diff --git a/frontend/app/projects/[projectId]/brainstorming/[phaseId]/BrainstormingLayoutClient.tsx b/frontend/app/projects/[projectId]/brainstorming/[phaseId]/BrainstormingLayoutClient.tsx
index 02ee52f..1491ae5 100644
--- a/frontend/app/projects/[projectId]/brainstorming/[phaseId]/BrainstormingLayoutClient.tsx
+++ b/frontend/app/projects/[projectId]/brainstorming/[phaseId]/BrainstormingLayoutClient.tsx
@@ -22,14 +22,7 @@ import {
 import { PhaseStageProgress } from "@/components/brainstorming/PhaseStageProgress";
 import { useRouter } from "next/navigation";
 import { useNav } from "@/lib/contexts/NavContext";
-import {
-  buildProjectUrl,
-  buildPhaseConversationsUrl,
-  buildPhaseSpecUrl,
-  buildPhasePromptPlanUrl,
-  buildPhaseFeaturesUrl,
-  buildPhaseUrl,
-} from "@/lib/url";
+import { buildProjectUrl } from "@/lib/url";
 import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button";
 import {
   DropdownMenu,
@@ -63,6 +56,7 @@ export default function BrainstormingLayoutClient({ children }: BrainstormingLay
 
   const [phase, setPhase] = useState<BrainstormingPhase | null>(null);
   const [isLoading, setIsLoading] = useState(true);
+  const [loadError, setLoadError] = useState<string | null>(null);
   const [showArchiveDialog, setShowArchiveDialog] = useState(false);
   const [showRenameDialog, setShowRenameDialog] = useState(false);
   const [isArchiving, setIsArchiving] = useState(false);
@@ -96,6 +90,7 @@ export default function BrainstormingLayoutClient({ children }: BrainstormingLay
         setPhase(data);
       } catch (err) {
         console.error("Failed to load phase:", err);
+        setLoadError("Phase not found");
       } finally {
         setIsLoading(false);
       }
@@ -104,56 +99,46 @@ export default function BrainstormingLayoutClient({ children }: BrainstormingLay
     loadPhase();
   }, [phaseId]);
 
-  // Build tabs using URL builders when project and phase are available
-  const getTabsForPhase = () => {
-    if (!currentProject || !phase) {
-      return [];
-    }
-    const projectInfo = { name: currentProject.name, short_id: currentProject.short_id };
-    const phaseInfo = { title: phase.title, short_id: phase.short_id };
-    const basePhaseUrl = buildPhaseUrl(projectInfo, phaseInfo);
+  // Build tabs using URL params directly (always available, no dependency on NavContext timing)
+  const basePhaseUrl = `/projects/${projectId}/brainstorming/${phaseId}`;
 
-    return [
-      {
-        name: "Conversations",
-        href: buildPhaseConversationsUrl(projectInfo, phaseInfo),
-        icon: MessageSquare,
-      },
-      {
-        name: "Specification",
-        href: buildPhaseSpecUrl(projectInfo, phaseInfo),
-        icon: FileText,
-      },
-      {
-        name: "Prompt Plan",
-        href: buildPhasePromptPlanUrl(projectInfo, phaseInfo),
-        icon: ClipboardList,
-      },
-      {
-        name: "Phase Features",
-        href: buildPhaseFeaturesUrl(projectInfo, phaseInfo),
-        icon: Boxes,
-      },
-      {
-        name: "Description",
-        href: `${basePhaseUrl}/description`,
-        icon: Info,
-      },
-      {
-        name: "Activity",
-        href: `${basePhaseUrl}/activity`,
-        icon: Clock,
-      },
-    ];
-  };
+  const tabs = [
+    {
+      name: "Conversations",
+      href: `${basePhaseUrl}/conversations`,
+      icon: MessageSquare,
+    },
+    {
+      name: "Specification",
+      href: `${basePhaseUrl}/spec`,
+      icon: FileText,
+    },
+    {
+      name: "Prompt Plan",
+      href: `${basePhaseUrl}/prompt-plan`,
+      icon: ClipboardList,
+    },
+    {
+      name: "Phase Features",
+      href: `${basePhaseUrl}/features`,
+      icon: Boxes,
+    },
+    {
+      name: "Description",
+      href: `${basePhaseUrl}/description`,
+      icon: Info,
+    },
+    {
+      name: "Activity",
+      href: `${basePhaseUrl}/activity`,
+      icon: Clock,
+    },
+  ];
 
-  const tabs = getTabsForPhase();
+  // Determine active tab
+  const activeTab = tabs.find((tab) => pathname.startsWith(tab.href))?.href || tabs[0].href;
 
-  // Determine active tab (only if tabs are available)
-  const activeTab =
-    tabs.length > 0 ? tabs.find((tab) => pathname.startsWith(tab.href))?.href || tabs[0].href : "";
-
-  if (isLoading || tabs.length === 0) {
+  if (isLoading) {
     return (
       <div className="flex items-center justify-center py-12">
         <Loader2 className="text-muted-foreground h-8 w-8 animate-spin" />
@@ -161,6 +146,14 @@ export default function BrainstormingLayoutClient({ children }: BrainstormingLay
     );
   }
 
+  if (loadError || !phase) {
+    return (
+      <div className="flex min-h-[200px] items-center justify-center">
+        <p className="text-destructive">{loadError || "Phase not found"}</p>
+      </div>
+    );
+  }
+
   return (
     <div className="space-y-6">
       {/* Breadcrumb */}
diff --git a/frontend/app/projects/[projectId]/brainstorming/[phaseId]/conversations/page.tsx b/frontend/app/projects/[projectId]/brainstorming/[phaseId]/conversations/page.tsx
index d14262f..d07b338 100644
--- a/frontend/app/projects/[projectId]/brainstorming/[phaseId]/conversations/page.tsx
+++ b/frontend/app/projects/[projectId]/brainstorming/[phaseId]/conversations/page.tsx
@@ -461,7 +461,7 @@ export default function BrainstormingConversationsPage() {
         <FeatureThreadPanel
           key={selectedFeature.id}
           feature={selectedFeature}
-          projectId={currentProject?.id || ""}
+          projectId={projectId}
           orgId={orgId}
           onClose={handleCloseThread}
           onAnswered={() => fetchModules(true)}
@@ -475,7 +475,7 @@ export default function BrainstormingConversationsPage() {
   }, [
     selectedFeature,
     orgId,
-    currentProject?.id,
+    projectId,
     highlightedItemId,
     targetMessageSequence,
     setSidePanelContent,
diff --git a/frontend/app/projects/[projectId]/brainstorming/[phaseId]/prompt-plan/page.tsx b/frontend/app/projects/[projectId]/brainstorming/[phaseId]/prompt-plan/page.tsx
index 2e808a2..4b12c58 100644
--- a/frontend/app/projects/[projectId]/brainstorming/[phaseId]/prompt-plan/page.tsx
+++ b/frontend/app/projects/[projectId]/brainstorming/[phaseId]/prompt-plan/page.tsx
@@ -2,14 +2,11 @@
 
 import { useParams } from "next/navigation";
 import { DraftFinalTabs } from "@/components/brainstorming";
-import { useNav } from "@/lib/contexts/NavContext";
 
 export default function BrainstormingPromptPlanPage() {
   const params = useParams();
-  const { currentProject } = useNav();
+  const projectId = params.projectId as string;
   const phaseId = params.phaseId as string;
 
-  return (
-    <DraftFinalTabs phaseId={phaseId} projectId={currentProject?.id || ""} docType="prompt_plan" />
-  );
+  return <DraftFinalTabs phaseId={phaseId} projectId={projectId} docType="prompt_plan" />;
 }
diff --git a/frontend/app/projects/[projectId]/brainstorming/[phaseId]/spec/page.tsx b/frontend/app/projects/[projectId]/brainstorming/[phaseId]/spec/page.tsx
index 3564c03..9dc70fc 100644
--- a/frontend/app/projects/[projectId]/brainstorming/[phaseId]/spec/page.tsx
+++ b/frontend/app/projects/[projectId]/brainstorming/[phaseId]/spec/page.tsx
@@ -2,18 +2,11 @@
 
 import { useParams } from "next/navigation";
 import { DraftFinalTabs } from "@/components/brainstorming";
-import { useNav } from "@/lib/contexts/NavContext";
 
 export default function BrainstormingSpecPage() {
   const params = useParams();
-  const { currentProject } = useNav();
+  const projectId = params.projectId as string;
   const phaseId = params.phaseId as string;
 
-  return (
-    <DraftFinalTabs
-      phaseId={phaseId}
-      projectId={currentProject?.id || ""}
-      docType="specification"
-    />
-  );
+  return <DraftFinalTabs phaseId={phaseId} projectId={projectId} docType="specification" />;
 }
diff --git a/frontend/components/MarkdownWithMentions.tsx b/frontend/components/MarkdownWithMentions.tsx
index 9206a82..d497b5a 100644
--- a/frontend/components/MarkdownWithMentions.tsx
+++ b/frontend/components/MarkdownWithMentions.tsx
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import React, { Fragment } from "react";
 import ReactMarkdown from "react-markdown";
 import type { Components } from "react-markdown";
+import remarkGfm from "remark-gfm";
 import { useRouter } from "next/navigation";
 import { Tooltip, TooltipContent, TooltipProvider, TooltipTrigger } from "@/components/ui/tooltip";
 
@@ -271,11 +272,19 @@ export function MarkdownWithMentions({
         <table className="min-w-full border-collapse">{children}</table>
       </div>
     ),
+    th: ({ children }) => (
+      <th className="border-border bg-muted border px-3 py-1.5 text-left text-sm font-semibold">
+        {children}
+      </th>
+    ),
+    td: ({ children }) => <td className="border-border border px-3 py-1.5 text-sm">{children}</td>,
   };
 
   return (
     <div className={className}>
-      <ReactMarkdown components={components}>{text}</ReactMarkdown>
+      <ReactMarkdown remarkPlugins={[remarkGfm]} components={components}>
+        {text}
+      </ReactMarkdown>
     </div>
   );
 }