diff --git a/docs/chat-chain-changes/2026-11-05-agent-activity-layout.md b/docs/chat-chain-changes/2026-11-05-agent-activity-layout.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2f3cd68
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/chat-chain-changes/2026-11-05-agent-activity-layout.md
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+---
+date: 2026-11-05
+pr: pending
+feature: Agent activity layout
+impact: The current agent's thinking state and tool calls appear below its profile header and before its answer. Completed tool calls remain collapsed above the answer; chat events and persistence are unchanged.
+---
+
+The active run uses a temporary display-only assistant row until an answer is
+available. It uses the session profile avatar and does not create an empty
+message bubble or persist a placeholder.
diff --git a/packages/client/src/components/hermes/chat/MessageItem.vue b/packages/client/src/components/hermes/chat/MessageItem.vue
index bf55fff..658e271 100644
--- a/packages/client/src/components/hermes/chat/MessageItem.vue
+++ b/packages/client/src/components/hermes/chat/MessageItem.vue
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ const JSON_MAX_KEYS_PER_OBJECT = 50;
 const JSON_MAX_ITEMS_PER_ARRAY = 50;
 const JSON_TRUNCATED_KEY = "__truncated__";
 
-const props = defineProps<{ message: Message; highlight?: boolean; headingIdPrefix?: string; showForkAction?: boolean }>();
+const props = defineProps<{ message: Message; highlight?: boolean; headingIdPrefix?: string; showForkAction?: boolean; activityOnly?: boolean }>();
 const { t } = useI18n();
 const toast = useMessage();
 
@@ -1021,7 +1021,8 @@ onBeforeUnmount(() => {
           />
           <span class="msg-profile-name" :title="assistantProfileName">{{ assistantProfileName }}</span>
         </div>
-        <div class="msg-content" :class="message.role">
+        <slot name="agent-activity" />
+        <div v-if="!activityOnly" class="msg-content" :class="message.role">
           <div
             class="message-bubble"
             :class="{
diff --git a/packages/client/src/components/hermes/chat/MessageList.vue b/packages/client/src/components/hermes/chat/MessageList.vue
index 98be76c..d6af738 100644
--- a/packages/client/src/components/hermes/chat/MessageList.vue
+++ b/packages/client/src/components/hermes/chat/MessageList.vue
@@ -120,7 +120,22 @@ const displayMessages = computed(() => {
     }
     return true;
   });
-  return groupRunMessages(messages, chatStore.isRunActive || !!chatStore.abortState);
+  const grouped = groupRunMessages(messages, chatStore.isRunActive || !!chatStore.abortState);
+  if (isThinkingIndicatorVisible.value) {
+    const lastInput = grouped.findLastIndex(m => m.role === 'user' || m.role === 'command');
+    const currentAssistant = grouped.slice(lastInput + 1).findLast(m => m.role === 'assistant');
+    if (!currentAssistant) {
+      grouped.push({ id: `run-activity-${chatStore.activeSessionId}`, role: 'assistant', content: '', timestamp: 0 });
+    }
+  }
+  return grouped;
+});
+
+const activeAssistantId = computed(() => {
+  if (!isThinkingIndicatorVisible.value) return null;
+  const messages = displayMessages.value;
+  const lastInput = messages.findLastIndex(m => m.role === 'user' || m.role === 'command');
+  return messages.slice(lastInput + 1).findLast(m => m.role === 'assistant')?.id ?? null;
 });
 
 function forkDividerId(sessionId: string): string {
@@ -519,18 +534,15 @@ defineExpose({
           :message="msg"
           :highlight="chatStore.focusMessageId === msg.id"
           :show-fork-action="canForkActiveSession && msg.id === lastForkActionMessageId"
-        />
-      </template>
-      <template #after>
-        <Transition name="fade">
-        <div v-if="isThinkingIndicatorVisible" class="streaming-indicator">
+          :activity-only="msg.id === `run-activity-${chatStore.activeSessionId}`"
+        >
+          <template #agent-activity>
+            <details v-if="msg.toolMessages?.length" class="tool-group">
+              <summary>{{ t('chat.toolCallsGroup', { count: msg.toolMessages.length }) }}</summary>
+              <MessageItem v-for="tool in msg.toolMessages" :key="tool.id" :message="tool" />
+            </details>
+        <div v-if="msg.id === activeAssistantId" class="streaming-indicator">
           <div class="thinking-status">
-            <img
-              src="/app-logo.png"
-              alt=""
-              aria-hidden="true"
-              class="thinking-avatar"
-            >
             <div class="thinking-status-copy">
               <span class="thinking-status-label">{{ t("chat.thinkingInProgress") }}</span>
               <span class="thinking-status-time">{{ formattedThinkingElapsed }}</span>
@@ -696,7 +708,8 @@ defineExpose({
             </details>
           </div>
         </div>
-        </Transition>
+          </template>
+        </MessageItem>
       </template>
     </VirtualMessageList>
     <button
@@ -1475,22 +1488,8 @@ defineExpose({
   min-height: 40px;
 }
 
-.thinking-avatar {
-  width: 40px;
-  height: 40px;
-  border-radius: 50%;
-  object-fit: cover;
-  flex-shrink: 0;
-  animation: thinking-avatar-breathe 2.4s ease-in-out infinite;
-}
-
-@keyframes thinking-avatar-breathe {
-  0%, 100% { transform: translateY(0) scale(1); filter: drop-shadow(0 0 2px rgba(var(--accent-primary-rgb), 0.12)); }
-  50% { transform: translateY(-2px) scale(1.06); filter: drop-shadow(0 0 7px rgba(var(--accent-primary-rgb), 0.4)); }
-}
-
 @media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
-  .thinking-status .thinking-avatar, .thinking-status .thinking-status-label { animation: none; }
+  .thinking-status .thinking-status-label { animation: none; }
 }
 
 .thinking-status-copy {
diff --git a/packages/client/src/components/hermes/chat/groupRunMessages.ts b/packages/client/src/components/hermes/chat/groupRunMessages.ts
index a73dcfc..e7e556e 100644
--- a/packages/client/src/components/hermes/chat/groupRunMessages.ts
+++ b/packages/client/src/components/hermes/chat/groupRunMessages.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ export function groupRunMessages(messages: Message[], runActive: boolean): Messa
       const first = assistants[0]
       result.push({
         ...first,
+        toolMessages: tools.length ? tools : undefined,
         id: assistants[assistants.length - 1].id,
         content: assistants.map(m => m.content).filter(text => text.trim()).join('\n\n'),
         reasoning: assistants.map(m => m.reasoning).filter(Boolean).join('\n\n') || undefined,
@@ -20,7 +21,7 @@ export function groupRunMessages(messages: Message[], runActive: boolean): Messa
         isStreaming: assistants.some(m => m.isStreaming),
       })
     }
-    if (tools.length) {
+    if (tools.length && !assistants.length) {
       result.push({ id: `tool-group-${tools[0].id}`, role: 'system', content: '', timestamp: tools[0].timestamp, systemType: 'tool-group', toolMessages: tools })
     }
     if (completed && assistants.length) {
diff --git a/tests/client/chat-group-run-messages.test.ts b/tests/client/chat-group-run-messages.test.ts
index cf3fe1f..820056c 100644
--- a/tests/client/chat-group-run-messages.test.ts
+++ b/tests/client/chat-group-run-messages.test.ts
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@ describe('groupRunMessages', () => {
   it('groups text across tool calls and marks completion only when the run ends', () => {
     const input = [message('u', 'user', 'question'), message('a', 'assistant', 'first'), message('t', 'tool'), message('b', 'assistant', 'second')]
     const active = groupRunMessages(input, true)
-    expect(active.map(m => m.role)).toEqual(['user', 'assistant', 'system'])
-    expect(active[2]).toMatchObject({ systemType: 'tool-group', toolMessages: [input[2]] })
+    expect(active.map(m => m.role)).toEqual(['user', 'assistant'])
+    expect(active[1].toolMessages).toEqual([input[2]])
     expect(active[1]).toMatchObject({ id: 'b', content: 'first\n\nsecond' })
     const finished = groupRunMessages(input, false)
     expect(finished.at(-1)?.systemType).toBe('run-end')
diff --git a/tests/e2e/chat-rendering-smoke.spec.ts b/tests/e2e/chat-rendering-smoke.spec.ts
index 8749437..d72fad5 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/chat-rendering-smoke.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/e2e/chat-rendering-smoke.spec.ts
@@ -100,7 +100,8 @@ test('does not render empty assistant bubbles between tool calls', async ({ page
       socket.__trigger('tool.completed', { ...common, event: 'tool.completed', tool_call_id: `tool-${i}`, output: 'done' })
     }
   }, sessionId)
-  await expect(page.locator('.message.assistant')).toHaveCount(0)
+  await expect(page.locator('.message.assistant')).toHaveCount(1)
+  await expect(page.locator('.message.assistant .message-bubble')).toHaveCount(0)
 
   await page.evaluate((sid) => {
     const socket = (window as any).__PW_CHAT_SOCKET__.latest
@@ -138,7 +139,7 @@ test('groups assistant output across tool calls until the run ends', async ({ pa
   await expect(page.locator('.run-end')).toHaveText('Run output ended')
 })
 
-test('animates the application logo while thinking and respects reduced motion', async ({ page }) => {
+test('shows agent activity under its own avatar before the answer', async ({ page }) => {
   await authenticate(page, TEST_ACCESS_KEY, 'research')
   await mockHermesApi(page)
   await mockChatSocket(page)
@@ -146,15 +147,44 @@ test('animates the application logo while thinking and respects reduced motion',
   await sendChatMessage(page, 'think')
   const { sessionId } = await waitForRunSessionId(page)
   await page.evaluate((sid) => {
-    (window as any).__PW_CHAT_SOCKET__.latest.__trigger('run.started', { event: 'run.started', session_id: sid, run_id: 'thinking-logo' })
+    const socket = (window as any).__PW_CHAT_SOCKET__.latest
+    const common = { session_id: sid, run_id: 'activity-layout' }
+    socket.__trigger('run.started', { ...common, event: 'run.started' })
+    socket.__trigger('tool.started', { ...common, event: 'tool.started', tool_call_id: 't1', tool: 'terminal' })
   }, sessionId)
-  const avatar = page.locator('.thinking-avatar')
-  await expect(avatar).toBeVisible()
-  await expect(avatar).toHaveAttribute('src', '/app-logo.png')
-  await expect(avatar).toHaveCSS('animation-name', /^thinking-avatar-breathe/)
+  const assistant = page.locator('.message.assistant')
+  await expect(assistant).toHaveCount(1)
+  await expect(assistant.locator('.msg-profile-name')).toHaveText('research')
+  await expect(assistant.locator('.thinking-status-label')).toBeVisible()
+  await expect(assistant.locator('.live-tool-group > summary')).toHaveText('Tool calls (1)')
+  await expect(assistant.locator('.message-bubble')).toHaveCount(0)
+  await expect(page.locator('.thinking-avatar')).toHaveCount(0)
   await page.emulateMedia({ reducedMotion: 'reduce' })
-  await expect(avatar).toHaveCSS('animation-name', 'none')
-  await expect(page.locator('.thinking-status-label')).toHaveCSS('animation-name', 'none')
+  await expect(assistant.locator('.thinking-status-label')).toHaveCSS('animation-name', 'none')
+  await page.evaluate((sid) => {
+    const socket = (window as any).__PW_CHAT_SOCKET__.latest
+    const common = { session_id: sid, run_id: 'activity-layout' }
+    socket.__trigger('tool.completed', { ...common, event: 'tool.completed', tool_call_id: 't1', output: 'done' })
+    socket.__trigger('message.delta', { ...common, event: 'message.delta', delta: 'Final answer' })
+  }, sessionId)
+  await expect(assistant).toHaveCount(1)
+  await expect(assistant.locator('.message-bubble')).toContainText('Final answer')
+  const order = await assistant.evaluate(el => {
+    const header = el.querySelector('.msg-agent-header')!
+    const status = el.querySelector('.thinking-status')!
+    const tool = el.querySelector('.live-tool-group')!
+    const body = el.querySelector('.message-bubble')!
+    return !!(header.compareDocumentPosition(status) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_FOLLOWING)
+      && !!(status.compareDocumentPosition(tool) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_FOLLOWING)
+      && !!(tool.compareDocumentPosition(body) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_FOLLOWING)
+  })
+  expect(order).toBe(true)
+  await page.evaluate((sid) => {
+    (window as any).__PW_CHAT_SOCKET__.latest.__trigger('run.completed', { event: 'run.completed', session_id: sid, run_id: 'activity-layout' })
+  }, sessionId)
+  await expect(assistant.locator('.thinking-status')).toHaveCount(0)
+  await expect(assistant.locator('.tool-group > summary')).toHaveText('Tool calls (1)')
+  await expect(assistant.locator('.message-bubble')).toContainText('Final answer')
 })
 
 test('opens the session model dialog and the session search from the chat header', async ({ page }) => {
diff --git a/tests/e2e/thinking-panel-width.spec.ts b/tests/e2e/thinking-panel-width.spec.ts
index 7f5cb30..8dab6a0 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/thinking-panel-width.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/e2e/thinking-panel-width.spec.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ test('thinking tool rows fill the chat width and shrink without overflowing', as
     })
   })
   const panel = page.locator('.tool-calls-panel')
+  await panel.locator('.live-tool-group > summary').click()
   const row = panel.locator('.tool-call-item').first()
   await expect(row).toBeVisible()
   for (const width of [1920, 900, 390]) {