diff --git a/gadget-code/frontend/src/components/ChatTurn.tsx b/gadget-code/frontend/src/components/ChatTurn.tsx
index 98f878d..9b8af0f 100644
--- a/gadget-code/frontend/src/components/ChatTurn.tsx
+++ b/gadget-code/frontend/src/components/ChatTurn.tsx
@@ -76,12 +76,14 @@ const ChatTurn = memo(function ChatTurn({ turn }: ChatTurnProps) {
 
       {/* Error Alert */}
       {turn.errorMessage && turn.status === "error" && (
-        <div className="max-w-[80%] ml-0 mb-4">
-          <div className="bg-red-600 text-white rounded p-4 border-2 border-red-400">
-            <div className="text-sm font-semibold mb-2 flex items-center gap-2">
+        <div className="max-w-[80%] ml-0 mb-2">
+          <div className="bg-red-600 text-white rounded p-3 border-2 border-red-400">
+            <div className="text-xs font-semibold mb-1 flex items-center gap-2">
               <span>⚠️</span> Error
             </div>
-            <div className="whitespace-pre-wrap">{turn.errorMessage}</div>
+            <div className="whitespace-pre-wrap text-sm">
+              {turn.errorMessage}
+            </div>
           </div>
         </div>
       )}
@@ -89,51 +91,53 @@ const ChatTurn = memo(function ChatTurn({ turn }: ChatTurnProps) {
       {/* User Prompt */}
       <div className="max-w-[80%] ml-0 mb-4">
         <div className="bg-[#4a0000] text-white rounded p-4">
-          <div className="text-sm font-semibold mb-2">You</div>
-          <div className="whitespace-pre-wrap">{turn.prompts?.user || ""}</div>
+          <div className="text-xs font-semibold mb-2">You</div>
+          <div className="whitespace-pre-wrap text-sm">
+            {turn.prompts?.user || ""}
+          </div>
         </div>
       </div>
 
       {/* Agent Response */}
-      {(turn.blocks && turn.blocks.length > 0) && (
+      {turn.blocks && turn.blocks.length > 0 && (
         <div className="max-w-[80%] ml-auto mb-4 overflow-x-hidden">
-          <div className="bg-bg-tertiary border border-border-default rounded p-4 overflow-x-auto">
-            <div className="text-sm font-semibold mb-3 text-text-secondary">
+          <div className="bg-bg-tertiary border border-border-default rounded p-3 overflow-x-auto">
+            <div className="text-xs font-semibold mb-4 text-text-secondary">
               Gadget
             </div>
 
             {/* Render blocks in order */}
             {turn.blocks.map((block, idx) => {
-              if (block.mode === 'thinking') {
+              if (block.mode === "thinking") {
                 return (
-                  <div key={idx} className="mb-3">
+                  <div key={idx} className="mb-4">
                     <div className="text-xs text-text-muted mb-1 font-mono">
                       Thinking
                     </div>
                     <div
-                      className="p-3 bg-bg-secondary rounded text-sm text-text-muted whitespace-pre-wrap font-mono text-xs"
-                      dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{ 
-                        __html: marked.parse(block.content) as string 
-                      }}
-                    />
-                  </div>
-                );
-              } else if (block.mode === 'responding') {
-                return (
-                  <div key={idx} className="mb-3 overflow-x-auto">
-                    <div
-                      className="gadget-markdown"
+                      className="gadget-markdown bg-bg-secondary rounded p-2 text-xs text-text-muted font-mono"
                       dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{
-                        __html: marked.parse(block.content) as string
+                        __html: marked.parse(block.content) as string,
                       }}
                     />
                   </div>
                 );
-              } else if (block.mode === 'tool') {
+              } else if (block.mode === "responding") {
+                return (
+                  <div key={idx} className="mb-4 overflow-x-auto">
+                    <div
+                      className="gadget-markdown text-[13px]"
+                      dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{
+                        __html: marked.parse(block.content) as string,
+                      }}
+                    />
+                  </div>
+                );
+              } else if (block.mode === "tool") {
                 const toolCall = block.content;
                 const subagent = toolCall.subagent;
                 return (
-                  <div key={idx} className="mb-3">
+                  <div key={idx} className="tool-call">
                     <div className="flex items-center gap-2 text-xs font-mono text-text-secondary">
                       <span className="text-brand">●</span>
                       <span>{toolCall.name}</span>
@@ -144,16 +148,14 @@ const ChatTurn = memo(function ChatTurn({ turn }: ChatTurnProps) {
                         <span className="text-green-500">✓</span>
                       )}
                     </div>
-                    {subagent && (
-                      <SubagentDisplay subagent={subagent} />
-                    )}
+                    {subagent && <SubagentDisplay subagent={subagent} />}
                   </div>
                 );
               }
               return null;
             })}
 
-            <div className="mt-2 text-xs text-text-muted">
+            <div className="mt-1 text-xs text-text-muted">
               {startedAt.toLocaleTimeString()}
             </div>
           </div>
@@ -163,7 +165,11 @@ const ChatTurn = memo(function ChatTurn({ turn }: ChatTurnProps) {
   );
 });
 
-function SubagentDisplay({ subagent }: { subagent: NonNullable<ChatTurnBlockTool['content']['subagent']> }) {
+function SubagentDisplay({
+  subagent,
+}: {
+  subagent: NonNullable<ChatTurnBlockTool["content"]["subagent"]>;
+}) {
   const [expanded, setExpanded] = useState(true);
   const toggle = useCallback(() => setExpanded((p) => !p), []);
 
@@ -179,7 +185,7 @@ function SubagentDisplay({ subagent }: { subagent: NonNullable<ChatTurnBlockTool
   };
 
   return (
-    <div className="ml-4 border-l-2 border-brand/20 pl-2">
+    <div className="ml-3 border-l-2 border-brand/20 pl-1.5 mt-1">
       <button
         onClick={toggle}
         className="flex items-center gap-1.5 text-xs font-mono text-text-muted hover:text-text-primary transition-colors w-full text-left"
@@ -188,7 +194,8 @@ function SubagentDisplay({ subagent }: { subagent: NonNullable<ChatTurnBlockTool
         <span>Subagent</span>
         {subagent.stats && (
           <span className="text-text-muted">
-            ({subagent.toolCalls.length} calls · {formatDuration(subagent.stats.durationMs)})
+            ({subagent.toolCalls.length} calls ·{" "}
+            {formatDuration(subagent.stats.durationMs)})
           </span>
         )}
       </button>
@@ -198,9 +205,11 @@ function SubagentDisplay({ subagent }: { subagent: NonNullable<ChatTurnBlockTool
           {/* Thinking */}
           {subagent.thinking && (
             <div>
-              <div className="text-xs text-text-muted font-mono mb-1">Thinking</div>
+              <div className="text-xs text-text-muted font-mono mb-0.5">
+                Thinking
+              </div>
               <div
-                className="subagent-compact gadget-markdown bg-bg-secondary rounded p-1.5 text-xs text-text-muted whitespace-pre-wrap font-mono"
+                className="gadget-markdown bg-bg-secondary rounded p-1.5 text-xs text-text-muted font-mono"
                 dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{
                   __html: marked.parse(subagent.thinking) as string,
                 }}
@@ -211,12 +220,15 @@ function SubagentDisplay({ subagent }: { subagent: NonNullable<ChatTurnBlockTool
           {/* Subagent Tool Calls */}
           {subagent.toolCalls.length > 0 && (
             <div>
-              <div className="text-xs text-text-muted font-mono mb-1">
+              <div className="text-xs text-text-muted font-mono mb-0.5">
                 Tool Calls ({subagent.toolCalls.length})
               </div>
-              <div className="space-y-1">
+              <div className="space-y-0.5">
                 {subagent.toolCalls.map((tc, i) => (
-                  <div key={tc.callId || i} className="flex items-center gap-2 text-xs font-mono text-text-secondary">
+                  <div
+                    key={tc.callId || i}
+                    className="flex items-center gap-2 text-xs font-mono text-text-secondary"
+                  >
                     <span className="text-yellow-500">◆</span>
                     <span>{tc.name}</span>
                     {tc.response && <span className="text-green-500">✓</span>}
@@ -229,9 +241,11 @@ function SubagentDisplay({ subagent }: { subagent: NonNullable<ChatTurnBlockTool
           {/* Response */}
           {subagent.response && (
             <div>
-              <div className="text-xs text-text-muted font-mono mb-1">Response</div>
+              <div className="text-xs text-text-muted font-mono mb-0.5">
+                Response
+              </div>
               <div
-                className="subagent-compact gadget-markdown"
+                className="gadget-markdown text-xs"
                 dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{
                   __html: marked.parse(subagent.response) as string,
                 }}
@@ -246,7 +260,9 @@ function SubagentDisplay({ subagent }: { subagent: NonNullable<ChatTurnBlockTool
               <span>{formatTokenCount(subagent.stats.inputTokens)} in</span>
               <span>{formatTokenCount(subagent.stats.responseTokens)} out</span>
               {subagent.stats.thinkingTokenCount > 0 && (
-                <span>{formatTokenCount(subagent.stats.thinkingTokenCount)} thinking</span>
+                <span>
+                  {formatTokenCount(subagent.stats.thinkingTokenCount)} thinking
+                </span>
               )}
             </div>
           )}
diff --git a/gadget-code/frontend/src/index.css b/gadget-code/frontend/src/index.css
index de80cae..4868c9f 100644
--- a/gadget-code/frontend/src/index.css
+++ b/gadget-code/frontend/src/index.css
@@ -12,10 +12,11 @@
   --color-border-subtle: #1a1a1a;
   --color-border-default: #2a2a2a;
   --color-border-highlight: #3a3a3a;
-  
-  --font-mono: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
-  --font-sans: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, sans-serif;
-  
+
+  --font-mono: "Fira Code", "Courier New", Courier, monospace;
+  --font-sans:
+    -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, sans-serif;
+
   --spacing-header: 48px;
   --spacing-status: 32px;
 }
@@ -54,7 +55,17 @@ button {
   font-size: inherit;
 }
 
-input, textarea {
+.tool-call {
+  margin-top: theme("spacing.4");
+  margin-bottom: theme("spacing.4");
+}
+
+.tool-call + .tool-call {
+  margin-top: 0;
+}
+
+input,
+textarea {
   font-family: inherit;
   font-size: inherit;
 }
@@ -77,8 +88,13 @@ input, textarea {
 }
 
 @keyframes strobe {
-  0%, 100% { opacity: 1; }
-  50% { opacity: 0.4; }
+  0%,
+  100% {
+    opacity: 1;
+  }
+  50% {
+    opacity: 0.4;
+  }
 }
 
 .strobe {
@@ -86,20 +102,20 @@ input, textarea {
 }
 
 /* ── Gadget Markdown Styles ─────────────────────────────────── */
-/* Applied to agent response output inside ChatTurn            */
+/* Dense, technical display — no blog-style whitespace */
 
 .gadget-markdown {
   color: var(--color-text-primary);
-  line-height: 1.7;
-  font-size: 14px;
-  white-space: pre-wrap;
+  line-height: 1.5;
   word-break: break-word;
-  /* Prevent the markdown root from stretching to fill the scroll container —
-     display:inline-block shrinks it to content width, so the
-     overflow-x-auto on the parent actually clips and scrolls it. */
   display: inline-block;
   width: 100%;
   max-width: 100%;
+  margin-bottom: 8px;
+
+  :last-child {
+    margin-bottom: 0;
+  }
 }
 
 .gadget-markdown h1,
@@ -110,19 +126,37 @@ input, textarea {
 .gadget-markdown h6 {
   color: #e8e8e8;
   font-weight: 600;
-  line-height: 1.3;
-  margin-top: 1.5em;
-  margin-bottom: 0.5em;
+  line-height: 1.25;
+  margin-top: 0.5rem;
+  margin-bottom: 0.25rem;
 }
 
-.gadget-markdown h1 { font-size: 1.4em; border-bottom: 1px solid var(--color-border-default); padding-bottom: 0.3em; }
-.gadget-markdown h2 { font-size: 1.2em; border-bottom: 1px solid var(--color-border-default); padding-bottom: 0.25em; }
-.gadget-markdown h3 { font-size: 1.05em; }
-.gadget-markdown h4 { font-size: 1em; }
+.gadget-markdown h1 {
+  font-size: 1.5em;
+  /* border-bottom: 1px solid var(--color-border-default); */
+  padding-bottom: 0.2em;
+}
+.gadget-markdown h2 {
+  font-size: 1.4em;
+  /* border-bottom: 1px solid var(--color-border-default); */
+  padding-bottom: 0.15em;
+}
+.gadget-markdown h3 {
+  font-size: 1.3em;
+}
+.gadget-markdown h4 {
+  font-size: 1.2em;
+}
+.gadget-markdown h5 {
+  font-size: 1.1em;
+}
+.gadget-markdown h6 {
+  font-size: 1em;
+}
 
 .gadget-markdown p {
   margin-top: 0;
-  margin-bottom: 0.85em;
+  margin-bottom: 0.8rem;
 }
 
 .gadget-markdown a {
@@ -137,23 +171,23 @@ input, textarea {
 /* Inline code */
 .gadget-markdown code:not(pre code) {
   font-family: var(--font-mono);
-  font-size: 0.875em;
+  font-size: 0.85em;
   background: #1e1e1e;
-  color: #f472b6;
-  padding: 0.15em 0.4em;
-  border-radius: 4px;
+  color: rgb(219, 219, 7);
+  padding: 0.1em 0.3em;
+  border-radius: 3px;
   border: 1px solid #2d2d2d;
 }
 
 /* Code blocks */
 .gadget-markdown pre {
+  line-height: 1rem;
   background: #0d0d0d;
   border: 1px solid #2a2a2a;
-  border-radius: 6px;
-  padding: 1em 1.2em;
+  border-radius: 4px;
+  padding: 0.5rem 0.7rem;
   overflow-x: auto;
-  margin-bottom: 1em;
-  /* Horizontal scroll fix — parent must have overflow-x-auto or be constrained */
+  margin-bottom: 0.5rem;
   max-width: 100%;
   width: 100%;
 }
@@ -173,14 +207,14 @@ input, textarea {
   width: auto;
   max-width: 100%;
   border-collapse: collapse;
-  margin-bottom: 1em;
-  font-size: 0.9em;
+  margin-bottom: 0.5rem;
+  font-size: 0.85em;
 }
 
 .gadget-markdown th,
 .gadget-markdown td {
   border: 1px solid #2a2a2a;
-  padding: 0.5em 0.9em;
+  padding: 0.35em 0.6em;
   text-align: left;
 }
 
@@ -200,23 +234,23 @@ input, textarea {
 
 /* Blockquotes */
 .gadget-markdown blockquote {
-  border-left: 3px solid #3a3a3a;
-  margin: 0 0 1em 0;
-  padding: 0.5em 1em;
+  border-left: 2px solid #3a3a3a;
+  margin: 0 0 0.35rem 0;
+  padding: 0.25rem 0.6rem;
   color: var(--color-text-muted);
   background: #111111;
-  border-radius: 0 4px 4px 0;
+  border-radius: 0 3px 3px 0;
 }
 
 /* Lists */
 .gadget-markdown ul,
 .gadget-markdown ol {
-  margin-bottom: 0.85em;
-  padding-left: 1.5em;
+  margin-bottom: 0.35rem;
+  padding-left: 1.2rem;
 }
 
 .gadget-markdown li {
-  margin-bottom: 0.3em;
+  margin-bottom: 0.15rem;
 }
 
 .gadget-markdown li::marker {
@@ -227,13 +261,13 @@ input, textarea {
 .gadget-markdown hr {
   border: none;
   border-top: 1px solid var(--color-border-default);
-  margin: 1.5em 0;
+  margin: 0.5rem 0;
 }
 
 /* Images */
 .gadget-markdown img {
   max-width: 100%;
-  border-radius: 6px;
+  border-radius: 4px;
   border: 1px solid var(--color-border-default);
 }
 
@@ -243,61 +277,6 @@ input, textarea {
   font-weight: 600;
 }
 
-
 .gadget-markdown em {
   color: #c4c4c4;
 }
-
-/* ── Subagent Compact Markdown ── */
-/* Higher-specificity overrides (.subagent-compact.gadget-markdown > .gadget-markdown)
-   to crush the generous spacing that looks fine at top-level but explodes when nested. */
-.subagent-compact.gadget-markdown {
-  font-size: 12px;
-  line-height: 1.4;
-}
-
-.subagent-compact.gadget-markdown h1,
-.subagent-compact.gadget-markdown h2,
-.subagent-compact.gadget-markdown h3,
-.subagent-compact.gadget-markdown h4,
-.subagent-compact.gadget-markdown h5,
-.subagent-compact.gadget-markdown h6 {
-  margin-top: 0.5rem;
-  margin-bottom: 0.25rem;
-  line-height: 1.2;
-}
-
-.subagent-compact.gadget-markdown p {
-  margin-top: 0;
-  margin-bottom: 0.35rem;
-}
-
-.subagent-compact.gadget-markdown pre {
-  margin-top: 0.35rem;
-  margin-bottom: 0.35rem;
-  padding: 0.5rem 0.6rem;
-}
-
-.subagent-compact.gadget-markdown ul,
-.subagent-compact.gadget-markdown ol {
-  margin-bottom: 0.35rem;
-  padding-left: 1.1rem;
-}
-
-.subagent-compact.gadget-markdown li {
-  margin-bottom: 0.15rem;
-}
-
-.subagent-compact.gadget-markdown blockquote {
-  margin-top: 0.25rem;
-  margin-bottom: 0.25rem;
-  padding: 0.25rem 0.6rem;
-}
-
-.subagent-compact.gadget-markdown hr {
-  margin: 0.4rem 0;
-}
-
-.subagent-compact.gadget-markdown table {
-  margin-bottom: 0.5rem;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/gadget-code/frontend/src/pages/ChatSessionView.tsx b/gadget-code/frontend/src/pages/ChatSessionView.tsx
index f635aac..3a81b9b 100644
--- a/gadget-code/frontend/src/pages/ChatSessionView.tsx
+++ b/gadget-code/frontend/src/pages/ChatSessionView.tsx
@@ -1009,7 +1009,7 @@ export default function ChatSessionView() {
         {/* Chat View (75%) */}
         <div className="flex-1 flex flex-col overflow-hidden">
           {/* Messages */}
-          <div className="flex-1 overflow-y-auto p-4 space-y-4">
+          <div className="flex-1 overflow-y-auto p-3 space-y-2">
             {turns.map((turn) => (
               <ChatTurnComponent
                 key={turn._id}