diff --git a/backend/app/api/endpoints/sidebar.py b/backend/app/api/endpoints/sidebar.py
index f3d5fdff..a473433b 100644
--- a/backend/app/api/endpoints/sidebar.py
+++ b/backend/app/api/endpoints/sidebar.py
@@ -65,16 +65,17 @@ async def get_sidebar_stats(
     )
     active_count = active_result.scalar() or 0
 
-    # --- Total session minutes today ---
+    # --- Completed session minutes today (active session time computed client-side) ---
     duration_expr = func.extract(
         "epoch",
-        func.coalesce(Session.completed_at, now_utc) - Session.started_at,
+        Session.completed_at - Session.started_at,
     ) / 60.0
     duration_result = await db.execute(
         select(func.coalesce(func.sum(duration_expr), 0)).where(
             and_(
                 user_filter,
                 Session.started_at.isnot(None),
+                Session.completed_at.isnot(None),
                 Session.started_at >= today_start_utc,
             )
         )
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/layout/Sidebar.tsx b/frontend/src/components/layout/Sidebar.tsx
index 2baaf3d0..d32120f4 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/layout/Sidebar.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/layout/Sidebar.tsx
@@ -104,7 +104,8 @@ export function Sidebar() {
           <SidebarStatsBar
             resolved={stats?.resolved_today ?? 0}
             active={stats?.active_count ?? 0}
-            sessionMinutes={stats?.total_session_minutes_today ?? 0}
+            completedMinutes={stats?.total_session_minutes_today ?? 0}
+            activeSessionStartTimes={stats?.active_sessions.map(s => s.started_at) ?? []}
           />
 
           {/* Activity Feed */}
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/sidebar/SidebarStatsBar.tsx b/frontend/src/components/sidebar/SidebarStatsBar.tsx
index 411e2703..3fd0645b 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/sidebar/SidebarStatsBar.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/sidebar/SidebarStatsBar.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,12 @@
+import { useEffect, useState } from 'react'
+
 interface SidebarStatsBarProps {
   resolved: number
   active: number
-  sessionMinutes: number
+  /** Minutes from completed sessions today (server-computed) */
+  completedMinutes: number
+  /** Start times of currently active sessions (ISO strings) */
+  activeSessionStartTimes: string[]
 }
 
 function formatDuration(minutes: number): string {
@@ -11,7 +16,28 @@ function formatDuration(minutes: number): string {
   return m > 0 ? `${h}h ${m}m` : `${h}h`
 }
 
-export function SidebarStatsBar({ resolved, active, sessionMinutes }: SidebarStatsBarProps) {
+function calcActiveMinutes(startTimes: string[]): number {
+  const now = Date.now()
+  return startTimes.reduce((sum, st) => {
+    const elapsed = Math.floor((now - new Date(st).getTime()) / 60000)
+    return sum + Math.max(0, elapsed)
+  }, 0)
+}
+
+export function SidebarStatsBar({ resolved, active, completedMinutes, activeSessionStartTimes }: SidebarStatsBarProps) {
+  const [liveMinutes, setLiveMinutes] = useState(() => calcActiveMinutes(activeSessionStartTimes))
+
+  // Tick every 60s to keep the timer live
+  useEffect(() => {
+    setLiveMinutes(calcActiveMinutes(activeSessionStartTimes))
+    const interval = setInterval(() => {
+      setLiveMinutes(calcActiveMinutes(activeSessionStartTimes))
+    }, 60000)
+    return () => clearInterval(interval)
+  }, [activeSessionStartTimes])
+
+  const totalMinutes = completedMinutes + liveMinutes
+
   return (
     <div
       className="flex gap-0.5 px-3 pt-2 pb-1"
@@ -45,9 +71,9 @@ export function SidebarStatsBar({ resolved, active, sessionMinutes }: SidebarSta
       <div className="flex-1 rounded-md bg-[rgba(255,255,255,0.02)] px-1 py-1.5 text-center">
         <div
           className="font-label text-sm font-semibold leading-none text-muted-foreground"
-          aria-label={`${formatDuration(sessionMinutes)} in session today`}
+          aria-label={`${formatDuration(totalMinutes)} in session today`}
         >
-          {formatDuration(sessionMinutes)}
+          {formatDuration(totalMinutes)}
         </div>
         <div className="mt-1 font-label text-[7px] uppercase tracking-[0.1em] text-[#3d4350]">
           In Session