diff --git a/statusline.sh b/statusline.sh
index 597c854..7a1ff16 100755
--- a/statusline.sh
+++ b/statusline.sh
@@ -35,6 +35,10 @@ green=$'\033[32m'; yellow=$'\033[33m'; red=$'\033[31m'
 # test — no need to know the project's declared worktrees directory.
 place=""
 if [ -n "$dir" ]; then
+  # The literal working directory, home abbreviated. Shown rather than a name
+  # derived from it, so what's on screen is the thing every other mechanism
+  # reads — including when cwd sits below the tree root.
+  pretty="${dir/#${HOME:-/nonexistent}/\~}"
   gitinfo=$(git -C "$dir" rev-parse --show-toplevel --git-dir --git-common-dir 2>/dev/null)
   if [ -n "$gitinfo" ]; then
     { IFS= read -r top; IFS= read -r gitdir; IFS= read -r commondir; } <<< "$gitinfo"
@@ -43,14 +47,13 @@ if [ -n "$dir" ]; then
     hand=""; [ -f "$top/handoff.md" ] && hand=" +handoff"
     if [ "$gitdir" != "$commondir" ]; then
       # Linked worktree: a track. Its handoff.md belongs to this work alone.
-      repo=$(basename "$(dirname "$commondir")")
-      place="${green}track ${repo}/$(basename "$top")${reset}${dim}${hand}${reset}"
+      place="${green}track ${pretty}${reset}${dim}${hand}${reset}"
     else
       # Primary checkout: handoff.md here is the track roster, which is a
       # normal thing to find. What's worth flagging is the inverse — live
       # tracks with nothing coordinating them.
       n=$(git -C "$dir" worktree list 2>/dev/null | tail -n +2 | grep -c .)
-      place="${yellow}primary $(basename "$top")${reset}"
+      place="${yellow}primary ${pretty}${reset}"
       if [ "$n" -gt 0 ]; then
         noun="tracks"; [ "$n" -eq 1 ] && noun="track"
         place="${place}${dim} · ${n} ${noun}${reset}"
@@ -59,7 +62,7 @@ if [ -n "$dir" ]; then
       [ -n "$hand" ] && place="${place}${dim}${hand}${reset}"
     fi
   else
-    place="${dim}$(basename "$dir") (no repo)${reset}"
+    place="${dim}${pretty} (no repo)${reset}"
   fi
 fi