diff --git a/src/components/TabItem.tsx b/src/components/TabItem.tsx
index 40baf027..ae499119 100644
--- a/src/components/TabItem.tsx
+++ b/src/components/TabItem.tsx
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@ import type { MouseEvent, KeyboardEvent } from 'react'
 import { ContextIds } from '@/components/context-menu/context-menu-constants'
 
 function StatusDot({ status, activityPulse }: { status: TerminalStatus; activityPulse?: boolean }) {
-  return <Circle className={cn('h-2 w-2', getTerminalStatusDotClassName(status), activityPulse && status === 'running' && 'animate-pulse')} />
+  const isBusy = activityPulse && status === 'running'
+  return <Circle className={cn('h-2 w-2', isBusy ? 'fill-blue-500 text-blue-500' : getTerminalStatusDotClassName(status))} />
 }
 
 const MAX_TAB_ICONS = 6
@@ -96,14 +97,13 @@ export default function TabItem({
               content={content}
               className={cn(
                 'h-3 w-3 shrink-0',
-                getTerminalStatusIconClassName(status),
-                shouldPulse && 'animate-pulse',
+                shouldPulse ? 'text-blue-500' : getTerminalStatusIconClassName(status),
               )}
             />
           )
         })}
         {overflow > 0 && (
-          <span className={cn('text-[10px] text-muted-foreground leading-none', hiddenBusyTerminal && 'animate-pulse')}>+{overflow}</span>
+          <span className={cn('text-[10px] leading-none', hiddenBusyTerminal ? 'text-blue-500' : 'text-muted-foreground')}>+{overflow}</span>
         )}
       </span>
     )
diff --git a/test/unit/client/components/TabBar.test.tsx b/test/unit/client/components/TabBar.test.tsx
index 15d7b916..2c348436 100644
--- a/test/unit/client/components/TabBar.test.tsx
+++ b/test/unit/client/components/TabBar.test.tsx
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@ describe('TabBar', () => {
       expect(scrollContainer).toBeNull()
     })
 
-    it('pulses a tab when any exact terminal id in that tab is busy', () => {
+    it('shows blue color on a tab when any exact terminal id in that tab is busy', () => {
       const tab = createTab({
         id: 'tab-codex',
         title: 'Codex Tab',
@@ -307,11 +307,12 @@ describe('TabBar', () => {
       const busyIcon = icons.find((icon) => icon.getAttribute('data-terminal-id') === 'term-1')
       const idleIcon = icons.find((icon) => icon.getAttribute('data-terminal-id') === 'term-2')
 
-      expect(busyIcon?.getAttribute('class')).toContain('animate-pulse')
-      expect(idleIcon?.getAttribute('class') ?? '').not.toContain('animate-pulse')
+      expect(busyIcon?.getAttribute('class')).toContain('text-blue-500')
+      expect(busyIcon?.getAttribute('class')).not.toContain('animate-pulse')
+      expect(idleIcon?.getAttribute('class') ?? '').not.toContain('text-blue-500')
     })
 
-    it('does not pulse a tab when the exact record is only pending', () => {
+    it('does not show blue on a tab when the exact record is only pending', () => {
       const tab = createTab({
         id: 'tab-codex',
         title: 'Codex Pending',
@@ -350,10 +351,10 @@ describe('TabBar', () => {
       renderWithStore(<TabBar />, store)
 
       const tabElement = screen.getByLabelText('Codex Pending')
-      const pulsingIcons = within(tabElement).getAllByTestId('pane-icon')
-        .filter((icon) => icon.getAttribute('class')?.includes('animate-pulse'))
+      const blueIcons = within(tabElement).getAllByTestId('pane-icon')
+        .filter((icon) => icon.getAttribute('class')?.includes('text-blue-500'))
 
-      expect(pulsingIcons).toHaveLength(0)
+      expect(blueIcons).toHaveLength(0)
     })
 
     it('falls back to the exact tab terminal id for a single-pane rehydrate gap', () => {
@@ -395,10 +396,10 @@ describe('TabBar', () => {
       renderWithStore(<TabBar />, store)
 
       const tabElement = screen.getByLabelText('Rehydrate Gap')
-      const pulsingIcons = within(tabElement).getAllByTestId('pane-icon')
-        .filter((icon) => icon.getAttribute('class')?.includes('animate-pulse'))
+      const blueIcons = within(tabElement).getAllByTestId('pane-icon')
+        .filter((icon) => icon.getAttribute('class')?.includes('text-blue-500'))
 
-      expect(pulsingIcons.length).toBeGreaterThan(0)
+      expect(blueIcons.length).toBeGreaterThan(0)
     })
   })
 
diff --git a/test/unit/client/components/TabItem.test.tsx b/test/unit/client/components/TabItem.test.tsx
index 9e1175d7..a3cfbeb7 100644
--- a/test/unit/client/components/TabItem.test.tsx
+++ b/test/unit/client/components/TabItem.test.tsx
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ describe('TabItem', () => {
     expect(screen.getByDisplayValue('Editing')).toBeInTheDocument()
   })
 
-  it('pulses only the exact busy terminal icon in split tabs', () => {
+  it('shows blue color on the exact busy terminal icon in split tabs', () => {
     const paneContents: PaneContent[] = [
       {
         kind: 'terminal',
@@ -188,11 +188,12 @@ describe('TabItem', () => {
     const busyIcon = icons.find((icon) => icon.getAttribute('data-terminal-id') === 'term-1')
     const idleIcon = icons.find((icon) => icon.getAttribute('data-terminal-id') === 'term-2')
 
-    expect(busyIcon?.getAttribute('class')).toContain('animate-pulse')
-    expect(idleIcon?.getAttribute('class') ?? '').not.toContain('animate-pulse')
+    expect(busyIcon?.getAttribute('class')).toContain('text-blue-500')
+    expect(busyIcon?.getAttribute('class')).not.toContain('animate-pulse')
+    expect(idleIcon?.getAttribute('class') ?? '').not.toContain('text-blue-500')
   })
 
-  it('pulses a single unnamed terminal icon during the exact tab-terminal fallback', () => {
+  it('shows blue color on a single unnamed terminal icon during the exact tab-terminal fallback', () => {
     const paneContents: PaneContent[] = [
       {
         kind: 'terminal',
@@ -213,10 +214,11 @@ describe('TabItem', () => {
       />
     )
 
-    expect(screen.getByTestId('pane-icon').getAttribute('class')).toContain('animate-pulse')
+    expect(screen.getByTestId('pane-icon').getAttribute('class')).toContain('text-blue-500')
+    expect(screen.getByTestId('pane-icon').getAttribute('class')).not.toContain('animate-pulse')
   })
 
-  it('pulses the overflow indicator when the exact busy terminal is hidden beyond the visible icon cap', () => {
+  it('shows blue color on the overflow indicator when the exact busy terminal is hidden beyond the visible icon cap', () => {
     const paneContents: PaneContent[] = Array.from({ length: 7 }, (_, index) => ({
       kind: 'terminal',
       mode: 'shell',
@@ -235,7 +237,8 @@ describe('TabItem', () => {
       />
     )
 
-    expect(screen.getByText('+1').getAttribute('class')).toContain('animate-pulse')
+    expect(screen.getByText('+1').getAttribute('class')).toContain('text-blue-500')
+    expect(screen.getByText('+1').getAttribute('class')).not.toContain('animate-pulse')
   })
 
   it('calls onClick when clicked', () => {