diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 0b85f83ee..f0a3ec8d1 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.clawd.bot
 ## 2026.1.17-6
 
 ### Changes
+- Memory: render progress immediately and poll OpenAI batch status more frequently (default 500ms).
 - Plugins: add exclusive plugin slots with a dedicated memory slot selector.
 - Memory: ship core memory tools + CLI as the bundled `memory-core` plugin.
 - Docs: document plugin slots and memory plugin behavior.
diff --git a/src/agents/memory-search.test.ts b/src/agents/memory-search.test.ts
index af68ea787..31e7f5c04 100644
--- a/src/agents/memory-search.test.ts
+++ b/src/agents/memory-search.test.ts
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ describe("memory search config", () => {
       enabled: true,
       wait: true,
       concurrency: 2,
-      pollIntervalMs: 5000,
+      pollIntervalMs: 500,
       timeoutMinutes: 60,
     });
   });
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ describe("memory search config", () => {
         enabled: true,
         wait: true,
         concurrency: 2,
-        pollIntervalMs: 5000,
+        pollIntervalMs: 500,
         timeoutMinutes: 60,
       },
     });
diff --git a/src/agents/memory-search.ts b/src/agents/memory-search.ts
index fbb8ffe37..dfd7ac5d5 100644
--- a/src/agents/memory-search.ts
+++ b/src/agents/memory-search.ts
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ function mergeConfig(
       overrides?.remote?.batch?.concurrency ?? defaults?.remote?.batch?.concurrency ?? 2,
     ),
     pollIntervalMs:
-      overrides?.remote?.batch?.pollIntervalMs ?? defaults?.remote?.batch?.pollIntervalMs ?? 5000,
+      overrides?.remote?.batch?.pollIntervalMs ?? defaults?.remote?.batch?.pollIntervalMs ?? 500,
     timeoutMinutes:
       overrides?.remote?.batch?.timeoutMinutes ?? defaults?.remote?.batch?.timeoutMinutes ?? 60,
   };
diff --git a/src/cli/memory-cli.ts b/src/cli/memory-cli.ts
index 3b4c42661..adf31a1bc 100644
--- a/src/cli/memory-cli.ts
+++ b/src/cli/memory-cli.ts
@@ -71,7 +71,11 @@ export function registerMemoryCli(program: Command) {
             });
             if (opts.index) {
               await withProgressTotals(
-                { label: "Indexing memory…", total: 0 },
+                {
+                  label: "Indexing memory…",
+                  total: 0,
+                  fallback: opts.verbose ? "line" : undefined,
+                },
                 async (update, progress) => {
                   try {
                     await manager.sync({
diff --git a/src/cli/progress.ts b/src/cli/progress.ts
index 6010d84c1..0014306d0 100644
--- a/src/cli/progress.ts
+++ b/src/cli/progress.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,13 @@
 import { spinner } from "@clack/prompts";
 import { createOscProgressController, supportsOscProgress } from "osc-progress";
 import { theme } from "../terminal/theme.js";
+import {
+  clearActiveProgressLine,
+  registerActiveProgressLine,
+  unregisterActiveProgressLine,
+} from "../terminal/progress-line.js";
 
-const DEFAULT_DELAY_MS = 300;
+const DEFAULT_DELAY_MS = 0;
 let activeProgress = 0;
 
 type ProgressOptions = {
@@ -12,7 +17,7 @@ type ProgressOptions = {
   enabled?: boolean;
   delayMs?: number;
   stream?: NodeJS.WriteStream;
-  fallback?: "spinner" | "none";
+  fallback?: "spinner" | "line" | "none";
 };
 
 export type ProgressReporter = {
@@ -45,6 +50,7 @@ export function createCliProgress(options: ProgressOptions): ProgressReporter {
   const delayMs = typeof options.delayMs === "number" ? options.delayMs : DEFAULT_DELAY_MS;
   const canOsc = supportsOscProgress(process.env, stream.isTTY);
   const allowSpinner = options.fallback === undefined || options.fallback === "spinner";
+  const allowLine = options.fallback === "line";
 
   let started = false;
   let label = options.label;
@@ -55,6 +61,7 @@ export function createCliProgress(options: ProgressOptions): ProgressReporter {
     options.indeterminate ?? (options.total === undefined || options.total === null);
 
   activeProgress += 1;
+  registerActiveProgressLine(stream);
 
   const controller = canOsc
     ? createOscProgressController({
@@ -65,6 +72,14 @@ export function createCliProgress(options: ProgressOptions): ProgressReporter {
     : null;
 
   const spin = allowSpinner ? spinner() : null;
+  const renderLine = allowLine
+    ? () => {
+        if (!started) return;
+        const suffix = indeterminate ? "" : ` ${percent}%`;
+        clearActiveProgressLine();
+        stream.write(`${theme.accent(label)}${suffix}`);
+      }
+    : null;
   let timer: NodeJS.Timeout | null = null;
 
   const applyState = () => {
@@ -76,6 +91,9 @@ export function createCliProgress(options: ProgressOptions): ProgressReporter {
     if (spin) {
       spin.message(theme.accent(label));
     }
+    if (renderLine) {
+      renderLine();
+    }
   };
 
   const start = () => {
@@ -122,6 +140,8 @@ export function createCliProgress(options: ProgressOptions): ProgressReporter {
     }
     if (controller) controller.clear();
     if (spin) spin.stop();
+    clearActiveProgressLine();
+    unregisterActiveProgressLine(stream);
     activeProgress = Math.max(0, activeProgress - 1);
   };
 
diff --git a/src/config/schema.ts b/src/config/schema.ts
index 130acba75..66fc49d5f 100644
--- a/src/config/schema.ts
+++ b/src/config/schema.ts
@@ -383,7 +383,7 @@ const FIELD_HELP: Record<string, string> = {
   "agents.defaults.memorySearch.remote.batch.concurrency":
     "Max concurrent OpenAI batch jobs for memory indexing (default: 2).",
   "agents.defaults.memorySearch.remote.batch.pollIntervalMs":
-    "Polling interval in ms for OpenAI batch status (default: 5000).",
+    "Polling interval in ms for OpenAI batch status (default: 500).",
   "agents.defaults.memorySearch.remote.batch.timeoutMinutes":
     "Timeout in minutes for OpenAI batch indexing (default: 60).",
   "agents.defaults.memorySearch.local.modelPath":
diff --git a/src/logging/subsystem.ts b/src/logging/subsystem.ts
index 578b0ac1c..a4df9828f 100644
--- a/src/logging/subsystem.ts
+++ b/src/logging/subsystem.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import { getConsoleSettings, shouldLogSubsystemToConsole } from "./console.js";
 import { type LogLevel, levelToMinLevel } from "./levels.js";
 import { getChildLogger } from "./logger.js";
 import { loggingState } from "./state.js";
+import { clearActiveProgressLine } from "../terminal/progress-line.js";
 
 type LogObj = { date?: Date } & Record<string, unknown>;
 
@@ -163,6 +164,7 @@ function formatConsoleLine(opts: {
 }
 
 function writeConsoleLine(level: LogLevel, line: string) {
+  clearActiveProgressLine();
   const sanitized =
     process.platform === "win32" && process.env.GITHUB_ACTIONS === "true"
       ? line.replace(/[\uD800-\uDBFF][\uDC00-\uDFFF]/g, "?").replace(/[\uD800-\uDFFF]/g, "?")
diff --git a/src/memory/manager.ts b/src/memory/manager.ts
index c9c5d1735..1ee58cfa5 100644
--- a/src/memory/manager.ts
+++ b/src/memory/manager.ts
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ export class MemoryIndexManager {
       enabled: Boolean(batch?.enabled && this.openAi && this.provider.id === "openai"),
       wait: batch?.wait ?? true,
       concurrency: Math.max(1, batch?.concurrency ?? 2),
-      pollIntervalMs: batch?.pollIntervalMs ?? 5000,
+      pollIntervalMs: batch?.pollIntervalMs ?? 500,
       timeoutMs: (batch?.timeoutMinutes ?? 60) * 60 * 1000,
     };
   }
diff --git a/src/runtime.ts b/src/runtime.ts
index 48ec47bfa..819e360ba 100644
--- a/src/runtime.ts
+++ b/src/runtime.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import { clearActiveProgressLine } from "./terminal/progress-line.js";
+
 export type RuntimeEnv = {
   log: typeof console.log;
   error: typeof console.error;
@@ -5,8 +7,14 @@ export type RuntimeEnv = {
 };
 
 export const defaultRuntime: RuntimeEnv = {
-  log: console.log,
-  error: console.error,
+  log: (...args: Parameters<typeof console.log>) => {
+    clearActiveProgressLine();
+    console.log(...args);
+  },
+  error: (...args: Parameters<typeof console.error>) => {
+    clearActiveProgressLine();
+    console.error(...args);
+  },
   exit: (code) => {
     process.exit(code);
     throw new Error("unreachable"); // satisfies tests when mocked
diff --git a/src/terminal/progress-line.ts b/src/terminal/progress-line.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1ee94baab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/terminal/progress-line.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+let activeStream: NodeJS.WriteStream | null = null;
+
+export function registerActiveProgressLine(stream: NodeJS.WriteStream): void {
+  if (!stream.isTTY) return;
+  activeStream = stream;
+}
+
+export function clearActiveProgressLine(): void {
+  if (!activeStream?.isTTY) return;
+  activeStream.write("\r\x1b[2K");
+}
+
+export function unregisterActiveProgressLine(stream?: NodeJS.WriteStream): void {
+  if (!activeStream) return;
+  if (stream && activeStream !== stream) return;
+  activeStream = null;
+}