diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/chat/MessagesTimeline.logic.ts b/apps/web/src/components/chat/MessagesTimeline.logic.ts
index fbfb77151a30e..8fa11499978e9 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/chat/MessagesTimeline.logic.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/chat/MessagesTimeline.logic.ts
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ import {
   formatSearchToolLabel,
 } from "@t3tools/shared/toolActivity";
 import { isWindowsAbsolutePath } from "@t3tools/shared/path";
+import { displayModeRows } from "../../fork/displayMode/displayModeTimeline";
 
 function timelineEntryRunId(entry: TimelineEntry): RunId | null {
   if (entry.kind === "message") {
@@ -1508,6 +1509,7 @@ export function deriveMessagesTimelineRows(input: {
   expandedAttemptIds?: ReadonlySet<RunAttemptId>;
   expandedWorkGroupIds?: ReadonlySet<string>;
   isWorking: boolean;
+  repliesChosen?: boolean;
   /** Native subagent work has no app run; runless entries form the live response. */
   runlessWorkActive?: boolean;
   activeTurnStartedAt?: string | null;
@@ -2261,8 +2263,11 @@ export function deriveMessagesTimelineRows(input: {
     }
   }
 
-  const result = attachTrailingToolGroupsToAssistant(
-    attachCreatedThreadSummaries(nextRows, timelineEntries, collapsedFoldMemberIds),
+  const result = displayModeRows(
+    attachTrailingToolGroupsToAssistant(
+      attachCreatedThreadSummaries(nextRows, timelineEntries, collapsedFoldMemberIds),
+    ),
+    input.repliesChosen === true,
   );
   return result.map((row, index) => {
     if (timelineRowIsWorkLog(row) && timelineRowIsWorkLog(result[index + 1])) {
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/chat/MessagesTimeline.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/chat/MessagesTimeline.tsx
index ec894b479668c..78e79095072be 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/chat/MessagesTimeline.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/chat/MessagesTimeline.tsx
@@ -317,7 +317,7 @@ interface MessagesTimelineProps {
   findQuery?: string;
   activeFindMatch?: ThreadFindMatch | null;
   findNavigationId?: number;
-  /** The rows already hold only the replies to show, so zen keeps every one of them. */
+  /** Rows hold only chosen replies, so zen keeps them all. No Working or Thinking row is drawn. */
   repliesChosen?: boolean;
 }
 
@@ -665,6 +665,7 @@ const ConversationTimeline = memo(function ConversationTimeline({
     expandedAttemptIds: visibleExpandedAttemptIds,
     expandedWorkGroupIds,
     isWorking,
+    repliesChosen,
     runlessWorkActive,
     activeTurnStartedAt,
     turnDiffSummaries,
diff --git a/apps/web/src/fork/displayMode/displayModeTimeline.browser.test.tsx b/apps/web/src/fork/displayMode/displayModeTimeline.browser.test.tsx
index 0dc712687d11c..72ca35f69067b 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/fork/displayMode/displayModeTimeline.browser.test.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/fork/displayMode/displayModeTimeline.browser.test.tsx
@@ -12,12 +12,13 @@ import { LegendListRef } from "@legendapp/list/react";
 import { MESSAGES_ONLY_DISPLAY_MODE, NORMAL_DISPLAY_MODE } from "@t3tools/shared/displayModes";
 import * as DateTime from "effect/DateTime";
 import { createRef, type ComponentProps } from "react";
-import { describe, expect, it } from "vite-plus/test";
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vite-plus/test";
 
 import "~/index.css";
 
 import { render } from "../../../test/render";
 import { MessagesTimeline } from "../../components/chat/MessagesTimeline";
+import { deriveMessagesTimelineRows } from "../../components/chat/MessagesTimeline.logic";
 import { __setClientSettingsForTests } from "../../hooks/useSettings";
 import { deriveTimelineEntriesFromVisibleTurnItems } from "../../session-logic";
 import { applyDisplayMode } from "./displayModeTimeline";
@@ -132,12 +133,14 @@ function props(): Omit<TimelineProps, "timelineEntries"> {
 async function renderTimeline(
   timelineEntries: TimelineProps["timelineEntries"],
   repliesChosen = false,
+  extra: Partial<TimelineProps> = {},
 ) {
   const container = document.createElement("div");
   container.style.cssText = "height: 900px; width: 800px; display: flex; flex-direction: column;";
   return render(
     <MessagesTimeline
       {...props()}
+      {...extra}
       timelineEntries={timelineEntries}
       repliesChosen={repliesChosen}
     />,
@@ -180,6 +183,52 @@ describe("Messages only timeline", () => {
     expect(text).not.toContain("to the user");
   });
 
+  describe("while the agent works", () => {
+    const working = { isWorking: true, activeTurnStartedAt: time(0) };
+    const asked = entriesOf([userMessage("work-ask", 0, "Please ship it.")]);
+    const liveRow = (container: HTMLElement, kind: "working" | "thinking") =>
+      container.querySelector(`[data-timeline-row-kind="${kind}"]`);
+
+    it("draws the Working and Thinking rows in Normal", async () => {
+      await using screen = await renderTimeline(
+        [...applyDisplayMode(NORMAL_DISPLAY_MODE, asked)],
+        false,
+        working,
+      );
+      await vi.waitFor(() => {
+        expect(liveRow(screen.container, "working")).not.toBeNull();
+        expect(liveRow(screen.container, "thinking")).not.toBeNull();
+      });
+    });
+
+    it("draws neither in a mode that chooses its replies", async () => {
+      await using screen = await renderTimeline(
+        [...applyDisplayMode(MESSAGES_ONLY_DISPLAY_MODE, asked)],
+        true,
+        working,
+      );
+      await expect.element(screen.getByText("Please ship it.")).toBeVisible();
+      expect(liveRow(screen.container, "working")).toBeNull();
+      expect(liveRow(screen.container, "thinking")).toBeNull();
+    });
+
+    it("groups a steer with the message before it once the Working row is gone", () => {
+      const rows = deriveMessagesTimelineRows({
+        timelineEntries: entriesOf([
+          userMessage("steer-ask", 0, "Please ship it."),
+          userMessage("steer-more", 1, "Run the tests first.", { inputIntent: "steer" }),
+        ]),
+        isWorking: true,
+        repliesChosen: true,
+        turnDiffSummaries: [],
+        supportsConversationRollback: false,
+      });
+      expect(rows.map((row) => row.kind)).toEqual(["message", "message"]);
+      expect(rows[0]).toMatchObject({ groupedWithNext: true });
+      expect(rows[1]).toMatchObject({ groupedWithPrevious: true });
+    });
+  });
+
   describe("in a finished turn with two sends", () => {
     const send = (id: string, second: number, text: string): OrchestrationV2TurnItem => ({
       ...base(id, second),
diff --git a/apps/web/src/fork/displayMode/displayModeTimeline.ts b/apps/web/src/fork/displayMode/displayModeTimeline.ts
index 32d8a5df35691..8dd986085eec9 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/fork/displayMode/displayModeTimeline.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/fork/displayMode/displayModeTimeline.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import {
   type VisibleCore,
 } from "@t3tools/shared/displayModes";
 
+import type { MessagesTimelineRow } from "../../components/chat/MessagesTimeline.logic";
 import type { TimelineEntry } from "../../session-logic";
 import type { SubThreadSummaries, SubThreadSummary } from "../subThreads/subThreadsState";
 
@@ -214,3 +215,13 @@ export function applyDisplayMode(
     ? entries
     : rows;
 }
+
+/** A mode that chooses its replies draws no Working or Thinking row. */
+export function displayModeRows(
+  rows: MessagesTimelineRow[],
+  repliesChosen: boolean,
+): MessagesTimelineRow[] {
+  return repliesChosen
+    ? rows.filter((row) => row.kind !== "working" && row.kind !== "thinking")
+    : rows;
+}