diff --git a/apps/code/src/renderer/features/inbox/components/InboxSignalsTab.tsx b/apps/code/src/renderer/features/inbox/components/InboxSignalsTab.tsx
index 955db61c9d..b0e2633d39 100644
--- a/apps/code/src/renderer/features/inbox/components/InboxSignalsTab.tsx
+++ b/apps/code/src/renderer/features/inbox/components/InboxSignalsTab.tsx
@@ -757,7 +757,6 @@ export function InboxSignalsTab() {
                     isSearchActive={!!searchQuery.trim()}
                     livePolling={inboxPollingActive}
                     isFetching={isFetching}
-                    readyCount={readyCount}
                     processingCount={processingCount}
                     pipelinePausedUntil={signalProcessingState?.paused_until}
                     reports={reports}
diff --git a/apps/code/src/renderer/features/inbox/components/list/SignalsToolbar.tsx b/apps/code/src/renderer/features/inbox/components/list/SignalsToolbar.tsx
index ad66c46a23..4b45b8cc98 100644
--- a/apps/code/src/renderer/features/inbox/components/list/SignalsToolbar.tsx
+++ b/apps/code/src/renderer/features/inbox/components/list/SignalsToolbar.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { Button, type ButtonProps } from "@components/ui/Button";
 import { Tooltip as ActionTooltip } from "@components/ui/Tooltip";
 import { useInboxBulkActions } from "@features/inbox/hooks/useInboxBulkActions";
+import { useUpForReviewCount } from "@features/inbox/hooks/useInboxReports";
 import { useInboxSignalsFilterStore } from "@features/inbox/stores/inboxSignalsFilterStore";
 import { INBOX_REFETCH_INTERVAL_MS } from "@features/inbox/utils/inboxConstants";
 import {
@@ -42,7 +43,6 @@ interface SignalsToolbarProps {
   isSearchActive: boolean;
   livePolling?: boolean;
   isFetching?: boolean;
-  readyCount?: number;
   processingCount?: number;
   pipelinePausedUntil?: string | null;
   searchDisabledReason?: string | null;
@@ -103,6 +103,12 @@ function formatPauseRemaining(pausedUntil: string): string {
 
 const inboxLivePollingTooltip = `Inbox is focused – syncing reports every ${Math.round(INBOX_REFETCH_INTERVAL_MS / 1000)}s…`;
 
+const UP_FOR_REVIEW_TOOLTIP =
+  "Reports assigned to you that are ready and immediately actionable.";
+
+const INBOX_TOTAL_TOOLTIP =
+  "All reports currently in your inbox view, after any search, status, source, or reviewer filters you have applied.";
+
 function bulkMenuItemTooltip(
   explanationWhenEnabled: string,
   headlineWhenDisabled: string,
@@ -255,7 +261,6 @@ export function SignalsToolbar({
   isSearchActive,
   livePolling = false,
   isFetching = false,
-  readyCount,
   processingCount = 0,
   pipelinePausedUntil,
   searchDisabledReason,
@@ -268,6 +273,15 @@ export function SignalsToolbar({
   isDismissMutationPending = false,
   onReportAction,
 }: SignalsToolbarProps) {
+  // Shared with the sidebar badge: both call this hook with matching params
+  // and React Query dedupes the underlying fetch, so the two numbers cannot
+  // disagree even when the user has applied filters that hide some reports
+  // from the list below.
+  const upForReviewCount = useUpForReviewCount({
+    refetchInterval: livePolling ? INBOX_REFETCH_INTERVAL_MS : false,
+    refetchIntervalInBackground: false,
+    staleTime: livePolling ? INBOX_REFETCH_INTERVAL_MS : 15_000,
+  });
   const searchQuery = useInboxSignalsFilterStore((s) => s.searchQuery);
   const setSearchQuery = useInboxSignalsFilterStore((s) => s.setSearchQuery);
   const [showSnoozeConfirm, setShowSnoozeConfirm] = useState(false);
@@ -291,21 +305,27 @@ export function SignalsToolbar({
     reingestSelected,
   } = useInboxBulkActions(reports, effectiveBulkIds);
 
-  const countLabel = isSearchActive
-    ? `${filteredCount} of ${totalCount}`
-    : `${totalCount}`;
-
-  const pipelineHintParts = [
-    readyCount != null && processingCount > 0
-      ? `${readyCount} up for review • ${processingCount} in research pipeline`
-      : null,
-    pipelinePausedUntil
-      ? `Pipeline paused · resumes in ${formatPauseRemaining(pipelinePausedUntil)}`
-      : null,
-  ].filter(Boolean);
-
-  const pipelineHint =
-    pipelineHintParts.length > 0 ? pipelineHintParts.join(" · ") : null;
+  // Sub-line: how many reports the user is browsing right now (search-filtered
+  // count when searching, raw inbox total otherwise) plus pipeline status. The
+  // headline above is the narrower "needs your action" count; this line is the
+  // wider "everything in your inbox" context.
+  const inboxSubParts: string[] = [];
+  if (isSearchActive) {
+    inboxSubParts.push(`${filteredCount} of ${totalCount} match search`);
+  } else {
+    inboxSubParts.push(
+      `${totalCount} ${totalCount === 1 ? "report" : "reports"} in inbox`,
+    );
+    if (processingCount > 0) {
+      inboxSubParts.push(`${processingCount} still processing`);
+    }
+  }
+  if (pipelinePausedUntil) {
+    inboxSubParts.push(
+      `Pipeline paused · resumes in ${formatPauseRemaining(pipelinePausedUntil)}`,
+    );
+  }
+  const inboxSubLine = inboxSubParts.join(" · ");
 
   const multiSelectBulkActions = selectedCount > 1;
 
@@ -469,9 +489,11 @@ export function SignalsToolbar({
         <Flex align="center" justify="between" gap="2">
           <Flex direction="column" gap="0" className="min-w-0">
             <Flex align="center" gap="2">
-              <Text color="gray" className="shrink-0 text-[12px]">
-                Reports ({countLabel})
-              </Text>
+              <Tooltip content={UP_FOR_REVIEW_TOOLTIP}>
+                <Text color="gray" className="shrink-0 cursor-help text-[12px]">
+                  Up for review ({upForReviewCount})
+                </Text>
+              </Tooltip>
               {livePolling ? (
                 <Tooltip content={inboxLivePollingTooltip}>
                   <span
@@ -492,11 +514,11 @@ export function SignalsToolbar({
                 </Tooltip>
               ) : null}
             </Flex>
-            {pipelineHint && !isSearchActive ? (
-              <Text color="gray" className="text-[11px] opacity-80">
-                {pipelineHint}
+            <Tooltip content={INBOX_TOTAL_TOOLTIP}>
+              <Text color="gray" className="cursor-help text-[11px] opacity-80">
+                {inboxSubLine}
               </Text>
-            ) : null}
+            </Tooltip>
           </Flex>
           {onConfigureSources ? (
             <button
diff --git a/apps/code/src/renderer/features/inbox/hooks/useInboxReports.ts b/apps/code/src/renderer/features/inbox/hooks/useInboxReports.ts
index 8ba010385c..5c890e0160 100644
--- a/apps/code/src/renderer/features/inbox/hooks/useInboxReports.ts
+++ b/apps/code/src/renderer/features/inbox/hooks/useInboxReports.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ import {
   useAuthStateValue,
 } from "@features/auth/hooks/authQueries";
 import { useInboxAvailableSuggestedReviewersStore } from "@features/inbox/stores/inboxAvailableSuggestedReviewersStore";
+import { isReportUpForReview } from "@features/inbox/utils/filterReports";
+import { INBOX_PIPELINE_STATUS_FILTER } from "@features/inbox/utils/inboxConstants";
 import { useAuthenticatedInfiniteQuery } from "@hooks/useAuthenticatedInfiniteQuery";
 import { useAuthenticatedQuery } from "@hooks/useAuthenticatedQuery";
 import type {
@@ -99,6 +101,28 @@ export function useInboxReportsInfinite(
   return { ...query, allReports, totalCount };
 }
 
+/**
+ * Count of reports the current user needs to action right now: assigned to
+ * them, status `ready`, and `immediately_actionable`. Drives both the sidebar
+ * Inbox badge and the inbox toolbar headline so the two numbers always agree
+ * (React Query dedupes the underlying fetch by query key).
+ */
+export function useUpForReviewCount(options?: {
+  enabled?: boolean;
+  refetchInterval?: number | false | (() => number | false | undefined);
+  refetchIntervalInBackground?: boolean;
+  staleTime?: number;
+}): number {
+  const { data } = useInboxReports(
+    { status: INBOX_PIPELINE_STATUS_FILTER },
+    options,
+  );
+  return useMemo(
+    () => (data?.results ?? []).filter(isReportUpForReview).length,
+    [data?.results],
+  );
+}
+
 export function useInboxAvailableSuggestedReviewers(options?: {
   enabled?: boolean;
   staleTime?: number;
diff --git a/apps/code/src/renderer/features/sidebar/components/SidebarMenu.tsx b/apps/code/src/renderer/features/sidebar/components/SidebarMenu.tsx
index 7ef074b320..10aa27e642 100644
--- a/apps/code/src/renderer/features/sidebar/components/SidebarMenu.tsx
+++ b/apps/code/src/renderer/features/sidebar/components/SidebarMenu.tsx
@@ -1,11 +1,7 @@
 import { DotsCircleSpinner } from "@components/DotsCircleSpinner";
 import { useCommandCenterStore } from "@features/command-center/stores/commandCenterStore";
-import { useInboxReports } from "@features/inbox/hooks/useInboxReports";
-import { isReportUpForReview } from "@features/inbox/utils/filterReports";
-import {
-  INBOX_PIPELINE_STATUS_FILTER,
-  INBOX_REFETCH_INTERVAL_MS,
-} from "@features/inbox/utils/inboxConstants";
+import { useUpForReviewCount } from "@features/inbox/hooks/useInboxReports";
+import { INBOX_REFETCH_INTERVAL_MS } from "@features/inbox/utils/inboxConstants";
 import { getSessionService } from "@features/sessions/service/service";
 import {
   archiveTasksImperative,
@@ -68,16 +64,11 @@ function SidebarMenuComponent() {
     activeView: view,
   });
   const inboxPollingActive = useRendererWindowFocusStore((s) => s.focused);
-  const { data: inboxProbe } = useInboxReports(
-    { status: INBOX_PIPELINE_STATUS_FILTER },
-    {
-      refetchInterval: inboxPollingActive ? INBOX_REFETCH_INTERVAL_MS : false,
-      refetchIntervalInBackground: false,
-      staleTime: inboxPollingActive ? INBOX_REFETCH_INTERVAL_MS : 15_000,
-    },
-  );
-  const inboxResults = inboxProbe?.results ?? [];
-  const inboxSignalCount = inboxResults.filter(isReportUpForReview).length;
+  const inboxSignalCount = useUpForReviewCount({
+    refetchInterval: inboxPollingActive ? INBOX_REFETCH_INTERVAL_MS : false,
+    refetchIntervalInBackground: false,
+    staleTime: inboxPollingActive ? INBOX_REFETCH_INTERVAL_MS : 15_000,
+  });
 
   const taskMap = new Map<string, Task>();
   for (const task of allTasks) {