diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/clarify-tool.test.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/clarify-tool.test.tsx
index ecb4c6c2faaae..0b80ad68d4d54 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/clarify-tool.test.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/clarify-tool.test.tsx
@@ -297,6 +297,39 @@ describe('ClarifyTool keyboard navigation', () => {
   })
 })
 
+describe('ClarifyTool recommended option', () => {
+  it('dims the (Recommended) label and answers with the choice the backend sent', async () => {
+    const request = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({ ok: true })
+
+    $activeSessionId.set('session-1')
+    $gateway.set({ request } as never)
+    setClarifyRequest({
+      choices: ['staging (Recommended)', 'production'],
+      question: 'Which deployment target?',
+      requestId: 'request-1',
+      sessionId: 'session-1'
+    })
+    renderClarify(<ClarifyTool {...liveClarifyProps(['staging (Recommended)', 'production'])} />)
+
+    const recommended = screen.getByRole('button', { name: /staging/ })
+
+    // The label rides in its own muted span so the option text still reads first.
+    expect(recommended.querySelector('.text-\\(--ui-text-tertiary\\)')?.textContent).toBe('(Recommended)')
+
+    fireEvent.click(recommended)
+    fireEvent.keyDown(window, { key: 'Enter' })
+
+    // The decorated string goes back verbatim; the tool strips the label before
+    // the agent ever sees the answer.
+    await waitFor(() => {
+      expect(request).toHaveBeenCalledWith('clarify.respond', {
+        answer: 'staging (Recommended)',
+        request_id: 'request-1'
+      })
+    })
+  })
+})
+
 describe('ClarifyTool pending marker', () => {
   it('marks a live choices card with its row count so type-to-focus yields exactly its keys', () => {
     renderLiveClarify()
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/clarify-tool.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/clarify-tool.tsx
index 57e861042077f..f970c6d5727fb 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/clarify-tool.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/clarify-tool.tsx
@@ -25,7 +25,14 @@ import { useI18n } from '@/i18n'
 import { triggerHaptic } from '@/lib/haptics'
 import { CircleLetterA, Loader2, MessageQuestion } from '@/lib/icons'
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
-import { clearClarifyRequest, normalizeChoices, sessionClarifyRequest, warnDroppedChoices } from '@/store/clarify'
+import {
+  bareChoice,
+  clearClarifyRequest,
+  normalizeChoices,
+  RECOMMENDED_LABEL,
+  sessionClarifyRequest,
+  warnDroppedChoices
+} from '@/store/clarify'
 import { $gateway } from '@/store/gateway'
 import { notifyError } from '@/store/notifications'
 
@@ -87,6 +94,22 @@ export function readClarifyResult(result: unknown): ClarifyResult {
 
 const letterFor = (index: number): string => String.fromCharCode(65 + index)
 
+// The backend tags the agent's preferred option (`mark_recommended`); the card
+// renders the label in tertiary text so the option itself still reads first.
+function ChoiceLabel({ choice }: { choice: string }) {
+  const bare = bareChoice(choice)
+
+  if (bare === choice) {
+    return <>{choice}</>
+  }
+
+  return (
+    <>
+      {bare} <span className="text-(--ui-text-tertiary)">{RECOMMENDED_LABEL}</span>
+    </>
+  )
+}
+
 const OPTION_ROW_CLASS =
   'flex w-full items-start gap-2 rounded-[0.25rem] px-1.5 py-1 text-left disabled:cursor-not-allowed disabled:opacity-50'
 
@@ -182,7 +205,9 @@ function ChoiceButton({
         type="button"
       >
         <KeyBadge char={char} preview={active} selected={selected} />
-        <span className="flex-1 wrap-anywhere">{choice}</span>
+        <span className="flex-1 wrap-anywhere">
+          <ChoiceLabel choice={choice} />
+        </span>
       </button>
     </Tip>
   )
@@ -301,7 +326,11 @@ function ClarifyToolPending({ args }: ToolCallMessagePartProps) {
   const question = fromArgs.question || matchingRequest?.question || ''
 
   const choices = useMemo(
-    () => fromArgs.choices ?? matchingRequest?.choices ?? [],
+    // Prefer the gateway request's choices over the raw tool args: the backend
+    // labels the recommended option there (`mark_recommended`), and the card
+    // only renders once `matchingRequest` exists, so the args are a fallback
+    // for a hydration race, not the normal path.
+    () => matchingRequest?.choices ?? fromArgs.choices ?? [],
     [fromArgs.choices, matchingRequest?.choices]
   )
 
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/store/clarify.ts b/apps/desktop/src/store/clarify.ts
index 6cdc41eb44aeb..f98d6e4036861 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/store/clarify.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/store/clarify.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,17 @@ export interface ClarifyRequest {
   sessionId: string | null
 }
 
+/**
+ * The backend labels the agent's recommended option by appending this to the
+ * first choice (`tools/clarify_tool.py::mark_recommended`). The renderer never
+ * writes it — it only styles it, and discounts it when measuring a choice so a
+ * long option isn't dropped for length the label added.
+ */
+export const RECOMMENDED_LABEL = '(Recommended)'
+
+export const bareChoice = (choice: string): string =>
+  choice.endsWith(RECOMMENDED_LABEL) ? choice.slice(0, -RECOMMENDED_LABEL.length).trim() : choice
+
 /**
  * Validate and normalize a choices array.
  *
@@ -23,7 +34,8 @@ export function normalizeChoices(choices: unknown): string[] {
   }
 
   return choices.filter(
-    (c): c is string => typeof c === 'string' && c.trim().length > 0 && c.length <= 200 && !c.includes('\n')
+    (c): c is string =>
+      typeof c === 'string' && c.trim().length > 0 && bareChoice(c).length <= 200 && !c.includes('\n')
   )
 }