diff --git a/src/client/src/components/MachineSwitcher.ts b/src/client/src/components/MachineSwitcher.ts
index f983409..bc6aef4 100644
--- a/src/client/src/components/MachineSwitcher.ts
+++ b/src/client/src/components/MachineSwitcher.ts
@@ -282,6 +282,7 @@ export class MachineSwitcher extends LitElement implements KeyboardNavigableSect
     .activity-indicator { flex: 0 0 auto; display: inline-block; width: 7px; height: 7px; background: var(--pi-success); animation: pulse 1s ease-in-out infinite; }
     .activity-indicator.session { border-radius: 50%; background: var(--pi-success); }
     .activity-indicator.terminal { border-radius: 2px; background: var(--pi-accent); }
+    .activity-indicator.sending { border-radius: 50%; background: var(--pi-warning); }
     .machine-switcher-menu { position: fixed; z-index: 10000; box-sizing: border-box; min-width: min(280px, calc(100vw - 16px)); overflow: auto; padding: 4px; border: 1px solid var(--pi-border); border-radius: 10px; background: var(--pi-surface); box-shadow: 0 8px 24px var(--pi-shadow); }
     .machine-option { display: grid; grid-template-columns: minmax(0, 1fr) auto; gap: 2px; align-items: stretch; margin: 2px 0; }
     .machine-option.no-actions { grid-template-columns: minmax(0, 1fr); }
diff --git a/src/client/src/components/SessionList.test.ts b/src/client/src/components/SessionList.test.ts
index b301176..b16ac5d 100644
--- a/src/client/src/components/SessionList.test.ts
+++ b/src/client/src/components/SessionList.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,29 @@
 import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
-import type { SessionInfo } from "../api";
-import { sessionRowsForCurrentTree } from "./SessionList";
+import type { SessionInfo, SessionStatus } from "../api";
+import { markCachedNewSessionInfo } from "../cachedNewSessions";
+import { sessionRowActivityKind, sessionRowsForCurrentTree } from "./SessionList";
+
+describe("sessionRowActivityKind", () => {
+  const idle: SessionStatus = { sessionId: "s", isStreaming: false, isCompacting: false, isBashRunning: false, pendingMessageCount: 0, queuedMessages: [], tokens: { input: 0, output: 0, cacheRead: 0, cacheWrite: 0, total: 0 }, cost: 0 };
+
+  it("reports 'sending' for an uploading session, taking precedence over server activity", () => {
+    expect(sessionRowActivityKind(session("s"), idle, undefined, true)).toBe("sending");
+    expect(sessionRowActivityKind(session("s"), { ...idle, isStreaming: true }, undefined, true)).toBe("sending");
+  });
+
+  it("reports 'session' for server activity when not sending", () => {
+    expect(sessionRowActivityKind(session("s"), { ...idle, isStreaming: true }, undefined, false)).toBe("session");
+  });
+
+  it("reports undefined when idle and not sending", () => {
+    expect(sessionRowActivityKind(session("s"), idle, undefined, false)).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+  it("never shows an indicator for archived or cached-new sessions, even while sending", () => {
+    expect(sessionRowActivityKind({ ...session("s"), archived: true }, idle, undefined, true)).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(sessionRowActivityKind(markCachedNewSessionInfo(session("s")), idle, undefined, true)).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+});
 
 describe("sessionRowsForCurrentTree", () => {
   it("keeps archived ancestors visible while they have unarchived descendants", () => {
diff --git a/src/client/src/components/SessionList.ts b/src/client/src/components/SessionList.ts
index d7dbc49..17fd55d 100644
--- a/src/client/src/components/SessionList.ts
+++ b/src/client/src/components/SessionList.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import type { SessionActivity, SessionInfo, SessionStatus } from "../api";
 import { isCachedNewSessionInfo } from "../cachedNewSessions";
 import { isSessionActive } from "../../../shared/activity";
 import { actionMenuPanelStyle } from "./actionMenu";
-import { renderActionActivityIndicator } from "./activityBadge";
+import { renderActionActivityIndicator, type ActivityIndicatorKind } from "./activityBadge";
 import type { KeyboardNavigableSection } from "./navigationFocus";
 import { activateSelectableRow, focusSelectedOrFirstSelectableRow, handleSelectableRowKeyboard } from "./selectableRow";
 import { listStyles } from "./shared";
@@ -361,9 +361,8 @@ export class SessionList extends LitElement implements KeyboardNavigableSection
   }
 
   private renderActivity(session: SessionInfo) {
-    if (isCachedNewSessionInfo(session) || session.archived === true) return undefined;
-    const active = this.sending[session.id] === true || isSessionActive(this.statuses[session.id], this.activities[session.id]);
-    return renderActionActivityIndicator(active ? "session" : undefined, "Session active");
+    const kind = sessionRowActivityKind(session, this.statuses[session.id], this.activities[session.id], this.sending[session.id] === true);
+    return renderActionActivityIndicator(kind, kind === "sending" ? "Sending message" : "Session active");
   }
 
   static override styles = [listStyles, css`
@@ -417,6 +416,25 @@ function unarchivedDescendantCounts(sessions: SessionInfo[]): Map<string, number
   return new Map(sessions.map((session) => [session.id, countFor(session, new Set())]));
 }
 
+/**
+ * Resolve the activity indicator kind for a session row, or undefined when the
+ * row should show no indicator. Pure so it can be unit-tested without rendering.
+ *
+ * "sending" (client-side upload in flight) is reported with its own kind, and
+ * takes precedence over server activity, so it can be colored distinctly to
+ * signal that it is not yet propagated to workspace/machine activity.
+ */
+export function sessionRowActivityKind(
+  session: SessionInfo,
+  status: SessionStatus | undefined,
+  activity: SessionActivity | undefined,
+  sending: boolean,
+): ActivityIndicatorKind | undefined {
+  if (isCachedNewSessionInfo(session) || session.archived === true) return undefined;
+  if (sending) return "sending";
+  return isSessionActive(status, activity) ? "session" : undefined;
+}
+
 export function sessionRowsForCurrentTree(sessions: SessionInfo[]): SessionRow[] {
   const byPath = new Map(sessions.map((session) => [session.path, session]));
   const visible = new Set<string>();
diff --git a/src/client/src/components/activityBadge.ts b/src/client/src/components/activityBadge.ts
index a674f49..ea1fa23 100644
--- a/src/client/src/components/activityBadge.ts
+++ b/src/client/src/components/activityBadge.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { html, type TemplateResult } from "lit";
 
-export type ActivityIndicatorKind = "session" | "terminal";
+export type ActivityIndicatorKind = "session" | "terminal" | "sending";
 
 export function renderActivityIndicator(kind: ActivityIndicatorKind | undefined, label = "Active"): TemplateResult | undefined {
   if (kind === undefined) return undefined;
diff --git a/src/client/src/components/shared.ts b/src/client/src/components/shared.ts
index aa7f8ba..e540958 100644
--- a/src/client/src/components/shared.ts
+++ b/src/client/src/components/shared.ts
@@ -249,6 +249,8 @@ export const listStyles = css`
   .activity-indicator { display: inline-block; width: 7px; height: 7px; margin-right: 6px; background: var(--pi-success); animation: pulse 1s ease-in-out infinite; vertical-align: 1px; }
   .activity-indicator.session { border-radius: 50%; background: var(--pi-success); }
   .activity-indicator.terminal { border-radius: 2px; background: var(--pi-accent); }
+  /* Client-side sending (upload in flight); distinct from server activity, which propagates to workspace/machine rows. */
+  .activity-indicator.sending { border-radius: 50%; background: var(--pi-warning); }
   .action-menu { position: relative; align-self: stretch; }
   .action-menu-toggle { display: grid; place-items: center; height: 100%; min-width: 32px; padding: 0; color: var(--pi-muted); border-left: 0; border-top-left-radius: 0; border-bottom-left-radius: 0; }
   .action-menu-toggle:hover { color: var(--pi-text); background: var(--pi-surface-hover); }