diff --git a/apps/chanora_flutter/lib/widgets/chat_views.dart b/apps/chanora_flutter/lib/widgets/chat_views.dart
index b4332d2..bdc8052 100644
--- a/apps/chanora_flutter/lib/widgets/chat_views.dart
+++ b/apps/chanora_flutter/lib/widgets/chat_views.dart
@@ -15,6 +15,12 @@ const double _chatSidebarTileExtent = 92;
 const double _chatSidebarCompactTileExtent = 76;
 const double _chatSidebarCompactHeight = 84;
 
+typedef ChatMessageSender =
+    Future<void> Function({
+      required String message,
+      required rust.BridgeMessageTarget target,
+    });
+
 /// One chat/activity message shown in the chat hub.
 class ChatEntry {
   /// Construct a chat entry.
@@ -497,7 +503,7 @@ String chatInputPlaceholder(
     case rust.BridgeMessageTarget_Client():
       return 'Message $clientName...';
     case rust.BridgeMessageTarget_Poke():
-      return 'Poke message...';
+      return 'Poke message optional...';
   }
 }
 
@@ -513,6 +519,16 @@ bool canSendToChatTarget(
   }
 }
 
+bool canSendChatMessage(
+  rust.BridgeMessageTarget target,
+  BigInt? currentChannelId,
+  String text,
+) {
+  if (!canSendToChatTarget(target, currentChannelId)) return false;
+  if (target is rust.BridgeMessageTarget_Poke) return true;
+  return text.trim().isNotEmpty;
+}
+
 String? chatSendBlockedReason(
   rust.BridgeMessageTarget target,
   BigInt? currentChannelId,
@@ -1066,6 +1082,7 @@ class ChatDetailView extends StatefulWidget {
     this.messageMaxWidth,
     this.restoredDraft,
     this.onDraftChanged,
+    this.sendChatMessage,
   });
 
   /// Chat target displayed by this detail view.
@@ -1101,6 +1118,9 @@ class ChatDetailView extends StatefulWidget {
   /// Called with the current draft text whenever the target changes or the widget is about to be replaced.
   final ValueChanged<String>? onDraftChanged;
 
+  /// Sends a chat message. Defaults to the Rust bridge send path.
+  final ChatMessageSender? sendChatMessage;
+
   @override
   State<ChatDetailView> createState() => _ChatDetailViewState();
 }
@@ -1168,9 +1188,12 @@ class _ChatDetailViewState extends State<ChatDetailView> {
 
   void _send() {
     final text = _textCtl.text.trim();
-    if (text.isEmpty || !_canSend) return;
+    if (!canSendChatMessage(widget.target, widget.currentChannelId, text)) {
+      return;
+    }
     _textCtl.clear();
-    unawaited(rust.sendChatMessage(message: text, target: widget.target));
+    final sendChatMessage = widget.sendChatMessage ?? rust.sendChatMessage;
+    unawaited(sendChatMessage(message: text, target: widget.target));
     final ownId = widget.snapshot.ownClientId;
     setState(() {
       widget.messages.add(
@@ -1223,6 +1246,9 @@ class _ChatDetailViewState extends State<ChatDetailView> {
       channelName: widget.channelName,
       clientName: widget.clientName,
     );
+    final sendTooltip = widget.target is rust.BridgeMessageTarget_Poke
+        ? 'Poke'
+        : 'Send';
 
     return Column(
       children: [
@@ -1332,7 +1358,7 @@ class _ChatDetailViewState extends State<ChatDetailView> {
                 IconButton.filled(
                   icon: const Icon(Icons.send),
                   onPressed: _send,
-                  tooltip: 'Send',
+                  tooltip: sendTooltip,
                 ),
               ],
             ),
diff --git a/apps/chanora_flutter/test/services/poke_notification_service_test.dart b/apps/chanora_flutter/test/services/poke_notification_service_test.dart
index d356be3..3b345a6 100644
--- a/apps/chanora_flutter/test/services/poke_notification_service_test.dart
+++ b/apps/chanora_flutter/test/services/poke_notification_service_test.dart
@@ -60,4 +60,22 @@ void main() {
       expect(specifics['groupKey'], 'chanora.pokes');
     },
   );
+
+  test('show uses fallback body for empty poke messages', () async {
+    final service = PokeNotificationService();
+
+    await service.show(
+      senderName: 'Alice',
+      message: '   ',
+      senderId: BigInt.from(42),
+      strength: rust.BridgePokeStrength.strong,
+    );
+
+    final showCall = calls.singleWhere((call) => call.method == 'show');
+    final arguments = Map<Object?, Object?>.from(showCall.arguments as Map);
+
+    expect(arguments['title'], 'Poke from Alice');
+    expect(arguments['body'], 'Alice pokes you');
+    expect(arguments['payload'], 'poke:42');
+  });
 }
diff --git a/apps/chanora_flutter/test/widgets/chat_views_test.dart b/apps/chanora_flutter/test/widgets/chat_views_test.dart
index d81512e..b44e994 100644
--- a/apps/chanora_flutter/test/widgets/chat_views_test.dart
+++ b/apps/chanora_flutter/test/widgets/chat_views_test.dart
@@ -455,7 +455,7 @@ void main() {
         channelName: '',
         clientName: 'Alpha',
       ),
-      'Poke message...',
+      'Poke message optional...',
     );
   });
 
@@ -737,6 +737,179 @@ void main() {
     refresh.dispose();
   });
 
+  test('evaluates target-aware chat message send policy', () {
+    final clientTarget = rust.BridgeMessageTarget.client(BigInt.from(2));
+    final pokeTarget = rust.BridgeMessageTarget.poke(BigInt.from(2));
+
+    expect(canSendChatMessage(pokeTarget, null, ''), isTrue);
+    expect(canSendChatMessage(pokeTarget, null, '   '), isTrue);
+    expect(canSendChatMessage(pokeTarget, null, 'wake up'), isTrue);
+
+    expect(
+      canSendChatMessage(const rust.BridgeMessageTarget.server(), null, ''),
+      isFalse,
+    );
+    expect(
+      canSendChatMessage(
+        const rust.BridgeMessageTarget.channel(),
+        BigInt.from(10),
+        '',
+      ),
+      isFalse,
+    );
+    expect(canSendChatMessage(clientTarget, null, ''), isFalse);
+    expect(
+      canSendChatMessage(
+        const rust.BridgeMessageTarget.channel(),
+        null,
+        'hello',
+      ),
+      isFalse,
+    );
+    expect(
+      canSendChatMessage(
+        const rust.BridgeMessageTarget.channel(),
+        BigInt.from(10),
+        'hello',
+      ),
+      isTrue,
+    );
+  });
+
+  testWidgets('poke detail sends an empty poke when the composer is empty', (
+    tester,
+  ) async {
+    String? sentMessage;
+    rust.BridgeMessageTarget? sentTarget;
+    final messages = <ChatEntry>[];
+    final target = rust.BridgeMessageTarget.poke(BigInt.from(2));
+
+    await tester.pumpWidget(
+      MaterialApp(
+        localizationsDelegates: AppL10n.localizationsDelegates,
+        supportedLocales: AppL10n.supportedLocales,
+        home: Scaffold(
+          body: ChatDetailView(
+            messages: messages,
+            snapshot: snapshot(
+              channels: const [],
+              clients: [
+                client(id: BigInt.one, name: 'Me', channelId: BigInt.zero),
+              ],
+            ),
+            target: target,
+            clientName: 'Alpha',
+            currentChannelId: null,
+            channelName: '',
+            sendChatMessage: ({required message, required target}) async {
+              sentMessage = message;
+              sentTarget = target;
+            },
+          ),
+        ),
+      ),
+    );
+
+    expect(find.byTooltip('Poke'), findsOneWidget);
+    expect(find.byTooltip('Send'), findsNothing);
+
+    await tester.tap(find.byTooltip('Poke'));
+    await tester.pump();
+
+    expect(sentMessage, '');
+    expect(sentTarget, target);
+    expect(messages, hasLength(1));
+    expect(messages.single.isPoke, isTrue);
+    expect(messages.single.message, '');
+    expect(find.textContaining('You poked "Alpha"'), findsOneWidget);
+    expect(find.byType(CircleAvatar), findsNothing);
+  });
+
+  testWidgets('poke detail sends typed optional poke message', (tester) async {
+    String? sentMessage;
+    rust.BridgeMessageTarget? sentTarget;
+    final messages = <ChatEntry>[];
+    final target = rust.BridgeMessageTarget.poke(BigInt.from(2));
+
+    await tester.pumpWidget(
+      MaterialApp(
+        localizationsDelegates: AppL10n.localizationsDelegates,
+        supportedLocales: AppL10n.supportedLocales,
+        home: Scaffold(
+          body: ChatDetailView(
+            messages: messages,
+            snapshot: snapshot(
+              channels: const [],
+              clients: [
+                client(id: BigInt.one, name: 'Me', channelId: BigInt.zero),
+              ],
+            ),
+            target: target,
+            clientName: 'Alpha',
+            currentChannelId: null,
+            channelName: '',
+            sendChatMessage: ({required message, required target}) async {
+              sentMessage = message;
+              sentTarget = target;
+            },
+          ),
+        ),
+      ),
+    );
+
+    await tester.enterText(find.byType(TextField), 'wake up');
+    await tester.tap(find.byTooltip('Poke'));
+    await tester.pump();
+
+    expect(sentMessage, 'wake up');
+    expect(sentTarget, target);
+    expect(messages.single.message, 'wake up');
+    expect(
+      find.textContaining('You poked "Alpha" with message: wake up'),
+      findsOneWidget,
+    );
+  });
+
+  testWidgets('channel detail blocks empty sends with a joined channel', (
+    tester,
+  ) async {
+    var sendCount = 0;
+    final messages = <ChatEntry>[];
+
+    await tester.pumpWidget(
+      MaterialApp(
+        localizationsDelegates: AppL10n.localizationsDelegates,
+        supportedLocales: AppL10n.supportedLocales,
+        home: Scaffold(
+          body: ChatDetailView(
+            messages: messages,
+            snapshot: snapshot(
+              channels: [channel(BigInt.from(10), 'Lobby')],
+              clients: [
+                client(id: BigInt.one, name: 'Me', channelId: BigInt.from(10)),
+              ],
+            ),
+            target: const rust.BridgeMessageTarget.channel(),
+            clientName: '',
+            currentChannelId: BigInt.from(10),
+            channelName: 'Lobby',
+            sendChatMessage: ({required message, required target}) async {
+              sendCount++;
+            },
+          ),
+        ),
+      ),
+    );
+
+    expect(find.byTooltip('Send'), findsOneWidget);
+
+    await tester.tap(find.byTooltip('Send'));
+    await tester.pump();
+
+    expect(sendCount, 0);
+    expect(messages, isEmpty);
+  });
+
   test('blocks channel chat when no voice channel is joined', () {
     expect(
       canSendToChatTarget(const rust.BridgeMessageTarget.channel(), null),