diff --git a/extensions/background-terminals/src/ui/ps.ts b/extensions/background-terminals/src/ui/ps.ts
index 0d10761e..529897fd 100644
--- a/extensions/background-terminals/src/ui/ps.ts
+++ b/extensions/background-terminals/src/ui/ps.ts
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import {
   panelFrame,
   screenTitleLine,
 } from "../../../shared/screen-chrome.ts";
+import { spinnerFrame } from "../../../shared/spinner.ts";
 import {
   formatDuration,
   formatElapsed,
@@ -43,18 +44,30 @@ function configuredKeys(
   return keybindings.getKeys(binding).join("/") || "unbound";
 }
 
-function statusGlyph(snap: TerminalSnapshot, theme: Theme) {
+/**
+ * One status indicator per state, shared by the picker rows and the detail
+ * header. Running spins, in step with every other OpenPI surface. A selected
+ * row keeps its state glyph and borrows the accent tone.
+ */
+function statusGlyph(
+  snap: TerminalSnapshot,
+  theme: Theme,
+  now = Date.now(),
+  selected = false,
+) {
+  const tone = (color: "warning" | "success" | "error" | "muted") =>
+    selected ? ("accent" as const) : color;
   switch (snap.status) {
     case "running":
-      return theme.fg("warning", "■");
+      return theme.fg(tone("warning"), spinnerFrame(now));
     case "done":
-      return theme.fg("success", "■");
+      return theme.fg(tone("success"), "✓");
     case "failed":
-      return theme.fg("error", "■");
+      return theme.fg(tone("error"), "✗");
     case "killed":
-      return theme.fg("muted", "■");
+      return theme.fg(tone("muted"), "✓");
     case "timed_out":
-      return theme.fg("error", "■");
+      return theme.fg(tone("error"), "✗");
   }
 }
 
@@ -92,13 +105,13 @@ export async function openTerminalPicker(
         new TerminalDashboard(tui, theme, keybindings, view, selection, done),
       {
         overlay: true,
-        // Dock the picker just above the editor (editor + strip + footer ≈ 6
+        // Dock the picker just above the editor (editor + strip + footer ≈ 5
         // rows) like a command palette, instead of blanking the conversation.
         overlayOptions: {
           anchor: "bottom-center",
           width: "100%",
           maxHeight: "60%",
-          margin: { bottom: 6 },
+          margin: { bottom: 5 },
         },
       },
     );
@@ -246,6 +259,8 @@ class TerminalDashboard implements Component {
       configuredKeys(this.keybindings, binding);
 
     return [
+      // One empty row of air between the conversation and the docked panel.
+      "",
       screenTitleLine(
         theme,
         "Background terminals",
@@ -294,12 +309,13 @@ class TerminalDashboard implements Component {
       const index = start + i;
       const isSelected = index === this.selection.index;
 
-      // Left: marker, status square, title, dim id
-      const marker = isSelected ? theme.fg("accent", "❯") : " ";
+      // Left: one glyph — a selected row tints its status glyph instead of
+      // stacking a marker — then title and dim id.
+      const glyph = statusGlyph(snap, theme, Date.now(), isSelected);
       const title = isSelected
         ? theme.fg("accent", oneLine(snap.title))
         : theme.fg("text", oneLine(snap.title));
-      const left = ` ${marker} ${statusGlyph(snap, theme)} ${title} ${theme.fg("dim", snap.id)}`;
+      const left = ` ${glyph} ${title} ${theme.fg("dim", snap.id)}`;
 
       // Right: pid · elapsed · exit/status
       const dot = theme.fg("dim", " · ");
diff --git a/extensions/subagents/index.ts b/extensions/subagents/index.ts
index 2245be50..9cabfc9f 100644
--- a/extensions/subagents/index.ts
+++ b/extensions/subagents/index.ts
@@ -810,10 +810,10 @@ export default function (pi: ExtensionAPI) {
       const meta = [details.harness, details.model]
         .filter(Boolean)
         .join(" \u00b7 ");
-      // A spawn is a beginning, not a success: keep the marker quiet and let
-      // the strip's spinner carry the running state from here on.
+      // A spawn adds an agent to the pool: a quiet plus, then the strip's
+      // spinner carries the running state from here on.
       return new Text(
-        `${theme.fg("dim", "\u25cf")} ${theme.bold(details.title ?? details.id)} ${theme.fg("dim", meta)}`,
+        `${theme.fg("dim", "+")} ${theme.bold(details.title ?? details.id)} ${theme.fg("dim", meta)}`,
         0,
         0,
       );
diff --git a/extensions/subagents/navigation.ts b/extensions/subagents/navigation.ts
index 30050f92..becf7b45 100644
--- a/extensions/subagents/navigation.ts
+++ b/extensions/subagents/navigation.ts
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ function statusGlyph(snapshot: SubagentSnapshot, theme: Theme, now: number) {
   if (snapshot.status === "running")
     return theme.fg("warning", spinnerFrame(now));
   if (snapshot.status === "done") return theme.fg("success", "✓");
-  return theme.fg("error", "x");
+  return theme.fg("error", "✗");
 }
 
 /** One-line subagent manager entry with the same affordance as Workflow. */
diff --git a/extensions/subagents/src/ui/takeover.ts b/extensions/subagents/src/ui/takeover.ts
index aadd644c..43768ba2 100644
--- a/extensions/subagents/src/ui/takeover.ts
+++ b/extensions/subagents/src/ui/takeover.ts
@@ -49,14 +49,19 @@ function statusGlyph(
   snap: SubagentSnapshot,
   theme: Theme,
   now = Date.now(),
+  selected = false,
 ): string {
+  // A selected row keeps its state glyph and borrows the accent tone, so the
+  // list never hides what is still running behind a selection marker.
+  const tone = (color: "warning" | "success" | "error") =>
+    selected ? ("accent" as const) : color;
   switch (snap.status) {
     case "running":
-      return theme.fg("warning", spinnerFrame(now));
+      return theme.fg(tone("warning"), spinnerFrame(now));
     case "done":
-      return theme.fg("success", "✓");
+      return theme.fg(tone("success"), "✓");
     case "error":
-      return theme.fg("error", "✗");
+      return theme.fg(tone("error"), "✗");
   }
 }
 
@@ -132,13 +137,13 @@ export async function openSubagentPicker(
         new SubagentDashboard(tui, theme, keybindings, view, selection, done),
       {
         overlay: true,
-        // Dock the picker just above the editor (editor + strip + footer ≈ 6
+        // Dock the picker just above the editor (editor + strip + footer ≈ 5
         // rows) like a command palette, instead of covering the conversation.
         overlayOptions: {
           anchor: "bottom-center",
           width: "100%",
           maxHeight: "60%",
-          margin: { bottom: 6 },
+          margin: { bottom: 5 },
         },
       },
     );
@@ -306,6 +311,8 @@ export class SubagentDashboard implements Component {
     // /workflows. The frame is padded to the rows it was given, which keeps
     // this view's content-fit height rather than reintroducing a fixed one.
     return [
+      // One empty row of air between the conversation and the docked panel.
+      "",
       ...panelFrame(theme, {
         label: `Subagents · ${summary}`,
         rows: rowLines,
@@ -353,13 +360,15 @@ export class SubagentDashboard implements Component {
       const index = start + i;
       const isSelected = index === this.selection.index;
 
-      const marker = isSelected ? theme.fg("accent", "❯") : " ";
+      // One glyph column: a selected row tints its status glyph with the
+      // accent tone instead of stacking a second marker.
+      const glyph = statusGlyph(snap, theme, now, isSelected);
       const safeTitle = sanitizeSubagentDisplayLine(snap.title) || snap.id;
       const title = isSelected
         ? theme.fg("accent", safeTitle)
         : theme.fg("text", safeTitle);
       const activity = runningActivity(snap);
-      const prefix = ` ${marker} ${statusGlyph(snap, theme, now)} `;
+      const prefix = ` ${glyph} `;
 
       const utilization = formatContextUtilization(snap.usage);
       const metadata = [
diff --git a/extensions/subagents/takeover.test.ts b/extensions/subagents/takeover.test.ts
index 64b7f4df..596a2292 100644
--- a/extensions/subagents/takeover.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/subagents/takeover.test.ts
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ 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
+    assert.equal(lines.length, 5); // air, border, one agent, border, hints
     assert.equal(lines.filter((line) => line.includes("agent one")).length, 1);
   } finally {
     one.dispose();
diff --git a/extensions/workflows/navigation.ts b/extensions/workflows/navigation.ts
index 313cd82b..42922bbc 100644
--- a/extensions/workflows/navigation.ts
+++ b/extensions/workflows/navigation.ts
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ function cleanLine(value: string) {
 function statusGlyph(status: WorkflowStatus, theme: Theme, now: number) {
   if (status === "completed") return theme.fg("success", "✓");
   if (status === "running") return theme.fg("warning", spinnerFrame(now));
-  return theme.fg("error", "x");
+  return theme.fg("error", "✗");
 }
 
 /** Live, one-line Claude-style workflow entry rendered below the editor. */