diff --git a/pkg-r/R/QueryChat.R b/pkg-r/R/QueryChat.R
index fe4a2f9f..863e4bd1 100644
--- a/pkg-r/R/QueryChat.R
+++ b/pkg-r/R/QueryChat.R
@@ -474,8 +474,10 @@ QueryChat <- R6::R6Class(
     #' @param width Width of the sidebar in pixels. Default is 400.
     #' @param height Height of the sidebar. Default is "100%".
     #' @param fillable Whether the sidebar should be fillable. Default is `TRUE`.
-    #' @param ns A Shiny namespacing (i.e., [shiny::NS()]) function.
-    #' Only needed when calling this method within a module UI function.
+    #' @param id Optional ID for the QueryChat instance. If not provided,
+    #'   will use the ID provided at initialization. If using `$sidebar()` in
+    #'   a Shiny module, you'll need to provide `id = ns("your_id")` where `ns`
+    #'   is the namespacing function from [shiny::NS()].
     #'
     #' @return A [bslib::sidebar()] UI component.
     #'
@@ -493,7 +495,7 @@ QueryChat <- R6::R6Class(
       width = 400,
       height = "100%",
       fillable = TRUE,
-      ns = NULL
+      id = NULL
     ) {
       bslib::sidebar(
         width = width,
@@ -501,7 +503,7 @@ QueryChat <- R6::R6Class(
         fillable = fillable,
         class = "querychat-sidebar",
         ...,
-        self$ui(ns = ns)
+        self$ui(id = id)
       )
     },
 
@@ -512,8 +514,10 @@ QueryChat <- R6::R6Class(
     #' `$sidebar()` instead, which wraps this in a sidebar layout.
     #'
     #' @param ... Additional arguments passed to [shinychat::chat_ui()].
-    #' @param ns A Shiny namespacing (i.e., [shiny::NS()]) function.
-    #' Only needed when calling this method within a module UI function.
+    #' @param id Optional ID for the QueryChat instance. If not provided,
+    #'   will use the ID provided at initialization. If using `$ui()` in a Shiny
+    #'   module, you'll need to provide `id = ns("your_id")` where `ns` is the
+    #'   namespacing function from [shiny::NS()].
     #'
     #' @return A UI component containing the chat interface.
     #'
@@ -525,27 +529,16 @@ QueryChat <- R6::R6Class(
     #'   qc$ui()
     #' )
     #' }
-    ui = function(..., ns = NULL) {
-      check_function(ns, allow_null = TRUE)
+    ui = function(..., id = NULL) {
+      check_string(id, allow_null = TRUE, allow_empty = FALSE)
 
       # If called within another module, the UI id needs to be namespaced
       # by that "parent" module. If called in a module *server* context, we
       # can infer the namespace from the session, but if not, the user
       # will need to provide it.
-      # NOTE: this isn't a problem for Python since id namespacing is handled implicitly
-      # by UI functions like shinychat.chat_ui().
-      id <- self$id
-      id <- if (is.null(ns)) namespaced_id(id) else ns(id)
-
-      # Provide a helpful error if the user tries to set id directly
-      if ("id" %in% names(list2(...))) {
-        cli::cli_abort(
-          c(
-            "Not allowed to set {.arg id} to {.fn $ui()} (or {.fn $sidebar()}).",
-            "i" = "Use the {.arg ns} argument instead to namespace the UI id."
-          )
-        )
-      }
+      # NOTE: this isn't a problem for Python since id namespacing is handled
+      # implicitly by UI functions like shinychat.chat_ui().
+      id <- id %||% namespaced_id(self$id)
 
       mod_ui(id, ...)
     },
@@ -563,6 +556,12 @@ QueryChat <- R6::R6Class(
     #'   with Shiny bookmarks. This requires that the Shiny app has bookmarking
     #'   enabled via `shiny::enableBookmarking()` or the `enableBookmarking`
     #'   parameter of `shiny::shinyApp()`.
+    #' @param ... Ignored.
+    #' @param id Optional module ID for the QueryChat instance. If not provided,
+    #'   will use the ID provided at initialization. When used in Shiny modules,
+    #'   this `id` should match the `id` used in the corresponding UI function
+    #'   (i.e., `qc$ui(id = ns("your_id"))` pairs with `qc$server(id =
+    #'   "your_id")`).
     #' @param session The Shiny session object.
     #'
     #' @return A list containing session-specific reactive values and the chat
@@ -586,8 +585,13 @@ QueryChat <- R6::R6Class(
     #' }
     server = function(
       enable_bookmarking = FALSE,
+      ...,
+      id = NULL,
       session = shiny::getDefaultReactiveDomain()
     ) {
+      check_string(id, allow_null = TRUE, allow_empty = FALSE)
+      check_dots_empty()
+
       if (is.null(session)) {
         cli::cli_abort(
           "{.fn $server} must be called within a Shiny server function"
@@ -595,7 +599,7 @@ QueryChat <- R6::R6Class(
       }
 
       mod_server(
-        self$id,
+        id %||% self$id,
         data_source = private$.data_source,
         greeting = self$greeting,
         client = self$client,
diff --git a/pkg-r/man/QueryChat.Rd b/pkg-r/man/QueryChat.Rd
index 083e214f..64f15b0a 100644
--- a/pkg-r/man/QueryChat.Rd
+++ b/pkg-r/man/QueryChat.Rd
@@ -489,7 +489,7 @@ interface, suitable for use with \code{\link[bslib:page_sidebar]{bslib::page_sid
   width = 400,
   height = "100\%",
   fillable = TRUE,
-  ns = NULL
+  id = NULL
 )}\if{html}{\out{</div>}}
 }
 
@@ -504,8 +504,10 @@ interface, suitable for use with \code{\link[bslib:page_sidebar]{bslib::page_sid
 
 \item{\code{fillable}}{Whether the sidebar should be fillable. Default is \code{TRUE}.}
 
-\item{\code{ns}}{A Shiny namespacing (i.e., \code{\link[shiny:NS]{shiny::NS()}}) function.
-Only needed when calling this method within a module UI function.}
+\item{\code{id}}{Optional ID for the QueryChat instance. If not provided,
+will use the ID provided at initialization. If using \verb{$sidebar()} in
+a Shiny module, you'll need to provide \code{id = ns("your_id")} where \code{ns}
+is the namespacing function from \code{\link[shiny:NS]{shiny::NS()}}.}
 }
 \if{html}{\out{</div>}}
 }
@@ -537,7 +539,7 @@ Create the UI for the querychat chat interface.
 This method generates the chat UI component. Typically you'll use
 \verb{$sidebar()} instead, which wraps this in a sidebar layout.
 \subsection{Usage}{
-\if{html}{\out{<div class="r">}}\preformatted{QueryChat$ui(..., ns = NULL)}\if{html}{\out{</div>}}
+\if{html}{\out{<div class="r">}}\preformatted{QueryChat$ui(..., id = NULL)}\if{html}{\out{</div>}}
 }
 
 \subsection{Arguments}{
@@ -545,8 +547,10 @@ This method generates the chat UI component. Typically you'll use
 \describe{
 \item{\code{...}}{Additional arguments passed to \code{\link[shinychat:chat_ui]{shinychat::chat_ui()}}.}
 
-\item{\code{ns}}{A Shiny namespacing (i.e., \code{\link[shiny:NS]{shiny::NS()}}) function.
-Only needed when calling this method within a module UI function.}
+\item{\code{id}}{Optional ID for the QueryChat instance. If not provided,
+will use the ID provided at initialization. If using \verb{$ui()} in a Shiny
+module, you'll need to provide \code{id = ns("your_id")} where \code{ns} is the
+namespacing function from \code{\link[shiny:NS]{shiny::NS()}}.}
 }
 \if{html}{\out{</div>}}
 }
@@ -580,6 +584,8 @@ reactive values.
 \subsection{Usage}{
 \if{html}{\out{<div class="r">}}\preformatted{QueryChat$server(
   enable_bookmarking = FALSE,
+  ...,
+  id = NULL,
   session = shiny::getDefaultReactiveDomain()
 )}\if{html}{\out{</div>}}
 }
@@ -594,6 +600,13 @@ with Shiny bookmarks. This requires that the Shiny app has bookmarking
 enabled via \code{shiny::enableBookmarking()} or the \code{enableBookmarking}
 parameter of \code{shiny::shinyApp()}.}
 
+\item{\code{...}}{Ignored.}
+
+\item{\code{id}}{Optional module ID for the QueryChat instance. If not provided,
+will use the ID provided at initialization. When used in Shiny modules,
+this \code{id} should match the \code{id} used in the corresponding UI function
+(i.e., \code{qc$ui(id = ns("your_id"))} pairs with \code{qc$server(id = "your_id")}).}
+
 \item{\code{session}}{The Shiny session object.}
 }
 \if{html}{\out{</div>}}