diff --git a/src/config/load-config.ts b/src/config/load-config.ts
index ac9ab41..3cc50bf 100644
--- a/src/config/load-config.ts
+++ b/src/config/load-config.ts
@@ -259,7 +259,9 @@ export function loadConfig(): AppConfig {
     moa: buildMoaConfig(),
     status: {
       channelId: readText('STATUS_CHANNEL_ID') ?? '',
-      updateInterval: 10000,
+      // Base periodic refresh. Event-driven updates (new message, agent
+      // activity change) refresh immediately between these ticks.
+      updateInterval: 60000,
       usageUpdateInterval: 60000,
       showRooms: readBooleanUnlessFalse('STATUS_SHOW_ROOMS', true),
       showRoomDetails: readBooleanUnlessFalse('STATUS_SHOW_ROOM_DETAILS', true),
diff --git a/src/group-queue.ts b/src/group-queue.ts
index c92d576..e6933ee 100644
--- a/src/group-queue.ts
+++ b/src/group-queue.ts
@@ -59,12 +59,28 @@ export class GroupQueue {
     return state;
   }
 
+  private onActivityChange: (() => void) | null = null;
+
   setProcessMessagesFn(
     fn: (groupJid: string, context: GroupRunContext) => Promise<boolean>,
   ): void {
     this.processMessagesFn = fn;
   }
 
+  /** Notified when a group starts or finishes a run (activeCount changes). */
+  setOnActivityChange(fn: () => void): void {
+    this.onActivityChange = fn;
+  }
+
+  private notifyActivityChange(): void {
+    if (!this.onActivityChange) return;
+    try {
+      this.onActivityChange();
+    } catch (err) {
+      logger.debug({ err }, 'onActivityChange callback threw');
+    }
+  }
+
   /** Limit concurrency after restart to avoid API rate-limit storms. */
   enterRecoveryMode(): void {
     this.recoveryMode = true;
@@ -528,6 +544,7 @@ export class GroupQueue {
     transitionRunPhase(state, groupJid, 'running_messages', { runId, reason });
     assertRunPhaseInvariants(state, groupJid);
     this.activeCount++;
+    this.notifyActivityChange();
 
     logger.info(
       {
@@ -580,6 +597,7 @@ export class GroupQueue {
       resetRunState(state, groupJid);
       assertRunPhaseInvariants(state, groupJid);
       this.activeCount--;
+      this.notifyActivityChange();
       this.drainGroup(groupJid);
     }
   }
@@ -592,6 +610,7 @@ export class GroupQueue {
     assertRunPhaseInvariants(state, groupJid);
     this.activeCount++;
     this.activeTaskCount++;
+    this.notifyActivityChange();
 
     logger.info(
       {
@@ -628,6 +647,7 @@ export class GroupQueue {
       assertRunPhaseInvariants(state, groupJid);
       this.activeCount--;
       this.activeTaskCount--;
+      this.notifyActivityChange();
       this.drainGroup(groupJid);
     }
   }
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index a30d750..c058e66 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -52,7 +52,10 @@ import {
 } from './sender-allowlist.js';
 import { createMessageRuntime } from './message-runtime.js';
 import { nudgeSchedulerLoop, startSchedulerLoop } from './task-scheduler.js';
-import { startUnifiedDashboard } from './unified-dashboard.js';
+import {
+  requestImmediateStatusUpdate,
+  startUnifiedDashboard,
+} from './unified-dashboard.js';
 import { startUsagePrimer } from './usage-primer.js';
 import { startWebDashboardServer } from './web-dashboard-server.js';
 import { Channel, NewMessage, RegisteredGroup } from './types.js';
@@ -395,6 +398,11 @@ async function main(): Promise<void> {
         }
       }
       storeMessage(msg);
+      // A real chat message in a registered room: refresh the status dashboard
+      // immediately instead of waiting for the next periodic tick.
+      if (!msg.is_from_me && !msg.is_bot_message && roomBindings[chatJid]) {
+        requestImmediateStatusUpdate();
+      }
     },
     onChatMetadata: (
       chatJid: string,
@@ -569,6 +577,9 @@ async function main(): Promise<void> {
     },
     purgeOnStart: true,
   });
+  // Refresh the status dashboard immediately when an agent starts/finishes a run
+  // (activity moves between rooms) rather than waiting for the periodic tick.
+  queue.setOnActivityChange(requestImmediateStatusUpdate);
   webDashboardServer = startWebDashboardServer({
     ...WEB_DASHBOARD,
     getRoomBindings: runtimeState.getRoomBindings,
diff --git a/src/unified-dashboard.test.ts b/src/unified-dashboard.test.ts
index 5e27d74..e1a5358 100644
--- a/src/unified-dashboard.test.ts
+++ b/src/unified-dashboard.test.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
 import type { UsageRow } from './dashboard-usage-rows.js';
 import {
   buildWebUsageRowsForSnapshot,
+  createCoalescingTrigger,
   editStatusMessageWithRetry,
   formatStatusHeader,
   getDashboardDuplicateCleanupIntervalMs,
@@ -312,3 +313,30 @@ describe('editStatusMessageWithRetry', () => {
     expect(slept).toBe(0);
   });
 });
+
+describe('createCoalescingTrigger', () => {
+  it('coalesces a burst into one run and re-arms after firing', () => {
+    let runs = 0;
+    let fire: (() => void) | null = null;
+    const timer = {
+      set: (cb: () => void) => {
+        fire = cb;
+        return 0 as unknown as ReturnType<typeof setTimeout>;
+      },
+    };
+    const trigger = createCoalescingTrigger(() => runs++, 1500, timer);
+
+    trigger();
+    trigger();
+    trigger();
+    expect(runs).toBe(0); // nothing runs until the debounce window elapses
+
+    fire!();
+    expect(runs).toBe(1); // three calls collapsed into a single run
+
+    // A new request after the run schedules and fires again.
+    trigger();
+    fire!();
+    expect(runs).toBe(2);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/unified-dashboard.ts b/src/unified-dashboard.ts
index 8f9b3cd..df28687 100644
--- a/src/unified-dashboard.ts
+++ b/src/unified-dashboard.ts
@@ -111,12 +111,28 @@ let channelMetaLastRefresh = 0;
 let dashboardUpdateLogged = false;
 /** Guards against overlapping status updates while a slow edit-retry runs. */
 let statusUpdateRunning = false;
+/** A refresh was requested while one was already running; run once more after. */
+let statusUpdatePending = false;
 /**
  * On a failed status-message edit, retry the edit this many extra times at
  * STATUS_EDIT_RETRY_DELAY_MS spacing before falling back to a fresh message.
  */
 const STATUS_EDIT_MAX_RETRIES = 2;
 const STATUS_EDIT_RETRY_DELAY_MS = 15_000;
+/** Coalesce bursts of event-driven refresh requests into one update. */
+const IMMEDIATE_UPDATE_DEBOUNCE_MS = 1_500;
+/** Set by the renderer's startUnifiedDashboard so external events can nudge it. */
+let immediateUpdateTrigger: (() => void) | null = null;
+
+/**
+ * Request an out-of-band status refresh (e.g. a new chat message arrived or an
+ * agent's activity changed) so the dashboard updates immediately instead of
+ * waiting for the next periodic tick. No-op until the renderer dashboard starts;
+ * bursts are debounced.
+ */
+export function requestImmediateStatusUpdate(): void {
+  immediateUpdateTrigger?.();
+}
 /** Codex service only: cached usage rows written into the status snapshot. */
 let cachedCodexUsageRows: UsageRow[] = [];
 /** Codex service only: ISO timestamp of last successful usage fetch. */
@@ -801,6 +817,29 @@ export async function editStatusMessageWithRetry(args: {
   return false;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Returns a trigger that runs `run` at most once per `delayMs` window: the
+ * first call schedules a run after `delayMs`, and further calls within that
+ * window are folded into the same pending run. Timer fns are injectable for
+ * tests.
+ */
+export function createCoalescingTrigger(
+  run: () => void,
+  delayMs: number,
+  timer: {
+    set: (cb: () => void, ms: number) => ReturnType<typeof setTimeout>;
+  } = { set: (cb, ms) => setTimeout(cb, ms) },
+): () => void {
+  let scheduled: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | null = null;
+  return () => {
+    if (scheduled) return;
+    scheduled = timer.set(() => {
+      scheduled = null;
+      run();
+    }, delayMs);
+  };
+}
+
 export async function startUnifiedDashboard(
   opts: UnifiedDashboardOptions,
 ): Promise<void> {
@@ -836,8 +875,13 @@ export async function startUnifiedDashboard(
     writeLocalStatusSnapshot(opts);
     if (!isRenderer) return;
     // A failed edit now retries with delays, so a single updateStatus can run
-    // for tens of seconds. Skip overlapping interval ticks to avoid double posts.
-    if (statusUpdateRunning) return;
+    // for tens of seconds. Skip overlapping ticks (this is also why the base
+    // periodic refresh does not fire mid-retry); remember the request so it runs
+    // once the in-flight update finishes.
+    if (statusUpdateRunning) {
+      statusUpdatePending = true;
+      return;
+    }
     statusUpdateRunning = true;
 
     try {
@@ -926,9 +970,22 @@ export async function startUnifiedDashboard(
       statusMessageId = null;
     } finally {
       statusUpdateRunning = false;
+      if (statusUpdatePending) {
+        statusUpdatePending = false;
+        immediateUpdateTrigger?.();
+      }
     }
   };
 
+  if (isRenderer) {
+    // Event-driven refresh: external callers (new chat message, agent activity
+    // change) call requestImmediateStatusUpdate(); bursts are coalesced.
+    immediateUpdateTrigger = createCoalescingTrigger(
+      () => void updateStatus(),
+      IMMEDIATE_UPDATE_DEBOUNCE_MS,
+    );
+  }
+
   setInterval(updateStatus, opts.statusUpdateInterval);
   setInterval(() => {
     if (!isRenderer || !statusMessageId) return;