diff --git a/frontend-tools/chapters-editor/client/src/components/TimelineControls.tsx b/frontend-tools/chapters-editor/client/src/components/TimelineControls.tsx
index 7ae9bde2..f7e79066 100644
--- a/frontend-tools/chapters-editor/client/src/components/TimelineControls.tsx
+++ b/frontend-tools/chapters-editor/client/src/components/TimelineControls.tsx
@@ -3947,11 +3947,11 @@ const TimelineControls = ({
                         <button
                             onClick={() => setShowSaveChaptersModal(true)}
                             className="save-chapters-button"
-                            data-tooltip={clipSegments.filter((s) => s.chapterTitle && s.chapterTitle.trim()).length === 0 
+                            data-tooltip={clipSegments.length === 0 
                                 ? "Clear all chapters" 
                                 : "Save chapters"}
                         >
-                            {clipSegments.filter((s) => s.chapterTitle && s.chapterTitle.trim()).length === 0 
+                            {clipSegments.length === 0 
                                 ? 'Clear Chapters' 
                                 : 'Save Chapters'}
                         </button>
@@ -3974,7 +3974,7 @@ const TimelineControls = ({
                                     className="modal-button modal-button-primary"
                                     onClick={handleSaveChaptersConfirm}
                                 >
-                                    {clipSegments.filter((s) => s.chapterTitle && s.chapterTitle.trim()).length === 0 
+                                    {clipSegments.length === 0 
                                         ? 'Clear Chapters' 
                                         : 'Save Chapters'}
                                 </button>
@@ -3982,14 +3982,9 @@ const TimelineControls = ({
                         }
                     >
                         <p className="modal-message">
-                            {(() => {
-                                const chaptersWithTitles = clipSegments.filter((s) => s.chapterTitle && s.chapterTitle.trim()).length;
-                                if (chaptersWithTitles === 0) {
-                                    return "Are you sure you want to clear all chapters? This will remove all existing chapters from the database.";
-                                } else {
-                                    return `Are you sure you want to save the chapters? This will save ${chaptersWithTitles} chapters to the database.`;
-                                }
-                            })()}
+                            {clipSegments.length === 0 
+                                ? "Are you sure you want to clear all chapters? This will remove all existing chapters from the database."
+                                : `Are you sure you want to save the chapters? This will save ${clipSegments.filter((s) => s.chapterTitle && s.chapterTitle.trim()).length} chapters to the database.`}
                         </p>
                     </Modal>
 
diff --git a/frontend-tools/chapters-editor/client/src/hooks/useVideoChapters.tsx b/frontend-tools/chapters-editor/client/src/hooks/useVideoChapters.tsx
index 63befaa3..eedd186f 100644
--- a/frontend-tools/chapters-editor/client/src/hooks/useVideoChapters.tsx
+++ b/frontend-tools/chapters-editor/client/src/hooks/useVideoChapters.tsx
@@ -147,8 +147,15 @@ const useVideoChapters = () => {
                         initialSegments.push(segment);
                     }
                 } else {
-                    // Start with empty state - no default segment
-                    initialSegments = [];
+                    // Create a default segment that spans the entire video on first load
+                    const initialSegment: Segment = {
+                        id: 1,
+                        chapterTitle: '',
+                        startTime: 0,
+                        endTime: video.duration,
+                    };
+
+                    initialSegments = [initialSegment];
                 }
 
                 // Initialize history state with the segments
@@ -267,17 +274,24 @@ const useVideoChapters = () => {
                         
                         // Check if we now have duration and initialize if needed
                         if (video.duration > 0 && clipSegments.length === 0) {
-                            logger.debug('Safari: Successfully initialized metadata with empty state');
+                            logger.debug('Safari: Successfully initialized metadata, creating default segment');
                             
+                            const defaultSegment: Segment = {
+                                id: 1,
+                                chapterTitle: '',
+                                startTime: 0,
+                                endTime: video.duration,
+                            };
+
                             setDuration(video.duration);
                             setTrimEnd(video.duration);
-                            setClipSegments([]);
+                            setClipSegments([defaultSegment]);
                             
                             const initialState: EditorState = {
                                 trimStart: 0,
                                 trimEnd: video.duration,
                                 splitPoints: [],
-                                clipSegments: [],
+                                clipSegments: [defaultSegment],
                             };
                             
                             setHistory([initialState]);