diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/tool/fallback.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/tool/fallback.tsx
index 96db51f49550..5b14de5fead5 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/tool/fallback.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/tool/fallback.tsx
@@ -348,15 +348,17 @@ function ToolEntry({ part }: ToolEntryProps) {
     return { body: rest.join('\n\n').trim(), summary }
   }, [view.detail, view.status, view.subtitle])
 
-  const detailMatchesSubtitle = looksRedundant(view.subtitle, view.detail)
+  // `looksRedundant` normalizes the FULL (uncapped) detail payload — a
+  // read_file / terminal result can be huge. Memoize on the view fields so it
+  // recomputes only when the tool's content changes, not on every parent
+  // re-render (tool rows re-render on every stream tick of the running message).
+  const detailMatchesSubtitle = useMemo(() => looksRedundant(view.subtitle, view.detail), [view.subtitle, view.detail])
+  const detailMatchesTitle = useMemo(() => looksRedundant(view.title, view.detail), [view.title, view.detail])
 
   const showDetail =
     !view.inlineDiff &&
     ((view.status === 'error' && Boolean(detailSections.summary || detailSections.body)) ||
-      (view.status !== 'error' &&
-        Boolean(view.detail) &&
-        !looksRedundant(view.title, view.detail) &&
-        !detailMatchesSubtitle))
+      (view.status !== 'error' && Boolean(view.detail) && !detailMatchesTitle && !detailMatchesSubtitle))
 
   const renderDetailAsCode =
     view.status !== 'error' &&
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/store/composer-status.ts b/apps/desktop/src/store/composer-status.ts
index b87cf389a1bb..dafc934d5fee 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/store/composer-status.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/store/composer-status.ts
@@ -44,6 +44,12 @@ export const $backgroundStatusBySession = atom<Record<string, ComposerStatusItem
 // $backgroundStatusBySession is keyed by RUNTIME session id (gateway events
 // and process.list both speak that); the sidebar row knows only the STORED id.
 // $sessionStates bridges the two: runtime id → state.storedSessionId.
+// Perf: this recomputes whenever $sessionStates changes (every message delta,
+// tens/sec during a turn), but the background-running set changes rarely.
+// Returning a fresh array each time re-renders every sidebar row that reads it;
+// hand back the previous reference when the set is unchanged so nanostores skips
+// the notify.
+let backgroundRunningCache: string[] = []
 export const $backgroundRunningSessionIds = computed([$backgroundStatusBySession, $sessionStates], (bg, states) => {
   const ids = new Set<string>()
 
@@ -59,7 +65,15 @@ export const $backgroundRunningSessionIds = computed([$backgroundStatusBySession
     }
   }
 
-  return [...ids]
+  const next = [...ids]
+
+  if (next.length === backgroundRunningCache.length && next.every((id, i) => id === backgroundRunningCache[i])) {
+    return backgroundRunningCache
+  }
+
+  backgroundRunningCache = next
+
+  return next
 })
 
 // Rows the user X-ed away. The registry keeps finished processes around for a
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/store/session-states.ts b/apps/desktop/src/store/session-states.ts
index 869433436bbd..e8bb58ff5ca7 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/store/session-states.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/store/session-states.ts
@@ -203,17 +203,44 @@ export function clearAllSessionStates() {
 // are pure projections of it, not independently maintained atoms. This keeps the
 // data flow one-directional: gateway event → cache → $sessionStates → computed
 // views, eliminating the "projection atom out of sync with cache" bug class.
-export const $workingSessionIds = computed($sessionStates, states =>
-  Object.values(states)
-    .filter(s => s.busy && s.storedSessionId)
-    .map(s => s.storedSessionId!)
-)
+//
+// CRITICAL for streaming perf: `$sessionStates` is republished on EVERY message
+// delta (tens of times/sec during a turn), but the *membership* of these ID sets
+// only changes on busy/needsInput edges. `computed` notifies on `!==`, so
+// returning a fresh array each time would re-render the whole sidebar (and every
+// row) per token. Return the PREVIOUS array reference when the contents match so
+// nanostores skips the notify unless the set actually changed.
+function stableIds(previous: string[], next: string[]): string[] {
+  if (previous.length === next.length && previous.every((id, i) => id === next[i])) {
+    return previous
+  }
 
-export const $attentionSessionIds = computed($sessionStates, states =>
-  Object.values(states)
-    .filter(s => s.needsInput && s.storedSessionId)
-    .map(s => s.storedSessionId!)
-)
+  return next
+}
+
+let workingIdsCache: string[] = []
+export const $workingSessionIds = computed($sessionStates, states => {
+  workingIdsCache = stableIds(
+    workingIdsCache,
+    Object.values(states)
+      .filter(s => s.busy && s.storedSessionId)
+      .map(s => s.storedSessionId!)
+  )
+
+  return workingIdsCache
+})
+
+let attentionIdsCache: string[] = []
+export const $attentionSessionIds = computed($sessionStates, states => {
+  attentionIdsCache = stableIds(
+    attentionIdsCache,
+    Object.values(states)
+      .filter(s => s.needsInput && s.storedSessionId)
+      .map(s => s.storedSessionId!)
+  )
+
+  return attentionIdsCache
+})
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Session tiles.