diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 806b822..c03e5a1 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -95,8 +95,12 @@ will answer.
 ### Options (⚙ → Configure)
 
 - **Route incoming messages to Assist** – turn the chat bridge on/off.
-- **Assist agent / language** – pick a specific conversation agent, or leave
-  blank for the default pipeline.
+- **Assist agent / language** – pick the conversation agent from the dropdown.
+  > **Want free-form chat?** The default *Home Assistant* agent only recognises
+  > device-control commands and will answer anything else with "Sorry, I
+  > couldn't understand that". To actually chat, install an LLM conversation
+  > integration (OpenAI, Google Generative AI, Anthropic, Ollama, …), then
+  > select that agent here.
 - **Reply to any sender** / **Allowed sender addresses** – restrict who Assist
   will answer.
 - **Default recipient** – address used by the `notify.reticulum` entity.
diff --git a/custom_components/reticulum/config_flow.py b/custom_components/reticulum/config_flow.py
index b4e58eb..275a036 100644
--- a/custom_components/reticulum/config_flow.py
+++ b/custom_components/reticulum/config_flow.py
@@ -17,6 +17,10 @@ from homeassistant.core import callback
 from homeassistant.helpers import config_validation as cv
 from homeassistant.helpers.selector import (
     BooleanSelector,
+    ConversationAgentSelector,
+    ConversationAgentSelectorConfig,
+    LanguageSelector,
+    LanguageSelectorConfig,
     NumberSelector,
     NumberSelectorConfig,
     NumberSelectorMode,
@@ -170,16 +174,14 @@ class ReticulumOptionsFlow(OptionsFlow):
                 ): BooleanSelector(),
                 vol.Optional(
                     CONF_ASSIST_AGENT,
-                    description={
-                        "suggested_value": opts.get(CONF_ASSIST_AGENT, "")
-                    },
-                ): TextSelector(),
+                    description={"suggested_value": opts.get(CONF_ASSIST_AGENT)},
+                ): ConversationAgentSelector(ConversationAgentSelectorConfig()),
                 vol.Optional(
                     CONF_ASSIST_LANGUAGE,
                     description={
-                        "suggested_value": opts.get(CONF_ASSIST_LANGUAGE, "")
+                        "suggested_value": opts.get(CONF_ASSIST_LANGUAGE)
                     },
-                ): TextSelector(),
+                ): LanguageSelector(LanguageSelectorConfig()),
                 vol.Required(
                     CONF_ALLOW_ALL, default=opts.get(CONF_ALLOW_ALL, True)
                 ): BooleanSelector(),
diff --git a/custom_components/reticulum/entity.py b/custom_components/reticulum/entity.py
index fd06f1a..8f21104 100644
--- a/custom_components/reticulum/entity.py
+++ b/custom_components/reticulum/entity.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+from homeassistant.core import callback
 from homeassistant.helpers.dispatcher import async_dispatcher_connect
 from homeassistant.helpers.entity import DeviceInfo, Entity
 
@@ -35,5 +36,9 @@ class ReticulumEntity(Entity):
             )
         )
 
+    @callback
     def _handle_update(self) -> None:
+        # Decorated with @callback so the dispatcher runs it on the event loop
+        # (a plain sync callback would be offloaded to an executor thread, and
+        # async_write_ha_state is not thread-safe).
         self.async_write_ha_state()
diff --git a/custom_components/reticulum/manifest.json b/custom_components/reticulum/manifest.json
index f8d37dc..cf2b6c7 100644
--- a/custom_components/reticulum/manifest.json
+++ b/custom_components/reticulum/manifest.json
@@ -12,5 +12,5 @@
   "loggers": ["RNS", "LXMF"],
   "requirements": ["rns>=0.9.0", "lxmf>=0.6.0"],
   "single_config_entry": true,
-  "version": "1.0.3"
+  "version": "1.0.4"
 }