diff --git a/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/ActivityPhaseGroup.tsx b/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/ActivityPhaseGroup.tsx
index fcbac246c8..f31f39b245 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/ActivityPhaseGroup.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/ActivityPhaseGroup.tsx
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@ import {
 } from '~/hooks';
 import useSmoothStreaming from '~/hooks/Messages/useSmoothStreaming';
 import { getActivityLabelText } from '~/utils/activityLabels';
-import { AttachmentGroup, EmptyText } from './Parts';
-import { TOOL_ROW_CLASSES } from './rows';
+import { ROW_GLYPH_SLOT, TOOL_ROW_CLASSES } from './rows';
+import { AttachmentGroup } from './Parts';
 import { cn } from '~/utils';
 
 /** Matches `EXPAND_TRANSITION` so the panel and the label ticker resolve on
@@ -57,18 +57,15 @@ function schedulePostPaint(callback: () => void): () => void {
 }
 
 /** The header's icon slot. Its only job is geometric: every other row in the
- *  transcript opens with a 16px glyph and an 8px gap, so a summary rendered
- *  without one sits 24px to the left of the rows it replaces — the fold then
- *  moves its own text sideways at the moment the reader is trying to follow
- *  it. */
+ *  transcript opens with the same glyph slot and an 8px gap, so a summary
+ *  rendered without one sits to the left of the rows it replaces — the fold
+ *  then moves its own text sideways at the moment the reader is trying to
+ *  follow it. */
 function PhaseGlyph({ failed }: { failed: boolean }) {
   const Icon = failed ? TriangleAlert : Check;
   return (
     <span
-      className={cn(
-        'flex size-4 shrink-0 items-center justify-center',
-        failed ? 'text-text-warning' : 'text-text-secondary',
-      )}
+      className={cn(ROW_GLYPH_SLOT, failed ? 'text-text-warning' : 'text-text-secondary')}
       aria-hidden="true"
     >
       <Icon size={14} />
@@ -275,11 +272,17 @@ export default function ActivityPhaseGroup({
    *  starts and the cursor gives way to a row again. A cursor in a bare
    *  `Container` (20px, no margins) was 12px shorter than the tool row
    *  (`my-1.5 h-5`), so everything beneath the card stepped up on every
-   *  absorb and back down on every call. The cursor takes the row's exact box
-   *  and a 2px inset centers the 12px dot on the 16px glyph rail. */
+   *  absorb and back down on every call. The cursor takes the row's exact box,
+   *  and the dot sits in the row's glyph slot. `.result-thinking` draws the
+   *  dot as an absolutely positioned pseudo-element 11px above its line —
+   *  right for the streaming-markdown cursor, wrong here — so `after:!static`
+   *  puts that one pseudo-element back in flow for the slot to center; the
+   *  `!` is what outranks the dot rule's three-class selector. */
   const cursor = showCursor ? (
-    <div className={cn(TOOL_ROW_CLASSES, 'ps-0.5')} data-testid="activity-phase-cursor">
-      <EmptyText />
+    <div className={TOOL_ROW_CLASSES} data-testid="activity-phase-cursor">
+      <span className={cn(ROW_GLYPH_SLOT, 'submitting')} aria-hidden="true">
+        <span className="result-thinking block after:!static" />
+      </span>
     </div>
   ) : null;
   const media =
diff --git a/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/AgentHandoff.tsx b/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/AgentHandoff.tsx
index 5a5505ee60..29a577eef8 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/AgentHandoff.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/AgentHandoff.tsx
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ const AgentHandoff: React.FC<AgentHandoffProps> = ({ name, args: _args = '' }) =
       <button
         type="button"
         className={cn(
-          'tool-status-text flex appearance-none items-center gap-2.5 bg-transparent text-text-secondary',
+          'tool-status-text flex appearance-none items-center gap-2 bg-transparent text-text-secondary',
           hasInfo
             ? 'transition-colors hover:text-text-primary focus-visible:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-border-heavy'
             : 'pointer-events-none',
diff --git a/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/Parts/OpenAIImageGen/OpenAIImageGen.tsx b/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/Parts/OpenAIImageGen/OpenAIImageGen.tsx
index 4bd3c1aebd..13f1782451 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/Parts/OpenAIImageGen/OpenAIImageGen.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/Parts/OpenAIImageGen/OpenAIImageGen.tsx
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import { ToolIcon, isError } from '~/components/Chat/Messages/Content/ToolOutput
 import Image from '~/components/Chat/Messages/Content/Image';
 import { useProgress, useLocalize } from '~/hooks';
 import { useToolCallIntent } from '../intent';
+import { ROW_GLYPH_SLOT } from '../../rows';
 import ProgressText from './ProgressText';
 import { scaleImage } from '~/utils';
 
@@ -259,7 +260,9 @@ export default function OpenAIImageGen({
         })()}
       </span>
       <div className="relative my-1 flex h-5 shrink-0 items-center gap-2">
-        <ToolIcon type="image_gen" isAnimating={isInProgress} />
+        <span className={ROW_GLYPH_SLOT} aria-hidden="true">
+          <ToolIcon type="image_gen" isAnimating={isInProgress} />
+        </span>
         <ProgressText
           progress={progress}
           error={reportsError}
diff --git a/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/Parts/PendingSkillCall.tsx b/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/Parts/PendingSkillCall.tsx
index 6d75e3c4f4..cda1cafb4b 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/Parts/PendingSkillCall.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/Parts/PendingSkillCall.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { ScrollText } from 'lucide-react';
-import { TOOL_ROW_CLASSES } from '../rows';
+import { ROW_GLYPH_SLOT, TOOL_ROW_CLASSES } from '../rows';
 import { useLocalize } from '~/hooks';
 import { cn } from '~/utils';
 
@@ -41,10 +41,13 @@ export default function PendingSkillCall({
           style={{ opacity: 1, transform: 'none' }}
         >
           <div className="inline-flex w-full items-center gap-2">
-            <ScrollText
-              className={cn('size-4 shrink-0 text-text-secondary', !loaded && 'animate-pulse')}
-              aria-hidden="true"
-            />
+            {/** The real `SkillCall` replaces this row in place once the skill
+             *   finalizes; sharing its glyph slot keeps that swap still. */}
+            <span className={ROW_GLYPH_SLOT} aria-hidden="true">
+              <ScrollText
+                className={cn('size-4 shrink-0 text-text-secondary', !loaded && 'animate-pulse')}
+              />
+            </span>
             <span className={cn(!loaded && 'shimmer', 'min-w-0 truncate font-medium')}>{text}</span>
           </div>
         </div>
diff --git a/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/Parts/Thinking.tsx b/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/Parts/Thinking.tsx
index f1488bda4d..6cac5568d9 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/Parts/Thinking.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/Parts/Thinking.tsx
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import { useLocalize, useExpandCollapse } from '~/hooks';
 import { showThinkingAtom } from '~/store/showThinking';
 import { fontSizeAtom } from '~/store/fontSize';
 import { AnimatedText } from '../animate';
+import { ROW_GLYPH_SLOT } from '../rows';
 import { cn } from '~/utils';
 
 /**
@@ -86,7 +87,7 @@ export const ThinkingButton = memo(
             fontSize,
           )}
         >
-          <span className="relative mr-1.5 inline-flex h-[18px] w-[18px] items-center justify-center">
+          <span className={cn(ROW_GLYPH_SLOT, 'relative mr-2')}>
             <Lightbulb
               className="icon-sm absolute text-text-secondary opacity-100 transition-opacity group-hover/button:opacity-0"
               aria-hidden="true"
@@ -180,7 +181,7 @@ export const ThinkingLabel = memo(({ label, title }: { label: string; title?: st
         className={cn('flex w-full items-center justify-start leading-[18px]', fontSize)}
         title={title}
       >
-        <span className="relative mr-1.5 inline-flex h-[18px] w-[18px] items-center justify-center">
+        <span className={cn(ROW_GLYPH_SLOT, 'relative mr-2')}>
           <Lightbulb className="icon-sm text-text-secondary" aria-hidden="true" />
         </span>
         <span className="min-w-0 truncate text-left text-text-secondary">{label}</span>
diff --git a/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/ProgressText.tsx b/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/ProgressText.tsx
index 0357a445bb..6c83492101 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/ProgressText.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/ProgressText.tsx
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { isReportableRunStepDuration } from 'librechat-data-provider';
 import type { ToolCallPhase } from '~/utils/toolCallPhase';
 import { cn, getRunStepDurationLabels } from '~/utils';
 import CancelledIcon from './CancelledIcon';
+import { ROW_GLYPH_SLOT } from './rows';
 import { useLocalize } from '~/hooks';
 
 const wrapperClass =
@@ -113,7 +114,11 @@ export default function ProgressText({
         onClick={hasInput ? onClick : undefined}
         aria-expanded={hasInput ? isExpanded : undefined}
       >
-        {icon}
+        {icon != null && (
+          <span className={ROW_GLYPH_SLOT} aria-hidden="true">
+            {icon}
+          </span>
+        )}
         <span className={cn(showShimmer ? 'shimmer' : '', 'min-w-0 truncate font-medium')}>
           {text}
         </span>
diff --git a/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/ToolCallGroup.tsx b/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/ToolCallGroup.tsx
index a6a8868a26..cdd541aaa1 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/ToolCallGroup.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/ToolCallGroup.tsx
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import { isBashProgrammaticToolCall } from './routing';
 import { ASK_USER_QUESTION } from '~/utils/approval';
 import { StackedToolIcons } from './ToolOutput';
 import { AttachmentGroup } from './Parts';
+import { ROW_GLYPH_SLOT } from './rows';
 import store from '~/store';
 
 interface ToolMeta {
@@ -356,7 +357,8 @@ export default function ToolCallGroup({
            *  rather than "tools". */
           <div
             className={cn(
-              'flex size-4 shrink-0 items-center justify-center text-text-secondary',
+              ROW_GLYPH_SLOT,
+              'text-text-secondary',
               !allCompleted && isSubmitting && 'animate-pulse text-text-primary',
             )}
             aria-hidden="true"
@@ -364,12 +366,14 @@ export default function ToolCallGroup({
             <CategoryIcon size={14} />
           </div>
         ) : (
-          <StackedToolIcons
-            toolNames={iconToolNames}
-            mcpIconMap={mcpIconMap}
-            maxIcons={4}
-            isAnimating={!allCompleted && isSubmitting}
-          />
+          <div className={ROW_GLYPH_SLOT} aria-hidden="true">
+            <StackedToolIcons
+              toolNames={iconToolNames}
+              mcpIconMap={mcpIconMap}
+              maxIcons={4}
+              isAnimating={!allCompleted && isSubmitting}
+            />
+          </div>
         )}
         <span
           className={cn(
diff --git a/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/WebSearch.tsx b/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/WebSearch.tsx
index e6e53a82b0..42cc72b3ab 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/WebSearch.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/WebSearch.tsx
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import { useLocalize, useExpandCollapse, useLazyCollapseBody } from '~/hooks';
 import { StackedFavicons } from '~/components/Web/Sources';
 import { useToolCallIntent } from './Parts/intent';
 import { useSearchContext } from '~/Providers';
+import { ROW_GLYPH_SLOT } from './rows';
 import cn from '~/utils/cn';
 import store from '~/store';
 
@@ -257,11 +258,13 @@ export default function WebSearch({
               : completedText
           }
         >
-          {hasSourceData ? (
-            <SourceFaviconStack sources={allSources} />
-          ) : (
-            <Globe className="size-4 shrink-0 text-text-secondary" aria-hidden="true" />
-          )}
+          <span className={ROW_GLYPH_SLOT} aria-hidden="true">
+            {hasSourceData ? (
+              <SourceFaviconStack sources={allSources} />
+            ) : (
+              <Globe className="size-4 shrink-0 text-text-secondary" />
+            )}
+          </span>
           <span className="min-w-0 truncate font-medium">{completedText}</span>
           {hasSourceData && (
             <ChevronDown
@@ -309,12 +312,14 @@ export default function WebSearch({
   }
 
   return (
-    <div className="my-1 flex items-center gap-2.5">
+    <div className="my-1 flex items-center gap-2">
       <span className="sr-only" aria-live="polite" aria-atomic="true">
         {genericProgressText}
       </span>
-      {showSources && <StackedFavicons sources={streamingSources} start={-5} />}
-      <Globe className="size-4 shrink-0 text-text-secondary" aria-hidden="true" />
+      <span className={ROW_GLYPH_SLOT} aria-hidden="true">
+        {showSources && <StackedFavicons sources={streamingSources} start={-5} />}
+        <Globe className="size-4 shrink-0 text-text-secondary" />
+      </span>
       <span className="tool-status-text shimmer min-w-0 truncate font-medium text-text-secondary">
         {progressText}
       </span>
diff --git a/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/__tests__/ActivityPhaseGroup.test.tsx b/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/__tests__/ActivityPhaseGroup.test.tsx
index d335370b2b..f11898f86b 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/__tests__/ActivityPhaseGroup.test.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/__tests__/ActivityPhaseGroup.test.tsx
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 import { ContentTypes } from 'librechat-data-provider';
 import { act, fireEvent, render, screen } from '@testing-library/react';
 import type { TMessageContentParts } from 'librechat-data-provider';
+import { ROW_GLYPH_SLOT, TOOL_ROW_CLASSES } from '../rows';
 import ActivityPhaseGroup from '../ActivityPhaseGroup';
-import { TOOL_ROW_CLASSES } from '../rows';
 
 const mockUseSmoothStreaming = jest.fn(() => true);
 const mockScheduleLayoutReconcile = jest.fn((_target: HTMLElement | null) => jest.fn());
@@ -114,7 +114,14 @@ describe('ActivityPhaseGroup', () => {
     for (const token of TOOL_ROW_CLASSES.split(' ')) {
       expect(cursor).toHaveClass(token);
     }
-    expect(cursor.querySelector('.result-thinking')).toBeInTheDocument();
+    /** The dot rides the same glyph slot as every row's icon, in flow, so the
+     *  slot centers it on the avatar's axis instead of a text baseline. */
+    const slot = cursor.firstElementChild;
+    for (const token of ROW_GLYPH_SLOT.split(' ')) {
+      expect(slot).toHaveClass(token);
+    }
+    expect(slot).toHaveClass('submitting');
+    expect(cursor.querySelector('.result-thinking')).toHaveClass('after:!static');
   });
 
   test('opens the summary on the same glyph rail as the rows it replaces', () => {
@@ -126,10 +133,12 @@ describe('ActivityPhaseGroup', () => {
 
     const trigger = screen.getByRole('button', { name: LABEL });
     expect(trigger).toHaveClass('justify-start', 'gap-2', 'p-0');
-    /** Leading glyph plus the chevron: a summary with no glyph slot sits 24px
-     *  left of every tool row in the same list. */
+    /** Leading glyph plus the chevron, in the slot every row shares: a
+     *  summary without it sits left of the rows it replaces. */
     expect(trigger.querySelectorAll('svg')).toHaveLength(2);
-    expect(trigger.firstElementChild).toHaveClass('size-4', 'shrink-0');
+    for (const token of ROW_GLYPH_SLOT.split(' ')) {
+      expect(trigger.firstElementChild).toHaveClass(token);
+    }
     expect(screen.getByText(LABEL).parentElement).toHaveClass('flex-1', 'text-left');
   });
 
diff --git a/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/__tests__/ContentParts.integration.test.tsx b/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/__tests__/ContentParts.integration.test.tsx
index f70a25c5f2..45a5fa814f 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/__tests__/ContentParts.integration.test.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/__tests__/ContentParts.integration.test.tsx
@@ -826,14 +826,18 @@ describe('ContentParts — synthesized activity folds', () => {
     /** Providers append an empty TEXT slot after visible output. The cursor
      *  belongs to the card (the run's tail is inside its span), and that
      *  trailing slot looks like the initial waiting state from inside its own
-     *  segment — so without the ownership signal both render one. */
-    renderContentParts({
+     *  segment — so without the ownership signal both render one. The card
+     *  draws its own in-flow dot; the segment's `EmptyText` must stay out. */
+    const { container } = renderContentParts({
       ...baseProps,
       isSubmitting: true,
       content: [...labeledRun(), makeTextPart('')],
     });
 
-    expect(screen.getAllByTestId('empty-text')).toHaveLength(1);
+    const dots = container.querySelectorAll('.result-thinking');
+    expect(dots).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(dots[0]).toHaveClass('after:!static');
+    expect(screen.queryAllByTestId('empty-text')).toHaveLength(0);
   });
 
   it('leaves an unlabeled run rendering exactly as before', () => {
diff --git a/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/rows.ts b/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/rows.ts
index c3b7bfbac0..38eaff6542 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/rows.ts
+++ b/client/src/components/Chat/Messages/Content/rows.ts
@@ -6,3 +6,15 @@
  * everything under the card moves on each swap.
  */
 export const TOOL_ROW_CLASSES = 'relative my-1.5 flex h-5 shrink-0 items-center gap-2.5';
+
+/**
+ * The leading glyph slot of a row: 24px wide, the width of the message
+ * header's avatar, and the row's own 20px tall. A 16px tool icon, the 14px
+ * phase check and the 12px cursor dot all center in it, so every row's glyph
+ * sits on the avatar's axis, and with the row's 8px gap every row's text
+ * starts where the header's name does. `min-w` rather than `w`, so a stacked
+ * icon strip can run wider without overlapping its label; never taller than
+ * `TOOL_ROW_CLASSES`, whose `ProgressText` content is absolutely positioned
+ * and would carry a taller slot 2px below the row's center.
+ */
+export const ROW_GLYPH_SLOT = 'flex h-5 min-w-6 shrink-0 items-center justify-center';