diff --git a/ui/src/components/assistant/AssistantInputBar.test.tsx b/ui/src/components/assistant/AssistantInputBar.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..600e9299
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/src/components/assistant/AssistantInputBar.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,134 @@
+// @vitest-environment jsdom
+import { act } from "react";
+import { createRoot } from "react-dom/client";
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+
+// ─── Stubs ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+// ChatInput and VoiceWaveform both pull in heavy dependencies (contexts,
+// canvas APIs) that aren't relevant to what this composite adds. We stub
+// them with minimal stand-ins so the test focuses on layout composition.
+
+vi.mock("../ChatInput", () => ({
+  ChatInput: (props: Record<string, unknown>) => (
+    <button
+      type="button"
+      data-testid="chat-input-stub"
+      data-placeholder={String(props.placeholder ?? "")}
+      data-submitting={String(props.isSubmitting ?? "")}
+      data-disabled={String(props.disabled ?? "")}
+      data-enable-voice={String(props.enableVoiceInput ?? "")}
+      onClick={() => (props.onSend as (text: string) => void)("hi")}
+    >
+      chat-input
+    </button>
+  ),
+}));
+
+vi.mock("../VoiceWaveform", () => ({
+  VoiceWaveform: (props: { stream: MediaStream | null; active: boolean }) => (
+    <div
+      data-testid="voice-waveform-stub"
+      data-has-stream={String(props.stream !== null)}
+      data-active={String(props.active)}
+    />
+  ),
+}));
+
+import { AssistantInputBar } from "./AssistantInputBar";
+
+// eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
+(globalThis as any).IS_REACT_ACT_ENVIRONMENT = true;
+
+describe("<AssistantInputBar />", () => {
+  let container: HTMLDivElement;
+  let root: ReturnType<typeof createRoot> | null = null;
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    container = document.createElement("div");
+    document.body.appendChild(container);
+    root = null;
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    if (root) {
+      act(() => {
+        root!.unmount();
+      });
+      root = null;
+    }
+    if (container.parentNode) container.remove();
+  });
+
+  function render(node: React.ReactNode) {
+    root = createRoot(container);
+    act(() => {
+      root!.render(node);
+    });
+  }
+
+  it("renders the waveform row, hairline divider, and wrapped ChatInput", () => {
+    render(<AssistantInputBar onSend={() => {}} />);
+
+    expect(container.querySelector('[data-testid="assistant-input-bar"]')).not.toBeNull();
+    expect(container.querySelector('[data-testid="assistant-input-bar-waveform"]')).not.toBeNull();
+    expect(container.querySelector('[data-testid="assistant-input-bar-divider"]')).not.toBeNull();
+    expect(container.querySelector('[data-testid="voice-waveform-stub"]')).not.toBeNull();
+    expect(container.querySelector('[data-testid="chat-input-stub"]')).not.toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it("orders the waveform above the divider and the divider above the input", () => {
+    render(<AssistantInputBar onSend={() => {}} />);
+    const root = container.querySelector('[data-testid="assistant-input-bar"]');
+    expect(root).not.toBeNull();
+    const children = Array.from(root!.children);
+    // row 0: waveform wrapper, row 1: divider, row 2: input wrapper
+    expect(children[0]!.getAttribute("data-testid")).toBe("assistant-input-bar-waveform");
+    expect(children[1]!.getAttribute("data-testid")).toBe("assistant-input-bar-divider");
+    // The third child is the input wrapper div with ChatInput inside
+    expect(children[2]!.querySelector('[data-testid="chat-input-stub"]')).not.toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it("forwards onSend to the underlying ChatInput", () => {
+    const onSend = vi.fn();
+    render(<AssistantInputBar onSend={onSend} />);
+    const stub = container.querySelector('[data-testid="chat-input-stub"]') as HTMLButtonElement;
+    act(() => {
+      stub.click();
+    });
+    expect(onSend).toHaveBeenCalledWith("hi");
+  });
+
+  it("forwards isSubmitting and disabled to ChatInput", () => {
+    render(<AssistantInputBar onSend={() => {}} isSubmitting disabled />);
+    const stub = container.querySelector('[data-testid="chat-input-stub"]') as HTMLElement;
+    expect(stub.getAttribute("data-submitting")).toBe("true");
+    expect(stub.getAttribute("data-disabled")).toBe("true");
+  });
+
+  it("passes micStream and micActive through to the waveform", () => {
+    // A fake MediaStream stand-in is fine — the stub only checks identity.
+    const stream = {} as unknown as MediaStream;
+    render(<AssistantInputBar onSend={() => {}} micStream={stream} micActive />);
+    const wave = container.querySelector('[data-testid="voice-waveform-stub"]') as HTMLElement;
+    expect(wave.getAttribute("data-has-stream")).toBe("true");
+    expect(wave.getAttribute("data-active")).toBe("true");
+  });
+
+  it("uses the spec-copy placeholder by default and accepts an override", () => {
+    render(<AssistantInputBar onSend={() => {}} />);
+    const stub = container.querySelector('[data-testid="chat-input-stub"]') as HTMLElement;
+    expect(stub.getAttribute("data-placeholder")).toContain("hold space to talk");
+
+    act(() => {
+      root!.render(<AssistantInputBar onSend={() => {}} placeholder="Custom" />);
+    });
+    const stub2 = container.querySelector('[data-testid="chat-input-stub"]') as HTMLElement;
+    expect(stub2.getAttribute("data-placeholder")).toBe("Custom");
+  });
+
+  it("enables voice input by default", () => {
+    render(<AssistantInputBar onSend={() => {}} />);
+    const stub = container.querySelector('[data-testid="chat-input-stub"]') as HTMLElement;
+    expect(stub.getAttribute("data-enable-voice")).toBe("true");
+  });
+});
diff --git a/ui/src/components/assistant/AssistantInputBar.tsx b/ui/src/components/assistant/AssistantInputBar.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4f505340
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/src/components/assistant/AssistantInputBar.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,124 @@
+// [nexus] Assistant input bar composite (Phase 9).
+//
+// Stacks the voice waveform above the text input, separated by a hairline
+// divider, inside a single near-black surface with a sharp 8px radius.
+// Wraps the existing ChatInput as-is; waveform state is passed in by the
+// caller so we can keep this component stateless and reusable.
+import { ChatInput } from "../ChatInput";
+import { VoiceWaveform } from "../VoiceWaveform";
+import type { Agent } from "@paperclipai/shared";
+import type { PendingFile } from "../../hooks/useChatFileUpload";
+import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
+
+export interface AssistantInputBarProps {
+  /**
+   * Called when the user submits a message (Enter or Send button).
+   */
+  onSend: (content: string) => void;
+  /**
+   * Optional microphone stream for the waveform. If null the waveform shows
+   * a flat baseline.
+   */
+  micStream?: MediaStream | null;
+  /**
+   * Whether the microphone is actively capturing. Drives the waveform
+   * animation loop.
+   */
+  micActive?: boolean;
+  /**
+   * Forwarded to ChatInput: disables submit while a stream is in flight.
+   */
+  isSubmitting?: boolean;
+  /**
+   * Forwarded to ChatInput.
+   */
+  disabled?: boolean;
+  /**
+   * Placeholder text. Defaults to the spec copy.
+   */
+  placeholder?: string;
+  /**
+   * Agents for the @mention popover inside ChatInput.
+   */
+  agents?: Agent[];
+  agentsLoading?: boolean;
+  /**
+   * File attach integration.
+   */
+  onFilesPicked?: (files: File[]) => void;
+  pendingFiles?: PendingFile[];
+  onRemoveFile?: (id: string) => void;
+  /**
+   * Whether voice input (mic) button inside ChatInput should be shown.
+   * Defaults to true for the Assistant page.
+   */
+  enableVoiceInput?: boolean;
+  className?: string;
+}
+
+export function AssistantInputBar({
+  onSend,
+  micStream = null,
+  micActive = false,
+  isSubmitting,
+  disabled,
+  placeholder = "Type a message or hold space to talk…",
+  agents,
+  agentsLoading,
+  onFilesPicked,
+  pendingFiles,
+  onRemoveFile,
+  enableVoiceInput = true,
+  className,
+}: AssistantInputBarProps) {
+  return (
+    <div
+      data-testid="assistant-input-bar"
+      aria-label="Assistant input"
+      className={cn(
+        "flex flex-col rounded-[8px] border border-border bg-card",
+        "focus-within:ring-2 focus-within:ring-primary focus-within:ring-offset-2 focus-within:ring-offset-background",
+        className,
+      )}
+    >
+      {/* Waveform row */}
+      <div
+        data-testid="assistant-input-bar-waveform"
+        className="flex items-center justify-center px-4 pt-3 pb-2"
+      >
+        <div className="relative flex h-8 w-full items-center justify-center overflow-hidden">
+          {/* Flat-baseline underlay: silver 1px line visible whenever the
+              canvas isn't drawing (idle state). */}
+          <div
+            aria-hidden="true"
+            className="absolute left-1/2 top-1/2 h-px w-20 -translate-x-1/2 -translate-y-1/2 bg-muted-foreground/40"
+          />
+          <VoiceWaveform stream={micStream} active={micActive} />
+        </div>
+      </div>
+
+      {/* Hairline divider */}
+      <div
+        aria-hidden="true"
+        data-testid="assistant-input-bar-divider"
+        className="h-px w-full bg-border"
+      />
+
+      {/* Text input row with generous 24px vertical padding (px-4 py-6) */}
+      <div className="px-4 py-6">
+        <ChatInput
+          onSend={onSend}
+          isSubmitting={isSubmitting}
+          disabled={disabled}
+          placeholder={placeholder}
+          agents={agents}
+          agentsLoading={agentsLoading}
+          onFilesPicked={onFilesPicked}
+          pendingFiles={pendingFiles}
+          onRemoveFile={onRemoveFile}
+          enableVoiceInput={enableVoiceInput}
+        />
+      </div>
+    </div>
+  );
+}