diff --git a/ui-tui/src/components/appLayout.tsx b/ui-tui/src/components/appLayout.tsx
index fe370700dd..d3d702355b 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/components/appLayout.tsx
+++ b/ui-tui/src/components/appLayout.tsx
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ const TranscriptPane = memo(function TranscriptPane({
     <>
       <ScrollBox flexDirection="column" flexGrow={1} flexShrink={1} ref={transcript.scrollRef} stickyScroll>
         <Box flexDirection="column" paddingX={1}>
+          <LiveTodoPanel />
+
           {transcript.virtualHistory.topSpacer > 0 ? <Box height={transcript.virtualHistory.topSpacer} /> : null}
 
           {transcript.virtualRows.slice(transcript.virtualHistory.start, transcript.virtualHistory.end).map(row => (
@@ -58,8 +60,6 @@ const TranscriptPane = memo(function TranscriptPane({
 
           {transcript.virtualHistory.bottomSpacer > 0 ? <Box height={transcript.virtualHistory.bottomSpacer} /> : null}
 
-          <LiveTodoPanel />
-
           <StreamingAssistant
             cols={composer.cols}
             compact={ui.compact}
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/components/todoPanel.tsx b/ui-tui/src/components/todoPanel.tsx
index 48904fafab..cb8ccd8012 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/components/todoPanel.tsx
+++ b/ui-tui/src/components/todoPanel.tsx
@@ -1,10 +1,16 @@
 import { Box, Text } from '@hermes/ink'
 import { memo } from 'react'
 
-import { todoGlyph } from '../lib/todo.js'
+import { todoGlyph, todoTone } from '../lib/todo.js'
 import type { Theme } from '../theme.js'
 import type { TodoItem } from '../types.js'
 
+const rowColor = (t: Theme, status: TodoItem['status']) => {
+  const tone = todoTone(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[] }) {
   if (!todos.length) {
     return null
@@ -23,19 +29,12 @@ export const TodoPanel = memo(function TodoPanel({ t, todos }: { t: Theme; todos
       </Text>
       <Box flexDirection="column" marginLeft={2}>
         {todos.map(todo => {
-          const done = todo.status === 'completed'
-          const cancel = todo.status === 'cancelled'
-          const active = todo.status === 'in_progress'
+          const tone = todoTone(todo.status)
+          const color = rowColor(t, todo.status)
 
           return (
-            <Text
-              color={done || cancel ? t.color.dim : active ? t.color.cornsilk : t.color.statusFg}
-              dim={done || cancel}
-              key={todo.id}
-            >
-              <Text color={active ? t.color.amber : done ? t.color.ok : cancel ? t.color.error : t.color.dim}>
-                {todoGlyph(todo.status)}{' '}
-              </Text>
+            <Text color={color} dim={tone === 'dim'} key={todo.id}>
+              <Text color={color}>{todoGlyph(todo.status)} </Text>
               {todo.content}
             </Text>
           )
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/lib/liveLayout.test.ts b/ui-tui/src/lib/liveLayout.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3d40f6f851
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui-tui/src/lib/liveLayout.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+
+import { liveTailOrder } from './liveLayout.js'
+
+describe('liveTailOrder', () => {
+  it('keeps todo before transcript and assistant live output', () => {
+    expect(liveTailOrder()).toEqual(['todo', 'history', 'assistant'])
+  })
+})
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/lib/liveLayout.ts b/ui-tui/src/lib/liveLayout.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1107edfce7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui-tui/src/lib/liveLayout.ts
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+export const liveTailOrder = () => ['todo', 'history', 'assistant'] as const
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/lib/todo.test.ts b/ui-tui/src/lib/todo.test.ts
index 38d95c9e02..bf8befa2c6 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/lib/todo.test.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/lib/todo.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
 
-import { todoGlyph } from './todo.js'
+import { todoGlyph, todoTone } from './todo.js'
 
 describe('todoGlyph', () => {
   it('uses fixed-width ASCII markers so the active row does not render wide or emoji-like', () => {
@@ -10,3 +10,12 @@ describe('todoGlyph', () => {
     expect(todoGlyph('cancelled')).toBe('[-]')
   })
 })
+
+describe('todoTone', () => {
+  it('keeps todo status rows neutral instead of red/green', () => {
+    expect(todoTone('completed')).toBe('dim')
+    expect(todoTone('cancelled')).toBe('dim')
+    expect(todoTone('pending')).toBe('body')
+    expect(todoTone('in_progress')).toBe('active')
+  })
+})
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/lib/todo.ts b/ui-tui/src/lib/todo.ts
index b6dc48968c..1846d02fe6 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/lib/todo.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/lib/todo.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,9 @@
 import type { TodoItem } from '../types.js'
 
+export type TodoTone = 'active' | 'body' | 'dim'
+
 export const todoGlyph = (status: TodoItem['status']) =>
   status === 'completed' ? '[x]' : status === 'cancelled' ? '[-]' : status === 'in_progress' ? '[>]' : '[ ]'
+
+export const todoTone = (status: TodoItem['status']): TodoTone =>
+  status === 'in_progress' ? 'active' : status === 'pending' ? 'body' : 'dim'