diff --git a/components/reasoning-workspace.jsx b/components/reasoning-workspace.jsx
index 97dc41b..9fb8bbb 100644
--- a/components/reasoning-workspace.jsx
+++ b/components/reasoning-workspace.jsx
@@ -678,8 +678,17 @@ export default function ReasoningWorkspace({
           {/* Post-update acknowledgement — only after success, never during loading */}
           {updateStatus === "success" && !isUpdating && <UpdateAcknowledgement updateResult={result} />}
 
-          {/* ── Response area (replaced by loading / error during reasoning) ─ */}
-          {!isUpdating && canAnswer ? (
+          {/* ── Local update loading (always visible when updating) ─ */}
+          {isUpdating && (
+            <LoadingOverlay
+              elapsed={updateElapsed}
+              currentMessage={updateMsg}
+              variant="update"
+            />
+          )}
+
+          {/* ── Response form — hidden during update loading ─ */}
+          {!isUpdating && canAnswer && (
             <form onSubmit={handleUpdateCaptureAndSubmit} className="space-y-4 rounded-lg border border-gray-200 bg-white p-5">
               <div>
                 <label htmlFor="rw-answer" className="mb-2 block text-sm font-medium text-gray-700">
@@ -708,13 +717,6 @@ export default function ReasoningWorkspace({
                 </button>
               </div>
             </form>
-          ) : !isUpdating ? null : (
-            /* Local update loading card — replaces the response panel during reasoning */
-            <LoadingOverlay
-              elapsed={updateElapsed}
-              currentMessage={updateMsg}
-              variant="update"
-            />
           )}
 
           {/* ── Terminal state: outcome card — hidden during update loading ─ */}