diff --git a/desktop/src/components/activity/SessionActivityButton.tsx b/desktop/src/components/activity/SessionActivityButton.tsx
index 1740a81a..917ae0e0 100644
--- a/desktop/src/components/activity/SessionActivityButton.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/components/activity/SessionActivityButton.tsx
@@ -4,21 +4,17 @@ import { useActivityPanelStore } from '../../stores/activityPanelStore'
 
 type SessionActivityButtonProps = {
   sessionId: string
-  badgeCount: number
   label?: string
 }
 
 export function SessionActivityButton({
   sessionId,
-  badgeCount,
   label,
 }: SessionActivityButtonProps) {
   const t = useTranslation()
   const resolvedLabel = label ?? t('session.activity.title')
   const isOpen = useActivityPanelStore((state) => state.isOpen(sessionId))
   const toggle = useActivityPanelStore((state) => state.toggle)
-  const visibleBadgeCount = Math.max(0, badgeCount)
-
   return (
     <button
       type="button"
@@ -36,14 +32,6 @@ export function SessionActivityButton({
       }`}
     >
       <ListChecks size={17} strokeWidth={1.9} />
-      {visibleBadgeCount > 0 && (
-        <span
-          data-testid="session-activity-badge"
-          className="absolute -right-1 -top-1 inline-flex min-w-4 h-4 items-center justify-center rounded-full bg-[var(--color-error)] px-1 text-[10px] font-semibold leading-none text-white"
-        >
-          {visibleBadgeCount > 9 ? '9+' : visibleBadgeCount}
-        </span>
-      )}
     </button>
   )
 }
diff --git a/desktop/src/components/layout/TabBar.test.tsx b/desktop/src/components/layout/TabBar.test.tsx
index 10e3a2a6..99c3fde2 100644
--- a/desktop/src/components/layout/TabBar.test.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/components/layout/TabBar.test.tsx
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ describe('TabBar', () => {
     expect(screen.queryByTestId('session-activity-badge')).not.toBeInTheDocument()
   })
 
-  it('shows the activity button with a badge for running or failed activity', async () => {
+  it('shows the activity button without a numeric badge for running or failed activity', async () => {
     const { TabBar } = await import('./TabBar')
     const { useTabStore } = await import('../../stores/tabStore')
     const { useChatStore } = await import('../../stores/chatStore')
@@ -375,7 +375,7 @@ describe('TabBar', () => {
 
     const button = screen.getByRole('button', { name: /activity/i })
     expect(button).toBeInTheDocument()
-    expect(screen.getByTestId('session-activity-badge')).toHaveTextContent('2')
+    expect(screen.queryByTestId('session-activity-badge')).not.toBeInTheDocument()
     expect(useActivityPanelStore.getState().isOpen(sessionId)).toBe(false)
     expect(button).toHaveAttribute('aria-expanded', 'false')
     expect(button).toHaveAttribute('aria-pressed', 'false')
@@ -426,7 +426,7 @@ describe('TabBar', () => {
     })
 
     expect(screen.getByRole('button', { name: /activity/i })).toBeInTheDocument()
-    expect(screen.getByTestId('session-activity-badge')).toHaveTextContent('1')
+    expect(screen.queryByTestId('session-activity-badge')).not.toBeInTheDocument()
   })
 
   it('hides team-only activity when the active team belongs to another session', async () => {
@@ -469,7 +469,7 @@ describe('TabBar', () => {
     expect(screen.queryByTestId('session-activity-badge')).not.toBeInTheDocument()
   })
 
-  it('shows the activity button when team activity arrives after initial render', async () => {
+  it('shows the activity button without a badge when team activity arrives after initial render', async () => {
     const { TabBar } = await import('./TabBar')
     const { useTabStore } = await import('../../stores/tabStore')
     const { useChatStore } = await import('../../stores/chatStore')
@@ -511,7 +511,7 @@ describe('TabBar', () => {
     })
 
     expect(screen.getByRole('button', { name: /activity/i })).toBeInTheDocument()
-    expect(screen.getByTestId('session-activity-badge')).toHaveTextContent('1')
+    expect(screen.queryByTestId('session-activity-badge')).not.toBeInTheDocument()
   })
 
   it('does not show the activity button for settings tabs', async () => {
@@ -530,7 +530,7 @@ describe('TabBar', () => {
     expect(screen.queryByRole('button', { name: /activity/i })).not.toBeInTheDocument()
   })
 
-  it('includes current-session CLI tasks in the activity badge', async () => {
+  it('shows current-session CLI tasks without a numeric activity badge', async () => {
     const { TabBar } = await import('./TabBar')
     const { useTabStore } = await import('../../stores/tabStore')
     const { useChatStore } = await import('../../stores/chatStore')
@@ -580,10 +580,10 @@ describe('TabBar', () => {
       render(<TabBar />)
     })
 
-    expect(screen.getByTestId('session-activity-badge')).toHaveTextContent('2')
+    expect(screen.queryByTestId('session-activity-badge')).not.toBeInTheDocument()
   })
 
-  it('excludes dismissed failed background tasks from the activity badge while keeping running tasks', async () => {
+  it('keeps running activity available without showing a numeric badge', async () => {
     const { TabBar } = await import('./TabBar')
     const { useTabStore } = await import('../../stores/tabStore')
     const { useChatStore } = await import('../../stores/chatStore')
@@ -636,7 +636,7 @@ describe('TabBar', () => {
       render(<TabBar />)
     })
 
-    expect(screen.getByTestId('session-activity-badge')).toHaveTextContent('1')
+    expect(screen.queryByTestId('session-activity-badge')).not.toBeInTheDocument()
   })
 
   it('ignores CLI tasks from a different session in the activity badge', async () => {
diff --git a/desktop/src/components/layout/TabBar.tsx b/desktop/src/components/layout/TabBar.tsx
index 442d160d..83c10d6d 100644
--- a/desktop/src/components/layout/TabBar.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/components/layout/TabBar.tsx
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ export function TabBar() {
   }))
   const activityState = useChatStore(useShallow((state) => {
     if (!activeTabId || !isActiveSessionTab) {
-      return { badgeCount: 0, hasVisibleActivity: false }
+      return { hasVisibleActivity: false }
     }
     const sessionState = state.sessions[activeTabId]
     const includeCliTasks = cliTasksSessionId === activeTabId
@@ -138,12 +138,10 @@ export function TabBar() {
       teamMembers: activityTeamMembers,
     })
     return {
-      badgeCount: model.badgeCount,
       hasVisibleActivity: hasVisibleSessionActivity(model),
     }
   }))
   const showActivityButton = activeTabId && activityState.hasVisibleActivity
-  const activityBadgeCount = activityState.badgeCount
 
   const moveTab = useTabStore((s) => s.moveTab)
   const scrollRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null)
@@ -435,7 +433,7 @@ export function TabBar() {
 
       <div className="flex shrink-0 items-center gap-1 border-l border-[var(--color-border)]/70 px-2">
         {showActivityButton && activeTabId && (
-          <SessionActivityButton sessionId={activeTabId} badgeCount={activityBadgeCount} />
+          <SessionActivityButton sessionId={activeTabId} />
         )}
         {isDesktopRuntime && isActiveSessionTab && (
           <OpenProjectMenu path={openProjectPath} />