diff --git a/ui-tui/src/__tests__/appChromeBlockedTimers.test.tsx b/ui-tui/src/__tests__/appChromeBlockedTimers.test.tsx
index 70b6b40c80..028a42f7ac 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/__tests__/appChromeBlockedTimers.test.tsx
+++ b/ui-tui/src/__tests__/appChromeBlockedTimers.test.tsx
@@ -304,7 +304,9 @@ describe('status-chrome timers under an occluding overlay', () => {
     nowSpy.mockReturnValue(T0 + 300_000)
     rule.clear()
     resetOverlayState()
-    await flush()
+    // Poll for the reveal frame instead of a fixed tick: under CI load the
+    // store-driven re-render can land well after one 20ms scheduler turn.
+    await vi.waitFor(() => expect(rule.output()).toContain('6m 0s'), { interval: 10, timeout: 5_000 })
 
     const resumed = rule.output()
 
@@ -344,6 +346,65 @@ describe('status-chrome timers under an occluding overlay', () => {
   })
 })
 
+// teknium1's review of #12463 called out that its test asserted on a `picker`
+// overlay state that no longer exists.  Pin the gate to fields the current
+// OverlayState actually carries so a rename breaks this file loudly.
+describe('status-chrome timers track the current overlay model', () => {
+  // Everything that genuinely paints over the rule: the modal widget slot,
+  // plus the FloatingOverlays set (with the rule at its default `top`).
+  const occluding: Array<[string, Partial<OverlayState>]> = [
+    ['modelPicker', { modelPicker: true }],
+    ['pager', { pager: { lines: ['a'], offset: 0 } }],
+    ['petPicker', { petPicker: true }],
+    ['pluginsHub', { pluginsHub: true }],
+    ['sessions', { sessions: true }],
+    ['skillsHub', { skillsHub: true }],
+    ['widget', { widget: { appId: 'demo', state: null } }]
+  ]
+
+  // In `$isBlocked` but NOT occluding.  `agents` / `journey` unmount the whole
+  // ComposerPane subtree, so React's effect cleanup already stops the clocks
+  // and gating on them would be dead code; the rest are PromptZone states that
+  // render in normal flow and push the rule down without covering it.
+  const nonOccluding: Array<[string, Partial<OverlayState>]> = [
+    ['agents', { agents: true }],
+    ['approval', { approval: { command: 'ls', requestId: 'a-1' } as OverlayState['approval'] }],
+    ['billing', { billing: { kind: 'credits' } as OverlayState['billing'] }],
+    ['clarify', { clarify: { question: 'which?', requestId: 'c-1' } as OverlayState['clarify'] }],
+    ['confirm', { confirm: { onConfirm: () => {}, prompt: 'sure?' } as OverlayState['confirm'] }],
+    ['journey', { journey: true }],
+    ['secret', { secret: { envVar: 'TOKEN', prompt: 'token?' } as OverlayState['secret'] }],
+    ['subscription', { subscription: { kind: 'expired' } as OverlayState['subscription'] }],
+    ['sudo', { sudo: { requestId: 'sudo-1' } as OverlayState['sudo'] }]
+  ]
+
+  it.each(occluding)('pauses the status clocks while %s covers the rule', (_name, patch) => {
+    patchOverlayState(patch)
+
+    mount(idleProps)
+
+    expect(oneSecondTimers(intervalSpy)).toBe(0)
+  })
+
+  it.each(nonOccluding)('keeps the status clocks running while %s is open', (_name, patch) => {
+    patchOverlayState(patch)
+
+    mount(idleProps)
+
+    expect(oneSecondTimers(intervalSpy)).toBe(2)
+  })
+
+  it('keeps the clocks running for the non-occluding ambient dock', () => {
+    // `ambient` is a glanceable in-flow dock that reserves its own rows and
+    // doesn't cover the status rule, so pausing there would be a regression.
+    patchOverlayState({ ambient: [{ appId: 'clock', state: null }] })
+
+    mount(idleProps)
+
+    expect(oneSecondTimers(intervalSpy)).toBe(2)
+  })
+})
+
 // The visibility gate teknium1 asked for: mount the REAL AppLayout so the
 // status rule sits in its true position relative to PromptZone (normal flow,
 // above ComposerPane) and FloatingOverlays (absolute, growing upward), then
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/__tests__/appChromeStatusRule.test.tsx b/ui-tui/src/__tests__/appChromeStatusRule.test.tsx
index 8029c246ec..31eaf8555f 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/__tests__/appChromeStatusRule.test.tsx
+++ b/ui-tui/src/__tests__/appChromeStatusRule.test.tsx
@@ -54,6 +54,40 @@ const findClickableWithText = (node: ReactNodeLike, needle: string): React.React
   return findClickableWithText(node.props.children, needle)
 }
 
+// Find the innermost element whose own (direct) text content includes the
+// needle. Used to assert the colour the session title is rendered with.
+const findElementWithText = (node: ReactNodeLike, needle: string): React.ReactElement | null => {
+  if (node === null || node === undefined || typeof node === 'boolean') {
+    return null
+  }
+
+  if (Array.isArray(node)) {
+    for (const child of node) {
+      const found = findElementWithText(child, needle)
+
+      if (found) {
+        return found
+      }
+    }
+
+    return null
+  }
+
+  if (!React.isValidElement(node)) {
+    return null
+  }
+
+  // Prefer the deepest matching element so we get the leaf <Text> that
+  // actually carries the colour, not an ancestor Box.
+  const deeper = findElementWithText(node.props.children, needle)
+
+  if (deeper) {
+    return deeper
+  }
+
+  return textContent(node).includes(needle) ? node : null
+}
+
 const baseProps = {
   bgCount: 0,
   busy: false,
@@ -113,9 +147,19 @@ describe('StatusRule session title', () => {
     })
 
     const rendered = textContent(element)
+    const title = findElementWithText(element, 'weekly-digest')
 
     expect(rendered).toContain('weekly-digest')
     expect(rendered).not.toContain('~/repo')
+    // Regression for issue #82465: a raw, full-saturation accent-hue
+    // background (e.g. #FFBF00 on DARK_SEEDS) paired with statusFg (a
+    // near-white tone never designed to sit on it) rendered at roughly a
+    // 1.5-2:1 contrast ratio -- unreadable. No background fill at all;
+    // the accent color goes on the text instead, matching the theme's
+    // own convention that a raw accent hue is never used as a solid
+    // fill elsewhere (fills are always softened, e.g. activeRow).
+    expect(title?.props.backgroundColor).toBeUndefined()
+    expect(title?.props.color).toBe(DEFAULT_THEME.color.accent)
   })
 })
 
@@ -312,6 +356,75 @@ describe('StatusRule battery indicator', () => {
   })
 })
 
+describe('StatusRule idle-since read-out', () => {
+  // The IdleSince component uses hooks, so it can't be invoked outside a
+  // renderer — assert on the element tree instead (same reason the duration
+  // tests don't check SessionDuration's text).
+  const findComponentByName = (node: ReactNodeLike, name: string): React.ReactElement | null => {
+    if (node === null || node === undefined || typeof node === 'boolean') {
+      return null
+    }
+
+    if (Array.isArray(node)) {
+      for (const child of node) {
+        const found = findComponentByName(child, name)
+
+        if (found) {
+          return found
+        }
+      }
+
+      return null
+    }
+
+    if (!React.isValidElement(node)) {
+      return null
+    }
+
+    if (typeof node.type === 'function' && node.type.name === name) {
+      return node
+    }
+
+    return findComponentByName(node.props.children, name)
+  }
+
+  it('shows time since the last final agent response when idle', () => {
+    const endedAt = Date.now() - 42_000
+
+    const element = StatusRule({
+      ...baseProps,
+      lastTurnEndedAt: endedAt,
+      sessionStartedAt: Date.now() - 60_000
+    })
+
+    const idle = findComponentByName(element, 'IdleSince')
+
+    expect(idle).not.toBeNull()
+    expect(idle!.props.endedAt).toBe(endedAt)
+  })
+
+  it('is hidden while a turn is busy', () => {
+    const element = StatusRule({
+      ...baseProps,
+      busy: true,
+      lastTurnEndedAt: Date.now() - 42_000,
+      turnStartedAt: Date.now()
+    })
+
+    expect(findComponentByName(element, 'IdleSince')).toBeNull()
+  })
+
+  it('is hidden before the first turn completes', () => {
+    const element = StatusRule({
+      ...baseProps,
+      lastTurnEndedAt: null,
+      sessionStartedAt: Date.now() - 60_000
+    })
+
+    expect(findComponentByName(element, 'IdleSince')).toBeNull()
+  })
+})
+
 describe('StatusRule perf read-outs (cache hit / latency / tps)', () => {
   const perfUsage = {
     ...baseProps.usage,