diff --git a/frontend/src/NewApp/Pages/GenerateCandidate.tsx b/frontend/src/NewApp/Pages/GenerateCandidate.tsx
index b657260..c8b7c13 100644
--- a/frontend/src/NewApp/Pages/GenerateCandidate.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/NewApp/Pages/GenerateCandidate.tsx
@@ -53,81 +53,6 @@ const GenerateCandidate = (props: BackstoryElementProps) => {
     const controllerRef = useRef<StreamQueryController>(null);
     const backstoryTextRef = useRef<BackstoryTextFieldRef>(null);
 
-    const generateProfile = useCallback((userInfo?: UserInfo, promptText?: string) => {
-        // Use provided params or current state
-        const currentUser = userInfo || user;
-        const currentPrompt = promptText || prompt;
-
-        if (controllerRef.current) {
-            return;
-        }
-
-        // Don't generate if we still have blank user data
-        if (currentUser.username === "[blank]" || currentUser.first_name === "[blank]") {
-            console.log("Cannot generate profile: user data not ready");
-            return;
-        }
-
-        const imagePrompt = `A photorealistic profile picture of a ${currentUser.age} year old ${currentUser.gender} ${currentUser.ethnicity} person. ${currentPrompt}`
-        setStatus(`Generating: ${imagePrompt}`);
-        setProcessing(true);
-        setCanGenImage(false);
-        setState(3);
-        const start = Date.now();
-
-        controllerRef.current = streamQueryResponse({
-            query: {
-                prompt: imagePrompt,
-                agent_options: {
-                    username: currentUser.username,
-                    filename: "profile.png"
-                }
-            },
-            type: "image",
-            sessionId,
-            connectionBase,
-            onComplete: (msg) => {
-                console.log(msg);
-                switch (msg.status) {
-                    case "partial":
-                    case "done":
-                        if (msg.status === "done") {
-                            setProcessing(false);
-                            controllerRef.current = null;
-                            setState(0);
-                            setCanGenImage(true);
-                            setShouldGenerateProfile(false);
-                            setUser({ ...user, has_profile: true });
-                        }
-                        break;
-                    case "error":
-                        console.log(`Error generating persona: ${msg.response} after ${Date.now() - start}`);
-                        setSnack(msg.response || "", "error");
-                        setProcessing(false);
-                        controllerRef.current = null;
-                        setState(0);
-                        setCanGenImage(true);
-                        setShouldGenerateProfile(false);
-                        break;
-                    default:
-                        const data = JSON.parse(msg.response || '');
-                        if (msg.status !== "heartbeat") {
-                            console.log(data);
-                        }
-                        if (data.timestamp) {
-                            setTimestamp(data.timestamp);
-                        } else {
-                            setTimestamp(Date.now())
-                        }
-                        if (data.message) {
-                            setStatus(data.message);
-                        }
-                        break;
-                }
-            }
-        });
-    }, [user, prompt, sessionId, setSnack]);
-
     const generatePersona = useCallback((query: Query) => {
         if (controllerRef.current) {
             return;
@@ -199,7 +124,7 @@ const GenerateCandidate = (props: BackstoryElementProps) => {
                 setStreaming(chunk);
             }
         });
-    }, [sessionId, setSnack, generateProfile]);
+    }, [sessionId, setSnack]);
 
     const cancelQuery = useCallback(() => {
         if (controllerRef.current) {
@@ -230,7 +155,6 @@ const GenerateCandidate = (props: BackstoryElementProps) => {
         console.log("useEffect triggered - shouldGenerateProfile:", shouldGenerateProfile, "user:", user.username, user.first_name);
         if (shouldGenerateProfile && user.username !== "[blank]" && user.first_name !== "[blank]") {
             console.log("Triggering profile generation with updated user data:", user);
-            // Call generateProfile directly with current values to avoid closure issues
             if (controllerRef.current) {
                 console.log("Controller already active, skipping profile generation");
                 return;
@@ -242,6 +166,8 @@ const GenerateCandidate = (props: BackstoryElementProps) => {
                 return;
             }
 
+            const imagePrompt = `A photorealistic profile picture of a ${user.age} year old ${user.gender} ${user.ethnicity} person. ${prompt}`
+            setStatus(`Generating: ${imagePrompt}`);
             setProcessing(true);
             setCanGenImage(false);
             setState(3);
@@ -249,7 +175,7 @@ const GenerateCandidate = (props: BackstoryElementProps) => {
 
             controllerRef.current = streamQueryResponse({
                 query: {
-                    prompt: `A photorealistic profile picture of a ${user.age} year old ${user.gender} ${user.ethnicity} person. ${prompt}`,
+                    prompt: imagePrompt,
                     agent_options: {
                         username: user.username,
                         filename: "profile.png"
@@ -269,6 +195,7 @@ const GenerateCandidate = (props: BackstoryElementProps) => {
                                 setState(0);
                                 setCanGenImage(true);
                                 setShouldGenerateProfile(false);
+                                setUser({ ...user, has_profile: true });
                             }
                             break;
                         case "error":
@@ -359,7 +286,7 @@ const GenerateCandidate = (props: BackstoryElementProps) => {
                     <Box sx={{ display: "flex", position: "relative" }}>
                         <Avatar
                             src={user.has_profile ? `/api/u/${user.username}/profile/${sessionId}` : ''}
-                        alt={`${user.full_name}'s profile`}
+                            alt={`${user.full_name}'s profile`}
                             sx={{
                                 width: 80,
                                 height: 80,
@@ -374,7 +301,7 @@ const GenerateCandidate = (props: BackstoryElementProps) => {
                         sx={{ m: 1, gap: 1, flexGrow: 1 }}
                         variant="contained"
                         disabled={sessionId === undefined || processing || !canGenImage}
-                                onClick={() => { generateProfile() }}>
+                                onClick={() => { setShouldGenerateProfile(true); }}>
                                 Generate Picture<SendIcon />
                     </Button>
                     </span>