@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ import {
   shouldPreserveAssistantLineBreaks,
   threadReadLabelPrefix,
   threadReadTargetId,
+  threadReadTargetTitle,
   type MessagesTimelineRow,
   resolveTimelineToolPresentation,
   workEntryDisplayLabel,
@@ -93,6 +94,18 @@ describe("expanded tool group scrolling", () => {
 });
 
 describe("work entry labels", () => {
+  it("uses live titles only for active thread shells", () => {
+    const shell = { title: " Review auth flow ", archivedAt: null, deletedAt: null };
+    expect(threadReadTargetTitle(shell)).toBe("Review auth flow");
+    expect(threadReadTargetTitle({ ...shell, title: "Harden session refresh" })).toBe(
+      "Harden session refresh",
+    );
+    expect(threadReadTargetTitle({ ...shell, archivedAt: "2026-10-07T12:00:00Z" })).toBeNull();
+    expect(threadReadTargetTitle({ ...shell, deletedAt: "2026-10-07T12:00:00Z" })).toBeNull();
+    expect(threadReadTargetTitle({ ...shell, title: "  " })).toBeNull();
+    expect(threadReadTargetTitle(null)).toBeNull();
+  });
+
   const entry = {
     id: "tool-1",
     createdAt: "2026-09-01T12:00:00Z",
 
@@ -34,7 +34,12 @@ import {
   type TimelineEntry,
   type WorkLogEntry,
 } from "../../session-logic";
-import { type ChatMessage, type ProposedPlan, type TurnDiffSummary } from "../../types";
+import {
+  type ChatMessage,
+  type ProposedPlan,
+  type ThreadShell,
+  type TurnDiffSummary,
+} from "../../types";
 import {
   type MessageId,
   type WorktreeSetupSnapshot,
@@ -182,6 +187,13 @@ export function threadReadTargetId(entry: Pick<WorkLogEntry, "structuredPayload"
 
 const THREAD_READ_OBJECT = " a T3 thread";
 
+export function threadReadTargetTitle(
+  shell: Pick<ThreadShell, "title" | "archivedAt" | "deletedAt"> | null,
+) {
+  if (!shell || shell.archivedAt !== null || shell.deletedAt !== null) return null;
+  return shell.title.trim() || null;
+}
+
 /**
  * Names the read thread in place of the generic object ("Read a T3 thread" becomes
  * `Read thread “Title”`), keeping the label's tense. Null keeps the generic label.
 
@@ -210,6 +210,7 @@ import {
   shouldPreserveAssistantLineBreaks,
   threadReadLabelPrefix,
   threadReadTargetId,
+  threadReadTargetTitle,
   toolGroupAction,
   workEntryDisplayLabel,
   workEntryReadOutput,
@@ -3728,9 +3729,8 @@ function LiveActivityContent({
 function useThreadReadTarget(entry: TimelineWorkEntry, environmentId: EnvironmentId) {
   const rawThreadId = threadReadTargetId(entry);
   const threadId = rawThreadId === null ? null : ThreadId.make(rawThreadId);
-  const title = useThreadShell(
-    threadId ? scopeThreadRef(environmentId, threadId) : null,
-  )?.title.trim();
+  const shell = useThreadShell(threadId ? scopeThreadRef(environmentId, threadId) : null);
+  const title = threadReadTargetTitle(shell);
   return threadId && title ? { threadId, title } : null;
 }