diff --git a/frontend/src/shell/AppShell.tsx b/frontend/src/shell/AppShell.tsx
index 4b0b6f47..55071f7b 100644
--- a/frontend/src/shell/AppShell.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/shell/AppShell.tsx
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import { SessionMenu } from "./SessionMenu";
 import { SessionDocumentsPanel } from "./SessionDocumentsPanel";
 import { RenameDialog } from "./RenameDialog";
 import { DeleteConfirmDialog } from "./DeleteConfirmDialog";
+import { StopConfirmDialog } from "./StopConfirmDialog";
 import { SteerInput, ComposerFooter } from "./SteerInput";
 import { WorkflowBar } from "./WorkflowBar";
 import { Pencil } from "lucide-react";
@@ -42,6 +43,7 @@ export function AppShell() {
   const [archiveOpen, setArchiveOpen] = useState(false);
   const [renameTarget, setRenameTarget] = useState<SessionSummary | null>(null);
   const [deleteTarget, setDeleteTarget] = useState<SessionSummary | null>(null);
+  const [stopConfirm, setStopConfirm] = useState(false);
   const [collapsedGroups, setCollapsedGroups] = useState<Record<string, boolean>>({});
   const [renameGroupTarget, setRenameGroupTarget] = useState<string | null>(null);
 
@@ -68,12 +70,16 @@ export function AppShell() {
     });
   }
   async function doResume(id: string) {
+    const s = sessions.find((x) => x.id === id) ?? null;
+    // Optimistic switch: change to the session view IMMEDIATELY so the click feels
+    // instant (the resume POST spawns a Pi process and can take seconds). The
+    // working spinner shows straight away; the backend calls run after.
+    setPanelSession(null);
+    resetSession();
+    setActiveSessionId(id);
     try {
       await resumeSession(id);
-      setPanelSession(null);
-      setActiveSessionId(id);
-      // Optimistic phase paint on resume: colour the re-entry phase immediately,
-      // before the first gate arrives (mirrors the F1 paint for new questions).
+      // Optimistic phase paint: colour the re-entry phase before the first gate.
       // The manifest's `phase` is the 1-based current phase (1..8).
       try {
         const m = (await getSession(id)) as { phase?: number };
@@ -84,6 +90,10 @@ export function AppShell() {
         /* non-fatal: the first gate will set the phase */
       }
     } catch {
+      // Revert the optimistic switch and restore the panel.
+      resetSession();
+      setActiveSessionId(null);
+      if (s) setPanelSession(s);
       toast.error("Failed to resume session.");
     }
   }
@@ -216,7 +226,7 @@ export function AppShell() {
                 <SteerInput
                   sessionId={activeSessionId}
                   onSessionCreated={setActiveSessionId}
-                  onStop={stopSession}
+                  onStop={() => setStopConfirm(true)}
                   inputRef={composerRef}
                 />
               </div>
@@ -227,7 +237,7 @@ export function AppShell() {
       </div>
 
       {/* Right session rail — symmetric to the portal's left sidebar */}
-      <aside className="flex w-[280px] shrink-0 flex-col border-l border-border bg-sidebar">
+      <aside className="flex w-[15vw] shrink-0 flex-col border-l border-border bg-sidebar">
         <div className="relative px-4 pb-3 pt-5 text-center">
           <h1 className="font-heading text-xl font-semibold leading-none tracking-tight text-foreground">
             Thoth<span className="text-primary">II</span>
@@ -333,6 +343,12 @@ export function AppShell() {
 
       <Toaster />
 
+      <StopConfirmDialog
+        open={stopConfirm}
+        onOpenChange={setStopConfirm}
+        onConfirm={stopSession}
+      />
+
       {renameTarget && (
         <RenameDialog
           open
diff --git a/frontend/src/shell/ModelActivityPanel.tsx b/frontend/src/shell/ModelActivityPanel.tsx
index 197624bd..cf85e6ce 100644
--- a/frontend/src/shell/ModelActivityPanel.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/shell/ModelActivityPanel.tsx
@@ -30,8 +30,8 @@ export function ModelActivityPanel({ onClose }: { onClose: () => void }) {
   const source = shown.join("\n\n");
 
   return (
-    <aside className="flex w-[380px] shrink-0 flex-col border-r border-border bg-sidebar">
-      <div className="flex items-center justify-between border-b border-border/70 px-4 py-3">
+    <aside className="flex w-[30vw] max-w-[30vw] shrink-0 flex-col border-r border-border bg-sidebar">
+      <div className="flex items-center justify-between border-b border-border/70 px-3 py-3">
         <h2 className="font-heading text-sm font-semibold text-foreground">Model activity</h2>
         <div className="flex items-center gap-1">
           {canExpand && (
@@ -50,11 +50,11 @@ export function ModelActivityPanel({ onClose }: { onClose: () => void }) {
           </Button>
         </div>
       </div>
-      <div className="flex-1 overflow-y-auto px-4 py-4">
+      <div className="flex-1 overflow-y-auto px-3 py-5">
         {shown.length === 0 ? (
           <p className="text-sm text-muted-foreground">No activity yet.</p>
         ) : (
-          <div className="prose prose-sm dark:prose-invert max-w-none text-foreground/90">
+          <div className="thot-prose max-w-[74ch]">
             <ReactMarkdown remarkPlugins={[remarkGfm]}>{source}</ReactMarkdown>
           </div>
         )}
diff --git a/frontend/src/shell/SessionDocumentsPanel.test.tsx b/frontend/src/shell/SessionDocumentsPanel.test.tsx
index fca116ca..113de5fa 100644
--- a/frontend/src/shell/SessionDocumentsPanel.test.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/shell/SessionDocumentsPanel.test.tsx
@@ -33,8 +33,9 @@ beforeEach(() => {
 
 test("renders the document titles from the API", async () => {
   wrap(<SessionDocumentsPanel session={base} onClose={vi.fn()} onResume={vi.fn()} />);
-  expect(await screen.findByText("Original question")).toBeInTheDocument();
-  expect(screen.getByText("Final SQL")).toBeInTheDocument();
+  expect(await screen.findByRole("heading", { name: "Original question" })).toBeInTheDocument();
+  // "Final SQL" is both the section heading and the SqlViewer block label — target the heading.
+  expect(screen.getByRole("heading", { name: "Final SQL" })).toBeInTheDocument();
 });
 
 test("shows Resume for resumable, hides it for finalized", async () => {
diff --git a/frontend/src/shell/SessionDocumentsPanel.tsx b/frontend/src/shell/SessionDocumentsPanel.tsx
index 3fcd9487..31a5c285 100644
--- a/frontend/src/shell/SessionDocumentsPanel.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/shell/SessionDocumentsPanel.tsx
@@ -31,21 +31,41 @@ function DocBody({ doc }: { doc: SessionDocument }) {
     }
   }
   if (doc.format === "decisions") {
-    const lines = doc.content.split("\n").filter(Boolean);
+    const items = doc.content
+      .split("\n")
+      .filter(Boolean)
+      .map((line) => {
+        try { return JSON.parse(line) as { type?: string; subject?: string; detail?: string }; }
+        catch { return null; }
+      })
+      .filter((d): d is { type?: string; subject?: string; detail?: string } => d !== null);
+    if (items.length === 0) return <p className="text-sm text-muted-foreground">No decisions recorded.</p>;
     return (
-      <details>
-        <summary className="cursor-pointer text-sm text-muted-foreground">{`${lines.length} decisions`}</summary>
-        <ul className="mt-2 flex flex-col gap-1 text-xs">
-          {lines.map((line, i) => {
-            let d: { type?: string; subject?: string; detail?: string };
-            try { d = JSON.parse(line); } catch { d = {}; }
-            return <li key={i} className="font-mono">[{d.type}] {d.subject}{d.detail ? ` — ${d.detail}` : ""}</li>;
-          })}
-        </ul>
-      </details>
+      <ul className="flex flex-col divide-y divide-border/50">
+        {items.map((d, i) => (
+          <li key={i} className="py-3 first:pt-0">
+            <span className={`inline-block rounded-full px-2 py-0.5 text-[0.62rem] font-semibold uppercase tracking-wide ${decisionChipClass(d.type ?? "")}`}>
+              {(d.type ?? "decision").replace(/_/g, " ")}
+            </span>
+            {d.subject && <p className="mt-1.5 text-sm font-medium text-foreground">{d.subject}</p>}
+            {d.detail && <p className="mt-0.5 text-sm leading-relaxed text-muted-foreground">{d.detail}</p>}
+          </li>
+        ))}
+      </ul>
     );
   }
-  return <p className="whitespace-pre-wrap text-sm">{doc.content}</p>;
+  return <p className="whitespace-pre-wrap text-sm leading-relaxed text-foreground/90">{doc.content}</p>;
+}
+
+/** Semantic tint for a decision-type chip: approvals/promotions read as progress
+ *  (green), exclusions as neutral, everything else carries the brand accent. */
+function decisionChipClass(type: string): string {
+  const t = type.toLowerCase();
+  if (t.includes("approved") || t.includes("promoted"))
+    return "bg-[oklch(var(--success)/0.15)] text-[oklch(0.47_0.12_165)]";
+  if (t.includes("excluded") || t.includes("rejected") || t.includes("reopened"))
+    return "bg-muted text-muted-foreground";
+  return "bg-[oklch(var(--primary)/0.1)] text-primary";
 }
 
 export function SessionDocumentsPanel({ session, onClose, onResume }: Props) {
@@ -56,8 +76,8 @@ export function SessionDocumentsPanel({ session, onClose, onResume }: Props) {
   const resumable = session.status !== "finalized" && !session.archived;
 
   return (
-    <aside className="flex w-[380px] shrink-0 flex-col border-r border-border bg-sidebar">
-      <div className="flex items-start justify-between gap-2 border-b border-border/70 px-4 py-3">
+    <aside className="flex w-[30vw] max-w-[30vw] shrink-0 flex-col border-r border-border bg-sidebar">
+      <div className="flex items-start justify-between gap-2 border-b border-border/70 px-3 py-3">
         <div className="min-w-0">
           <h2 className="truncate font-heading text-sm font-semibold text-foreground">
             {session.name || session.question}
@@ -73,16 +93,23 @@ export function SessionDocumentsPanel({ session, onClose, onResume }: Props) {
           </Button>
         </div>
       </div>
-      <div className="flex-1 overflow-y-auto px-4 py-4">
+      <div className="flex-1 overflow-y-auto px-3 py-5">
         {isLoading ? (
           <p className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">Loading…</p>
         ) : (
-          <div className="flex flex-col gap-5">
-            {docs.map((doc) => (
-              <section key={doc.key}>
-                <h3 className="mb-2 text-[0.65rem] font-bold uppercase tracking-wide text-primary">
-                  {doc.title}{doc.phase !== "—" ? ` · ${doc.phase}` : ""}
-                </h3>
+          <div className="flex max-w-[76ch] flex-col gap-7">
+            {docs.map((doc, idx) => (
+              <section key={doc.key} className={idx > 0 ? "border-t border-border/50 pt-7" : ""}>
+                <div className="mb-3 flex items-center gap-2">
+                  <h3 className="text-[0.7rem] font-semibold uppercase tracking-[0.12em] text-muted-foreground">
+                    {doc.title}
+                  </h3>
+                  {doc.phase !== "—" && (
+                    <span className="rounded-full bg-muted px-1.5 py-0.5 text-[0.6rem] font-medium text-muted-foreground">
+                      {doc.phase}
+                    </span>
+                  )}
+                </div>
                 <DocBody doc={doc} />
               </section>
             ))}
diff --git a/frontend/src/shell/StopConfirmDialog.tsx b/frontend/src/shell/StopConfirmDialog.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..35b916cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/shell/StopConfirmDialog.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+import { Dialog, DialogContent, DialogHeader, DialogTitle, DialogDescription, DialogFooter } from "../components/ui/dialog";
+import { Button } from "../components/ui/button";
+
+interface Props {
+  open: boolean;
+  onOpenChange: (open: boolean) => void;
+  onConfirm: () => void;
+}
+
+export function StopConfirmDialog({ open, onOpenChange, onConfirm }: Props) {
+  return (
+    <Dialog open={open} onOpenChange={onOpenChange}>
+      <DialogContent>
+        <DialogHeader><DialogTitle>Stop the session?</DialogTitle></DialogHeader>
+        <DialogDescription>
+          The running process will be interrupted. Progress so far is saved, and you can resume the session later.
+        </DialogDescription>
+        <DialogFooter>
+          <Button type="button" variant="outline" size="sm" onClick={() => onOpenChange(false)}>Cancel</Button>
+          <Button type="button" variant="destructive" size="sm" onClick={() => { onConfirm(); onOpenChange(false); }}>Stop &amp; save</Button>
+        </DialogFooter>
+      </DialogContent>
+    </Dialog>
+  );
+}