diff --git a/docs/rich-ui-surface-design.md b/docs/rich-ui-surface-design.md
index 1cb4802..2c4c30f 100644
--- a/docs/rich-ui-surface-design.md
+++ b/docs/rich-ui-surface-design.md
@@ -70,13 +70,15 @@ export interface RichMenu {
 }
 
 export interface RichResponse {
-  text: string;
-  menu?: RichMenu;
+  text: string;          // verbose fallback (no menu, or menu render fails)
+  menu?: RichMenu;       // optional inline keyboard / blocks
+  menuCaption?: string;  // concise body shown next to the menu (avoids duplicating buttons)
 }
 ```
 
 Opinionated constraints:
 - `text` is mandatory and is the canonical fallback
+- `menuCaption` is optional; transports prefer it over `text` when rendering a menu, so commands can keep `text` verbose (lists every option) without polluting the menu view. See `src/transports/types.ts` for the source-of-truth contract.
 - buttons carry gateway action ids, not platform callback payloads
 - menu layout is descriptive, not platform-specific
 - no Telegram HTML, no Slack blocks, no Discord components in gateway code
@@ -220,8 +222,9 @@ export interface RichMenu {
 }
 
 export interface RichResponse {
-  text: string;
+  text: string;          // verbose fallback
   menu?: RichMenu;
+  menuCaption?: string;  // concise body when menu renders; falls back to `text` when absent
 }
 
 export interface TransportAdapter {
diff --git a/src/transports/rich-helpers.ts b/src/transports/rich-helpers.ts
index f5919ae..63e883e 100644
--- a/src/transports/rich-helpers.ts
+++ b/src/transports/rich-helpers.ts
@@ -85,8 +85,9 @@ export function buildSelectableMenu(opts: SelectableMenuOpts): RichResponse {
     });
   }
 
-  // ── Text fallback ──
-  // Mirrors menu information for transports that can't render buttons.
+  // ── Text fallback (verbose: header + available list + hint) ──
+  // Used when transports can't render the menu, or for text-only adapters.
+  // Mirrors all menu information so users still see every option.
   const optionLines = options.map((o) => {
     const marker = o.key === current ? " (current)" : "";
     return `  \`${o.key}\` → ${o.label}${marker}`;
@@ -99,8 +100,17 @@ export function buildSelectableMenu(opts: SelectableMenuOpts): RichResponse {
     textParts.push("", textHint);
   }
 
+  // ── Menu caption (concise: header + hint only) ──
+  // Shown next to the keyboard when the menu renders. The buttons
+  // already convey the option list — don't duplicate.
+  const captionParts: string[] = [textHeader];
+  if (textHint) {
+    captionParts.push("", textHint);
+  }
+
   return {
     text: textParts.join("\n"),
+    menuCaption: captionParts.join("\n"),
     menu: {
       sections: [{ columns, buttons }],
     },
diff --git a/src/transports/telegram/telegram-adapter.ts b/src/transports/telegram/telegram-adapter.ts
index b47b7c0..e236cf3 100644
--- a/src/transports/telegram/telegram-adapter.ts
+++ b/src/transports/telegram/telegram-adapter.ts
@@ -85,7 +85,10 @@ export class TelegramAdapter implements TransportAdapter {
     try {
       // text formatting: response.text is already markdown-ish from commands.
       // We pass it through markdownToTelegramHtml so bold/code render natively.
-      const html = markdownToTelegramHtml(response.text);
+      // When menuCaption is provided, prefer it as the body next to the
+      // keyboard — commands use this to avoid duplicating buttons in text.
+      const body = response.menuCaption ?? response.text;
+      const html = markdownToTelegramHtml(body);
       await tgAdapter.telegramFetch("sendMessage", {
         chat_id: chatId,
         text: html,
diff --git a/src/transports/types.ts b/src/transports/types.ts
index b4c7c7b..6172e12 100644
--- a/src/transports/types.ts
+++ b/src/transports/types.ts
@@ -88,12 +88,25 @@ export interface RichMenu {
 /**
  * RichResponse — what a command returns to the gateway.
  *
- * `text` is mandatory and is the canonical fallback. `menu` is optional;
- * transports that can't render menus simply post the text.
+ * - `text` is mandatory and is the canonical text-only fallback. Used by
+ *   transports that can't render menus, or when menu rendering fails.
+ * - `menu` is optional; transports that can render menus use it.
+ * - `menuCaption` is optional; when present AND the menu is rendered,
+ *   transports show this *instead of* `text` as the message body next to
+ *   the keyboard. This avoids duplication between the buttons and a
+ *   verbose option list. When the menu can't render, transports fall
+ *   back to `text` (which can be more verbose).
+ *
+ * Convention: `text` is for the no-menu world (full info), `menuCaption`
+ * is for the with-menu world (concise context). Commands that don't care
+ * about the distinction can just set `text`; transports treat that as
+ * "use the same body in both cases" by falling back to `text` when
+ * `menuCaption` is absent.
  */
 export interface RichResponse {
   text: string;
   menu?: RichMenu;
+  menuCaption?: string;
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/test/rich-helpers.test.ts b/test/rich-helpers.test.ts
index 21fbc52..505abc2 100644
--- a/test/rich-helpers.test.ts
+++ b/test/rich-helpers.test.ts
@@ -148,4 +148,29 @@ describe("buildSelectableMenu", () => {
     // But the sentinel button is still rendered.
     expect(r.menu!.sections[0].buttons).toHaveLength(1);
   });
+
+  it("menuCaption is concise (header + hint only, no Available block)", () => {
+    // The caption is what shows next to the keyboard — the buttons
+    // already enumerate the options, so the caption shouldn't repeat
+    // them. Verbose listing belongs only on the text fallback.
+    const r = buildSelectableMenu({
+      current: "sonnet",
+      options: [
+        { key: "opus", label: "Claude Opus" },
+        { key: "sonnet", label: "Claude Sonnet" },
+      ],
+      actionId: "model",
+      textHeader: "\ud83e\udd16 *Current model:* Claude Sonnet",
+      textHint: "_Usage:_ `/model sonnet`",
+    });
+    // Text (fallback) DOES list options.
+    expect(r.text).toContain("*Available:*");
+    expect(r.text).toContain("opus");
+    // Caption does NOT list options — just header + hint.
+    expect(r.menuCaption).toBeDefined();
+    expect(r.menuCaption!).not.toContain("*Available:*");
+    expect(r.menuCaption!).not.toContain("opus");
+    expect(r.menuCaption!).toContain("Current model");
+    expect(r.menuCaption!).toContain("/model sonnet");
+  });
 });
diff --git a/test/telegram-postrich.test.ts b/test/telegram-postrich.test.ts
index 6888c2d..489106b 100644
--- a/test/telegram-postrich.test.ts
+++ b/test/telegram-postrich.test.ts
@@ -198,4 +198,52 @@ describe("TelegramAdapter.postRich", () => {
     // Did NOT fall back to text (which would call postMessage).
     expect(postMessageSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
+
+  it("uses menuCaption (not text) as the body when menu renders", async () => {
+    // RichResponse.text is the verbose fallback ("...Available:...").
+    // RichResponse.menuCaption is the concise body shown next to the
+    // keyboard. Asserting separation: text should NOT appear in the
+    // sent payload when menuCaption is set.
+    let capturedText: string | undefined;
+    const telegramFetch = vi.fn(async (_method: string, payload: Record<string, unknown>) => {
+      capturedText = payload.text as string;
+      return { ok: true };
+    });
+    const thread = makeTelegramThread({ chatId: "99", telegramFetch });
+    const adapter = new TelegramAdapter();
+
+    await adapter.postRich(thread, {
+      text: "Verbose fallback with Available block...",
+      menuCaption: "Concise caption",
+      menu: {
+        sections: [{
+          buttons: [{ label: "A", actionId: "x", value: "a" }],
+        }],
+      },
+    });
+
+    expect(telegramFetch).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(capturedText).toContain("Concise caption");
+    expect(capturedText).not.toContain("Available");
+    expect(capturedText).not.toContain("Verbose fallback");
+  });
+
+  it("falls back to RichResponse.text when menuCaption is absent", async () => {
+    let capturedText: string | undefined;
+    const telegramFetch = vi.fn(async (_method: string, payload: Record<string, unknown>) => {
+      capturedText = payload.text as string;
+      return { ok: true };
+    });
+    const thread = makeTelegramThread({ chatId: "99", telegramFetch });
+    const adapter = new TelegramAdapter();
+
+    await adapter.postRich(thread, {
+      text: "Just text body",
+      menu: {
+        sections: [{ buttons: [{ label: "A", actionId: "x", value: "a" }] }],
+      },
+    });
+
+    expect(capturedText).toContain("Just text body");
+  });
 });