diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/dashboard-popout/AgentMap.test.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/dashboard-popout/AgentMap.test.tsx
index 4a2e1665d33..ecd2910b01c 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/dashboard-popout/AgentMap.test.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/dashboard-popout/AgentMap.test.tsx
@@ -161,6 +161,55 @@ describe('AgentMap', () => {
     expect(doneNode).toHaveAccessibleName(/unread/)
   })
 
+  it('glows working agents and their worktree ring only', () => {
+    const done = card({
+      paneKey: 'done',
+      conversationName: 'Finished agent',
+      worktreeId: 'worktree-done',
+      worktreeName: 'Finished worktree',
+      bucket: 'done',
+      dotState: 'done',
+      finishedAt: NOW - 60_000
+    })
+    const { container } = renderMap([card(), done])
+
+    const workingNode = screen.getByRole('button', { name: /Agent alpha/ })
+    const doneNode = screen.getByRole('button', { name: /Finished agent/ })
+    const workingRing = screen.getByRole('button', {
+      name: /Open Agent map worktree details/
+    })
+    const doneRing = screen.getByRole('button', {
+      name: /Open Finished worktree worktree details/
+    })
+
+    expect(workingNode.querySelector('[data-agent-map-agent-working-glow]')).toBeInTheDocument()
+    expect(doneNode.querySelector('[data-agent-map-agent-working-glow]')).not.toBeInTheDocument()
+    expect(workingRing).toHaveClass('is-working')
+    expect(doneRing).not.toHaveClass('is-working')
+    expect(container.querySelectorAll('[data-agent-map-worktree-working-glow]')).toHaveLength(1)
+  })
+
+  it('keeps glow markup bounded for a large visible worktree', () => {
+    const cards = Array.from({ length: 120 }, (_, index) => {
+      const working = index % 2 === 0
+      return card({
+        paneKey: `pane-${index}`,
+        ptyId: `pty-${index}`,
+        tabId: `tab-${index}`,
+        leafId: `leaf-${index}`,
+        conversationName: `Agent ${index}`,
+        bucket: working ? 'working' : 'done',
+        dotState: working ? 'working' : 'done',
+        finishedAt: working ? null : NOW - 60_000
+      })
+    })
+    const { container } = renderMap(cards, { selectedPaneKey: 'pane-0' })
+
+    expect(container.querySelectorAll('[data-agent-map-agent-working-glow]')).toHaveLength(60)
+    expect(container.querySelectorAll('[data-agent-map-worktree-working-glow]')).toHaveLength(1)
+    expect(container.querySelectorAll('filter')).toHaveLength(0)
+  })
+
   it('enlarges unread markers when the full fleet is zoomed out', () => {
     const fleet = Array.from({ length: 72 }, (_, index) =>
       card({
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/dashboard-popout/AgentMapWorktreeRingNode.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/dashboard-popout/AgentMapWorktreeRingNode.tsx
index 81371130af7..50c05b5a975 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/dashboard-popout/AgentMapWorktreeRingNode.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/dashboard-popout/AgentMapWorktreeRingNode.tsx
@@ -187,6 +187,7 @@ export const AgentMapWorktreeRingNode = memo(function AgentMapWorktreeRingNode({
 }: AgentMapWorktreeRingNodeProps): React.JSX.Element {
   const [detailsOpen, setDetailsOpen] = useState(false)
   const selected = worktree.agents.some((agent) => agent.card.paneKey === selectedPaneKey)
+  const working = worktree.statusCounts.working > 0
   const aggregate = !selected && shouldAggregateAgentMapWorktree(worktree, zoom, allowAggregation)
   const agentsByPaneKey = new Map(worktree.agents.map((agent) => [agent.card.paneKey, agent]))
 
@@ -203,9 +204,19 @@ export const AgentMapWorktreeRingNode = memo(function AgentMapWorktreeRingNode({
           }
         }}
       >
+        {working ? (
+          <circle
+            className="agent-map-worktree-working-glow"
+            data-agent-map-worktree-working-glow=""
+            cx={worktree.x}
+            cy={worktree.y}
+            r={worktree.radius}
+            aria-hidden="true"
+          />
+        ) : null}
         <PopoverTrigger asChild>
           <circle
-            className={`agent-map-worktree-ring${selected ? ' is-selected' : ''}${detailsOpen ? ' is-open' : ''}`}
+            className={`agent-map-worktree-ring${working ? ' is-working' : ''}${selected ? ' is-selected' : ''}${detailsOpen ? ' is-open' : ''}`}
             data-agent-map-worktree=""
             data-agent-count={worktree.agents.length}
             cx={worktree.x}
@@ -297,6 +308,14 @@ export const AgentMapWorktreeRingNode = memo(function AgentMapWorktreeRingNode({
                   }}
                   onKeyDown={(event) => onAgentKeyDown(event, agent)}
                 >
+                  {agent.status === 'working' ? (
+                    <circle
+                      className="agent-map-agent-working-glow"
+                      data-agent-map-agent-working-glow=""
+                      r={agent.radius + 1}
+                      aria-hidden="true"
+                    />
+                  ) : null}
                   <circle className="agent-map-agent-hit" r={Math.max(10, agent.radius + 3)} />
                   <circle className="agent-map-agent-mark" r={agent.radius} />
                   <foreignObject
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/dashboard-popout/agent-map-glow.performance.test.ts b/src/renderer/src/components/dashboard-popout/agent-map-glow.performance.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..76acde0c68f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/dashboard-popout/agent-map-glow.performance.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+import { readFileSync } from 'node:fs'
+import { resolve } from 'node:path'
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+
+function source(file: string): string {
+  return readFileSync(
+    resolve(process.cwd(), 'src/renderer/src/components/dashboard-popout', file),
+    'utf8'
+  )
+}
+
+describe('Agent Map glow performance boundary', () => {
+  it('uses one conditional SVG halo per working entity without filter effects', () => {
+    const component = source('AgentMapWorktreeRingNode.tsx')
+
+    expect(component.match(/data-agent-map-worktree-working-glow/g)).toHaveLength(1)
+    expect(component.match(/data-agent-map-agent-working-glow/g)).toHaveLength(1)
+    expect(component).not.toMatch(/<filter|filter=/)
+  })
+
+  it('keeps glow styling free of animated and filtered paint work', () => {
+    const css = source('agent-map.css')
+    const glowRules = css.match(/\.agent-map-(?:worktree|agent)-working-glow\s*\{[^}]+\}/gs)
+
+    expect(glowRules).toHaveLength(2)
+    for (const rule of glowRules ?? []) {
+      expect(rule).toContain('pointer-events: none')
+      expect(rule).toContain('vector-effect: non-scaling-stroke')
+      expect(rule).not.toMatch(/filter:|animation:|transition:/)
+    }
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/dashboard-popout/agent-map.css b/src/renderer/src/components/dashboard-popout/agent-map.css
index db37aef12bc..1491516b307 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/dashboard-popout/agent-map.css
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/dashboard-popout/agent-map.css
@@ -95,6 +95,14 @@
   vector-effect: non-scaling-stroke;
 }
 
+.agent-map-worktree-working-glow {
+  fill: none;
+  pointer-events: none;
+  stroke: color-mix(in srgb, var(--color-yellow-500) 28%, transparent);
+  stroke-width: 9;
+  vector-effect: non-scaling-stroke;
+}
+
 .agent-map-worktree-ring:hover {
   fill: color-mix(in srgb, var(--card) 72%, transparent);
   stroke: var(--ring);
@@ -119,6 +127,10 @@
   stroke-width: 2.5;
 }
 
+.agent-map-worktree-ring.is-working {
+  stroke: var(--color-yellow-500);
+}
+
 .agent-map-worktree-label {
   font-size: 12px;
   font-weight: 500;
@@ -187,6 +199,14 @@
   vector-effect: non-scaling-stroke;
 }
 
+.agent-map-agent-working-glow {
+  fill: none;
+  pointer-events: none;
+  stroke: color-mix(in srgb, var(--color-yellow-500) 32%, transparent);
+  stroke-width: 7;
+  vector-effect: non-scaling-stroke;
+}
+
 .agent-map-agent-icon {
   overflow: visible;
   pointer-events: none;