diff --git a/ui-tui/src/app/useMainApp.ts b/ui-tui/src/app/useMainApp.ts
index 262b400fa38..064d64ad597 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/app/useMainApp.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/app/useMainApp.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import type {
 } from '../gatewayTypes.js'
 import { useGitBranch } from '../hooks/useGitBranch.js'
 import { useVirtualHistory } from '../hooks/useVirtualHistory.js'
+import { appendTranscriptMessage } from '../lib/messages.js'
 import { asRpcResult, rpcErrorMessage } from '../lib/rpc.js'
 import { terminalParityHints } from '../lib/terminalParity.js'
 import { buildToolTrailLine, sameToolTrailGroup, toolTrailLabel } from '../lib/text.js'
@@ -198,7 +199,10 @@ export function useMainApp(gw: GatewayClient) {
     [selection]
   )
 
-  const appendMessage = useCallback((msg: Msg) => setHistoryItems(prev => capHistory([...prev, msg])), [])
+  const appendMessage = useCallback(
+    (msg: Msg) => setHistoryItems(prev => capHistory(appendTranscriptMessage(prev, msg))),
+    []
+  )
 
   const sys = useCallback((text: string) => appendMessage({ role: 'system', text }), [appendMessage])
 
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/components/appLayout.tsx b/ui-tui/src/components/appLayout.tsx
index d3d702355b9..a6862027c0a 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/components/appLayout.tsx
+++ b/ui-tui/src/components/appLayout.tsx
@@ -28,10 +28,10 @@ const TranscriptPane = memo(function TranscriptPane({
 
   return (
     <>
+      <LiveTodoPanel />
+
       <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 => (
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/lib/liveLayout.test.ts b/ui-tui/src/lib/liveLayout.test.ts
index 3d40f6f8513..24426efe630 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/lib/liveLayout.test.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/lib/liveLayout.test.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,6 @@ import { liveTailOrder } from './liveLayout.js'
 
 describe('liveTailOrder', () => {
   it('keeps todo before transcript and assistant live output', () => {
-    expect(liveTailOrder()).toEqual(['todo', 'history', 'assistant'])
+    expect(liveTailOrder()).toEqual(['todo', 'scroll-history', 'assistant'])
   })
 })
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/lib/liveLayout.ts b/ui-tui/src/lib/liveLayout.ts
index 1107edfce7b..a990b06d0e8 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/lib/liveLayout.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/lib/liveLayout.ts
@@ -1 +1 @@
-export const liveTailOrder = () => ['todo', 'history', 'assistant'] as const
+export const liveTailOrder = () => ['todo', 'scroll-history', 'assistant'] as const
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/lib/messages.test.ts b/ui-tui/src/lib/messages.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6194311cb15
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui-tui/src/lib/messages.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+
+import { appendTranscriptMessage } from './messages.js'
+
+describe('appendTranscriptMessage', () => {
+  it('merges adjacent tool-only shelves into one transcript row', () => {
+    const out = appendTranscriptMessage(
+      [{ kind: 'trail', role: 'system', text: '', tools: ['Terminal("one") ✓'] }],
+      { kind: 'trail', role: 'system', text: '', tools: ['Terminal("two") ✓'] }
+    )
+
+    expect(out).toEqual([{ kind: 'trail', role: 'system', text: '', tools: ['Terminal("one") ✓', 'Terminal("two") ✓'] }])
+  })
+
+  it('does not merge tool shelves across thinking text', () => {
+    const out = appendTranscriptMessage(
+      [{ kind: 'trail', role: 'system', text: '', thinking: 'plan', tools: ['Terminal("one") ✓'] }],
+      { kind: 'trail', role: 'system', text: '', tools: ['Terminal("two") ✓'] }
+    )
+
+    expect(out).toHaveLength(2)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/lib/messages.ts b/ui-tui/src/lib/messages.ts
index a459ec5a8a4..60fc4b76baa 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/lib/messages.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/lib/messages.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,17 @@
 import type { Msg, Role } from '../types.js'
 
+const isToolShelf = (msg: Msg | undefined) =>
+  Boolean(msg?.kind === 'trail' && !msg.text && !msg.thinking?.trim() && msg.tools?.length)
+
+export const appendTranscriptMessage = (prev: Msg[], msg: Msg): Msg[] => {
+  if (isToolShelf(msg) && isToolShelf(prev.at(-1))) {
+    const last = prev.at(-1)!
+
+    return [...prev.slice(0, -1), { ...last, tools: [...(last.tools ?? []), ...(msg.tools ?? [])] }]
+  }
+
+  return [...prev, msg]
+}
+
 export const upsert = (prev: Msg[], role: Role, text: string): Msg[] =>
   prev.at(-1)?.role === role ? [...prev.slice(0, -1), { role, text }] : [...prev, { role, text }]