diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/BranchToolbar.logic.test.ts b/apps/web/src/components/BranchToolbar.logic.test.ts
index ff4bb76bf12a..5476476620a8 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/BranchToolbar.logic.test.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/BranchToolbar.logic.test.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ import {
   resolveBranchTriggerLabel,
   resolveBranchToolbarPrBranch,
   resolveBranchToolbarValue,
+  resolveContextStripLabelHiddenWidth,
+  resolveContextStripLabelsCompact,
   resolveLockedWorkspaceLabel,
   resolveLocalCheckoutBranchMismatch,
   resolvePreviousWorktreeLabel,
@@ -834,3 +836,68 @@ describe("sanitizeNewRefName", () => {
     expect(sanitizeNewRefName("foo--bar")).toBe("foo--bar");
   });
 });
+
+describe("resolveContextStripLabelHiddenWidth", () => {
+  it("reserves the whole text while compact and nothing once expanded", () => {
+    expect(
+      resolveContextStripLabelHiddenWidth({ leafWidths: [120], maxWidth: 240, visibleWidth: 0 }),
+    ).toBe(120);
+    expect(
+      resolveContextStripLabelHiddenWidth({ leafWidths: [120], maxWidth: 240, visibleWidth: 120 }),
+    ).toBe(0);
+  });
+
+  it("counts a middle-truncated head and tail together, capped at the expanded width", () => {
+    expect(
+      resolveContextStripLabelHiddenWidth({
+        leafWidths: [100, 60],
+        maxWidth: 240,
+        visibleWidth: 0,
+      }),
+    ).toBe(160);
+    expect(
+      resolveContextStripLabelHiddenWidth({
+        leafWidths: [200, 60],
+        maxWidth: 240,
+        visibleWidth: 0,
+      }),
+    ).toBe(240);
+    expect(
+      resolveContextStripLabelHiddenWidth({
+        leafWidths: [200, 60],
+        maxWidth: 240,
+        visibleWidth: 240,
+      }),
+    ).toBe(0);
+  });
+
+  it("settles the compact decision in one pass at every strip width", () => {
+    // Compact and expanded passes disagreeing by more than the hysteresis
+    // flip forever until React throws error #185 (#12891).
+    const controlsWidth = 300;
+    const label = { leafWidths: [200, 60], maxWidth: 240 };
+    const needed = (compact: boolean) => {
+      const visibleWidth = compact ? 0 : Math.min(200 + 60, label.maxWidth);
+      return (
+        controlsWidth +
+        visibleWidth +
+        resolveContextStripLabelHiddenWidth({ ...label, visibleWidth })
+      );
+    };
+    for (let availableWidth = 400; availableWidth <= 700; availableWidth += 1) {
+      for (const compact of [false, true]) {
+        const next = resolveContextStripLabelsCompact({
+          compact,
+          neededWidth: needed(compact),
+          availableWidth,
+        });
+        const settled = resolveContextStripLabelsCompact({
+          compact: next,
+          neededWidth: needed(next),
+          availableWidth,
+        });
+        expect(settled).toBe(next);
+      }
+    }
+  });
+});
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/BranchToolbar.logic.ts b/apps/web/src/components/BranchToolbar.logic.ts
index 5b046ed6a686..631caed2ade9 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/BranchToolbar.logic.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/BranchToolbar.logic.ts
@@ -88,6 +88,20 @@ export function resolveContextStripLabelsCompact(input: {
     : input.neededWidth > input.availableWidth;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Width of a strip label's text that its current box hides. Leaf spans are
+ * summed so a middle-truncated head and tail count together, and capped at
+ * the expanded max-width so compact and expanded passes measure the same need.
+ */
+export function resolveContextStripLabelHiddenWidth(input: {
+  leafWidths: readonly number[];
+  maxWidth: number;
+  visibleWidth: number;
+}): number {
+  const naturalWidth = input.leafWidths.reduce((sum, width) => sum + width, 0);
+  return Math.max(0, Math.min(naturalWidth, input.maxWidth) - input.visibleWidth);
+}
+
 export function resolveEnvModeLabel(mode: EnvMode): string {
   return mode === "worktree" ? "New worktree" : "Current checkout";
 }
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/BranchToolbar.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/BranchToolbar.tsx
index ffc89c33e794..4e787bf3432b 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/BranchToolbar.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/BranchToolbar.tsx
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import { useProject, useThreadShell, useThreadShellsForProjectRefs } from "../st
 import {
   type EnvMode,
   type EnvironmentOption,
+  resolveContextStripLabelHiddenWidth,
   resolveContextStripLabelsCompact,
   resolveCurrentWorkspaceLabel,
   resolveEnvModeLabel,
@@ -319,6 +320,7 @@ const MobileRunContextSelector = memo(function MobileRunContextSelector({
 const COMPOSER_CONTEXT_MOTION_DURATION_MS = 180;
 const COMPOSER_CONTEXT_MOTION_EASING = "cubic-bezier(0.32, 0.72, 0, 1)";
 const COMPOSER_CONTEXT_LABEL_SELECTOR = "[data-composer-label]";
+const COMPOSER_CONTEXT_LABEL_MOTION_SELECTOR = "[data-composer-label-motion]";
 
 function useLabelsOverflow(element: HTMLDivElement | null): boolean {
   const [overflows, setOverflows] = useState(false);
@@ -380,17 +382,23 @@ function useLabelsOverflow(element: HTMLDivElement | null): boolean {
       needed += width;
     }
     needed += stripGap * Math.max(0, groups - 1);
-    for (const label of current.querySelectorAll<HTMLElement>("[data-composer-label]")) {
-      // The clipping can happen below the marker (SelectValue truncates
-      // internally), where the outer span's scrollWidth matches its clipped
-      // box. The text's real width is the largest scrollWidth in the subtree.
-      let textWidth = label.scrollWidth;
+    for (const label of current.querySelectorAll<HTMLElement>(COMPOSER_CONTEXT_LABEL_SELECTOR)) {
+      // Sum the leaf spans so a middle-truncated head and tail count together.
+      // The motion element keeps its max-width in both states; the marker's
+      // collapses to zero while compact.
+      const leafWidths: number[] = [];
       for (const inner of label.querySelectorAll<HTMLElement>("*")) {
-        textWidth = Math.max(textWidth, inner.scrollWidth);
+        if (inner.children.length === 0) leafWidths.push(inner.scrollWidth);
       }
-      // Subtract the visible width even during an animation. The content
-      // sum already includes it; only the hidden text needs reserving.
-      needed += Math.max(0, textWidth - label.getBoundingClientRect().width);
+      const motion = label.querySelector<HTMLElement>(COMPOSER_CONTEXT_LABEL_MOTION_SELECTOR);
+      const maxWidth = motion ? Number.parseFloat(getComputedStyle(motion).maxWidth) : Number.NaN;
+      needed += resolveContextStripLabelHiddenWidth({
+        leafWidths: leafWidths.length > 0 ? leafWidths : [label.scrollWidth],
+        maxWidth: Number.isFinite(maxWidth) ? maxWidth : Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY,
+        // Subtract the visible width even during an animation. The content
+        // sum already includes it; only the hidden text needs reserving.
+        visibleWidth: label.getBoundingClientRect().width,
+      });
     }
     const nextOverflows = resolveContextStripLabelsCompact({
       compact,