diff --git a/ui-tui/src/__tests__/createGatewayEventHandler.test.ts b/ui-tui/src/__tests__/createGatewayEventHandler.test.ts
index 17b6e02f7c..92154fd008 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/__tests__/createGatewayEventHandler.test.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/__tests__/createGatewayEventHandler.test.ts
@@ -146,7 +146,8 @@ describe('createGatewayEventHandler', () => {
   it('routes inline_diff into the active segment stream, not historyItems', () => {
     const appended: Msg[] = []
     const onEvent = createGatewayEventHandler(buildCtx(appended))
-    const diff = '--- a/foo.ts\n+++ b/foo.ts\n@@\n-old\n+new'
+    const diff = '\u001b[31m--- a/foo.ts\u001b[0m\n\u001b[32m+++ b/foo.ts\u001b[0m\n@@\n-old\n+new'
+    const cleaned = '--- a/foo.ts\n+++ b/foo.ts\n@@\n-old\n+new'
 
     onEvent({
       payload: { context: 'foo.ts', name: 'patch', tool_id: 'tool-1' },
@@ -161,7 +162,10 @@ describe('createGatewayEventHandler', () => {
     // held in segmentMessages so the transcript renders it inline with the
     // current turn rather than above it.
     expect(appended).toHaveLength(0)
-    expect(turnController.segmentMessages).toContainEqual({ role: 'system', text: diff })
+    expect(turnController.segmentMessages).toContainEqual(
+      expect.objectContaining({ kind: 'trail', role: 'system', text: '' })
+    )
+    expect(turnController.segmentMessages).toContainEqual({ role: 'system', text: cleaned })
 
     onEvent({
       payload: { text: 'patch applied' },
@@ -170,9 +174,10 @@ describe('createGatewayEventHandler', () => {
 
     // After the turn closes, the diff lands in history in the order the
     // gateway emitted it — before the assistant's final text, not above it.
-    expect(appended).toHaveLength(2)
-    expect(appended[0]).toMatchObject({ role: 'system', text: diff })
-    expect(appended[1]).toMatchObject({ role: 'assistant', text: 'patch applied' })
+    expect(appended).toHaveLength(3)
+    expect(appended[0]).toMatchObject({ kind: 'trail', role: 'system', text: '' })
+    expect(appended[1]).toMatchObject({ role: 'system', text: cleaned })
+    expect(appended[2]).toMatchObject({ role: 'assistant', text: 'patch applied' })
   })
 
   it('shows setup panel for missing provider startup error', () => {
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/app/createGatewayEventHandler.ts b/ui-tui/src/app/createGatewayEventHandler.ts
index 3ae6b26dc8..51df15e450 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/app/createGatewayEventHandler.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/app/createGatewayEventHandler.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { STREAM_BATCH_MS } from '../config/timing.js'
 import { buildSetupRequiredSections, SETUP_REQUIRED_TITLE } from '../content/setup.js'
 import type { CommandsCatalogResponse, GatewayEvent, GatewaySkin } from '../gatewayTypes.js'
 import { rpcErrorMessage } from '../lib/rpc.js'
-import { formatToolCall } from '../lib/text.js'
+import { formatToolCall, stripAnsi } from '../lib/text.js'
 import { fromSkin } from '../theme.js'
 import type { Msg, SubagentProgress } from '../types.js'
 
@@ -266,12 +266,18 @@ export function createGatewayEventHandler(ctx: GatewayEventHandlerContext): (ev:
         turnController.recordToolComplete(ev.payload.tool_id, ev.payload.name, ev.payload.error, ev.payload.summary)
 
         if (ev.payload.inline_diff && getUiState().inlineDiffs) {
+          const diffText = stripAnsi(String(ev.payload.inline_diff))
+
+          if (!diffText.trim()) {
+            return
+          }
+
           // Push into the active turn's segment stream so the diff renders
           // inline with the assistant's output.  Routing through `sys()`
           // lands it in the completed-history section above the streaming
           // bubble — which is why blitz testers saw diffs "appear at the
           // top, out of sequence" with the rest of the turn.
-          turnController.appendSegmentMessage({ role: 'system', text: ev.payload.inline_diff })
+          turnController.appendSegmentMessage({ role: 'system', text: diffText })
         }
 
         return
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/app/turnController.ts b/ui-tui/src/app/turnController.ts
index d3bd2989f6..d38d34659b 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/app/turnController.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/app/turnController.ts
@@ -190,6 +190,16 @@ class TurnController {
    */
   appendSegmentMessage(msg: Msg) {
     this.flushStreamingSegment()
+
+    if (this.pendingSegmentTools.length) {
+      this.segmentMessages = [
+        ...this.segmentMessages,
+        { kind: 'trail', role: 'system', text: '', tools: this.pendingSegmentTools }
+      ]
+      this.pendingSegmentTools = []
+      patchTurnState({ streamPendingTools: [] })
+    }
+
     this.segmentMessages = [...this.segmentMessages, msg]
     patchTurnState({ streamSegments: this.segmentMessages })
   }