diff --git a/dashboard/components/MessageBubble.js b/dashboard/components/MessageBubble.js
index ef3e6d6..88956d5 100644
--- a/dashboard/components/MessageBubble.js
+++ b/dashboard/components/MessageBubble.js
@@ -44,11 +44,11 @@ export function MessageBubble({ msg, userBg, compact = false, formatTime }) {
 }
 
 /**
- * Filter messages for display — removes tool-call-only messages
- * that have no text or thinking (would render as empty bubbles).
+ * Filter messages for display — removes empty assistant messages
+ * (no content, thinking, or tool_calls) that would render as empty bubbles.
  */
 export function filterDisplayMessages(messages) {
   return messages.filter(msg =>
-    msg.content || msg.thinking || msg.role === 'user'
+    msg.content || msg.thinking || msg.tool_calls?.length || msg.role === 'user'
   );
 }
diff --git a/dashboard/lib/markdown.js b/dashboard/lib/markdown.js
index 8136ad5..25ef49b 100644
--- a/dashboard/lib/markdown.js
+++ b/dashboard/lib/markdown.js
@@ -61,19 +61,65 @@ export function renderContent(content) {
   return html`<div class="md-content" dangerouslySetInnerHTML=${{ __html: safeHtml }} />`;
 }
 
-// Generate a short summary for a tool call based on name + input
+// Generate a short summary for a tool call based on name + input.
+// Uses heuristics to extract meaningful info from common input patterns
+// rather than hardcoding specific tool names.
 function getToolSummary(name, input) {
-  if (!input) return name;
-  switch (name) {
-    case 'Bash': return input.description || input.command?.slice(0, 60) || 'Bash';
-    case 'Read': return input.file_path?.split('/').slice(-2).join('/') || 'Read';
-    case 'Write': return input.file_path?.split('/').slice(-2).join('/') || 'Write';
-    case 'Edit': return input.file_path?.split('/').slice(-2).join('/') || 'Edit';
-    case 'Grep': return `/${input.pattern?.slice(0, 40) || ''}/ ${input.glob || ''}`.trim();
-    case 'Glob': return input.pattern?.slice(0, 50) || 'Glob';
-    case 'Task': return input.description || 'Task';
-    default: return name;
+  if (!input || typeof input !== 'object') return name;
+
+  // Helper to safely get string value and slice it
+  const str = (val, len) => typeof val === 'string' ? val.slice(0, len) : null;
+
+  // Try to extract a meaningful summary from common input patterns
+  // Priority order matters - more specific/useful fields first
+
+  // 1. Explicit description or summary
+  let s = str(input.description, 60) || str(input.summary, 60);
+  if (s) return s;
+
+  // 2. Command/shell execution
+  s = str(input.command, 60) || str(input.cmd, 60);
+  if (s) return s;
+
+  // 3. File paths - show last 2 segments for context
+  const pathKeys = ['file_path', 'path', 'file', 'filename', 'filepath'];
+  for (const key of pathKeys) {
+    if (typeof input[key] === 'string' && input[key]) {
+      return input[key].split('/').slice(-2).join('/');
+    }
   }
+
+  // 4. Search patterns
+  if (typeof input.pattern === 'string' && input.pattern) {
+    const glob = typeof input.glob === 'string' ? ` ${input.glob}` : '';
+    return `/${input.pattern.slice(0, 40)}/${glob}`.trim();
+  }
+  s = str(input.query, 50) || str(input.search, 50);
+  if (s) return s;
+  if (typeof input.regex === 'string' && input.regex) return `/${input.regex.slice(0, 40)}/`;
+
+  // 5. URL/endpoint
+  s = str(input.url, 60) || str(input.endpoint, 60);
+  if (s) return s;
+
+  // 6. Name/title fields
+  if (typeof input.name === 'string' && input.name && input.name !== name) return input.name.slice(0, 50);
+  s = str(input.title, 50);
+  if (s) return s;
+
+  // 7. Message/content (for chat/notification tools)
+  s = str(input.message, 50) || str(input.content, 50);
+  if (s) return s;
+
+  // 8. First string value as fallback (skip very long values)
+  for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(input)) {
+    if (typeof value === 'string' && value.length > 0 && value.length < 100) {
+      return value.slice(0, 50);
+    }
+  }
+
+  // No useful summary found
+  return name;
 }
 
 // Render tool call pills (summary mode)