diff --git a/desktop/src/features/agents/ui/AgentsView.tsx b/desktop/src/features/agents/ui/AgentsView.tsx
index acc07363a..c1c0bdbbe 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/agents/ui/AgentsView.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/agents/ui/AgentsView.tsx
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ export function AgentsView() {
               isActionPending={isActionPending}
               isAgentsLoading={agents.managedAgentsQuery.isLoading}
               startingAgentPubkey={agents.startingAgentPubkey}
-              startingPersonaId={agents.startingPersonaId}
+              startingPersonaIds={agents.startingPersonaIds}
               onBulkRemoveStopped={() => {
                 void agents.handleBulkRemoveStopped();
               }}
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/agents/ui/UnifiedAgentsSection.tsx b/desktop/src/features/agents/ui/UnifiedAgentsSection.tsx
index d69e793c9..2c3f4b5c4 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/agents/ui/UnifiedAgentsSection.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/agents/ui/UnifiedAgentsSection.tsx
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ type UnifiedAgentsSectionProps = {
   isActionPending: boolean;
   isAgentsLoading: boolean;
   startingAgentPubkey: string | null;
-  startingPersonaId: string | null;
+  startingPersonaIds: ReadonlySet<string>;
   onBulkRemoveStopped: () => void;
   onBulkStopRunning: () => void;
   onCreateAgent: () => void;
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ export function UnifiedAgentsSection(props: UnifiedAgentsSectionProps) {
     isActionPending,
     isAgentsLoading,
     startingAgentPubkey,
-    startingPersonaId,
+    startingPersonaIds,
     onBulkRemoveStopped,
     onBulkStopRunning,
     onCreateAgent,
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ export function UnifiedAgentsSection(props: UnifiedAgentsSectionProps) {
                   key={group.persona.id}
                   persona={group.persona}
                   startingAgentPubkey={startingAgentPubkey}
-                  startingPersonaId={startingPersonaId}
+                  startingPersonaIds={startingPersonaIds}
                   onOpenAgentProfile={onOpenAgentProfile}
                   onOpenPersonaProfile={onOpenPersonaProfile}
                   onStartAgent={onStartAgent}
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@ function AgentPersonaCard({
   agent,
   persona,
   startingAgentPubkey,
-  startingPersonaId,
+  startingPersonaIds,
   onOpenAgentProfile,
   onOpenPersonaProfile,
   onStartAgent,
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ function AgentPersonaCard({
   agent: ManagedAgent | undefined;
   persona: AgentPersona;
   startingAgentPubkey: string | null;
-  startingPersonaId: string | null;
+  startingPersonaIds: ReadonlySet<string>;
   onOpenAgentProfile: (
     pubkey: string,
     options?: ProfilePanelOpenOptions,
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ function AgentPersonaCard({
             activeTestId={`persona-runtime-active-${persona.id}`}
             avatarUrl={avatarUrl}
             isActive={false}
-            isStarting={startingPersonaId === persona.id}
+            isStarting={startingPersonaIds.has(persona.id)}
             label={title}
             startTestId={`persona-runtime-start-${persona.id}`}
             onStart={() => onStartPersona(persona)}
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/agents/ui/useManagedAgentActions.ts b/desktop/src/features/agents/ui/useManagedAgentActions.ts
index 5f6436083..fba5b7e2a 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/agents/ui/useManagedAgentActions.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/features/agents/ui/useManagedAgentActions.ts
@@ -51,6 +51,10 @@ export function useManagedAgentActions() {
     React.useState<ManagedAgent | null>(null);
   const [createdAgent, setCreatedAgent] =
     React.useState<CreateManagedAgentResponse | null>(null);
+  const [startingPersonaIds, setStartingPersonaIds] = React.useState<
+    ReadonlySet<string>
+  >(() => new Set());
+  const startingPersonaIdsRef = React.useRef(new Set<string>());
   const [logAgentPubkey, setLogAgentPubkey] = React.useState<string | null>(
     null,
   );
@@ -177,7 +181,22 @@ export function useManagedAgentActions() {
     return filterAvailableRuntimes(result.data);
   }
 
+  function setPersonaStartPending(personaId: string, pending: boolean) {
+    const next = new Set(startingPersonaIdsRef.current);
+    if (pending) {
+      next.add(personaId);
+    } else {
+      next.delete(personaId);
+    }
+    startingPersonaIdsRef.current = next;
+    setStartingPersonaIds(next);
+  }
+
   async function handleStartPersona(persona: AgentPersona) {
+    if (startingPersonaIdsRef.current.has(persona.id)) {
+      return;
+    }
+    setPersonaStartPending(persona.id, true);
     clearFeedback();
     try {
       const runtimes = await getAvailableRuntimesForStart();
@@ -238,6 +257,8 @@ export function useManagedAgentActions() {
       setActionErrorMessage(
         error instanceof Error ? error.message : "Failed to start agent.",
       );
+    } finally {
+      setPersonaStartPending(persona.id, false);
     }
   }
 
@@ -436,11 +457,6 @@ export function useManagedAgentActions() {
     startMutation.isPending && typeof startMutation.variables === "string"
       ? startMutation.variables
       : null;
-  const startingPersonaId =
-    createAgentMutation.isPending &&
-    typeof createAgentMutation.variables?.personaId === "string"
-      ? createAgentMutation.variables.personaId
-      : null;
 
   return {
     relayAgentsQuery,
@@ -465,7 +481,7 @@ export function useManagedAgentActions() {
     actionErrorMessage,
     setActionErrorMessage,
     startingAgentPubkey,
-    startingPersonaId,
+    startingPersonaIds,
     handleStart,
     handleStartPersona,
     handleStop,