diff --git a/packages/pi-coding-agent/src/modes/interactive/components/assistant-message.ts b/packages/pi-coding-agent/src/modes/interactive/components/assistant-message.ts
index 996354512..1b32fa6c7 100644
--- a/packages/pi-coding-agent/src/modes/interactive/components/assistant-message.ts
+++ b/packages/pi-coding-agent/src/modes/interactive/components/assistant-message.ts
@@ -89,6 +89,10 @@ export class AssistantMessageComponent extends Container {
 		);
 		const hasTextContent = message.content.some((c) => c.type === "text" && c.text.trim().length > 0);
 		const hasToolContent = message.content.some((c) => c.type === "toolCall" || c.type === "serverToolUse");
+		// Claude Code often emits long reasoning blocks ahead of user-visible text/tool
+		// output in the same lifecycle. Keep chat output visible without requiring a
+		// manual thinking toggle every turn.
+		const shouldCapThinking = hasTextContent || hasToolContent || message.provider === "claude-code";
 
 		if (hasVisibleContent) {
 			this.contentContainer.addChild(new Spacer(1));
@@ -122,7 +126,7 @@ export class AssistantMessageComponent extends Container {
 					});
 					// Keep visible chat output readable when thinking traces are long.
 					// Tool-bearing turns can stream text in a later assistant message.
-					if (hasTextContent || hasToolContent) {
+					if (shouldCapThinking) {
 						thinkingMarkdown.maxLines = 8;
 					}
 					this.contentContainer.addChild(thinkingMarkdown);
diff --git a/src/tests/assistant-message-thinking-visibility.test.ts b/src/tests/assistant-message-thinking-visibility.test.ts
index 2821cf64a..0891f1223 100644
--- a/src/tests/assistant-message-thinking-visibility.test.ts
+++ b/src/tests/assistant-message-thinking-visibility.test.ts
@@ -34,7 +34,13 @@ test("assistant-message caps thinking block height when text content is present"
 
   assert.match(
     src,
-    /if \(hasTextContent \|\| hasToolContent\)\s*\{\s*thinkingMarkdown\.maxLines = 8;\s*\}/s,
-    "assistant-message should cap visible thinking lines when assistant text exists or tool blocks are present",
+    /const shouldCapThinking = hasTextContent \|\| hasToolContent \|\| message\.provider === "claude-code";/,
+    "assistant-message should derive a cap policy that also covers claude-code long reasoning traces",
+  );
+
+  assert.match(
+    src,
+    /if \(shouldCapThinking\)\s*\{\s*thinkingMarkdown\.maxLines = 8;\s*\}/s,
+    "assistant-message should cap visible thinking lines when the cap policy is active",
   );
 });