Only show Compacting context on spinner when compaction runs

Author: Patel230

cmd/chat.go

@@ -933,8 +933,10 @@ func (m chatModel) Update(msg tea.Msg) (tea.Model, tea.Cmd) {
 		return m, nil
 
 	case streamChunkMsg:
-		m.compacting = false
-		m.compactStatus = ""
+		if m.compacting {
+			m.compacting = false
+			m.brailleSpinner.SetLabel(m.spinnerVerb)
+		}
 		m.partial.WriteString(string(msg))
 		m.markPartialDirty()
 		return m, nil
@@ -990,9 +992,15 @@ func (m chatModel) Update(msg tea.Msg) (tea.Model, tea.Cmd) {
 			m.viewDirty = true
 		}
 
+	case compactStartMsg:
+		m.compacting = true
+		m.brailleSpinner.SetLabel("Compacting context")
+		m.viewDirty = true
+		return m, nil
+
 	case compactMsg:
 		m.compacting = false
-		m.compactStatus = ""
+		m.brailleSpinner.SetLabel(m.spinnerVerb)
 		line := fmt.Sprintf("Context compacted (%s): ~%s → ~%s tokens",
 			msg.strategy,
 			formatHawkTokenCount(msg.tokensBefore),
@@ -1004,8 +1012,10 @@ func (m chatModel) Update(msg tea.Msg) (tea.Model, tea.Cmd) {
 		return m, nil
 
 	case streamDoneMsg:
-		m.compacting = false
-		m.compactStatus = ""
+		if m.compacting {
+			m.compacting = false
+			m.brailleSpinner.SetLabel(m.spinnerVerb)
+		}
 		m.flushPartialDirty()
 		if m.partial.Len() > 0 {
 			content := sanitizeIdentity(m.partial.String())
@@ -1248,6 +1258,8 @@ func runChat() error {
 					p.Send(toolUseMsg{name: ev.ToolName, id: ev.ToolID})
 				case "tool_result":
 					p.Send(toolResultMsg{name: ev.ToolName, content: ev.Content})
+				case "compact_start":
+					p.Send(compactStartMsg{})
 				case "compact":
 					p.Send(compactMsg{
 						strategy:     ev.Content,

cmd/chat_commands_session.go

@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ func (m *chatModel) handleSessionCommand(cmd string, parts []string, text string
 		}
 		m.messages = append(m.messages, displayMsg{role: "system", content: msg})
 		m.compacting = false
-		m.compactStatus = ""
+		m.brailleSpinner.SetLabel(m.spinnerVerb)
 		m.invalidateConnStatus()
 		return m, nil
 

cmd/chat_model.go

@@ -84,8 +84,9 @@ type (
 	blinkTickMsg       struct{}
 	spinnerVerbTickMsg struct{}
 	usageUpdateMsg     struct{ usage *engine.StreamUsage }
+	compactStartMsg    struct{}
 	compactMsg         struct {
-		strategy               string
+		strategy                  string
 		tokensBefore, tokensAfter int
 	}
 )
@@ -178,8 +179,7 @@ type chatModel struct {
 	// Reset each time the user submits a message; updated by usageUpdateMsg.
 	turnInputTokens  int
 	turnOutputTokens int
-	compacting       bool   // true while context governor runs
-	compactStatus    string // short label on spinner line
+	compacting bool // true while context governor runs (spinner label = Compacting context)
 	// Display values lerped toward the turn targets each render frame
 	// (factor 0.10). Smooths the counter animation.
 	displayInTok      float64

cmd/chat_stream.go

@@ -21,9 +21,6 @@ func (m *chatModel) startPromptCommand(display, prompt string) (tea.Model, tea.C
 
 func (m *chatModel) startStream() {
 	m.syncSessionSelection()
-	m.compacting = true
-	m.compactStatus = "Compacting context"
-	m.viewDirty = true
 	sess := m.session
 	ref := m.ref
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
@@ -46,6 +43,8 @@ func (m *chatModel) startStream() {
 				ref.Send(toolResultMsg{name: ev.ToolName, content: ev.Content})
 			case "blast_radius":
 				ref.Send(blastRadiusMsg{message: ev.Content})
+			case "compact_start":
+				ref.Send(compactStartMsg{})
 			case "compact":
 				ref.Send(compactMsg{
 					strategy:     ev.Content,

cmd/chat_view.go

@@ -604,10 +604,6 @@ func (m chatModel) renderWaitingSpinnerLine() string {
 	sep := ansiDim + " " + iconSpinnerSep + " " + ansiReset
 
 	var b strings.Builder
-	if m.compacting && m.compactStatus != "" {
-		b.WriteString(ansiYellow + m.compactStatus + ansiReset)
-		b.WriteString(sep)
-	}
 	b.WriteString(m.brailleSpinner.Frame())
 	b.WriteString(sep)
 	b.WriteString(ansiTeal + fmt.Sprintf("%.1fs", m.spinnerElapsed().Seconds()) + ansiReset)

internal/engine/context_governor.go

@@ -87,6 +87,23 @@ func (s *Session) refreshContextWindowCache() {
 	s.EnsureAutoCompactor()
 }
 
+// WillCompactBeforeTurn reports whether the next ManageContextBeforeTurn call will compact.
+func (s *Session) WillCompactBeforeTurn() bool {
+	if s == nil {
+		return false
+	}
+	s.EnsureAutoCompactor()
+	if s.AutoCompactor.ShouldAutoCompact(s) {
+		return true
+	}
+	if len(s.messages) > maxContextMessages {
+		return true
+	}
+	convTokens := EstimateTokens(s.messages)
+	budget := ctxmgr.NewContextBudget(s.ContextWindowSize())
+	return budget.ShouldCompact(convTokens)
+}
+
 // ManageContextBeforeTurn collapses noise, then compacts via the strategy registry when needed.
 // Returns the compaction strategy name (if any) and whether messages were reduced.
 func (s *Session) ManageContextBeforeTurn(ctx context.Context) (strategy string, compacted bool) {

internal/engine/stream.go

@@ -171,6 +171,9 @@ func (s *Session) agentLoop(ctx context.Context, ch chan<- StreamEvent) {
 		}
 		// Context governor: collapse → micro/smart/truncate (settings threshold %).
 		tokensBefore := EstimateTokens(s.messages)
+		if s.WillCompactBeforeTurn() {
+			ch <- StreamEvent{Type: "compact_start"}
+		}
 		if strat, didCompact := s.ManageContextBeforeTurn(ctx); didCompact {
 			tokensAfter := EstimateTokens(s.messages)
 			s.log.Info("context compacted", map[string]interface{}{