diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/LegacySidebar.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/LegacySidebar.tsx
index 4c8515246c85..8d180d6a64aa 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/LegacySidebar.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/LegacySidebar.tsx
@@ -198,6 +198,7 @@ import { useCopyToClipboard } from "~/hooks/useCopyToClipboard";
 import { useIsMobile } from "~/hooks/useMediaQuery";
 import { CommandDialogTrigger } from "./ui/command";
 import { useClientSettings, useUpdateClientSettings } from "~/hooks/useSettings";
+import { usePanelAnimationSettings } from "~/panelAnimations";
 import { primaryServerKeybindingsAtom } from "../state/server";
 import {
   derivePhysicalProjectKey,
@@ -3341,23 +3342,25 @@ export default function LegacySidebar() {
     dragInProgressRef.current = false;
   }, []);
 
-  const animatedProjectListsRef = useRef(new WeakSet<HTMLElement>());
-  const attachProjectListAutoAnimateRef = useCallback((node: HTMLElement | null) => {
-    if (!node || animatedProjectListsRef.current.has(node)) {
-      return;
-    }
-    autoAnimate(node, SIDEBAR_LIST_ANIMATION_OPTIONS);
-    animatedProjectListsRef.current.add(node);
-  }, []);
-
-  const animatedThreadListsRef = useRef(new WeakSet<HTMLElement>());
-  const attachThreadListAutoAnimateRef = useCallback((node: HTMLElement | null) => {
-    if (!node || animatedThreadListsRef.current.has(node)) {
-      return;
-    }
-    autoAnimate(node, SIDEBAR_LIST_ANIMATION_OPTIONS);
-    animatedThreadListsRef.current.add(node);
-  }, []);
+  // Both lists follow the Motion setting, as the default sidebar does: at the
+  // default 0 ms they change immediately and auto-animate is never attached,
+  // so its per-row position polling (#4693) never runs. A detached list is
+  // destroyed rather than left polling.
+  const { active: listMotionActive, durationMs: listMotionDurationMs } =
+    usePanelAnimationSettings();
+  const attachListAutoAnimateRef = useCallback(
+    (node: HTMLElement | null) => {
+      if (!node || !listMotionActive) return;
+      const controller = autoAnimate(node, {
+        ...SIDEBAR_LIST_ANIMATION_OPTIONS,
+        duration: Math.min(SIDEBAR_LIST_ANIMATION_OPTIONS.duration, listMotionDurationMs),
+      });
+      return () => controller.destroy?.();
+    },
+    [listMotionActive, listMotionDurationMs],
+  );
+  const attachProjectListAutoAnimateRef = attachListAutoAnimateRef;
+  const attachThreadListAutoAnimateRef = attachListAutoAnimateRef;
 
   const visibleThreads = useMemo(
     () => sidebarThreads.filter((thread) => thread.archivedAt === null),
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/Sidebar.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/Sidebar.tsx
index 38a26c7ac4e2..b4307ab0a8b5 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/Sidebar.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/Sidebar.tsx
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ import { useHandleNewThread } from "../hooks/useHandleNewThread";
 import { openCommandPalette } from "../commandPaletteBus";
 import { startNewThreadFromContext } from "../lib/chatThreadActions";
 import { useClientSettings } from "../hooks/useSettings";
+import { usePanelAnimationSettings } from "../panelAnimations";
 import { useCopyToClipboard } from "../hooks/useCopyToClipboard";
 import { useLocalStorage } from "../hooks/useLocalStorage";
 import { useNowMinute } from "../hooks/useNowMinute";
@@ -3458,10 +3459,25 @@ export default function Sidebar() {
     updateThreadJumpHintsVisibility(shouldShowJumpHintsNow);
   }, [shouldShowJumpHintsNow, updateThreadJumpHintsVisibility]);
 
-  const attachListAutoAnimateRef = useCallback((node: HTMLUListElement | null) => {
-    if (!node) return;
-    autoAnimate(node, { duration: 150, easing: "ease-out" });
-  }, []);
+  // The thread list follows the same Motion setting as the panels: at the
+  // default 0 ms a row appears, moves, or leaves immediately. auto-animate
+  // also polls every row's position for as long as it is attached, which alone
+  // kept an idle app on a quarter of a core (#4693), so a list that never
+  // animates is never attached, and a detached list is destroyed rather than
+  // left polling.
+  const { active: listMotionActive, durationMs: listMotionDurationMs } =
+    usePanelAnimationSettings();
+  const attachListAutoAnimateRef = useCallback(
+    (node: HTMLUListElement | null) => {
+      if (!node || !listMotionActive) return;
+      const controller = autoAnimate(node, {
+        duration: Math.min(150, listMotionDurationMs),
+        easing: "ease-out",
+      });
+      return () => controller.destroy?.();
+    },
+    [listMotionActive, listMotionDurationMs],
+  );
 
   // New thread defaults to the project you're in (active thread's project,
   // falling back to the top project) — same resolution the command palette
diff --git a/docs/user/thread-sidebar.md b/docs/user/thread-sidebar.md
index 204678eb1d2f..2c32024282ff 100644
--- a/docs/user/thread-sidebar.md
+++ b/docs/user/thread-sidebar.md
@@ -55,6 +55,10 @@ The main sidebar, right panel, and terminal drawer open and close immediately by
 The duration can be set up to 400 ms. Clicking the preview replays all three panel transitions; at
 0 ms, it snaps between the same open and closed states.
 
+Thread rows in the sidebar follow the same setting. At 0 ms, or when your system asks for reduced
+motion, a thread appears, moves between sections, or leaves the list immediately; otherwise it
+slides into place.
+
 ## Environment icons
 
 When you are connected to more than one environment, every thread that lives somewhere other than