diff --git a/ui-tui/src/__tests__/createGatewayEventHandler.test.ts b/ui-tui/src/__tests__/createGatewayEventHandler.test.ts
index 517b2be0c2..22a6b281f9 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/__tests__/createGatewayEventHandler.test.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/__tests__/createGatewayEventHandler.test.ts
@@ -195,6 +195,26 @@ describe('createGatewayEventHandler', () => {
     expect((appended[0]?.text.match(/```diff/g) ?? []).length).toBe(1)
   })
 
+  it('keeps tool trail terse when inline_diff is present', () => {
+    const appended: Msg[] = []
+    const onEvent = createGatewayEventHandler(buildCtx(appended))
+    const diff = '--- a/foo.ts\n+++ b/foo.ts\n@@\n-old\n+new'
+
+    onEvent({
+      payload: { inline_diff: diff, name: 'review_diff', summary: diff, tool_id: 'tool-1' },
+      type: 'tool.complete'
+    } as any)
+    onEvent({
+      payload: { text: 'done' },
+      type: 'message.complete'
+    } as any)
+
+    expect(appended).toHaveLength(1)
+    expect(appended[0]?.tools?.[0]).toContain('Review Diff')
+    expect(appended[0]?.tools?.[0]).not.toContain('--- a/foo.ts')
+    expect(appended[0]?.text).toContain('```diff')
+  })
+
   it('shows setup panel for missing provider startup error', () => {
     const appended: Msg[] = []
     const onEvent = createGatewayEventHandler(buildCtx(appended))
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/app/createGatewayEventHandler.ts b/ui-tui/src/app/createGatewayEventHandler.ts
index 847f82b7c6..35c412f6bb 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/app/createGatewayEventHandler.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/app/createGatewayEventHandler.ts
@@ -263,19 +263,27 @@ export function createGatewayEventHandler(ctx: GatewayEventHandlerContext): (ev:
         return
 
       case 'tool.complete':
-        turnController.recordToolComplete(ev.payload.tool_id, ev.payload.name, ev.payload.error, ev.payload.summary)
+        {
+          const inlineDiffText =
+            ev.payload.inline_diff && getUiState().inlineDiffs ? stripAnsi(String(ev.payload.inline_diff)).trim() : ''
 
-        if (ev.payload.inline_diff && getUiState().inlineDiffs) {
-          const diffText = stripAnsi(String(ev.payload.inline_diff))
+          turnController.recordToolComplete(
+            ev.payload.tool_id,
+            ev.payload.name,
+            ev.payload.error,
+            inlineDiffText ? '' : ev.payload.summary
+          )
 
-          if (!diffText.trim()) {
+          if (!inlineDiffText) {
             return
           }
 
           // Keep inline diffs attached to the assistant completion body so
           // they render in the same message flow, not as a standalone system
           // artifact that can look out-of-place around tool rows.
-          turnController.queueInlineDiff(diffText)
+          turnController.queueInlineDiff(inlineDiffText)
+
+          return
         }
 
         return