diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-message-stream/gateway-event.ts b/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-message-stream/gateway-event.ts
index b705d904c174..dcb0ddaa2f67 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-message-stream/gateway-event.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-message-stream/gateway-event.ts
@@ -112,6 +112,8 @@ const COMPACTION_RESUME_EVENT_TYPES = new Set([
   'reasoning.available',
   'moa.reference',
   'moa.aggregating',
+  'moa.progress',
+  'moa.phase',
   'tool.start',
   'tool.progress',
   'tool.generating',
@@ -551,6 +553,36 @@ export function useGatewayEventHandler(deps: GatewayEventDeps) {
       } else if (event.type === 'moa.aggregating') {
         // Status transition only; the aggregator's reply arrives via the normal
         // message stream. No reasoning/transcript mutation here.
+        if (isActiveEvent) {
+          setPetActivity({ reasoning: true })
+        }
+      } else if (event.type === 'moa.progress') {
+        // Live reference fan-out progress ("refs k/n") — surfaced in the same
+        // reasoning disclosure the references land in. These lines arrive
+        // BEFORE any moa.reference event (references are only emitted once the
+        // whole fan-out completes), and the first moa.reference replaces the
+        // block, so the progress trail is self-cleaning.
+        if (sessionId && typeof payload?.refs_done === 'number' && typeof payload?.refs_total === 'number') {
+          const label = coerceGatewayText(payload?.label)
+          const line = label
+            ? `◇ MoA refs ${payload.refs_done}/${payload.refs_total} — ${label}\n`
+            : `◇ MoA refs ${payload.refs_done}/${payload.refs_total}\n`
+          appendReasoningDelta(sessionId, line, payload.refs_done <= 1)
+          flushQueuedDeltas(sessionId)
+        }
+
+        if (isActiveEvent) {
+          setPetActivity({ reasoning: true })
+        }
+      } else if (event.type === 'moa.phase') {
+        // Phase transition — currently only phase="aggregator" (fan-out done,
+        // aggregator acting). Append a one-line marker; the first
+        // moa.reference that follows replaces the whole block.
+        if (sessionId && payload?.phase === 'aggregator') {
+          appendReasoningDelta(sessionId, '◇ MoA aggregating…\n', false)
+          flushQueuedDeltas(sessionId)
+        }
+
         if (isActiveEvent) {
           setPetActivity({ reasoning: true })
         }
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-message-stream/moa-progress-event.test.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-message-stream/moa-progress-event.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..1e4c0d37867e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-message-stream/moa-progress-event.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,123 @@
+import { QueryClient } from '@tanstack/react-query'
+import { act, cleanup, render, waitFor } from '@testing-library/react'
+import { useEffect, useRef } from 'react'
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+
+import type { ClientSessionState } from '@/app/types'
+import { createClientSessionState } from '@/lib/chat-runtime'
+import type { RpcEvent } from '@/types/hermes'
+
+import { useMessageStream } from './index'
+
+const SID = 'session-1'
+let handleEvent: ((event: RpcEvent) => void) | null = null
+let latestState: ClientSessionState | null = null
+
+function Harness() {
+  const activeSessionIdRef = useRef<string | null>(SID)
+  const sessionStateByRuntimeIdRef = useRef(new Map<string, ClientSessionState>())
+  const queryClientRef = useRef(new QueryClient())
+
+  const stream = useMessageStream({
+    activeSessionIdRef,
+    hydrateFromStoredSession: vi.fn(async () => undefined),
+    queryClient: queryClientRef.current,
+    refreshHermesConfig: vi.fn(async () => undefined),
+    refreshSessions: vi.fn(async () => undefined),
+    sessionStateByRuntimeIdRef,
+    updateSessionState: (sessionId, updater) => {
+      const current = sessionStateByRuntimeIdRef.current.get(sessionId) ?? createClientSessionState()
+      const next = updater(current)
+      sessionStateByRuntimeIdRef.current.set(sessionId, next)
+      latestState = next
+
+      return next
+    }
+  })
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    handleEvent = stream.handleGatewayEvent
+  }, [stream.handleGatewayEvent])
+
+  return null
+}
+
+async function mountStream() {
+  render(<Harness />)
+  await waitFor(() => expect(handleEvent).not.toBeNull())
+}
+
+function emit(type: RpcEvent['type'], payload: RpcEvent['payload'] = {}) {
+  act(() => handleEvent!({ payload, session_id: SID, type }))
+}
+
+function reasoningText(): string {
+  const message = latestState?.messages.at(-1)
+  const part = message?.parts.find(p => p.type === 'reasoning')
+
+  return part?.type === 'reasoning' ? part.text : ''
+}
+
+beforeEach(() => {
+  handleEvent = null
+  latestState = null
+})
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  cleanup()
+  vi.restoreAllMocks()
+})
+
+describe('useMessageStream moa.progress / moa.phase surfacing', () => {
+  it('shows refs k/n lines in the reasoning block as references complete', async () => {
+    await mountStream()
+
+    emit('message.start')
+    emit('moa.progress', { label: 'model-a', refs_done: 1, refs_total: 3 })
+    emit('moa.progress', { label: 'model-b', refs_done: 2, refs_total: 3 })
+
+    const text = reasoningText()
+    expect(text).toContain('MoA refs 1/3 — model-a')
+    expect(text).toContain('MoA refs 2/3 — model-b')
+  })
+
+  it('restarts the progress block on the first ref of a new fan-out', async () => {
+    await mountStream()
+
+    emit('message.start')
+    emit('moa.progress', { label: 'stale', refs_done: 1, refs_total: 2 })
+    emit('moa.progress', { label: 'stale-2', refs_done: 2, refs_total: 2 })
+    // A later turn's fan-out starts over at 1/N — old lines must not linger.
+    emit('moa.progress', { label: 'fresh', refs_done: 1, refs_total: 2 })
+
+    const text = reasoningText()
+    expect(text).toContain('MoA refs 1/2 — fresh')
+    expect(text).not.toContain('stale')
+  })
+
+  it('appends the aggregating marker on moa.phase and ignores unknown phases', async () => {
+    await mountStream()
+
+    emit('message.start')
+    emit('moa.progress', { label: 'model-a', refs_done: 1, refs_total: 1 })
+    emit('moa.phase', { phase: 'reference', refs_done: 1, refs_total: 1 })
+    expect(reasoningText()).not.toContain('aggregating')
+
+    emit('moa.phase', { aggregator: 'agg-model', phase: 'aggregator', refs_done: 1, refs_total: 1 })
+    expect(reasoningText()).toContain('MoA aggregating…')
+  })
+
+  it('a following moa.reference replaces the progress trail (self-cleaning)', async () => {
+    await mountStream()
+
+    emit('message.start')
+    emit('moa.progress', { label: 'model-a', refs_done: 1, refs_total: 1 })
+    emit('moa.phase', { phase: 'aggregator', refs_done: 1, refs_total: 1 })
+    emit('moa.reference', { count: 1, index: 1, label: 'model-a', text: 'advice-a' })
+
+    const text = reasoningText()
+    expect(text).toContain('Reference 1/1 — model-a')
+    expect(text).not.toContain('MoA refs')
+    expect(text).not.toContain('aggregating')
+  })
+})
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/lib/chat-messages.ts b/apps/desktop/src/lib/chat-messages.ts
index 00d1c73a64d4..8541c0bb8098 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/lib/chat-messages.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/lib/chat-messages.ts
@@ -94,6 +94,10 @@ export type GatewayEventPayload = {
   label?: string
   index?: number
   aggregator?: string
+  // moa.progress / moa.phase (Mixture of Agents fan-out progress relay)
+  refs_done?: number
+  refs_total?: number
+  phase?: string
   // message.complete — signals the final text was already previewed via
   // interim_assistant_callback, so the UI can settle instead of duplicating.
   response_previewed?: boolean
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/__tests__/moaProgressActivity.test.ts b/ui-tui/src/__tests__/moaProgressActivity.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..1d76556d2028
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui-tui/src/__tests__/moaProgressActivity.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+
+import { createGatewayEventHandler } from '../app/createGatewayEventHandler.js'
+import { resetOverlayState } from '../app/overlayStore.js'
+import { turnController } from '../app/turnController.js'
+import { getTurnState, resetTurnState } from '../app/turnStore.js'
+import { patchUiState, resetUiState } from '../app/uiStore.js'
+import type { Msg } from '../types.js'
+
+const ref = <T>(current: T) => ({ current })
+
+const buildCtx = (appended: Msg[]) =>
+  ({
+    composer: {
+      dequeue: () => undefined,
+      queueEditRef: ref<null | number>(null),
+      sendQueued: () => undefined,
+      setInput: () => undefined
+    },
+    gateway: {
+      gw: { request: () => undefined },
+      rpc: async () => null
+    },
+    session: {
+      STARTUP_RESUME_ID: '',
+      colsRef: ref(80),
+      newSession: () => undefined,
+      resetSession: () => undefined,
+      resumeById: () => undefined,
+      setCatalog: () => undefined
+    },
+    submission: {
+      submitRef: { current: () => undefined }
+    },
+    system: {
+      bellOnComplete: false,
+      sys: () => undefined
+    },
+    transcript: {
+      appendMessage: (msg: Msg) => appended.push(msg),
+      panel: () => undefined,
+      setHistoryItems: () => undefined
+    },
+    voice: {
+      setProcessing: () => undefined,
+      setRecording: () => undefined,
+      setVoiceEnabled: () => undefined
+    }
+  }) as any
+
+const activityTexts = () => getTurnState().activity.map(item => item.text)
+
+describe('moa.progress / moa.phase activity surface', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    resetOverlayState()
+    resetUiState()
+    resetTurnState()
+    turnController.fullReset()
+    patchUiState({ showReasoning: true })
+  })
+
+  it('shows "MoA: refs k/n" as each reference completes, replacing in place', () => {
+    const onEvent = createGatewayEventHandler(buildCtx([]))
+
+    onEvent({ payload: {}, type: 'message.start' } as any)
+    onEvent({ payload: { label: 'model-a', refs_done: 1, refs_total: 3 }, type: 'moa.progress' } as any)
+
+    expect(activityTexts()).toContain('MoA: refs 1/3')
+
+    onEvent({ payload: { label: 'model-b', refs_done: 2, refs_total: 3 }, type: 'moa.progress' } as any)
+
+    const texts = activityTexts()
+    expect(texts).toContain('MoA: refs 2/3')
+    // Replaced in place — the stale 1/3 line must not linger alongside 2/3.
+    expect(texts).not.toContain('MoA: refs 1/3')
+  })
+
+  it('swaps the progress line for aggregator copy on moa.phase', () => {
+    const onEvent = createGatewayEventHandler(buildCtx([]))
+
+    onEvent({ payload: {}, type: 'message.start' } as any)
+    onEvent({ payload: { label: 'model-a', refs_done: 3, refs_total: 3 }, type: 'moa.progress' } as any)
+    onEvent({ payload: { phase: 'aggregator', refs_done: 3, refs_total: 3 }, type: 'moa.phase' } as any)
+
+    const texts = activityTexts()
+    expect(texts).toContain('MoA: aggregating…')
+    expect(texts).not.toContain('MoA: refs 3/3')
+  })
+
+  it('ignores malformed payloads (missing counters / unknown phase)', () => {
+    const onEvent = createGatewayEventHandler(buildCtx([]))
+
+    onEvent({ payload: {}, type: 'message.start' } as any)
+    const before = activityTexts().length
+    onEvent({ payload: { label: 'model-a' }, type: 'moa.progress' } as any)
+    onEvent({ payload: { phase: 'reference' }, type: 'moa.phase' } as any)
+
+    expect(activityTexts().length).toBe(before)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/app/createGatewayEventHandler.ts b/ui-tui/src/app/createGatewayEventHandler.ts
index 8527e083a580..d8630e216736 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/app/createGatewayEventHandler.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/app/createGatewayEventHandler.ts
@@ -1005,6 +1005,25 @@ export function createGatewayEventHandler(ctx: GatewayEventHandlerContext): (ev:
         // through the normal message stream. No committed transcript entry.
         return
 
+      case 'moa.progress':
+        // Live fan-out progress — one activity line, replaced in place as each
+        // reference completes ("MoA: refs 2/3"), so the user sees movement
+        // during the (potentially long) reference phase without transcript spam.
+        if (typeof ev.payload?.refs_done === 'number' && typeof ev.payload?.refs_total === 'number') {
+          turnController.pushActivity(`MoA: refs ${ev.payload.refs_done}/${ev.payload.refs_total}`, 'info', 'MoA')
+        }
+
+        return
+
+      case 'moa.phase':
+        // Phase transition — currently only phase="aggregator" (fan-out done,
+        // aggregator acting). Swap the progress line for aggregator copy.
+        if (ev.payload?.phase === 'aggregator') {
+          turnController.pushActivity('MoA: aggregating…', 'info', 'MoA')
+        }
+
+        return
+
       case 'tool.progress':
         if (ev.payload?.preview && ev.payload.name) {
           turnController.recordToolProgress(ev.payload.name, ev.payload.preview)
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/gatewayTypes.ts b/ui-tui/src/gatewayTypes.ts
index cf84abfddf7f..ff287440120e 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/gatewayTypes.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/gatewayTypes.ts
@@ -608,6 +608,16 @@ export type GatewayEvent =
       type: 'moa.reference'
     }
   | { payload?: { aggregator?: string }; session_id?: string; type: 'moa.aggregating' }
+  | {
+      payload?: { label?: string; refs_done?: number; refs_total?: number }
+      session_id?: string
+      type: 'moa.progress'
+    }
+  | {
+      payload?: { aggregator?: string; phase?: string; refs_done?: number; refs_total?: number }
+      session_id?: string
+      type: 'moa.phase'
+    }
   | { payload: { name?: string; preview?: string }; session_id?: string; type: 'tool.progress' }
   | { payload: { name?: string }; session_id?: string; type: 'tool.generating' }
   | {