diff --git a/src/vs/sessions/contrib/changes/browser/changesView.ts b/src/vs/sessions/contrib/changes/browser/changesView.ts
index c879c189bd101..dadbd41d4a2f8 100644
--- a/src/vs/sessions/contrib/changes/browser/changesView.ts
+++ b/src/vs/sessions/contrib/changes/browser/changesView.ts
@@ -14,14 +14,14 @@ import { ActionRunner, IAction, Separator, SubmenuAction, toAction } from '../..
 import { Codicon } from '../../../../base/common/codicons.js';
 import { Disposable, DisposableStore, IDisposable } from '../../../../base/common/lifecycle.js';
 import { Event } from '../../../../base/common/event.js';
-import { autorun, derived, derivedObservableWithCache, derivedOpts, IObservable, observableFromEvent, observableValue } from '../../../../base/common/observable.js';
+import { autorun, derived, derivedObservableWithCache, derivedOpts, IObservable, observableFromEvent, observableFromEventOpts, observableValue } from '../../../../base/common/observable.js';
 import { CountBadge } from '../../../../base/browser/ui/countBadge/countBadge.js';
 import { ProgressBar } from '../../../../base/browser/ui/progressbar/progressbar.js';
 import { basename, isEqual } from '../../../../base/common/resources.js';
 import { URI } from '../../../../base/common/uri.js';
 import { localize, localize2 } from '../../../../nls.js';
 import { MenuWorkbenchButtonBar, WorkbenchButtonBar } from '../../../../platform/actions/browser/buttonbar.js';
-import { getActionBarActions } from '../../../../platform/actions/browser/menuEntryActionViewItem.js';
+import { getActionBarActions, PrimaryAndSecondaryActions } from '../../../../platform/actions/browser/menuEntryActionViewItem.js';
 import { MenuWorkbenchToolBar } from '../../../../platform/actions/browser/toolbar.js';
 import { ActionWidgetDropdownActionViewItem } from '../../../../platform/actions/browser/actionWidgetDropdownActionViewItem.js';
 import { MenuId, Action2, MenuItemAction, registerAction2, IMenuService } from '../../../../platform/actions/common/actions.js';
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ import { ActiveSessionContextKeys, CHANGES_VIEW_CONTAINER_ID, CHANGES_VIEW_ID, C
 import { buildTreeChildren, ChangesTreeElement, ChangesTreeRenderer, IChangesFileItem, IChangesTreeRootInfo, isChangesFileItem, toIChangesFileItem } from './changesViewRenderer.js';
 import { ChangesViewModel } from './changesViewModel.js';
 import { ResourceTree } from '../../../../base/common/resourceTree.js';
-import { structuralEquals } from '../../../../base/common/equals.js';
+import { arrayEqualsC, structuralEquals } from '../../../../base/common/equals.js';
 import { compareFileNames, comparePaths } from '../../../../base/common/comparers.js';
 import { IViewsService } from '../../../../workbench/services/views/common/viewsService.js';
 import { ServiceCollection } from '../../../../platform/instantiation/common/serviceCollection.js';
@@ -247,9 +247,24 @@ class ChangesWorkbenchButtonBarWidget extends Disposable {
 			}
 		));
 
-		const menuActionsObs = observableFromEvent(menu.onDidChange, () => {
-			return getActionBarActions(menu.getActions({ shouldForwardArgs: true }));
-		});
+		const menuActionsEquals = (a: PrimaryAndSecondaryActions, b: PrimaryAndSecondaryActions) => {
+			const actionEquals = (a: IAction, b: IAction) => {
+				return a.id === b.id &&
+					a.label === b.label &&
+					a.tooltip === b.tooltip &&
+					a.class === b.class &&
+					a.enabled === b.enabled &&
+					a.checked === b.checked;
+			};
+
+			return arrayEqualsC(actionEquals)(a.primary, b.primary) &&
+				arrayEqualsC(actionEquals)(a.secondary, b.secondary);
+		};
+
+		const menuActionsObs = observableFromEventOpts({ equalsFn: menuActionsEquals },
+			menu.onDidChange, () => {
+				return getActionBarActions(menu.getActions({ shouldForwardArgs: true }));
+			});
 
 		const operationActionGroupsObs = derived<IAction[][]>(reader => {
 			const changeset = viewModel.activeSessionChangesetObs.read(reader);
@@ -309,6 +324,11 @@ class ChangesWorkbenchButtonBarWidget extends Disposable {
 		});
 
 		this._register(autorun(reader => {
+			const isLoading = viewModel.activeSessionIsLoadingObs.read(reader);
+			if (isLoading) {
+				return;
+			}
+
 			const operationActionGroups = operationActionGroupsObs.read(reader);
 			const menuActions = menuActionsObs.read(reader);
 
diff --git a/src/vs/sessions/contrib/changes/browser/changesViewModel.ts b/src/vs/sessions/contrib/changes/browser/changesViewModel.ts
index c94f5d4728fcd..87d559e57e98b 100644
--- a/src/vs/sessions/contrib/changes/browser/changesViewModel.ts
+++ b/src/vs/sessions/contrib/changes/browser/changesViewModel.ts
@@ -155,7 +155,11 @@ export class ChangesViewModel extends Disposable {
 	private _getActiveSessionState(): { isLoading: IObservable<boolean>; state: IObservable<ActiveSessionState | undefined> } {
 		const isLoadingObs = derived(reader => {
 			const changeset = this.activeSessionChangesetObs.read(reader);
-			return changeset?.isLoadingChanges.read(reader) ?? false;
+			if (changeset === undefined) {
+				return true;
+			}
+
+			return changeset.isLoadingChanges.read(reader);
 		});
 
 		const activeSessionStateObs = derivedObservableWithCache<ActiveSessionState | undefined>(this, (reader, lastValue) => {
diff --git a/src/vs/sessions/contrib/changes/browser/media/changesView.css b/src/vs/sessions/contrib/changes/browser/media/changesView.css
index 33ea76bead9dc..5cac745b5bf2f 100644
--- a/src/vs/sessions/contrib/changes/browser/media/changesView.css
+++ b/src/vs/sessions/contrib/changes/browser/media/changesView.css
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@
 
 /* Actions container outside the card - new layout experiment */
 .changes-view-body .chat-editing-session-actions.outside-card {
+	height: 26px;
 	margin-bottom: 8px;
 	justify-content: flex-end;
 }