diff --git a/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget.rs b/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget.rs
index bd1014b2f4..0c03d796d2 100644
--- a/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget.rs
@@ -59,6 +59,8 @@ use codex_core::protocol::ExecCommandEndEvent;
 use codex_core::protocol::ExecCommandOutputDeltaEvent;
 use codex_core::protocol::ExecCommandSource;
 use codex_core::protocol::ExitedReviewModeEvent;
+use codex_core::protocol::ItemCompletedEvent;
+use codex_core::protocol::ItemStartedEvent;
 use codex_core::protocol::ListCustomPromptsResponseEvent;
 use codex_core::protocol::ListSkillsResponseEvent;
 use codex_core::protocol::McpListToolsResponseEvent;
@@ -101,6 +103,7 @@ use codex_protocol::config_types::Personality;
 use codex_protocol::config_types::Settings;
 #[cfg(target_os = "windows")]
 use codex_protocol::config_types::WindowsSandboxLevel;
+use codex_protocol::items::TurnItem;
 use codex_protocol::models::local_image_label_text;
 use codex_protocol::parse_command::ParsedCommand;
 use codex_protocol::request_user_input::RequestUserInputEvent;
@@ -3055,6 +3058,8 @@ impl ChatWidget {
                     force_reload: true,
                 });
             }
+            EventMsg::ItemStarted(ev) => self.on_item_started(ev, from_replay),
+            EventMsg::ItemCompleted(ev) => self.on_item_completed(ev, from_replay),
             EventMsg::ShutdownComplete => self.on_shutdown_complete(),
             EventMsg::TurnDiff(TurnDiffEvent { unified_diff }) => self.on_turn_diff(unified_diff),
             EventMsg::DeprecationNotice(ev) => self.on_deprecation_notice(ev),
@@ -3077,7 +3082,7 @@ impl ChatWidget {
                 self.on_entered_review_mode(review_request, from_replay)
             }
             EventMsg::ExitedReviewMode(review) => self.on_exited_review_mode(review),
-            EventMsg::ContextCompacted(_) => self.on_agent_message("Context compacted".to_owned()),
+            EventMsg::ContextCompacted(_) => {}
             EventMsg::CollabAgentSpawnBegin(_) => {}
             EventMsg::CollabAgentSpawnEnd(ev) => self.on_collab_event(collab::spawn_end(ev)),
             EventMsg::CollabAgentInteractionBegin(_) => {}
@@ -3090,8 +3095,6 @@ impl ChatWidget {
             EventMsg::CollabCloseEnd(ev) => self.on_collab_event(collab::close_end(ev)),
             EventMsg::ThreadRolledBack(_) => {}
             EventMsg::RawResponseItem(_)
-            | EventMsg::ItemStarted(_)
-            | EventMsg::ItemCompleted(_)
             | EventMsg::AgentMessageContentDelta(_)
             | EventMsg::ReasoningContentDelta(_)
             | EventMsg::ReasoningRawContentDelta(_)
@@ -3099,6 +3102,59 @@ impl ChatWidget {
         }
     }
 
+    fn on_item_started(&mut self, event: ItemStartedEvent, from_replay: bool) {
+        if from_replay {
+            return;
+        }
+        let TurnItem::ContextCompaction(item) = event.item else {
+            return;
+        };
+
+        self.flush_answer_stream_with_separator();
+        if let Some(cell) = self.active_cell.as_mut().and_then(|cell| {
+            cell.as_any_mut()
+                .downcast_mut::<history_cell::ContextCompactionCell>()
+        }) && cell.item_id() == item.id
+        {
+            self.bump_active_cell_revision();
+            self.request_redraw();
+            return;
+        }
+
+        self.flush_active_cell();
+        self.active_cell = Some(Box::new(history_cell::new_active_context_compaction(
+            item.id,
+            self.config.animations,
+        )));
+        self.bump_active_cell_revision();
+        self.request_redraw();
+    }
+
+    fn on_item_completed(&mut self, event: ItemCompletedEvent, from_replay: bool) {
+        if from_replay {
+            return;
+        }
+        let TurnItem::ContextCompaction(item) = event.item else {
+            return;
+        };
+
+        self.flush_answer_stream_with_separator();
+        if let Some(cell) = self.active_cell.as_mut().and_then(|cell| {
+            cell.as_any_mut()
+                .downcast_mut::<history_cell::ContextCompactionCell>()
+        }) && cell.item_id() == item.id
+        {
+            cell.complete();
+            self.bump_active_cell_revision();
+            self.flush_active_cell();
+            self.request_redraw();
+            return;
+        }
+
+        self.add_to_history(history_cell::new_context_compaction_completed(item.id));
+        self.request_redraw();
+    }
+
     fn on_entered_review_mode(&mut self, review: ReviewRequest, from_replay: bool) {
         // Enter review mode and emit a concise banner
         if self.pre_review_token_info.is_none() {
diff --git a/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/tests.rs b/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/tests.rs
index 64060aece8..a508a0ee51 100644
--- a/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/tests.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/tests.rs
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ use codex_core::protocol::AgentReasoningDeltaEvent;
 use codex_core::protocol::AgentReasoningEvent;
 use codex_core::protocol::ApplyPatchApprovalRequestEvent;
 use codex_core::protocol::BackgroundEventEvent;
+use codex_core::protocol::ContextCompactedEvent;
 use codex_core::protocol::CreditsSnapshot;
 use codex_core::protocol::Event;
 use codex_core::protocol::EventMsg;
@@ -39,6 +40,8 @@ use codex_core::protocol::ExecCommandSource;
 use codex_core::protocol::ExecPolicyAmendment;
 use codex_core::protocol::ExitedReviewModeEvent;
 use codex_core::protocol::FileChange;
+use codex_core::protocol::ItemCompletedEvent;
+use codex_core::protocol::ItemStartedEvent;
 use codex_core::protocol::McpStartupCompleteEvent;
 use codex_core::protocol::McpStartupStatus;
 use codex_core::protocol::McpStartupUpdateEvent;
@@ -67,6 +70,8 @@ use codex_protocol::config_types::CollaborationMode;
 use codex_protocol::config_types::ModeKind;
 use codex_protocol::config_types::Personality;
 use codex_protocol::config_types::Settings;
+use codex_protocol::items::ContextCompactionItem;
+use codex_protocol::items::TurnItem;
 use codex_protocol::openai_models::ModelPreset;
 use codex_protocol::openai_models::ReasoningEffortPreset;
 use codex_protocol::parse_command::ParsedCommand;
@@ -4480,6 +4485,58 @@ async fn warning_event_adds_warning_history_cell() {
     );
 }
 
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn compaction_items_drive_history_and_context_compacted_is_ignored() {
+    let (mut chat, mut rx, _op_rx) = make_chatwidget_manual(None).await;
+    let thread_id = ThreadId::new();
+    let compaction_item = ContextCompactionItem::new();
+    let turn_id = "turn-1".to_string();
+
+    chat.handle_codex_event(Event {
+        id: "item-start".into(),
+        msg: EventMsg::ItemStarted(ItemStartedEvent {
+            thread_id,
+            turn_id: turn_id.clone(),
+            item: TurnItem::ContextCompaction(compaction_item.clone()),
+        }),
+    });
+    let started_cells = drain_insert_history(&mut rx);
+    assert!(
+        started_cells.is_empty(),
+        "compaction start should keep an active cell instead of flushing history"
+    );
+    chat.handle_codex_event(Event {
+        id: "context-compacted".into(),
+        msg: EventMsg::ContextCompacted(ContextCompactedEvent {}),
+    });
+    let compacted_cells = drain_insert_history(&mut rx);
+    assert!(
+        compacted_cells.is_empty(),
+        "ContextCompacted should not emit history cells"
+    );
+    chat.handle_codex_event(Event {
+        id: "item-end".into(),
+        msg: EventMsg::ItemCompleted(ItemCompletedEvent {
+            thread_id,
+            turn_id,
+            item: TurnItem::ContextCompaction(compaction_item),
+        }),
+    });
+
+    let cells = drain_insert_history(&mut rx);
+    assert_eq!(
+        cells.len(),
+        1,
+        "expected a single finalized compaction cell"
+    );
+
+    let completed = lines_to_single_string(&cells[0]);
+    assert!(
+        completed.contains("Context compacted."),
+        "compaction completion message missing: {completed}"
+    );
+}
+
 #[tokio::test]
 async fn stream_recovery_restores_previous_status_header() {
     let (mut chat, mut rx, _op_rx) = make_chatwidget_manual(None).await;
diff --git a/codex-rs/tui/src/history_cell.rs b/codex-rs/tui/src/history_cell.rs
index 687d18fa6a..e229f49295 100644
--- a/codex-rs/tui/src/history_cell.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/tui/src/history_cell.rs
@@ -1429,6 +1429,76 @@ pub(crate) fn new_web_search_call(
     cell
 }
 
+fn context_compaction_header(completed: bool) -> &'static str {
+    if completed {
+        "Context compacted."
+    } else {
+        "Compacting context"
+    }
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub(crate) struct ContextCompactionCell {
+    item_id: String,
+    start_time: Instant,
+    completed: bool,
+    animations_enabled: bool,
+}
+
+impl ContextCompactionCell {
+    pub(crate) fn new(item_id: String, animations_enabled: bool) -> Self {
+        Self {
+            item_id,
+            start_time: Instant::now(),
+            completed: false,
+            animations_enabled,
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub(crate) fn item_id(&self) -> &str {
+        &self.item_id
+    }
+
+    pub(crate) fn complete(&mut self) {
+        self.completed = true;
+    }
+}
+
+impl HistoryCell for ContextCompactionCell {
+    fn display_lines(&self, width: u16) -> Vec<Line<'static>> {
+        let bullet = if self.completed {
+            Line::from(vec!["• ".dim()])
+        } else {
+            Line::from(vec![
+                spinner(Some(self.start_time), self.animations_enabled),
+                " ".into(),
+            ])
+        };
+        let header = context_compaction_header(self.completed);
+        PrefixedWrappedHistoryCell::new(header.bold(), bullet, "  ").display_lines(width)
+    }
+
+    fn transcript_animation_tick(&self) -> Option<u64> {
+        if !self.animations_enabled || self.completed {
+            return None;
+        }
+        Some((self.start_time.elapsed().as_millis() / 50) as u64)
+    }
+}
+
+pub(crate) fn new_active_context_compaction(
+    item_id: String,
+    animations_enabled: bool,
+) -> ContextCompactionCell {
+    ContextCompactionCell::new(item_id, animations_enabled)
+}
+
+pub(crate) fn new_context_compaction_completed(item_id: String) -> ContextCompactionCell {
+    let mut cell = ContextCompactionCell::new(item_id, false);
+    cell.complete();
+    cell
+}
+
 /// Returns an additional history cell if an MCP tool result includes a decodable image.
 ///
 /// This intentionally returns at most one cell: the first image in `CallToolResult.content` that