diff --git a/pkg/runtime/runtime.go b/pkg/runtime/runtime.go
index ce6457bfe..a9bf2fe2a 100644
--- a/pkg/runtime/runtime.go
+++ b/pkg/runtime/runtime.go
@@ -1276,9 +1276,15 @@ func (r *LocalRuntime) handleStream(ctx context.Context, stream chat.MessageStre
 			return streamResult{Stopped: true}, fmt.Errorf("error receiving from stream: %w", err)
 		}
 
-		if response.Usage != nil {
+		// Some providers emit token usage multiple times during a stream,
+		// others only once, and some emit partial / zeroed usage snapshots.
+		// To be provider-agnostic and avoid usage being overwritten to zero,
+		// we capture the FIRST non-nil usage and treat it as immutable.
+		if response.Usage != nil && messageUsage == nil {
+			// Capture usage once per stream
 			messageUsage = response.Usage
 
+			// Accumulate cost for the session using model pricing
 			if m != nil && m.Cost != nil {
 				cost := float64(response.Usage.InputTokens)*m.Cost.Input +
 					float64(response.Usage.OutputTokens)*m.Cost.Output +
@@ -1287,14 +1293,25 @@ func (r *LocalRuntime) handleStream(ctx context.Context, stream chat.MessageStre
 				sess.Cost += cost / 1e6
 			}
 
-			sess.InputTokens = response.Usage.InputTokens + response.Usage.CachedInputTokens + response.Usage.CacheWriteTokens
+			// Persist token usage at the session level
+			// These values are used by the TUI to compute token usage %
+			sess.InputTokens = response.Usage.InputTokens +
+				response.Usage.CachedInputTokens +
+				response.Usage.CacheWriteTokens
 			sess.OutputTokens = response.Usage.OutputTokens
 
+			// Emit telemetry once per stream to avoid duplicate usage records
 			modelName := "unknown"
 			if m != nil {
 				modelName = m.Name
 			}
-			telemetry.RecordTokenUsage(ctx, modelName, sess.InputTokens, sess.OutputTokens, sess.Cost)
+			telemetry.RecordTokenUsage(
+				ctx,
+				modelName,
+				sess.InputTokens,
+				sess.OutputTokens,
+				sess.Cost,
+			)
 		}
 
 		if response.RateLimit != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/runtime/runtime_test.go b/pkg/runtime/runtime_test.go
index 765c2476e..af0487fea 100644
--- a/pkg/runtime/runtime_test.go
+++ b/pkg/runtime/runtime_test.go
@@ -1364,3 +1364,42 @@ func TestToolRejectionWithoutReason(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Equal(t, "The user rejected the tool call.", toolResponse.Response)
 	require.NotContains(t, toolResponse.Response, "Reason:")
 }
+
+func TestStream_CapturesUsageOnlyOnce(t *testing.T) {
+	stream := newStreamBuilder().
+		AddContent("Hello").
+		AddStopWithUsage(10, 5). // first usage
+		AddStopWithUsage(0, 0).  // provider emits usage again
+		Build()
+
+	sess := session.New(session.WithUserMessage("Hi"))
+
+	events := runSession(t, sess, stream)
+
+	var usageEvents []Event
+	for _, ev := range events {
+		if reflect.DeepEqual(
+			ev,
+			TokenUsageWithMessage(
+				sess.ID,
+				"root",
+				10,
+				5,
+				15,
+				0,
+				0,
+				&MessageUsage{
+					Usage: chat.Usage{
+						InputTokens:  10,
+						OutputTokens: 5,
+					},
+					Model: "test/mock-model",
+				},
+			),
+		) {
+			usageEvents = append(usageEvents, ev)
+		}
+	}
+
+	require.Len(t, usageEvents, 1, "expected token usage to be emitted only once")
+}