Justice Stevens
delivered the opinion of the Court.
In Geders v. United States, 425 U. S. 80 (1976), we held that a trial court’s order directing a defendant not to consult [274]*274his attorney during an overnight recess, called while the defendant was on the witness stand, violated his Sixth Amendment right to the assistance of counsel. Today we consider whether the Geders rule applies to a similar order entered at the beginning of a 15-minute afternoon recess.
I
Petitioner was tried and convicted by a jury of participating in a brutal murder, kidnaping, and sexual assault. His defense was that he had not taken an active part in the abduction or the homicide and that his participation in the sexual assault was the product of duress. Evidence offered on his behalf indicated that he was mildly retarded and that he was a nonviolent person who could be easily influenced by others. He took the stand and began to testify in his own defense after a lunch recess.
At the conclusion of his direct testimony, the trial judge declared a 15-minute recess, and, without advance notice to counsel, ordered that petitioner not be allowed to talk to anyone, including his lawyer, during the break. When the trial resumed, counsel moved for a mistrial. The judge denied the motion, explaining that petitioner “was in a sense then a ward of the Court. He was not entitled to be cured or assisted or helped approaching his cross examination.” App. 4-5.
The Supreme Court of South Carolina affirmed petitioner’s conviction. State v. Perry, 278 S. C. 490, 299 S. E. 2d 324 (1983). It concluded that Geders was not controlling because our opinion in that case had emphasized the fact that a defendant would normally confer with counsel during an overnight recess and that we had explicitly stated that “we do not deal with . . . limitations imposed in other circumstances.” Geders v. United States, supra, at 91. The state court explained:
“We attach significance to the words ‘normally confer.’ Normally, counsel is not permitted to confer with his [275]*275defendant client between direct examination and cross examination. Should counsel for a defendant, after direct examination, request the judge to declare a recess so that he might talk with his client before cross examination begins, the judge would and should unhesitatingly deny the request.” 278 S. C., at 491-494, 299 S. E. 2d, at 325-326.
Justice Ness dissented. He pointed out that a defendant would normally confer with his lawyer during a short routine recess and therefore that Geders should apply. Moreover, in his opinion the importance of protecting the defendant’s fundamental right to the assistance of counsel far outweighs the negligible value of preventing the lawyer from “coaching” his or her client during a brief recess.1
Thereafter, petitioner sought and obtained a federal writ of habeas corpus. Applying settled law in the Fourth Circuit, [276]*276the District Court held that although a defendant has no right to be coached on cross-examination, he does have a right to counsel during a brief recess and he need not demonstrate prejudice from the denial of that right in order to have his conviction set aside. App. 17-19; see United States v. Allen, 542 F. 2d 630, 633-634 (1976), cert. denied, 430 U. S. 908 (1977); Stubbs v. Bordenkircher, 689 F. 2d 1205, 1206-1207 (1982), cert. denied, 461 U. S. 907 (1983).
The Court of Appeals, sitting en banc, reversed. 832 F. 2d 837 (1987). It agreed with the District Court that Geders applied and that constitutional error had occurred, but it concluded that petitioner’s conviction should stand because the error was not prejudicial. This conclusion rested on the court’s view that our opinions in United States v. Cronic, 466 U. S. 648 (1984), and Strickland v. Washington, 466 U. S. 668 (1984), implied that trial errors of this kind do not pose such a fundamental threat to a fair trial that reversal of a conviction should be automatic. After a review of the record, the Court of Appeals found that the evidence against petitioner was “overwhelming,” 832 F. 2d, at 843, and that there was no basis for believing that his performance on cross-examination would have been different had he been given an opportunity to confer with his lawyer during the brief recess.
Four judges dissented. They argued that Geders had been properly interpreted in earlier Fourth Circuit cases to require automatic reversal and that the majority’s reliance on Strickland was misplaced because the prejudice inquiry in that case was employed to determine whether a Sixth Amendment violation had occurred — not to determine the consequences of an acknowledged violation. Moreover, they reasoned that the prejudice inquiry was particularly inappropriate in this context because it would almost inevitably require a review of private discussions between client and lawyer.
[277]*277Because the question presented by this case is not only important, but also one that frequently arises,2 we granted certiorari, 485 U. S. 976 (1988).
[278]*278II
There is merit in petitioner’s argument that a showing of prejudice is not an essential component of a violation of the [279]*279rule announced in Geders. In that case, we simply reversed the defendant’s conviction without pausing to consider the extent of the actual prejudice, if any, that resulted from the defendant’s denial of access to his lawyer during the overnight recess. That reversal was consistent with the view we have often expressed concerning the fundamental importance of the criminal defendant’s constitutional right to be represented by counsel.3 See, e. g., United States v. Cronic, 466 U. S., at 653-654; Chapman v. California, 386 U. S. 18, 23, n. 8 (1967); Gideon v. Wainwright, 372 U. S. 335 (1963); Glasser v. United States, 315 U. S. 60, 76 (1942).
The disposition in Geders was also consistent with our later decision in Strickland v. Washington, 466 U. S. 668 (1984), in which we considered the standard for determining whether counsel’s legal assistance to his client was so inadequate that it effectively deprived the client of the protections guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment. In passing on such claims of “‘actual ineffectiveness,’” id., at 686, the “benchmark . . . must be whether counsel’s conduct so undermined the proper functioning of the adversarial process that the trial cannot be relied on as having produced a just result.” Ibid. More specifically, a defendant must show “that counsel’s performance was deficient” and that “the deficient performance prejudiced the defense.” Id., at 687.
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Justice Stevens
delivered the opinion of the Court.
In Geders v. United States, 425 U. S. 80 (1976), we held that a trial court’s order directing a defendant not to consult [274]*274his attorney during an overnight recess, called while the defendant was on the witness stand, violated his Sixth Amendment right to the assistance of counsel. Today we consider whether the Geders rule applies to a similar order entered at the beginning of a 15-minute afternoon recess.
I
Petitioner was tried and convicted by a jury of participating in a brutal murder, kidnaping, and sexual assault. His defense was that he had not taken an active part in the abduction or the homicide and that his participation in the sexual assault was the product of duress. Evidence offered on his behalf indicated that he was mildly retarded and that he was a nonviolent person who could be easily influenced by others. He took the stand and began to testify in his own defense after a lunch recess.
At the conclusion of his direct testimony, the trial judge declared a 15-minute recess, and, without advance notice to counsel, ordered that petitioner not be allowed to talk to anyone, including his lawyer, during the break. When the trial resumed, counsel moved for a mistrial. The judge denied the motion, explaining that petitioner “was in a sense then a ward of the Court. He was not entitled to be cured or assisted or helped approaching his cross examination.” App. 4-5.
The Supreme Court of South Carolina affirmed petitioner’s conviction. State v. Perry, 278 S. C. 490, 299 S. E. 2d 324 (1983). It concluded that Geders was not controlling because our opinion in that case had emphasized the fact that a defendant would normally confer with counsel during an overnight recess and that we had explicitly stated that “we do not deal with . . . limitations imposed in other circumstances.” Geders v. United States, supra, at 91. The state court explained:
“We attach significance to the words ‘normally confer.’ Normally, counsel is not permitted to confer with his [275]*275defendant client between direct examination and cross examination. Should counsel for a defendant, after direct examination, request the judge to declare a recess so that he might talk with his client before cross examination begins, the judge would and should unhesitatingly deny the request.” 278 S. C., at 491-494, 299 S. E. 2d, at 325-326.
Justice Ness dissented. He pointed out that a defendant would normally confer with his lawyer during a short routine recess and therefore that Geders should apply. Moreover, in his opinion the importance of protecting the defendant’s fundamental right to the assistance of counsel far outweighs the negligible value of preventing the lawyer from “coaching” his or her client during a brief recess.1
Thereafter, petitioner sought and obtained a federal writ of habeas corpus. Applying settled law in the Fourth Circuit, [276]*276the District Court held that although a defendant has no right to be coached on cross-examination, he does have a right to counsel during a brief recess and he need not demonstrate prejudice from the denial of that right in order to have his conviction set aside. App. 17-19; see United States v. Allen, 542 F. 2d 630, 633-634 (1976), cert. denied, 430 U. S. 908 (1977); Stubbs v. Bordenkircher, 689 F. 2d 1205, 1206-1207 (1982), cert. denied, 461 U. S. 907 (1983).
The Court of Appeals, sitting en banc, reversed. 832 F. 2d 837 (1987). It agreed with the District Court that Geders applied and that constitutional error had occurred, but it concluded that petitioner’s conviction should stand because the error was not prejudicial. This conclusion rested on the court’s view that our opinions in United States v. Cronic, 466 U. S. 648 (1984), and Strickland v. Washington, 466 U. S. 668 (1984), implied that trial errors of this kind do not pose such a fundamental threat to a fair trial that reversal of a conviction should be automatic. After a review of the record, the Court of Appeals found that the evidence against petitioner was “overwhelming,” 832 F. 2d, at 843, and that there was no basis for believing that his performance on cross-examination would have been different had he been given an opportunity to confer with his lawyer during the brief recess.
Four judges dissented. They argued that Geders had been properly interpreted in earlier Fourth Circuit cases to require automatic reversal and that the majority’s reliance on Strickland was misplaced because the prejudice inquiry in that case was employed to determine whether a Sixth Amendment violation had occurred — not to determine the consequences of an acknowledged violation. Moreover, they reasoned that the prejudice inquiry was particularly inappropriate in this context because it would almost inevitably require a review of private discussions between client and lawyer.
[277]*277Because the question presented by this case is not only important, but also one that frequently arises,2 we granted certiorari, 485 U. S. 976 (1988).
[278]*278II
There is merit in petitioner’s argument that a showing of prejudice is not an essential component of a violation of the [279]*279rule announced in Geders. In that case, we simply reversed the defendant’s conviction without pausing to consider the extent of the actual prejudice, if any, that resulted from the defendant’s denial of access to his lawyer during the overnight recess. That reversal was consistent with the view we have often expressed concerning the fundamental importance of the criminal defendant’s constitutional right to be represented by counsel.3 See, e. g., United States v. Cronic, 466 U. S., at 653-654; Chapman v. California, 386 U. S. 18, 23, n. 8 (1967); Gideon v. Wainwright, 372 U. S. 335 (1963); Glasser v. United States, 315 U. S. 60, 76 (1942).
The disposition in Geders was also consistent with our later decision in Strickland v. Washington, 466 U. S. 668 (1984), in which we considered the standard for determining whether counsel’s legal assistance to his client was so inadequate that it effectively deprived the client of the protections guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment. In passing on such claims of “‘actual ineffectiveness,’” id., at 686, the “benchmark . . . must be whether counsel’s conduct so undermined the proper functioning of the adversarial process that the trial cannot be relied on as having produced a just result.” Ibid. More specifically, a defendant must show “that counsel’s performance was deficient” and that “the deficient performance prejudiced the defense.” Id., at 687. Prior to our consideration of the standard for measuring the quality of the lawyer’s work, however, we had expressly noted that direct governmental interference with the right to counsel is a different matter. Thus, we wrote:
[280]*280“Government violates the right to effective assistance when it interferes in certain ways with the ability of counsel to make independent decisions about how to conduct the defense. See, e. g., Geders v. United States, 425 U. S. 80 (1976) (bar on attorney-client consultation during overnight recess); Herring v. New York, 422 U. S. 853 (1975) (bar on summation at bench trial); Brooks v. Tennessee, 406 U. S. 605, 612-613 (1972) (requirement that defendant be first defense witness); Ferguson v. Georgia, 365 U. S. 570, 593-596 (1961) (bar on direct examination of defendant). Counsel, however, can also deprive a defendant of the right to effective assistance, simply by failing to render ‘adequate legal assistance,' Cuyler v. Sullivan, 446 U. S., at 344. Id., at 345-350 (actual conflict of interest adversely affecting lawyer’s performance renders assistance ineffective).” Id., at 686.
Our citation of Geders in this context was intended to make clear that “[a]ctual or constructive denial of the assistance of counsel altogether,” Strickland v. Washington, supra, at 692, is not subject to the kind of prejudice analysis that is appropriate in determining whether the quality of a lawyer’s performance itself has been constitutionally ineffective. See Benson v. Ohio, ante, at 88; United States v. Cronic, supra, at 659, and n. 25. Thus, we cannot accept the rationale of the Court of Appeals’ decision.
Ill
We are persuaded, however, that the underlying question whether petitioner had a constitutional right to confer with his attorney during the 15-minute break in his testimony — a question that we carefully preserved in Geders — was correctly resolved by the South Carolina Supreme Court. Admittedly, the line between the facts of Geders and the facts of this case is a thin one. It is, however, a line of constitutional dimension. Moreover, contrary to the views expressed by [281]*281the dissenting member of the South Carolina Supreme Court, see n. 1, supra, it is not one that rests on an assumption that trial counsel will engage in unethical “coaching.”
The distinction rests instead on the fact that when a defendant becomes a witness, he has no constitutional right to consult with his lawyer while he is testifying. He has an absolute right to such consultation before he begins to testify, but neither he nor his lawyer has a right to have the testimony interrupted in order to give him the benefit of counsel’s advice.
The reason for the rule is one that applies to all witnesses — not just defendants. It is a common practice for a judge to instruct a witness not to discuss his or her testimony with third parties until the trial is completed.4 Such nondiscussion orders are a corollary of the broader rule that witnesses may be sequestered to lessen the danger that their testimony will be’ influenced by hearing what other witnesses have to say, and to increase the likelihood that they will con[282]*282fine themselves to truthful statements based on their own recollections.5 The defendant’s constitutional right to confront the witnesses against him immunizes him from such physical sequestration.6 Nevertheless, when he assumes the role of a witness, the rules that generally apply to other witnesses — rules that serve the truth-seeking function of the trial — are generally applicable to him as well. Accordingly, it is entirely appropriate for a trial judge to decide, after listening to the direct examination of any witness, whether the defendant or a nondefendant, that cross-examination is more likely to elicit truthful responses if it goes forward without allowing the witness an opportunity to consult with third parties, including his or her lawyer.
In other words, the truth-seeking function of the trial can be impeded in ways other than unethical “coaching.” Cross-examination often depends for its effectiveness on the ability of counsel to punch holes in a witness’ testimony at just the right time, in just the right way. Permitting a witness, including a criminal defendant, to consult with counsel after direct examination but before cross-examination grants the witness an opportunity to regroup and regain a poise and sense of strategy that the unaided witness would not possess. This is true even if we assume no deceit on the part of the witness; it is simply an empirical predicate of our system of adversary rather than inquisitorial justice that cross-examination of a witness who is uncounseled between direct examination and cross-examination is moré likely to lead to the discovery of truth than is cross-examination of a witness who is given time to pause and consult with his attorney. [283]*283“Once the defendant places himself at the very heart of the trial process, it only comports with basic fairness that the story presented on direct is measured for its accuracy and completeness by uninfluenced testimony on cross-examination.” United States v. DiLapi, 651 F. 2d 140, 151 (CA2 1981) (Mishler, J., concurring), cert. denied, 455 U. S. 938 (1982).7
Thus, just as a trial judge has the unquestioned power to refuse to declare a recess at the close of direct testimony — or at any other point in the examination of a witness — we think the judge must also have the power to maintain the status quo during a brief recess in which there is a virtual certainty [284]*284that any conversation between the witness and the lawyer would relate to the ongoing testimony. As we have said, we do not believe the defendant has a constitutional right to discuss that testimony while it is in process.
The interruption in Geders was of a different character because the normal consultation between attorney and client that occurs during an overnight recess would encompass matters that go beyond the content of the defendant’s own testimony-matters that the defendant does have a constitutional right to discuss with his lawyer, such as the availability of other witnesses, trial tactics, or even the possibility of negotiating a plea bargain. It is the defendant’s right to unrestricted access to his lawyer for advice on a variety of trial-related matters that is controlling in the context of a long recess. See Geders v. United States, 425 U. S., at 88. The fact that such discussions will inevitably include some consideration of the defendant’s ongoing testimony does not compromise that basic right. But in a short recess in which it is appropriate to presume that nothing but the testimony will be discussed, the testifying defendant does not have a constitutional right to advice.
Our conclusion does not mean that trial judges must forbid consultation between a defendant and his counsel during such brief recesses. As a matter of discretion in individual cases, or of practice for individual trial judges, or indeed, as a matter of law in some States, it may well be appropriate to permit such consultation.8 We merely hold that the Federal Constitution does not compel every trial judge to allow the defendant to consult with his lawyer while his testimony is in [285]*285progress if the judge decides that there is a good reason to interrupt the trial for a few minutes.
The judgment of the Court of Appeals is
Affirmed.