diff --git a/dashboard/src/__tests__/SessionDetailPage.test.tsx b/dashboard/src/__tests__/SessionDetailPage.test.tsx
index de372198..feda2673 100644
--- a/dashboard/src/__tests__/SessionDetailPage.test.tsx
+++ b/dashboard/src/__tests__/SessionDetailPage.test.tsx
@@ -52,6 +52,10 @@ vi.mock('../components/session/SessionMetricsPanel', () => ({
 vi.mock('../components/session/ApprovalBanner', () => ({
   ApprovalBanner: () => <div data-testid="approval-banner">approval</div>,
 }));
+vi.mock('../components/session/SessionSummaryCard', () => ({
+  SessionSummaryCard: () => null,
+}));
+
 
 function renderPage(): void {
   render(
@@ -106,6 +110,8 @@ describe('SessionDetailPage quick actions', () => {
       },
       metrics: null,
       metricsLoading: false,
+      summary: null,
+      summaryLoading: false,
     });
   });
 
diff --git a/dashboard/src/__tests__/SessionSummaryCard.test.tsx b/dashboard/src/__tests__/SessionSummaryCard.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..86f5ffd0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dashboard/src/__tests__/SessionSummaryCard.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest';
+import { render, screen } from '@testing-library/react';
+import { SessionSummaryCard } from '../components/session/SessionSummaryCard';
+import type { SessionSummary } from '../types';
+
+const BASE_SUMMARY: SessionSummary = {
+  sessionId: 'sess-1',
+  windowName: 'Test Session',
+  status: 'idle',
+  totalMessages: 5,
+  messages: [
+    { role: 'user', contentType: 'text', text: 'Hello' },
+    { role: 'user', contentType: 'text', text: 'World' },
+    { role: 'assistant', contentType: 'text', text: 'Hi there' },
+    { role: 'assistant', contentType: 'text', text: 'How are you?' },
+    { role: 'tool', contentType: 'tool_result', text: 'result' },
+  ],
+  createdAt: Date.now() - 65_000, // ~1 minute ago
+  lastActivity: Date.now() - 10_000,
+  permissionMode: 'default',
+};
+
+describe('SessionSummaryCard', () => {
+  it('renders the loading state', () => {
+    render(<SessionSummaryCard summary={null} loading={true} />);
+    expect(screen.getByText('Loading summary\u2026')).toBeDefined();
+  });
+
+  it('renders nothing when summary is null and not loading', () => {
+    const { container } = render(<SessionSummaryCard summary={null} loading={false} />);
+    expect(container.firstChild).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it('shows total message count', () => {
+    const { container } = render(<SessionSummaryCard summary={BASE_SUMMARY} loading={false} />);
+    expect(container.textContent).toContain('5');
+  });
+
+  it('shows per-role breakdown', () => {
+    const { container } = render(<SessionSummaryCard summary={BASE_SUMMARY} loading={false} />);
+    expect(container.textContent).toContain('user');
+    expect(container.textContent).toContain('assistant');
+    expect(container.textContent).toContain('tool');
+  });
+
+  it('shows the session status label', () => {
+    render(<SessionSummaryCard summary={BASE_SUMMARY} loading={false} />);
+    expect(screen.getByText('Idle')).toBeDefined();
+  });
+
+  it('shows the session age', () => {
+    const { container } = render(<SessionSummaryCard summary={BASE_SUMMARY} loading={false} />);
+    // createdAt is ~65s ago → formatTimeAgo returns "1m ago"
+    expect(container.textContent).toContain('1m ago');
+  });
+
+  it('renders the session summary aria label', () => {
+    render(<SessionSummaryCard summary={BASE_SUMMARY} loading={false} />);
+    expect(screen.getByRole('region', { name: 'Session summary' })).toBeDefined();
+  });
+
+  it('handles empty messages array gracefully', () => {
+    const emptySummary: SessionSummary = {
+      ...BASE_SUMMARY,
+      totalMessages: 0,
+      messages: [],
+    };
+    const { container } = render(<SessionSummaryCard summary={emptySummary} loading={false} />);
+    // Should not show role breakdown section
+    expect(container.textContent).not.toContain('By role');
+    expect(container.textContent).toContain('0');
+  });
+});
diff --git a/dashboard/src/__tests__/useSessionPolling.test.ts b/dashboard/src/__tests__/useSessionPolling.test.ts
index e71f4bff..d9705b4c 100644
--- a/dashboard/src/__tests__/useSessionPolling.test.ts
+++ b/dashboard/src/__tests__/useSessionPolling.test.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ vi.mock('../api/client', () => ({
   getSessionHealth: vi.fn(),
   getSessionPane: vi.fn(),
   getSessionMetrics: vi.fn(),
+  getSessionSummary: vi.fn(),
   subscribeSSE: vi.fn(),
 }));
 
@@ -23,7 +24,7 @@ vi.mock('../store/useToastStore', () => ({
   useToastStore: vi.fn(),
 }));
 
-import { getSession, getSessionHealth, getSessionPane, getSessionMetrics, subscribeSSE } from '../api/client';
+import { getSession, getSessionHealth, getSessionPane, getSessionMetrics, getSessionSummary, subscribeSSE } from '../api/client';
 import { useStore } from '../store/useStore';
 import { useToastStore } from '../store/useToastStore';
 
@@ -31,6 +32,7 @@ const mockedGetSession = vi.mocked(getSession);
 const mockedGetSessionHealth = vi.mocked(getSessionHealth);
 const mockedGetSessionPane = vi.mocked(getSessionPane);
 const mockedGetSessionMetrics = vi.mocked(getSessionMetrics);
+const mockedGetSessionSummary = vi.mocked(getSessionSummary);
 
 describe('useSessionPolling', () => {
   let capturedHandler: ((e: MessageEvent) => void) | null = null;
@@ -78,6 +80,16 @@ describe('useSessionPolling', () => {
       autoApprovals: 0,
       statusChanges: [],
     });
+    mockedGetSessionSummary.mockResolvedValue({
+      sessionId: 'session-a',
+      windowName: 'test',
+      status: 'idle',
+      totalMessages: 0,
+      messages: [],
+      createdAt: Date.now(),
+      lastActivity: Date.now(),
+      permissionMode: 'default',
+    });
 
     (subscribeSSE as any).mockImplementation(
       (_sessionId: string, handler: (e: MessageEvent) => void): (() => void) => {
diff --git a/dashboard/src/components/session/SessionSummaryCard.tsx b/dashboard/src/components/session/SessionSummaryCard.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..76c2297b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dashboard/src/components/session/SessionSummaryCard.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+import type { SessionSummary, UIState } from '../../types';
+import { formatTimeAgo } from '../../utils/format';
+import StatusDot from '../overview/StatusDot';
+
+const STATUS_LABELS: Record<UIState, string> = {
+  idle: 'Idle',
+  working: 'Working',
+  permission_prompt: 'Permission prompt',
+  bash_approval: 'Bash approval',
+  plan_mode: 'Plan mode',
+  ask_question: 'Awaiting question',
+  settings: 'Settings',
+  error: 'Error',
+  compacting: 'Compacting',
+  context_warning: 'Context warning',
+  waiting_for_input: 'Waiting for input',
+  unknown: 'Unknown',
+};
+
+interface SessionSummaryCardProps {
+  summary: SessionSummary | null;
+  loading: boolean;
+}
+
+export function SessionSummaryCard({ summary, loading }: SessionSummaryCardProps) {
+  if (loading) {
+    return (
+      <div className="bg-[#111118] border border-[#1a1a2e] rounded-lg px-4 py-3 animate-pulse text-[#555] text-xs">
+        Loading summary…
+      </div>
+    );
+  }
+
+  if (!summary) return null;
+
+  // Compute per-role message counts
+  const roleCounts: Record<string, number> = {};
+  for (const msg of summary.messages) {
+    roleCounts[msg.role] = (roleCounts[msg.role] ?? 0) + 1;
+  }
+  const roles = Object.entries(roleCounts).sort(([a], [b]) => a.localeCompare(b));
+
+  return (
+    <div
+      aria-label="Session summary"
+      role="region"
+      className="bg-[#111118] border border-[#1a1a2e] rounded-lg px-4 py-3 flex flex-wrap items-center gap-x-6 gap-y-2 text-xs"
+    >
+      {/* Total messages */}
+      <div className="flex items-center gap-1.5">
+        <span className="text-[#555] uppercase tracking-wider">Messages</span>
+        <span className="font-mono font-semibold text-[#00e5ff]">{summary.totalMessages}</span>
+      </div>
+
+      {/* Per-role breakdown */}
+      {roles.length > 0 && (
+        <div className="flex items-center gap-1.5 flex-wrap">
+          <span className="text-[#555] uppercase tracking-wider">By role</span>
+          <div className="flex gap-2">
+            {roles.map(([role, count]) => (
+              <span
+                key={role}
+                className="font-mono text-[#888] bg-[#0a0a0f] border border-[#1a1a2e] rounded px-1.5 py-0.5"
+              >
+                {role}{' '}<span className="text-[#00e5ff]">{count}</span>
+              </span>
+            ))}
+          </div>
+        </div>
+      )}
+
+      {/* Status */}
+      <div className="flex items-center gap-1.5">
+        <span className="text-[#555] uppercase tracking-wider">Status</span>
+        <StatusDot status={summary.status} />
+        <span className="text-[#c0c0d0]">{STATUS_LABELS[summary.status] ?? summary.status}</span>
+      </div>
+
+      {/* Session age */}
+      <div className="flex items-center gap-1.5">
+        <span className="text-[#555] uppercase tracking-wider">Age</span>
+        <span className="text-[#c0c0d0] font-mono">{formatTimeAgo(summary.createdAt)}</span>
+      </div>
+    </div>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/dashboard/src/hooks/useSessionPolling.ts b/dashboard/src/hooks/useSessionPolling.ts
index bf02cd21..d0e4131f 100644
--- a/dashboard/src/hooks/useSessionPolling.ts
+++ b/dashboard/src/hooks/useSessionPolling.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
-import { useState, useEffect, useRef, useCallback } from 'react';
-import type { SessionInfo, SessionHealth, SessionMetrics } from '../types';
+import { useState, useEffect, useRef, useCallback } from 'react';
+import type { SessionInfo, SessionHealth, SessionMetrics, SessionSummary } from '../types';
 import {
   getSession,
   getSessionHealth,
   getSessionPane,
   getSessionMetrics,
+  getSessionSummary,
   subscribeSSE,
 } from '../api/client';
 import { useStore } from '../store/useStore';
@@ -24,6 +25,8 @@ interface UseSessionPollingReturn {
   paneLoading: boolean;
   metrics: SessionMetrics | null;
   metricsLoading: boolean;
+  summary: SessionSummary | null;
+  summaryLoading: boolean;
   refetchPaneAndMetrics: () => void;
 }
 
@@ -45,6 +48,10 @@ export function useSessionPolling(sessionId: string): UseSessionPollingReturn {
   const [metrics, setMetrics] = useState<SessionMetrics | null>(null);
   const [metricsLoading, setMetricsLoading] = useState(true);
 
+  // Summary state
+  const [summary, setSummary] = useState<SessionSummary | null>(null);
+  const [summaryLoading, setSummaryLoading] = useState(true);
+
   // Refs for stable callbacks
   const sessionIdRef = useRef(sessionId);
   sessionIdRef.current = sessionId;
@@ -81,7 +88,7 @@ export function useSessionPolling(sessionId: string): UseSessionPollingReturn {
   }, [addToast]);
   loadSessionAndHealthRef.current = loadSessionAndHealth;
 
-  // Fetch pane + metrics
+  // Fetch pane + metrics + summary
   const loadPaneAndMetrics = useCallback(async () => {
     if (cancelledRef.current) return;
     const sid = sessionIdRef.current;
@@ -103,6 +110,15 @@ export function useSessionPolling(sessionId: string): UseSessionPollingReturn {
     } finally {
       if (!cancelledRef.current) setMetricsLoading(false);
     }
+
+    try {
+      const data = await getSessionSummary(sid);
+      if (!cancelledRef.current) setSummary(data);
+    } catch (e: unknown) {
+      addToast('warning', 'Failed to load session summary', e instanceof Error ? e.message : undefined);
+    } finally {
+      if (!cancelledRef.current) setSummaryLoading(false);
+    }
   }, [addToast]);
   loadPaneAndMetricsRef.current = loadPaneAndMetrics;
 
@@ -113,6 +129,7 @@ export function useSessionPolling(sessionId: string): UseSessionPollingReturn {
     setLoading(true);
     setPaneLoading(true);
     setMetricsLoading(true);
+    setSummaryLoading(true);
 
     loadSessionAndHealth();
     loadPaneAndMetrics();
@@ -146,7 +163,7 @@ export function useSessionPolling(sessionId: string): UseSessionPollingReturn {
     }, 1000);
   }, []);
 
-  // SSE subscription — drives all refetching
+  // SSE subscription -- drives all refetching
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!sessionId) return;
 
@@ -175,12 +192,12 @@ export function useSessionPolling(sessionId: string): UseSessionPollingReturn {
             break;
 
           case 'ended':
-            // Final state — re-fetch everything immediately
+            // Final state -- re-fetch everything immediately
             loadSessionAndHealthRef.current?.();
             loadPaneAndMetricsRef.current?.();
             break;
 
-          // 'heartbeat', 'system', 'hook', 'subagent_start', 'subagent_stop' — no action needed
+          // 'heartbeat', 'system', 'hook', 'subagent_start', 'subagent_stop' -- no action needed
         }
       } catch {
         // ignore malformed events
@@ -199,6 +216,8 @@ export function useSessionPolling(sessionId: string): UseSessionPollingReturn {
     paneLoading,
     metrics,
     metricsLoading,
+    summary,
+    summaryLoading,
     refetchPaneAndMetrics: loadPaneAndMetrics,
   };
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/dashboard/src/pages/SessionDetailPage.tsx b/dashboard/src/pages/SessionDetailPage.tsx
index 61e59e8f..d7b97f9e 100644
--- a/dashboard/src/pages/SessionDetailPage.tsx
+++ b/dashboard/src/pages/SessionDetailPage.tsx
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import { TranscriptViewer } from '../components/session/TranscriptViewer';
 import { LiveTerminal } from '../components/session/LiveTerminal';
 import { SessionMetricsPanel } from '../components/session/SessionMetricsPanel';
 import { ApprovalBanner } from '../components/session/ApprovalBanner';
+import { SessionSummaryCard } from '../components/session/SessionSummaryCard';
 
 interface ScreenshotState {
   image: string;
@@ -48,8 +49,11 @@ export default function SessionDetailPage() {
   const {
     session, health, notFound, loading,
     metrics, metricsLoading,
+    summary, summaryLoading,
   } = useSessionPolling(id ?? '');
 
+
+
   const [msgInput, setMsgInput] = useState('');
   const [sending, setSending] = useState(false);
   const [selectedSlashCommand, setSelectedSlashCommand] = useState<string>(COMMON_SLASH_COMMANDS[0]);
@@ -238,6 +242,9 @@ export default function SessionDetailPage() {
           onKill={handleKill}
         />
 
+        {/* Session summary */}
+        <SessionSummaryCard summary={summary} loading={summaryLoading} />
+
         {/* Tab bar — full-width stretch on mobile */}
         <div className="flex border-b border-[#1a1a2e]" role="tablist">
           {TABS.map(tab => (