diff --git a/packages/platform/src/react/chat-items.ts b/packages/platform/src/react/chat-items.ts
index f827ec28..3bb8e3b9 100644
--- a/packages/platform/src/react/chat-items.ts
+++ b/packages/platform/src/react/chat-items.ts
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ function toStep(toolCall: ToolCall, answerToolCall: AnswerToolCall | undefined):
     id: toolCall.id!,
     tool: toolName,
     files,
-    label: stepLabel(toolName, files, summary, display),
+    label: stepLabel(toolName, files, summary, display, status),
     status,
     ...(question && { question }),
     ...(answered && { answered }),
@@ -89,8 +89,14 @@ function toStep(toolCall: ToolCall, answerToolCall: AnswerToolCall | undefined):
 }
 
 // Base44's own description of the step reads best; then the entity it touched; then the files.
-function stepLabel(toolName: string, files: string[], summary: string | undefined, display: ToolDisplay | null | undefined): string {
-  if (summary) return summary;
+function stepLabel(
+  toolName: string,
+  files: string[],
+  summary: string | undefined,
+  display: ToolDisplay | null | undefined,
+  status: ChatStep["status"],
+): string {
+  if (summary) return summaryForStatus(summary, status);
   const entityName = display?.entity_name;
   if (entityName) {
     const recordCount = display?.record_count;
@@ -99,6 +105,15 @@ function stepLabel(toolName: string, files: string[], summary: string | undefine
   return [toolName, ...files].join(" ");
 }
 
+// The AI often writes a summary as "present | past", such as "Looking at your app | Looked at your
+// app". Like Base44's builder, a step still going shows the first half and a finished one the last.
+function summaryForStatus(summary: string, status: ChatStep["status"]): string {
+  const halves = summary.split("|").map(half => half.trim()).filter(Boolean);
+  if (halves.length < 2) return summary.trim();
+  const isGoing = status === "running" || status === "waiting";
+  return isGoing ? halves[0] : halves[halves.length - 1];
+}
+
 // What the user answered on a choice, each answer next to the question it answers.
 function answersOf(toolCall: ToolCall): ChatAnswer[] | undefined {
   const userInput = "user_input" in toolCall ? (toolCall.user_input as QuestionInput | null | undefined) : undefined;
diff --git a/packages/platform/tests/unit/react/chat-items.test.ts b/packages/platform/tests/unit/react/chat-items.test.ts
index 49c40f1f..22dbbe23 100644
--- a/packages/platform/tests/unit/react/chat-items.test.ts
+++ b/packages/platform/tests/unit/react/chat-items.test.ts
@@ -141,6 +141,14 @@ describe("steps", () => {
     expect(step({ id: "t4", name: "write_file", status: "success", display: { file_paths: ["src/App.jsx"] } }).label).toBe("write_file src/App.jsx");
   });
 
+  test("a 'present | past' summary shows the half that matches the step, as in Base44's builder", () => {
+    const summary = "Looking at your app | Looked at your app";
+    expect(step({ id: "t1", name: "exec_tool", status: "running", display: { summary } }).label).toBe("Looking at your app");
+    expect(step({ id: "t2", name: "exec_tool", status: "waiting_for_user_input", display: { summary } }).label).toBe("Looking at your app");
+    expect(step({ id: "t3", name: "exec_tool", status: "success", display: { summary } }).label).toBe("Looked at your app");
+    expect(step({ id: "t4", name: "exec_tool", status: "error", display: { summary } }).label).toBe("Looked at your app");
+  });
+
   test("an answered choice keeps what the user answered, next to each question", () => {
     const answered = step({
       id: "t1",