diff --git a/frontend/packages/agent/src/app.js b/frontend/packages/agent/src/app.js
index 053c9218..3dfa342e 100644
--- a/frontend/packages/agent/src/app.js
+++ b/frontend/packages/agent/src/app.js
@@ -1907,6 +1907,12 @@ window.marked = marked;
     // rather than one "still going" line.
     let statusRow = null;
     let statusText = null;
+    // Same coalescing for `plugin_install`: claude emits a `started` tick
+    // then a `completed` tick per plugin — without coalescing that's two
+    // separate rows ("loading…" then "✓ done") for what's really one event
+    // from the operator's point of view; update in place instead.
+    let pluginInstallRow = null;
+    let pluginInstallText = null;
     function renderStream(v, api) {
       // Drop claude's result line and rate-limit — noise. TurnEnd
       // communicates pass/fail; rate-limit events are noisy status chatter.
@@ -1959,7 +1965,13 @@ window.marked = marked;
           const status = v.status === 'completed' ? '✓ done'
                        : v.status === 'started'   ? 'loading…'
                        :                            (v.status || '?');
-          api.row('note', '⚙ plugin install · ' + status);
+          const text = '⚙ plugin install · ' + status;
+          if (pluginInstallRow && pluginInstallRow.isConnected
+              && pluginInstallRow.nextElementSibling === null) {
+            pluginInstallText.nodeValue = text;
+          } else {
+            [pluginInstallRow, pluginInstallText] = api.mutableRow('note', text);
+          }
           return;
         }
         // commands_changed: the set of available slash commands changed (usually