diff --git a/ui-tui/src/__tests__/messageLine.test.ts b/ui-tui/src/__tests__/messageLine.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b330bbd2374
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui-tui/src/__tests__/messageLine.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+
+import { shouldShowResponseSeparator } from '../components/messageLine.js'
+
+describe('shouldShowResponseSeparator', () => {
+  it('separates assistant response text from visible details', () => {
+    expect(shouldShowResponseSeparator({ role: 'assistant', text: 'final', thinking: 'plan' }, true)).toBe(true)
+  })
+
+  it('does not add a response separator without details or body text', () => {
+    expect(shouldShowResponseSeparator({ role: 'assistant', text: 'final' }, false)).toBe(false)
+    expect(shouldShowResponseSeparator({ role: 'assistant', text: '   ', thinking: 'plan' }, true)).toBe(false)
+  })
+
+  it('does not add response separators to non-assistant transcript rows', () => {
+    expect(shouldShowResponseSeparator({ role: 'user', text: 'prompt' }, true)).toBe(false)
+    expect(shouldShowResponseSeparator({ role: 'system', text: 'note' }, true)).toBe(false)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/__tests__/virtualHeights.test.ts b/ui-tui/src/__tests__/virtualHeights.test.ts
index b93df65d72a..37cb9c009ce 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/__tests__/virtualHeights.test.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/__tests__/virtualHeights.test.ts
@@ -32,6 +32,45 @@ describe('virtual height estimates', () => {
     )
   })
 
+  it('accounts for the response separator when assistant details are visible', () => {
+    const msg: Msg = { role: 'assistant', text: 'ok', thinking: 'plan' }
+
+    expect(estimatedMsgHeight(msg, 80, { compact: false, details: true })).toBe(
+      estimatedMsgHeight(msg, 80, { compact: false, details: false }) + 3
+    )
+  })
+
+  it('does not account for a response separator without visible details', () => {
+    const msg: Msg = { role: 'assistant', text: 'ok' }
+
+    expect(estimatedMsgHeight(msg, 80, { compact: false, details: true })).toBe(
+      estimatedMsgHeight(msg, 80, { compact: false, details: false })
+    )
+  })
+
+  it('honors per-section visibility when estimating response separators', () => {
+    const thinkingOnly: Msg = { role: 'assistant', text: 'ok', thinking: 'plan' }
+    const toolsOnly: Msg = { role: 'assistant', text: 'ok', tools: ['Tool A'] }
+
+    expect(
+      estimatedMsgHeight(thinkingOnly, 80, {
+        compact: false,
+        details: true,
+        thinkingVisible: false,
+        toolsVisible: true
+      })
+    ).toBe(estimatedMsgHeight(thinkingOnly, 80, { compact: false, details: false }))
+
+    expect(
+      estimatedMsgHeight(toolsOnly, 80, {
+        compact: false,
+        details: true,
+        thinkingVisible: true,
+        toolsVisible: false
+      })
+    ).toBe(estimatedMsgHeight(toolsOnly, 80, { compact: false, details: false }))
+  })
+
   it('reserves two extra rows for the inter-turn separator on non-first user messages', () => {
     const msg: Msg = { role: 'user', text: 'follow-up question' }
     const base = estimatedMsgHeight(msg, 80, { compact: false, details: false })
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/app/useMainApp.ts b/ui-tui/src/app/useMainApp.ts
index 4d7ab8926ba..ad2348d0dce 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/app/useMainApp.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/app/useMainApp.ts
@@ -252,7 +252,10 @@ export function useMainApp(gw: GatewayClient) {
     return `${thinking}:${tools}`
   }, [ui.detailsMode, ui.detailsModeCommandOverride, ui.sections])
 
-  const detailsVisible = detailsLayoutKey !== 'hidden:hidden'
+  const [thinkingDetailsMode, toolsDetailsMode] = detailsLayoutKey.split(':')
+  const thinkingDetailsVisible = thinkingDetailsMode !== 'hidden'
+  const toolsDetailsVisible = toolsDetailsMode !== 'hidden'
+  const detailsVisible = thinkingDetailsVisible || toolsDetailsVisible
   const userPromptWidth = composerPromptWidth(ui.theme.brand.prompt)
   const heightCacheKey = `${ui.sid ?? 'draft'}:${cols}:${userPromptWidth}:${ui.compact ? '1' : '0'}:${detailsLayoutKey}`
 
@@ -281,10 +284,21 @@ export function useMainApp(gw: GatewayClient) {
       estimatedMsgHeight(virtualRows[index]!.msg, cols, {
         compact: ui.compact,
         details: detailsVisible,
+        thinkingVisible: thinkingDetailsVisible,
+        toolsVisible: toolsDetailsVisible,
         userPrompt: ui.theme.brand.prompt,
         withSeparator: virtualRows[index]!.msg.role === 'user' && firstUserIdx >= 0 && index > firstUserIdx
       }),
-    [cols, detailsVisible, firstUserIdx, ui.compact, ui.theme.brand.prompt, virtualRows]
+    [
+      cols,
+      detailsVisible,
+      firstUserIdx,
+      thinkingDetailsVisible,
+      toolsDetailsVisible,
+      ui.compact,
+      ui.theme.brand.prompt,
+      virtualRows
+    ]
   )
 
   const syncHeightCache = useCallback(
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/components/messageLine.tsx b/ui-tui/src/components/messageLine.tsx
index 4d1481373ab..2a7f0bbba23 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/components/messageLine.tsx
+++ b/ui-tui/src/components/messageLine.tsx
@@ -109,6 +109,8 @@ export const MessageLine = memo(function MessageLine({
   const showDetails =
     (toolsMode !== 'hidden' && Boolean(msg.tools?.length)) || (thinkingMode !== 'hidden' && Boolean(thinking))
 
+  const showResponseSeparator = shouldShowResponseSeparator(msg, showDetails)
+
   const content = (() => {
     if (msg.kind === 'slash') {
       return <Text color={t.color.muted}>{msg.text}</Text>
@@ -195,6 +197,17 @@ export const MessageLine = memo(function MessageLine({
         </Box>
       )}
 
+      {showResponseSeparator && (
+        <Box marginBottom={1}>
+          <NoSelect flexShrink={0} fromLeftEdge width={gutterWidth}>
+            <Text color={t.color.border}>└─ </Text>
+          </NoSelect>
+          <Text color={t.color.muted} dim>
+            Response
+          </Text>
+        </Box>
+      )}
+
       <Box>
         <NoSelect flexShrink={0} fromLeftEdge width={gutterWidth}>
           <Text bold={msg.role === 'user'} color={prefix}>
@@ -208,6 +221,9 @@ export const MessageLine = memo(function MessageLine({
   )
 })
 
+export const shouldShowResponseSeparator = (msg: Msg, showDetails: boolean): boolean =>
+  msg.role === 'assistant' && showDetails && /\S/.test(msg.text)
+
 interface MessageLineProps {
   cols: number
   compact?: boolean
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/lib/virtualHeights.ts b/ui-tui/src/lib/virtualHeights.ts
index 874f8a1b8dc..4ae2ee3f734 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/lib/virtualHeights.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/lib/virtualHeights.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
+import { TERMUX_TUI_MODE } from '../config/env.js'
 import type { Msg } from '../types.js'
 
-import { TERMUX_TUI_MODE } from '../config/env.js'
 import { transcriptBodyWidth } from './inputMetrics.js'
 
 const hashText = (text: string) => {
@@ -72,11 +72,15 @@ export const estimatedMsgHeight = (
   {
     compact,
     details,
+    thinkingVisible = details,
+    toolsVisible = details,
     userPrompt = '',
     withSeparator = false
   }: {
     compact: boolean
     details: boolean
+    thinkingVisible?: boolean
+    toolsVisible?: boolean
     userPrompt?: string
     withSeparator?: boolean
   }
@@ -111,7 +115,17 @@ export const estimatedMsgHeight = (
   }
 
   if (details) {
-    h += (msg.tools?.length ?? 0) + wrappedLines(msg.thinking ?? '', bodyWidth)
+    const hasVisibleTools = toolsVisible && Boolean(msg.tools?.length)
+    const hasVisibleThinking = thinkingVisible && /\S/.test(msg.thinking ?? '')
+    const hasVisibleDetails = hasVisibleTools || hasVisibleThinking
+
+    if (hasVisibleDetails) {
+      h += (hasVisibleTools ? (msg.tools?.length ?? 0) : 0) + (hasVisibleThinking ? wrappedLines(msg.thinking ?? '', bodyWidth) : 0)
+
+      if (msg.role === 'assistant' && /\S/.test(msg.text)) {
+        h += 2
+      }
+    }
   }
 
   if (msg.role === 'user' || msg.kind === 'diff') {