diff --git a/lua/magenta/init.lua b/lua/magenta/init.lua
index b483899..3ab2828 100644
--- a/lua/magenta/init.lua
+++ b/lua/magenta/init.lua
@@ -21,16 +21,29 @@ M.config = vim.tbl_deep_extend("force", default_config, {})
 
 ---@type AnthropicClient
 local anthropic_client = nil
+
+---@type SidebarModule
+local sidebar_module = nil
+
+---@type Sidebar
 local sidebar = nil
 
 -- Initialize the plugin with user config
 function M.setup(opts)
+  require('magenta.util.check_deps').check_deps({
+    "nui.split",
+    "nui.layout",
+    "plenary.curl"
+  })
+
   log.debug("Setting up magenta with opts:", opts)
   M.config = vim.tbl_deep_extend("force", default_config, opts or {})
 
   anthropic_client = require("magenta.anthropic").new(M.config.anthropic)
-  sidebar = require('magenta.sidebar')
-  sidebar.setup()
+  sidebar_module = require('magenta.sidebar')
+  sidebar_module.setup()
+
+  sidebar = sidebar_module.Sidebar.new()
 
   -- Add command to view logs
   vim.api.nvim_create_user_command("MagentaLogs", function()
@@ -69,13 +82,12 @@ end
 
 
 function M.show_sidebar()
-  if not sidebar then
-    log.error("sidebar not initialized")
-    vim.notify("Input area not initialized", vim.log.levels.ERROR)
+  if not sidebar_module then
+    log.error("sidebar_module not initialized")
     return
   end
 
-  local input_area = sidebar.show_sidebar()
+  local input_area = sidebar:show_sidebar()
   log.debug("Setting up buffer-local command in input buffer")
   vim.api.nvim_buf_create_user_command(input_area.bufnr, "MagentaSend", function()
     M.send_message()
@@ -84,7 +96,7 @@ end
 
 function M.hide_sidebar()
   if sidebar then
-    sidebar.hide_sidebar()
+    sidebar:hide_sidebar()
   end
 end
 
@@ -95,10 +107,10 @@ function M.send_message()
     vim.notify("Input area not initialized", vim.log.levels.ERROR)
     return
   end
-  local message = sidebar.pop_message()
+  local message = sidebar:pop_message()
 
   -- Add user message to main area
-  sidebar.append_to_main { text = "\nUser: " .. message .. "\n\nAssistant: ", scrolltop = true }
+  sidebar:append_to_main { text = "\nUser: " .. message .. "\n\nAssistant: ", scrolltop = true }
 
   -- Send to Anthropic with streaming
   anthropic_client:request({
@@ -108,13 +120,13 @@ function M.send_message()
     callback = function(err, text)
       if err then
         log.error("Anthropic API error:", err)
-        sidebar.append_to_main { text = "\nError: " .. err .. "\n" }
+        sidebar:append_to_main { text = "\nError: " .. err .. "\n" }
         return
       end
 
       if text then
         log.debug("Received stream text:", text)
-        sidebar.append_to_main({ text = text })
+        sidebar:append_to_main({ text = text })
       end
     end,
     done = function()
diff --git a/lua/magenta/sidebar.lua b/lua/magenta/sidebar.lua
index d6992a2..fd5aa26 100644
--- a/lua/magenta/sidebar.lua
+++ b/lua/magenta/sidebar.lua
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 local log = require('magenta.log').log;
 
+---@class SidebarModule
+---@field config table Configuration options
+---@field sidebar Sidebar The Sidebar class
+---@field setup fun(opts: table?) Set up the sidebar with optional config
 local M = {}
 
 local default_config = {
@@ -7,39 +11,34 @@ local default_config = {
   position = "left",
 }
 
-M.sidebar = nil
-M.input_area = nil
-M.main_area = nil
-
-
 M.config = vim.tbl_deep_extend("force", default_config, {})
 
 function M.setup(opts)
   M.config = vim.tbl_deep_extend("force", default_config, opts or {})
+end
 
-  local ok, err = pcall(function()
-    local Layout = require("nui.layout")
-    local Split = require("nui.split")
-
-    M.components = {
-      Layout = Layout,
-      Split = Split
-    }
-    log.debug("Successfully loaded nui components")
-  end)
-
-  if not ok then
-    log.error("Failed to load nui.nvim components:", err)
-    vim.notify(
-      "Failed to load nui.nvim components. Please ensure nui.nvim is installed.\nError: " .. err,
-      vim.log.levels.ERROR
-    )
-    return
-  end
+---@class Sidebar
+---@field sidebar NuiLayout|nil The main layout container
+---@field input_area NuiSplit|nil The bottom input split
+---@field main_area NuiSplit|nil The main content split
+local Sidebar = {}
+Sidebar.__index = Sidebar
+
+M.Sidebar = Sidebar
+
+---Creates a new Sidebar instance
+---@return Sidebar
+function Sidebar.new()
+  local self = setmetatable({}, Sidebar)
+  self.sidebar = nil
+  self.input_area = nil
+  self.main_area = nil
+  return self
 end
 
-function M.append_to_main(opts)
-  if not M.main_area or not M.main_area.bufnr then
+---@param opts {text: string, scrolltop: boolean?} Options for appending text
+function Sidebar:append_to_main(opts)
+  if not self.main_area or not self.main_area.bufnr then
     log.error("Cannot append to main area - not initialized")
     return
   end
@@ -48,60 +47,54 @@ function M.append_to_main(opts)
   if #lines == 0 then return end
 
 
-  local top_line = vim.api.nvim_buf_line_count(M.main_area.bufnr);
-  local last_line = vim.api.nvim_buf_get_lines(M.main_area.bufnr, -2, -1, false)[1] or ""
+  local top_line = vim.api.nvim_buf_line_count(self.main_area.bufnr);
+  local last_line = vim.api.nvim_buf_get_lines(self.main_area.bufnr, -2, -1, false)[1] or ""
 
-  vim.api.nvim_buf_set_option(M.main_area.bufnr, 'modifiable', true)
-  vim.api.nvim_buf_set_lines(M.main_area.bufnr, -2, -1, false, { last_line .. lines[1] })
+  vim.api.nvim_buf_set_option(self.main_area.bufnr, 'modifiable', true)
+  vim.api.nvim_buf_set_lines(self.main_area.bufnr, -2, -1, false, { last_line .. lines[1] })
 
   if #lines > 1 then
-    vim.api.nvim_buf_set_lines(M.main_area.bufnr, -1, -1, false, vim.list_slice(lines, 2))
+    vim.api.nvim_buf_set_lines(self.main_area.bufnr, -1, -1, false, vim.list_slice(lines, 2))
   end
 
-  vim.api.nvim_buf_set_option(M.main_area.bufnr, 'modifiable', false)
+  vim.api.nvim_buf_set_option(self.main_area.bufnr, 'modifiable', false)
 
   if opts.scrolltop then
     local offset = #lines > 1 and 1 or 0
-    require('magenta.util.scroll_buffer').scroll_buffer(M.main_area.bufnr, top_line + offset)
+    require('magenta.util.scroll_buffer').scroll_buffer(self.main_area.bufnr, top_line + offset)
   else
-    local final_line = vim.api.nvim_buf_line_count(M.main_area.bufnr)
-    vim.api.nvim_win_set_cursor(M.main_area.winid, { final_line, 0 })
+    local final_line = vim.api.nvim_buf_line_count(self.main_area.bufnr)
+    vim.api.nvim_win_set_cursor(self.main_area.winid, { final_line, 0 })
   end
 end
 
-function M.pop_message()
-  if not M.input_area then
+---@return string The current message text
+function Sidebar:pop_message()
+  if not self.input_area then
     return ""
   end
 
-  local lines = vim.api.nvim_buf_get_lines(M.input_area.bufnr, 0, -1, false)
+  local lines = vim.api.nvim_buf_get_lines(self.input_area.bufnr, 0, -1, false)
   local message = table.concat(lines, "\n")
 
   log.debug("Message content:", message)
   -- Clear input area
-  vim.api.nvim_buf_set_lines(M.input_area.bufnr, 0, -1, false, { "" })
+  vim.api.nvim_buf_set_lines(self.input_area.bufnr, 0, -1, false, { "" })
 
   return message
 end
 
-function M.show_sidebar()
-  if not M.components then
-    log.error("Plugin not initialized")
-    vim.notify("Plugin not initialized. Please call require('magenta').setup()", vim.log.levels.ERROR)
-    return
-  end
-
+---@return NuiSplit Returns the input area split if successful
+function Sidebar:show_sidebar()
   log.debug("Showing sidebar")
-  if M.sidebar then
-    log.debug("showing existing sidebar")
-    M.sidebar:show()
-    return
+  if self.sidebar then
+    self:hide_sidebar()
   end
 
-  local Layout = M.components.Layout
-  local Split = M.components.Split
+  local Layout = require('nui.layout')
+  local Split = require('nui.split')
 
-  M.main_area = Split({
+  self.main_area = Split({
     relative = "editor",
     size = M.config.sidebar_width,
     win_options = {
@@ -112,7 +105,7 @@ function M.show_sidebar()
     },
   })
 
-  M.input_area = Split({
+  self.input_area = Split({
     relative = "editor",
     size = M.config.sidebar_width,
     win_options = {
@@ -122,37 +115,40 @@ function M.show_sidebar()
     },
   })
 
-  M.sidebar = Layout(
+  self.sidebar = Layout(
     {
       relative = "editor",
       position = M.config.position,
       size = M.config.sidebar_width,
     },
     Layout.Box({
-      Layout.Box(M.main_area, { size = "80%" }),
-      Layout.Box(M.input_area, { size = "20%" }),
+      Layout.Box(self.main_area, { size = "80%" }),
+      Layout.Box(self.input_area, { size = "20%" }),
     }, { dir = "col" })
   )
 
   log.debug("Mounting sidebar")
-  M.sidebar:mount()
+  self.sidebar:mount()
 
   local content = { "Magenta Sidebar", "============", ""}
-  vim.api.nvim_buf_set_lines(M.main_area.bufnr, 0, -1, false, content)
-  vim.bo[M.main_area.bufnr].modifiable = false
+  vim.api.nvim_buf_set_lines(self.main_area.bufnr, 0, -1, false, content)
+  vim.bo[self.main_area.bufnr].modifiable = false
 
-  vim.api.nvim_buf_set_lines(M.input_area.bufnr, 0, -1, false, { "Enter text here..." })
+  vim.api.nvim_buf_set_lines(self.input_area.bufnr, 0, -1, false, { "Enter text here..." })
 
-  return M.input_area
+  return self.input_area
 end
 
-function M.hide_sidebar()
-  if M.sidebar then
-    log.debug("Hiding sidebar")
-    M.sidebar:hide()
-  else
-    log.debug("No sidebar to hide")
+function Sidebar:hide_sidebar()
+  if not self.sidebar then
+    log.debug("Sidebar not visible")
+    return
   end
+  log.debug("unmounting sidebar")
+  self.sidebar:unmount()
+  self.sidebar = nil
+  self.input_area = nil
+  self.main_area = nil
 end
 
 
diff --git a/lua/magenta/util/check_deps.lua b/lua/magenta/util/check_deps.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..956d406
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lua/magenta/util/check_deps.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+local M = {}
+
+function M.check_deps(deps)
+  local missing = {}
+  for _, path in ipairs(deps) do
+    local ok = pcall(require, path)
+    if not ok then
+      table.insert(missing, path)
+    end
+  end
+
+  if #missing > 0 then
+    error(string.format(
+      "Magenta requires the following plugins: %s\nPlease install them to continue.",
+      table.concat(missing, ", ")
+    ))
+  end
+end
+
+return M