diff --git a/src/tui/tui-waiting.test.ts b/src/tui/tui-waiting.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..12a3bc6c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tui/tui-waiting.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+
+import { buildWaitingStatusMessage, pickWaitingPhrase } from "./tui-waiting.js";
+
+const theme = {
+  dim: (s: string) => `<d>${s}</d>`,
+  bold: (s: string) => `<b>${s}</b>`,
+  accentSoft: (s: string) => `<a>${s}</a>`,
+} as any;
+
+describe("tui-waiting", () => {
+  it("pickWaitingPhrase rotates every 10 ticks", () => {
+    const phrases = ["a", "b", "c"];
+    expect(pickWaitingPhrase(0, phrases)).toBe("a");
+    expect(pickWaitingPhrase(9, phrases)).toBe("a");
+    expect(pickWaitingPhrase(10, phrases)).toBe("b");
+    expect(pickWaitingPhrase(20, phrases)).toBe("c");
+    expect(pickWaitingPhrase(30, phrases)).toBe("a");
+  });
+
+  it("buildWaitingStatusMessage includes shimmer markup and metadata", () => {
+    const msg = buildWaitingStatusMessage({
+      theme,
+      tick: 1,
+      elapsed: "3s",
+      connectionStatus: "connected",
+      phrases: ["hello"],
+    });
+
+    expect(msg).toContain("connected");
+    expect(msg).toContain("3s");
+    // text is wrapped per-char; check it appears in order
+    expect(msg).toContain("h");
+    expect(msg).toContain("e");
+    expect(msg).toContain("l");
+    expect(msg).toContain("o");
+    // shimmer should contain both highlighted and dim parts
+    expect(msg).toContain("<b><a>");
+    expect(msg).toContain("<d>");
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/tui/tui-waiting.ts b/src/tui/tui-waiting.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..25cfe8d60
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tui/tui-waiting.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+import type { ClawdbotTheme } from "./theme/theme.js";
+
+export const defaultWaitingPhrases = [
+  "flibbertigibbeting",
+  "kerfuffling",
+  "dillydallying",
+  "twiddling thumbs",
+  "noodling",
+  "bamboozling",
+  "moseying",
+  "hobnobbing",
+  "pondering",
+  "conjuring",
+];
+
+export function pickWaitingPhrase(tick: number, phrases = defaultWaitingPhrases) {
+  const idx = Math.floor(tick / 10) % phrases.length;
+  return phrases[idx] ?? phrases[0] ?? "waiting";
+}
+
+export function shimmerText(theme: ClawdbotTheme, text: string, tick: number) {
+  const width = 6;
+  const hi = (ch: string) => theme.bold(theme.accentSoft(ch));
+
+  const pos = tick % (text.length + width);
+  const start = Math.max(0, pos - width);
+  const end = Math.min(text.length - 1, pos);
+
+  let out = "";
+  for (let i = 0; i < text.length; i++) {
+    const ch = text[i];
+    out += i >= start && i <= end ? hi(ch) : theme.dim(ch);
+  }
+  return out;
+}
+
+export function buildWaitingStatusMessage(params: {
+  theme: ClawdbotTheme;
+  tick: number;
+  elapsed: string;
+  connectionStatus: string;
+  phrases?: string[];
+}) {
+  const phrase = pickWaitingPhrase(params.tick, params.phrases);
+  const cute = shimmerText(params.theme, `${phrase}…`, params.tick);
+  return `${cute} • ${params.elapsed} | ${params.connectionStatus}`;
+}
diff --git a/src/tui/tui.ts b/src/tui/tui.ts
index 2f81b9d5d..7bc41fe04 100644
--- a/src/tui/tui.ts
+++ b/src/tui/tui.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ 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 { createOverlayHandlers } from "./tui-overlays.js";
 import { createSessionActions } from "./tui-session-actions.js";
 import type {
@@ -286,49 +287,23 @@ export async function runTui(opts: TuiOptions) {
     statusContainer.addChild(statusLoader);
   };
 
-  const waitingPhrases = [
-    "flibbertigibbeting",
-    "kerfuffling",
-    "dillydallying",
-    "twiddling thumbs",
-    "noodling",
-    "bamboozling",
-    "moseying",
-    "hobnobbing",
-    "pondering",
-    "conjuring",
-    "vibing",
-    "clawding",
-  ];
-
   let waitingTick = 0;
   let waitingTimer: NodeJS.Timeout | null = null;
 
-  const shimmerWaitingText = (text: string, tick: number) => {
-    const width = 6;
-    const hi = (ch: string) => theme.bold(theme.accentSoft(ch));
-
-    const pos = tick % (text.length + width);
-    const start = Math.max(0, pos - width);
-    const end = Math.min(text.length - 1, pos);
-
-    let out = "";
-    for (let i = 0; i < text.length; i++) {
-      const ch = text[i];
-      out += i >= start && i <= end ? hi(ch) : theme.dim(ch);
-    }
-    return out;
-  };
-
   const updateBusyStatusMessage = () => {
     if (!statusLoader || !statusStartedAt) return;
     const elapsed = formatElapsed(statusStartedAt);
 
     if (activityStatus === "waiting") {
       waitingTick++;
-      const phrase = waitingPhrases[Math.floor(waitingTick / 10) % waitingPhrases.length];
-      const cute = shimmerWaitingText(`${phrase}…`, waitingTick);
-      statusLoader.setMessage(`${cute} • ${elapsed} | ${connectionStatus}`);
+      statusLoader.setMessage(
+        buildWaitingStatusMessage({
+          theme,
+          tick: waitingTick,
+          elapsed,
+          connectionStatus,
+        }),
+      );
       return;
     }