diff --git a/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdbot/WorkActivityStore.swift b/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdbot/WorkActivityStore.swift
index 9ab5b93d4..cb89a8953 100644
--- a/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdbot/WorkActivityStore.swift
+++ b/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdbot/WorkActivityStore.swift
@@ -219,6 +219,52 @@ final class WorkActivityStore {
         if let detail = display.detailLine, !detail.isEmpty {
             return "\(display.label): \(detail)"
         }
+
+        // Fallback: If the shared tool display config isn't available in this runtime,
+        // still show a helpful one-liner for the most common tools.
+        if let args {
+            func stringArg(_ key: String) -> String? {
+                let raw = (args[key]?.value as? String)?.trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespacesAndNewlines) ?? ""
+                return raw.isEmpty ? nil : raw
+            }
+
+            func shortenHome(_ value: String) -> String {
+                let home = NSHomeDirectory()
+                guard !home.isEmpty else { return value }
+                return value.replacingOccurrences(of: home, with: "~")
+            }
+
+            let toolKey = (name ?? "tool").trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespacesAndNewlines).lowercased()
+
+            if toolKey == "bash" || toolKey == "shell" {
+                if let cmd = stringArg("command") {
+                    let firstLine = cmd.split(whereSeparator: \.isNewline).first.map(String.init) ?? cmd
+                    let trimmed = firstLine.trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespacesAndNewlines)
+                    if !trimmed.isEmpty {
+                        return "\(display.label): \(trimmed)"
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+
+            if toolKey == "read" {
+                if let path = stringArg("path") {
+                    let offset = args["offset"]?.value as? Double ?? (args["offset"]?.value as? Int).map(Double.init)
+                    let limit = args["limit"]?.value as? Double ?? (args["limit"]?.value as? Int).map(Double.init)
+                    if let offset, let limit {
+                        let end = offset + limit
+                        return "\(display.label): \(shortenHome(path)):\(Int(offset))-\(Int(end))"
+                    }
+                    return "\(display.label): \(shortenHome(path))"
+                }
+            }
+
+            if toolKey == "write" || toolKey == "edit" || toolKey == "attach" {
+                if let path = stringArg("path") {
+                    return "\(display.label): \(shortenHome(path))"
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
         return display.label
     }
 
diff --git a/apps/macos/Tests/ClawdbotIPCTests/MacNodeBridgeSessionTests.swift b/apps/macos/Tests/ClawdbotIPCTests/MacNodeBridgeSessionTests.swift
index 6fe202896..e7f2b8651 100644
--- a/apps/macos/Tests/ClawdbotIPCTests/MacNodeBridgeSessionTests.swift
+++ b/apps/macos/Tests/ClawdbotIPCTests/MacNodeBridgeSessionTests.swift
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import Foundation
 import Testing
 @testable import Clawdbot