diff --git a/src/modules/beam/BeamView.tsx b/src/modules/beam/BeamView.tsx
index 23db9c522..2cef13c55 100644
--- a/src/modules/beam/BeamView.tsx
+++ b/src/modules/beam/BeamView.tsx
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import { BeamRayGrid } from './scatter/BeamRayGrid';
 import { BeamScatterInput } from './scatter/BeamScatterInput';
 import { BeamScatterPane } from './scatter/BeamScatterPane';
 import { BeamStoreApi, useBeamStore } from './store-beam.hooks';
+import { useModuleBeamStore } from './store-module-beam';
 
 
 export function BeamView(props: {
@@ -24,6 +25,7 @@ export function BeamView(props: {
 }) {
 
   // state
+  const [hasAutoMerged, setHasAutoMerged] = React.useState(false);
   const [warnIsScattering, setWarnIsScattering] = React.useState(false);
 
   // external state
@@ -36,7 +38,9 @@ export function BeamView(props: {
     /* root */ inputHistory, inputIssues, inputReady,
     /* scatter */ isScattering, raysReady,
     /* gather (composite) */ canGather,
+    /* IDs */ rayIds, fusionIds,
   } = useBeamStore(props.beamStore, useShallow(state => ({
+    // input
     inputHistory: state.inputHistory,
     inputIssues: state.inputIssues,
     inputReady: state.inputReady,
@@ -45,9 +49,13 @@ export function BeamView(props: {
     raysReady: state.raysReady,
     // gather (composite)
     canGather: state.raysReady >= 2 && state.currentFactoryId !== null && state.currentGatherLlmId !== null,
+    // IDs
+    rayIds: state.rays.map(ray => ray.rayId),
+    fusionIds: state.fusions.map(fusion => fusion.fusionId),
+  })));
+  const { gatherAutoStartAfterScatter } = useModuleBeamStore(useShallow(state => ({
+    gatherAutoStartAfterScatter: state.gatherAutoStartAfterScatter,
   })));
-  const rayIds = useBeamStore(props.beamStore, useShallow(state => state.rays.map(ray => ray.rayId)));
-  const fusionIds = useBeamStore(props.beamStore, useShallow(state => state.fusions.map(fusion => fusion.fusionId)));
 
   // derived state
   const raysCount = rayIds.length;
@@ -59,6 +67,11 @@ export function BeamView(props: {
 
   const handleRayIncreaseCount = React.useCallback(() => setRayCount(raysCount + 1), [setRayCount, raysCount]);
 
+  const handleScatterStart = React.useCallback(() => {
+    setHasAutoMerged(false);
+    startScatteringAll();
+  }, [startScatteringAll]);
+
 
   const handleCreateFusion = React.useCallback(() => {
     // if scatter is busy, ask for confirmation
@@ -70,20 +83,31 @@ export function BeamView(props: {
   }, [isScattering, props.beamStore]);
 
 
-  const handleStopScatterConfirmation = React.useCallback(() => {
+  const handleStartMergeConfirmation = React.useCallback(() => {
     setWarnIsScattering(false);
     stopScatteringAll();
     handleCreateFusion();
   }, [handleCreateFusion, stopScatteringAll]);
 
-  const handleStopScatterDenial = React.useCallback(() => setWarnIsScattering(false), []);
+  const handleStartMergeDenial = React.useCallback(() => setWarnIsScattering(false), []);
+
 
+  // auto-merge
+  const shallAutoMerge = gatherAutoStartAfterScatter && canGather && !isScattering && !hasAutoMerged;
+  React.useEffect(() => {
+    if (shallAutoMerge) {
+      setHasAutoMerged(true);
+      handleStartMergeConfirmation();
+    }
+  }, [handleStartMergeConfirmation, shallAutoMerge]);
 
-  // (this is great ux) scatter freed up while we were asking the question, proceed
+  // (great ux) scatter finished while the "start merge" (warning) dialog is up: dismiss dialog and proceed
+  // here we assume that 'warnIsScattering' shows the intention of the user to proceed with a merge asap
+  const shallResumeMerge = warnIsScattering && !isScattering && !gatherAutoStartAfterScatter;
   React.useEffect(() => {
-    if (warnIsScattering && !isScattering)
-      handleStopScatterConfirmation();
-  }, [handleStopScatterConfirmation, isScattering, warnIsScattering]);
+    if (shallResumeMerge)
+      handleStartMergeConfirmation();
+  }, [handleStartMergeConfirmation, shallResumeMerge]);
 
 
   // runnning
@@ -138,7 +162,7 @@ export function BeamView(props: {
         setRayCount={handleRaySetCount}
         startEnabled={inputReady}
         startBusy={isScattering}
-        onStart={startScatteringAll}
+        onStart={handleScatterStart}
         onStop={stopScatteringAll}
         onExplainerShow={explainerShow}
       />
@@ -163,7 +187,7 @@ export function BeamView(props: {
         beamStore={props.beamStore}
         canGather={canGather}
         isMobile={props.isMobile}
-        onAddFusion={handleCreateFusion}
+        // onAddFusion={handleCreateFusion}
         raysReady={raysReady}
       />
 
@@ -184,8 +208,8 @@ export function BeamView(props: {
     {warnIsScattering && (
       <ConfirmationModal
         open
-        onClose={handleStopScatterDenial}
-        onPositive={handleStopScatterConfirmation}
+        onClose={handleStartMergeDenial}
+        onPositive={handleStartMergeConfirmation}
         // lowStakes
         noTitleBar
         confirmationText='Some responses are still being generated. Do you want to stop and proceed with merging the available responses now?'
diff --git a/src/modules/beam/gather/BeamFusionGrid.tsx b/src/modules/beam/gather/BeamFusionGrid.tsx
index d63852739..91936b41f 100644
--- a/src/modules/beam/gather/BeamFusionGrid.tsx
+++ b/src/modules/beam/gather/BeamFusionGrid.tsx
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ export function BeamFusionGrid(props: {
           </Box> : (
             <Typography level='body-sm' sx={{ opacity: 0.8 }}>
               {/*You need two or more replies for a {currentFactory?.shortLabel?.toLocaleLowerCase() ?? ''} merge.*/}
-              Waiting for multiple Beams.
+              Waiting for multiple responses.
             </Typography>
           )}
         </BeamCard>
diff --git a/src/modules/beam/gather/BeamGatherPane.tsx b/src/modules/beam/gather/BeamGatherPane.tsx
index 93dfed9bd..ff591b196 100644
--- a/src/modules/beam/gather/BeamGatherPane.tsx
+++ b/src/modules/beam/gather/BeamGatherPane.tsx
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ export function BeamGatherPane(props: {
   beamStore: BeamStoreApi,
   canGather: boolean,
   isMobile: boolean,
-  onAddFusion: () => void,
+  // onAddFusion: () => void,
   raysReady: number,
 }) {
 
diff --git a/src/modules/beam/gather/beam.gather.ts b/src/modules/beam/gather/beam.gather.ts
index 9759b0b88..50e2ff8e8 100644
--- a/src/modules/beam/gather/beam.gather.ts
+++ b/src/modules/beam/gather/beam.gather.ts
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ interface GatherStateSlice {
 
   // derived state (just acts as a cache to avoid re-calculating)
   isGatheringAny: boolean;
+  // fusionsReady: number;
 
 }
 
@@ -118,6 +119,7 @@ export const reInitGatherStateSlice = (prevFusions: BFusion[], gatherLlmId: DLLM
     fusions: [],
 
     isGatheringAny: false,
+    // fusionsReady: 0,
   };
 };
 
@@ -170,10 +172,12 @@ export const createGatherSlice: StateCreator<RootStoreSlice & ScatterStoreSlice
 
     // 'or' the status of all fusions
     const isGatheringAny = newFusions.some(fusionIsFusing);
+    // const fusionsReady = newFusions.filter(fusionIsUsableOutput).length;
 
     _set({
       fusions: newFusions,
       isGatheringAny,
+      // fusionsReady,
     });
   },
 
diff --git a/src/modules/beam/scatter/BeamScatterPaneDropdown.tsx b/src/modules/beam/scatter/BeamScatterPaneDropdown.tsx
index 3fae8b896..4a4408e84 100644
--- a/src/modules/beam/scatter/BeamScatterPaneDropdown.tsx
+++ b/src/modules/beam/scatter/BeamScatterPaneDropdown.tsx
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ import DriveFileRenameOutlineRoundedIcon from '@mui/icons-material/DriveFileRena
 import MoreVertIcon from '@mui/icons-material/MoreVert';
 import SchoolRoundedIcon from '@mui/icons-material/SchoolRounded';
 
+import { DEV_MODE_SETTINGS } from '../../../apps/settings-modal/UxLabsSettings';
+
 import type { DLLMId } from '~/modules/llms/store-llms';
 
 import type { BeamStoreApi } from '../store-beam.hooks';
@@ -69,6 +71,7 @@ export function BeamScatterDropdown(props: {
     cardScrolling, toggleCardScrolling,
     scatterShowPrevMessages, toggleScatterShowPrevMessages,
     scatterShowLettering, toggleScatterShowLettering,
+    gatherAutoStartAfterScatter, toggleGatherAutoStartAfterScatter,
     gatherShowAllPrompts, toggleGatherShowAllPrompts,
   } = useModuleBeamStore();
 
@@ -163,10 +166,15 @@ export function BeamScatterDropdown(props: {
           Response Numbers
         </MenuItem>
 
-        <ListItem onClick={() => handleClearLastConfig()}>
+        <ListItem onClick={DEV_MODE_SETTINGS ? () => handleClearLastConfig() : undefined}>
           <Typography level='body-sm'>Advanced</Typography>
         </ListItem>
 
+        <MenuItem onClick={toggleGatherAutoStartAfterScatter}>
+          <ListItemDecorator>{gatherAutoStartAfterScatter && <CheckRoundedIcon />}</ListItemDecorator>
+          Auto-Merge
+        </MenuItem>
+
         <MenuItem onClick={toggleGatherShowAllPrompts}>
           <ListItemDecorator>{gatherShowAllPrompts && <CheckRoundedIcon />}</ListItemDecorator>
           Detailed Custom Merge
diff --git a/src/modules/beam/store-module-beam.tsx b/src/modules/beam/store-module-beam.tsx
index f4b58bb76..ff1bdc470 100644
--- a/src/modules/beam/store-module-beam.tsx
+++ b/src/modules/beam/store-module-beam.tsx
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ interface ModuleBeamState {
   cardScrolling: boolean;
   scatterShowLettering: boolean;
   scatterShowPrevMessages: boolean;
+  gatherAutoStartAfterScatter: boolean;
   gatherShowAllPrompts: boolean;
 }
 
@@ -37,6 +38,7 @@ interface ModuleBeamStore extends ModuleBeamState {
   toggleCardScrolling: () => void;
   toggleScatterShowLettering: () => void;
   toggleScatterShowPrevMessages: () => void;
+  toggleGatherAutoStartAfterScatter: () => void;
   toggleGatherShowAllPrompts: () => void;
 }
 
@@ -50,6 +52,7 @@ export const useModuleBeamStore = create<ModuleBeamStore>()(persist(
     scatterShowLettering: false,
     scatterShowPrevMessages: false,
     gatherShowAllPrompts: false,
+    gatherAutoStartAfterScatter: false,
 
 
     addPreset: (name, rayLlmIds, gatherLlmId, gatherFactoryId) => _set(state => ({
@@ -86,6 +89,8 @@ export const useModuleBeamStore = create<ModuleBeamStore>()(persist(
 
     toggleScatterShowPrevMessages: () => _set(state => ({ scatterShowPrevMessages: !state.scatterShowPrevMessages })),
 
+    toggleGatherAutoStartAfterScatter: () => _set(state => ({ gatherAutoStartAfterScatter: !state.gatherAutoStartAfterScatter })),
+
     toggleGatherShowAllPrompts: () => _set(state => ({ gatherShowAllPrompts: !state.gatherShowAllPrompts })),
 
   }), {