From e85d2dff97fb5b4697fae2207c128af27ca4f049 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Vignesh Natarajan <vigneshnatarajan92@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 18 Jan 2026 13:22:19 -0800
Subject: [PATCH] TUI: pick waiting phrase once per waiting session

---
 src/tui/tui-waiting.ts | 10 +++++++---
 src/tui/tui.ts         | 18 +++++++++++++++++-
 2 files changed, 24 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)

diff --git a/src/tui/tui-waiting.ts b/src/tui/tui-waiting.ts
index 25cfe8d60..acf810ef3 100644
--- a/src/tui/tui-waiting.ts
+++ b/src/tui/tui-waiting.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,8 @@
-import type { ClawdbotTheme } from "./theme/theme.js";
+type MinimalTheme = {
+  dim: (s: string) => string;
+  bold: (s: string) => string;
+  accentSoft: (s: string) => string;
+};
 
 export const defaultWaitingPhrases = [
   "flibbertigibbeting",
@@ -18,7 +22,7 @@ export function pickWaitingPhrase(tick: number, phrases = defaultWaitingPhrases)
   return phrases[idx] ?? phrases[0] ?? "waiting";
 }
 
-export function shimmerText(theme: ClawdbotTheme, text: string, tick: number) {
+export function shimmerText(theme: MinimalTheme, text: string, tick: number) {
   const width = 6;
   const hi = (ch: string) => theme.bold(theme.accentSoft(ch));
 
@@ -35,7 +39,7 @@ export function shimmerText(theme: ClawdbotTheme, text: string, tick: number) {
 }
 
 export function buildWaitingStatusMessage(params: {
-  theme: ClawdbotTheme;
+  theme: MinimalTheme;
   tick: number;
   elapsed: string;
   connectionStatus: string;
diff --git a/src/tui/tui.ts b/src/tui/tui.ts
index 7bc41fe04..1b12c02b0 100644
--- a/src/tui/tui.ts
+++ b/src/tui/tui.ts
@@ -22,7 +22,10 @@ import { editorTheme, theme } from "./theme/theme.js";
 import { createCommandHandlers } from "./tui-command-handlers.js";
 import { createEventHandlers } from "./tui-event-handlers.js";
 import { formatTokens } from "./tui-formatters.js";
-import { buildWaitingStatusMessage } from "./tui-waiting.js";
+import {
+  buildWaitingStatusMessage,
+  defaultWaitingPhrases,
+} from "./tui-waiting.js";
 import { createOverlayHandlers } from "./tui-overlays.js";
 import { createSessionActions } from "./tui-session-actions.js";
 import type {
@@ -289,6 +292,7 @@ export async function runTui(opts: TuiOptions) {
 
   let waitingTick = 0;
   let waitingTimer: NodeJS.Timeout | null = null;
+  let waitingPhrase: string | null = null;
 
   const updateBusyStatusMessage = () => {
     if (!statusLoader || !statusStartedAt) return;
@@ -302,6 +306,7 @@ export async function runTui(opts: TuiOptions) {
           tick: waitingTick,
           elapsed,
           connectionStatus,
+          phrases: waitingPhrase ? [waitingPhrase] : undefined,
         }),
       );
       return;
@@ -326,6 +331,16 @@ export async function runTui(opts: TuiOptions) {
 
   const startWaitingTimer = () => {
     if (waitingTimer) return;
+
+    // Pick a phrase once per waiting session.
+    if (!waitingPhrase) {
+      const idx = Math.floor(Math.random() * defaultWaitingPhrases.length);
+      waitingPhrase =
+        defaultWaitingPhrases[idx] ?? defaultWaitingPhrases[0] ?? "waiting";
+    }
+
+    waitingTick = 0;
+
     waitingTimer = setInterval(() => {
       if (activityStatus !== "waiting") return;
       updateBusyStatusMessage();
@@ -336,6 +351,7 @@ export async function runTui(opts: TuiOptions) {
     if (!waitingTimer) return;
     clearInterval(waitingTimer);
     waitingTimer = null;
+    waitingPhrase = null;
   };
 
   const renderStatus = () => {