diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/messages/DenseToolMessage.test.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/messages/DenseToolMessage.test.tsx
index 1feadb8ba4..7bb943791b 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/messages/DenseToolMessage.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/messages/DenseToolMessage.test.tsx
@@ -565,6 +565,45 @@ describe('DenseToolMessage', () => {
       expect(lastFrame()).toContain('new line');
     });
 
+    it('shows diff content when globally expanded inside a VirtualizedList context', async () => {
+      const mockListContext = {
+        registerInteractivity: vi.fn(),
+        setItemState: vi.fn(),
+        getItemState: vi.fn(),
+        isItemToggled: vi.fn().mockReturnValue(false),
+        toggleItem: vi.fn(),
+        registerClickCallback: vi.fn(),
+        unregisterClickCallback: vi.fn(),
+      };
+
+      const { lastFrame, waitUntilReady } = await renderWithProviders(
+        <VirtualizedListContext.Provider
+          value={
+            mockListContext as unknown as React.ContextType<
+              typeof VirtualizedListContext
+            >
+          }
+        >
+          <DenseToolMessage
+            {...defaultProps}
+            itemKey="item-1"
+            resultDisplay={diffResult as ToolResultDisplay}
+            status={CoreToolCallStatus.Success}
+          />
+        </VirtualizedListContext.Provider>,
+        {
+          config: makeFakeConfig({ useAlternateBuffer: true }),
+          settings: createMockSettings({ ui: { useAlternateBuffer: true } }),
+          toolActions: {
+            isExpanded: () => true,
+          },
+        },
+      );
+      await waitUntilReady();
+
+      expect(lastFrame()).toContain('new line');
+    });
+
     it('toggles expansion when header is clicked', async () => {
       const toggleExpansion = vi.fn();
       const toggleItem = vi.fn();
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/messages/DenseToolMessage.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/messages/DenseToolMessage.tsx
index d449703cf2..5d762666c4 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/messages/DenseToolMessage.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/messages/DenseToolMessage.tsx
@@ -283,10 +283,15 @@ export const DenseToolMessage: React.FC<DenseToolMessageProps> = (props) => {
 
   // Determine expansion state based on list context or fallback to tool actions
   const isExpanded = useMemo(() => {
+    const isExpandedGlobally = isExpandedInContext
+      ? isExpandedInContext(callId)
+      : false;
     if (itemKey && virtualizedListContext) {
-      return virtualizedListContext.isItemToggled(itemKey);
+      return (
+        virtualizedListContext.isItemToggled(itemKey) || isExpandedGlobally
+      );
     }
-    return isExpandedInContext ? isExpandedInContext(callId) : false;
+    return isExpandedGlobally;
   }, [itemKey, virtualizedListContext, isExpandedInContext, callId]);
 
   const handleToggle = useCallback(() => {
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/messages/TopicMessage.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/messages/TopicMessage.tsx
index 59be80602d..e51f421d47 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/messages/TopicMessage.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/messages/TopicMessage.tsx
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ interface TopicMessageProps extends IndividualToolCallDisplay {
   terminalWidth: number;
   availableTerminalHeight?: number;
   isExpandable?: boolean;
+  // TopicMessage is only interactive when rendered inside VirtualizedList.
   itemKey?: string;
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/shared/FixedScrollableList.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/shared/FixedScrollableList.tsx
index b382579d94..1d21ff4ed8 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/shared/FixedScrollableList.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/shared/FixedScrollableList.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /**
  * @license
- * Copyright 2025 Google LLC
+ * Copyright 2026 Google LLC
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
  */
 
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/shared/FixedVirtualizedList.test.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/shared/FixedVirtualizedList.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..363eec1501
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/shared/FixedVirtualizedList.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+/**
+ * @license
+ * Copyright 2026 Google LLC
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+ */
+
+import { act } from 'react';
+import { Box, Text } from 'ink';
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+import { renderWithProviders as render } from '../../../test-utils/render.js';
+import {
+  FixedVirtualizedList,
+  SCROLL_TO_ITEM_END,
+} from './FixedVirtualizedList.js';
+
+describe('<FixedVirtualizedList />', () => {
+  const renderList = (data: string[]) => (
+    <Box height={5} width={80}>
+      <FixedVirtualizedList
+        data={data}
+        renderItem={({ item }) => (
+          <Box height={1}>
+            <Text>{item}</Text>
+          </Box>
+        )}
+        itemHeight={1}
+        keyExtractor={(item) => item}
+        initialScrollIndex={SCROLL_TO_ITEM_END}
+        initialScrollOffsetInIndex={SCROLL_TO_ITEM_END}
+        width={80}
+        maxHeight={5}
+      />
+    </Box>
+  );
+
+  it('sticks to the bottom when data grows', async () => {
+    const initialData = Array.from({ length: 10 }, (_, i) => `Item ${i}`);
+    const { lastFrame, rerender, waitUntilReady, unmount } = await render(
+      renderList(initialData),
+    );
+    await waitUntilReady();
+
+    expect(lastFrame()).toContain('Item 9');
+
+    const newData = [...initialData, 'Item 10', 'Item 11'];
+    await act(async () => {
+      rerender(renderList(newData));
+    });
+    await waitUntilReady();
+
+    expect(lastFrame()).toContain('Item 11');
+    expect(lastFrame()).not.toContain('Item 0');
+    unmount();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/shared/FixedVirtualizedList.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/shared/FixedVirtualizedList.tsx
index 4f98175462..c6a21735e6 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/shared/FixedVirtualizedList.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/shared/FixedVirtualizedList.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /**
  * @license
- * Copyright 2025 Google LLC
+ * Copyright 2026 Google LLC
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
  */
 
@@ -172,23 +172,21 @@ function FixedVirtualizedList<T>(
     props.targetScrollIndex,
   );
   const prevDataLength = useRef(data.length);
+  const previousDataLength = prevDataLength.current;
 
   if (
     (props.targetScrollIndex !== undefined &&
       props.targetScrollIndex !== prevTargetScrollIndex &&
       data.length > 0) ||
     (props.targetScrollIndex !== undefined &&
-      prevDataLength.current === 0 &&
+      previousDataLength === 0 &&
       data.length > 0)
   ) {
     if (props.targetScrollIndex !== prevTargetScrollIndex) {
       setPrevTargetScrollIndex(props.targetScrollIndex);
     }
-    prevDataLength.current = data.length;
     setIsStickingToBottom(false);
     setScrollAnchor({ index: props.targetScrollIndex, offset: 0 });
-  } else {
-    prevDataLength.current = data.length;
   }
 
   const rawStateActualScrollTop = (() => {
@@ -236,7 +234,7 @@ function FixedVirtualizedList<T>(
     }
   }
 
-  const listGrew = data.length > prevDataLength.current;
+  const listGrew = data.length > previousDataLength;
   const containerChanged =
     prevContainerHeight.current !== scrollableContainerHeight;
   const shouldAutoScroll = props.targetScrollIndex === undefined;
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/shared/VirtualizedList.test.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/shared/VirtualizedList.test.tsx
index eb7a77848a..37ea63cafe 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/shared/VirtualizedList.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/shared/VirtualizedList.test.tsx
@@ -119,6 +119,41 @@ describe('<VirtualizedList />', () => {
       unmount();
     });
 
+    it('rerenders cached items when renderItem changes', async () => {
+      const data = ['Item 0'];
+      const renderWithLabel = (label: string) => (
+        <Box height={10} width={100}>
+          <VirtualizedList
+            data={data}
+            renderItem={({ item }) => (
+              <Box height={1}>
+                <Text>
+                  {label} {item}
+                </Text>
+              </Box>
+            )}
+            keyExtractor={keyExtractor}
+            estimatedItemHeight={() => itemHeight}
+          />
+        </Box>
+      );
+
+      const { lastFrame, rerender, waitUntilReady, unmount } = await render(
+        renderWithLabel('Initial'),
+      );
+      await waitUntilReady();
+      expect(lastFrame()).toContain('Initial Item 0');
+
+      await act(async () => {
+        rerender(renderWithLabel('Updated'));
+      });
+      await waitUntilReady();
+
+      expect(lastFrame()).toContain('Updated Item 0');
+      expect(lastFrame()).not.toContain('Initial Item 0');
+      unmount();
+    });
+
     it('scrolls down to show new items when requested via ref', async () => {
       const ref = createRef<VirtualizedListRef<string>>();
       const { lastFrame, waitUntilReady, unmount } = await render(
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/shared/VirtualizedList.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/shared/VirtualizedList.tsx
index 0d9e2ecdce..fa22387b39 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/shared/VirtualizedList.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/shared/VirtualizedList.tsx
@@ -926,6 +926,7 @@ function VirtualizedList<T>(
         containerWidth: number;
         index: number;
         isToggled: boolean;
+        renderItem: typeof renderItem;
       }
     >(),
   );
@@ -965,7 +966,8 @@ function VirtualizedList<T>(
           cached.width === width &&
           cached.containerWidth === containerWidth &&
           cached.index === i &&
-          cached.isToggled === isToggled
+          cached.isToggled === isToggled &&
+          cached.renderItem === renderItem
         ) {
           contentElement = cached.element;
         } else {
@@ -998,6 +1000,7 @@ function VirtualizedList<T>(
             containerWidth,
             index: i,
             isToggled,
+            renderItem,
           });
         }
 
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/hooks/useMouseClick.ts b/packages/cli/src/ui/hooks/useMouseClick.ts
index 0b0d5caecc..1509eee40f 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/hooks/useMouseClick.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/hooks/useMouseClick.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ import {
   type MouseEvent,
   type MouseEventName,
 } from '../contexts/MouseContext.js';
-import { debugLogger } from '@google/gemini-cli-core';
 
 export const useMouseClick = (
   containerRef: React.RefObject<DOMElement | null>,
@@ -32,9 +31,6 @@ export const useMouseClick = (
       const eventName =
         name ?? (button === 'left' ? 'left-press' : 'right-release');
 
-      debugLogger.log(
-        `[useMouseClick] received event=${event.name} expected=${eventName} hasContainer=${!!containerRef.current}`,
-      );
       if (event.name === eventName && containerRef.current) {
         const { x, y, width, height } = getBoundingBox(containerRef.current);
         // Terminal mouse events are 1-based, Ink layout is 0-based.
@@ -44,17 +40,12 @@ export const useMouseClick = (
         const relativeX = mouseX - x;
         const relativeY = mouseY - y;
 
-        debugLogger.log(
-          `[useMouseClick] bounds x=${x} y=${y} w=${width} h=${height} mouseX=${mouseX} mouseY=${mouseY} relX=${relativeX} relY=${relativeY}`,
-        );
-
         if (
           relativeX >= 0 &&
           relativeX < width &&
           relativeY >= 0 &&
           relativeY < height
         ) {
-          debugLogger.log(`[useMouseClick] Triggering handler!`);
           handlerRef.current(event, relativeX, relativeY);
         }
       }