diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/tool-approval-group.test.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/tool-approval-group.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a615b9c4f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/tool-approval-group.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,161 @@
+import { AssistantRuntimeProvider, type ThreadMessage, useExternalStoreRuntime } from '@assistant-ui/react'
+import { cleanup, render, screen, waitFor } from '@testing-library/react'
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+
+import { $approvalRequest } from '@/store/prompts'
+import { $toolDisclosureStates } from '@/store/tool-view'
+
+import { Thread } from './thread'
+
+// Regression coverage for the "approval buried behind a collapsed tool group"
+// bug. When 2+ tools group into a collapsed "Tool actions · N steps" row, the
+// pending tool's inline ApprovalBar lives inside the group body — which is
+// `hidden` until expanded. A live approval must surface WITHOUT the user
+// expanding anything, so ToolGroupSlot force-opens its body while an approval
+// targeting one of its pending tools is in flight.
+
+const createdAt = new Date('2026-06-03T00:00:00.000Z')
+
+const resizeObservers = new Set<TestResizeObserver>()
+
+class TestResizeObserver {
+  private target: Element | null = null
+
+  constructor(private readonly callback: ResizeObserverCallback) {
+    resizeObservers.add(this)
+  }
+
+  observe(target: Element) {
+    this.target = target
+  }
+
+  unobserve() {}
+
+  disconnect() {
+    resizeObservers.delete(this)
+  }
+}
+
+vi.stubGlobal('ResizeObserver', TestResizeObserver)
+vi.stubGlobal('requestAnimationFrame', (callback: FrameRequestCallback) =>
+  window.setTimeout(() => callback(performance.now()), 0)
+)
+vi.stubGlobal('cancelAnimationFrame', (id: number) => window.clearTimeout(id))
+
+Element.prototype.scrollTo = function scrollTo() {}
+
+Element.prototype.animate = function animate() {
+  return {
+    cancel: () => {},
+    finished: Promise.resolve()
+  } as unknown as Animation
+}
+
+function stubOffsetDimension(
+  prop: 'offsetHeight' | 'offsetWidth',
+  clientProp: 'clientHeight' | 'clientWidth',
+  fallback: number
+) {
+  const previous = Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(HTMLElement.prototype, prop)
+
+  Object.defineProperty(HTMLElement.prototype, prop, {
+    configurable: true,
+    get() {
+      return previous?.get?.call(this) || (this as HTMLElement)[clientProp] || fallback
+    }
+  })
+}
+
+stubOffsetDimension('offsetWidth', 'clientWidth', 800)
+stubOffsetDimension('offsetHeight', 'clientHeight', 600)
+
+// A running assistant message with two tools: a completed read_file plus a
+// pending terminal (no result). Two visible tools → ToolGroupSlot groups them
+// behind a collapsed "Tool actions · 2 steps" header.
+function groupedPendingMessage(): ThreadMessage {
+  return {
+    id: 'assistant-group-1',
+    role: 'assistant',
+    content: [
+      {
+        type: 'tool-call',
+        toolCallId: 'read-1',
+        toolName: 'read_file',
+        args: { path: '/etc/hosts' },
+        argsText: JSON.stringify({ path: '/etc/hosts' }),
+        result: { content: '127.0.0.1 localhost' }
+      },
+      {
+        type: 'tool-call',
+        toolCallId: 'term-1',
+        toolName: 'terminal',
+        args: { command: 'rm -rf /tmp/x' },
+        argsText: JSON.stringify({ command: 'rm -rf /tmp/x' })
+      }
+    ],
+    status: { type: 'running' },
+    createdAt,
+    metadata: {
+      unstable_state: null,
+      unstable_annotations: [],
+      unstable_data: [],
+      steps: [],
+      custom: {}
+    }
+  } as ThreadMessage
+}
+
+function GroupHarness({ message }: { message: ThreadMessage }) {
+  const runtime = useExternalStoreRuntime<ThreadMessage>({
+    messages: [message],
+    isRunning: message.status?.type === 'running',
+    onNew: async () => {}
+  })
+
+  return (
+    <AssistantRuntimeProvider runtime={runtime}>
+      <Thread />
+    </AssistantRuntimeProvider>
+  )
+}
+
+beforeEach(() => {
+  $approvalRequest.set(null)
+  $toolDisclosureStates.set({})
+})
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  cleanup()
+  $approvalRequest.set(null)
+})
+
+describe('ToolGroupSlot approval surfacing', () => {
+  it('hides the grouped pending tool body when there is no approval', async () => {
+    const { container } = render(<GroupHarness message={groupedPendingMessage()} />)
+
+    // Group header renders collapsed; the inline approval strip lives in the
+    // hidden body, so with no live approval it must not render at all (the
+    // ApprovalBar returns null when $approvalRequest is empty).
+    await waitFor(() => {
+      expect(screen.getByText(/Tool actions/)).toBeTruthy()
+    })
+    expect(container.querySelector('[data-slot="tool-approval-inline"]')).toBeNull()
+  })
+
+  it('force-opens the group body so the approval surfaces without expanding', async () => {
+    $approvalRequest.set({ command: 'rm -rf /tmp/x', description: 'dangerous command', sessionId: 'sess-1' })
+
+    const { container } = render(<GroupHarness message={groupedPendingMessage()} />)
+
+    // Even though the group defaults collapsed, the live approval forces the
+    // body open so the inline controls are visible (and reachable, not in a
+    // hidden subtree) immediately.
+    await waitFor(() => {
+      const bar = container.querySelector('[data-slot="tool-approval-inline"]')
+      expect(bar).not.toBeNull()
+      // The forced-open group body must not be hidden — assert no ancestor
+      // carries the `hidden` attribute that would keep the bar off-screen.
+      expect(bar?.closest('[hidden]')).toBeNull()
+    })
+  })
+})
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/tool-approval.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/tool-approval.tsx
index 8e6dfdaaf..6940b7a10 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/tool-approval.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/tool-approval.tsx
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ import type { ToolPart } from './tool-fallback-model'
 // approval at a time, so the single pending row of those tools IS the row that
 // raised it. The command/description text comes from `$approvalRequest` (the
 // event payload), which is the only place that data reliably exists.
-const APPROVAL_TOOLS = new Set(['terminal', 'execute_code'])
+export const APPROVAL_TOOLS = new Set(['terminal', 'execute_code'])
 
 // Canonical gateway choices (ui-tui/src/components/prompts.tsx).
 type ApprovalChoice = 'once' | 'session' | 'always' | 'deny'
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/tool-fallback.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/tool-fallback.tsx
index 4835e125c..ff0a4652f 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/tool-fallback.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/tool-fallback.tsx
@@ -21,10 +21,11 @@ import { PrettyLink, LinkifiedText as SharedLinkifiedText, urlSlugTitleLabel } f
 import { AlertCircle, CheckCircle2 } from '@/lib/icons'
 import { useEnterAnimation } from '@/lib/use-enter-animation'
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
+import { $approvalRequest } from '@/store/prompts'
 import { $toolInlineDiffs } from '@/store/tool-diffs'
 import { $toolDisclosureOpen, $toolViewMode, setToolDisclosureOpen } from '@/store/tool-view'
 
-import { PendingToolApproval } from './tool-approval'
+import { APPROVAL_TOOLS, PendingToolApproval } from './tool-approval'
 import {
   groupCopyText as buildGroupCopyText,
   buildToolView,
@@ -458,7 +459,24 @@ export const ToolGroupSlot: FC<PropsWithChildren<{ endIndex: number; startIndex:
   // tools append to the end), so user-driven open/close persists across
   // streaming.
   const disclosureId = `tool-group:${messageId}:${startIndex}`
-  const open = useDisclosureOpen(disclosureId)
+  const userOpen = useDisclosureOpen(disclosureId)
+
+  // A live approval request must NEVER be buried inside a collapsed group —
+  // the user has to be able to act on it without first expanding "Tool
+  // actions · N steps". When an approval is in flight and this group hosts
+  // the pending approval-eligible tool that raised it (terminal /
+  // execute_code with no result yet — see tool-approval.tsx for why the
+  // single pending row IS the one that raised it), force the body open so
+  // the inline ApprovalBar surfaces. The user can still collapse the group
+  // again once the approval resolves.
+  const approvalRequest = useStore($approvalRequest)
+
+  const hostsLiveApproval =
+    approvalRequest !== null &&
+    messageRunning &&
+    visibleParts.some(p => p.result === undefined && APPROVAL_TOOLS.has(p.toolName))
+
+  const open = userOpen || hostsLiveApproval
   const enterRef = useEnterAnimation(messageRunning, disclosureId)
 
   const status = groupStatus(visibleParts)