diff --git a/codex-rs/tui/src/bottom_pane/mod.rs b/codex-rs/tui/src/bottom_pane/mod.rs
index 851668728..c0d600732 100644
--- a/codex-rs/tui/src/bottom_pane/mod.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/tui/src/bottom_pane/mod.rs
@@ -136,6 +136,7 @@ impl BottomPane {
         self.request_redraw();
     }
 
+    #[cfg(test)]
     pub fn status_widget(&self) -> Option<&StatusIndicatorWidget> {
         self.status.as_ref()
     }
diff --git a/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget.rs b/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget.rs
index 82f00f9ca..d7a451e82 100644
--- a/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget.rs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ use std::collections::VecDeque;
 use std::path::PathBuf;
 use std::sync::Arc;
 use std::time::Duration;
+use std::time::Instant;
 
 use codex_app_server_protocol::AuthMode;
 use codex_backend_client::Client as BackendClient;
@@ -333,6 +334,8 @@ pub(crate) struct ChatWidget {
     feedback: codex_feedback::CodexFeedback,
     // Current session rollout path (if known)
     current_rollout_path: Option<PathBuf>,
+    // Current task start time
+    task_started_at: Option<Instant>,
 }
 
 struct UserMessage {
@@ -518,17 +521,20 @@ impl ChatWidget {
         self.set_status_header(String::from("Working"));
         self.full_reasoning_buffer.clear();
         self.reasoning_buffer.clear();
+        self.task_started_at = Some(Instant::now());
         self.request_redraw();
     }
 
     fn on_task_complete(&mut self, last_agent_message: Option<String>) {
         // If a stream is currently active, finalize it.
         self.flush_answer_stream_with_separator();
+        self.add_final_message_separator();
         // Mark task stopped and request redraw now that all content is in history.
         self.bottom_pane.set_task_running(false);
         self.running_commands.clear();
         self.suppressed_exec_calls.clear();
         self.last_unified_wait = None;
+        self.task_started_at = None;
         self.request_redraw();
 
         // If there is a queued user message, send exactly one now to begin the next turn.
@@ -664,6 +670,7 @@ impl ChatWidget {
         self.suppressed_exec_calls.clear();
         self.last_unified_wait = None;
         self.stream_controller = None;
+        self.task_started_at = None;
         self.maybe_show_pending_rate_limit_prompt();
     }
     pub(crate) fn get_model_family(&self) -> ModelFamily {
@@ -1007,14 +1014,6 @@ impl ChatWidget {
         self.flush_active_cell();
 
         if self.stream_controller.is_none() {
-            if self.needs_final_message_separator {
-                let elapsed_seconds = self
-                    .bottom_pane
-                    .status_widget()
-                    .map(super::status_indicator_widget::StatusIndicatorWidget::elapsed_seconds);
-                self.add_to_history(history_cell::FinalMessageSeparator::new(elapsed_seconds));
-                self.needs_final_message_separator = false;
-            }
             self.stream_controller = Some(StreamController::new(
                 self.last_rendered_width.get().map(|w| w.saturating_sub(2)),
             ));
@@ -1027,6 +1026,16 @@ impl ChatWidget {
         self.request_redraw();
     }
 
+    fn add_final_message_separator(&mut self) {
+        if self.needs_final_message_separator {
+            let elapsed_seconds = self
+                .task_started_at
+                .map(|start_time| start_time.elapsed().as_secs());
+            self.add_to_history(history_cell::FinalMessageSeparator::new(elapsed_seconds));
+            self.needs_final_message_separator = false;
+        }
+    }
+
     pub(crate) fn handle_exec_end_now(&mut self, ev: ExecCommandEndEvent) {
         let running = self.running_commands.remove(&ev.call_id);
         if self.suppressed_exec_calls.remove(&ev.call_id) {
@@ -1330,6 +1339,7 @@ impl ChatWidget {
             last_rendered_width: std::cell::Cell::new(None),
             feedback,
             current_rollout_path: None,
+            task_started_at: None,
         };
 
         widget.prefetch_rate_limits();
@@ -1415,6 +1425,7 @@ impl ChatWidget {
             last_rendered_width: std::cell::Cell::new(None),
             feedback,
             current_rollout_path: None,
+            task_started_at: None,
         };
 
         widget.prefetch_rate_limits();
diff --git a/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/snapshots/codex_tui__chatwidget__tests__chatwidget_markdown_code_blocks_vt100_snapshot.snap b/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/snapshots/codex_tui__chatwidget__tests__chatwidget_markdown_code_blocks_vt100_snapshot.snap
index 1ed73b5fa..8f9b55927 100644
--- a/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/snapshots/codex_tui__chatwidget__tests__chatwidget_markdown_code_blocks_vt100_snapshot.snap
+++ b/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/snapshots/codex_tui__chatwidget__tests__chatwidget_markdown_code_blocks_vt100_snapshot.snap
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 ---
 source: tui/src/chatwidget/tests.rs
-expression: visual
+expression: term.backend().vt100().screen().contents()
 ---
 •     -- Indented code block (4 spaces)
       SELECT *
@@ -16,3 +16,4 @@ expression: visual
     "path": "C:\\Program Files\\App",
     "regex": "^foo.*(bar)?$"
   }
+─ Worked for 0s ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
diff --git a/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/tests.rs b/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/tests.rs
index bd85a9edc..f03346ee5 100644
--- a/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/tests.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/tests.rs
@@ -442,6 +442,7 @@ fn make_chatwidget_manual(
         last_rendered_width: std::cell::Cell::new(None),
         feedback: codex_feedback::CodexFeedback::new(),
         current_rollout_path: None,
+        task_started_at: None,
     };
     (widget, rx, op_rx)
 }
diff --git a/codex-rs/tui/src/status_indicator_widget.rs b/codex-rs/tui/src/status_indicator_widget.rs
index 642b9ca2b..e850c32fe 100644
--- a/codex-rs/tui/src/status_indicator_widget.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/tui/src/status_indicator_widget.rs
@@ -125,13 +125,10 @@ impl StatusIndicatorWidget {
         elapsed
     }
 
+    #[cfg(test)]
     fn elapsed_seconds_at(&self, now: Instant) -> u64 {
         self.elapsed_duration_at(now).as_secs()
     }
-
-    pub fn elapsed_seconds(&self) -> u64 {
-        self.elapsed_seconds_at(Instant::now())
-    }
 }
 
 impl Renderable for StatusIndicatorWidget {