diff --git a/apps/ai-game-creator-shell/src/features/project-workspace/resourceReferences.ts b/apps/ai-game-creator-shell/src/features/project-workspace/resourceReferences.ts
index c08fba49a..2b6ac4d06 100644
--- a/apps/ai-game-creator-shell/src/features/project-workspace/resourceReferences.ts
+++ b/apps/ai-game-creator-shell/src/features/project-workspace/resourceReferences.ts
@@ -118,18 +118,21 @@ export function chatComposerDraftToDirectCodexUserItem(
   draft: ChatComposerDraft,
   id: string,
 ): DirectCodexUserItem {
-  const content = draft.content?.length
-    ? draft.content
-    : draft.references.length > 0
-      ? [
-          ...(draft.text
-            ? [{ type: 'input_text' as const, text: draft.text }]
-            : []),
-          ...draft.references.map(chatReferenceToContentPart),
-        ]
-      : draft.text
+  let content: DirectCodexUserContentPart[];
+  if (draft.content?.length) {
+    content = draft.content;
+  } else if (draft.references.length > 0) {
+    content = [
+      ...(draft.text
         ? [{ type: 'input_text' as const, text: draft.text }]
-        : [];
+        : []),
+      ...draft.references.map(chatReferenceToContentPart),
+    ];
+  } else {
+    content = draft.text
+      ? [{ type: 'input_text' as const, text: draft.text }]
+      : [];
+  }
   return {
     type: 'message',
     role: 'user',