diff --git a/internal/cloud/server-workbench-http.test.ts b/internal/cloud/server-workbench-http.test.ts
index 3418602d..af350403 100644
--- a/internal/cloud/server-workbench-http.test.ts
+++ b/internal/cloud/server-workbench-http.test.ts
@@ -250,6 +250,45 @@ test("workbench read model treats active session state as running", async () =>
   }
 });
 
+test("workbench read model lets running trace override idle session summary", async () => {
+  const traceStore = createCodeAgentTraceStore();
+  const traceId = "trc_workbench_idle_with_running_trace";
+  const session = {
+    id: "ses_workbench_idle_with_running_trace",
+    projectId: "prj_hwpod_workbench",
+    agentId: "hwlab-code-agent",
+    status: "idle",
+    ownerUserId: ACTOR.id,
+    conversationId: "cnv_workbench_idle_with_running_trace",
+    threadId: "thread-workbench-idle-with-running-trace",
+    lastTraceId: traceId,
+    updatedAt: "2026-06-17T00:02:00.000Z",
+    session: { sessionStatus: "idle", lastTraceId: traceId, messages: [{ role: "user", text: "still running despite idle row", traceId, status: "sent" }] }
+  };
+  traceStore.append(traceId, { type: "backend", status: "running", label: "runner:created", terminal: false });
+  const accessController = {
+    store: {
+      async listAgentSessionsForUser() { return [session]; }
+    },
+    async ensureBootstrap() {},
+    async authenticate() { return { ok: true, actor: ACTOR, session: { id: "uss_workbench_reader" } }; }
+  };
+  const server = createCloudApiServer({ accessController, traceStore, codeAgentChatResults: createCodeAgentChatResultStore() });
+  await new Promise((resolve) => server.listen(0, "127.0.0.1", resolve));
+
+  try {
+    const { port } = server.address();
+    const sessions = await getJson(port, `/v1/workbench/sessions?includeSessionId=${encodeURIComponent(session.id)}`);
+    assert.equal(sessions.status, 200);
+    assert.equal(sessions.body.sessions[0].status, "running");
+    assert.equal(sessions.body.sessions[0].running, true);
+    assert.equal(sessions.body.sessions[0].terminal, false);
+    assert.equal(sessions.body.sessions[0].turnSummary.status, "running");
+  } finally {
+    await new Promise((resolve, reject) => server.close((error) => error ? reject(error) : resolve()));
+  }
+});
+
 test("workbench realtime stream accepts session authority without project or workspace", async () => {
   const traceStore = createCodeAgentTraceStore();
   const results = createCodeAgentChatResultStore();
diff --git a/internal/cloud/server-workbench-http.ts b/internal/cloud/server-workbench-http.ts
index afccfd74..11c7fb3d 100644
--- a/internal/cloud/server-workbench-http.ts
+++ b/internal/cloud/server-workbench-http.ts
@@ -643,6 +643,7 @@ function turnStatus(result, session, trace) {
 function canonicalWorkbenchStatus(primary, traceStatus) {
   const primaryStatus = normalizeStatus(primary);
   const trace = normalizeStatus(traceStatus);
+  if (RUNNING_STATUSES.has(trace) && (primaryStatus === "idle" || primaryStatus === "unknown" || !TERMINAL_STATUSES.has(primaryStatus))) return trace;
   if (TERMINAL_STATUSES.has(trace) && (!TERMINAL_STATUSES.has(primaryStatus) || RUNNING_STATUSES.has(primaryStatus))) return trace;
   return primaryStatus || trace || "unknown";
 }