diff --git a/.beads/traces/bf-6b9f/metadata.json b/.beads/traces/bf-6b9f/metadata.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..482361c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.beads/traces/bf-6b9f/metadata.json
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+{
+  "bead_id": "bf-6b9f",
+  "agent": "echo-test",
+  "provider": null,
+  "model": null,
+  "exit_code": 0,
+  "outcome": "success",
+  "duration_ms": 0,
+  "input_tokens": null,
+  "output_tokens": null,
+  "cost_usd": null,
+  "captured_at": "2026-05-15T20:49:31.040008412Z",
+  "trace_format": "raw_text",
+  "pruned": false,
+  "template_version": null
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.beads/traces/bf-6b9f/stderr.txt b/.beads/traces/bf-6b9f/stderr.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/.beads/traces/bf-6b9f/stdout.txt b/.beads/traces/bf-6b9f/stdout.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..19f86f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.beads/traces/bf-6b9f/stdout.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+done
diff --git a/src/web/frontend/src/App.tsx b/src/web/frontend/src/App.tsx
index 0ef550e..81a9b84 100644
--- a/src/web/frontend/src/App.tsx
+++ b/src/web/frontend/src/App.tsx
@@ -258,6 +258,7 @@ const App: React.FC = () => {
   const [showGitIntegration, setShowGitIntegration] = useState(false);
   const [showNarrative, setShowNarrative] = useState(false);
   const [budgetBannerDismissed, setBudgetBannerDismissed] = useState(false);
+  const [hideTestWorkers, setHideTestWorkers] = useState(true);
 
   // Budget alert state polled from /api/cost/summary
   const [budgetSummary, setBudgetSummary] = useState<{
@@ -826,6 +827,14 @@ const App: React.FC = () => {
             <span className="narrative-toggle-icon">&#x1F4DD;</span>
             <span className="narrative-toggle-label">Narrative</span>
           </button>
+          <button
+            className={`hide-test-workers-toggle ${hideTestWorkers ? 'active' : ''}`}
+            onClick={() => setHideTestWorkers(prev => !prev)}
+            title={hideTestWorkers ? 'Test workers hidden — click to show' : 'Test workers visible — click to hide'}
+          >
+            <span className="hide-test-workers-icon">🧪</span>
+            <span className="hide-test-workers-label">{hideTestWorkers ? 'Hide Tests' : 'Show Tests'}</span>
+          </button>
           {unacknowledgedAlertCount > 0 && (
             <button
               className="collision-alert-toggle"
@@ -872,6 +881,7 @@ const App: React.FC = () => {
           pinnedWorkers={pinnedWorkers}
           onTogglePin={togglePinWorker}
           focusModeEnabled={focusModeEnabled}
+          hideTestWorkers={hideTestWorkers}
         />
 
         {showTimeline && (
diff --git a/src/web/frontend/src/components/WorkerDetail.tsx b/src/web/frontend/src/components/WorkerDetail.tsx
index 83e9cb1..c39006d 100644
--- a/src/web/frontend/src/components/WorkerDetail.tsx
+++ b/src/web/frontend/src/components/WorkerDetail.tsx
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ const NEEDLE_STATE_ICONS: Record<NeedleState, string> = {
   CLAIMING: '🎯',
   WORKING: '●',
   CLOSING: '⏹',
+  EXHAUSTED_IDLE: '💤',
   STOPPED: '○',
 };
 
@@ -19,6 +20,7 @@ const NEEDLE_STATE_COLORS: Record<NeedleState, string> = {
   CLAIMING: '#9b59b6',
   WORKING: '#5cb85c',
   CLOSING: '#f0ad4e',
+  EXHAUSTED_IDLE: '#95a5a6',
   STOPPED: '#777',
 };
 
diff --git a/src/web/frontend/src/components/WorkerGrid.tsx b/src/web/frontend/src/components/WorkerGrid.tsx
index 35646b7..d7c0b49 100644
--- a/src/web/frontend/src/components/WorkerGrid.tsx
+++ b/src/web/frontend/src/components/WorkerGrid.tsx
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ const NEEDLE_STATE_LABELS: Record<NeedleState, string> = {
   CLAIMING: 'CLAIMING',
   WORKING: 'WORKING',
   CLOSING: 'CLOSING',
+  EXHAUSTED_IDLE: 'EXHAUSTED',
   STOPPED: 'STOPPED',
 };
 
@@ -16,9 +17,41 @@ const NEEDLE_STATE_COLORS: Record<NeedleState, string> = {
   CLAIMING: '#9b59b6',
   WORKING: '#5cb85c',
   CLOSING: '#f0ad4e',
+  EXHAUSTED_IDLE: '#95a5a6',
   STOPPED: '#777',
 };
 
+// Lower number = higher priority (shown first)
+const NEEDLE_STATE_PRIORITY: Partial<Record<string, number>> = {
+  WORKING: 0,
+  CLAIMING: 1,
+  SELECTING: 2,
+  BOOTING: 3,
+  CLOSING: 4,
+  EXHAUSTED_IDLE: 5,
+  STOPPED: 6,
+};
+
+const TEST_WORKER_PATTERNS: RegExp[] = [
+  /^test-/,
+  /^claude-test-/,
+  /^nonexistent-/,
+  /^needle-test$/,
+  /^strand-runner$/,
+  /-test-worker$/,
+];
+
+function isTestWorker(id: string): boolean {
+  return TEST_WORKER_PATTERNS.some(pattern => pattern.test(id));
+}
+
+function stateSort(a: WorkerInfo, b: WorkerInfo): number {
+  const pa = a.needleState != null ? (NEEDLE_STATE_PRIORITY[a.needleState] ?? 7) : 7;
+  const pb = b.needleState != null ? (NEEDLE_STATE_PRIORITY[b.needleState] ?? 7) : 7;
+  if (pa !== pb) return pa - pb;
+  return a.id.localeCompare(b.id);
+}
+
 interface WorkerGridProps {
   workers: WorkerInfo[];
   selectedWorker: string | null;
@@ -26,6 +59,7 @@ interface WorkerGridProps {
   pinnedWorkers?: Set<string>;
   onTogglePin?: (workerId: string) => void;
   focusModeEnabled?: boolean;
+  hideTestWorkers?: boolean;
 }
 
 const WorkerGrid: React.FC<WorkerGridProps> = ({
@@ -35,6 +69,7 @@ const WorkerGrid: React.FC<WorkerGridProps> = ({
   pinnedWorkers = new Set(),
   onTogglePin,
   focusModeEnabled = false,
+  hideTestWorkers = true,
 }) => {
   const formatLastSeen = (timestamp: string) => {
     const diff = Date.now() - new Date(timestamp).getTime();
@@ -47,16 +82,20 @@ const WorkerGrid: React.FC<WorkerGridProps> = ({
   };
 
   const handlePinClick = (e: React.MouseEvent, workerId: string) => {
-    e.stopPropagation(); // Prevent card selection when clicking pin
+    e.stopPropagation();
     if (onTogglePin) {
       onTogglePin(workerId);
     }
   };
 
+  const visibleWorkers = [...workers]
+    .filter(w => !hideTestWorkers || !isTestWorker(w.id))
+    .sort(stateSort);
+
   return (
     <div className="worker-grid">
       <h2>
-        Workers ({workers.length})
+        Workers ({visibleWorkers.length})
         {focusModeEnabled && pinnedWorkers.size > 0 && (
           <span style={{ marginLeft: '0.5rem', fontSize: '0.9rem', color: '#666' }}>
             (Focus: {pinnedWorkers.size} pinned)
@@ -64,7 +103,7 @@ const WorkerGrid: React.FC<WorkerGridProps> = ({
         )}
       </h2>
 
-      {workers.length === 0 ? (
+      {visibleWorkers.length === 0 ? (
         <div className="empty-state">
           <p>{focusModeEnabled && pinnedWorkers.size === 0
             ? 'No pinned workers. Pin workers to see them in Focus Mode.'
@@ -76,7 +115,7 @@ const WorkerGrid: React.FC<WorkerGridProps> = ({
           </p>
         </div>
       ) : (
-        workers.map(worker => {
+        visibleWorkers.map(worker => {
           const isPinned = pinnedWorkers.has(worker.id);
           return (
             <div
diff --git a/src/web/frontend/src/types.ts b/src/web/frontend/src/types.ts
index e98e8f8..f9e2131 100644
--- a/src/web/frontend/src/types.ts
+++ b/src/web/frontend/src/types.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ export type NeedleState =
   | 'CLAIMING'
   | 'WORKING'
   | 'CLOSING'
+  | 'EXHAUSTED_IDLE'
   | 'STOPPED';
 
 export interface LogEvent {
diff --git a/src/web/frontend/test/WorkerGrid.test.tsx b/src/web/frontend/test/WorkerGrid.test.tsx
index 6153cf1..33b59aa 100644
--- a/src/web/frontend/test/WorkerGrid.test.tsx
+++ b/src/web/frontend/test/WorkerGrid.test.tsx
@@ -520,4 +520,110 @@ describe('WorkerGrid', () => {
       expect(indicator).toHaveAttribute('title', 'File collision detected!');
     });
   });
+
+  describe('test worker filtering', () => {
+    const testWorkerIds = [
+      'test-worker',
+      'test-alpha',
+      'claude-test-worker',
+      'claude-test-foo',
+      'nonexistent-worker',
+      'nonexistent-abc',
+      'needle-test',
+      'strand-runner',
+      'claude-interactive-charlie-test-worker',
+    ];
+
+    it.each(testWorkerIds)('should hide test worker "%s" by default', (id) => {
+      const workers = [createMockWorker({ id })];
+      render(
+        <WorkerGrid workers={workers} selectedWorker={null} onSelectWorker={mockOnSelectWorker} />
+      );
+      expect(screen.queryByText(id)).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+    });
+
+    it.each(testWorkerIds)('should show test worker "%s" when hideTestWorkers=false', (id) => {
+      const workers = [createMockWorker({ id })];
+      render(
+        <WorkerGrid
+          workers={workers}
+          selectedWorker={null}
+          onSelectWorker={mockOnSelectWorker}
+          hideTestWorkers={false}
+        />
+      );
+      expect(screen.getByText(id)).toBeInTheDocument();
+    });
+
+    it('should show non-test workers by default', () => {
+      const workers = [createMockWorker({ id: 'claude-interactive-alpha' })];
+      render(
+        <WorkerGrid workers={workers} selectedWorker={null} onSelectWorker={mockOnSelectWorker} />
+      );
+      expect(screen.getByText('claude-interactive-alpha')).toBeInTheDocument();
+    });
+
+    it('should reflect filtered count in header', () => {
+      const workers = [
+        createMockWorker({ id: 'worker-real' }),
+        createMockWorker({ id: 'test-hidden' }),
+      ];
+      render(
+        <WorkerGrid workers={workers} selectedWorker={null} onSelectWorker={mockOnSelectWorker} />
+      );
+      expect(screen.getByText('Workers (1)')).toBeInTheDocument();
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('worker sort order by needle state', () => {
+    it('should sort WORKING before STOPPED', () => {
+      const workers = [
+        createMockWorker({ id: 'stopped-worker', needleState: 'STOPPED' }),
+        createMockWorker({ id: 'working-worker', needleState: 'WORKING' }),
+      ];
+      const { container } = render(
+        <WorkerGrid workers={workers} selectedWorker={null} onSelectWorker={mockOnSelectWorker} />
+      );
+      const cards = container.querySelectorAll('.worker-id');
+      expect(cards[0].textContent).toContain('working-worker');
+      expect(cards[1].textContent).toContain('stopped-worker');
+    });
+
+    it('should sort WORKING > CLAIMING > SELECTING > BOOTING > CLOSING > STOPPED', () => {
+      const workers = [
+        createMockWorker({ id: 'w-stopped', needleState: 'STOPPED' }),
+        createMockWorker({ id: 'w-booting', needleState: 'BOOTING' }),
+        createMockWorker({ id: 'w-claiming', needleState: 'CLAIMING' }),
+        createMockWorker({ id: 'w-selecting', needleState: 'SELECTING' }),
+        createMockWorker({ id: 'w-closing', needleState: 'CLOSING' }),
+        createMockWorker({ id: 'w-working', needleState: 'WORKING' }),
+      ];
+      const { container } = render(
+        <WorkerGrid workers={workers} selectedWorker={null} onSelectWorker={mockOnSelectWorker} />
+      );
+      const cards = container.querySelectorAll('.worker-id');
+      const order = Array.from(cards).map(c => c.textContent?.trim());
+      expect(order).toEqual([
+        'w-working',
+        'w-claiming',
+        'w-selecting',
+        'w-booting',
+        'w-closing',
+        'w-stopped',
+      ]);
+    });
+
+    it('should sort workers without needle state after workers with states', () => {
+      const workers = [
+        createMockWorker({ id: 'no-state' }),
+        createMockWorker({ id: 'w-working', needleState: 'WORKING' }),
+      ];
+      const { container } = render(
+        <WorkerGrid workers={workers} selectedWorker={null} onSelectWorker={mockOnSelectWorker} />
+      );
+      const cards = container.querySelectorAll('.worker-id');
+      expect(cards[0].textContent).toContain('w-working');
+      expect(cards[1].textContent).toContain('no-state');
+    });
+  });
 });