diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/AppContainer.test.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/AppContainer.test.tsx
index d78b56e11d..94dc423f0d 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/AppContainer.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/AppContainer.test.tsx
@@ -3290,6 +3290,85 @@ describe('AppContainer State Management', () => {
       unmount();
     });
 
+    it('does not reset the hint timer when overflowingIdsSize decreases', async () => {
+      const { unmount } = await act(async () => renderAppContainer());
+      await waitFor(() => expect(capturedOverflowActions).toBeTruthy());
+
+      act(() => {
+        capturedOverflowActions.addOverflowingId('test-id-1');
+        capturedOverflowActions.addOverflowingId('test-id-2');
+      });
+
+      await waitFor(() => {
+        expect(capturedUIState.showIsExpandableHint).toBe(true);
+      });
+
+      act(() => {
+        vi.advanceTimersByTime(EXPAND_HINT_DURATION_MS / 2);
+      });
+      expect(capturedUIState.showIsExpandableHint).toBe(true);
+
+      act(() => {
+        capturedOverflowActions.removeOverflowingId('test-id-2');
+      });
+
+      act(() => {
+        vi.advanceTimersByTime(1);
+      });
+
+      act(() => {
+        vi.advanceTimersByTime(EXPAND_HINT_DURATION_MS / 2);
+      });
+
+      await waitFor(() => {
+        expect(capturedUIState.showIsExpandableHint).toBe(false);
+      });
+
+      unmount();
+    });
+
+    it('does not auto-reset the hint timer for new overflow while expanded', async () => {
+      const { stdin, unmount } = await act(async () => renderAppContainer());
+      await waitFor(() => expect(capturedOverflowActions).toBeTruthy());
+
+      act(() => {
+        capturedOverflowActions.addOverflowingId('test-id-1');
+      });
+
+      await waitFor(() => {
+        expect(capturedUIState.showIsExpandableHint).toBe(true);
+      });
+
+      act(() => {
+        stdin.write('\x0f'); // Ctrl+O
+      });
+
+      expect(capturedUIState.constrainHeight).toBe(false);
+
+      act(() => {
+        vi.advanceTimersByTime(EXPAND_HINT_DURATION_MS - 1000);
+      });
+      expect(capturedUIState.showIsExpandableHint).toBe(true);
+
+      act(() => {
+        capturedOverflowActions.addOverflowingId('test-id-2');
+      });
+
+      act(() => {
+        vi.advanceTimersByTime(1);
+      });
+
+      act(() => {
+        vi.advanceTimersByTime(1000);
+      });
+
+      await waitFor(() => {
+        expect(capturedUIState.showIsExpandableHint).toBe(false);
+      });
+
+      unmount();
+    });
+
     it('toggles expansion state and resets the hint timer when Ctrl+O is pressed in Standard Mode', async () => {
       const { stdin, unmount } = await act(async () => renderAppContainer());
       await waitFor(() => expect(capturedOverflowActions).toBeTruthy());
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/AppContainer.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/AppContainer.tsx
index eaf6fc3e75..ded3151905 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/AppContainer.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/AppContainer.tsx
@@ -187,6 +187,7 @@ import {
   isToolAwaitingConfirmation,
   getAllToolCalls,
 } from './utils/historyUtils.js';
+import { shouldAutoTriggerExpandHint } from './utils/expandHint.js';
 
 interface AppContainerProps {
   config: Config;
@@ -329,24 +330,35 @@ export const AppContainer = (props: AppContainerProps) => {
   const showIsExpandableHint = Boolean(expandHintTrigger);
   const overflowState = useOverflowState();
   const overflowingIdsSize = overflowState?.overflowingIds.size ?? 0;
-  const hasOverflowState = overflowingIdsSize > 0 || !constrainHeight;
+  const previousOverflowingIdsSizeRef = useRef(0);
 
   /**
    * Manages the visibility and x-second timer for the expansion hint.
    *
    * This effect triggers the timer countdown whenever an overflow is detected
-   * or the user manually toggles the expansion state with Ctrl+O.
-   * By depending on overflowingIdsSize, the timer resets when *new* views
-   * overflow, but avoids infinitely resetting during single-view streaming.
+   * while the response is actually constrained. The Ctrl+O handler still
+   * refreshes the hint manually when the user toggles expansion.
    *
-   * In alternate buffer mode, we don't trigger the hint automatically on overflow
-   * to avoid noise, but the user can still trigger it manually with Ctrl+O.
+   * We only auto-refresh when the number of overflowing regions grows. That
+   * keeps the "show more" hint responsive for newly truncated content without
+   * retriggering on layout churn, overflow shrinkage, or while the content is
+   * already expanded.
    */
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (hasOverflowState) {
+    const previousOverflowingIdsSize = previousOverflowingIdsSizeRef.current;
+
+    if (
+      shouldAutoTriggerExpandHint({
+        constrainHeight,
+        overflowingIdsSize,
+        previousOverflowingIdsSize,
+      })
+    ) {
       triggerExpandHint(true);
     }
-  }, [hasOverflowState, overflowingIdsSize, triggerExpandHint]);
+
+    previousOverflowingIdsSizeRef.current = overflowingIdsSize;
+  }, [constrainHeight, overflowingIdsSize, triggerExpandHint]);
 
   const [defaultBannerText, setDefaultBannerText] = useState('');
   const [warningBannerText, setWarningBannerText] = useState('');
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/hooks/useTimedMessage.test.ts b/packages/cli/src/ui/hooks/useTimedMessage.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d57d7aca55
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/hooks/useTimedMessage.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+/**
+ * @license
+ * Copyright 2026 Google LLC
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+ */
+
+import { describe, expect, it, vi, beforeEach, afterEach } from 'vitest';
+import { act } from 'react';
+import { renderHook } from '../../test-utils/render.js';
+import { useTimedMessage } from './useTimedMessage.js';
+
+describe('useTimedMessage', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    vi.useRealTimers();
+  });
+
+  it('resets the timeout when the same message is retriggered', async () => {
+    const { result, unmount } = await renderHook(() => useTimedMessage(1000));
+
+    act(() => {
+      result.current[1]('hint');
+    });
+    expect(result.current[0]).toBe('hint');
+
+    act(() => {
+      vi.advanceTimersByTime(500);
+    });
+
+    act(() => {
+      result.current[1]('hint');
+    });
+    expect(result.current[0]).toBe('hint');
+
+    act(() => {
+      vi.advanceTimersByTime(500);
+    });
+    expect(result.current[0]).toBe('hint');
+
+    act(() => {
+      vi.advanceTimersByTime(500);
+    });
+    expect(result.current[0]).toBeNull();
+
+    unmount();
+  });
+
+  it('clears the message immediately when asked to hide it', async () => {
+    const { result, unmount } = await renderHook(() => useTimedMessage(1000));
+
+    act(() => {
+      result.current[1]('hint');
+    });
+    expect(result.current[0]).toBe('hint');
+
+    act(() => {
+      result.current[1](null);
+    });
+    expect(result.current[0]).toBeNull();
+
+    act(() => {
+      vi.advanceTimersByTime(1000);
+    });
+    expect(result.current[0]).toBeNull();
+
+    unmount();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/hooks/useTimedMessage.ts b/packages/cli/src/ui/hooks/useTimedMessage.ts
index 547968cb90..d7a61d9c87 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/hooks/useTimedMessage.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/hooks/useTimedMessage.ts
@@ -12,19 +12,29 @@ import { useState, useCallback, useRef, useEffect } from 'react';
  */
 export function useTimedMessage<T>(durationMs: number) {
   const [message, setMessage] = useState<T | null>(null);
+  const messageRef = useRef<T | null>(null);
   const timeoutRef = useRef<NodeJS.Timeout | null>(null);
 
   const showMessage = useCallback(
     (msg: T | null) => {
-      setMessage(msg);
       if (timeoutRef.current) {
         clearTimeout(timeoutRef.current);
+        timeoutRef.current = null;
       }
       if (msg !== null) {
         timeoutRef.current = setTimeout(() => {
-          setMessage(null);
+          timeoutRef.current = null;
+          messageRef.current = null;
+          setMessage((prev) => (prev === null ? prev : null));
         }, durationMs);
       }
+
+      if (Object.is(messageRef.current, msg)) {
+        return;
+      }
+
+      messageRef.current = msg;
+      setMessage(msg);
     },
     [durationMs],
   );
@@ -33,6 +43,7 @@ export function useTimedMessage<T>(durationMs: number) {
     () => () => {
       if (timeoutRef.current) {
         clearTimeout(timeoutRef.current);
+        timeoutRef.current = null;
       }
     },
     [],
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/utils/expandHint.test.ts b/packages/cli/src/ui/utils/expandHint.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..419a0ef696
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/utils/expandHint.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+/**
+ * @license
+ * Copyright 2026 Google LLC
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+ */
+
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+import { shouldAutoTriggerExpandHint } from './expandHint.js';
+
+describe('shouldAutoTriggerExpandHint', () => {
+  it('returns true when constrained content gains a new overflowing region', () => {
+    expect(
+      shouldAutoTriggerExpandHint({
+        constrainHeight: true,
+        overflowingIdsSize: 2,
+        previousOverflowingIdsSize: 1,
+      }),
+    ).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('returns false when overflowingIdsSize decreases', () => {
+    expect(
+      shouldAutoTriggerExpandHint({
+        constrainHeight: true,
+        overflowingIdsSize: 1,
+        previousOverflowingIdsSize: 2,
+      }),
+    ).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it('returns false when overflowingIdsSize is unchanged', () => {
+    expect(
+      shouldAutoTriggerExpandHint({
+        constrainHeight: true,
+        overflowingIdsSize: 1,
+        previousOverflowingIdsSize: 1,
+      }),
+    ).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it('returns false while content is already expanded', () => {
+    expect(
+      shouldAutoTriggerExpandHint({
+        constrainHeight: false,
+        overflowingIdsSize: 2,
+        previousOverflowingIdsSize: 1,
+      }),
+    ).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/utils/expandHint.ts b/packages/cli/src/ui/utils/expandHint.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c098dedecc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/utils/expandHint.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+/**
+ * @license
+ * Copyright 2026 Google LLC
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+ */
+
+interface ExpandHintAutoTriggerParams {
+  constrainHeight: boolean;
+  overflowingIdsSize: number;
+  previousOverflowingIdsSize: number;
+}
+
+export function shouldAutoTriggerExpandHint({
+  constrainHeight,
+  overflowingIdsSize,
+  previousOverflowingIdsSize,
+}: ExpandHintAutoTriggerParams): boolean {
+  return constrainHeight && overflowingIdsSize > previousOverflowingIdsSize;
+}