diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index 17b2ff2..e2d3e57 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ Enables SQLite foreign keys (`enableForeignKeys`), `bunextInit()`, `ensureDocker
 
 ### Cron
 
-`src/cron/index.ts` registers everything via `registerCronJob` (`src/cron/register-cron-job.ts`); one folder per task. In-process `Bun.cron`, UTC, never overlapping. Notable: `heartbeat`, `sync-harness-models` (hourly), `run-cron-jobs` (every minute, fires schedules), `sync-computers`, `sync-mcp-servers`, `prune-bots-queue`, `prune-chatrooms`.
+`src/cron/index.ts` registers everything via `registerCronJob` (`src/cron/register-cron-job.ts`); one folder per task. In-process `Bun.cron`, UTC, never overlapping. Notable: `heartbeat`, `sync-harness-models` (hourly), `run-cron-jobs` (every minute, fires schedules), `sync-computers`, `sync-mcp-servers`, `clear-job-steps`, `prune-bots-queue`, `prune-chatrooms`.
 
 ### Admin CRUD API
 
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ Enables SQLite foreign keys (`enableForeignKeys`), `bunextInit()`, `ensureDocker
 
 - Kinds (`BotJobKinds`): `reply` (chat answer, no task row) and `task` (long work, usually on a computer). bun-sqlite `isQueue` table. Helpers in `src/functions/backend/db/bots-queue/`: `enqueueBotJob`, `claimBotJobs` (kind-filtered atomic claim), `updateBotJob` (false once lost/cancelled), `completeBotJob`, `failBotJob` (backoff or fatal), `deferBotJob` (all models resting: attempt refunded, face `asleep`), `cancelBotJob`, `stop-bot-jobs`.
 - Handler `src/bots-queue/index.ts`: separate reply/task slots, heartbeat, per-attempt deadline (`AppData.BotJobAttemptTimeoutMs`), one task per computer and one reply per session (`createKeyLock`). Work in `run-bot-job.ts` -> `run-bot-reply.ts` / `run-bot-task.ts`. Throw `BotJobFatalError` for failures retrying can't fix.
-- Every model turn is a step in `bots_queue_updates` (tool names, never arguments; `describe-job-step.ts`, labels in `JobStepToolLabels`), pushed as `server:bot-job-update`.
+- Every model turn is a step in `bots_queue_updates` (tool names, never arguments; `describe-job-step.ts`, labels in `JobStepToolLabels`), pushed as `server:bot-job-update` by the live relay only. Steps feed the live working row alone: the `clear-job-steps` cron deletes them `AppData.BotJobStepsKeepMs` after the job ends, however it ended, keeping their count on `bots_queue.steps`. Never delete them the moment a job ends (the relay would miss the last ones).
 - **A bot can't vouch for itself:** a run's tool calls (`tool_uses`, names and ok, never arguments) go to the wrap-up turn when steps run out and onto the result message as `bot_messages.tool_log`; history follows each recorded bot message with an `[App record: ...]` line (`botMessagesToHarness`), and copies of that line in an answer are stripped (`stripAppRecords`).
 - **`start_task`/`delegate_task` jobs are runs, not tasks:** their results say `Run #<job id>` and that `list_tasks` doesn't show them (bots sent users to the tracker for them). `start_task` refuses a second open run in its session on the same computer unless `separate` (it would only wait behind it) and says how many runs are ahead on that computer.
 - **Replies take in messages sent mid-run** (`incoming`, `IncomingMessagesNote`, redraft); separate requests are acknowledged with `send_message` (interim). A queued reply finishes silently only when a finished reply already read every user message (`hasUnansweredMessage`), never by who wrote last.
diff --git a/db/schema.ts b/db/schema.ts
index cbf105f..a9477fb 100644
--- a/db/schema.ts
+++ b/db/schema.ts
@@ -1106,6 +1106,11 @@ const schema: BUN_SQLITE_DatabaseSchemaType = {
                     fieldDescription: `Unix timestamp of completion or final failure`,
                     dataType: "INTEGER",
                 },
+                {
+                    fieldName: "steps",
+                    fieldDescription: `How many steps it recorded, written when its \`bots_queue_updates\` are cleared after it ends (null while they're still there)`,
+                    dataType: "INTEGER",
+                },
             ],
             indexes: [
                 {
@@ -1116,7 +1121,7 @@ const schema: BUN_SQLITE_DatabaseSchemaType = {
         },
         {
             tableName: "bots_queue_updates",
-            tableDescription: `What a bot did while working through a queued job, one row per step, oldest first. Live in the working-on panel while the job runs; deleted with the job when it's pruned`,
+            tableDescription: `What a bot did while working through a queued job, one row per step, oldest first. Live in the working-on panel while the job runs; cleared shortly after the job ends (clearFinishedJobSteps), its count kept on the job`,
             fields: [
                 {
                     fieldName: "bots_queue_id",
diff --git a/db/types/db.ts b/db/types/db.ts
index 64f8bd0..32b41bd 100644
--- a/db/types/db.ts
+++ b/db/types/db.ts
@@ -505,11 +505,11 @@ export type BUN_SQLITE_COBBLE_TASKS = {
      */
     updated_at?: number | "";
     /** 
-     * The bot the task belongs to; null for a workspace's task
+     * The bot that has the task: its own list's, or with `workspace_id` its task in that workspace; null for a workspace's shared task nobody has yet
      */
     bot_id?: number | "";
     /** 
-     * The workspace the task belongs to (its bots all see it); null for a bot's own
+     * The workspace the task is in; null for a bot's own list
      */
     workspace_id?: number | "";
     title?: string;
@@ -679,6 +679,10 @@ export type BUN_SQLITE_COBBLE_BOTS_QUEUE = {
      * Unix timestamp of completion or final failure
      */
     finished_at?: number | "";
+    /** 
+     * How many steps it recorded, written when its `bots_queue_updates` are cleared after it ends (null while they're still there)
+     */
+    steps?: number | "";
     /** 
      * The state of the job. (pending | processing | completed | failed)
      */
diff --git a/src/cron/clear-job-steps/index.ts b/src/cron/clear-job-steps/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3ae1c95
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cron/clear-job-steps/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+import clearFinishedJobSteps from "@/src/functions/backend/db/bots-queue/clear-finished-job-steps";
+
+/**
+ * Clears the steps of jobs that have ended (`clearFinishedJobSteps`).
+ */
+export default async function cronClearJobSteps() {
+    return await clearFinishedJobSteps();
+}
diff --git a/src/cron/index.ts b/src/cron/index.ts
index 2c672c7..c3377c7 100644
--- a/src/cron/index.ts
+++ b/src/cron/index.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import bunext from "@moduletrace/bunext";
 import cronHeartbeat from "./heartbeat";
 import pruneBotsQueue from "./prune-bots-queue";
+import cronClearJobSteps from "./clear-job-steps";
 import pruneBotHookEvents from "./prune-bot-hook-events";
 import cronPruneChatrooms from "./prune-chatrooms";
 import syncNotifyWatchers from "./sync-notify-watchers";
@@ -31,6 +32,13 @@ export default function cron() {
         task: pruneBotsQueue,
     });
 
+    registerCronJob({
+        title: "clear-job-steps",
+        schedule: "*/5 * * * *",
+        task: cronClearJobSteps,
+        quiet: true,
+    });
+
     registerCronJob({
         title: "prune-bot-hook-events",
         schedule: "@daily",
diff --git a/src/data/app-data.ts b/src/data/app-data.ts
index 1249d39..7ea2d42 100644
--- a/src/data/app-data.ts
+++ b/src/data/app-data.ts
@@ -414,6 +414,12 @@ export const AppData = {
      * working-on panel shows.
      */
     BotJobUpdatesShown: 12,
+    /**
+     * How long a finished job's steps stay before they're cleared
+     * (`clear-job-steps` cron). Long enough for every process's live relay
+     * to have pushed the last ones (`LiveRelayPollMs`).
+     */
+    BotJobStepsKeepMs: 60 * 1000,
     /**
      * How often each server process reads new bot messages, job steps and
      * bot changes from the database for its own sockets (`liveRelay`).
diff --git a/src/functions/backend/db/bots-queue/clear-finished-job-steps-sql.test.ts b/src/functions/backend/db/bots-queue/clear-finished-job-steps-sql.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..28e4ee8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/functions/backend/db/bots-queue/clear-finished-job-steps-sql.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+import { Database } from "bun:sqlite";
+import { describe, expect, test } from "bun:test";
+import clearFinishedJobStepsSql from "./clear-finished-job-steps-sql";
+
+/**
+ * Clearing a finished job's steps must keep their count on the job (the
+ * message details show it) and never touch a job that can still run: its
+ * working row reads them.
+ */
+function setup() {
+    const db = new Database(":memory:");
+
+    db.run(
+        `CREATE TABLE bots_queue (id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY, status TEXT, finished_at INTEGER, updated_at INTEGER, steps INTEGER)`,
+    );
+    db.run(`CREATE TABLE bots_queue_updates (id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY, bots_queue_id INTEGER)`);
+    db.run(`INSERT INTO bots_queue VALUES
+        (1, 'completed', 100, 100, NULL),
+        (2, 'failed', 100, 100, NULL),
+        (3, 'processing', NULL, 100, NULL),
+        (4, 'pending', NULL, 100, NULL),
+        (5, 'completed', 900, 900, NULL),
+        (6, 'failed', NULL, 100, NULL),
+        (7, 'completed', 100, 100, NULL)`);
+    db.run(`INSERT INTO bots_queue_updates (bots_queue_id) VALUES (1), (1), (1), (2), (3), (3), (4), (5), (6)`);
+
+    return db;
+}
+
+function run({ db, before }: { db: Database; before: number }) {
+    const { count, clear } = clearFinishedJobStepsSql({ before });
+
+    db.query(count.sql).run(...count.values);
+    db.query(clear.sql).run(...clear.values);
+}
+
+function stepsLeft({ db }: { db: Database }) {
+    return db
+        .query(`SELECT bots_queue_id AS id FROM bots_queue_updates ORDER BY id`)
+        .all()
+        .map((row) => (row as { id: number }).id);
+}
+
+function counts({ db }: { db: Database }) {
+    return Object.fromEntries(
+        db
+            .query(`SELECT id, steps FROM bots_queue ORDER BY id`)
+            .all()
+            .map((row) => [(row as { id: number }).id, (row as { steps: number | null }).steps]),
+    );
+}
+
+describe("clearFinishedJobStepsSql", () => {
+    test("clears the steps of jobs that ended before the cutoff, completed or failed", () => {
+        const db = setup();
+        run({ db, before: 500 });
+        expect(stepsLeft({ db })).not.toContain(1);
+        expect(stepsLeft({ db })).not.toContain(2);
+    });
+
+    test("keeps how many steps each job recorded", () => {
+        const db = setup();
+        run({ db, before: 500 });
+        expect(counts({ db })[1]).toBe(3);
+        expect(counts({ db })[2]).toBe(1);
+    });
+
+    test("never touches a job that can still run", () => {
+        const db = setup();
+        run({ db, before: 500 });
+        expect(stepsLeft({ db })).toEqual([3, 3, 4, 5]);
+        expect(counts({ db })[3]).toBeNull();
+        expect(counts({ db })[4]).toBeNull();
+    });
+
+    test("leaves a job that ended after the cutoff for the next sweep", () => {
+        const db = setup();
+        run({ db, before: 500 });
+        expect(counts({ db })[5]).toBeNull();
+        run({ db, before: 1000 });
+        expect(stepsLeft({ db })).not.toContain(5);
+        expect(counts({ db })[5]).toBe(1);
+    });
+
+    test("a job lost without a finish time is still cleared by when it last changed", () => {
+        const db = setup();
+        run({ db, before: 500 });
+        expect(stepsLeft({ db })).not.toContain(6);
+        expect(counts({ db })[6]).toBe(1);
+    });
+
+    test("a job with no steps keeps a null count, and a second sweep changes nothing", () => {
+        const db = setup();
+        run({ db, before: 500 });
+        run({ db, before: 500 });
+        expect(counts({ db })[7]).toBeNull();
+        expect(counts({ db })[1]).toBe(3);
+    });
+});
diff --git a/src/functions/backend/db/bots-queue/clear-finished-job-steps-sql.ts b/src/functions/backend/db/bots-queue/clear-finished-job-steps-sql.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4075e48
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/functions/backend/db/bots-queue/clear-finished-job-steps-sql.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+type Params = {
+    /**
+     * Jobs that ended before this (unix ms) have their steps cleared.
+     */
+    before: number;
+};
+
+/**
+ * The two statements that clear the steps (`bots_queue_updates`) of jobs
+ * that ended before `before`: first each job keeps how many it recorded
+ * (`bots_queue.steps`, for the message details), then the steps go. A job
+ * that's still open, or one retrying after a failed attempt, keeps its
+ * steps. Run in this order: the count reads the rows the delete removes.
+ */
+export default function clearFinishedJobStepsSql({ before }: Params) {
+    const finished = `SELECT id FROM bots_queue WHERE status IN ('completed', 'failed') AND COALESCE(finished_at, updated_at) < ?`;
+
+    return {
+        count: {
+            sql: `UPDATE bots_queue SET steps = COALESCE(steps, 0) + (SELECT COUNT(*) FROM bots_queue_updates u WHERE u.bots_queue_id = bots_queue.id)
+                WHERE id IN (${finished}) AND EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM bots_queue_updates u WHERE u.bots_queue_id = bots_queue.id)`,
+            values: [before],
+        },
+        clear: {
+            sql: `DELETE FROM bots_queue_updates WHERE bots_queue_id IN (${finished})`,
+            values: [before],
+        },
+    };
+}
diff --git a/src/functions/backend/db/bots-queue/clear-finished-job-steps.ts b/src/functions/backend/db/bots-queue/clear-finished-job-steps.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..225eb0f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/functions/backend/db/bots-queue/clear-finished-job-steps.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+import BunSQLite from "@moduletrace/bun-sqlite";
+import { AppData } from "@/src/data/app-data";
+import clearFinishedJobStepsSql from "./clear-finished-job-steps-sql";
+
+/**
+ * Clears the steps of jobs that ended more than `AppData.BotJobStepsKeepMs`
+ * ago, however they ended (completed, failed, cancelled, stopped, lost).
+ * Steps only feed the live working row; once the job's message is in they
+ * have no reader, and the job keeps their count. Not done the moment a job
+ * ends: steps reach the page only through the live relay, which would
+ * miss the last ones.
+ */
+export default async function clearFinishedJobSteps() {
+    const { count, clear } = clearFinishedJobStepsSql({
+        before: Date.now() - AppData.BotJobStepsKeepMs,
+    });
+
+    await BunSQLite.sql(count);
+
+    return await BunSQLite.sql(clear);
+}
diff --git a/src/functions/backend/db/usage/grab-message-details.ts b/src/functions/backend/db/usage/grab-message-details.ts
index 8ed34d0..188f6d4 100644
--- a/src/functions/backend/db/usage/grab-message-details.ts
+++ b/src/functions/backend/db/usage/grab-message-details.ts
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ async function grabJob({ job_id }: { job_id: number }): Promise<MessageDetailsJo
     const row = (
         await BunSQLite.sql<JobRow>({
             sql: `SELECT q.id, q.kind, q.title, q.status, q.attempts, q.started_at, q.finished_at,
-                    (SELECT COUNT(*) FROM bots_queue_updates u WHERE u.bots_queue_id = q.id) AS steps
+                    COALESCE(q.steps, 0) + (SELECT COUNT(*) FROM bots_queue_updates u WHERE u.bots_queue_id = q.id) AS steps
                 FROM bots_queue q WHERE q.id = ? LIMIT 1`,
             values: [job_id],
         })
diff --git a/src/types/index.ts b/src/types/index.ts
index 3f917e4..043ff15 100755
--- a/src/types/index.ts
+++ b/src/types/index.ts
@@ -1581,7 +1581,7 @@ export type MessageDetailsJob = {
     started_at: number | null;
     finished_at: number | null;
     /**
-     * How many model turns and notes it recorded (`bots_queue_updates`).
+     * How many model turns and notes it recorded (`bots_queue.steps` once cleared, plus any `bots_queue_updates` left).
      */
     steps: number;
 };