diff --git a/components/reasoning-workspace.jsx b/components/reasoning-workspace.jsx
index c7f2495..20706ca 100644
--- a/components/reasoning-workspace.jsx
+++ b/components/reasoning-workspace.jsx
@@ -267,62 +267,35 @@ function OriginalSituation({ scenario, centralStatement }) {
   );
 }
 
-// ── Update acknowledgement ────────────────────────────────────
+// ── Transient acknowledgement (auto-dismisses after 3s) ─────────
+
+function useAutoDismiss(duration = 3000) {
+  const [visible, setVisible] = useState(true);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!visible) return;
+    const timer = setTimeout(() => setVisible(false), duration);
+    return () => clearTimeout(timer);
+  }, [visible, duration]);
+
+  return visible;
+}
+
 function UpdateAcknowledgement({ updateResult }) {
-  if (!updateResult) return null;
+  const visible = useAutoDismiss(3000);
+
+  if (!updateResult || !visible) return null;
 
   const summary = updateResult.summary;
-  const hasResolvedNodes = updateResult.resolvedUnknownNodeIds?.length > 0;
-  const hasAffectedNodes = updateResult.affectedNodeIds?.length > 0;
-  const graph = updateResult.updatedSituationGraph;
-
-  function getNodeText(nodeId) {
-    if (!graph?.nodes) return String(nodeId);
-    const node = graph.nodes.find((n) => n.id === nodeId);
-    if (node) {
-      const parts = [node.label];
-      if (node.status !== "resolved") {
-        parts.push(node.status);
-      }
-      return parts.join(" ");
-    }
-    return String(nodeId);
-  }
-
-  let changedText;
-  if (hasResolvedNodes) {
-    const items = [];
-    for (const id of updateResult.resolvedUnknownNodeIds.slice(0, 3)) {
-      items.push(getNodeText(id));
-    }
-    if (updateResult.resolvedUnknownNodeIds.length > 3) {
-      items.push(`and ${updateResult.resolvedUnknownNodeIds.length - 3} more resolved`);
-    }
-    changedText = items.join(". ") + ".";
-  } else if (hasAffectedNodes) {
-    const items = [];
-    for (const id of updateResult.affectedNodeIds.slice(0, 3)) {
-      items.push(getNodeText(id));
-    }
-    if (updateResult.affectedNodeIds.length > 3) {
-      items.push(`and ${updateResult.affectedNodeIds.length - 3} more affected`);
-    }
-    changedText = items.join(". ") + ".";
-  } else if (updateResult.changesApplied) {
-    const ca = updateResult.changesApplied;
-    const parts = [];
-    if (ca.addedNodeCount) parts.push(`${ca.addedNodeCount} node(s) added`);
-    if (ca.updatedNodeCount) parts.push(`${ca.updatedNodeCount} node(s) updated`);
-    if (ca.addedEdgeCount) parts.push(`${ca.addedEdgeCount} edge(s) added`);
-    if (ca.removedEdgeCount) parts.push(`${ca.removedEdgeCount} edge(s) removed`);
-    changedText = parts.length > 0 ? parts.join(", ") : null;
-  }
-
-  const displayMessage = summary || changedText || "Your answer has been added to the investigation.";
 
   return (
-    <div className="rounded-lg border border-blue-100 bg-blue-50/80 px-5 py-3 text-sm text-blue-900">
-      {displayMessage}
+    <div
+      className="transition-all duration-1500 ease-in"
+      style={{ opacity: visible ? 0.7 : 0, maxHeight: visible ? "4rem" : "0", marginBottom: visible ? "1rem" : "0" }}
+    >
+      <div className="rounded-lg border border-blue-200 bg-blue-50/60 px-4 py-2 text-xs text-blue-800">
+        {summary}
+      </div>
     </div>
   );
 }
@@ -451,6 +424,12 @@ export default function ReasoningWorkspace({
   const newlySurfacedNodeIds = result?.newlySurfacedNodeIds || [];
   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 the investigation has reached a terminal state with no active question.
+  const hasCurrentSummaryCondition =
+    Boolean(graph?.currentSummary || result?.updatedSituationGraph?.currentSummary) || !hasSelectedQuestion;
+
   return (
     <div className="space-y-6">
       {/* ── Loading overlays ─────────────────────────────── */}
@@ -523,7 +502,7 @@ export default function ReasoningWorkspace({
           {status === "success" && !hasSelectedQuestion && graph && !genuineCompletion && <EvidenceLimitCard />}
 
           {/* ── Supporting sections (same order for active and terminal) ─ */}
-          {(graph?.currentSummary || (status === "success" && !canAnswer)) && <CurrentUnderstandingCard currentSummary={graph.currentSummary} />}
+          {hasCurrentSummaryCondition && <CurrentUnderstandingCard currentSummary={graph?.currentSummary || result?.updatedSituationGraph?.currentSummary} />}
 
           <OriginalSituation scenario={scenario} centralStatement={graph?.centralStatement} />