diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f785b3a..ab2ff6b 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ Control repo-level parallelism:
 git-sync sync --jobs 8
 ```
 
-Repository logs are prefixed while jobs run concurrently, so interleaved output remains attributable. The default is 4 workers; use `--jobs 1` for serial sync.
+While jobs run, the bottom of the terminal shows one live status line per worker. When a repository finishes, its detailed log is printed as one complete block above those status lines. The default is 4 workers; use `--jobs 1` for serial sync.
 
 `git-sync` stores a small ref cache in the work directory. On later runs it first checks each repository with `git ls-remote --heads --tags`; when all endpoints report the same refs as the last successful sync, it skips the full fetch/push pass for that repository.
 
diff --git a/src/logging.rs b/src/logging.rs
index 21ba5dd..c398c40 100644
--- a/src/logging.rs
+++ b/src/logging.rs
@@ -1,30 +1,99 @@
 use std::cell::RefCell;
 use std::fmt;
+use std::io::{self, IsTerminal, Write};
 use std::sync::{Mutex, OnceLock};
 
 use console::style;
 
-static OUTPUT_LOCK: OnceLock<Mutex<()>> = OnceLock::new();
+static OUTPUT: OnceLock<Mutex<OutputState>> = OnceLock::new();
 
 thread_local! {
-    static PREFIX: RefCell<Option<String>> = const { RefCell::new(None) };
+    static REPO_LOG: RefCell<Option<RepoLog>> = const { RefCell::new(None) };
 }
 
-pub struct PrefixGuard {
-    previous: Option<String>,
+#[derive(Default)]
+struct OutputState {
+    status: Option<StatusState>,
 }
 
-impl Drop for PrefixGuard {
+struct StatusState {
+    slots: Vec<Option<String>>,
+    visible: bool,
+    interactive: bool,
+}
+
+struct RepoLog {
+    repo_name: String,
+    slot: usize,
+    width: usize,
+    lines: Vec<String>,
+}
+
+pub struct StatusGuard;
+
+impl Drop for StatusGuard {
     fn drop(&mut self) {
-        PREFIX.with(|prefix| {
-            *prefix.borrow_mut() = self.previous.take();
-        });
+        finish_status_area();
     }
 }
 
-pub fn set_prefix(prefix: String) -> PrefixGuard {
-    let previous = PREFIX.with(|current| current.borrow_mut().replace(prefix));
-    PrefixGuard { previous }
+pub struct RepoLogGuard;
+
+impl Drop for RepoLogGuard {
+    fn drop(&mut self) {
+        finish_repo_log();
+    }
+}
+
+pub fn start_status_area(slots: usize) -> StatusGuard {
+    with_output(|output| {
+        if let Some(status) = output.status.as_mut() {
+            clear_status(status);
+        }
+        output.status = Some(StatusState {
+            slots: vec![None; slots],
+            visible: false,
+            interactive: io::stdout().is_terminal() && slots > 0,
+        });
+        if let Some(status) = output.status.as_mut() {
+            draw_status(status);
+        }
+    });
+    StatusGuard
+}
+
+pub fn start_repo_log(repo_name: String, slot: usize, width: usize) -> RepoLogGuard {
+    REPO_LOG.with(|repo_log| {
+        *repo_log.borrow_mut() = Some(RepoLog {
+            repo_name,
+            slot,
+            width,
+            lines: Vec::new(),
+        });
+    });
+    RepoLogGuard
+}
+
+pub fn finish_repo_log() {
+    let repo_log = REPO_LOG.with(|repo_log| repo_log.borrow_mut().take());
+    let Some(repo_log) = repo_log else {
+        return;
+    };
+
+    with_output(|output| {
+        if let Some(status) = output.status.as_mut() {
+            clear_status(status);
+            if repo_log.slot < status.slots.len() {
+                status.slots[repo_log.slot] = None;
+            }
+        }
+        for line in repo_log.lines {
+            println!("{line}");
+        }
+        if let Some(status) = output.status.as_mut() {
+            draw_status(status);
+        }
+    });
 }
 
 pub fn repo_prefix(repo_name: &str, width: usize) -> String {
@@ -38,20 +107,116 @@ pub fn repo_prefix(repo_name: &str, width: usize) -> String {
 
 pub fn line(args: fmt::Arguments<'_>) {
     let text = args.to_string();
-    let prefix = PREFIX.with(|prefix| prefix.borrow().clone());
-    let lock = OUTPUT_LOCK.get_or_init(|| Mutex::new(()));
-    let _guard = lock.lock().unwrap_or_else(|poisoned| poisoned.into_inner());
+    let captured = REPO_LOG.with(|repo_log| {
+        let mut repo_log = repo_log.borrow_mut();
+        let Some(repo_log) = repo_log.as_mut() else {
+            return false;
+        };
 
-    match prefix {
-        Some(prefix) if !text.is_empty() => {
-            for line in text.lines() {
-                println!("{} | {}", style(&prefix).cyan().bold(), line);
+        if text.is_empty() {
+            repo_log.lines.push(String::new());
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        for line in text.lines() {
+            repo_log.lines.push(line.to_string());
+            if !line.trim().is_empty() {
+                update_status(repo_log, line.trim());
             }
         }
-        _ => {
-            println!("{text}");
+        true
+    });
+
+    if captured {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    with_output(|output| {
+        if let Some(status) = output.status.as_mut() {
+            clear_status(status);
+        }
+        println!("{text}");
+        if let Some(status) = output.status.as_mut() {
+            draw_status(status);
+        }
+    });
+}
+
+fn update_status(repo_log: &RepoLog, line: &str) {
+    let repo = repo_prefix(&repo_log.repo_name, repo_log.width);
+    let line = truncate_status(line, 96);
+    with_output(|output| {
+        let Some(status) = output.status.as_mut() else {
+            return;
+        };
+        if repo_log.slot >= status.slots.len() {
+            return;
+        }
+        clear_status(status);
+        status.slots[repo_log.slot] = Some(format!(
+            "{} {} {}",
+            style(format!("worker {}", repo_log.slot + 1)).dim(),
+            style(repo).cyan().bold(),
+            line
+        ));
+        draw_status(status);
+    });
+}
+
+fn truncate_status(value: &str, max_chars: usize) -> String {
+    if value.chars().count() <= max_chars {
+        return value.to_string();
+    }
+    let mut output = value.chars().take(max_chars).collect::<String>();
+    output.pop();
+    output.push('~');
+    output
+}
+
+fn finish_status_area() {
+    with_output(|output| {
+        if let Some(status) = output.status.as_mut() {
+            clear_status(status);
+        }
+        output.status = None;
+    });
+}
+
+fn with_output(action: impl FnOnce(&mut OutputState)) {
+    let output = OUTPUT.get_or_init(|| Mutex::new(OutputState::default()));
+    let mut output = output
+        .lock()
+        .unwrap_or_else(|poisoned| poisoned.into_inner());
+    action(&mut output);
+    let _ = io::stdout().flush();
+}
+
+fn clear_status(status: &mut StatusState) {
+    if !status.interactive || !status.visible {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    let lines = status.slots.len();
+    print!("\x1b[{lines}A\r");
+    for _ in 0..lines {
+        println!("\x1b[2K");
+    }
+    print!("\x1b[{lines}A\r");
+    status.visible = false;
+}
+
+fn draw_status(status: &mut StatusState) {
+    if !status.interactive {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    for slot in &status.slots {
+        match slot {
+            Some(line) => println!("{line}"),
+            None => println!("{}", style("idle").dim()),
         }
     }
+    status.visible = true;
 }
 
 #[macro_export]
@@ -73,4 +238,10 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(repo_prefix("api", 6), "api   ");
         assert_eq!(repo_prefix("very-long-repo", 8), "very-lo~");
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn status_text_truncates_to_fixed_width() {
+        assert_eq!(truncate_status("short", 8), "short");
+        assert_eq!(truncate_status("very-long-status", 8), "very-lo~");
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/sync.rs b/src/sync.rs
index 00dd143..37c76c1 100644
--- a/src/sync.rs
+++ b/src/sync.rs
@@ -443,8 +443,10 @@ fn sync_group(
     let base_ref_state = context.ref_state.clone();
     let queue = Arc::new(Mutex::new(repo_jobs));
     let (sender, receiver) = mpsc::channel();
+    let use_status_area = worker_count > 1;
+    let _status_guard = use_status_area.then(|| logging::start_status_area(worker_count));
     let failures = thread::scope(|scope| {
-        for _ in 0..worker_count {
+        for worker_id in 0..worker_count {
             let queue = Arc::clone(&queue);
             let sender = sender.clone();
             let redactor = context.redactor.clone();
@@ -455,8 +457,9 @@ fn sync_group(
 
             scope.spawn(move || {
                 while let Some(mut job) = pop_repo_job(&queue) {
-                    let prefix = logging::repo_prefix(&job.repo_name, repo_log_width);
-                    let _prefix_guard = logging::set_prefix(prefix);
+                    let _repo_log_guard = use_status_area.then(|| {
+                        logging::start_repo_log(job.repo_name.clone(), worker_id, repo_log_width)
+                    });
                     let repo_context = RepoSyncContext {
                         config,
                         mirror,
@@ -481,6 +484,7 @@ fn sync_group(
                         repo_name: job.repo_name,
                         error,
                     });
+                    logging::finish_repo_log();
                     if sender.send(result).is_err() {
                         break;
                     }