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 b1689614..83c7f9cb 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
@@ -204,13 +204,12 @@ class DefaultSessionOrchestrator(
             )
         }
 
-        return when (val result = enterStage(ctx, nextStageId, effectives)) {
-            is StepResult.Continue -> StepResult.Continue(
-                result.ctx.copy(
-                    currentStageId = advanceStage(ctx.sessionId, ctx.currentStageId, decision),
-                ),
-            )
-
+        // Emit the transition before executing the next stage. Otherwise the next stage's
+        // events (InferenceStarted, artifacts, …) are recorded ahead of the TransitionExecuted
+        // that marks entering it, so the log shows the stage running before it was entered.
+        val advancedTo = advanceStage(ctx.sessionId, ctx.currentStageId, decision)
+        return when (val result = enterStage(ctx.copy(currentStageId = advancedTo), nextStageId, effectives)) {
+            is StepResult.Continue -> StepResult.Continue(result.ctx)
             is StepResult.Terminal -> result
         }
     }
diff --git a/core/router/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/router/RouterContextBuilder.kt b/core/router/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/router/RouterContextBuilder.kt
index 8918544c..b4d60875 100644
--- a/core/router/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/router/RouterContextBuilder.kt
+++ b/core/router/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/router/RouterContextBuilder.kt
@@ -300,11 +300,14 @@ class DefaultRouterContextBuilder(
             layer = ContextLayer.L0,
             role = EntryRole.SYSTEM,
         )
+        // L1, not L0: PromptRenderer folds every L0 entry into the single system message
+        // regardless of role, so an L0 user turn would vanish into the system block and the
+        // request would go out with no user message (the chat template then rejects it).
         val triggerEntry = buildContextEntry(
             sourceType = "narrationTrigger",
             sourceId = trigger.kind,
             content = trigger.instruction,
-            layer = ContextLayer.L0,
+            layer = ContextLayer.L1,
             role = EntryRole.USER,
         )
 
diff --git a/testing/deterministic/src/test/kotlin/RouterNarrationTest.kt b/testing/deterministic/src/test/kotlin/RouterNarrationTest.kt
index ae2e6489..b7f893e4 100644
--- a/testing/deterministic/src/test/kotlin/RouterNarrationTest.kt
+++ b/testing/deterministic/src/test/kotlin/RouterNarrationTest.kt
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import com.correx.core.events.types.StageId
 import com.correx.core.inference.CapabilityScore
 import com.correx.core.inference.Embedder
 import com.correx.core.inference.FinishReason
+import com.correx.core.inference.PromptRenderer
 import com.correx.core.inference.InferenceProvider
 import com.correx.core.inference.InferenceRequest
 import com.correx.core.inference.InferenceResponse
@@ -207,6 +208,26 @@ class RouterNarrationTest {
         )
     }
 
+    @Test
+    fun `rendered narration prompt carries a user message`(): Unit = runBlocking {
+        // Regression: the trigger instruction must render as a user turn. When it was filed
+        // under L0 it folded into the system message, leaving zero user messages and the chat
+        // template rejected the request ("No user query found in messages").
+        val builder = DefaultRouterContextBuilder(RouterConfig())
+        val state = RouterState(sessionId = SessionId("s"), workflowStatus = WorkflowStatus.RUNNING)
+        val instruction = "Tell the user the stage just completed."
+        val trigger = NarrationTrigger(kind = "stage_completed", instruction = instruction)
+        val pack = builder.buildNarrationContext(state, trigger, TokenBudget(limit = 5000))
+
+        val messages = PromptRenderer.render(pack)
+        val userMessages = messages.filter { it.role == "user" }
+        assertTrue(userMessages.isNotEmpty(), "narration prompt must contain a user message")
+        assertTrue(
+            userMessages.any { it.content.contains(instruction) },
+            "the trigger instruction must be the user turn",
+        )
+    }
+
     @Test
     fun `buildNarrationContext stays within budget`(): Unit = runBlocking {
         val builder = DefaultRouterContextBuilder(RouterConfig())