diff --git a/src/renderer/components/ChatPane.tsx b/src/renderer/components/ChatPane.tsx
index 39f144e..1a5f477 100644
--- a/src/renderer/components/ChatPane.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/components/ChatPane.tsx
@@ -143,6 +143,9 @@ export function ChatPane({
     let lastUserMessageId: string | undefined;
     const messages = session.messages;
     const busy = session.status === 'running';
+    // Track which runs have been attached to a turn-activity item so we
+    // can detect orphaned runs that need their own panel.
+    const consumedRunIds = new Set<string>();
 
     for (let i = 0; i < messages.length; i++) {
       const message = messages[i];
@@ -173,6 +176,7 @@ export function ChatPane({
 
       if (pendingThinking.length > 0) {
         const run = lastUserMessageId ? runsByTrigger.get(lastUserMessageId) : undefined;
+        if (run) consumedRunIds.add(run.id);
         items.push({ type: 'turn-activity', thinkingMessages: pendingThinking, run, turnStartedAt: run?.startedAt });
         pendingThinking = [];
       }
@@ -184,9 +188,20 @@ export function ChatPane({
 
     if (pendingThinking.length > 0) {
       const run = lastUserMessageId ? runsByTrigger.get(lastUserMessageId) : undefined;
+      if (run) consumedRunIds.add(run.id);
       items.push({ type: 'turn-activity', thinkingMessages: pendingThinking, run, turnStartedAt: run?.startedAt });
     }
 
+    // If the session is busy but no turn-activity was emitted for the
+    // active run (thinking messages haven't been reclassified yet), inject
+    // one so the panel appears as soon as the run starts producing events.
+    if (lastUserMessageId) {
+      const activeRun = runsByTrigger.get(lastUserMessageId);
+      if (activeRun && !consumedRunIds.has(activeRun.id)) {
+        items.push({ type: 'turn-activity', thinkingMessages: [], run: activeRun, turnStartedAt: activeRun.startedAt });
+      }
+    }
+
     return items;
   }, [session.messages, session.runs, session.status]);
 
diff --git a/src/renderer/components/chat/TurnActivityPanel.tsx b/src/renderer/components/chat/TurnActivityPanel.tsx
index f26f3a4..4aaa5e6 100644
--- a/src/renderer/components/chat/TurnActivityPanel.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/components/chat/TurnActivityPanel.tsx
@@ -273,17 +273,16 @@ export function TurnActivityPanel({
   const [expanded, setExpanded] = useState(false);
   const wasActiveRef = useRef(isActive);
 
-  // Auto-expand when the turn is active and activity appears.
+  // Auto-expand when the turn is active (run exists or thinking arrives).
   // Auto-collapse once the turn finishes.
   useEffect(() => {
-    const hasActivity = thinkingMessages.length > 0 || (run?.events.length ?? 0) > 0;
-    if (isActive && hasActivity) {
+    if (isActive && (thinkingMessages.length > 0 || run)) {
       setExpanded(true);
     } else if (wasActiveRef.current && !isActive) {
       setExpanded(false);
     }
     wasActiveRef.current = isActive;
-  }, [isActive, thinkingMessages.length, run?.events.length]);
+  }, [isActive, thinkingMessages.length, run]);
 
   const toggle = useCallback(() => setExpanded((prev) => !prev), []);
 
@@ -302,8 +301,8 @@ export function TurnActivityPanel({
     [thinkingMessages, run?.events],
   );
 
-  // Nothing to show yet
-  if (thinkingMessages.length === 0 && (!run || run.events.length === 0)) {
+  // Nothing to show — no thinking messages, no run, and not active
+  if (thinkingMessages.length === 0 && !run) {
     return null;
   }