diff --git a/apps/server/src/mcp/OrchestratorMcpService.test.ts b/apps/server/src/mcp/OrchestratorMcpService.test.ts
index e0bb1aa96e2f3..862263b3a4c6f 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/mcp/OrchestratorMcpService.test.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/mcp/OrchestratorMcpService.test.ts
@@ -3886,6 +3886,13 @@ describe("OrchestratorMcpService thread list", () => {
     shell("thread:a-snoozed", "project:a", true),
     shell("thread:a-awake", "project:a", false),
     shell("thread:b-snoozed", "project:b", true),
+    {
+      ...shell("thread:a-awaiting-command", "project:a", false),
+      activityRunStatus: null,
+      pendingBackgroundTasks: [
+        { taskId: "sleep-600", kind: "command" as const, awaited: true as const },
+      ],
+    },
   ];
   const service = layerOrchestratorService.pipe(
     Layer.provide(
@@ -3932,6 +3939,20 @@ describe("OrchestratorMcpService thread list", () => {
     }).pipe(Effect.provide(service)),
   );
 
+  it.effect("counts a thread holding awaited background work as live in the status filter", () =>
+    Effect.gen(function* () {
+      const mcp = yield* OrchestratorMcpService.OrchestratorMcpService;
+      const listed = yield* mcp.listThreads(client, {
+        projectId: ProjectId.make("project:a"),
+        statuses: ["preparing", "queued", "starting", "running", "waiting"],
+      });
+      assert.deepStrictEqual(
+        listed.threads.map((thread) => thread.threadId),
+        ["thread:a-awaiting-command"],
+      );
+    }).pipe(Effect.provide(service)),
+  );
+
   it.effect("points a caller outside any thread at allProjects when it omits projectId", () =>
     Effect.gen(function* () {
       const mcp = yield* OrchestratorMcpService.OrchestratorMcpService;
diff --git a/apps/server/src/mcp/OrchestratorMcpService.ts b/apps/server/src/mcp/OrchestratorMcpService.ts
index 960253adc3982..e03e0209f6812 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/mcp/OrchestratorMcpService.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/mcp/OrchestratorMcpService.ts
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ import {
   SECRET_REQUEST_UNSAVED_NOTE,
 } from "@t3tools/contracts";
 import { getProviderOptionCurrentValue, withLegacyUltracodeEffort } from "@t3tools/shared/model";
+import { backgroundWorkHoldsCompletion } from "@t3tools/shared/orchestrationV2PendingBackgroundWork";
 import { runRanAfter } from "@t3tools/shared/orchestrationV2ThreadError";
 import { formatThreadLink } from "@t3tools/shared/threadLinks";
 import {
@@ -814,6 +815,14 @@ function threadPullRequests(
   }));
 }
 
+// Awaited background work keeps a thread live after its turn ends, as auto-settle and the sidebar treat it.
+function listedThreadStatus(shell: OrchestrationV2ThreadShell) {
+  if (shell.activityRunStatus != null) return shell.activityRunStatus;
+  return backgroundWorkHoldsCompletion(shell.pendingBackgroundTasks ?? [])
+    ? "waiting"
+    : shell.status;
+}
+
 function listItemFromShell(
   scope: McpInvocationScope,
   shell: OrchestrationV2ThreadShell,
@@ -826,7 +835,7 @@ function listItemFromShell(
     link: threadLinkFor(scope, shell.id, shell.title),
     createdBy: shell.createdBy,
     creationSource: shell.creationSource,
-    status: shell.activityRunStatus ?? shell.status,
+    status: listedThreadStatus(shell),
     latestRunId: shell.latestRunId,
     providerInstanceId: shell.modelSelection.instanceId,
     model: shell.modelSelection.model,
@@ -2978,9 +2987,7 @@ const make = Effect.gen(function* () {
           : new Set(input.statuses);
       const titleContains = input.titleContains?.toLocaleLowerCase();
       const filtered = projectThreads
-        .filter(
-          (thread) => statuses === null || statuses.has(thread.activityRunStatus ?? thread.status),
-        )
+        .filter((thread) => statuses === null || statuses.has(listedThreadStatus(thread)))
         .filter(
           (thread) =>
             input.settled === undefined || threadSettlement(thread).settled === input.settled,