diff --git a/packages/cli/__tests__/commands/status.test.ts b/packages/cli/__tests__/commands/status.test.ts
index 2ee8d822a..4c2dc6dbb 100644
--- a/packages/cli/__tests__/commands/status.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/__tests__/commands/status.test.ts
@@ -405,4 +405,119 @@ describe("status command", () => {
     expect(parsed[0].reviewDecision).toBe("pending");
     expect(parsed[0].pendingThreads).toBe(0);
   });
+
+  it("falls back to PR number from metadata URL when SCM fails", async () => {
+    const sessionDir = join(tmpDir, "my-app-sessions");
+    mkdirSync(sessionDir, { recursive: true });
+    writeFileSync(
+      join(sessionDir, "app-1"),
+      "worktree=/tmp/wt\nbranch=feat/pr-meta\nstatus=working\npr=https://github.com/org/repo/pull/99\n",
+    );
+
+    mockTmux.mockImplementation(async (...args: string[]) => {
+      if (args[0] === "list-sessions") return "app-1";
+      if (args[0] === "display-message") return null;
+      return null;
+    });
+    mockGit.mockResolvedValue("feat/pr-meta");
+
+    // SCM detectPR fails
+    mockDetectPR.mockRejectedValue(new Error("gh failed"));
+
+    await program.parseAsync(["node", "test", "status"]);
+
+    const output = consoleSpy.mock.calls.map((c) => c[0]).join("\n");
+    expect(output).toContain("#99");
+  });
+
+  it("shows null pendingThreads when getPendingComments fails", async () => {
+    const sessionDir = join(tmpDir, "my-app-sessions");
+    mkdirSync(sessionDir, { recursive: true });
+    writeFileSync(
+      join(sessionDir, "app-1"),
+      "worktree=/tmp/wt\nbranch=feat/thr-err\nstatus=working\n",
+    );
+
+    mockTmux.mockImplementation(async (...args: string[]) => {
+      if (args[0] === "list-sessions") return "app-1";
+      if (args[0] === "display-message") return String(Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000));
+      return null;
+    });
+    mockGit.mockResolvedValue("feat/thr-err");
+
+    mockDetectPR.mockResolvedValue({
+      number: 5,
+      url: "https://github.com/org/repo/pull/5",
+      title: "Thread err PR",
+      owner: "org",
+      repo: "repo",
+      branch: "feat/thr-err",
+      baseBranch: "main",
+      isDraft: false,
+    });
+    mockGetCISummary.mockResolvedValue("passing");
+    mockGetReviewDecision.mockResolvedValue("none");
+    // getPendingComments rejects — should result in null, not 0
+    mockGetPendingComments.mockRejectedValue(new Error("graphql failed"));
+
+    await program.parseAsync(["node", "test", "status", "--json"]);
+
+    const jsonCalls = consoleSpy.mock.calls.map((c) => c[0]).join("");
+    const parsed = JSON.parse(jsonCalls);
+    expect(parsed[0].pendingThreads).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it("falls back to metadata status for activity when introspection unavailable", async () => {
+    const sessionDir = join(tmpDir, "my-app-sessions");
+    mkdirSync(sessionDir, { recursive: true });
+    writeFileSync(
+      join(sessionDir, "app-1"),
+      "worktree=/tmp/wt\nbranch=feat/meta-act\nstatus=working\n",
+    );
+
+    mockTmux.mockImplementation(async (...args: string[]) => {
+      if (args[0] === "list-sessions") return "app-1";
+      if (args[0] === "display-message") return String(Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000));
+      return null;
+    });
+    mockGit.mockResolvedValue("feat/meta-act");
+
+    // Introspection returns null (no session info)
+    mockIntrospect.mockResolvedValue(null);
+
+    await program.parseAsync(["node", "test", "status", "--json"]);
+
+    const jsonCalls = consoleSpy.mock.calls.map((c) => c[0]).join("");
+    const parsed = JSON.parse(jsonCalls);
+    // status=working should fall back to activity=active
+    expect(parsed[0].activity).toBe("active");
+  });
+
+  it("treats assistant lastMessageType as idle, not active", async () => {
+    const sessionDir = join(tmpDir, "my-app-sessions");
+    mkdirSync(sessionDir, { recursive: true });
+    writeFileSync(
+      join(sessionDir, "app-1"),
+      "worktree=/tmp/wt\nbranch=feat/asst\nstatus=working\n",
+    );
+
+    mockTmux.mockImplementation(async (...args: string[]) => {
+      if (args[0] === "list-sessions") return "app-1";
+      if (args[0] === "display-message") return String(Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000));
+      return null;
+    });
+    mockGit.mockResolvedValue("feat/asst");
+
+    mockIntrospect.mockResolvedValue({
+      summary: "Working on feature",
+      agentSessionId: "abc",
+      lastMessageType: "assistant",
+    });
+
+    await program.parseAsync(["node", "test", "status", "--json"]);
+
+    const jsonCalls = consoleSpy.mock.calls.map((c) => c[0]).join("");
+    const parsed = JSON.parse(jsonCalls);
+    expect(parsed[0].activity).toBe("idle");
+  });
 });
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/status.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/status.ts
index 08fe41fac..10b313675 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/status.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/status.ts
@@ -112,21 +112,41 @@ async function gatherSessionInfo(
     claudeSummary = introspection?.summary ?? null;
 
     // Detect activity from agent's last message type
-    if (introspection?.lastMessageType === "summary") {
+    const msgType = introspection?.lastMessageType;
+    if (msgType === "summary" || msgType === "assistant" || msgType === "result") {
       activity = "idle";
-    } else if (introspection?.lastMessageType) {
+    } else if (msgType === "tool_use" || msgType === "user") {
       activity = "active";
     }
   } catch {
     // Introspection failed — not critical
   }
 
+  // Fall back to metadata status for activity when introspection is unavailable
+  if (activity === null && status) {
+    const statusToActivity: Record<string, ActivityState> = {
+      working: "active",
+      idle: "idle",
+      stuck: "blocked",
+      errored: "blocked",
+    };
+    activity = statusToActivity[status] ?? null;
+  }
+
   // Fetch PR, CI, and review data from SCM
   let prNumber: number | null = null;
   let ciStatus: CIStatus | null = null;
   let reviewDecision: ReviewDecision | null = null;
   let pendingThreads: number | null = null;
 
+  // Extract PR number from metadata URL as fallback
+  if (prUrl) {
+    const prMatch = /\/pull\/(\d+)/.exec(prUrl);
+    if (prMatch) {
+      prNumber = parseInt(prMatch[1], 10);
+    }
+  }
+
   if (branch) {
     try {
       const session = buildSessionForIntrospect(sessionName, worktree, branch);
@@ -138,12 +158,12 @@ async function gatherSessionInfo(
         const [ci, review, threads] = await Promise.all([
           scm.getCISummary(prInfo).catch(() => null),
           scm.getReviewDecision(prInfo).catch(() => null),
-          scm.getPendingComments(prInfo).catch(() => []),
+          scm.getPendingComments(prInfo).catch(() => null),
         ]);
 
         ciStatus = ci;
         reviewDecision = review;
-        pendingThreads = threads ? threads.length : null;
+        pendingThreads = threads !== null ? threads.length : null;
       }
     } catch {
       // SCM lookup failed — not critical, we still show what we have