diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/WorktreeCardAgents.test.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/WorktreeCardAgents.test.tsx
index c670db92280..f3195806907 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/WorktreeCardAgents.test.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/WorktreeCardAgents.test.tsx
@@ -205,6 +205,47 @@ describe('WorktreeCardAgents', () => {
     expect(markup).not.toContain('data-testid="agent-row"')
   })
 
+  it('dims non-focused compact agent row text', async () => {
+    mockAgentActivityDisplayMode = 'compact'
+    mockAgents = [
+      mockAgent({
+        agentType: 'codex',
+        startedAt: 1000,
+        prompt: 'Run tests',
+        lastAssistantMessage: 'Inspecting changes'
+      })
+    ]
+    const { default: WorktreeCardAgents } = await import('./WorktreeCardAgents')
+
+    const markup = renderToStaticMarkup(<WorktreeCardAgents worktreeId="wt-1" />)
+
+    expect(markup).toContain('<span class="text-muted-foreground/90">Run tests</span>')
+    expect(markup).toContain('<span class="text-muted-foreground/65"> - Inspecting changes</span>')
+    expect(markup).not.toContain('data-focused-agent-pane="true"')
+    expect(markup).not.toContain('<span class="text-foreground">Run tests</span>')
+  })
+
+  it('keeps focused compact agent row text legible', async () => {
+    mockAgentActivityDisplayMode = 'compact'
+    mockFocusedAgentPaneKey = 'tab-1:1'
+    mockAgents = [
+      mockAgent({
+        agentType: 'codex',
+        startedAt: 1000,
+        prompt: 'Focused prompt',
+        lastAssistantMessage: 'Reading output'
+      })
+    ]
+    const { default: WorktreeCardAgents } = await import('./WorktreeCardAgents')
+
+    const markup = renderToStaticMarkup(<WorktreeCardAgents worktreeId="wt-1" />)
+
+    expect(markup).toContain('data-focused-agent-pane="true"')
+    expect(markup).toContain('<span class="text-foreground">Focused prompt</span>')
+    expect(markup).toContain('<span class="text-foreground/70"> - Reading output</span>')
+    expect(markup).not.toContain('<span class="text-muted-foreground/90">Focused prompt</span>')
+  })
+
   it('marks only the focused agent row', async () => {
     mockAgentActivityDisplayMode = 'full'
     mockFocusedAgentPaneKey = 'tab-1:2'
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/worktree-card-compact-agent-row.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/worktree-card-compact-agent-row.tsx
index e865b354117..88eab356c61 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/worktree-card-compact-agent-row.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/worktree-card-compact-agent-row.tsx
@@ -199,9 +199,11 @@ export const CompactAgentRow = React.memo(function CompactAgentRow({
       <span className="min-w-0 flex-1 truncate">
         {/* Why: the selected-row fill is strong enough to wash out the dimmed
             prompt/secondary text, so lift both toward full foreground when focused. */}
-        <span className={isFocusedPane ? 'text-foreground' : 'text-foreground/85'}>{primary}</span>
+        <span className={isFocusedPane ? 'text-foreground' : 'text-muted-foreground/90'}>
+          {primary}
+        </span>
         {secondary && (
-          <span className={isFocusedPane ? 'text-foreground/70' : 'text-muted-foreground/75'}>
+          <span className={isFocusedPane ? 'text-foreground/70' : 'text-muted-foreground/65'}>
             {' '}
             - {secondary}
           </span>