diff --git a/extensions/telegram/src/bot-message-dispatch.test.ts b/extensions/telegram/src/bot-message-dispatch.test.ts
index a9698616c8b..dcc317cbaa9 100644
--- a/extensions/telegram/src/bot-message-dispatch.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/telegram/src/bot-message-dispatch.test.ts
@@ -1018,6 +1018,39 @@ describe("dispatchTelegramMessage draft streaming", () => {
     expect(draftStream.flush).toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 
+  it("renders Telegram progress drafts before slow status reactions resolve", async () => {
+    const draftStream = createSequencedDraftStream(2001);
+    createTelegramDraftStream.mockReturnValue(draftStream);
+    let releaseSetTool: (() => void) | undefined;
+    const statusReactionController = createStatusReactionController();
+    statusReactionController.setTool.mockImplementation(
+      () =>
+        new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+          releaseSetTool = resolve;
+        }),
+    );
+    dispatchReplyWithBufferedBlockDispatcher.mockImplementation(async ({ replyOptions }) => {
+      const pendingToolStart = replyOptions?.onToolStart?.({ name: "exec", phase: "start" });
+      await Promise.resolve();
+      await Promise.resolve();
+      const updateBeforeStatusReaction = draftStream.update.mock.calls.at(-1)?.[0];
+      releaseSetTool?.();
+      await pendingToolStart;
+      expect(updateBeforeStatusReaction).toMatch(/^Shelling\n`🛠️ Exec`$/);
+      return { queuedFinal: false };
+    });
+
+    await dispatchWithContext({
+      context: createContext({
+        statusReactionController: statusReactionController as never,
+      }),
+      streamMode: "progress",
+      telegramCfg: { streaming: { mode: "progress", progress: { label: "Shelling" } } },
+    });
+
+    expect(statusReactionController.setTool).toHaveBeenCalledWith("exec");
+  });
+
   it("keeps non-command Telegram progress draft lines across post-tool assistant boundaries", async () => {
     const draftStream = createSequencedDraftStream(2001);
     createTelegramDraftStream.mockReturnValue(draftStream);
diff --git a/extensions/telegram/src/bot-message-dispatch.ts b/extensions/telegram/src/bot-message-dispatch.ts
index d537d1f945c..805ca1f332d 100644
--- a/extensions/telegram/src/bot-message-dispatch.ts
+++ b/extensions/telegram/src/bot-message-dispatch.ts
@@ -1207,10 +1207,7 @@ export const dispatchTelegramMessage = async ({
                     !streamDeliveryEnabled || Boolean(answerLane.stream),
                   onToolStart: async (payload) => {
                     const toolName = payload.name?.trim();
-                    if (statusReactionController && toolName) {
-                      await statusReactionController.setTool(toolName);
-                    }
-                    await pushStreamToolProgress(
+                    const progressPromise = pushStreamToolProgress(
                       formatChannelProgressDraftLineForEntry(
                         telegramCfg,
                         {
@@ -1223,6 +1220,10 @@ export const dispatchTelegramMessage = async ({
                       ),
                       { toolName, startImmediately: true },
                     );
+                    if (statusReactionController && toolName) {
+                      await statusReactionController.setTool(toolName);
+                    }
+                    await progressPromise;
                   },
                   onItemEvent: async (payload) => {
                     await pushStreamToolProgress(
diff --git a/src/auto-reply/reply/agent-runner-execution.test.ts b/src/auto-reply/reply/agent-runner-execution.test.ts
index 7ecb22af4d4..72ccfc26518 100644
--- a/src/auto-reply/reply/agent-runner-execution.test.ts
+++ b/src/auto-reply/reply/agent-runner-execution.test.ts
@@ -1178,6 +1178,54 @@ describe("runAgentTurnWithFallback", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it("fires tool-start progress before slow typing signals resolve for best-effort Pi events", async () => {
+    const onToolStart = vi.fn(async () => {});
+    let releaseTyping: (() => void) | undefined;
+    const typingSignals = createMockTypingSignaler();
+    vi.mocked(typingSignals.signalToolStart).mockImplementation(
+      () =>
+        new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+          releaseTyping = resolve;
+        }),
+    );
+    state.runEmbeddedPiAgentMock.mockImplementationOnce(async (params: EmbeddedAgentParams) => {
+      void params.onAgentEvent?.({
+        stream: "tool",
+        data: {
+          name: "exec",
+          phase: "start",
+          args: { command: "echo hi" },
+        },
+      });
+      await Promise.resolve();
+      await Promise.resolve();
+      return { payloads: [{ text: "final" }], meta: {} };
+    });
+
+    const runAgentTurnWithFallback = await getRunAgentTurnWithFallback();
+    const result = await runAgentTurnWithFallback({
+      ...createMinimalRunAgentTurnParams({
+        opts: {
+          onToolStart,
+        } satisfies GetReplyOptions,
+      }),
+      typingSignals,
+    });
+
+    try {
+      expect(result.kind).toBe("success");
+      expect(onToolStart).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+        name: "exec",
+        phase: "start",
+        args: { command: "echo hi" },
+        detailMode: undefined,
+      });
+    } finally {
+      releaseTyping?.();
+      await Promise.resolve();
+    }
+  });
+
   it("leaves Codex app-server telemetry publication to the harness", async () => {
     const agentEvents = await import("../../infra/agent-events.js");
     const emitAgentEvent = vi.mocked(agentEvents.emitAgentEvent);
diff --git a/src/auto-reply/reply/agent-runner-execution.ts b/src/auto-reply/reply/agent-runner-execution.ts
index a962203c19d..53126ec75b1 100644
--- a/src/auto-reply/reply/agent-runner-execution.ts
+++ b/src/auto-reply/reply/agent-runner-execution.ts
@@ -1660,8 +1660,7 @@ export async function runAgentTurnWithFallback(params: {
                     const phase = readStringValue(evt.data.phase) ?? "";
                     const name = readStringValue(evt.data.name);
                     if (phase === "start" || phase === "update") {
-                      await params.typingSignals.signalToolStart();
-                      await params.opts?.onToolStart?.({
+                      const toolStartProgressPromise = params.opts?.onToolStart?.({
                         name,
                         phase,
                         args:
@@ -1670,6 +1669,10 @@ export async function runAgentTurnWithFallback(params: {
                             : undefined,
                         detailMode: params.toolProgressDetail,
                       });
+                      await Promise.all([
+                        params.typingSignals.signalToolStart(),
+                        toolStartProgressPromise,
+                      ]);
                     }
                   }
                   if (evt.stream === "item") {