diff --git a/codex-rs/tui/src/app/owned_transcript_tests.rs b/codex-rs/tui/src/app/owned_transcript_tests.rs
index 98cb21146b..c06fef4b58 100644
--- a/codex-rs/tui/src/app/owned_transcript_tests.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/tui/src/app/owned_transcript_tests.rs
@@ -259,6 +259,74 @@ async fn older_page_loading_uses_the_status_row_without_moving_content_or_cursor
     Ok(())
 }
 
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn recap_spacing_belongs_to_the_transcript_tail() -> Result<()> {
+    let mut snapshots = Vec::new();
+    for (width, height, next_action) in [
+        (80, 10, None),
+        (80, 12, Some("Review the changes.")),
+        (32, 12, Some("Review the changes.")),
+        (80, 7, Some("Review the changes.")),
+        (32, 6, Some("Review the changes.")),
+    ] {
+        let mut app = crate::app::test_support::make_test_app().await;
+        attach_thread(&mut app, ThreadId::new());
+        app.local_settings.tui.show_tooltips = true;
+        app.local_settings.tui.animations = false;
+        app.transcript_cells = vec![
+            Arc::new(crate::history_cell::PlainHistoryCell::new(
+                (1..=20)
+                    .map(|row| format!("History {row}").into())
+                    .collect(),
+            )),
+            Arc::new(
+                crate::history_cell::ThreadRecapHistoryCell::new("The draft is ready.".into())
+                    .with_next_action(next_action.map(str::to_owned)),
+            ),
+        ];
+        crate::app::test_support::select_catalog_tip(
+            &mut app,
+            /*width*/ 80,
+            "Tip: Use /mcp to list configured MCP tools.",
+        );
+        let mut tui = crate::tui::test_support::make_test_tui()?;
+        tui.set_owned_screen(/*owned*/ true)?;
+        let size = Size::new(width, height);
+        tui.terminal.resize(size)?;
+        let mut snapshot = |app: &mut App, label: &str| -> Result<()> {
+            app.render_owned_transcript(&mut tui, size)?;
+            let buffer = crate::custom_terminal::test_support::last_rendered_buffer(&tui.terminal);
+            snapshots.push(format!(
+                "{width}x{height}, {label}\n{}",
+                buffer_text(buffer)
+            ));
+            Ok(())
+        };
+        snapshot(&mut app, "Recap at tail")?;
+        app.transcript_cells
+            .push(Arc::new(crate::history_cell::AgentMessageCell::new(
+                vec!["Follow-up response.".into()],
+                /*is_first_line*/ true,
+            )));
+        snapshot(&mut app, "Message after recap")?;
+        app.transcript_cells.pop();
+        crate::chatwidget::tests::helpers::set_active_cell(
+            &mut app.chat_widget,
+            Box::new(crate::history_cell::AgentMessageCell::new(
+                vec!["Streaming response.".into()],
+                /*is_first_line*/ true,
+            )),
+        );
+        snapshot(&mut app, "Live message after recap")?;
+        tui.set_owned_screen(/*owned*/ false)?;
+    }
+    insta::assert_snapshot!(
+        "recap_tail_spacing",
+        normalize_snapshot_paths(snapshots.join("\n\n"))
+    );
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 #[tokio::test]
 async fn owned_transcript_reserves_a_row_above_the_composer() -> Result<()> {
     let mut app = crate::app::test_support::make_test_app().await;
diff --git a/codex-rs/tui/src/app/recap_tests.rs b/codex-rs/tui/src/app/recap_tests.rs
index d867b9c0a2..33fe586b14 100644
--- a/codex-rs/tui/src/app/recap_tests.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/tui/src/app/recap_tests.rs
@@ -698,6 +698,34 @@ fn recap_history_cell_wraps_in_narrow_terminals() {
     ");
 }
 
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn recap_history_uses_one_separator_before_following_message() {
+    let mut app = make_test_app().await;
+    app.transcript_cells = vec![
+        Arc::new(
+            ThreadRecapHistoryCell::new("The draft is ready.".into())
+                .with_next_action(Some("Review the changes.".into())),
+        ),
+        Arc::new(AgentMessageCell::new(
+            vec!["Follow-up response.".into()],
+            /*is_first_line*/ true,
+        )),
+    ];
+    let rendered = app
+        .render_transcript_lines_for_reflow(/*width*/ 80)
+        .lines
+        .iter()
+        .map(|line| line.line.to_string())
+        .collect::<Vec<_>>()
+        .join("\n");
+    insta::assert_snapshot!(rendered, @r"
+      ↳ Recap: The draft is ready.
+               Next: Review the changes.
+
+    • Follow-up response.
+    ");
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn recap_history_cell_preserves_unicode_and_url_tokens() {
     let cell = ThreadRecapHistoryCell::new(
diff --git a/codex-rs/tui/src/app/snapshots/codex_tui__app__owned_transcript__tests__recap_tail_spacing.snap b/codex-rs/tui/src/app/snapshots/codex_tui__app__owned_transcript__tests__recap_tail_spacing.snap
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fdde278b9b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/codex-rs/tui/src/app/snapshots/codex_tui__app__owned_transcript__tests__recap_tail_spacing.snap
@@ -0,0 +1,174 @@
+---
+source: tui/src/app/owned_transcript_tests.rs
+expression: "normalize_snapshot_paths(snapshots.join(\"\\n\\n\"))"
+---
+80x10, Recap at tail
+History 20
+
+  ↳ Recap: The draft is ready.
+
+                                    Tip: Use /mcp to list configured MCP tools.
+
+› Ask Codex to do anything
+
+  gpt-test default · /tmp/project
+  ? for shortcuts
+
+80x10, Message after recap
+
+  ↳ Recap: The draft is ready.
+
+• Follow-up response.
+                                    Tip: Use /mcp to list configured MCP tools.
+
+› Ask Codex to do anything
+
+  gpt-test default · /tmp/project
+  ? for shortcuts
+
+80x10, Live message after recap
+
+  ↳ Recap: The draft is ready.
+
+• Streaming response.
+                                    Tip: Use /mcp to list configured MCP tools.
+
+› Ask Codex to do anything
+
+  gpt-test default · /tmp/project
+  ? for shortcuts
+
+80x12, Recap at tail
+History 19
+History 20
+
+  ↳ Recap: The draft is ready.
+           Next: Review the changes.
+
+                                    Tip: Use /mcp to list configured MCP tools.
+
+› Ask Codex to do anything
+
+  gpt-test default · /tmp/project
+  ? for shortcuts
+
+80x12, Message after recap
+History 20
+
+  ↳ Recap: The draft is ready.
+           Next: Review the changes.
+
+• Follow-up response.
+                                    Tip: Use /mcp to list configured MCP tools.
+
+› Ask Codex to do anything
+
+  gpt-test default · /tmp/project
+  ? for shortcuts
+
+80x12, Live message after recap
+History 20
+
+  ↳ Recap: The draft is ready.
+           Next: Review the changes.
+
+• Streaming response.
+                                    Tip: Use /mcp to list configured MCP tools.
+
+› Ask Codex to do anything
+
+  gpt-test default · /tmp/project
+  ? for shortcuts
+
+32x12, Recap at tail
+History 20
+
+  ↳ Recap: The draft is ready.
+           Next: Review the
+           changes.
+
+
+
+› Ask Codex to do anything
+
+  gpt-test default · /tmp/proje…
+  ? for shortcuts
+
+32x12, Message after recap
+
+  ↳ Recap: The draft is ready.
+           Next: Review the
+           changes.
+
+• Follow-up response.
+
+
+› Ask Codex to do anything
+
+  gpt-test default · /tmp/proje…
+  ? for shortcuts
+
+32x12, Live message after recap
+
+  ↳ Recap: The draft is ready.
+           Next: Review the
+           changes.
+
+• Streaming response.
+
+
+› Ask Codex to do anything
+
+  gpt-test default · /tmp/proje…
+  ? for shortcuts
+
+80x7, Recap at tail
+           Next: Review the changes.
+                                    Tip: Use /mcp to list configured MCP tools.
+
+› Ask Codex to do anything
+
+  gpt-test default · /tmp/project
+  ? for shortcuts
+
+80x7, Message after recap
+• Follow-up response.
+                                    Tip: Use /mcp to list configured MCP tools.
+
+› Ask Codex to do anything
+
+  gpt-test default · /tmp/project
+  ? for shortcuts
+
+80x7, Live message after recap
+• Streaming response.
+                                    Tip: Use /mcp to list configured MCP tools.
+
+› Ask Codex to do anything
+
+  gpt-test default · /tmp/project
+  ? for shortcuts
+
+32x6, Recap at tail
+
+
+› Ask Codex to do anything
+
+  gpt-test default · /tmp/proje…
+  ? for shortcuts
+
+32x6, Message after recap
+
+
+› Ask Codex to do anything
+
+  gpt-test default · /tmp/proje…
+  ? for shortcuts
+
+32x6, Live message after recap
+
+
+› Ask Codex to do anything
+
+  gpt-test default · /tmp/proje…
+  ? for shortcuts
diff --git a/codex-rs/tui/src/transcript_view.rs b/codex-rs/tui/src/transcript_view.rs
index 984790cca8..d7c03bb2d7 100644
--- a/codex-rs/tui/src/transcript_view.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/tui/src/transcript_view.rs
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 //! The app owns history and pagination. This view owns only reading/selection state and bounded
 //! layout caches. Anchors address content inside an entry, so prepending history never renumbers
 //! them and rewrapping does not turn a reading position into an unrelated screen row.
+//! Recap tail spacing is reserved by layout and never enters selectable cell content.
 
 mod activity;
 mod bookmark;
@@ -505,7 +506,20 @@ impl TranscriptView {
         let height = self
             .layout(cells, last)
             .map_or(/*default*/ 0, |l| l.row_count());
-        self.move_rows(cells, last, height, -(self.area.height as isize))
+        let recap_gap = usize::from(
+            self.area.height > 1
+                && !has_live
+                && cells.last().is_some_and(|cell| {
+                    cell.as_any()
+                        .is::<crate::history_cell::ThreadRecapHistoryCell>()
+                }),
+        );
+        self.move_rows(
+            cells,
+            last,
+            height + recap_gap,
+            -(self.area.height as isize),
+        )
     }
 
     fn move_rows(