diff --git a/agent/chat_completion_nonstream.py b/agent/chat_completion_nonstream.py
index 96d3c4a1d3..8d12aff8db 100644
--- a/agent/chat_completion_nonstream.py
+++ b/agent/chat_completion_nonstream.py
@@ -160,12 +160,11 @@ class _NonStreamRequest:
                 elapsed=elapsed)
             # One neutral notice per silence; repeating it every heartbeat made
             # healthy long calls read as provider trouble (#92550).
-            near = watchdog is not None and watchdog[1] <= wn.NEAR_DEADLINE_SECS
             if not self.wait_notice.should_emit(phase, watchdog):
                 self.agent._touch_activity(f"waiting for provider response ({int(silence)}s, {phase})")
                 return
             self.agent._emit_wait_notice(wn.wait_notice_text(
-                self.api_kwargs.get('model', 'the provider'), silence, phase, watchdog, near=near))
+                self.api_kwargs.get('model', 'the provider'), silence, phase, watchdog))
             self.wait_notice_started_ts = self.call_start + elapsed
         except Exception:
             h.logger.debug("wait-notice construction failed", exc_info=True)
diff --git a/agent/chat_completion_stream_monitor.py b/agent/chat_completion_stream_monitor.py
index 145e412bcd..fa129b5e97 100644
--- a/agent/chat_completion_stream_monitor.py
+++ b/agent/chat_completion_stream_monitor.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ from agent.model_metadata import is_local_endpoint
 class StreamingWaitMonitor:
     def _poll_local_load_notice(self, now: float) -> bool:
         """Managed local server: surface a cold model's weight-load progress
-        instead of the 60s "provider may be slow" copy. Polled ~1s only while no
+        instead of the 60s neutral "waiting on <model>" notice. Polled ~1s only while no
         REAL chunk arrived for 2s+ (never during healthy token flow); in-memory,
         no network. True while loading = heartbeat liveness, skip the rest of
         this iteration (the stale detector's local floor dwarfs any load)."""
@@ -46,13 +46,12 @@ class StreamingWaitMonitor:
             watchdog = ("stream stale", stale - waiting_secs) if stale is not None and stale != float("inf") else None
             diag = getattr(getattr(self, "clients", None), "diag", None)
             phase = "post_chunk" if isinstance(diag, dict) and diag.get("first_chunk_at") else "first_chunk"
-            near = watchdog is not None and watchdog[1] <= wn.NEAR_DEADLINE_SECS
             if not self._mon.wait_notice.should_emit(phase, watchdog):
                 self.agent._touch_activity(f"waiting for stream response ({waiting_secs}s, {phase})")
                 return
             self._mon.wait_notice_started_ts = self._mon.last_heartbeat
             self.agent._emit_wait_notice(wn.wait_notice_text(
-                self.api_kwargs.get('model', 'the provider'), waiting_secs, phase, watchdog, near=near))
+                self.api_kwargs.get('model', 'the provider'), waiting_secs, phase, watchdog))
         else:
             # Chunks are flowing — keep the tracker fresh, leave the display alone.
             self.agent._touch_activity(f"waiting for stream response ({waiting_secs}s, no chunks yet)")
diff --git a/agent/chat_completion_wait_notice.py b/agent/chat_completion_wait_notice.py
index 3c51ffefcc..20b47b1f29 100644
--- a/agent/chat_completion_wait_notice.py
+++ b/agent/chat_completion_wait_notice.py
@@ -13,6 +13,11 @@ from typing import Optional
 
 NEAR_DEADLINE_SECS = 15.0
 
+
+def _near_deadline(watchdog: Optional[tuple[str, float]]) -> bool:
+    return watchdog is not None and watchdog[1] <= NEAR_DEADLINE_SECS
+
+
 _PHASE_TEXT = {
     # Codex Responses (non-stream request path)
     "first_event": "{n}s waiting for the first provider event",
@@ -25,9 +30,9 @@ _PHASE_TEXT = {
 
 
 def wait_notice_text(model: str, silence_secs: float, phase: str,
-                     watchdog: Optional[tuple[str, float]] = None, *, near: bool = False) -> str:
+                     watchdog: Optional[tuple[str, float]] = None) -> str:
     """One neutral status line. ``watchdog`` is ``(label, seconds_until_it_fires)``."""
-    lead = "still waiting on" if near else "waiting on"
+    lead = "still waiting on" if _near_deadline(watchdog) else "waiting on"
     text = f"⏳ {lead} {model} — " + _PHASE_TEXT[phase].format(n=int(silence_secs))
     if watchdog is not None:
         label, remaining = watchdog
@@ -79,7 +84,7 @@ class WaitNoticeState:
 
     def should_emit(self, phase: str, watchdog: Optional[tuple[str, float]]) -> bool:
         label = watchdog[0] if watchdog is not None else None
-        near = watchdog is not None and watchdog[1] <= NEAR_DEADLINE_SECS
+        near = _near_deadline(watchdog)
         emit = self.phase != phase or self.watchdog_label != label or (near and not self.near_shown)
         self.phase, self.watchdog_label = phase, label
         if near:
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_load_progress.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_load_progress.py
index 3da34a8a44..ed861c79e5 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_load_progress.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_load_progress.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 The 40-second problem: a cold local model streams 16-21 GB of weights
 before the first token, and the chat rendered that as the generic
-"provider may be slow or overloaded" stall warning. llama-server's child
+"waiting on <model>" long-wait notice. llama-server's child
 emits real per-tensor progress which the router relays over /models/sse
 ONLY — these tests pin the consumer that turns that stream into the
 status route's `loading` field and the chat's load notice."""