From f5552f92e2b935a2f404cb7cee3179927ab143fd Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Brooklyn Nicholson <brooklyn.bb.nicholson@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 26 Apr 2026 15:55:38 -0500
Subject: [PATCH] fix(tui): stabilize live todo progress

---
 ui-tui/src/__tests__/turnStore.test.ts       | 60 +++++++++++++++++++
 ui-tui/src/app/createGatewayEventHandler.ts  |  2 +
 ui-tui/src/app/turnController.ts             | 63 +++++++-------------
 ui-tui/src/app/turnStore.ts                  | 22 +++++++
 ui-tui/src/components/appLayout.tsx          |  8 +--
 ui-tui/src/components/messageLine.tsx        |  5 ++
 ui-tui/src/components/streamingAssistant.tsx |  5 +-
 ui-tui/src/components/todoPanel.tsx          | 59 +++++++++++-------
 ui-tui/src/lib/liveLayout.ts                 |  2 +-
 ui-tui/src/lib/liveProgress.test.ts          | 48 +++++++++++++++
 ui-tui/src/lib/liveProgress.ts               | 34 +++++++++++
 ui-tui/src/lib/messages.test.ts              | 20 ++++---
 ui-tui/src/lib/messages.ts                   | 13 +---
 ui-tui/src/types.ts                          |  1 +
 14 files changed, 256 insertions(+), 86 deletions(-)
 create mode 100644 ui-tui/src/__tests__/turnStore.test.ts
 create mode 100644 ui-tui/src/lib/liveProgress.test.ts
 create mode 100644 ui-tui/src/lib/liveProgress.ts

diff --git a/ui-tui/src/__tests__/turnStore.test.ts b/ui-tui/src/__tests__/turnStore.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..006a12888d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui-tui/src/__tests__/turnStore.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+
+import {
+  appendTurnSegment,
+  archiveDoneTodos,
+  getTurnState,
+  patchTurnState,
+  resetTurnState,
+  toggleTodoCollapsed
+} from '../app/turnStore.js'
+
+describe('turnStore live progress helpers', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => resetTurnState())
+
+  it('archives completed todos into a transcript trail and clears the live anchor', () => {
+    patchTurnState({
+      todos: [
+        { content: 'prep', id: 'prep', status: 'completed' },
+        { content: 'serve', id: 'serve', status: 'completed' }
+      ]
+    })
+
+    expect(archiveDoneTodos()).toEqual([
+      {
+        kind: 'trail',
+        role: 'system',
+        text: '',
+        todos: [
+          { content: 'prep', id: 'prep', status: 'completed' },
+          { content: 'serve', id: 'serve', status: 'completed' }
+        ]
+      }
+    ])
+    expect(getTurnState().todos).toEqual([])
+  })
+
+  it('does not archive active todos', () => {
+    patchTurnState({ todos: [{ content: 'cook', id: 'cook', status: 'in_progress' }] })
+
+    expect(archiveDoneTodos()).toEqual([])
+    expect(getTurnState().todos).toHaveLength(1)
+  })
+
+  it('tracks collapsed state independently of todo content', () => {
+    toggleTodoCollapsed()
+    expect(getTurnState().todoCollapsed).toBe(true)
+
+    toggleTodoCollapsed()
+    expect(getTurnState().todoCollapsed).toBe(false)
+  })
+
+  it('merges adjacent live tool shelves before rendering', () => {
+    appendTurnSegment({ kind: 'trail', role: 'system', text: '', tools: ['one ✓'] })
+    appendTurnSegment({ kind: 'trail', role: 'system', text: '', tools: ['two ✓'] })
+
+    expect(getTurnState().streamSegments).toEqual([
+      { kind: 'trail', role: 'system', text: '', tools: ['one ✓', 'two ✓'] }
+    ])
+  })
+})
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/app/createGatewayEventHandler.ts b/ui-tui/src/app/createGatewayEventHandler.ts
index 267bf8c166..d1e9d63309 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/app/createGatewayEventHandler.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/app/createGatewayEventHandler.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import { applyDelegationStatus, getDelegationState } from './delegationStore.js'
 import type { GatewayEventHandlerContext } from './interfaces.js'
 import { patchOverlayState } from './overlayStore.js'
 import { turnController } from './turnController.js'
+import { archiveDoneTodos } from './turnStore.js'
 import { getUiState, patchUiState } from './uiStore.js'
 
 const NO_PROVIDER_RE = /\bNo (?:LLM|inference) provider configured\b/i
@@ -538,6 +539,7 @@ export function createGatewayEventHandler(ctx: GatewayEventHandlerContext): (ev:
         if (!wasInterrupted) {
           const msgs: Msg[] = finalMessages.length ? finalMessages : [{ role: 'assistant', text: finalText }]
           msgs.forEach(appendMessage)
+          archiveDoneTodos().forEach(appendMessage)
 
           if (bellOnComplete && stdout?.isTTY) {
             stdout.write('\x07')
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/app/turnController.ts b/ui-tui/src/app/turnController.ts
index 8d9d2e1330..9bc87ea808 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/app/turnController.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/app/turnController.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import {
 } from '../config/timing.js'
 import type { SessionInterruptResponse, SubagentEventPayload } from '../gatewayTypes.js'
 import { hasReasoningTag, splitReasoning } from '../lib/reasoning.js'
+import { appendToolShelfMessage, isToolShelfMessage } from '../lib/liveProgress.js'
 import {
   boundedLiveRenderText,
   buildToolTrailLine,
@@ -19,7 +20,7 @@ import type { ActiveTool, ActivityItem, Msg, SubagentProgress, TodoItem } from '
 
 import { resetFlowOverlays } from './overlayStore.js'
 import { pushSnapshot } from './spawnHistoryStore.js'
-import { getTurnState, patchTurnState, resetTurnState } from './turnStore.js'
+import { archiveDoneTodos, getTurnState, patchTurnState, resetTurnState } from './turnStore.js'
 import { getUiState, patchUiState } from './uiStore.js'
 
 const INTERRUPT_COOLDOWN_MS = 1500
@@ -42,20 +43,6 @@ const diffSegmentBody = (msg: Msg): null | string => {
 
 const hasDetails = (msg: Msg): boolean => Boolean(msg.thinking || msg.tools?.length || msg.toolTokens)
 
-const isToolOnly = (msg: Msg | undefined) =>
-  Boolean(msg && msg.kind === 'trail' && !msg.thinking?.trim() && !msg.text && msg.tools?.length)
-
-const mergeSequentialToolOnly = (segments: Msg[]) =>
-  segments.reduce<Msg[]>((acc, msg) => {
-    if (isToolOnly(msg) && isToolOnly(acc.at(-1))) {
-      const prev = acc.at(-1)!
-
-      return [...acc.slice(0, -1), { ...prev, tools: [...(prev.tools ?? []), ...(msg.tools ?? [])] }]
-    }
-
-    return [...acc, msg]
-  }, [])
-
 const isTodoStatus = (status: unknown): status is TodoItem['status'] =>
   status === 'pending' || status === 'in_progress' || status === 'completed' || status === 'cancelled'
 
@@ -281,17 +268,7 @@ class TurnController {
   }
 
   private pushSegment(msg: Msg) {
-    if (isToolOnly(msg) && isToolOnly(this.segmentMessages.at(-1)!)) {
-      const prev = this.segmentMessages.at(-1)!
-      this.segmentMessages = [
-        ...this.segmentMessages.slice(0, -1),
-        { ...prev, tools: [...(prev.tools ?? []), ...(msg.tools ?? [])] }
-      ]
-
-      return
-    }
-
-    this.segmentMessages = [...this.segmentMessages, msg]
+    this.segmentMessages = appendToolShelfMessage(this.segmentMessages, msg)
   }
 
   flushStreamingSegment() {
@@ -347,16 +324,22 @@ class TurnController {
   }
 
   private flushPendingToolsIntoLastSegment() {
-    const last = this.segmentMessages[this.segmentMessages.length - 1]
-
-    if (!this.pendingSegmentTools.length || !isToolOnly(last)) {
+    if (!this.pendingSegmentTools.length) {
       return false
     }
 
-    this.segmentMessages = [
-      ...this.segmentMessages.slice(0, -1),
-      { ...last, tools: [...(last.tools ?? []), ...this.pendingSegmentTools] }
-    ]
+    const next = appendToolShelfMessage(this.segmentMessages, {
+      kind: 'trail',
+      role: 'system',
+      text: '',
+      tools: this.pendingSegmentTools
+    })
+
+    if (next.length === this.segmentMessages.length + 1) {
+      return false
+    }
+
+    this.segmentMessages = next
     this.pendingSegmentTools = []
     patchTurnState({ streamPendingTools: [], streamSegments: this.segmentMessages })
 
@@ -449,7 +432,7 @@ class TurnController {
     let tools = this.pendingSegmentTools
     const last = this.segmentMessages[this.segmentMessages.length - 1]
 
-    if (tools.length && isToolOnly(last)) {
+    if (tools.length && isToolShelfMessage(last)) {
       this.segmentMessages = [
         ...this.segmentMessages.slice(0, -1),
         { ...last, tools: [...(last.tools ?? []), ...tools] }
@@ -465,13 +448,11 @@ class TurnController {
     // assistant narration stays put.
     const finalHasOwnDiffFence = /```(?:diff|patch)\b/i.test(finalText)
 
-    const segments = mergeSequentialToolOnly(
-      this.segmentMessages.filter(msg => {
-        const body = diffSegmentBody(msg)
+    const segments = this.segmentMessages.filter(msg => {
+      const body = diffSegmentBody(msg)
 
-        return body === null || (!finalHasOwnDiffFence && !finalText.includes(body))
-      })
-    )
+      return body === null || (!finalHasOwnDiffFence && !finalText.includes(body))
+    })
 
     const hasReasoningSegment =
       this.reasoningSegmentIndex !== null || segments.some(msg => Boolean(msg.thinking?.trim()))
@@ -490,6 +471,8 @@ class TurnController {
 
     const finalMessages = hasDetails(finalDetails) ? [...segments, finalDetails] : [...segments]
 
+    finalMessages.push(...archiveDoneTodos())
+
     if (finalText) {
       finalMessages.push({ role: 'assistant', text: finalText })
     }
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/app/turnStore.ts b/ui-tui/src/app/turnStore.ts
index f6d40bd3b6..9700f9533f 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/app/turnStore.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/app/turnStore.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { atom } from 'nanostores'
 import { useSyncExternalStore } from 'react'
 
+import { appendToolShelfMessage, isTodoDone } from '../lib/liveProgress.js'
 import type { ActiveTool, ActivityItem, Msg, SubagentProgress, TodoItem } from '../types.js'
 
 const buildTurnState = (): TurnState => ({
@@ -14,6 +15,7 @@ const buildTurnState = (): TurnState => ({
   streamSegments: [],
   streaming: '',
   subagents: [],
+  todoCollapsed: false,
   todos: [],
   toolTokens: 0,
   tools: [],
@@ -36,6 +38,25 @@ export const useTurnSelector = <T>(selector: (state: TurnState) => T): T =>
 export const patchTurnState = (next: Partial<TurnState> | ((state: TurnState) => TurnState)) =>
   $turnState.set(typeof next === 'function' ? next($turnState.get()) : { ...$turnState.get(), ...next })
 
+export const toggleTodoCollapsed = () => patchTurnState(state => ({ ...state, todoCollapsed: !state.todoCollapsed }))
+
+export const archiveDoneTodos = () => {
+  const state = $turnState.get()
+
+  if (!isTodoDone(state.todos)) {
+    return []
+  }
+
+  const msg: Msg = { kind: 'trail', role: 'system', text: '', todos: state.todos }
+
+  patchTurnState({ todoCollapsed: false, todos: [] })
+
+  return [msg]
+}
+
+export const appendTurnSegment = (msg: Msg) =>
+  patchTurnState(state => ({ ...state, streamSegments: appendToolShelfMessage(state.streamSegments, msg) }))
+
 export const resetTurnState = () => $turnState.set(buildTurnState())
 
 export interface TurnState {
@@ -49,6 +70,7 @@ export interface TurnState {
   streamSegments: Msg[]
   streaming: string
   subagents: SubagentProgress[]
+  todoCollapsed: boolean
   todos: TodoItem[]
   toolTokens: number
   tools: ActiveTool[]
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/components/appLayout.tsx b/ui-tui/src/components/appLayout.tsx
index 5c63c0e2e7..2608a9dabe 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/components/appLayout.tsx
+++ b/ui-tui/src/components/appLayout.tsx
@@ -28,10 +28,6 @@ const TranscriptPane = memo(function TranscriptPane({
 
   return (
     <>
-      <Box flexDirection="column" flexShrink={0}>
-        <LiveTodoPanel />
-      </Box>
-
       <ScrollBox flexDirection="column" flexGrow={1} flexShrink={1} ref={transcript.scrollRef} stickyScroll>
         <Box flexDirection="column" paddingX={1}>
           {transcript.virtualHistory.topSpacer > 0 ? <Box height={transcript.virtualHistory.topSpacer} /> : null}
@@ -73,6 +69,10 @@ const TranscriptPane = memo(function TranscriptPane({
         </Box>
       </ScrollBox>
 
+      <Box flexDirection="column" flexShrink={0} paddingX={1}>
+        <LiveTodoPanel />
+      </Box>
+
       <NoSelect flexShrink={0} marginLeft={1}>
         <TranscriptScrollbar scrollRef={transcript.scrollRef} t={ui.theme} />
       </NoSelect>
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/components/messageLine.tsx b/ui-tui/src/components/messageLine.tsx
index e827dd5fa3..7465a0885a 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/components/messageLine.tsx
+++ b/ui-tui/src/components/messageLine.tsx
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import type { Theme } from '../theme.js'
 import type { ActiveTool, DetailsMode, Msg, SectionVisibility } from '../types.js'
 
 import { Md } from './markdown.js'
+import { TodoPanel } from './todoPanel.js'
 import { ToolTrail } from './thinking.js'
 
 export const MessageLine = memo(function MessageLine({
@@ -35,6 +36,10 @@ export const MessageLine = memo(function MessageLine({
   const activityMode = sectionMode('activity', detailsMode, sections, detailsModeCommandOverride)
   const thinking = msg.thinking?.trim() ?? ''
 
+  if (msg.kind === 'trail' && msg.todos?.length) {
+    return <TodoPanel t={t} todos={msg.todos} />
+  }
+
   if (msg.kind === 'trail' && (msg.tools?.length || tools.length || thinking)) {
     return thinkingMode !== 'hidden' || toolsMode !== 'hidden' || activityMode !== 'hidden' ? (
       <Box flexDirection="column">
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/components/streamingAssistant.tsx b/ui-tui/src/components/streamingAssistant.tsx
index b027998690..8b5f261115 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/components/streamingAssistant.tsx
+++ b/ui-tui/src/components/streamingAssistant.tsx
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { useStore } from '@nanostores/react'
 import { memo } from 'react'
 
 import type { AppLayoutProgressProps } from '../app/interfaces.js'
-import { useTurnSelector } from '../app/turnStore.js'
+import { toggleTodoCollapsed, useTurnSelector } from '../app/turnStore.js'
 import { $uiState } from '../app/uiStore.js'
 import type { DetailsMode, Msg, SectionVisibility } from '../types.js'
 
@@ -105,8 +105,9 @@ export const StreamingAssistant = memo(function StreamingAssistant({
 export const LiveTodoPanel = memo(function LiveTodoPanel() {
   const ui = useStore($uiState)
   const todos = useTurnSelector(state => state.todos)
+  const collapsed = useTurnSelector(state => state.todoCollapsed)
 
-  return <TodoPanel t={ui.theme} todos={todos} />
+  return <TodoPanel collapsed={collapsed} onToggle={toggleTodoCollapsed} t={ui.theme} todos={todos} />
 })
 
 interface StreamingAssistantProps {
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/components/todoPanel.tsx b/ui-tui/src/components/todoPanel.tsx
index cb8ccd8012..964512d875 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/components/todoPanel.tsx
+++ b/ui-tui/src/components/todoPanel.tsx
@@ -11,35 +11,52 @@ const rowColor = (t: Theme, status: TodoItem['status']) => {
   return tone === 'active' ? t.color.cornsilk : tone === 'body' ? t.color.statusFg : t.color.dim
 }
 
-export const TodoPanel = memo(function TodoPanel({ t, todos }: { t: Theme; todos: TodoItem[] }) {
+export const TodoPanel = memo(function TodoPanel({
+  collapsed = false,
+  onToggle,
+  t,
+  todos
+}: {
+  collapsed?: boolean
+  onToggle?: () => void
+  t: Theme
+  todos: TodoItem[]
+}) {
   if (!todos.length) {
     return null
   }
 
+  const done = todos.filter(todo => todo.status === 'completed').length
+
   return (
     <Box flexDirection="column" marginBottom={1}>
-      <Text color={t.color.dim}>
-        <Text color={t.color.amber}>▾ </Text>
-        <Text bold color={t.color.cornsilk}>
-          Todo
-        </Text>{' '}
-        <Text color={t.color.statusFg} dim>
-          ({todos.filter(todo => todo.status === 'completed').length}/{todos.length})
+      <Box onClick={onToggle}>
+        <Text color={t.color.dim}>
+          <Text color={t.color.amber}>{collapsed ? '▸ ' : '▾ '}</Text>
+          <Text bold color={t.color.cornsilk}>
+            Todo
+          </Text>{' '}
+          <Text color={t.color.statusFg} dim>
+            ({done}/{todos.length})
+          </Text>
         </Text>
-      </Text>
-      <Box flexDirection="column" marginLeft={2}>
-        {todos.map(todo => {
-          const tone = todoTone(todo.status)
-          const color = rowColor(t, todo.status)
-
-          return (
-            <Text color={color} dim={tone === 'dim'} key={todo.id}>
-              <Text color={color}>{todoGlyph(todo.status)} </Text>
-              {todo.content}
-            </Text>
-          )
-        })}
       </Box>
+
+      {!collapsed && (
+        <Box flexDirection="column" marginLeft={2}>
+          {todos.map(todo => {
+            const tone = todoTone(todo.status)
+            const color = rowColor(t, todo.status)
+
+            return (
+              <Text color={color} dim={tone === 'dim'} key={todo.id}>
+                <Text color={color}>{todoGlyph(todo.status)} </Text>
+                {todo.content}
+              </Text>
+            )
+          })}
+        </Box>
+      )}
     </Box>
   )
 })
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/lib/liveLayout.ts b/ui-tui/src/lib/liveLayout.ts
index a990b06d0e..13856f5c39 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/lib/liveLayout.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/lib/liveLayout.ts
@@ -1 +1 @@
-export const liveTailOrder = () => ['todo', 'scroll-history', 'assistant'] as const
+export const liveTailOrder = () => ['scroll-history', 'assistant', 'live-todo'] as const
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/lib/liveProgress.test.ts b/ui-tui/src/lib/liveProgress.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d10e1bb9a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui-tui/src/lib/liveProgress.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+
+import { appendToolShelfMessage, isTodoDone } from './liveProgress.js'
+
+describe('isTodoDone', () => {
+  it('only treats non-empty all-completed/cancelled lists as done', () => {
+    expect(isTodoDone([])).toBe(false)
+    expect(isTodoDone([{ content: 'x', id: 'x', status: 'completed' }])).toBe(true)
+    expect(isTodoDone([{ content: 'x', id: 'x', status: 'in_progress' }])).toBe(false)
+    expect(
+      isTodoDone([
+        { content: 'x', id: 'x', status: 'completed' },
+        { content: 'y', id: 'y', status: 'cancelled' }
+      ])
+    ).toBe(true)
+  })
+})
+
+describe('appendToolShelfMessage', () => {
+  it('merges adjacent tool shelves into one contextual shelf', () => {
+    const merged = appendToolShelfMessage([{ kind: 'trail', role: 'system', text: '', tools: ['one ✓'] }], {
+      kind: 'trail',
+      role: 'system',
+      text: '',
+      tools: ['two ✓']
+    })
+
+    expect(merged).toEqual([{ kind: 'trail', role: 'system', text: '', tools: ['one ✓', 'two ✓'] }])
+  })
+
+  it('adds tools to the nearest contextual thinking shelf', () => {
+    const merged = appendToolShelfMessage(
+      [{ kind: 'trail', role: 'system', text: '', thinking: 'plan', tools: ['one ✓'] }],
+      { kind: 'trail', role: 'system', text: '', tools: ['two ✓'] }
+    )
+
+    expect(merged).toEqual([{ kind: 'trail', role: 'system', text: '', thinking: 'plan', tools: ['one ✓', 'two ✓'] }])
+  })
+
+  it('starts a new shelf across assistant text boundaries', () => {
+    const merged = appendToolShelfMessage(
+      [{ kind: 'trail', role: 'system', text: '', tools: ['one ✓'] }, { role: 'assistant', text: 'done' }],
+      { kind: 'trail', role: 'system', text: '', tools: ['two ✓'] }
+    )
+
+    expect(merged).toHaveLength(3)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/lib/liveProgress.ts b/ui-tui/src/lib/liveProgress.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..62f741633c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui-tui/src/lib/liveProgress.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+import type { Msg, TodoItem } from '../types.js'
+
+export const isTodoDone = (todos: readonly TodoItem[]) =>
+  todos.length > 0 && todos.every(todo => todo.status === 'completed' || todo.status === 'cancelled')
+
+export const isToolShelfMessage = (msg: Msg | undefined) =>
+  Boolean(msg?.kind === 'trail' && !msg.text && !msg.thinking?.trim() && msg.tools?.length)
+
+const canHoldToolShelf = (msg: Msg | undefined) =>
+  Boolean(msg?.kind === 'trail' && !msg.text && (msg.thinking?.trim() || msg.tools?.length))
+
+export const appendToolShelfMessage = (prev: readonly Msg[], msg: Msg): Msg[] => {
+  if (!isToolShelfMessage(msg)) {
+    return [...prev, msg]
+  }
+
+  for (let index = prev.length - 1; index >= 0; index--) {
+    const candidate = prev[index]
+
+    if (canHoldToolShelf(candidate)) {
+      const next = [...prev]
+
+      next[index] = { ...candidate!, tools: [...(candidate!.tools ?? []), ...(msg.tools ?? [])] }
+
+      return next
+    }
+
+    if (candidate?.kind !== 'trail' || candidate.text) {
+      break
+    }
+  }
+
+  return [...prev, msg]
+}
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/lib/messages.test.ts b/ui-tui/src/lib/messages.test.ts
index 6194311cb1..422ddb1af9 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/lib/messages.test.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/lib/messages.test.ts
@@ -4,20 +4,26 @@ import { appendTranscriptMessage } from './messages.js'
 
 describe('appendTranscriptMessage', () => {
   it('merges adjacent tool-only shelves into one transcript row', () => {
-    const out = appendTranscriptMessage(
-      [{ kind: 'trail', role: 'system', text: '', tools: ['Terminal("one") ✓'] }],
-      { kind: 'trail', role: 'system', text: '', tools: ['Terminal("two") ✓'] }
-    )
+    const out = appendTranscriptMessage([{ kind: 'trail', role: 'system', text: '', tools: ['Terminal("one") ✓'] }], {
+      kind: 'trail',
+      role: 'system',
+      text: '',
+      tools: ['Terminal("two") ✓']
+    })
 
-    expect(out).toEqual([{ kind: 'trail', role: 'system', text: '', tools: ['Terminal("one") ✓', 'Terminal("two") ✓'] }])
+    expect(out).toEqual([
+      { kind: 'trail', role: 'system', text: '', tools: ['Terminal("one") ✓', 'Terminal("two") ✓'] }
+    ])
   })
 
-  it('does not merge tool shelves across thinking text', () => {
+  it('merges tool shelves into the nearest thinking shelf', () => {
     const out = appendTranscriptMessage(
       [{ kind: 'trail', role: 'system', text: '', thinking: 'plan', tools: ['Terminal("one") ✓'] }],
       { kind: 'trail', role: 'system', text: '', tools: ['Terminal("two") ✓'] }
     )
 
-    expect(out).toHaveLength(2)
+    expect(out).toEqual([
+      { kind: 'trail', role: 'system', text: '', thinking: 'plan', tools: ['Terminal("one") ✓', 'Terminal("two") ✓'] }
+    ])
   })
 })
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/lib/messages.ts b/ui-tui/src/lib/messages.ts
index 60fc4b76ba..b8e89421e5 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/lib/messages.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/lib/messages.ts
@@ -1,17 +1,8 @@
 import type { Msg, Role } from '../types.js'
 
-const isToolShelf = (msg: Msg | undefined) =>
-  Boolean(msg?.kind === 'trail' && !msg.text && !msg.thinking?.trim() && msg.tools?.length)
+import { appendToolShelfMessage } from './liveProgress.js'
 
-export const appendTranscriptMessage = (prev: Msg[], msg: Msg): Msg[] => {
-  if (isToolShelf(msg) && isToolShelf(prev.at(-1))) {
-    const last = prev.at(-1)!
-
-    return [...prev.slice(0, -1), { ...last, tools: [...(last.tools ?? []), ...(msg.tools ?? [])] }]
-  }
-
-  return [...prev, msg]
-}
+export const appendTranscriptMessage = (prev: Msg[], msg: Msg): Msg[] => appendToolShelfMessage(prev, msg)
 
 export const upsert = (prev: Msg[], role: Role, text: string): Msg[] =>
   prev.at(-1)?.role === role ? [...prev.slice(0, -1), { role, text }] : [...prev, { role, text }]
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/types.ts b/ui-tui/src/types.ts
index 89c83856d1..ac61868b8a 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/types.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/types.ts
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ export interface Msg {
   thinkingTokens?: number
   toolTokens?: number
   tools?: string[]
+  todos?: TodoItem[]
 }
 
 export type Role = 'assistant' | 'system' | 'tool' | 'user'