diff --git a/gateway/display_config.py b/gateway/display_config.py
index aebda8cd8ba..8498c1df166 100644
--- a/gateway/display_config.py
+++ b/gateway/display_config.py
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ def _normalise(setting: str, value: Any) -> Any:
             return "off"
         if value is True:
             return "all"
-        val = str(value).lower()
+        val = str(value).strip().lower()
         return val if val in {"off", "new", "all", "verbose"} else "all"
     if setting in {
         "show_reasoning",
diff --git a/tests/gateway/test_display_config.py b/tests/gateway/test_display_config.py
index f95c8bdb496..4f2848eacdd 100644
--- a/tests/gateway/test_display_config.py
+++ b/tests/gateway/test_display_config.py
@@ -155,6 +155,12 @@ class TestYAMLNormalisation:
         config = {"display": {"platforms": {"whatsapp": {"tool_progress": "generic"}}}}
         assert resolve_display_setting(config, "whatsapp", "tool_progress") == "all"
 
+    def test_tool_progress_mode_strips_whitespace(self):
+        from gateway.display_config import resolve_display_setting
+
+        config = {"display": {"platforms": {"whatsapp": {"tool_progress": " off\n"}}}}
+        assert resolve_display_setting(config, "whatsapp", "tool_progress") == "off"
+
     def test_only_long_running_visibility_accepts_generic_mode(self):
         from gateway.display_config import resolve_display_setting