diff --git a/apps/cli/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/cli/commands/StatsCommand.kt b/apps/cli/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/cli/commands/StatsCommand.kt
index adc12fa4..134d0f1d 100644
--- a/apps/cli/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/cli/commands/StatsCommand.kt
+++ b/apps/cli/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/cli/commands/StatsCommand.kt
@@ -54,6 +54,18 @@ data class TierApprovalStatsDto(
     val avgWaitMs: Long,
 )
 
+@Serializable
+data class QualityStatsDto(
+    val sourceFetches: Long = 0,
+    val lowQualityExtractions: Long = 0,
+    val extractionQualityRate: Double = 1.0,
+    val retrievedHits: Long = 0,
+    val droppedHits: Long = 0,
+    val retrievalPrecision: Double = 1.0,
+    val briefDriftCount: Long = 0,
+    val capabilityGapCount: Long = 0,
+)
+
 @Serializable
 data class StatsReportDto(
     val sessionId: String,
@@ -75,6 +87,7 @@ data class StatsReportDto(
     val avgApprovalWaitMs: Long = 0,
     val perTier: List<TierApprovalStatsDto> = emptyList(),
     val failures: FailureMetricsDto = FailureMetricsDto(),
+    val quality: QualityStatsDto = QualityStatsDto(),
     val inferencePct: Double = 0.0,
     val toolPct: Double = 0.0,
     val approvalWaitPct: Double = 0.0,
@@ -146,6 +159,17 @@ fun renderStats(report: StatsReportDto): String {
         "stage: ${f.stageFailures}  workflow: ${f.workflowFailures}"
     lines += ""
 
+    val q = report.quality
+    lines += "Signal quality"
+    lines += "  extraction:  %d fetched, %d low-quality  (%.0f%% clean)".format(
+        Locale.ROOT, q.sourceFetches, q.lowQualityExtractions, q.extractionQualityRate * 100.0,
+    )
+    lines += "  retrieval:   %d kept, %d filtered  (%.0f%% precision)".format(
+        Locale.ROOT, q.retrievedHits, q.droppedHits, q.retrievalPrecision * 100.0,
+    )
+    lines += "  brief drift: ${q.briefDriftCount}   capability gaps: ${q.capabilityGapCount}"
+    lines += ""
+
     lines += "Time accounting (% of session wall time)"
     lines += "  inference: %.1f%%   tools: %.1f%%   approval-wait: %.1f%%   other: %.1f%%".format(
         Locale.ROOT,
diff --git a/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/Main.kt b/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/Main.kt
index ab0099d5..51aa1ff0 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/Main.kt
+++ b/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/Main.kt
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ import com.correx.core.events.types.SessionId
 import com.correx.infrastructure.InfrastructureModule
 import com.correx.infrastructure.inference.DefaultProviderRegistry
 import com.correx.infrastructure.workflow.ExecutionPlanCompiler
+import com.correx.infrastructure.workflow.PlanLinter
 import com.correx.infrastructure.inference.CapabilityAwareRoutingStrategy
 import com.correx.infrastructure.inference.commons.ManagedInferenceRouter
 import com.correx.infrastructure.inference.commons.AmdResourceProbe
@@ -388,7 +389,17 @@ fun main() {
         repositories = repositories,
         engines = engines.copy(
             planCompilationCheck = { json, candidateId ->
-                runCatching { planCompiler.compile(json, candidateId) }.exceptionOrNull()?.message
+                // Compile first; a compile failure returns its message. If it compiles, also run the
+                // deterministic lint here so a hard lint failure (unproduced need, trap state) feeds
+                // back to the architect via the same retry loop — rather than the post-planning
+                // FreestyleDriver lint rejecting it after the session already reached COMPLETED.
+                val compiled = runCatching { planCompiler.compile(json, candidateId) }
+                compiled.exceptionOrNull()?.message
+                    ?: PlanLinter.lint(compiled.getOrThrow()).takeIf { !it.passed }?.let { lint ->
+                        "plan lint failed: " + lint.hardFailures.joinToString("; ") {
+                            "${it.code}${it.stageId?.let { s -> " @$s" } ?: ""}: ${it.detail}"
+                        }
+                    }
             },
         ),
         retryCoordinator = DefaultRetryCoordinator(eventStore),
diff --git a/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/bridge/DomainEventMapper.kt b/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/bridge/DomainEventMapper.kt
index 14447809..ee6fafa8 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/bridge/DomainEventMapper.kt
+++ b/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/bridge/DomainEventMapper.kt
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import com.correx.core.events.events.ChatSessionStartedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.ChatTurnEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.ClarificationRequestedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.InferenceCompletedEvent
+import com.correx.core.events.events.SessionNamedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.SessionWorkspaceBoundEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.WorkflowStartedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.InferenceFailedEvent
@@ -90,6 +91,13 @@ suspend fun domainEventToServerMessage(
             sessionSequence = sessionSequence,
         )
 
+        is SessionNamedEvent -> ServerMessage.SessionRenamed(
+            sessionId = p.sessionId,
+            name = p.name,
+            sequence = seq,
+            sessionSequence = sessionSequence,
+        )
+
         is ChatTurnEvent -> ServerMessage.ChatTurn(
             sessionId = p.sessionId,
             turnId = p.turnId,
@@ -182,6 +190,7 @@ suspend fun domainEventToServerMessage(
             sessionId = p.sessionId,
             toolName = p.toolName,
             tier = p.tier,
+            params = prettyToolParams(p.request.parameters),
             sequence = seq,
             sessionSequence = sessionSequence,
         )
@@ -354,14 +363,19 @@ private suspend fun mapInferenceCompleted(
     p: InferenceCompletedEvent,
     artifactStore: ArtifactStore,
     sessionSequence: Long,
-): ServerMessage = runCatching {
-    artifactStore.get(p.responseArtifactId)?.toString(Charsets.UTF_8) ?: ""
-}.getOrElse { "" }.run {
-    ServerMessage.InferenceCompleted(
+): ServerMessage {
+    val response = runCatching {
+        artifactStore.get(p.responseArtifactId)?.toString(Charsets.UTF_8) ?: ""
+    }.getOrElse { "" }
+    val reasoning = p.reasoningArtifactId?.let { id ->
+        runCatching { artifactStore.get(id)?.toString(Charsets.UTF_8) ?: "" }.getOrElse { "" }
+    } ?: ""
+    return ServerMessage.InferenceCompleted(
         sessionId = p.sessionId,
         stageId = p.stageId,
-        outputSummary = this,
-        responseText = this,
+        outputSummary = response,
+        responseText = response,
+        reasoning = reasoning,
         occurredAt = event.metadata.timestamp.toEpochMilliseconds(),
         totalTokens = p.tokensUsed.totalTokens,
         sequence = event.sequence,
@@ -389,3 +403,33 @@ private fun mapApprovalRequested(
         sequence = seq,
         sessionSequence = sessionSequence,
     )
+
+/**
+ * Render a tool call's raw parameter map into compact, human-readable "key=value" cells for the
+ * client's tool-call row. Primary keys (path/command/query/…) lead so the most salient argument is
+ * first; long values are truncated and multi-line values collapsed so the WS frame stays small.
+ */
+internal fun prettyToolParams(parameters: Map<String, Any>): List<String> {
+    if (parameters.isEmpty()) return emptyList()
+    val primary = listOf("command", "path", "query", "url", "pattern", "content", "operation")
+    val ordered = parameters.entries.sortedWith(
+        compareBy({ primary.indexOf(it.key).let { i -> if (i < 0) primary.size else i } }, { it.key }),
+    )
+    return ordered.take(MAX_PARAM_CELLS).map { (k, v) -> "$k=${formatParamValue(v)}" }
+}
+
+private fun formatParamValue(value: Any?): String {
+    val raw = when (value) {
+        null -> "null"
+        is String -> value
+        is Collection<*> -> value.joinToString(", ", prefix = "[", postfix = "]") { formatParamValue(it) }
+        else -> value.toString()
+    }
+    val flattened = raw.replace('\n', ' ').replace('\r', ' ').trim()
+    val clipped = if (flattened.length > MAX_PARAM_VALUE_LEN) flattened.take(MAX_PARAM_VALUE_LEN) + "…" else flattened
+    // Quote strings that carry whitespace so the boundary of the value is unambiguous in the row.
+    return if (value is String && clipped.any { it.isWhitespace() }) "\"$clipped\"" else clipped
+}
+
+private const val MAX_PARAM_CELLS = 5
+private const val MAX_PARAM_VALUE_LEN = 80
diff --git a/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/bridge/SessionEventBridge.kt b/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/bridge/SessionEventBridge.kt
index 925b4bd3..0eee9e72 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/bridge/SessionEventBridge.kt
+++ b/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/bridge/SessionEventBridge.kt
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import com.correx.apps.server.protocol.SessionStateDto
 import com.correx.apps.server.protocol.StageToolDecl
 import com.correx.apps.server.protocol.ToolDecl
 import com.correx.apps.server.protocol.ToolRecordDto
+import com.correx.apps.server.protocol.TranscriptRowDto
 import com.correx.apps.server.registry.WorkflowRegistry
 import com.correx.core.approvals.ApprovalProjector
 import com.correx.core.approvals.DefaultApprovalReducer
@@ -20,6 +21,7 @@ import com.correx.core.events.events.InferenceTimeoutEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.NewEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.ApprovalRequestedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.ArtifactCreatedEvent
+import com.correx.core.events.events.ChatTurnEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.ClarificationAnsweredEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.ClarificationRequestedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.OrchestrationPausedEvent
@@ -28,6 +30,7 @@ import com.correx.core.events.events.StageCompletedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.SessionWorkspaceBoundEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.StageFailedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.StoredEvent
+import com.correx.core.events.events.TalkieNarrationEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.ToolExecutionCompletedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.ToolExecutionFailedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.ToolExecutionRejectedEvent
@@ -166,6 +169,7 @@ class SessionEventBridge(
             }
 
             val toolRecords = rebuildTools(events)
+            val transcript = reconstructTranscript(events)
 
             send(ServerMessage.SessionSnapshot(
                 sessionId = sessionId,
@@ -178,6 +182,7 @@ class SessionEventBridge(
                 pendingApprovals = pendingApprovals,
                 tools = toolRecords,
                 recentEvents = recentEvents,
+                transcript = transcript,
                 lastOutput = lastOutput,
                 lastResponse = lastOutput,
                 workspaceRoot = workspaceRoot,
@@ -233,6 +238,67 @@ class SessionEventBridge(
         }?.let { stored -> mapper.map(stored, stored.sessionSequence)?.let { send(it) } }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Rebuild the OUTPUT-transcript source rows (chat / narration / thinking / tool) so a reopened
+     * session restores its full conversation. Ships raw content only — the client applies its own
+     * diff/param/action formatting. Reasoning is resolved from CAS (same as the live path). Tool
+     * params are paired to their completion by invocation id.
+     */
+    private suspend fun reconstructTranscript(events: List<StoredEvent>): List<TranscriptRowDto> {
+        val paramsByInvocation = mutableMapOf<String, List<String>>()
+        val rows = mutableListOf<TranscriptRowDto>()
+        for (event in events) {
+            when (val p = event.payload) {
+                is ChatTurnEvent -> rows.add(
+                    TranscriptRowDto(
+                        kind = "chat",
+                        role = p.role.name,
+                        content = p.content,
+                        latencyMs = p.latencyMs,
+                        totalTokens = p.tokensUsed?.totalTokens,
+                    ),
+                )
+                is TalkieNarrationEvent -> rows.add(
+                    TranscriptRowDto(
+                        kind = "narration",
+                        content = p.content,
+                        latencyMs = p.latencyMs,
+                        totalTokens = p.tokensUsed?.totalTokens,
+                    ),
+                )
+                is InferenceCompletedEvent -> {
+                    val reasoning = p.reasoningArtifactId
+                        ?.let { runCatching { artifactStore.get(it)?.toString(Charsets.UTF_8) }.getOrNull() }
+                        .orEmpty()
+                    if (reasoning.isNotBlank()) {
+                        rows.add(TranscriptRowDto(kind = "thinking", content = reasoning))
+                    }
+                }
+                is ToolInvocationRequestedEvent ->
+                    paramsByInvocation[p.invocationId.value] = prettyToolParams(p.request.parameters)
+                is ToolExecutionCompletedEvent -> rows.add(
+                    TranscriptRowDto(
+                        kind = "tool",
+                        status = "completed",
+                        toolName = p.toolName,
+                        diff = p.receipt.diff,
+                        params = paramsByInvocation[p.invocationId.value].orEmpty(),
+                        summary = p.receipt.outputSummary,
+                        affectedEntities = p.receipt.affectedEntities,
+                    ),
+                )
+                is ToolExecutionFailedEvent -> rows.add(
+                    TranscriptRowDto(kind = "tool", status = "failed", toolName = p.toolName, summary = p.reason),
+                )
+                is ToolExecutionRejectedEvent -> rows.add(
+                    TranscriptRowDto(kind = "tool", status = "rejected", toolName = p.toolName, summary = p.reason),
+                )
+                else -> { /* not a transcript row */ }
+            }
+        }
+        return rows
+    }
+
     private fun eventToEntry(event: StoredEvent): EventEntryDto? {
         val ts = event.metadata.timestamp.toEpochMilliseconds()
         return when (val p = event.payload) {
diff --git a/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/metrics/MetricsInspectionService.kt b/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/metrics/MetricsInspectionService.kt
index 8f5c9aad..3e315d9a 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/metrics/MetricsInspectionService.kt
+++ b/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/metrics/MetricsInspectionService.kt
@@ -34,6 +34,24 @@ data class TierApprovalStatsDto(
     val avgWaitMs: Long,
 )
 
+/**
+ * Signal-quality view: raw counts plus the two derived ratios an operator reads. Extraction
+ * quality is the share of research fetches that cleared the quality bar; retrieval precision is
+ * the share of repo-knowledge hits kept (not filtered below the similarity threshold). Both are
+ * 1.0 when there's nothing to judge (no fetches / no retrieval), so a clean run reads as clean.
+ */
+@Serializable
+data class QualityStatsDto(
+    val sourceFetches: Long = 0,
+    val lowQualityExtractions: Long = 0,
+    val extractionQualityRate: Double = 1.0,
+    val retrievedHits: Long = 0,
+    val droppedHits: Long = 0,
+    val retrievalPrecision: Double = 1.0,
+    val briefDriftCount: Long = 0,
+    val capabilityGapCount: Long = 0,
+)
+
 /**
  * Render-friendly view of a session's metrics. Raw sums plus the derived ratios the operator
  * actually reads; the time-accounting percentages split session wall time into inference /
@@ -61,6 +79,7 @@ data class MetricsReport(
     val avgApprovalWaitMs: Long,
     val perTier: List<TierApprovalStatsDto>,
     val failures: FailureMetrics,
+    val quality: QualityStatsDto = QualityStatsDto(),
     val inferencePct: Double,
     val toolPct: Double,
     val approvalWaitPct: Double,
@@ -125,6 +144,7 @@ class MetricsInspectionService(private val eventStore: EventStore) {
                     )
                 },
             failures = s.failures,
+            quality = qualityStats(s.quality),
             inferencePct = pct(s.inference.totalLatencyMs, durationMs),
             toolPct = pct(s.tools.totalDurationMs, durationMs),
             approvalWaitPct = pct(s.approvals.totalWaitMs, durationMs),
@@ -145,4 +165,20 @@ class MetricsInspectionService(private val eventStore: EventStore) {
 
     private fun avg(total: Long, count: Long): Long =
         if (count <= 0L) 0L else total / count
+
+    private fun qualityStats(q: QualityMetrics): QualityStatsDto {
+        val keptExtractions = (q.sourceFetches - q.lowQualityExtractions).coerceAtLeast(0L)
+        val totalHits = q.retrievedHits + q.droppedHits
+        return QualityStatsDto(
+            sourceFetches = q.sourceFetches,
+            lowQualityExtractions = q.lowQualityExtractions,
+            // 1.0 when nothing was fetched — no evidence of low quality reads as clean.
+            extractionQualityRate = if (q.sourceFetches <= 0L) 1.0 else keptExtractions.toDouble() / q.sourceFetches,
+            retrievedHits = q.retrievedHits,
+            droppedHits = q.droppedHits,
+            retrievalPrecision = if (totalHits <= 0L) 1.0 else q.retrievedHits.toDouble() / totalHits,
+            briefDriftCount = q.briefDriftCount,
+            capabilityGapCount = q.capabilityGapCount,
+        )
+    }
 }
diff --git a/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/metrics/MetricsProjection.kt b/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/metrics/MetricsProjection.kt
index 116a9fce..ff6813dc 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/metrics/MetricsProjection.kt
+++ b/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/metrics/MetricsProjection.kt
@@ -2,9 +2,17 @@ package com.correx.apps.server.metrics
 
 import com.correx.core.events.events.ApprovalDecisionResolvedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.ApprovalRequestedEvent
+import com.correx.core.events.events.BriefEchoMismatchEvent
+import com.correx.core.events.events.CapabilityGapReflectedEvent
+import com.correx.core.events.events.CapabilityGapVerdict
+import com.correx.core.events.events.EventPayload
 import com.correx.core.events.events.InferenceCompletedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.InferenceFailedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.InferenceTimeoutEvent
+import com.correx.core.events.events.LowQualityExtractionEvent
+import com.correx.core.events.events.RepoKnowledgeHitsFilteredEvent
+import com.correx.core.events.events.RepoKnowledgeRetrievedEvent
+import com.correx.core.events.events.SourceFetchedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.StageFailedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.StoredEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.ToolExecutionCompletedEvent
@@ -44,13 +52,37 @@ class MetricsProjection : Projection<MetricsState> {
             is ApprovalDecisionResolvedEvent -> spanned.applyApprovalResolved(payload)
             is StageFailedEvent -> spanned.bumpFailure { it.copy(stageFailures = it.stageFailures + 1) }
             is WorkflowFailedEvent -> spanned.bumpFailure { it.copy(workflowFailures = it.workflowFailures + 1) }
-            else -> spanned
+            else -> spanned.applyQualityEvent(payload)
         }
     }
 
+    // Signal-quality events other bounded contexts emit. Split out of apply() so its when stays
+    // under the cyclomatic-complexity bar; unmatched payloads fall through unchanged.
+    private fun MetricsState.applyQualityEvent(payload: EventPayload): MetricsState =
+        when (payload) {
+            is SourceFetchedEvent -> bumpQuality { it.copy(sourceFetches = it.sourceFetches + 1) }
+            is LowQualityExtractionEvent ->
+                bumpQuality { it.copy(lowQualityExtractions = it.lowQualityExtractions + 1) }
+            is RepoKnowledgeRetrievedEvent ->
+                bumpQuality { it.copy(retrievedHits = it.retrievedHits + payload.hits.size) }
+            is RepoKnowledgeHitsFilteredEvent ->
+                bumpQuality { it.copy(droppedHits = it.droppedHits + payload.dropped.size) }
+            is BriefEchoMismatchEvent -> bumpQuality { it.copy(briefDriftCount = it.briefDriftCount + 1) }
+            is CapabilityGapReflectedEvent ->
+                if (payload.verdict == CapabilityGapVerdict.NEEDS_TOOL) {
+                    bumpQuality { it.copy(capabilityGapCount = it.capabilityGapCount + 1) }
+                } else {
+                    this
+                }
+            else -> this
+        }
+
     private fun MetricsState.bumpFailure(transform: (FailureMetrics) -> FailureMetrics): MetricsState =
         copy(failures = transform(failures))
 
+    private fun MetricsState.bumpQuality(transform: (QualityMetrics) -> QualityMetrics): MetricsState =
+        copy(quality = transform(quality))
+
     private fun MetricsState.applyInferenceCompleted(e: InferenceCompletedEvent): MetricsState {
         val provider = e.providerId.value
         val prev = inference.perProvider[provider] ?: ProviderInferenceMetrics()
diff --git a/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/metrics/MetricsState.kt b/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/metrics/MetricsState.kt
index 23b7175a..18dc7747 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/metrics/MetricsState.kt
+++ b/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/metrics/MetricsState.kt
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ data class MetricsState(
     val tools: ToolMetrics = ToolMetrics(),
     val approvals: ApprovalMetrics = ApprovalMetrics(),
     val failures: FailureMetrics = FailureMetrics(),
+    val quality: QualityMetrics = QualityMetrics(),
     /**
      * In-flight approval requests awaiting resolution: requestId → request-event timestamp.
      * Transient correlation bookkeeping that lets request→decision latency be computed in a
@@ -74,6 +75,21 @@ data class TierApprovalMetrics(
     val totalWaitMs: Long = 0,
 )
 
+/**
+ * Signal-quality accumulators — raw counts of the quality/rate events other bounded contexts emit.
+ * Ratios (extraction-quality, retrieval-precision) are derived at render time from these sums, the
+ * same way inference throughput is, so this stays a stable replayable accumulator.
+ */
+@Serializable
+data class QualityMetrics(
+    val sourceFetches: Long = 0,          // total research extractions (extraction-quality denominator)
+    val lowQualityExtractions: Long = 0,  // extractions flagged below the quality bar
+    val retrievedHits: Long = 0,          // repo-knowledge hits surfaced to a stage
+    val droppedHits: Long = 0,            // repo-knowledge hits filtered below the similarity threshold
+    val briefDriftCount: Long = 0,        // brief-echo mismatches (uncovered reqs / hallucinated refs)
+    val capabilityGapCount: Long = 0,     // NEEDS_TOOL capability-gap reflections (genuine gaps only)
+)
+
 @Serializable
 data class FailureMetrics(
     val inferenceFailures: Long = 0,
diff --git a/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/narration/NarrationSubscriber.kt b/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/narration/NarrationSubscriber.kt
index 46bb794f..4b3a9fe3 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/narration/NarrationSubscriber.kt
+++ b/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/narration/NarrationSubscriber.kt
@@ -3,8 +3,11 @@ package com.correx.apps.server.narration
 import com.correx.core.events.events.ApprovalDecisionResolvedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.ApprovalRequestedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.ExecutionPlanRejectedEvent
+import com.correx.core.events.events.InitialIntentEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.OrchestrationPausedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.OrchestrationResumedEvent
+import com.correx.core.events.events.ReviewFindingsRaisedEvent
+import com.correx.core.events.events.ReviewVerdict
 import com.correx.core.events.events.StageCompletedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.StageFailedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.StoredEvent
@@ -63,6 +66,16 @@ class NarrationSubscriber(
         val sid = event.metadata.sessionId
         when (val p = event.payload) {
             is WorkflowStartedEvent -> lanes[sid.value]?.let { it.used = 0 }
+            // Derive a human title from the opening intent, off the narration budget/lane (it's not
+            // a narration and must not consume a run's narration allowance). Launched so a slow name
+            // inference never stalls the event stream; failure is non-fatal (session keeps its id).
+            is InitialIntentEvent -> scope.launch {
+                runCatching { routerFacade.nameSession(sid, p.intent) }
+                    .onFailure { e ->
+                        if (e is CancellationException) throw e
+                        log.warn("session naming failed for {}: {}", sid.value, e.message)
+                    }
+            }
             // Approval pauses narrate off this event, not OrchestrationPaused: it carries the
             // tool/tier/preview facts directly, where the paused event forced a racy lookup
             // against state the next event had not yet written.
@@ -107,6 +120,19 @@ class NarrationSubscriber(
                     stageId = p.stageId.value,
                 ),
             )
+            // Surface the semantic reviewer's verdict conversationally instead of a raw findings
+            // dump: the narrator turns "FAIL, 2 findings" into a plain-language explanation the
+            // operator can act on. Only narrate when there's something to say (non-PASS or findings).
+            is ReviewFindingsRaisedEvent -> if (p.verdict != ReviewVerdict.PASS || p.findings.isNotEmpty()) {
+                enqueue(
+                    sid,
+                    NarrationTrigger(
+                        kind = "review",
+                        instruction = reviewInstruction(p),
+                        stageId = p.stageId.value,
+                    ),
+                )
+            }
             is ExecutionPlanRejectedEvent -> enqueue(
                 sid,
                 NarrationTrigger(
@@ -153,6 +179,25 @@ class NarrationSubscriber(
         }
     }
 
+    private fun reviewInstruction(event: ReviewFindingsRaisedEvent): String = buildString {
+        val verdict = event.verdict.name
+        append("The semantic reviewer returned $verdict for stage ${event.stageId.value}")
+        if (event.blocked) append(" (blocking — the stage will retry with this feedback)")
+        append(". ")
+        if (event.findings.isEmpty()) {
+            append("It raised no specific findings. Tell the operator the review result plainly.")
+        } else {
+            append("Summarise its findings for the operator in plain language:\n")
+            event.findings.take(MAX_REVIEW_FINDINGS).forEach { f ->
+                val loc = if (f.target.isNotBlank()) " [${f.target}]" else ""
+                appendLine("- ${f.severity} ${f.category}$loc: ${f.message.take(MAX_FINDING_CHARS)}")
+            }
+            if (event.findings.size > MAX_REVIEW_FINDINGS) {
+                appendLine("- …and ${event.findings.size - MAX_REVIEW_FINDINGS} more.")
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     private fun enqueue(sessionId: SessionId, trigger: NarrationTrigger, pauseKey: String? = null) {
         val lane = lanes.computeIfAbsent(sessionId.value) { startLane(sessionId) }
         if (lane.used >= maxPerRun) {
@@ -211,6 +256,8 @@ class NarrationSubscriber(
     companion object {
         private const val DEFAULT_MAX_PER_RUN = 100
         private const val MAX_PREVIEW_CHARS = 800
+        private const val MAX_REVIEW_FINDINGS = 5
+        private const val MAX_FINDING_CHARS = 200
 
         /** Supersession scope for pauses with no approval request (e.g. USER_REQUESTED). */
         private const val SESSION_PAUSE_KEY = "__session_pause__"
diff --git a/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/protocol/Dtos.kt b/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/protocol/Dtos.kt
index 3e26a697..8c43090f 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/protocol/Dtos.kt
+++ b/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/protocol/Dtos.kt
@@ -84,6 +84,28 @@ data class EventEntryDto(
     val detail: String,
 )
 
+/**
+ * One raw OUTPUT-transcript source row for a reopened session. The server ships the *content*
+ * (chat text, narration, reasoning, tool diff/params/summary) with no formatting; the client folds
+ * these into its transcript rows in onSnapshot reusing its own diff/param/action formatters, so the
+ * row-rendering logic stays in one place (the Go client) and a restart restores the full transcript
+ * instead of only the thin EVENTS markers. [kind] is chat | narration | thinking | tool.
+ */
+@Serializable
+data class TranscriptRowDto(
+    val kind: String,
+    val role: String = "",
+    val content: String = "",
+    val toolName: String = "",
+    val status: String = "",
+    val diff: String? = null,
+    val params: List<String> = emptyList(),
+    val summary: String = "",
+    val affectedEntities: List<String> = emptyList(),
+    val latencyMs: Long? = null,
+    val totalTokens: Int? = null,
+)
+
 @Serializable
 data class ToolRecordDto(
     val name: String,
diff --git a/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/protocol/ServerMessage.kt b/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/protocol/ServerMessage.kt
index 94651bcd..bf218a4d 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/protocol/ServerMessage.kt
+++ b/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/protocol/ServerMessage.kt
@@ -51,6 +51,17 @@ sealed interface ServerMessage {
         override val sessionSequence: Long,
     ) : ServerMessage, SessionMessage
 
+    /** A human-readable title derived from the session's intent, from SessionNamedEvent — the
+     *  client shows this in place of the opaque workflow id. */
+    @Serializable
+    @SerialName("session.renamed")
+    data class SessionRenamed(
+        val sessionId: SessionId,
+        val name: String,
+        override val sequence: Long,
+        override val sessionSequence: Long,
+    ) : ServerMessage, SessionMessage
+
     /** The workspace root a session was bound to, from SessionWorkspaceBoundEvent — shown as cwd. */
     @Serializable
     @SerialName("session.workspace_bound")
@@ -124,6 +135,9 @@ sealed interface ServerMessage {
         val pendingApprovals: List<ApprovalDto>,
         val tools: List<ToolRecordDto> = emptyList(),
         val recentEvents: List<EventEntryDto> = emptyList(),
+        // Raw source for the OUTPUT transcript (chat / narration / thinking / tool rows); the client
+        // folds these into its transcript on reopen so a restart restores the full conversation.
+        val transcript: List<TranscriptRowDto> = emptyList(),
         // Last stage's inference output, resolved from CAS, so a reopened session restores its
         // output panel instead of showing blank until new activity arrives.
         val lastOutput: String = "",
@@ -188,6 +202,10 @@ sealed interface ServerMessage {
         val stageId: StageId,
         val outputSummary: String,
         val responseText: String = "",
+        // The model's reasoning/thinking trace (llama `reasoning_content`), when the provider
+        // captured one. Sent so the client can offer a collapsed, opt-in "thinking" view; empty
+        // for models that don't emit a separate reasoning channel.
+        val reasoning: String = "",
         val occurredAt: Long,
         val totalTokens: Int? = null,
         override val sequence: Long,
@@ -234,6 +252,10 @@ sealed interface ServerMessage {
         val sessionId: SessionId,
         val toolName: String,
         val tier: Tier,
+        // Pretty-formatted "key=value" call arguments (path=…, command="…", query=…) so the client
+        // can show what the tool was actually invoked with, not just its name. Capped + truncated
+        // upstream (see prettyToolParams) to keep the stream small.
+        val params: List<String> = emptyList(),
         override val sequence: Long,
         override val sessionSequence: Long,
     ) : ServerMessage, SessionMessage
diff --git a/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/routes/SessionRoutes.kt b/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/routes/SessionRoutes.kt
index ee0e5705..512e42a8 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/routes/SessionRoutes.kt
+++ b/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/routes/SessionRoutes.kt
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ data class StartSessionRequest(
 data class SessionSummaryResponse(
     val sessionId: String,
     val status: String,
+    val name: String? = null,
     val intent: String? = null,
     val workflowId: String? = null,
     val stageCount: Int = 0,
@@ -84,6 +85,7 @@ fun Route.sessionRoutes(module: ServerModule) {
                 SessionSummaryResponse(
                     sessionId = s.sessionId.value,
                     status = s.status,
+                    name = s.name,
                     intent = s.intent,
                     workflowId = s.workflowId,
                     stageCount = s.stageCount,
diff --git a/apps/server/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/bridge/DomainEventMapperTest.kt b/apps/server/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/bridge/DomainEventMapperTest.kt
index 5c9e43af..eb04f5b5 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/bridge/DomainEventMapperTest.kt
+++ b/apps/server/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/bridge/DomainEventMapperTest.kt
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ class DomainEventMapperTest {
         val result = domainEventToServerMessage(event, store, sessionSequence = 0L)
         assertEquals(
             ServerMessage.InferenceCompleted(
-                sessionId, stageId, responseText, responseText, occurredAt,
+                sessionId, stageId, responseText, responseText, occurredAt = occurredAt,
                 totalTokens = 15, sequence = event.sequence, sessionSequence = 0L,
             ),
             result,
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ class DomainEventMapperTest {
         val result = domainEventToServerMessage(event, noopStore, sessionSequence = 0L)
         assertEquals(
             ServerMessage.InferenceCompleted(
-                sessionId, stageId, "", "", occurredAt,
+                sessionId, stageId, "", "", occurredAt = occurredAt,
                 totalTokens = 15, sequence = event.sequence, sessionSequence = 0L,
             ),
             result,
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ class DomainEventMapperTest {
         )
         val result = domainEventToServerMessage(event, noopStore, sessionSequence = 0L)
         assertEquals(
-            ServerMessage.ToolStarted(sessionId, "file_write", Tier.T2, event.sequence, 0L),
+            ServerMessage.ToolStarted(sessionId, "file_write", Tier.T2, sequence = event.sequence, sessionSequence = 0L),
             result,
         )
     }
diff --git a/apps/server/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/bridge/SessionEventBridgeTest.kt b/apps/server/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/bridge/SessionEventBridgeTest.kt
index c6467745..3cd073cd 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/bridge/SessionEventBridgeTest.kt
+++ b/apps/server/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/bridge/SessionEventBridgeTest.kt
@@ -3,8 +3,15 @@ package com.correx.apps.server.bridge
 import com.correx.apps.server.protocol.EventEntryDto
 import com.correx.apps.server.protocol.ServerMessage
 import com.correx.apps.server.registry.WorkflowRegistry
+import com.correx.core.approvals.Tier
 import com.correx.core.artifactstore.ArtifactStore
+import com.correx.core.events.events.ChatTurnEvent
+import com.correx.core.events.events.ChatTurnRole
 import com.correx.core.events.events.EventMetadata
+import com.correx.core.events.events.InferenceCompletedEvent
+import com.correx.core.events.events.TalkieNarrationEvent
+import com.correx.core.events.events.ToolExecutionCompletedEvent
+import com.correx.core.events.events.ToolReceipt
 import com.correx.core.events.events.ClarificationAnsweredEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.ClarificationAnswer
 import com.correx.core.events.events.ClarificationQuestion
@@ -23,8 +30,12 @@ import com.correx.core.events.orchestration.OrchestrationStatus
 import com.correx.core.events.stores.EventStore
 import com.correx.core.events.types.ArtifactId
 import com.correx.core.events.types.ClarificationRequestId
+import com.correx.core.inference.TokenUsage
 import com.correx.core.events.types.EventId
+import com.correx.core.events.types.InferenceRequestId
+import com.correx.core.events.types.ProviderId
 import com.correx.core.events.types.SessionId
+import com.correx.core.events.types.ToolInvocationId
 import com.correx.core.events.types.StageId
 import com.correx.core.events.types.TransitionId
 import com.correx.core.kernel.orchestration.OrchestrationRepository
@@ -228,6 +239,67 @@ class SessionEventBridgeTest {
         assertEquals(ServerMessage.SnapshotComplete, sent[1])
     }
 
+    @Test
+    fun `replaySnapshot reconstructs the OUTPUT transcript with reasoning and a write row`() = runTest {
+        val reasoningId = ArtifactId("reasoning-1")
+        val artifactStore = object : ArtifactStore {
+            override suspend fun put(bytes: ByteArray): ArtifactId = ArtifactId("art-1")
+            override suspend fun get(id: ArtifactId): ByteArray? =
+                if (id == reasoningId) "thinking hard".toByteArray() else null
+            override suspend fun flushBefore(commit: suspend () -> Unit) = commit()
+        }
+        val diff = "--- a/app.css\n+++ b/app.css\n+body {}\n"
+        val receipt = ToolReceipt(
+            invocationId = ToolInvocationId("inv-1"),
+            toolName = "file_write",
+            exitCode = 0,
+            outputSummary = "wrote 1 line",
+            durationMs = 5L,
+            tier = Tier.T2,
+            timestamp = timestamp,
+            diff = diff,
+        )
+        val events = listOf(
+            storedEvent(ChatTurnEvent(sessionId, "t1", ChatTurnRole.USER, "hi", timestampMs = 0L), seq = 1L),
+            storedEvent(
+                TalkieNarrationEvent(sessionId, "n1", "stage", stageId.value, "narrating", timestampMs = 0L),
+                seq = 2L,
+            ),
+            storedEvent(
+                InferenceCompletedEvent(
+                    requestId = InferenceRequestId("r1"),
+                    sessionId = sessionId,
+                    stageId = stageId,
+                    providerId = ProviderId("p"),
+                    tokensUsed = TokenUsage(1, 1),
+                    latencyMs = 3L,
+                    responseArtifactId = ArtifactId("resp-1"),
+                    reasoningArtifactId = reasoningId,
+                ),
+                seq = 3L,
+            ),
+            storedEvent(
+                ToolExecutionCompletedEvent(ToolInvocationId("inv-1"), sessionId, "file_write", receipt),
+                seq = 4L,
+            ),
+        )
+        val store = fakeEventStore(allEventsList = events)
+        val sent = mutableListOf<ServerMessage>()
+        val bridge = SessionEventBridge(
+            store, artifactStore, activeOrchestrationRepository(),
+            noopWorkflowRegistry, noopToolRegistry,
+        ) { sent.add(it) }
+
+        bridge.replaySnapshot()
+
+        val transcript = (sent[0] as ServerMessage.SessionSnapshot).transcript
+        assertEquals(listOf("chat", "narration", "thinking", "tool"), transcript.map { it.kind })
+        assertEquals("USER", transcript[0].role)
+        assertEquals("thinking hard", transcript[2].content)
+        assertEquals(diff, transcript[3].diff)
+        assertEquals("wrote 1 line", transcript[3].summary)
+    }
+
     @Test
     fun `replaySnapshot populates recentEvents from event store`() = runTest {
         val events = listOf(
diff --git a/apps/server/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/metrics/MetricsProjectionTest.kt b/apps/server/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/metrics/MetricsProjectionTest.kt
index edc09837..b619e3b8 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/metrics/MetricsProjectionTest.kt
+++ b/apps/server/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/metrics/MetricsProjectionTest.kt
@@ -5,11 +5,19 @@ import com.correx.core.approvals.ApprovalStatus
 import com.correx.core.approvals.Tier
 import com.correx.core.events.events.ApprovalDecisionResolvedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.ApprovalRequestedEvent
+import com.correx.core.events.events.BriefEchoMismatchEvent
+import com.correx.core.events.events.CapabilityGapReflectedEvent
+import com.correx.core.events.events.CapabilityGapVerdict
 import com.correx.core.events.events.EventMetadata
 import com.correx.core.events.events.EventPayload
 import com.correx.core.events.events.InferenceCompletedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.InferenceFailedEvent
+import com.correx.core.events.events.LowQualityExtractionEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.NewEvent
+import com.correx.core.events.events.RepoKnowledgeHit
+import com.correx.core.events.events.RepoKnowledgeHitsFilteredEvent
+import com.correx.core.events.events.RepoKnowledgeRetrievedEvent
+import com.correx.core.events.events.SourceFetchedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.StoredEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.ToolExecutionCompletedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.ToolExecutionFailedEvent
@@ -254,4 +262,43 @@ class MetricsProjectionTest {
         assertEquals(0.0, r.tokensPerSecond, 0.001)
         assertEquals(0.0, r.inferencePct, 0.001)
     }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `quality events derive extraction quality, retrieval precision, and drift-gap counts`() {
+        val hit = { p: String -> RepoKnowledgeHit(path = p, text = "t", score = 0.7f) }
+        val qualitySeed = listOf(
+            stored(SourceFetchedEvent(sessionId, stageId, "u1", "sha1", quality = "ok"), 1L, at(1)),
+            stored(SourceFetchedEvent(sessionId, stageId, "u2", "sha2", quality = "ok"), 2L, at(2)),
+            stored(SourceFetchedEvent(sessionId, stageId, "u3", "sha3", quality = "low"), 3L, at(3)),
+            stored(LowQualityExtractionEvent(sessionId, stageId, "u3", "sha3", "paywall"), 4L, at(4)),
+            stored(
+                RepoKnowledgeRetrievedEvent(sessionId, stageId, "q", listOf(hit("a"), hit("b"), hit("c"))),
+                5L, at(5),
+            ),
+            stored(
+                RepoKnowledgeHitsFilteredEvent(sessionId, "q", threshold = 0.5f, dropped = listOf(hit("d"))),
+                6L, at(6),
+            ),
+            stored(BriefEchoMismatchEvent(sessionId, stageId, listOf("req1"), emptyList(), listOf("Foo")), 7L, at(7)),
+            stored(
+                CapabilityGapReflectedEvent(sessionId, stageId, "file_edit", CapabilityGapVerdict.NEEDS_TOOL, "d", 0L),
+                8L, at(8),
+            ),
+            // RESOLVED = self-corrected, not a genuine gap — must not count.
+            stored(
+                CapabilityGapReflectedEvent(sessionId, stageId, "file_write", CapabilityGapVerdict.RESOLVED, "d", 0L),
+                9L, at(9),
+            ),
+        )
+        val q = MetricsInspectionService(SeededEventStore(qualitySeed)).inspect(sessionId).quality
+
+        assertEquals(3L, q.sourceFetches)
+        assertEquals(1L, q.lowQualityExtractions)
+        assertEquals(2.0 / 3.0, q.extractionQualityRate, 0.001)
+        assertEquals(3L, q.retrievedHits)
+        assertEquals(1L, q.droppedHits)
+        assertEquals(0.75, q.retrievalPrecision, 0.001)
+        assertEquals(1L, q.briefDriftCount)
+        assertEquals(1L, q.capabilityGapCount)
+    }
 }
diff --git a/apps/server/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/narration/NarrationSubscriberTest.kt b/apps/server/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/narration/NarrationSubscriberTest.kt
index b946dfdf..a82cd428 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/narration/NarrationSubscriberTest.kt
+++ b/apps/server/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/narration/NarrationSubscriberTest.kt
@@ -81,6 +81,8 @@ class NarrationSubscriberTest {
         override suspend fun narrate(sessionId: SessionId, trigger: NarrationTrigger) {
             calls.add(sessionId to trigger)
         }
+
+        override suspend fun nameSession(sessionId: SessionId, intent: String) = Unit
     }
 
     private fun storedEvent(payload: EventPayload, seq: Long): StoredEvent = StoredEvent(
@@ -191,6 +193,8 @@ class NarrationSubscriberTest {
                 if (callCount == 1) throw RuntimeException("simulated failure")
                 calls.add(trigger.kind)
             }
+
+            override suspend fun nameSession(sessionId: SessionId, intent: String) = Unit
         }
         NarrationSubscriber(fakeStore, facade, scope).start()
 
@@ -263,6 +267,8 @@ class NarrationSubscriberTest {
             }
             calls.add(trigger)
         }
+
+        override suspend fun nameSession(sessionId: SessionId, intent: String) = Unit
     }
 
     private fun approvalRequested(requestId: String): ApprovalRequestedEvent = ApprovalRequestedEvent(
diff --git a/apps/tui-go/internal/app/model.go b/apps/tui-go/internal/app/model.go
index f54b679e..2fc9b941 100644
--- a/apps/tui-go/internal/app/model.go
+++ b/apps/tui-go/internal/app/model.go
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ type ToolRecord struct {
 	Name   string
 	Tier   int
 	Status ToolStatus
+	Params []string // pretty "key=value" call args, from tool.started
 }
 
 // ManifestTool is a declared (not-yet-run) tool from a stage manifest.
@@ -208,6 +209,7 @@ type Session struct {
 	Status             string
 	WorkflowID         string
 	Name               string
+	named              bool // Name came from a session.renamed (intent-derived title); don't clobber with workflowId
 	LastEventAt        int64
 	CurrentStage       string
 	PlanGoal           string
@@ -429,6 +431,11 @@ type Model struct {
 	// the OUTPUT transcript; they always stay in the EVENTS panel. Persisted in tui-prefs.json.
 	actionsHidden bool
 
+	// thinkingShown reveals the model's reasoning/thinking blocks in the OUTPUT transcript.
+	// Off by default (collapsed to a one-line summary) so the trace doesn't drown the answer;
+	// toggled from the palette ("thinking"). Persisted in tui-prefs.json.
+	thinkingShown bool
+
 	// outputScroll is how many rows up from the bottom the OUTPUT transcript is scrolled
 	// (0 = tail-follow the newest output). PgUp/PgDn + ctrl+u/d move it; esc snaps back.
 	outputScroll int
@@ -504,6 +511,7 @@ func NewModel(client *ws.Client) Model {
 		transcriptSel:         -1,
 		sbHidden:              loadStatusbarHidden(),
 		actionsHidden:         loadPrefs().InlineActionsHidden,
+		thinkingShown:         loadPrefs().ThinkingShown,
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/apps/tui-go/internal/app/overlays.go b/apps/tui-go/internal/app/overlays.go
index 5d2c9981..41b0678b 100644
--- a/apps/tui-go/internal/app/overlays.go
+++ b/apps/tui-go/internal/app/overlays.go
@@ -532,7 +532,7 @@ func (m Model) eventInspectorModal() string {
 			fg = t.P.FgStrong
 		}
 		row := marker + mbg(t, padRaw(e.Time, 8)+" ", t.P.Faint) +
-			lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(t.categoryColor(cat)).Background(t.P.BgPanel).Render(padRaw("["+cat+"]", 11)) + " " +
+			lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(t.categoryColor(cat)).Background(t.P.BgPanel).Render(padRaw("["+cat+"]", 11)) + mbg(t, " ", t.P.Fg) +
 			lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(fg).Background(t.P.BgPanel).Render(padRaw(e.Type, 18)) +
 			mbg(t, " "+truncate(e.Detail, detailBudget), t.P.Dim)
 		b.WriteString(row + "\n")
diff --git a/apps/tui-go/internal/app/prefs.go b/apps/tui-go/internal/app/prefs.go
index c6727065..027987ae 100644
--- a/apps/tui-go/internal/app/prefs.go
+++ b/apps/tui-go/internal/app/prefs.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 type prefs struct {
 	StatusbarHidden     []string `json:"statusbarHidden"`
 	InlineActionsHidden bool     `json:"inlineActionsHidden"`
+	ThinkingShown       bool     `json:"thinkingShown"`
 }
 
 // statusSegment is one toggleable status-bar segment. The always-on segments (correx label,
@@ -97,3 +98,10 @@ func saveInlineActionsHidden(hidden bool) {
 	p.InlineActionsHidden = hidden
 	savePrefs(p)
 }
+
+// saveThinkingShown persists the reasoning-blocks toggle, preserving other prefs fields.
+func saveThinkingShown(shown bool) {
+	p := loadPrefs()
+	p.ThinkingShown = shown
+	savePrefs(p)
+}
diff --git a/apps/tui-go/internal/app/render_matrix_test.go b/apps/tui-go/internal/app/render_matrix_test.go
index 486ed754..996e2a39 100644
--- a/apps/tui-go/internal/app/render_matrix_test.go
+++ b/apps/tui-go/internal/app/render_matrix_test.go
@@ -352,6 +352,17 @@ func matrixCases() []matrixCase {
 			want: []string{"corx-ws"},
 		},
 
+		// --- session rename (status bar shows intent-derived title) ---
+		{
+			name:    "session.renamed",
+			kinds:   []string{protocol.TypeSessionRenamed},
+			surface: surfaceStatusBar,
+			build: func() protocol.ServerMessage {
+				return msg(protocol.TypeSessionRenamed, func(m *protocol.ServerMessage) { m.Name = "Add Auth Layer" })
+			},
+			want: []string{"Add Auth Layer"},
+		},
+
 		// --- approval gate (docked band card) ---
 		{
 			name:    "approval.required",
diff --git a/apps/tui-go/internal/app/server.go b/apps/tui-go/internal/app/server.go
index 0e97fe3d..a6ae864b 100644
--- a/apps/tui-go/internal/app/server.go
+++ b/apps/tui-go/internal/app/server.go
@@ -96,6 +96,8 @@ func (m *Model) applyServer(msg protocol.ServerMessage) {
 	switch msg.Type {
 	case protocol.TypeSessionAnnounced:
 		m.onSessionAnnounced(msg)
+	case protocol.TypeSessionRenamed:
+		m.onSessionRenamed(msg)
 	case protocol.TypeRouterNarration:
 		entry := RouterEntry{Role: "narration_llm", Content: msg.Content}
 		if msg.LatencyMs != nil && msg.TotalTokens != nil {
@@ -198,6 +200,11 @@ func (m *Model) applyServer(msg protocol.ServerMessage) {
 				s.StageTokensUsed = *msg.TotalTokens
 			}
 			s.addEvent(msg.OccurredAt, "InferenceCompleted", msg.StageID)
+			// Thread the model's reasoning trace into the transcript as a collapsed "thinking"
+			// row (revealed via the palette). Skipped when the model emits no separate channel.
+			if strings.TrimSpace(msg.Reasoning) != "" {
+				m.appendRouter(msg.SessionID, RouterEntry{Role: "thinking", Content: msg.Reasoning})
+			}
 		}
 	case protocol.TypeInferenceTimeout:
 		if s := m.session(msg.SessionID); s != nil {
@@ -217,7 +224,7 @@ func (m *Model) applyServer(msg protocol.ServerMessage) {
 	case protocol.TypeToolStarted:
 		if s := m.session(msg.SessionID); s != nil {
 			s.Active = true
-			s.Tools = append(s.Tools, ToolRecord{Name: msg.ToolName, Status: ToolStarted})
+			s.Tools = append(s.Tools, ToolRecord{Name: msg.ToolName, Status: ToolStarted, Params: msg.Params})
 			if len(s.Tools) > 8 {
 				s.Tools = s.Tools[len(s.Tools)-8:]
 			}
@@ -240,7 +247,15 @@ func (m *Model) applyServer(msg protocol.ServerMessage) {
 			m.appendRouter(msg.SessionID, RouterEntry{Role: "tool", Content: *msg.Diff})
 		} else {
 			label := msg.ToolName
-			if len(msg.AffectedEntities) > 0 {
+			// Prefer the actual call args (path=…, command="…") over the affected-entities
+			// fallback: params show *what was asked*, not just what got touched.
+			if s := m.session(msg.SessionID); s != nil {
+				if suffix := paramSuffix(lastToolParams(s, msg.ToolName)); suffix != "" {
+					label += suffix
+				} else if len(msg.AffectedEntities) > 0 {
+					label += " " + strings.Join(msg.AffectedEntities, ", ")
+				}
+			} else if len(msg.AffectedEntities) > 0 {
 				label += " " + strings.Join(msg.AffectedEntities, ", ")
 			}
 			m.appendAction(msg.SessionID, "✓", actionToolText(label, msg.Summary))
@@ -542,6 +557,25 @@ func countSuffix(added, removed int) string {
 	return "  (+" + itoa(added) + " −" + itoa(removed) + ")"
 }
 
+// lastToolParams returns the call args of the most recent invocation of the named tool. The ReAct
+// loop runs one tool at a time per session, so the last started record is the one now completing.
+func lastToolParams(s *Session, name string) []string {
+	for i := len(s.Tools) - 1; i >= 0; i-- {
+		if s.Tools[i].Name == name {
+			return s.Tools[i].Params
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// paramSuffix renders pretty call args as a " (k=v · k=v)" suffix, or "" when there are none.
+func paramSuffix(params []string) string {
+	if len(params) == 0 {
+		return ""
+	}
+	return " (" + clip(strings.Join(params, " · "), 56) + ")"
+}
+
 // actionToolText joins a tool label with a short, clipped result summary.
 func actionToolText(label, summary string) string {
 	// Collapse to a single line first: tool summaries (dir listings, file heads)
@@ -589,7 +623,9 @@ func (m *Model) onSessionAnnounced(msg protocol.ServerMessage) {
 	s.Status = "ACTIVE"
 	if msg.WorkflowID != "" {
 		s.WorkflowID = msg.WorkflowID
-		s.Name = msg.WorkflowID
+		if !s.named {
+			s.Name = msg.WorkflowID
+		}
 	}
 	s.LastEventAt = nowMillis()
 	if m.pendingWorkflowFocus {
@@ -601,6 +637,19 @@ func (m *Model) onSessionAnnounced(msg protocol.ServerMessage) {
 	}
 }
 
+// onSessionRenamed applies the intent-derived title from session.renamed, replacing the
+// opaque workflow id shown until the naming inference completed. The named flag pins it so a
+// later announce (e.g. on reconnect replay) doesn't revert the display back to the workflow id.
+func (m *Model) onSessionRenamed(msg protocol.ServerMessage) {
+	if msg.Name == "" {
+		return
+	}
+	s := m.ensureSession(msg.SessionID)
+	s.Name = msg.Name
+	s.named = true
+	s.LastEventAt = nowMillis()
+}
+
 func (m *Model) onApprovalRequired(msg protocol.ServerMessage) {
 	risk := "unknown"
 	var rationale []string
@@ -710,6 +759,70 @@ func (m *Model) onSnapshot(msg protocol.ServerMessage) {
 	if m.selectedID == "" {
 		m.selectedID = msg.SessionID
 	}
+	m.restoreTranscript(msg.SessionID, msg.Transcript)
+}
+
+// restoreTranscript rebuilds the OUTPUT transcript for a reopened session from the snapshot's raw
+// source rows, reusing the same formatters the live path uses (diffSummary/paramSuffix/…). Replaces
+// (not appends) so a reconnect with an existing transcript doesn't duplicate rows.
+func (m *Model) restoreTranscript(sid string, rows []protocol.TranscriptRowDto) {
+	if len(rows) == 0 {
+		return
+	}
+	out := make([]RouterEntry, 0, len(rows))
+	for _, r := range rows {
+		switch r.Kind {
+		case "chat":
+			role := "router"
+			if r.Role == "USER" {
+				role = "user"
+			}
+			e := RouterEntry{Role: role, Content: r.Content}
+			if r.LatencyMs != nil && r.TotalTokens != nil {
+				e.Metrics = &TurnMetrics{LatencyMs: *r.LatencyMs, TotalTokens: *r.TotalTokens}
+			}
+			out = append(out, e)
+		case "narration":
+			e := RouterEntry{Role: "narration_llm", Content: r.Content}
+			if r.LatencyMs != nil && r.TotalTokens != nil {
+				e.Metrics = &TurnMetrics{LatencyMs: *r.LatencyMs, TotalTokens: *r.TotalTokens}
+			}
+			out = append(out, e)
+		case "thinking":
+			if strings.TrimSpace(r.Content) != "" {
+				out = append(out, RouterEntry{Role: "thinking", Content: r.Content})
+			}
+		case "tool":
+			out = append(out, toolTranscriptRows(r)...)
+		}
+	}
+	m.routerMessages[sid] = out
+}
+
+// toolTranscriptRows mirrors the live TypeToolCompleted/Failed/Rejected handling: a diff becomes a
+// ✎ write row + the collapsed raw-diff row; otherwise a single ✓/✗/✕ action row.
+func toolTranscriptRows(r protocol.TranscriptRowDto) []RouterEntry {
+	if r.Diff != nil && *r.Diff != "" {
+		path, add, del := diffSummary(*r.Diff)
+		return []RouterEntry{
+			{Role: "action", Icon: "✎", Content: "wrote " + path + countSuffix(add, del)},
+			{Role: "tool", Content: *r.Diff},
+		}
+	}
+	switch r.Status {
+	case "failed":
+		return []RouterEntry{{Role: "action", Icon: "✗", Content: actionToolText(r.ToolName+" failed", r.Summary)}}
+	case "rejected":
+		return []RouterEntry{{Role: "action", Icon: "✕", Content: actionToolText(r.ToolName+" blocked", r.Summary)}}
+	default:
+		label := r.ToolName
+		if suffix := paramSuffix(r.Params); suffix != "" {
+			label += suffix
+		} else if len(r.AffectedEntities) > 0 {
+			label += " " + strings.Join(r.AffectedEntities, ", ")
+		}
+		return []RouterEntry{{Role: "action", Icon: "✓", Content: actionToolText(label, r.Summary)}}
+	}
 }
 
 func (m *Model) touch(id, status string) {
diff --git a/apps/tui-go/internal/app/sessions_overlay.go b/apps/tui-go/internal/app/sessions_overlay.go
index 4963ad1b..b4198831 100644
--- a/apps/tui-go/internal/app/sessions_overlay.go
+++ b/apps/tui-go/internal/app/sessions_overlay.go
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import (
 type SessionSummary struct {
 	SessionID      string `json:"sessionId"`
 	Status         string `json:"status"`
+	Name           string `json:"name"`
 	Intent         string `json:"intent"`
 	WorkflowID     string `json:"workflowId"`
 	StageCount     int    `json:"stageCount"`
@@ -222,7 +223,12 @@ func (m Model) sessionListRow(i int) string {
 	statusCell := lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(statusColor(t, s.Status)).Background(t.P.BgPanel).Bold(true).
 		Render(padRaw(statusLabel(s.Status), 9))
 
-	stage := s.WorkflowID
+	// Prefer the human session name (SessionNamedEvent, intent-derived) over the raw
+	// workflow id — it's what the operator recognizes a session by.
+	stage := s.Name
+	if stage == "" {
+		stage = s.WorkflowID
+	}
 	if s.StageCount > 0 {
 		stage += " ·" + itoa(s.StageCount) + "stg"
 	}
diff --git a/apps/tui-go/internal/app/update.go b/apps/tui-go/internal/app/update.go
index 550e53fe..9ca01984 100644
--- a/apps/tui-go/internal/app/update.go
+++ b/apps/tui-go/internal/app/update.go
@@ -1160,6 +1160,7 @@ func paletteCommands() []paletteCmd {
 		{"rail", "", "idle rail", "show / hide the idle status + keys rail"},
 		{"panel", "d", "right panel", "in-session: events → changes → off"},
 		{"actions", "", "inline actions", "show / hide tool & action rows in output"},
+		{"thinking", "", "thinking blocks", "show / hide model reasoning in output"},
 		{"help", "?", "help", "keybinding cheat-sheet"},
 		{"mode", "s", "toggle mode", "switch chat / steering"},
 		{"cancel", "c", "cancel session", "stop the selected session"},
@@ -1217,6 +1218,9 @@ func (m Model) execPalette(id string) (tea.Model, tea.Cmd) {
 		m.cycleRightPanel()
 	case "actions":
 		m.toggleInlineActions()
+	case "thinking":
+		m.thinkingShown = !m.thinkingShown
+		saveThinkingShown(m.thinkingShown)
 	case "help":
 		m.overlay = OverlayHelp
 		m.modalScroll = 0
diff --git a/apps/tui-go/internal/app/view.go b/apps/tui-go/internal/app/view.go
index 3595089b..84eaecf4 100644
--- a/apps/tui-go/internal/app/view.go
+++ b/apps/tui-go/internal/app/view.go
@@ -573,7 +573,7 @@ func (m Model) launcherInput(w int) string {
 	box := strings.Join(boxLines, "\n")
 
 	wf := lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(t.P.Accent2).Background(t.P.Bg).Render(m.launcherWfName())
-	leftSub := "  " + wf + t.span(" · ", t.P.Faint) + t.span(m.currentModel, t.P.Faint)
+	leftSub := t.span("  ", t.P.Faint) + wf + t.span(" · ", t.P.Faint) + t.span(m.currentModel, t.P.Faint)
 	hints := t.span("Tab wf · ⌥↵/^J newline · enter ↵  ", t.P.Faint)
 	return box + "\n" + m.justify(leftSub, hints, w, t.P.Bg)
 }
@@ -823,6 +823,23 @@ func (m Model) buildTranscriptRows(w int) ([]string, []int) {
 			}
 		case "tool":
 			rows = append(rows, t.span(toolRowSummary(e.Content), t.P.Dim))
+		case "thinking":
+			// Collapsed by default to a single muted line so the reasoning trace doesn't bury
+			// the answer; the palette "thinking" toggle reveals the full dimmed block.
+			brain := lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(t.P.Faint).Background(t.P.Bg).Render("✼")
+			if !m.thinkingShown {
+				n := strings.Count(strings.TrimRight(e.Content, "\n"), "\n") + 1
+				rows = append(rows, brain+t.span(" thinking ("+plural(n, "line")+") — palette: thinking", t.P.Faint))
+				break
+			}
+			lines := wrap(e.Content, w-2)
+			for i, ln := range lines {
+				if i == 0 {
+					rows = append(rows, brain+t.span(" ", t.P.Bg)+t.span(ln, t.P.Faint))
+				} else {
+					rows = append(rows, t.span("  ", t.P.Bg)+t.span(ln, t.P.Faint))
+				}
+			}
 		case "narration_llm":
 			diamond := lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(t.P.Accent).Background(t.P.Bg).Bold(true).Render("◆")
 			lines := wrap(e.Content, w-2)
@@ -913,7 +930,7 @@ func (m Model) eventRows(w, h int) []string {
 		catCell := lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(t.categoryColor(cat)).Background(t.P.BgPanel).
 			Render(" " + padRaw(cat, 9) + " ")
 		evRows = append(evRows,
-			t.span(e.Time+" ", t.P.Faint)+catCell+" "+
+			t.span(e.Time+" ", t.P.Faint)+catCell+t.span(" ", t.P.Bg)+
 				t.span(padRaw(e.Type, 18), t.P.Fg)+t.span(e.Detail, t.P.Dim))
 	}
 	// Show the latest events that fit under the 2-line header (box inner = h-2).
diff --git a/apps/tui-go/internal/protocol/protocol.go b/apps/tui-go/internal/protocol/protocol.go
index 8e1b8794..da619e66 100644
--- a/apps/tui-go/internal/protocol/protocol.go
+++ b/apps/tui-go/internal/protocol/protocol.go
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ const (
 	TypeApprovalResolved = "approval.resolved"
 	TypeClarification    = "clarification.required"
 	TypeWorkflowProposed = "workflow.proposed"
+	TypeSessionRenamed   = "session.renamed"
 	TypeWorkspaceBound   = "session.workspace_bound"
 	TypeStageManifest    = "stage.tool_manifest"
 	TypeProviderStatus   = "provider.status_changed"
@@ -70,30 +71,34 @@ const (
 type ServerMessage struct {
 	Type string `json:"type"`
 
-	SessionID     string  `json:"sessionId"`
-	WorkflowID    string  `json:"workflowId"`
-	StageID       string  `json:"stageId"`
-	ToolName      string  `json:"toolName"`
-	Role          string  `json:"role"`
-	TurnID        string  `json:"turnId"`
-	Reason        string  `json:"reason"`
-	Summary       string  `json:"outputSummary"`
-	Response      string  `json:"responseText"`
-	LastOutput    string  `json:"lastOutput"`   // session_snapshot: last stage output (reopen)
-	LastResponse  string  `json:"lastResponse"` // session_snapshot: last stage response (reopen)
-	Content       string  `json:"content"`
-	Diff          *string `json:"diff"`
+	SessionID    string  `json:"sessionId"`
+	WorkflowID   string  `json:"workflowId"`
+	StageID      string  `json:"stageId"`
+	ToolName     string  `json:"toolName"`
+	Role         string  `json:"role"`
+	TurnID       string  `json:"turnId"`
+	Reason       string  `json:"reason"`
+	Summary      string  `json:"outputSummary"`
+	Response     string  `json:"responseText"`
+	Reasoning    string  `json:"reasoning"`    // inference.completed: model thinking trace (collapsed view)
+	LastOutput   string  `json:"lastOutput"`   // session_snapshot: last stage output (reopen)
+	LastResponse string  `json:"lastResponse"` // session_snapshot: last stage response (reopen)
+	Content      string  `json:"content"`
+	Diff         *string `json:"diff"`
 	// tool.completed: file/dir path(s) the tool read, wrote, or listed.
 	AffectedEntities []string `json:"affectedEntities"`
-	Tier             string   `json:"tier"`
-	Message       string  `json:"message"`
-	RequestID     string  `json:"requestId"`
-	ArtifactID    string  `json:"artifactId"`
-	ProviderID    string  `json:"providerId"`
-	Preview       *string `json:"preview"`
-	Disposition   string  `json:"disposition"`
-	Outcome       string  `json:"outcome"`       // approval.resolved: APPROVED | REJECTED | AUTO_APPROVED
-	WorkspaceRoot string  `json:"workspaceRoot"` // session.workspace_bound: the bound cwd
+	// tool.started: pretty "key=value" call arguments (path=…, command="…").
+	Params        []string `json:"params"`
+	Tier          string   `json:"tier"`
+	Message       string   `json:"message"`
+	RequestID     string   `json:"requestId"`
+	ArtifactID    string   `json:"artifactId"`
+	ProviderID    string   `json:"providerId"`
+	Preview       *string  `json:"preview"`
+	Disposition   string   `json:"disposition"`
+	Outcome       string   `json:"outcome"`       // approval.resolved: APPROVED | REJECTED | AUTO_APPROVED
+	WorkspaceRoot string   `json:"workspaceRoot"` // session.workspace_bound: the bound cwd
+	Name          string   `json:"name"`          // session.renamed: human title derived from intent
 
 	// plan.locked: the compiled phase-2 stage ids in execution order
 	StageIDs []string `json:"stageIds"`
@@ -134,6 +139,7 @@ type ServerMessage struct {
 	PendingAppr    []ApprovalDto      `json:"pendingApprovals"`
 	Tools          []ToolRecordDto    `json:"tools"`
 	RecentEvents   []EventEntryDto    `json:"recentEvents"`
+	Transcript     []TranscriptRowDto `json:"transcript"`
 	Stages         []StageToolDecl    `json:"stages"`
 	Workflows      []WorkflowDto      `json:"workflows"`
 	AssessedIssues []AssessedIssueDto `json:"issues"`
@@ -387,6 +393,22 @@ type ToolRecordDto struct {
 	Diff   *string `json:"diff"`
 }
 
+// TranscriptRowDto is one raw OUTPUT-transcript source row from a session_snapshot; the client
+// folds these into RouterEntry rows on reopen, applying its own diff/param/action formatting.
+type TranscriptRowDto struct {
+	Kind             string   `json:"kind"`
+	Role             string   `json:"role"`
+	Content          string   `json:"content"`
+	ToolName         string   `json:"toolName"`
+	Status           string   `json:"status"`
+	Diff             *string  `json:"diff"`
+	Params           []string `json:"params"`
+	Summary          string   `json:"summary"`
+	AffectedEntities []string `json:"affectedEntities"`
+	LatencyMs        *int64   `json:"latencyMs"`
+	TotalTokens      *int     `json:"totalTokens"`
+}
+
 type WorkflowDto struct {
 	WorkflowID  string `json:"workflowId"`
 	Description string `json:"description"`
@@ -413,7 +435,7 @@ func (m ServerMessage) IsEventBearing() bool {
 		TypeToolAssessed,
 		TypeApprovalRequired, TypeApprovalResolved, TypeClarification,
 		TypeWorkflowProposed,
-		TypeWorkspaceBound, TypeArtifactCreated,
+		TypeSessionRenamed, TypeWorkspaceBound, TypeArtifactCreated,
 		TypeArtifactValid, TypePlanLocked,
 		TypeRouterNarration, TypeReviewFindings:
 		return true
diff --git a/core/context/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/context/builder/DefaultContextPackBuilder.kt b/core/context/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/context/builder/DefaultContextPackBuilder.kt
index 03499627..23126f28 100644
--- a/core/context/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/context/builder/DefaultContextPackBuilder.kt
+++ b/core/context/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/context/builder/DefaultContextPackBuilder.kt
@@ -54,7 +54,10 @@ class DefaultContextPackBuilder(
     // decisionJournal is deliberately NOT here anymore: the journal is OPTIONAL-bucket, capped
     // by OptionalCeilings. Pinning is otherwise bucket-driven (ContextBucket.REQUIRED); this set
     // only covers entries built outside the orchestrator that never stamp buckets.
-    private val neverDropSourceTypes = setOf("steeringNote", "eventHistory", "factSheet")
+    // "remainingDelta" is the shrinking stage-contract checklist (stage-termination design
+    // 2026-07-11): it must survive every budget/dedup pass, since its entire purpose is to give
+    // the model a progress signal that outlives the truncation which otherwise wipes its memory.
+    private val neverDropSourceTypes = setOf("steeringNote", "eventHistory", "factSheet", "remainingDelta")
 
     private companion object {
         const val CHARS_PER_TOKEN = 4
diff --git a/core/context/src/test/kotlin/RemainingDeltaPinningTest.kt b/core/context/src/test/kotlin/RemainingDeltaPinningTest.kt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..956f63b9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/context/src/test/kotlin/RemainingDeltaPinningTest.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+import com.correx.core.context.builder.DefaultContextPackBuilder
+import com.correx.core.context.compression.DefaultContextCompressor
+import com.correx.core.context.model.ContextEntry
+import com.correx.core.context.model.ContextLayer
+import com.correx.core.context.model.TokenBudget
+import com.correx.core.events.types.ContextEntryId
+import com.correx.core.events.types.ContextPackId
+import com.correx.core.events.types.SessionId
+import com.correx.core.events.types.StageId
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test
+
+/**
+ * The remaining-delta checklist (stage-termination design 2026-07-11) must survive the budget/dedup
+ * passes — its whole point is to outlive the truncation that gives the model amnesia. It is pinned
+ * via sourceType "remainingDelta" in [DefaultContextPackBuilder.neverDropSourceTypes].
+ */
+class RemainingDeltaPinningTest {
+
+    private val builder = DefaultContextPackBuilder(DefaultContextCompressor())
+    private val sessionId = SessionId("s1")
+    private val stageId = StageId("stage-1")
+    private val packId = ContextPackId("pack-1")
+
+    @Test
+    fun `remainingDelta entry survives a wildly over-budget build`() = kotlinx.coroutines.runBlocking {
+        val checklist = ContextEntry(
+            id = ContextEntryId("delta-1"),
+            layer = ContextLayer.L1,
+            content = "## Remaining to finish this stage\n- [ ] Foo.tsx — exports_default_component",
+            sourceType = "remainingDelta",
+            sourceId = "remaining-delta",
+            tokenEstimate = 500,
+        )
+        // A large freeform entry that would be dropped to fit the tiny budget.
+        val filler = ContextEntry(
+            id = ContextEntryId("filler-1"),
+            layer = ContextLayer.L2,
+            content = "lorem ipsum ".repeat(200),
+            sourceType = "toolResult",
+            sourceId = "filler-1",
+            tokenEstimate = 5000,
+        )
+        val pack = builder.build(packId, sessionId, stageId, listOf(filler, checklist), TokenBudget(limit = 10))
+        val retained = pack.layers.values.flatten()
+        assertTrue(
+            retained.any { it.sourceType == "remainingDelta" },
+            "remainingDelta checklist must be retained even when the budget is blown",
+        )
+        Unit
+    }
+}
diff --git a/core/events/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/events/events/IntentEvents.kt b/core/events/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/events/events/IntentEvents.kt
index ee5e8552..84388502 100644
--- a/core/events/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/events/events/IntentEvents.kt
+++ b/core/events/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/events/events/IntentEvents.kt
@@ -16,3 +16,18 @@ data class InitialIntentEvent(
     val sessionId: SessionId,
     val intent: String,
 ) : EventPayload
+
+/**
+ * A short, human-readable title for the session (e.g. "Add auth to account service"), derived
+ * once from the initial intent by the Talkie model. Recorded as an event (invariant #9) so the
+ * nondeterministic name is generated a single time and replays identically — the TUI shows this
+ * instead of the opaque workflow id. Non-authoritative display metadata; nothing in the core
+ * decision path reads it.
+ */
+@Serializable
+@SerialName("SessionNamed")
+data class SessionNamedEvent(
+    val sessionId: SessionId,
+    val name: String,
+    val timestampMs: Long,
+) : EventPayload
diff --git a/core/events/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/events/events/OrchestrationEvents.kt b/core/events/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/events/events/OrchestrationEvents.kt
index 99c1c7d7..9f9e924c 100644
--- a/core/events/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/events/events/OrchestrationEvents.kt
+++ b/core/events/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/events/events/OrchestrationEvents.kt
@@ -36,6 +36,23 @@ data class WorkflowFailedEvent(
     val retryExhausted: Boolean,
 ) : EventPayload
 
+/**
+ * Records that the operator approved access to a specific path OUTSIDE the workspace root
+ * (a `file_read`/`list_dir` target). The intent plane raises PROMPT_USER for any out-of-workspace
+ * read; on approval this event is recorded so (a) subsequent reads of the same path this session
+ * skip the prompt, and (b) the tool jail is widened to admit it. [path] is the lexically-resolved
+ * absolute path — the recorded fact replay reads instead of re-prompting (invariants #8/#9).
+ * Scope is the session: nothing here persists across sessions. Privileged locations are BLOCKED
+ * upstream and never reach this event.
+ */
+@Serializable
+@SerialName("OutsidePathAccessGranted")
+data class OutsidePathAccessGrantedEvent(
+    val sessionId: SessionId,
+    val stageId: StageId,
+    val path: String,
+) : EventPayload
+
 @Serializable
 @SerialName("OrchestrationPaused")
 data class OrchestrationPausedEvent(
@@ -115,6 +132,12 @@ data class FailureTicketOpenedEvent(
     // Fingerprint of [evidence] (whitespace/digit-normalised, see FailureFingerprint) at route time.
     // The next route compares against this to decide progress vs. no-progress. Empty on old events.
     val fingerprint: String = "",
+    // Tier-2 escalation marker. False = tier-1, the ticket routed to the file's own author to patch its
+    // own layer. True = the author loop exhausted its budget, so the ticket escalated to the arbiter
+    // (the recovery stage recast as intent-holder): the failure is a cross-file CONTRACT dispute no
+    // single owner can settle, so the arbiter is given the initial intent as authority and told to
+    // reconcile ALL the named files in one pass. Defaulted for backward-compatible replay.
+    val escalated: Boolean = false,
 ) : EventPayload
 
 /**
diff --git a/core/events/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/events/events/ToolRequest.kt b/core/events/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/events/events/ToolRequest.kt
index 0f5ec66b..9f50a720 100644
--- a/core/events/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/events/events/ToolRequest.kt
+++ b/core/events/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/events/events/ToolRequest.kt
@@ -13,5 +13,9 @@ data class ToolRequest(
     val stageId: StageId,
     val toolName: String,
     @Serializable(with = AnyMapSerializer::class)
-    val parameters: Map<String, Any> = emptyMap()
+    val parameters: Map<String, Any> = emptyMap(),
+    // Paths outside the workspace root that the operator has approved for this call (recorded via
+    // OutsidePathAccessGrantedEvent). Read tools widen their containment jail to admit these; write
+    // tools ignore them, so writes stay workspace-jailed. Empty by default = pure workspace jail.
+    val grantedPaths: Set<String> = emptySet(),
 )
diff --git a/core/events/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/events/serialization/Serialization.kt b/core/events/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/events/serialization/Serialization.kt
index 5f282021..51a940fe 100644
--- a/core/events/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/events/serialization/Serialization.kt
+++ b/core/events/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/events/serialization/Serialization.kt
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ import com.correx.core.events.events.L3MemoryRetrievedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.LowQualityExtractionEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.InferenceCompletedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.InitialIntentEvent
+import com.correx.core.events.events.SessionNamedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.InferenceFailedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.InferenceStartedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.InferenceTimeoutEvent
@@ -63,6 +64,7 @@ import com.correx.core.events.events.RepoMapComputedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.RetryAttemptedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.RetrySalvageDecidedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.FailureTicketOpenedEvent
+import com.correx.core.events.events.OutsidePathAccessGrantedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.WorkspaceStateObservedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.RiskAssessedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.SourceFetchedEvent
@@ -123,6 +125,7 @@ val eventModule = SerializersModule {
         subclass(PreemptRedirectEvent::class)
         subclass(PreemptRedirectBlockedEvent::class)
         subclass(InitialIntentEvent::class)
+        subclass(SessionNamedEvent::class)
         subclass(StageFailedEvent::class)
         subclass(StageCompletedEvent::class)
         subclass(TransitionExecutedEvent::class)
@@ -151,6 +154,7 @@ val eventModule = SerializersModule {
         subclass(RetryAttemptedEvent::class)
         subclass(RetrySalvageDecidedEvent::class)
         subclass(FailureTicketOpenedEvent::class)
+        subclass(OutsidePathAccessGrantedEvent::class)
         subclass(RefinementIterationEvent::class)
         subclass(RepoMapComputedEvent::class)
         subclass(WorkspaceStateObservedEvent::class)
diff --git a/core/kernel/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/kernel/execution/StageOutcome.kt b/core/kernel/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/kernel/execution/StageOutcome.kt
deleted file mode 100644
index 08bc1b21..00000000
--- a/core/kernel/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/kernel/execution/StageOutcome.kt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,18 +0,0 @@
-package com.correx.core.kernel.execution
-
-import com.correx.core.approvals.model.DomainApprovalRequest
-import com.correx.core.artifacts.model.Artifact
-import com.correx.core.validation.model.ValidationReport
-
-sealed interface StageOutcome {
-    data class Success(val artifact: Artifact) : StageOutcome
-    /**
-     * @param retryable set by the validator based on failure type; the orchestrator must read this
-     *   and never override it.
-     *   Structural errors (e.g. invalid graph topology) are not retryable. Transient errors may be.
-     */
-    data class ValidationFailure(val report: ValidationReport, val retryable: Boolean) : StageOutcome
-    data class InferenceFailure(val reason: String, val retryable: Boolean) : StageOutcome
-    data class ApprovalRequired(val request: DomainApprovalRequest) : StageOutcome
-    data object Cancelled : StageOutcome
-}
diff --git a/core/kernel/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/kernel/orchestration/ContextFeedback.kt b/core/kernel/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/kernel/orchestration/ContextFeedback.kt
index 64ce6b77..83684a0b 100644
--- a/core/kernel/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/kernel/orchestration/ContextFeedback.kt
+++ b/core/kernel/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/kernel/orchestration/ContextFeedback.kt
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import com.correx.core.context.model.ContextEntry
 import com.correx.core.context.model.ContextLayer
 import com.correx.core.context.model.EntryRole
 import com.correx.core.events.events.FailureTicketOpenedEvent
+import com.correx.core.events.events.InitialIntentEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.RefinementIterationEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.RetryAttemptedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.StoredEvent
@@ -50,11 +51,31 @@ fun buildRecoveryTicketEntry(events: List<StoredEvent>, stageId: StageId): Conte
     val ticket = events
         .mapNotNull { it.payload as? FailureTicketOpenedEvent }
         .lastOrNull { it.routeTo == stageId } ?: return null
-    val content = "## Recovery ticket\n" +
-        "Stage '${ticket.stageId.value}' failed the '${ticket.gate}' gate (${ticket.category}) and " +
-        "lacks the '${ticket.requiredCapability}' capability to fix it, so the failure was routed to " +
-        "you. Repair the underlying cause, then control returns to verification.\n" +
-        "### Gate output\n${ticket.evidence}"
+    val content = if (ticket.escalated) {
+        // Tier 2: the owner loop couldn't settle it — a cross-file contract dispute. The arbiter holds
+        // the intent and reconciles ALL sides in one pass.
+        val intent = events.mapNotNull { it.payload as? InitialIntentEvent }.lastOrNull()?.intent
+        "## Contract arbitration ticket\n" +
+            "Stage '${ticket.stageId.value}' keeps failing the '${ticket.gate}' gate even after the " +
+            "file owners repaired their own layers — so this is NOT a bug in one file. The files named " +
+            "in the gate output below disagree on a shared contract (a prop/type/API shape): each side " +
+            "is internally consistent but they do not agree with each other, so fixing one re-breaks " +
+            "the other. You are the arbiter. Read EVERY file named below, decide the single authoritative " +
+            "shape" + (intent?.let { " that serves the intent" } ?: "") + ", then edit ALL of them in " +
+            "ONE pass so they agree. Do not rewrite files wholesale — change only what the contract " +
+            "requires. Then control returns to verification." +
+            (intent?.let { "\n### Intent (authoritative)\n$it" } ?: "") +
+            "\n### Gate output\n${ticket.evidence}"
+    } else {
+        "## Recovery ticket\n" +
+            "Stage '${ticket.stageId.value}' failed the '${ticket.gate}' gate (${ticket.category}) and " +
+            "lacks the '${ticket.requiredCapability}' capability to fix it, so the failure was routed to " +
+            "you — you own the file(s) the gate names below. Make the SMALLEST change that clears the " +
+            "specific error: read the current file, then patch only the offending lines (file_edit). Do " +
+            "NOT rewrite the file from scratch — a full regeneration discards your prior working code and " +
+            "usually reintroduces the same defect. Then control returns to verification.\n" +
+            "### Gate output\n${ticket.evidence}"
+    }
     return ContextEntry(
         id = ContextEntryId(UUID.randomUUID().toString()),
         layer = ContextLayer.L1,
@@ -66,6 +87,47 @@ fun buildRecoveryTicketEntry(events: List<StoredEvent>, stageId: StageId): Conte
     )
 }
 
+/**
+ * The remaining-delta checklist (stage-termination design 2026-07-11 §1a). A forward-looking,
+ * shrinking list of the stage's *unmet* file-contract assertions — "what is left to make true",
+ * not "what I have done". Computed by the kernel as contract-minus-current-filesystem-reality and
+ * refreshed within the tool loop each time a write lands on a contract file, so the model watches
+ * items disappear as it satisfies them; an empty list is the completion signal the stage otherwise
+ * lacks. Reading files never changes it, which is what starves the re-read spiral.
+ *
+ * Pinned as a neverDrop entry by [com.correx.core.context.builder.DefaultContextPackBuilder] so the
+ * budget/dedup passes can never evict it — its whole value is surviving the truncation that gave the
+ * model amnesia in the first place. Returns null when nothing is failing (list empty ⇒ done).
+ *
+ * [items] are (target, assertionId, evidence) triples of the currently-failing assertions.
+ */
+fun buildRemainingDeltaEntry(items: List<Triple<String, String, String>>): ContextEntry? {
+    if (items.isEmpty()) return null
+    val content = buildString {
+        append("## Remaining to finish this stage\n")
+        append(
+            "Make each item below true, then call stage_complete. Items disappear from this list " +
+                "as you satisfy them; when it is empty the stage is done. This list is recomputed " +
+                "from the filesystem — re-reading files does NOT change it, only writing/editing the " +
+                "named files does. Fix exactly these, do not re-explore.\n",
+        )
+        items.forEach { (target, assertionId, evidence) ->
+            append("- [ ] ").append(target).append(" — ").append(assertionId)
+            if (evidence.isNotBlank()) append(": ").append(evidence)
+            append("\n")
+        }
+    }.trimEnd()
+    return ContextEntry(
+        id = ContextEntryId(UUID.randomUUID().toString()),
+        layer = ContextLayer.L1,
+        content = content,
+        sourceType = "remainingDelta",
+        sourceId = "remaining-delta",
+        tokenEstimate = content.length / 4,
+        role = EntryRole.SYSTEM,
+    )
+}
+
 fun criticArtifactIds(
     events: List<StoredEvent>,
     graph: WorkflowGraph,
diff --git a/core/kernel/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/kernel/orchestration/DefaultOrchestrationReducer.kt b/core/kernel/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/kernel/orchestration/DefaultOrchestrationReducer.kt
index d195ab18..e1aa403f 100644
--- a/core/kernel/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/kernel/orchestration/DefaultOrchestrationReducer.kt
+++ b/core/kernel/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/kernel/orchestration/DefaultOrchestrationReducer.kt
@@ -16,6 +16,10 @@ import com.correx.core.events.events.WorkflowStartedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.orchestration.OrchestrationState
 import com.correx.core.events.orchestration.OrchestrationStatus
 
+// Budget-key suffix distinguishing the tier-2 escalation (arbiter) budget from the tier-1 owner
+// budget for the same failing stage. Shared with DefaultSessionOrchestrator (same package).
+internal const val INTENT_BUDGET_SUFFIX = "#intent"
+
 class DefaultOrchestrationReducer : OrchestrationReducer {
     override fun reduce(
         state: OrchestrationState,
@@ -97,11 +101,16 @@ class DefaultOrchestrationReducer : OrchestrationReducer {
 
         // Charge the failing stage's recovery-route budget. routeAttempt is the no-progress count the
         // orchestrator computed (progress-aware), so fold it directly (idempotent under replay), and
-        // record the failure fingerprint the next route compares against.
-        is FailureTicketOpenedEvent -> state.copy(
-            recoveryRoutes = state.recoveryRoutes + (p.stageId.value to p.routeAttempt),
-            recoveryFailureFingerprints = state.recoveryFailureFingerprints + (p.stageId.value to p.fingerprint),
-        )
+        // record the failure fingerprint the next route compares against. Keyed per TIER: the tier-1
+        // owner loop and the tier-2 escalation (arbiter) hold independent budgets for the same failing
+        // stage, so an escalated ticket ("#intent" suffix) never spends the owner budget and vice versa.
+        is FailureTicketOpenedEvent -> {
+            val budgetKey = p.stageId.value + if (p.escalated) INTENT_BUDGET_SUFFIX else ""
+            state.copy(
+                recoveryRoutes = state.recoveryRoutes + (budgetKey to p.routeAttempt),
+                recoveryFailureFingerprints = state.recoveryFailureFingerprints + (budgetKey to p.fingerprint),
+            )
+        }
 
         else -> state
     }
diff --git a/core/kernel/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/kernel/orchestration/DefaultSessionOrchestrator.kt b/core/kernel/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/kernel/orchestration/DefaultSessionOrchestrator.kt
index b8226c19..b9cf320d 100644
--- a/core/kernel/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/kernel/orchestration/DefaultSessionOrchestrator.kt
+++ b/core/kernel/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/kernel/orchestration/DefaultSessionOrchestrator.kt
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ import com.correx.core.artifactstore.ArtifactStore
 import com.correx.core.events.events.ApprovalDecisionResolvedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.ApprovalRequestedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.ArtifactContentStoredEvent
+import com.correx.core.events.events.FileWrittenEvent
+import com.correx.core.events.events.ToolInvocationRequestedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.ClarificationAnswer
 import com.correx.core.events.events.ClarificationAnsweredEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.ArtifactValidatedEvent
@@ -63,6 +65,24 @@ private const val DEFAULT_MAX_REFINEMENT = 3
 // per-gate retry budget — recovery is a purpose-built repair-then-reverify loop, not open-ended.
 private const val RECOVERY_ROUTE_BUDGET = 2
 
+// Tier-2 escalation budget: how many NO-PROGRESS routes the arbiter (recovery-stage-as-intent-holder)
+// gets after the tier-1 owner loop exhausts, before the run fails terminally. Independent of the owner
+// budget (keyed with INTENT_BUDGET_SUFFIX) so escalation is a genuine second chance, not a shared pool.
+private const val INTENT_ROUTE_BUDGET = 2
+
+// Transition ids for the failure-ticket loop. A ticket routes the failing gate's control to the
+// repair owner (TICKET_ROUTE); the owner, once done, hands control straight back to the gate that
+// opened the ticket (TICKET_RETURN). Both are kernel-driven, not plan edges — see ticketReturnMove.
+internal val TICKET_ROUTE = TransitionId("ticket-route")
+private val TICKET_RETURN = TransitionId("ticket-return")
+
+// Shortest evidence token treated as a file reference — guards against matching a written path's
+// suffix on a trivially short token (an extension fragment, a one-char name).
+private const val MIN_EVIDENCE_TOKEN = 5
+
+// File-like tokens in gate evidence (tsc/build output): "src/App.tsx", "frontend/x.ts:12:5".
+private val EVIDENCE_PATH_RE = Regex("""[\w./@-]+\.[A-Za-z0-9]+""")
+
 // Deterministic gate id → capability the failing stage must hold to change the failure condition.
 // A gate not listed here is not eligible for recovery routing (retries in place as before).
 private val GATE_REQUIRED_CAPABILITY: Map<String, String> = mapOf(
@@ -161,12 +181,12 @@ class DefaultSessionOrchestrator(
         val resolved = resolveTransition(
             enriched.graph, enriched.sessionId, enriched.currentStageId, stageArtifacts, artifactContent,
         )
-        // Recovery return-to-sender: a recovery stage is entered by kernel routing from whichever
-        // write-less stage failed a gate, so its exit must go BACK to that exact stage (re-run its
-        // gate) — not follow a static edge that would skip intervening stages. Derived from the latest
-        // failure ticket routed here (replay-deterministic). Overrides the resolved edge; an operator
-        // preempt below still wins.
-        val baseDecision = recoveryReturnMove(enriched) ?: resolved
+        // Ticket return-to-sender: a repair stage (the file's author, or the fallback recovery stage)
+        // is entered by kernel routing from whichever stage failed a gate, so its exit must go BACK to
+        // that exact gate (re-run it) — not follow a plan edge that would walk a regenerating
+        // implementer or skip intervening stages. Derived from the latest failure ticket routed here
+        // (replay-deterministic). Overrides the resolved edge; an operator preempt below still wins.
+        val baseDecision = ticketReturnMove(enriched) ?: resolved
         // Preemptive redirect override (freestyle graph re-routing): if the operator confirmed a
         // jump (a recorded, unconsumed PreemptRedirectEvent), it overrides the resolver's edge —
         // unless the target is unknown or its needs aren't satisfied, in which case it is blocked
@@ -282,13 +302,24 @@ class DefaultSessionOrchestrator(
     }
 
     /**
-     * Open a [FailureTicketOpenedEvent] and route [stageId]'s failure to the graph's recovery stage,
-     * bounded by [RECOVERY_ROUTE_BUDGET]. Shared by the deterministic agency guard
-     * ([maybeRouteToRecovery]) and the review-gate salvage judge ([decideGateExhaustion] on
-     * [SalvageDecision.RECOVER]) so both routing paths reach the same recovery destination.
+     * Open a [FailureTicketOpenedEvent] and route [stageId]'s failure down a two-tier repair ladder.
      *
-     * Returns null when the graph declares no recovery stage (caller falls back to its legacy path);
-     * a terminal [StepResult] when the route budget is spent; otherwise the recovery stage's result.
+     * **Tier 1 (owner):** when the gate's evidence names a file a stage actually wrote, the ticket goes
+     * to that author ([resolveTicketOwner]) — it owns the code and the contract it declared, so it
+     * patches its own layer. Bounded by [RECOVERY_ROUTE_BUDGET].
+     *
+     * **Tier 2 (arbiter / intent-holder):** when the owner loop spends its budget without settling the
+     * failure, the failure is a cross-file CONTRACT dispute no single owner can resolve (each side is
+     * internally consistent; they disagree with each other). The ticket escalates to the synthesized
+     * recovery stage ([findRecoveryStage]) recast as the intent-holder — given the initial intent as
+     * authority (see buildRecoveryTicketEntry) and told to reconcile ALL the named files in one pass.
+     * Bounded by its own independent [INTENT_ROUTE_BUDGET]. An orphan failure (no author) starts here.
+     *
+     * Both tiers charge progress-awarely: a route whose failure fingerprint changed from the previous
+     * one moved the needle, so it is FREE; only a route reproducing the same failure charges the tier's
+     * budget. Terminal only when every reachable tier is spent. Returns null when neither an owner nor a
+     * recovery stage exists (caller falls back to the legacy per-gate retry path). Shared by the agency
+     * guard ([maybeRouteToRecovery]) and the review-gate salvage judge ([decideGateExhaustion]).
      */
     private suspend fun routeToRecovery(
         ctx: EnrichedExecutionContext,
@@ -298,29 +329,38 @@ class DefaultSessionOrchestrator(
         reason: String,
         state: OrchestrationState,
     ): StepResult? {
-        val recoveryId = findRecoveryStage(ctx.graph, stageId) ?: return null // no recovery stage: legacy path
-        // Progress-aware charging (mirrors the per-gate retry budget, design §5): compare this
-        // failure's fingerprint to the previous route's. A changed fingerprint means the last
-        // recovery round moved the needle — fixed one cause and surfaced a different one — so the
-        // route is FREE (budget unchanged) and only the recorded fingerprint advances. Same
-        // fingerprint = the round changed nothing, so it charges the small route budget. Terminal
-        // only once the no-progress count is spent; the recovery→origin back-edge refinement guard
-        // (executeMove, cap = origin stage maxRetries) remains the ultimate loop bound for the
-        // pathological all-progress case.
+        val events = repositories.eventStore.read(ctx.sessionId)
+        val owner = resolveTicketOwner(events, reason)
+            ?.takeIf { it != stageId && requiredCapability in (ctx.graph.stages[it]?.allowedTools ?: emptySet()) }
+        val arbiter = findRecoveryStage(ctx.graph, stageId)
         val fingerprint = FailureFingerprint.of(reason)
-        val prev = state.recoveryFailureFingerprints[stageId.value]
-        val progressed = prev != null && prev != fingerprint
-        val used = state.recoveryRoutes[stageId.value] ?: 0
-        if (!progressed && used >= RECOVERY_ROUTE_BUDGET) {
+        val ownerKey = stageId.value
+        val intentKey = stageId.value + INTENT_BUDGET_SUFFIX
+
+        // (target, budgetKey, budget, escalated). Prefer the owner tier while it has budget; escalate to
+        // the arbiter tier once the owner loop is spent; null = no tier available now.
+        val route = when {
+            owner != null && !budgetExhausted(state, ownerKey, fingerprint, RECOVERY_ROUTE_BUDGET) ->
+                RouteTier(owner, ownerKey, RECOVERY_ROUTE_BUDGET, escalated = false)
+            arbiter != null && !budgetExhausted(state, intentKey, fingerprint, INTENT_ROUTE_BUDGET) ->
+                RouteTier(arbiter, intentKey, INTENT_ROUTE_BUDGET, escalated = true)
+            else -> null
+        }
+        if (route == null) {
+            if (owner == null && arbiter == null) return null // nothing to route to: legacy retry path
             return StepResult.Terminal(
                 failWorkflow(
                     ctx.sessionId,
                     stageId,
-                    "recovery route budget exhausted for stage ${stageId.value} (gate=$gate): $reason",
+                    "repair ladder exhausted for stage ${stageId.value} (gate=$gate): $reason",
                     retryExhausted = true,
                 ),
             )
         }
+
+        val prev = state.recoveryFailureFingerprints[route.budgetKey]
+        val progressed = prev != null && prev != fingerprint
+        val used = state.recoveryRoutes[route.budgetKey] ?: 0
         val routeAttempt = if (progressed) used else used + 1
         emit(
             ctx.sessionId,
@@ -330,24 +370,51 @@ class DefaultSessionOrchestrator(
                 gate = gate,
                 category = ticketCategory(gate),
                 requiredCapability = requiredCapability,
-                routeTo = recoveryId,
+                routeTo = route.target,
                 evidence = reason,
                 routeAttempt = routeAttempt,
                 fingerprint = fingerprint,
+                escalated = route.escalated,
             ),
         )
         log.info(
-            "[Orchestrator] failure ticket session={} stage={} gate={} lacks={} -> recovery={} " +
+            "[Orchestrator] failure ticket session={} stage={} gate={} lacks={} -> {}={} " +
                 "(charged={}/{}, progressed={})",
             ctx.sessionId.value, stageId.value, gate, requiredCapability,
-            recoveryId.value, routeAttempt, RECOVERY_ROUTE_BUDGET, progressed,
+            if (route.escalated) "arbiter" else "owner", route.target.value,
+            routeAttempt, route.budget, progressed,
         )
         val advancedTo = advanceStage(
             ctx.sessionId,
             stageId,
-            TransitionDecision.Move(transitionId = TransitionId("recovery-route"), to = recoveryId),
+            TransitionDecision.Move(transitionId = TICKET_ROUTE, to = route.target),
         )
-        return enterStage(ctx.copy(currentStageId = advancedTo), recoveryId)
+        return enterStage(ctx.copy(currentStageId = advancedTo), route.target)
+    }
+
+    /** A chosen rung of the repair ladder: where to route, which budget it charges, and its tier. */
+    private data class RouteTier(
+        val target: StageId,
+        val budgetKey: String,
+        val budget: Int,
+        val escalated: Boolean,
+    )
+
+    /**
+     * Progress-aware budget check for one ladder tier. A route whose failure fingerprint changed from
+     * the previous route on the same [key] made progress (fixed one cause, surfaced another) → NOT
+     * exhausted (progress is free). Only a no-progress streak that reaches [budget] is exhausted.
+     */
+    private fun budgetExhausted(
+        state: OrchestrationState,
+        key: String,
+        fingerprint: String,
+        budget: Int,
+    ): Boolean {
+        val prev = state.recoveryFailureFingerprints[key]
+        val progressed = prev != null && prev != fingerprint
+        val used = state.recoveryRoutes[key] ?: 0
+        return !progressed && used >= budget
     }
 
     /**
@@ -361,23 +428,49 @@ class DefaultSessionOrchestrator(
         }?.key
 
     /**
-     * When the current stage is a recovery stage that has finished, route it back to the stage the
-     * failure came from — the origin of the latest [FailureTicketOpenedEvent] routed here — so the
-     * gate that triggered the route is re-run. This makes recovery correct for arbitrary graph
-     * topology (a write-less gate anywhere routes here and returns to exactly its own stage) rather
-     * than relying on a static recovery→terminal edge that would skip intervening stages. Returns
-     * null when the current stage is not a recovery stage or no ticket routed here (then the
-     * resolver's normal edge — the compiler's fallback recovery→terminal — is used).
+     * Route-to-owner resolution: map the failing gate's [evidence] (build/tsc output that names
+     * files, e.g. "src/App.tsx: TS2322") to the stage that most recently WROTE one of those files,
+     * via the recorded manifest chain (ToolInvocationRequestedEvent.stageId ← FileWrittenEvent by
+     * invocationId → path). The last write of a named file wins — its author is who to hand the
+     * ticket to. Pure over recorded events (replay-deterministic). Null when the evidence names no
+     * written file (an orphan failure — caller falls back to the synthesized recovery stage).
      */
-    private fun recoveryReturnMove(ctx: EnrichedExecutionContext): TransitionDecision.Move? {
-        val cfg = ctx.graph.stages[ctx.currentStageId] ?: return null
-        val isRecovery = cfg.metadata["role"] == "recovery" || ctx.currentStageId.value == "recovery"
-        if (!isRecovery) return null
-        val origin = repositories.eventStore.read(ctx.sessionId)
-            .mapNotNull { it.payload as? FailureTicketOpenedEvent }
+    private fun resolveTicketOwner(events: List<StoredEvent>, evidence: String): StageId? {
+        val tokens = EVIDENCE_PATH_RE.findAll(evidence)
+            .map { it.value.substringBefore(':').replace('\\', '/') }
+            .filter { it.length >= MIN_EVIDENCE_TOKEN }
+            .toSet()
+        if (tokens.isEmpty()) return null
+        val invToStage = events.mapNotNull { it.payload as? ToolInvocationRequestedEvent }
+            .associate { it.invocationId to it.stageId }
+        return events.mapNotNull { it.payload as? FileWrittenEvent }
+            .filter { it.postImageHash != null }
+            .lastOrNull { fw ->
+                val norm = fw.path.replace('\\', '/')
+                invToStage.containsKey(fw.invocationId) && tokens.any { norm == it || norm.endsWith("/$it") }
+            }
+            ?.let { invToStage[it.invocationId] }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Return-to-sender for a routed repair stage. When the current stage was entered by a failure
+     * ticket ([TICKET_ROUTE]) rather than a plan edge, its exit goes BACK to the gate that opened the
+     * ticket (origin of the latest [FailureTicketOpenedEvent] routed here) so that gate re-runs. This
+     * holds for any repair destination — the file's author OR the fallback recovery stage — and for
+     * arbitrary topology, instead of following the plan's forward edge (which would walk a
+     * regenerating implementer, or skip intervening stages). Returns null when the stage was NOT
+     * entered via a ticket (a normal forward visit — the resolver's edge is used).
+     */
+    private fun ticketReturnMove(ctx: EnrichedExecutionContext): TransitionDecision.Move? {
+        val events = repositories.eventStore.read(ctx.sessionId)
+        val enteredViaTicket = events.mapNotNull { it.payload as? TransitionExecutedEvent }
+            .lastOrNull { it.to == ctx.currentStageId }
+            ?.transitionId == TICKET_ROUTE
+        if (!enteredViaTicket) return null
+        val origin = events.mapNotNull { it.payload as? FailureTicketOpenedEvent }
             .lastOrNull { it.routeTo == ctx.currentStageId }
             ?.stageId ?: return null
-        return TransitionDecision.Move(transitionId = TransitionId("recovery-return"), to = origin)
+        return TransitionDecision.Move(transitionId = TICKET_RETURN, to = origin)
     }
 
     /** Returns the cached validated artifact content for the given session + artifact id, or null if absent. */
diff --git a/core/kernel/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/kernel/orchestration/ProcessStaticAnalysisRunner.kt b/core/kernel/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/kernel/orchestration/ProcessStaticAnalysisRunner.kt
index 0fa225a6..4c86727d 100644
--- a/core/kernel/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/kernel/orchestration/ProcessStaticAnalysisRunner.kt
+++ b/core/kernel/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/kernel/orchestration/ProcessStaticAnalysisRunner.kt
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package com.correx.core.kernel.orchestration
 
+import com.correx.core.tools.process.ChildProcess
 import kotlinx.coroutines.Dispatchers
 import kotlinx.coroutines.TimeoutCancellationException
 import kotlinx.coroutines.async
@@ -26,7 +27,7 @@ class ProcessStaticAnalysisRunner(
             val argv = command.trim().split(WHITESPACE).filter { it.isNotEmpty() }
             if (argv.isEmpty()) return@withContext StaticAnalysisRunResult(EXIT_NOT_RUN, "empty command")
             val process = runCatching {
-                ProcessBuilder(argv).directory(workingDir.toFile()).redirectErrorStream(true).start()
+                ChildProcess.builder(argv, workingDir.toFile()).redirectErrorStream(true).start()
             }.getOrElse {
                 return@withContext StaticAnalysisRunResult(EXIT_NOT_RUN, "failed to start '$command': ${it.message}")
             }
diff --git a/core/kernel/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/kernel/orchestration/SessionOrchestrator.kt b/core/kernel/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/kernel/orchestration/SessionOrchestrator.kt
index da7727af..b5d516a2 100644
--- a/core/kernel/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/kernel/orchestration/SessionOrchestrator.kt
+++ b/core/kernel/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/kernel/orchestration/SessionOrchestrator.kt
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ import com.correx.core.events.events.InferenceTimeoutEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.NewEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.OrchestrationPausedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.OrchestrationResumedEvent
+import com.correx.core.events.events.OutsidePathAccessGrantedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.RiskAssessedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.ExecutionPlanLockedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.StageCheckpointFailedEvent
@@ -167,13 +168,21 @@ import com.correx.core.journal.DefaultDecisionJournalRepository
 import com.correx.core.kernel.orchestration.subagent.SubagentRunner
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory
 import java.nio.file.Files
+import java.nio.file.Path
 import java.nio.file.Paths
 import java.util.*
 import java.util.concurrent.*
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.*
 import kotlin.coroutines.cancellation.CancellationException
 
-private const val MAX_TOOL_ROUNDS = 10
+// Ceiling on agentic tool rounds per stage entry. Originally 10 as a tight leash on early local
+// models that would thrash tools; the model now drives tools reliably, and the tight cap started
+// starving legitimate multi-step work — notably the recovery stage, which spends most rounds
+// re-investigating (list_dir/read/rebuild) before it reaches the write, and got bounced out before
+// acting on a correct diagnosis. The real runaway guards are the read-loop and rejection-loop
+// nudges (both fire after 3 unproductive rounds), so this ceiling only needs to be generous enough
+// that productive stages aren't cut off mid-work.
+private const val MAX_TOOL_ROUNDS = 30
 
 // Consecutive read-only tool rounds (no file_write/file_edit) that still owe a file_written
 // artifact before we force the write nudge. A model that keeps calling read tools every round
@@ -251,6 +260,8 @@ private const val REVIEW_BLOCK_RETRY_CAP = 20
 private const val REVIEW_OBJECTIVE_CAP = 4_000
 private const val STATIC_ANALYSIS_SUMMARY_CAP = 2_000
 private const val STATIC_ANALYSIS_FEEDBACK_CAP = 6_000
+/** Profile command alias run before a build gate to make it runnable (e.g. `npm ci`). */
+private const val SETUP_COMMAND_ALIAS = "setup"
 
 // KindInference kinds for build manifests — a written file of one of these declares a buildable
 // project toolchain even before any source lands, so the auto build gate fires (see
@@ -414,7 +425,15 @@ abstract class SessionOrchestrator(
                     ),
                 )
             } ?: emptyList()
-        val promptEntries = stageConfig.metadata["promptInline"]
+        // A stage re-entered to repair a gate failure has its own (often generative/"scaffold") prompt
+        // SUPPRESSED: that mandate is what drove it to overwrite real files with stubs on re-entry. The
+        // recovery-ticket entry (buildRecoveryTicketEntry) is the sole mandate here — it already carries
+        // "make the smallest change, don't rewrite from scratch" plus the gate evidence. See
+        // mandateSuppressedByTicket.
+        val promptEntries = if (mandateSuppressedByTicket(sessionId, stageId, stageConfig)) {
+            emptyList()
+        } else {
+            stageConfig.metadata["promptInline"]
             ?.takeIf { it.isNotBlank() }
             ?.let { text ->
                 listOf(
@@ -457,6 +476,7 @@ abstract class SessionOrchestrator(
                     )
                 }
             ?: emptyList()
+        }
 
         val llmEmittedSlots = stageConfig.produces.filter { it.kind.llmEmitted }
         require(llmEmittedSlots.size <= 1) {
@@ -553,11 +573,19 @@ abstract class SessionOrchestrator(
         } else {
             emptyList()
         }
+        // Remaining-delta checklist (stage-termination design 2026-07-11 §1a): the stage's currently
+        // unmet file-contract assertions as a forward-looking, shrinking TODO. Injected pinned
+        // (neverDrop) so it survives the budget/dedup passes that otherwise wipe the model's memory of
+        // progress; refreshed inside the tool loop each time a write lands (§1b, cache-until-write).
+        var remainingDeltaResults = evaluateStageContract(sessionId, stageId, stageConfig, effectives)
+        val remainingDeltaEntries = remainingDeltaResults
+            ?.let { buildRemainingDeltaEntry(contractFailureItems(it)) }
+            ?.let { listOf(it) } ?: emptyList()
         var accumulatedEntries = stampBuckets(
             systemPrompt + profileEntries + projectProfileEntries + agentInstructionsEntries +
                 journalEntries + repoMapEntries + claimedTaskEntries +
                 needsEntries + schemaEntries + vocabularyEntries + promptEntries + steeringEntries +
-                clarificationEntries + retryFeedbackEntries + recoveryTicketEntries,
+                clarificationEntries + retryFeedbackEntries + recoveryTicketEntries + remainingDeltaEntries,
         )
         val contextPack = runCatching {
             contextPackBuilder.build(
@@ -767,6 +795,22 @@ abstract class SessionOrchestrator(
             } else {
                 consecutiveRejectedRounds = 0
             }
+            // Refresh the remaining-delta checklist only when a write actually landed this round
+            // (cache-until-write, §1b): reads can never change the contract verdict, so re-evaluating
+            // on them would just burn filesystem work and re-emit identical events. On a successful
+            // write, recompute contract-minus-reality and swap the pinned entry so the model watches
+            // the list shrink toward the empty=done signal it previously lacked.
+            val wroteThisRound = inferenceResult.response.toolCalls.any { it.function.name in WRITE_TOOL_NAMES } &&
+                toolEntries.any {
+                    it.role == EntryRole.TOOL &&
+                        !it.content.startsWith("ERROR:") && !it.content.startsWith("BLOCKED:")
+                }
+            if (wroteThisRound) {
+                remainingDeltaResults = evaluateStageContract(sessionId, stageId, stageConfig, effectives)
+                val refreshed = remainingDeltaResults?.let { buildRemainingDeltaEntry(contractFailureItems(it)) }
+                accumulatedEntries = accumulatedEntries.filterNot { it.sourceType == "remainingDelta" } +
+                    listOfNotNull(refreshed)
+            }
             currentContext = contextPackBuilder.build(
                 id = ContextPackId(UUID.randomUUID().toString()),
                 sessionId = sessionId,
@@ -1084,6 +1128,19 @@ abstract class SessionOrchestrator(
             )
             val tool = effectives.registry?.resolve(toolCall.function.name)
             val tier = tool?.tier ?: Tier.T2
+            // Out-of-workspace read access: a read whose target lexically resolves outside the
+            // workspace root. The intent plane raises PROMPT_USER for it; once the operator approves
+            // (recorded as OutsidePathAccessGrantedEvent), the same path this session skips the prompt
+            // and the tool jail is widened for it. Writes never take this path (isRead gate).
+            val isRead = tool?.requiredCapabilities?.contains(ToolCapability.FILE_READ) == true &&
+                tool.requiredCapabilities.contains(ToolCapability.FILE_WRITE) != true
+            val outsideReadTarget = if (isRead) {
+                outsideWorkspaceTarget(parameters, effectives.policy?.workspaceRoot)
+            } else {
+                null
+            }
+            val grantedOutside = grantedOutsidePaths(sessionId)
+            val alreadyGranted = outsideReadTarget != null && outsideReadTarget.toString() in grantedOutside
             emit(
                 sessionId,
                 ToolInvocationRequestedEvent(
@@ -1202,8 +1259,9 @@ abstract class SessionOrchestrator(
             // A steering note attached to a human approval is captured here and injected after the
             // tool result, so the same-stage loop re-infers with it and the model acts on the note.
             var approvalNote: String? = null
-            if (tier.isAtMost(Tier.T1) && !plane2Prompts) {
-                // no approval needed
+            if ((tier.isAtMost(Tier.T1) && !plane2Prompts) || alreadyGranted) {
+                // no approval needed — either within the auto-approve tier, or this out-of-workspace
+                // read path was already approved earlier this session (this-path-this-session).
             } else {
                 // Grants in effect = this session's own (SESSION/STAGE) unioned with the
                 // cross-session ledger (PROJECT/GLOBAL). projectId is derived from the bound
@@ -1329,7 +1387,24 @@ abstract class SessionOrchestrator(
                     emit(sessionId, OrchestrationResumedEvent(sessionId, stageId))
                 }
             }
-            val result = executor.execute(request)
+            // Reaching here means the call is authorized (all deny/block/pending paths returned early).
+            // For a first-time out-of-workspace read, record the grant so future reads of the same path
+            // this session skip the prompt (invariants #8/#9 — replay reads the recorded fact). Then
+            // widen the executed request's jail with every path approved outside the workspace.
+            if (outsideReadTarget != null && !alreadyGranted) {
+                emit(
+                    sessionId,
+                    OutsidePathAccessGrantedEvent(
+                        sessionId = sessionId,
+                        stageId = stageId,
+                        path = outsideReadTarget.toString(),
+                    ),
+                )
+            }
+            val executedRequest = outsideReadTarget
+                ?.let { request.copy(grantedPaths = grantedOutside + it.toString()) }
+                ?: request
+            val result = executor.execute(executedRequest)
 
             // Store ProcessResult artifact for every shell execution outcome
             for (slot in processResultSlots) {
@@ -1496,6 +1571,33 @@ abstract class SessionOrchestrator(
             .fold(projection.initial()) { acc, event -> projection.apply(acc, event) }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * The out-of-workspace path a read tool targets, or null if the read stays inside the workspace
+     * (or there's no workspace policy / path arg). Resolution is purely lexical (absolute-normalize,
+     * or resolve-against-root for relatives) so the containment decision is deterministic and never
+     * touches the filesystem. Symlink escapes and privileged locations are caught upstream by the
+     * plane-2 PathContainmentRule (BLOCK before any prompt), and by the tool's own realize() jail.
+     */
+    private fun outsideWorkspaceTarget(parameters: Map<String, Any>, workspaceRoot: Path?): Path? {
+        workspaceRoot ?: return null
+        val raw = parameters["path"] as? String ?: return null
+        val candidate = runCatching { Path.of(raw) }.getOrNull() ?: return null
+        val root = workspaceRoot.toAbsolutePath().normalize()
+        val resolved = (if (candidate.isAbsolute) candidate else root.resolve(candidate)).normalize()
+        return resolved.takeUnless { it.startsWith(root) }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Paths outside the workspace the operator has approved this session (folded from
+     * [OutsidePathAccessGrantedEvent]). Replay-safe: reads the log, never re-prompts or re-probes.
+     */
+    private fun grantedOutsidePaths(sessionId: SessionId): Set<String> =
+        eventStore.read(sessionId)
+            .mapNotNull { it.payload as? OutsidePathAccessGrantedEvent }
+            .filter { it.sessionId == sessionId }
+            .map { it.path }
+            .toSet()
+
     /**
      * Returns true when the agent must be offered only read-only tools on the next inference turn.
      * Active from the moment a READ_BEFORE_WRITE block lands until a FILE_READ completion follows it.
@@ -1721,6 +1823,25 @@ abstract class SessionOrchestrator(
         )
     }
 
+    /**
+     * True when [stageId]'s own prompt must be suppressed because the stage was entered to repair a
+     * gate failure. That happens when the most recent transition INTO this stage was a ticket route
+     * ([TICKET_ROUTE], same entry check as DefaultSessionOrchestrator.ticketReturnMove) — the failure
+     * ticket routes an owner stage back to fix a file it authored, and its original generative mandate
+     * ("scaffold the project") is exactly what drives it to overwrite that file with a stub. The
+     * recovery-ticket entry ([buildRecoveryTicketEntry]) becomes the sole mandate instead.
+     *
+     * The purpose-built recovery arbiter (role=recovery) is excluded: it is also ticket-entered but
+     * its own prompt IS a tuned repair prompt, so it keeps it. Replay-safe (recorded events only).
+     */
+    private fun mandateSuppressedByTicket(sessionId: SessionId, stageId: StageId, stageConfig: StageConfig): Boolean {
+        if (stageConfig.metadata["role"] == "recovery") return false
+        return eventStore.read(sessionId)
+            .mapNotNull { it.payload as? TransitionExecutedEvent }
+            .lastOrNull { it.to == stageId }
+            ?.transitionId == TICKET_ROUTE
+    }
+
     /**
      * Best real path in the repo map that shares [guessed]'s filename, ranked by shared trailing
      * path segments — so a wrong package prefix (e.g. `com/correx/server/...` for the real
@@ -2304,27 +2425,35 @@ abstract class SessionOrchestrator(
      * empty/missing/malformed file rather than read-looping. COMPILER assertions are recorded as
      * skipped here; the static-analysis command gate is their authoritative check.
      */
-    private suspend fun runContractGate(
+    /**
+     * Evaluate the stage's file contract against current filesystem reality and record the verdict
+     * in a [ContractGateEvaluatedEvent] (invariant #9). Returns the per-assertion results, or null
+     * when the gate does not apply (no evaluator, no workspace root, no file_written produces, or no
+     * paths). Shared by the post-stage [runContractGate] and the within-loop remaining-delta refresh
+     * ([buildRemainingDeltaEntry]) so both read the same contract-minus-reality computation from a
+     * single evaluation + single event emission.
+     */
+    private suspend fun evaluateStageContract(
         sessionId: SessionId,
         stageId: StageId,
         stageConfig: StageConfig,
         effectives: RunEffectives,
-    ): StageExecutionResult {
-        val evaluator = contractAssertionEvaluator ?: return StageExecutionResult.Success(emptyList())
-        val workspaceRoot = effectives.policy?.workspaceRoot ?: return StageExecutionResult.Success(emptyList())
-        if (stageConfig.produces.none { it.kind.id == "file_written" }) return StageExecutionResult.Success(emptyList())
+    ): List<ContractAssertionResult>? {
+        val evaluator = contractAssertionEvaluator ?: return null
+        val workspaceRoot = effectives.policy?.workspaceRoot ?: return null
+        if (stageConfig.produces.none { it.kind.id == "file_written" }) return null
 
         // Option A ∪ B: the files the stage actually wrote (runtime manifest) unioned with the
         // concrete files the plan declared it would produce (expectedFiles). A declared file that
         // was never written survives here and fails file_exists — that is the missing-file catch.
         val paths = (stageWrittenPaths(sessionId, stageId) + stageConfig.expectedFiles).distinct()
-        if (paths.isEmpty()) return StageExecutionResult.Success(emptyList())
+        if (paths.isEmpty()) return null
 
         val assertions = paths.flatMap { path ->
             KindContractTable.assertionsFor(KindInference.kindFor(path) ?: "", path)
         }
         val results = assertions.map { a ->
-            val v = contractAssertionEvaluator.evaluate(workspaceRoot, a)
+            val v = evaluator.evaluate(workspaceRoot, a)
             ContractAssertionResult(
                 assertionId = a.id,
                 target = a.target,
@@ -2335,6 +2464,21 @@ abstract class SessionOrchestrator(
             )
         }
         emit(sessionId, ContractGateEvaluatedEvent(sessionId, stageId, results))
+        return results
+    }
+
+    /** The currently-failing assertions as (target, assertionId, evidence) triples for the checklist. */
+    private fun contractFailureItems(results: List<ContractAssertionResult>): List<Triple<String, String, String>> =
+        results.filterNot { it.passed }.map { Triple(it.target, it.assertionId, it.evidence) }
+
+    private suspend fun runContractGate(
+        sessionId: SessionId,
+        stageId: StageId,
+        stageConfig: StageConfig,
+        effectives: RunEffectives,
+    ): StageExecutionResult {
+        val results = evaluateStageContract(sessionId, stageId, stageConfig, effectives)
+            ?: return StageExecutionResult.Success(emptyList())
 
         val failures = results.filterNot { it.passed }
         if (failures.isEmpty()) return StageExecutionResult.Success(emptyList())
@@ -2528,6 +2672,8 @@ abstract class SessionOrchestrator(
             return StageExecutionResult.Success(emptyList())
         }
 
+        runSetupCommand(sessionId, stageId, workspaceRoot, profileCommands, runner)?.let { return it }
+
         val run = runner.run(workspaceRoot, command)
         val finding = StaticAnalysisFinding(command, run.exitCode, run.output.takeLast(STATIC_ANALYSIS_SUMMARY_CAP))
         emit(sessionId, StaticAnalysisCompletedEvent(sessionId, stageId, listOf(finding)))
@@ -2546,6 +2692,41 @@ abstract class SessionOrchestrator(
         )
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Run the operator-declared `setup` command (profile alias [SETUP_COMMAND_ALIAS]) before a build
+     * gate, when one is configured. A build like `tsc && vite build` fails spuriously if the project
+     * was never prepared (deps uninstalled, codegen not run) — the funnel reads that as a code failure
+     * and routes into futile repair. The operator names the fix in their profile (`setup = "npm ci"`,
+     * `"cargo fetch"`, `"./gradlew dependencies"`, …); the kernel stays ecosystem-agnostic. Runs in the
+     * workspace root, recorded as a [StaticAnalysisCompletedEvent] (invariant #9). Returns a
+     * [StageExecutionResult.Failure] when setup itself fails (a real, actionable error), else null (no
+     * setup configured, or it succeeded — proceed to the build).
+     */
+    private suspend fun runSetupCommand(
+        sessionId: SessionId,
+        stageId: StageId,
+        workspaceRoot: Path,
+        profileCommands: Map<String, String>,
+        runner: StaticAnalysisRunner,
+    ): StageExecutionResult? {
+        val setup = profileCommands[SETUP_COMMAND_ALIAS]?.takeIf { it.isNotBlank() } ?: return null
+        log.info(
+            "[Orchestrator] running setup command before build gate session={} stage={} command='{}'",
+            sessionId.value, stageId.value, setup,
+        )
+        val run = runner.run(workspaceRoot, setup)
+        val finding = StaticAnalysisFinding(setup, run.exitCode, run.output.takeLast(STATIC_ANALYSIS_SUMMARY_CAP))
+        emit(sessionId, StaticAnalysisCompletedEvent(sessionId, stageId, listOf(finding)))
+        if (finding.clean) return null
+        return StageExecutionResult.Failure(
+            "stage ${stageId.value} setup command failed before its build gate. " +
+                "Fix these before proceeding:\n\n$ $setup  (exit ${run.exitCode})\n" +
+                run.output.takeLast(STATIC_ANALYSIS_FEEDBACK_CAP),
+            retryable = true,
+            gate = "execution",
+        )
+    }
+
     /**
      * Gate 3 — semantic (LLM) review (staged-verification § Gate 3). For a stage that opts in
      * (`semanticReview`), the injected [SemanticReviewer] reads the files the stage actually wrote
@@ -3441,8 +3622,17 @@ internal sealed interface InferenceResult {
  * becomes its content string; objects and arrays-of-objects keep their JSON text for tools that
  * re-parse them (e.g. task_decompose). Malformed JSON yields an empty map.
  */
+// Lenient fallback for small local models (gemma) that drift out of strict JSON on large tool
+// args — most commonly bare/unquoted keys (`path:` instead of `"path":`) and unquoted string
+// values. Strict parse is tried first; only genuinely-off syntax hits this. Triple-quoted
+// Python-style values (`"""..."""`) still fail here — that ambiguity isn't worth a fragile
+// hand-rolled repair; the loud "unparseable" path below tells the model to fix its format.
+private val lenientJson = Json { isLenient = true }
+
 internal fun parseToolArguments(arguments: String): Map<String, Any> = runCatching {
-    val obj = Json.parseToJsonElement(arguments) as? JsonObject ?: return@runCatching emptyMap()
+    val element = runCatching { Json.parseToJsonElement(arguments) }
+        .getOrElse { lenientJson.parseToJsonElement(arguments) }
+    val obj = element as? JsonObject ?: return@runCatching emptyMap()
     obj.entries.associate { (k, v) ->
         k to when {
             v is JsonPrimitive -> v.content
diff --git a/core/kernel/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/core/kernel/orchestration/ParseToolArgumentsTest.kt b/core/kernel/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/core/kernel/orchestration/ParseToolArgumentsTest.kt
index 612a96b4..5fcad838 100644
--- a/core/kernel/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/core/kernel/orchestration/ParseToolArgumentsTest.kt
+++ b/core/kernel/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/core/kernel/orchestration/ParseToolArgumentsTest.kt
@@ -39,6 +39,16 @@ class ParseToolArgumentsTest {
         assertTrue(parseToolArguments("[]").isEmpty()) // top-level non-object
     }
 
+    @Test
+    fun `lenient fallback recovers unquoted keys from gemma drift`() {
+        // Small local models drift out of strict JSON on large args, most commonly bare keys.
+        // Strict parse fails; the lenient fallback still yields both params so file_write no
+        // longer sees an empty map and lies "Missing 'path'".
+        val params = parseToolArguments("""{path: "styles/x.css", content: "body {}"}""")
+        assertEquals("styles/x.css", params["path"])
+        assertEquals("body {}", params["content"])
+    }
+
     @Test
     fun `decompose preview renders the epic and children with dependency labels`() {
         // Args arrive flattened: nested tasks/parent are JSON text, as in a real call.
diff --git a/core/kernel/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/core/kernel/orchestration/RemainingDeltaEntryTest.kt b/core/kernel/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/core/kernel/orchestration/RemainingDeltaEntryTest.kt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..51d27fb7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/kernel/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/core/kernel/orchestration/RemainingDeltaEntryTest.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+package com.correx.core.kernel.orchestration
+
+import com.correx.core.context.model.EntryRole
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertNull
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test
+
+class RemainingDeltaEntryTest {
+
+    @Test
+    fun `empty failing set yields no entry (list empty means done)`() {
+        assertNull(buildRemainingDeltaEntry(emptyList()))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `entry lists each failing assertion as an unchecked forward item`() {
+        val entry = buildRemainingDeltaEntry(
+            listOf(
+                Triple("frontend/src/views/TaskView.tsx", "exports_default_component", "no default export"),
+                Triple("frontend/src/views/SessionView.tsx", "exports_default_component", "no default export"),
+            ),
+        )!!
+        assertEquals("remainingDelta", entry.sourceType)
+        assertEquals(EntryRole.SYSTEM, entry.role)
+        // Forward-looking framing, not a history of what was done.
+        assertTrue(entry.content.contains("Remaining to finish this stage"))
+        assertTrue(entry.content.contains("- [ ] frontend/src/views/TaskView.tsx — exports_default_component"))
+        assertTrue(entry.content.contains("SessionView.tsx"))
+        // Must state that re-reading doesn't change it — the spiral-starver.
+        assertTrue(entry.content.contains("re-reading files does NOT change it", ignoreCase = true))
+    }
+}
diff --git a/core/sessions/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/sessions/SessionSummary.kt b/core/sessions/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/sessions/SessionSummary.kt
index 7946bbc4..825ff103 100644
--- a/core/sessions/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/sessions/SessionSummary.kt
+++ b/core/sessions/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/sessions/SessionSummary.kt
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import kotlinx.serialization.Serializable
 @Serializable
 data class SessionSummary(
     val sessionId: SessionId,
+    val name: String?,
     val intent: String?,
     val workflowId: String?,
     val status: String,
diff --git a/core/sessions/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/sessions/SessionSummaryProjector.kt b/core/sessions/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/sessions/SessionSummaryProjector.kt
index 8973b5a5..3ca2e528 100644
--- a/core/sessions/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/sessions/SessionSummaryProjector.kt
+++ b/core/sessions/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/sessions/SessionSummaryProjector.kt
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package com.correx.core.sessions
 
 import com.correx.core.events.events.InitialIntentEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.OrchestrationPausedEvent
+import com.correx.core.events.events.SessionNamedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.StoredEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.TransitionExecutedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.WorkflowCompletedEvent
@@ -12,6 +13,7 @@ import com.correx.core.events.types.SessionId
 class SessionSummaryProjector {
     fun project(sessionId: SessionId, events: List<StoredEvent>): SessionSummary {
         var intent: String? = null
+        var name: String? = null
         var workflowId: String? = null
         var stageCount = 0
         var status = "UNKNOWN"
@@ -21,6 +23,7 @@ class SessionSummaryProjector {
         events.forEach { event ->
             when (val p = event.payload) {
                 is InitialIntentEvent -> intent = p.intent
+                is SessionNamedEvent -> name = p.name
                 is WorkflowStartedEvent -> {
                     workflowId = p.workflowId
                     status = SessionStatus.ACTIVE.name
@@ -35,6 +38,7 @@ class SessionSummaryProjector {
 
         return SessionSummary(
             sessionId = sessionId,
+            name = name,
             intent = intent,
             workflowId = workflowId,
             status = status,
diff --git a/core/sessions/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/core/sessions/SessionSummaryProjectorTest.kt b/core/sessions/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/core/sessions/SessionSummaryProjectorTest.kt
index c52e49c8..0534a30e 100644
--- a/core/sessions/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/core/sessions/SessionSummaryProjectorTest.kt
+++ b/core/sessions/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/core/sessions/SessionSummaryProjectorTest.kt
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package com.correx.core.sessions
 
 import com.correx.core.events.events.EventMetadata
 import com.correx.core.events.events.InitialIntentEvent
+import com.correx.core.events.events.SessionNamedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.StoredEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.TransitionExecutedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.types.EventId
@@ -58,6 +59,15 @@ class SessionSummaryProjectorTest {
         assertEquals("add auth layer", summary.intent)
     }
 
+    @Test
+    fun `SessionNamedEvent surfaces the human name in the summary`() {
+        val event = stored(SessionNamedEvent(sessionId, "Add auth layer", timestampMs = 0L))
+
+        val summary = projector.project(sessionId, listOf(event))
+
+        assertEquals("Add auth layer", summary.name)
+    }
+
     @Test
     fun `two TransitionExecutedEvents yield stageCount of two`() {
         val t1 = stored(
diff --git a/core/talkie/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/talkie/TalkieFacade.kt b/core/talkie/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/talkie/TalkieFacade.kt
index c3c2ba3f..16412705 100644
--- a/core/talkie/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/talkie/TalkieFacade.kt
+++ b/core/talkie/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/talkie/TalkieFacade.kt
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 package com.correx.core.talkie
 
+import com.correx.core.context.model.CompressionMetadata
+import com.correx.core.context.model.ContextEntry
+import com.correx.core.context.model.ContextLayer
+import com.correx.core.context.model.ContextPack
+import com.correx.core.context.model.EntryRole
 import com.correx.core.events.events.ChatTurnEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.ChatTurnRole
 import com.correx.core.events.events.ContextTruncatedEvent
@@ -10,9 +15,12 @@ import com.correx.core.events.events.L3RetrievedHit
 import com.correx.core.events.events.NewEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.ToolInvocationRequestedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.TalkieNarrationEvent
+import com.correx.core.events.events.SessionNamedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.SteeringNoteAddedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.events.WorkflowProposedEvent
 import com.correx.core.events.stores.EventStore
+import com.correx.core.events.types.ContextEntryId
+import com.correx.core.events.types.ContextPackId
 import com.correx.core.events.types.EventId
 import com.correx.core.events.types.InferenceRequestId
 import com.correx.core.events.types.SessionId
@@ -42,6 +50,11 @@ private val log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(DefaultTalkieFacade::class.java)
 private const val MAX_NARRATED_ACTIONS = 6
 private const val ACTION_ARG_MAX = 60
 
+// Session-naming caps.
+private const val NAME_INTENT_MAX = 2000
+private const val NAME_MAX_CHARS = 64
+private const val TOKEN_CHARS = 4
+
 interface TalkieFacade {
     suspend fun onUserInput(
         sessionId: SessionId,
@@ -50,6 +63,13 @@ interface TalkieFacade {
     ): TalkieResponse
 
     suspend fun narrate(sessionId: SessionId, trigger: NarrationTrigger)
+
+    /**
+     * Derives a short, human-readable title for the session from its initial [intent] and records
+     * it once as a [SessionNamedEvent]. Nondeterministic (an LLM call) so the result is captured as
+     * an event, never re-derived on replay (invariant #9). No-op on blank intent or empty output.
+     */
+    suspend fun nameSession(sessionId: SessionId, intent: String)
 }
 
 class DefaultTalkieFacade(
@@ -254,6 +274,80 @@ class DefaultTalkieFacade(
         )
     }
 
+    override suspend fun nameSession(sessionId: SessionId, intent: String) {
+        if (intent.isBlank()) return
+
+        val instruction = buildString {
+            append("Produce a short, specific title (3-6 words, Title Case, no quotes, no trailing ")
+            append("punctuation) that names the task described below. Reply with the title only.\n\n")
+            append("Task: ")
+            append(intent.trim().take(NAME_INTENT_MAX))
+        }
+        val contextPack = ContextPack(
+            id = ContextPackId("${sessionId.value}-naming-pack"),
+            sessionId = sessionId,
+            stageId = StageId.NONE,
+            layers = mapOf(
+                ContextLayer.L0 to listOf(
+                    ContextEntry(
+                        id = ContextEntryId(UUID.randomUUID().toString()),
+                        layer = ContextLayer.L0,
+                        content = instruction,
+                        sourceType = "sessionNaming",
+                        sourceId = sessionId.value,
+                        tokenEstimate = (instruction.length / TOKEN_CHARS).coerceAtLeast(1),
+                        role = EntryRole.USER,
+                    ),
+                ),
+            ),
+            budgetUsed = (instruction.length / TOKEN_CHARS).coerceAtLeast(1),
+            budgetLimit = config.tokenBudget.limit,
+            compressionMetadata = CompressionMetadata(appliedStrategies = listOf("SessionNaming")),
+        )
+
+        val provider = inferenceRouter.route(StageId.NONE, setOf(ModelCapability.General), config.narrationModelId)
+        val inferenceRequest = InferenceRequest(
+            requestId = InferenceRequestId(UUID.randomUUID().toString()),
+            sessionId = sessionId,
+            stageId = StageId.NONE,
+            contextPack = contextPack,
+            generationConfig = config.narrationGenerationConfig,
+            responseFormat = ResponseFormat.Text,
+        )
+        val raw = provider.infer(inferenceRequest).text
+        val name = sanitizeSessionName(raw)
+        if (name.isBlank()) return
+
+        val now = Clock.System.now()
+        eventStore.append(
+            NewEvent(
+                metadata = EventMetadata(
+                    eventId = EventId(UUID.randomUUID().toString()),
+                    sessionId = sessionId,
+                    timestamp = now,
+                    schemaVersion = 1,
+                    causationId = null,
+                    correlationId = null,
+                ),
+                payload = SessionNamedEvent(
+                    sessionId = sessionId,
+                    name = name,
+                    timestampMs = now.toEpochMilliseconds(),
+                ),
+            ),
+        )
+    }
+
+    /** Strips quotes/markdown/trailing punctuation and clamps a model-produced title to one line. */
+    private fun sanitizeSessionName(raw: String): String =
+        raw.lineSequence()
+            .map { it.trim() }
+            .firstOrNull { it.isNotBlank() }
+            .orEmpty()
+            .trim('"', '\'', '`', '*', '#', ' ', '.', ':')
+            .take(NAME_MAX_CHARS)
+            .trim()
+
     /**
      * The most recent concrete tool actions in the session, read straight from the event log so
      * the narrator can say what actually happened (files read/written, tools run) instead of a
diff --git a/core/tools/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/tools/process/ChildProcess.kt b/core/tools/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/tools/process/ChildProcess.kt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..952ba393
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/tools/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/tools/process/ChildProcess.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+package com.correx.core.tools.process
+
+import java.io.File
+
+/**
+ * Single construction point for child processes spawned on behalf of a run — both model-authored
+ * shell (ShellTool) and operator-trusted gate commands (static-analysis runner) go through here.
+ *
+ * Every child is configured for *unattended* execution, closing the two ways a subprocess hangs a
+ * headless run:
+ *  1. **stdin from /dev/null** — a tool that still prompts reads EOF and fails fast instead of
+ *     blocking on a dangling pipe until the caller's timeout kills it.
+ *  2. **non-interactive env overlay** — package managers / scaffolders (`npm create`, `npm init`,
+ *     …) honour `CI`, `npm_config_yes`, etc. and take defaults rather than prompting at all.
+ *
+ * Output redirection is deliberately NOT set here: callers differ (ShellTool drains stdout/stderr
+ * separately; the gate runner merges them via `redirectErrorStream`). They also keep their own
+ * timeout backstop — this only builds the [ProcessBuilder].
+ */
+object ChildProcess {
+    private val DEV_NULL = File("/dev/null")
+
+    // Overlaid on the inherited environment. Forces the common Node toolchain into non-interactive
+    // mode so `npm create`/`npm init` and friends never block on a stdin prompt.
+    private val NON_INTERACTIVE_ENV = mapOf(
+        "CI" to "true",
+        "npm_config_yes" to "true",
+        "NPM_CONFIG_YES" to "true",
+        "ADBLOCK" to "1",
+        "DISABLE_OPENCOLLECTIVE" to "1",
+    )
+
+    /**
+     * A [ProcessBuilder] for [command] in [workingDir] (JVM cwd when null), with the non-interactive
+     * env overlay and stdin redirected from /dev/null. The caller sets any output redirection and
+     * owns the timeout.
+     */
+    fun builder(command: List<String>, workingDir: File? = null): ProcessBuilder =
+        ProcessBuilder(command).apply {
+            workingDir?.let { directory(it) }
+            environment().putAll(NON_INTERACTIVE_ENV)
+            redirectInput(ProcessBuilder.Redirect.from(DEV_NULL))
+        }
+}
diff --git a/docs/ui/web-ui-design-spec.md b/docs/ui/web-ui-design-spec.md
deleted file mode 100644
index d6b268fd..00000000
--- a/docs/ui/web-ui-design-spec.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,21 +0,0 @@
-# Web UI Design Specification
-
-## Aesthetic
-- **Theme**: Soft Rounded + Blue Accent.
-- **Consistency**: Should align with the TUI layout plan.
-
-## Layout
-- **Sidebar**: Centralized navigation.
-- **Main Area**: Dynamic content based on selection.
-- **Event Log**: Easily accessible (Source of Truth).
-
-## Components
-- **Cards**: For task summaries, status updates.
-- **Badges**: For status (e.g., `CLAIMED`, `PENDING`, `COMPLETED`).
-- **Progress Bars**: For multi-step task progress.
-- **Service Layer**: Placeholders for `apps/server` endpoints.
-
-## UX Priorities
-- Clear hierarchy.
-- Intuitive navigation.
-- Avoid clutter (maintain information density).
diff --git a/examples/workflows/prompts/architect_freestyle.md b/examples/workflows/prompts/architect_freestyle.md
index 2967b877..22db3e57 100644
--- a/examples/workflows/prompts/architect_freestyle.md
+++ b/examples/workflows/prompts/architect_freestyle.md
@@ -79,12 +79,15 @@ Emit a JSON object that validates against the `execution_plan` schema:
     decompose tasks here — task creation is out of scope for the plan.
 - Keep stages small and single-responsibility. Prefer more stages over large monolithic
   prompts.
-- **Scaffolding uses `file_write`, never a network installer.** A stage that sets up a project
-  writes `package.json`, config files, and sources directly with `file_write` — it does not
-  shell out to `npm create vite`, `create-react-app`, `npx`, or any `create`/`init` scaffolder.
-  Those fetch remote code and prompt on stdin; the run is unattended (no TTY) so they hang, and
-  `shell` rejects them outright. `shell` in a scaffold stage is for `npm install` / `npm run
-  build` on files that already exist, not for generating the project.
+- **Prefer the real scaffolder over hand-writing config.** A stage that sets up a project should
+  use the package manager's own generator — e.g. `npm create vite@latest <dir> -- --template
+  react-ts` — because it produces a correct, complete, current file set (a hand-written
+  `package.json` reliably forgets something). Runs are unattended, but the shell forces
+  non-interactive mode (stdin closed, `CI=true`), so `npm create`/`npm init` no longer hang;
+  always pass the template/preset arg the generator requires (`-- --template react-ts`) since
+  there's no prompt to fall back on. `file_write` is the fallback when no generator fits the
+  stack. Only bare remote runners (`npx`, `bunx`, `pnpx`) stay blocked — they execute arbitrary
+  remote code; reach them via `npm create` instead.
 - **Every stage prompt must describe its exact JSON output structure when using a
   structured kind.** The model that runs the stage never sees the raw JSON schema — it only sees
   the kind's name (e.g. `analysis`, `research_report`, `review_report`) and the prompt you write
diff --git a/infrastructure/tools/filesystem/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/infrastructure/tools/filesystem/FileEditTool.kt b/infrastructure/tools/filesystem/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/infrastructure/tools/filesystem/FileEditTool.kt
index 009e9374..37d3f3f4 100644
--- a/infrastructure/tools/filesystem/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/infrastructure/tools/filesystem/FileEditTool.kt
+++ b/infrastructure/tools/filesystem/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/infrastructure/tools/filesystem/FileEditTool.kt
@@ -79,7 +79,30 @@ class FileEditTool(
             add(JsonPrimitive("path"))
             add(JsonPrimitive("operation"))
         })
+        // Per-operation requirements. `required` above can't express these (they depend on the
+        // chosen operation), so a plain schema lets a constrained decoder finish a 'replace' call
+        // with no target/replacement — a schema-valid but useless edit the runtime then has to
+        // reject. The if/then conditionals make the operand params required once the operation is
+        // fixed, so a schema-aware decoder emits them.
+        put("allOf", buildJsonArray {
+            add(conditionalRequirement("replace", "target", "replacement"))
+            add(conditionalRequirement("append", "content"))
+            add(conditionalRequirement("patch", "patch"))
+        })
     }
+    private fun conditionalRequirement(operation: String, vararg required: String): JsonObject =
+        buildJsonObject {
+            putJsonObject("if") {
+                putJsonObject("properties") {
+                    putJsonObject("operation") { put("const", operation) }
+                }
+                put("required", buildJsonArray { add(JsonPrimitive("operation")) })
+            }
+            putJsonObject("then") {
+                put("required", buildJsonArray { required.forEach { add(JsonPrimitive(it)) } })
+            }
+        }
+
     override val tier: Tier = Tier.T3
     override val requiredCapabilities: Set<ToolCapability> = setOf(ToolCapability.FILE_WRITE)
     override val paramRoles: Map<String, ParamRole> = mapOf("path" to ParamRole.PATH)
@@ -232,27 +255,76 @@ class FileEditTool(
         val currentContent = Files.readString(path)
 
         val occurrences = currentContent.split(target).size - 1
-        return if (occurrences == 1) {
-            val newContent = currentContent.replace(target, replacement)
-            Files.writeString(path, newContent)
-            ToolResult.Success(
+        return when (occurrences) {
+            1 -> {
+                val newContent = currentContent.replace(target, replacement)
+                Files.writeString(path, newContent)
+                ToolResult.Success(
+                    invocationId = request.invocationId,
+                    output = "Target replaced in $pathString",
+                )
+            }
+            // Don't echo the (often whole-file) target back into context — it bloats the turn and
+            // teaches nothing. Instead point at the closest actual line, since a miss is almost
+            // always whitespace/content drift the model can correct from a nudge.
+            0 -> ToolResult.Failure(
                 invocationId = request.invocationId,
-                output = "Target replaced in $pathString",
-            )
-        } else {
-            ToolResult.Failure(
-                invocationId = request.invocationId,
-                reason = if (occurrences == 0) {
-                    "Target '$target' not found in $pathString"
-                } else {
-                    "Target '$target' found $occurrences times, expected exactly once"
+                reason = buildString {
+                    append("Target not found in $pathString")
+                    nearestLine(currentContent, target)?.let {
+                        append(". Did you mean (whitespace/content may differ): $it ?")
+                    }
                 },
-                // Recoverable: the model can adjust the target string and retry.
+                recoverable = true,
+            )
+            else -> ToolResult.Failure(
+                invocationId = request.invocationId,
+                reason = "Target found $occurrences times in $pathString, expected exactly once — " +
+                    "extend it with surrounding lines to make it unique.",
                 recoverable = true,
             )
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Best-effort "did you mean" for a not-found replace target: anchor on the target's first
+     * non-blank line and return the file line most similar to it (levenshtein ratio), or null when
+     * nothing is close enough to be a useful suggestion. Mirrors ListDirTool's fuzzy directory hint.
+     */
+    private fun nearestLine(content: String, target: String): String? {
+        val anchor = target.lineSequence().firstOrNull { it.isNotBlank() }?.trim()?.take(MAX_CMP)
+        if (anchor == null || anchor.length < MIN_ANCHOR) return null
+        return content.lineSequence()
+            .filter { it.isNotBlank() }
+            .map { it.trim() to similarity(anchor, it.trim().take(MAX_CMP)) }
+            .maxByOrNull { it.second }
+            ?.takeIf { it.second >= MIN_SIMILARITY }
+            ?.first
+    }
+
+    private fun similarity(a: String, b: String): Double {
+        val maxLen = maxOf(a.length, b.length)
+        return if (maxLen == 0) 1.0 else 1.0 - levenshtein(a, b).toDouble() / maxLen
+    }
+
+    private fun levenshtein(a: String, b: String): Int {
+        val dp = IntArray(b.length + 1) { it }
+        for (i in 1..a.length) {
+            var prev = dp[0]
+            dp[0] = i
+            for (j in 1..b.length) {
+                val tmp = dp[j]
+                dp[j] = minOf(
+                    dp[j] + 1,
+                    dp[j - 1] + 1,
+                    prev + if (a[i - 1].lowercaseChar() == b[j - 1].lowercaseChar()) 0 else 1,
+                )
+                prev = tmp
+            }
+        }
+        return dp[b.length]
+    }
+
     private fun patch(path: Path, pathString: String, request: ToolRequest): ToolResult {
         val patchContent = request.parameters["patch"] as String
         val parentDir = path.parent ?: Paths.get(".")
@@ -312,4 +384,10 @@ class FileEditTool(
             recoverable = false,
         )
     }
+
+    private companion object {
+        const val MIN_ANCHOR = 3
+        const val MAX_CMP = 400
+        const val MIN_SIMILARITY = 0.5
+    }
 }
diff --git a/infrastructure/tools/filesystem/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/infrastructure/tools/filesystem/FileReadTool.kt b/infrastructure/tools/filesystem/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/infrastructure/tools/filesystem/FileReadTool.kt
index 1e63e438..2b4d6868 100644
--- a/infrastructure/tools/filesystem/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/infrastructure/tools/filesystem/FileReadTool.kt
+++ b/infrastructure/tools/filesystem/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/infrastructure/tools/filesystem/FileReadTool.kt
@@ -93,7 +93,10 @@ class FileReadTool(
 
         return runCatching {
             val path = resolvePath(pathString)
-            if (!PathJail.isContained(path, allowedPaths))
+            // Widen the jail with any operator-approved out-of-workspace paths carried on the request
+            // (OutsidePathAccessGrantedEvent). Reads may escape once approved; writes never see this.
+            val effectiveRoots = allowedPaths + request.grantedPaths.map { Paths.get(it) }
+            if (!PathJail.isContained(path, effectiveRoots))
                 ValidationResult.Invalid("Path '$pathString' is not in the allowed list")
             else
                 ValidationResult.Valid
diff --git a/infrastructure/tools/filesystem/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/infrastructure/tools/filesystem/ListDirTool.kt b/infrastructure/tools/filesystem/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/infrastructure/tools/filesystem/ListDirTool.kt
index 17394622..649d490e 100644
--- a/infrastructure/tools/filesystem/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/infrastructure/tools/filesystem/ListDirTool.kt
+++ b/infrastructure/tools/filesystem/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/infrastructure/tools/filesystem/ListDirTool.kt
@@ -78,7 +78,9 @@ class ListDirTool(
         val pathString = (request.parameters["path"] as? String) ?: "."
         return runCatching {
             val path = resolvePath(pathString)
-            if (!PathJail.isContained(path, allowedPaths))
+            // Operator-approved out-of-workspace paths (OutsidePathAccessGrantedEvent) widen the jail.
+            val effectiveRoots = allowedPaths + request.grantedPaths.map { Paths.get(it) }
+            if (!PathJail.isContained(path, effectiveRoots))
                 ValidationResult.Invalid("Path '$pathString' is not in the allowed list")
             else ValidationResult.Valid
         }.getOrElse {
diff --git a/infrastructure/tools/filesystem/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/infrastructure/tools/filesystem/FileEditToolTest.kt b/infrastructure/tools/filesystem/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/infrastructure/tools/filesystem/FileEditToolTest.kt
index f69ead52..58dae2c0 100644
--- a/infrastructure/tools/filesystem/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/infrastructure/tools/filesystem/FileEditToolTest.kt
+++ b/infrastructure/tools/filesystem/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/infrastructure/tools/filesystem/FileEditToolTest.kt
@@ -179,6 +179,28 @@ class FileEditToolTest {
         assertTrue(failure.reason.contains("not found"))
     }
 
+    @Test
+    fun `execute replace not-found suggests nearest line`(): Unit = runBlocking {
+        val tempDir = Files.createTempDirectory("file_edit_replace_suggest")
+        val filePath = tempDir.resolve("test.txt")
+        Files.writeString(filePath, "import React from 'react';\nconst greeting = 'hello world';\n")
+        val tool = FileEditTool(allowedPaths = setOf(tempDir))
+        val request = createRequest(
+            mapOf(
+                "operation" to "replace",
+                "path" to filePath.toString(),
+                // whitespace/quote drift from the real line — the classic near-miss
+                "target" to "const greeting = \"hello world\"",
+                "replacement" to "const greeting = 'hi';",
+            ),
+        )
+
+        val failure = tool.execute(request) as ToolResult.Failure
+        assertTrue(failure.reason.contains("not found"))
+        assertTrue(failure.reason.contains("Did you mean"))
+        assertTrue(failure.reason.contains("const greeting = 'hello world';"))
+    }
+
     @Test
     fun `execute replace failure multiple matches`(): Unit = runBlocking {
         val tempDir = Files.createTempDirectory("file_edit_replace_fail_multi")
diff --git a/infrastructure/tools/filesystem/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/infrastructure/tools/filesystem/FileReadToolTest.kt b/infrastructure/tools/filesystem/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/infrastructure/tools/filesystem/FileReadToolTest.kt
index b477202a..1110784e 100644
--- a/infrastructure/tools/filesystem/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/infrastructure/tools/filesystem/FileReadToolTest.kt
+++ b/infrastructure/tools/filesystem/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/infrastructure/tools/filesystem/FileReadToolTest.kt
@@ -49,6 +49,21 @@ class FileReadToolTest {
         assertTrue((result as ValidationResult.Invalid).reason.contains("not in the allowed list"))
     }
 
+    @Test
+    fun `validateRequest admits an out-of-jail path carried on request grantedPaths`(): Unit = runBlocking {
+        // A file the static jail does NOT cover (an unrelated temp dir), mirroring an out-of-workspace
+        // reference the operator approved. Without the grant it's rejected; with it, admitted.
+        val jailDir = Files.createTempDirectory("jail")
+        val outside = Files.createTempFile("outside_ref", ".md")
+        val tool = FileReadTool(allowedPaths = setOf(jailDir))
+
+        val ungranted = createRequest(outside.toString())
+        assertTrue(tool.validateRequest(ungranted) is ValidationResult.Invalid)
+
+        val granted = createRequest(outside.toString()).copy(grantedPaths = setOf(outside.toString()))
+        assertEquals(ValidationResult.Valid, tool.validateRequest(granted))
+    }
+
     @Test
     fun `validateRequest returns Invalid for missing path parameter`(): Unit = runBlocking {
         val tool = FileReadTool()
diff --git a/infrastructure/tools/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/infrastructure/tools/shell/ShellTool.kt b/infrastructure/tools/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/infrastructure/tools/shell/ShellTool.kt
index 192ae6d9..b01d0d1d 100644
--- a/infrastructure/tools/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/infrastructure/tools/shell/ShellTool.kt
+++ b/infrastructure/tools/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/infrastructure/tools/shell/ShellTool.kt
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import com.correx.core.tools.contract.ToolCapability
 import com.correx.core.tools.contract.ToolExecutor
 import com.correx.core.tools.contract.ToolResult
 import com.correx.core.tools.contract.ValidationResult
+import com.correx.core.tools.process.ChildProcess
 import kotlinx.coroutines.Dispatchers
 import kotlinx.coroutines.TimeoutCancellationException
 import kotlinx.coroutines.async
@@ -83,28 +84,20 @@ class ShellTool(
             }
         }
 
-    // Return a rejection reason if argv is a fetch-and-execute-remote-code or interactive-scaffolder
-    // invocation, else null. Matched by shape, not just argv[0], because the danger for package
-    // managers is the *subcommand* (`npm install` is fine; `npm create`/`npm init` scaffolds and
-    // prompts). Deterministic, allowlist-independent — see [validateRequest].
+    // Return a rejection reason if argv fetches and runs an arbitrary *remote* package in one shot
+    // (npx/bunx/pnpx), else null. That's remote code execution — a distinct threat we still deny.
+    // Package-manager scaffolders (`npm create`, `npm init`, `npm install`) are NO LONGER blocked:
+    // the hang they used to guard against (stdin prompt with no TTY) is now closed at the process
+    // factory — every child gets stdin from /dev/null and a non-interactive env overlay
+    // ([ChildProcess]). Matched by shape, not just argv[0], because a runner can hide inside a shell
+    // command line run via `sh -c` (`cd web && npx create-foo`), where argv[0] is `cd`.
     private fun deniedReason(argv: List<String>): String? {
-        // Scan every token, not just argv[0]: a scaffolder can hide inside a shell command line that
-        // runs via `sh -c` (`cd web && npm create vite`), where argv[0] is `cd`.
+        // Scan every token, not just argv[0]: a runner can hide behind a shell builtin at argv[0].
         val progs = argv.map { it.substringAfterLast('/') }
-        val redirect = "Scaffold by writing files directly with file_write (package.json, configs, " +
-            "sources) — do not shell out to a network installer; it needs a TTY and will hang unattended."
-        val runner = progs.firstOrNull { it in REMOTE_EXEC_RUNNERS }
-        val scaffolder = progs.firstOrNull { it.startsWith("create-") }
-        val pmIdx = progs.indexOfFirst { it in PACKAGE_MANAGERS }
-        return when {
-            runner != null ->
-                "'$runner' fetches and runs remote code with no TTY, which hangs an unattended run. $redirect"
-            scaffolder != null ->
-                "'$scaffolder' is an interactive project scaffolder that prompts on stdin. $redirect"
-            pmIdx >= 0 && progs.getOrNull(pmIdx + 1) in SCAFFOLD_SUBCOMMANDS ->
-                "'${progs[pmIdx]} ${progs[pmIdx + 1]}' scaffolds a project interactively " +
-                    "(prompts on stdin). $redirect"
-            else -> null
+        return progs.firstOrNull { it in REMOTE_EXEC_RUNNERS }?.let { runner ->
+            "'$runner' downloads and runs an arbitrary remote package in one shot (remote code " +
+                "execution). Use the package manager's own scaffold command instead — e.g. " +
+                "`npm create vite@latest <dir> -- --template react-ts` — or write the files with file_write."
         }
     }
 
@@ -170,7 +163,7 @@ class ShellTool(
                 // shell API. A still-unrunnable program returns RECOVERABLE (model adapts, not fatal).
                 val command = if (looksLikeShellCommand(argv)) listOf("sh", "-c", argv.joinToString(" ")) else argv
                 val process = runCatching {
-                    ProcessBuilder(command).apply { workingDir?.let { directory(it.toFile()) } }.start()
+                    ChildProcess.builder(command, workingDir?.toFile()).start()
                 }.getOrElse {
                     return@let ToolResult.Failure(
                         invocationId = request.invocationId,
@@ -213,10 +206,29 @@ class ShellTool(
         val SHELL_OPERATORS = setOf("&&", "||", "|", ">", ">>", "<", ";", "&", "2>", "2>&1")
         // Runners that download and execute an arbitrary remote package in one shot.
         val REMOTE_EXEC_RUNNERS = setOf("npx", "bunx", "pnpx")
-        val PACKAGE_MANAGERS = setOf("npm", "yarn", "pnpm", "bun")
-        // Package-manager subcommands that generate a project by pulling+running a remote scaffolder
-        // and prompting on stdin (npm create vite, yarn create next-app, pnpm dlx, …).
-        val SCAFFOLD_SUBCOMMANDS = setOf("create", "init", "dlx")
+    }
+
+    // Combines a failed process's stdout and stderr into one labelled, head/tail-bounded block for
+    // the model's failure feedback. Labels each stream (only when non-blank) so the model can tell
+    // compiler diagnostics on stdout from runner errors on stderr; the same HEAD/TAIL window as the
+    // success-path compressor keeps a large build log from flooding the next context window.
+    private fun boundFailureOutput(stdout: String, stderr: String): String {
+        val sections = buildList {
+            if (stdout.isNotBlank()) add("stdout:\n${stdout.trimEnd()}")
+            if (stderr.isNotBlank()) add("stderr:\n${stderr.trimEnd()}")
+        }
+        return boundLines(sections.joinToString("\n\n"))
+    }
+
+    // Keeps the first HEAD_LINES and last TAIL_LINES of a multi-line block, dropping the middle with
+    // an elision marker — build errors cluster at both ends (first failures, final summary), so a
+    // head+tail window preserves the actionable lines while bounding size.
+    private fun boundLines(text: String): String {
+        val lines = text.lines()
+        if (lines.size <= HEAD_LINES + TAIL_LINES) return text
+        val omitted = lines.size - HEAD_LINES - TAIL_LINES
+        return (lines.take(HEAD_LINES) + "… ($omitted lines omitted) …" + lines.takeLast(TAIL_LINES))
+            .joinToString("\n")
     }
 
     private suspend fun runCmd(request: ToolRequest, process: Process): ToolResult = withTimeout(timeoutMs) {
@@ -230,11 +242,18 @@ class ShellTool(
         val metadata = if (stderr.isNotBlank()) mapOf("stderr" to stderr) else emptyMap()
         if (exitCode != 0) {
             // A non-zero exit is normal command behaviour (missing path, no grep match, git
-            // --exit-code, test, diff). Surface it recoverably so the model sees the code + stderr
+            // --exit-code, test, diff). Surface it recoverably so the model sees the code + output
             // and adapts, rather than aborting the stage on the first failed probe.
+            //
+            // BOTH streams, not just stderr: compilers and test runners (tsc, vite, jest, pytest…)
+            // print their diagnostics to STDOUT, so a stderr-only failure message returns a bare
+            // "exited with code 2" and the model fixes blind — it can see the build failed but not
+            // which file/line. Combine stdout+stderr, head/tail-bounded so a large build log can't
+            // flood the next context window.
+            val detail = boundFailureOutput(stdout, stderr)
             ToolResult.Failure(
                 invocationId = request.invocationId,
-                reason = "Process exited with code $exitCode${if (stderr.isNotBlank()) ": $stderr" else ""}",
+                reason = "Process exited with code $exitCode${if (detail.isNotBlank()) ":\n$detail" else ""}",
                 recoverable = true,
             )
         } else {
diff --git a/infrastructure/tools/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/infrastructure/tools/shell/ShellToolTest.kt b/infrastructure/tools/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/infrastructure/tools/shell/ShellToolTest.kt
index 1aa10f29..14dd79ed 100644
--- a/infrastructure/tools/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/infrastructure/tools/shell/ShellToolTest.kt
+++ b/infrastructure/tools/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/infrastructure/tools/shell/ShellToolTest.kt
@@ -102,6 +102,24 @@ class ShellToolTest {
         assertTrue(failure.recoverable, "non-zero exit must be recoverable so the model can adapt")
     }
 
+    @Test
+    fun `execute surfaces stdout in the failure reason for a non-zero exit`(): Unit = runBlocking {
+        // Compilers/test runners (tsc, vite, jest) print diagnostics to STDOUT and exit non-zero.
+        // The failure reason must carry that output, else the model sees only "exited with code 2"
+        // and fixes blind. Regression for session 6f9a9f08 recovery loop.
+        val tool = ShellTool()
+        val request = createRequest(listOf("sh", "-c", "echo 'hooks.ts(57,3): error TS1005'; exit 2"))
+        val result = tool.execute(request)
+
+        assertTrue(result is ToolResult.Failure)
+        val failure = result as ToolResult.Failure
+        assertTrue(failure.reason.contains("exited with code 2"))
+        assertTrue(
+            failure.reason.contains("TS1005"),
+            "stdout diagnostics must reach the model's failure feedback, got: ${failure.reason}",
+        )
+    }
+
     @Test
     fun `execute returns Failure on timeout`(): Unit = runBlocking {
         // Using sleep command to simulate timeout
@@ -182,15 +200,12 @@ class ShellToolTest {
     }
 
     @Test
-    fun `denylist blocks npm create even in allow-all mode`() {
-        // Repro: gemma ran `npm create vite@latest` — a network scaffolder that prompts on stdin.
-        // Empty allowedExecutables = allow-all, yet this must still be rejected.
+    fun `denylist allows npm create — hang closed at the process factory`() {
+        // `npm create vite@latest` used to be blocked as an interactive scaffolder. The stdin-prompt
+        // hang is now closed at ChildProcess (stdin=/dev/null + non-interactive env), so the idiomatic
+        // scaffold path is allowed again. Empty allowedExecutables = allow-all.
         val tool = ShellTool(allowedExecutables = emptySet())
-        val result = tool.validateRequest(createRequest(listOf("npm", "create", "vite")))
-        assertTrue(result is ValidationResult.Invalid)
-        val reason = (result as ValidationResult.Invalid).reason
-        assertTrue(reason.contains("npm create"), reason)
-        assertTrue(reason.contains("file_write"), reason)
+        assertEquals(ValidationResult.Valid, tool.validateRequest(createRequest(listOf("npm", "create", "vite"))))
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -201,32 +216,24 @@ class ShellToolTest {
     }
 
     @Test
-    fun `denylist blocks create- scaffolder run directly`() {
-        val result = ShellTool().validateRequest(createRequest(listOf("create-next-app", "app")))
+    fun `denylist catches remote runner hidden in a shell command line`() {
+        // argv[0] is `cd`, but `npx` rides along and would run via sh -c.
+        val result = ShellTool().validateRequest(createRequest(listOf("cd", "web", "&&", "npx", "create-foo")))
         assertTrue(result is ValidationResult.Invalid)
-        assertTrue((result as ValidationResult.Invalid).reason.contains("scaffolder"), result.reason)
-    }
-
-    @Test
-    fun `denylist catches scaffolder hidden in a shell command line`() {
-        // argv[0] is `cd`, but `npm create` rides along and would run via sh -c.
-        val result = ShellTool().validateRequest(createRequest(listOf("cd", "web", "&&", "npm", "create", "vite")))
-        assertTrue(result is ValidationResult.Invalid)
-        assertTrue((result as ValidationResult.Invalid).reason.contains("npm create"), result.reason)
+        assertTrue((result as ValidationResult.Invalid).reason.contains("remote code"), result.reason)
     }
 
     @Test
     fun `denylist allows npm install`() {
-        // The subcommand is what's dangerous — `npm install` on existing files is fine.
         assertEquals(ValidationResult.Valid, ShellTool().validateRequest(createRequest(listOf("npm", "install"))))
     }
 
     @Test
-    fun `denylist takes precedence over the allowlist`() {
-        // Even if npm is explicitly allowed, `npm create` stays blocked.
-        val tool = ShellTool(allowedExecutables = setOf("npm"))
-        val result = tool.validateRequest(createRequest(listOf("npm", "create", "vite")))
+    fun `denylist takes precedence over the allowlist for remote runners`() {
+        // Even if npx is explicitly allowed, remote-exec stays blocked.
+        val tool = ShellTool(allowedExecutables = setOf("npx"))
+        val result = tool.validateRequest(createRequest(listOf("npx", "create-react-app", "app")))
         assertTrue(result is ValidationResult.Invalid)
-        assertTrue((result as ValidationResult.Invalid).reason.contains("file_write"), result.reason)
+        assertTrue((result as ValidationResult.Invalid).reason.contains("remote code"), result.reason)
     }
 }
diff --git a/infrastructure/workflow/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/infrastructure/workflow/ExecutionPlanCompiler.kt b/infrastructure/workflow/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/infrastructure/workflow/ExecutionPlanCompiler.kt
index 0653258f..68fa7198 100644
--- a/infrastructure/workflow/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/infrastructure/workflow/ExecutionPlanCompiler.kt
+++ b/infrastructure/workflow/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/infrastructure/workflow/ExecutionPlanCompiler.kt
@@ -27,9 +27,25 @@ private const val RECOVERY_PROMPT =
     "You are the recovery stage. An upstream stage failed a verification gate it could not fix " +
         "(it lacked write access). The failure ticket — the failing stage, the gate, and its exact " +
         "output — is in your context under \"## Recovery ticket\". Read the gate output, inspect the " +
-        "relevant files (file_read / list_dir), and make the minimal edits that fix the reported " +
-        "cause. Do not re-scaffold or rewrite working code. When done, control returns to the stage " +
-        "that failed so its gate re-runs."
+        "relevant files (file_read / list_dir), then FIX the reported cause. You MUST make the " +
+        "change before finishing — investigation alone does not resolve the ticket, and handing " +
+        "back without an edit only re-triggers the same failure.\n" +
+        "Fix the actual cause the gate reports, whatever form it takes:\n" +
+        "- Broken code / config → edit it with file_write.\n" +
+        "- A MISSING file the build needs (e.g. package.json, tsconfig.json, a build/entry file " +
+        "the gate can't find) → produce it. A build gate failing with \"no such file\" is fixed by " +
+        "creating that file. If a whole project skeleton is missing, prefer the package manager's " +
+        "own generator via shell — e.g. `npm create vite@latest <dir> -- --template react-ts` — " +
+        "which writes a correct, complete file set (always pass the template/preset arg it " +
+        "requires; the run is non-interactive so there's no prompt to fall back on). Fall back to " +
+        "writing the files directly with file_write when no generator fits. `npm install` is " +
+        "available to fetch deps once package.json exists. Only bare remote runners (`npx`, " +
+        "`bunx`, `pnpx`) are blocked; use `npm create` instead.\n" +
+        "Do not gratuitously rewrite code that already works — touch only what the gate blames. But " +
+        "\"minimal\" means minimal to actually pass the gate, not zero.\n" +
+        "When the cause is repaired, finish with a short resolution summary that mirrors the ticket: " +
+        "the failing stage and gate, the root cause you found, and the exact files created/edited " +
+        "and commands run. Then control returns to the stage that failed so its gate re-runs."
 
 // Freestyle plans don't specify a per-stage token budget, so without this every compiled stage
 // inherits StageConfig's 4096 default — 1/8th of what the static role_pipeline execution stages
@@ -118,7 +134,13 @@ class ExecutionPlanCompiler(
             StageId(s.id) to StageConfig(
                 produces = listOf(TypedArtifactSlot(name = ArtifactId(s.produces), kind = kind)),
                 needs = s.needs.map { ArtifactId(it) }.toSet(),
-                allowedTools = s.tools.toSet(),
+                // Every stage gets the full registered tool universe. The architect's per-stage
+                // `tools` pick was advisory and mis-scoped stages (e.g. an edit-shaped stage granted
+                // file_write but not file_edit → forced full-file rewrites; a repair stage unable to
+                // touch a file it must fix). writeManifest still jails WHICH paths a stage may write,
+                // so widening the tool grant does not widen write authority. Falls back to the
+                // architect's pick only when no universe was supplied (bare-constructor unit tests).
+                allowedTools = knownTools.ifEmpty { s.tools.toSet() },
                 writeManifest = writeManifest,
                 // Option A: the concrete (non-glob) subset of the declared writes are expected files
                 // the contract gate will require to exist. Globs (src/**) are write-permission scopes,
@@ -144,7 +166,7 @@ class ExecutionPlanCompiler(
                 null
             } else {
                 StageId(RECOVERY_STAGE) to StageConfig(
-                    allowedTools = setOf("file_write", "shell"),
+                    allowedTools = knownTools.ifEmpty { setOf("file_write", "file_edit", "shell") },
                     tokenBudget = DEFAULT_STAGE_TOKEN_BUDGET,
                     generationConfig = DEFAULT_STAGE_GENERATION,
                     metadata = mapOf("role" to "recovery", "promptInline" to RECOVERY_PROMPT),
diff --git a/testing/deterministic/src/test/kotlin/TalkieFacadeTest.kt b/testing/deterministic/src/test/kotlin/TalkieFacadeTest.kt
index d768a5a0..eef75c6a 100644
--- a/testing/deterministic/src/test/kotlin/TalkieFacadeTest.kt
+++ b/testing/deterministic/src/test/kotlin/TalkieFacadeTest.kt
@@ -762,6 +762,8 @@ class TalkieFacadeTest {
                 impl.onUserInput(sessionId = sessionId, input = input, mode = chatMode)
             override suspend fun narrate(sessionId: SessionId, trigger: com.correx.core.talkie.model.NarrationTrigger) =
                 impl.narrate(sessionId = sessionId, trigger = trigger)
+            override suspend fun nameSession(sessionId: SessionId, intent: String) =
+                impl.nameSession(sessionId = sessionId, intent = intent)
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/testing/integration/src/test/kotlin/RecoveryRoutingTest.kt b/testing/integration/src/test/kotlin/RecoveryRoutingTest.kt
index eb756fd8..edfebf96 100644
--- a/testing/integration/src/test/kotlin/RecoveryRoutingTest.kt
+++ b/testing/integration/src/test/kotlin/RecoveryRoutingTest.kt
@@ -53,7 +53,11 @@ import com.correx.core.sessions.projections.replay.DefaultEventReplayer
 import com.correx.core.sessions.projections.replay.EventReplayer
 import com.correx.core.toolintent.WorkspacePolicy
 import com.correx.core.tools.contract.Tool
+import com.correx.core.tools.contract.ToolExecutor
+import com.correx.core.tools.contract.ToolResult
+import com.correx.core.events.events.ToolRequest
 import com.correx.core.tools.registry.ToolRegistry
+import com.correx.infrastructure.tools.filesystem.FileWriteTool
 import com.correx.core.transitions.graph.StageConfig
 import com.correx.core.transitions.graph.TransitionEdge
 import com.correx.core.transitions.graph.WorkflowGraph
@@ -282,7 +286,282 @@ class RecoveryRoutingTest {
         assertTrue(tickets.map { it.fingerprint }.toSet().size == tickets.size, "each route recorded a distinct fingerprint")
     }
 
+    /** Emits a tool call on odd infers, ends the round on even — but the tool depends on the stage:
+     *  `impl` writes a file (so it becomes the file's author), any other stage runs `shell true`. */
+    private class StageRoutingProvider : InferenceProvider {
+        override val id = ProviderId("stage-router")
+        override val name = "stage-router"
+        override val tokenizer: Tokenizer = com.correx.testing.fixtures.inference.MockTokenizer()
+        private val counts = mutableMapOf<String, Int>()
+        override suspend fun infer(request: InferenceRequest): InferenceResponse {
+            val stage = request.stageId.value
+            val n = (counts[stage] ?: 0) + 1
+            counts[stage] = n
+            if (n % 2 == 0) {
+                return InferenceResponse(
+                    requestId = request.requestId, text = "done", finishReason = FinishReason.Stop,
+                    tokensUsed = TokenUsage(10, 5), latencyMs = 0,
+                )
+            }
+            val (tool, args) = if (stage == "impl") {
+                "file_write" to """{"path":"App.tsx","content":"export const x = 1;\n"}"""
+            } else {
+                "shell" to """{"argv":["true"]}"""
+            }
+            return InferenceResponse(
+                requestId = request.requestId, text = "", finishReason = FinishReason.ToolCall,
+                tokensUsed = TokenUsage(10, 5), latencyMs = 0,
+                toolCalls = listOf(
+                    ToolCallRequest(id = "tc-$stage-$n", function = ToolCallFunction(name = tool, arguments = args)),
+                ),
+            )
+        }
+        override suspend fun healthCheck(): ProviderHealth = ProviderHealth.Healthy
+        override fun capabilities(): Set<CapabilityScore> = setOf(CapabilityScore(ModelCapability.General, 1.0))
+    }
+
+    /** Like [StageRoutingProvider], but records the context-entry sourceTypes it saw on each `impl`
+     *  inference — so a test can assert whether impl's own prompt (agentPrompt) was present. */
+    private class RecordingRoutingProvider : InferenceProvider {
+        override val id = ProviderId("recording-router")
+        override val name = "recording-router"
+        override val tokenizer: Tokenizer = com.correx.testing.fixtures.inference.MockTokenizer()
+        val implSourceTypes = mutableListOf<Set<String>>()
+        private val counts = mutableMapOf<String, Int>()
+        override suspend fun infer(request: InferenceRequest): InferenceResponse {
+            val stage = request.stageId.value
+            if (stage == "impl") {
+                implSourceTypes.add(request.contextPack.layers.values.flatten().map { it.sourceType }.toSet())
+            }
+            val n = (counts[stage] ?: 0) + 1
+            counts[stage] = n
+            if (n % 2 == 0) {
+                return InferenceResponse(
+                    requestId = request.requestId, text = "done", finishReason = FinishReason.Stop,
+                    tokensUsed = TokenUsage(10, 5), latencyMs = 0,
+                )
+            }
+            val (tool, args) = if (stage == "impl") {
+                "file_write" to """{"path":"App.tsx","content":"export const x = 1;\n"}"""
+            } else {
+                "shell" to """{"argv":["true"]}"""
+            }
+            return InferenceResponse(
+                requestId = request.requestId, text = "", finishReason = FinishReason.ToolCall,
+                tokensUsed = TokenUsage(10, 5), latencyMs = 0,
+                toolCalls = listOf(
+                    ToolCallRequest(id = "tc-$stage-$n", function = ToolCallFunction(name = tool, arguments = args)),
+                ),
+            )
+        }
+        override suspend fun healthCheck(): ProviderHealth = ProviderHealth.Healthy
+        override fun capabilities(): Set<CapabilityScore> = setOf(CapabilityScore(ModelCapability.General, 1.0))
+    }
+
+    private class MultiToolRegistry(private val tools: List<Tool>) : ToolRegistry {
+        override fun resolve(name: String): Tool? = tools.firstOrNull { it.name == name }
+        override fun all(): List<Tool> = tools
+    }
+
+    // impl (file_write) --t-impl--> verify (write-less, failing static gate naming impl's file) --> done
+    // No `recovery` stage exists: the ticket must route to the file's AUTHOR (impl) via route-to-owner,
+    // not to a generic recovery stage. impl repairs and returns to verify (ticketReturnMove).
+    private fun ownerGraph(): WorkflowGraph = WorkflowGraph(
+        id = "route-to-owner-test",
+        stages = mapOf(
+            StageId("impl") to StageConfig(allowedTools = setOf("file_write")),
+            StageId("verify") to StageConfig(allowedTools = setOf("shell"), staticAnalysis = listOf("typecheck")),
+        ),
+        transitions = setOf(
+            TransitionEdge(TransitionId("t-impl"), StageId("impl"), StageId("verify"), condition = { true }),
+            TransitionEdge(TransitionId("t-verify"), StageId("verify"), StageId("done"), condition = { true }),
+        ),
+        start = StageId("impl"),
+    )
+
+    // impl (file_write) + verify + a recovery stage (role=recovery, holds file_write). Tier 1 routes to
+    // the author (impl); when its budget exhausts, tier 2 escalates to the arbiter (recovery).
+    private fun ownerAndArbiterGraph(): WorkflowGraph = WorkflowGraph(
+        id = "route-to-owner-escalation-test",
+        stages = mapOf(
+            StageId("impl") to StageConfig(allowedTools = setOf("file_write")),
+            StageId("verify") to StageConfig(allowedTools = setOf("shell"), staticAnalysis = listOf("typecheck")),
+            StageId("recovery") to StageConfig(
+                allowedTools = setOf("shell", "file_write"),
+                metadata = mapOf("role" to "recovery"),
+            ),
+        ),
+        transitions = setOf(
+            TransitionEdge(TransitionId("t-impl"), StageId("impl"), StageId("verify"), condition = { true }),
+            TransitionEdge(TransitionId("t-verify"), StageId("verify"), StageId("done"), condition = { true }),
+        ),
+        start = StageId("impl"),
+    )
+
+    /** Builds an orchestrator whose only writing stage is `impl` (via file_write) and whose `verify`
+     *  static gate fails with [staticOutput] — so route-to-owner can resolve `impl` as the file author. */
+    private fun buildMultiToolOrchestrator(
+        staticOutput: String = "App.tsx: TS2322 type mismatch",
+        provider: InferenceProvider = StageRoutingProvider(),
+    ): Pair<DefaultSessionOrchestrator, InMemoryEventStore> {
+        val eventStore = InMemoryEventStore()
+        val shell = ShellTool(allowedExecutables = setOf("true"), workingDir = workspace)
+        val fileWrite = FileWriteTool(allowedPaths = setOf(workspace), workingDir = workspace)
+        val toolRegistry = MultiToolRegistry(listOf(shell, fileWrite))
+        // Dispatch delegate: SandboxedToolExecutor resolves the tool from the registry, then hands the
+        // request to this delegate — which routes to the matching tool by name.
+        val dispatch = object : ToolExecutor {
+            override suspend fun execute(request: ToolRequest): ToolResult =
+                (toolRegistry.resolve(request.toolName) as ToolExecutor).execute(request)
+        }
+        val executor = SandboxedToolExecutor(
+            delegate = dispatch, registry = toolRegistry, eventDispatcher = EventDispatcher(eventStore),
+            workDir = workspace, artifactStore = NoopArtifactStore(),
+        )
+        val inferenceRouter = object : InferenceRouter {
+            override suspend fun route(stageId: StageId, requiredCapabilities: Set<ModelCapability>) = provider
+        }
+        val repositories = OrchestratorRepositories(
+            eventStore = eventStore,
+            inferenceRepository = InferenceRepository(object : EventReplayer<InferenceState> {
+                override fun rebuild(sessionId: SessionId) = InferenceState()
+            }),
+            orchestrationRepository = OrchestrationRepository(
+                DefaultEventReplayer(eventStore, OrchestrationProjector(DefaultOrchestrationReducer())),
+            ),
+            sessionRepository = DefaultSessionRepository(
+                DefaultEventReplayer(eventStore, SessionProjector(DefaultSessionReducer())),
+            ),
+            artifactRepository = com.correx.infrastructure.persistence.artifact.LiveArtifactRepository(
+                eventStore, DefaultArtifactReducer(),
+            ),
+            approvalRepository = DefaultApprovalRepository(
+                DefaultEventReplayer(eventStore, ApprovalProjector(DefaultApprovalReducer())),
+            ),
+        )
+        val engines = OrchestratorEngines(
+            transitionResolver = DefaultTransitionResolver { _, _ -> true },
+            contextPackBuilder = ContextFixtures.simpleBuilder(),
+            inferenceRouter = inferenceRouter,
+            validationPipeline = ValidationPipeline(validators = listOf(cyclePolicyMissingValidator())),
+            riskAssessor = DefaultRiskAssessor(),
+            toolExecutor = executor,
+            toolRegistry = toolRegistry,
+            workspacePolicy = WorkspacePolicy(workspace),
+            // Gate names the file impl wrote, so route-to-owner can resolve the author from the manifest.
+            staticAnalysisRunner = StaticAnalysisRunner { _, _ ->
+                StaticAnalysisRunResult(exitCode = 1, output = staticOutput)
+            },
+            approvalEngine = object : ApprovalEngine {
+                override fun evaluate(
+                    request: DomainApprovalRequest,
+                    context: ApprovalContext,
+                    grants: List<ApprovalGrant>,
+                    now: Instant,
+                ) = ApprovalDecision(
+                    id = null, requestId = request.id, outcome = ApprovalOutcome.AUTO_APPROVED,
+                    state = ApprovalStatus.COMPLETED, tier = request.tier, contextSnapshot = context,
+                    resolutionTimestamp = now, reason = "test-auto-approve",
+                )
+            },
+        )
+        val orchestrator = DefaultSessionOrchestrator(
+            repositories = repositories,
+            engines = engines,
+            retryCoordinator = DefaultRetryCoordinator(eventStore),
+            artifactStore = NoopArtifactStore(),
+            decisionJournalRepository = DefaultDecisionJournalRepository(
+                DefaultEventReplayer(eventStore, DecisionJournalProjector(DefaultDecisionJournalReducer())),
+            ),
+        )
+        return orchestrator to eventStore
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `write-less gate failure routes the ticket to the file's author (route-to-owner)`(): Unit = runBlocking {
+        val (orchestrator, eventStore) = buildMultiToolOrchestrator()
+        val sessionId = SessionId("route-to-owner")
+        val config = OrchestrationConfig(retryPolicy = RetryPolicy(maxAttempts = 10, backoffMs = 0))
+
+        val result = orchestrator.run(sessionId, ownerGraph(), config)
+
+        assertTrue(result is WorkflowResult.Failed, "route budget still exhausts terminally")
+        val tickets = eventStore.read(sessionId).mapNotNull { it.payload as? FailureTicketOpenedEvent }
+        assertTrue(tickets.isNotEmpty(), "verify's write-less gate failure must open a ticket")
+        tickets.forEach {
+            assertEquals("verify", it.stageId.value, "the gate that failed is verify")
+            assertEquals("impl", it.routeTo.value, "ticket routes to the file's author, not a recovery stage")
+            assertEquals("file_write", it.requiredCapability)
+            assertTrue(!it.escalated, "no recovery stage exists, so all routes stay tier-1 (owner)")
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `owner budget exhaustion escalates the ticket to the arbiter (intent-holder)`(): Unit = runBlocking {
+        // Same constant failure every round, so neither tier makes progress: the owner (impl) burns its
+        // RECOVERY_ROUTE_BUDGET, THEN the ticket escalates to the arbiter (recovery) for INTENT_ROUTE_BUDGET
+        // more routes, THEN terminal. Proves the two-tier ladder: author first, intent-holder as escalation.
+        val (orchestrator, eventStore) = buildMultiToolOrchestrator()
+        val sessionId = SessionId("owner-escalation")
+        val config = OrchestrationConfig(retryPolicy = RetryPolicy(maxAttempts = 20, backoffMs = 0))
+
+        val result = orchestrator.run(sessionId, ownerAndArbiterGraph(), config)
+
+        assertTrue(result is WorkflowResult.Failed, "ladder still exhausts terminally")
+        val tickets = eventStore.read(sessionId).mapNotNull { it.payload as? FailureTicketOpenedEvent }
+        val tier1 = tickets.filter { !it.escalated }
+        val tier2 = tickets.filter { it.escalated }
+        assertEquals(RECOVERY_ROUTE_BUDGET_TEST, tier1.size, "tier-1 spends the owner budget first")
+        tier1.forEach { assertEquals("impl", it.routeTo.value, "tier-1 routes to the file's author") }
+        assertEquals(INTENT_ROUTE_BUDGET_TEST, tier2.size, "then tier-2 spends the arbiter budget")
+        tier2.forEach { assertEquals("recovery", it.routeTo.value, "tier-2 escalates to the arbiter") }
+        // ordering: every tier-1 ticket precedes every tier-2 ticket (escalation only after owner exhaust)
+        val firstEscalatedIdx = tickets.indexOfFirst { it.escalated }
+        assertTrue(tickets.take(firstEscalatedIdx).none { it.escalated }, "owner routes come before escalation")
+    }
+
+    // impl carries a generative "scaffold" mandate as its own prompt. On the FORWARD visit it applies;
+    // when the ticket routes impl back to repair its own file, that mandate must be suppressed (else it
+    // re-scaffolds and stubs the real file). Same topology as ownerGraph otherwise.
+    private fun ownerGraphWithMandate(): WorkflowGraph = WorkflowGraph(
+        id = "owner-mandate-suppression-test",
+        stages = mapOf(
+            StageId("impl") to StageConfig(
+                allowedTools = setOf("file_write"),
+                metadata = mapOf("promptInline" to "Scaffold the entire project by creating placeholder files."),
+            ),
+            StageId("verify") to StageConfig(allowedTools = setOf("shell"), staticAnalysis = listOf("typecheck")),
+        ),
+        transitions = setOf(
+            TransitionEdge(TransitionId("t-impl"), StageId("impl"), StageId("verify"), condition = { true }),
+            TransitionEdge(TransitionId("t-verify"), StageId("verify"), StageId("done"), condition = { true }),
+        ),
+        start = StageId("impl"),
+    )
+
+    @Test
+    fun `ticket re-entry suppresses the owner stage's own generative mandate`(): Unit = runBlocking {
+        val provider = RecordingRoutingProvider()
+        val (orchestrator, _) = buildMultiToolOrchestrator(provider = provider)
+        val sessionId = SessionId("mandate-suppression")
+        val config = OrchestrationConfig(retryPolicy = RetryPolicy(maxAttempts = 10, backoffMs = 0))
+
+        orchestrator.run(sessionId, ownerGraphWithMandate(), config)
+
+        val impl = provider.implSourceTypes
+        assertTrue(impl.isNotEmpty(), "impl must have run")
+        // Forward visit: impl's own prompt is present, no ticket yet.
+        assertTrue(impl.first().contains("agentPrompt"), "forward visit keeps the stage's own prompt")
+        assertTrue("recoveryTicket" !in impl.first(), "no recovery ticket before any failure")
+        // Ticket re-entry: the generative mandate is gone, the recovery ticket is the sole mandate.
+        assertTrue(
+            impl.any { "recoveryTicket" in it && "agentPrompt" !in it },
+            "a repair re-entry dropped the generative mandate and carried only the recovery ticket; saw $impl",
+        )
+    }
+
     private companion object {
+        const val INTENT_ROUTE_BUDGET_TEST = 2
         // Mirror of DefaultSessionOrchestrator.RECOVERY_ROUTE_BUDGET (private there); kept in sync by the
         // `[1, 2]` assertion in the exhaustion test above.
         const val RECOVERY_ROUTE_BUDGET_TEST = 2