diff --git a/src/main/services/team/TeamProvisioningService.ts b/src/main/services/team/TeamProvisioningService.ts
index 726d410f..7de5c8c9 100644
--- a/src/main/services/team/TeamProvisioningService.ts
+++ b/src/main/services/team/TeamProvisioningService.ts
@@ -1751,9 +1751,9 @@ function buildGeminiPostLaunchHydrationPrompt(
               : status?.launchState === 'confirmed_alive'
                 ? 'bootstrap confirmed'
                 : status?.runtimeAlive
-                  ? 'runtime started, first contact pending'
+                  ? 'runtime online and ready for instructions'
                   : status?.launchState === 'runtime_pending_bootstrap'
-                    ? 'spawn accepted, first contact pending'
+                    ? 'spawn accepted, runtime not confirmed yet'
                     : status?.status === 'spawning'
                       ? 'spawn in progress'
                       : 'runtime state unclear';
@@ -3011,7 +3011,7 @@ export class TeamProvisioningService {
           const detail =
             parsedStatus.reason === 'already_running'
               ? 'duplicate spawn skipped - already running'
-              : 'duplicate spawn skipped - first contact pending';
+              : 'duplicate spawn skipped - teammate already online';
           this.appendMemberBootstrapDiagnostic(run, spawnedMemberName, detail);
           return;
         }
@@ -6104,7 +6104,7 @@ export class TeamProvisioningService {
         this.appendMemberBootstrapDiagnostic(
           run,
           memberName,
-          'respawn blocked as duplicate — teammate already alive or first contact pending'
+          'respawn blocked as duplicate — teammate already online'
         );
         continue;
       }
@@ -6376,13 +6376,13 @@ export class TeamProvisioningService {
         launchSummary.runtimeAlivePendingCount > 0 &&
         launchSummary.runtimeAlivePendingCount === run.expectedMembers.length;
       return allRuntimeAlive
-        ? `${prefix} — teammate runtimes online, waiting for first contact`
+        ? `${prefix} — teammate runtimes online`
         : launchSummary.runtimeAlivePendingCount > 0
-          ? `${prefix} — ${launchSummary.runtimeAlivePendingCount}/${run.expectedMembers.length} teammate runtime${launchSummary.runtimeAlivePendingCount === 1 ? '' : 's'} online${stillStartingCount > 0 ? `, ${stillStartingCount} still starting` : ''}, waiting for first contact`
-          : `${prefix} — teammates are still starting, waiting for first contact`;
+          ? `${prefix} — ${launchSummary.runtimeAlivePendingCount}/${run.expectedMembers.length} teammate runtime${launchSummary.runtimeAlivePendingCount === 1 ? '' : 's'} online${stillStartingCount > 0 ? `, ${stillStartingCount} still starting` : ''}`
+          : `${prefix} — teammates are still starting`;
     }
 
-    return `${prefix} — ${launchSummary.confirmedCount}/${run.expectedMembers.length} teammates made contact${launchSummary.runtimeAlivePendingCount > 0 ? `, ${launchSummary.runtimeAlivePendingCount} runtime${launchSummary.runtimeAlivePendingCount === 1 ? '' : 's'} waiting for first contact` : ''}${stillStartingCount > 0 ? `${launchSummary.runtimeAlivePendingCount > 0 ? ', ' : ', '}${stillStartingCount} still joining` : ''}`;
+    return `${prefix} — ${launchSummary.confirmedCount}/${run.expectedMembers.length} teammates made contact${launchSummary.runtimeAlivePendingCount > 0 ? `, ${launchSummary.runtimeAlivePendingCount} runtime${launchSummary.runtimeAlivePendingCount === 1 ? '' : 's'} online` : ''}${stillStartingCount > 0 ? `${launchSummary.runtimeAlivePendingCount > 0 ? ', ' : ', '}${stillStartingCount} still joining` : ''}`;
   }
 
   private buildRuntimeSpawnStatusRecord(
diff --git a/src/renderer/components/team/TeamProvisioningBanner.tsx b/src/renderer/components/team/TeamProvisioningBanner.tsx
index cb2d12b1..9d0f9035 100644
--- a/src/renderer/components/team/TeamProvisioningBanner.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/components/team/TeamProvisioningBanner.tsx
@@ -154,10 +154,10 @@ export const TeamProvisioningBanner = ({
           : allTeammatesConfirmedAlive
             ? `Team provisioned — all ${fallbackTeammateCount} teammates made contact`
             : allPendingRuntimesStarted
-              ? 'Team provisioned — teammate runtimes online, waiting for first contact'
+              ? 'Team provisioned — teammate runtimes online'
               : processOnlyAliveCount > 0 || pendingSpawnCount > 0
-                ? `Team provisioned — ${heartbeatConfirmedCount}/${fallbackTeammateCount} teammates made contact${processOnlyAliveCount > 0 ? `, ${processOnlyAliveCount} runtime${processOnlyAliveCount === 1 ? '' : 's'} online and waiting for first contact` : ''}${pendingSpawnCount > 0 ? `${processOnlyAliveCount > 0 ? ', ' : ', '}${pendingSpawnCount} still starting` : ''}`
-                : 'Team provisioned — teammate first contacts are still coming in';
+                ? `Team provisioned — ${heartbeatConfirmedCount}/${fallbackTeammateCount} teammates made contact${processOnlyAliveCount > 0 ? `, ${processOnlyAliveCount} runtime${processOnlyAliveCount === 1 ? '' : 's'} online` : ''}${pendingSpawnCount > 0 ? `${processOnlyAliveCount > 0 ? ', ' : ', '}${pendingSpawnCount} still starting` : ''}`
+                : 'Team provisioned — teammate runtimes are still starting';
     const readyDetailSeverity =
       failedSpawnCount > 0 || processOnlyAliveCount > 0 || pendingSpawnCount > 0
         ? 'warning'
@@ -170,10 +170,10 @@ export const TeamProvisioningBanner = ({
           : allTeammatesConfirmedAlive
             ? `Team launched — all ${fallbackTeammateCount} teammates made contact`
             : allPendingRuntimesStarted
-              ? 'Team launched — teammate runtimes online, waiting for first contact'
+              ? 'Team launched — teammate runtimes online'
               : processOnlyAliveCount > 0 || pendingSpawnCount > 0
-                ? `Team launched — ${heartbeatConfirmedCount}/${fallbackTeammateCount} teammates made contact${processOnlyAliveCount > 0 ? `, ${processOnlyAliveCount} runtime${processOnlyAliveCount === 1 ? '' : 's'} online and waiting for first contact` : ''}${pendingSpawnCount > 0 ? `${processOnlyAliveCount > 0 ? ', ' : ', '}${pendingSpawnCount} still starting` : ''}`
-                : 'Team launched — teammate first contacts are still coming in';
+                ? `Team launched — ${heartbeatConfirmedCount}/${fallbackTeammateCount} teammates made contact${processOnlyAliveCount > 0 ? `, ${processOnlyAliveCount} runtime${processOnlyAliveCount === 1 ? '' : 's'} online` : ''}${pendingSpawnCount > 0 ? `${processOnlyAliveCount > 0 ? ', ' : ', '}${pendingSpawnCount} still starting` : ''}`
+                : 'Team launched — teammate runtimes are still starting';
 
     return (
       <div className="mb-3">
diff --git a/src/renderer/utils/memberHelpers.ts b/src/renderer/utils/memberHelpers.ts
index c37b87aa..830d960d 100644
--- a/src/renderer/utils/memberHelpers.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/utils/memberHelpers.ts
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ export const SPAWN_DOT_COLORS: Record<MemberSpawnStatus, string> = {
 
 export const SPAWN_PRESENCE_LABELS: Record<MemberSpawnStatus, string> = {
   offline: 'offline',
-  waiting: 'first contact pending',
+  waiting: 'online',
   spawning: 'starting',
   online: 'ready',
   error: 'spawn failed',
@@ -160,13 +160,13 @@ export function getSpawnAwarePresenceLabel(
     return 'waiting for Agent';
   }
   if (spawnLaunchState === 'runtime_pending_bootstrap' && runtimeAlive) {
-    return 'first contact pending';
+    return 'online';
   }
   if (spawnStatus === 'waiting') {
     return SPAWN_PRESENCE_LABELS.waiting;
   }
   if (spawnStatus === 'online' && livenessSource === 'process') {
-    return 'first contact pending';
+    return 'online';
   }
   if (spawnStatus && isTeamProvisioning) {
     return SPAWN_PRESENCE_LABELS[spawnStatus];