diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 6df84a0..c359fe4 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -24,6 +24,24 @@ bun test
 
 Pi auto-discovers the extension from this location via the `pi.extensions` entry in `package.json` — no settings.json config is needed. On load it emits a TUI notification `Pygienium loaded. Run /pygienium-help for available checks and flags.` (only when a dialog-capable UI is available).
 
+## Configuration
+
+Pygienium reads its chat-rendering style from pi's `settings.json` (`~/.pi/agent/settings.json`) under a `pygienium` key:
+
+```json
+{
+  "pygienium": {
+    "chatStyle": "verbose"
+  }
+}
+```
+
+| Setting | Default | Values | Description |
+| --- | --- | --- | --- |
+| `pygienium.chatStyle` | `"verbose"` | `"verbose"` \| `"compact"` | Chat rendering for sub-agent tool calls. **verbose** (piolium-style) streams each tool event live as its own chat line (`[Comments: Scanning] → bash ...` / `← (ok)`). **compact** (ralpi-style) suppresses the per-event stream and shows only the final completion message with its expandable phase tree. |
+
+No entry means `"verbose"` (the default). An unreadable or missing `settings.json` also falls back to `"verbose"`.
+
 ## Commands
 
 Every command accepts a `[path]` target (default: the current directory) and is
diff --git a/agents/scanner.md b/agents/scanner.md
index ccadb43..5d443f3 100644
--- a/agents/scanner.md
+++ b/agents/scanner.md
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ allowedTools:
   - find
   - ls
   - bash
+  - write
 ---
 You are the **Pygienium scanner** sub-agent — a focused code-hygiene analyst.
 
diff --git a/bun.lock b/bun.lock
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f2adfd3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bun.lock
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+{
+  "lockfileVersion": 1,
+  "configVersion": 1,
+  "workspaces": {
+    "": {
+      "name": "pygienium",
+      "devDependencies": {
+        "@types/node": "^20.0.0",
+        "typescript": "^5.3.0",
+      },
+      "peerDependencies": {
+        "@earendil-works/pi-agent-core": "*",
+        "@earendil-works/pi-ai": "*",
+        "@earendil-works/pi-coding-agent": "*",
+        "@earendil-works/pi-tui": "*",
+        "typebox": "*",
+      },
+      "optionalPeers": [
+        "@earendil-works/pi-agent-core",
+        "@earendil-works/pi-ai",
+        "@earendil-works/pi-coding-agent",
+        "@earendil-works/pi-tui",
+        "typebox",
+      ],
+    },
+  },
+  "packages": {
+    "@types/node": ["@types/node@20.19.43", "", { "dependencies": { "undici-types": "~6.21.0" } }, "sha512-6oYBAi5ikg4Pl+kGsoYtawUMBT2zZMCvPNF7pVLnHZfd1zf38DRiWn/gT01RYCdUqkv7Fhr+C9ot4/tb+2sVvA=="],
+
+    "typescript": ["typescript@5.9.3", "", { "bin": { "tsc": "bin/tsc", "tsserver": "bin/tsserver" } }, "sha512-jl1vZzPDinLr9eUt3J/t7V6FgNEw9QjvBPdysz9KfQDD41fQrC2Y4vKQdiaUpFT4bXlb1RHhLpp8wtm6M5TgSw=="],
+
+    "undici-types": ["undici-types@6.21.0", "", {}, "sha512-iwDZqg0QAGrg9Rav5H4n0M64c3mkR59cJ6wQp+7C4nI0gsmExaedaYLNO44eT4AtBBwjbTiGPMlt2Md0T9H9JQ=="],
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/agent-runner.ts b/src/agent-runner.ts
index da2e9f3..4c0ed32 100644
--- a/src/agent-runner.ts
+++ b/src/agent-runner.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ import { mkdir, writeFile } from "node:fs/promises";
 import { dirname, isAbsolute, join } from "node:path";
 import type { AgentSessionEvent } from "@earendil-works/pi-coding-agent";
 import { loadAgents, extensionRoot, type AgentDef } from "./agents.js";
-import type { ToolCallEntry } from "./phases.js";
 
 export interface AgentTaskOptions {
 	/** Absolute working directory for the sub-agent. */
@@ -32,8 +31,12 @@ export interface AgentTaskOptions {
 	allowedTools?: string[];
 	/** Optional explicit agent definition (skips `loadAgents`). */
 	agent?: AgentDef;
-	/** Live callback fired as each tool call starts (ralpi-style stream). */
-	onToolCall?: (entry: ToolCallEntry) => void;
+	/**
+	 * Live callback forwarding raw {@link AgentSessionEvent}s from the
+	 * sub-agent session. The `pygienium-stream` forwarder in `index.ts`
+	 * turns tool_execution_start/end + assistant turns into chat messages.
+	 */
+	onEvent?: (event: AgentSessionEvent) => void;
 }
 
 export interface AgentRunResult {
@@ -43,8 +46,6 @@ export interface AgentRunResult {
 	text: string;
 	/** Error message when `ok` is false. */
 	error?: string;
-	/** Every tool invocation captured during the run (name + label). */
-	toolCalls: ToolCallEntry[];
 }
 
 export type AgentRunner = (opts: AgentTaskOptions) => Promise<AgentRunResult>;
@@ -82,7 +83,6 @@ export async function defaultAgentRunner(
 		return {
 			ok: false,
 			text: "",
-			toolCalls: [],
 			error:
 				`Unknown agent definition: "${opts.agentName}". ` +
 				`Available agents: ${names.length > 0 ? names.join(", ") : "(none loaded — check agents/ directories exist)"}. ` +
@@ -123,7 +123,8 @@ export async function defaultAgentRunner(
 
 	try {
 		let text = "";
-		const toolCalls: ToolCallEntry[] = [];
+		let stopReason: string | undefined;
+		let errorMessage: string | undefined;
 		const unsubscribe = session.subscribe((event: AgentSessionEvent) => {
 			if (
 				event.type === "message_update" &&
@@ -131,24 +132,58 @@ export async function defaultAgentRunner(
 			) {
 				text += event.assistantMessageEvent.delta;
 			}
-			if (event.type === "tool_execution_start") {
-				const entry: ToolCallEntry = {
-					name: event.toolName,
-					label: formatToolArg(event.toolName, event.args),
+			if (event.type === "message_end") {
+				// Capture the full assistant text from the finalized message —
+				// models that don't stream text_delta (or truncate) still surface
+				// their output here. Prefer the streamed text when non-empty.
+				const message = event.message as {
+					role?: string;
+					content?: unknown;
+					stopReason?: string;
+					errorMessage?: string;
 				};
-				toolCalls.push(entry);
-				opts.onToolCall?.(entry);
+				if (message.stopReason) stopReason = message.stopReason;
+				if (message.errorMessage) errorMessage = message.errorMessage;
+				if (message.role === "assistant") {
+					const full = extractAssistantText(message.content).trim();
+					if (full && !text.trim()) text = full;
+				}
+			}
+			// Forward the stream-driving events to the chat forwarder; it turns
+			// each into its own `pygienium-stream` message (see index.ts).
+			if (
+				event.type === "tool_execution_start" ||
+				event.type === "tool_execution_end" ||
+				event.type === "message_end"
+			) {
+				opts.onEvent?.(event);
 			}
 		});
 		await session.prompt(opts.task, { expandPromptTemplates: false });
+		// Ensure the agent has fully settled (tool calls may still be in-flight
+		// after prompt() resolves; piolium's runner calls this for the same
+		// reason).
+		await session.agent.waitForIdle();
 		unsubscribe();
-		return { ok: true, text, toolCalls };
+		// Surface session errors that didn't throw but left no useful output.
+		// A session ending with stopReason "error" and no text means the model
+		// call failed silently — treat that as a failed run, not ok:true.
+		if (errorMessage) {
+			return { ok: false, text, error: errorMessage };
+		}
+		if (!text.trim() && stopReason === "error") {
+			return {
+				ok: false,
+				text,
+				error: "sub-agent session ended in error with no output.",
+			};
+		}
+		return { ok: true, text };
 	} catch (err) {
 		return {
 			ok: false,
 			text: "",
 			error: err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err),
-			toolCalls: [],
 		};
 	} finally {
 		try {
@@ -159,6 +194,22 @@ export async function defaultAgentRunner(
 	}
 }
 
+/**
+ * Extract joined text from an assistant message's content blocks.
+ * Mirrors piolium's `extractAssistantText`.
+ */
+function extractAssistantText(content: unknown): string {
+	if (typeof content === "string") return content;
+	if (!Array.isArray(content)) return "";
+	return content
+		.flatMap((c) =>
+			c && typeof c === "object" && (c as { type?: string }).type === "text"
+				? [(c as { text?: string }).text ?? ""]
+				: [],
+		)
+		.join("");
+}
+
 /**
  * Fake agent runner for tests: it understands a tiny instruction protocol
  * embedded in the task so a no-op check can produce deterministic findings
@@ -191,57 +242,12 @@ export const fakeAgentRunner: AgentRunner = async (opts) => {
 				findings.push((echo[1] ?? "").replace(/^["']|["']$/g, ""));
 			}
 		}
-		return { ok: true, text: findings.join("\n"), toolCalls: [] };
+		return { ok: true, text: findings.join("\n") };
 	} catch (err) {
 		return {
 			ok: false,
 			text: findings.join("\n"),
 			error: err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err),
-			toolCalls: [],
 		};
 	}
 };
-
-// ─── Tool-call label formatting (ported from ralpi) ─────────────────────────────
-
-/** Collapse newlines and strip control chars so a tool arg fits one line. */
-function sanitizeLabel(s: string): string {
-	return s
-		.replace(/\r?\n/g, " ")
-		.replace(/[\x00-\x08\x0B\x0C\x0E-\x1F\x7F]/g, "")
-		.trim();
-}
-
-/** Keep the start and end of a long value, inserting an ellipsis in the middle. */
-function truncateMiddle(s: string, maxLen: number): string {
-	if (s.length <= maxLen) return s;
-	const half = Math.floor((maxLen - 1) / 2);
-	return s.slice(0, half) + "…" + s.slice(s.length - half);
-}
-
-/**
- * Format a tool call's arguments into a short one-line label, by tool name.
- * Mirrors ralpi's `formatToolArg` so the chat tree shows the useful argument
- * (command for bash, path for read/write/edit, pattern for grep, …).
- */
-export function formatToolArg(name: string, args: unknown): string {
-	const a = (args ?? {}) as Record<string, unknown>;
-	switch (name) {
-		case "bash":
-			return sanitizeLabel(truncateMiddle(String(a.command ?? ""), 70));
-		case "write":
-		case "read":
-		case "edit":
-			return sanitizeLabel(truncateMiddle(String(a.path ?? ""), 60));
-		case "grep":
-			return sanitizeLabel(
-				`${a.pattern ?? "?"} — ${truncateMiddle(String(a.path ?? ""), 40)}`,
-			);
-		case "find":
-			return sanitizeLabel(`${a.path ?? "."} — ${a.glob ?? "*"}`);
-		case "ls":
-			return sanitizeLabel(truncateMiddle(String(a.path ?? "."), 60));
-		default:
-			return name;
-	}
-}
diff --git a/src/commands.ts b/src/commands.ts
index 978a12e..63f6ff5 100644
--- a/src/commands.ts
+++ b/src/commands.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,10 @@
  * @module pygienium/commands
  */
 
-import type { ExtensionCommandContext } from "@earendil-works/pi-coding-agent";
+import type {
+	AgentSessionEvent,
+	ExtensionCommandContext,
+} from "@earendil-works/pi-coding-agent";
 import { resolve } from "node:path";
 import {
 	getAllChecks,
@@ -49,6 +52,11 @@ export type PygieniumCtx = Pick<
 > & {
 	/** Optional callback to post messages to the chat window. */
 	sendChatMessage?: SendChatMessage;
+	/** Optional callback forwarding raw sub-agent events to the chat stream. */
+	onAgentEvent?: (phase: string, event: AgentSessionEvent) => void;
+	/** Optional callback to emit synthetic progress lines (verify/cleanup/
+	 * recon phases that don't run agents) into the chat stream. */
+	sendPhaseLine?: (phase: string, text: string) => void;
 };
 
 function print(ctx: PygieniumCtx, line: string): void {
@@ -169,6 +177,8 @@ export async function handleCheckCommand(
 		ui: ctx.ui,
 		hasUI: ctx.hasUI,
 		sendChatMessage: ctx.sendChatMessage,
+		onAgentEvent: ctx.onAgentEvent,
+		sendPhaseLine: ctx.sendPhaseLine,
 		gitignore: !noGitignore,
 	});
 
@@ -206,6 +216,8 @@ export async function handleAllCommand(
 		ui: ctx.ui,
 		hasUI: ctx.hasUI,
 		sendChatMessage: ctx.sendChatMessage,
+		onAgentEvent: ctx.onAgentEvent,
+		sendPhaseLine: ctx.sendPhaseLine,
 	});
 	const giNote = outcome.gitignoreAppended
 		? " · .pygienium/ added to .gitignore"
@@ -293,6 +305,8 @@ export async function handleResumeCommand(
 			hasUI: ctx.hasUI,
 			existingState: state,
 			sendChatMessage: ctx.sendChatMessage,
+			onAgentEvent: ctx.onAgentEvent,
+			sendPhaseLine: ctx.sendPhaseLine,
 			gitignore,
 		});
 		state = outcome.state;
diff --git a/src/footer.ts b/src/footer.ts
index 897f6ce..6c43266 100644
--- a/src/footer.ts
+++ b/src/footer.ts
@@ -1,12 +1,17 @@
 /**
- * footer.ts — compact pipeline-overview status line in the TUI footer.
+ * footer.ts — pipeline-overview status widget in the TUI footer area.
  *
- * While the chat widget (phases.ts) shows the live spinner + tool-call tree
- * (detail, surfaced in the chat), the footer shows one STATIC overview line:
- * the full ordered pipeline (the checks and/or phases) with the current
- * position and what's to come — the piolium-style footer strip. The two
- * never overlap: the footer stays a single status-bar slot owned by
- * `ui.setStatus(key, text)`.
+ * Renders the full ordered pipeline (phases for a single check, or checks for
+ * `/pygienium-all`) as a **multi-line `belowEditor` widget** (via
+ * `ExtensionUIContext.setWidget`): one bulleted, color-themed line per step,
+ * with the live step marked `●` and completed/failed/skipped/pending steps
+ * carrying their terminal glyph. This is the pygienium analogue of piolium's
+ * `phase-status-strip` widget — the footer-side *overview* view.
+ *
+ * The chat-side *detail* view is the live tool-event stream (see
+ * `pygienium-stream` in `index.ts`): each `tool_execution_start/end` and
+ * assistant turn is posted as its own chat message. The two never overlap:
+ * the footer owns the `belowEditor` slot, the stream owns the chat history.
  *
  * Presentation-only and mode-aware: in print/JSON mode (no TUI) the footer is
  * a no-op — stdout progress stays owned by the phase strip — so it can be
@@ -21,7 +26,7 @@
 
 import type { ExtensionUIContext } from "@earendil-works/pi-coding-agent";
 
-/** Footer/status-bar key pygienium writes its pipeline overview under. */
+/** Widget key pygienium writes its pipeline-overview widget under. */
 export const FOOTER_STATUS_KEY = "pygienium";
 
 /** Status of a single pipeline item, carried into the footer line. */
@@ -33,17 +38,23 @@ export type ItemStatus =
 	| "skipped";
 
 /**
- * Glyph per item status. `…`=pending (to come), `▶`=running (cursor),
- * `✓`/`✗`/`-`=terminal. Kept short so a multi-phase pipeline fits one line.
+ * Marker per item status, mirroring piolium's phase-status-strip glyphs:
+ * `·`=pending (to come), `●`=running (cursor), `✓`/`✗`/`↷`=terminal.
+ * Kept short so a multi-phase pipeline fits one widget column.
  */
-export const FOOTER_GLYPH: Record<ItemStatus, string> = {
-	pending: "…",
-	running: "▶",
+export const FOOTER_MARKER: Record<ItemStatus, string> = {
+	pending: "·",
+	running: "●",
 	complete: "✓",
 	failed: "✗",
-	skipped: "-",
+	skipped: "↷",
 };
 
+/** Theme subset the footer renders against (`ui.theme` satisfies this). */
+export interface FooterTheme {
+	fg(color: string, text: string): string;
+}
+
 /** One labelled step in the pipeline overview. */
 export interface FooterItem {
 	/** Short label (a phase label like "Scanning" or a check label). */
@@ -53,16 +64,16 @@ export interface FooterItem {
 }
 
 export interface PipelineFooterOptions {
-	/** UI context; writes go to `ui.setStatus`. */
+	/** UI context; writes go to `ui.setWidget` (belowEditor). */
 	ui?: ExtensionUIContext;
 	/** Dialog-capable UI available (TUI / RPC). When false, footer is a no-op. */
 	hasUI?: boolean;
-	/** Status-bar key (defaults to {@link FOOTER_STATUS_KEY}). */
+	/** Widget key (defaults to {@link FOOTER_STATUS_KEY}). */
 	statusKey?: string;
 	/**
 	 * Whether to render the footer (default true). Set false when an outer
 	 * run (e.g. `/pygienium-all`) already owns the footer, so two overviews
-	 * never compete over the same status slot — mirrors the phase strip's
+	 * never compete over the same widget slot — mirrors the phase strip's
 	 * `widget` flag.
 	 */
 	enabled?: boolean;
@@ -79,10 +90,46 @@ export interface PipelineFooter {
 	getItems(): FooterItem[];
 	/** Snapshot of the last rendered title (for tests). */
 	getTitle(): string;
-	/** Clear the footer slot. Safe to call repeatedly. */
+	/** Clear the footer widget. Safe to call repeatedly. */
 	done(): void;
 }
 
+/** Map an item status to a piolium-style theme color token. */
+export function footerColor(status: ItemStatus, isCurrent: boolean): string {
+	if (status === "complete") return "success";
+	if (status === "failed") return "error";
+	if (status === "skipped") return "warning";
+	if (status === "running" || isCurrent) return "accent";
+	return "dim";
+}
+
+/** Width for the per-step index prefix (`1.` … `12.`). */
+function indexWidth(total: number): number {
+	return total >= 10 ? 2 : 1;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Render the pipeline as a list of bulleted, color-themed lines — the pure
+ * core of the footer widget, exported so tests assert on layout without a
+ * TUI. Each line is `• <marker> <n>. <label>`, themed by status color.
+ * Mirrors piolium's `renderPhaseStatusList`.
+ */
+export function renderFooterList(
+	items: readonly FooterItem[],
+	cursor: number,
+	theme: FooterTheme,
+): string[] {
+	const width = indexWidth(items.length);
+	return items.map((item, index) => {
+		const marker = FOOTER_MARKER[item.status] ?? "?";
+		const isCurrent = index === cursor;
+		const color = footerColor(item.status, isCurrent);
+		const order = String(index + 1).padStart(width, "0");
+		const text = `• ${marker} ${order}. ${item.label}`;
+		return theme.fg(color, text);
+	});
+}
+
 /**
  * Create a pipeline-overview footer. The handle is cheap and stateful; callers
  * keep one per run and call {@link PipelineFooter.done} when terminal.
@@ -99,17 +146,19 @@ export function createPipelineFooter(
 	let items: FooterItem[] = [];
 	let cursor = -1;
 
-	/** Build and push the single status line, if a UI is available. */
+	/** Build and push the widget lines, if a UI is available. */
 	function render(): void {
-		if (!enabled || !hasUI) return;
-		const parts = items.map((item, i) => {
-			const glyph = FOOTER_GLYPH[item.status] ?? "?";
-			// The live cursor gets a space after the glyph for emphasis; the
-			// rest stay glued (`…Fixing`) so a long pipeline stays compact.
-			return i === cursor ? `${glyph} ${item.label}` : `${glyph}${item.label}`;
-		});
-		const text = parts.length > 0 ? `${title} · ${parts.join(" · ")}` : title;
-		ui?.setStatus?.(key, text);
+		if (!enabled || !hasUI || !ui?.setWidget) return;
+		// `ui.theme` is present on a real ExtensionUIContext; fall back to a
+		// plain-text renderer only when a stub omits it (tests / headless RPC).
+		const theme: FooterTheme =
+			ui.theme && typeof ui.theme.fg === "function"
+				? ui.theme
+				: { fg: (_c: string, t: string) => t };
+		const lines: string[] = [];
+		if (title) lines.push(theme.fg("dim", title));
+		lines.push(...renderFooterList(items, cursor, theme));
+		ui.setWidget(key, lines, { placement: "belowEditor" });
 	}
 
 	return {
@@ -147,8 +196,8 @@ export function createPipelineFooter(
 			return title;
 		},
 		done() {
-			if (!enabled || !hasUI) return;
-			ui?.setStatus?.(key, undefined);
+			if (!enabled || !hasUI || !ui?.setWidget) return;
+			ui.setWidget(key, undefined, { placement: "belowEditor" });
 			items = [];
 			cursor = -1;
 			title = "";
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 15575aa..d249f32 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -16,8 +16,9 @@
  * @module pygienium/index
  */
 
-import { readdir } from "node:fs/promises";
+import { readdir, readFile } from "node:fs/promises";
 import { dirname, join } from "node:path";
+import { homedir } from "node:os";
 import { fileURLToPath } from "node:url";
 import type {
 	ExtensionAPI,
@@ -31,14 +32,41 @@ import { registerPygieniumCommands, type PygieniumCtx } from "./commands.js";
 import {
 	type SendChatMessage,
 	type CheckCompletionDetails,
-	type ToolCallEntry,
 	PHASE_GLYPH,
 } from "./phases.js";
+import type { AgentSessionEvent } from "@earendil-works/pi-coding-agent";
 
 /** Startup hint mirrored after piolium's convention. */
 export const PYGIENIUM_STARTUP_HINT =
 	"Pygienium loaded. Run /pygienium-help for available checks and flags.";
 
+/** Custom message type for the live tool-event stream (mirrors piolium-stream). */
+export const PYGIENIUM_STREAM = "pygienium-stream";
+
+/** Chat rendering style ("verbose" = per-event stream, "compact" = completion-only). */
+export type ChatStyle = "verbose" | "compact";
+
+/**
+ * Read the pygienium chat style from pi's settings.json.
+ * Looks for `pygienium.chatStyle` under `~/.pi/agent/settings.json`.
+ * Defaults to "verbose" (piolium-style per-event stream) when absent or unreadable.
+ */
+async function readChatStyle(): Promise<ChatStyle> {
+	try {
+		const raw = await readFile(
+			join(homedir(), ".pi", "agent", "settings.json"),
+			"utf8",
+		);
+		const settings = JSON.parse(raw) as {
+			pygienium?: { chatStyle?: string };
+		};
+		const style = settings.pygienium?.chatStyle;
+		return style === "compact" ? "compact" : "verbose";
+	} catch {
+		return "verbose";
+	}
+}
+
 /**
  * Local structural supertypes for the progress-message renderer params.
  * These avoid relying on contextual typing from `MessageRenderer` (which
@@ -62,6 +90,159 @@ interface ProgressTheme {
 
 export { buildPygieniumHelpLines } from "./help.js";
 
+type StreamLineKind = "tool-start" | "tool-end" | "tool-error" | "assistant";
+
+interface StreamLineDetails {
+	kind: StreamLineKind;
+	phase: string;
+	toolName?: string;
+	body?: string;
+}
+
+/** Pick the one useful argument from a tool-call's args (path/command/…). */
+function summarizeArgs(args: unknown): string {
+	if (!args || typeof args !== "object") return "";
+	const obj = args as Record<string, unknown>;
+	const pickKey = [
+		"file_path",
+		"path",
+		"command",
+		"pattern",
+		"query",
+		"url",
+	].find((k) => typeof obj[k] === "string");
+	if (pickKey) {
+		const value = String(obj[pickKey]);
+		return value.length > 120 ? `${value.slice(0, 117)}…` : value;
+	}
+	const json = JSON.stringify(obj);
+	return json.length > 120 ? `${json.slice(0, 117)}…` : json;
+}
+
+/** Extract joined text from an assistant message's content blocks. */
+function extractAssistantText(content: unknown): string {
+	if (typeof content === "string") return content;
+	if (!Array.isArray(content)) return "";
+	return content
+		.filter(
+			(c) =>
+				c && typeof c === "object" && (c as { type?: string }).type === "text",
+		)
+		.map((c) => (c as { text?: string }).text ?? "")
+		.join("");
+}
+
+/** Collapse a tool result down to a single short line. */
+function summarizeToolResult(result: unknown): string {
+	if (result == null) return "";
+	if (typeof result === "string") return result;
+	if (typeof result === "number" || typeof result === "boolean")
+		return String(result);
+	if (Array.isArray(result)) {
+		return result
+			.map((item) => {
+				if (typeof item === "string") return item;
+				if (
+					item &&
+					typeof item === "object" &&
+					"text" in (item as Record<string, unknown>)
+				)
+					return String((item as { text?: unknown }).text ?? "");
+				return JSON.stringify(item);
+			})
+			.join("\n");
+	}
+	if (typeof result !== "object") return "";
+	const obj = result as Record<string, unknown>;
+	// MCP CallToolResult shape: { content: [{ type: "text", text: "..." }, ...] }
+	if (Array.isArray(obj.content)) {
+		const unwrapped = summarizeToolResult(obj.content);
+		if (unwrapped) return unwrapped;
+	}
+	const preferKey = ["stdout", "output", "text", "content", "result"].find(
+		(k) => typeof obj[k] === "string" && (obj[k] as string).length > 0,
+	);
+	if (preferKey) return obj[preferKey] as string;
+	try {
+		return JSON.stringify(obj);
+	} catch {
+		return "";
+	}
+}
+
+/** Collapse whitespace and cap a line at `max` chars with an ellipsis. */
+function compactLine(text: string, max: number): string {
+	const collapsed = text.replace(/\s+/g, " ").trim();
+	if (collapsed.length <= max) return collapsed;
+	return `${collapsed.slice(0, max - 1)}…`;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Chat stream forwarder: turns raw sub-agent events into `pygienium-stream`
+ * messages (one chat line per start/end/assistant turn), the pygienium
+ * analogue of piolium's `makeAgentEventForwarder`. Also exposes
+ * `sendPhaseLine` for synthetic progress lines during non-agent phases
+ * (verify, cleanup, recon) so the chat doesn't go silent.
+ */
+interface StreamForwarder {
+	/** Forward a raw sub-agent event tagged with a phase label. */
+	onAgentEvent(phase: string, event: AgentSessionEvent): void;
+	/** Emit a synthetic progress line (e.g. "checking artifacts…"). */
+	sendPhaseLine(phase: string, text: string): void;
+}
+
+function makeStreamForwarder(pi: ExtensionAPI): StreamForwarder {
+	const send = (details: StreamLineDetails, fallback: string) => {
+		pi.sendMessage<StreamLineDetails>({
+			customType: PYGIENIUM_STREAM,
+			content: fallback,
+			display: true,
+			details,
+		});
+	};
+
+	const onAgentEvent = (phase: string, event: AgentSessionEvent): void => {
+		switch (event.type) {
+			case "tool_execution_start": {
+				const body = summarizeArgs(event.args);
+				send(
+					{ kind: "tool-start", phase, toolName: event.toolName, body },
+					`[${phase}] → ${event.toolName}${body ? `  ${body}` : ""}`,
+				);
+				return;
+			}
+			case "tool_execution_end": {
+				const body = compactLine(summarizeToolResult(event.result), 200);
+				const kind: StreamLineKind = event.isError ? "tool-error" : "tool-end";
+				const marker = event.isError ? "✗" : "←";
+				send(
+					{ kind, phase, toolName: event.toolName, body },
+					`[${phase}] ${marker} ${event.toolName}${body ? `  ${body}` : ""}`,
+				);
+				return;
+			}
+			case "message_end": {
+				const message = event.message as {
+					role?: string;
+					content?: unknown;
+				};
+				if (message.role !== "assistant") return;
+				const text = extractAssistantText(message.content).trim();
+				if (!text) return;
+				const head = compactLine(text, 240);
+				send({ kind: "assistant", phase, body: head }, `[${phase}] ${head}`);
+				return;
+			}
+		}
+	};
+
+	const sendPhaseLine = (phase: string, text: string): void => {
+		send({ kind: "assistant", phase, body: text }, `[${phase}] ${text}`);
+	};
+
+	return { onAgentEvent, sendPhaseLine };
+}
+
 /**
  * Import every `checks/*.ts` module (except the registry barrel) so each check
  * file's top-level `registerCheck(def)` call runs before command binding. This
@@ -83,11 +264,8 @@ async function loadCheckModules(): Promise<void> {
 	}
 }
 
-/** Max tool calls shown collapsed in a chat message (matches ralpi). */
-const RENDERER_MAX_COLLAPSED = 3;
-
 /**
- * Create a callback to send messages to the main chat window.
+ * Create a callback to send completion messages to the main chat window.
  */
 function makeSendChatMessage(pi: ExtensionAPI): SendChatMessage {
 	return (content: string, meta?: Record<string, unknown>) => {
@@ -102,7 +280,6 @@ function makeSendChatMessage(pi: ExtensionAPI): SendChatMessage {
 		});
 	};
 }
-
 export default async function pygieniumExtension(
 	pi: ExtensionAPI,
 ): Promise<void> {
@@ -123,7 +300,6 @@ export default async function pygieniumExtension(
 			| {
 					phase?: string;
 					completion?: CheckCompletionDetails;
-					toolCalls?: ToolCallEntry[];
 					error?: string;
 			  }
 			| undefined;
@@ -132,7 +308,6 @@ export default async function pygieniumExtension(
 		lines.push(String(message.content));
 
 		const completion = details?.completion;
-		const toolCalls = details?.toolCalls;
 		if (completion) {
 			if (expanded) {
 				// Expanded: show every phase with status glyph + branch.
@@ -164,33 +339,6 @@ export default async function pygieniumExtension(
 						);
 				lines.push(hint);
 			}
-		} else if (toolCalls && toolCalls.length > 0) {
-			const all = toolCalls;
-			if (expanded) {
-				for (let i = 0; i < all.length; i++) {
-					const entry = all[i]!;
-					const isLast = i === all.length - 1;
-					const branch = isLast ? "  └── " : "  ├── ";
-					const tag = theme.fg("accent", `[${entry.name}]`);
-					lines.push(`${branch}${tag} ${entry.label}`);
-				}
-			} else {
-				const shown = all.slice(-RENDERER_MAX_COLLAPSED);
-				const remaining = all.length - shown.length;
-				if (remaining > 0) {
-					lines.push(theme.fg("dim", `  ├── ${remaining} more`));
-				}
-				for (let i = 0; i < shown.length; i++) {
-					const entry = shown[i]!;
-					const isLast = i === shown.length - 1;
-					const branch = isLast ? "  └── " : "  ├── ";
-					const tag = theme.fg("accent", `[${entry.name}]`);
-					lines.push(`${branch}${tag} ${entry.label}`);
-				}
-			}
-			if (details?.error) {
-				lines.push(theme.fg("error", `  error: ${details.error}`));
-			}
 		} else if (!expanded) {
 			lines.push(theme.fg("dim", "  ├── press Ctrl+O for detail"));
 		}
@@ -205,17 +353,84 @@ export default async function pygieniumExtension(
 		progressRenderer as MessageRenderer,
 	);
 
+	// Live tool-event stream renderer: one chat line per tool start/end and
+	// assistant turn, indented so ends nest under their start. Mirrors
+	// piolium's PIOLIUM_STREAM renderer.
+	pi.registerMessageRenderer<StreamLineDetails>(
+		PYGIENIUM_STREAM,
+		(message, _options, theme) => {
+			const details = message.details;
+			if (!details || typeof details !== "object") {
+				const fallback =
+					typeof message.content === "string" ? message.content : "";
+				return new Text(theme.fg("muted", fallback), 0, 0);
+			}
+			const { kind, phase, toolName, body } = details;
+			// Indent end/error lines so they visually nest under the matching
+			// start line. The pad width matches the "[phase] " prefix.
+			const phaseTag = theme.fg("accent", `[${phase}]`);
+			const indent = " ".repeat(phase.length + 3);
+			let line: string;
+			switch (kind) {
+				case "tool-start": {
+					const arrow = theme.fg("muted", "→");
+					const name = theme.fg("toolTitle", theme.bold(toolName ?? ""));
+					const args = body ? ` ${theme.fg("muted", body)}` : "";
+					line = `${phaseTag} ${arrow} ${name}${args}`;
+					break;
+				}
+				case "tool-end": {
+					const arrow = theme.fg("success", "←");
+					const result = body
+						? ` ${theme.fg("dim", body)}`
+						: ` ${theme.fg("dim", "(ok)")}`;
+					line = `${indent}${arrow}${result}`;
+					break;
+				}
+				case "tool-error": {
+					const marker = theme.fg("error", "✗");
+					const result = body
+						? ` ${theme.fg("error", body)}`
+						: ` ${theme.fg("error", "failed")}`;
+					line = `${indent}${marker}${result}`;
+					break;
+				}
+				case "assistant":
+					line = `${phaseTag} ${theme.fg("muted", body ?? "")}`;
+					break;
+				default:
+					line =
+						typeof message.content === "string"
+							? theme.fg("muted", message.content)
+							: "";
+			}
+			return new Text(line, 0, 0);
+		},
+	);
+
+	const forwarder = makeStreamForwarder(pi);
+
+	// Read chat style from pi's settings.json. When "compact", suppress the
+	// per-event stream + synthetic phase lines so only the completion message
+	// (with its expandable phase tree) shows — the ralpi-style rendering.
+	const chatStyle = await readChatStyle();
+	const verbose = chatStyle === "verbose";
+	const onAgentEvent = verbose ? forwarder.onAgentEvent : undefined;
+	const sendPhaseLine = verbose ? forwarder.sendPhaseLine : undefined;
+
 	registerPygieniumCommands((name, options) => {
 		pi.registerCommand(name, {
 			description: options.description,
 			handler: (args: string, ctx: ExtensionCommandContext) => {
-				// Create PygieniumCtx with sendChatMessage callback
+				// Create PygieniumCtx with chat + stream callbacks.
 				const pygieniumCtx: PygieniumCtx = {
 					cwd: ctx.cwd,
 					mode: ctx.mode,
 					hasUI: ctx.hasUI,
 					ui: ctx.ui,
 					sendChatMessage,
+					onAgentEvent,
+					sendPhaseLine,
 				};
 				return options.handler(args, pygieniumCtx);
 			},
diff --git a/src/modes/all.ts b/src/modes/all.ts
index 5cb5838..158f2db 100644
--- a/src/modes/all.ts
+++ b/src/modes/all.ts
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import { dirname, join, resolve } from "node:path";
 import type { ExtensionUIContext } from "@earendil-works/pi-coding-agent";
 import { getAllChecks, type CheckDefinition } from "../checks/registry.js";
 import { runCheck } from "./check-runner.js";
+import type { AgentSessionEvent } from "@earendil-works/pi-coding-agent";
 import { createPhaseStrip, type SendChatMessage } from "../phases.js";
 import { createPipelineFooter, type ItemStatus } from "../footer.js";
 import { runRecon } from "../recon.js";
@@ -75,6 +76,11 @@ export interface AllRunOptions {
 	hasUI?: boolean;
 	/** Optional callback to post completion messages into the chat. */
 	sendChatMessage?: SendChatMessage;
+	/** Optional callback forwarding raw sub-agent events to the chat stream. */
+	onAgentEvent?: (phase: string, event: AgentSessionEvent) => void;
+	/** Optional callback to emit synthetic progress lines during non-agent
+	 * phases (verify, cleanup, recon) into the chat stream. */
+	sendPhaseLine?: (phase: string, text: string) => void;
 }
 
 /** Outcome of {@link runAllChecks}. */
@@ -287,15 +293,14 @@ export async function runAllChecks(
 	}
 	await saveRunState(state);
 
-	// --- Unified phase strip listing all check names -----------------------
+	// --- Unified phase strip logging all check names -----------------------
 	const strip = createPhaseStrip({
 		ui: opts.ui,
 		hasUI,
-		statusKey: "pygienium-all",
 	});
 	setAllPhase(strip, selected, 0, "recon");
 
-	// Pipeline-overview footer: one static line listing every check with the
+	// Pipeline-overview footer: a multi-line widget listing every check with the
 	// cursor on the active one and what's to come. Detail lives in the chat
 	// (per-check completion trees); the footer is the overview. Inner
 	// `runCheck` calls pass `footer: false` so two overviews never compete.
@@ -366,13 +371,11 @@ export async function runAllChecks(
 			hasUI,
 			existingState: state,
 			sendChatMessage: opts.sendChatMessage,
-			// The unified `pygienium-all` strip already surfaces this check's
-			// phase; suppress the per-check widget so two animated spinners
-			// never compete over the same widget area.
-			widget: false,
-			// The all-run footer already owns the pipeline-overview status
+			onAgentEvent: opts.onAgentEvent,
+			sendPhaseLine: opts.sendPhaseLine,
+			// The all-run footer already owns the pipeline-overview widget
 			// slot; suppress the per-check footer so two overviews never
-			// compete over the same status line.
+			// compete over the same `belowEditor` area.
 			footer: false,
 			// Inner runs must not prime the .gitignore twice — the outer all-run
 			// already ensured it. (ensureRunStateIgnored is memoized per cwd,
diff --git a/src/modes/check-runner.ts b/src/modes/check-runner.ts
index 9c394dc..5658ea4 100644
--- a/src/modes/check-runner.ts
+++ b/src/modes/check-runner.ts
@@ -25,11 +25,11 @@ import {
 	createPhaseStrip,
 	type SendChatMessage,
 	type CheckCompletionDetails,
-	type ToolCallEntry,
 	type PhaseLogEntry,
 	type PhaseLogStatus,
 	PHASE_LABELS,
 } from "../phases.js";
+import type { AgentSessionEvent } from "@earendil-works/pi-coding-agent";
 import { createPipelineFooter, footerPhaseItems } from "../footer.js";
 import {
 	applyPhaseStatus,
@@ -100,6 +100,12 @@ export interface RunCheckOptions {
 	 * overviews never compete over the same status slot.
 	 */
 	footer?: boolean;
+	/** Optional callback that forwards raw sub-agent events to the chat
+	 * stream (see `pygienium-stream` in `index.ts`). */
+	onAgentEvent?: (phase: string, event: AgentSessionEvent) => void;
+	/** Optional callback to emit synthetic progress lines during non-agent
+	 * phases (verify, cleanup, recon) into the chat stream. */
+	sendPhaseLine?: (phase: string, text: string) => void;
 	/**
 	 * Ensure `<cwd>/.gitignore` excludes `.pygienium/` before this run writes
 	 * state/artifacts (default true). Set false with `--no-gitignore`.
@@ -173,9 +179,20 @@ async function runCheckImplInner(
 		ui: opts.ui,
 		hasUI: opts.hasUI ?? false,
 		checkLabel: check.label,
-		widget: opts.widget,
 	});
 
+	/** Phase tag combining check label + phase label for stream lines. */
+	const phaseTag = (phaseId: string): string =>
+		`${check.label}: ${PHASE_LABELS[phaseId] ?? phaseId}`;
+
+	/** Forward a raw agent event tagged with the current phase. */
+	const forward = (phaseId: string) => (event: AgentSessionEvent) =>
+		opts.onAgentEvent?.(phaseTag(phaseId), event);
+
+	/** Emit a synthetic stream line for non-agent phases (verify/cleanup/recon). */
+	const phaseLine = (phaseId: string, text: string): void =>
+		opts.sendPhaseLine?.(phaseTag(phaseId), text);
+
 	// Pipeline-overview footer: a static one-line view of the full phase list
 	// with the cursor on the current phase and what's to come. Detail lives in
 	// the chat (phase strip + completion tree); the footer is the overview.
@@ -229,12 +246,14 @@ async function runCheckImplInner(
 			footerEnter(PHASE_RECON);
 			applyPhaseStatus(state, check.name, PHASE_RECON, "in_progress");
 			await saveRunState(state);
+			phaseLine(PHASE_RECON, "scanning project structure…");
 			const snapshot = await runRecon(cwd);
 			state.recon = {
 				complete: true,
 				path: join(stateDir(cwd), "recon.json"),
 				finishedAt: snapshot.createdAt,
 			};
+			phaseLine(PHASE_RECON, "✓ recon complete");
 			applyPhaseStatus(state, check.name, PHASE_RECON, "complete");
 			await saveRunState(state);
 			footerComplete(PHASE_RECON);
@@ -250,21 +269,12 @@ async function runCheckImplInner(
 		applyPhaseStatus(state, check.name, PHASE_ANALYSIS, "in_progress");
 		await saveRunState(state);
 		const scanTask = await check.buildScanTask(cwd, scope);
-		const scanStartMs = Date.now();
 		const scanResult = await runAgentTask({
 			cwd: scope.target,
 			agentName: check.agentName,
 			task: scanTask,
-			onToolCall: (entry) => strip.pushToolCall(entry),
+			onEvent: forward(PHASE_ANALYSIS),
 		});
-		postAgentToolCalls(
-			opts,
-			PHASE_ANALYSIS,
-			scanResult.toolCalls,
-			scanResult.ok,
-			Date.now() - scanStartMs,
-			scanResult.error,
-		);
 		findings = scanResult.text;
 		recordCheckOutput(state, check.name, { findings });
 		if (!scanResult.ok) {
@@ -291,21 +301,12 @@ async function runCheckImplInner(
 			applyPhaseStatus(state, check.name, PHASE_FIX, "in_progress");
 			await saveRunState(state);
 			const fixTask = await check.buildFixTask(cwd, scope, findings);
-			const fixStartMs = Date.now();
 			const fixResult = await runAgentTask({
 				cwd: scope.target,
 				agentName: check.fixAgentName ?? "fixer",
 				task: fixTask,
-				onToolCall: (entry) => strip.pushToolCall(entry),
+				onEvent: forward(PHASE_FIX),
 			});
-			postAgentToolCalls(
-				opts,
-				PHASE_FIX,
-				fixResult.toolCalls,
-				fixResult.ok,
-				Date.now() - fixStartMs,
-				fixResult.error,
-			);
 			changes = fixResult.text;
 			recordCheckOutput(state, check.name, { changes });
 			if (!fixResult.ok) {
@@ -337,6 +338,7 @@ async function runCheckImplInner(
 		footerEnter(PHASE_VERIFY);
 		applyPhaseStatus(state, check.name, PHASE_VERIFY, "in_progress");
 		await saveRunState(state);
+		phaseLine(PHASE_VERIFY, "checking artifacts…");
 		// Verify is a lightweight self-check. A check may supply a dedicated
 		// `verify` hook to confirm its artifacts were produced (e.g.
 		// findings.md / changes.md exist). When absent, fall back to re-running
@@ -357,6 +359,7 @@ async function runCheckImplInner(
 				state,
 			};
 		}
+		phaseLine(PHASE_VERIFY, "✓ artifacts confirmed");
 		applyPhaseStatus(state, check.name, PHASE_VERIFY, "complete");
 		await saveRunState(state);
 		footerComplete(PHASE_VERIFY);
@@ -366,7 +369,9 @@ async function runCheckImplInner(
 		footerEnter(PHASE_CLEANUP);
 		applyPhaseStatus(state, check.name, PHASE_CLEANUP, "in_progress");
 		await saveRunState(state);
+		phaseLine(PHASE_CLEANUP, "removing transient artifacts…");
 		await cleanupTransientArtifacts(cwd, check.name);
+		phaseLine(PHASE_CLEANUP, "✓ done");
 		applyPhaseStatus(state, check.name, PHASE_CLEANUP, "complete");
 		footerComplete(PHASE_CLEANUP);
 		markCheckStatus(state, check.name, "complete");
@@ -491,35 +496,6 @@ function postCheckCompletion(
 	send(header, { phase: "complete", completion: details });
 }
 
-/**
- * Post a ralpi-style per-agent-execution message into the chat: header + the
- * tool-call tree captured during that sub-process (analysis or fix). One
- * message per agent run, so tool calls are broken down by which execution
- * produced them. No-op when no callback is wired or the run made no calls.
- */
-function postAgentToolCalls(
-	opts: RunCheckOptions,
-	phaseId: string,
-	toolCalls: ToolCallEntry[],
-	okc: boolean,
-	durationMs: number,
-	error?: string,
-): void {
-	const send = opts.sendChatMessage;
-	if (!send) return;
-	if (toolCalls.length === 0) return;
-	const glyph = okc ? "✓" : "✗";
-	const label = (PHASE_LABELS[phaseId] ?? phaseId).toLowerCase();
-	const dur = formatDuration(durationMs);
-	const header = `${glyph} pygienium ${opts.check.label} · ${label} (${dur})`;
-	send(header, {
-		phase: "agent",
-		phaseId,
-		toolCalls,
-		error: okc ? undefined : error,
-	});
-}
-
 /**
  * Remove transient per-check scratch artifacts (e.g. agent-extracted
  * manifests) written under `<cwd>/.pygienium/<check>-tmp-*`. Findings and
diff --git a/src/phases.ts b/src/phases.ts
index 3e4e3cf..117dd62 100644
--- a/src/phases.ts
+++ b/src/phases.ts
@@ -1,20 +1,19 @@
 /**
- * phases.ts — live progress widget + completion-message helpers.
+ * phases.ts — phase-log accumulator + stdout progress + completion-message
+ * helpers.
  *
- * Renders the active phase of a check run as a **live widget in the chat
- * area** (via `ExtensionUIContext.setWidget`): an animated spinner + header
- * line naming the check and current phase. This is the pygienium analogue of
- * ralpi's per-loop progress widget — the chat-side *detail* view.
+ * The live *detail* view of a check run is the tool-event stream piped into
+ * the chat (see `pygienium-stream` in `index.ts`): each `tool_execution_start
+ * /end` and assistant turn becomes its own chat message. This module no longer
+ * owns a TUI widget — it only records phase transitions for the completion
+ * message and forwards phase headers to stdout in print/JSON mode.
  *
- * The *overview* view is the footer status strip (see `footer.ts`): a single
- * static line listing the full pipeline with the cursor and what's to come.
- * The two never overlap: the chat widget is the animated detail, the footer
+ * The *overview* view is the footer widget (see `footer.ts`): a multi-line
+ * `belowEditor` strip listing the full pipeline with the cursor and what's to
+ * come. The two never overlap: the chat is the per-event detail, the footer
  * is the static overview.
  *
- * In print/JSON modes (no TUI) the same lines are forwarded to stdout behind
- * an async lock so parallel checks don't interleave.
- *
- * The strip also accumulates a phase log (`getPhaseLog`) that the check-runner
+ * The strip accumulates a phase log (`getPhaseLog`) that the check-runner
  * turns into the expandable completion message rendered by
  * `registerMessageRenderer("pygienium-progress")` in `index.ts`.
  *
@@ -23,14 +22,6 @@
 
 import type { ExtensionUIContext } from "@earendil-works/pi-coding-agent";
 
-/** A single tool invocation captured from a sub-agent session, for display. */
-export interface ToolCallEntry {
-	/** Tool name (e.g. "bash", "read", "edit"). */
-	name: string;
-	/** Short human-readable label derived from the call's arguments. */
-	label: string;
-}
-
 /** Callback to post a message into the chat history (see `index.ts` renderer). */
 export type SendChatMessage = (
 	content: string,
@@ -38,25 +29,11 @@ export type SendChatMessage = (
 	meta?: {
 		phase?: string;
 		/** Tool calls captured during this agent execution (ralpi-style tree). */
-		toolCalls?: ToolCallEntry[];
+		toolCalls?: never;
 		[meta: string]: unknown;
 	},
 ) => void;
 
-/** Braille spinner frames (matches ralpi's loop widget). */
-export const SPINNER_FRAMES = [
-	"⠋",
-	"⠙",
-	"⠹",
-	"⠸",
-	"⠼",
-	"⠴",
-	"⠦",
-	"⠧",
-	"⠇",
-	"⠏",
-] as const;
-
 /** Phase display metadata for a check run's phases. */
 export const PHASE_LABELS: Record<string, string> = {
 	recon: "Recon",
@@ -82,40 +59,29 @@ export interface PhaseLogEntry {
 }
 
 export interface PhaseStripOptions {
-	/** Widget key (defaults to "pygienium"). */
-	statusKey?: string;
 	/** Check label shown alongside the phase, e.g. "comments". */
 	checkLabel?: string;
 	/** Whether dialog-capable UI is available. */
 	hasUI?: boolean;
-	/** UI context to drive the live chat widget. */
+	/** UI context (unused for widget rendering since the stream owns the chat). */
 	ui?: ExtensionUIContext;
-	/**
-	 * Render the live progress widget (default true). Set false when an outer
-	 * strip (e.g. the `/pygienium-all` unified strip) already surfaces the same
-	 * phase, so two spinners never fight over the widget area.
-	 */
-	widget?: boolean;
 }
 
 /**
- * A handle that renders a live progress widget and clears on completion.
- * Created by {@link createPhaseStrip}; the check-runner drives it.
+ * A handle that records phase transitions for the completion message and
+ * forwards phase headers to stdout when no TUI is present. Created by
+ * {@link createPhaseStrip}; the check-runner drives it.
  */
 export interface PhaseStrip {
 	/** Set the current phase (id or a pre-rendered header string). */
 	setPhase(phaseId: string): void;
 	/** Annotate the most recent phase (e.g. "findings: 12 lines"). */
 	setPhaseNote(note: string): void;
-	/** Record a tool call from the active sub-agent (live widget tree). */
-	pushToolCall(entry: ToolCallEntry): void;
-	/** Drop the tool-call log (e.g. when moving to a fresh sub-agent). */
-	clearToolCalls(): void;
 	/** Append a plain-text progress line (forwarded to stdout in print mode). */
 	log(line: string): void;
 	/** Snapshot of phase transitions for the completion message. */
 	getPhaseLog(): PhaseLogEntry[];
-	/** Clear the live widget. Call once the run is terminal. */
+	/** Mark the strip terminal. Safe to call repeatedly. */
 	done(): void;
 }
 
@@ -135,80 +101,21 @@ async function withStdoutLock(fn: () => void): Promise<void> {
 	return stdoutLock;
 }
 
-/** Widget container width budget (account for widget padding). */
-const WIDGET_WIDTH = 78;
-
-/** Max tool calls shown in a live widget before truncating (matches ralpi). */
-const MAX_COLLAPSED_TOOLCALLS = 3;
-
-/** Create a live phase-strip UI adapter. */
+/** Create a phase-strip UI adapter. */
 export function createPhaseStrip(opts: PhaseStripOptions): PhaseStrip {
-	const statusKey = opts.statusKey ?? "pygienium";
-	const widgetKey = `${statusKey}-progress`;
-	const ui = opts.ui;
-	const hasUI = opts.hasUI ?? false;
-	const widget = opts.widget ?? true;
 	const checkLabel = opts.checkLabel;
+	const hasUI = opts.hasUI ?? false;
 	const phaseLog: PhaseLogEntry[] = [];
-	const toolCallLog: ToolCallEntry[] = [];
 	let disposed = false;
 
-	// Live-widget state.
 	let currentHeader = checkLabel
 		? `pygienium ${checkLabel}: starting…`
 		: "pygienium: starting…";
-	let frameIndex = 0;
-	let spinnerTimer: NodeJS.Timeout | undefined;
 
 	function phaseLabel(id: string): string {
 		return PHASE_LABELS[id] ?? id;
 	}
 
-	/** Build the current widget content: header + recent tool-call tree. */
-	function widgetLines(): string[] {
-		const frame = SPINNER_FRAMES[frameIndex] ?? SPINNER_FRAMES[0];
-		const lines = [`${frame} ${truncate(currentHeader, WIDGET_WIDTH - 2)}`];
-		const calls = toolCallLog;
-		if (calls.length > 0) {
-			const shown = calls.slice(-MAX_COLLAPSED_TOOLCALLS);
-			const remaining = calls.length - shown.length;
-			if (remaining > 0) {
-				lines.push(`  ├── …${remaining} earlier`);
-			}
-			for (let i = 0; i < shown.length; i++) {
-				const entry = shown[i]!;
-				const isLast = i === shown.length - 1;
-				const branch = isLast ? "  └── " : "  ├── ";
-				lines.push(
-					truncate(`${branch}[${entry.name}] ${entry.label}`, WIDGET_WIDTH - 2),
-				);
-			}
-		}
-		return lines;
-	}
-
-	function startWidget(): void {
-		if (!widget || !hasUI || !ui?.setWidget) return;
-		ui.setWidget(widgetKey, widgetLines());
-		if (!spinnerTimer) {
-			spinnerTimer = setInterval(() => {
-				if (disposed || !ui?.setWidget) return;
-				frameIndex = (frameIndex + 1) % SPINNER_FRAMES.length;
-				ui.setWidget(widgetKey, widgetLines());
-			}, 100);
-		}
-	}
-
-	function clearWidget(): void {
-		if (spinnerTimer) {
-			clearInterval(spinnerTimer);
-			spinnerTimer = undefined;
-		}
-		if (widget && hasUI && ui?.setWidget) {
-			ui.setWidget(widgetKey, undefined);
-		}
-	}
-
 	function writeStdout(text: string): void {
 		if (!disposed && !hasUI) {
 			process.stdout.write(`${text}\n`);
@@ -218,38 +125,20 @@ export function createPhaseStrip(opts: PhaseStripOptions): PhaseStrip {
 	return {
 		setPhase(phaseId) {
 			if (disposed) return;
-			toolCallLog.length = 0;
 			const label = phaseLabel(phaseId);
 			currentHeader = checkLabel
 				? `pygienium ${checkLabel}: ${label}`
 				: `pygienium: ${phaseId}`;
 			phaseLog.push({ id: phaseId, label, status: "running" });
-			if (widget) {
-				if (hasUI && ui?.setWidget) {
-					if (!spinnerTimer) startWidget();
-					ui.setWidget(widgetKey, widgetLines());
-				} else if (!hasUI) {
-					withStdoutLock(() => writeStdout(currentHeader)).catch(() => {});
-				}
+			if (!hasUI) {
+				withStdoutLock(() => writeStdout(currentHeader)).catch(() => {});
 			}
-			// Widget suppressed (outer strip owns the UI): record the phase and
-			// render nothing, so no second spinner competes with the outer one.
 		},
 		setPhaseNote(note) {
 			const last = phaseLog[phaseLog.length - 1];
 			if (!last) return;
 			last.note = note;
 		},
-		pushToolCall(entry) {
-			if (disposed) return;
-			toolCallLog.push(entry);
-			if (widget && hasUI && ui?.setWidget) {
-				ui.setWidget(widgetKey, widgetLines());
-			}
-		},
-		clearToolCalls() {
-			toolCallLog.length = 0;
-		},
 		log(line) {
 			if (disposed || hasUI) return;
 			withStdoutLock(() => writeStdout(line)).catch(() => {});
@@ -260,7 +149,6 @@ export function createPhaseStrip(opts: PhaseStripOptions): PhaseStrip {
 		done() {
 			if (disposed) return;
 			disposed = true;
-			clearWidget();
 		},
 	};
 }
@@ -282,11 +170,3 @@ export const PHASE_GLYPH: Record<PhaseLogStatus, string> = {
 	failed: "✗",
 	skipped: "-",
 };
-
-/** Truncate a string to a display width, appending an ellipsis if cut. */
-function truncate(text: string, max: number): string {
-	if (text.length <= max) return text;
-	return text.slice(0, Math.max(0, max - 1)) + "…";
-}
-
-export { truncate };
diff --git a/tests/all.test.ts b/tests/all.test.ts
index e69ea06..8965fdb 100644
--- a/tests/all.test.ts
+++ b/tests/all.test.ts
@@ -374,7 +374,7 @@ describe("/pygienium-all orchestrator (task 12)", () => {
 		expect(joined).toContain("all [");
 	});
 
-	it("renders only the unified widget in UI mode (no per-check spinner)", async () => {
+	it("renders only the unified footer widget in UI mode (no per-check footer)", async () => {
 		registerCheck(fakeCheck("alpha"));
 		registerCheck(fakeCheck("beta"));
 		const calls: Array<[string, string[] | undefined]> = [];
@@ -387,14 +387,15 @@ describe("/pygienium-all orchestrator (task 12)", () => {
 		await runAllChecks({ cwd, ui, hasUI: true });
 
 		const keys = new Set(calls.map(([k]) => k));
-		// The unified strip drives the widget area…
-		expect(keys.has("pygienium-all-progress")).toBe(true);
-		// …and per-check strips never claim it, so no second spinner can
-		// flicker/swap against the unified one.
-		expect(keys.has("pygienium-progress")).toBe(false);
+		// The all-run footer drives the belowEditor widget area under its own key…
+		expect(keys.has("pygienium-all")).toBe(true);
+		// …and per-check footers never claim their slot (footer:false), so two
+		// overviews never compete over the same widget area.
+		expect(keys.has("pygienium")).toBe(false);
 		// The widget is cleared when the run completes.
-		const last = calls[calls.length - 1]!;
-		expect(last[0]).toBe("pygienium-all-progress");
-		expect(last[1]).toBeUndefined();
+		const last = calls[calls.length - 1];
+		expect(last).toBeDefined();
+		expect(last?.[0]).toBe("pygienium-all");
+		expect(last?.[1]).toBeUndefined();
 	});
 });
diff --git a/tests/footer.test.ts b/tests/footer.test.ts
index dbd4f71..ad33bc0 100644
--- a/tests/footer.test.ts
+++ b/tests/footer.test.ts
@@ -1,33 +1,58 @@
 /**
- * footer.test.ts — unit tests for the pipeline-overview footer (task: footer).
+ * footer.test.ts — unit tests for the pipeline-overview footer.
  *
- * The footer is presentation-only state: with no UI it tracks items but writes
- * nothing; with a stub UI it renders one status line and clears on `done()`.
- * These tests exercise the state machine (cursor demotion, terminal marks)
- * without spinning up a runner.
+ * The footer is a presentation-only multi-line `belowEditor` widget: with no
+ * UI it tracks items but writes nothing; with a stub UI it pushes a string[]
+ * of themed lines via `ui.setWidget` (key, lines, { placement: "belowEditor" })
+ * and clears on `done()`. The pure {@link renderFooterList} core is asserted
+ * directly (layout + theming); a light widget-glue test covers the wiring.
  */
 import { describe, expect, it } from "bun:test";
 import {
 	createPipelineFooter,
 	footerPhaseItems,
-	FOOTER_GLYPH,
+	footerColor,
+	renderFooterList,
+	FOOTER_MARKER,
 	FOOTER_STATUS_KEY,
-	type ItemStatus,
+	type FooterItem,
+	type FooterTheme,
 } from "../src/footer.js";
 import { PHASE_LABELS } from "../src/phases.js";
 import { PHASE_ANALYSIS, PHASE_FIX, PHASE_RECON } from "../src/run-state.js";
 
-/** Minimal UI stub capturing `setStatus(key, text)` calls in order. */
-function stubUi(): {
-	ui: { setStatus: (key: string, text: string | undefined) => void };
-	calls: { key: string; text: string | undefined }[];
+/** A fake theme that wraps text as `<color>:<text>` so assertions can read it. */
+function fakeTheme(): FooterTheme {
+	return { fg: (color, text) => `${color}:${text}` };
+}
+
+/** Minimal UI stub capturing `setWidget` calls (key, lines, options). */
+function stubUi(theme: FooterTheme = fakeTheme()): {
+	ui: {
+		theme: FooterTheme;
+		setWidget: (
+			key: string,
+			content: string[] | undefined,
+			options?: { placement?: string },
+		) => void;
+	};
+	calls: {
+		key: string;
+		content: string[] | undefined;
+		placement?: string;
+	}[];
 } {
-	const calls: { key: string; text: string | undefined }[] = [];
+	const calls: {
+		key: string;
+		content: string[] | undefined;
+		placement?: string;
+	}[] = [];
 	return {
 		calls,
 		ui: {
-			setStatus(key, text) {
-				calls.push({ key, text });
+			theme,
+			setWidget(key, content, options) {
+				calls.push({ key, content, placement: options?.placement });
 			},
 		},
 	};
@@ -38,9 +63,72 @@ function scanPhaseIds(): string[] {
 	return [PHASE_RECON, PHASE_ANALYSIS, PHASE_FIX];
 }
 
+/** Items for the canonical scan-only pipeline. */
+function scanItems(status: FooterItem["status"] = "pending"): FooterItem[] {
+	return scanPhaseIds().map((id) => ({
+		label: PHASE_LABELS[id] ?? id,
+		status,
+	}));
+}
+
+describe("renderFooterList", () => {
+	it("renders one bulleted, numbered, themed line per phase", () => {
+		const lines = renderFooterList(scanItems(), -1, fakeTheme());
+		expect(lines).toHaveLength(3);
+		// Each line: `• <marker> <n>. <label>` wrapped `<color>:…`.
+		expect(lines[0]).toBe("dim:• · 1. Recon");
+		expect(lines[1]).toBe("dim:• · 2. Scanning");
+		expect(lines[2]).toBe("dim:• · 3. Fixing");
+	});
+
+	it("themes the cursor item as accent (running) and the rest as dim (pending)", () => {
+		const lines = renderFooterList(scanItems(), 1, fakeTheme());
+		expect(lines[0]).toBe("dim:• · 1. Recon");
+		// cursor (index 1) is pending-but-current → accent.
+		expect(lines[1]).toBe("accent:• · 2. Scanning");
+		expect(lines[2]).toBe("dim:• · 3. Fixing");
+	});
+
+	it("themes terminal statuses with success/error/warning colors", () => {
+		const items: FooterItem[] = [
+			{ label: "Recon", status: "complete" },
+			{ label: "Scan", status: "running" },
+			{ label: "Fix", status: "failed" },
+			{ label: "Verify", status: "skipped" },
+		];
+		const lines = renderFooterList(items, -1, fakeTheme());
+		expect(lines[0]).toBe("success:• ✓ 1. Recon");
+		expect(lines[1]).toBe("accent:• ● 2. Scan");
+		expect(lines[2]).toBe("error:• ✗ 3. Fix");
+		expect(lines[3]).toBe("warning:• ↷ 4. Verify");
+	});
+
+	it("pads the index to 2 digits when the pipeline has 10+ items", () => {
+		const items: FooterItem[] = Array.from({ length: 11 }, (_, i) => ({
+			label: `S${i}`,
+			status: "pending" as const,
+		}));
+		const lines = renderFooterList(items, -1, fakeTheme());
+		expect(lines[0]).toContain("01. S0");
+		expect(lines[10]).toContain("11. S10");
+	});
+});
+
+describe("footerColor", () => {
+	it("maps each status to its piolium-style color token", () => {
+		expect(footerColor("complete", false)).toBe("success");
+		expect(footerColor("failed", false)).toBe("error");
+		expect(footerColor("skipped", false)).toBe("warning");
+		expect(footerColor("running", false)).toBe("accent");
+		expect(footerColor("pending", false)).toBe("dim");
+		// A pending item under the cursor reads as accent (current).
+		expect(footerColor("pending", true)).toBe("accent");
+	});
+});
+
 describe("createPipelineFooter", () => {
 	it("is a no-op without a UI but still tracks item state", () => {
-		// hasUI false: setStatus must never be called.
+		// hasUI false: setWidget must never be called.
 		const footer = createPipelineFooter({ hasUI: false });
 		footer.setPipeline("pygienium smoke", [
 			{ label: "Recon", status: "pending" },
@@ -52,28 +140,31 @@ describe("createPipelineFooter", () => {
 		expect(footer.getTitle()).toBe("pygienium smoke");
 	});
 
-	it("renders the full pipeline with the cursor running and clears on done", () => {
+	it("renders the full pipeline as a belowEditor widget and clears on done", () => {
 		const { ui, calls } = stubUi();
 		const footer = createPipelineFooter({ ui, hasUI: true });
 		const items = footerPhaseItems(scanPhaseIds(), PHASE_LABELS);
 
 		footer.setPipeline("pygienium smoke", items, 0);
 
-		// One setStatus call, under the canonical key, listing every phase:
-		// cursor gets `▶ <label>`, the rest are glued `…<label>`.
+		// One setWidget call, under the canonical key, placement belowEditor.
 		expect(calls).toHaveLength(1);
 		expect(calls[0]?.key).toBe(FOOTER_STATUS_KEY);
-		expect(calls[0]?.text).toContain("pygienium smoke");
-		expect(calls[0]?.text).toContain(`${FOOTER_GLYPH.running} Recon`);
-		expect(calls[0]?.text).toContain(`${FOOTER_GLYPH.pending}Scanning`);
-		expect(calls[0]?.text).toContain(`${FOOTER_GLYPH.pending}Fixing`);
+		expect(calls[0]?.placement).toBe("belowEditor");
+		const lines = calls[0]?.content ?? [];
+		// Title line first (dim), then one bulleted line per phase.
+		expect(lines[0]).toBe("dim:pygienium smoke");
+		expect(lines[1]).toBe(`accent:• ${FOOTER_MARKER.running} 1. Recon`);
+		expect(lines[2]).toBe(`dim:• ${FOOTER_MARKER.pending} 2. Scanning`);
+		expect(lines[3]).toBe(`dim:• ${FOOTER_MARKER.pending} 3. Fixing`);
 		// The cursor item is marked running.
 		expect(footer.getItems()[0]?.status).toBe("running");
 
 		footer.done();
 		// done() pushes an undefined to clear the slot, then resets state.
-		const last = calls[calls.length - 1];
-		expect(last?.text).toBeUndefined();
+		const last = calls[calls.length - 1]!;
+		expect(last.content).toBeUndefined();
+		expect(last.placement).toBe("belowEditor");
 		expect(footer.getItems()).toHaveLength(0);
 	});
 
@@ -103,8 +194,6 @@ describe("createPipelineFooter", () => {
 			0,
 		);
 		footer.setCursor(0); // recon running
-		// Simulate analysis completing (cursor was already moved there) then
-		// jumping to fix: a completed phase must stay complete, not revert.
 		footer.setItem(0, "complete");
 		footer.setCursor(1); // analysis running
 		footer.setItem(1, "complete");
@@ -122,32 +211,26 @@ describe("createPipelineFooter", () => {
 			"pygienium comments",
 			footerPhaseItems(scanPhaseIds(), PHASE_LABELS),
 		);
-		// No cursor: all pending. Now a gate-skip marks every phase skipped,
-		// mirroring the runner's gate branch.
 		for (let i = 0; i < footer.getItems().length; i++) {
-			footer.setItem(i, "skipped" as ItemStatus);
+			footer.setItem(i, "skipped");
 		}
 		expect(footer.getItems().every((it) => it.status === "skipped")).toBe(true);
 	});
 
-	it("can be disabled so it never touches the status slot", () => {
+	it("can be disabled so it never touches the widget slot", () => {
 		const { ui, calls } = stubUi();
-		const footer = createPipelineFooter({
-			ui,
-			hasUI: true,
-			enabled: false,
-		});
+		const footer = createPipelineFooter({ ui, hasUI: true, enabled: false });
 		footer.setPipeline("pygienium smoke", [
 			{ label: "Recon", status: "pending" },
 		]);
 		footer.setCursor(0);
 		footer.done();
-		// enabled:false suppresses every setStatus call (used by /pygienium-all
+		// enabled:false suppresses every setWidget call (used by /pygienium-all
 		// which owns its own footer).
 		expect(calls).toHaveLength(0);
 	});
 
-	it("writes under a custom status key (all-run owns its slot)", () => {
+	it("writes under a custom widget key (all-run owns its slot)", () => {
 		const { ui, calls } = stubUi();
 		const footer = createPipelineFooter({
 			ui,
@@ -163,10 +246,12 @@ describe("createPipelineFooter", () => {
 			0,
 		);
 		expect(calls[0]?.key).toBe("pygienium-all");
-		expect(calls[0]?.text).toContain("pygienium: all");
+		expect(calls[0]?.placement).toBe("belowEditor");
+		const lines = calls[0]?.content ?? [];
+		expect(lines[0]).toBe("dim:pygienium: all");
 		// Cursor on the first check; second still pending (to come).
-		expect(calls[0]?.text).toContain(`${FOOTER_GLYPH.running} comments`);
-		expect(calls[0]?.text).toContain(`${FOOTER_GLYPH.pending}dead-code`);
+		expect(lines[1]).toBe(`accent:• ${FOOTER_MARKER.running} 1. comments`);
+		expect(lines[2]).toBe(`dim:• ${FOOTER_MARKER.pending} 2. dead-code`);
 	});
 });
 
diff --git a/tests/per-check-resume.test.ts b/tests/per-check-resume.test.ts
index 5ccce1a..a603da9 100644
--- a/tests/per-check-resume.test.ts
+++ b/tests/per-check-resume.test.ts
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ function flakyThenOkRunner(name: string): {
 	const runner: AgentRunner = async (opts) => {
 		calls++;
 		if (calls === 1) {
-			return { ok: true, text: "", toolCalls: [] };
+			return { ok: true, text: "" };
 		}
 		return fakeAgentRunner(opts);
 	};
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ describe("/pygienium-<check> resume semantics", () => {
 		const runner: AgentRunner = async (opts) => {
 			calls++;
 			if (calls === 1) {
-				return { ok: true, text: "", toolCalls: [] };
+				return { ok: true, text: "" };
 			}
 			return fakeAgentRunner(opts);
 		};
diff --git a/tests/verify-hooks.test.ts b/tests/verify-hooks.test.ts
index e7ba1d1..24f9129 100644
--- a/tests/verify-hooks.test.ts
+++ b/tests/verify-hooks.test.ts
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@ import { defensiveGuardsCheck } from "../src/checks/defensive-guards.js";
 const noopRunner: AgentRunner = async () => ({
 	ok: true,
 	text: "",
-	toolCalls: [],
 });
 
 function stubCtx(cwd: string): PygieniumCtx {
@@ -135,7 +134,7 @@ describe("verify hooks fail loudly on empty agent output", () => {
 
 		registerCheck(defensiveGuardsCheck);
 		// Runner writes changes.md content into its text but never to disk.
-		setAgentRunner(async () => ({ ok: true, text: "", toolCalls: [] }));
+		setAgentRunner(async () => ({ ok: true, text: "" }));
 		await handleCheckCommand(defensiveGuardsCheck, "--fix", stubCtx(cwd));
 
 		const state = await loadRunState(cwd);