diff --git a/apps/web/src/app.css b/apps/web/src/app.css
index 7a8a245b68..6649215245 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/app.css
+++ b/apps/web/src/app.css
@@ -1395,20 +1395,67 @@ select:disabled,
   font-weight: 650;
 }
 
-.shell-ch-orbit {
+.wb-av {
+  position: relative;
+  display: inline-flex;
+  flex: 0 0 auto;
+}
+
+.wb-av-st {
   position: absolute;
-  inset: 0;
-  border: 1.5px solid transparent;
-  border-top-color: var(--primary);
-  border-right-color: var(--primary);
-  border-bottom-color: var(--primary);
+  right: -3px;
+  bottom: -3px;
+  width: 10px;
+  height: 10px;
+  border-radius: 50%;
+  border: 2px solid var(--background);
+  background: var(--muted-foreground);
+}
+
+.wb-av-st--ready {
+  background: var(--success);
+}
+
+.wb-av-st--idle {
+  background: color-mix(in srgb, var(--muted-foreground) 50%, transparent);
+}
+
+/* The arc travels a ring concentric with the mark. The conic angle is what
+   animates, so the masked shape itself never rotates. */
+@property --orbit-a {
+  syntax: "<angle>";
+  inherits: false;
+  initial-value: 0deg;
+}
+
+.wb-av-orbit {
+  position: absolute;
+  inset: -3.5px;
+  padding: 1.5px;
+  pointer-events: none;
+  border-radius: calc(var(--av-r) + 3.5px);
+  background: conic-gradient(
+    from var(--orbit-a),
+    transparent 0deg,
+    color-mix(in srgb, var(--primary) 20%, transparent) 20deg,
+    var(--primary) 130deg,
+    transparent 131deg 360deg
+  );
+  -webkit-mask:
+    linear-gradient(#000 0 0) content-box,
+    linear-gradient(#000 0 0);
+  -webkit-mask-composite: xor;
+  mask-composite: exclude;
+  animation: wb-av-orbit 1.4s linear infinite;
+}
+
+.wb-av[data-kind="person"] .wb-av-orbit {
   border-radius: 50%;
-  animation: shell-ch-orbit 1.4s linear infinite;
 }
 
-@keyframes shell-ch-orbit {
+@keyframes wb-av-orbit {
   to {
-    transform: rotate(360deg);
+    --orbit-a: 360deg;
   }
 }
 
@@ -1432,7 +1479,7 @@ select:disabled,
 }
 
 @media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
-  .shell-ch-orbit {
+  .wb-av-orbit {
     animation: none;
   }
   .shell-ch-row {
diff --git a/apps/web/src/chat/avatar.test.tsx b/apps/web/src/chat/avatar.test.tsx
index b8c2359f05..1f5b372f15 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/chat/avatar.test.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/chat/avatar.test.tsx
@@ -1,12 +1,7 @@
 import { describe, expect, test } from "bun:test";
-import { renderToStaticMarkup } from "react-dom/server";
 
 import {
   AVATAR_COLORS,
-  CORBIT_DEFAULT_COLOR,
-  CORBIT_GLINT_COLOR,
-  CORBIT_VISOR_COLOR,
-  CorbitAvatar,
   avatarClassForPrincipal,
   avatarColorClass,
   avatarColorForPrincipal,
@@ -86,43 +81,3 @@ describe("resolveAvatarFill", () => {
     expect(fill.kind).toBe("generated");
   });
 });
-
-describe("CorbitAvatar", () => {
-  test("paints its field from the identity token", () => {
-    const html = renderToStaticMarkup(<CorbitAvatar />);
-    expect(html).toContain(`fill:var(${CORBIT_DEFAULT_COLOR})`);
-    // The field's old hardcoded fill is gone. The shared visor/glint face
-    // geometry keeps its fixed constants — it is identical on every agent,
-    // so it was never part of the per-principal identity palette.
-    expect(html).not.toContain('fill="#C5D2DE"');
-  });
-
-  test("a chosen palette token paints the field", () => {
-    const html = renderToStaticMarkup(<CorbitAvatar color="--avatar-3" />);
-    expect(html).toContain("fill:var(--avatar-3)");
-  });
-  test("renders an SVG with an accessible name and no visible label", () => {
-    const html = renderToStaticMarkup(<CorbitAvatar ariaLabel="Myra" size="md" />);
-    expect(html).toContain('role="img"');
-    expect(html).toContain('aria-label="Myra"');
-    expect(html).toContain('data-corbit="true"');
-    expect(html).toContain("<svg");
-    expect(html).not.toContain("title=");
-    expect(html).not.toContain(">Myra<");
-  });
-
-  test("contains the visor and glint geometry", () => {
-    const html = renderToStaticMarkup(<CorbitAvatar />);
-    expect(html).toContain(`fill="${CORBIT_VISOR_COLOR}"`);
-    expect(html).toContain(`fill="${CORBIT_GLINT_COLOR}"`);
-  });
-
-  test("supports named and numeric sizes", () => {
-    const namedHtml = renderToStaticMarkup(<CorbitAvatar size="sm" />);
-    expect(namedHtml).toContain("size-6");
-
-    const numericHtml = renderToStaticMarkup(<CorbitAvatar size={28} />);
-    expect(numericHtml).toContain("width:28px");
-    expect(numericHtml).toContain("height:28px");
-  });
-});
diff --git a/apps/web/src/chat/avatar.tsx b/apps/web/src/chat/avatar.tsx
index 8af3de600e..951a143e3a 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/chat/avatar.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/chat/avatar.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import type { CSSProperties } from "react";
+import { Avatar, AvatarStack, type AvatarStackItem, type AvatarTone } from "@corbits/react-ui";
 
 import { agentInitials } from "@/chat/threads-api";
 
@@ -9,6 +9,15 @@ export type AvatarColor = (typeof AVATAR_COLORS)[number];
 
 export const CORBIT_DEFAULT_COLOR: AvatarColor = "--avatar-1";
 
+// react-ui owns the fill; the token only picks which of its tones a
+// principal lands on.
+const TONE_BY_COLOR: Record<AvatarColor, AvatarTone> = {
+  "--avatar-1": "agent",
+  "--avatar-2": "agent2",
+  "--avatar-3": "agent3",
+  "--avatar-4": "neutral",
+};
+
 export const avatarColorClass: Record<AvatarColor, string> = {
   "--avatar-1": "bg-(--avatar-1) text-black",
   "--avatar-2": "bg-(--avatar-2) text-black",
@@ -52,98 +61,119 @@ export function resolveAvatarFill(
   return { kind: "generated", className: avatarClassForPrincipal(principalId) };
 }
 
-export const CORBIT_VISOR_COLOR = "#22252A";
-export const CORBIT_GLINT_COLOR = "#F7EAD5";
-
 export type CorbitAvatarSize = "xs" | "sm" | "md" | "lg" | "xl" | number;
+export type AvatarStatus = "working" | "ready" | "idle";
+
+// react-ui ships sm/md/lg only; the wrapper sizes xs/xl/numeric and the
+// mark fills it.
+const SIZE_PX = { xs: 16, sm: 24, md: 32, lg: 40, xl: 80 } as const;
+
+function baseSize(px: number): "sm" | "md" | "lg" {
+  if (px <= 24) return "sm";
+  if (px <= 32) return "md";
+  return "lg";
+}
+
+export interface WorkbenchAvatarProps {
+  /** Workers are rounded squares, people circles. */
+  readonly kind: "worker" | "person";
+  readonly name: string;
+  readonly tone?: AvatarTone;
+  readonly size?: CorbitAvatarSize;
+  readonly status?: AvatarStatus;
+  readonly className?: string;
+}
+
+export function WorkbenchAvatar({
+  kind,
+  name,
+  tone = "agent",
+  size = "md",
+  status,
+  className,
+}: WorkbenchAvatarProps) {
+  const px = typeof size === "number" ? size : SIZE_PX[size];
+  const radius = kind === "person" ? "50%" : `${Math.round(px * 0.28)}px`;
+  const working = kind === "worker" && status === "working";
+  return (
+    <span
+      className={["wb-av", className].filter(Boolean).join(" ")}
+      data-kind={kind}
+      {...(status === undefined ? {} : { "data-status": status })}
+      style={{ width: px, height: px, ["--av-r" as string]: radius }}
+    >
+      <Avatar
+        initials={agentInitials(name)}
+        label={name}
+        tone={tone}
+        size={baseSize(px)}
+        className="size-full! rounded-(--av-r)"
+      />
+      {working ? <span className="wb-av-orbit" aria-hidden="true" /> : null}
+      {status === undefined || working ? null : (
+        <span className={`wb-av-st wb-av-st--${status}`} aria-hidden="true" />
+      )}
+    </span>
+  );
+}
 
 export interface CorbitAvatarProps {
   readonly ariaLabel?: string;
   readonly size?: CorbitAvatarSize;
   readonly color?: AvatarColor;
+  readonly status?: AvatarStatus;
   readonly className?: string;
-  readonly style?: CSSProperties;
 }
 
-const CORBIT_SIZE_CLASS = {
-  xs: "size-4",
-  sm: "size-6",
-  md: "size-8",
-  lg: "size-10",
-  xl: "size-20",
-} as const;
-
 export function CorbitAvatar({
   ariaLabel = "Agent",
   size = "md",
   color = CORBIT_DEFAULT_COLOR,
+  status,
   className,
-  style,
 }: CorbitAvatarProps) {
-  const sizeClass = typeof size === "number" ? undefined : CORBIT_SIZE_CLASS[size];
-  const sizeStyle: CSSProperties =
-    typeof size === "number" ? { width: `${size}px`, height: `${size}px` } : {};
-
   return (
-    <span
-      role="img"
-      aria-label={ariaLabel}
-      data-corbit="true"
-      className={[
-        "relative inline-flex shrink-0 select-none items-center justify-center overflow-hidden rounded-full",
-        sizeClass,
-        className,
-      ]
-        .filter(Boolean)
-        .join(" ")}
-      style={{ ...sizeStyle, ...style }}
-    >
-      <svg
-        viewBox="0 0 100 100"
-        fill="none"
-        xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"
-        className="block size-full"
-        aria-hidden="true"
-      >
-        <circle
-          cx="50"
-          cy="50"
-          r="50"
-          /* A presentation attribute cannot read var(), so the token
-             reference rides the CSS fill property instead. */
-          style={{ fill: `var(${color})` }}
-        />
-        <path
-          d="M 11.47 59.04 C 16.17 47.15, 33.73 66.85, 45.03 65.78 C 57.11 71.28, 75.14 64.43, 83.53 71.00 C 78.24 85.08, 58.92 92.65, 44.56 89.83 C 28.55 87.40, 15.10 75.30, 11.47 59.49 Z"
-          fill={CORBIT_VISOR_COLOR}
-        />
-        <circle cx="70.63" cy="76.00" r="4.43" fill={CORBIT_GLINT_COLOR} />
-      </svg>
-    </span>
+    <WorkbenchAvatar
+      kind="worker"
+      name={ariaLabel}
+      tone={TONE_BY_COLOR[color]}
+      size={size}
+      {...(status === undefined ? {} : { status })}
+      {...(className === undefined ? {} : { className })}
+    />
   );
 }
 
-// Person chip color hashes off principal id, never name — DESIGN.md's
-// avatar identity rule.
+export function WorkbenchAvatarStack({
+  items,
+  max,
+}: {
+  readonly items: readonly AvatarStackItem[];
+  readonly max?: number;
+}) {
+  return <AvatarStack items={items} {...(max === undefined ? {} : { max })} />;
+}
+
+// Color hashes off principal id, never name — DESIGN.md's avatar identity
+// rule.
 export function IdentityAvatar({
   kind,
   name,
   principalId,
+  status,
 }: {
   readonly kind: "agent" | "person";
   readonly name: string;
   readonly principalId: string;
+  readonly status?: AvatarStatus;
 }) {
-  if (kind === "agent") {
-    return (
-      <span aria-hidden="true">
-        <CorbitAvatar size="sm" ariaLabel={name} />
-      </span>
-    );
-  }
   return (
-    <span className={`shell-ch-initial ${avatarClassForPrincipal(principalId)}`} aria-hidden="true">
-      {agentInitials(name)}
-    </span>
+    <WorkbenchAvatar
+      kind={kind === "agent" ? "worker" : "person"}
+      name={name}
+      tone={TONE_BY_COLOR[avatarColorForPrincipal(principalId)]}
+      size="sm"
+      {...(status === undefined ? {} : { status })}
+    />
   );
 }
diff --git a/apps/web/src/chat/index.ts b/apps/web/src/chat/index.ts
index c0d3e6988c..2e0e855efd 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/chat/index.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/chat/index.ts
@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@ export { NoUsableModelBanner } from "./no-usable-model-banner";
 export {
   CorbitAvatar,
   CORBIT_DEFAULT_COLOR,
-  CORBIT_VISOR_COLOR,
-  CORBIT_GLINT_COLOR,
   AVATAR_COLORS,
   avatarColorClass,
   avatarColorForPrincipal,