diff --git a/src/extension/chatSessions/vscode-node/chatSessions.ts b/src/extension/chatSessions/vscode-node/chatSessions.ts
index ad69e529b8..7753eec7d0 100644
--- a/src/extension/chatSessions/vscode-node/chatSessions.ts
+++ b/src/extension/chatSessions/vscode-node/chatSessions.ts
@@ -126,7 +126,6 @@ export class ChatSessionsContrib extends Disposable implements IExtensionContrib
 
 		const copilotcliSessionIsolationManager = copilotcliAgentInstaService.createInstance(CopilotCLISessionIsolationManager);
 		const copilotcliSessionItemProvider = this._register(copilotcliAgentInstaService.createInstance(CopilotCLIChatSessionItemProvider));
-		this._register(vscode.chat.registerChatSessionItemProvider(this.copilotcliSessionType, copilotcliSessionItemProvider));
 		const imageSupport = copilotcliAgentInstaService.createInstance(CopilotCLIImageSupport);
 		const promptResolver = copilotcliAgentInstaService.createInstance(CopilotCLIPromptResolver, imageSupport);
 		const copilotcliChatSessionContentProvider = copilotcliAgentInstaService.createInstance(CopilotCLIChatSessionContentProvider, copilotcliSessionIsolationManager);
diff --git a/src/extension/chatSessions/vscode-node/copilotCLIChatSessionsContribution.ts b/src/extension/chatSessions/vscode-node/copilotCLIChatSessionsContribution.ts
index 5aa7812a13..228123f131 100644
--- a/src/extension/chatSessions/vscode-node/copilotCLIChatSessionsContribution.ts
+++ b/src/extension/chatSessions/vscode-node/copilotCLIChatSessionsContribution.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ import { ITelemetryService } from '../../../platform/telemetry/common/telemetry'
 import { IWorkspaceService } from '../../../platform/workspace/common/workspaceService';
 import { disposableTimeout, raceCancellation } from '../../../util/vs/base/common/async';
 import { isCancellationError } from '../../../util/vs/base/common/errors';
-import { Emitter, Event } from '../../../util/vs/base/common/event';
+import { Emitter } from '../../../util/vs/base/common/event';
 import { Disposable, DisposableStore, IDisposable, IReference, toDisposable } from '../../../util/vs/base/common/lifecycle';
 import { autorun } from '../../../util/vs/base/common/observable';
 import { extUri, isEqual } from '../../../util/vs/base/common/resources';
@@ -113,12 +113,8 @@ function escapeXml(text: string): string {
 		.replace(/'/g, ''');
 }
 
-export class CopilotCLIChatSessionItemProvider extends Disposable implements vscode.ChatSessionItemProvider {
-	private readonly _onDidChangeChatSessionItems = this._register(new Emitter<void>());
-	public readonly onDidChangeChatSessionItems: Event<void> = this._onDidChangeChatSessionItems.event;
-
-	private readonly _onDidCommitChatSessionItem = this._register(new Emitter<{ original: vscode.ChatSessionItem; modified: vscode.ChatSessionItem }>());
-	public readonly onDidCommitChatSessionItem: Event<{ original: vscode.ChatSessionItem; modified: vscode.ChatSessionItem }> = this._onDidCommitChatSessionItem.event;
+export class CopilotCLIChatSessionItemProvider extends Disposable {
+	private readonly controller: vscode.ChatSessionItemController;
 
 	constructor(
 		@ICopilotCLISessionService private readonly copilotcliSessionService: ICopilotCLISessionService,
@@ -130,27 +126,45 @@ export class CopilotCLIChatSessionItemProvider extends Disposable implements vsc
 	) {
 		super();
 		this._register(this.terminalIntegration);
+
+		this.controller = this._register(vscode.chat.createChatSessionItemController(
+			'copilotcli',
+			() => this.refresh()
+		));
+
 		this._register(this.copilotcliSessionService.onDidChangeSessions(() => {
 			this.notifySessionsChange();
 		}));
 	}
 
 	public notifySessionsChange(): void {
-		this._onDidChangeChatSessionItems.fire();
+		void this.controller.refreshHandler();
 	}
 
 	public swap(original: vscode.ChatSessionItem, modified: vscode.ChatSessionItem): void {
-		this._onDidCommitChatSessionItem.fire({ original, modified });
+		this.controller.items.delete(original.resource);
+		this.controller.items.add(modified);
 	}
 
-	public async provideChatSessionItems(token: vscode.CancellationToken): Promise<vscode.ChatSessionItem[]> {
-		const sessions = await this.copilotcliSessionService.getAllSessions(this.shouldShowSession.bind(this), token);
-		const diskSessions = await Promise.all(sessions.map(async session => this._toChatSessionItem(session)));
+	private async refresh(): Promise<void> {
+		const ctx = new vscode.CancellationTokenSource();
+		try {
+			const sessions = await this.copilotcliSessionService.getAllSessions(this.shouldShowSession.bind(this), ctx.token);
+			const items: vscode.ChatSessionItem[] = [];
+
+			for (const session of sessions) {
+				const item = await this._toChatSessionItem(session);
+				items.push(item);
+			}
 
-		const count = diskSessions.length;
-		this.commandExecutionService.executeCommand('setContext', 'github.copilot.chat.cliSessionsEmpty', count === 0);
+			this.controller.items.replace(items);
 
-		return diskSessions;
+			const count = items.length;
+			this.commandExecutionService.executeCommand('setContext', 'github.copilot.chat.cliSessionsEmpty', count === 0);
+		}
+		finally {
+			ctx.dispose();
+		}
 	}
 
 	private shouldShowSession(sessionId: string): boolean | undefined {
@@ -177,27 +191,25 @@ export class CopilotCLIChatSessionItemProvider extends Disposable implements vsc
 
 		const label = session.label;
 
+		const item = this.controller.createChatSessionItem(resource, label);
+
 		// Badge
-		let badge: vscode.MarkdownString | undefined;
 		if (worktreeProperties?.branchName) {
-			badge = new vscode.MarkdownString(`$(worktree) ${worktreeProperties.branchName}`);
+			const badge = new vscode.MarkdownString(`$(worktree) ${worktreeProperties.branchName}`);
 			badge.supportThemeIcons = true;
+			item.badge = badge;
 		}
 
 		// Statistics
-		const changes = await this.worktreeManager.getWorktreeChanges(session.id);
+		item.changes = await this.worktreeManager.getWorktreeChanges(session.id);
 
 		// Status
-		const status = session.status ?? vscode.ChatSessionStatus.Completed;
+		item.status = session.status ?? vscode.ChatSessionStatus.Completed;
 
-		return {
-			resource,
-			label,
-			badge,
-			timing: session.timing,
-			changes,
-			status
-		} satisfies vscode.ChatSessionItem;
+		// Timing
+		item.timing = session.timing;
+
+		return item;
 	}
 
 	public async createCopilotCLITerminal(): Promise<void> {