diff --git a/.changeset/defer-diff-card-render.md b/.changeset/defer-diff-card-render.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7fef344ac7f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/defer-diff-card-render.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"kilo-code": patch
+---
+
+Render collapsed diff tool cards without parsing and mount deferred tool bodies within a frame budget, so expanded transcripts fill in faster.
diff --git a/packages/kilo-ui/src/components/message-part.tsx b/packages/kilo-ui/src/components/message-part.tsx
index ab7312411b3..a5717bbbd33 100644
--- a/packages/kilo-ui/src/components/message-part.tsx
+++ b/packages/kilo-ui/src/components/message-part.tsx
@@ -2774,7 +2774,11 @@ ToolRegistry.register({
     const filename = () => getFilename(props.input.filePath ?? "")
     const pending = () => busy(props.status)
     const reveal = useToolReveal(pending, () => props.reveal !== false)
-    const view = createMemo(() => {
+    // A plain function, not `createMemo`: Solid evaluates a memo eagerly on
+    // render, which parsed the patch with Pierre even while the card stayed
+    // collapsed. This is only read when the deferred body mounts or the user
+    // opens the diff viewer, so collapsed cards do no parse work.
+    const view = () => {
       const diff = props.metadata?.filediff
       if (diff?.patch) return normalize(diff)
       // Pending state: tool-part metadata.filediff is written only after the
@@ -2789,8 +2793,15 @@ ToolRegistry.register({
         additions: diff?.additions ?? 0,
         deletions: diff?.deletions ?? 0,
       })
-    })
-    const canOpenDiff = () => !!data.openDiff && !!path() && !!view()
+    }
+    const canOpenDiff = () => {
+      if (!data.openDiff || !path()) return false
+      // Presence check instead of `view()` so the always-rendered trigger does
+      // not parse the patch while the card stays collapsed.
+      const diff = props.metadata?.filediff
+      if (diff?.patch) return true
+      return !!(props.input.oldString || props.input.newString)
+    }
     const openDiff = () => {
       const v = view()
       if (!canOpenDiff() || !v) return
@@ -2886,12 +2897,16 @@ ToolRegistry.register({
     const filename = () => getFilename(props.input.filePath ?? "")
     const pending = () => busy(props.status)
     const reveal = useToolReveal(pending, () => props.reveal !== false)
-    const view = createMemo(() => {
+    // Lazy like the edit card: only parsed when the deferred body mounts or the
+    // user opens the diff viewer, never while the card is collapsed.
+    const view = () => {
       const diff = props.metadata?.filediff
       if (!diff?.patch) return
       return normalize(diff)
-    })
-    const canOpenDiff = () => !!data.openDiff && !!props.input.filePath && !!view()
+    }
+    // Cheap presence check instead of `view()` so a collapsed card never
+    // parses its patch with Pierre just to decide whether to show the button.
+    const canOpenDiff = () => !!data.openDiff && !!props.input.filePath && !!props.metadata?.filediff?.patch
     const openDiff = () => {
       const v = view()
       if (!data.openDiff || !props.input.filePath || !v) return
@@ -3001,6 +3016,8 @@ interface ApplyPatchFile {
   movePath?: string
 }
 
+const HUNK_MARKER = /^\s*@@/m
+
 ToolRegistry.register({
   name: "apply_patch",
   render(props) {
@@ -3053,8 +3070,11 @@ ToolRegistry.register({
       if (!data.openDiff || !first) return
       data.openDiff(diffs.length === 1 ? first : { ...first, files: diffs })
     }
+    // Cheap `@@` marker check: keeps the trigger hidden for unparsable patches
+    // like the `view` guard did, without parsing every file while collapsed.
+    const hasHunk = (file: ApplyPatchFile) => HUNK_MARKER.test(file.patch ?? file.diff ?? "")
     const allDiffAction = () => (
-      <Show when={data.openDiff && files().some((file) => view(file))}>
+      <Show when={data.openDiff && files().some(hasHunk)}>
         <span data-slot="tool-trigger-actions">
           <Tooltip value={i18n.t("ui.messagePart.openInDiffViewer")} placement="top" gutter={4}>
             <IconButton
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/components/basic-tool.tsx b/packages/ui/src/components/basic-tool.tsx
index 76061977f82..b909287c474 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/components/basic-tool.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/components/basic-tool.tsx
@@ -49,19 +49,32 @@ const SPRING = { type: "spring" as const, visualDuration: 0.35, bounce: 0 }
 const deferredMounts: Array<{ active: boolean; fn: () => void }> = []
 let deferredFrame: number | undefined
 
+// kilocode_change start
+// Mount deferred tool bodies within a per-frame time budget. Mounting one body
+// per frame kept each diff card's render off a single frame, but an expanded
+// transcript with many cards then needed one frame per card before everything
+// was visible. Spend a fixed budget per frame so cheap bodies mount together.
+// A body whose duration exceeds the budget ends that frame, so later bodies
+// wait for the next one.
+const DEFERRED_MOUNT_BUDGET_MS = 12
+
 function flushDeferredMounts() {
-  while (deferredMounts.length > 0) {
-    // Timeline tools are mounted top-to-bottom, but the viewport starts at the latest turn.
-    // Pop from the end so heavy default-open bodies near the bottom become interactive first.
-    const item = deferredMounts.pop()!
-    if (item.active) {
-      deferredFrame = deferredMounts.length > 0 ? requestAnimationFrame(flushDeferredMounts) : undefined
-      item.fn()
-      return
+  const deadline = performance.now() + DEFERRED_MOUNT_BUDGET_MS
+  // Re-arm in `finally`: a throw from one body must not leave `deferredFrame`
+  // pointing at an already-fired frame, which would stall every later mount.
+  try {
+    while (deferredMounts.length > 0) {
+      // Timeline tools are mounted top-to-bottom, but the viewport starts at the latest turn.
+      // Pop from the end so heavy default-open bodies near the bottom become interactive first.
+      const item = deferredMounts.pop()!
+      if (item.active) item.fn()
+      if (performance.now() >= deadline) break
     }
+  } finally {
+    deferredFrame = deferredMounts.length > 0 ? requestAnimationFrame(flushDeferredMounts) : undefined
   }
-  deferredFrame = undefined
 }
+// kilocode_change end
 
 function scheduleDeferredFlush() {
   if (deferredFrame !== undefined) return