diff --git a/src/main/agent-hooks/server.test.ts b/src/main/agent-hooks/server.test.ts
index 169688ac5d3..275fc9b38b6 100644
--- a/src/main/agent-hooks/server.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/agent-hooks/server.test.ts
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ afterEach(() => {
 })
 
 describe('AgentHookServer listener replay', () => {
-  it('retains the root Codex session across child-driven waiting and completion states', () => {
+  it('retains root Codex identity when relay child events omit it', () => {
     const server = new AgentHookServer()
     const providerSession = { key: 'session_id' as const, id: 'root-session' }
 
@@ -97,7 +97,12 @@ describe('AgentHookServer listener replay', () => {
       {
         paneKey: PANE,
         providerSession,
-        payload: { state: 'working', prompt: 'coordinate reviewers', agentType: 'codex' }
+        payload: {
+          state: 'working',
+          prompt: 'coordinate reviewers',
+          agentType: 'codex',
+          model: 'gpt-5.4'
+        }
       },
       'conn-1'
     )
@@ -109,7 +114,10 @@ describe('AgentHookServer listener replay', () => {
       },
       'conn-1'
     )
-    expect(server.getStatusSnapshot()[0].providerSession).toEqual(providerSession)
+    expect(server.getStatusSnapshot()[0]).toMatchObject({
+      model: 'gpt-5.4',
+      providerSession
+    })
 
     server.ingestRemote(
       {
@@ -122,6 +130,7 @@ describe('AgentHookServer listener replay', () => {
     )
     expect(server.getStatusSnapshot()[0]).toMatchObject({
       state: 'done',
+      model: 'gpt-5.4',
       providerSession
     })
   })
diff --git a/src/main/agent-hooks/server.ts b/src/main/agent-hooks/server.ts
index 7fe09e92733..12fc82090af 100644
--- a/src/main/agent-hooks/server.ts
+++ b/src/main/agent-hooks/server.ts
@@ -824,14 +824,26 @@ export class AgentHookServer {
       this.onAgentStatus?.(enriched)
       return enriched
     }
-    // Why: Codex child hooks expose a child session id that normalization drops; retain the root resume identity across child-driven states.
-    const providerSessionPreservingPayload =
+    const previousCodexRoot =
       payload.payload.agentType === 'codex' &&
       payload.toolAgentId &&
-      !payload.providerSession &&
-      previous?.payload.agentType === 'codex' &&
-      previous.providerSession
-        ? { ...payload, providerSession: previous.providerSession }
+      previous?.payload.agentType === 'codex'
+        ? previous
+        : undefined
+    const preservedProviderSession = !payload.providerSession
+      ? previousCodexRoot?.providerSession
+      : undefined
+    const preservedRootModel = !payload.payload.model ? previousCodexRoot?.payload.model : undefined
+    // Why: an SSH relay restart forgets root-only fields; child hooks must not erase durable resume/model identity.
+    const rootContextPreservingPayload =
+      preservedProviderSession || preservedRootModel
+        ? {
+            ...payload,
+            ...(preservedProviderSession ? { providerSession: preservedProviderSession } : {}),
+            payload: preservedRootModel
+              ? { ...payload.payload, model: preservedRootModel }
+              : payload.payload
+          }
         : payload
     const identity = resolveAgentStatusIdentity({
       existing: previous
@@ -841,7 +853,7 @@ export class AgentHookServer {
             updatedAt: previous.receivedAt
           }
         : undefined,
-      incoming: providerSessionPreservingPayload.payload.agentType,
+      incoming: rootContextPreservingPayload.payload.agentType,
       now
     })
     if (
@@ -854,12 +866,12 @@ export class AgentHookServer {
       return previous
     }
     const identityResolvedPayload =
-      identity.agentType === providerSessionPreservingPayload.payload.agentType
-        ? providerSessionPreservingPayload
+      identity.agentType === rootContextPreservingPayload.payload.agentType
+        ? rootContextPreservingPayload
         : {
-            ...providerSessionPreservingPayload,
+            ...rootContextPreservingPayload,
             payload: {
-              ...providerSessionPreservingPayload.payload,
+              ...rootContextPreservingPayload.payload,
               agentType: identity.agentType
             }
           }
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/WorktreeCardAgents.test.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/WorktreeCardAgents.test.tsx
index 380bb9194c4..d5591b9e9d5 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/WorktreeCardAgents.test.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/WorktreeCardAgents.test.tsx
@@ -357,6 +357,28 @@ describe('WorktreeCardAgents', () => {
     expect(markup).not.toContain('Prompt cache expires')
   })
 
+  it('does not repeat a subagent role used as its compact primary label', async () => {
+    const { CompactAgentRow } = await import('./worktree-card-compact-agents')
+
+    const markup = renderToStaticMarkup(
+      <CompactAgentRow
+        agent={
+          mockAgent({
+            agentType: 'reviewer',
+            rowSource: 'subagent',
+            startedAt: 1000,
+            prompt: 'reviewer'
+          }) as DashboardAgentRowData
+        }
+        now={2000}
+        onActivate={vi.fn()}
+      />
+    )
+
+    expect(markup).toContain('reviewer')
+    expect(markup).not.toContain(' - Reviewer')
+  })
+
   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 28608ed53df..8ce6368a780 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
@@ -63,7 +63,15 @@ function getCompactAgentSecondary(agent: DashboardAgentRowData): string {
       return toolName
     }
   }
-  return agent.entry.lastAssistantMessage?.trim() || formatAgentTypeLabel(agent.agentType)
+  const lastAssistantMessage = agent.entry.lastAssistantMessage?.trim()
+  if (lastAssistantMessage) {
+    return lastAssistantMessage
+  }
+  // Why: child rows without descriptions use their role as primary text; repeating its formatted label adds no information.
+  if (agent.rowSource === 'subagent' && agent.entry.prompt?.trim() === agent.agentType.trim()) {
+    return ''
+  }
+  return formatAgentTypeLabel(agent.agentType)
 }
 
 function getCompactAgentTime(agent: DashboardAgentRowData, now: number): string | null {