diff --git a/packages/tui/src/routes/session/index.tsx b/packages/tui/src/routes/session/index.tsx
index c4ee2307370b..a032edfbda0e 100644
--- a/packages/tui/src/routes/session/index.tsx
+++ b/packages/tui/src/routes/session/index.tsx
@@ -1344,17 +1344,8 @@ function BackgroundToolHint(props: { messages: SessionMessageInfo[] }) {
   const theme = useTheme()
   const shortcut = Keymap.useShortcut("session.background")
   const running = createMemo(() => {
-    if (!shortcut()) return
-    const current = props.messages.findLast(
-      (message): message is SessionMessageAssistant => message.type === "assistant" && !message.time.completed,
-    )
-    const part = current?.content.find((part): part is SessionMessageAssistantTool => {
-      if (part.type !== "tool" || part.state.status !== "running") return false
-      const name = canonicalToolName(part.name)
-      return name === "shell" || name === "subagent"
-    })
-    if (!current || !part) return
-    return `${current.id}:${part.id}`
+    if (!shortcut()) return undefined
+    return backgroundableToolID(props.messages)
   })
   const visible = createDelayedPresence(running, BACKGROUND_TOOL_HINT_DELAY)
   return (
@@ -1370,6 +1361,19 @@ function BackgroundToolHint(props: { messages: SessionMessageInfo[] }) {
   )
 }
 
+export function backgroundableToolID(messages: SessionMessageInfo[]) {
+  const current = messages.findLast(
+    (message): message is SessionMessageAssistant => message.type === "assistant" && !message.time.completed,
+  )
+  const part = current?.content.find((part): part is SessionMessageAssistantTool => {
+    if (part.type !== "tool" || part.state.status !== "running" || part.state.input.background === true) return false
+    const name = canonicalToolName(part.name)
+    return name === "shell" || name === "subagent"
+  })
+  if (!current || !part) return undefined
+  return `${current.id}:${part.id}`
+}
+
 function SessionMessageView(props: { message: SessionMessageInfo }) {
   return (
     <Switch>
diff --git a/packages/tui/test/cli/tui/background-tool-hint.test.ts b/packages/tui/test/cli/tui/background-tool-hint.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..89bc13b0fd41
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/tui/test/cli/tui/background-tool-hint.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+import { expect, test } from "bun:test"
+import type { SessionMessageAssistant, SessionMessageAssistantTool } from "@opencode-ai/client"
+import { backgroundableToolID } from "../../../src/routes/session"
+
+test("shows the hint for running foreground work", () => {
+  expect(backgroundableToolID([assistant(tool("subagent"))])).toBe("assistant:subagent")
+  expect(backgroundableToolID([assistant(tool("shell"))])).toBe("assistant:shell")
+})
+
+test("hides the hint when all running work started in the background", () => {
+  expect(backgroundableToolID([assistant(tool("subagent", true), tool("shell", true))])).toBeUndefined()
+})
+
+test("shows the hint when foreground work remains alongside background work", () => {
+  expect(backgroundableToolID([assistant(tool("subagent", true), tool("shell"))])).toBe("assistant:shell")
+})
+
+test("ignores running tools that cannot be backgrounded", () => {
+  expect(backgroundableToolID([assistant(tool("read"))])).toBeUndefined()
+})
+
+function assistant(...content: SessionMessageAssistantTool[]): SessionMessageAssistant {
+  return {
+    type: "assistant",
+    id: "assistant",
+    agent: "build",
+    model: { id: "model", providerID: "provider" },
+    content,
+    time: { created: 1 },
+  }
+}
+
+function tool(name: string, background = false): SessionMessageAssistantTool {
+  return {
+    type: "tool",
+    id: name,
+    name,
+    state: {
+      status: "running",
+      input: background ? { background: true } : {},
+      metadata: {},
+    },
+    time: { created: 1 },
+  }
+}