diff --git a/smart-chats/smart_message.js b/smart-chats/smart_message.js
index 16c00831..1817e508 100644
--- a/smart-chats/smart_message.js
+++ b/smart-chats/smart_message.js
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ export class SmartMessage extends SmartBlock {
    * @async
    */
   async init() {
-    while (!this.thread) await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 100)); // this shouldn't be necessary (why is it not working without this?)
+    while (!this.thread) await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 100));
     if(!this.thread.data.messages[this.id]){
       this.thread.data.messages[this.id] = this.msg_i;
       await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 30));
@@ -81,9 +81,7 @@ export class SmartMessage extends SmartBlock {
     await this.render();
     if(this.role === 'user') {
       await this.thread.complete();
-    }else if(this.tool_calls?.length > 0){
-      await this.handle_tool_calls();
-    }else if(this.role === 'tool'){
+    } else if(this.role === 'tool'){
       if(!this.settings.review_context){
         this.thread.complete();
       }
@@ -169,62 +167,6 @@ export class SmartMessage extends SmartBlock {
     }
   }
 
-  async handle_tool_calls(){
-    for(const tool_call of this.tool_calls){
-      if(tool_call.function.name === 'lookup'){
-        await this.handle_lookup_tool_call(tool_call);
-      }
-    }
-  }
-
-  build_lookup_params(args){
-    const params = {};
-    args = typeof args === 'string' ? JSON.parse(args) : args;
-    if(Array.isArray(args.hypotheticals)){
-      params.hypotheticals = args.hypotheticals;
-    }else if(typeof args.hypotheticals === 'object' && args.hypotheticals !== null){
-      params.hypotheticals = Object.values(args.hypotheticals);
-    }else if(typeof args.hypotheticals === 'string'){
-      params.hypotheticals = [args.hypotheticals];
-    }else{
-      console.warn('Invalid hypotheticals provided for lookup tool call, using user message as lookup context, args:' + JSON.stringify(args));
-      params.hypotheticals = [this.content];
-    }
-    params.hypotheticals = params.hypotheticals.map(h => {
-      if(typeof h === 'string') return h;
-      else return JSON.stringify(h);
-    })
-    if(this.previous_message.context.folder_refs) params.filter = {
-      key_starts_with_any: this.previous_message.context.folder_refs
-    };
-    params.filter = {
-      ...(params.filter || {}),
-      limit: this.settings.lookup_limit || 10,
-    };
-    return params;
-  }
-  async handle_lookup_tool_call(tool_call){
-    const params = this.build_lookup_params(tool_call.function.arguments);
-    const lookup_collection = this.env.smart_blocks.settings.embed_blocks ? this.env.smart_blocks : this.env.smart_sources;
-    const lookup_results = (await lookup_collection.lookup(params))
-      .map(result => ({
-        key: result.item.key,
-        score: result.score,
-      }))
-    ;
-    const msg_i = Object.keys(this.thread.data.messages || {}).length + 1;
-    const branch_i = (this.thread.data.branches?.[msg_i] || []).length + 1;
-    await this.env.smart_messages.create_or_update({
-      thread_key: this.thread.key,
-      tool_call_id: tool_call.id,
-      tool_name: tool_call.function.name,
-      tool_call_output: lookup_results,
-      role: 'tool',
-      response_id: tool_call.id,
-      id: `tool-${msg_i}-${branch_i}`,
-    });
-  }
-
   /**
    * Converts the message to a request payload
    * @returns {Array<Object>} Request payload
diff --git a/smart-chats/smart_thread.js b/smart-chats/smart_thread.js
index bc7eebea..ede26b23 100644
--- a/smart-chats/smart_thread.js
+++ b/smart-chats/smart_thread.js
@@ -215,21 +215,115 @@ export class SmartThread extends SmartSource {
     const choices = response.choices;
     const response_id = response.id;
     if(!response_id) return [];
-    const msg_items = await Promise.all(choices.map(async (choice, index) => {
+
+    const msg_items = [];
+    for (const choice of choices) {
       const msg_data = {
-        ...(choice?.message || choice), // fallback on full choice to handle non-message choices
+        ...(choice?.message || choice),
         thread_key: this.key,
         response_id,
       };
-      const msg = this.messages.find(msg => msg.data.response_id === response_id);
-      if(msg){
-        msg_data.key = msg.key;
+
+      const msg = this.messages.find(m => m.data.response_id === response_id);
+      if(msg) msg_data.key = msg.key;
+      const new_msg = await this.env.smart_messages.create_or_update(msg_data);
+      msg_items.push(new_msg);
+
+      // Handle tool calls
+      if (msg_data.tool_calls?.length > 0) {
+        await this.handle_tool_calls(msg_data.tool_calls, msg_data);
       }
-      return this.env.smart_messages.create_or_update(msg_data);
-    }));
+    }
     return msg_items;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Handle any tool calls detected in a message.
+   * This was previously in SmartMessage, now moved to SmartThread.
+   * @param {Array<Object>} tool_calls 
+   * @param {Object} msg_data 
+   */
+  async handle_tool_calls(tool_calls, msg_data) {
+    for (const tool_call of tool_calls) {
+      if (tool_call.function.name === 'lookup') {
+        await this.handle_lookup_tool_call(tool_call, msg_data);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Builds lookup parameters for the lookup tool call
+   * @param {Object|string} args - tool call arguments
+   * @param {Object} previous_message - the previous SmartMessage instance
+   * @returns {Object} params
+   */
+  build_lookup_params(args, previous_message) {
+    const params = {};
+    args = typeof args === 'string' ? JSON.parse(args) : args;
+    if (Array.isArray(args.hypotheticals)) {
+      params.hypotheticals = args.hypotheticals;
+    } else if (typeof args.hypotheticals === 'object' && args.hypotheticals !== null) {
+      params.hypotheticals = Object.values(args.hypotheticals);
+    } else if (typeof args.hypotheticals === 'string') {
+      params.hypotheticals = [args.hypotheticals];
+    } else {
+      console.warn('Invalid hypotheticals provided for lookup tool call, using user message as lookup context, args:' + JSON.stringify(args));
+      // Fall back to previous message content or empty
+      const fallback_content = previous_message?.content || 'No context';
+      params.hypotheticals = [fallback_content];
+    }
+
+    // Ensure all hypotheticals are strings
+    params.hypotheticals = params.hypotheticals.map(h => {
+      if (typeof h === 'string') return h;
+      else return JSON.stringify(h);
+    });
+
+    // If previous_message has folder refs, use them as filters
+    if (previous_message?.context?.folder_refs) {
+      params.filter = {
+        key_starts_with_any: previous_message.context.folder_refs
+      };
+    }
+
+    params.filter = {
+      ...(params.filter || {}),
+      limit: this.settings.lookup_limit || 10,
+    };
+
+    return params;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Handle lookup tool call logic
+   * @param {Object} tool_call 
+   * @param {Object} msg_data - The data for the message that triggered the tool call
+   */
+  async handle_lookup_tool_call(tool_call, msg_data) {
+    const previous_message = this.messages[this.messages.length - 1]; 
+    const params = this.build_lookup_params(tool_call.function.arguments, previous_message);
+
+    // Determine which collection to use (based on embed settings)
+    const lookup_collection = this.env.smart_blocks.settings.embed_blocks ? this.env.smart_blocks : this.env.smart_sources;
+    const lookup_results = (await lookup_collection.lookup(params)).map(result => ({
+      key: result.item.key,
+      score: result.score,
+    }));
+
+    const msg_i = Object.keys(this.data.messages || {}).length + 1;
+    const branch_i = (this.data.branches?.[msg_i] || []).length + 1;
+
+    await this.env.smart_messages.create_or_update({
+      thread_key: this.key,
+      tool_call_id: tool_call.id,
+      tool_name: tool_call.function.name,
+      tool_call_output: lookup_results,
+      role: 'tool',
+      response_id: tool_call.id,
+      id: `tool-${msg_i}-${branch_i}`,
+    });
+  }
+
   /**
    * Prepares the request payload for the AI model
    * @async