diff --git a/packages/client/runtime/src/client/sessions/session.ts b/packages/client/runtime/src/client/sessions/session.ts
index 146612e70f..643cf5ac64 100644
--- a/packages/client/runtime/src/client/sessions/session.ts
+++ b/packages/client/runtime/src/client/sessions/session.ts
@@ -661,8 +661,10 @@ export class Session implements ObservableSnapshot<ConversationSnapshot> {
         kind: 'tool-result', seq: event.seq, time: event.time,
         callId: data.subCallId,
         call: { name: data.name, argsRaw: JSON.stringify(data.arguments) },
-        // Duration source: the paired start's time when observed.
-        callTime: started === undefined ? event.time : started.time,
+        // Duration source: the paired start's time when observed; null =
+        // unknown (settle-only window), matching the native tool-result
+        // contract so views never present a fabricated zero duration.
+        callTime: started === undefined ? null : started.time,
         content: data.content, isError: data.isError,
         callView: null, resultView: null,
       }
diff --git a/packages/client/runtime/tests/session.spec.ts b/packages/client/runtime/tests/session.spec.ts
index 21c3e47fb8..43745a8324 100644
--- a/packages/client/runtime/tests/session.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/client/runtime/tests/session.spec.ts
@@ -688,6 +688,9 @@ describe('run_code sub-dispatch indexing', () => {
       isError: false, content: [{ type: 'text', text: 'demo.txt' }],
     })
     expect(subs?.[1]).toMatchObject({ callId: 'p1:code:2', isError: true })
+    // No paired start in the window: duration is UNKNOWN (null), never a
+    // fabricated zero-duration span.
+    expect(subs?.[0]).toMatchObject({ callTime: null })
     // Sub-dispatches never join the surface flow.
     expect(session.getSnapshot().nodes.some(n => n.kind === 'tool-result' && n.callId.includes(':code:'))).toBe(false)
   })