diff --git a/ui/src/App.css b/ui/src/App.css
index c301fda..fafa814 100644
--- a/ui/src/App.css
+++ b/ui/src/App.css
@@ -66,16 +66,17 @@ select:focus-visible {
 }
 .workflow-header {
 	display: flex;
+	min-height: 24px;
 	align-items: center;
 	justify-content: space-between;
 	gap: 8px;
 	cursor: grab;
 }
-.workspace-heading,
-.status-row {
+.workspace-heading {
 	display: flex;
+	min-width: 0;
 	align-items: center;
-	gap: 8px;
+	gap: 7px;
 }
 .brand {
 	color: #f0a347;
@@ -84,39 +85,17 @@ select:focus-visible {
 	letter-spacing: 0.16em;
 }
 .workflow-header h1 {
+	overflow: hidden;
 	margin: 0;
-	font-size: 16px;
+	font-size: 14px;
+	line-height: 1.2;
+	text-overflow: ellipsis;
+	white-space: nowrap;
 }
-.status-row {
-	margin-top: 1px;
-	color: #aaa6a0;
+.workflow-header > button {
+	padding: 4px 8px;
 	font-size: 11px;
 }
-.state-pill {
-	display: inline-flex;
-	align-items: center;
-	gap: 5px;
-	border: 1px solid #555;
-	border-radius: 999px;
-	padding: 2px 8px;
-	font-size: 11px;
-}
-.state-pill.working {
-	color: #ffd39a;
-	border-color: #f0a347;
-	background: #4b3420;
-	box-shadow:
-		0 0 0 1px rgba(240, 163, 71, 0.22),
-		0 0 10px rgba(240, 163, 71, 0.2);
-}
-.state-pill.recovering {
-	color: #e0c2a1;
-	border-color: #8d6745;
-}
-.state-pill.error {
-	color: #ffb4ba;
-	border-color: #a65b67;
-}
 .working-pulse {
 	width: 7px;
 	height: 7px;
@@ -126,17 +105,6 @@ select:focus-visible {
 	box-shadow: 0 0 0 0 rgba(240, 163, 71, 0.7);
 	animation: work-pulse 1.35s ease-out infinite;
 }
-.working-banner {
-	display: inline-flex;
-	align-items: center;
-	gap: 5px;
-	padding: 2px 6px;
-	border: 1px solid #b76f26;
-	border-radius: 4px;
-	background: #41301f;
-	color: #ffd39a;
-	font-weight: 700;
-}
 .workspace-warning {
 	padding: 6px 8px;
 	border: 1px solid #8c713c;
@@ -883,31 +851,111 @@ select:focus-visible {
 	margin: 5px 0;
 	text-align: center;
 }
-.composer-progress {
+.session-status-strip {
+	display: flex;
+	min-width: 0;
+	align-items: center;
+	justify-content: space-between;
+	gap: 8px;
+	padding: 4px 6px;
+	border: 1px solid #454545;
+	border-left: 3px solid #687168;
+	border-radius: 5px;
+	background: #292a29;
+	color: #b7bcb7;
+}
+.session-status-primary,
+.session-status-meta,
+.status-chip {
 	display: flex;
 	align-items: center;
+}
+.session-status-primary {
+	min-width: 0;
+	flex: 1;
 	gap: 6px;
-	color: #8f988e;
-	font-size: 11px;
+}
+.session-status-primary strong {
+	flex: 0 0 auto;
+	color: #d8ddd8;
+	font-size: 9px;
+	letter-spacing: 0.07em;
+	text-transform: uppercase;
+}
+.session-status-detail {
+	overflow: hidden;
+	color: #9da49d;
+	font-size: 10px;
+	text-overflow: ellipsis;
+	white-space: nowrap;
+}
+.session-status-meta {
+	max-width: 68%;
+	min-width: 0;
+	flex: 0 1 auto;
+	justify-content: flex-end;
+	gap: 4px;
+	overflow-x: auto;
+	scrollbar-width: none;
+}
+.session-status-meta::-webkit-scrollbar {
+	display: none;
+}
+.status-chip {
+	flex: 0 0 auto;
+	gap: 4px;
+	max-width: 180px;
+	overflow: hidden;
+	padding: 2px 5px;
+	border: 1px solid #494b49;
+	border-radius: 999px;
+	background: #323332;
+	color: #bcc1bc;
+	font-size: 9px;
+	line-height: 1.2;
+	text-overflow: ellipsis;
+	white-space: nowrap;
+}
+.status-chip small {
+	color: #7f877f;
+	font-size: 8px;
+	font-weight: 750;
+	letter-spacing: 0.06em;
+	text-transform: uppercase;
 }
 .work-dot {
 	width: 7px;
 	height: 7px;
+	flex: 0 0 auto;
 	border-radius: 50%;
 	background: #687168;
 }
-.composer-progress.working {
-	padding: 4px 6px;
-	border-left: 3px solid #f0a347;
-	background: #3b3025;
-	color: #ffd39a;
-	font-weight: 700;
+.session-status-strip.working {
+	border-color: #60492f;
+	border-left-color: #f0a347;
+	background: #332d26;
 }
-.composer-progress.working .work-dot {
+.session-status-strip.working .session-status-primary strong,
+.session-status-strip.working .session-status-detail {
+	color: #ffd39a;
+}
+.session-status-strip.working .work-dot {
 	background: #f0a347;
 	box-shadow: 0 0 8px #f0a347;
 	animation: work-pulse 1.35s ease-out infinite;
 }
+.session-status-strip.recovering {
+	border-left-color: #b9824b;
+}
+.session-status-strip.error {
+	border-color: #6f3f47;
+	border-left-color: #e47682;
+	background: #34272a;
+}
+.session-status-strip.error .session-status-primary strong,
+.session-status-strip.error .session-status-detail {
+	color: #ffb4ba;
+}
 .composer {
 	display: flex;
 	gap: 7px;
diff --git a/ui/src/App.test.tsx b/ui/src/App.test.tsx
index b9563a9..2b7e861 100644
--- a/ui/src/App.test.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/App.test.tsx
@@ -92,6 +92,13 @@ describe("App command progress and errors", () => {
 		});
 	});
 
+	it("shows explicit Pi readiness in the compact session status", () => {
+		render(<App />);
+		const status = screen.getByRole("status", { name: "Session status" });
+		expect(status).toHaveTextContent("Pi ready");
+		expect(status).toHaveTextContent("Ready for your next prompt");
+	});
+
 	it("shows restart progress until the replacement snapshot is restored", async () => {
 		const user = userEvent.setup();
 		const restart = deferred<unknown>();
@@ -211,9 +218,13 @@ describe("App command progress and errors", () => {
 		expect(screen.getByLabelText("Prompt")).toBeDisabled();
 		expect(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Sending…" })).toBeDisabled();
 		expect(screen.getByText("Sending your prompt…")).toBeInTheDocument();
-		expect(screen.getByText("Working", { selector: ".state-pill" })).toHaveClass(
-			"working",
-		);
+		const sessionStatus = screen.getByRole("status", { name: "Session status" });
+		expect(sessionStatus).toHaveTextContent("Working");
+		expect(sessionStatus).toHaveTextContent("Sending prompt to Pi…");
+		expect(sessionStatus).toHaveTextContent("Bridge");
+		expect(sessionStatus).toHaveTextContent("ready");
+		expect(sessionStatus).toHaveClass("working");
+		expect(rendered.container.querySelector(".status-row")).toBeNull();
 
 		await act(async () => {
 			submissionA.resolve({ delivery: "prompt" });
diff --git a/ui/src/App.tsx b/ui/src/App.tsx
index 40ee4b7..d1c40b4 100644
--- a/ui/src/App.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/App.tsx
@@ -58,6 +58,10 @@ function requestedCommand(command: string, args: Record<string, unknown>) {
 		: command;
 }
 
+function sessionStateLabel(state?: string) {
+	return !state || state === "idle" ? "Pi ready" : state;
+}
+
 function commandProgress(command: string) {
 	if (command === "restart") return "Restarting Pi and restoring the session…";
 	if (command === "renew_session")
@@ -563,6 +567,19 @@ export default function App() {
 		isSubmitting ||
 		selected?.progress.phase === "working" ||
 		selected?.progress.phase === "recovering";
+	const sessionStatusLabel =
+		state.newSessionLaunch?.phase === "starting"
+			? "Starting"
+			: isRenewing
+				? "Renewing"
+				: isRestarting
+					? "Restarting"
+					: isWorking
+						? "Working"
+						: sessionStateLabel(selected?.summary.state);
+	const sessionStatusPhase = isWorking
+		? ("working" as const)
+		: (selected?.progress.phase ?? "idle");
 	const isStartingSession =
 		state.newSessionLaunch?.phase === "starting" ||
 		activeOperations.some((entry) => entry.kind === "creating");
@@ -600,50 +617,9 @@ export default function App() {
 						void getCurrentWindow().startDragging();
 				}}
 			>
-				<div>
-					<div className="workspace-heading">
-						<span className="brand">PI</span>
-						<h1>{selected?.summary.label ?? "Pi workspace"}</h1>
-						{selected && (
-							<span
-								className={`state-pill ${isWorking ? "working" : selected.progress.phase}`}
-							>
-								{isWorking && <span className="working-pulse" aria-hidden="true" />}
-								{state.newSessionLaunch?.phase === "starting"
-									? "Starting"
-									: isRenewing
-										? "Renewing"
-										: isRestarting
-											? "Restarting"
-											: isWorking
-												? "Working"
-												: selected.summary.state}
-							</span>
-						)}
-					</div>
-					<div className="status-row">
-						{isWorking && (
-							<span className="working-banner" role="status">
-								<span className="working-pulse" aria-hidden="true" />{" "}
-								{state.newSessionLaunch?.phase === "starting"
-									? "Starting new session"
-									: isRenewing
-										? "Renewing session"
-										: isRestarting
-											? "Restarting Pi"
-											: "Pi is working"}
-							</span>
-						)}
-						<span role="status" aria-live="polite">
-							{displayedStatus}
-						</span>
-						<span>{state.bridge.status}</span>
-						{Object.values(selected?.extensionStatuses ?? {}).map((entry) => (
-							<span className="extension-status" key={entry}>
-								{entry}
-							</span>
-						))}
-					</div>
+				<div className="workspace-heading">
+					<span className="brand">PI</span>
+					<h1>{selected?.summary.label ?? "Pi workspace"}</h1>
 				</div>
 				<button
 					className="quiet"
@@ -876,6 +852,13 @@ export default function App() {
 							isModelUpdating={modelCommandPending}
 							locked={isSessionLocked}
 							lockReason={isRenewing ? "renewing" : "restarting"}
+							status={{
+								label: sessionStatusLabel,
+								detail: displayedStatus,
+								phase: sessionStatusPhase,
+								bridge: state.bridge.status,
+								extensions: Object.values(selected.extensionStatuses),
+							}}
 							isSubmitting={isSubmitting}
 							isAborting={isAborting}
 							onCommand={(command) => {
diff --git a/ui/src/components/ConversationWorkspace.tsx b/ui/src/components/ConversationWorkspace.tsx
index 5f2ccc4..af38158 100644
--- a/ui/src/components/ConversationWorkspace.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/components/ConversationWorkspace.tsx
@@ -4,6 +4,14 @@ import { rpcCommandCatalog, type RpcCommand } from "../commands/rpc";
 import { CommandPalette } from "./CommandPalette";
 import { ModelSelector } from "./ModelSelector";
 
+type SessionStatus = {
+	label: string;
+	detail: string;
+	phase: RuntimeView["progress"]["phase"];
+	bridge: string;
+	extensions: string[];
+};
+
 export function messageText(message: RuntimeView["messages"][number]) {
 	if (typeof message.content === "string") return message.content;
 	return (message.content ?? [])
@@ -22,6 +30,36 @@ function visibleLines(text: string) {
 	return lines;
 }
 
+function compactCount(value: number) {
+	const units = [
+		{ threshold: 1_000_000_000, divisor: 1_000_000_000, suffix: "b" },
+		{ threshold: 1_000_000, divisor: 1_000_000, suffix: "m" },
+		{ threshold: 1_000, divisor: 1_000, suffix: "k" },
+	];
+	const unit = units.find((candidate) => Math.abs(value) >= candidate.threshold);
+	if (!unit) return String(value);
+	const scaled = Math.round((value / unit.divisor) * 10) / 10;
+	return `${scaled}${unit.suffix}`;
+}
+
+function runtimeStatusLabel(isWorking: boolean, state: string) {
+	if (isWorking) return "Working";
+	return state === "idle" ? "Pi ready" : state;
+}
+
+function plainStatusText(value: string) {
+	return value
+		.normalize("NFC")
+		.replace(/\u001B\[[0-?]*[ -/]*[@-~]/gu, "")
+		.replace(/\u001B\][^\u0007]*(?:\u0007|\u001B\\)/gu, "")
+		.replace(
+			/[\u0000-\u0008\u000B\u000C\u000E-\u001F\u007F-\u009F\u200B-\u200F\u202A-\u202E\u2060-\u206F\uE000-\uF8FF\uFEFF\uFFFD]/gu,
+			"",
+		)
+		.replace(/\s+/gu, " ")
+		.trim();
+}
+
 function TranscriptMessage({
 	message,
 }: {
@@ -107,6 +145,7 @@ export function ConversationWorkspace({
 	isModelUpdating = false,
 	locked = false,
 	lockReason = "renewing",
+	status,
 	onCommand,
 }: {
 	runtime: RuntimeView;
@@ -121,6 +160,7 @@ export function ConversationWorkspace({
 	isModelUpdating?: boolean;
 	locked?: boolean;
 	lockReason?: "renewing" | "restarting";
+	status?: SessionStatus;
 	onCommand: (command: RpcCommand) => void;
 }) {
 	const ref = useRef<HTMLElement>(null);
@@ -129,6 +169,43 @@ export function ConversationWorkspace({
 		runtime.summary.state === "streaming" || runtime.progress.phase === "working";
 	const isWorking =
 		isSubmitting || runtimeIsWorking || runtime.progress.phase === "recovering";
+	const presentedStatus = status ?? {
+		label: runtimeStatusLabel(isWorking, runtime.summary.state),
+		detail: isSubmitting ? "Sending prompt to Pi…" : runtime.progress.detail,
+		phase: isWorking ? ("working" as const) : runtime.progress.phase,
+		bridge: "unknown",
+		extensions: Object.values(runtime.extensionStatuses),
+	};
+	const visibleStatus = {
+		label: plainStatusText(presentedStatus.label) || "Pi status",
+		detail: plainStatusText(presentedStatus.detail) || "No status details",
+		bridge: plainStatusText(presentedStatus.bridge) || "unknown",
+		extensions: presentedStatus.extensions.map(plainStatusText).filter(Boolean),
+	};
+	const activeTool = runtime.progress.tool
+		? plainStatusText(runtime.progress.tool)
+		: undefined;
+	const inputTokens = runtime.stats.tokens?.input;
+	const outputTokens = runtime.stats.tokens?.output;
+	const cacheReadTokens = runtime.stats.tokens?.cacheRead;
+	const undividedTokens =
+		inputTokens === undefined && outputTokens === undefined
+			? runtime.stats.tokens?.total
+			: undefined;
+	const context = runtime.stats.contextUsage;
+	const contextPercent =
+		context?.percent ??
+		(context?.tokens != null && context.contextWindow
+			? (context.tokens / context.contextWindow) * 100
+			: undefined);
+	let contextDetail: string | undefined;
+	if (context?.tokens != null) {
+		contextDetail = compactCount(context.tokens);
+		if (context.contextWindow !== undefined)
+			contextDetail += ` / ${compactCount(context.contextWindow)}`;
+		if (contextPercent !== undefined)
+			contextDetail += ` · ${Math.round(contextPercent)}%`;
+	}
 	useEffect(() => {
 		if (runtime.scroll.atBottom && ref.current)
 			ref.current.scrollTop = ref.current.scrollHeight;
@@ -269,15 +346,69 @@ export function ConversationWorkspace({
 					</label>
 				</section>
 				<div
-					className={`composer-progress ${isSubmitting ? "working" : runtime.progress.phase}`}
+					className={`session-status-strip ${presentedStatus.phase}`}
 					role="status"
+					aria-label="Session status"
 					aria-live="polite"
 				>
-					<span className="work-dot" />
-					<span>
-						{isSubmitting ? "Sending prompt to Pi…" : runtime.progress.detail}
+					<span className="session-status-primary">
+						<span className="work-dot" aria-hidden="true" />
+						<strong>{visibleStatus.label}</strong>
+						<span className="session-status-detail">{visibleStatus.detail}</span>
+					</span>
+					<span className="session-status-meta" aria-label="Status details">
+						{inputTokens !== undefined && (
+							<span className="status-chip" title="Input tokens">
+								<small>In</small>
+								{compactCount(inputTokens)}
+							</span>
+						)}
+						{outputTokens !== undefined && (
+							<span className="status-chip" title="Output tokens">
+								<small>Out</small>
+								{compactCount(outputTokens)}
+							</span>
+						)}
+						{cacheReadTokens !== undefined && (
+							<span className="status-chip" title="Cache-read tokens">
+								<small>Cache read</small>
+								{compactCount(cacheReadTokens)}
+							</span>
+						)}
+						{undividedTokens !== undefined && (
+							<span className="status-chip" title="Total tokens">
+								<small>Tokens</small>
+								{compactCount(undividedTokens)}
+							</span>
+						)}
+						{contextDetail && (
+							<span className="status-chip" title="Current context window usage">
+								<small>Context</small>
+								{contextDetail}
+							</span>
+						)}
+						{runtime.summary.queueCount > 0 && (
+							<span className="status-chip">
+								<small>Queue</small>
+								{runtime.summary.queueCount}
+							</span>
+						)}
+						<span className="status-chip bridge-status">
+							<small>Bridge</small>
+							{visibleStatus.bridge}
+						</span>
+						{activeTool && (
+							<span className="status-chip">
+								<small>Tool</small>
+								{activeTool}
+							</span>
+						)}
+						{visibleStatus.extensions.map((entry, index) => (
+							<span className="status-chip extension-status" key={`${entry}-${index}`}>
+								{entry}
+							</span>
+						))}
 					</span>
-					{runtime.progress.tool && <small>{runtime.progress.tool}</small>}
 				</div>
 				<div className="composer">
 					<CommandPalette
diff --git a/ui/src/components/components.test.tsx b/ui/src/components/components.test.tsx
index 35e4be6..0dc673d 100644
--- a/ui/src/components/components.test.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/components/components.test.tsx
@@ -178,6 +178,60 @@ describe("multi-session navigation", () => {
 		await user.click(screen.getByText("Tool result · read"));
 		expect(details).toHaveAttribute("open");
 	});
+	it("packs session status between model controls and the composer", () => {
+		const runtime = runtimeView(summary("status", "streaming"));
+		runtime.summary.queueCount = 2;
+		runtime.stats = {
+			tokens: { input: 10_000, output: 2_450, cacheRead: 8_000, total: 12_450 },
+			contextUsage: { tokens: 32_000, contextWindow: 200_000, percent: 16 },
+		};
+		const { container } = render(
+			<ConversationWorkspace
+				runtime={runtime}
+				onDraft={vi.fn()}
+				onSubmit={vi.fn()}
+				onAbort={vi.fn()}
+				onScroll={vi.fn()}
+				onModel={vi.fn()}
+				onThinking={vi.fn()}
+				onCommand={vi.fn()}
+				status={{
+					label: "Working",
+					detail: "Thinking and preparing a response",
+					phase: "working",
+					bridge: "ready",
+					extensions: ["\u001B[32mLSP\u001B[0m \uE0B0\uFFFDactive\u0007"],
+				}}
+			/>,
+		);
+		const modelControls = screen.getByRole("region", {
+			name: "Model and thinking controls",
+		});
+		const status = screen.getByRole("status", { name: "Session status" });
+		const composer = container.querySelector(".composer");
+
+		for (const text of [
+			"Working",
+			"Thinking and preparing a response",
+			"Bridge",
+			"ready",
+			"In",
+			"10k",
+			"Out",
+			"2.5k",
+			"Cache read",
+			"8k",
+			"Context",
+			"32k / 200k · 16%",
+			"Queue",
+			"2",
+			"LSP active",
+		])
+			expect(status).toHaveTextContent(text);
+		expect(status.textContent).not.toMatch(/[\u001B\u0007\uE0B0\uFFFD]/u);
+		expect(modelControls.nextElementSibling).toBe(status);
+		expect(status.nextElementSibling).toBe(composer);
+	});
 	it("shows a jump control only while scrolled up and moves to the latest message", async () => {
 		const user = userEvent.setup();
 		const onScroll = vi.fn();