diff --git a/tests/tui_gateway/test_todo_state_events.py b/tests/tui_gateway/test_todo_state_events.py
index 8ac433c95c..2f38226e37 100644
--- a/tests/tui_gateway/test_todo_state_events.py
+++ b/tests/tui_gateway/test_todo_state_events.py
@@ -98,3 +98,18 @@ def test_empty_list_at_nonzero_revision_is_a_real_clear():
     state = server._normalize_todo_state({"todos": [], "revision": 2})
 
     assert state == {"todos": [], "revision": 2}
+
+
+def test_subagent_lifecycle_bypasses_tool_progress_off(monkeypatch):
+    """Subagent rows feed the Desktop status stack / TUI spawn tree — application state, not
+    tool-progress chrome — so display.tool_progress=off must not swallow them."""
+    sid = "subagent-progress-off"
+    events = []
+    monkeypatch.setitem(server._sessions, sid, {"agent": None, "tool_progress_mode": "off"})
+    monkeypatch.setattr(server, "_tool_progress_enabled", lambda _sid: False)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(server, "_emit", lambda event, event_sid, payload=None: events.append(event))
+
+    server._on_tool_progress(sid, "subagent.start", "delegate_task", "goal", None, goal="goal", subagent_id="s1")
+    server._on_tool_progress(sid, "reasoning.available", "_thinking", "hmm", None)
+
+    assert events == ["subagent.start"]
diff --git a/tui_gateway/tool_progress.py b/tui_gateway/tool_progress.py
index e7f362a882..9130b47834 100644
--- a/tui_gateway/tool_progress.py
+++ b/tui_gateway/tool_progress.py
@@ -358,10 +358,14 @@ def _on_tool_progress(
     sid: str, event_type: str, name: str | None = None, preview: str | None = None,
     _args: dict | None = None, **_kwargs,
 ):
-    if not _tool_progress_enabled(sid) or (event_type == "tool.started" and name):
+    if event_type == "tool.started" and name:
         return
+    # Subagent lifecycle is application state (Desktop status stack, TUI spawn tree), not
+    # tool-progress chrome: it must survive display.tool_progress=off like todo.updated does.
     if event_type.startswith("subagent."):
         return _progress_subagent(sid, name, preview, _kwargs, event_type)
+    if not _tool_progress_enabled(sid):
+        return
     handler, requires = _PROGRESS_HANDLERS.get(event_type, (None, None))
     if handler is not None and (requires is None or {"name": name, "preview": preview}[requires]):
         handler(sid, name, preview, _kwargs)
diff --git a/website/docs/user-guide/configuration.md b/website/docs/user-guide/configuration.md
index d0f20e555f..f7e851950e 100644
--- a/website/docs/user-guide/configuration.md
+++ b/website/docs/user-guide/configuration.md
@@ -2076,6 +2076,8 @@ In the CLI, cycle through these modes with `/verbose`. To use `/verbose` in mess
 
 Tool progress requires a gateway adapter that can display progress updates safely. Platforms without message editing support, including Signal, suppress tool-progress bubbles even if `/verbose` saves a non-`off` mode.
 
+`off` hides tool-call *chrome* only. Application state that has its own surface in the Desktop app and TUI — the task list (`todo_list`), subagent progress, clarify questions, and MCP consent cards — keeps flowing regardless of this setting.
+
 ### Focus view (`/focus`, CLI + TUI)
 
 `display.focus_view: true` enables **focus view** — a reduced-output display mode for when you want the answer, not the play-by-play. It is a thin layer over the same `tool_progress` machinery rather than a second suppression path: