diff --git a/components/reasoning-workspace.jsx b/components/reasoning-workspace.jsx
index 20706ca..6b9145f 100644
--- a/components/reasoning-workspace.jsx
+++ b/components/reasoning-workspace.jsx
@@ -179,7 +179,9 @@ function EvidenceLimitCard() {
 }
 
 // ── Current understanding card ────────────────────────────────
-function CurrentUnderstandingCard({ currentSummary }) {
+function CurrentUnderstandingCard({ currentSummary, plainLanguage }) {
+  if (plainLanguage) return <PlainLanguageCard summary={plainLanguage} />;
+
   const summary = resolveCurrentSummary(currentSummary);
 
   if (!summary) return null;
@@ -194,6 +196,20 @@ function CurrentUnderstandingCard({ currentSummary }) {
   );
 }
 
+// ── Plain-language understanding card (from pipeline summary) ──
+function PlainLanguageCard({ summary }) {
+  if (!summary) return null;
+
+  return (
+    <div className="rounded-lg border border-gray-200 bg-white p-5">
+      <h2 className="mb-3 text-sm font-semibold uppercase tracking-wide text-gray-500">
+        Current understanding
+      </h2>
+      <p className="text-sm leading-relaxed text-gray-700">{summary}</p>
+    </div>
+  );
+}
+
 // ── Investigation history card (readable notebook style) ──────
 function InvestigationHistoryCard({ turn }) {
   const isCollapsed = turn._collapsed;
@@ -356,6 +372,7 @@ export default function ReasoningWorkspace({
   scenario,
   status,
   updateStatus,
+  currentUnderstanding: propUnderstanding,
   result,
   answer,
   setAnswer,
@@ -425,10 +442,11 @@ export default function ReasoningWorkspace({
   const genuineCompletion = hasGenuineCompletion(graph);
 
   // Determine whether the Current Understanding card should render:
-  // — shows while there is an actual summary from any graph snapshot, or
+  // — when there is a durable plain-language understanding, or
+  // — when there is an actual summary from any graph snapshot, or
   // — when the investigation has reached a terminal state with no active question.
   const hasCurrentSummaryCondition =
-    Boolean(graph?.currentSummary || result?.updatedSituationGraph?.currentSummary) || !hasSelectedQuestion;
+    Boolean(propUnderstanding || graph?.currentSummary || result?.updatedSituationGraph?.currentSummary) || !hasSelectedQuestion;
 
   return (
     <div className="space-y-6">
@@ -502,7 +520,7 @@ export default function ReasoningWorkspace({
           {status === "success" && !hasSelectedQuestion && graph && !genuineCompletion && <EvidenceLimitCard />}
 
           {/* ── Supporting sections (same order for active and terminal) ─ */}
-          {hasCurrentSummaryCondition && <CurrentUnderstandingCard currentSummary={graph?.currentSummary || result?.updatedSituationGraph?.currentSummary} />}
+          {hasCurrentSummaryCondition && <CurrentUnderstandingCard currentSummary={graph?.currentSummary || result?.updatedSituationGraph?.currentSummary} plainLanguage={propUnderstanding || null} />}
 
           <OriginalSituation scenario={scenario} centralStatement={graph?.centralStatement} />
 
diff --git a/components/scenario-form.jsx b/components/scenario-form.jsx
index 1c9993b..e677f6f 100644
--- a/components/scenario-form.jsx
+++ b/components/scenario-form.jsx
@@ -195,6 +195,7 @@ export default function ScenarioForm() {
   const [updateError, setUpdateError] = useState(null);
   const [updateResult, setUpdateResult] = useState(null);
   const [lastSubmittedAnswer, setLastSubmittedAnswer] = useState("");
+  const [currentUnderstanding, setCurrentUnderstanding] = useState(null);
   const textareaRef = useRef(null);
 
   /* Inject mock globals so the interceptor can read them at runtime */
@@ -219,8 +220,7 @@ export default function ScenarioForm() {
     setUpdateResult(null);
     setLastSubmittedAnswer("");
     setUpdateError(null);
-    setResult(null);
-    setUpdateResult(null);
+    setCurrentUnderstanding(null);
 
     try {
       const res = await submitScenarioForStartCase(MOCK_ENABLED ? mockFetch : fetch, scenario);
@@ -229,9 +229,11 @@ export default function ScenarioForm() {
 
       if (res.ok && data.success) {
         setStatus("success");
+        setCurrentUnderstanding(data.summary ?? null);
         setResult(normaliseStartResult(data));
       } else {
         setStatus("error");
+        setCurrentUnderstanding(data.summary ?? null);
         setResult(normaliseStartResult(data));
       }
     } catch (err) {
@@ -271,6 +273,9 @@ export default function ScenarioForm() {
 
       if (submission.ok && outcome.success) {
         setUpdateStatus("success");
+        setCurrentUnderstanding(
+          outcome.summary ? outcome.summary : currentUnderstanding,
+        );
         setUpdateResult({
           ...outcome,
           previousSituationGraph: result?.situationGraph ?? null,
@@ -340,6 +345,7 @@ export default function ScenarioForm() {
           scenario={scenario}
           status={status}
           updateStatus={updateStatus}
+          currentUnderstanding={currentUnderstanding}
           result={{
             ...(result || {}),
             situationGraph: updateResult?.updatedSituationGraph ?? result?.situationGraph,
@@ -367,6 +373,7 @@ export default function ScenarioForm() {
               setUpdateStatus("idle");
               setUpdateResult(null);
               setLastSubmittedAnswer("");
+              setCurrentUnderstanding(null);
               setUpdateError(null);
             }}
             className="rounded-lg border border-gray-300 px-4 py-2 text-sm font-medium text-gray-600 transition hover:bg-gray-50"