diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/ChatView.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/ChatView.tsx
index 20966deb0c4f..b3e75edd4e7f 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/ChatView.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/ChatView.tsx
@@ -6410,7 +6410,10 @@ function ChatViewContent(props: ChatViewProps) {
     composerBannerItems.length > 0 || Boolean(threadSyncPhase && !activeEnvironmentUnavailable);
 
   return (
-    <div className="relative flex min-h-0 min-w-0 flex-1 overflow-hidden bg-background">
+    <div
+      className="terminal-shell relative flex min-h-0 min-w-0 flex-1 overflow-hidden bg-background"
+      data-terminal-shell="true"
+    >
       {rightPanelOpen && !shouldUseRightPanelSheet ? panelLayoutControls : null}
       <div
         className={cn(
@@ -6574,6 +6577,24 @@ function ChatViewContent(props: ChatViewProps) {
                 className="w-full ps-[calc(env(safe-area-inset-left)+0.75rem)] pe-[calc(env(safe-area-inset-right)+0.75rem)] sm:ps-[calc(env(safe-area-inset-left)+1.25rem)] sm:pe-[calc(env(safe-area-inset-right)+1.25rem)]"
               >
                 <div className="pointer-events-auto relative z-10">
+                  {!isDraftHeroState ? (
+                    <div
+                      aria-live="polite"
+                      className="flex items-center gap-2 px-1 pb-1.5 text-[11px] text-muted-foreground"
+                      data-terminal-shell-status="true"
+                    >
+                      <span data-terminal-shell-status-state={isWorking ? "working" : "ready"}>
+                        {isWorking ? (workingStepLabel ?? "Working") : "Ready"}
+                      </span>
+                      {isWorking ? <span aria-hidden="true">· esc to interrupt</span> : null}
+                      {terminalUiState.terminalIds.length > 0 ? (
+                        <span>
+                          · {terminalUiState.terminalIds.length} terminal
+                          {terminalUiState.terminalIds.length === 1 ? "" : "s"} active
+                        </span>
+                      ) : null}
+                    </div>
+                  ) : null}
                   {isDraftHeroState ? (
                     <div className="absolute inset-x-0 bottom-full z-0">
                       <div
diff --git a/apps/web/src/index.css b/apps/web/src/index.css
index f69adb9cf08e..00512f1d10a9 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/index.css
+++ b/apps/web/src/index.css
@@ -1667,6 +1667,196 @@ html[data-theme-id="t3-chat"]
   }
 }
 
+/* Terminal shell
+   The chat remains the same provider-backed workspace, but this presentation
+   makes the transcript feel like a live terminal session: the output owns the
+   canvas, prompts are flat and wide, and status/color are intentionally quiet. */
+[data-terminal-shell="true"] {
+  --terminal-shell-background: #11161d;
+  --terminal-shell-surface: #1b2230;
+  --terminal-shell-border: rgb(255 255 255 / 9%);
+  --terminal-shell-muted: #8f9aa8;
+  --terminal-shell-foreground: #e6e9ed;
+  --terminal-shell-accent: #52e7d1;
+  --terminal-shell-selection: rgb(82 231 209 / 18%);
+  background: var(--terminal-shell-background);
+  color: var(--terminal-shell-foreground);
+  font-family: var(--font-mono);
+}
+
+[data-terminal-shell="true"] [data-chat-header] {
+  min-height: 2.75rem;
+  border-bottom: 1px solid var(--terminal-shell-border);
+  background: var(--terminal-shell-background);
+  color: var(--terminal-shell-muted);
+  font-family: var(--font-mono);
+}
+
+[data-terminal-shell="true"] [data-chat-header] h2,
+[data-terminal-shell="true"] [data-chat-header] button,
+[data-terminal-shell="true"] [data-chat-header] [data-project-favicon] {
+  font-family: var(--font-mono);
+}
+
+[data-terminal-shell="true"] [data-chat-workspace-drop-target="true"] {
+  background: var(--terminal-shell-background);
+}
+
+[data-terminal-shell="true"] [data-timeline-root="true"] {
+  max-width: none;
+  padding-inline: clamp(1rem, 4vw, 4rem);
+  font-family: var(--font-mono);
+  font-size: 0.9375rem;
+  line-height: 1.55;
+}
+
+[data-terminal-shell="true"] [data-timeline-row-kind="message"] {
+  padding-block: 0.35rem;
+}
+
+[data-terminal-shell="true"] [data-message-role="assistant"] > div {
+  padding-inline: 0;
+}
+
+[data-terminal-shell="true"] [data-message-role="user"] > .group {
+  align-items: flex-start;
+  gap: 0;
+}
+
+[data-terminal-shell="true"] [data-message-role="user"] > .group > div:first-child {
+  max-width: none;
+  border: 0;
+  border-radius: 0;
+  background: transparent;
+  padding: 0;
+  color: var(--terminal-shell-foreground);
+}
+
+[data-terminal-shell="true"] [data-message-role="user"] > .group > div:first-child::before {
+  margin-inline-end: 0.75rem;
+  color: var(--terminal-shell-accent);
+  content: ">";
+  line-height: 1.55;
+}
+
+[data-terminal-shell="true"] [data-message-role="user"] [data-user-message-footer="true"] {
+  max-width: none;
+  justify-content: flex-start;
+  padding-inline-start: 1.5rem;
+  color: var(--terminal-shell-muted);
+}
+
+[data-terminal-shell="true"] [data-message-role="assistant"] a,
+[data-terminal-shell="true"] [data-message-role="assistant"] code,
+[data-terminal-shell="true"] [data-message-role="user"] code {
+  color: var(--terminal-shell-accent);
+}
+
+[data-terminal-shell="true"] [data-message-role="assistant"] a {
+  text-decoration-color: color-mix(in srgb, var(--terminal-shell-accent) 65%, transparent);
+}
+
+[data-terminal-shell="true"] [data-message-role="assistant"] pre,
+[data-terminal-shell="true"] [data-message-role="user"] pre {
+  border-color: var(--terminal-shell-border);
+  border-radius: 2px;
+  background: rgb(0 0 0 / 22%);
+}
+
+[data-terminal-shell="true"] .chat-composer-glass-shell {
+  --chat-composer-glass-surface: var(--terminal-shell-surface);
+  --chat-composer-outline: var(--terminal-shell-border);
+  max-width: none;
+}
+
+[data-terminal-shell="true"] .chat-composer-glass-shell::before,
+[data-terminal-shell="true"] .chat-composer-glass-host::after {
+  border-radius: 3px;
+}
+
+[data-terminal-shell="true"] .chat-composer-glass-shell::before {
+  background: var(--terminal-shell-surface);
+  box-shadow: 0 -14px 34px -28px rgb(0 0 0 / 80%);
+}
+
+[data-terminal-shell="true"] .chat-composer-glass-host,
+[data-terminal-shell="true"] [data-chat-composer-main-surface="true"],
+[data-terminal-shell="true"] [data-chat-composer-surface="true"] {
+  border-radius: 3px;
+}
+
+[data-terminal-shell="true"] [data-chat-composer-form="true"] {
+  max-width: none;
+}
+
+[data-terminal-shell="true"] [data-chat-composer-main-surface="true"] {
+  border: 1px solid var(--terminal-shell-border);
+  background: var(--terminal-shell-surface);
+  box-shadow: none;
+}
+
+[data-terminal-shell="true"] [data-chat-composer-surface="true"] {
+  background: transparent;
+}
+
+[data-terminal-shell="true"] [data-testid="composer-editor"] {
+  min-height: 3.5rem;
+  padding-block: 0.15rem;
+  font-family: var(--font-mono);
+  font-size: 0.9375rem;
+  line-height: 1.55;
+  caret-color: var(--terminal-shell-accent);
+}
+
+[data-terminal-shell="true"] [data-testid="composer-editor"]::selection {
+  background: var(--terminal-shell-selection);
+}
+
+[data-terminal-shell="true"] [data-chat-composer-main-surface="true"] button:hover {
+  background: rgb(255 255 255 / 7%);
+}
+
+[data-terminal-shell="true"] [data-chat-composer-overlay] {
+  background: linear-gradient(to top, var(--terminal-shell-background) 0%, transparent 100%);
+  padding-top: 1.5rem;
+}
+
+[data-terminal-shell="true"] [data-terminal-shell-status="true"] {
+  font-family: var(--font-mono);
+  letter-spacing: 0.01em;
+}
+
+[data-terminal-shell="true"] [data-terminal-shell-status-state] {
+  color: var(--terminal-shell-muted);
+}
+
+[data-terminal-shell="true"] [data-terminal-shell-status-state]::before {
+  display: inline-block;
+  width: 0.5rem;
+  height: 0.5rem;
+  margin-inline-end: 0.5rem;
+  border-radius: 999px;
+  background: var(--terminal-shell-muted);
+  content: "";
+  vertical-align: 0.03em;
+}
+
+[data-terminal-shell="true"] [data-terminal-shell-status-state="working"] {
+  color: var(--terminal-shell-accent);
+}
+
+[data-terminal-shell="true"] [data-terminal-shell-status-state="working"]::before {
+  background: var(--terminal-shell-accent);
+  box-shadow: 0 0 0 3px rgb(82 231 209 / 10%);
+}
+
+@media (max-width: 639px) {
+  [data-terminal-shell="true"] [data-timeline-root="true"] {
+    padding-inline: 1rem;
+    font-size: 0.875rem;
+  }
+}
+
 /* Theme-token dependency probes are restored synchronously, before paint. Keep
    transitions from observing the temporary sentinel color in between. */
 html[data-theme-token-probe],