diff --git a/.changeset/tui-signature-design.md b/.changeset/tui-signature-design.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..45887c6b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/tui-signature-design.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@pythoughts/pythinker-code": minor
+---
+
+Redesign core TUI surfaces: tool cards get state-tinted backgrounds with three new theme tokens, a status bar with a per-session accent color appears between the input box and footer, and the prompt box uses a neutral border while permission mode appears in the status bar. The working-label shimmer uses a calmer constant-velocity sweep with alternating mission-control highlights.
diff --git a/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/components/chrome/activity-loader.ts b/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/components/chrome/activity-loader.ts
index fdbc369a..d7425397 100644
--- a/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/components/chrome/activity-loader.ts
+++ b/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/components/chrome/activity-loader.ts
@@ -89,7 +89,6 @@ export class ActivityLoader extends Text {
       ? shimmerText(this.label, {
           baseToken: 'primary',
           shimmerToken: 'primaryShimmer',
-          frame: this.animationFrame,
         })
       : this.label;
     this.displayText = label ? `${coloredFrame} ${label}` : coloredFrame;
diff --git a/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/components/chrome/footer.ts b/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/components/chrome/footer.ts
index 5545e487..5de1c347 100644
--- a/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/components/chrome/footer.ts
+++ b/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/components/chrome/footer.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ import chalk from 'chalk';
 
 import {
   createFooterState,
-  formatStatusRow,
   reduceFooterState,
   selectFooterViewModel,
   type FooterBackgroundCounts,
@@ -18,11 +17,9 @@ import {
   type FooterGoal,
   type FooterState,
   type FooterStatus,
-  type FooterStatusRowViewModel,
   type FooterViewModel,
   type FooterViewModelRow,
 } from '#/tui/runtime/footer/footer-model';
-import { currentTheme } from '#/tui/theme';
 import type { AppState } from '#/tui/types';
 import {
   createGitStatusCache,
@@ -275,7 +272,7 @@ export class FooterComponent implements Component {
           this.state.statusLine,
         );
     return viewModel.rows.flatMap((row) => {
-      if (row.kind === 'activity' || row.kind === 'composer') return [];
+      if (row.kind === 'composer' || row.kind === 'status' || row.kind === 'activity') return [];
       return [truncateToWidth(renderLegacyRow(row), width, '…')];
     });
   }
@@ -376,28 +373,10 @@ export class FooterComponent implements Component {
   }
 }
 
-/** Keep the persistent status quiet; danger rows remain explicitly red. */
-function paintStatusRow(
-  row: string,
-  _modelName: string | null,
-  emphasis: FooterStatusRowViewModel['emphasis'],
+function renderLegacyRow(
+  row: Extract<FooterViewModelRow, { readonly kind: 'validation' }>,
 ): string {
-  return currentTheme.fg(emphasis === 'danger' ? 'error' : 'textDim', row);
-}
-
-function renderLegacyRow(row: Exclude<FooterViewModelRow, { readonly kind: 'composer' }>): string {
-  switch (row.kind) {
-    case 'activity':
-      return row.primary.length === 0
-        ? row.indicators.join('  ')
-        : row.indicators.length === 0
-          ? row.primary
-          : `${row.primary}  ${row.indicators.join('  ')}`;
-    case 'validation':
-      return row.level === 'info' ? row.message : `${row.level}: ${row.message}`;
-    case 'status':
-      return paintStatusRow(formatStatusRow(row.items), row.modelName, row.emphasis);
-  }
+  return row.level === 'info' ? row.message : `${row.level}: ${row.message}`;
 }
 
 function hasGoalBadge(goal: AppState['goal']): boolean {
diff --git a/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/components/chrome/status-bar.ts b/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/components/chrome/status-bar.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..329e05b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/components/chrome/status-bar.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,135 @@
+import { sep } from 'node:path';
+
+import { truncateToWidth, visibleWidth, type Component } from '@earendil-works/pi-tui';
+import chalk from 'chalk';
+
+import type { StatusLineConfig } from '#/tui/config';
+import {
+  formatTokenSpeed,
+  type FooterStatus,
+} from '#/tui/runtime/footer/footer-model';
+import { currentTheme } from '#/tui/theme';
+import { themeFromHexChannels } from '#/tui/theme/terminal-background';
+import { effortColorToken, shortEffortLabel } from '#/tui/utils/thinking-levels';
+import { sessionAccentHex } from '#/tui/utils/session-accent';
+
+export type StatusBarStatus = Pick<
+  FooterStatus,
+  | 'model'
+  | 'thinkingLevel'
+  | 'cwd'
+  | 'homeDir'
+  | 'permissionMode'
+  | 'planMode'
+  | 'fastMode'
+  | 'dynamicWorkflowMode'
+  | 'tokenSpeed'
+  | 'tokenSpeedEstimated'
+> & {
+  readonly extras: readonly string[];
+  readonly sessionKey: string;
+  readonly statusLine: StatusLineConfig;
+};
+
+export class StatusBarComponent implements Component {
+  private status: StatusBarStatus | undefined;
+
+  update(status: StatusBarStatus): void {
+    this.status = status;
+  }
+
+  render(width: number): string[] {
+    const status = this.status;
+    if (status === undefined) return [];
+
+    const effortSuffix = status.statusLine.showEffort && status.thinkingLevel !== 'off'
+      ? `${currentTheme.fg('textDim', ' · ')}${currentTheme.fg(
+          effortColorToken(status.thinkingLevel),
+          shortEffortLabel(status.thinkingLevel),
+        )}`
+      : '';
+    const fastSuffix = status.statusLine.showModes && status.fastMode
+      ? `${currentTheme.fg('textDim', ' · ')}${currentTheme.fg('modeFast', '↯ fast')}`
+      : '';
+    const speed = status.statusLine.showTokenSpeed ? formatTokenSpeed(status) : null;
+    const modelChip = status.statusLine.showModel
+      ? chip(
+          `${currentTheme.fg('text', status.model)}${effortSuffix}${fastSuffix}${
+            speed === null ? '' : currentTheme.fg('textDim', ` · ${speed}`)
+          }`,
+        )
+      : undefined;
+    let modesChip = status.statusLine.showModes ? renderModesChip(status) : undefined;
+    const extraChips = status.extras.map((extra) =>
+      chip(currentTheme.fg('textDim', extra)),
+    );
+    let cwdChip: string | undefined = chip(
+      currentTheme.fg('textDim', shortenCwd(status.cwd, status.homeDir)),
+    );
+    const left = (): string =>
+      [modelChip, modesChip, ...extraChips]
+        .filter((item): item is string => item !== undefined)
+        .join(' ');
+    const fullGapWidth =
+      width - visibleWidth(left()) - (cwdChip === undefined ? 1 : visibleWidth(cwdChip) + 2);
+
+    let line: string;
+    if (fullGapWidth > 0) {
+      const background = currentTheme.color('background');
+      const mode = themeFromHexChannels(
+        background.slice(1, 3),
+        background.slice(3, 5),
+        background.slice(5, 7),
+      );
+      const gap = chalk.hex(sessionAccentHex(status.sessionKey, mode))('─'.repeat(fullGapWidth));
+      line = cwdChip === undefined ? `${left()} ${gap}` : `${left()} ${gap} ${cwdChip}`;
+    } else {
+      line = `${left()}${cwdChip === undefined ? '' : ` ${cwdChip}`}`;
+      while (visibleWidth(line) > width && extraChips.length > 0) {
+        extraChips.pop();
+        line = `${left()}${cwdChip === undefined ? '' : ` ${cwdChip}`}`;
+      }
+      if (visibleWidth(line) > width && modesChip !== undefined) {
+        modesChip = undefined;
+        line = `${left()}${cwdChip === undefined ? '' : ` ${cwdChip}`}`;
+      }
+      if (visibleWidth(line) > width && cwdChip !== undefined) {
+        cwdChip = undefined;
+        line = left();
+      }
+    }
+
+    return [truncateToWidth(line, Math.max(0, width))];
+  }
+
+  invalidate(): void {}
+}
+
+function chip(content: string): string {
+  return currentTheme.bg('surfaceHighlight', ` ${content} `);
+}
+
+function renderModesChip(status: StatusBarStatus): string | undefined {
+  const modes: string[] = [];
+  if (status.planMode) modes.push(currentTheme.fg('modePlan', 'plan'));
+  if (status.permissionMode === 'auto') modes.push(currentTheme.fg('modePermission', 'auto'));
+  if (status.permissionMode === 'yolo') modes.push(currentTheme.fg('error', 'yolo'));
+  if (status.dynamicWorkflowMode) modes.push(currentTheme.fg('accent', 'workflow'));
+  return modes.length === 0 ? undefined : chip(modes.join(' '));
+}
+
+function shortenCwd(cwd: string, homeDir: string | null): string {
+  const path = homeDir !== null && homeDir.length > 0
+    ? cwd === homeDir
+      ? '~'
+      : cwd.startsWith(`${homeDir}${sep}`)
+        ? `~${cwd.slice(homeDir.length)}`
+        : cwd
+    : cwd;
+  const segments = path.startsWith(`~${sep}`)
+    ? path.slice(2).split(sep)
+    : path.startsWith(sep)
+      ? path.slice(1).split(sep)
+      : [];
+  return segments.length > 2 ? `…${sep}${segments.slice(-2).join(sep)}` : path;
+}
diff --git a/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/components/dialogs/compaction.ts b/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/components/dialogs/compaction.ts
index 8b00231e..45d49a7b 100644
--- a/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/components/dialogs/compaction.ts
+++ b/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/components/dialogs/compaction.ts
@@ -182,7 +182,6 @@ export class CompactionComponent extends Container {
       shimmerText('Compacting conversation…', {
         baseToken: 'primary',
         shimmerToken: 'primaryShimmer',
-        frame: this.animationFrame,
       }),
     );
     return `${label}${currentTheme.dim(` (${String(this.elapsedSeconds())}s)`)}`;
diff --git a/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/components/messages/dynamic-workflow-mission-control.ts b/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/components/messages/dynamic-workflow-mission-control.ts
index 2b8deeb8..5199508c 100644
--- a/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/components/messages/dynamic-workflow-mission-control.ts
+++ b/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/components/messages/dynamic-workflow-mission-control.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 import { truncateToWidth, visibleWidth, type Component } from '@earendil-works/pi-tui';
 
-import { DYNAMIC_WORKFLOW_RENDERING } from '#/tui/constant/rendering';
+import {
+  BRAILLE_SPINNER_FRAMES,
+  BRAILLE_SPINNER_INTERVAL_MS,
+  DYNAMIC_WORKFLOW_RENDERING,
+} from '#/tui/constant/rendering';
 import { currentTheme } from '#/tui/theme';
 import { shimmerText } from '#/tui/utils/shimmer';
 
@@ -507,9 +511,18 @@ export class DynamicWorkflowMissionControlComponent implements Component {
 
   private renderAggregate(width: number, nowMs: number): string {
     const terminal = isTerminalRequestPhase(this.model.requestPhase);
+    const frame = Math.floor(
+      Math.max(0, nowMs - this.model.startedAtMs) /
+        BRAILLE_SPINNER_INTERVAL_MS,
+    );
     const loader = terminal
       ? currentTheme.fg(requestPhaseColor(this.model.requestPhase), requestPhaseSymbol(this.model.requestPhase))
-      : this.activitySpinnerText?.() ?? currentTheme.fg('primary', '●');
+      : this.activitySpinnerText === undefined
+        ? currentTheme.fg('primary', '●')
+        : currentTheme.fg(
+            'primary',
+            BRAILLE_SPINNER_FRAMES[frame % BRAILLE_SPINNER_FRAMES.length]!,
+          );
     const aggregateMembers = this.aggregateMembers();
     // All spawned agents are done but the tool result has not arrived yet:
     // the label says so instead of pretending orchestration is still active.
@@ -525,15 +538,10 @@ export class DynamicWorkflowMissionControlComponent implements Component {
     const label = terminal
       ? currentTheme.fg('text', requestPhaseLabel(this.model.requestPhase))
       : shimmerText(finalizing ? FINALIZING_LABEL : ORCHESTRATING_LABEL, {
-          // `primary` / `primaryShimmer` are a designed pair, so the sweep stays
-          // periwinkle throughout; the old grey `text` base washed it out.
           baseToken: 'primary',
           shimmerToken: 'primaryShimmer',
-          frame: Math.floor(
-            Math.max(0, nowMs - this.model.startedAtMs) /
-              DYNAMIC_WORKFLOW_RENDERING.aggregateShimmerFrameMs,
-          ),
-          windowSize: 4,
+          altShimmerToken: 'warningShimmer',
+          bandHalfWidth: 4,
         });
     const paddedLabel = padToWidth(label, LIVE_LABEL_WIDTH);
     const prefix = `${loader} ${paddedLabel}`;
diff --git a/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/components/messages/thinking.ts b/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/components/messages/thinking.ts
index 26789a8a..9c7b7b56 100644
--- a/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/components/messages/thinking.ts
+++ b/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/components/messages/thinking.ts
@@ -100,8 +100,7 @@ export class ThinkingComponent implements Component {
       const label = shimmerText(formatThinkingSpinnerLabel(), {
         baseToken: 'primary',
         shimmerToken: 'primaryShimmer',
-        frame: this.animationFrame,
-        windowSize: 4,
+        bandHalfWidth: 4,
       });
       return ['', spinner + label, ...visibleLines.map((line) => MESSAGE_INDENT + line)];
     }
diff --git a/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/components/messages/tool-call.ts b/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/components/messages/tool-call.ts
index ed3a16af..b8f3ca51 100644
--- a/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/components/messages/tool-call.ts
+++ b/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/components/messages/tool-call.ts
@@ -658,7 +658,24 @@ export class ToolCallComponent extends Container {
 
   override render(width: number): string[] {
     this.headerText.setText(truncateToWidth(this.buildHeader(), Math.max(0, width)));
-    return super.render(width);
+    const lines = super.render(width);
+    const background =
+      this.result === undefined
+        ? this.toolCall.truncated === true
+          ? undefined
+          : 'toolPendingBg'
+        : this.result.is_error !== true
+          ? 'toolSuccessBg'
+          : 'toolErrorBg';
+    if (background === undefined) return lines;
+    return lines.map((line, index) =>
+      index === 0
+        ? line
+        : currentTheme.bg(
+            background,
+            `${line}${' '.repeat(Math.max(0, width - visibleWidth(line)))}`,
+          ),
+    );
   }
 
   setExpanded(expanded: boolean): void {
diff --git a/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/constant/rendering.ts b/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/constant/rendering.ts
index 837e504b..b2abe4f9 100644
--- a/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/constant/rendering.ts
+++ b/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/constant/rendering.ts
@@ -30,12 +30,10 @@ export const DYNAMIC_WORKFLOW_RENDERING = {
   memberProgressWidth: 8,
   /** Least width of the lifecycle STATE column in member rows. */
   stateColumnWidth: 6,
-  /** Cadence for the live aggregate-label shimmer. */
-  aggregateShimmerFrameMs: BRAILLE_SPINNER_INTERVAL_MS,
-  /** Thin-arc frames for a running row; all rows share one clock. */
-  progressFrames: ['◜', '◝', '◞', '◟'],
-  /** Arc cadence in milliseconds. */
-  progressFrameMs: 120,
+  /** Half-circle frames for a running row; all rows share one clock. */
+  progressFrames: ['◐', '◓', '◑', '◒'],
+  /** Rotation cadence in milliseconds — deliberately slow; this is ambience, not progress. */
+  progressFrameMs: 300,
   /** Least room the task keeps before the detail may claim any of the row. */
   memberTaskMinWidth: 12,
   /** Share of the free row the task may take before the detail gets the rest. */
diff --git a/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/pythinker-tui.ts b/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/pythinker-tui.ts
index 63b44b9c..aba9e0c6 100644
--- a/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/pythinker-tui.ts
+++ b/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/pythinker-tui.ts
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ import { readUpdateInstallState } from '#/cli/update/install-state';
 import { detectInstallSource } from '#/cli/update/source';
 import type { InstallSource } from '#/cli/update/types';
 import { MigrationScreenComponent, type MigrationScreenResult } from '#/migration/index';
-import { effortColorToken } from '#/tui/utils/thinking-levels';
 import { copyTextToClipboard } from '#/utils/clipboard/clipboard-text';
 import {
   appendInputHistory,
@@ -141,6 +140,7 @@ import type { TuiPresentation } from './runtime/contracts';
 import {
   foldFooterEvents,
   selectFooterViewModel,
+  selectStatusBarExtras,
   type FooterActivity,
   type FooterEvent,
   type FooterGoal,
@@ -965,6 +965,7 @@ export class PythinkerTUI {
     ui.addChild(this.state.btwPanelContainer);
     ui.addChild(this.state.mcpStatusContainer);
     ui.addChild(this.state.editorContainer);
+    ui.addChild(this.state.statusBarContainer);
     // Footer is mounted later (mountFooter), not here.
   }
 
@@ -974,6 +975,8 @@ export class PythinkerTUI {
   // only once init() succeeds. FooterComponent isn't a Container, so wrap it to
   // pick up the same outer gutter as the panels above.
   private mountFooter(): void {
+    this.state.statusBarContainer.clear();
+    this.state.statusBarContainer.addChild(this.state.statusBar);
     if (this.state.layout === 'fixed') {
       this.state.layoutRoot.setFooterMounted(true);
       return;
@@ -1333,7 +1336,7 @@ export class PythinkerTUI {
     if (!hasPatchChanges(this.state.appState, patch)) return;
     const busyChanged = 'streamingPhase' in patch || 'isCompacting' in patch;
     Object.assign(this.state.appState, patch);
-    if ('planMode' in patch) this.updateEditorBorderHighlight();
+    if ('planMode' in patch || 'permissionMode' in patch) this.updateEditorBorderHighlight();
     this.state.footer.syncAppState(this.state.appState);
     this.syncFooterState();
     this.updateActivityPane();
@@ -1391,6 +1394,19 @@ export class PythinkerTUI {
         this.state.appState.statusLine,
       ),
     );
+    this.state.statusBar.update({
+      ...this.state.footerState.status,
+      extras: selectStatusBarExtras(
+        this.state.footerState,
+        Date.now(),
+        this.state.appState.statusLine,
+      ),
+      sessionKey:
+        this.state.appState.sessionTitle?.trim() ||
+        this.state.appState.sessionId ||
+        this.state.appState.workDir,
+      statusLine: this.state.appState.statusLine,
+    });
   }
 
   private footerGoal(): FooterGoal | null {
@@ -2111,13 +2127,9 @@ export class PythinkerTUI {
     const highlighted =
       this.state.appState.planMode || findSlashAutocompleteContext(currentLine, col) !== null;
     this.state.editor.borderHighlighted = highlighted;
-    // Reads thinkingLevel at paint time so cycling effort (Shift-Tab/Ctrl-T)
-    // recolors the prompt box on the next render without re-wiring the closure.
     this.state.editor.borderColor = (s: string) => {
       if (highlighted) return currentTheme.fg('primary', s);
-      const level = this.state.appState.thinkingLevel;
-      if (level === 'off' || level.trim().length === 0) return currentTheme.fg('border', s);
-      return currentTheme.fg(effortColorToken(level), s);
+      return currentTheme.fg('border', s);
     };
     this.state.ui.requestRender();
   }
diff --git a/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/runtime/footer/footer-model.ts b/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/runtime/footer/footer-model.ts
index 802535ee..ae567f57 100644
--- a/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/runtime/footer/footer-model.ts
+++ b/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/runtime/footer/footer-model.ts
@@ -464,16 +464,27 @@ function selectActivityRow(state: FooterState): FooterActivityRowViewModel {
   });
 }
 
-function selectStatusItems(
+export function selectStatusItemParts(
   state: FooterState,
   clockMs: number,
   statusLine: StatusLineConfig,
-): string[] {
-  const items: string[] = [];
+): {
+  readonly update: string | null;
+  readonly model: string | null;
+  readonly speed: string | null;
+  readonly spend: string | null;
+  readonly context: string | null;
+  readonly git: string | null;
+  readonly modes: string | null;
+  readonly elapsed: string | null;
+  readonly goal: string | null;
+  readonly background: readonly string[];
+} {
   const update = formatUpdate(state.update);
-  if (update !== null) items.push(update);
-  const model = normalizeSingleLine(state.status.model);
-  if (statusLine.showModel && model.length > 0) {
+  const modelName = normalizeSingleLine(state.status.model);
+  const speed = statusLine.showTokenSpeed ? formatTokenSpeed(state.status) : null;
+  let model: string | null = null;
+  if (statusLine.showModel && modelName.length > 0) {
     const effortSuffix =
       statusLine.showEffort && state.status.thinkingLevel !== 'off'
         ? ` · ${shortEffortLabel(state.status.thinkingLevel)}`
@@ -481,51 +492,84 @@ function selectStatusItems(
     // Fast rides on the model item and only while mode badges are visible,
     // so it can never appear twice in the row.
     const fastSuffix = statusLine.showModes && state.status.fastMode ? ' · ↯ fast' : '';
-    const speed = statusLine.showTokenSpeed ? formatTokenSpeed(state.status) : null;
-    items.push(`${model}${effortSuffix}${fastSuffix}${speed === null ? '' : ` · ${speed}`}`);
-  }
-
-  if (statusLine.showModel) {
-    const spend = formatSessionSpend(state.status.sessionSpendUsd);
-    if (spend !== null) items.push(spend);
-  }
-
-  if (statusLine.showContextBar) items.push(formatContext(state.status));
-
-  if (statusLine.showGit) {
-    const git = formatGitStatus(state.status.git);
-    if (git !== null) items.push(git);
+    model = `${modelName}${effortSuffix}${fastSuffix}${speed === null ? '' : ` · ${speed}`}`;
   }
 
+  let modes: string | null = null;
   if (statusLine.showModes) {
-    const modes: string[] = [];
-    if (state.status.dynamicWorkflowMode) modes.push('workflow');
-    if (state.status.permissionMode === 'auto') modes.push('auto');
-    if (state.status.planMode) modes.push('plan');
-    if (modes.length > 0) items.push(modes.join(' '));
-  }
-
-  if (statusLine.showElapsed && state.status.elapsedMs !== null) {
-    items.push(`elapsed ${formatStatusElapsed(state.status.elapsedMs)}`);
-  }
-
-  if (statusLine.showGoal) {
-    const goal = formatGoal(state.goal, clockMs);
-    if (goal !== null) items.push(goal);
+    const modeItems: string[] = [];
+    if (state.status.dynamicWorkflowMode) modeItems.push('workflow');
+    if (state.status.permissionMode === 'auto') modeItems.push('auto');
+    if (state.status.planMode) modeItems.push('plan');
+    if (modeItems.length > 0) modes = modeItems.join(' ');
   }
 
+  const background: string[] = [];
   if (statusLine.showBackgroundTasks) {
     const bashTasks = nonNegativeInteger(state.background.bashTasks);
     if (bashTasks > 0) {
-      items.push(`[${String(bashTasks)} ${plural(bashTasks, 'task')} running]`);
+      background.push(`[${String(bashTasks)} ${plural(bashTasks, 'task')} running]`);
     }
     const agentTasks = nonNegativeInteger(state.background.agentTasks);
     if (agentTasks > 0) {
-      items.push(
+      background.push(
         `[${String(agentTasks)} ${plural(agentTasks, 'agent')} running]`,
       );
     }
   }
+
+  return {
+    update,
+    model,
+    speed,
+    spend: statusLine.showModel ? formatSessionSpend(state.status.sessionSpendUsd) : null,
+    context: statusLine.showContextBar ? formatContext(state.status) : null,
+    git: statusLine.showGit ? formatGitStatus(state.status.git) : null,
+    modes,
+    elapsed:
+      statusLine.showElapsed && state.status.elapsedMs !== null
+        ? `elapsed ${formatStatusElapsed(state.status.elapsedMs)}`
+        : null,
+    goal: statusLine.showGoal ? formatGoal(state.goal, clockMs) : null,
+    background,
+  };
+}
+
+function selectStatusItems(
+  state: FooterState,
+  clockMs: number,
+  statusLine: StatusLineConfig,
+): string[] {
+  const parts = selectStatusItemParts(state, clockMs, statusLine);
+  const items = [
+    parts.update,
+    parts.model,
+    parts.spend,
+    parts.context,
+    parts.git,
+    parts.modes,
+    parts.elapsed,
+    parts.goal,
+  ].filter((item): item is string => item !== null);
+  items.push(...parts.background);
+  return items;
+}
+
+export function selectStatusBarExtras(
+  state: FooterState,
+  clockMs: number,
+  statusLine: StatusLineConfig,
+): string[] {
+  const parts = selectStatusItemParts(state, clockMs, statusLine);
+  const items = [
+    parts.context,
+    parts.git,
+    parts.update,
+    parts.spend,
+    parts.elapsed,
+    parts.goal,
+  ].filter((item): item is string => item !== null);
+  items.push(...parts.background);
   return items;
 }
 
@@ -593,7 +637,9 @@ function formatStatusElapsed(ms: number): string {
   return totalMinutes < 60 ? clock : `${String(Math.floor(totalMinutes / 60))}:${clock}`;
 }
 
-function formatTokenSpeed(status: FooterStatus): string | null {
+export function formatTokenSpeed(
+  status: Pick<FooterStatus, 'tokenSpeed' | 'tokenSpeedEstimated'>,
+): string | null {
   const speed = status.tokenSpeed;
   if (speed === null || !Number.isFinite(speed) || speed < 0) return null;
   return `${status.tokenSpeedEstimated ? '~' : ''}${speed.toFixed(1)} t/s`;
diff --git a/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/theme/colors.ts b/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/theme/colors.ts
index b8425402..82a89505 100644
--- a/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/theme/colors.ts
+++ b/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/theme/colors.ts
@@ -164,6 +164,12 @@ export interface ColorPalette {
   selectionBg: string;
   /** Subtle fill for highlighted rows and message surfaces, including user transcript rows. */
   surfaceHighlight: string;
+  /** Background tint for a tool card while the call is running. */
+  toolPendingBg: string;
+  /** Background tint for a tool card after a successful result. */
+  toolSuccessBg: string;
+  /** Background tint for a tool card after an error result. */
+  toolErrorBg: string;
 
   // ── Progress ──
   /** Filled segment of the Dynamic Workflow aggregate progress line. */
@@ -242,6 +248,9 @@ export const darkColors: ColorPalette = {
   inverseText: '#FFFFFF',
   selectionBg: '#344274',
   surfaceHighlight: '#1C2238',
+  toolPendingBg: '#1D2129',
+  toolSuccessBg: '#14171B',
+  toolErrorBg: '#291D1D',
 
   progressFill: '#25764A',
   progressHead: '#4EC87E',
@@ -316,6 +325,9 @@ export const lightColors: ColorPalette = {
   inverseText: '#0B1020',
   selectionBg: '#C9D1FA',
   surfaceHighlight: '#E8EBFC',
+  toolPendingBg: '#E8EEF7',
+  toolSuccessBg: '#F1F3F5',
+  toolErrorBg: '#F9E9E9',
 
   progressFill: '#3B9A65',
   progressHead: '#0E7A38',
diff --git a/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/theme/theme-schema.json b/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/theme/theme-schema.json
index 3cb1288d..b4c0c2bc 100644
--- a/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/theme/theme-schema.json
+++ b/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/theme/theme-schema.json
@@ -82,6 +82,9 @@
         "inverseText": { "type": "string", "pattern": "^#[0-9a-fA-F]{6}$", "description": "Foreground for active `/model` provider and `AskUserQuestion` tabs; pair with `selectionBg` at 4.5:1 contrast or higher." },
         "selectionBg": { "type": "string", "pattern": "^#[0-9a-fA-F]{6}$", "description": "Background for active `/model` provider and `AskUserQuestion` tabs; pair with `inverseText` at 4.5:1 contrast or higher." },
         "surfaceHighlight": { "type": "string", "pattern": "^#[0-9a-fA-F]{6}$", "description": "Highlighted row and message fill" },
+        "toolPendingBg": { "type": "string", "pattern": "^#[0-9a-fA-F]{6}$", "description": "Background tint for a running tool card" },
+        "toolSuccessBg": { "type": "string", "pattern": "^#[0-9a-fA-F]{6}$", "description": "Background tint for a successful tool card" },
+        "toolErrorBg": { "type": "string", "pattern": "^#[0-9a-fA-F]{6}$", "description": "Background tint for a failed tool card" },
         "progressFill": { "type": "string", "pattern": "^#[0-9a-fA-F]{6}$", "description": "Filled segment of the Dynamic Workflow aggregate progress line." },
         "progressHead": { "type": "string", "pattern": "^#[0-9a-fA-F]{6}$", "description": "Static head of the Dynamic Workflow aggregate progress track." },
         "progressEmpty": { "type": "string", "pattern": "^#[0-9a-fA-F]{6}$", "description": "Empty segment of the Dynamic Workflow aggregate progress line." }
diff --git a/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/tui-state.ts b/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/tui-state.ts
index 2e5c9618..6d997fcb 100644
--- a/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/tui-state.ts
+++ b/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/tui-state.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import {
 import { FooterComponent } from './components/chrome/footer';
 import { GutterContainer } from './components/chrome/gutter-container';
 import type { ActivityLoader } from './components/chrome/activity-loader';
+import { StatusBarComponent } from './components/chrome/status-bar';
 import { TodoPanelComponent } from './components/chrome/todo-panel';
 import { TranscriptViewport } from './components/chrome/transcript-viewport';
 import { ViewportLayoutRoot } from './components/chrome/viewport-layout';
@@ -43,6 +44,8 @@ export interface TUIState {
   queueContainer: Container;
   btwPanelContainer: Container;
   mcpStatusContainer: Container;
+  statusBarContainer: Container;
+  statusBar: StatusBarComponent;
   editorContainer: Container;
   footer: FooterComponent;
   footerState: FooterState;
@@ -90,6 +93,8 @@ export function createTUIState(options: PythinkerTUIOptions): TUIState {
   const queueContainer = new GutterContainer(CHROME_GUTTER, CHROME_GUTTER);
   const btwPanelContainer = new GutterContainer(CHROME_GUTTER, CHROME_GUTTER);
   const mcpStatusContainer = new GutterContainer(CHROME_GUTTER, CHROME_GUTTER);
+  const statusBarContainer = new GutterContainer(CHROME_GUTTER, CHROME_GUTTER);
+  const statusBar = new StatusBarComponent();
   const editorContainer = new GutterContainer(CHROME_GUTTER, CHROME_GUTTER);
   const editor = new CustomEditor(ui);
   const footer = new FooterComponent({ ...initialAppState }, () => {
@@ -110,6 +115,7 @@ export function createTUIState(options: PythinkerTUIOptions): TUIState {
       btwPanelContainer,
       mcpStatusContainer,
       editorContainer,
+      statusBarContainer,
     ],
     footerWrap,
   );
@@ -129,6 +135,8 @@ export function createTUIState(options: PythinkerTUIOptions): TUIState {
     queueContainer,
     btwPanelContainer,
     mcpStatusContainer,
+    statusBarContainer,
+    statusBar,
     editorContainer,
     editor,
     footer,
diff --git a/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/utils/session-accent.ts b/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/utils/session-accent.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b4b4efaa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/utils/session-accent.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+/** Stable accent color for a session key (title or id). */
+export function sessionAccentHex(key: string, mode: 'dark' | 'light'): string {
+  let hash = 5381;
+  for (let index = 0; index < key.length; index++) {
+    hash = Math.imul(hash, 33) + (key.codePointAt(index) ?? 0);
+  }
+
+  return accentHexForHue((hash >>> 0) % 360, mode);
+}
+
+export function accentHexForHue(hue: number, mode: 'dark' | 'light'): string {
+  if (mode === 'dark') return hslToHex(hue, 0.9, 0.72);
+
+  for (let step = 0; step <= 11; step++) {
+    const accent = hslToHex(hue, 0.9, Math.max(0.2, 0.42 - step * 0.02));
+    if (1.05 / (relativeLuminance(accent) + 0.05) >= 3) return accent;
+  }
+  return hslToHex(hue, 0.9, 0.2);
+}
+
+function relativeLuminance(hex: string): number {
+  const linear = (channel: number) =>
+    channel <= 0.03928 ? channel / 12.92 : ((channel + 0.055) / 1.055) ** 2.4;
+  const red = linear(Number.parseInt(hex.slice(1, 3), 16) / 255);
+  const green = linear(Number.parseInt(hex.slice(3, 5), 16) / 255);
+  const blue = linear(Number.parseInt(hex.slice(5, 7), 16) / 255);
+  return 0.2126 * red + 0.7152 * green + 0.0722 * blue;
+}
+
+function hslToHex(hue: number, saturation: number, lightness: number): string {
+  const chroma = (1 - Math.abs(2 * lightness - 1)) * saturation;
+  const x = chroma * (1 - Math.abs(((hue / 60) % 2) - 1));
+  const match = lightness - chroma / 2;
+  const [red, green, blue] =
+    hue < 60
+      ? [chroma, x, 0]
+      : hue < 120
+        ? [x, chroma, 0]
+        : hue < 180
+          ? [0, chroma, x]
+          : hue < 240
+            ? [0, x, chroma]
+            : hue < 300
+              ? [x, 0, chroma]
+              : [chroma, 0, x];
+  return `#${[red, green, blue]
+    .map((channel) => Math.round((channel + match) * 255).toString(16).padStart(2, '0'))
+    .join('')}`.toUpperCase();
+}
diff --git a/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/utils/shimmer.ts b/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/utils/shimmer.ts
index 916dd15d..3f588830 100644
--- a/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/utils/shimmer.ts
+++ b/apps/pythinker-code/src/tui/utils/shimmer.ts
@@ -3,57 +3,72 @@ import { currentTheme, type ColorToken } from '#/tui/theme';
 export interface ShimmerTextOptions {
   baseToken: ColorToken;
   shimmerToken: ColorToken;
-  frame: number;
-  windowSize?: number;
+  altShimmerToken?: ColorToken;
+  /** Half-width of the cosine shimmer band, in terminal cells. */
+  bandHalfWidth?: number;
   phaseOffset?: number;
 }
 
-const MIN_WINDOW_SIZE = 2;
-const MAX_WINDOW_SIZE = 6;
+const CELLS_PER_SECOND = 20;
+const BAND_HALF_WIDTH = 6;
 
-function resolveWindowSize(length: number, requested?: number): number {
-  if (length <= 0) return 0;
-  const fallback = Math.max(MIN_WINDOW_SIZE, Math.min(MAX_WINDOW_SIZE, Math.ceil(length / 3)));
-  return Math.max(1, Math.min(length, requested ?? fallback));
-}
+type ShimmerTier = 'dim' | 'base' | 'shimmer';
 
 export function shimmerText(text: string, options: ShimmerTextOptions): string {
   const chars = Array.from(text);
   if (chars.length === 0) return '';
 
-  const windowSize = resolveWindowSize(chars.length, options.windowSize);
-  const cycleLength = chars.length + windowSize;
-  const start = ((options.frame + (options.phaseOffset ?? 0)) % cycleLength) - windowSize;
-  const end = start + windowSize;
+  const halfWidth = Math.max(1, options.bandHalfWidth ?? BAND_HALF_WIDTH);
+  const cycleLength = chars.length + halfWidth * 2;
+  const rawPosition = Date.now() / 1_000 * CELLS_PER_SECOND + (options.phaseOffset ?? 0);
+  const center = rawPosition % cycleLength - halfWidth;
+  const passIndex = Math.floor(rawPosition / cycleLength);
+  const peakToken = options.altShimmerToken !== undefined && passIndex % 2 !== 0
+    ? options.altShimmerToken
+    : options.shimmerToken;
 
   let result = '';
   let segment = '';
-  let activeToken: ColorToken | undefined;
+  let activeTier: ShimmerTier | undefined;
 
   for (let index = 0; index < chars.length; index++) {
     const char = chars[index];
     if (char === undefined) continue;
 
-    const token = index >= start && index < end ? options.shimmerToken : options.baseToken;
-    if (activeToken === undefined) {
-      activeToken = token;
+    const distance = Math.abs(index - center);
+    const intensity =
+      distance >= halfWidth ? 0 : (Math.cos(Math.PI * distance / halfWidth) + 1) / 2;
+    const tier: ShimmerTier = intensity < 0.22 ? 'dim' : intensity < 0.65 ? 'base' : 'shimmer';
+    if (activeTier === undefined) {
+      activeTier = tier;
       segment = char;
       continue;
     }
 
-    if (token === activeToken) {
+    if (tier === activeTier) {
       segment += char;
       continue;
     }
 
-    result += currentTheme.fg(activeToken, segment);
-    activeToken = token;
+    result += paintTier(activeTier, segment, options.baseToken, peakToken);
+    activeTier = tier;
     segment = char;
   }
 
-  if (activeToken !== undefined) {
-    result += currentTheme.fg(activeToken, segment);
+  if (activeTier !== undefined) {
+    result += paintTier(activeTier, segment, options.baseToken, peakToken);
   }
 
   return result;
 }
+
+function paintTier(
+  tier: ShimmerTier,
+  text: string,
+  baseToken: ColorToken,
+  peakToken: ColorToken,
+): string {
+  if (tier === 'dim') return currentTheme.fg('textDim', text);
+  if (tier === 'shimmer') return currentTheme.boldFg(peakToken, text);
+  return currentTheme.fg(baseToken, text);
+}
diff --git a/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/activity-pane.test.ts b/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/activity-pane.test.ts
index adc5f8fc..783f821d 100644
--- a/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/activity-pane.test.ts
+++ b/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/activity-pane.test.ts
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ describe('updateActivityPane terminal progress', () => {
       expect(state.activityContainer.children).toHaveLength(0);
       expect(vi.getTimerCount()).toBe(timersBeforeMissionControl);
       const output = strip(missionControl.render(100).join('\n'));
-      expect(output).toContain('⠋ Orchestrating');
+      expect(output).toMatch(/[⠋⠙⠹⠸⠼⠴⠦⠧⠇⠏] Orchestrating/u);
       expect(output).not.toContain(formatThinkingSpinnerLabel());
 
       state.activitySpinner?.instance.stop();
@@ -288,7 +288,8 @@ describe('updateActivityPane terminal progress', () => {
       expect(vi.getTimerCount()).toBe(hostTimerCount);
       const output = strip(missionControl.render(100).join('\n'));
       expect(output).toContain('✓ Completed');
-      expect(output).not.toContain('⠋ Orchestrating');
+      expect(output).not.toMatch(/[◐◓◑◒] Orchestrating/);
+      for (const frame of BRAILLE_SPINNER_FRAMES) expect(output).not.toContain(frame);
 
       state.activitySpinner?.instance.stop();
       driver.sessionEventHandler.clearDynamicWorkflowMissionControls();
@@ -369,14 +370,17 @@ describe('updateActivityPane terminal progress', () => {
       state.livePane = { ...state.livePane, mode: 'tool' };
       driver.updateActivityPane();
       const missionControl = startDynamicWorkflow(driver, state);
-      expect(strip(missionControl.render(100).join('\n'))).toContain('⠋ Orchestrating');
+      expect(strip(missionControl.render(100).join('\n'))).toMatch(
+        /[⠋⠙⠹⠸⠼⠴⠦⠧⠇⠏] Orchestrating/u,
+      );
 
       cleanup(driver);
       driver.updateActivityPane();
 
       const output = strip(missionControl.render(100).join('\n'));
       expect(output).toContain('– Cancelled');
-      expect(output).not.toContain('⠋ Orchestrating');
+      expect(output).not.toMatch(/[◐◓◑◒] Orchestrating/);
+      for (const frame of BRAILLE_SPINNER_FRAMES) expect(output).not.toContain(frame);
       state.activitySpinner?.instance.stop();
     } finally {
       vi.useRealTimers();
diff --git a/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/components/chrome/footer.test.ts b/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/components/chrome/footer.test.ts
index 80b32e0a..96efa96a 100644
--- a/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/components/chrome/footer.test.ts
+++ b/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/components/chrome/footer.test.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ import {
   foldFooterEvents,
   selectFooterViewModel,
 } from '#/tui/runtime/footer/footer-model';
-import { currentTheme } from '#/tui/theme';
 import type { AppState } from '#/tui/types';
 import type { GitStatusCache } from '#/utils/git/git-status';
 
@@ -113,49 +112,13 @@ describe('FooterComponent', () => {
     vi.useRealTimers();
   });
 
-  it('renders one faint status hierarchy without path, bar, tips, or a wall clock', () => {
+  it('does not render shared status rows', () => {
     const footer = new FooterComponent(appState);
-    footer.setTokenSpeed(75.7);
-
-    const rendered = footer.render(160);
-    const rows = rendered.map(stripAnsi);
-
-    expect(rows).toHaveLength(1);
-    expect(rendered[0]).toBe(currentTheme.fg('textDim', rows[0]!));
-    expect(rows[0]).toContain('DeepSeek V4 Flash · max · 75.7 t/s');
-    expect(rows[0]).toContain('▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱ 5%');
-    expect(rows[0]).toContain('workflow');
-    expect(rows[0]).toContain('elapsed 04:12');
-    expect(rows.join('\n')).not.toContain('/Users/example/work/pythinker-code');
-    expect(rows.join('\n')).not.toContain('shift+tab: plan mode');
-    expect(rows.join('\n')).not.toContain('00:04');
-    expect(rows.join('\n')).not.toContain('◆');
-  });
-
-  it('renders YOLO at the start of a second row beneath the model', () => {
-    const footer = new FooterComponent({ ...appState, permissionMode: 'yolo' });
-
-    const rendered = footer.render(160);
-    const rows = rendered.map(stripAnsi);
 
-    expect(rows).toHaveLength(2);
-    expect(rows[0]).toContain('DeepSeek V4 Flash');
-    expect(rows[0]).not.toContain('yolo');
-    expect(rows[1]).toBe('  yolo');
-    expect(rendered[1]).toBe(currentTheme.fg('error', '  yolo'));
+    expect(footer.render(160)).toEqual([]);
   });
 
-  it('marks estimated token speed without changing the single status row', () => {
-    const footer = new FooterComponent(appState);
-    footer.setTokenSpeed(75.7, true);
-
-    const rows = footer.render(160).map(stripAnsi);
-
-    expect(rows).toHaveLength(1);
-    expect(rows[0]).toContain('~75.7 t/s');
-  });
-
-  it('suppresses legacy activity only and retains validation errors', () => {
+  it('renders validation rows but suppresses activity and shared status rows', () => {
     const footer = new FooterComponent(appState);
     const activity = selectFooterViewModel(
       foldFooterEvents(createFooterState(), [
@@ -174,7 +137,7 @@ describe('FooterComponent', () => {
     );
     footer.setViewModel(activity);
 
-    expect(footer.render(120).map(stripAnsi)).toEqual(['  ▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱ 0%']);
+    expect(footer.render(120).map(stripAnsi)).toEqual([]);
 
     const validation = selectFooterViewModel(
       foldFooterEvents(createFooterState(), [
@@ -188,10 +151,7 @@ describe('FooterComponent', () => {
     );
     footer.setViewModel(validation);
 
-    expect(footer.render(120).map(stripAnsi)).toEqual([
-      'error: Fix the request',
-      '  ▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱ 0%',
-    ]);
+    expect(footer.render(120).map(stripAnsi)).toEqual(['error: Fix the request']);
   });
 
   it('omits elapsed for an idle workflow after its completed turn', () => {
@@ -340,7 +300,7 @@ describe('FooterComponent', () => {
     footer.setTransientHint('Press Ctrl-C again to exit');
 
     const rows = footer.render(40).map(stripAnsi);
-    expect(rows).toEqual(['Press Ctrl-C again to exit', '']);
+    expect(rows).toEqual(['Press Ctrl-C again to exit']);
     expect(rows.every((row) => visibleWidth(row) <= 40)).toBe(true);
 
     footer.dispose();
diff --git a/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/components/dialogs/compaction.test.ts b/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/components/dialogs/compaction.test.ts
index 28dffb4e..4066bcae 100644
--- a/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/components/dialogs/compaction.test.ts
+++ b/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/components/dialogs/compaction.test.ts
@@ -81,26 +81,34 @@ describe('CompactionComponent', () => {
       const firstHeader = firstRender.find((line) => strip(line).includes('Compacting conversation…'));
       const firstBar = firstRender.find((line) => strip(line).includes('▱'));
 
-      vi.advanceTimersByTime(BRAILLE_SPINNER_INTERVAL_MS);
-      const animationRender = component.render(120);
-      const animationHeader = animationRender.find((line) =>
-        strip(line).includes('Compacting conversation…'),
-      );
-      const animationBar = animationRender.find((line) => strip(line).includes('▱'));
-
       expect(firstHeader).toBeDefined();
       expect(firstBar).toBeDefined();
-      expect(animationHeader).toBeDefined();
-      expect(animationBar).toBeDefined();
-      expect(strip(animationHeader)).toBe(strip(firstHeader));
-      expect(animationHeader).not.toBe(firstHeader);
-      expect(animationBar).toBe(firstBar);
+
+      const headerSamples = [firstHeader];
+      const barSamples = [firstBar];
+      const shimmerSampleCount = 12;
+      for (let sample = 0; sample < shimmerSampleCount; sample++) {
+        vi.advanceTimersByTime(BRAILLE_SPINNER_INTERVAL_MS);
+        const render = component.render(120);
+        headerSamples.push(
+          render.find((line) => strip(line).includes('Compacting conversation…')),
+        );
+        barSamples.push(render.find((line) => strip(line).includes('▱')));
+      }
+
+      expect(headerSamples.every((header) => header !== undefined)).toBe(true);
+      expect(barSamples.every((bar) => bar !== undefined)).toBe(true);
+      expect(new Set(headerSamples.map(strip))).toEqual(new Set([strip(firstHeader)]));
+      expect(new Set(headerSamples).size).toBeGreaterThan(1);
+      expect(new Set(barSamples)).toEqual(new Set([firstBar]));
       expect(strip(firstBar).trimEnd()).toBe(`  ${'▰'.repeat(11)}${'▱'.repeat(29)} 27%`);
       expect(firstBar).toContain(currentTheme.fg('primary', '▰'.repeat(11)));
       expect(firstBar).not.toContain(currentTheme.fg('progressFill', '▰'.repeat(11)));
       expect(firstBar).toContain(currentTheme.fg('progressEmpty', '▱'.repeat(29)));
 
-      vi.advanceTimersByTime(1_000 - BRAILLE_SPINNER_INTERVAL_MS);
+      vi.advanceTimersByTime(
+        1_000 - BRAILLE_SPINNER_INTERVAL_MS * shimmerSampleCount,
+      );
       const elapsedRender = component.render(120);
       const elapsedHeader = elapsedRender.find((line) =>
         strip(line).includes('Compacting conversation…'),
diff --git a/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/components/messages/dynamic-workflow-mission-control.test.ts b/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/components/messages/dynamic-workflow-mission-control.test.ts
index be2764dc..23d2005f 100644
--- a/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/components/messages/dynamic-workflow-mission-control.test.ts
+++ b/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/components/messages/dynamic-workflow-mission-control.test.ts
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ function renderText(component: DynamicWorkflowMissionControlComponent, width = 1
 }
 
 /** Lifecycle progress glyph and label for a running row. */
-const RUNNING_CELL = /[◜◝◞◟]\s+RUN/u;
+const RUNNING_CELL = /[◐◓◑◒]\s+RUN/u;
 
 /** Head of a task cell that lost the preamble every row shared. */
 const TASK_ELISION_MARK = '…';
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ describe('DynamicWorkflowMissionControlComponent', () => {
     expect(aggregateLine(output)).toContain('2/3 complete');
     expect(aggregateLine(output)).not.toMatch(/\b\d+%/u);
     expect(aggregateLine(output)).not.toContain('━');
-    expect(memberLine(output, 1)).toMatch(/[◜◝◞◟]\s+RUN\s+Layout hierarchy/u);
+    expect(memberLine(output, 1)).toMatch(/[◐◓◑◒]\s+RUN\s+Layout hierarchy/u);
     expect(memberLine(output, 2)).toMatch(/✓\s+DONE\s+Interaction audit/u);
     expect(output).not.toMatch(/[⣿⣷⣯⣟⡿⢿⣻⣽]{4,}/u);
   });
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ describe('DynamicWorkflowMissionControlComponent', () => {
     expect(vi.getTimerCount()).toBe(timerCount);
   });
 
-  it('shimmers Orchestrating without changing its text or creating a timer', () => {
+  it('animates the braille header and shimmers Orchestrating without creating a timer', () => {
     vi.useFakeTimers();
     vi.setSystemTime(0);
     const previousLevel = chalk.level;
@@ -373,8 +373,11 @@ describe('DynamicWorkflowMissionControlComponent', () => {
       vi.setSystemTime(BRAILLE_SPINNER_INTERVAL_MS);
       const after = aggregateLine(component.render(100).join('\n'));
 
-      expect(strip(after)).toBe(strip(before));
+      expect(strip(after).replace(/[⠋⠙⠹⠸⠼⠴⠦⠧⠇⠏]/u, '')).toBe(
+        strip(before).replace(/[⠋⠙⠹⠸⠼⠴⠦⠧⠇⠏]/u, ''),
+      );
       expect(after).not.toBe(before);
+      expect(strip(after)).toMatch(/[⠋⠙⠹⠸⠼⠴⠦⠧⠇⠏] Orchestrating/);
       expect(strip(after)).toContain('Orchestrating');
       expect(vi.getTimerCount()).toBe(timerCount);
     } finally {
@@ -383,7 +386,7 @@ describe('DynamicWorkflowMissionControlComponent', () => {
     }
   });
 
-  it('colours running progress and Orchestrating in periwinkle', () => {
+  it('colours running progress and gives Orchestrating three shimmer tiers', () => {
     vi.useFakeTimers();
     vi.setSystemTime(0);
     const previousLevel = chalk.level;
@@ -408,17 +411,19 @@ describe('DynamicWorkflowMissionControlComponent', () => {
       };
 
       const first = colouredMemberLine();
-      vi.setSystemTime(120);
+      vi.setSystemTime(300);
       const second = colouredMemberLine();
 
-      expect(first).toContain(chalk.hex(darkColors.primary)('◜'));
-      expect(second).toContain(chalk.hex(darkColors.primary)('◝'));
+      expect(first).toContain(chalk.hex(darkColors.primary)('◐'));
+      expect(second).toContain(chalk.hex(darkColors.primary)('◓'));
       expect(first).toContain(chalk.hex(darkColors.primary)('RUN'));
-      vi.setSystemTime(BRAILLE_SPINNER_INTERVAL_MS);
+      vi.setSystemTime(BRAILLE_SPINNER_INTERVAL_MS * 1.5);
 
       const aggregate = aggregateLine(component.render(100).join('\n'));
-      expect(aggregate).toContain(chalk.hex(darkColors.primary)('rchestrating'));
-      expect(aggregate).not.toContain(chalk.hex(darkColors.text)('rchestrating'));
+      expect(strip(aggregate)).toContain('Orchestrating');
+      expect(aggregate).toContain(chalk.hex(darkColors.primaryShimmer).bold('O'));
+      expect(aggregate).toContain(chalk.hex(darkColors.primary)('r'));
+      expect(aggregate).toContain(chalk.hex(darkColors.textDim)('chestrating'));
     } finally {
       vi.useRealTimers();
       chalk.level = previousLevel;
@@ -439,7 +444,7 @@ describe('DynamicWorkflowMissionControlComponent', () => {
 
     const output = renderText(component, 120);
     expect(output).toContain('– Cancelled');
-    expect(memberLine(output, 1)).toMatch(/[◜◝◞◟]\s+RUN\s+Running work/u);
+    expect(memberLine(output, 1)).toMatch(/[◐◓◑◒]\s+RUN\s+Running work/u);
     expect(memberLine(output, 2)).toMatch(/○\s+WAIT\s+Queued work/u);
     expect(output).not.toContain('– STOP');
     expect(output).not.toContain('⠋ Orchestrating');
@@ -515,7 +520,7 @@ describe('DynamicWorkflowMissionControlComponent', () => {
     expect(renderText(component, 100)).toContain('Rate limited');
 
     component.markStarted('agent-1');
-    expect(memberLine(renderText(component, 100), 1)).toMatch(/[◜◝◞◟]\s+RUN/u);
+    expect(memberLine(renderText(component, 100), 1)).toMatch(/[◐◓◑◒]\s+RUN/u);
   });
 
   it('prefers a suspension detail over stale model progress in the member row', () => {
@@ -644,12 +649,12 @@ describe('DynamicWorkflowMissionControlComponent', () => {
     const running = renderText(component, 100);
     expect(running).toContain('PROGRESS');
     expect(running).not.toContain('WORK IDLE');
-    expect(memberLine(running, 1)).toMatch(/◜\s+RUN\s+Live work/u);
+    expect(memberLine(running, 1)).toMatch(/◐\s+RUN\s+Live work/u);
     expect(memberLine(running, 2)).toMatch(/○\s+WAIT\s+Queued work/u);
     expect(running).not.toMatch(/\b\d+%|⚒|━/u);
   });
 
-  it('rotates the running arc from the shared workflow clock and freezes completion', () => {
+  it('rotates the running indicators from the shared workflow clock and freezes completion', () => {
     vi.useFakeTimers();
     vi.setSystemTime(0);
     const previousLevel = chalk.level;
@@ -661,13 +666,17 @@ describe('DynamicWorkflowMissionControlComponent', () => {
       const component = createComponent();
       component.updateArgs({ items: ['Live work'] });
       component.markInputComplete();
+      component.setActivitySpinnerText(() => '⠋');
       component.registerSubagent({ agentId: 'agent-1' });
       component.markStarted('agent-1');
 
-      for (const [time, glyph] of [[0, '◜'], [120, '◝'], [240, '◞'], [360, '◟']] as const) {
+      for (const [time, glyph] of [[0, '◐'], [300, '◓'], [600, '◑'], [900, '◒']] as const) {
         vi.setSystemTime(time);
         const line = component.render(100).find((candidate) => strip(candidate).includes('001'));
         expect(line).toContain(chalk.hex(darkColors.primary)(glyph));
+        expect(strip(aggregateLine(component.render(100).join('\n')))).toMatch(
+          /[⠋⠙⠹⠸⠼⠴⠦⠧⠇⠏] Orchestrating/,
+        );
       }
 
       component.markCompleted('agent-1', 'Done');
@@ -698,7 +707,7 @@ describe('DynamicWorkflowMissionControlComponent', () => {
 
       const output = renderText(component, 100);
       expect(memberLine(output, 1)).toMatch(/○\s+WAIT/u);
-      expect(memberLine(output, 2)).toMatch(/[◜◝◞◟]\s+RUN/u);
+      expect(memberLine(output, 2)).toMatch(/[◐◓◑◒]\s+RUN/u);
       expect(memberLine(output, 3)).toMatch(/✓\s+DONE/u);
     } finally {
       chalk.level = previousLevel;
@@ -717,7 +726,7 @@ describe('DynamicWorkflowMissionControlComponent', () => {
     const output = renderText(component, 100);
     const glyphColumns = [
       memberLine(output, 1).indexOf('○'),
-      memberLine(output, 2).search(/[◜◝◞◟]/u),
+      memberLine(output, 2).search(/[◐◓◑◒]/u),
       memberLine(output, 3).indexOf('✓'),
     ];
     expect(glyphColumns[0]).toBeGreaterThan(0);
@@ -883,7 +892,7 @@ describe('DynamicWorkflowMissionControlComponent', () => {
       const output = strip(rendered.join('\n'));
 
       expect(rendered.every((line) => visibleWidth(line) <= width)).toBe(true);
-      expect(memberLine(output, 1)).toMatch(/[◜◝◞◟]\s+RUN/u);
+      expect(memberLine(output, 1)).toMatch(/[◐◓◑◒]\s+RUN/u);
       expect(output.includes('PROGRESS')).toBe(expectedProgress);
       expect(output.includes('STATUS')).toBe(expectedStatus);
       expect(output).not.toContain('WORK IDLE');
@@ -900,7 +909,7 @@ describe('DynamicWorkflowMissionControlComponent', () => {
     component.markStarted('agent-1');
 
     vi.setSystemTime(30_000);
-    const before = memberLine(renderText(component, 100), 1).match(/[◜◝◞◟]/u)?.[0];
+    const before = memberLine(renderText(component, 100), 1).match(/[◐◓◑◒]/u)?.[0];
     component.recordToolCall({ agentId: 'agent-1', name: 'Read' });
     for (let index = 0; index < 200; index += 1) {
       component.appendModelDelta({ agentId: 'agent-1', delta: `chunk ${String(index)} ` });
@@ -908,7 +917,7 @@ describe('DynamicWorkflowMissionControlComponent', () => {
     component.recordToolCall({ agentId: 'agent-1', name: 'Bash' });
 
     const output = renderText(component, 100);
-    const after = memberLine(output, 1).match(/[◜◝◞◟]/u)?.[0];
+    const after = memberLine(output, 1).match(/[◐◓◑◒]/u)?.[0];
     expect(before).toBeDefined();
     expect(after).toBe(before);
     expect(output).not.toMatch(/\b\d+%|⚒/u);
diff --git a/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/components/messages/thinking.test.ts b/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/components/messages/thinking.test.ts
index 05d41a7e..b419f2d7 100644
--- a/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/components/messages/thinking.test.ts
+++ b/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/components/messages/thinking.test.ts
@@ -89,9 +89,21 @@ describe('ThinkingComponent', () => {
       expect(strip(secondHeader ?? '')).toBe(`⠙ ${formatThinkingSpinnerLabel()}`);
 
       vi.advanceTimersByTime(BRAILLE_SPINNER_INTERVAL_MS * (BRAILLE_SPINNER_FRAMES.length - 1));
-      const shimmerHeader = component.render(80)[1];
-      expect(strip(shimmerHeader ?? '')).toBe(strip(firstHeader ?? ''));
-      expect(shimmerHeader).not.toBe(firstHeader);
+      const fullCycleHeader = component.render(80)[1];
+      expect(fullCycleHeader).toBeDefined();
+      expect(firstHeader).toBeDefined();
+      expect(strip(fullCycleHeader as string)).toBe(strip(firstHeader as string));
+
+      const shimmerHeaders = [firstHeader, fullCycleHeader];
+      for (let sample = 0; sample < 3; sample++) {
+        vi.advanceTimersByTime(BRAILLE_SPINNER_INTERVAL_MS * BRAILLE_SPINNER_FRAMES.length);
+        shimmerHeaders.push(component.render(80)[1]);
+      }
+      for (const header of shimmerHeaders) expect(header).toBeDefined();
+      expect(shimmerHeaders.map((header) => strip(header as string))).toEqual(
+        shimmerHeaders.map(() => strip(firstHeader as string)),
+      );
+      expect(new Set(shimmerHeaders).size).toBeGreaterThan(1);
 
       component.finalize();
       requestRender.mockClear();
diff --git a/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/components/messages/tool-call.test.ts b/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/components/messages/tool-call.test.ts
index 7e28a357..e6052c2f 100644
--- a/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/components/messages/tool-call.test.ts
+++ b/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/components/messages/tool-call.test.ts
@@ -49,6 +49,68 @@ describe('ToolCallComponent', () => {
     expect(out).not.toContain(`${String.fromCodePoint(0x23fa, 0xfe0e)} Used Read`);
   });
 
+  it('tints the tool card for pending, successful, and failed states', () => {
+    const previousLevel = chalk.level;
+    chalk.level = 3;
+    const component = new ToolCallComponent(
+      {
+        id: 'call_tint',
+        name: 'Read',
+        args: { path: 'foo.ts' },
+      },
+      undefined,
+    );
+    try {
+      const pending = component.render(40);
+      const pendingBody = pending.slice(1);
+      expect(pending[0]).not.toContain('\u001B[48;2;29;33;41m');
+      expect(pendingBody.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+      expect(pendingBody.every((line) => line.includes('\u001B[48;2;29;33;41m'))).toBe(true);
+
+      component.setResult({ tool_call_id: 'call_tint', output: 'content', is_error: false });
+      const success = component.render(40);
+      const successBody = success.slice(1);
+      expect(successBody.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+      expect(successBody.every((line) => line.includes('\u001B[48;2;20;23;27m'))).toBe(true);
+
+      component.setResult({ tool_call_id: 'call_tint', output: 'failed', is_error: true });
+      const error = component.render(40);
+      const errorBody = error.slice(1);
+      expect(errorBody.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+      expect(errorBody.every((line) => line.includes('\u001B[48;2;41;29;29m'))).toBe(true);
+    } finally {
+      chalk.level = previousLevel;
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('does not tint a truncated tool call without a result', () => {
+    const previousLevel = chalk.level;
+    chalk.level = 3;
+    const component = new ToolCallComponent(
+      {
+        id: 'call_truncated_tint',
+        name: 'Read',
+        args: { path: 'foo.ts' },
+        truncated: true,
+      },
+      undefined,
+    );
+    try {
+      const backgrounds = [
+        '\u001B[48;2;29;33;41m',
+        '\u001B[48;2;20;23;27m',
+        '\u001B[48;2;41;29;29m',
+      ];
+      const lines = component.render(40);
+      expect(lines.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+      expect(
+        lines.every((line) => backgrounds.every((code) => !line.includes(code))),
+      ).toBe(true);
+    } finally {
+      chalk.level = previousLevel;
+    }
+  });
+
   it('renders MCP resource tools with friendly labels, context, and counts', () => {
     const list = new ToolCallComponent(
       {
diff --git a/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/components/panels/footer-bg-agents.test.ts b/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/components/panels/footer-bg-agents.test.ts
index f2947b20..b8363f41 100644
--- a/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/components/panels/footer-bg-agents.test.ts
+++ b/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/components/panels/footer-bg-agents.test.ts
@@ -2,13 +2,13 @@ import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
 
 import { FooterComponent } from '#/tui/components/chrome/footer';
 import { DEFAULT_STATUS_LINE_CONFIG } from '#/tui/config';
+import {
+  createFooterState,
+  reduceFooterState,
+  selectStatusBarExtras,
+} from '#/tui/runtime/footer/footer-model';
 import type { AppState } from '#/tui/types';
 
-const ANSI_SGR = /\[[0-9;]*m/g;
-function strip(text: string): string {
-  return text.replaceAll(ANSI_SGR, '');
-}
-
 function baseState(overrides: Partial<AppState> = {}): AppState {
   return {
     model: 'k2',
@@ -34,35 +34,41 @@ thinkingLevel: 'off',
   } as AppState;
 }
 
+function backgroundExtras(bashTasks: number, agentTasks: number): string {
+  const state = reduceFooterState(createFooterState(), {
+    type: 'background-counts.updated',
+    counts: { bashTasks, agentTasks },
+  });
+  return selectStatusBarExtras(state, Date.now(), DEFAULT_STATUS_LINE_CONFIG).join(' ');
+}
+
 describe('FooterComponent — background task / agent badges', () => {
   it('omits both badges when counts are 0', () => {
     const footer = new FooterComponent(baseState());
-    const [line1] = footer.render(120);
-    expect(line1).toBeDefined();
-    expect(strip(line1!)).not.toMatch(/tasks? running/);
-    expect(strip(line1!)).not.toMatch(/agents? running/);
+    expect(footer.actionItems()).toEqual([]);
+    expect(backgroundExtras(0, 0)).toBe('▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱ 0%');
   });
 
   it('renders the task badge alone when only bash tasks are running', () => {
     const footer = new FooterComponent(baseState());
     footer.setBackgroundCounts({ bashTasks: 1, agentTasks: 0 });
-    const out = strip(footer.render(120)[0]!);
-    expect(out).toMatch(/\[1 task running\]/);
-    expect(out).not.toMatch(/agents? running/);
+    const out = backgroundExtras(1, 0);
+    expect(out).toMatch(/\[1 task running\]/u);
+    expect(out).not.toMatch(/agents? running/u);
   });
 
   it('renders the agent badge alone when only agent tasks are running', () => {
     const footer = new FooterComponent(baseState());
     footer.setBackgroundCounts({ bashTasks: 0, agentTasks: 1 });
-    const out = strip(footer.render(120)[0]!);
-    expect(out).toMatch(/\[1 agent running\]/);
-    expect(out).not.toMatch(/tasks? running/);
+    const out = backgroundExtras(0, 1);
+    expect(out).toMatch(/\[1 agent running\]/u);
+    expect(out).not.toMatch(/tasks? running/u);
   });
 
   it('renders both badges side by side when both are non-zero', () => {
     const footer = new FooterComponent(baseState());
     footer.setBackgroundCounts({ bashTasks: 2, agentTasks: 3 });
-    const out = strip(footer.render(120)[0]!);
+    const out = backgroundExtras(2, 3);
     expect(out).toMatch(/\[2 tasks running\]/);
     expect(out).toMatch(/\[3 agents running\]/);
     // Task badge appears before agent badge in the line.
@@ -72,7 +78,7 @@ describe('FooterComponent — background task / agent badges', () => {
   it('pluralizes correctly across both badges', () => {
     const footer = new FooterComponent(baseState());
     footer.setBackgroundCounts({ bashTasks: 1, agentTasks: 1 });
-    const out = strip(footer.render(120)[0]!);
+    const out = backgroundExtras(1, 1);
     expect(out).toMatch(/\[1 task running\]/);
     expect(out).toMatch(/\[1 agent running\]/);
   });
@@ -80,11 +86,9 @@ describe('FooterComponent — background task / agent badges', () => {
   it('updates badges live via setBackgroundCounts', () => {
     const footer = new FooterComponent(baseState());
     footer.setBackgroundCounts({ bashTasks: 2, agentTasks: 1 });
-    expect(strip(footer.render(120)[0]!)).toMatch(/\[2 tasks running\]/);
+    expect(footer.actionItems().map((item) => item.id)).toEqual(['shell-tasks', 'agents']);
     footer.setBackgroundCounts({ bashTasks: 0, agentTasks: 0 });
-    const after = strip(footer.render(120)[0]!);
-    expect(after).not.toMatch(/tasks? running/);
-    expect(after).not.toMatch(/agents? running/);
+    expect(footer.actionItems()).toEqual([]);
   });
 
   it('clears selection when the selected task badge disappears', () => {
@@ -101,18 +105,12 @@ describe('FooterComponent — background task / agent badges', () => {
   it('clamps negative counts to 0', () => {
     const footer = new FooterComponent(baseState());
     footer.setBackgroundCounts({ bashTasks: -5, agentTasks: -2 });
-    const out = strip(footer.render(120)[0]!);
-    expect(out).not.toMatch(/tasks? running/);
-    expect(out).not.toMatch(/agents? running/);
+    expect(footer.actionItems()).toEqual([]);
   });
 
-  it('drops the badges when terminal is too narrow to fit them', () => {
+  it('does not render status badges in the footer at any width', () => {
     const footer = new FooterComponent(baseState());
     footer.setBackgroundCounts({ bashTasks: 4, agentTasks: 3 });
-    // Extremely narrow width: footer primary content fills the line, so leftLine wins.
-    const [line1] = footer.render(20);
-    expect(line1).toBeDefined();
-    expect(strip(line1!)).not.toMatch(/\[4 tasks running\]/);
-    expect(strip(line1!)).not.toMatch(/\[3 agents running\]/);
+    expect(footer.render(20)).toEqual([]);
   });
 });
diff --git a/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/components/panels/footer-context.test.ts b/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/components/panels/footer-context.test.ts
index 51c84093..6ad5c017 100644
--- a/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/components/panels/footer-context.test.ts
+++ b/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/components/panels/footer-context.test.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,16 @@
 import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest';
 import chalk from 'chalk';
 
-import { FooterComponent, formatFooterGitBadge } from '#/tui/components/chrome/footer';
+import {
+  FooterComponent,
+  footerStatusFromAppState,
+  formatFooterGitBadge,
+} from '#/tui/components/chrome/footer';
 import { DEFAULT_STATUS_LINE_CONFIG } from '#/tui/config';
+import {
+  createFooterState,
+  selectStatusBarExtras,
+} from '#/tui/runtime/footer/footer-model';
 import { darkColors } from '#/tui/theme/colors';
 import type { AppState } from '#/tui/types';
 
@@ -44,80 +52,57 @@ function baseState(overrides: Partial<AppState> = {}): AppState {
   } as AppState;
 }
 
+function statusExtras(state: AppState): string {
+  return selectStatusBarExtras(
+    createFooterState(footerStatusFromAppState(state, null)),
+    Date.now(),
+    state.statusLine,
+  ).join('');
+}
+
 describe('FooterComponent — quiet context status', () => {
   it('NaN usage → renders 0% (never literal "NaN%")', () => {
-    const fc = new FooterComponent(baseState({ contextUsage: Number.NaN }));
-    const rows = fc.render(120);
-    const out = strip(rows.join(''));
-    expect(rows).toHaveLength(1);
+    const out = statusExtras(baseState({ contextUsage: Number.NaN }));
     expect(out).not.toMatch(/NaN/);
     expect(out).toContain('▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱ 0%');
   });
 
   it('undefined-ish (coerced) usage → renders 0%', () => {
-    const fc = new FooterComponent(
+    const out = statusExtras(
       baseState({ contextUsage: undefined as unknown as number }),
     );
-    const out = strip(fc.render(120).join(''));
     expect(out).not.toMatch(/NaN/);
     expect(out).toContain('▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱ 0%');
   });
 
   it('clamps ratios above 1.0 → renders 100%', () => {
-    const fc = new FooterComponent(baseState({ contextUsage: 1.5 }));
-    const out = strip(fc.render(120).join(''));
+    const out = statusExtras(baseState({ contextUsage: 1.5 }));
     expect(out).toContain('▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰ 100%');
   });
 
   it('ratio 0.427 → renders 43%', () => {
-    const fc = new FooterComponent(baseState({ contextUsage: 0.427 }));
-    const out = strip(fc.render(200).join(''));
+    const out = statusExtras(baseState({ contextUsage: 0.427 }));
     expect(out).toContain('▰▰▰▱▱▱▱▱ 43%');
   });
 
   it('tokens provided but max=0 → falls back to contextUsage without division-by-zero artefacts', () => {
-    const fc = new FooterComponent(
+    const out = statusExtras(
       baseState({ contextUsage: 0, contextTokens: 500, maxContextTokens: 0 }),
     );
-    const out = strip(fc.render(200).join(''));
     expect(out).not.toMatch(/Infinity|NaN/);
     expect(out).toMatch(/[▰▱]{8} \d+%/u);
     // With maxTokens=0, token-count annotation is suppressed.
     expect(out).not.toMatch(/500\//);
   });
 
-  it('setState updates visible model and context values', () => {
-    const footer = new FooterComponent(baseState({ model: 'k2', contextUsage: 0 }));
-
-    footer.setState(baseState({ model: 'pythinker-k2-5', contextUsage: 0.5 }));
-
-    const rows = footer.render(200);
-    const out = strip(rows.join(''));
-    expect(rows).toHaveLength(1);
-    expect(out).toMatch(/^ {2}pythinker-k2-5/);
-    expect(out).not.toContain(' k2 ');
-    expect(out).toContain('▰▰▰▰▱▱▱▱ 50%');
-    expect(out).not.toContain('/tmp');
-    expect(out).not.toContain('shift+tab: plan mode');
-  });
-
-  it('shows a dim effort suffix when thinking is enabled, hides it when off', () => {
-    const on = new FooterComponent(baseState({ model: 'k2', thinkingLevel: 'medium' }));
-    const off = new FooterComponent(baseState({ model: 'k2', thinkingLevel: 'off' }));
-
-    expect(strip(on.render(120)[0]!)).toContain('k2 · med');
-    expect(strip(on.render(120)[0]!)).not.toMatch(/[◆*]/u);
-    expect(strip(off.render(120)[0]!)).not.toContain(' · med');
-  });
-
-  it('renders transient hints on the context line', () => {
+  it('renders transient hints without the suppressed status row', () => {
     const footer = new FooterComponent(baseState());
 
     footer.setTransientHint('Press Ctrl-C again to exit');
 
     const output = strip(footer.render(120).join('\n'));
     expect(output).toContain('Press Ctrl-C again to exit');
-    expect(output).toContain('▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱ 0%');
+    expect(output).not.toContain('▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱ 0%');
     expect(output).not.toContain('shift+tab: plan mode');
   });
 
diff --git a/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/components/panels/footer-goal-badge.test.ts b/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/components/panels/footer-goal-badge.test.ts
index 81bbb551..5e72e6e0 100644
--- a/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/components/panels/footer-goal-badge.test.ts
+++ b/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/components/panels/footer-goal-badge.test.ts
@@ -1,15 +1,15 @@
 import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
 
-import { FooterComponent } from '#/tui/components/chrome/footer';
+import { FooterComponent, footerStatusFromAppState } from '#/tui/components/chrome/footer';
 import { DEFAULT_STATUS_LINE_CONFIG } from '#/tui/config';
+import {
+  createFooterState,
+  reduceFooterState,
+  selectStatusBarExtras,
+} from '#/tui/runtime/footer/footer-model';
 import type { GoalSnapshot } from '@pythoughts/pythinker-code-sdk';
 import type { AppState } from '#/tui/types';
 
-const ANSI_SGR = /\u001B\[[0-9;]*m/g;
-function strip(text: string): string {
-  return text.replaceAll(ANSI_SGR, '');
-}
-
 function baseState(overrides: Partial<AppState> = {}): AppState {
   return {
     model: 'k2',
@@ -52,19 +52,42 @@ function goal(overrides: Partial<GoalSnapshot> = {}): GoalSnapshot {
   } as GoalSnapshot;
 }
 
+function goalExtras(
+  state: AppState,
+  observedAtMs = Date.now(),
+  clockMs = Date.now(),
+): string {
+  const snapshot = state.goal;
+  const footerState = reduceFooterState(
+    createFooterState(footerStatusFromAppState(state, null)),
+    {
+      type: 'goal.updated',
+      goal:
+        snapshot === null || snapshot === undefined
+          ? null
+          : {
+              status: snapshot.status,
+              turnsUsed: snapshot.turnsUsed,
+              turnBudget: snapshot.budget.turnBudget,
+              wallClockMs: snapshot.wallClockMs,
+              observedAtMs,
+            },
+    },
+  );
+  return selectStatusBarExtras(footerState, clockMs, state.statusLine).join(' ');
+}
+
 describe('FooterComponent — goal badge', () => {
   afterEach(() => {
     vi.useRealTimers();
   });
 
   it('omits the badge when there is no goal', () => {
-    const footer = new FooterComponent(baseState({ goal: null }));
-    expect(strip(footer.render(160)[0]!)).not.toMatch(/goal/);
+    expect(goalExtras(baseState({ goal: null }))).not.toMatch(/goal/);
   });
 
   it('shows status, elapsed, and a raw turn count for an unbounded active goal', () => {
-    const footer = new FooterComponent(baseState({ goal: goal() }));
-    const out = strip(footer.render(160)[0]!);
+    const out = goalExtras(baseState({ goal: goal() }));
     expect(out).toContain('[goal');
     expect(out).toContain('active');
     expect(out).toContain('4m');
@@ -77,13 +100,10 @@ describe('FooterComponent — goal badge', () => {
     vi.useFakeTimers();
     vi.setSystemTime(0);
 
-    const footer = new FooterComponent(
-      baseState({ goal: goal({ wallClockMs: 0, turnsUsed: 0 }) }),
-    );
-
-    expect(strip(footer.render(160)[0]!)).toContain('0s');
+    const state = baseState({ goal: goal({ wallClockMs: 0, turnsUsed: 0 }) });
+    expect(goalExtras(state, 0, 0)).toContain('0s');
     vi.setSystemTime(2_500);
-    expect(strip(footer.render(160)[0]!)).toContain('3s');
+    expect(goalExtras(state, 0, 2_500)).toContain('3s');
   });
 
   it('requests a repaint while an active goal timer is visible', () => {
@@ -97,27 +117,24 @@ describe('FooterComponent — goal badge', () => {
   });
 
   it('shows used/limit turns only when a turn budget is set', () => {
-    const footer = new FooterComponent(
+    const out = goalExtras(
       baseState({ goal: goal({ budget: { turnBudget: 20, tokenBudget: null, wallClockBudgetMs: null } } as Partial<GoalSnapshot>) }),
     );
-    expect(strip(footer.render(160)[0]!)).toContain('7/20 turns');
+    expect(out).toContain('7/20 turns');
   });
 
   it('shows a paused badge', () => {
-    const footer = new FooterComponent(baseState({ goal: goal({ status: 'paused' }) }));
-    expect(strip(footer.render(160)[0]!)).toContain('paused');
+    expect(goalExtras(baseState({ goal: goal({ status: 'paused' }) }))).toContain('paused');
   });
 
   it('shows a blocked badge (resumable, still present)', () => {
-    const footer = new FooterComponent(baseState({ goal: goal({ status: 'blocked' }) }));
-    const out = strip(footer.render(160)[0]!);
+    const out = goalExtras(baseState({ goal: goal({ status: 'blocked' }) }));
     expect(out).toContain('[goal');
     expect(out).toContain('blocked');
   });
 
   it('hides the badge for a completed goal', () => {
-    const footer = new FooterComponent(baseState({ goal: goal({ status: 'complete' }) }));
-    expect(strip(footer.render(160)[0]!)).not.toMatch(/goal/);
+    expect(goalExtras(baseState({ goal: goal({ status: 'complete' }) }))).not.toMatch(/goal/);
   });
 
   it('clears selection when the selected goal disappears', () => {
@@ -131,8 +148,7 @@ describe('FooterComponent — goal badge', () => {
   });
 
   it('singularizes a single turn', () => {
-    const footer = new FooterComponent(baseState({ goal: goal({ turnsUsed: 1 }) }));
-    const out = strip(footer.render(160)[0]!);
+    const out = goalExtras(baseState({ goal: goal({ turnsUsed: 1 }) }));
     expect(out).toContain('1 turn');
     expect(out).not.toContain('1 turns');
   });
diff --git a/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/components/status-bar.test.ts b/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/components/status-bar.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f358f376
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/components/status-bar.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,227 @@
+import { visibleWidth } from '@earendil-works/pi-tui';
+import chalk from 'chalk';
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+
+import {
+  StatusBarComponent,
+  type StatusBarStatus,
+} from '#/tui/components/chrome/status-bar';
+import { DEFAULT_STATUS_LINE_CONFIG } from '#/tui/config';
+import { currentTheme, darkColors } from '#/tui/theme';
+
+function stripAnsi(text: string): string {
+  return text.replaceAll(/\u001B\[[0-9;]*m/gu, '');
+}
+
+function renderRow(component: StatusBarComponent, width: number): string {
+  const rows = component.render(width);
+  expect(rows.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+  return rows[0] as string;
+}
+
+function status(overrides: Partial<StatusBarStatus> = {}): StatusBarStatus {
+  return {
+    model: 'Model Alpha',
+    thinkingLevel: 'high',
+    cwd: '/Users/test/project',
+    homeDir: '/Users/test',
+    permissionMode: 'auto',
+    planMode: true,
+    fastMode: false,
+    dynamicWorkflowMode: true,
+    tokenSpeed: null,
+    tokenSpeedEstimated: false,
+    extras: [],
+    sessionKey: 'session-alpha',
+    statusLine: DEFAULT_STATUS_LINE_CONFIG,
+    ...overrides,
+  };
+}
+
+describe('StatusBarComponent', () => {
+  it('renders one line with the model and effort label', () => {
+    const component = new StatusBarComponent();
+    component.update(status());
+
+    const lines = component.render(80);
+
+    expect(lines).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(stripAnsi(lines[0] as string)).toContain('Model Alpha · high');
+  });
+
+  it('omits the effort suffix when thinking is off', () => {
+    const component = new StatusBarComponent();
+    component.update(status({ thinkingLevel: 'off' }));
+
+    const line = stripAnsi(renderRow(component, 80));
+
+    expect(line).toContain('Model Alpha');
+    expect(line).not.toContain('· off');
+  });
+
+  it('hides the model chip when showModel is false', () => {
+    const component = new StatusBarComponent();
+    component.update(status({
+      statusLine: { ...DEFAULT_STATUS_LINE_CONFIG, showModel: false },
+    }));
+    expect(stripAnsi(renderRow(component, 80))).not.toContain('Model Alpha');
+  });
+
+  it('hides the modes chip when showModes is false', () => {
+    const component = new StatusBarComponent();
+    component.update(status({
+      statusLine: { ...DEFAULT_STATUS_LINE_CONFIG, showModes: false },
+    }));
+    const line = stripAnsi(renderRow(component, 80));
+
+    expect(line).not.toContain('plan');
+    expect(line).not.toContain('auto');
+    expect(line).not.toContain('workflow');
+  });
+
+  it('hides only the effort suffix when showEffort is false', () => {
+    const component = new StatusBarComponent();
+    component.update(status({
+      statusLine: { ...DEFAULT_STATUS_LINE_CONFIG, showEffort: false },
+    }));
+
+    const line = stripAnsi(renderRow(component, 80));
+
+    expect(line).toContain('Model Alpha');
+    expect(line).not.toContain('· high');
+  });
+
+  it('renders yolo with the error colour', () => {
+    const previousLevel = chalk.level;
+    const previousPalette = currentTheme.palette;
+    chalk.level = 3;
+    currentTheme.setPalette(darkColors);
+
+    try {
+      const component = new StatusBarComponent();
+      component.update(status({ permissionMode: 'yolo' }));
+
+      expect(renderRow(component, 80)).toContain(chalk.hex(darkColors.error)('yolo'));
+    } finally {
+      chalk.level = previousLevel;
+      currentTheme.setPalette(previousPalette);
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('drops the gap, modes, and cwd in that order as width shrinks', () => {
+    const component = new StatusBarComponent();
+    component.update(status());
+
+    const wide = stripAnsi(renderRow(component, 60));
+    const withoutGap = stripAnsi(renderRow(component, 53));
+    const withoutModes = stripAnsi(renderRow(component, 45));
+    const modelOnly = stripAnsi(renderRow(component, 25));
+
+    expect(wide).toContain('─');
+    expect(withoutGap).not.toContain('─');
+    expect(withoutGap).toContain('workflow');
+    expect(withoutGap).toContain('~/project');
+    expect(withoutModes).not.toContain('workflow');
+    expect(withoutModes).toContain('~/project');
+    expect(modelOnly).toContain('Model Alpha');
+    expect(modelOnly).not.toContain('~/project');
+  });
+
+  it('never renders past the available width', () => {
+    const component = new StatusBarComponent();
+    component.update(status());
+
+    for (const width of [0, 1, 10, 25, 45, 53, 80]) {
+      const lines = component.render(width);
+      expect(lines).toHaveLength(1);
+      expect(visibleWidth(lines[0]!)).toBeLessThanOrEqual(width);
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('renders fast mode', () => {
+    const previousLevel = chalk.level;
+    chalk.level = 3;
+    const component = new StatusBarComponent();
+    component.update(status({ fastMode: true }));
+
+    try {
+      expect(stripAnsi(renderRow(component, 80))).toContain('↯ fast');
+    } finally {
+      chalk.level = previousLevel;
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('renders token speed at the end of the model chip', () => {
+    const component = new StatusBarComponent();
+    component.update(status({
+      fastMode: true,
+      tokenSpeed: 75.7,
+      tokenSpeedEstimated: true,
+    }));
+
+    const modelChip = stripAnsi(renderRow(component, 120)).split('  ')[0]?.trim();
+
+    expect(modelChip).toBe('Model Alpha · high · ↯ fast · ~75.7 t/s');
+  });
+
+  it('hides token speed when showTokenSpeed is false', () => {
+    const component = new StatusBarComponent();
+    component.update(status({
+      tokenSpeed: 75.7,
+      statusLine: { ...DEFAULT_STATUS_LINE_CONFIG, showTokenSpeed: false },
+    }));
+
+    const modelChip = stripAnsi(renderRow(component, 120)).split('  ')[0]?.trim();
+
+    expect(modelChip).toBe('Model Alpha · high');
+  });
+
+  it('does not leave a separator when token speed is null', () => {
+    const component = new StatusBarComponent();
+    component.update(status({ fastMode: true, tokenSpeed: null }));
+
+    const modelChip = stripAnsi(renderRow(component, 120)).split('  ')[0]?.trim();
+
+    expect(modelChip).toBe('Model Alpha · high · ↯ fast');
+  });
+
+  it('renders extras in order between modes and cwd', () => {
+    const component = new StatusBarComponent();
+    component.update(status({ extras: ['6% · 55.6k/1M', 'main ± [PR#1]'] }));
+
+    const line = stripAnsi(renderRow(component, 160));
+
+    expect(line.indexOf('workflow')).toBeLessThan(line.indexOf('6% · 55.6k/1M'));
+    expect(line.indexOf('6% · 55.6k/1M')).toBeLessThan(line.indexOf('main ± [PR#1]'));
+    expect(line.indexOf('main ± [PR#1]')).toBeLessThan(line.indexOf('~/project'));
+  });
+
+  it('drops extras from the tail before the modes and cwd chips', () => {
+    const component = new StatusBarComponent();
+    component.update(status({ extras: ['first', 'second'] }));
+
+    const line = stripAnsi(renderRow(component, 62));
+
+    expect(line).toContain('Model Alpha');
+    expect(line).toContain('first');
+    expect(line).not.toContain('second');
+    expect(line).toContain('workflow');
+    expect(line).toContain('~/project');
+  });
+
+  it.each([
+    [
+      '/Users/test/Projects/active/pythinker-code-tsc/apps/pythinker-code',
+      '/Users/test',
+      '…/apps/pythinker-code',
+    ],
+    ['/Users/test/Projects/active', '/Users/test', '~/Projects/active'],
+    ['/Users/test', '/Users/test', '~'],
+    ['/a/b/c/d', '/Users/test', '…/c/d'],
+  ])('shortens cwd %s to %s', (cwd, homeDir, expected) => {
+    const component = new StatusBarComponent();
+    component.update(status({ cwd, homeDir }));
+
+    expect(stripAnsi(renderRow(component, 240))).toContain(expected);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/controllers/session-event-handler-goal-queue.test.ts b/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/controllers/session-event-handler-goal-queue.test.ts
index 952a982e..9e389f91 100644
--- a/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/controllers/session-event-handler-goal-queue.test.ts
+++ b/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/controllers/session-event-handler-goal-queue.test.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ import {
   createFooterState,
   reduceFooterState,
   selectFooterViewModel,
+  selectStatusBarExtras,
+  selectStatusItemParts,
   type FooterEvent,
 } from '#/tui/runtime/footer/footer-model';
 import { SessionEventHandler } from '#/tui/controllers/session-event-handler';
@@ -174,11 +176,14 @@ function makeTokenSpeedHost() {
       ),
     );
   });
-  return { host, footer };
-}
-
-function renderFooter(footer: FooterComponent): string {
-  return footer.render(160)[0]?.replaceAll(/\u001B\[[0-9;]*m/g, '') ?? '';
+  return {
+    host,
+    footer,
+    renderStatusBarExtras: () =>
+      selectStatusBarExtras(footerState, Date.now(), DEFAULT_STATUS_LINE_CONFIG).join(' '),
+    renderStatusBarModel: () =>
+      selectStatusItemParts(footerState, Date.now(), DEFAULT_STATUS_LINE_CONFIG).model,
+  };
 }
 
 function sendQueuedViaHost(host: ReturnType<typeof makeHost>['host'], session: unknown) {
@@ -368,7 +373,7 @@ describe('SessionEventHandler Dynamic Workflow routing', () => {
 
 describe('SessionEventHandler token speed', () => {
   it('projects spend into the footer and retains pricing for /cost', () => {
-    const { host, footer } = makeTokenSpeedHost();
+    const { host, footer, renderStatusBarExtras } = makeTokenSpeedHost();
     const handler = new SessionEventHandler(host);
     try {
       handler.handleEvent(
@@ -382,9 +387,9 @@ describe('SessionEventHandler token speed', () => {
         vi.fn(),
       );
 
-      expect(renderFooter(footer)).not.toContain('in $3/M out $15/M');
-      expect(renderFooter(footer)).toContain('$0.13');
-      expect(renderFooter(footer)).not.toContain('spent');
+      expect(renderStatusBarExtras()).not.toContain('in $3/M out $15/M');
+      expect(renderStatusBarExtras()).toContain('$0.13');
+      expect(renderStatusBarExtras()).not.toContain('spent');
       expect(host.state.appState.modelCostRates).toEqual({ input: 3, output: 15 });
       expect(host.state.appState.totalCostUsd).toBe(0.125);
 
@@ -445,7 +450,7 @@ describe('SessionEventHandler token speed', () => {
   ])('updates a live estimate from $name and replaces it with exact usage', ({ event }) => {
     vi.useFakeTimers();
     vi.setSystemTime(0);
-    const { host, footer } = makeTokenSpeedHost();
+    const { host, footer, renderStatusBarModel } = makeTokenSpeedHost();
     const handler = new SessionEventHandler(host);
     try {
       handler.handleEvent(
@@ -464,7 +469,7 @@ describe('SessionEventHandler token speed', () => {
       vi.setSystemTime(3_000);
       handler.handleEvent(event('x'.repeat(400)), vi.fn());
 
-      expect(renderFooter(footer)).toContain('~100.0 t/s');
+      expect(renderStatusBarModel()).toContain('~100.0 t/s');
 
       handler.handleEvent(
         {
@@ -483,8 +488,8 @@ describe('SessionEventHandler token speed', () => {
         },
         vi.fn(),
       );
-      expect(renderFooter(footer)).toContain('42.0 t/s');
-      expect(renderFooter(footer)).not.toContain('~42.0 t/s');
+      expect(renderStatusBarModel()).toContain('42.0 t/s');
+      expect(renderStatusBarModel()).not.toContain('~42.0 t/s');
     } finally {
       footer.dispose();
     }
@@ -493,7 +498,7 @@ describe('SessionEventHandler token speed', () => {
   it('keeps concurrent agent stream estimates separate', () => {
     vi.useFakeTimers();
     vi.setSystemTime(0);
-    const { host, footer } = makeTokenSpeedHost();
+    const { host, footer, renderStatusBarModel } = makeTokenSpeedHost();
     const handler = new SessionEventHandler(host);
     const event = (agentId: string, delta: string) => ({
       type: 'assistant.delta' as const,
@@ -508,18 +513,18 @@ describe('SessionEventHandler token speed', () => {
       handler.handleEvent(event('agent-b', 'abcd'), vi.fn());
       vi.setSystemTime(1_000);
       handler.handleEvent(event('agent-a', 'x'.repeat(400)), vi.fn());
-      expect(renderFooter(footer)).toContain('~100.0 t/s');
+      expect(renderStatusBarModel()).toContain('~100.0 t/s');
 
       vi.setSystemTime(1_500);
       handler.handleEvent(event('agent-b', 'x'.repeat(200)), vi.fn());
-      expect(renderFooter(footer)).toContain('~50.0 t/s');
+      expect(renderStatusBarModel()).toContain('~50.0 t/s');
     } finally {
       footer.dispose();
     }
   });
 
   it('uses the latest valid main or child completed stream', () => {
-    const { host, footer } = makeTokenSpeedHost();
+    const { host, footer, renderStatusBarModel } = makeTokenSpeedHost();
     const handler = new SessionEventHandler(host);
     try {
       handler.handleEvent(
@@ -539,7 +544,7 @@ describe('SessionEventHandler token speed', () => {
         },
         vi.fn(),
       );
-      expect(renderFooter(footer)).toContain('42.0 t/s');
+      expect(renderStatusBarModel()).toContain('42.0 t/s');
 
       handler.handleEvent(
         {
@@ -558,7 +563,7 @@ describe('SessionEventHandler token speed', () => {
         },
         vi.fn(),
       );
-      expect(renderFooter(footer)).toContain('50.0 t/s');
+      expect(renderStatusBarModel()).toContain('50.0 t/s');
     } finally {
       footer.dispose();
     }
@@ -591,7 +596,7 @@ describe('SessionEventHandler token speed', () => {
       output: 10,
     }, Number.NaN],
   ] as const)('ignores %s', (_label, usage, llmStreamDurationMs) => {
-    const { host, footer } = makeTokenSpeedHost();
+    const { host, footer, renderStatusBarModel } = makeTokenSpeedHost();
     const handler = new SessionEventHandler(host);
     try {
       handler.handleEvent(
@@ -611,7 +616,7 @@ describe('SessionEventHandler token speed', () => {
         },
         vi.fn(),
       );
-      expect(renderFooter(footer)).toContain('42.0 t/s');
+      expect(renderStatusBarModel()).toContain('42.0 t/s');
 
       handler.handleEvent(
         {
@@ -625,14 +630,14 @@ describe('SessionEventHandler token speed', () => {
         },
         vi.fn(),
       );
-      expect(renderFooter(footer)).toContain('42.0 t/s');
+      expect(renderStatusBarModel()).toContain('42.0 t/s');
     } finally {
       footer.dispose();
     }
   });
 
   it('clears completed throughput when the turn ends', () => {
-    const { host, footer } = makeTokenSpeedHost();
+    const { host, footer, renderStatusBarModel } = makeTokenSpeedHost();
     const handler = new SessionEventHandler(host);
     try {
       handler.handleEvent(
@@ -652,18 +657,18 @@ describe('SessionEventHandler token speed', () => {
         },
         vi.fn(),
       );
-      expect(renderFooter(footer)).toContain('42.0 t/s');
+      expect(renderStatusBarModel()).toContain('42.0 t/s');
 
       handler.handleEvent(turnEndedEvent(), vi.fn());
 
-      expect(renderFooter(footer)).not.toContain('t/s');
+      expect(renderStatusBarModel()).not.toContain('t/s');
     } finally {
       footer.dispose();
     }
   });
 
   it('ignores replayed completion metrics and clears on runtime reset', () => {
-    const { host, footer } = makeTokenSpeedHost();
+    const { host, footer, renderStatusBarModel } = makeTokenSpeedHost();
     const handler = new SessionEventHandler(host);
     try {
       handler.handleEvent(
@@ -683,7 +688,7 @@ describe('SessionEventHandler token speed', () => {
         },
         vi.fn(),
       );
-      expect(renderFooter(footer)).toContain('10.0 t/s');
+      expect(renderStatusBarModel()).toContain('10.0 t/s');
 
       host.state.appState.isReplaying = true;
       handler.handleEvent(
@@ -703,10 +708,10 @@ describe('SessionEventHandler token speed', () => {
         },
         vi.fn(),
       );
-      expect(renderFooter(footer)).toContain('10.0 t/s');
+      expect(renderStatusBarModel()).toContain('10.0 t/s');
 
       handler.resetRuntimeState();
-      expect(renderFooter(footer)).not.toContain('t/s');
+      expect(renderStatusBarModel()).not.toContain('t/s');
     } finally {
       footer.dispose();
     }
diff --git a/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/pythinker-tui-message-flow.test.ts b/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/pythinker-tui-message-flow.test.ts
index c3c35aac..b1df40d3 100644
--- a/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/pythinker-tui-message-flow.test.ts
+++ b/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/pythinker-tui-message-flow.test.ts
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ import {
   promptFeedbackInput,
   runModelSelector,
 } from '#/tui/commands/prompts';
+import { currentTheme } from '#/tui/theme';
 import type { QueuedMessage } from '#/tui/types';
 import type { ImageAttachmentStore } from '#/tui/utils/image-attachment-store';
 import { LEGACY_TEST_PATHS, PARITY_CASES } from './parity/feature-matrix';
@@ -3064,7 +3065,7 @@ command = "vim"
     expect(transcript).not.toContain('I am implementing the dedicated /btw panel.');
   });
 
-  it('keeps the /btw panel above MCP status and the input after later transcript output', async () => {
+  it('keeps the /btw panel above MCP status, the status bar, and the input', async () => {
     const session = makeSession();
     const { driver } = await makeDriver(session);
     await openBtwPanel(driver, session);
@@ -3121,6 +3122,9 @@ command = "vim"
     expect(rootChildren.indexOf(driver.state.mcpStatusContainer)).toBe(
       rootChildren.indexOf(driver.state.editorContainer) - 1,
     );
+    expect(rootChildren.indexOf(driver.state.editorContainer)).toBe(
+      rootChildren.indexOf(driver.state.statusBarContainer) - 1,
+    );
     expect(transcript).toContain('main answer after btw');
     expect(transcript).not.toContain('side answer');
     expect(panel).toContain('BTW');
@@ -3944,7 +3948,7 @@ command = "vim"
     const transcript = stripSgr(renderTranscript(driver));
     expect(transcript).toContain('Dynamic Workflow');
     // The running row advances through the approved progress-glyph frames.
-    expect(transcript).toMatch(/001\s+[◜◝◞◟]\s+RUN\s+src\/a.ts/u);
+    expect(transcript).toMatch(/001\s+[◐◓◑◒]\s+RUN\s+src\/a.ts/u);
     expect(transcript).toMatch(/002\s+✓\s+DONE\s+src\/b.ts/u);
     expect(transcript).toMatch(/Orchestrating\s+1\/2 complete/u);
     expect(transcript).not.toContain('━');
@@ -5432,7 +5436,7 @@ command = "vim"
     expect(driver.state.appState.thinkingLevel).toBe('off');
   });
 
-  it('tints the prompt-box border by the current thinking effort', async () => {
+  it('keeps the prompt-box border neutral across thinking effort and permission mode', async () => {
     const session = makeSession();
     const { driver } = await makeDriver(session, {
       getConfig: vi.fn(async () => ({
@@ -5456,16 +5460,21 @@ command = "vim"
     chalk.level = 3;
     try {
       const tui = driver as unknown as PythinkerTUI;
-      const paintAt = (level: string): string => {
-        tui.setAppState({ thinkingLevel: level });
+      const paintAt = (thinkingLevel: string): string => {
+        tui.setAppState({ thinkingLevel });
         return driver.state.editor.borderColor('─');
       };
       const offPaint = paintAt('off');
+      tui.setAppState({ permissionMode: 'yolo' });
+      expect(driver.state.editor.borderColor('─')).toBe(offPaint);
+
+      tui.setAppState({ permissionMode: 'manual' });
       const perLevel = ['low', 'medium', 'high'].map(paintAt);
-      // Effort levels tint the border away from the default, each with the
-      // theme's own gradient stop for that level.
-      for (const painted of perLevel) expect(painted).not.toBe(offPaint);
-      expect(new Set(perLevel).size).toBe(perLevel.length);
+      for (const painted of perLevel) expect(painted).toBe(offPaint);
+
+      tui.setAppState({ planMode: true });
+      expect(driver.state.editor.borderColor('─')).toBe(currentTheme.fg('primary', '─'));
+      expect(driver.state.editor.borderColor('─')).not.toBe(offPaint);
     } finally {
       chalk.level = previousLevel;
     }
diff --git a/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/pythinker-tui-startup.test.ts b/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/pythinker-tui-startup.test.ts
index d73bea0a..6af68ba2 100644
--- a/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/pythinker-tui-startup.test.ts
+++ b/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/pythinker-tui-startup.test.ts
@@ -551,7 +551,7 @@ describe('PythinkerTUI startup', () => {
     expect(driver.state.ui.children).toEqual([driver.state.layoutRoot]);
   });
 
-  it('places MCP startup status immediately above the editor in inline layout', () => {
+  it('places the status bar directly below the editor in inline layout', () => {
     const harness = makeHarness();
     const driver = makeDriver(harness, makeStartupInput({}, { layout: 'inline' }));
     const children = driver.state.ui.children;
@@ -559,6 +559,9 @@ describe('PythinkerTUI startup', () => {
     expect(children.indexOf(driver.state.mcpStatusContainer)).toBe(
       children.indexOf(driver.state.editorContainer) - 1,
     );
+    expect(children.indexOf(driver.state.editorContainer)).toBe(
+      children.indexOf(driver.state.statusBarContainer) - 1,
+    );
   });
 
   it('places MCP startup status immediately above the editor in fixed layout', () => {
diff --git a/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/runtime/footer-model.test.ts b/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/runtime/footer-model.test.ts
index 095f748a..13e15881 100644
--- a/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/runtime/footer-model.test.ts
+++ b/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/runtime/footer-model.test.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import {
   foldFooterEvents,
   formatStatusRow,
   selectFooterViewModel as selectFooterViewModelBase,
+  selectStatusBarExtras,
   type FooterEvent,
   type FooterStatus,
   type FooterStatusRowViewModel,
@@ -301,6 +302,28 @@ describe('footer model', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it('projects status-bar extras in priority order without the model and modes items', () => {
+    const state = foldFooterEvents(
+      createFooterState({
+        model: 'DeepSeek V4 Flash',
+        contextUsage: 0.05,
+        dynamicWorkflowMode: true,
+        git: workflowStatus().git,
+        tokenSpeed: 75.7,
+        tokenSpeedEstimated: true,
+      }),
+      [
+        {
+          type: 'update.updated',
+          update: { version: '0.11.0', state: 'available', percent: null },
+        },
+      ],
+    );
+    expect(selectStatusBarExtras(state, CLOCK_MS, DEFAULT_STATUS_LINE_CONFIG)).toEqual(
+      ['▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱ 5%', 'main ↑15', '↑ v0.11.0'],
+    );
+  });
+
   it('hides model metadata and spend together when the model item is disabled', () => {
     const row = mainStatusRow(statusConfig({ showModel: false }));
 
diff --git a/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/theme/palette.test.ts b/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/theme/palette.test.ts
index 77e880a8..ed637842 100644
--- a/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/theme/palette.test.ts
+++ b/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/theme/palette.test.ts
@@ -81,6 +81,9 @@ const exemptTokens = [
   'inverseText',
   'selectionBg',
   'surfaceHighlight',
+  'toolPendingBg',
+  'toolSuccessBg',
+  'toolErrorBg',
   'progressEmpty',
 ] as const;
 
@@ -348,7 +351,7 @@ describe('theme palettes', () => {
     const lightTokens = Object.keys(lightColors).toSorted();
     const schemaProperties = schema.properties.colors.properties;
 
-    expect(darkTokens).toHaveLength(57);
+    expect(darkTokens).toHaveLength(60);
     expect(lightTokens).toEqual(darkTokens);
     expect(Object.keys(schemaProperties).toSorted()).toEqual(darkTokens);
     expect(
diff --git a/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/utils/session-accent.test.ts b/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/utils/session-accent.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5b748bde
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/utils/session-accent.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+
+import { accentHexForHue, sessionAccentHex } from '#/tui/utils/session-accent';
+
+function channelSum(hex: string): number {
+  return [1, 3, 5].reduce((sum, start) => sum + Number.parseInt(hex.slice(start, start + 2), 16), 0);
+}
+
+function relativeLuminance(hex: string): number {
+  const channels = [1, 3, 5].map((start) => Number.parseInt(hex.slice(start, start + 2), 16) / 255);
+  const [red, green, blue] = channels.map((channel) =>
+    channel <= 0.03928 ? channel / 12.92 : ((channel + 0.055) / 1.055) ** 2.4,
+  );
+  return 0.2126 * red! + 0.7152 * green! + 0.0722 * blue!;
+}
+
+describe('sessionAccentHex', () => {
+  it('returns a stable six-digit hex color for each key', () => {
+    const accent = sessionAccentHex('session-alpha', 'dark');
+
+    expect(accent).toBe(sessionAccentHex('session-alpha', 'dark'));
+    expect(accent).toMatch(/^#[0-9a-fA-F]{6}$/u);
+  });
+
+  it('gives known session keys different hues', () => {
+    expect(sessionAccentHex('session-alpha', 'dark')).not.toBe(
+      sessionAccentHex('session-beta', 'dark'),
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('uses a darker light-theme variant', () => {
+    expect(channelSum(sessionAccentHex('session-alpha', 'light'))).toBeLessThan(
+      channelSum(sessionAccentHex('session-alpha', 'dark')),
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('keeps every light-theme hue above the chrome contrast floor', () => {
+    for (let hue = 0; hue < 360; hue++) {
+      const contrast = 1.05 / (relativeLuminance(accentHexForHue(hue, 'light')) + 0.05);
+      expect(contrast, `hue ${String(hue)}`).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(3);
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('keeps the dark-theme hue mapping unchanged', () => {
+    expect(accentHexForHue(60, 'dark')).toBe('#F8F877');
+  });
+});
diff --git a/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/utils/shimmer.test.ts b/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/utils/shimmer.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cce1c38a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/pythinker-code/test/tui/utils/shimmer.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+import chalk from 'chalk';
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
+
+import { currentTheme, darkColors } from '#/tui/theme';
+import { shimmerText } from '#/tui/utils/shimmer';
+
+function stripAnsi(text: string): string {
+  return text.replaceAll(/\u001B\[[0-9;]*m/gu, '');
+}
+
+describe('shimmerText', () => {
+  let previousLevel = chalk.level;
+  let previousPalette = currentTheme.palette;
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    previousLevel = chalk.level;
+    previousPalette = currentTheme.palette;
+    chalk.level = 3;
+    currentTheme.setPalette(darkColors);
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    vi.restoreAllMocks();
+    chalk.level = previousLevel;
+    currentTheme.setPalette(previousPalette);
+  });
+
+  it('preserves the input text when ANSI is removed', () => {
+    vi.spyOn(Date, 'now').mockReturnValue(0);
+    const text = 'Thinking carefully';
+
+    expect(
+      stripAnsi(
+        shimmerText(text, {
+          baseToken: 'primary',
+          shimmerToken: 'primaryShimmer',
+        }),
+      ),
+    ).toBe(text);
+  });
+
+  it('moves the cosine band with wall-clock time', () => {
+    const now = vi.spyOn(Date, 'now');
+    now.mockReturnValue(0);
+    const first = shimmerText('abcdefghijklmno', {
+      baseToken: 'primary',
+      shimmerToken: 'primaryShimmer',
+    });
+    now.mockReturnValue(100);
+    const second = shimmerText('abcdefghijklmno', {
+      baseToken: 'primary',
+      shimmerToken: 'primaryShimmer',
+    });
+
+    expect(second).not.toBe(first);
+  });
+
+  it('alternates the peak token after one full sweep', () => {
+    const now = vi.spyOn(Date, 'now');
+    const options = {
+      baseToken: 'primary' as const,
+      shimmerToken: 'primaryShimmer' as const,
+      altShimmerToken: 'warningShimmer' as const,
+      bandHalfWidth: 1,
+    };
+
+    now.mockReturnValue(50);
+    const first = shimmerText('abcde', options);
+    now.mockReturnValue(400);
+    const second = shimmerText('abcde', options);
+
+    expect(first).toContain(chalk.hex(darkColors.primaryShimmer).bold('a'));
+    expect(second).toContain(chalk.hex(darkColors.warningShimmer).bold('a'));
+  });
+
+  it('keeps the primary peak token when no alternate is set', () => {
+    const now = vi.spyOn(Date, 'now');
+    const options = {
+      baseToken: 'primary' as const,
+      shimmerToken: 'primaryShimmer' as const,
+      bandHalfWidth: 1,
+    };
+
+    now.mockReturnValue(50);
+    const first = shimmerText('abcde', options);
+    now.mockReturnValue(400);
+    const second = shimmerText('abcde', options);
+
+    expect(first).toContain(chalk.hex(darkColors.primaryShimmer).bold('a'));
+    expect(second).toContain(chalk.hex(darkColors.primaryShimmer).bold('a'));
+  });
+
+  it('advances the band at twenty cells per second', () => {
+    vi.spyOn(Date, 'now').mockReturnValue(100);
+
+    const output = shimmerText('abcdefghijklmno', {
+      baseToken: 'primary',
+      shimmerToken: 'primaryShimmer',
+      bandHalfWidth: 1,
+    });
+
+    expect(output).toContain(chalk.hex(darkColors.primaryShimmer).bold('b'));
+    expect(output).not.toContain(chalk.hex(darkColors.primaryShimmer).bold('c'));
+  });
+});
diff --git a/docs/customization/themes.md b/docs/customization/themes.md
index b070b76d..8bf4c44a 100644
--- a/docs/customization/themes.md
+++ b/docs/customization/themes.md
@@ -64,6 +64,9 @@ Active `/model` provider and `AskUserQuestion` tabs use `selectionBg` for the ba
 | `inverseText` | `#FFFFFF` | `#0B1020` | Foreground for active `/model` provider and `AskUserQuestion` tabs; pair with `selectionBg` at 4.5:1 contrast or higher. |
 | `selectionBg` | `#344274` | `#C9D1FA` | Background for active `/model` provider and `AskUserQuestion` tabs; pair with `inverseText` at 4.5:1 contrast or higher. |
 | `surfaceHighlight` | `#1C2238` | `#E8EBFC` | Subtle fill for highlighted rows and message surfaces, including user transcript rows. |
+| `toolPendingBg` | `#1D2129` | `#E8EEF7` | Background tint for a tool card while the call is running. |
+| `toolSuccessBg` | `#14171B` | `#F1F3F5` | Background tint for a tool card after a successful result. |
+| `toolErrorBg` | `#291D1D` | `#F9E9E9` | Background tint for a tool card after an error result. |
 | `progressFill` | `#25764A` | `#3B9A65` | Filled segment of the Dynamic Workflow aggregate progress line. |
 | `progressHead` | `#4EC87E` | `#0E7A38` | Static head of the Dynamic Workflow aggregate progress track. |
 | `progressEmpty` | `#D9DEE8` | `#6B7280` | Empty segment of the Dynamic Workflow aggregate progress line. |
diff --git a/packages/agent-core/src/skill/builtin/custom-theme.md b/packages/agent-core/src/skill/builtin/custom-theme.md
index 2829c7db..7f60af38 100644
--- a/packages/agent-core/src/skill/builtin/custom-theme.md
+++ b/packages/agent-core/src/skill/builtin/custom-theme.md
@@ -117,6 +117,9 @@ Active `/model` provider and `AskUserQuestion` tabs use `selectionBg` for the ba
 | `inverseText` | Foreground for active `/model` provider and `AskUserQuestion` tabs; pair with `selectionBg` at 4.5:1 contrast or higher. |
 | `selectionBg` | Background for active `/model` provider and `AskUserQuestion` tabs; pair with `inverseText` at 4.5:1 contrast or higher. |
 | `surfaceHighlight` | Subtle fill for highlighted rows and message surfaces, including user transcript rows. |
+| `toolPendingBg` | Background tint for a tool card while the call is running. |
+| `toolSuccessBg` | Background tint for a tool card after a successful result. |
+| `toolErrorBg` | Background tint for a tool card after an error result. |
 | `progressFill` | Filled segment of the Dynamic Workflow aggregate progress line. |
 | `progressHead` | Static head of the Dynamic Workflow aggregate progress track. |
 | `progressEmpty` | Empty segment of the Dynamic Workflow aggregate progress line. |