diff --git a/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/snapshots/codex_tui__chatwidget__tests__standalone_image_generation_status.snap b/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/snapshots/codex_tui__chatwidget__tests__standalone_image_generation_status.snap
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7762b9d047
--- /dev/null
+++ b/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/snapshots/codex_tui__chatwidget__tests__standalone_image_generation_status.snap
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+---
+source: tui/src/chatwidget/tests/exec_flow.rs
+assertion_line: 917
+expression: normalized_backend_snapshot(terminal.backend())
+---
+"                                                                                "
+"• Generating image (0s • esc to interrupt)                                      "
+"                                                                                "
+"                                                                                "
+"› Ask Codex to do anything                                                      "
+"                                                                                "
+"  gpt-5.5 default · /tmp/project                                                "
diff --git a/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/tests/exec_flow.rs b/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/tests/exec_flow.rs
index ca1c9bc681..eab6349d8b 100644
--- a/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/tests/exec_flow.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/tests/exec_flow.rs
@@ -894,6 +894,32 @@ async fn image_generation_call_adds_history_cell() {
     );
 }
 
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn standalone_image_generation_started_updates_status() {
+    let (mut chat, _rx, _op_rx) = make_chatwidget_manual(/*model_override*/ None).await;
+    handle_turn_started(&mut chat, "turn-1");
+
+    handle_image_generation_started(&mut chat, "call-image-generation");
+    assert_eq!(chat.status_state.current_status.header, "Generating image");
+    let status = chat
+        .bottom_pane
+        .status_widget()
+        .expect("status indicator should be visible");
+    assert_eq!(status.header(), "Generating image");
+    assert!(chat.transcript.active_cell.is_none());
+
+    let height = chat.desired_height(/*width*/ 80);
+    let mut terminal = ratatui::Terminal::new(ratatui::backend::TestBackend::new(80, height))
+        .expect("create terminal");
+    terminal
+        .draw(|f| chat.render(f.area(), f.buffer_mut()))
+        .expect("draw image generation status");
+    assert_chatwidget_snapshot!(
+        "standalone_image_generation_status",
+        normalized_backend_snapshot(terminal.backend())
+    );
+}
+
 #[tokio::test]
 async fn exec_history_extends_previous_when_consecutive() {
     let (mut chat, _rx, _op_rx) = make_chatwidget_manual(/*model_override*/ None).await;
diff --git a/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/tests/helpers.rs b/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/tests/helpers.rs
index d155376478..6920626f88 100644
--- a/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/tests/helpers.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/tests/helpers.rs
@@ -715,6 +715,24 @@ pub(super) fn handle_image_generation_end(
     );
 }
 
+pub(super) fn handle_image_generation_started(chat: &mut ChatWidget, call_id: impl Into<String>) {
+    chat.handle_server_notification(
+        ServerNotification::ItemStarted(ItemStartedNotification {
+            thread_id: thread_id(chat),
+            turn_id: "turn-1".to_string(),
+            started_at_ms: 0,
+            item: AppServerThreadItem::ImageGeneration {
+                id: call_id.into(),
+                status: "in_progress".to_string(),
+                revised_prompt: None,
+                result: String::new(),
+                saved_path: None,
+            },
+        }),
+        /*replay_kind*/ None,
+    );
+}
+
 pub(super) fn replay_user_message_inputs(
     chat: &mut ChatWidget,
     item_id: &str,
diff --git a/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/tool_lifecycle.rs b/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/tool_lifecycle.rs
index e37c44a4fa..f080d33613 100644
--- a/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/tool_lifecycle.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/tool_lifecycle.rs
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ impl ChatWidget {
     pub(super) fn on_image_generation_begin(&mut self) {
         self.record_visible_turn_activity();
         self.flush_answer_stream_with_separator();
+        self.status_state.terminal_title_status_kind = TerminalTitleStatusKind::Working;
+        self.set_status_header(String::from("Generating image"));
+        self.request_redraw();
     }
 
     pub(super) fn on_image_generation_end(
@@ -40,6 +43,7 @@ impl ChatWidget {
             revised_prompt,
             saved_path,
         ));
+        self.restore_reasoning_status_header();
         self.request_redraw();
     }