diff --git a/packages/app/src/components/agent-list.tsx b/packages/app/src/components/agent-list.tsx
index 4232a63f1..0fd56320b 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/components/agent-list.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/components/agent-list.tsx
@@ -324,7 +324,7 @@ export function AgentList({
 
   const handleAgentLongPress = useCallback(
     (agent: AggregatedAgent) => {
-      const isRunning = agent.status === "running" || agent.status === "initializing";
+      const isRunning = agent.status === "running";
       if (isRunning) {
         setActionAgent(agent);
         return;
diff --git a/packages/app/src/hooks/use-agent-screen-state-machine.test.ts b/packages/app/src/hooks/use-agent-screen-state-machine.test.ts
index b4e304e9b..f2da3318b 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/hooks/use-agent-screen-state-machine.test.ts
+++ b/packages/app/src/hooks/use-agent-screen-state-machine.test.ts
@@ -420,7 +420,7 @@ describe("deriveAgentScreenViewState", () => {
     expect(transitions.join(" -> ")).not.toContain("loading -> idle");
   });
 
-  it("keeps optimistic running status while authoritative agent is initializing", () => {
+  it("uses authoritative initializing status instead of optimistic running status", () => {
     const memory = createBaseMemory();
     const input: AgentScreenMachineInput = {
       ...createBaseInput(),
@@ -431,8 +431,8 @@ describe("deriveAgentScreenViewState", () => {
     const result = deriveAgentScreenViewState({ input, memory });
     const ready = expectReadyState(result.state);
 
-    expect(ready.source).toBe("optimistic");
-    expect(ready.agent.status).toBe("running");
+    expect(ready.source).toBe("authoritative");
+    expect(ready.agent.status).toBe("initializing");
   });
 
   it("hands off to authoritative once agent reaches running", () => {
diff --git a/packages/app/src/hooks/use-agent-screen-state-machine.ts b/packages/app/src/hooks/use-agent-screen-state-machine.ts
index 6e9766c84..9a6ea48e2 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/hooks/use-agent-screen-state-machine.ts
+++ b/packages/app/src/hooks/use-agent-screen-state-machine.ts
@@ -100,8 +100,7 @@ function updateInitialSyncFailureMemory(args: {
 
 function shouldUseOptimisticCreateFlowAgent(input: AgentScreenMachineInput): boolean {
   return (
-    input.continuity.kind === "optimistic-create" &&
-    (!input.agent || input.agent.status === "initializing" || input.agent.status === "idle")
+    input.continuity.kind === "optimistic-create" && (!input.agent || input.agent.status === "idle")
   );
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/app/src/screens/workspace/workspace-screen.tsx b/packages/app/src/screens/workspace/workspace-screen.tsx
index 1004b8a5d..301866a3a 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/screens/workspace/workspace-screen.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/screens/workspace/workspace-screen.tsx
@@ -2404,7 +2404,7 @@ function WorkspaceScreenContent({
         const agent =
           useSessionStore.getState().sessions[normalizedServerId]?.agents?.get(agentId) ?? null;
         const closePolicy = resolveCloseAgentTabPolicy(agent);
-        const isRunning = agent?.status === "running" || agent?.status === "initializing";
+        const isRunning = agent?.status === "running";
 
         if (isRunning && closePolicy.kind === "archive-on-close") {
           const confirmed = await confirmDialog({
diff --git a/packages/app/src/subagents/archive-subagent.test.ts b/packages/app/src/subagents/archive-subagent.test.ts
index 68280d4ec..460653561 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/subagents/archive-subagent.test.ts
+++ b/packages/app/src/subagents/archive-subagent.test.ts
@@ -68,16 +68,15 @@ describe("resolveArchiveSubagentDialog", () => {
     });
   });
 
-  it("uses running copy for initializing subagents", () => {
+  it("does not use running copy for initializing subagents", () => {
     expect(
       resolveArchiveSubagentDialog({
         title: "Starting child",
         status: "initializing",
       }),
     ).toEqual({
-      title: "Archive running subagent?",
-      message:
-        "Starting child is still running. Archiving it will stop the subagent and remove it from the track.",
+      title: "Archive subagent?",
+      message: "Remove Starting child from the track. The subagent will be archived.",
       confirmLabel: "Archive",
       cancelLabel: "Cancel",
       destructive: true,
diff --git a/packages/app/src/subagents/archive-subagent.ts b/packages/app/src/subagents/archive-subagent.ts
index 26a431199..bc860bf1e 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/subagents/archive-subagent.ts
+++ b/packages/app/src/subagents/archive-subagent.ts
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ export function resolveArchiveSubagentDialog(
   input: ResolveArchiveSubagentDialogInput,
 ): ConfirmDialogInput {
   const subagentLabel = resolveSubagentLabel(input.title) ?? "this subagent";
-  const isRunning = input.status === "running" || input.status === "initializing";
+  const isRunning = input.status === "running";
 
   return {
     title: isRunning ? "Archive running subagent?" : "Archive subagent?",
diff --git a/packages/app/src/utils/sidebar-agent-state.test.ts b/packages/app/src/utils/sidebar-agent-state.test.ts
index 74f02eba8..53130f3d4 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/utils/sidebar-agent-state.test.ts
+++ b/packages/app/src/utils/sidebar-agent-state.test.ts
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ describe("deriveSidebarStateBucket", () => {
     ).toBe("attention");
   });
 
-  it("treats initializing agents as running", () => {
+  it("does not count initializing agents as running", () => {
     expect(
       deriveSidebarStateBucket({
         status: "initializing",
@@ -43,6 +43,6 @@ describe("deriveSidebarStateBucket", () => {
         requiresAttention: false,
         attentionReason: null,
       }),
-    ).toBe("running");
+    ).toBe("done");
   });
 });
diff --git a/packages/protocol/src/agent-state-bucket.test.ts b/packages/protocol/src/agent-state-bucket.test.ts
index 86add2e4c..3c5d281b3 100644
--- a/packages/protocol/src/agent-state-bucket.test.ts
+++ b/packages/protocol/src/agent-state-bucket.test.ts
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ describe("deriveAgentStateBucket", () => {
     ).toBe("attention");
   });
 
-  it("treats initializing agents as running for workspace buckets", () => {
+  it("does not count initializing agents as running for workspace buckets", () => {
     expect(
       deriveAgentStateBucket({
         status: "initializing",
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ describe("deriveAgentStateBucket", () => {
         requiresAttention: false,
         attentionReason: null,
       }),
-    ).toBe("running");
+    ).toBe("done");
   });
 });
 
diff --git a/packages/protocol/src/agent-state-bucket.ts b/packages/protocol/src/agent-state-bucket.ts
index 9fe42bda8..2973152f1 100644
--- a/packages/protocol/src/agent-state-bucket.ts
+++ b/packages/protocol/src/agent-state-bucket.ts
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ export function deriveAgentStateBucket(input: AgentStateBucketInput): WorkspaceS
   if (input.status === "error" || input.attentionReason === "error") {
     return "failed";
   }
-  if (input.status === "running" || input.status === "initializing") {
+  if (input.status === "running") {
     return "running";
   }
   if (input.requiresAttention) {
diff --git a/packages/server/src/server/session.workspaces.test.ts b/packages/server/src/server/session.workspaces.test.ts
index 99d668119..e0392a124 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/server/session.workspaces.test.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/server/session.workspaces.test.ts
@@ -4201,7 +4201,25 @@ test("buildWorkspaceDescriptorMap computes statusEnteredAt from runtime agent fi
     expect(descriptor.statusEnteredAt).toBe(updatedAt);
   }
 
-  // 3. Highest-priority across all buckets: a "needs_input" agent beats
+  // 3. A root agent that is still initializing does not make the workspace
+  // look like it is actively working.
+  {
+    const { session, workspace } = setupSession();
+    const updatedAt = "2026-05-12T09:45:00.000Z";
+    session.listAgentPayloads = async () => [
+      makeAgent({
+        id: "agent-initializing",
+        cwd: workspace.cwd,
+        status: "initializing",
+        updatedAt,
+      }),
+    ];
+    const descriptor = await buildDescriptor(session, workspace.workspaceId);
+    expect(descriptor.status).toBe("done");
+    expect(descriptor.statusEnteredAt).toBe(updatedAt);
+  }
+
+  // 4. Highest-priority across all buckets: a "needs_input" agent beats
   // a "running" agent beats a "done" agent. statusEnteredAt is the winning
   // bucket's newest agent timestamp.
   {
@@ -4235,7 +4253,7 @@ test("buildWorkspaceDescriptorMap computes statusEnteredAt from runtime agent fi
     expect(descriptor.statusEnteredAt).toBe(needsInputUpdatedAt);
   }
 
-  // 4. Same-bucket: keep the previous bucket entry time even when newer
+  // 5. Same-bucket: keep the previous bucket entry time even when newer
   // agents contribute to the same winning bucket.
   {
     const { session, workspace } = setupSession();