diff --git a/src/main/claude/claude-turn-lifecycle-item.ts b/src/main/claude/claude-turn-lifecycle-item.ts
index 72c64c3c512..260958974b7 100644
--- a/src/main/claude/claude-turn-lifecycle-item.ts
+++ b/src/main/claude/claude-turn-lifecycle-item.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import type {
   AgentJournalItemIdentity,
   AgentJournalStatusItem
 } from '../../shared/agent-session-journal-types'
+import { agentTurnLifecycleText } from '../../shared/agent-turn-lifecycle-text'
 import type { StructuredAgentSessionAppendOptions } from '../native-chat/agent-session-wire/structured-agent-session-event-sink'
 import { claudeText } from './claude-structured-item-translation'
 
@@ -50,7 +51,7 @@ export function claudeTurnLifecycleItem(
     identity: claudeTurnLifecycleIdentity(sessionId, turnId),
     body: {
       kind: 'status',
-      text: end ? 'Claude turn completed' : 'Claude is working…',
+      text: agentTurnLifecycleText('Claude', end ? end.state : 'running'),
       turnLifecycle: end
         ? { turnId, state: end.state, startedAt, completedAt: end.completedAt }
         : { turnId, state: 'running', startedAt }
diff --git a/src/main/codex/codex-structured-journal-translation-turn-lifecycle.test.ts b/src/main/codex/codex-structured-journal-translation-turn-lifecycle.test.ts
index 150b3d54100..0e1b59c5970 100644
--- a/src/main/codex/codex-structured-journal-translation-turn-lifecycle.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/codex/codex-structured-journal-translation-turn-lifecycle.test.ts
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ describe('codex turn lifecycle rows', () => {
         key: 'legacy:codex:session-1:turn-lifecycle%3Aturn-cut',
         body: {
           kind: 'status',
-          text: 'Codex turn completed',
+          text: 'Codex turn interrupted',
           turnLifecycle: {
             turnId: 'turn-cut',
             state: 'interrupted',
diff --git a/src/main/codex/codex-structured-journal-translation-turns.ts b/src/main/codex/codex-structured-journal-translation-turns.ts
index 8e5311beaa7..c66d6a31d91 100644
--- a/src/main/codex/codex-structured-journal-translation-turns.ts
+++ b/src/main/codex/codex-structured-journal-translation-turns.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import type {
   AgentJournalTurnLifecycle,
   AgentJournalTurnLifecycleState
 } from '../../shared/agent-session-journal-types'
+import { agentTurnLifecycleText } from '../../shared/agent-turn-lifecycle-text'
 import type {
   StructuredAgentSessionEventSink,
   StructuredAgentSessionSinkAdmission
@@ -26,8 +27,11 @@ export function codexTurnLifecycleIdentity(
 export function codexTurnLifecycleBody(
   turnLifecycle: AgentJournalTurnLifecycle
 ): AgentJournalStatusItem {
-  const text = turnLifecycle.state === 'running' ? 'Codex is working…' : 'Codex turn completed'
-  return { kind: 'status', text, turnLifecycle }
+  return {
+    kind: 'status',
+    text: agentTurnLifecycleText('Codex', turnLifecycle.state),
+    turnLifecycle
+  }
 }
 
 /** `turn/completed` is Codex's only turn-end notification; a missing status is a clean finish. */
diff --git a/src/shared/agent-turn-lifecycle-text.ts b/src/shared/agent-turn-lifecycle-text.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f8bc2be568b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/shared/agent-turn-lifecycle-text.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+import type { AgentJournalTurnLifecycleState } from './agent-session-journal-types'
+
+/** Fallback text on a lifecycle row for readers that render status text raw.
+ *  Must never overstate what the host knows: an unobserved end is not "completed". */
+export function agentTurnLifecycleText(
+  agent: 'Claude' | 'Codex',
+  state: AgentJournalTurnLifecycleState
+): string {
+  switch (state) {
+    case 'running':
+      return `${agent} is working…`
+    case 'completed':
+      return `${agent} turn completed`
+    case 'interrupted':
+      return `${agent} turn interrupted`
+    case 'unverifiable':
+      return `${agent} turn outcome unverifiable`
+  }
+}