From 5ae595b985bdc62946575390b968706b92f51c14 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: tt-a1i <tt-a1i@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 2026 01:18:31 +0800
Subject: [PATCH 1/3] fix(subagents): give the strip and footer status one
 owner per field
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

The below-editor strip and Pi's footer status rendered the same facts
twice on adjacent lines. The strip is focusable and rich, so it keeps
one glyph column (focus marker when selected, otherwise the shared
spinner/✓/✗ status glyph), the title, a readable count, elapsed time,
and the navigation hint; it drops the model label and context
utilization, which Pi's footer and the dashboard already show.

The footer status degrades to a bare count: running work now uses the
shared spinner frame via a threaded now parameter, and it omits the
'/subagents to view' tail while the strip is visible (threaded from
updateSubagentWidget's widgetVisible) so only one 'how to open' hint
is on screen at a time.

A single subagent shows no count at all; several show 'N/M done'. The
strip's repaint timer re-arms at the spinner cadence while the shown
subagent runs and back to 500 ms once it settles.

Refs #41
---
 extensions/shared/activity-status.test.ts |  38 +++++--
 extensions/shared/activity-status.ts      |  17 +--
 extensions/subagents/index.ts             |  12 ++-
 extensions/subagents/navigation.test.ts   | 122 ++++++++++++++++++++--
 extensions/subagents/navigation.ts        |  41 +++++---
 extensions/subagents/src/ui/takeover.ts   |   7 +-
 6 files changed, 195 insertions(+), 42 deletions(-)

diff --git a/extensions/shared/activity-status.test.ts b/extensions/shared/activity-status.test.ts
index 4fc7adae..5e7efd71 100644
--- a/extensions/shared/activity-status.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/shared/activity-status.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import assert from "node:assert/strict";
 import test from "node:test";
+import { SPINNER_INTERVAL_MS } from "../subagents/src/ui/transcript.ts";
 import {
   formatActivityStatus,
   hasActivity,
@@ -55,12 +56,13 @@ test("a settle without a timestamp is treated as unread", () => {
 
 test("status text names its own view command", () => {
   assert.equal(
-    formatActivityStatus(identityTheme, "subagents", {
-      running: 1,
-      done: 2,
-      failed: 0,
-    }),
-    "subagents: ■ 1 running · ■ 2 done · /subagents to view",
+    formatActivityStatus(
+      identityTheme,
+      "subagents",
+      { running: 1, done: 2, failed: 0 },
+      0,
+    ),
+    "subagents: ⠋ 1 running · ✓ 2 done · /subagents to view",
   );
   assert.equal(
     formatActivityStatus(identityTheme, "workflows", {
@@ -68,6 +70,28 @@ test("status text names its own view command", () => {
       done: 0,
       failed: 3,
     }),
-    "workflows: ■ 3 failed · /workflows to view",
+    "workflows: ✗ 3 failed · /workflows to view",
+  );
+});
+
+test("running work shares the spinner frame; strip visibility owns the hint", () => {
+  const counts = { running: 1, done: 0, failed: 0 };
+  const visible = formatActivityStatus(
+    identityTheme,
+    "subagents",
+    counts,
+    SPINNER_INTERVAL_MS, // frame 1
+    true,
+  );
+  assert.equal(visible, "subagents: ⠙ 1 running");
+  assert.doesNotMatch(visible, /to view/);
+
+  const hidden = formatActivityStatus(
+    identityTheme,
+    "subagents",
+    counts,
+    SPINNER_INTERVAL_MS,
+    false,
   );
+  assert.equal(hidden, "subagents: ⠙ 1 running · /subagents to view");
 });
diff --git a/extensions/shared/activity-status.ts b/extensions/shared/activity-status.ts
index 1baf1048..92fedb71 100644
--- a/extensions/shared/activity-status.ts
+++ b/extensions/shared/activity-status.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import type { ExtensionContext } from "@earendil-works/pi-coding-agent";
+import { spinnerFrame } from "../subagents/src/ui/transcript.ts";
 
 type Theme = ExtensionContext["ui"]["theme"];
 
@@ -8,8 +9,6 @@ export interface ActivityCounts {
   failed: number;
 }
 
-const SQUARE = "■";
-
 /**
  * Settled work is an unread notice, not a session tally: `done`/`failed` stay
  * visible until the user's next explicit request acknowledges them, while
@@ -48,18 +47,24 @@ export function formatActivityStatus(
   theme: Theme,
   label: "subagents" | "workflows",
   counts: ActivityCounts,
+  now: number = Date.now(),
+  stripVisible = false,
 ) {
   const parts: string[] = [];
   if (counts.running > 0) {
-    parts.push(theme.fg("warning", `${SQUARE} ${counts.running} running`));
+    parts.push(
+      theme.fg("warning", `${spinnerFrame(now)} ${counts.running} running`),
+    );
   }
   if (counts.done > 0) {
-    parts.push(theme.fg("success", `${SQUARE} ${counts.done} done`));
+    parts.push(theme.fg("success", `✓ ${counts.done} done`));
   }
   if (counts.failed > 0) {
-    parts.push(theme.fg("error", `${SQUARE} ${counts.failed} failed`));
+    parts.push(theme.fg("error", `✗ ${counts.failed} failed`));
+  }
+  if (!stripVisible) {
+    parts.push(theme.fg("accent", `/${label}`) + theme.fg("dim", " to view"));
   }
-  parts.push(theme.fg("accent", `/${label}`) + theme.fg("dim", " to view"));
 
   return `${theme.fg("muted", `${label}:`)} ${parts.join(theme.fg("dim", " · "))}`;
 }
diff --git a/extensions/subagents/index.ts b/extensions/subagents/index.ts
index 59d8fd3a..9adac392 100644
--- a/extensions/subagents/index.ts
+++ b/extensions/subagents/index.ts
@@ -383,6 +383,9 @@ export default function (pi: ExtensionAPI) {
 
   const updateStatus = (manager: SubagentManagerShape) => {
     if (!ui) return;
+    // Refresh the strip first: when it is on screen it already carries the
+    // "↓ to manage" affordance, so the footer must not repeat the command.
+    updateSubagentWidget();
     const counts = unreadActivityCounts(
       manager.view.list(),
       settledAcknowledgedAt,
@@ -390,10 +393,15 @@ export default function (pi: ExtensionAPI) {
     ui.setStatus(
       "subagents",
       hasActivity(counts)
-        ? formatActivityStatus(ui.theme, "subagents", counts)
+        ? formatActivityStatus(
+            ui.theme,
+            "subagents",
+            counts,
+            Date.now(),
+            widgetVisible,
+          )
         : undefined,
     );
-    updateSubagentWidget();
   };
 
   const openDashboard = async (ctx: ExtensionContext, initialId?: string) => {
diff --git a/extensions/subagents/navigation.test.ts b/extensions/subagents/navigation.test.ts
index 240f08ee..1e7a80f4 100644
--- a/extensions/subagents/navigation.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/subagents/navigation.test.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { BelowEditorStripState } from "../shared/below-editor-navigation.ts";
 import {
   normalizeSubagentTitle,
   selectSubagentStripEntry,
+  type SubagentStripEntry,
   SubagentStripWidget,
 } from "./navigation.ts";
 import type { SubagentSnapshot } from "./src/domain.ts";
@@ -41,6 +42,19 @@ const theme = {
   bold: (text: string) => text,
 } as unknown as Theme;
 
+const SPINNERS = /[⠋⠙⠹⠸⠼⠴⠦⠧⠇⠏]/;
+
+function stripWidget(entry: SubagentStripEntry | undefined) {
+  const strip = new BelowEditorStripState();
+  const widget = new SubagentStripWidget(
+    { requestRender() {} } as unknown as TUI,
+    theme,
+    strip,
+    () => entry,
+  );
+  return { strip, widget };
+}
+
 test("subagent titles are sanitized and bounded at ingress", () => {
   assert.equal(
     normalizeSubagentTitle(" review\u001b]52;c;payload\u0007\nnow "),
@@ -74,17 +88,11 @@ test("strip selection prefers newest running, then newest unread settled", () =>
 });
 
 test("subagent strip matches Workflow's bounded one-line affordance", () => {
-  const strip = new BelowEditorStripState();
   const entry = selectSubagentStripEntry(
     [snapshot("sa-1", "running", Date.now() - 2_000)],
     0,
   );
-  const widget = new SubagentStripWidget(
-    { requestRender() {} } as unknown as TUI,
-    theme,
-    strip,
-    () => entry,
-  );
+  const { strip, widget } = stripWidget(entry);
   try {
     const idle = widget.render(100);
     assert.equal(idle.length, 1);
@@ -98,7 +106,7 @@ test("subagent strip matches Workflow's bounded one-line affordance", () => {
     assert.ok(visibleWidth(focused[0]!) <= 54);
     assert.match(focused[0]!, /enter open/);
 
-    for (const width of [1, 8, 20]) {
+    for (const width of [1, 8, 20, 40]) {
       const narrow = widget.render(width);
       assert.equal(narrow.length, 1);
       assert.ok(visibleWidth(narrow[0]!) <= width);
@@ -107,3 +115,101 @@ test("subagent strip matches Workflow's bounded one-line affordance", () => {
     widget.dispose();
   }
 });
+
+test("unfocused strip shows exactly one leading glyph: spinner or settle mark", () => {
+  const running = stripWidget(
+    selectSubagentStripEntry([snapshot("sa-1", "running", Date.now())], 0),
+  );
+  try {
+    const line = running.widget.render(100)[0]!;
+    assert.match(line, /^ [⠋⠙⠹⠸⠼⠴⠦⠧⠇⠏] /);
+    assert.doesNotMatch(line, /■|○|❯|✓|✗/);
+  } finally {
+    running.widget.dispose();
+  }
+
+  const done = stripWidget(
+    selectSubagentStripEntry([snapshot("sa-2", "done", 1, 2)], 0),
+  );
+  try {
+    const line = done.widget.render(100)[0]!;
+    assert.match(line, /✓/);
+    assert.doesNotMatch(line, SPINNERS);
+    assert.doesNotMatch(line, /■|○|❯|✗/);
+  } finally {
+    done.widget.dispose();
+  }
+
+  const failed = stripWidget(
+    selectSubagentStripEntry([snapshot("sa-3", "error", 1, 2)], 0),
+  );
+  try {
+    const line = failed.widget.render(100)[0]!;
+    assert.match(line, /✗/);
+    assert.doesNotMatch(line, SPINNERS);
+    assert.doesNotMatch(line, /■|○|❯|✓/);
+  } finally {
+    failed.widget.dispose();
+  }
+});
+
+test("focused strip shows the marker and no status glyph", () => {
+  const { strip, widget } = stripWidget(
+    selectSubagentStripEntry([snapshot("sa-1", "running", Date.now())], 0),
+  );
+  strip.focused = true;
+  try {
+    const line = widget.render(100)[0]!;
+    assert.match(line, /❯/);
+    assert.doesNotMatch(line, SPINNERS);
+    assert.doesNotMatch(line, /■|○|✓|✗/);
+  } finally {
+    widget.dispose();
+  }
+});
+
+test("strip carries no model label and no context percentage", () => {
+  const { widget } = stripWidget(
+    selectSubagentStripEntry(
+      [snapshot("sa-1", "running", Date.now(), undefined)],
+      0,
+    ),
+  );
+  try {
+    const line = widget.render(100)[0]!;
+    assert.doesNotMatch(line, /gpt-5\.6-sol/);
+    assert.doesNotMatch(line, /%/);
+  } finally {
+    widget.dispose();
+  }
+});
+
+test("a single subagent shows no count; several show a readable one", () => {
+  const single = stripWidget(
+    selectSubagentStripEntry([snapshot("solo", "running", 3)], 0),
+  );
+  try {
+    const line = single.widget.render(100)[0]!;
+    assert.doesNotMatch(line, /agents/);
+    assert.doesNotMatch(line, /\d\/\d/);
+  } finally {
+    single.widget.dispose();
+  }
+
+  const entry = selectSubagentStripEntry(
+    [
+      snapshot("done-1", "done", 1, 5),
+      snapshot("done-2", "done", 2, 6),
+      snapshot("run", "running", 3),
+    ],
+    0,
+  );
+  const several = stripWidget(entry);
+  try {
+    const line = several.widget.render(100)[0]!;
+    assert.match(line, /2\/3 done/);
+    assert.doesNotMatch(line, /agents/);
+  } finally {
+    several.widget.dispose();
+  }
+});
diff --git a/extensions/subagents/navigation.ts b/extensions/subagents/navigation.ts
index 499b21d6..70467469 100644
--- a/extensions/subagents/navigation.ts
+++ b/extensions/subagents/navigation.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@ import {
 } from "../shared/activity-status.ts";
 import { sanitizeTerminalText } from "../shared/terminal-text.ts";
 import { formatElapsed, type SubagentSnapshot } from "./src/domain.ts";
-import { formatContextUtilization } from "./src/format.ts";
+import { statusGlyph } from "./src/ui/takeover.ts";
+import { SPINNER_INTERVAL_MS } from "./src/ui/transcript.ts";
 
 export interface SubagentStripEntry {
   snapshot: SubagentSnapshot;
@@ -58,13 +59,10 @@ function statusColor(status: SubagentSnapshot["status"]) {
   return "error" as const;
 }
 
-function statusSquare(snapshot: SubagentSnapshot, theme: Theme) {
-  return theme.fg(statusColor(snapshot.status), "■");
-}
-
 /** One-line subagent manager entry with the same affordance as Workflow. */
 export class SubagentStripWidget {
-  private readonly timer: ReturnType<typeof setInterval>;
+  private timer?: ReturnType<typeof setInterval>;
+  private timerInterval = 0;
   private readonly tui: TUI;
   private readonly theme: Theme;
   private readonly strip: BelowEditorStripState;
@@ -80,12 +78,23 @@ export class SubagentStripWidget {
     this.theme = theme;
     this.strip = strip;
     this.getEntry = getEntry;
-    this.timer = setInterval(() => this.tui.requestRender(), 500);
+    this.refreshTimer(false);
+  }
+
+  /** A running subagent animates a spinner, so repaint at its cadence. */
+  private refreshTimer(running: boolean) {
+    const interval = running ? SPINNER_INTERVAL_MS : 500;
+    if (interval === this.timerInterval) return;
+    if (this.timer) clearInterval(this.timer);
+    this.timerInterval = interval;
+    this.timer = setInterval(() => this.tui.requestRender(), interval);
     this.timer.unref?.();
   }
 
   dispose() {
-    clearInterval(this.timer);
+    if (this.timer) clearInterval(this.timer);
+    this.timer = undefined;
+    this.timerInterval = 0;
   }
 
   invalidate() {}
@@ -94,23 +103,23 @@ export class SubagentStripWidget {
     const entry = this.getEntry();
     if (!entry || width <= 0) return [];
     const { snapshot, counts } = entry;
-    const marker = this.strip.focused
+    this.refreshTimer(snapshot.status === "running");
+    // One glyph column: the focus marker when selected, the status glyph —
+    // spinner, ✓, ✗ — otherwise. Model and context stay in Pi's footer and
+    // the dashboard; this strip owns navigation and progress.
+    const glyph = this.strip.focused
       ? this.theme.fg("accent", "❯")
-      : this.theme.fg("dim", "○");
+      : statusGlyph(snapshot, this.theme);
     const titleText = normalizeSubagentTitle(snapshot.title, snapshot.id);
     const title = this.strip.focused
       ? this.theme.bold(this.theme.fg("accent", titleText))
       : this.theme.fg("text", titleText);
-    const model = snapshot.meta.modelLabel
-      ? cleanLine(snapshot.meta.modelLabel)
-      : undefined;
-    const left = ` ${marker} ${statusSquare(snapshot, this.theme)} ${title}${model ? this.theme.fg("dim", ` · ${model}`) : ""}`;
+    const left = ` ${glyph} ${title}`;
     const settled = counts.done + counts.failed;
     const total = counts.running + settled;
     const metrics = [
-      `${settled}/${total} agents`,
+      total > 1 ? `${settled}/${total} done` : "",
       formatElapsed(snapshot),
-      formatContextUtilization(snapshot.usage),
       this.strip.focused ? "enter open · ↑ back" : "↓ to manage",
     ]
       .filter((part): part is string => Boolean(part))
diff --git a/extensions/subagents/src/ui/takeover.ts b/extensions/subagents/src/ui/takeover.ts
index 77dbf24c..be9eee43 100644
--- a/extensions/subagents/src/ui/takeover.ts
+++ b/extensions/subagents/src/ui/takeover.ts
@@ -37,10 +37,11 @@ function configuredKeys(
 
 /**
  * One spinner definition for the whole subagent UI: the dashboard glyph, the
- * takeover header, and the transcript's live tools must animate in step, so the
- * frames and their cadence live in `transcript.ts` and are imported here.
+ * takeover header, the below-editor strip, and the transcript's live tools
+ * must animate in step, so the frames and their cadence live in
+ * `transcript.ts` and are imported here.
  */
-function statusGlyph(
+export function statusGlyph(
   snap: SubagentSnapshot,
   theme: Theme,
   now = Date.now(),

From ec50c56538b23c11bfab52b2895bfbd3e2f030b0 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: tt-a1i <tt-a1i@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 2026 01:18:35 +0800
Subject: [PATCH 2/3] feat(subagents): let the dashboard overlay breathe

The subagent dashboard box rendered flush against the transcript: its
top border touched the previous output line and the key-hints line
touched the next paragraph. render() now emits one blank row above the
box, one between the bottom border and the hints, and one below the
hints. The body clamp pays for them (rows - 5 becomes rows - 8), so
the overlay can never exceed its old rows - 2 maximum height.

TakeoverView is untouched: it covers the full screen with an exact
rows - 1 budget and a regression test now guards that.

Refs #41
---
 extensions/subagents/src/ui/takeover.ts | 11 ++++-
 extensions/subagents/takeover.test.ts   | 65 +++++++++++++++++++++++--
 2 files changed, 69 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-)

diff --git a/extensions/subagents/src/ui/takeover.ts b/extensions/subagents/src/ui/takeover.ts
index be9eee43..ec412010 100644
--- a/extensions/subagents/src/ui/takeover.ts
+++ b/extensions/subagents/src/ui/takeover.ts
@@ -285,12 +285,17 @@ export class SubagentDashboard implements Component {
     // One timestamp per frame so every row's spinner shows the same frame.
     const now = Date.now();
     const rows = this.tui.terminal.rows || 30;
-    const maxBodyHeight = Math.max(1, rows - 5);
+    // Three breathing rows (above, before the hints, below) join the border and
+    // hints as fixed chrome, so the body clamp shrinks by the same three rows
+    // and the overlay never exceeds its old rows - 2 maximum.
+    const maxBodyHeight = Math.max(1, rows - 8);
     const bodyHeight =
       subs.length > maxBodyHeight ? maxBodyHeight : Math.max(1, subs.length);
     const innerWidth = Math.max(0, width - 2);
 
     const lines: string[] = [];
+    // Breathing room: one blank row above the box.
+    lines.push("");
     const running = subs.filter((snap) => snap.status === "running").length;
     const done = subs.filter((snap) => snap.status === "done").length;
     const failed = subs.filter((snap) => snap.status === "error").length;
@@ -321,7 +326,8 @@ export class SubagentDashboard implements Component {
         theme.fg("border", "╯"),
     );
 
-    // Hints
+    // Hints, with one blank row on each side.
+    lines.push("");
     lines.push(
       truncateToWidth(
         theme.fg(
@@ -331,6 +337,7 @@ export class SubagentDashboard implements Component {
         width,
       ),
     );
+    lines.push("");
 
     return lines;
   }
diff --git a/extensions/subagents/takeover.test.ts b/extensions/subagents/takeover.test.ts
index 64b7f4df..459b3a8b 100644
--- a/extensions/subagents/takeover.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/subagents/takeover.test.ts
@@ -117,7 +117,8 @@ test("dashboard box height follows its subagents and retains the old maximum", (
   const one = dashboard([snap("one")], 10);
   try {
     const lines = one.render(100);
-    assert.equal(lines.length, 4); // border, one agent, border, hints
+    // blank, border, one agent, border, blank, hints, blank
+    assert.equal(lines.length, 7);
     assert.equal(lines.filter((line) => line.includes("agent one")).length, 1);
   } finally {
     one.dispose();
@@ -129,7 +130,10 @@ test("dashboard box height follows its subagents and retains the old maximum", (
   );
   try {
     const lines = many.render(100);
-    assert.equal(lines.filter((line) => line.startsWith("│")).length, 5);
+    assert.equal(lines.filter((line) => line.startsWith("│")).length, 2);
+    // The three breathing rows are paid for by the body clamp: the overlay
+    // still never exceeds its old rows - 2 maximum.
+    assert.ok(lines.length <= 8, `height ${lines.length} > 8`);
   } finally {
     many.dispose();
   }
@@ -138,14 +142,65 @@ test("dashboard box height follows its subagents and retains the old maximum", (
 test("dashboard reserves a more row and shows each visible subagent", () => {
   const view = dashboard(
     Array.from({ length: 8 }, (_, i) => snap(`${i}`)),
-    10,
+    12,
   );
   try {
     const output = view.render(100).join("\n");
-    for (const id of ["0", "1", "2", "3"]) {
+    for (const id of ["0", "1", "2"]) {
       assert.match(output, new RegExp(`agent ${id}`));
     }
-    assert.match(output, /… 4 more/);
+    assert.match(output, /… 5 more/);
+  } finally {
+    view.dispose();
+  }
+});
+
+test("dashboard breathes: blank rows above, around the hints, and below", () => {
+  const view = dashboard([snap("one")]);
+  try {
+    const lines = view.render(100);
+    assert.equal(lines[0], "");
+    assert.equal(lines.at(-1), "");
+    const hints = lines.findIndex((line) => line.includes("select"));
+    assert.ok(hints > 0);
+    assert.equal(lines[hints - 1], "");
+    // The box's bottom border sits directly above the pre-hints blank row.
+    assert.ok(lines[hints - 2]!.startsWith("╰"));
+  } finally {
+    view.dispose();
+  }
+});
+
+test("dashboard total height never exceeds its old rows - 2 maximum", () => {
+  for (const rows of [10, 15, 24]) {
+    const view = dashboard(
+      Array.from({ length: 40 }, (_, i) => snap(`${i}`)),
+      rows,
+    );
+    try {
+      const lines = view.render(100);
+      assert.ok(
+        lines.length <= rows - 2,
+        `rows=${rows} height=${lines.length}`,
+      );
+    } finally {
+      view.dispose();
+    }
+  }
+});
+
+test("takeover view keeps its full-screen rows - 1 height budget", () => {
+  const running = snap("run", "running");
+  const view = new TakeoverView(
+    tui(20),
+    theme,
+    keys,
+    "run",
+    model([running]),
+    () => {},
+  );
+  try {
+    assert.equal(view.render(80).length, 19);
   } finally {
     view.dispose();
   }

From de374c2ad8a410bc66f818ae0fedffa42a204239 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: tt-a1i <tt-a1i@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 2026 01:24:13 +0800
Subject: [PATCH 3/3] fix(subagents): keep the pushed footer status still, not
 a frozen spinner
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

Review caught an animation that cannot animate. ui.setStatus stores a
finished string and updateStatus only runs when the watched work changes,
so a spinner frame there freezes on whatever event wrote it last — a hung
UI is worse than an honest still marker. The strip owns the animated glyph
because it owns a render loop.

Also drops shared/ -> extensions/subagents/ internal import: shared code
must not depend on one extension's internals.

Refs #41
---
 extensions/shared/activity-status.test.ts | 24 +++++++++++------------
 extensions/shared/activity-status.ts      | 18 ++++++++++++++---
 extensions/subagents/index.ts             |  8 +-------
 3 files changed, 27 insertions(+), 23 deletions(-)

diff --git a/extensions/shared/activity-status.test.ts b/extensions/shared/activity-status.test.ts
index 5e7efd71..44179dd1 100644
--- a/extensions/shared/activity-status.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/shared/activity-status.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import assert from "node:assert/strict";
 import test from "node:test";
-import { SPINNER_INTERVAL_MS } from "../subagents/src/ui/transcript.ts";
 import {
   formatActivityStatus,
   hasActivity,
@@ -56,13 +55,12 @@ test("a settle without a timestamp is treated as unread", () => {
 
 test("status text names its own view command", () => {
   assert.equal(
-    formatActivityStatus(
-      identityTheme,
-      "subagents",
-      { running: 1, done: 2, failed: 0 },
-      0,
-    ),
-    "subagents: ⠋ 1 running · ✓ 2 done · /subagents to view",
+    formatActivityStatus(identityTheme, "subagents", {
+      running: 1,
+      done: 2,
+      failed: 0,
+    }),
+    "subagents: ● 1 running · ✓ 2 done · /subagents to view",
   );
   assert.equal(
     formatActivityStatus(identityTheme, "workflows", {
@@ -74,24 +72,24 @@ test("status text names its own view command", () => {
   );
 });
 
-test("running work shares the spinner frame; strip visibility owns the hint", () => {
+test("the pushed footer status uses a still marker; strip visibility owns the hint", () => {
   const counts = { running: 1, done: 0, failed: 0 };
+  // setStatus stores a finished string, so this line cannot animate: a spinner
+  // frame would freeze on whatever event happened to write it last.
   const visible = formatActivityStatus(
     identityTheme,
     "subagents",
     counts,
-    SPINNER_INTERVAL_MS, // frame 1
     true,
   );
-  assert.equal(visible, "subagents: ⠙ 1 running");
+  assert.equal(visible, "subagents: ● 1 running");
   assert.doesNotMatch(visible, /to view/);
 
   const hidden = formatActivityStatus(
     identityTheme,
     "subagents",
     counts,
-    SPINNER_INTERVAL_MS,
     false,
   );
-  assert.equal(hidden, "subagents: ⠙ 1 running · /subagents to view");
+  assert.equal(hidden, "subagents: ● 1 running · /subagents to view");
 });
diff --git a/extensions/shared/activity-status.ts b/extensions/shared/activity-status.ts
index 92fedb71..f9ee86b4 100644
--- a/extensions/shared/activity-status.ts
+++ b/extensions/shared/activity-status.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 import type { ExtensionContext } from "@earendil-works/pi-coding-agent";
-import { spinnerFrame } from "../subagents/src/ui/transcript.ts";
+
+/**
+ * Still marker for the push-based footer status. It deliberately does not
+ * import the subagent spinner: `shared/` must not depend on a single
+ * extension's internals, and a pushed string cannot animate anyway.
+ */
+const RUNNING_MARK = "●";
 
 type Theme = ExtensionContext["ui"]["theme"];
 
@@ -43,17 +49,23 @@ export function hasActivity(counts: ActivityCounts) {
   return counts.running + counts.done + counts.failed > 0;
 }
 
+/**
+ * `ui.setStatus` stores a finished string and is only called when the watched
+ * work changes, so this line is NOT re-evaluated per frame. A spinner here
+ * would freeze on whatever frame the last event happened to land on, which
+ * reads as a hung UI. The animated glyph belongs to the strip, which owns a
+ * render loop; the footer states the count with a still marker.
+ */
 export function formatActivityStatus(
   theme: Theme,
   label: "subagents" | "workflows",
   counts: ActivityCounts,
-  now: number = Date.now(),
   stripVisible = false,
 ) {
   const parts: string[] = [];
   if (counts.running > 0) {
     parts.push(
-      theme.fg("warning", `${spinnerFrame(now)} ${counts.running} running`),
+      theme.fg("warning", `${RUNNING_MARK} ${counts.running} running`),
     );
   }
   if (counts.done > 0) {
diff --git a/extensions/subagents/index.ts b/extensions/subagents/index.ts
index 9adac392..52179a1f 100644
--- a/extensions/subagents/index.ts
+++ b/extensions/subagents/index.ts
@@ -393,13 +393,7 @@ export default function (pi: ExtensionAPI) {
     ui.setStatus(
       "subagents",
       hasActivity(counts)
-        ? formatActivityStatus(
-            ui.theme,
-            "subagents",
-            counts,
-            Date.now(),
-            widgetVisible,
-          )
+        ? formatActivityStatus(ui.theme, "subagents", counts, widgetVisible)
         : undefined,
     );
   };