diff --git a/ui/desktop/src/components/ProgressiveMessageList.tsx b/ui/desktop/src/components/ProgressiveMessageList.tsx
index 4386f38e6518..5c84cc657ed5 100644
--- a/ui/desktop/src/components/ProgressiveMessageList.tsx
+++ b/ui/desktop/src/components/ProgressiveMessageList.tsx
@@ -62,8 +62,6 @@ export default function ProgressiveMessageList({
   const [isLoading, setIsLoading] = useState(() => messages.length > showLoadingThreshold);
   const timeoutRef = useRef<number | null>(null);
   const mountedRef = useRef(true);
-  const hasOnlyToolResponses = (message: Message) =>
-    message.content.every((c) => c.type === 'toolResponse');
 
   // Try to use context manager, but don't require it for session history
   let hasContextHandlerContent: ((message: Message) => boolean) | undefined;
@@ -201,7 +199,7 @@ export default function ProgressiveMessageList({
                     }}
                   />
                 ) : (
-                  !hasOnlyToolResponses(message) && <UserMessage message={message} />
+                  <UserMessage message={message} />
                 )}
               </>
             ) : (
diff --git a/ui/desktop/src/components/sessions/SessionHistoryView.tsx b/ui/desktop/src/components/sessions/SessionHistoryView.tsx
index e2bc544d7478..58b40d218bd5 100644
--- a/ui/desktop/src/components/sessions/SessionHistoryView.tsx
+++ b/ui/desktop/src/components/sessions/SessionHistoryView.tsx
@@ -43,8 +43,29 @@ const isUserMessage = (message: Message): boolean => {
   return true;
 };
 
+// Filter messages for display (same logic as useChatEngine)
 const filterMessagesForDisplay = (messages: Message[]): Message[] => {
-  return messages.filter((message) => message.display);
+  return messages.filter((message) => {
+    // Only filter out when display is explicitly false
+    if (message.display === false) return false;
+
+    // Keep all assistant messages and user messages that aren't just tool responses
+    if (message.role === 'assistant') return true;
+
+    // For user messages, check if they're only tool responses
+    if (message.role === 'user') {
+      const hasOnlyToolResponses = message.content.every((c) => c.type === 'toolResponse');
+      const hasTextContent = message.content.some((c) => c.type === 'text');
+      const hasToolConfirmation = message.content.every(
+        (c) => c.type === 'toolConfirmationRequest'
+      );
+
+      // Keep the message if it has text content or tool confirmation or is not just tool responses
+      return hasTextContent || !hasOnlyToolResponses || hasToolConfirmation;
+    }
+
+    return true;
+  });
 };
 
 interface SessionHistoryViewProps {
diff --git a/ui/desktop/src/hooks/useChatEngine.ts b/ui/desktop/src/hooks/useChatEngine.ts
index c852b1699c7c..e8b16d50d9d6 100644
--- a/ui/desktop/src/hooks/useChatEngine.ts
+++ b/ui/desktop/src/hooks/useChatEngine.ts
@@ -326,8 +326,29 @@ export const useChatEngine = ({
     }
   }, [stop, messages, _setInput, setMessages]);
 
+  // Filter out standalone tool response messages for rendering
   const filteredMessages = useMemo(() => {
-    return [...ancestorMessages, ...messages].filter((message) => message.display);
+    return [...ancestorMessages, ...messages].filter((message) => {
+      // Only filter out when display is explicitly false
+      if (message.display === false) return false;
+
+      // Keep all assistant messages and user messages that aren't just tool responses
+      if (message.role === 'assistant') return true;
+
+      // For user messages, check if they're only tool responses
+      if (message.role === 'user') {
+        const hasOnlyToolResponses = message.content.every((c) => c.type === 'toolResponse');
+        const hasTextContent = message.content.some((c) => c.type === 'text');
+        const hasToolConfirmation = message.content.every(
+          (c) => c.type === 'toolConfirmationRequest'
+        );
+
+        // Keep the message if it has text content or tool confirmation or is not just tool responses
+        return hasTextContent || !hasOnlyToolResponses || hasToolConfirmation;
+      }
+
+      return true;
+    });
   }, [ancestorMessages, messages]);
 
   // Generate command history from filtered messages