diff --git a/extensions/workflows/execute.e2e.test.ts b/extensions/workflows/execute.e2e.test.ts
index aab075fd..c012068d 100644
--- a/extensions/workflows/execute.e2e.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/workflows/execute.e2e.test.ts
@@ -19,11 +19,15 @@ import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
 import { join } from "node:path";
 import test from "node:test";
 import type {
+  AgentToolResult,
   AgentSession,
   AgentSessionEventListener,
   ExtensionAPI,
   ExtensionContext,
+  Theme,
 } from "@earendil-works/pi-coding-agent";
+import { SPINNER_INTERVAL_MS } from "../shared/spinner.ts";
+import type { WorkflowDetails } from "./model.ts";
 import type { WorkflowAgentSessionFactory } from "./runner.ts";
 
 const agentDir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "my-pi-setup-wf-e2e-"));
@@ -58,6 +62,15 @@ type CapturedTool = {
     onUpdate?: unknown,
     ctx?: ExtensionContext,
   ) => unknown;
+  renderResult?: (
+    result: AgentToolResult<WorkflowDetails>,
+    options: { expanded: boolean; isPartial: boolean },
+    theme: Theme,
+    context: {
+      state: Record<string, unknown>;
+      invalidate: () => void;
+    },
+  ) => { render(width: number): string[] };
 };
 
 type SentMessage = {
@@ -127,6 +140,16 @@ const ctx = {
   },
 } as unknown as ExtensionContext;
 
+const renderTheme = new Proxy(
+  {},
+  {
+    get: (_target, property) =>
+      property === "fg" || property === "bg"
+        ? (_color: string, text: string) => text
+        : (text: string) => text,
+  },
+) as Theme;
+
 for (const [runId, status] of [
   ["wf_1e9acd0e", "completed"],
   ["wf_1e9acbad", "running"],
@@ -211,7 +234,7 @@ async function waitFor(
 }
 
 /** A minimal AgentSession stand-in for one successful child agent call. */
-function fakeAgentSession(output: string) {
+function fakeAgentSession(output: string, prompt = async () => {}) {
   const listeners = new Set<AgentSessionEventListener>();
   // The reviewer agent type requests the read-only tool surface; the child
   // preflight in bindChildSessionExtensions requires all of them active.
@@ -259,7 +282,7 @@ function fakeAgentSession(output: string) {
       listeners.add(listener);
       return () => listeners.delete(listener);
     },
-    async prompt() {},
+    prompt,
     async abort() {},
     dispose() {},
     getContextUsage: () => undefined,
@@ -387,6 +410,102 @@ test("background runs deliver a follow-up that triggers a turn only when idle",
   });
 });
 
+test("a detached workflow freezes its settled transcript card while the run stays active", async (t) => {
+  let releasePrompt = () => {};
+  const promptGate = new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+    releasePrompt = resolve;
+  });
+  __setWorkflowTestAgentSessionFactory(async () => ({
+    session: fakeAgentSession("finished after release", () => promptGate),
+  }));
+  modelIdle = false;
+
+  try {
+    const launched = (await workflow.execute(
+      "e2e-detached-render",
+      {
+        script:
+          'export const meta = { name: "detached-render" };\n' +
+          'return await agent("wait for release", { agent_type: "reviewer" });',
+        background: true,
+      },
+      undefined,
+      undefined,
+      ctx,
+    )) as AgentToolResult<WorkflowDetails>;
+    assert.equal(launched.details?.status, "running");
+    assert.ok(workflow.renderResult);
+
+    let invalidations = 0;
+    const context = {
+      state: {},
+      invalidate: () => {
+        invalidations += 1;
+      },
+    };
+    const launchTime = launched.details?.startedAt;
+    assert.ok(typeof launchTime === "number");
+    t.mock.timers.enable({
+      apis: ["Date", "setInterval"],
+      now: launchTime + 1_000,
+    });
+    const component = workflow.renderResult(
+      launched,
+      { expanded: false, isPartial: false },
+      renderTheme,
+      context,
+    );
+    const launchRows = component.render(100);
+
+    t.mock.timers.tick(SPINNER_INTERVAL_MS * 2);
+    assert.equal(
+      invalidations,
+      0,
+      "a settled launch receipt must not repaint transcript history",
+    );
+    t.mock.timers.tick(5_000);
+    const rebuilt = workflow.renderResult(
+      launched,
+      { expanded: false, isPartial: false },
+      renderTheme,
+      { state: {}, invalidate: context.invalidate },
+    );
+    assert.deepEqual(
+      rebuilt.render(100),
+      launchRows,
+      "reconstructing the renderer must preserve the committed transcript",
+    );
+    t.mock.timers.reset();
+
+    releasePrompt();
+    await waitFor(
+      () => readWorkflowJson(launched.details?.runId).status === "completed",
+      "detached render workflow settlement",
+    );
+    modelIdle = true;
+    for (const handler of handlers.get("agent_settled") ?? []) {
+      await handler({}, ctx);
+    }
+    await waitFor(
+      () =>
+        sentMessages.some(
+          (sent) => sent.message.details?.runId === launched.details?.runId,
+        ),
+      "detached render workflow delivery",
+    );
+    assert.deepEqual(
+      component.render(100),
+      launchRows,
+      "later global renders must not rewrite a settled transcript card",
+    );
+  } finally {
+    t.mock.timers.reset();
+    releasePrompt();
+    __setWorkflowTestAgentSessionFactory(undefined);
+    modelIdle = true;
+  }
+});
+
 test("failed completion delivery remains durable and retries once with the same id", async () => {
   sentMessages.length = 0;
   modelIdle = true;
diff --git a/extensions/workflows/index.ts b/extensions/workflows/index.ts
index 9b5208b9..2c6d8cd3 100644
--- a/extensions/workflows/index.ts
+++ b/extensions/workflows/index.ts
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ function runHeader(
 ) {
   const { done, failed, uncertain } = countStates(details);
   const settled = done + failed;
-  const elapsed = formatElapsed(details.startedAt, details.finishedAt);
+  const elapsed = formatElapsed(details.startedAt, details.finishedAt, now);
   // A just-launched run has no agents and a 0s clock; the metrics join in
   // once there is something real to report.
   const counts =
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ function buildCollapsedRows(
         ? percent === undefined
           ? undefined
           : `${percent}%`
-        : formatElapsed(agent.startedAt, agent.finishedAt);
+        : formatElapsed(agent.startedAt, agent.finishedAt, now);
     const left = `  ${stateGlyph(agent.state, theme, now)} ${theme.fg(
       "accent",
       sanitizeWorkflowDisplayLine(agent.label),
@@ -366,7 +366,7 @@ function buildExpandedWorkflow(
         sanitizeWorkflowDisplayLine(agent.label),
       )} ${theme.fg(
         "dim",
-        [context, formatElapsed(agent.startedAt, agent.finishedAt)]
+        [context, formatElapsed(agent.startedAt, agent.finishedAt, now)]
           .filter(Boolean)
           .join(" · "),
       )}`;
@@ -2158,37 +2158,35 @@ export default function workflows(pi: ExtensionAPI) {
           0,
         );
       }
+      // A settled tool result is committed transcript history. Keep it
+      // immutable even while a detached run continues in activeRuns: changing
+      // rows above Pi regular mode's viewport can force a full redraw that
+      // clears terminal scrollback. Live progress remains available through
+      // the below-editor strip, dashboard, and completion follow-up.
       const currentDetails = () =>
-        activeRuns.get(details.runId)?.details ??
-        settledRuns.get(details.runId) ??
-        details;
+        isPartial
+          ? (activeRuns.get(details.runId)?.details ??
+            settledRuns.get(details.runId) ??
+            details)
+          : details;
+      const settledRenderTime = details.finishedAt ?? details.startedAt;
       syncWorkflowSpinner(
         context.state as WorkflowRenderState,
-        () =>
-          currentDetails().status === "running" &&
-          (isPartial || activeRuns.has(details.runId)),
+        () => isPartial && currentDetails().status === "running",
         context.invalidate,
       );
 
       return {
         render(width: number) {
           const current = currentDetails();
+          const now = isPartial ? Date.now() : settledRenderTime;
           const totals = formatUsage(aggregateUsage(current.agents));
           if (!expanded) {
-            return buildCollapsedRows(
-              current,
-              theme,
-              width,
-              Date.now(),
-              totals,
-            );
+            return buildCollapsedRows(current, theme, width, now, totals);
           }
-          return buildExpandedWorkflow(
-            current,
-            theme,
-            Date.now(),
-            totals,
-          ).render(width);
+          return buildExpandedWorkflow(current, theme, now, totals).render(
+            width,
+          );
         },
         invalidate() {},
       };
diff --git a/extensions/workflows/model.ts b/extensions/workflows/model.ts
index 45a78370..e5bd48ae 100644
--- a/extensions/workflows/model.ts
+++ b/extensions/workflows/model.ts
@@ -432,10 +432,14 @@ export function agentContext(agent: AgentRecord): string {
   });
 }
 
-export function formatElapsed(startedAt: number, finishedAt?: number): string {
+export function formatElapsed(
+  startedAt: number,
+  finishedAt?: number,
+  now = Date.now(),
+): string {
   const totalSeconds = Math.max(
     0,
-    Math.round(((finishedAt ?? Date.now()) - startedAt) / 1000),
+    Math.round(((finishedAt ?? now) - startedAt) / 1000),
   );
   const minutes = Math.floor(totalSeconds / 60);
   const seconds = totalSeconds % 60;