diff --git a/crates/tui/src/tui/tool_routing.rs b/crates/tui/src/tui/tool_routing.rs
index bb88b73f..1c69043a 100644
--- a/crates/tui/src/tui/tool_routing.rs
+++ b/crates/tui/src/tui/tool_routing.rs
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ use crate::tui::history::{
     WebSearchCell, output_looks_like_diff, summarize_mcp_output, summarize_tool_args,
     summarize_tool_output,
 };
+use crate::tui::workspace_context;
 
 #[allow(clippy::too_many_lines)]
 pub(super) fn handle_tool_call_started(
@@ -647,6 +648,10 @@ pub(super) fn handle_tool_call_complete(
         refresh_active_tool_completion_timestamp(app, cell_index);
     }
 
+    if refreshes_workspace_context_on_completion(name) && status != ToolStatus::Running {
+        workspace_context::refresh_now(app, Instant::now());
+    }
+
     // #455 (observer-only): fire `tool_call_after` hooks once the
     // result has settled. Hooks see tool_name + the result content
     // (or error message) + success flag. Read-only — they cannot
@@ -859,6 +864,19 @@ fn is_exec_tool(name: &str) -> bool {
     )
 }
 
+fn refreshes_workspace_context_on_completion(name: &str) -> bool {
+    matches!(
+        name,
+        "exec_shell"
+            | "exec_shell_wait"
+            | "exec_shell_interact"
+            | "exec_wait"
+            | "exec_interact"
+            | "task_shell_start"
+            | "task_shell_wait"
+    )
+}
+
 pub(super) fn exploring_label(name: &str, input: &serde_json::Value) -> String {
     let fallback = format!("{name} tool");
     let obj = input.as_object();
diff --git a/crates/tui/src/tui/ui/tests.rs b/crates/tui/src/tui/ui/tests.rs
index 88ff3b9d..03f26e5e 100644
--- a/crates/tui/src/tui/ui/tests.rs
+++ b/crates/tui/src/tui/ui/tests.rs
@@ -4504,6 +4504,169 @@ fn workspace_context_refresh_respects_ttl_before_requerying_git() {
     assert_ne!(refreshed, initial);
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn completed_exec_tool_refreshes_workspace_context_before_ttl() {
+    let repo = init_git_repo();
+    let checkout = Command::new("git")
+        .args(["checkout", "-b", "feature/old-branch"])
+        .current_dir(repo.path())
+        .output()
+        .expect("git checkout should run");
+    assert!(
+        checkout.status.success(),
+        "git checkout failed: {}",
+        String::from_utf8_lossy(&checkout.stderr)
+    );
+
+    let mut app = create_test_app();
+    app.workspace = repo.path().to_path_buf();
+
+    let start = Instant::now();
+    crate::tui::workspace_context::refresh_if_needed(&mut app, start, true);
+    let initial = app
+        .workspace_context
+        .clone()
+        .expect("initial refresh should populate context");
+    assert!(
+        initial.contains("feature/old-branch"),
+        "expected initial branch in {initial:?}"
+    );
+
+    let checkout = Command::new("git")
+        .args(["checkout", "-b", "feature/new-branch"])
+        .current_dir(repo.path())
+        .output()
+        .expect("git checkout should run");
+    assert!(
+        checkout.status.success(),
+        "git checkout failed: {}",
+        String::from_utf8_lossy(&checkout.stderr)
+    );
+
+    let before_ttl = start + Duration::from_secs(crate::tui::workspace_context::REFRESH_SECS - 1);
+    crate::tui::workspace_context::refresh_if_needed(&mut app, before_ttl, true);
+    assert_eq!(
+        app.workspace_context.as_deref(),
+        Some(initial.as_str()),
+        "normal refresh should still respect the TTL"
+    );
+
+    handle_tool_call_started(
+        &mut app,
+        "shell-branch",
+        "exec_shell",
+        &serde_json::json!({"command": "git checkout -b feature/new-branch"}),
+    );
+    handle_tool_call_complete(
+        &mut app,
+        "shell-branch",
+        "exec_shell",
+        &ok_result("switched"),
+    );
+
+    let refreshed = app
+        .workspace_context
+        .as_deref()
+        .expect("shell completion should refresh context");
+    assert!(
+        refreshed.contains("feature/new-branch"),
+        "expected refreshed branch in {refreshed:?}"
+    );
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn completed_task_shell_wait_refreshes_workspace_context_before_ttl() {
+    let repo = init_git_repo();
+    let checkout = Command::new("git")
+        .args(["checkout", "-b", "feature/task-old"])
+        .current_dir(repo.path())
+        .output()
+        .expect("git checkout should run");
+    assert!(
+        checkout.status.success(),
+        "git checkout failed: {}",
+        String::from_utf8_lossy(&checkout.stderr)
+    );
+
+    let mut app = create_test_app();
+    app.workspace = repo.path().to_path_buf();
+
+    let start = Instant::now();
+    crate::tui::workspace_context::refresh_if_needed(&mut app, start, true);
+    let initial = app
+        .workspace_context
+        .clone()
+        .expect("initial refresh should populate context");
+    assert!(
+        initial.contains("feature/task-old"),
+        "expected initial branch in {initial:?}"
+    );
+
+    let checkout = Command::new("git")
+        .args(["checkout", "-b", "feature/task-new"])
+        .current_dir(repo.path())
+        .output()
+        .expect("git checkout should run");
+    assert!(
+        checkout.status.success(),
+        "git checkout failed: {}",
+        String::from_utf8_lossy(&checkout.stderr)
+    );
+
+    let before_ttl = start + Duration::from_secs(crate::tui::workspace_context::REFRESH_SECS - 1);
+    crate::tui::workspace_context::refresh_if_needed(&mut app, before_ttl, true);
+    assert_eq!(
+        app.workspace_context.as_deref(),
+        Some(initial.as_str()),
+        "normal refresh should still respect the TTL"
+    );
+
+    handle_tool_call_started(
+        &mut app,
+        "task-shell-branch",
+        "task_shell_wait",
+        &serde_json::json!({"task_id": "shell_1"}),
+    );
+    handle_tool_call_complete(
+        &mut app,
+        "task-shell-branch",
+        "task_shell_wait",
+        &ok_result("completed"),
+    );
+
+    let refreshed = app
+        .workspace_context
+        .as_deref()
+        .expect("task shell completion should refresh context");
+    assert!(
+        refreshed.contains("feature/task-new"),
+        "expected refreshed branch in {refreshed:?}"
+    );
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn workspace_context_drain_requests_redraw_when_context_changes() {
+    let mut app = create_test_app();
+    app.workspace_context = Some("feature/old | clean".to_string());
+    app.workspace_context_refreshed_at = Some(Instant::now());
+    app.needs_redraw = false;
+    {
+        let mut cell = app.workspace_context_cell.lock().expect("context cell");
+        *cell = Some("feature/new | clean".to_string());
+    }
+
+    crate::tui::workspace_context::refresh_if_needed(&mut app, Instant::now(), false);
+
+    assert_eq!(
+        app.workspace_context.as_deref(),
+        Some("feature/new | clean")
+    );
+    assert!(
+        app.needs_redraw,
+        "draining a changed async context should redraw the footer"
+    );
+}
+
 #[tokio::test]
 async fn dismissed_plan_prompt_leaves_non_numeric_input_for_normal_send_path() {
     let mut app = create_test_app();
diff --git a/crates/tui/src/tui/workspace_context.rs b/crates/tui/src/tui/workspace_context.rs
index 696ac83e..1db22bcc 100644
--- a/crates/tui/src/tui/workspace_context.rs
+++ b/crates/tui/src/tui/workspace_context.rs
@@ -27,6 +27,9 @@ pub(super) fn refresh_if_needed(app: &mut App, now: Instant, allow_refresh: bool
     if let Ok(mut cell) = app.workspace_context_cell.lock()
         && let Some(ctx) = cell.take()
     {
+        if app.workspace_context.as_deref() != Some(ctx.as_str()) {
+            app.needs_redraw = true;
+        }
         app.workspace_context = Some(ctx);
     }
 
@@ -63,6 +66,17 @@ pub(super) fn refresh_if_needed(app: &mut App, now: Instant, allow_refresh: bool
     app.workspace_context_refreshed_at = Some(now);
 }
 
+/// Force a workspace-context re-query on the next render tick, bypassing the
+/// normal TTL. Keeps the current value visible while the background git query
+/// is running.
+pub(super) fn refresh_now(app: &mut App, now: Instant) {
+    if let Ok(mut cell) = app.workspace_context_cell.lock() {
+        *cell = None;
+    }
+    app.workspace_context_refreshed_at = None;
+    refresh_if_needed(app, now, true);
+}
+
 #[derive(Debug, Default, Clone, Copy)]
 struct ChangeSummary {
     staged: usize,