diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/Composer.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/Composer.tsx
index 374a13c6b5..3527372983 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/Composer.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/Composer.tsx
@@ -310,22 +310,16 @@ export const Composer = ({ isFocused = true }: { isFocused?: boolean }) => {
       const hookIcon = activeHook?.eventName?.startsWith('After') ? '↩' : '↪';
 
       return (
-        <Box flexDirection="row" alignItems="center">
-          <Box marginRight={1}>
-            <GeminiRespondingSpinner
-              nonRespondingDisplay={hookIcon}
-              isHookActive={true}
-            />
-          </Box>
-          <Text color={theme.text.primary} italic wrap="truncate-end">
-            <HookStatusDisplay activeHooks={userHooks} />
-          </Text>
+        <Box flexDirection="row" alignItems="center" columnGap={1}>
+          <GeminiRespondingSpinner
+            nonRespondingDisplay={hookIcon}
+            isHookActive={true}
+          />
+          <HookStatusDisplay activeHooks={userHooks} />
           {showWit && uiState.currentWittyPhrase && (
-            <Box marginLeft={1}>
-              <Text color={theme.text.secondary} dimColor italic>
-                {uiState.currentWittyPhrase} :)
-              </Text>
-            </Box>
+            <Text color={theme.text.secondary} dimColor italic>
+              {uiState.currentWittyPhrase}
+            </Text>
           )}
         </Box>
       );
@@ -353,7 +347,7 @@ export const Composer = ({ isFocused = true }: { isFocused?: boolean }) => {
    * Renders the minimal metadata row content shown when UI details are hidden.
    */
   const renderMinimalMetaRowContent = () => (
-    <Box flexDirection="row">
+    <Box flexDirection="row" columnGap={1}>
       {showMinimalInlineLoading && (
         <LoadingIndicator
           inline
@@ -364,33 +358,16 @@ export const Composer = ({ isFocused = true }: { isFocused?: boolean }) => {
         />
       )}
       {hasUserHooks && (
-        <Box marginLeft={showMinimalInlineLoading ? 1 : 0}>
-          <Box marginRight={1}>
-            <GeminiRespondingSpinner isHookActive={true} />
-          </Box>
-          <Text color={theme.text.primary} italic>
-            <HookStatusDisplay activeHooks={userHooks} />
-          </Text>
+        <Box flexDirection="row" columnGap={1}>
+          <GeminiRespondingSpinner isHookActive={true} />
+          <HookStatusDisplay activeHooks={userHooks} />
         </Box>
       )}
       {showMinimalBleedThroughRow && (
-        <Box marginLeft={showMinimalInlineLoading || hasUserHooks ? 1 : 0}>
+        <Box>
           {miniMode_ShowApprovalMode && modeContentObj && (
             <Text color={modeContentObj.color}>● {modeContentObj.text}</Text>
           )}
-          {/* {zenMode_ShowToast && (
-            <Box
-              marginLeft={
-                showMinimalInlineLoading ||
-                zenMode_ShowApprovalMode ||
-                hasUserHooks
-                  ? 1
-                  : 0
-              }
-            >
-              <ToastDisplay />
-            </Box>
-          )} */}
         </Box>
       )}
     </Box>
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/HookStatusDisplay.test.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/HookStatusDisplay.test.tsx
index e2f39c301c..4fd7dda210 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/HookStatusDisplay.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/HookStatusDisplay.test.tsx
@@ -78,4 +78,14 @@ describe('<HookStatusDisplay />', () => {
     expect(lastFrame()).toContain('Working...');
     unmount();
   });
+
+  it('matches SVG snapshot for single hook', async () => {
+    const props = {
+      activeHooks: [{ name: 'test-hook', eventName: 'BeforeAgent', source: 'user' }],
+    };
+    const renderResult = render(<HookStatusDisplay {...props} />);
+    await renderResult.waitUntilReady();
+    await expect(renderResult).toMatchSvgSnapshot();
+    renderResult.unmount();
+  });
 });
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/HookStatusDisplay.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/HookStatusDisplay.tsx
index 8a464b9149..c049198e4a 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/HookStatusDisplay.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/HookStatusDisplay.tsx
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import type React from 'react';
 import { Text } from 'ink';
 import { type ActiveHook } from '../types.js';
 import { GENERIC_WORKING_LABEL } from '../textConstants.js';
+import { theme } from '../semantic-colors.js';
 
 interface HookStatusDisplayProps {
   activeHooks: ActiveHook[];
@@ -38,9 +39,17 @@ export const HookStatusDisplay: React.FC<HookStatusDisplayProps> = ({
     });
 
     const text = `${label}: ${displayNames.join(', ')}`;
-    return <Text color="inherit">{text}</Text>;
+    return (
+      <Text color={theme.text.secondary} italic={true}>
+        {text}
+      </Text>
+    );
   }
 
   // If only system/extension hooks are running, show a generic message.
-  return <Text color="inherit">{GENERIC_WORKING_LABEL}</Text>;
+  return (
+    <Text color={theme.text.secondary} italic={true}>
+      {GENERIC_WORKING_LABEL}
+    </Text>
+  );
 };
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/__snapshots__/HookStatusDisplay.test.tsx.snap b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/__snapshots__/HookStatusDisplay.test.tsx.snap
index 458728736e..5e04b96cb8 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/__snapshots__/HookStatusDisplay.test.tsx.snap
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/__snapshots__/HookStatusDisplay.test.tsx.snap
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 // Vitest Snapshot v1, https://vitest.dev/guide/snapshot.html
 
+exports[`<HookStatusDisplay /> > matches SVG snapshot for single hook 1`] = `"Executing Hook: test-hook"`;
+
 exports[`<HookStatusDisplay /> > should render a single executing hook 1`] = `
 "Executing Hook: test-hook
 "
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/hooks/useLoadingIndicator.test.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/hooks/useLoadingIndicator.test.tsx
index 4f5f5fb419..1b1f70affa 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/hooks/useLoadingIndicator.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/hooks/useLoadingIndicator.test.tsx
@@ -211,4 +211,72 @@ describe('useLoadingIndicator', () => {
     expect(result.current.elapsedTime).toBe(0);
     expect(result.current.currentLoadingPhrase).toBeUndefined();
   });
+
+  it('should reflect retry status in currentLoadingPhrase when provided', () => {
+    const retryStatus = {
+      model: 'gemini-pro',
+      attempt: 2,
+      maxAttempts: 3,
+      delayMs: 1000,
+    };
+    const { result } = renderLoadingIndicatorHook(
+      StreamingState.Responding,
+      false,
+      retryStatus,
+    );
+
+    expect(result.current.currentLoadingPhrase).toContain('Trying to reach');
+    expect(result.current.currentLoadingPhrase).toContain('Attempt 3/3');
+  });
+
+  it('should hide low-verbosity retry status for early retry attempts', () => {
+    const retryStatus = {
+      model: 'gemini-pro',
+      attempt: 1,
+      maxAttempts: 5,
+      delayMs: 1000,
+    };
+    const { result } = renderLoadingIndicatorHook(
+      StreamingState.Responding,
+      false,
+      retryStatus,
+      'all',
+      'low',
+    );
+
+    expect(result.current.currentLoadingPhrase).not.toBe(
+      "This is taking a bit longer, we're still on it.",
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('should show a generic retry phrase in low error verbosity mode for later retries', () => {
+    const retryStatus = {
+      model: 'gemini-pro',
+      attempt: 2,
+      maxAttempts: 5,
+      delayMs: 1000,
+    };
+    const { result } = renderLoadingIndicatorHook(
+      StreamingState.Responding,
+      false,
+      retryStatus,
+      'all',
+      'low',
+    );
+
+    expect(result.current.currentLoadingPhrase).toBe(
+      "This is taking a bit longer, we're still on it.",
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('should show no phrases when loadingPhrasesMode is "off"', () => {
+    const { result } = renderLoadingIndicatorHook(
+      StreamingState.Responding,
+      false,
+      null,
+      'off',
+    );
+
+    expect(result.current.currentLoadingPhrase).toBeUndefined();
+  });
 });