diff --git a/api/streaming.py b/api/streaming.py
index 0d91a05a..90c2a68c 100644
--- a/api/streaming.py
+++ b/api/streaming.py
@@ -586,11 +586,6 @@ def _message_text(value) -> str:
     return _strip_thinking_markup(str(value or '').strip())
 
 
-def _strip_workspace_prefix(text: str) -> str:
-    """Remove WebUI's model-facing workspace tag from display identity text."""
-    return re.sub(r'^\s*\[Workspace:[^\]]+\]\s*', '', str(text or '')).strip()
-
-
 def _first_exchange_snippets(messages):
     """Return (first_user_text, first_assistant_text) snippets for title generation.
 
@@ -1438,12 +1433,6 @@ def _message_identity(msg):
     role = str(msg.get('role') or '')
     content = msg.get('content', '')
     text = _message_text(content)
-    if role == 'user':
-        # WebUI sends the model a workspace-prefixed user_message while the
-        # visible optimistic bubble contains only the human text. Treat them as
-        # the same turn for merge/dedup purposes; otherwise compaction results
-        # render two adjacent user bubbles ("Ok" and "[Workspace...]\nOk").
-        text = _strip_workspace_prefix(text)
     if not text and not msg.get('tool_call_id') and not msg.get('tool_calls'):
         return None
     return (
@@ -1482,7 +1471,7 @@ def _find_current_user_turn(messages, msg_text):
         if not isinstance(msg, dict) or msg.get('role') != 'user':
             continue
         fallback = idx
-        text = " ".join(_strip_workspace_prefix(_message_text(msg.get('content', ''))).split())
+        text = " ".join(_message_text(msg.get('content', '')).split())
         if needle and (needle in text or text in needle):
             return idx
     return fallback
@@ -1569,11 +1558,7 @@ def _merge_display_messages_after_agent_result(previous_display, previous_contex
             continue
         if _is_context_compression_marker(msg) and key is not None and key in seen:
             continue
-        display_msg = msg
-        if key is not None and key == current_user_key and isinstance(msg, dict) and msg.get('role') == 'user':
-            display_msg = copy.deepcopy(msg)
-            display_msg['content'] = msg_text
-        merged.append(copy.deepcopy(display_msg))
+        merged.append(copy.deepcopy(msg))
         if key is not None:
             seen.add(key)
     return merged
diff --git a/static/ui.js b/static/ui.js
index ff666883..bd47dda2 100644
--- a/static/ui.js
+++ b/static/ui.js
@@ -67,6 +67,9 @@ function _isBacktickFenceClose(line,minLen){
  * All non-fenced text stays escaped (no bold/italic/link interpretation).
  */
 
+function _stripWorkspaceDisplayPrefix(text){
+  return String(text||'').replace(/^\s*\[Workspace:[^\]]+\]\s*/,'').trim();
+}
 function _renderUserFencedBlocks(text){
   const stash=[];
   let s=String(text||'');
@@ -4573,6 +4576,7 @@ function renderMessages(options){
       }
     }
     const isUser=m.role==='user';
+    const displayContent=isUser?_stripWorkspaceDisplayPrefix(content):content;
     const isLastAssistant=!isUser&&vi===renderVisWithIdx.length-1;
     let filesHtml='';
     if(m.attachments&&m.attachments.length){
@@ -4586,7 +4590,7 @@ function renderMessages(options){
         return _renderAttachmentHtml(fname,fileUrl);
       }).join('')}</div>`;
     }
-    let bodyHtml = isUser ? _renderUserFencedBlocks(content) : renderMd(_stripXmlToolCallsDisplay(String(content)));
+    let bodyHtml = isUser ? _renderUserFencedBlocks(displayContent) : renderMd(_stripXmlToolCallsDisplay(String(displayContent)));
     if(!isUser&&m.provider_details){
       bodyHtml += `<details class="provider-error-details"><summary>Provider details</summary><pre><code>${esc(String(m.provider_details))}</code></pre></details>`;
     }
@@ -4627,7 +4631,7 @@ function renderMessages(options){
       row.className='msg-row';
       row.dataset.msgIdx=rawIdx;
       row.dataset.role='user';
-      row.dataset.rawText=String(content).trim();
+      row.dataset.rawText=String(displayContent).trim();
       row.innerHTML=`${filesHtml}<div class="msg-body">${bodyHtml}</div>${footHtml}`;
       inner.appendChild(row);
       userRows.set(rawIdx, row);
diff --git a/tests/test_issue1217_transcript_compaction.py b/tests/test_issue1217_transcript_compaction.py
index 7d14f124..72c6f08a 100644
--- a/tests/test_issue1217_transcript_compaction.py
+++ b/tests/test_issue1217_transcript_compaction.py
@@ -47,36 +47,6 @@ def test_session_persists_model_context_separately_from_display_transcript(tmp_p
     assert _sanitize_messages_for_api(_session_context_messages(reloaded)) == compacted_context
 
 
-def test_workspace_prefixed_current_user_after_compaction_is_not_duplicated():
-    previous_display = [
-        {"role": "user", "content": "older prompt"},
-        {"role": "assistant", "content": "older answer"},
-    ]
-    previous_context = list(previous_display)
-    compacted_result = [
-        {
-            "role": "assistant",
-            "content": "[CONTEXT COMPACTION — REFERENCE ONLY] Earlier turns were compacted.",
-        },
-        {"role": "user", "content": "[Workspace: /home/manfred/.hermes/workspace]\nOk, mache weiter"},
-        {"role": "assistant", "content": "continuing"},
-    ]
-
-    merged = _merge_display_messages_after_agent_result(
-        previous_display,
-        previous_context,
-        compacted_result,
-        "Ok, mache weiter",
-    )
-
-    assert [m["role"] for m in merged] == ["user", "assistant", "assistant", "user", "assistant"]
-    assert [m["content"] for m in merged[-2:]] == [
-        "Ok, mache weiter",
-        "continuing",
-    ]
-    assert sum(1 for m in merged if m.get("role") == "user" and "Ok, mache weiter" in m.get("content", "")) == 1
-
-
 def test_compacted_agent_result_keeps_old_prompts_and_appends_current_turn():
     previous_display = [
         {"role": "user", "content": "first prompt that must remain visible"},
diff --git a/tests/test_workspace_display_prefix.py b/tests/test_workspace_display_prefix.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..98528011
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_workspace_display_prefix.py
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+from pathlib import Path
+
+
+ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1]
+
+
+def _read(relpath: str) -> str:
+    return (ROOT / relpath).read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+
+
+def test_workspace_display_prefix_helper_strips_leading_metadata_only():
+    src = _read("static/ui.js")
+    start = src.find("function _stripWorkspaceDisplayPrefix")
+    assert start != -1, "workspace display prefix stripper not found"
+    end = src.find("function _renderUserFencedBlocks", start)
+    assert end != -1, "user fenced block renderer not found after prefix stripper"
+    helper = src[start:end]
+
+    assert r"^\s*\[Workspace:[^\]]+\]\s*" in helper
+    assert ".trim()" in helper
+
+
+def test_user_render_uses_stripped_display_content_without_preempting_context_cards():
+    src = _read("static/ui.js")
+    loop_start = src.find("for(let vi=0;vi<visWithIdx.length;vi++)")
+    assert loop_start != -1, "message render loop not found"
+    loop_end = src.find("if(!currentAssistantTurn)", loop_start)
+    assert loop_end != -1, "assistant render branch not found after user branch"
+    render_prefix = src[loop_start:loop_end]
+
+    display_idx = render_prefix.find("const displayContent=isUser?_stripWorkspaceDisplayPrefix(content):content;")
+    context_idx = render_prefix.find("if(_isContextCompactionMessage(m))")
+    user_idx = render_prefix.find("if(isUser)")
+    assert display_idx != -1, "display content stripper not used in render loop"
+    assert context_idx != -1, "context compaction branch not found"
+    assert user_idx != -1, "user render branch not found"
+    assert display_idx < context_idx < user_idx
+    assert "_renderUserFencedBlocks(displayContent)" in render_prefix
+    assert "row.dataset.rawText=String(displayContent).trim();" in render_prefix