diff --git a/tui/README.md b/tui/README.md
index 1a29859c6..0a7bae458 100644
--- a/tui/README.md
+++ b/tui/README.md
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ Standalone terminals use OpenTUI's retained full-screen layout: the transcript r
 
 ## Herdr host mode
 
-When Herdr supplies `HERDR_ENV=1` and `HERDR_PANE_ID`, nanobot becomes a quiet hosted client. It uses OpenTUI's main-screen mode instead of hiding the whole run in a temporary alternate screen, removes the launch card and persistent session/model chrome, and keeps only the transcript, last user task, current progress, and composer. Herdr remains responsible for workspace, tab, pane, and attention navigation, while nanobot keeps its application-level session, new-chat, and branch commands.
+When Herdr supplies `HERDR_ENV=1` and `HERDR_PANE_ID`, nanobot becomes a quiet hosted client. It uses OpenTUI's main-screen mode instead of hiding the whole run in a temporary alternate screen, removes the launch card and persistent session/model/task chrome, and keeps only the transcript, compact progress, and composer. Herdr remains responsible for workspace, tab, pane, task, and attention navigation, while nanobot keeps its application-level session, new-chat, and branch commands.
 
 The TUI reports its WebSocket session ID, model, Git branch, workspace, last task, and current action through Herdr's supported pane CLI. Sending work reports `working`; a persisted explicit nanobot goal block reports `blocked`; a completed turn reports `idle`; exit releases lifecycle authority. The gateway session remains the durable transcript and resume path. Standalone terminals keep the richer full-screen navigation described below.
 
@@ -27,6 +27,10 @@ When you scroll away from the latest output, the scrollbar and `Ctrl+End` hint a
 you return to the bottom. Large pastes are represented by a short editable placeholder in the
 composer; nanobot sends the original text unchanged.
 
+While a turn is running, the composer remains available for steering and uses `Steer this turn…`
+as its prompt. The footer shows the lifecycle and elapsed time without repeating the latest tool
+activity already visible in the transcript.
+
 Type `/` to discover slash commands published by the connected gateway. Use the arrow keys
 to move, `Tab` to complete, and `Esc` to close the menu.
 
diff --git a/tui/src/app.test.ts b/tui/src/app.test.ts
index fa3305fb3..4e55242b2 100644
--- a/tui/src/app.test.ts
+++ b/tui/src/app.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { afterEach, describe, expect, test } from "bun:test"
-import { CliRenderEvents, TextareaRenderable, TextRenderable } from "@opentui/core"
+import { BoxRenderable, CliRenderEvents, TextareaRenderable, TextRenderable } from "@opentui/core"
 import {
   MockTreeSitterClient,
   createTestRenderer,
@@ -1279,9 +1279,9 @@ describe("NanobotTui layout", () => {
       expect(setup.renderer.width).toBe(width)
       expect(setup.renderer.height).toBe(height)
       expect(frame).not.toContain("undefined")
-      expect(occurrences(frame, "Ask nanobot anything")).toBeLessThanOrEqual(1)
+      expect(occurrences(frame, "Steer this turn…")).toBeLessThanOrEqual(1)
       if (width >= 30 && height >= 9) {
-        expect(occurrences(frame, "Ask nanobot anything")).toBe(1)
+        expect(occurrences(frame, "Steer this turn…")).toBe(1)
       }
       expect(occurrences(frame, "nanobot  ·  test/model")).toBe(height >= 14 ? 1 : 0)
     }
@@ -1774,13 +1774,18 @@ describe("NanobotTui layout", () => {
     expect(frame).toMatch(/Thinking\s+0s/u)
     expect(frame).not.toMatch(/[◐◓◑◒⠋⠙⠹⠸]/u)
     expect(frame).not.toContain("hidden reasoning")
-    const status = (app as unknown as {
+    const ui = app as unknown as {
       status: {
         content: { chunks: Array<{ fg?: { toInts(): number[] } }> }
         plainText: string
       }
-    }).status
+      composer: TextareaRenderable
+      composerFrame: BoxRenderable
+    }
+    const status = ui.status
     expect(status.plainText).toMatch(/^Thinking\s+0s/u)
+    expect(ui.composer.placeholder).toBe("Steer this turn…")
+    expect(ui.composerFrame.height).toBe(3)
     const shimmerColors = new Set(
       status.content.chunks
         .slice(0, "Thinking".length)
@@ -1803,7 +1808,11 @@ describe("NanobotTui layout", () => {
     expect(frame).toMatch(/Working\s+0s/u)
     expect(frame).not.toMatch(/[◐◓◑◒⠋⠙⠹⠸]/u)
     expect(frame).toContain("› Running  pwd")
+    expect(occurrences(frame, "pwd")).toBe(1)
+    expect(status.plainText).not.toContain("pwd")
     app.accept({ event: "turn_end", chat_id: "chat" })
+    await setup.flush()
+    expect(ui.composer.placeholder).toBe("Ask nanobot anything")
   })
 
   test("folds long tool traces without discarding their details", async () => {
@@ -1823,8 +1832,9 @@ describe("NanobotTui layout", () => {
     await setup.renderOnce()
     let frame = setup.captureCharFrame()
 
-    expect(frame).toContain("5 earlier steps · Ctrl+O expand")
+    expect(frame).toContain("7 earlier steps · Ctrl+O expand")
     expect(frame).not.toContain("tool_0")
+    expect(frame).toContain("tool_7")
     expect(frame).toContain("tool_9")
 
     setup.mockInput.pressKey("O", { ctrl: true })
@@ -1860,6 +1870,37 @@ describe("NanobotTui layout", () => {
     app.accept({ event: "turn_end", chat_id: "chat" })
   })
 
+  test("groups consecutive file activity only in the collapsed preview", async () => {
+    setup = await createRenderer({ width: 72, height: 20, screenMode: "alternate-screen" })
+    const app = mount(setup)
+    app.accept({
+      event: "message",
+      chat_id: "chat",
+      text: "file progress",
+      kind: "tool_hint",
+      tool_events: Array.from({ length: 6 }, (_, index) => ({
+        phase: "end" as const,
+        call_id: `read-${index}`,
+        name: "read_file",
+        arguments: { path: `/tmp/nanobot-workspace/src/file-${index}.ts` },
+      })),
+    })
+    await setup.renderOnce()
+    let frame = setup.captureCharFrame()
+
+    expect(frame).toContain("6 steps · Ctrl+O expand")
+    expect(frame).toContain("✓ Read 6 files")
+    expect(frame).not.toContain("src/file-0.ts")
+
+    setup.mockInput.pressKey("O", { ctrl: true })
+    await setup.renderOnce()
+    frame = setup.captureCharFrame()
+
+    expect(frame).not.toContain("Read 6 files")
+    expect(frame).toContain("src/file-0.ts")
+    expect(frame).toContain("src/file-5.ts")
+  })
+
   test("supports keyboard transcript navigation without rebuilding the layout", async () => {
     setup = await createRenderer({ width: 64, height: 16, screenMode: "alternate-screen" })
     const app = mount(setup)
@@ -2235,6 +2276,10 @@ describe("NanobotTui in a Herdr pane", () => {
       new MockTreeSitterClient({ autoResolveTimeout: 0 }),
       host,
     )
+    const ui = app as unknown as {
+      composer: TextareaRenderable
+      composerFrame: BoxRenderable
+    }
 
     await setup.mockInput.typeText("/")
     await setup.flush()
@@ -2243,6 +2288,7 @@ describe("NanobotTui in a Herdr pane", () => {
     expect(commandFrame).toContain("/new-chat")
     expect(commandFrame).toContain("/branch")
     setup.mockInput.pressEscape()
+    ui.composer.setText("")
 
     app.accept({ event: "attached", chat_id: "chat" })
     app.accept({
@@ -2259,6 +2305,12 @@ describe("NanobotTui in a Herdr pane", () => {
       kind: "tool_hint",
       tool_events: [{ phase: "end", call_id: "read", name: "read_file", arguments: { path: "app.ts" } }],
     })
+    await setup.flush()
+    const activeFrame = setup.captureCharFrame()
+    expect(occurrences(activeFrame, "› Ship the Herdr integration")).toBe(1)
+    expect(occurrences(activeFrame, "app.ts")).toBe(1)
+    expect(ui.composer.placeholder).toBe("Steer this turn…")
+    expect(ui.composerFrame.height).toBe(3)
     app.accept({
       event: "turn_end",
       chat_id: "chat",
@@ -2273,7 +2325,7 @@ describe("NanobotTui in a Herdr pane", () => {
     const frame = setup.captureCharFrame()
 
     expect(sessions).toEqual(["chat"])
-    expect(frame).toContain("› Ship the Herdr integration")
+    expect(occurrences(frame, "› Ship the Herdr integration")).toBe(1)
     expect(frame).not.toContain(">_  nanobot")
     expect(frame).not.toContain("test/model")
     expect(states.some(({ state }) => state === "working")).toBe(true)
diff --git a/tui/src/app.ts b/tui/src/app.ts
index d6ed34190..4483d8516 100644
--- a/tui/src/app.ts
+++ b/tui/src/app.ts
@@ -160,6 +160,7 @@ const LIGHT: Palette = {
 }
 
 const COMPOSER_PLACEHOLDER = "Ask nanobot anything"
+const ACTIVE_COMPOSER_PLACEHOLDER = "Steer this turn…"
 const SHIMMER_PAUSE = 16
 const SHIMMER_BAND = 4
 const SHIMMER_INTERVAL_MS = 80
@@ -476,6 +477,7 @@ export class NanobotTui {
       treeSitterClient,
       (state) => this.handleTranscriptNavigation(state),
       !host.hosted,
+      options.workspace,
     )
     this.commandMenu = new CommandMenu(renderer, commandMenuTheme(this.palette))
     this.commandMenu.setCommands([], LOCAL_COMMANDS)
@@ -719,7 +721,7 @@ export class NanobotTui {
     this.shell.add(this.branchMenu.root)
     this.shell.add(this.contextPanel.root)
     this.shell.add(this.runtimeControls.menuRoot)
-    this.shell.add(this.title)
+    if (!host.hosted) this.shell.add(this.title)
     this.shell.add(this.queuePreview.root)
     this.shell.add(this.composerFrame)
     this.shell.add(statusRow)
@@ -1262,6 +1264,7 @@ export class NanobotTui {
     }
     this.activeTurn = active
     this.updateMeta()
+    this.syncComposerPlaceholder()
     if (active) {
       this.activeStartedAt = startedAt ?? Date.now()
       this.shimmerFrame = 0
@@ -1280,14 +1283,11 @@ export class NanobotTui {
 
   private renderActiveStatus(): void {
     const elapsed = formatElapsed(Date.now() - this.activeStartedAt)
-    const progress = this.lastProgress
-      ? ` · ${this.lastProgress.replace(/^\s*[·›✓×]\s*/u, "")}`
-      : ""
     const navigation = this.transcriptNavigation.awayFromBottom ? " · Ctrl+End latest" : ""
     const queued = this.promptQueue.length ? ` · ${this.promptQueue.length} queued` : ""
     this.status.content = shimmerStatus(
       this.activeLabel,
-      `  ${elapsed}${progress}${queued}${navigation}`,
+      `  ${elapsed}${queued}${navigation}`,
       this.shimmerFrame,
       this.palette,
     )
@@ -1659,11 +1659,6 @@ export class NanobotTui {
 
   private updateTitle(): void {
     if (this.host.hosted) {
-      this.titleText.maxWidth = Math.max(8, this.renderer.width - 4)
-      this.titleText.content = this.currentTask ? `› ${this.currentTask}` : ""
-      // In a hosted pane this is the resume anchor, not decorative chrome.
-      // Keep it visible even when Herdr temporarily makes the pane very short.
-      this.title.visible = Boolean(this.currentTask)
       this.syncHostMetadata()
       return
     }
@@ -1774,7 +1769,9 @@ export class NanobotTui {
       ? null
       : this.sessionMenu.visible
         ? "Search sessions"
-        : this.branchMenu.visible ? "Search branch points" : COMPOSER_PLACEHOLDER
+        : this.branchMenu.visible
+          ? "Search branch points"
+          : this.activeTurn ? ACTIVE_COMPOSER_PLACEHOLDER : COMPOSER_PLACEHOLDER
     if (this.composer.placeholder !== placeholder) this.composer.placeholder = placeholder
   }
 
diff --git a/tui/src/tool-renderers.test.ts b/tui/src/tool-renderers.test.ts
index 730491aa3..aa88a8027 100644
--- a/tui/src/tool-renderers.test.ts
+++ b/tui/src/tool-renderers.test.ts
@@ -26,4 +26,28 @@ describe("tool renderers", () => {
     expect(renderToolEvent({ phase: "end", name: "apply_patch", arguments: { path: "app.ts" } }))
       .toBe("  ✓ Edited  app.ts")
   })
+
+  test("shortens file paths relative to the workspace while preserving the useful tail", () => {
+    const workspace = String.raw`C:\workspace\nanobot`
+    expect(renderToolEvent({
+      phase: "end",
+      name: "read_file",
+      arguments: { path: String.raw`C:\workspace\nanobot\tui\src\app.ts` },
+    }, { workspace })).toBe("  ✓ Read  tui/src/app.ts")
+    expect(renderToolEvent({
+      phase: "end",
+      name: "read_file",
+      arguments: {
+        path: String.raw`C:\workspace\nanobot\.worktrees\feature\nanobot\providers\fallback_provider.py`,
+      },
+    }, { workspace })).toBe("  ✓ Read  …/feature/nanobot/providers/fallback_provider.py")
+  })
+
+  test("summarizes subagent delegation without exposing raw argument JSON", () => {
+    expect(renderToolEvent({
+      phase: "end",
+      name: "spawn",
+      arguments: { task: "Simplify the fallback provider implementation" },
+    })).toBe("  ✓ Delegated  Simplify the fallback provider implementation")
+  })
 })
diff --git a/tui/src/tool-renderers.ts b/tui/src/tool-renderers.ts
index 328a87fbe..9b9479eb3 100644
--- a/tui/src/tool-renderers.ts
+++ b/tui/src/tool-renderers.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 import type { ToolProgressEvent } from "./protocol"
 
+export interface ToolRenderOptions {
+  workspace?: string
+}
+
+const PATH_DETAIL_LIMIT = 52
+
 export function mergeToolEvent(
   previous: ToolProgressEvent | undefined,
   next: ToolProgressEvent,
@@ -14,13 +20,18 @@ export function mergeToolEvent(
   }
 }
 
-export function renderToolEvent(event: ToolProgressEvent): string {
+export function renderToolEvent(
+  event: ToolProgressEvent,
+  options: ToolRenderOptions = {},
+): string {
   const phase = event.phase || "start"
   const marker = phase === "error" ? "×" : phase === "end" ? "✓" : "›"
   const name = (event.name || "tool").trim()
   const args = record(event.arguments)
   const result = record(event.result)
-  const detail = phase === "error" ? compact(event.error) : toolDetail(name, args, result)
+  const detail = phase === "error"
+    ? compact(event.error)
+    : toolDetail(name, args, result, options)
   return `  ${marker} ${toolLabel(name, phase, args)}${detail ? `  ${detail}` : ""}`
 }
 
@@ -39,6 +50,9 @@ function toolLabel(
   if (/^(?:read_file|read)$/u.test(name)) return "Read"
   if (/^(?:write_file|write)$/u.test(name)) return phase === "end" ? "Edited" : "Editing"
   if (/^(?:edit_file|apply_patch|edit)$/u.test(name)) return phase === "end" ? "Edited" : "Editing"
+  if (/^(?:spawn|spawn_agent)$/u.test(name)) {
+    return phase === "end" ? "Delegated" : phase === "error" ? "Delegation failed" : "Delegating"
+  }
   if (name === "web_search") return "Search web"
   if (name === "web_fetch") return "Fetch"
   return name
@@ -48,13 +62,15 @@ function toolDetail(
   name: string,
   args: Record<string, unknown>,
   result: Record<string, unknown>,
+  options: ToolRenderOptions,
 ): string {
   if (/^(?:exec|exec_command|shell|run_command)$/u.test(name)) {
     return compact(args.command ?? args.cmd ?? result.output)
   }
   if (/^(?:read_file|write_file|edit_file|apply_patch|read|write|edit)$/u.test(name)) {
-    return compact(args.path ?? args.file_path ?? result.path)
+    return compactPath(args.path ?? args.file_path ?? result.path, options.workspace)
   }
+  if (/^(?:spawn|spawn_agent)$/u.test(name)) return compact(args.label ?? args.task, 56)
   if (name === "web_search") return compact(args.query ?? args.q)
   if (name === "web_fetch") return compact(args.url)
   if (/session/u.test(name)) return compact(args.session_key ?? args.chat_id ?? args.query)
@@ -68,8 +84,40 @@ function record(value: unknown): Record<string, unknown> {
     : {}
 }
 
-function compact(value: unknown): string {
+function compact(value: unknown, limit = 88): string {
   if (value == null || value === "") return ""
-  const text = typeof value === "string" ? value : JSON.stringify(value)
-  return text.length > 88 ? `${text.slice(0, 85)}…` : text
+  const serialized = typeof value === "string" ? value : JSON.stringify(value)
+  const text = (serialized || String(value)).replace(/\s+/gu, " ").trim()
+  return text.length > limit ? `${text.slice(0, limit - 1)}…` : text
+}
+
+function compactPath(value: unknown, workspace?: string): string {
+  if (value == null || value === "") return ""
+  const normalized = String(value).replace(/\\/gu, "/").replace(/\/+$/u, "")
+  const relative = workspaceRelativePath(normalized, workspace)
+  if (relative.length <= PATH_DETAIL_LIMIT) return relative
+
+  const parts = relative.split("/").filter(Boolean)
+  let tail = parts.pop() || relative
+  if (tail.length + 1 >= PATH_DETAIL_LIMIT) {
+    return `…${tail.slice(-(PATH_DETAIL_LIMIT - 1))}`
+  }
+  while (parts.length) {
+    const candidate = `${parts.at(-1)}/${tail}`
+    if (`…/${candidate}`.length > PATH_DETAIL_LIMIT) break
+    tail = candidate
+    parts.pop()
+  }
+  return `…/${tail}`
+}
+
+function workspaceRelativePath(path: string, workspace?: string): string {
+  if (!workspace) return path
+  const base = workspace.replace(/\\/gu, "/").replace(/\/+$/u, "")
+  const caseInsensitive = /^[a-z]:\//iu.test(path) || /^[a-z]:\//iu.test(base)
+  const comparedPath = caseInsensitive ? path.toLowerCase() : path
+  const comparedBase = caseInsensitive ? base.toLowerCase() : base
+  if (comparedPath === comparedBase) return path.split("/").at(-1) || path
+  if (comparedPath.startsWith(`${comparedBase}/`)) return path.slice(base.length + 1)
+  return path
 }
diff --git a/tui/src/transcript.ts b/tui/src/transcript.ts
index 0b4675cda..1a934fdc9 100644
--- a/tui/src/transcript.ts
+++ b/tui/src/transcript.ts
@@ -44,7 +44,13 @@ interface Activity {
   events: Map<string, ToolProgressEvent>
 }
 
-const ACTIVITY_PREVIEW_LINES = 6
+interface ActivityPreviewItem {
+  text: string
+  steps: number
+  group?: string
+}
+
+const ACTIVITY_PREVIEW_LINES = 4
 // OpenTUI renders at 30 FPS. Re-parsing the entire Markdown buffer for every
 // provider token turns long answers into quadratic work without producing any
 // additional visible frames. Paint the first token immediately, then coalesce
@@ -78,6 +84,7 @@ export class Transcript {
     private readonly treeSitterClient: TreeSitterClient,
     private readonly onNavigationChange?: (state: TranscriptNavigation) => void,
     private readonly showHeader = true,
+    private readonly workspace = "",
   ) {
     this.root = new ScrollBoxRenderable(renderer, {
       id: "nanobot-tui-transcript",
@@ -424,7 +431,7 @@ export class Transcript {
       const key = event.call_id ? `tool:${event.call_id}` : ""
       const merged = key ? mergeToolEvent(activity.events.get(key), event) : event
       if (key) activity.events.set(key, merged)
-      return { key, line: renderToolEvent(merged) }
+      return { key, line: renderToolEvent(merged, { workspace: this.workspace }) }
     })
     const lines = events.length > 0
       ? projected.map(({ line }) => line).filter(Boolean)
@@ -448,9 +455,14 @@ export class Transcript {
       activity.text.content = activity.lines.join("\n")
       return
     }
-    const visible = activity.lines.slice(-(ACTIVITY_PREVIEW_LINES - 1))
-    const hidden = activity.lines.length - visible.length
-    activity.text.content = [`  … ${hidden} earlier steps · Ctrl+O expand`, ...visible].join("\n")
+    const visible = activityPreview(activity.lines).slice(-(ACTIVITY_PREVIEW_LINES - 1))
+    const visibleSteps = visible.reduce((total, item) => total + item.steps, 0)
+    const hidden = activity.lines.length - visibleSteps
+    const disclosure = hidden > 0 ? `${hidden} earlier steps` : `${activity.lines.length} steps`
+    activity.text.content = [
+      `  … ${disclosure} · Ctrl+O expand`,
+      ...visible.map((item) => item.text),
+    ].join("\n")
   }
 
   private createText(
@@ -542,6 +554,22 @@ function cleanProgress(value: string): string {
   return text ? `  · ${text}` : ""
 }
 
+function activityPreview(lines: readonly string[]): ActivityPreviewItem[] {
+  const preview: ActivityPreviewItem[] = []
+  for (const line of lines) {
+    const match = line.match(/^  ([›✓]) (Read|Edited|Editing)  /u)
+    const group = match ? `${match[1]}:${match[2]}` : undefined
+    const previous = preview.at(-1)
+    if (match && group && previous?.group === group) {
+      previous.steps += 1
+      previous.text = `  ${match[1]} ${match[2]} ${previous.steps} files`
+      continue
+    }
+    preview.push({ text: line, steps: 1, ...(group ? { group } : {}) })
+  }
+  return preview
+}
+
 function formatDiffStat(edit: FileEditEvent): string {
   const added = typeof edit.added === "number" ? `+${edit.added}` : ""
   const deleted = typeof edit.deleted === "number" ? `-${edit.deleted}` : ""