
+    if (!trimmed || isLoading) return;
+
+    // Handle commands
+    if (trimmed === '/quit' || trimmed === '/exit') {
+      onExit?.();
+      exit();
+      return;
+    }
+
+    if (trimmed === '/reset' || trimmed === '/clear') {
+      session.clear();
+      setMessages([]);
+      setInput('');
+      return;
+    }
+
+    // Regular message
+    const userMessage: Message = { role: 'user', content: trimmed };
+    session.addMessage(userMessage);
+    setMessages(prev => [...prev, userMessage]);
+    setInput('');
+    setIsLoading(true);
+
+    try {
+      const response = await modelClient.chat({
+        messages: session.getHistory(),
+        system: systemPrompt,
+      });
+
+      const assistantMessage: Message = { role: 'assistant', content: response.content };
+      session.addMessage(assistantMessage);
+      setMessages(prev => [...prev, assistantMessage]);
+    } catch (error) {
+      const errorMessage: Message = {
+        role: 'assistant',
+        content: `Error: ${error instanceof Error ? error.message : 'Unknown error'}`,
+      };
+      setMessages(prev => [...prev, errorMessage]);
+    } finally {
+      setIsLoading(false);
+    }
+  }, [isLoading, session, modelClient, systemPrompt, exit, onExit]);
+
+  return (
+    <Box flexDirection="column" height="100%">
+      <StatusBar
+        sessionId={session.id}
+        messageCount={messages.length}
+        model={model}
+      />
+      <MessageList messages={messages} />
+      <InputBar
+        value={input}
+        onChange={setInput}
+        onSubmit={handleSubmit}
+        isLoading={isLoading}
+        placeholder="Type a message... (Esc to exit)"
+      />
+    </Box>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/src/frontends/tui/components/InputBar.tsx b/src/frontends/tui/components/InputBar.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..44c0238
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/frontends/tui/components/InputBar.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+import React from 'react';
+import { Box, Text } from 'ink';
+import TextInput from 'ink-text-input';
+
+export interface InputBarProps {
+  value: string;
+  onChange: (value: string) => void;
+  onSubmit: (value: string) => void;
+  isLoading?: boolean;
+  placeholder?: string;
+}
+
+export function InputBar({
+  value,
+  onChange,
+  onSubmit,
+  isLoading = false,
+  placeholder = 'Type a message...',
+}: InputBarProps): React.ReactElement {
+  return (
+    <Box borderStyle="single" borderColor="blue" paddingX={1}>
+      <Text color="blue">{'> '}</Text>
+      {isLoading ? (
+        <Text color="gray">Thinking...</Text>
+      ) : (
+        <TextInput
+          value={value}
+          onChange={onChange}
+          onSubmit={onSubmit}
+          placeholder={placeholder}
+        />
+      )}
+    </Box>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/src/frontends/tui/components/MessageList.tsx b/src/frontends/tui/components/MessageList.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7d5729a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/frontends/tui/components/MessageList.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+import React from 'react';
+import { Box, Text } from 'ink';
+import type { Message } from '../../../models/types.js';
+
+export interface MessageListProps {
+  messages: Message[];
+  maxHeight?: number;
+}
+
+export function MessageList({ messages, maxHeight = 20 }: MessageListProps): React.ReactElement {
+  // Show only recent messages that fit
+  const visibleMessages = messages.slice(-maxHeight);
+
+  return (
+    <Box flexDirection="column" flexGrow={1} paddingX={1}>
+      {visibleMessages.length === 0 ? (
+        <Text color="gray">No messages yet. Start typing to chat with Flynn.</Text>
+      ) : (
+        visibleMessages.map((message, index) => (
+          <Box key={index} marginBottom={1}>
+            <Text color={message.role === 'user' ? 'blue' : 'green'}>
+              {message.role === 'user' ? 'You: ' : 'Flynn: '}
+            </Text>
+            <Text wrap="wrap">{message.content}</Text>
+          </Box>
+        ))
+      )}
+    </Box>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/src/frontends/tui/components/StatusBar.tsx b/src/frontends/tui/components/StatusBar.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e0852ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/frontends/tui/components/StatusBar.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+import React from 'react';
+import { Box, Text } from 'ink';
+
+export interface StatusBarProps {
+  sessionId: string;
+  messageCount: number;
+  model: string;
+}
+
+export function StatusBar({ sessionId, messageCount, model }: StatusBarProps): React.ReactElement {
+  return (
+    <Box borderStyle="single" borderColor="gray" paddingX={1}>
+      <Box flexGrow={1}>
+        <Text color="cyan">Flynn</Text>
+        <Text color="gray"> | </Text>
+        <Text color="gray">Session: </Text>
+        <Text>{sessionId}</Text>
+      </Box>
+      <Box>
+        <Text color="gray">Messages: </Text>
+        <Text>{messageCount}</Text>
+        <Text color="gray"> | </Text>
+        <Text color="gray">Model: </Text>
+        <Text color="green">{model}</Text>
+      </Box>
+    </Box>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/src/frontends/tui/components/index.ts b/src/frontends/tui/components/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a8fffea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/frontends/tui/components/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+export { App, type AppProps } from './App.js';
+export { StatusBar, type StatusBarProps } from './StatusBar.js';
+export { MessageList, type MessageListProps } from './MessageList.js';
+export { InputBar, type InputBarProps } from './InputBar.js';
diff --git a/tsconfig.json b/tsconfig.json
index 479c240..add806e 100644
--- a/tsconfig.json
+++ b/tsconfig.json
@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@
     "resolveJsonModule": true,
     "declaration": true,
     "declarationMap": true,
-    "sourceMap": true
+    "sourceMap": true,
+    "jsx": "react-jsx"
   },
   "include": ["src/**/*"],
   "exclude": ["node_modules", "dist"]