diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/thread/status.test.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/thread/status.test.tsx
index b4920e1ec483..f6edaee0d7e3 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/thread/status.test.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/thread/status.test.tsx
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ describe('ResponseLoadingIndicator timer', () => {
     const sessionA = renderIndicator()
 
     act(() => vi.advanceTimersByTime(5_000))
-    expect(screen.getByText('5s')).toBeTruthy()
+    expect(screen.getAllByText((_, node) => node?.textContent === '5s').length).toBeGreaterThan(0)
     sessionA.unmount()
 
     $activeSessionId.set('session-b')
@@ -44,13 +44,13 @@ describe('ResponseLoadingIndicator timer', () => {
     const sessionB = renderIndicator()
 
     act(() => vi.advanceTimersByTime(3_000))
-    expect(screen.getByText('3s')).toBeTruthy()
+    expect(screen.getAllByText((_, node) => node?.textContent === '3s').length).toBeGreaterThan(0)
     sessionB.unmount()
 
     $activeSessionId.set('session-a')
     $turnStartedAt.set(new Date('2026-01-01T00:00:00.000Z').getTime())
     renderIndicator()
 
-    expect(screen.getByText('8s')).toBeTruthy()
+    expect(screen.getAllByText((_, node) => node?.textContent === '8s').length).toBeGreaterThan(0)
   })
 })
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/components/chat/activity-timer-text.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/components/chat/activity-timer-text.tsx
index aa439eb247d5..d9ca1c292e29 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/components/chat/activity-timer-text.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/components/chat/activity-timer-text.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
 
 import { formatElapsed } from './activity-timer'
+import { StableText } from './stable-text'
 
 interface ActivityTimerTextProps {
   seconds: number
@@ -9,16 +10,16 @@ interface ActivityTimerTextProps {
 
 export function ActivityTimerText({ seconds, className }: ActivityTimerTextProps) {
   return (
-    <span
+    <StableText
       className={cn(
         // Tinted with --dt-midground (very low alpha) so the timer reads
         // as part of the same "live signal" cluster as the dither block /
         // arc-border / working-session dot, instead of being neutral chrome.
-        'shrink-0 font-mono text-[0.56rem] leading-none tracking-[0.02em] text-midground/55 tabular-nums',
+        'shrink-0 text-[0.56rem] leading-none tracking-[0.02em] text-midground/55',
         className
       )}
     >
       {formatElapsed(seconds)}
-    </span>
+    </StableText>
   )
 }
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/components/chat/stable-text.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/components/chat/stable-text.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..1e7e03815cd6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/components/chat/stable-text.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
+
+interface StableTextProps {
+  children: string
+  className?: string
+}
+
+/**
+ * Renders text as a row of 1ch-wide cells so individual characters can't
+ * shift the layout as they change (e.g. digits in a ticking timer).
+ * Works with any proportional font — no need for font-mono.
+ */
+export function StableText({ children, className }: StableTextProps) {
+  return (
+    <span className={cn('inline-flex', className)}>
+      {children.split('').map((char, i) => (
+        <span className="inline-block w-[1ch] text-center" key={i}>
+          {char}
+        </span>
+      ))}
+    </span>
+  )
+}
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/lib/statusbar.ts b/apps/desktop/src/lib/statusbar.tsx
similarity index 92%
rename from apps/desktop/src/lib/statusbar.ts
rename to apps/desktop/src/lib/statusbar.tsx
index b06f9cc0d60e..0c0d22599c58 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/lib/statusbar.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/lib/statusbar.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { useEffect, useState } from 'react'
 
+import { StableText } from '@/components/chat/stable-text'
 import { compactNumber } from '@/lib/format'
 import type { UsageStats } from '@/types/hermes'
 
@@ -72,5 +73,9 @@ export function LiveDuration({ since }: { since: number | null | undefined }) {
     return () => window.clearInterval(timer)
   }, [since])
 
-  return since ? formatDuration(now - since) : null
+  if (!since) {
+    return null
+  }
+
+  return <StableText>{formatDuration(now - since)}</StableText>
 }