diff --git a/backend/main.py b/backend/main.py
index e896bf2..e33ce59 100644
--- a/backend/main.py
+++ b/backend/main.py
@@ -2,12 +2,15 @@
 
 from fastapi import FastAPI, HTTPException
 from fastapi.middleware.cors import CORSMiddleware
+from fastapi.responses import StreamingResponse
 from pydantic import BaseModel
 from typing import List, Dict, Any
 import uuid
+import json
+import asyncio
 
 from . import storage
-from .council import run_full_council, generate_conversation_title
+from .council import run_full_council, generate_conversation_title, stage1_collect_responses, stage2_collect_rankings, stage3_synthesize_final, calculate_aggregate_rankings
 
 app = FastAPI(title="LLM Council API")
 
@@ -120,6 +123,77 @@ async def send_message(conversation_id: str, request: SendMessageRequest):
     }
 
 
+@app.post("/api/conversations/{conversation_id}/message/stream")
+async def send_message_stream(conversation_id: str, request: SendMessageRequest):
+    """
+    Send a message and stream the 3-stage council process.
+    Returns Server-Sent Events as each stage completes.
+    """
+    # Check if conversation exists
+    conversation = storage.get_conversation(conversation_id)
+    if conversation is None:
+        raise HTTPException(status_code=404, detail="Conversation not found")
+
+    # Check if this is the first message
+    is_first_message = len(conversation["messages"]) == 0
+
+    async def event_generator():
+        try:
+            # Add user message
+            storage.add_user_message(conversation_id, request.content)
+
+            # Start title generation in parallel (don't await yet)
+            title_task = None
+            if is_first_message:
+                title_task = asyncio.create_task(generate_conversation_title(request.content))
+
+            # Stage 1: Collect responses
+            yield f"data: {json.dumps({'type': 'stage1_start'})}\n\n"
+            stage1_results = await stage1_collect_responses(request.content)
+            yield f"data: {json.dumps({'type': 'stage1_complete', 'data': stage1_results})}\n\n"
+
+            # Stage 2: Collect rankings
+            yield f"data: {json.dumps({'type': 'stage2_start'})}\n\n"
+            stage2_results, label_to_model = await stage2_collect_rankings(request.content, stage1_results)
+            aggregate_rankings = calculate_aggregate_rankings(stage2_results, label_to_model)
+            yield f"data: {json.dumps({'type': 'stage2_complete', 'data': stage2_results, 'metadata': {'label_to_model': label_to_model, 'aggregate_rankings': aggregate_rankings}})}\n\n"
+
+            # Stage 3: Synthesize final answer
+            yield f"data: {json.dumps({'type': 'stage3_start'})}\n\n"
+            stage3_result = await stage3_synthesize_final(request.content, stage1_results, stage2_results)
+            yield f"data: {json.dumps({'type': 'stage3_complete', 'data': stage3_result})}\n\n"
+
+            # Wait for title generation if it was started
+            if title_task:
+                title = await title_task
+                storage.update_conversation_title(conversation_id, title)
+                yield f"data: {json.dumps({'type': 'title_complete', 'data': {'title': title}})}\n\n"
+
+            # Save complete assistant message
+            storage.add_assistant_message(
+                conversation_id,
+                stage1_results,
+                stage2_results,
+                stage3_result
+            )
+
+            # Send completion event
+            yield f"data: {json.dumps({'type': 'complete'})}\n\n"
+
+        except Exception as e:
+            # Send error event
+            yield f"data: {json.dumps({'type': 'error', 'message': str(e)})}\n\n"
+
+    return StreamingResponse(
+        event_generator(),
+        media_type="text/event-stream",
+        headers={
+            "Cache-Control": "no-cache",
+            "Connection": "keep-alive",
+        }
+    )
+
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     import uvicorn
     uvicorn.run(app, host="0.0.0.0", port=8001)
diff --git a/frontend/src/App.jsx b/frontend/src/App.jsx
index 0396e3a..1954155 100644
--- a/frontend/src/App.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/App.jsx
@@ -69,33 +69,114 @@ function App() {
         messages: [...prev.messages, userMessage],
       }));
 
-      // Send message and get council response
-      const response = await api.sendMessage(currentConversationId, content);
-
-      // Add assistant message to UI
+      // Create a partial assistant message that will be updated progressively
       const assistantMessage = {
         role: 'assistant',
-        stage1: response.stage1,
-        stage2: response.stage2,
-        stage3: response.stage3,
-        metadata: response.metadata,
+        stage1: null,
+        stage2: null,
+        stage3: null,
+        metadata: null,
+        loading: {
+          stage1: false,
+          stage2: false,
+          stage3: false,
+        },
       };
 
+      // Add the partial assistant message
       setCurrentConversation((prev) => ({
         ...prev,
         messages: [...prev.messages, assistantMessage],
       }));
 
-      // Reload conversations list to update message count
-      await loadConversations();
+      // Send message with streaming
+      await api.sendMessageStream(currentConversationId, content, (eventType, event) => {
+        switch (eventType) {
+          case 'stage1_start':
+            setCurrentConversation((prev) => {
+              const messages = [...prev.messages];
+              const lastMsg = messages[messages.length - 1];
+              lastMsg.loading.stage1 = true;
+              return { ...prev, messages };
+            });
+            break;
+
+          case 'stage1_complete':
+            setCurrentConversation((prev) => {
+              const messages = [...prev.messages];
+              const lastMsg = messages[messages.length - 1];
+              lastMsg.stage1 = event.data;
+              lastMsg.loading.stage1 = false;
+              return { ...prev, messages };
+            });
+            break;
+
+          case 'stage2_start':
+            setCurrentConversation((prev) => {
+              const messages = [...prev.messages];
+              const lastMsg = messages[messages.length - 1];
+              lastMsg.loading.stage2 = true;
+              return { ...prev, messages };
+            });
+            break;
+
+          case 'stage2_complete':
+            setCurrentConversation((prev) => {
+              const messages = [...prev.messages];
+              const lastMsg = messages[messages.length - 1];
+              lastMsg.stage2 = event.data;
+              lastMsg.metadata = event.metadata;
+              lastMsg.loading.stage2 = false;
+              return { ...prev, messages };
+            });
+            break;
+
+          case 'stage3_start':
+            setCurrentConversation((prev) => {
+              const messages = [...prev.messages];
+              const lastMsg = messages[messages.length - 1];
+              lastMsg.loading.stage3 = true;
+              return { ...prev, messages };
+            });
+            break;
+
+          case 'stage3_complete':
+            setCurrentConversation((prev) => {
+              const messages = [...prev.messages];
+              const lastMsg = messages[messages.length - 1];
+              lastMsg.stage3 = event.data;
+              lastMsg.loading.stage3 = false;
+              return { ...prev, messages };
+            });
+            break;
+
+          case 'title_complete':
+            // Reload conversations to get updated title
+            loadConversations();
+            break;
+
+          case 'complete':
+            // Stream complete, reload conversations list
+            loadConversations();
+            setIsLoading(false);
+            break;
+
+          case 'error':
+            console.error('Stream error:', event.message);
+            setIsLoading(false);
+            break;
+
+          default:
+            console.log('Unknown event type:', eventType);
+        }
+      });
     } catch (error) {
       console.error('Failed to send message:', error);
-      // Remove optimistic user message on error
+      // Remove optimistic messages on error
       setCurrentConversation((prev) => ({
         ...prev,
-        messages: prev.messages.slice(0, -1),
+        messages: prev.messages.slice(0, -2),
       }));
-    } finally {
       setIsLoading(false);
     }
   };
diff --git a/frontend/src/api.js b/frontend/src/api.js
index 479f0ef..87ec685 100644
--- a/frontend/src/api.js
+++ b/frontend/src/api.js
@@ -65,4 +65,51 @@ export const api = {
     }
     return response.json();
   },
+
+  /**
+   * Send a message and receive streaming updates.
+   * @param {string} conversationId - The conversation ID
+   * @param {string} content - The message content
+   * @param {function} onEvent - Callback function for each event: (eventType, data) => void
+   * @returns {Promise<void>}
+   */
+  async sendMessageStream(conversationId, content, onEvent) {
+    const response = await fetch(
+      `${API_BASE}/api/conversations/${conversationId}/message/stream`,
+      {
+        method: 'POST',
+        headers: {
+          'Content-Type': 'application/json',
+        },
+        body: JSON.stringify({ content }),
+      }
+    );
+
+    if (!response.ok) {
+      throw new Error('Failed to send message');
+    }
+
+    const reader = response.body.getReader();
+    const decoder = new TextDecoder();
+
+    while (true) {
+      const { done, value } = await reader.read();
+      if (done) break;
+
+      const chunk = decoder.decode(value);
+      const lines = chunk.split('\n');
+
+      for (const line of lines) {
+        if (line.startsWith('data: ')) {
+          const data = line.slice(6);
+          try {
+            const event = JSON.parse(data);
+            onEvent(event.type, event);
+          } catch (e) {
+            console.error('Failed to parse SSE event:', e);
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  },
 };
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/ChatInterface.css b/frontend/src/components/ChatInterface.css
index 531d2a3..0d01300 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/ChatInterface.css
+++ b/frontend/src/components/ChatInterface.css
@@ -71,6 +71,20 @@
   font-size: 14px;
 }
 
+.stage-loading {
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  gap: 12px;
+  padding: 16px;
+  margin: 12px 0;
+  background: #f9fafb;
+  border-radius: 8px;
+  border: 1px solid #e0e0e0;
+  color: #666;
+  font-size: 14px;
+  font-style: italic;
+}
+
 .spinner {
   width: 20px;
   height: 20px;
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/ChatInterface.jsx b/frontend/src/components/ChatInterface.jsx
index 951183f..3ae796c 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/ChatInterface.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/ChatInterface.jsx
@@ -71,13 +71,39 @@ export default function ChatInterface({
               ) : (
                 <div className="assistant-message">
                   <div className="message-label">LLM Council</div>
-                  <Stage1 responses={msg.stage1} />
-                  <Stage2
-                    rankings={msg.stage2}
-                    labelToModel={msg.metadata?.label_to_model}
-                    aggregateRankings={msg.metadata?.aggregate_rankings}
-                  />
-                  <Stage3 finalResponse={msg.stage3} />
+
+                  {/* Stage 1 */}
+                  {msg.loading?.stage1 && (
+                    <div className="stage-loading">
+                      <div className="spinner"></div>
+                      <span>Running Stage 1: Collecting individual responses...</span>
+                    </div>
+                  )}
+                  {msg.stage1 && <Stage1 responses={msg.stage1} />}
+
+                  {/* Stage 2 */}
+                  {msg.loading?.stage2 && (
+                    <div className="stage-loading">
+                      <div className="spinner"></div>
+                      <span>Running Stage 2: Peer rankings...</span>
+                    </div>
+                  )}
+                  {msg.stage2 && (
+                    <Stage2
+                      rankings={msg.stage2}
+                      labelToModel={msg.metadata?.label_to_model}
+                      aggregateRankings={msg.metadata?.aggregate_rankings}
+                    />
+                  )}
+
+                  {/* Stage 3 */}
+                  {msg.loading?.stage3 && (
+                    <div className="stage-loading">
+                      <div className="spinner"></div>
+                      <span>Running Stage 3: Final synthesis...</span>
+                    </div>
+                  )}
+                  {msg.stage3 && <Stage3 finalResponse={msg.stage3} />}
                 </div>
               )}
             </div>
@@ -94,24 +120,26 @@ export default function ChatInterface({
         <div ref={messagesEndRef} />
       </div>
 
-      <form className="input-form" onSubmit={handleSubmit}>
-        <textarea
-          className="message-input"
-          placeholder="Ask your question... (Shift+Enter for new line, Enter to send)"
-          value={input}
-          onChange={(e) => setInput(e.target.value)}
-          onKeyDown={handleKeyDown}
-          disabled={isLoading}
-          rows={3}
-        />
-        <button
-          type="submit"
-          className="send-button"
-          disabled={!input.trim() || isLoading}
-        >
-          Send
-        </button>
-      </form>
+      {conversation.messages.length === 0 && (
+        <form className="input-form" onSubmit={handleSubmit}>
+          <textarea
+            className="message-input"
+            placeholder="Ask your question... (Shift+Enter for new line, Enter to send)"
+            value={input}
+            onChange={(e) => setInput(e.target.value)}
+            onKeyDown={handleKeyDown}
+            disabled={isLoading}
+            rows={3}
+          />
+          <button
+            type="submit"
+            className="send-button"
+            disabled={!input.trim() || isLoading}
+          >
+            Send
+          </button>
+        </form>
+      )}
     </div>
   );
 }