diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/LegacySidebar.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/LegacySidebar.tsx
index 4b53c14c3ed5..1991dc502283 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/LegacySidebar.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/LegacySidebar.tsx
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import {
   prStatusIndicator,
   PrStatusTooltipContent,
   terminalStatusFromRunningIds,
+  synchronizeTerminalPulse,
   ThreadStatusLabel,
   ThreadWorktreeIndicator,
   useLinkedThreadPullRequest,
@@ -832,7 +833,8 @@ const SidebarThreadRow = memo(function SidebarThreadRow(props: SidebarThreadRowP
                 }
               >
                 <TerminalIcon
-                  className={`size-3 ${terminalStatus.pulse ? "animate-status-pulse" : ""}`}
+                  className={`size-3 ${terminalStatus.pulse ? "motion-safe:animate-status-pulse" : ""}`}
+                  onAnimationStart={synchronizeTerminalPulse}
                 />
               </TooltipTrigger>
               <TooltipPopup side="top">{terminalStatus.label}</TooltipPopup>
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/Sidebar.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/Sidebar.tsx
index bf99a1423378..7cbae330c318 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/Sidebar.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/Sidebar.tsx
@@ -205,6 +205,7 @@ import {
   prStatusIndicator,
   resolveThreadPullRequestBadge,
   terminalStatusFromRunningIds,
+  synchronizeTerminalPulse,
   type TerminalStatusIndicator,
   useLinkedThreadPullRequest,
 } from "./ThreadStatusIndicators";
@@ -1518,7 +1519,10 @@ const SidebarThreadRow = memo(function SidebarThreadRow(props: {
       data-testid={`sidebar-terminal-status-${thread.id}`}
       className={cn("inline-flex shrink-0 items-center justify-center", terminalStatus.colorClass)}
     >
-      <TerminalIcon className={cn("size-3.5", terminalStatus.pulse && "animate-status-pulse")} />
+      <TerminalIcon
+        className={cn("size-3.5", terminalStatus.pulse && "motion-safe:animate-status-pulse")}
+        onAnimationStart={synchronizeTerminalPulse}
+      />
     </span>
   ) : null;
   // Same pen the new-thread draft rows lead with, so both kinds of unsent
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/ThreadStatusIndicators.test.ts b/apps/web/src/components/ThreadStatusIndicators.test.ts
index 60b17b19aa6b..5406cba08c0d 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/ThreadStatusIndicators.test.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/ThreadStatusIndicators.test.ts
@@ -1,14 +1,31 @@
 import { ProjectId, type PullRequestSummary, type VcsStatusResult } from "@t3tools/contracts";
 import { describe, expect, it } from "@effect/vitest";
+import type { AnimationEvent } from "react";
 
 import {
   ChangeRequestStatusIcon,
   prStatusIndicator,
   resolveThreadPullRequestBadgePresentation,
+  synchronizeTerminalPulse,
 } from "./ThreadStatusIndicators";
 import { newestPullRequestSummary } from "../state/pullRequests";
 import { PullRequestGlyph } from "~/components/pullRequest/pullRequestIcons";
 
+describe("synchronizeTerminalPulse", () => {
+  it("pins only the status pulse to the document clock", () => {
+    const pulse = { animationName: "status-pulse", startTime: 975 } as CSSAnimation;
+    const otherCss = { animationName: "other-animation", startTime: 125 } as CSSAnimation;
+    const otherAnimation = { startTime: 250 } as Animation;
+
+    synchronizeTerminalPulse({
+      animationName: "status-pulse",
+      currentTarget: { getAnimations: () => [pulse, otherCss, otherAnimation] },
+    } as AnimationEvent<SVGSVGElement>);
+
+    expect([pulse.startTime, otherCss.startTime, otherAnimation.startTime]).toEqual([0, 125, 250]);
+  });
+});
+
 describe("ChangeRequestStatusIcon", () => {
   it.each([
     ["open", "open", false, PullRequestGlyph.pullRequest],
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/ThreadStatusIndicators.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/ThreadStatusIndicators.tsx
index b8d8a00ae8bb..33e5c491229b 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/ThreadStatusIndicators.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/ThreadStatusIndicators.tsx
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import {
 } from "@t3tools/shared/threadPullRequests";
 import { FolderGit2Icon, TerminalIcon } from "lucide-react";
 import { useRender } from "@base-ui/react/use-render";
-import { useMemo, type MouseEvent, type ReactElement } from "react";
+import { useMemo, type AnimationEvent, type MouseEvent, type ReactElement } from "react";
 import { cn } from "../lib/utils";
 import { useEnvironment, usePrimaryEnvironmentId } from "../state/environments";
 import { EnvironmentMachineIcon } from "./EnvironmentMachineIcon";
@@ -394,6 +394,17 @@ export function terminalStatusFromRunningIds(
   };
 }
 
+/** Align newly started pulses with the document clock without a timer or frame loop. */
+export function synchronizeTerminalPulse(event: AnimationEvent<SVGSVGElement>) {
+  if (event.animationName !== "status-pulse") return;
+
+  for (const animation of event.currentTarget.getAnimations()) {
+    if ("animationName" in animation && animation.animationName === "status-pulse") {
+      animation.startTime = 0;
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 export function ThreadWorktreeIndicator({
   thread,
 }: {
@@ -582,7 +593,8 @@ export function ThreadRowTrailingStatus({ thread }: { thread: SidebarThreadSumma
             }
           >
             <TerminalIcon
-              className={`size-3 ${terminalStatus.pulse ? "animate-status-pulse" : ""}`}
+              className={`size-3 ${terminalStatus.pulse ? "motion-safe:animate-status-pulse" : ""}`}
+              onAnimationStart={synchronizeTerminalPulse}
             />
           </TooltipTrigger>
           <TooltipPopup side="top">{terminalStatus.label}</TooltipPopup>