@@ -354,6 +354,7 @@ import { ChatRightPanel } from "./chat/ChatRightPanel";
 import { useDraftEnvironmentRouting } from "./chat/useDraftEnvironmentRouting";
 import { branchMismatchBannerItem } from "./chat/ThreadActivityBanners";
 import { ThreadNow } from "./chat/ThreadNow";
+import type { ThreadStructure } from "@t3tools/client-runtime/state/shell";
 import { useDelayedStatus } from "../hooks/useDelayedStatus";
 import { useTimelineFollow } from "./chat/useTimelineFollow";
 import {
@@ -376,6 +377,7 @@ import type { CodexArtifactTemplate } from "@t3tools/shared/codexArtifactTemplat
 
 const EMPTY_FEEDBACK_SUBMISSIONS: ReadonlyArray<CodexFeedbackSubmission> = [];
 const EMPTY_PROVIDER_SKILLS: ServerProvider["skills"] = [];
+const EMPTY_TURN_ITEMS: ThreadStructure["turnItems"] = [];
 const EMPTY_AUTO_UPDATE_ENVIRONMENTS: ReadonlyArray<EnvironmentPresentation> = [];
 
 const EMPTY_PENDING_FILE_SURFACE_IDS: ReadonlySet<string> = new Set();
@@ -2405,6 +2407,7 @@ export default function ChatView(props: ChatViewProps) {
     runtimeMode,
     isWorking,
     pendingBackgroundTasks,
+    turnItems: serverProjection?.turnItems ?? EMPTY_TURN_ITEMS,
     activePendingApproval,
     activePendingUserInput,
     localCheckoutBranchMismatch,
 
@@ -3,14 +3,24 @@ import type {
   OrchestrationV2ProviderGoal,
   ThreadId,
 } from "@t3tools/contracts";
-import type { EnvironmentThreadShell } from "@t3tools/client-runtime/state/shell";
+import type { EnvironmentThreadShell, ThreadStructure } from "@t3tools/client-runtime/state/shell";
 import {
   presentPendingBackgroundWork,
   presentProviderGoal,
 } from "@t3tools/client-runtime/state/thread-execution";
 import { childThreadInputsTitle } from "@t3tools/client-runtime/state/threads";
-import { GitBranchIcon, MessageCircleIcon, ShieldQuestionIcon, TargetIcon } from "lucide-react";
+import { formatDuration } from "@t3tools/shared/orchestrationTiming";
+import * as DateTime from "effect/DateTime";
+import {
+  CircleDashedIcon,
+  GitBranchIcon,
+  MessageCircleIcon,
+  ShieldQuestionIcon,
+  TargetIcon,
+  TerminalIcon,
+} from "lucide-react";
 import { Fragment } from "react";
+import { tickTextContent } from "~/lib/tickTextContent";
 import { cn } from "~/lib/utils";
 import { Button, InlineButton } from "../ui/button";
 import { Tooltip, TooltipPopup, TooltipTrigger } from "../ui/tooltip";
@@ -99,6 +109,7 @@ export function goalNowItem(input: {
 export function backgroundWorkNowItem(input: {
   readonly threadId: ThreadId;
   readonly tasks: ReadonlyArray<OrchestrationV2PendingBackgroundTask>;
+  readonly turnItems: ThreadStructure["turnItems"];
   readonly stopDisabled: boolean;
   readonly stopping: boolean;
   readonly onStop: () => Promise<void>;
@@ -107,51 +118,67 @@ export function backgroundWorkNowItem(input: {
   const { onOpenThread } = input;
   const presentation = presentPendingBackgroundWork(input.tasks);
   if (presentation === null) return null;
+  const rows = presentation.items.map((task) => {
+    // Same key derivePendingBackgroundWork gives turn-item tasks; subagent items carry progress.
+    const item = input.turnItems.findLast(
+      (candidate) => (candidate.nativeItemRef?.nativeId || candidate.id) === task.taskId,
+    );
+    const subagent = item?.type === "subagent" ? item : undefined;
+    return {
+      task,
+      activity: subagent?.progress?.replace(/\s+/gu, " ").trim() || null,
+      startedAtMs: item?.startedAt ? DateTime.toEpochMillis(item.startedAt) : null,
+      updatedAtMs: subagent ? DateTime.toEpochMillis(subagent.updatedAt) : 0,
+      childThreadId: task.childThreadId ?? subagent?.childThreadId ?? undefined,
+    };
+  });
+  const [only] = rows.length === 1 ? rows : [];
+  const newest = rows
+    .filter((row) => row.activity)
+    .toSorted((left, right) => right.updatedAtMs - left.updatedAtMs)[0];
+  const isCommand = (row: (typeof rows)[number]) => row.task.kind !== "subagent";
+  const verb = presentation.waiting ? "Waiting on" : "Running";
+  const onlyThreadId = only?.childThreadId;
+  const startedAtMs = only?.startedAtMs ?? null;
   return {
     id: `background-work:${input.threadId}`,
-    icon: (
-      <span
-        className={cn(
-          "size-1.5 rounded-full",
-          presentation.waiting ? "bg-foreground" : "bg-muted-foreground",
-        )}
-        aria-hidden="true"
-      />
+    icon: rows.every(isCommand) ? <TerminalIcon /> : <CircleDashedIcon />,
+    title: only ? (
+      <>
+        {verb} <span className={cn(isCommand(only) && "font-mono")}>{only.task.label}</span>
+      </>
+    ) : (
+      presentation.title
+    ),
+    description: only ? (
+      only.activity
+    ) : newest ? (
+      `${newest.task.label}: ${newest.activity}`
+    ) : rows.every(isCommand) ? (
+      <span className="font-mono">{rows.map((row) => row.task.label).join(", ")}</span>
+    ) : (
+      rows.map((row) => row.task.label).join(", ")
     ),
-    title: presentation.title,
-    description:
-      presentation.items.length === 1 && presentation.items[0]?.childThreadId === undefined
-        ? undefined
-        : presentation.items.map((item, index) => {
-            const childThreadId = item.childThreadId;
-            const separator = index < presentation.items.length - 1 ? "," : null;
-            return (
-              <Fragment key={item.taskId}>
-                {index > 0 ? " " : null}
-                {childThreadId === undefined ? (
-                  <>
-                    {item.label}
-                    {separator}
-                  </>
-                ) : (
-                  <span className="whitespace-nowrap">
-                    <InlineButton
-                      tone="muted"
-                      aria-label={`${presentation.items.length === 1 ? "Show" : "Open"} subagent ${item.label}`}
-                      onClick={() => onOpenThread(childThreadId)}
-                    >
-                      {presentation.items.length === 1 ? "Show" : item.label}
-                    </InlineButton>
-                    {separator}
-                  </span>
-                )}
-              </Fragment>
-            );
-          }),
     actions: (
-      <InlineButton disabled={input.stopDisabled} onClick={() => void input.onStop()}>
-        {input.stopping ? "Stopping..." : "Stop"}
-      </InlineButton>
+      <>
+        {startedAtMs === null ? null : (
+          <span
+            ref={tickTextContent(
+              (nowMs) => formatDuration(Math.max(1_000, nowMs - startedAtMs)),
+              true,
+            )}
+            className="tabular-nums"
+          />
+        )}
+        {onlyThreadId === undefined ? null : (
+          <InlineButton tone="muted" onClick={() => onOpenThread(onlyThreadId)}>
+            Open
+          </InlineButton>
+        )}
+        <InlineButton disabled={input.stopDisabled} onClick={() => void input.onStop()}>
+          {input.stopping ? "Stopping..." : "Stop"}
+        </InlineButton>
+      </>
     ),
   };
 }
 
@@ -54,15 +54,14 @@ function ThreadNowLine({
         {item.description ? (
           <>
             {" "}
-            <span aria-hidden>·</span> {item.description}
+            <span className="ms-0.5 text-muted-foreground/60 light:text-muted-foreground/80">
+              {item.description}
+            </span>
           </>
         ) : null}
       </NoticeText>
       {item.actions ? (
-        <>
-          <span aria-hidden>·</span>
-          <span className="flex shrink-0 items-center gap-1.5">{item.actions}</span>
-        </>
+        <span className="ms-1.5 flex shrink-0 items-center gap-2.5">{item.actions}</span>
       ) : null}
     </div>
   );
 
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ interface ThreadLifecycleInput {
   readonly runtimeMode: RuntimeMode;
   readonly isWorking: boolean;
   readonly pendingBackgroundTasks: Parameters<typeof backgroundWorkNowItem>[0]["tasks"];
+  readonly turnItems: Parameters<typeof backgroundWorkNowItem>[0]["turnItems"];
   readonly activePendingApproval: PendingThreadRequests["activePendingApproval"];
   readonly activePendingUserInput: PendingThreadRequests["activePendingUserInput"];
   readonly localCheckoutBranchMismatch: {
@@ -132,6 +133,7 @@ export function useThreadLifecycle(input: ThreadLifecycleInput) {
     runtimeMode,
     isWorking,
     pendingBackgroundTasks,
+    turnItems,
     activePendingApproval,
     activePendingUserInput,
     localCheckoutBranchMismatch,
@@ -513,6 +515,7 @@ export function useThreadLifecycle(input: ThreadLifecycleInput) {
     ? backgroundWorkNowItem({
         threadId: activeThread.id,
         tasks: activeBackgroundTasks,
+        turnItems,
         stopDisabled: !canOperateThread || isStoppingBackgroundWork,
         stopping: isStoppingBackgroundWork,
         onStop: handleStopBackgroundWorkStable,