diff --git a/clk_harness/orchestration/agent.py b/clk_harness/orchestration/agent.py
index 81a2e1e..3b647b0 100644
--- a/clk_harness/orchestration/agent.py
+++ b/clk_harness/orchestration/agent.py
@@ -802,6 +802,9 @@ def _progress(kind: str, message: str) -> None:
             provider=provider.describe(),
             run_id=run_id,
         )
+        self._observer_log(
+            f"consensus :: {name} :: sample #{sample} dispatching ({agent_name})"
+        )
         if self.observer is not None:
             self.observer.begin(label, sample_objective)
             self.observer.prompt_sent(label, prompt)
@@ -823,6 +826,10 @@ def _progress(kind: str, message: str) -> None:
         self._record(arun, prompt, provider.describe())
         if self.observer is not None:
             self.observer.end(label, arun)
+        self._observer_log(
+            f"consensus :: {name} :: sample #{sample} done "
+            f"({'ok' if resp.ok else 'error: ' + (resp.error or '?')})"
+        )
         log_event(
             self.paths,
             "consensus_sample_response",
@@ -935,6 +942,9 @@ def meta_draft_dispatch_prompt(
                 f"Worker system prompt preview: {system_preview or '(missing)'}\n\n"
                 f"Original objective:\n{base_objective}\n"
             )
+            self._observer_log(
+                f"meta :: drafting dispatch prompt for {agent_name} via chief"
+            )
             run = self.run(
                 "chief",
                 objective,
@@ -995,6 +1005,9 @@ def meta_draft_role_prompt(
                 "Keep it under 50 lines. Make the role's distinct ownership explicit\n"
                 "compared with existing roles."
             )
+            self._observer_log(
+                f"meta :: drafting role prompt for {role_name} via chief"
+            )
             run = self.run(
                 "chief",
                 objective,
diff --git a/clk_harness/orchestration/autoresearch_loop.py b/clk_harness/orchestration/autoresearch_loop.py
index b8af2fd..a8e2ade 100644
--- a/clk_harness/orchestration/autoresearch_loop.py
+++ b/clk_harness/orchestration/autoresearch_loop.py
@@ -68,10 +68,21 @@ def run(self, *, dry_run: bool = False) -> List[Experiment]:
     def _robustness_cfg(self) -> Dict[str, Any]:
         return dict(self.runner.clk_cfg.get("robustness") or {})
 
+    def _observer_log(self, line: str) -> None:
+        """Mirror a status line to both the log file and the TUI status pane."""
+        log(line)
+        obs = getattr(self.runner, "observer", None)
+        if obs is not None:
+            try:
+                obs.log(line)
+            except Exception:
+                pass
+
     def _step(self, idx: int, *, dry_run: bool) -> Experiment:
         started = datetime.now().isoformat(timespec="seconds")
         before = head_sha(self.paths.root)
         min_chars = int(self._robustness_cfg().get("min_response_chars") or 40)
+        self._observer_log(f"autoresearch #{idx} :: survey :: dispatching ralph")
         survey = self.runner.run(
             "ralph",
             f"Autoresearch step #{idx}: survey state and propose next experiment.",
@@ -107,12 +118,14 @@ def _step(self, idx: int, *, dry_run: bool) -> Experiment:
             f"Open question #{idx}",
         )
 
+        self._observer_log(f"autoresearch #{idx} :: analyst :: investigating: {question[:60]}")
         analyst = self.runner.run(
             "analyst",
             f"Investigate: {question}",
             extra={"iteration": idx, "loop": "autoresearch"},
             dry_run=dry_run,
         )
+        self._observer_log(f"autoresearch #{idx} :: critic :: reviewing findings")
         critic = self.runner.run(
             "critic",
             f"Critique findings on: {question}",
diff --git a/clk_harness/orchestration/ralph_loop.py b/clk_harness/orchestration/ralph_loop.py
index 68465c3..a1d06bd 100644
--- a/clk_harness/orchestration/ralph_loop.py
+++ b/clk_harness/orchestration/ralph_loop.py
@@ -69,6 +69,16 @@ def __init__(
         self.evaluator = evaluator
         self.max_iterations = max_iterations
 
+    def _observer_log(self, line: str) -> None:
+        """Mirror a status line to both the log file and the TUI status pane."""
+        log(line)
+        obs = getattr(self.runner, "observer", None)
+        if obs is not None:
+            try:
+                obs.log(line)
+            except Exception:
+                pass
+
     def run(self, *, dry_run: bool = False) -> List[IterationOutcome]:
         outcomes: List[IterationOutcome] = []
         plateau_streak = 0
@@ -158,8 +168,15 @@ def _handle_plateau(self, idx: int, streak: int, *, dry_run: bool) -> None:
             # Escalation is already wired via _adaptive_extra setting
             # careful=true on the next iteration; just record the intent.
             log_event(self.paths, "ralph_plateau_escalate", agent="ralph", iteration=idx)
+            self._observer_log(
+                f"ralph #{idx} :: plateau escalate :: enabling consensus fan-out (streak={streak})"
+            )
         if action in ("reframe_only", "escalate_then_reframe") and streak >= 2 and not dry_run:
             try:
+                self._observer_log(
+                    f"ralph #{idx} :: plateau reframe :: dispatching chief to re-cast workflow "
+                    f"(streak={streak})"
+                )
                 self.runner.run(
                     "chief",
                     (
@@ -184,6 +201,7 @@ def _handle_plateau(self, idx: int, streak: int, *, dry_run: bool) -> None:
     def _handle_regression(self, idx: int, *, dry_run: bool) -> None:
         log_event(self.paths, "ralph_regression_detected", agent="ralph", iteration=idx)
         log(f"ralph: regression detected at iteration {idx}", level="WARN")
+        self._observer_log(f"ralph #{idx} :: regression detected :: dispatching critic")
         if dry_run:
             return
         # Ask the critic to look at what just broke before we plan the
@@ -251,6 +269,7 @@ def _iterate(
         base_extra.update(adaptive_extra or {})
 
         # 1. Plan with Ralph
+        self._observer_log(f"ralph #{idx} :: plan :: dispatching ralph")
         plan = self.runner.run(
             "ralph",
             objective,
@@ -300,6 +319,7 @@ def _iterate(
         # 2. Engineer one slice
         engineer_extra = dict(base_extra)
         engineer_extra["from"] = "ralph"
+        self._observer_log(f"ralph #{idx} :: engineer :: {eng_obj_text[:60]}")
         engineer = self.runner.run(
             "engineer",
             eng_obj_text,
@@ -308,6 +328,7 @@ def _iterate(
         )
 
         # 3. QA pass
+        self._observer_log(f"ralph #{idx} :: qa :: dispatching audit pass")
         qa = self.runner.run(
             "qa",
             f"Audit changes from iteration #{idx} and validate.",
diff --git a/clk_harness/tui.py b/clk_harness/tui.py
index 14c651a..1aa32f0 100644
--- a/clk_harness/tui.py
+++ b/clk_harness/tui.py
@@ -520,7 +520,14 @@ def begin_agent(self, name: str, objective: str) -> None:
             card.live_rss_kb = ""
             card.live_idle_s = 0.0
             card.live_elapsed_s = 0.0
-        self.add_log(f"{name} :: start :: {objective[:80]}", level="INFO")
+        # Take the first non-empty line of the objective so that multi-line
+        # objectives (e.g. recovery dispatches that start with a blank line
+        # after the header) don't produce a stray fragment in the log pane.
+        _obj_first = next(
+            (l for l in (objective or "").splitlines() if l.strip()),
+            (objective or ""),
+        )
+        self.add_log(f"{name} :: start :: {_obj_first[:80]}", level="INFO")
 
     def report_progress(self, name: str, kind: str, message: str) -> None:
         """Capture streaming progress from a provider's subprocess.