diff --git a/src/workspaces/components/Data/tone.ts b/src/workspaces/components/Data/tone.ts
index cfcec618..03471b08 100644
--- a/src/workspaces/components/Data/tone.ts
+++ b/src/workspaces/components/Data/tone.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 // The state vocabulary for data surfaces. See docs/design-language-interface.md § 3.
 //
-// Five tones and no others. The point of a closed set is that colour keeps meaning something: when a
+// Six tones and no others. The point of a closed set is that colour keeps meaning something: when a
 // view can reach for any of Tailwind's twenty-two palettes, green stops reading as "open" and starts
 // reading as "the author liked green here". Every tone maps to a semantic token, never a palette
 // number, so it follows the theme and survives dark mode.
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 // Class strings are written out in full rather than composed (`text-${tone}`) because Tailwind's
 // scanner reads source text — an interpolated class name is not in the output CSS at all.
 
-export type Tone = 'neutral' | 'success' | 'warning' | 'danger' | 'info';
+export type Tone = 'neutral' | 'success' | 'warning' | 'danger' | 'info' | 'busy';
 
 /** Foreground only — for an icon or a word carrying state inside otherwise normal text. */
 export const toneText: Record<Tone, string> = {
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@ export const toneText: Record<Tone, string> = {
   warning: 'text-warning',
   danger: 'text-destructive',
   info: 'text-info',
+  // `-ink`, not the fill: busy's fill is bright enough to carry black text, which makes it unreadable AS
+  // text. The other five are dark enough to serve both jobs.
+  busy: 'text-busy-ink',
 };
 
 /**
@@ -29,6 +32,7 @@ export const toneFill: Record<Tone, string> = {
   warning: 'bg-warning/15 text-warning',
   danger: 'bg-destructive/15 text-destructive',
   info: 'bg-info/15 text-info',
+  busy: 'bg-busy/15 text-busy-ink',
 };
 
 /** A left border or rule carrying state, for rows that mark status without a pill. */
@@ -38,4 +42,5 @@ export const toneBorder: Record<Tone, string> = {
   warning: 'border-warning',
   danger: 'border-destructive',
   info: 'border-info',
+  busy: 'border-busy',
 };
diff --git a/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/Chat/components/InputArea.tsx b/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/Chat/components/InputArea.tsx
index 626ed13f..e78d3a8a 100644
--- a/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/Chat/components/InputArea.tsx
+++ b/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/Chat/components/InputArea.tsx
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ export const InputArea = ({ manager }: InputAreaProps) => {
           size="icon"
           title={isGenerating ? 'Queue — sends when the current turn finishes' : 'Send'}
           className={`shrink-0 h-7 w-7 md:h-9 md:w-9 cursor-pointer disabled:opacity-40 ${
-            isGenerating ? 'bg-amber-500 hover:bg-amber-500/90 text-amber-950' : 'bg-duck-teal hover:bg-duck-teal/90'
+            isGenerating ? 'bg-busy hover:bg-busy/90 text-busy-foreground' : 'bg-duck-teal hover:bg-duck-teal/90'
           }`}
         >
           {isGenerating ? <ListPlus className="h-4 w-4" /> : <Send className="h-4 w-4" />}
@@ -264,16 +264,13 @@ const QueuedList = ({
         type="button"
         onClick={onSendNow}
         title="Send these into the turn that is already running"
-        className="cursor-pointer self-start rounded px-1 text-[11px] text-amber-700/80 transition-colors hover:bg-amber-500/10 hover:text-amber-700"
+        className="cursor-pointer self-start rounded px-1 text-[11px] text-busy-ink/80 transition-colors hover:bg-busy/10 hover:text-busy-ink"
       >
         Send now — press Enter on an empty box to add {queued.length === 1 ? 'this' : 'these'} to the running turn
       </button>
       {queued.map((item) => (
-        <div
-          key={item.id}
-          className="flex items-center gap-2 rounded-md border border-amber-500/30 bg-amber-500/10 px-2 py-1"
-        >
-          <ListPlus className="h-3 w-3 shrink-0 text-amber-600" />
+        <div key={item.id} className="flex items-center gap-2 rounded-md border border-busy/30 bg-busy/10 px-2 py-1">
+          <ListPlus className="h-3 w-3 shrink-0 text-busy-ink" />
           <span className="min-w-0 flex-1 truncate text-xs text-foreground/80">{item.raw.trim()}</span>
           <button
             type="button"
diff --git a/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/FileBrowser/FileBrowserApp/components/TaskRunnerModal.tsx b/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/FileBrowser/FileBrowserApp/components/TaskRunnerModal.tsx
index 0f3ce561..05c38c84 100644
--- a/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/FileBrowser/FileBrowserApp/components/TaskRunnerModal.tsx
+++ b/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/FileBrowser/FileBrowserApp/components/TaskRunnerModal.tsx
@@ -569,7 +569,7 @@ const FolderSummary = ({ folder, keepAll = false, onKeepAllChange }: FolderSumma
 
   if (fileCount === 0) {
     return (
-      <div className="px-5 py-3 border-b border-duck-dark/10 flex items-center gap-2 text-sm text-amber-600 dark:text-amber-500">
+      <div className="px-5 py-3 border-b border-duck-dark/10 flex items-center gap-2 text-sm text-busy-ink dark:text-busy-ink">
         <AlertCircle className="h-4 w-4 shrink-0" /> No videos found in this folder.
       </div>
     );
@@ -588,7 +588,7 @@ const FolderSummary = ({ folder, keepAll = false, onKeepAllChange }: FolderSumma
   if (!onKeepAllChange) {
     return (
       <div className="px-5 py-3 border-b border-duck-dark/10 flex flex-col gap-1.5">
-        <span className="flex items-center gap-2 text-sm text-amber-600 dark:text-amber-500">
+        <span className="flex items-center gap-2 text-sm text-busy-ink dark:text-busy-ink">
           <AlertCircle className="h-4 w-4 shrink-0" />
           {majorityCount} of {fileCount} videos share this layout and will be processed.
         </span>
@@ -608,7 +608,7 @@ const FolderSummary = ({ folder, keepAll = false, onKeepAllChange }: FolderSumma
 
   return (
     <div className="px-5 py-3 border-b border-duck-dark/10 flex flex-col gap-2">
-      <span className="flex items-center gap-2 text-sm text-amber-600 dark:text-amber-500">
+      <span className="flex items-center gap-2 text-sm text-busy-ink dark:text-busy-ink">
         <AlertCircle className="h-4 w-4 shrink-0" />
         {majorityCount} of {fileCount} videos share a track layout.
       </span>
@@ -740,7 +740,7 @@ const PerGroupTrackConfig = ({ groups, has, sel, onChange, probing }: PerGroupTr
   }
   if (groups.length === 0) {
     return (
-      <div className="px-5 py-3 border-b border-duck-dark/10 flex items-center gap-2 text-sm text-amber-600 dark:text-amber-500">
+      <div className="px-5 py-3 border-b border-duck-dark/10 flex items-center gap-2 text-sm text-busy-ink dark:text-busy-ink">
         <AlertCircle className="h-4 w-4 shrink-0" /> No videos found in this folder.
       </div>
     );
@@ -1524,7 +1524,7 @@ const PipelineRunner = ({ taskDirName, context, cwd, onClose }: PipelineRunnerPr
               </span>
             )}
             {pipeline.currentStep.status === 'running' && (
-              <span className="ml-auto inline-block h-2 w-2 rounded-full bg-amber-400 animate-pulse" />
+              <span className="ml-auto inline-block h-2 w-2 rounded-full bg-busy animate-pulse" />
             )}
             {pipeline.currentStep.status === 'complete' && <span className="ml-auto text-xs text-success">done</span>}
           </div>
@@ -1542,7 +1542,7 @@ const PipelineRunner = ({ taskDirName, context, cwd, onClose }: PipelineRunnerPr
               {pError > 0 && <span className="ml-1 text-destructive">· {pError} failed</span>}
             </span>
             {pDone + pError < pTotal && (
-              <span className="ml-auto inline-block h-2 w-2 rounded-full bg-amber-400 animate-pulse" />
+              <span className="ml-auto inline-block h-2 w-2 rounded-full bg-busy animate-pulse" />
             )}
             {pDone + pError === pTotal && pTotal > 0 && <span className="ml-auto text-xs text-success">done</span>}
           </div>
@@ -1556,7 +1556,7 @@ const PipelineRunner = ({ taskDirName, context, cwd, onClose }: PipelineRunnerPr
           {totalTokens > 0 && <span>{totalTokens.toLocaleString()} tok</span>}
           {rc.totalUSD > 0 && <span>${rc.totalUSD.toFixed(3)}</span>}
           {pipeline.waitingStatus && (
-            <span className="ml-auto flex items-center gap-1.5 text-amber-500">
+            <span className="ml-auto flex items-center gap-1.5 text-busy-ink">
               <Loader2 className="h-3 w-3 animate-spin" />
               Waiting for model ({formatElapsed(pipeline.waitingStatus.elapsed)})
             </span>
@@ -1574,7 +1574,7 @@ const PipelineRunner = ({ taskDirName, context, cwd, onClose }: PipelineRunnerPr
                 {it.status === 'pending' && (
                   <span className="h-4 w-4 rounded-full border border-duck-dark/20 shrink-0" />
                 )}
-                {it.status === 'running' && <Loader2 className="h-4 w-4 text-amber-500 animate-spin shrink-0" />}
+                {it.status === 'running' && <Loader2 className="h-4 w-4 text-busy-ink animate-spin shrink-0" />}
                 {it.status === 'complete' && <CircleCheck className="h-4 w-4 text-success shrink-0" />}
                 {it.status === 'error' && <AlertCircle className="h-4 w-4 text-destructive shrink-0" />}
                 <span
diff --git a/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/Plugins/PluginDetail.tsx b/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/Plugins/PluginDetail.tsx
index d4ab741f..a63b4f41 100644
--- a/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/Plugins/PluginDetail.tsx
+++ b/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/Plugins/PluginDetail.tsx
@@ -86,12 +86,12 @@ const Dependencies = ({ deps }: { deps: PluginDependencies }) => {
       <ul className="mt-2 space-y-2">
         {deps.items.map((item) => (
           <li key={item.binary} className="flex gap-2 text-sm">
-            <span aria-hidden className={item.present ? 'text-success' : 'text-amber-600'}>
+            <span aria-hidden className={item.present ? 'text-success' : 'text-busy-ink'}>
               {item.present ? '✓' : '•'}
             </span>
             <span className="min-w-0">
               <code className="text-duck-dark">{item.binary}</code>{' '}
-              <span className={item.present ? 'text-duck-dark/50' : 'text-amber-700'}>
+              <span className={item.present ? 'text-duck-dark/50' : 'text-busy-ink'}>
                 {item.present ? 'present' : `missing${item.packageName ? ` — ${item.packageName}` : ''}`}
               </span>
               <span className="block text-xs text-duck-dark/50">{item.reason}</span>
@@ -112,8 +112,8 @@ const Dependencies = ({ deps }: { deps: PluginDependencies }) => {
           as root first.
         </p>
       ) : (
-        <div className="mt-3 rounded border border-amber-500/30 bg-amber-500/5 p-2.5">
-          <p className="text-xs text-amber-800">{deps.blockedReason ?? 'These cannot be installed automatically.'}</p>
+        <div className="mt-3 rounded border border-busy/30 bg-busy/5 p-2.5">
+          <p className="text-xs text-busy-ink">{deps.blockedReason ?? 'These cannot be installed automatically.'}</p>
           {deps.manualHint ? <code className="mt-1.5 block text-xs text-duck-dark">{deps.manualHint}</code> : null}
         </div>
       )}
@@ -391,7 +391,7 @@ export const PluginDetail = () => {
         <Row label="Version">
           {plugin.version}
           {plugin.outdated ? (
-            <span className="ml-2 text-amber-600">on disk — installed {plugin.installedVersion}</span>
+            <span className="ml-2 text-busy-ink">on disk — installed {plugin.installedVersion}</span>
           ) : null}
         </Row>
         <Row label="Needs platform">{plugin.platform}</Row>
@@ -405,7 +405,7 @@ export const PluginDetail = () => {
             <span
               className={
                 plugin.enabled && plugin.processStatus !== 'online' && plugin.installed
-                  ? 'text-amber-600'
+                  ? 'text-busy-ink'
                   : 'text-duck-dark'
               }
             >
diff --git a/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/Plugins/PluginsList.tsx b/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/Plugins/PluginsList.tsx
index 9cbeebc4..1aa86de0 100644
--- a/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/Plugins/PluginsList.tsx
+++ b/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/Plugins/PluginsList.tsx
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@ import { resolveIcon } from '../../utils/resolve-icon';
 
 const Status = ({ plugin }: { plugin: PluginItem }) => {
   if (!plugin.installed) return <span className="text-xs text-duck-dark/40">not installed</span>;
-  if (!plugin.enabled) return <span className="text-xs text-amber-600">disabled</span>;
-  if (plugin.outdated) return <span className="text-xs text-amber-600">update available</span>;
+  if (!plugin.enabled) return <span className="text-xs text-busy-ink">disabled</span>;
+  if (plugin.outdated) return <span className="text-xs text-busy-ink">update available</span>;
   return <span className="text-xs text-success">enabled</span>;
 };
 
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ const Orphans = ({ orphans }: { orphans: OrphanTable[] }) => {
   return (
     <div className="border-t border-duck-dark/10 px-3 py-3">
       <div className="flex items-start gap-2">
-        <Database className="mt-0.5 h-3.5 w-3.5 shrink-0 text-amber-600" />
+        <Database className="mt-0.5 h-3.5 w-3.5 shrink-0 text-busy-ink" />
         <div className="min-w-0 flex-1">
           <div className="text-xs font-medium text-duck-dark/70">
             {orphans.length} table{orphans.length === 1 ? '' : 's'} with no plugin on this machine
diff --git a/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/SystemMonitor/BtopView.tsx b/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/SystemMonitor/BtopView.tsx
index fbef980b..66459854 100644
--- a/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/SystemMonitor/BtopView.tsx
+++ b/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/SystemMonitor/BtopView.tsx
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@ type Stats = {
 
 const POLL_MS = 2000;
 
-const barColor = (pct: number) => (pct >= 85 ? 'bg-destructive' : pct >= 60 ? 'bg-amber-500' : 'bg-success');
-const tempColor = (c: number) => (c >= 80 ? 'text-destructive' : c >= 65 ? 'text-amber-500' : 'text-success');
+const barColor = (pct: number) => (pct >= 85 ? 'bg-destructive' : pct >= 60 ? 'bg-busy' : 'bg-success');
+const tempColor = (c: number) => (c >= 80 ? 'text-destructive' : c >= 65 ? 'text-busy-ink' : 'text-success');
 const fmtRate = (bps: number) => `${fmtBytes(bps)}/s`;
 
 const Bar = ({ pct }: { pct: number }) => (
diff --git a/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/SystemMonitor/DockerView.tsx b/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/SystemMonitor/DockerView.tsx
index 4c93b485..45f91351 100644
--- a/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/SystemMonitor/DockerView.tsx
+++ b/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/SystemMonitor/DockerView.tsx
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { LogStream } from './LogStream';
 type Container = { id: string; name: string; image: string; state: string; status: string; ports: string };
 
 const POLL_MS = 3000;
-const stateColor = (s: string) => (s === 'running' ? 'bg-success' : s === 'exited' ? 'bg-destructive' : 'bg-amber-500');
+const stateColor = (s: string) => (s === 'running' ? 'bg-success' : s === 'exited' ? 'bg-destructive' : 'bg-busy');
 
 export const DockerView = () => {
   const { get } = useClient();
diff --git a/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/SystemMonitor/Pm2View.tsx b/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/SystemMonitor/Pm2View.tsx
index 771c1713..656132af 100644
--- a/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/SystemMonitor/Pm2View.tsx
+++ b/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/SystemMonitor/Pm2View.tsx
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ const statusColor = (s: string) =>
       ? 'bg-muted-foreground/40'
       : s === 'errored'
         ? 'bg-destructive'
-        : 'bg-amber-500';
+        : 'bg-busy';
 
 const COLS: { key: SortKey; label: string; align: 'left' | 'right' }[] = [
   { key: 'id', label: '#', align: 'right' },
diff --git a/src/workspaces/theme/css/base.css b/src/workspaces/theme/css/base.css
index 3d3fb298..cb918747 100644
--- a/src/workspaces/theme/css/base.css
+++ b/src/workspaces/theme/css/base.css
@@ -88,6 +88,15 @@
   --color-info: hsl(var(--info));
   --color-info-foreground: hsl(var(--info-foreground));
 
+  /* The sixth state, and the reason it exists: `running` is neither good news nor a warning. The chat
+     tray, the send button and the queue all wore amber for it, and the token set had nothing to offer —
+     `--status-in-progress` is blue, and `warning` would make a working job look like a failing one.
+     `-ink` is the readable-on-a-tint variant: the fill is bright enough to sit behind black text, which
+     makes it far too light to BE text. Every tone will want this eventually; busy needed it first. */
+  --color-busy: hsl(var(--busy));
+  --color-busy-foreground: hsl(var(--busy-foreground));
+  --color-busy-ink: hsl(var(--busy-ink));
+
   --color-muted: hsl(var(--muted));
   --color-muted-foreground: hsl(var(--muted-foreground));
 
diff --git a/src/workspaces/theme/css/themes/duck-dark.css b/src/workspaces/theme/css/themes/duck-dark.css
index 4a7792b0..31626edf 100644
--- a/src/workspaces/theme/css/themes/duck-dark.css
+++ b/src/workspaces/theme/css/themes/duck-dark.css
@@ -122,6 +122,11 @@
   --info: 263 90% 70%;
   --info-foreground: 0 0% 100%;
 
+  /* Busy: running, queued, in flight. See base.css. */
+  --busy: 43 96% 56%;
+  --busy-foreground: 20 14% 8%;
+  --busy-ink: 43 96% 70%;
+
   --border: 217.2 32.6% 17.5%;
   --input: 217.2 32.6% 17.5%;
   --ring: 212.7 26.8% 83.9%;
diff --git a/src/workspaces/theme/css/themes/duck-light.css b/src/workspaces/theme/css/themes/duck-light.css
index 2c7ad1fe..4577d0b1 100644
--- a/src/workspaces/theme/css/themes/duck-light.css
+++ b/src/workspaces/theme/css/themes/duck-light.css
@@ -128,6 +128,11 @@
   --info: 263 70% 50%;
   --info-foreground: 0 0% 100%;
 
+  /* Busy: running, queued, in flight. See base.css. */
+  --busy: 43 96% 50%;
+  --busy-foreground: 20 14% 8%;
+  --busy-ink: 32 81% 29%;
+
   --border: 214.3 31.8% 91.4%;
   --input: 214.3 31.8% 91.4%;
   --ring: 222.2 84% 4.9%;
diff --git a/src/workspaces/theme/css/themes/plain.css b/src/workspaces/theme/css/themes/plain.css
index fbfea95e..680ae117 100644
--- a/src/workspaces/theme/css/themes/plain.css
+++ b/src/workspaces/theme/css/themes/plain.css
@@ -126,6 +126,11 @@
   --info: 0 0% 35%;
   --info-foreground: 0 0% 100%;
 
+  /* Busy: running, queued, in flight. See base.css. */
+  --busy: 0 0% 45%;
+  --busy-foreground: 0 0% 100%;
+  --busy-ink: 0 0% 25%;
+
   --border: 0 0% 0%;
   --input: 0 0% 0%;
   --ring: 0 0% 0%;