diff --git a/internal/cloud/server-workbench-http.test.ts b/internal/cloud/server-workbench-http.test.ts
index 655e02c6..d1051cf9 100644
--- a/internal/cloud/server-workbench-http.test.ts
+++ b/internal/cloud/server-workbench-http.test.ts
@@ -1046,6 +1046,8 @@ test("workbench session list overlaps include lookup with the page query", async
     assert.equal(sessions.status, 200);
     assert.equal(sessions.body.sessions[0].sessionId, included.id);
     assert.equal(sessions.body.hasMore, true);
+    assert.equal(queries.find((query) => query.sessionOrder === "updated_desc")?.sessionProjection, "summary");
+    assert.equal(queries.find((query) => query.sessionId === included.id)?.sessionProjection, undefined);
   } finally {
     pageReleased = true;
     releasePage();
diff --git a/internal/cloud/server-workbench-http.ts b/internal/cloud/server-workbench-http.ts
index 5da046e9..04912258 100644
--- a/internal/cloud/server-workbench-http.ts
+++ b/internal/cloud/server-workbench-http.ts
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ async function handleWorkbenchSessionList(response, url, options, actor) {
   const includeSessionId = safeSessionId(url.searchParams.get("includeSessionId"));
   const includeRouteId = includeSessionId ?? safeConversationId(url.searchParams.get("includeSessionId"));
   const readModel = createWorkbenchReadModel(options, actor);
-  const pageQuery = { ownerUserId: actor.role === "admin" ? undefined : actor.id, limit: limit + offset + 1, families: WORKBENCH_SESSION_LIST_PAGE_FAMILIES, sessionOrder: "updated_desc" };
+  const pageQuery = { ownerUserId: actor.role === "admin" ? undefined : actor.id, limit: limit + offset + 1, families: WORKBENCH_SESSION_LIST_PAGE_FAMILIES, sessionOrder: "updated_desc", sessionProjection: "summary" };
   const includeQueryPromise = includeRouteId ? queryWorkbenchSessionInclude(readModel, includeRouteId, perf) : null;
   const pageResult = await (perf ? perf.measure("workbench_session_page_query", () => readModel.queryFacts(pageQuery)) : readModel.queryFacts(pageQuery));
   if (pageResult.error) return sendJson(response, 503, workbenchProjectionStoreError(pageResult.error));
diff --git a/internal/db/runtime-store.test.ts b/internal/db/runtime-store.test.ts
index 52bf8f15..8889c295 100644
--- a/internal/db/runtime-store.test.ts
+++ b/internal/db/runtime-store.test.ts
@@ -868,6 +868,57 @@ test("configured postgres runtime reuses proven readiness for Workbench durable
   assert.equal(queryClient.calls.filter((call) => call.sql.startsWith("SELECT session_json FROM workbench_sessions")).length, 2);
 });
 
+test("configured postgres runtime can query thin Workbench session summaries", async () => {
+  const queryClient = createFakePostgresClient({ migrationReady: true });
+  const store = createConfiguredCloudRuntimeStore({
+    env: {
+      HWLAB_CLOUD_RUNTIME_ADAPTER: "postgres",
+      HWLAB_CLOUD_RUNTIME_DURABLE: "true"
+    },
+    dbUrl: "postgres://hwlab_redacted@db.example.invalid:5432/hwlab",
+    queryClient,
+    now: () => "2026-06-20T10:00:00.000Z"
+  });
+  await store.writeWorkbenchFacts({
+    facts: {
+      sessions: [{
+        sessionId: "ses_summary_projection",
+        ownerUserId: "usr_summary_projection",
+        projectId: "prj_summary_projection",
+        conversationId: "cnv_summary_projection",
+        threadId: "thr_summary_projection",
+        status: "running",
+        lastTraceId: "trc_summary_projection",
+        projectedSeq: 7,
+        sourceSeq: 7,
+        sourceEventId: "evt_summary_projection",
+        terminal: false,
+        sealed: false,
+        sessionJson: {
+          providerProfile: "codex-fast",
+          messages: [{ role: "user", text: "large payload".repeat(500) }],
+          prompt: "should stay out of list projection"
+        },
+        createdAt: "2026-06-20T09:59:00.000Z",
+        updatedAt: "2026-06-20T10:00:00.000Z"
+      }]
+    }
+  });
+  queryClient.calls.length = 0;
+
+  const loaded = await store.queryWorkbenchFacts({ families: ["sessions"], sessionProjection: "summary", limit: 10 });
+  const session = loaded.facts.sessions[0];
+  const readCall = queryClient.calls.find((call) => call.sql.includes("FROM workbench_sessions"));
+
+  assert.equal(session.sessionId, "ses_summary_projection");
+  assert.equal(session.providerProfile, "codex-fast");
+  assert.deepEqual(session.sessionJson, { providerProfile: "codex-fast", valuesRedacted: true, secretMaterialStored: false });
+  assert.equal(session.sessionJson.messages, undefined);
+  assert.ok(readCall?.sql.startsWith("SELECT session_id, owner_user_id"));
+  assert.equal(readCall.sql.includes("SELECT session_json FROM workbench_sessions"), false);
+  assert.ok(readCall.sql.includes("providerProfile"));
+});
+
 test("configured postgres runtime queries requested workbench fact families concurrently", async () => {
   const expectedReads = 4;
   let started = 0;
@@ -1140,6 +1191,10 @@ function createFakePostgresClient({
         rows.sort((left, right) => String(left.updated_at).localeCompare(String(right.updated_at)) || String(left.trace_id).localeCompare(String(right.trace_id)));
         return { rows: rows.map((record) => ({ projection_json: record.projection_json })) };
       }
+      if (sql.startsWith("SELECT session_id, owner_user_id") && sql.includes("FROM workbench_sessions")) {
+        if (beforeWorkbenchFactRead) await beforeWorkbenchFactRead(sql, params);
+        return workbenchSessionSummaryRows(state.workbench_sessions, sql, params, readErrorCode);
+      }
       if (sql.startsWith("SELECT session_json FROM workbench_sessions")) {
         if (beforeWorkbenchFactRead) await beforeWorkbenchFactRead(sql, params);
         return workbenchFactRows(state.workbench_sessions, "session_json", sql, params, readErrorCode);
@@ -1310,6 +1365,41 @@ function workbenchFactRows(map, jsonColumn, sql, params, readErrorCode) {
   return { rows: Number.isInteger(limit) && limit > 0 ? rows.slice(0, limit) : rows };
 }
 
+function workbenchSessionSummaryRows(map, sql, params, readErrorCode) {
+  if (readErrorCode) {
+    const error = new Error("workbench fact read query failed");
+    error.code = readErrorCode;
+    throw error;
+  }
+  const direction = sql.includes("ORDER BY updated_at DESC") ? -1 : 1;
+  const rows = [...map.values()]
+    .filter((record) => sqlRecordMatches(record, sql, params))
+    .sort((left, right) => direction * (String(left.updated_at).localeCompare(String(right.updated_at)) || String(left.session_id).localeCompare(String(right.session_id))))
+    .map((record) => {
+      const session = JSON.parse(record.session_json || "{}");
+      const providerProfile = session.providerProfile ?? session.sessionJson?.providerProfile ?? null;
+      return {
+        session_id: record.session_id,
+        owner_user_id: record.owner_user_id,
+        project_id: record.project_id,
+        conversation_id: record.conversation_id,
+        thread_id: record.thread_id,
+        status: record.status,
+        last_trace_id: record.last_trace_id,
+        projected_seq: record.projected_seq,
+        source_seq: record.source_seq,
+        source_event_id: record.source_event_id,
+        terminal: record.terminal,
+        sealed: record.sealed,
+        created_at: record.created_at,
+        updated_at: record.updated_at,
+        provider_profile: providerProfile
+      };
+    });
+  const limit = sql.includes(" LIMIT $") ? Number(params.at(-1)) : null;
+  return { rows: Number.isInteger(limit) && limit > 0 ? rows.slice(0, limit) : rows };
+}
+
 function sqlRecordMatches(record, sql, params) {
   for (const column of Object.keys(record)) {
     const match = sql.match(new RegExp(`(?:^|[^a-z_])${column} = \\$(\\d+)`, "u"));
diff --git a/internal/db/runtime-store.ts b/internal/db/runtime-store.ts
index 5449fe5a..b3e56921 100644
--- a/internal/db/runtime-store.ts
+++ b/internal/db/runtime-store.ts
@@ -1326,12 +1326,14 @@ export class PostgresCloudRuntimeStore {
       return result.rows.map((row) => parseJsonColumn(row[jsonColumn], null)).filter(Boolean);
     }
     const orderDirection = workbenchFactOrder(params, family) === "updated_desc" ? "DESC" : "ASC";
-    let sql = `SELECT ${jsonColumn} FROM ${table}${clauses.length ? ` WHERE ${clauses.join(" AND ")}` : ""} ORDER BY updated_at ${orderDirection}`;
+    const useSessionSummaryProjection = table === "workbench_sessions" && params.sessionProjection === "summary";
+    let sql = `SELECT ${useSessionSummaryProjection ? workbenchSessionSummarySelectClause() : jsonColumn} FROM ${table}${clauses.length ? ` WHERE ${clauses.join(" AND ")}` : ""} ORDER BY updated_at ${orderDirection}`;
     if (limit) {
       queryParams.push(limit);
       sql += ` LIMIT $${queryParams.length}`;
     }
     const result = await this.queryDurableReadRows(method, sql, queryParams);
+    if (useSessionSummaryProjection) return result.rows.map(workbenchSessionSummaryFactFromRow).filter(Boolean);
     return result.rows.map((row) => parseJsonColumn(row[jsonColumn], null)).filter(Boolean);
   }
 
@@ -2227,6 +2229,59 @@ function workbenchFactFamilyForTable(table) {
   return "unknown";
 }
 
+function workbenchSessionSummarySelectClause() {
+  return [
+    "session_id",
+    "owner_user_id",
+    "project_id",
+    "conversation_id",
+    "thread_id",
+    "status",
+    "last_trace_id",
+    "projected_seq",
+    "source_seq",
+    "source_event_id",
+    "terminal",
+    "sealed",
+    "created_at",
+    "updated_at",
+    "COALESCE(NULLIF(session_json::jsonb ->> 'providerProfile', ''), NULLIF(session_json::jsonb #>> '{sessionJson,providerProfile}', '')) AS provider_profile"
+  ].join(", ");
+}
+
+function workbenchSessionSummaryFactFromRow(row = {}) {
+  const sessionId = textOr(row.session_id, "");
+  if (!sessionId) return null;
+  const providerProfile = textOr(row.provider_profile, "");
+  return {
+    id: sessionId,
+    sessionId,
+    ownerUserId: textOr(row.owner_user_id, null),
+    projectId: textOr(row.project_id, null),
+    conversationId: textOr(row.conversation_id, null),
+    threadId: textOr(row.thread_id, null),
+    status: textOr(row.status, "unknown"),
+    lastTraceId: textOr(row.last_trace_id, null),
+    projectedSeq: nonNegativeInteger(row.projected_seq),
+    sourceSeq: nonNegativeInteger(row.source_seq),
+    sourceEventId: textOr(row.source_event_id, null),
+    terminal: row.terminal === true || row.terminal === "t",
+    sealed: row.sealed === true || row.sealed === "t",
+    ...(providerProfile ? {
+      providerProfile,
+      sessionJson: {
+        providerProfile,
+        valuesRedacted: true,
+        secretMaterialStored: false
+      }
+    } : {}),
+    createdAt: textOr(row.created_at, null),
+    updatedAt: textOr(row.updated_at, row.created_at ?? null),
+    valuesPrinted: false,
+    valuesRedacted: true
+  };
+}
+
 function workbenchFactOrder(params = {}, family = "") {
   const value = params[`${family}Order`] ?? params.order;
   return value === "updated_desc" ? "updated_desc" : "updated_asc";
diff --git a/web/hwlab-cloud-web/scripts/workbench-performance.test.ts b/web/hwlab-cloud-web/scripts/workbench-performance.test.ts
index 9cd7ffe2..61156b77 100644
--- a/web/hwlab-cloud-web/scripts/workbench-performance.test.ts
+++ b/web/hwlab-cloud-web/scripts/workbench-performance.test.ts
@@ -64,6 +64,17 @@ test("Workbench submit failures do not pollute first visible output SLI", () =>
   assert.ok(events.some((event) => event.kind === "workbench_journey" && event.journey === "submit_to_failure" && event.outcome === "network"));
 });
 
+test("Workbench session switch treats visible empty sessions as successful first paint", () => {
+  resetWorkbenchPerformanceForTest();
+  startWorkbenchSessionSwitch({ sessionId: "ses_empty_visible", source: "rail", targetState: "empty", cache: "cold" });
+  acknowledgeWorkbenchVisible({ messages: [], activeSessionId: "ses_empty_visible", detailLoading: false });
+
+  const events = drainWorkbenchPerformanceEventsForTest();
+  const switchEvent = events.find((event) => event.kind === "workbench_journey" && event.journey === "session_switch_first_visible");
+  assert.equal(switchEvent?.outcome, "ok");
+  assert.equal(switchEvent?.targetState, "empty");
+});
+
 test("Workbench submit first visible waits for terminal final or tool output", () => {
   resetWorkbenchPerformanceForTest();
   const wallBase = Date.now();
diff --git a/web/hwlab-cloud-web/src/utils/workbench-performance.ts b/web/hwlab-cloud-web/src/utils/workbench-performance.ts
index a0914513..52ea2ab3 100644
--- a/web/hwlab-cloud-web/src/utils/workbench-performance.ts
+++ b/web/hwlab-cloud-web/src/utils/workbench-performance.ts
@@ -375,7 +375,7 @@ export function acknowledgeWorkbenchVisible(input: { messages: ChatMessage[]; ac
   const session = activeSessionId ? sessionSwitches.get(activeSessionId) : null;
   if (session && !session.firstVisibleReported && !input.detailLoading) {
     session.firstVisibleReported = true;
-    enqueue({ kind: "workbench_journey", journey: "session_switch_first_visible", route: session.route, source: session.source, targetState: session.targetState, cache: session.cache, visibility: visibilityState(), outcome: input.messages.length > 0 ? "ok" : "empty", valueMs: Math.max(0, now - session.startAt) });
+    enqueue({ kind: "workbench_journey", journey: "session_switch_first_visible", route: session.route, source: session.source, targetState: session.targetState, cache: session.cache, visibility: visibilityState(), outcome: "ok", valueMs: Math.max(0, now - session.startAt) });
   }
   for (const message of input.messages) {
     const traceId = safeText(message.traceId ?? message.runnerTrace?.traceId);