diff --git a/packages/web/src/lib/omni/stream-model.ts b/packages/web/src/lib/omni/stream-model.ts
index 14e7d1c..1b0cf72 100644
--- a/packages/web/src/lib/omni/stream-model.ts
+++ b/packages/web/src/lib/omni/stream-model.ts
@@ -895,6 +895,17 @@ function handleComplete(
       // The complete message usually follows right after a fragment's stop: prefer replacing an already-closed pending fragment, then a still-open one.
       const target = model.pendingText ?? model.openText;
       if (target) {
+        // A blank body discards the fragment instead of settling it (same fidelity-only case as
+        // below — core starts a text segment on the first *truthy* delta, so a whitespace-only
+        // segment does stream). Blanking it in place would leave the live view showing an empty
+        // bubble that a reload then drops. Removing the item and clearing both slots is what
+        // discardFragmentFor does for the dedup path, and it leaves no fragment stuck streaming.
+        if (!p.text.trim()) {
+          removeItem(model, target);
+          if (target === model.openText) model.openText = null;
+          model.pendingText = null;
+          return;
+        }
         // The complete message replaces the fragment's content (this guarantees consistency).
         target.text = p.text;
         target.streaming = false;
@@ -905,6 +916,17 @@ function handleComplete(
         model.pendingText = null;
         return;
       }
+      // Fidelity-only message: core emits a complete text/thinking message with an empty body
+      // when the provider attached an opaque payload to an otherwise empty part — on this text
+      // branch a Gemini thoughtSignature or a GPT-5 `fidelity.phase` segment marker (GPT-5's
+      // encrypted reasoning rides the *thinking* branch instead) — which is why the blank bubble
+      // showed up right after a thinking segment. The message has to exist so the fidelity
+      // round-trips into history, but it has nothing to show, and usually no fragment was opened
+      // for it either (core only starts a segment once a truthy delta arrives). Rendering it
+      // produced a blank "assistant:" bubble; collectTaskAssistant already skipped these when
+      // gathering the reply text, and with the blank-fragment discard above both the live and the
+      // history path now agree with it.
+      if (!p.text.trim()) return;
       // No open fragment (history / mid-stream join): append directly.
       const doneMs = tsOf(timestamp);
       const item: AssistantTextItem = {
@@ -934,6 +956,13 @@ function handleComplete(
       const tsMs = tsOf(timestamp);
       const target = model.pendingThinking ?? model.openThinking;
       if (target) {
+        // Blank body: discard the fragment rather than settle it (see the text branch).
+        if (!p.thinking.trim()) {
+          removeItem(model, target);
+          if (target === model.openThinking) model.openThinking = null;
+          model.pendingThinking = null;
+          return;
+        }
         target.thinking = p.thinking;
         target.streaming = false;
         if (p.stop_reason !== undefined) target.stopReason = p.stop_reason;
@@ -942,6 +971,9 @@ function handleComplete(
         model.pendingThinking = null;
         return;
       }
+      // Same fidelity-only case as the text branch above (GPT-5 encrypted reasoning): the
+      // message carries the payload, not a thought to show.
+      if (!p.thinking.trim()) return;
       const item: ThinkingItem = {
         kind: "thinking",
         id: nextId(model),
diff --git a/packages/web/test/stream-model.test.ts b/packages/web/test/stream-model.test.ts
index 10868d7..2d08c11 100644
--- a/packages/web/test/stream-model.test.ts
+++ b/packages/web/test/stream-model.test.ts
@@ -1474,3 +1474,98 @@ describe("multiple calls with a repeated tool_call_id (fallback for legacy Trace
     expect(cards[1]!.outputComplete).toBe(false); // new card waits for output as normal
   });
 });
+
+describe("fidelity-only messages render nothing (empty assistant bubble after thinking)", () => {
+  // Core emits a complete text/thinking message with an empty body when a provider attaches an
+  // opaque payload to an otherwise empty part (Gemini's thoughtSignature on a text part, GPT-5's
+  // encrypted-reasoning phase markers) — see flushText / flushThinking. It must exist so the
+  // fidelity round-trips into history; it must not become a visible item.
+  it("an empty assistant text after thinking adds no item", () => {
+    const m = createStreamModel();
+    pushMessage(m, userText("hi"));
+    pushMessage(m, thinkingMessage("pondering"));
+    pushMessage(m, assistantText(""));
+    expect(items(m).map((i) => i.kind)).toEqual(["user_text", "thinking"]);
+  });
+
+  it("a whitespace-only body counts as empty too", () => {
+    const m = createStreamModel();
+    pushMessage(m, assistantText("\n  \n"));
+    pushMessage(m, thinkingMessage("   "));
+    expect(items(m)).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  it("real content is unaffected, including a lone space inside real text", () => {
+    const m = createStreamModel();
+    pushMessage(m, thinkingMessage("thought"));
+    pushMessage(m, assistantText("answer"));
+    expect(items(m).map((i) => i.kind)).toEqual(["thinking", "assistant_text"]);
+    expect((items(m)[1] as AssistantTextItem).text).toBe("answer");
+  });
+
+  it("a streamed segment is still settled by its complete message, not dropped", () => {
+    // The guard must only skip the append path — a fragment that streamed real content is
+    // replaced by its complete message as before.
+    const m = createStreamModel();
+    pushMessage(m, partialText("start", "Hel"));
+    pushMessage(m, partialText("delta", "lo"));
+    pushMessage(m, partialText("stop"));
+    pushMessage(m, assistantText("Hello"));
+    const texts = items(m).filter((i) => i.kind === "assistant_text");
+    expect(texts).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect((texts[0] as AssistantTextItem).text).toBe("Hello");
+    expect((texts[0] as AssistantTextItem).streaming).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  // A blank body can also arrive through a fragment: core starts a text segment on the first
+  // truthy delta (`if (!item.text) break;`), and "\n\n" is truthy, so a whitespace-only segment
+  // really does stream. Guarding only the append path would leave live and after-refresh
+  // disagreeing — the fragment kept a blank bubble that a reload then dropped.
+  it("a blank streamed text segment is discarded, so live matches the history rebuild", () => {
+    const live = createStreamModel();
+    pushMessage(live, thinkingMessage("pondering"));
+    pushMessage(live, partialText("start", "\n\n"));
+    pushMessage(live, partialText("stop"));
+    pushMessage(live, assistantText("\n\n"));
+
+    const history = createStreamModel();
+    pushMessage(history, thinkingMessage("pondering"));
+    pushMessage(history, assistantText("\n\n"));
+
+    expect(items(live).map((i) => i.kind)).toEqual(["thinking"]);
+    expect(items(live).map((i) => i.kind)).toEqual(items(history).map((i) => i.kind));
+  });
+
+  it("a blank streamed thinking segment is discarded too", () => {
+    const live = createStreamModel();
+    pushMessage(live, partialThinking("start", "  "));
+    pushMessage(live, partialThinking("stop"));
+    pushMessage(live, thinkingMessage("  "));
+
+    const history = createStreamModel();
+    pushMessage(history, thinkingMessage("  "));
+
+    expect(items(live)).toEqual([]);
+    expect(items(history)).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  it("discarding a blank fragment clears the open-fragment slots, leaving no stuck spinner", () => {
+    // The fragment must be removed rather than blanked: a leftover openText would keep
+    // `streaming: true` forever (a permanent blinking cursor), and a stale pendingText would
+    // let the next complete message replace the wrong item.
+    const m = createStreamModel();
+    pushMessage(m, partialText("start", " "));
+    pushMessage(m, partialText("stop"));
+    pushMessage(m, assistantText(" "));
+    expect(items(m)).toEqual([]);
+
+    // The next real reply must append cleanly, not resurrect the discarded fragment.
+    pushMessage(m, partialText("start", "Hi"));
+    pushMessage(m, partialText("stop"));
+    pushMessage(m, assistantText("Hi"));
+    const texts = items(m).filter((i) => i.kind === "assistant_text");
+    expect(texts).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect((texts[0] as AssistantTextItem).text).toBe("Hi");
+    expect((texts[0] as AssistantTextItem).streaming).toBe(false);
+  });
+});