diff --git a/src/ai/ai_client.c b/src/ai/ai_client.c
index bd920b72..48f14ce1 100644
--- a/src/ai/ai_client.c
+++ b/src/ai/ai_client.c
@@ -67,6 +67,44 @@ _write_callback(void* ptr, size_t size, size_t nmemb, void* userdata)
     return realsize;
 }
 
+/* ========================================================================
+ * Thread-safe UI display helpers
+ * ======================================================================== */
+
+/**
+ * Display an error message in the AI window (thread-safe).
+ * @param aiwin The AI window (may be NULL)
+ * @param error_msg The error message to display
+ */
+static void
+_aiwin_display_error(ProfAiWin* aiwin, const gchar* error_msg)
+{
+    if (!aiwin || aiwin->memcheck != PROFAIWIN_MEMCHECK) {
+        log_warning("[AI-THREAD] Cannot display error: aiwin is NULL or invalid (msg: %s)", error_msg);
+        return;
+    }
+    pthread_mutex_lock(&lock);
+    aiwin_display_error(aiwin, error_msg);
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&lock);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Display a response message in the AI window (thread-safe).
+ * @param aiwin The AI window (may be NULL)
+ * @param response The response message to display
+ */
+static void
+_aiwin_display_response(ProfAiWin* aiwin, const gchar* response)
+{
+    if (!aiwin || aiwin->memcheck != PROFAIWIN_MEMCHECK) {
+        log_warning("[AI-THREAD] Cannot display response: aiwin is NULL or invalid");
+        return;
+    }
+    pthread_mutex_lock(&lock);
+    aiwin_display_response(aiwin, response);
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&lock);
+}
+
 /* ========================================================================
  * JSON helpers
  * ======================================================================== */
@@ -615,15 +653,7 @@ _ai_request_thread(gpointer data)
         auto_gchar gchar* error_msg = g_strdup_printf("No API key set for provider '%s'. Use '/ai set token %s <key>' to configure.",
                                                       session->provider_name, session->provider_name);
         log_error("AI request failed for %s/%s: %s", session->provider_name, session->model, error_msg);
-
-        /* Display error directly in AI window */
-        pthread_mutex_lock(&lock);
-        ProfAiWin* aiwin = (ProfAiWin*)user_data;
-        if (aiwin && aiwin->memcheck == PROFAIWIN_MEMCHECK) {
-            aiwin_display_error(aiwin, error_msg);
-        }
-        pthread_mutex_unlock(&lock);
-
+        _aiwin_display_error((ProfAiWin*)user_data, error_msg);
         g_free(args);
         return NULL;
     }
@@ -633,15 +663,7 @@ _ai_request_thread(gpointer data)
     if (!curl) {
         log_error("AI request failed for %s/%s: Failed to initialize curl",
                   session->provider_name, session->model);
-
-        /* Display error directly in AI window */
-        pthread_mutex_lock(&lock);
-        ProfAiWin* aiwin = (ProfAiWin*)user_data;
-        if (aiwin && aiwin->memcheck == PROFAIWIN_MEMCHECK) {
-            aiwin_display_error(aiwin, "Failed to initialize curl.");
-        }
-        pthread_mutex_unlock(&lock);
-
+        _aiwin_display_error((ProfAiWin*)user_data, "Failed to initialize curl.");
         g_free(args);
         return NULL;
     }
@@ -696,14 +718,7 @@ _ai_request_thread(gpointer data)
     if (res != CURLE_OK) {
         auto_gchar gchar* error_msg = g_strdup(curl_easy_strerror(res));
         log_error("AI request failed for %s/%s: %s", session->provider_name, session->model, error_msg);
-
-        /* Display error directly in AI window */
-        pthread_mutex_lock(&lock);
-        ProfAiWin* aiwin = (ProfAiWin*)user_data;
-        if (aiwin && aiwin->memcheck == PROFAIWIN_MEMCHECK) {
-            aiwin_display_error(aiwin, error_msg);
-        }
-        pthread_mutex_unlock(&lock);
+        _aiwin_display_error((ProfAiWin*)user_data, error_msg);
     } else if (http_code >= 400) {
         /* Handle HTTP errors */
         log_debug("[AI-THREAD] HTTP error response body (%zu bytes): %s",
@@ -711,14 +726,7 @@ _ai_request_thread(gpointer data)
         auto_gchar gchar* error_msg = g_strdup_printf("HTTP %ld: %s", http_code,
                                                       response.data ? response.data : "Unknown error");
         log_error("AI request failed for %s/%s: %s", session->provider_name, session->model, error_msg);
-
-        /* Display error directly in AI window */
-        pthread_mutex_lock(&lock);
-        ProfAiWin* aiwin = (ProfAiWin*)user_data;
-        if (aiwin && aiwin->memcheck == PROFAIWIN_MEMCHECK) {
-            aiwin_display_error(aiwin, error_msg);
-        }
-        pthread_mutex_unlock(&lock);
+        _aiwin_display_error((ProfAiWin*)user_data, error_msg);
     } else {
         /* Parse response - transfer ownership to auto_gchar for cleanup */
         log_debug("[AI-THREAD] Raw API response (%zu bytes): %s", response.size, response.data ? response.data : "NULL");
@@ -728,25 +736,11 @@ _ai_request_thread(gpointer data)
         if (content) {
             /* Add assistant response to history */
             ai_session_add_message(session, "assistant", content);
-
-            /* Display response directly in AI window */
-            pthread_mutex_lock(&lock);
-            ProfAiWin* aiwin = (ProfAiWin*)user_data;
-            if (aiwin && aiwin->memcheck == PROFAIWIN_MEMCHECK) {
-                aiwin_display_response(aiwin, content);
-            }
-            pthread_mutex_unlock(&lock);
+            _aiwin_display_response((ProfAiWin*)user_data, content);
         } else {
             log_error("AI response parse failed for %s/%s: %.200s...",
                       session->provider_name, session->model, response_data);
-
-            /* Display parse error directly in AI window */
-            pthread_mutex_lock(&lock);
-            ProfAiWin* aiwin = (ProfAiWin*)user_data;
-            if (aiwin && aiwin->memcheck == PROFAIWIN_MEMCHECK) {
-                aiwin_display_error(aiwin, "Failed to parse AI response.");
-            }
-            pthread_mutex_unlock(&lock);
+            _aiwin_display_error((ProfAiWin*)user_data, "Failed to parse AI response.");
         }
     }