diff --git a/static/messages.js b/static/messages.js
index 02f23666..f0ec6b0d 100644
--- a/static/messages.js
+++ b/static/messages.js
@@ -2547,6 +2547,7 @@ function attachLiveStream(activeSid, streamId, uploaded=[], options={}){
   let _streamFadeVisibleWords=0;
   let _streamFadeHoldUntilMs=0;
   let _streamFadeCurrentMs=200;
+  let _streamFadeDomText='';
   let _streamFadeReduceMotionMql=null;
   let _streamFadeReduceMotion=false;
   let _streamFadeReduceMotionOnChange=null;
@@ -4091,6 +4092,7 @@ function attachLiveStream(activeSid, streamId, uploaded=[], options={}){
     _streamFadeVisibleWords=0;
     _streamFadeHoldUntilMs=0;
     _streamFadeCurrentMs=_STREAM_FADE_MS;
+    _streamFadeDomText='';
   }
   function _cancelAnimationFramePendingStreamRender(){
     if(_pendingRafHandle===null) return;
@@ -4230,6 +4232,43 @@ function attachLiveStream(activeSid, streamId, uploaded=[], options={}){
     const m=String(text||'').match(/\S+/g);
     return m?m.length:0;
   }
+  function _streamFadeAppendText(el, text){
+    if(!el) return;
+    const value=String(text||'');
+    if(!value) return;
+    const reduceMotion=_streamFadeReduceMotionEnabled();
+    const frag=document.createDocumentFragment();
+    const wordRe=/(\S+)(\s*)/g;
+    const appendStartedAt=performance.now();
+    let last=0, match, changed=false;
+    _streamFadeAppendOffset=0;
+    while((match=wordRe.exec(value))){
+      if(match.index>last) frag.appendChild(document.createTextNode(value.slice(last,match.index)));
+      if(reduceMotion){
+        frag.appendChild(document.createTextNode(match[1]));
+      }else{
+        const span=document.createElement('span');
+        span.className='stream-fade-word is-new';
+        const fadeMs=_streamFadeCurrentMs||_STREAM_FADE_MS;
+        const delayMs=_streamFadeAppendOffset*_STREAM_FADE_STAGGER_MS;
+        span.style.animationDelay=delayMs+'ms';
+        if(fadeMs!==_STREAM_FADE_MS) span.style.setProperty('--stream-fade-ms',fadeMs+'ms');
+        span.textContent=match[1];
+        frag.appendChild(span);
+        _streamFadeAppendOffset+=1;
+        _streamFadeLatestAnimationEndAt=Math.max(_streamFadeLatestAnimationEndAt,appendStartedAt+delayMs+fadeMs);
+      }
+      if(match[2]) frag.appendChild(document.createTextNode(match[2]));
+      last=match.index+match[0].length;
+      changed=true;
+    }
+    if(!changed){
+      frag.appendChild(document.createTextNode(value));
+    }else if(last<value.length){
+      frag.appendChild(document.createTextNode(value.slice(last)));
+    }
+    el.appendChild(frag);
+  }
   function _streamFadePauseAfter(text, paragraphBreakIndex){
     if(paragraphBreakIndex>=0) return 90;
     const trimmed=String(text||'').trimEnd();
@@ -4333,17 +4372,23 @@ function attachLiveStream(activeSid, streamId, uploaded=[], options={}){
     const next=_streamFadeNextText(displayText);
     if(!next.changed) return next.caughtUp;
     assistantBody.classList.add('stream-fade-active');
-    if(!_smdParser&&window.smd){
-      if(_smdReconnect){assistantBody.innerHTML='';_smdReconnect=false;}
-      _smdNewParser(assistantBody,true);
-    }
+    _streamFadeBindCleanup(assistantBody);
     if(_smdParser){
-      _streamFadeAppendOffset=0;
-      _smdWrite(next.text,true);
-    }else{
-      assistantBody.innerHTML=renderMd ? renderMd(next.text||'') : esc(next.text||'');
-      _sanitizeSmdLinks(assistantBody);
+      _smdEndParser();
+      assistantBody.textContent='';
+      _streamFadeDomText='';
     }
+    _smdReconnect=false;
+    if(!_streamFadeDomText&&assistantBody.textContent){
+      assistantBody.textContent='';
+    }
+    if(!String(next.text||'').startsWith(_streamFadeDomText)){
+      assistantBody.textContent='';
+      _streamFadeDomText='';
+    }
+    const delta=String(next.text||'').slice(_streamFadeDomText.length);
+    _streamFadeAppendText(assistantBody,delta);
+    _streamFadeDomText=String(next.text||'');
     return next.caughtUp;
   }
   function _streamFadeCurrentDisplayText(){
diff --git a/tests/test_smooth_text_fade.py b/tests/test_smooth_text_fade.py
index 3e837cac..f203fe58 100644
--- a/tests/test_smooth_text_fade.py
+++ b/tests/test_smooth_text_fade.py
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ let _streamFadeAppendOffset=0;
 let _streamFadeVisibleWords=0;
 let _streamFadeHoldUntilMs=0;
 let _streamFadeCurrentMs=200;
+let _streamFadeDomText='';
 const _STREAM_FADE_MS=200;
 const _STREAM_FADE_MAX_MS=350;
 const _STREAM_FADE_STAGGER_MS=16;
@@ -166,12 +167,24 @@ def test_stream_fade_uses_incremental_renderer_without_changing_default_path():
         [
             "_streamFadeNextText(displayText)",
             "if(!next.changed) return next.caughtUp",
-            "_smdNewParser(assistantBody,true)",
-            "_smdWrite(next.text,true)",
+            "_streamFadeBindCleanup(assistantBody)",
+            "_streamFadeAppendText(assistantBody,delta)",
+            "_streamFadeDomText=String(next.text||'')",
             "stream-fade-active",
         ],
     )
-    assert "renderMd ? renderMd(next.text||'')" in render_block
+    assert "_smdWrite(next.text,true)" not in render_block
+    assert "innerHTML" not in render_block
+    append_block = function_block(MESSAGES_JS, "_streamFadeAppendText")
+    assert_contains_all(
+        append_block,
+        [
+            "document.createDocumentFragment()",
+            "span.className='stream-fade-word is-new'",
+            "el.appendChild(frag)",
+            "_streamFadeLatestAnimationEndAt",
+        ],
+    )
     assert_contains_all(
         renderer_block,
         [
@@ -191,6 +204,57 @@ def test_stream_fade_uses_incremental_renderer_without_changing_default_path():
     assert "_wrapStreamingFadeWords" not in MESSAGES_JS
 
 
+def test_stream_fade_appends_new_spans_without_replacing_existing_nodes():
+    script = (
+        function_block(MESSAGES_JS, "_streamFadeAppendText")
+        + r"""
+const _STREAM_FADE_MS=200;
+const _STREAM_FADE_STAGGER_MS=16;
+let _streamFadeAppendOffset=0;
+let _streamFadeLatestAnimationEndAt=0;
+let _streamFadeCurrentMs=200;
+const performance={_t:0,now(){return this._t;}};
+function _streamFadeReduceMotionEnabled(){ return false; }
+class FakeNode{
+  constructor(type,text=''){
+    this.type=type;
+    this.children=[];
+    this.className='';
+    this.textContent=text;
+    this.style={values:{},setProperty:(name,value)=>{this.style.values[name]=value;}};
+  }
+  appendChild(child){
+    if(child&&child.type==='fragment'){
+      child.children.forEach(n=>this.children.push(n));
+    }else{
+      this.children.push(child);
+    }
+    return child;
+  }
+}
+global.document={
+  createDocumentFragment(){ return new FakeNode('fragment'); },
+  createTextNode(text){ return new FakeNode('text',String(text)); },
+  createElement(tag){ const node=new FakeNode(tag); node.tagName=String(tag).toUpperCase(); return node; },
+};
+const body=new FakeNode('div');
+_streamFadeAppendText(body,'alpha beta ');
+const firstSpan=body.children.find(node=>node.className==='stream-fade-word is-new');
+if(!firstSpan) throw new Error('missing first fade span');
+_streamFadeAppendText(body,'gamma');
+if(body.children.find(node=>node.className==='stream-fade-word is-new')!==firstSpan){
+  throw new Error('first span was replaced');
+}
+const spans=body.children.filter(node=>node.className==='stream-fade-word is-new');
+if(spans.length!==3) throw new Error(`expected three animated spans, got ${spans.length}`);
+if(spans.map(node=>node.textContent).join('|')!=='alpha|beta|gamma'){
+  throw new Error(`wrong span text: ${spans.map(node=>node.textContent).join('|')}`);
+}
+"""
+    )
+    run_node(script)
+
+
 def test_transparent_anchor_prose_uses_fade_renderer_when_enabled():
     anchor_block = function_block(MESSAGES_JS, "_anchorProseIncrementalNode")
     assert_contains_all(