diff --git a/src/client/src/chatTranscript.test.ts b/src/client/src/chatTranscript.test.ts
index e26eff5..dcecc0c 100644
--- a/src/client/src/chatTranscript.test.ts
+++ b/src/client/src/chatTranscript.test.ts
@@ -61,6 +61,68 @@ describe("applyTranscriptEvent", () => {
     ]);
   });
 
+  it("replaces streamed skill reads when the finalized assistant message includes thinking", () => {
+    const streamed: ChatLine[] = [
+      { role: "skill", parts: [{ type: "skillRead", name: "playwright", path: "/skills/playwright/SKILL.md" }] },
+      { role: "tool", parts: [{ type: "toolResult", toolName: "read", text: "skill content", isError: false }] },
+    ];
+
+    expect(applyTranscriptEvent(streamed, {
+      type: "message.end",
+      message: {
+        role: "assistant",
+        content: [
+          { type: "thinking", thinking: "load skill" },
+          { type: "toolCall", name: "read", arguments: { path: "/skills/playwright/SKILL.md" } },
+        ],
+        timestamp: "2026-05-09T12:00:00.000Z",
+      },
+    })).toEqual([
+      { role: "assistant", parts: [{ type: "thinking", text: "load skill" }, { type: "skillRead", name: "playwright", path: "/skills/playwright/SKILL.md" }], meta: { timestamp: "2026-05-09T12:00:00.000Z" } },
+      { role: "tool", parts: [{ type: "toolResult", toolName: "read", text: "skill content", isError: false }] },
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it("replaces streamed skill reads when finalized paths differ but the skill name matches", () => {
+    const streamed: ChatLine[] = [
+      { role: "skill", parts: [{ type: "skillRead", name: "playwright", path: "skills/playwright/SKILL.md" }] },
+      { role: "tool", parts: [{ type: "toolResult", toolName: "read", text: "skill content", isError: false }] },
+    ];
+
+    expect(applyTranscriptEvent(streamed, {
+      type: "message.end",
+      message: {
+        role: "assistant",
+        content: [{ type: "toolCall", name: "read", arguments: { path: "/home/user/.agents/skills/playwright/SKILL.md" } }],
+        timestamp: "2026-05-09T12:00:00.000Z",
+      },
+    })).toEqual([
+      { role: "skill", parts: [{ type: "skillRead", name: "playwright", path: "/home/user/.agents/skills/playwright/SKILL.md" }], meta: { timestamp: "2026-05-09T12:00:00.000Z" } },
+      { role: "tool", parts: [{ type: "toolResult", toolName: "read", text: "skill content", isError: false }] },
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it("does not merge consecutive streamed skill reads", () => {
+    let messages: ChatLine[] = [];
+    messages = applyTranscriptEvent(messages, { type: "tool.start", toolName: "read", toolCallId: "1", summary: "", args: { path: "/skills/playwright/SKILL.md" } }) ?? messages;
+    messages = applyTranscriptEvent(messages, { type: "tool.start", toolName: "read", toolCallId: "2", summary: "", args: { path: "/skills/sentry-cli/SKILL.md" } }) ?? messages;
+
+    expect(messages).toEqual([
+      { role: "skill", parts: [{ type: "skillRead", name: "playwright", path: "/skills/playwright/SKILL.md" }] },
+      { role: "skill", parts: [{ type: "skillRead", name: "sentry-cli", path: "/skills/sentry-cli/SKILL.md" }] },
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it("ignores duplicate streamed skill read starts", () => {
+    let messages: ChatLine[] = [];
+    messages = applyTranscriptEvent(messages, { type: "tool.start", toolName: "read", toolCallId: "1", summary: "", args: { path: "/skills/playwright/SKILL.md" } }) ?? messages;
+    messages = applyTranscriptEvent(messages, { type: "tool.start", toolName: "read", toolCallId: "1", summary: "", args: { path: "/skills/playwright/SKILL.md" } }) ?? messages;
+
+    expect(messages).toEqual([
+      { role: "skill", parts: [{ type: "skillRead", name: "playwright", path: "/skills/playwright/SKILL.md" }] },
+    ]);
+  });
+
   it("does not merge different finalized user messages", () => {
     const messages = [textMessage("user", "first queued prompt")];
 
diff --git a/src/client/src/chatTranscript.ts b/src/client/src/chatTranscript.ts
index 6933c4c..799c9a3 100644
--- a/src/client/src/chatTranscript.ts
+++ b/src/client/src/chatTranscript.ts
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ export function applyTranscriptEvent(messages: ChatLine[], event: SessionUiEvent
 function applyFinalMessage(messages: ChatLine[], rawMessage: unknown): ChatLine[] | undefined {
   const ended = normalizeMessage(rawMessage)[0];
   if (ended === undefined) return undefined;
-  const skillReadIndex = ended.role === "skill" ? findMatchingSkillRead(messages, ended) : -1;
+  const skillReadIndex = findMatchingSkillRead(messages, ended);
   if (skillReadIndex >= 0) return [...messages.slice(0, skillReadIndex), ended, ...messages.slice(skillReadIndex + 1)];
   const last = messages.at(-1);
   if (last?.role !== ended.role) return [...messages, ended];
@@ -30,20 +30,35 @@ function applyFinalMessage(messages: ChatLine[], rawMessage: unknown): ChatLine[
 }
 
 function findMatchingSkillRead(messages: ChatLine[], ended: ChatLine): number {
-  const endedReads = skillReadPaths(ended);
+  const endedReads = skillReads(ended);
   if (endedReads.length === 0) return -1;
   for (let index = messages.length - 1; index >= 0; index--) {
-    const paths = skillReadPaths(messages[index]);
-    if (paths.length === endedReads.length && paths.every((path, pathIndex) => path === endedReads[pathIndex])) return index;
+    const message = messages[index];
+    if (message?.role !== "skill") continue;
+    const reads = skillReads(message);
+    if (sameSkillReads(reads, endedReads)) return index;
   }
   return -1;
 }
 
-function skillReadPaths(message: ChatLine | undefined): string[] {
-  if (message === undefined || message.role !== "skill") return [];
-  return message.parts
-    .filter((part): part is Extract<ChatLine["parts"][number], { type: "skillRead" }> => part.type === "skillRead")
-    .map((part) => part.path);
+function skillReads(message: ChatLine | undefined): SkillRead[] {
+  if (message === undefined) return [];
+  return message.parts.filter((part): part is SkillRead => part.type === "skillRead");
+}
+
+type SkillRead = Extract<ChatLine["parts"][number], { type: "skillRead" }>;
+
+function sameSkillReads(left: SkillRead[], right: SkillRead[]): boolean {
+  return left.length === right.length && left.every((read, index) => sameSkillRead(read, right[index]));
+}
+
+function sameSkillRead(left: SkillRead, right: SkillRead | undefined): boolean {
+  if (right === undefined) return false;
+  return normalizeSkillPath(left.path) === normalizeSkillPath(right.path) || left.name === right.name;
+}
+
+function normalizeSkillPath(path: string): string {
+  return path.replace(/\\/g, "/");
 }
 
 function sameMessageText(left: ChatLine, right: ChatLine): boolean {
@@ -63,6 +78,7 @@ function appendNormalized(messages: ChatLine[], rawMessage: unknown): ChatLine[]
 
 function appendLine(messages: ChatLine[], line: ChatLine): ChatLine[] {
   const last = messages.at(-1);
-  if (last?.role === line.role) return [...messages.slice(0, -1), { ...last, parts: [...last.parts, ...line.parts] }];
+  if (line.role === "skill" && sameSkillReads(skillReads(last), skillReads(line))) return messages;
+  if (last?.role === line.role && line.role !== "skill") return [...messages.slice(0, -1), { ...last, parts: [...last.parts, ...line.parts] }];
   return [...messages, line];
 }