fix(tui): show subagent role and drop echoed HUD labels

The anchored Subagents list printed only `Id: description` and treated a
label that repeated the spawn handle as a real description. Show the same
⟨role⟩ badge as inline task rows and omit descriptions that only echo the id.

packages/coding-agent/CHANGELOG.md

@@ -21,6 +21,10 @@
 ### Fixed
 
 - Fixed `omp stats` and `/stats` dashboards being unreachable from container hosts by accepting an explicit `--host` bind address while preserving the `127.0.0.1` default.
+### Fixed
+
+- Fixed the anchored Subagents HUD omitting the spawned agent role and repeating the spawn id as `Name: Name` when the generated label echoed the handle.
+
 
 ## [17.3.5] - 2026-08-16
 

packages/coding-agent/src/modes/interactive-mode.ts

@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ import { BUILTIN_SLASH_COMMAND_RESERVED_NAMES, buildTuiBuiltinSlashCommands } fr
 import { formatDuration } from "../slash-commands/helpers/format";
 import { STTController, type SttState } from "../stt";
 import { discoverTitleSystemPromptFile, resolvePromptInput } from "../system-prompt";
-import { formatTaskId } from "../task/render";
+import { agentTypeBadge, formatTaskId } from "../task/render";
 import type { ConfiguredThinkingLevel } from "../thinking";
 import { tinyTitleClient } from "../tiny/title-client";
 import type { LspStartupServerInfo } from "../tools";
@@ -452,8 +452,8 @@ const SUBAGENT_OBSERVER_UI_COALESCE_MS = 100;
 
 /**
  * Build the anchored subagent HUD block: a bold accent "Subagents" header plus
- * a bounded set of running-agent rows in the same `Id: description` shape the
- * inline task rows use (muted task preview when no description was given).
+ * a bounded set of running-agent rows in the same `Id ⟨role⟩: description` shape
+ * the inline task rows use (muted task preview when no description was given).
  * Layout mirrors the Todos HUD exactly: unindented header, then
  * `renderTreeList` rows (dim connectors) shifted right by one space.
  * Only detached background spawns are listed: a sync task call blocks the
@@ -476,16 +476,25 @@ export function renderSubagentHudLines(sessions: ObservableSession[], columns: n
 			expanded: true,
 			renderItem: session => {
 				const displayId = formatTaskId(session.id);
-				let line = `${dot} ${theme.fg("accent", theme.bold(displayId))}`;
+				const role = session.agent ?? session.progress?.agent;
+				const badge = agentTypeBadge(role, theme);
+				let line = `${dot} ${theme.fg("accent", theme.bold(displayId))}${badge}`;
 				const description = session.description?.trim() || session.progress?.description?.trim();
-				if (description) {
-					const budget = Math.max(TRUNCATE_LENGTHS.SHORT, columns - visibleWidth(displayId) - 10);
-					line += `${theme.fg("accent", ":")} ${theme.fg("accent", truncateToWidth(replaceTabs(description), budget))}`;
+				const distinctDescription =
+					description && description.localeCompare(session.id, undefined, { sensitivity: "accent" }) !== 0
+						? description
+						: undefined;
+				if (distinctDescription) {
+					const budget = Math.max(
+						TRUNCATE_LENGTHS.SHORT,
+						columns - visibleWidth(displayId) - visibleWidth(Bun.stripANSI(badge)) - 10,
+					);
+					line += `${theme.fg("accent", ":")} ${theme.fg("accent", truncateToWidth(replaceTabs(distinctDescription), budget))}`;
 				} else {
 					// No spawn description: fall back to a muted task preview, same as
 					// the inline task rows when a row has no label.
 					const taskPreview = session.progress?.task?.trim();
-					if (taskPreview) {
+					if (taskPreview && taskPreview.localeCompare(session.id, undefined, { sensitivity: "accent" }) !== 0) {
 						line += ` ${theme.fg("muted", truncateToWidth(replaceTabs(taskPreview), TRUNCATE_LENGTHS.SHORT))}`;
 					}
 				}

packages/coding-agent/src/task/render.ts

@@ -710,7 +710,7 @@ function formatAgentHeaderLabel(args: Partial<TaskParams> | undefined): string |
 }
 
 /** Dim `⟨agent⟩` badge for a non-default agent type; empty for the generic worker. */
-function agentTypeBadge(agent: string | undefined, theme: Theme): string {
+export function agentTypeBadge(agent: string | undefined, theme: Theme): string {
 	const trimmed = agent?.trim();
 	if (!trimmed || trimmed === "task") return "";
 	return ` ${theme.fg("dim", `${theme.format.bracketLeft}${trimmed}${theme.format.bracketRight}`)}`;

packages/coding-agent/test/subagent-hud-render.test.ts

@@ -107,6 +107,34 @@ describe("subagent HUD lines", () => {
 		expect(out).toContain("SchemaMigrator: Migrating the users table");
 	});
 
+	it("shows a non-default role badge and hides descriptions that only echo the id", () => {
+		const withRole = render([
+			makeSession({
+				id: "HindsightMcpFunnel",
+				agent: "scout",
+				description: "Audit MCP funnel wiring",
+			}),
+		]);
+		expect(withRole).toContain("HindsightMcpFunnel");
+		expect(withRole).toMatch(/HindsightMcpFunnel.*scout/);
+		expect(withRole).toContain("Audit MCP funnel wiring");
+
+		const echoed = render([
+			makeSession({
+				id: "HindsightMcpFunnel",
+				agent: "scout",
+				description: "HindsightMcpFunnel",
+			}),
+		]);
+		expect(echoed).toContain("HindsightMcpFunnel");
+		expect(echoed).toMatch(/HindsightMcpFunnel.*scout/);
+		expect(echoed).not.toContain("HindsightMcpFunnel: HindsightMcpFunnel");
+
+		const defaultWorker = render([makeSession({ id: "AuthLoader", agent: "task", description: "Refactor auth" })]);
+		expect(defaultWorker).toContain("AuthLoader: Refactor auth");
+		expect(defaultWorker).not.toMatch(/AuthLoader.*task/);
+	});
+
 	it("only shows active subagents and clears once everything finished", () => {
 		const finishedStates = ["completed", "failed", "aborted"] as const;
 		const sessions: ObservableSession[] = [