diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index b92590e..0e7ddd6 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
 
 ### Fixes
 
+- Fix workspace intent bar erroring on simple questions / read-only queries instead of showing response text
 - Fix bottom bar button/input height mismatch on desktop (Send and Mic buttons now match input height at sm+ breakpoint)
 - Fix missing voice and visual feedback after changeset execution via voice approval (PR `#29`)
 - Add error handling and logging to Gemini Live tool response pipeline to prevent silent failures (PR `#29`)
diff --git a/components/workspace/intent-bar.tsx b/components/workspace/intent-bar.tsx
index 03fc5ea..e84e859 100644
--- a/components/workspace/intent-bar.tsx
+++ b/components/workspace/intent-bar.tsx
@@ -73,6 +73,8 @@ export function IntentBar({
     cancelDraft,
     draftChangeset,
     executionError,
+    infoResponse,
+    dismissInfo,
   } = useWorkspace();
   const { isDemo } = useLayout();
   const [input, setInput] = useState("");
@@ -90,13 +92,14 @@ export function IntentBar({
     if (draftChangeset && (phase === "preview" || phase === "executing")) {
       return "Review changeset above";
     }
+    if (phase === "complete" && infoResponse) return "Ask another question or describe a change...";
     if (phase === "complete") return "Changes applied";
     if (selectedProducts.length === 0)
       return "Describe a commerce change...";
     if (selectedProducts.length === 1)
       return `${selectedProducts[0].name} — what to change?`;
     return `${selectedProducts.length} products — what to change?`;
-  }, [selectedProducts, draftChangeset, phase, voiceActive, voiceConnecting]);
+  }, [selectedProducts, draftChangeset, phase, voiceActive, voiceConnecting, infoResponse]);
 
   const chips = useMemo(() => {
     if (selectedProducts.length === 0) return [];
@@ -107,9 +110,10 @@ export function IntentBar({
   const handleSubmit = useCallback(() => {
     const trimmed = input.trim();
     if (!trimmed || phase === "executing" || phase === "preview") return;
+    if (phase === "complete" && !infoResponse) return;
     setInput("");
     submitIntent(trimmed);
-  }, [input, phase, submitIntent]);
+  }, [input, phase, submitIntent, infoResponse]);
 
   const isBusy = phase === "executing" || phase === "preview";
   const hasDraft = !!draftChangeset && phase === "preview";
@@ -125,14 +129,51 @@ export function IntentBar({
         </div>
       )}
 
-      {/* Completion indicator */}
-      {phase === "complete" && (
+      {/* Completion indicator (changeset executed) */}
+      {phase === "complete" && !infoResponse && (
         <div className="flex items-center gap-2 px-4 pt-2 text-xs text-emerald-600 dark:text-emerald-400 sm:px-6 lg:px-8">
           <CheckCircleIcon className="size-3" />
           <span>Changes applied successfully</span>
         </div>
       )}
 
+      {/* Informational response (read-only query / no operations) */}
+      {phase === "complete" && infoResponse && (
+        <div className="mx-4 mt-2 rounded-lg border bg-muted/50 p-3 text-sm sm:mx-6 lg:mx-8">
+          <p className="text-foreground">{infoResponse.reasoning}</p>
+          {infoResponse.readerText && (
+            <pre className="mt-2 max-h-48 overflow-y-auto whitespace-pre-wrap text-xs text-muted-foreground">
+              {infoResponse.readerText}
+            </pre>
+          )}
+          {infoResponse.suggestions && infoResponse.suggestions.length > 0 && (
+            <div className="mt-2 flex flex-wrap gap-1.5">
+              {infoResponse.suggestions.map((s) => (
+                <button
+                  key={s}
+                  type="button"
+                  className="intent-suggestion shrink-0 min-h-[32px]"
+                  onClick={() => {
+                    setInput(s);
+                    dismissInfo();
+                    inputRef.current?.focus();
+                  }}
+                >
+                  {s}
+                </button>
+              ))}
+            </div>
+          )}
+          <button
+            type="button"
+            className="mt-1 text-xs text-muted-foreground underline hover:no-underline"
+            onClick={dismissInfo}
+          >
+            Dismiss
+          </button>
+        </div>
+      )}
+
       {/* Error indicator */}
       {phase === "error" && (
         <div className="flex items-center gap-2 px-4 pt-2 text-xs text-destructive sm:px-6 lg:px-8">
@@ -203,7 +244,7 @@ export function IntentBar({
               value={input}
               onChange={(e) => setInput(e.target.value)}
               placeholder={placeholder}
-              disabled={isBusy || phase === "complete"}
+              disabled={isBusy || (phase === "complete" && !infoResponse)}
               className="flex-1"
             />
             <VoiceControls
diff --git a/components/workspace/workspace-provider.tsx b/components/workspace/workspace-provider.tsx
index dc1f386..dbce1dc 100644
--- a/components/workspace/workspace-provider.tsx
+++ b/components/workspace/workspace-provider.tsx
@@ -82,6 +82,9 @@ interface WorkspaceContextValue {
   loading: boolean;
   fetchError: string | null;
   executionError: string | null;
+  /** Informational response when orchestrator returns no operations (read-only query). */
+  infoResponse: { reasoning: string; readerText?: string; suggestions?: string[] } | null;
+  dismissInfo: () => void;
   selectedIds: Set<string>;
   draftChangeset: ChangeSet | null;
   phase: WorkspacePhase;
@@ -136,11 +139,39 @@ const ChangeSetSchema = z.object({
 }).passthrough();
 
 const OrchestratorResponseSchema = z.object({
-  changeSet: ChangeSetSchema,
+  changeSet: ChangeSetSchema.nullable(),
   reasoning: z.string(),
   readerText: z.string().optional(),
+  suggestions: z.array(z.string()).optional(),
 });
 
+/**
+ * Resolve an orchestrator response into either a ChangeSet (action) or an
+ * informational response (read-only query / no operations).
+ */
+function resolveOrchestratorResponse(
+  data: z.infer<typeof OrchestratorResponseSchema>,
+  setDraftChangeset: (cs: ChangeSet | null) => void,
+  setInfoResponse: (info: { reasoning: string; readerText?: string; suggestions?: string[] } | null) => void,
+  setPhase: (phase: WorkspacePhase) => void,
+): ChangeSet | null {
+  const { changeSet: rawCs, reasoning, readerText, suggestions } = data;
+
+  // Read-only / informational response (no operations to draft)
+  if (!rawCs || !Array.isArray(rawCs.operations) || rawCs.operations.length === 0) {
+    setDraftChangeset(null);
+    setInfoResponse({ reasoning, readerText, suggestions });
+    setPhase("complete");
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  // Schema validates structural shape; cast through unknown since Zod passthrough
+  // infers a wider type than the full ChangeSet with its deep nested types
+  const cs = rawCs as unknown as ChangeSet;
+  setDraftChangeset(cs);
+  return cs;
+}
+
 const ExecutorResponseSchema = z.object({
   changeSet: ChangeSetSchema,
 }).passthrough();
@@ -453,6 +484,11 @@ export function WorkspaceProvider({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
   const [chatActivityPhase, setChatActivityPhase] = useState<ChatActivityPhase>("idle");
   const [chatActivityChangeset, setChatActivityChangeset] = useState<ChangeSet | null>(null);
   const [executionError, setExecutionError] = useState<string | null>(null);
+  const [infoResponse, setInfoResponse] = useState<{
+    reasoning: string;
+    readerText?: string;
+    suggestions?: string[];
+  } | null>(null);
   const [fetchAttempt, setFetchAttempt] = useState(0);
   const executeInFlightRef = useRef(false);
 
@@ -645,6 +681,7 @@ export function WorkspaceProvider({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
     async (text: string): Promise<ChangeSet | null> => {
       setPhase("preview");
       setExecutionError(null);
+      setInfoResponse(null);
       setDraftChangeset(null); // clear stale draft immediately
       try {
         const selectedProducts = products.filter((p) =>
@@ -655,9 +692,11 @@ export function WorkspaceProvider({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
             ? `\n\nSelected products: ${selectedProducts.map((p) => `${p.name} (${p.sku})`).join(", ")}`
             : "";
 
+        const fetchHeaders: Record<string, string> = { "Content-Type": "application/json" };
+        if (isDemo) fetchHeaders["x-demo-session"] = "1";
         const res = await fetch("/api/orchestrator", {
           method: "POST",
-          headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
+          headers: fetchHeaders,
           body: JSON.stringify({ message: text + context }),
         });
 
@@ -675,31 +714,22 @@ export function WorkspaceProvider({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
           setPhase("error");
           return null;
         }
-        // Schema validates structural shape; cast through unknown since Zod passthrough
-        // infers a wider type than the full ChangeSet with its deep nested types
-        const cs = validated.data.changeSet as unknown as ChangeSet;
-        if (!Array.isArray(cs.operations) || cs.operations.length === 0) {
-          console.error("[workspace] Orchestrator returned changeset with 0 operations");
-          setExecutionError("No operations generated — try a more specific request (e.g. \"Change price to $79\")");
-          setDraftChangeset(null);
-          setPhase("error");
-          return null;
-        }
-        setDraftChangeset(cs);
-        return cs;
+
+        return resolveOrchestratorResponse(validated.data, setDraftChangeset, setInfoResponse, setPhase);
       } catch {
         setDraftChangeset(null);
         setPhase("error");
         return null;
       }
     },
-    [products, selectedIds],
+    [products, selectedIds, isDemo],
   );
 
   const submitIntentForProduct = useCallback(
     async (text: string, productId: string): Promise<ChangeSet | null> => {
       setPhase("preview");
       setExecutionError(null);
+      setInfoResponse(null);
       setDraftChangeset(null); // clear stale draft immediately
       try {
         const targetProduct = products.find((p) => p.id === productId);
@@ -711,9 +741,11 @@ export function WorkspaceProvider({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
         }
         const context = `\n\nSelected products: ${targetProduct.name} (${targetProduct.sku})`;
 
+        const fetchHeaders: Record<string, string> = { "Content-Type": "application/json" };
+        if (isDemo) fetchHeaders["x-demo-session"] = "1";
         const res = await fetch("/api/orchestrator", {
           method: "POST",
-          headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
+          headers: fetchHeaders,
           body: JSON.stringify({ message: text + context }),
         });
 
@@ -731,23 +763,15 @@ export function WorkspaceProvider({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
           setPhase("error");
           return null;
         }
-        const cs = validated.data.changeSet as unknown as ChangeSet;
-        if (!Array.isArray(cs.operations) || cs.operations.length === 0) {
-          console.error("[workspace] Orchestrator returned changeset with 0 operations");
-          setExecutionError("No operations generated — try a more specific request (e.g. \"Change price to $79\")");
-          setDraftChangeset(null);
-          setPhase("error");
-          return null;
-        }
-        setDraftChangeset(cs);
-        return cs;
+
+        return resolveOrchestratorResponse(validated.data, setDraftChangeset, setInfoResponse, setPhase);
       } catch {
         setDraftChangeset(null);
         setPhase("error");
         return null;
       }
     },
-    [products],
+    [products, isDemo],
   );
 
   const executeChangeset = useCallback(async (overrideCs?: ChangeSet): Promise<{ success: boolean; status?: string; error?: string }> => {
@@ -761,9 +785,11 @@ export function WorkspaceProvider({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
     setPhase("executing");
     setExecutionError(null);
     try {
+      const execHeaders: Record<string, string> = { "Content-Type": "application/json" };
+      if (isDemo) execHeaders["x-demo-session"] = "1";
       const res = await fetch("/api/orchestrator/execute", {
         method: "POST",
-        headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
+        headers: execHeaders,
         body: JSON.stringify({ changeSet: cs }),
       });
       if (!res.ok) {
@@ -824,15 +850,21 @@ export function WorkspaceProvider({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
       executeInFlightRef.current = false;
       return { success: false, status: "failed", error: msg };
     }
-  }, [draftChangeset]);
+  }, [draftChangeset, isDemo]);
 
   const cancelDraft = useCallback(() => {
     setDraftChangeset(null);
     setExecutionError(null);
+    setInfoResponse(null);
     executeInFlightRef.current = false;
     setPhase("idle");
   }, []);
 
+  const dismissInfo = useCallback(() => {
+    setInfoResponse(null);
+    setPhase("idle");
+  }, []);
+
   const applyExecutedChangeset = useCallback((cs: ChangeSet) => {
     const opsToApply = filterSuccessfulOps(
       cs.operations,
@@ -863,6 +895,8 @@ export function WorkspaceProvider({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
       loading,
       fetchError,
       executionError,
+      infoResponse,
+      dismissInfo,
       selectedIds,
       draftChangeset,
       phase,
@@ -890,6 +924,8 @@ export function WorkspaceProvider({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
       loading,
       fetchError,
       executionError,
+      infoResponse,
+      dismissInfo,
       selectedIds,
       draftChangeset,
       phase,