diff --git a/ui/src/ui/views/chat.test.ts b/ui/src/ui/views/chat.test.ts
index 8c3828a13..8a0a8c1a8 100644
--- a/ui/src/ui/views/chat.test.ts
+++ b/ui/src/ui/views/chat.test.ts
@@ -50,118 +50,78 @@ function createProps(overrides: Partial<ChatProps> = {}): ChatProps {
 }
 
 describe("chat view", () => {
-  it("renders compacting indicator as a badge", () => {
-    const container = document.createElement("div");
-    render(
-      renderChat(
-        createProps({
+  it("renders/hides compaction and fallback indicators across recency states", () => {
+    const cases = [
+      {
+        name: "active compaction",
+        props: {
           compactionStatus: {
             active: true,
-            startedAt: Date.now(),
+            startedAt: 1_000,
             completedAt: null,
           },
-        }),
-      ),
-      container,
-    );
-
-    const indicator = container.querySelector(".compaction-indicator--active");
-    expect(indicator).not.toBeNull();
-    expect(indicator?.textContent).toContain("Compacting context...");
-  });
-
-  it("renders completion indicator shortly after compaction", () => {
-    const container = document.createElement("div");
-    const nowSpy = vi.spyOn(Date, "now").mockReturnValue(1_000);
-    render(
-      renderChat(
-        createProps({
+        },
+        selector: ".compaction-indicator--active",
+        expectedText: "Compacting context...",
+      },
+      {
+        name: "recent compaction complete",
+        nowMs: 1_000,
+        props: {
           compactionStatus: {
             active: false,
             startedAt: 900,
             completedAt: 900,
           },
-        }),
-      ),
-      container,
-    );
-
-    const indicator = container.querySelector(".compaction-indicator--complete");
-    expect(indicator).not.toBeNull();
-    expect(indicator?.textContent).toContain("Context compacted");
-    nowSpy.mockRestore();
-  });
-
-  it("hides stale compaction completion indicator", () => {
-    const container = document.createElement("div");
-    const nowSpy = vi.spyOn(Date, "now").mockReturnValue(10_000);
-    render(
-      renderChat(
-        createProps({
+        },
+        selector: ".compaction-indicator--complete",
+        expectedText: "Context compacted",
+      },
+      {
+        name: "stale compaction hidden",
+        nowMs: 10_000,
+        props: {
           compactionStatus: {
             active: false,
             startedAt: 0,
             completedAt: 0,
           },
-        }),
-      ),
-      container,
-    );
-
-    expect(container.querySelector(".compaction-indicator")).toBeNull();
-    nowSpy.mockRestore();
-  });
-
-  it("renders fallback indicator shortly after fallback event", () => {
-    const container = document.createElement("div");
-    const nowSpy = vi.spyOn(Date, "now").mockReturnValue(1_000);
-    render(
-      renderChat(
-        createProps({
+        },
+        selector: ".compaction-indicator",
+        missing: true,
+      },
+      {
+        name: "recent fallback active",
+        nowMs: 1_000,
+        props: {
           fallbackStatus: {
             selected: "fireworks/minimax-m2p5",
             active: "deepinfra/moonshotai/Kimi-K2.5",
             attempts: ["fireworks/minimax-m2p5: rate limit"],
             occurredAt: 900,
           },
-        }),
-      ),
-      container,
-    );
-
-    const indicator = container.querySelector(".compaction-indicator--fallback");
-    expect(indicator).not.toBeNull();
-    expect(indicator?.textContent).toContain("Fallback active: deepinfra/moonshotai/Kimi-K2.5");
-    nowSpy.mockRestore();
-  });
-
-  it("hides stale fallback indicator", () => {
-    const container = document.createElement("div");
-    const nowSpy = vi.spyOn(Date, "now").mockReturnValue(20_000);
-    render(
-      renderChat(
-        createProps({
+        },
+        selector: ".compaction-indicator--fallback",
+        expectedText: "Fallback active: deepinfra/moonshotai/Kimi-K2.5",
+      },
+      {
+        name: "stale fallback hidden",
+        nowMs: 20_000,
+        props: {
           fallbackStatus: {
             selected: "fireworks/minimax-m2p5",
             active: "deepinfra/moonshotai/Kimi-K2.5",
             attempts: [],
             occurredAt: 0,
           },
-        }),
-      ),
-      container,
-    );
-
-    expect(container.querySelector(".compaction-indicator--fallback")).toBeNull();
-    nowSpy.mockRestore();
-  });
-
-  it("renders fallback-cleared indicator shortly after transition", () => {
-    const container = document.createElement("div");
-    const nowSpy = vi.spyOn(Date, "now").mockReturnValue(1_000);
-    render(
-      renderChat(
-        createProps({
+        },
+        selector: ".compaction-indicator--fallback",
+        missing: true,
+      },
+      {
+        name: "recent fallback cleared",
+        nowMs: 1_000,
+        props: {
           fallbackStatus: {
             phase: "cleared",
             selected: "fireworks/minimax-m2p5",
@@ -170,15 +130,26 @@ describe("chat view", () => {
             attempts: [],
             occurredAt: 900,
           },
-        }),
-      ),
-      container,
-    );
+        },
+        selector: ".compaction-indicator--fallback-cleared",
+        expectedText: "Fallback cleared: fireworks/minimax-m2p5",
+      },
+    ] as const;
 
-    const indicator = container.querySelector(".compaction-indicator--fallback-cleared");
-    expect(indicator).not.toBeNull();
-    expect(indicator?.textContent).toContain("Fallback cleared: fireworks/minimax-m2p5");
-    nowSpy.mockRestore();
+    for (const testCase of cases) {
+      const nowSpy =
+        testCase.nowMs === undefined ? null : vi.spyOn(Date, "now").mockReturnValue(testCase.nowMs);
+      const container = document.createElement("div");
+      render(renderChat(createProps(testCase.props)), container);
+      const indicator = container.querySelector(testCase.selector);
+      if (testCase.missing) {
+        expect(indicator, testCase.name).toBeNull();
+      } else {
+        expect(indicator, testCase.name).not.toBeNull();
+        expect(indicator?.textContent, testCase.name).toContain(testCase.expectedText);
+      }
+      nowSpy?.mockRestore();
+    }
   });
 
   it("shows a stop button when aborting is available", () => {