diff --git a/gui/main.qml b/gui/main.qml
index 966e9b2..7dd6d03 100644
--- a/gui/main.qml
+++ b/gui/main.qml
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import QtQuick 2.15
 import QtQuick.Controls 2.15
 import QtQuick.Layouts 1.15
+import QtQuick.Dialogs 1.15
 
 ApplicationWindow {
     id: root
@@ -278,6 +279,132 @@ ApplicationWindow {
         }
     }
 
+    // --- New Session Dialog ---
+    Dialog {
+        id: newSessionDialog
+        title: "New Session"
+        anchors.centerIn: parent
+        width: 420
+        modal: true
+        standardButtons: Dialog.Ok | Dialog.Cancel
+
+        contentItem: ColumnLayout {
+            spacing: 16
+            Layout.margins: 16
+
+            // Directory
+            RowLayout {
+                Layout.fillWidth: true
+                Label { text: "Directory:"; Layout.preferredWidth: 80 }
+                TextField {
+                    id: dirField
+                    Layout.fillWidth: true
+                    placeholderText: "/path/to/project"
+                    readOnly: false
+                }
+                Button {
+                    text: "Browse..."
+                    onClicked: folderDialog.open()
+                }
+            }
+
+            // Name
+            RowLayout {
+                Layout.fillWidth: true
+                Label { text: "Name:"; Layout.preferredWidth: 80 }
+                TextField {
+                    id: nameField
+                    Layout.fillWidth: true
+                    placeholderText: "(auto-generated)"
+                }
+            }
+
+            // Backend
+            RowLayout {
+                Layout.fillWidth: true
+                Label { text: "Backend:"; Layout.preferredWidth: 80 }
+                ComboBox {
+                    id: backendCombo
+                    Layout.fillWidth: true
+                    enabled: ollie.rootBackendsLoaded
+                    model: ollie.availableBackends
+                    currentIndex: 0
+                }
+            }
+
+            // Model
+            RowLayout {
+                Layout.fillWidth: true
+                Label { text: "Model:"; Layout.preferredWidth: 80 }
+                ComboBox {
+                    id: modelCombo
+                    Layout.fillWidth: true
+                    enabled: ollie.rootModelsLoaded && backendCombo.count > 0
+                    model: ollie.getAvailableModels(backendCombo.currentText)
+                    currentIndex: 0
+                }
+            }
+
+            // Agent
+            RowLayout {
+                Layout.fillWidth: true
+                Label { text: "Agent:"; Layout.preferredWidth: 80 }
+                ComboBox {
+                    id: agentCombo
+                    Layout.fillWidth: true
+                    enabled: ollie.rootAgentsLoaded
+                    model: ollie.availableAgents
+                    currentIndex: 0
+                }
+            }
+
+            // Remote
+            RowLayout {
+                Layout.fillWidth: true
+                Label { text: "Remote:"; Layout.preferredWidth: 80 }
+                TextField {
+                    id: remoteField
+                    Layout.fillWidth: true
+                    placeholderText: "user@host:port"
+                }
+            }
+
+            Component.onCompleted: {
+                if (!ollie.rootBackendsLoaded) ollie.loadRootBackends()
+                if (!ollie.rootAgentsLoaded) ollie.loadRootAgents()
+            }
+        }
+
+        onAccepted: {
+            var cwd = dirField.text.trim()
+            if (cwd === "") {
+                console.log("New session: directory is required")
+                return
+            }
+            var name = nameField.text.trim()
+            var backend = backendCombo.currentText
+            var model = modelCombo.currentText
+            var agent = agentCombo.currentText
+            var remote = remoteField.text.trim()
+
+            var ok = ollie.createSession(cwd, name, backend, model, agent, remote)
+            if (ok) {
+                ollie.refreshSessions()
+            } else {
+                console.log("New session: creation failed")
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    FolderDialog {
+        id: folderDialog
+        title: "Select Project Directory"
+        currentFolder: StandardPaths.locate(StandardPaths.HomeLocation, "", StandardPaths.LocateFile)
+        onAccepted: {
+            dirField.text = folderDialog.selectedFolder
+        }
+    }
+
     SplitView {
         anchors.fill: parent
 
@@ -292,6 +419,12 @@ ApplicationWindow {
                 RowLayout {
                     anchors.fill: parent
                     Label { text: "Sessions"; Layout.fillWidth: true; font.bold: true; leftPadding: 8 }
+                    ToolButton {
+                        text: "\u2795"
+                        onClicked: newSessionDialog.open()
+                        ToolTip.text: "New Session"
+                        ToolTip.visible: hovered
+                    }
                     ToolButton {
                         text: "\u21BB"
                         onClicked: ollie.refreshSessions()
diff --git a/gui/ollie9pclient.cpp b/gui/ollie9pclient.cpp
index 305e9c3..3db27c3 100644
--- a/gui/ollie9pclient.cpp
+++ b/gui/ollie9pclient.cpp
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 #include <QDir>
 #include <QStandardPaths>
+#include <QDebug>
 
 static QString ninepBin()
 {
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@ Ollie9pClient::Ollie9pClient(QObject *parent)
     : QObject(parent)
 {
     refreshSessions();
+    ensureRootDataLoaded();
 }
 
 Ollie9pClient::~Ollie9pClient()
@@ -191,6 +193,102 @@ void Ollie9pClient::switchAgent(const QString &sessionId, const QString &agentId
     startStateStream();
 }
 
+void Ollie9pClient::loadRootBackends()
+{
+    if (m_rootBackendsLoaded) return;
+    QByteArray out = run9p({"read", "backends"});
+    QString raw = QString::fromUtf8(out).trimmed();
+    if (!raw.isEmpty()) {
+        m_availableBackends = raw.split('\n', Qt::SkipEmptyParts);
+        m_rootBackendsLoaded = true;
+        emit availableBackendsChanged();
+    }
+    emit rootBackendsLoadedChanged();
+}
+
+void Ollie9pClient::loadRootAgents()
+{
+    if (m_rootAgentsLoaded) return;
+    QByteArray out = run9p({"read", "agents"});
+    QString raw = QString::fromUtf8(out).trimmed();
+    if (!raw.isEmpty()) {
+        m_availableAgents = raw.split('\n', Qt::SkipEmptyParts);
+        m_rootAgentsLoaded = true;
+        emit availableAgentsChanged();
+    } else {
+        m_availableAgents = {"default"};
+        m_rootAgentsLoaded = true;
+        emit availableAgentsChanged();
+    }
+    emit rootAgentsLoadedChanged();
+}
+
+QStringList Ollie9pClient::getAvailableModels(const QString &backend) const
+{
+    if (!m_rootModelsLoaded) return {};
+    auto it = m_rootModels.find(backend);
+    if (it == m_rootModels.end()) return {};
+    return it.value().toStringList();
+}
+
+bool Ollie9pClient::createSession(const QString &cwd, const QString &name, const QString &backend, const QString &model, const QString &agent, const QString &remote)
+{
+    if (cwd.isEmpty()) return false;
+
+    QStringList args;
+    args << "cwd=" + cwd;
+    if (!name.isEmpty()) args << "name=" + name;
+    if (!backend.isEmpty()) args << "backend=" + backend;
+    if (!model.isEmpty()) args << "model=" + model;
+    if (!agent.isEmpty()) args << "agent=" + agent;
+    if (!remote.isEmpty()) args << "remote=" + remote;
+
+    QProcess proc;
+    QStringList fullArgs = {"-a", serverAddr(), "write", "new"};
+    proc.start(ninepBin(), fullArgs);
+    proc.waitForStarted(3000);
+
+    QString input = args.join(" ");
+    proc.write(input.toUtf8());
+    proc.closeWriteChannel();
+    proc.waitForFinished(5000);
+
+    if (proc.exitCode() != 0) {
+        QString err = QString::fromUtf8(proc.readAllStandardError()).trimmed();
+        if (err.isEmpty())
+            err = QString::fromUtf8(proc.readAllStandardOutput()).trimmed();
+        qDebug() << "createSession failed:" << err;
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    return true;
+}
+
+// --- Root data loading (lazy) ---
+
+void Ollie9pClient::ensureRootDataLoaded()
+{
+    if (!m_rootBackendsLoaded) loadRootBackends();
+    if (!m_rootAgentsLoaded) loadRootAgents();
+    if (!m_rootModelsLoaded) {
+        QByteArray out = run9p({"read", "models"});
+        QString raw = QString::fromUtf8(out);
+        if (!raw.isEmpty()) {
+            for (const QString &line : raw.split('\n')) {
+                int tab = line.indexOf('\t');
+                if (tab < 0) continue;
+                QString be = line.left(tab).trimmed();
+                QString mo = line.mid(tab + 1).trimmed();
+                if (!be.isEmpty() && !mo.isEmpty()) {
+                    m_rootModels[be].toStringList().append(mo);
+                }
+            }
+            m_rootModelsLoaded = true;
+            emit rootModelsLoadedChanged();
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 // --- Streaming ---
 
 void Ollie9pClient::startChatStream()
diff --git a/gui/ollie9pclient.h b/gui/ollie9pclient.h
index fe94ab7..ed11edc 100644
--- a/gui/ollie9pclient.h
+++ b/gui/ollie9pclient.h
@@ -22,6 +22,11 @@ class Ollie9pClient : public QObject
     Q_PROPERTY(QString activeSessionId READ activeSessionId WRITE setActiveSessionId NOTIFY activeSessionIdChanged)
     Q_PROPERTY(QString activeAgentId READ activeAgentId NOTIFY activeAgentIdChanged)
     Q_PROPERTY(QString activeState READ activeState NOTIFY activeStateChanged)
+    Q_PROPERTY(bool rootBackendsLoaded READ rootBackendsLoaded NOTIFY rootBackendsLoadedChanged)
+    Q_PROPERTY(QStringList availableBackends READ availableBackends NOTIFY availableBackendsChanged)
+    Q_PROPERTY(bool rootAgentsLoaded READ rootAgentsLoaded NOTIFY rootAgentsLoadedChanged)
+    Q_PROPERTY(QStringList availableAgents READ availableAgents NOTIFY availableAgentsChanged)
+    Q_PROPERTY(bool rootModelsLoaded READ rootModelsLoaded NOTIFY rootModelsLoadedChanged)
 
 public:
     explicit Ollie9pClient(QObject *parent = nullptr);
@@ -33,6 +38,12 @@ public:
     QString activeAgentId() const { return m_agentId; }
     QString activeState() const { return m_activeState; }
 
+    bool rootBackendsLoaded() const { return m_rootBackendsLoaded; }
+    QStringList availableBackends() const { return m_availableBackends; }
+    bool rootAgentsLoaded() const { return m_rootAgentsLoaded; }
+    QStringList availableAgents() const { return m_availableAgents; }
+    bool rootModelsLoaded() const { return m_rootModelsLoaded; }
+
     Q_INVOKABLE void refreshSessions();
     Q_INVOKABLE QString readLog();
     Q_INVOKABLE bool submit(const QString &prompt);
@@ -42,6 +53,10 @@ public:
     Q_INVOKABLE QStringList getAgents(const QString &sessionId);
     Q_INVOKABLE void setActiveAgentId(const QString &agentId);
     Q_INVOKABLE void switchAgent(const QString &sessionId, const QString &agentId);
+    Q_INVOKABLE void loadRootBackends();
+    Q_INVOKABLE void loadRootAgents();
+    Q_INVOKABLE QStringList getAvailableModels(const QString &backend) const;
+    Q_INVOKABLE bool createSession(const QString &cwd, const QString &name, const QString &backend, const QString &model, const QString &agent, const QString &remote);
 
 signals:
     void sessionsChanged();
@@ -50,6 +65,11 @@ signals:
     void activeStateChanged();
     void chatReceived(const QString &text);
     void streamingDone();  // chat process exited (session killed)
+    void rootBackendsLoadedChanged();
+    void availableBackendsChanged();
+    void rootAgentsLoadedChanged();
+    void availableAgentsChanged();
+    void rootModelsLoadedChanged();
 
 private slots:
     void onChatReadyRead();
@@ -63,12 +83,21 @@ private:
     void stopStreams();
     QString agentPath() const;
     QByteArray run9p(const QStringList &args);
+    void ensureRootDataLoaded();
 
     QVariantList m_sessions;
     QString m_activeSessionId;
     QString m_activeState = "idle";
     QString m_agentId;
 
+    // Root data cache
+    bool m_rootBackendsLoaded = false;
+    QStringList m_availableBackends;
+    bool m_rootAgentsLoaded = false;
+    QStringList m_availableAgents;
+    bool m_rootModelsLoaded = false;
+    QVariantMap m_rootModels;
+
     QProcess *m_chatProc = nullptr;
     QProcess *m_stateProc = nullptr;
 };