diff --git a/NucleicRemote/NucleicRemote/Views/Transcript/HostExecCard.swift b/NucleicRemote/NucleicRemote/Views/Transcript/HostExecCard.swift
index 3699bf0..99acd3e 100644
--- a/NucleicRemote/NucleicRemote/Views/Transcript/HostExecCard.swift
+++ b/NucleicRemote/NucleicRemote/Views/Transcript/HostExecCard.swift
@@ -106,14 +106,72 @@ struct HostCommandBreakdown: View {
             if let dir = summary.workingDirectory {
                 detailRow(icon: "folder", lines: ["in \(dir)"])
             }
-            ForEach(Array(summary.invocations.enumerated()), id: \.element.id) { index, inv in
-                if index > 0 { Divider().overlay(Color.primary.opacity(0.08)) }
-                invocationView(inv)
-            }
+            steps
         }
         .frame(maxWidth: .infinity, alignment: .leading)
     }
 
+    /// At most this many steps render in the compact chain list before the rest fold into a
+    /// "+N more" tail — so a long `cmd1 && cmd2 && …` pipeline can't grow the card unbounded
+    /// (the exact command shown alongside is always the complete source of truth).
+    private static let maxVisibleSteps = 7
+
+    /// The invocations, rendered to fit the chain length: a lone command gets the full block
+    /// (program + actions + every env/flag/operand spelled out); a *chain* collapses to one
+    /// compact line per command so a long pipeline stays short, not a tall stack of blocks.
+    @ViewBuilder private var steps: some View {
+        if summary.invocations.count <= 1 {
+            if let only = summary.invocations.first { invocationView(only) }
+        } else {
+            VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 6) {
+                ForEach(Array(summary.invocations.prefix(Self.maxVisibleSteps))) { inv in
+                    stepRow(inv)
+                }
+                let hidden = summary.invocations.count - Self.maxVisibleSteps
+                if hidden > 0 {
+                    Text("+\(hidden) more step\(hidden == 1 ? "" : "s")")
+                        .font(.caption2).foregroundStyle(.tertiary)
+                        .padding(.leading, 22)
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// One command in a chain, compacted to a single line: a step glyph, the program + actions
+    /// emphasized, then a truncated tail of its env/flags/operands. A destructive/elevated step is
+    /// tinted and glyphed in the danger color so it still stands out.
+    private func stepRow(_ inv: HostCommandSummary.Invocation) -> some View {
+        let risky = inv.destructive || inv.elevated
+        let tail = stepTail(inv)
+        return HStack(alignment: .firstTextBaseline, spacing: 8) {
+            Image(systemName: stepGlyph(inv))
+                .font(.caption2).foregroundStyle(risky ? Palette.danger : accent).frame(width: 14)
+            (Text(inv.headline)
+                .font(.caption.monospaced().weight(.semibold))
+                .foregroundColor(.primary)
+             + Text(tail.isEmpty ? "" : " " + tail)
+                .font(.caption.monospaced())
+                .foregroundColor(.secondary))
+                .lineLimit(1).truncationMode(.middle)
+                .textSelection(.enabled)
+            Spacer(minLength: 0)
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// The trailing detail of a compacted step — its env, flags, and operands joined on one line,
+    /// truncated by the row. The literal command carries the untruncated form.
+    private func stepTail(_ inv: HostCommandSummary.Invocation) -> String {
+        (inv.env.map(\.display) + inv.flags.map(\.display) + inv.arguments).joined(separator: " ")
+    }
+
+    /// The leading glyph for a compacted step: a delete/elevation marker takes priority so the
+    /// risky step is unmistakable; otherwise a plain terminal glyph.
+    private func stepGlyph(_ inv: HostCommandSummary.Invocation) -> String {
+        if inv.destructive { return "trash" }
+        if inv.elevated { return "lock.shield" }
+        return "terminal"
+    }
+
     /// The deterministic, command-derived purpose — labeled so the user knows it's *Nucleic's*
     /// reading of the command, not the agent's claim about it.
     private var purposeRow: some View {