diff --git a/src/AppState.ts b/src/AppState.ts
index e8cca3b..cf2944e 100644
--- a/src/AppState.ts
+++ b/src/AppState.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { EventEmitter } from 'node:events';
 
-export type AppPhase = 'idle' | 'sending' | 'thinking' | 'prompting';
+export type AppPhase = 'idle' | 'sending' | 'thinking' | 'prompting' | 'asking';
 
 export interface AppStateEvents {
   changed: [phase: AppPhase];
@@ -47,13 +47,24 @@ export class AppState extends EventEmitter<AppStateEvents> {
     }, 500);
   }
 
-  /** A permission or question prompt is active */
+  /** A permission prompt is active (label updated externally by permission timer) */
   public prompting(label: string): void {
     this.stopTimer();
     this._promptLabel = label;
     this.setPhase('prompting');
   }
 
+  /** A question prompt is active (has its own elapsed timer) */
+  public asking(label: string): void {
+    this.stopTimer();
+    this._sendStartTime = Date.now();
+    this._promptLabel = label;
+    this.setPhase('asking');
+    this._timer = setInterval(() => {
+      this.emit('changed', this._phase);
+    }, 500);
+  }
+
   /** Query is done, back to idle */
   public idle(): void {
     this.stopTimer();
diff --git a/src/PromptManager.ts b/src/PromptManager.ts
index 47528d3..e1627b4 100644
--- a/src/PromptManager.ts
+++ b/src/PromptManager.ts
@@ -223,6 +223,7 @@ export class PromptManager {
     if (!q) {
       return;
     }
+    this.appState.asking(`${q.header}: Select [1-${q.options.length + 1}]`);
     this.term.log(`\x1b[1m${q.question}\x1b[0m`);
     for (let i = 0; i < q.options.length; i++) {
       this.term.log(`  \x1b[36m${i + 1})\x1b[0m ${q.options[i].label} — ${q.options[i].description}`);
diff --git a/src/terminal.ts b/src/terminal.ts
index 0e95592..8a789b8 100644
--- a/src/terminal.ts
+++ b/src/terminal.ts
@@ -66,10 +66,14 @@ export class Terminal {
       }
       case 'prompting':
         return '🔔 ' + this.formatLogLine(this.appState.promptLabel ?? '');
+      case 'asking': {
+        const elapsed = this.appState.elapsedSeconds ?? 0;
+        return '🔔 ' + this.formatLogLine(`(${elapsed}s) ${this.appState.promptLabel ?? ''}`);
+      }
     }
   }
 
-  private refreshSticky(): void {
+  private buildSticky(): string {
     const columns = process.stdout.columns || 80;
     let output = '';
 
@@ -101,7 +105,7 @@ export class Terminal {
 
     this.stickyLineCount = statusScreenLines + editorScreenLines;
 
-    process.stdout.write(output);
+    return output;
   }
 
   private writeHistory(line: string): void {
@@ -109,9 +113,9 @@ export class Terminal {
     output += this.clearStickyZone();
     output += line;
     output += '\n';
-    process.stdout.write(output);
     this.stickyLineCount = 0;
-    this.refreshSticky();
+    output += this.buildSticky();
+    process.stdout.write(output);
   }
 
   /** Call when AppState changes to refresh the sticky zone */
@@ -119,8 +123,8 @@ export class Terminal {
     let output = '';
     output += this.clearStickyZone();
     this.stickyLineCount = 0;
+    output += this.buildSticky();
     process.stdout.write(output);
-    this.refreshSticky();
   }
 
   public log(message: string, ...args: unknown[]): void {
@@ -138,8 +142,8 @@ export class Terminal {
     this.editorContent = prepareEditor(editor, prompt);
     this.cursorHidden = hideCursor;
     this.stickyLineCount = 0;
+    output += this.buildSticky();
     process.stdout.write(output);
-    this.refreshSticky();
   }
 
   public write(data: string): void {