diff --git a/apps/server/src/orchestration/Layers/ProviderRuntimeIngestion.test.ts b/apps/server/src/orchestration/Layers/ProviderRuntimeIngestion.test.ts
index c4f57726f20f..062a91f8cb53 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/orchestration/Layers/ProviderRuntimeIngestion.test.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/orchestration/Layers/ProviderRuntimeIngestion.test.ts
@@ -4651,4 +4651,28 @@ describe("splitBufferedAssistantText", () => {
       rest: "~~~\n```\n\nx\n",
     });
   });
+
+  it("delivers tight list items one at a time", () => {
+    expect(splitBufferedAssistantText("## Steps\n\n- one\n- two\n- thr")).toEqual({
+      ready: "## Steps\n\n- one\n- two\n",
+      rest: "- thr",
+    });
+    expect(splitBufferedAssistantText("1. one\n2. two\n   more\n3. t")).toEqual({
+      ready: "1. one\n2. two\n   more\n",
+      rest: "3. t",
+    });
+  });
+
+  it("keeps a partial list marker and list-like code buffered", () => {
+    expect(splitBufferedAssistantText("intro\n-")).toEqual({ ready: "", rest: "intro\n-" });
+    expect(splitBufferedAssistantText("intro\n1.")).toEqual({ ready: "", rest: "intro\n1." });
+    // `intro\n- \n` would parse as a setext heading, so a bare marker with only
+    // trailing whitespace is not a boundary on the partial line either.
+    expect(splitBufferedAssistantText("intro\n- ")).toEqual({ ready: "", rest: "intro\n- " });
+    expect(splitBufferedAssistantText("- one\n")).toEqual({ ready: "", rest: "- one\n" });
+    expect(splitBufferedAssistantText("```\n- one\n- two\n")).toEqual({
+      ready: "",
+      rest: "```\n- one\n- two\n",
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/apps/server/src/orchestration/Layers/ProviderRuntimeIngestion.ts b/apps/server/src/orchestration/Layers/ProviderRuntimeIngestion.ts
index d7ae589047bf..32eaefd7cf1f 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/orchestration/Layers/ProviderRuntimeIngestion.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/orchestration/Layers/ProviderRuntimeIngestion.ts
@@ -194,13 +194,20 @@ const MARKDOWN_FENCE_PATTERN = /^( *)(`{3,}|~{3,})/;
 // CommonMark blank lines hold only spaces and tabs. Other whitespace, such as
 // a no-break space, is paragraph content.
 const BLANK_LINE_PATTERN = /^[ \t]*$/;
+// A bullet or ordered marker followed by whitespace, at any indentation so
+// nested items count. The trailing space is required, so a partial `-` or
+// `1.` never matches before the model finishes the marker.
+const LIST_ITEM_START_PATTERN = /^[ \t]*(?:[-*+]|\d{1,9}[.)])[ \t]/;
 
 /**
- * Splits buffered assistant text at the last blank line or closing code fence
- * that is not inside an open fenced code block. `ready` is safe to deliver now
- * because the markdown before it will not change shape as more text arrives.
- * `rest` stays buffered until the next boundary or completion. Only fully
- * terminated lines count, so a trailing partial line never leaks.
+ * Splits buffered assistant text at the last blank line, closing code fence,
+ * or list item start that is not inside an open fenced code block. `ready` is
+ * safe to deliver now because the markdown before it will not change shape as
+ * more text arrives. `rest` stays buffered until the next boundary or
+ * completion. Only fully terminated lines count, so a trailing partial line
+ * never leaks; a list item start is the one lookahead that may sit on the
+ * partial line, since tight lists have no blank lines between items and would
+ * otherwise land all at once.
  */
 export function splitBufferedAssistantText(text: string): { ready: string; rest: string } {
   let openFence: { marker: string; indent: number } | null = null;
@@ -208,10 +215,15 @@ export function splitBufferedAssistantText(text: string): { ready: string; rest:
   let lineStart = 0;
   for (;;) {
     const newline = text.indexOf("\n", lineStart);
+    const line = text
+      .slice(lineStart, newline === -1 ? text.length : newline)
+      .replace(/[ \t\r]+$/, "");
+    if (openFence === null && lineStart > 0 && LIST_ITEM_START_PATTERN.test(line)) {
+      boundary = lineStart;
+    }
     if (newline === -1) {
       break;
     }
-    const line = text.slice(lineStart, newline).replace(/[ \t\r]+$/, "");
     const fenceMatch = MARKDOWN_FENCE_PATTERN.exec(line);
     if (fenceMatch) {
       const indent = fenceMatch[1]!.length;