diff --git a/site/src/pages/AgentsPage/AgentChatPage.stories.tsx b/site/src/pages/AgentsPage/AgentChatPage.stories.tsx
index d541491887..619a796822 100644
--- a/site/src/pages/AgentsPage/AgentChatPage.stories.tsx
+++ b/site/src/pages/AgentsPage/AgentChatPage.stories.tsx
@@ -1242,10 +1242,10 @@ export const WithWaitAgentComputerUseVNC: Story = {
 	play: async ({ canvasElement }) => {
 		const canvas = within(canvasElement);
 
-		// The wait_agent card should show "Waiting for" (running state)
-		// rendered via SubagentTool with VNC preview.
+		// The wait_agent card should show "Using the computer..." (running
+		// state) rendered via SubagentTool with VNC preview.
 		await waitFor(() => {
-			expect(canvas.getByText(/Waiting for/)).toBeInTheDocument();
+			expect(canvas.getByText(/Using the computer/)).toBeInTheDocument();
 		});
 	},
 };
diff --git a/site/src/pages/AgentsPage/components/ChatElements/tools/InlineDesktopPreview.tsx b/site/src/pages/AgentsPage/components/ChatElements/tools/InlineDesktopPreview.tsx
index 9f0191be3d..775e13dc84 100644
--- a/site/src/pages/AgentsPage/components/ChatElements/tools/InlineDesktopPreview.tsx
+++ b/site/src/pages/AgentsPage/components/ChatElements/tools/InlineDesktopPreview.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { ExternalLinkIcon } from "lucide-react";
+import { PanelRightOpenIcon } from "lucide-react";
 import type React from "react";
 import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react";
 import { Spinner } from "#/components/Spinner/Spinner";
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@ import {
 /** Default aspect ratio used before the remote framebuffer size is known. */
 const DEFAULT_ASPECT = "16 / 9";
 
+/** Fixed pixel height for the compact preview thumbnail. */
+const PREVIEW_HEIGHT = 128;
+
 /**
  * Non-interactive inline VNC desktop preview. The noVNC canvas is
  * blocked from receiving pointer/keyboard events so it acts as a
@@ -75,19 +78,22 @@ export const InlineDesktopPreview: React.FC<{
 	}, [status]);
 
 	const wrapWithOverlay = (children: React.ReactNode) => (
-		<div className="group relative">
+		<div className="group/preview relative">
 			{children}
 			{/* Transparent overlay — dims the preview on hover and shows
-			    an external-link icon so it's clear clicking opens the
+			    a "View desktop" label so it's clear clicking opens the
 			    sidebar desktop tab. */}
 			{onClick && (
 				<button
 					type="button"
 					onClick={onClick}
 					aria-label="Open desktop tab"
-					className="absolute inset-0 z-10 flex cursor-pointer items-center justify-center border-0 bg-black/0 p-0 transition-colors group-hover:bg-black/50"
+					className="absolute inset-0 z-10 flex cursor-pointer items-center justify-center gap-1.5 border-0 bg-black/0 p-0 transition-colors group-hover/preview:bg-black/50"
 				>
-					<ExternalLinkIcon className="h-6 w-6 text-white opacity-0 drop-shadow-md transition-opacity group-hover:opacity-100" />
+					<span className="text-sm font-medium text-white opacity-0 drop-shadow-md transition-opacity group-hover/preview:opacity-100">
+						View desktop
+					</span>
+					<PanelRightOpenIcon className="h-4 w-4 text-white opacity-0 drop-shadow-md transition-opacity group-hover/preview:opacity-100" />
 				</button>
 			)}
 		</div>
@@ -97,7 +103,7 @@ export const InlineDesktopPreview: React.FC<{
 		return wrapWithOverlay(
 			<div
 				className="flex items-center justify-center text-content-secondary"
-				style={{ aspectRatio: DEFAULT_ASPECT }}
+				style={{ aspectRatio: DEFAULT_ASPECT, height: PREVIEW_HEIGHT }}
 			>
 				<Spinner loading className="h-5 w-5" />
 			</div>,
@@ -108,7 +114,7 @@ export const InlineDesktopPreview: React.FC<{
 		return wrapWithOverlay(
 			<div
 				className="flex items-center justify-center text-xs text-content-secondary"
-				style={{ aspectRatio }}
+				style={{ aspectRatio, height: PREVIEW_HEIGHT }}
 			>
 				Desktop disconnected. Reconnecting…
 			</div>,
@@ -119,7 +125,7 @@ export const InlineDesktopPreview: React.FC<{
 		return wrapWithOverlay(
 			<div
 				className="flex items-center justify-center text-xs text-content-secondary"
-				style={{ aspectRatio: DEFAULT_ASPECT }}
+				style={{ aspectRatio: DEFAULT_ASPECT, height: PREVIEW_HEIGHT }}
 			>
 				Could not connect to desktop.
 			</div>,
@@ -134,8 +140,8 @@ export const InlineDesktopPreview: React.FC<{
 				containerRef.current = el;
 				if (el) attach(el);
 			}}
-			className="pointer-events-none w-full"
-			style={{ aspectRatio }}
+			className="pointer-events-none"
+			style={{ aspectRatio, height: PREVIEW_HEIGHT }}
 		/>,
 	);
 };
diff --git a/site/src/pages/AgentsPage/components/ChatElements/tools/SubagentTool.tsx b/site/src/pages/AgentsPage/components/ChatElements/tools/SubagentTool.tsx
index 15ca0343a7..2c82085b69 100644
--- a/site/src/pages/AgentsPage/components/ChatElements/tools/SubagentTool.tsx
+++ b/site/src/pages/AgentsPage/components/ChatElements/tools/SubagentTool.tsx
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import { Link } from "react-router";
 import { ScrollArea } from "#/components/ScrollArea/ScrollArea";
 import { cn } from "#/utils/cn";
 import { Response } from "../Response";
+import { Shimmer } from "../Shimmer";
 import { useDesktopPanel } from "./DesktopPanelContext";
 import { InlineDesktopPreview } from "./InlineDesktopPreview";
 import {
@@ -70,12 +71,14 @@ const SubagentStatusIcon: React.FC<{
 	isError: boolean;
 	isTimeout: boolean;
 	variant?: "default" | "computer-use";
+	showDesktopPreview?: boolean;
 }> = ({
 	subagentStatus,
 	toolStatus,
 	isError,
 	isTimeout,
 	variant = "default",
+	showDesktopPreview = false,
 }) => {
 	const subagentCompleted = isSubagentSuccessStatus(subagentStatus);
 	const DefaultIcon = variant === "computer-use" ? MonitorIcon : BotIcon;
@@ -86,6 +89,11 @@ const SubagentStatusIcon: React.FC<{
 		return <CircleXIcon className="h-4 w-4 shrink-0 text-content-secondary" />;
 	}
 	if (toolStatus === "running") {
+		if (showDesktopPreview) {
+			return (
+				<MonitorIcon className="h-4 w-4 shrink-0 text-content-secondary" />
+			);
+		}
 		return (
 			<LoaderIcon className="h-4 w-4 shrink-0 animate-spin motion-reduce:animate-none text-content-link" />
 		);
@@ -155,18 +163,27 @@ export const SubagentTool: React.FC<{
 					isError={isError}
 					isTimeout={isTimeout}
 					variant={variant}
-				/>
+					showDesktopPreview={showDesktopPreview}
+				/>{" "}
 				<span className="min-w-0 flex-1 truncate text-sm text-content-secondary">
-					{SUBAGENT_VERBS[toolName]?.[
-						isTimeout
-							? "timeout"
-							: toolStatus === "completed"
-								? "completed"
-								: toolStatus === "error"
-									? "error"
-									: "running"
-					] ?? ""}
-					<span className="text-content-secondary opacity-60">{title}</span>
+					{showDesktopPreview && toolStatus === "running" ? (
+						<Shimmer as="span" className="text-sm">
+							Using the computer...
+						</Shimmer>
+					) : (
+						<>
+							{SUBAGENT_VERBS[toolName]?.[
+								isTimeout
+									? "timeout"
+									: toolStatus === "completed"
+										? "completed"
+										: toolStatus === "error"
+											? "error"
+											: "running"
+							] ?? ""}
+							<span className="text-content-secondary opacity-60">{title}</span>
+						</>
+					)}
 					{chatId && (
 						<Link
 							to={`/agents/${chatId}`}
@@ -194,7 +211,7 @@ export const SubagentTool: React.FC<{
 			</button>
 
 			{showDesktopPreview && desktopChatId && (
-				<div className="mt-1.5 overflow-hidden rounded-lg border border-solid border-border-default">
+				<div className="mt-1.5 w-fit overflow-hidden rounded-lg border border-solid border-border-default">
 					<InlineDesktopPreview
 						chatId={desktopChatId}
 						onClick={onOpenDesktop}
diff --git a/site/src/pages/AgentsPage/components/ChatElements/tools/Tool.stories.tsx b/site/src/pages/AgentsPage/components/ChatElements/tools/Tool.stories.tsx
index 8cbf30f12d..1a9cb719a0 100644
--- a/site/src/pages/AgentsPage/components/ChatElements/tools/Tool.stories.tsx
+++ b/site/src/pages/AgentsPage/components/ChatElements/tools/Tool.stories.tsx
@@ -1244,9 +1244,9 @@ export const WaitAgentComputerUseRunning: Story = {
 	],
 	play: async ({ canvasElement }) => {
 		const canvas = within(canvasElement);
-		expect(canvas.getByText(/Waiting for/)).toBeInTheDocument();
-		// Running state shows the spinner icon.
-		expect(canvasElement.querySelector(".lucide-loader")).not.toBeNull();
+		expect(canvas.getByText(/Using the computer/)).toBeInTheDocument();
+		// Running state shows the monitor icon instead of a spinner.
+		expect(canvasElement.querySelector(".lucide-monitor")).not.toBeNull();
 		// The VNC preview container should mount (the connection will
 		// stay in "connecting" state without a real WebSocket, which
 		// is expected — we only verify the container renders).
diff --git a/site/src/pages/AgentsPage/components/ChatElements/tools/Tool.tsx b/site/src/pages/AgentsPage/components/ChatElements/tools/Tool.tsx
index 846eaf14bf..b97060341b 100644
--- a/site/src/pages/AgentsPage/components/ChatElements/tools/Tool.tsx
+++ b/site/src/pages/AgentsPage/components/ChatElements/tools/Tool.tsx
@@ -333,6 +333,18 @@ const SubagentRenderer: FC<ToolRendererProps> = ({
 		(resultStr.toLowerCase().includes("timed out") ||
 			errorStr.toLowerCase().includes("timed out"));
 
+	// Postpone rendering wait_agent / message_agent until the
+	// chat_id has been parsed from the streaming args. Without it
+	// we can't determine variant or title, which causes a brief
+	// flash of the generic "Waiting for Sub-agent" text.
+	if (
+		!chatId &&
+		status === "running" &&
+		(name === "wait_agent" || name === "message_agent")
+	) {
+		return null;
+	}
+
 	const variant =
 		name === "spawn_computer_use_agent" || computerUseSubagentIds?.has(chatId)
 			? "computer-use"