diff --git a/packages/app/src/hooks/use-container-width.test.ts b/packages/app/src/hooks/use-container-width.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0d0670942
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/app/src/hooks/use-container-width.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+// @vitest-environment jsdom
+
+import { act, renderHook } from "@testing-library/react";
+import type { LayoutChangeEvent } from "react-native";
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { useContainerWidthBelow } from "./use-container-width";
+
+function layoutEvent(width: number): LayoutChangeEvent {
+  return {
+    nativeEvent: {
+      layout: {
+        width,
+        height: 48,
+        x: 0,
+        y: 0,
+      },
+    },
+  } as LayoutChangeEvent;
+}
+
+describe("useContainerWidthBelow", () => {
+  it("does not re-render for width changes that stay in the same threshold bucket", () => {
+    let renderCount = 0;
+    const { result } = renderHook(() => {
+      renderCount += 1;
+      return useContainerWidthBelow(700);
+    });
+
+    expect(result.current.isBelow).toBe(true);
+    expect(renderCount).toBe(1);
+
+    act(() => {
+      result.current.onLayout(layoutEvent(650));
+      result.current.onLayout(layoutEvent(620));
+      result.current.onLayout(layoutEvent(699));
+    });
+
+    expect(result.current.isBelow).toBe(true);
+    expect(renderCount).toBe(1);
+  });
+
+  it("re-renders when the width crosses the threshold", () => {
+    let renderCount = 0;
+    const { result } = renderHook(() => {
+      renderCount += 1;
+      return useContainerWidthBelow(700);
+    });
+
+    act(() => {
+      result.current.onLayout(layoutEvent(760));
+    });
+
+    expect(result.current.isBelow).toBe(false);
+    expect(renderCount).toBe(2);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/app/src/hooks/use-container-width.ts b/packages/app/src/hooks/use-container-width.ts
index 35bb1b7b6..86654c3f2 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/hooks/use-container-width.ts
+++ b/packages/app/src/hooks/use-container-width.ts
@@ -16,3 +16,25 @@ export function useContainerWidth(): {
     width,
   };
 }
+
+/**
+ * Tracks only whether a container is narrower than a threshold.
+ */
+export function useContainerWidthBelow(threshold: number): {
+  onLayout: (e: LayoutChangeEvent) => void;
+  isBelow: boolean;
+} {
+  const [isBelow, setIsBelow] = useState(true);
+  return {
+    onLayout: useCallback(
+      (e: LayoutChangeEvent) => {
+        const nextIsBelow = e.nativeEvent.layout.width < threshold;
+        setIsBelow((currentIsBelow) =>
+          currentIsBelow === nextIsBelow ? currentIsBelow : nextIsBelow,
+        );
+      },
+      [threshold],
+    ),
+    isBelow,
+  };
+}
diff --git a/packages/app/src/screens/workspace/workspace-screen.tsx b/packages/app/src/screens/workspace/workspace-screen.tsx
index 4bba0398b..10383e653 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/screens/workspace/workspace-screen.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/screens/workspace/workspace-screen.tsx
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ import { findAdjacentPane } from "@/utils/split-navigation";
 import { isAbsolutePath } from "@/utils/path";
 import { useIsCompactFormFactor, supportsDesktopPaneSplits } from "@/constants/layout";
 import { isWeb, isNative } from "@/constants/platform";
-import { useContainerWidth } from "@/hooks/use-container-width";
+import { useContainerWidthBelow } from "@/hooks/use-container-width";
 
 const TERMINALS_QUERY_STALE_TIME = 5_000;
 const WORKSPACE_SETUP_AUTO_OPEN_WINDOW_MS = 30_000;
@@ -1051,8 +1051,8 @@ function WorkspaceScreenContent({
   );
   const pendingByDraftId = useCreateFlowStore((state) => state.pendingByDraftId);
   const { closingTabIds, closeTab } = useCloseTabs();
-  const { onLayout: onHeaderLayout, width: headerWidth } = useContainerWidth();
-  const showCompactButtonLabels = headerWidth < 700;
+  const { onLayout: onHeaderLayout, isBelow: showCompactButtonLabels } =
+    useContainerWidthBelow(700);
   const closeWorkspaceTabWithCleanup = useCallback(
     function closeWorkspaceTabWithCleanup(input: {
       tabId: string;