diff --git a/apps/web/src/app/(sandbox)/task/[taskId]/PendingUserInputRequestPanel.client.test.tsx b/apps/web/src/app/(sandbox)/task/[taskId]/PendingUserInputRequestPanel.client.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d1ea811df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/web/src/app/(sandbox)/task/[taskId]/PendingUserInputRequestPanel.client.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+import { render, screen } from '@testing-library/react';
+
+const { useSandboxClientMock, useSandboxPendingUserInputRequestsMock } =
+  vi.hoisted(() => ({
+    useSandboxClientMock: vi.fn(),
+    useSandboxPendingUserInputRequestsMock: vi.fn(),
+  }));
+
+vi.mock('./hooks', async () => {
+  const actual = await vi.importActual<typeof import('./hooks')>('./hooks');
+
+  return {
+    ...actual,
+    useSandboxClient: useSandboxClientMock,
+    useSandboxPendingUserInputRequests: useSandboxPendingUserInputRequestsMock,
+  };
+});
+
+vi.mock('@/trpc/client', () => ({
+  useTRPCClient: () => ({}),
+}));
+
+import type { PendingTaskUserInputRequest } from './hooks';
+import {
+  PendingUserInputRequestPanel,
+  PendingUserInputRequestStateProvider,
+} from './PendingUserInputRequestPanel';
+
+const pendingRequest: PendingTaskUserInputRequest = {
+  requestId: 'rui:panel-test',
+  sessionId: 'session-test',
+  turnId: 'turn-test',
+  callId: 'call-test',
+  status: 'pending',
+  ts: 0,
+  questions: [
+    {
+      id: 'integration',
+      header: 'INTEGRATION',
+      question: 'Which integration should I inspect first?',
+      isOther: true,
+      isSecret: false,
+      options: [
+        { label: 'Telegram', description: 'Inspect Telegram first.' },
+        { label: 'Teams', description: 'Inspect Teams first.' },
+      ],
+    },
+  ],
+};
+
+function renderPanel() {
+  return render(
+    <PendingUserInputRequestStateProvider taskId="task-panel-test">
+      <PendingUserInputRequestPanel />
+    </PendingUserInputRequestStateProvider>,
+  );
+}
+
+describe('PendingUserInputRequestPanel', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.clearAllMocks();
+    useSandboxClientMock.mockReturnValue({ commands: {} });
+  });
+
+  it('renders a live pending question even while the reported task phase is running', () => {
+    // A queued/steered follow-up can flip the reported phase back to
+    // running while the harness turn is still blocked on the question;
+    // the panel must stay answerable as long as the request is pending.
+    useSandboxPendingUserInputRequestsMock.mockReturnValue([pendingRequest]);
+
+    renderPanel();
+
+    expect(
+      screen.getByText('Which integration should I inspect first?'),
+    ).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.getByText('Telegram')).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it('renders nothing when there are no pending requests', () => {
+    useSandboxPendingUserInputRequestsMock.mockReturnValue([]);
+
+    const { container } = renderPanel();
+
+    expect(container).toBeEmptyDOMElement();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/apps/web/src/app/(sandbox)/task/[taskId]/PendingUserInputRequestPanel.tsx b/apps/web/src/app/(sandbox)/task/[taskId]/PendingUserInputRequestPanel.tsx
index abfebfa16..800071b89 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/app/(sandbox)/task/[taskId]/PendingUserInputRequestPanel.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/app/(sandbox)/task/[taskId]/PendingUserInputRequestPanel.tsx
@@ -17,11 +17,7 @@ import { toast } from 'sonner';
 import { useTRPCClient } from '@/trpc/client';
 import type { PendingTaskUserInputRequest } from './hooks';
 
-import {
-  useSandboxClient,
-  useSandboxPendingUserInputRequests,
-  useSandboxTaskPhase,
-} from './hooks';
+import { useSandboxClient, useSandboxPendingUserInputRequests } from './hooks';
 import {
   buildAnswersForRequest,
   OTHER_VALUE,
@@ -96,7 +92,6 @@ export function PendingUserInputRequestStateProvider({
 }) {
   const client = useSandboxClient();
   const trpcClient = useTRPCClient();
-  const taskPhase = useSandboxTaskPhase();
   const requests = useSandboxPendingUserInputRequests();
 
   const [drafts, setDrafts] = useState<RequestDrafts>({});
@@ -154,14 +149,18 @@ export function PendingUserInputRequestStateProvider({
     );
   }, [requests]);
 
+  // Visibility tracks the live pending requests themselves, not the task
+  // phase: a queued/steered follow-up can flip the reported phase back to
+  // running while the harness turn is still blocked inside the question
+  // tool, and phase-gating here made the question unanswerable in that
+  // state. The runtime clears pending requests on answer, cancel, and
+  // turn teardown, so the list is self-correcting.
   const visibleRequests = useMemo(
     () =>
-      taskPhase === 'waiting_for_user_input'
-        ? requests.filter(
-            (request) => resolvedRequestIds[request.requestId] !== true,
-          )
-        : [],
-    [requests, resolvedRequestIds, taskPhase],
+      requests.filter(
+        (request) => resolvedRequestIds[request.requestId] !== true,
+      ),
+    [requests, resolvedRequestIds],
   );
 
   const requestEntries = useMemo<PendingRequestEntry[]>(
diff --git a/apps/web/src/app/(sandbox)/task/[taskId]/prompt-input/PromptInput.tsx b/apps/web/src/app/(sandbox)/task/[taskId]/prompt-input/PromptInput.tsx
index dede26724..f83292ce4 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/app/(sandbox)/task/[taskId]/prompt-input/PromptInput.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/app/(sandbox)/task/[taskId]/prompt-input/PromptInput.tsx
@@ -371,8 +371,10 @@ export const PromptInput = forwardRef<PromptInputHandle, PromptInputProps>(
       async (message: PromptInputMessage) => {
         const text = message.text.trim();
         const hasAttachments = (message.files?.length ?? 0) > 0;
+        // Keyed off the live pending request rather than the task phase:
+        // the phase can report running while the turn is still blocked on
+        // the question, and a message here must answer it, not steer.
         const shouldAnswerPendingFreeText =
-          taskPhase === 'waiting_for_user_input' &&
           Boolean(pendingUserInputState?.activeFreeTextRequest) &&
           !hasAttachments;
 
@@ -453,7 +455,6 @@ export const PromptInput = forwardRef<PromptInputHandle, PromptInputProps>(
         pendingUserInputState,
         sending,
         handlePromptChange,
-        taskPhase,
         scrollToBottom,
         handleMessageSent,
         cloudJob,