diff --git a/infrastructure/inference/llama_cpp/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/infrastructure/inference/llama/cpp/LlamaCppInferenceProvider.kt b/infrastructure/inference/llama_cpp/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/infrastructure/inference/llama/cpp/LlamaCppInferenceProvider.kt
index 7518b70d..68d40cac 100644
--- a/infrastructure/inference/llama_cpp/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/infrastructure/inference/llama/cpp/LlamaCppInferenceProvider.kt
+++ b/infrastructure/inference/llama_cpp/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/infrastructure/inference/llama/cpp/LlamaCppInferenceProvider.kt
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import com.correx.core.inference.ProviderHealth
 import com.correx.core.inference.ResponseFormat
 import com.correx.core.inference.TokenUsage
 import com.correx.core.inference.Tokenizer
+import com.correx.core.inference.ToolCallFunction
 import com.correx.core.inference.ToolCallRequest
 import com.correx.infrastructure.inference.commons.ModelDescriptor
 import io.ktor.client.HttpClient
@@ -69,10 +70,55 @@ private val log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(LlamaCppInferenceProvider::class.java)
 internal fun salvageToolCalls(content: String?): List<ToolCallRequest> {
     val s = content?.trim().orEmpty()
     if (s.isEmpty() || (s.first() != '{' && s.first() != '[')) return emptyList()
-    return runCatching { json.decodeFromString<List<ToolCallRequest>>(s) }
+    val strict = runCatching { json.decodeFromString<List<ToolCallRequest>>(s) }
         .recoverCatching { listOf(json.decodeFromString<ToolCallRequest>(s)) }
         .getOrDefault(emptyList())
         .filter { it.function.name.isNotBlank() }
+    return strict.ifEmpty { salvageLenient(s) }
+}
+
+private val NAME_RE = Regex("\"name\"\\s*:\\s*\"([^\"]+)\"")
+
+// Small local models often emit a tool call into `content` but truncate it — an unterminated
+// arguments string and missing closing braces — so strict JSON decode fails. Only the `function`
+// shape (name + arguments) matters to the orchestrator; recover those by hand. Gated on a tool-call
+// marker so genuine artifact JSON (no `function`/`arguments` field) is never misread as a call.
+private fun salvageLenient(s: String): List<ToolCallRequest> {
+    if (!s.contains("\"function\"") && !s.contains("\"arguments\"")) return emptyList()
+    val name = NAME_RE.find(s)?.groupValues?.get(1) ?: return emptyList()
+    val argsIdx = s.indexOf("\"arguments\"")
+    val args = if (argsIdx >= 0) {
+        // The arguments value is a JSON string holding escaped JSON; unescape, then take the
+        // first balanced object so trailing truncation garbage is dropped.
+        val unescaped = s.substring(argsIdx).replace("\\\"", "\"").replace("\\\\", "\\")
+        firstBalancedObject(unescaped) ?: "{}"
+    } else {
+        "{}"
+    }
+    return listOf(ToolCallRequest(function = ToolCallFunction(name = name, arguments = args)))
+}
+
+// Returns the first brace-balanced JSON object substring, or null if none closes (true truncation).
+private fun firstBalancedObject(s: String): String? {
+    val start = s.indexOf('{')
+    if (start < 0) return null
+    var depth = 0
+    var inStr = false
+    var esc = false
+    for (i in start until s.length) {
+        val c = s[i]
+        when {
+            esc -> esc = false
+            c == '\\' -> esc = true
+            c == '"' -> inStr = !inStr
+            !inStr && c == '{' -> depth++
+            !inStr && c == '}' -> {
+                depth--
+                if (depth == 0) return s.substring(start, i + 1)
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    return null
 }
 
 @Suppress("TooGenericExceptionCaught", "MagicNumber")
diff --git a/infrastructure/inference/llama_cpp/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/infrastructure/inference/llama/cpp/SalvageToolCallsTest.kt b/infrastructure/inference/llama_cpp/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/infrastructure/inference/llama/cpp/SalvageToolCallsTest.kt
index c227deb8..a323c937 100644
--- a/infrastructure/inference/llama_cpp/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/infrastructure/inference/llama/cpp/SalvageToolCallsTest.kt
+++ b/infrastructure/inference/llama_cpp/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/infrastructure/inference/llama/cpp/SalvageToolCallsTest.kt
@@ -23,6 +23,16 @@ class SalvageToolCallsTest {
         assertEquals(listOf("file_read", "ls"), calls.map { it.function.name })
     }
 
+    @Test
+    fun `recovers a truncated tool call with unterminated arguments string`() {
+        // Exact shape from session 390983ae: missing closing quote on arguments + trailing braces.
+        val content = """{"id":"rcu08","function":{"name":"file_read","arguments":"{\"path\":\"frontend/src/\"}}"""
+        val calls = salvageToolCalls(content)
+        assertEquals(1, calls.size)
+        assertEquals("file_read", calls.first().function.name)
+        assertEquals("""{"path":"frontend/src/"}""", calls.first().function.arguments)
+    }
+
     @Test
     fun `leaves a real artifact JSON alone`() {
         val artifact = """{"summary":"add a web ui","requirements":["one","two"]}"""