diff --git a/css/main.css b/css/main.css
index b7135077..25ae15b1 100644
--- a/css/main.css
+++ b/css/main.css
@@ -1022,6 +1022,49 @@ audio {
     padding-right: 0.5rem;
 }
 
+#new-chat-wrapper {
+    display: contents;
+}
+
+.new-chat-arrow {
+    cursor: pointer;
+    position: relative;
+    padding: 0;
+    margin-right: -15px;
+    height: 39.594px;
+    display: flex;
+    align-items: center;
+}
+
+.new-chat-menu {
+    display: none;
+    position: absolute;
+    top: 0;
+    left: 0;
+    padding-top: 1.2em;
+    z-index: var(--layer-top);
+    white-space: nowrap;
+}
+
+.new-chat-arrow:hover .new-chat-menu {
+    display: block;
+}
+
+.new-chat-menu-item {
+    cursor: pointer;
+    padding: var(--size-2);
+    background: var(--background-fill-primary);
+    box-shadow: var(--shadow-drop-lg);
+    border-radius: var(--container-radius);
+    color: var(--body-text-color);
+    font-size: var(--text-md);
+    font-weight: var(--button-large-text-weight);
+}
+
+.new-chat-menu-item:hover {
+    background: var(--background-fill-secondary);
+}
+
 #past-chats-row,
 #chat-controls {
     width: 260px;
diff --git a/js/main.js b/js/main.js
index 23db59d5..f05f93c6 100644
--- a/js/main.js
+++ b/js/main.js
@@ -552,6 +552,38 @@ document.querySelectorAll(".focus-on-chat-input").forEach(element => {
   });
 });
 
+//------------------------------------------------
+// "New chat" hover menu with incognito option
+//------------------------------------------------
+
+(function() {
+  const newChatBtn = document.getElementById("new-chat-btn");
+
+  const wrapper = document.createElement("div");
+  wrapper.id = "new-chat-wrapper";
+  newChatBtn.replaceWith(wrapper);
+  wrapper.appendChild(newChatBtn);
+
+  const arrow = document.createElement("span");
+  arrow.className = "new-chat-arrow";
+  arrow.textContent = "\u25BE";
+
+  const menu = document.createElement("div");
+  menu.className = "new-chat-menu";
+  const option = document.createElement("div");
+  option.className = "new-chat-menu-item";
+  option.textContent = "Incognito chat";
+  menu.appendChild(option);
+
+  arrow.appendChild(menu);
+  wrapper.appendChild(arrow);
+
+  option.addEventListener("click", function(e) {
+    e.stopPropagation();
+    document.querySelector("#incognito-chat-btn").click();
+  });
+})();
+
 //------------------------------------------------
 // Fix a border around the "past chats" menu
 //------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/modules/chat.py b/modules/chat.py
index bcb548fd..e4fcaabe 100644
--- a/modules/chat.py
+++ b/modules/chat.py
@@ -1528,7 +1528,7 @@ def redraw_html(history, name1, name2, mode, style, character, reset_cache=False
     return chat_html_wrapper(history, name1, name2, mode, style, character, reset_cache=reset_cache)
 
 
-def start_new_chat(state):
+def start_new_chat(state, unique_id=None):
     mode = state['mode']
     # Initialize with empty metadata dictionary
     history = {'internal': [], 'visible': [], 'metadata': {}}
@@ -1542,7 +1542,9 @@ def start_new_chat(state):
             # Add timestamp for assistant's greeting
             update_message_metadata(history['metadata'], "assistant", 0, timestamp=get_current_timestamp())
 
-    unique_id = datetime.now().strftime('%Y%m%d-%H-%M-%S')
+    if unique_id is None:
+        unique_id = datetime.now().strftime('%Y%m%d-%H-%M-%S')
+
     save_history(history, unique_id, state['character_menu'], state['mode'])
 
     return history
@@ -1561,6 +1563,9 @@ def save_history(history, unique_id, character, mode):
     if shared.args.multi_user:
         return
 
+    if unique_id and unique_id.startswith('incognito-'):
+        return
+
     p = get_history_file_path(unique_id, character, mode)
     if not p.parent.is_dir():
         p.parent.mkdir(parents=True)
@@ -1750,6 +1755,9 @@ def save_last_chat_state(character, mode, unique_id):
     if shared.args.multi_user:
         return
 
+    if unique_id and unique_id.startswith('incognito-'):
+        return
+
     state = load_last_chat_state()
     key = get_chat_state_key(character, mode)
     state["last_chats"][key] = unique_id
@@ -2290,11 +2298,29 @@ def handle_start_new_chat_click(state):
     return [history, html, past_chats_update]
 
 
-def handle_delete_chat_confirm_click(state):
+def handle_start_incognito_chat_click(state):
     import gradio as gr
+    unique_id = 'incognito-' + datetime.now().strftime('%Y%m%d-%H-%M-%S')
+    history = start_new_chat(state, unique_id=unique_id)
+    html = redraw_html(history, state['name1'], state['name2'], state['mode'], state['chat_style'], state['character_menu'])
+
+    convert_to_markdown.cache_clear()
+
+    histories = find_all_histories_with_first_prompts(state)
+    past_chats_update = gr.update(choices=histories, value=unique_id)
+
+    return [history, html, past_chats_update]
+
+
+def handle_delete_chat_confirm_click(state):
     filtered_histories = find_all_histories_with_first_prompts(state)
     filtered_ids = [h[1] for h in filtered_histories]
-    index = str(filtered_ids.index(state['unique_id']))
+
+    if state['unique_id'] not in filtered_ids:
+        # Incognito or unknown chat — just load the most recent saved chat
+        index = '0'
+    else:
+        index = str(filtered_ids.index(state['unique_id']))
 
     delete_history(state['unique_id'], state['character_menu'], state['mode'])
     history, unique_id = load_history_after_deletion(state, index)
@@ -2302,13 +2328,7 @@ def handle_delete_chat_confirm_click(state):
 
     convert_to_markdown.cache_clear()
 
-    return [
-        history,
-        html,
-        unique_id,
-        gr.update(visible=False),
-        gr.update(visible=True),
-    ]
+    return [history, html, unique_id]
 
 
 def handle_branch_chat_click(state):
@@ -2324,7 +2344,8 @@ def handle_branch_chat_click(state):
         if 'metadata' in history:
             history['metadata'] = {k: v for k, v in history['metadata'].items() if int(k.split('_')[-1]) <= branch_from_index}
 
-    new_unique_id = datetime.now().strftime('%Y%m%d-%H-%M-%S')
+    prefix = 'incognito-' if state['unique_id'] and state['unique_id'].startswith('incognito-') else ''
+    new_unique_id = prefix + datetime.now().strftime('%Y%m%d-%H-%M-%S')
     save_history(history, new_unique_id, state['character_menu'], state['mode'])
 
     histories = find_all_histories_with_first_prompts(state)
@@ -2446,6 +2467,13 @@ def handle_rename_chat_click():
 
 def handle_rename_chat_confirm(rename_to, state):
     import gradio as gr
+
+    if state['unique_id'] and state['unique_id'].startswith('incognito-'):
+        return [
+            gr.update(),
+            gr.update(visible=False),
+        ]
+
     rename_history(state['unique_id'], rename_to, state['character_menu'], state['mode'])
     histories = find_all_histories_with_first_prompts(state)
 
diff --git a/modules/ui_chat.py b/modules/ui_chat.py
index 0acf9c04..d2a515b8 100644
--- a/modules/ui_chat.py
+++ b/modules/ui_chat.py
@@ -28,7 +28,8 @@ def create_ui():
                     shared.gradio['branch_chat'] = gr.Button('Branch', elem_classes=['refresh-button', 'refresh-button-medium'], elem_id='Branch', interactive=not mu)
                     shared.gradio['rename_chat'] = gr.Button('Rename', elem_classes=['refresh-button', 'refresh-button-medium'], interactive=not mu)
                     shared.gradio['delete_chat'] = gr.Button('🗑️', visible=False, elem_classes='refresh-button', interactive=not mu, elem_id='delete_chat')
-                    shared.gradio['Start new chat'] = gr.Button('New chat', elem_classes=['refresh-button', 'refresh-button-medium', 'focus-on-chat-input'])
+                    shared.gradio['Start new chat'] = gr.Button('New chat', elem_classes=['refresh-button', 'refresh-button-medium', 'focus-on-chat-input'], elem_id='new-chat-btn')
+                    shared.gradio['Start incognito chat'] = gr.Button('Incognito chat', visible=False, elem_id='incognito-chat-btn')
                     shared.gradio['branch_index'] = gr.Number(value=-1, precision=0, visible=False, elem_id="Branch-index", interactive=True)
 
                 shared.gradio['search_chat'] = gr.Textbox(placeholder='Search chats...', max_lines=1, elem_id='search_chat')
@@ -290,6 +291,10 @@ def create_event_handlers():
         ui.gather_interface_values, gradio(shared.input_elements), gradio('interface_state')).then(
         chat.handle_start_new_chat_click, gradio('interface_state'), gradio('history', 'display', 'unique_id'), show_progress=False)
 
+    shared.gradio['Start incognito chat'].click(
+        ui.gather_interface_values, gradio(shared.input_elements), gradio('interface_state')).then(
+        chat.handle_start_incognito_chat_click, gradio('interface_state'), gradio('history', 'display', 'unique_id'), show_progress=False)
+
     shared.gradio['delete_chat-confirm'].click(
         ui.gather_interface_values, gradio(shared.input_elements), gradio('interface_state')).then(
         chat.handle_delete_chat_confirm_click, gradio('interface_state'), gradio('history', 'display', 'unique_id'), show_progress=False)