diff --git a/crates/loopal-protocol/src/event_summary.rs b/crates/loopal-protocol/src/event_summary.rs
index 0cf5b949..e1b14bb2 100644
--- a/crates/loopal-protocol/src/event_summary.rs
+++ b/crates/loopal-protocol/src/event_summary.rs
@@ -36,7 +36,10 @@ pub enum CompactPhase {
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 pub struct CompactionSummary {
     pub kept: usize,
-    pub removed: usize,
+    /// Message-count reduction (before − after). These were condensed into the
+    /// summary, NOT discarded — their content survives in the summary plus the
+    /// re-read (`files_rehydrated`) files.
+    pub summarized: usize,
     pub tokens_before: u32,
     pub tokens_after: u32,
     pub strategy: String,
diff --git a/crates/loopal-protocol/tests/suite/event_lifecycle_test.rs b/crates/loopal-protocol/tests/suite/event_lifecycle_test.rs
index 55deca59..7b1658b5 100644
--- a/crates/loopal-protocol/tests/suite/event_lifecycle_test.rs
+++ b/crates/loopal-protocol/tests/suite/event_lifecycle_test.rs
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ fn test_turn_completed_wire_format_unchanged() {
 fn test_compacted_wire_format_unchanged() {
     let event = AgentEvent::root(AgentEventPayload::Compacted(CompactionSummary {
         kept: 5,
-        removed: 10,
+        summarized: 10,
         tokens_before: 1000,
         tokens_after: 500,
         strategy: "smart".into(),
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ fn test_compacted_wire_format_unchanged() {
     }));
     let json = serde_json::to_string(&event).unwrap();
     assert!(
-        json.contains(r#""Compacted":{"kept":5,"removed":10"#),
+        json.contains(r#""Compacted":{"kept":5,"summarized":10"#),
         "wire shape regressed: {json}"
     );
 }
diff --git a/crates/loopal-runtime/src/agent_loop/compaction_run.rs b/crates/loopal-runtime/src/agent_loop/compaction_run.rs
index e17baa91..27502333 100644
--- a/crates/loopal-runtime/src/agent_loop/compaction_run.rs
+++ b/crates/loopal-runtime/src/agent_loop/compaction_run.rs
@@ -158,13 +158,13 @@ impl AgentLoopRunner {
         files_rehydrated: usize,
     ) -> Result<()> {
         let after = self.turns.view().len();
-        let removed = before.saturating_sub(after);
+        let summarized = before.saturating_sub(after);
         let tokens_after = self.turns.view().current_tokens();
 
         self.emit(AgentEventPayload::Compacted(
             loopal_protocol::CompactionSummary {
                 kept: after,
-                removed,
+                summarized,
                 tokens_before,
                 tokens_after,
                 strategy: strategy.to_string(),
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ impl AgentLoopRunner {
 
         info!(
             before,
-            after, removed, tokens_before, tokens_after, strategy, "compaction complete"
+            after, summarized, tokens_before, tokens_after, strategy, "compaction complete"
         );
         Ok(())
     }
diff --git a/crates/loopal-runtime/tests/agent_loop/compact_bare_summary_e2e_test.rs b/crates/loopal-runtime/tests/agent_loop/compact_bare_summary_e2e_test.rs
index 8d4a7b6c..4e3e832f 100644
--- a/crates/loopal-runtime/tests/agent_loop/compact_bare_summary_e2e_test.rs
+++ b/crates/loopal-runtime/tests/agent_loop/compact_bare_summary_e2e_test.rs
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ async fn compact_falls_back_to_bare_summary_on_llm_failure() {
             _ => None,
         })
         .expect("Compacted event must fire even on LLM failure");
-    assert!(summary.removed > 0);
+    assert!(summary.summarized > 0);
     assert!(summary.kept > 0);
 }
 
diff --git a/crates/loopal-runtime/tests/agent_loop/compact_force_e2e_test.rs b/crates/loopal-runtime/tests/agent_loop/compact_force_e2e_test.rs
index bb95ce8a..6749340d 100644
--- a/crates/loopal-runtime/tests/agent_loop/compact_force_e2e_test.rs
+++ b/crates/loopal-runtime/tests/agent_loop/compact_force_e2e_test.rs
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ async fn compact_event_payload_carries_manual_strategy_label() {
     });
     let stats = stats.expect("Compacted event must fire");
     assert!(stats.kept > 0);
-    assert!(stats.removed > 0);
+    assert!(stats.summarized > 0);
     assert!(
         stats.strategy.starts_with("manual"),
         "expected manual-* strategy, got {}",
diff --git a/crates/loopal-runtime/tests/agent_loop/compaction_run_e2e_test.rs b/crates/loopal-runtime/tests/agent_loop/compaction_run_e2e_test.rs
index 7fe8c45e..2550235c 100644
--- a/crates/loopal-runtime/tests/agent_loop/compaction_run_e2e_test.rs
+++ b/crates/loopal-runtime/tests/agent_loop/compaction_run_e2e_test.rs
@@ -138,10 +138,10 @@ async fn force_compact_emits_compacted_event_with_kept_removed_stats() {
 
     assert_eq!(summary.strategy, "manual");
     // before: 5 user messages; after: [summary, ack, last_user_trigger] = 3
-    // → removed message count = 2. Exact value catches off-by-one regression.
+    // → summarized message count = 2. Exact value catches off-by-one regression.
     assert_eq!(
-        summary.removed, 2,
-        "Compacted.removed must reflect message-count delta (5 before → 3 after)"
+        summary.summarized, 2,
+        "Compacted.summarized must reflect message-count delta (5 before → 3 after)"
     );
     assert!(
         summary.tokens_before > 0,
diff --git a/crates/loopal-tui/tests/suite/e2e_compact_banner_test.rs b/crates/loopal-tui/tests/suite/e2e_compact_banner_test.rs
index 609f3f84..55456023 100644
--- a/crates/loopal-tui/tests/suite/e2e_compact_banner_test.rs
+++ b/crates/loopal-tui/tests/suite/e2e_compact_banner_test.rs
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ fn compacted_event_clears_stale_banner_from_frame() {
     app.dispatch_event(AgentEvent::root(AgentEventPayload::Compacted(
         CompactionSummary {
             kept: 4,
-            removed: 80,
+            summarized: 80,
             tokens_before: 40_000,
             tokens_after: 4_000,
             strategy: "auto".into(),
diff --git a/crates/loopal-view-state/src/conversation/conversation_display.rs b/crates/loopal-view-state/src/conversation/conversation_display.rs
index bf3da73f..de5879d8 100644
--- a/crates/loopal-view-state/src/conversation/conversation_display.rs
+++ b/crates/loopal-view-state/src/conversation/conversation_display.rs
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ pub fn handle_auto_continuation(conv: &mut AgentConversation, cont: u32, max: u3
 pub fn handle_compaction(
     conv: &mut AgentConversation,
     kept: usize,
-    removed: usize,
+    summarized: usize,
     tokens_before: u32,
     tokens_after: u32,
     strategy: &str,
@@ -69,11 +69,12 @@ pub fn handle_compaction(
     } else {
         0
     };
+    let before = kept + summarized;
     push_system_msg(
         conv,
         &format!(
-            "Context compacted ({strategy}): {removed} messages removed, \
-             {kept} kept. {tokens_before}→{tokens_after} tokens ({pct}% freed).",
+            "Context compacted ({strategy}): {before}→{kept} messages \
+             ({summarized} summarized), {tokens_before}→{tokens_after} tokens ({pct}% freed).",
         ),
     );
     // Self-correct ctx counter from the Compacted event alone, in case the
diff --git a/crates/loopal-view-state/src/mutators/interactive.rs b/crates/loopal-view-state/src/mutators/interactive.rs
index a198c860..31277fd5 100644
--- a/crates/loopal-view-state/src/mutators/interactive.rs
+++ b/crates/loopal-view-state/src/mutators/interactive.rs
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ pub(super) fn auto_continuation(
 pub(super) fn compacted(
     state: &mut SessionViewState,
     kept: usize,
-    removed: usize,
+    summarized: usize,
     tokens_before: u32,
     tokens_after: u32,
     strategy: &str,
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ pub(super) fn compacted(
     conversation_display::handle_compaction(
         &mut state.agent.conversation,
         kept,
-        removed,
+        summarized,
         tokens_before,
         tokens_after,
         strategy,
diff --git a/crates/loopal-view-state/src/mutators/mod.rs b/crates/loopal-view-state/src/mutators/mod.rs
index db23ff96..507cbb44 100644
--- a/crates/loopal-view-state/src/mutators/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/loopal-view-state/src/mutators/mod.rs
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ pub(crate) fn mutate(state: &mut SessionViewState, event: &AgentEventPayload) ->
         Compacted(s) => interactive::compacted(
             state,
             s.kept,
-            s.removed,
+            s.summarized,
             s.tokens_before,
             s.tokens_after,
             &s.strategy,
diff --git a/crates/loopal-view-state/tests/suite/compact_banner_mutator_test.rs b/crates/loopal-view-state/tests/suite/compact_banner_mutator_test.rs
index 21665af2..4dda0cfa 100644
--- a/crates/loopal-view-state/tests/suite/compact_banner_mutator_test.rs
+++ b/crates/loopal-view-state/tests/suite/compact_banner_mutator_test.rs
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ fn compacted_event_clears_banner() {
     assert!(banner_of(&r).is_some());
     r.apply(AgentEventPayload::Compacted(CompactionSummary {
         kept: 5,
-        removed: 100,
+        summarized: 100,
         tokens_before: 50_000,
         tokens_after: 5_000,
         strategy: "smart".into(),
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ fn compacted_event_refreshes_ctx() {
     let mut r = ViewStateReducer::new("root");
     r.apply(AgentEventPayload::Compacted(CompactionSummary {
         kept: 9,
-        removed: 491,
+        summarized: 491,
         tokens_before: 259_392,
         tokens_after: 6_453,
         strategy: "manual".into(),
diff --git a/crates/loopal-view-state/tests/suite/compact_idle_e2e_test.rs b/crates/loopal-view-state/tests/suite/compact_idle_e2e_test.rs
index 7cdb6e4c..7a022ca1 100644
--- a/crates/loopal-view-state/tests/suite/compact_idle_e2e_test.rs
+++ b/crates/loopal-view-state/tests/suite/compact_idle_e2e_test.rs
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ fn manual_compact_from_idle_keeps_idle_and_refreshes_ctx() {
     r.apply(summarize("259392 tokens before"));
     r.apply(AgentEventPayload::Compacted(CompactionSummary {
         kept: 9,
-        removed: 491,
+        summarized: 491,
         tokens_before: 259_392,
         tokens_after: 6_453,
         strategy: "manual".into(),
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ fn manual_compact_idle_without_token_usage_still_consistent() {
     r.apply(summarize("259392 tokens before"));
     r.apply(AgentEventPayload::Compacted(CompactionSummary {
         kept: 9,
-        removed: 491,
+        summarized: 491,
         tokens_before: 259_392,
         tokens_after: 6_453,
         strategy: "manual".into(),