diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index f0e2ba5df..80dfbac91 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ members = ["toad"]
 
 [tool.uv.sources]
 ui-theme = { git = "https://github.com/OpenHCSDev/ui-theme.git", rev = "5e58d8b5907cec4dbc8810a9329aaf902f69f675" }
-agent-comms = { git = "https://github.com/OpenHCSDev/agent-comms.git", rev = "00a3d74d4b1ab8962941d84a764b3e8c2e57013d" }
+agent-comms = { git = "https://github.com/OpenHCSDev/agent-comms.git", rev = "04d414e4bd1b03a2d8985a199d59578704ac9b3c" }
 textual = { git = "https://github.com/OpenHCSDev/textual.git", rev = "18f4e7a67403d56846ef5abf55c93e3e0639be33" }
 textual-image = { git = "https://github.com/OpenHCSDev/textual-image.git", rev = "1f1d8b8ea3c30b39da3b14ea0ac0786ce9c49a80" }
 textual-diff-view = { git = "https://github.com/OpenHCSDev/textual-diff-view.git", rev = "8fa7d4d0db993ea3b761c2760ca9b6a56a6251e9" }
diff --git a/src/toad/comms_root.py b/src/toad/comms_root.py
index 1eafb4baa..b1b174aa6 100644
--- a/src/toad/comms_root.py
+++ b/src/toad/comms_root.py
@@ -257,8 +257,8 @@ def sidebar_observed(self, result: SidebarObserved, observed: ObservedCommsServi
         if previous_references != self.reference_context(str(observed.service.root)):
             self.events.publish(LinkContextChanged())
         self.sidebar_current = result.request
-        if result.snapshot.read_marker_notice and result.snapshot.read_marker_notice != notice:
-            app.notify(result.snapshot.read_marker_notice, title="Read positions", severity="warning")
+        for text in result.snapshot.read_marker_notice.messages_since(notice):
+            app.notify(text, title="Read positions", severity="warning")
         if app.open_tabs != tabs:
             app.events.publish(OpenTabsChanged())
         for waiter in self.take_sidebar_waiters(result.request):
diff --git a/src/toad/conversation_kind.py b/src/toad/conversation_kind.py
index b8ef0e093..5b7851854 100644
--- a/src/toad/conversation_kind.py
+++ b/src/toad/conversation_kind.py
@@ -67,9 +67,8 @@ async def toggle_dm(cls, screen) -> None:
         screen.app.session_navigation.direct_messages()
 
     @classmethod
-    def unread(cls, snapshot, target):
-        from agent_comms.ui_model.unread import UnreadPresentation
-        return UnreadPresentation.for_channel(snapshot, target)
+    def unread(cls, sidebar, target):
+        return sidebar.channel_unread(target)
 
     @classmethod
     def placeholder(cls, target):
@@ -242,9 +241,8 @@ def threads_needed(cls, snapshot, me, target):
         return (snapshot.require(me).incarnation, snapshot.require(target).incarnation)
 
     @classmethod
-    def unread(cls, snapshot, target):
-        from agent_comms.ui_model.unread import UnreadPresentation
-        return UnreadPresentation.for_bus(snapshot, target)
+    def unread(cls, sidebar, target):
+        return sidebar.bus_unread(target)
 
     @classmethod
     def page(cls, comms: Comms, target: str, **bounds) -> MessagePage:
diff --git a/src/toad/screens/welcome.py b/src/toad/screens/welcome.py
index 2b58fd14f..b7f788a17 100644
--- a/src/toad/screens/welcome.py
+++ b/src/toad/screens/welcome.py
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ def update(self, model: SidebarModel, key: str, row: CommsRow) -> None:
 
     def sync_members(self, changed: frozenset[str] | None = None) -> None:
         model = self.query_ancestor(WelcomeEntries).model
-        if model is None or model.snapshot is None or not self.member_container.is_attached:
+        if model is None or not self.member_container.is_attached:
             return
         keys = self.keys(model)[:self.LIMIT]
         self.display = bool(keys)
diff --git a/src/toad/session_entry.py b/src/toad/session_entry.py
index 6dbc7a351..f589e1460 100644
--- a/src/toad/session_entry.py
+++ b/src/toad/session_entry.py
@@ -149,8 +149,7 @@ def accepts_launch(self, sessions: SessionNavigation, agent_identity: str, sessi
     def tab(self, sessions: SessionNavigation, observed: ObservedCommsService | None) -> OpenTab:
         source = self.source(sessions)
         name = source._comms_thread if source else ""
-        snapshot = observed.sidebar.snapshot if observed is not None else None
-        if snapshot is None or source is None or not source.belongs_to_wire(observed.service.root):
+        if observed is None or source is None or not source.belongs_to_wire(observed.service.root):
             return NamedTab(self.mode, self.details.name.display or "New Session")
         row = observed.sidebar.threads.rows.get(name)
         originals = self.original_threads(sessions)
@@ -206,9 +205,7 @@ def source(self, sessions: SessionNavigation) -> MainScreen | None:
     def tab(self, sessions: SessionNavigation, observed: ObservedCommsService | None) -> OpenTab:
         unread: UnreadPresentation = UnobservedUnread()
         if observed is not None and Path(self.key.root).resolve() == observed.service.root:
-            snapshot = observed.sidebar.snapshot
-            if snapshot is not None:
-                unread = self.kind.unread(snapshot, self.key.target)
+            unread = self.kind.unread(observed.sidebar.observation, self.key.target)
         return NamedTab(self.mode, self.key.title, unread)
 
     def depends_on(self, mode: str) -> bool:
diff --git a/src/toad/widgets/comms_sidebar.py b/src/toad/widgets/comms_sidebar.py
index 5284e741a..4cc459492 100644
--- a/src/toad/widgets/comms_sidebar.py
+++ b/src/toad/widgets/comms_sidebar.py
@@ -448,7 +448,7 @@ def sync(self, *, channels: frozenset[str] | None, threads: frozenset[str] | Non
 
     @property
     def shows_model(self) -> bool:
-        return self.model is not None and self.model.snapshot is not None and not self.stale
+        return self.model is not None and not self.stale
 
     def unsubscribe(self) -> None:
         if self.model is not None:
diff --git a/src/toad/widgets/thread_comms.py b/src/toad/widgets/thread_comms.py
index 77e110fc5..e5aad6ef5 100644
--- a/src/toad/widgets/thread_comms.py
+++ b/src/toad/widgets/thread_comms.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 from pathlib import Path
 
 from agent_comms.display_order import ThreadSort
-from agent_comms.ui_model.sidebar import ThreadRowModel
+from agent_comms.ui_model.sidebar import ThreadRowModel, WaitingSidebar
 from textual import on
 from textual.binding import Binding
 from textual.content import Content
@@ -389,16 +389,15 @@ async def _refresh(self, generation):
                 if generation != self._generation or not self.is_attached:
                     return
             observed = self.app.coordination_access.observation
-            unread = (observed.sidebar.snapshot
-                      if observed is not None and observed.sidebar.snapshot is not None
-                      and Path(self.wire_root).resolve() == observed.service.root.resolve()
-                      else None)
+            sidebar = WaitingSidebar()
+            if observed is not None and Path(self.wire_root).resolve() == observed.service.root.resolve():
+                sidebar = observed.sidebar.observation
             people = {entry.person.thread.name: entry.person for model in snapshot.groups
                       for entry in model.entries if entry.person is not None}
 
             def derive() -> tuple[dict[str, ThreadRowModel], int]:
                 # ThreadView presentation may inspect process identity: off the UI thread.
-                rows = {name: ThreadRowModel.of(person, unread) for name, person in people.items()}
+                rows = {name: sidebar.thread_row(person) for name, person in people.items()}
                 widest = Content(f"For @{snapshot.owner} · recent window").cell_length + 4
                 for model in snapshot.groups:
                     for entry in model.entries:
diff --git a/src/toad/wire_history.py b/src/toad/wire_history.py
index 8737f0013..fb27f4fda 100644
--- a/src/toad/wire_history.py
+++ b/src/toad/wire_history.py
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ def leading(self):
         if not isinstance(message, HistoricalMessage):
             return super().leading
         return (Gap(), Summary.titled(f"History · {message.source.original_root} · @{message.sender} "
-                               f"created {message.sender_created_at}"), self.row.header)
+                               f"{message.sender_incarnation.birth_description}"), self.row.header)
 
 @dataclass(frozen=True, eq=False)
 class WireSource:
diff --git a/uv.lock b/uv.lock
index 600f3ee18..54edbcaf2 100644
--- a/uv.lock
+++ b/uv.lock
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ wheels = [
 [[package]]
 name = "agent-comms"
 version = "0.1.0"
-source = { git = "https://github.com/OpenHCSDev/agent-comms.git?rev=00a3d74d4b1ab8962941d84a764b3e8c2e57013d#00a3d74d4b1ab8962941d84a764b3e8c2e57013d" }
+source = { git = "https://github.com/OpenHCSDev/agent-comms.git?rev=04d414e4bd1b03a2d8985a199d59578704ac9b3c#04d414e4bd1b03a2d8985a199d59578704ac9b3c" }
 dependencies = [
     { name = "aiohttp" },
     { name = "metaclass-registry" },
@@ -306,7 +306,7 @@ dev = [
 [package.metadata]
 requires-dist = [
     { name = "agent-client-protocol", specifier = "==0.12.1" },
-    { name = "agent-comms", extras = ["acp"], git = "https://github.com/OpenHCSDev/agent-comms.git?rev=00a3d74d4b1ab8962941d84a764b3e8c2e57013d" },
+    { name = "agent-comms", extras = ["acp"], git = "https://github.com/OpenHCSDev/agent-comms.git?rev=04d414e4bd1b03a2d8985a199d59578704ac9b3c" },
     { name = "aiosqlite", specifier = "==0.22.1" },
     { name = "bashlex", specifier = "==0.18" },
     { name = "click", specifier = "==8.4.0" },