diff --git a/apps/rowboat/app/projects/[projectId]/copilot/app.tsx b/apps/rowboat/app/projects/[projectId]/copilot/app.tsx
index 8461787d..770b996f 100644
--- a/apps/rowboat/app/projects/[projectId]/copilot/app.tsx
+++ b/apps/rowboat/app/projects/[projectId]/copilot/app.tsx
@@ -184,6 +184,22 @@ const App = forwardRef<{ handleCopyChat: () => void; handleUserMessage: (message
         handleUserMessage
     }), [handleCopyChat, handleUserMessage]);
 
+    // Memoized status bar change handler to prevent infinite update loop
+    const handleStatusBarChange = useCallback((status: any) => {
+        setStatusBar((prev: any) => {
+            // Shallow compare previous and next status
+            const next = { ...status, context: lockedContext };
+            const keys = Object.keys(next);
+            if (
+                prev &&
+                keys.every(key => prev[key] === next[key])
+            ) {
+                return prev;
+            }
+            return next;
+        });
+    }, [lockedContext]);
+
     return (
         <CopilotContext.Provider value={{ workflow: workflowRef.current, dispatch }}>
             <div className="h-full flex flex-col">
@@ -194,10 +210,7 @@ const App = forwardRef<{ handleCopyChat: () => void; handleUserMessage: (message
                         loadingResponse={loadingResponse}
                         workflow={workflowRef.current}
                         dispatch={dispatch}
-                        onStatusBarChange={status => setStatusBar({
-                            ...status,
-                            context: lockedContext,
-                        })}
+                        onStatusBarChange={handleStatusBarChange}
                     />
                 </div>
                 <div className="shrink-0 px-1 pb-6">
diff --git a/apps/rowboat/app/projects/[projectId]/copilot/components/messages.tsx b/apps/rowboat/app/projects/[projectId]/copilot/components/messages.tsx
index 68520471..04c22999 100644
--- a/apps/rowboat/app/projects/[projectId]/copilot/components/messages.tsx
+++ b/apps/rowboat/app/projects/[projectId]/copilot/components/messages.tsx
@@ -413,9 +413,14 @@ function AssistantMessage({
     const [panelOpen, setPanelOpen] = useState(false); // collapsed by default
 
     // At the end of the render, call onStatusBarChange with the current status bar props
+    // Track the latest status bar info
+    const latestStatusBar = useRef<any>(null);
+
+    // Only call onStatusBarChange if the serializable status actually changes
+    const lastStatusRef = useRef<any>(null);
     useEffect(() => {
         if (onStatusBarChange) {
-            onStatusBarChange({
+            const status = {
                 allCardsLoaded,
                 allApplied,
                 appliedCount,
@@ -423,10 +428,18 @@ function AssistantMessage({
                 streamingLine,
                 completedSummary,
                 hasPanelWarning,
-                handleApplyAll,
-            });
+                // Exclude handleApplyAll from comparison
+            };
+            if (!lastStatusRef.current || JSON.stringify(lastStatusRef.current) !== JSON.stringify(status)) {
+                lastStatusRef.current = status;
+                onStatusBarChange({
+                    ...status,
+                    handleApplyAll, // pass the function, but don't compare it
+                });
+            }
         }
-    }, [allCardsLoaded, allApplied, appliedCount, pendingCount, streamingLine, completedSummary, hasPanelWarning, handleApplyAll, onStatusBarChange]);
+        // Only depend on the serializable values, not the function
+    }, [allCardsLoaded, allApplied, appliedCount, pendingCount, streamingLine, completedSummary, hasPanelWarning, onStatusBarChange, handleApplyAll]);
 
     // Render all cards inline, not in a panel
     return (