diff --git a/.env-devel b/.env-devel
index 9980683c063..45157d71c56 100644
--- a/.env-devel
+++ b/.env-devel
@@ -144,6 +144,7 @@ DYNAMIC_SCHEDULER_UI_STORAGE_SECRET=adminadmin
 
 FUNCTION_SERVICES_AUTHORS='{"UN": {"name": "Unknown", "email": "unknown@osparc.io", "affiliation": "unknown"}}'
 
+WEBSERVER_CHATBOT={}
 WEBSERVER_LICENSES={}
 WEBSERVER_FOGBUGZ={}
 LICENSES_ITIS_VIP_SYNCER_ENABLED=false
diff --git a/services/docker-compose.yml b/services/docker-compose.yml
index 63c0ad5b48c..6d8e1c40c3c 100644
--- a/services/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/services/docker-compose.yml
@@ -713,6 +713,7 @@ services:
       PROMETHEUS_URL: ${WEBSERVER_PROMETHEUS_URL}
 
       WEBSERVER_CATALOG: ${WEBSERVER_CATALOG}
+      WEBSERVER_CHATBOT: ${WEBSERVER_CHATBOT}
 
       # WEBSERVER_CREDIT_COMPUTATION
       WEBSERVER_CREDIT_COMPUTATION_ENABLED: ${WEBSERVER_CREDIT_COMPUTATION_ENABLED}
@@ -923,6 +924,7 @@ services:
       WEBSERVER_ACTIVITY: ${WB_DB_EL_ACTIVITY}
       WEBSERVER_ANNOUNCEMENTS: ${WB_DB_EL_ANNOUNCEMENTS}
       WEBSERVER_CATALOG: ${WB_DB_EL_CATALOG}
+      WEBSERVER_CHATBOT: "null"
       WEBSERVER_CELERY: "null"
       WEBSERVER_DB_LISTENER: ${WB_DB_EL_DB_LISTENER}
       WEBSERVER_DIAGNOSTICS: ${WB_DB_EL_DIAGNOSTICS}
@@ -1006,6 +1008,7 @@ services:
       WEBSERVER_ACTIVITY: ${WB_GC_ACTIVITY}
       WEBSERVER_ANNOUNCEMENTS: ${WB_GC_ANNOUNCEMENTS}
       WEBSERVER_CATALOG: ${WB_GC_CATALOG}
+      WEBSERVER_CHATBOT: "null"
       WEBSERVER_CELERY: "null"
       WEBSERVER_DB_LISTENER: ${WB_GC_DB_LISTENER}
       WEBSERVER_DIAGNOSTICS: ${WB_GC_DIAGNOSTICS}
@@ -1082,6 +1085,7 @@ services:
       WEBSERVER_ACTIVITY: "null"
       WEBSERVER_ANNOUNCEMENTS: 0
       WEBSERVER_CATALOG: "null"
+      WEBSERVER_CHATBOT: "null"
       WEBSERVER_CELERY: "null"
       WEBSERVER_DB_LISTENER: 0
       WEBSERVER_DIRECTOR_V2: "null"
diff --git a/services/web/server/src/simcore_service_webserver/application.py b/services/web/server/src/simcore_service_webserver/application.py
index ba8e287880e..8e154029d67 100644
--- a/services/web/server/src/simcore_service_webserver/application.py
+++ b/services/web/server/src/simcore_service_webserver/application.py
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@
 from .dynamic_scheduler.plugin import setup_dynamic_scheduler
 from .email.plugin import setup_email
 from .exporter.plugin import setup_exporter
-from .fogbugz.plugin import setup_fogbugz
 from .folders.plugin import setup_folders
 from .functions.plugin import setup_functions
 from .garbage_collector.plugin import setup_garbage_collector
@@ -175,7 +174,6 @@ def create_application(tracing_config: TracingConfig) -> web.Application:
     setup_projects(app)
 
     # conversations
-    setup_fogbugz(app)  # Needed for support conversations
     setup_conversations(app)
 
     # licenses
diff --git a/services/web/server/src/simcore_service_webserver/application_settings.py b/services/web/server/src/simcore_service_webserver/application_settings.py
index 3d08171b8f9..44b3886712a 100644
--- a/services/web/server/src/simcore_service_webserver/application_settings.py
+++ b/services/web/server/src/simcore_service_webserver/application_settings.py
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 from ._meta import API_VERSION, API_VTAG, APP_NAME
 from .application_keys import APP_SETTINGS_APPKEY
 from .catalog.settings import CatalogSettings
+from .chatbot.settings import ChatbotSettings
 from .collaboration.settings import RealTimeCollaborationSettings
 from .diagnostics.settings import DiagnosticsSettings
 from .director_v2.settings import DirectorV2Settings
@@ -206,6 +207,12 @@ class ApplicationSettings(BaseApplicationSettings, MixinLoggingSettings):
             description="catalog service client's plugin",
         ),
     ]
+    WEBSERVER_CHATBOT: Annotated[
+        ChatbotSettings | None,
+        Field(
+            json_schema_extra={"auto_default_from_env": True},
+        ),
+    ]
     WEBSERVER_CELERY: Annotated[
         CelerySettings | None,
         Field(
diff --git a/services/web/server/src/simcore_service_webserver/chatbot/__init__.py b/services/web/server/src/simcore_service_webserver/chatbot/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e69de29bb2d
diff --git a/services/web/server/src/simcore_service_webserver/chatbot/_client.py b/services/web/server/src/simcore_service_webserver/chatbot/_client.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..89eaeb55874
--- /dev/null
+++ b/services/web/server/src/simcore_service_webserver/chatbot/_client.py
@@ -0,0 +1,138 @@
+import logging
+from typing import Annotated, Any, Final
+
+import httpx
+from aiohttp import web
+from pydantic import BaseModel, Field
+from servicelib.aiohttp import status
+from servicelib.mimetype_constants import MIMETYPE_APPLICATION_JSON
+from tenacity import (
+    retry,
+    retry_if_exception_type,
+    retry_if_result,
+    stop_after_attempt,
+    wait_exponential,
+)
+
+from .settings import ChatbotSettings, get_plugin_settings
+
+_logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+class ChatResponse(BaseModel):
+    answer: Annotated[str, Field(description="Answer from the chatbot")]
+
+
+def _should_retry(response: httpx.Response | None) -> bool:
+    if response is None:
+        return True
+    return (
+        response.status_code >= status.HTTP_500_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR
+        or response.status_code == status.HTTP_429_TOO_MANY_REQUESTS
+    )
+
+
+_CHATBOT_RETRY = retry(
+    retry=(
+        retry_if_result(_should_retry)
+        | retry_if_exception_type(
+            (
+                httpx.ConnectError,
+                httpx.TimeoutException,
+                httpx.NetworkError,
+                httpx.ProtocolError,
+            )
+        )
+    ),
+    stop=stop_after_attempt(3),
+    wait=wait_exponential(multiplier=1, min=1, max=10),
+    reraise=True,
+)
+
+
+class ChatbotRestClient:
+    def __init__(self, chatbot_settings: ChatbotSettings) -> None:
+        self._client = httpx.AsyncClient()
+        self._chatbot_settings = chatbot_settings
+
+    async def get_settings(self) -> dict[str, Any]:
+        """Fetches chatbot settings"""
+        url = httpx.URL(self._chatbot_settings.base_url).join("/v1/chat/settings")
+
+        @_CHATBOT_RETRY
+        async def _request() -> httpx.Response:
+            return await self._client.get(url)
+
+        try:
+            response = await _request()
+            response.raise_for_status()
+            response_data: dict[str, Any] = response.json()
+            return response_data
+        except Exception:
+            _logger.error(  # noqa: TRY400
+                "Failed to fetch chatbot settings from %s", url
+            )
+            raise
+
+    async def ask_question(self, question: str) -> ChatResponse:
+        """Asks a question to the chatbot"""
+        url = httpx.URL(self._chatbot_settings.base_url).join("/v1/chat")
+
+        @_CHATBOT_RETRY
+        async def _request() -> httpx.Response:
+            return await self._client.post(
+                url,
+                json={
+                    "question": question,
+                    "llm": self._chatbot_settings.CHATBOT_LLM_MODEL,
+                    "embedding_model": self._chatbot_settings.CHATBOT_EMBEDDING_MODEL,
+                },
+                headers={
+                    "Content-Type": MIMETYPE_APPLICATION_JSON,
+                    "Accept": MIMETYPE_APPLICATION_JSON,
+                },
+            )
+
+        try:
+            response = await _request()
+            response.raise_for_status()
+            return ChatResponse.model_validate(response.json())
+        except Exception:
+            _logger.error(  # noqa: TRY400
+                "Failed to ask question to chatbot at %s", url
+            )
+            raise
+
+    async def __aenter__(self):
+        """Async context manager entry"""
+        return self
+
+    async def __aexit__(self, exc_type, exc_val, exc_tb):
+        """Async context manager exit - cleanup client"""
+        await self._client.aclose()
+
+
+_APPKEY: Final = web.AppKey(ChatbotRestClient.__name__, ChatbotRestClient)
+
+
+async def setup_chatbot_rest_client(app: web.Application) -> None:
+    chatbot_settings = get_plugin_settings(app)
+
+    client = ChatbotRestClient(
+        chatbot_settings=chatbot_settings,
+    )
+
+    app[_APPKEY] = client
+
+    # Add cleanup on app shutdown
+    async def cleanup_chatbot_client(app: web.Application) -> None:
+        client = app.get(_APPKEY)
+        if client:
+            await client._client.aclose()  # pylint: disable=protected-access  # noqa: SLF001
+
+    app.on_cleanup.append(cleanup_chatbot_client)
+
+
+def get_chatbot_rest_client(app: web.Application) -> ChatbotRestClient:
+    app_key: ChatbotRestClient = app[_APPKEY]
+    return app_key
diff --git a/services/web/server/src/simcore_service_webserver/chatbot/chatbot_service.py b/services/web/server/src/simcore_service_webserver/chatbot/chatbot_service.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a51f5bd24b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/services/web/server/src/simcore_service_webserver/chatbot/chatbot_service.py
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+# mypy: disable-error-code=truthy-function
+from ._client import ChatbotRestClient, get_chatbot_rest_client
+
+__all__ = [
+    "get_chatbot_rest_client",
+    "ChatbotRestClient",
+]
diff --git a/services/web/server/src/simcore_service_webserver/chatbot/plugin.py b/services/web/server/src/simcore_service_webserver/chatbot/plugin.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c8c24006ddb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/services/web/server/src/simcore_service_webserver/chatbot/plugin.py
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+import logging
+
+from aiohttp import web
+
+from ..application_setup import ModuleCategory, app_setup_func
+from ..products.plugin import setup_products
+from ._client import setup_chatbot_rest_client
+
+_logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+@app_setup_func(
+    __name__,
+    ModuleCategory.ADDON,
+    settings_name="WEBSERVER_CHATBOT",
+    logger=_logger,
+)
+def setup_chatbot(app: web.Application):
+    setup_products(app)
+    app.on_startup.append(setup_chatbot_rest_client)
diff --git a/services/web/server/src/simcore_service_webserver/chatbot/settings.py b/services/web/server/src/simcore_service_webserver/chatbot/settings.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e287f216157
--- /dev/null
+++ b/services/web/server/src/simcore_service_webserver/chatbot/settings.py
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+from functools import cached_property
+
+from aiohttp import web
+from models_library.basic_types import PortInt
+from pydantic_settings import SettingsConfigDict
+from settings_library.base import BaseCustomSettings
+from settings_library.utils_service import MixinServiceSettings, URLPart
+
+from ..application_keys import APP_SETTINGS_APPKEY
+
+
+class ChatbotSettings(BaseCustomSettings, MixinServiceSettings):
+    model_config = SettingsConfigDict(str_strip_whitespace=True, str_min_length=1)
+
+    CHATBOT_HOST: str
+    CHATBOT_PORT: PortInt
+    CHATBOT_LLM_MODEL: str = "gpt-3.5-turbo"
+    CHATBOT_EMBEDDING_MODEL: str = "openai/text-embedding-3-large"
+
+    @cached_property
+    def base_url(self) -> str:
+        # http://chatbot:8000
+        return self._compose_url(
+            prefix="CHATBOT",
+            port=URLPart.REQUIRED,
+            vtag=URLPart.EXCLUDE,
+        )
+
+
+def get_plugin_settings(app: web.Application) -> ChatbotSettings:
+    settings = app[APP_SETTINGS_APPKEY].WEBSERVER_CHATBOT
+    assert settings, "plugin.setup_chatbot not called?"  # nosec
+    assert isinstance(settings, ChatbotSettings)  # nosec
+    return settings
diff --git a/services/web/server/src/simcore_service_webserver/conversations/plugin.py b/services/web/server/src/simcore_service_webserver/conversations/plugin.py
index 5d9fec4915c..8aebaeffe51 100644
--- a/services/web/server/src/simcore_service_webserver/conversations/plugin.py
+++ b/services/web/server/src/simcore_service_webserver/conversations/plugin.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 from ..application_keys import APP_SETTINGS_APPKEY
 from ..application_setup import ModuleCategory, app_setup_func
+from ..chatbot.plugin import setup_chatbot
 from ..fogbugz.plugin import setup_fogbugz
 from ._controller import _conversations_messages_rest, _conversations_rest
 
@@ -23,6 +24,7 @@ def setup_conversations(app: web.Application):
     assert app[APP_SETTINGS_APPKEY].WEBSERVER_CONVERSATIONS  # nosec
 
     setup_fogbugz(app)
+    setup_chatbot(app)
 
     app.router.add_routes(_conversations_rest.routes)
     app.router.add_routes(_conversations_messages_rest.routes)
diff --git a/services/web/server/tests/unit/with_dbs/04/test_chatbot_client.py b/services/web/server/tests/unit/with_dbs/04/test_chatbot_client.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..365ef932f6e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/services/web/server/tests/unit/with_dbs/04/test_chatbot_client.py
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+# pylint: disable=redefined-outer-name
+# pylint: disable=unused-argument
+# pylint: disable=unused-variable
+# pylint: disable=too-many-arguments
+# pylint: disable=too-many-statements
+
+from collections.abc import Iterator
+
+import httpx
+import pytest
+import respx
+from aiohttp.test_utils import TestClient
+from pytest_simcore.helpers.monkeypatch_envs import setenvs_from_dict
+from pytest_simcore.helpers.typing_env import EnvVarsDict
+from simcore_service_webserver.chatbot._client import (
+    ChatResponse,
+    get_chatbot_rest_client,
+)
+from simcore_service_webserver.chatbot.settings import ChatbotSettings
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def app_environment(
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
+    app_environment: EnvVarsDict,
+):
+    return app_environment | setenvs_from_dict(
+        monkeypatch,
+        {
+            "CHATBOT_HOST": "chatbot",
+            "CHATBOT_PORT": "8000",
+        },
+    )
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def mocked_chatbot_api() -> Iterator[respx.MockRouter]:
+    _BASE_URL = "http://chatbot:8000"
+
+    # Define responses in the order they will be called during the test
+    chatbot_answer_responses = [
+        {"answer": "42"},
+    ]
+
+    with respx.mock(base_url=_BASE_URL) as mock:
+        # Create a side_effect that returns responses in sequence
+        mock.post(path="/v1/chat").mock(
+            side_effect=[
+                httpx.Response(200, json=response)
+                for response in chatbot_answer_responses
+            ]
+        )
+        yield mock
+
+
+async def test_chatbot_client(
+    app_environment: EnvVarsDict,
+    client: TestClient,
+    mocked_chatbot_api: respx.MockRouter,
+):
+    assert client.app
+
+    settings = ChatbotSettings.create_from_envs()
+    assert settings.CHATBOT_HOST
+    assert settings.CHATBOT_PORT
+
+    chatbot_client = get_chatbot_rest_client(client.app)
+    assert chatbot_client
+
+    output = await chatbot_client.ask_question("What is the meaning of life?")
+    assert isinstance(output, ChatResponse)
+    assert output.answer == "42"