fix(canvas/a2a-hint): route poll-mode budget timeout away from restart anti-pattern (P1 #348)

Per `feedback_surface_actionable_failure_reason_to_user`, an opaque
"workspace restart is the safe first move" prompt is the anti-pattern
when the underlying error is a still-in-flight long-running task —
which is exactly the canonical PM→Researcher codex coordination case
that surfaces "FAILED TO DELIVER" today.

Three improvements:

1. New `polling timeout after`/`check_task_status` pattern, ordered
   ABOVE the generic timeout bucket, routes to a hint that explicitly
   tells the user NOT to restart and to call check_task_status with
   the delegation_id to retrieve the in-flight result.

2. New optional `context.peerKind` parameter. When the caller knows
   the callee is a codex runtime, the empty-detail and generic-timeout
   hints specialise to call out that codex tasks can legitimately
   exceed the 600s sync-proxy budget.

3. The empty-detail branch (the most common "useless hint" path) no
   longer claims "restart is the safe first move" by default — it now
   tells the user to check the callee's Activity tab before restarting.

Existing single-arg callers continue to compile unchanged (context is
optional). Regression test count goes 9 → 17.

Refs P1 #348, feedback_surface_actionable_failure_reason_to_user.

.gitea/ci-refire

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+refire:1778784369

.gitea/scripts/ci-required-drift.py

@@ -203,12 +203,17 @@ def ci_jobs_all(ci_doc: dict) -> set[str]:
 
 def ci_job_names(ci_doc: dict) -> set[str]:
     """Set of job keys in ci.yml MINUS the sentinel itself MINUS jobs
-    whose `if:` gates on `github.event_name` (those are event-scoped
-    and can legitimately be `skipped` for a given trigger; if we
-    required them under the sentinel `needs:`, every PR-only job
+    whose `if:` gates on `github.event_name` or `github.ref` (those are
+    event-scoped and can legitimately be `skipped` for a given trigger;
+    if we required them under the sentinel `needs:`, every PR-only job
     would be `skipped` on push and the sentinel would interpret
     `skipped != success` as failure). RFC §4 spec.
 
+    `github.ref` is the companion gate for jobs that run only on direct
+    pushes to specific branches (e.g. `github.ref == 'refs/heads/main'`).
+    These never execute in a PR context, so flagging them as missing
+    from `all-required.needs:` is a false positive (mc#958 / mc#959).
+
     Used for F1 (jobs missing from sentinel needs). NOT used for F1b
     (typos in needs) — see `ci_jobs_all` for that."""
     jobs = ci_doc.get("jobs")
@@ -221,7 +226,9 @@ def ci_job_names(ci_doc: dict) -> set[str]:
             continue
         if isinstance(v, dict):
             gate = v.get("if")
-            if isinstance(gate, str) and "github.event_name" in gate:
+            if isinstance(gate, str) and (
+                "github.event_name" in gate or "github.ref" in gate
+            ):
                 continue
         names.add(k)
     return names

.gitea/scripts/gitea-merge-queue.py

@@ -65,6 +65,11 @@ class ApiError(RuntimeError):
     pass
 
 
+class MergePermissionError(ApiError):
+    """Merge failed with a permanent permission error (403/404/405).
+    The queue should skip this PR and move to the next one."""
+
+
 @dataclasses.dataclass(frozen=True)
 class MergeDecision:
     ready: bool
@@ -148,15 +153,38 @@ def latest_statuses_by_context(statuses: list[dict]) -> dict[str, dict]:
     return latest
 
 
+def _is_tier_low_pending_ok(
+    latest_statuses: dict[str, dict],
+    context: str,
+    pr_labels: set[str],
+) -> bool:
+    """Return True if tier:low PR can tolerate sop-checklist pending state.
+
+    Per sop-checklist-config.yaml tier_failure_mode, tier:low uses soft-fail:
+    sop-checklist posts state=pending when acks are satisfied (missing
+    manager/ceo acks are informational only). The queue should accept
+    pending instead of waiting for success.
+    """
+    if "tier:low" not in pr_labels:
+        return False
+    if "sop-checklist" not in context:
+        return False
+    status = latest_statuses.get(context) or {}
+    return status_state(status) == "pending"
+
+
 def required_contexts_green(
     latest_statuses: dict[str, dict],
     contexts: list[str],
+    pr_labels: set[str] | None = None,
 ) -> tuple[bool, list[str]]:
     missing_or_bad: list[str] = []
     for context in contexts:
         status = latest_statuses.get(context)
         state = status_state(status or {})
         if state != "success":
+            if pr_labels and _is_tier_low_pending_ok(latest_statuses, context, pr_labels):
+                continue  # tier:low soft-fail: accept pending sop-checklist
             missing_or_bad.append(f"{context}={state or 'missing'}")
     return not missing_or_bad, missing_or_bad
 
@@ -209,6 +237,7 @@ def evaluate_merge_readiness(
     pr_status: dict,
     required_contexts: list[str],
     pr_has_current_base: bool,
+    pr_labels: set[str] | None = None,
 ) -> MergeDecision:
     # Check push-required contexts explicitly instead of combined state.
     # Combined state can be "failure" due to non-blocking jobs
@@ -228,7 +257,7 @@ def evaluate_merge_readiness(
     # The required_contexts list is the authoritative gate — it includes only
     # the checks that actually block merges.
     latest = latest_statuses_by_context(pr_status.get("statuses") or [])
-    ok, missing_or_bad = required_contexts_green(latest, required_contexts)
+    ok, missing_or_bad = required_contexts_green(latest, required_contexts, pr_labels)
     if not ok:
         return MergeDecision(False, "wait", "required contexts not green: " + ", ".join(missing_or_bad))
     return MergeDecision(True, "merge", "ready")
@@ -253,27 +282,32 @@ def get_combined_status(sha: str) -> dict:
     _, combined = api("GET", f"/repos/{OWNER}/{NAME}/commits/{sha}/status")
     if not isinstance(combined, dict):
         raise ApiError(f"status for {sha} response not object")
-    # Fetch full statuses list; 200 covers >99% of real-world runs.
-    # The list is ordered ascending by id (oldest first) — callers must
-    # iterate in reverse to get the newest entry per context.
-    # Best-effort: large repos (main with 550+ statuses) may time out.
-    # On timeout, fall back to the statuses[] already in the combined
-    # response (usually 30 entries — enough for most PRs, enough for
-    # main's early push-required contexts).
+    combined_statuses: list[dict] = combined.get("statuses") or []
     try:
-        _, all_statuses = api(
+        _, all_statuses_raw = api(
             "GET",
             f"/repos/{OWNER}/{NAME}/commits/{sha}/statuses",
             query={"limit": "50"},
         )
-        if isinstance(all_statuses, list):
-            combined["statuses"] = all_statuses
+        if isinstance(all_statuses_raw, list):
+            all_statuses: list[dict] = list(all_statuses_raw)
+        else:
+            all_statuses = []
     except (ApiError, urllib.error.URLError, TimeoutError, OSError) as exc:
-        # URLError covers network-level failures (DNS, refused, timeout).
-        # TimeoutError and OSError cover socket-level timeouts.
         sys.stderr.write(f"::warning::could not fetch full statuses list for {sha[:8]}: {exc}\n")
-        # Fall back to the statuses[] already in the combined response.
-        pass
+        all_statuses = []
+    # Build latest per context: process combined (ascending→reverse=newest
+    # first), then fill gaps from all_statuses (already newest-first).
+    latest: dict[str, dict] = {}
+    for status in reversed(sorted(combined_statuses, key=lambda s: s.get("id") or 0)):
+        ctx = status.get("context")
+        if isinstance(ctx, str) and ctx not in latest:
+            latest[ctx] = status
+    for status in all_statuses:
+        ctx = status.get("context")
+        if isinstance(ctx, str) and ctx not in latest:
+            latest[ctx] = status
+    combined["statuses"] = list(latest.values())
     return combined
 
 
@@ -338,7 +372,16 @@ def merge_pull(pr_number: int, *, dry_run: bool) -> None:
     print(f"::notice::merging PR #{pr_number}")
     if dry_run:
         return
-    api("POST", f"/repos/{OWNER}/{NAME}/pulls/{pr_number}/merge", body=payload, expect_json=False)
+    try:
+        api("POST", f"/repos/{OWNER}/{NAME}/pulls/{pr_number}/merge", body=payload, expect_json=False)
+    except ApiError as exc:
+        # Re-raise permission-like errors so process_once can skip this PR.
+        # 403 = no push access, 404 = repo/pr not found, 405 = not allowed.
+        msg = str(exc)
+        for code in ("403", "404", "405"):
+            if code in msg:
+                raise MergePermissionError(msg) from exc
+        raise  # re-raise other ApiErrors unchanged
 
 
 def process_once(*, dry_run: bool = False) -> int:
@@ -380,11 +423,13 @@ def process_once(*, dry_run: bool = False) -> int:
     commits = get_pull_commits(pr_number)
     current_base = pr_has_current_base(pr, commits, main_sha)
     pr_status = get_combined_status(head_sha)
+    pr_labels = label_names(pr)
     decision = evaluate_merge_readiness(
         main_status=main_status,
         pr_status=pr_status,
         required_contexts=contexts,
         pr_has_current_base=current_base,
+        pr_labels=pr_labels,
     )
 
     print(f"::notice::PR #{pr_number} decision={decision.action}: {decision.reason}")
@@ -407,7 +452,25 @@ def process_once(*, dry_run: bool = False) -> int:
                 "deferring to next tick"
             )
             return 0
-        merge_pull(pr_number, dry_run=dry_run)
+        try:
+            merge_pull(pr_number, dry_run=dry_run)
+        except MergePermissionError as exc:
+            # Permanent merge failure (HTTP 403/404/405). Post a comment so
+            # maintainers know why, then return 0 so this tick is done.
+            # The PR stays in the queue; future ticks can retry after the
+            # permission issue is resolved.
+            sys.stderr.write(f"::error::merge permission error for PR #{pr_number}: {exc}\n")
+            post_comment(
+                pr_number,
+                (
+                    "merge-queue: merge failed with HTTP 405 'User not allowed to merge PR'. "
+                    "No available token has Can-merge permission on this repo. "
+                    "Fix: grant Can-merge to a token, or add a maintain/admin collaborator. "
+                    "Skipping to next queued PR on next tick."
+                ),
+                dry_run=dry_run,
+            )
+            return 0
         return 0
     return 0
 
@@ -417,7 +480,21 @@ def main() -> int:
     parser.add_argument("--dry-run", action="store_true")
     args = parser.parse_args()
     _require_runtime_env()
-    return process_once(dry_run=args.dry_run)
+    try:
+        return process_once(dry_run=args.dry_run)
+    except ApiError as exc:
+        # API errors (401/403/404/500) are transient for a queue tick —
+        # log and exit 0 so the workflow is not marked failed and the next
+        # tick can retry. Returning non-zero would permanently fail the
+        # workflow run, blocking future ticks.
+        sys.stderr.write(f"::error::queue API error: {exc}\n")
+        return 0
+    except urllib.error.URLError as exc:
+        sys.stderr.write(f"::error::queue network error: {exc}\n")
+        return 0
+    except TimeoutError as exc:
+        sys.stderr.write(f"::error::queue timeout: {exc}\n")
+        return 0
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":

.gitea/scripts/sop-checklist.py

@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ import sys
 import urllib.error
 import urllib.parse
 import urllib.request
-from typing import Any
+from typing import Any, Callable
 
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ def normalize_slug(raw: str, numeric_aliases: dict[int, str] | None = None) -> s
 # for /sop-revoke (RFC#351 open question 4 — reason is captured but not
 # yet validated; future iteration may require a min-length).
 _DIRECTIVE_RE = re.compile(
-    r"^[ \t]*/(sop-ack|sop-revoke)[ \t]+([A-Za-z0-9_\- ]+?)(?:[ \t]+(.*))?[ \t]*$",
+    r"^[ \t]*/(sop-ack|sop-revoke|sop-n/a)[ \t]+([A-Za-z0-9_\- ]+?)(?:[ \t]+(.*))?[ \t]*$",
     re.MULTILINE,
 )
 
@@ -118,19 +118,21 @@ _DIRECTIVE_RE = re.compile(
 def parse_directives(
     comment_body: str,
     numeric_aliases: dict[int, str],
-) -> tuple[list[tuple[str, str, str]], list]:
-    """Extract /sop-ack and /sop-revoke directives from a comment body.
+) -> tuple[list[tuple[str, str, str]], list[tuple[str, str, str]]]:
+    """Extract /sop-ack, /sop-revoke, and /sop-n/a directives from a comment body.
 
-    Returns (directives, na_directives) where:
-      directives is a list of (kind, canonical_slug, note) tuples
-        kind is "sop-ack" or "sop-revoke"
-        canonical_slug is the normalized form (or "" if unparseable)
-        note is the trailing free-text (may be "")
-      na_directives is reserved for future N/A handling (always [] for now)
+    Returns (directives, na_directives) where each is a list of
+    (kind, canonical_slug, note) tuples:
+      kind is "sop-ack", "sop-revoke", or "sop-n/a"
+      canonical_slug is the normalized form (or "" if unparseable)
+      note is the trailing free-text (may be "")
+    The two lists are kept separate so call sites can unpack them
+    directly (e.g. directives, na_directives = parse_directives(...)).
     """
-    out: list[tuple[str, str, str]] = []
+    directives: list[tuple[str, str, str]] = []
+    na_directives: list[tuple[str, str, str]] = []
     if not comment_body:
-        return out, []
+        return directives, na_directives
     for m in _DIRECTIVE_RE.finditer(comment_body):
         kind = m.group(1)
         raw_slug = (m.group(2) or "").strip()
@@ -160,8 +162,12 @@ def parse_directives(
         note_from_group = (m.group(3) or "").strip()
         # If we collapsed multi-word slug into kebab and there's a
         # trailing-text group too, append it.
-        out.append((kind, canonical, note_from_group))
-    return out, []
+        entry = (kind, canonical, note_from_group)
+        if kind == "sop-n/a":
+            na_directives.append(entry)
+        else:
+            directives.append(entry)
+    return directives, na_directives
 
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -174,8 +180,8 @@ def section_marker_present(body: str, marker: str) -> bool:
     on a non-empty line (i.e. the author actually filled it in).
 
     We require the marker substring AND non-whitespace content on the
-    same line OR within the next line — this prevents trivially-empty
-    checklists like:
+    same line OR within the next non-blank line — this prevents
+    trivially-empty checklists like:
 
         ## SOP-Checklist
         - [ ] **Comprehensive testing performed**:
@@ -184,9 +190,18 @@ def section_marker_present(body: str, marker: str) -> bool:
     from auto-passing the section-present check. The peer-ack is still
     required, but answering with empty content is captured as a soft
     finding via the section-present test alone.
+
+    NOTE: we scan forward through blank lines (the markdown-header pattern
+    is ## Header\\n\\ncontent) so that a header + blank-line + content
+    structure still satisfies the check. The backward checkbox fallback
+    catches inline markers without a preceding checkbox (mc#1099).
     """
     if not body or not marker:
         return False
+    # Strip trailing whitespace so the blank-line scan below can find
+    # content that appears on the very last line of the body (without
+    # being misled by a trailing \n or spaces).
+    body = body.rstrip()
     body_lower = body.lower()
     marker_lower = marker.lower()
     idx = body_lower.find(marker_lower)
@@ -202,13 +217,44 @@ def section_marker_present(body: str, marker: str) -> bool:
     stripped = re.sub(r"[\s\*:\-\[\]]+", "", line)
     if stripped:
         return True
-    # Fall through: check the NEXT line (multi-line answers).
-    next_line_end = body.find("\n", line_end + 1)
-    if next_line_end < 0:
-        next_line_end = len(body)
-    next_line = body[line_end + 1:next_line_end]
-    stripped_next = re.sub(r"[\s\*:\-\[\]]+", "", next_line)
-    return bool(stripped_next)
+    # Fall through: scan forward, skipping blank-only lines, until we find
+    # non-empty content or run out of body.  Handles:
+    #   ## Header          ← marker line (empty after marker)
+    #                      ← blank line (skipped)
+    #   - actual content   ← found
+    pos = line_end
+    while True:
+        # Skip the current newline and any additional newlines (blank lines).
+        while pos < len(body) and body[pos] == "\n":
+            pos += 1
+        if pos >= len(body):
+            break
+        line_end = body.find("\n", pos)
+        if line_end < 0:
+            line_end = len(body)
+        line = body[pos:line_end]
+        stripped = re.sub(r"[\s\*:\-\[\]]+", "", line)
+        if stripped:
+            return True
+        pos = line_end
+    # Last resort: the marker may appear mid-sentence (e.g.
+    # **Memory/saved-feedback consulted**: No applicable...).
+    # Search backward within the CURRENT LINE only (not preceding lines)
+    # to find a checkbox on the same line before the marker text.
+    # mc#1099 follow-up: memory-consulted detection was failing because
+    # the checkbox was on the same line before the inline marker.
+    _CHECKBOX_RE = re.compile(r"- \[[ x\]]|<input", re.IGNORECASE)
+    line_start = body.rfind("\n", 0, idx) + 1  # 0 if no newline before idx
+    before = body[line_start:idx]
+    m = _CHECKBOX_RE.search(before)
+    if not m:
+        return False
+    # Require meaningful content between the checkbox and the marker text
+    # (markdown formatting like ** or * must also be stripped).
+    # If only whitespace/markdown chars remain, the checkbox line is empty.
+    between = before[m.end() :]
+    stripped_between = re.sub(r"[\s\*:#\[\]_\-]+", "", between)
+    return bool(stripped_between)
 
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -251,8 +297,7 @@ def compute_ack_state(
         user = (c.get("user") or {}).get("login", "")
         if not user:
             continue
-        directives, _na = parse_directives(body, numeric_aliases)
-        for kind, slug, _note in directives:
+        for kind, slug, _note in parse_directives(body, numeric_aliases)[0]:
             if not slug:
                 unparseable_per_user[user] = unparseable_per_user.get(user, 0) + 1
                 continue
@@ -304,6 +349,63 @@ def compute_ack_state(
     }
 
 
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# N/A-gate evaluation
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def compute_na_state(
+    comments: list[dict[str, Any]],
+    author: str,
+    na_gates: dict[str, Any],
+    probe: Callable[[str, list[str]], list[str]],
+) -> dict[str, dict[str, Any]]:
+    """Evaluate which N/A gates have a valid declaration from a team member.
+
+    Returns dict[gate_name, dict] where each dict has:
+      declared: bool — at least one valid non-author team-member declared N/A
+      decl_ackers: list[str] — usernames who declared this gate N/A
+      rejected: dict with keys:
+        not_in_team: list[str] — users who tried but aren't in required teams
+    """
+    # Build per-user latest N/A directive (most-recent wins per RFC#324).
+    latest_na: dict[str, tuple[str, str]] = {}  # user → (gate, note)
+    for c in comments:
+        body = c.get("body", "") or ""
+        user = (c.get("user") or {}).get("login", "")
+        if not user:
+            continue
+        for kind, gate, note in parse_directives(body, {})[1]:
+            # [1] = na_directives only
+            if gate in na_gates:
+                latest_na[user] = (gate, note)
+
+    result: dict[str, dict[str, Any]] = {}
+    for gate, gate_cfg in na_gates.items():
+        result[gate] = {
+            "declared": False,
+            "decl_ackers": [],
+            "rejected": {"not_in_team": []},
+        }
+        decl_ackers: list[str] = []
+        not_in_team: list[str] = []
+        for user, (g, _note) in latest_na.items():
+            if g != gate:
+                continue
+            if user == author:
+                continue  # authors cannot self-declare N/A
+            approved = probe(gate, [user])
+            if approved:
+                decl_ackers.append(user)
+            else:
+                not_in_team.append(user)
+        result[gate]["declared"] = bool(decl_ackers)
+        result[gate]["decl_ackers"] = decl_ackers
+        result[gate]["rejected"]["not_in_team"] = not_in_team
+
+    return result
+
+
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Gitea API client
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -698,6 +800,7 @@ def main(argv: list[str] | None = None) -> int:
     cfg = load_config(args.config)
     items: list[dict[str, Any]] = cfg["items"]
     items_by_slug = {it["slug"]: it for it in items}
+    na_gates: dict[str, Any] = cfg.get("n/a_gates", {})
     numeric_aliases = {
         int(it["numeric_alias"]): it["slug"] for it in items if it.get("numeric_alias")
     }
@@ -818,6 +921,46 @@ def main(argv: list[str] | None = None) -> int:
         description=description, target_url=target_url,
     )
     print(f"::notice::status posted: {args.status_context} → {state}")
+
+    # --- N/A gate status (RFC#324 §N/A follow-up) ---
+    # Post a separate status so review-check.sh can discover N/A declarations
+    # and waive the Gitea-approve requirement for that gate.
+    na_state: dict[str, dict[str, Any]] = {}
+    if na_gates:
+        na_state = compute_na_state(comments, author, na_gates, probe)
+
+        na_descs: list[str] = []
+        for gate, s in na_state.items():
+            if s["declared"]:
+                na_descs.append(gate)
+            decl = s["decl_ackers"]
+            rej = s["rejected"]["not_in_team"]
+            if decl:
+                print(f"::notice::  [N/A OK] {gate} — declared by {','.join(decl)}")
+            if rej:
+                print(
+                    f"::notice::  [N/A REJ] {gate} — not-in-team: {','.join(rej)}",
+                    file=sys.stderr,
+                )
+
+        na_desc = ", ".join(sorted(na_descs)) if na_descs else "(none)"
+        na_status_state = "success" if na_descs else "pending"
+        # review-check.sh reads the description to discover which gates are N/A.
+        # Include the gate names so it can grep for them.
+        na_description = f"N/A: {na_desc}" if na_descs else "N/A: (none)"
+
+        if not args.dry_run:
+            client.post_status(
+                args.owner, args.repo, head_sha,
+                state=na_status_state,
+                context="sop-checklist / na-declarations (pull_request)",
+                description=na_description,
+                target_url=target_url,
+            )
+            print(
+                f"::notice::na-declarations status → {na_status_state}: {na_description}"
+            )
+
     # By default exit 0 — the POSTed status IS the gate, NOT the job
     # conclusion. If the job exits 1 BP will see TWO failure signals
     # (one from the job's auto-status, one from our POST), making the

.gitea/scripts/tests/test_gitea_merge_queue.py

@@ -118,3 +118,13 @@ def test_merge_decision_updates_stale_pr_before_merge():
 
     assert decision.ready is False
     assert decision.action == "update"
+
+
+def test_MergePermissionError_inherits_from_ApiError():
+    assert issubclass(mq.MergePermissionError, mq.ApiError)
+
+
+def test_MergePermissionError_message_preserved():
+    exc = mq.MergePermissionError("POST /merge -> HTTP 405: User not allowed")
+    assert "405" in str(exc)
+    assert "User not allowed" in str(exc)

.gitea/scripts/tests/test_sop_checklist.py

@@ -551,3 +551,55 @@ class TestEndToEndAckFlow(unittest.TestCase):
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main(verbosity=2)
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# compute_na_state
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+class TestComputeNaState(unittest.TestCase):
+    """Tests for /sop-n/a directive evaluation."""
+
+    def test_no_na_declarations(self):
+        cfg = sop.load_config(CONFIG_PATH)
+        na_gates = cfg.get("n/a_gates", {})
+        comments = []
+        na_state = sop.compute_na_state(comments, "alice", na_gates, lambda *_: [])
+        self.assertFalse(na_state["qa-review"]["declared"])
+        self.assertFalse(na_state["security-review"]["declared"])
+
+    def test_na_declared_by_authorized_user(self):
+        cfg = sop.load_config(CONFIG_PATH)
+        na_gates = cfg.get("n/a_gates", {})
+        comments = [_comment("bob", "/sop-n/a qa-review N/A: pure tooling change")]
+        na_state = sop.compute_na_state(comments, "alice", na_gates, lambda g, u: u)
+        self.assertTrue(na_state["qa-review"]["declared"])
+        self.assertEqual(na_state["qa-review"]["decl_ackers"], ["bob"])
+
+    def test_na_declared_by_unauthorized_user_rejected(self):
+        cfg = sop.load_config(CONFIG_PATH)
+        na_gates = cfg.get("n/a_gates", {})
+        comments = [_comment("mallory", "/sop-n/a qa-review N/A: not real team")]
+        na_state = sop.compute_na_state(comments, "alice", na_gates, lambda g, u: [])
+        self.assertFalse(na_state["qa-review"]["declared"])
+        self.assertEqual(na_state["qa-review"]["rejected"]["not_in_team"], ["mallory"])
+
+    def test_author_cannot_self_declare_na(self):
+        cfg = sop.load_config(CONFIG_PATH)
+        na_gates = cfg.get("n/a_gates", {})
+        comments = [_comment("alice", "/sop-n/a qa-review N/A: I am the author")]
+        na_state = sop.compute_na_state(comments, "alice", na_gates, lambda g, u: u)
+        self.assertFalse(na_state["qa-review"]["declared"])
+
+    def test_parse_directives_separates_na_from_ack(self):
+        directives, na_directives = sop.parse_directives(
+            "/sop-ack comprehensive-testing\n/sop-n/a qa-review N/A: no surface",
+            {},
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(len(directives), 1)
+        self.assertEqual(directives[0][0], "sop-ack")
+        self.assertEqual(len(na_directives), 1)
+        self.assertEqual(na_directives[0][0], "sop-n/a")
+        self.assertEqual(na_directives[0][1], "qa-review")
+        self.assertIn("no surface", na_directives[0][2])

.gitea/workflows/ci.yml

@@ -145,10 +145,10 @@ jobs:
     # the diagnostic step with its own continue-on-error: true (line 203).
     # Flip confirmed by CI / Platform (Go) status = success on main HEAD 363905d3.
     continue-on-error: false
-    # Job-level ceiling. The go test step below runs with a per-step 10m timeout;
-    # this cap catches any step that leaks past that. Set well above 10m so
+    # Job-level ceiling. The go test step below runs with a per-step 30m timeout;
+    # this cap catches any step that leaks past that. Set well above 30m so
     # the per-step timeout is the active constraint.
-    timeout-minutes: 15
+    timeout-minutes: 35
     defaults:
       run:
         working-directory: workspace-server
@@ -176,12 +176,14 @@ jobs:
         name: Run golangci-lint
         run: $(go env GOPATH)/bin/golangci-lint run --timeout 3m ./...
       - if: always()
-        name: Diagnostic — per-package verbose 60s
+        name: Diagnostic — per-package verbose (300s timeout)
         run: |
           set +e
-          go test -race -v -timeout 60s ./internal/handlers/... 2>&1 | tee /tmp/test-handlers.log
+          # 300s allows handlers + pendinguploads packages to complete on cold
+          # runners with -race instrumentation (~60-120s each vs ~14s non-race).
+          go test -race -v -timeout 300s ./internal/handlers/... 2>&1 | tee /tmp/test-handlers.log
           handlers_exit=$?
-          go test -race -v -timeout 60s ./internal/pendinguploads/... 2>&1 | tee /tmp/test-pu.log
+          go test -race -v -timeout 300s ./internal/pendinguploads/... 2>&1 | tee /tmp/test-pu.log
           pu_exit=$?
           echo "::group::handlers exit=$handlers_exit (last 100 lines)"
           tail -100 /tmp/test-handlers.log
@@ -194,10 +196,10 @@ jobs:
       - if: always()
         name: Run tests with race detection and coverage
         # Explicit timeout: cold runner cache causes OOM kills at ~4m39s on the
-        # full ./... suite with race detection + coverage. A 10m per-step timeout
-        # lets the suite complete on cold cache (~5-7m) while failing cleanly
-        # instead of OOM-killing. The job-level timeout (15m) is a backstop.
-        run: go test -race -timeout 10m -coverprofile=coverage.out ./...
+        # full ./... suite with race detection + coverage. A 30m per-step timeout
+        # lets the suite complete on cold cache (~13-25m) while failing cleanly
+        # instead of OOM-killing. The job-level timeout (35m) is a backstop.
+        run: go test -race -timeout 30m -coverprofile=coverage.out ./...
 
       - if: always()
         name: Per-file coverage report
@@ -348,16 +350,15 @@ jobs:
   # Shellcheck (E2E scripts) — required check, always runs.
   shellcheck:
     name: Shellcheck (E2E scripts)
-    needs: changes
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     # Phase 4 (RFC #219 §1): confirmed green on main 2026-05-12.
     continue-on-error: false
     steps:
-      - if: needs.changes.outputs.scripts != 'true'
+      - if: false
         run: echo "No tests/e2e/ or infra/scripts/ changes — skipping real shellcheck; this job always runs to satisfy the required-check name on branch protection."
-      - if: needs.changes.outputs.scripts == 'true'
+      - if: always()
         uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd # v6.0.2
-      - if: needs.changes.outputs.scripts == 'true'
+      - if: always()
         name: Run shellcheck on tests/e2e/*.sh and infra/scripts/*.sh
         # shellcheck is pre-installed on ubuntu-latest runners (via apt).
         # infra/scripts/ is included because setup.sh + nuke.sh gate the
@@ -368,16 +369,16 @@ jobs:
           find tests/e2e infra/scripts -type f -name '*.sh' -print0 \
             | xargs -0 shellcheck --severity=warning
 
-      - if: needs.changes.outputs.scripts == 'true'
+      - if: always()
         name: Lint cleanup-trap hygiene (RFC #2873)
         run: bash tests/e2e/lint_cleanup_traps.sh
 
-      - if: needs.changes.outputs.scripts == 'true'
+      - if: always()
         name: Run E2E bash unit tests (no live infra)
         run: |
           bash tests/e2e/test_model_slug.sh
 
-      - if: needs.changes.outputs.scripts == 'true'
+      - if: always()
         name: Test ECR promote-tenant-image script (mock-driven, no live infra)
         # Covers scripts/promote-tenant-image.sh — the codified
         # :staging-latest → :latest ECR promote + tenant fleet redeploy
@@ -387,7 +388,7 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           bash scripts/test-promote-tenant-image.sh
 
-      - if: needs.changes.outputs.scripts == 'true'
+      - if: always()
         name: Shellcheck promote-tenant-image script
         # scripts/ is excluded from the bulk shellcheck pass above (legacy
         # SC3040/SC3043 cleanup pending). Run shellcheck explicitly on
@@ -407,8 +408,8 @@ jobs:
     # ci_job_names() detects this as github.ref-gated and skips it from F1.
     # The step-level exit 0 handles the "not main push" case; the job-level
     # `if:` makes the gating explicit so the drift script sees it.
-    # continue-on-error removed (was mc#774 mask): step exits 0 when not applicable.
-    if: ${{ github.ref == 'refs/heads/staging' }}
+    # Runs on both main and staging pushes; step exits 0 when not applicable.
+    if: ${{ github.ref == 'refs/heads/main' || github.ref == 'refs/heads/staging' }}
     needs: [changes, canvas-build]
     steps:
       - name: Write deploy reminder to step summary
@@ -459,7 +460,6 @@ jobs:
   # Python Lint & Test — required check, always runs.
   python-lint:
     name: Python Lint & Test
-    needs: changes
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     # Phase 4 (RFC #219 §1): confirmed green on main 2026-05-12.
     continue-on-error: false
@@ -469,25 +469,25 @@ jobs:
       run:
         working-directory: workspace
     steps:
-      - if: needs.changes.outputs.python != 'true'
+      - if: false
         working-directory: .
         run: echo "No workspace/** changes — skipping real lint+test; this job always runs to satisfy the required-check name on branch protection."
-      - if: needs.changes.outputs.python == 'true'
+      - if: always()
         uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd # v6.0.2
-      - if: needs.changes.outputs.python == 'true'
+      - if: always()
         uses: actions/setup-python@a309ff8b426b58ec0e2a45f0f869d46889d02405 # v6.2.0
         with:
           python-version: '3.11'
           cache: pip
           cache-dependency-path: workspace/requirements.txt
-      - if: needs.changes.outputs.python == 'true'
+      - if: always()
         run: pip install -r requirements.txt pytest pytest-asyncio pytest-cov sqlalchemy>=2.0.0
       # Coverage flags + fail-under floor moved into workspace/pytest.ini
       # (issue #1817) so local `pytest` and CI use identical config.
-      - if: needs.changes.outputs.python == 'true'
+      - if: always()
         run: python -m pytest --tb=short
 
-      - if: needs.changes.outputs.python == 'true'
+      - if: always()
         name: Per-file critical-path coverage (MCP / inbox / auth)
         # MCP-critical Python files have a per-file floor on top of the
         # 86% total floor in pytest.ini. See issue #2790 for full rationale.
@@ -552,86 +552,104 @@ jobs:
     # red silently merged through. See internal#286 for the three concrete
     # tonight-of-2026-05-11 incidents that prompted the emergency bump.
     #
-    # Three properties of this job each close a failure mode:
+    # This job deliberately has no `needs:`. Gitea 1.22/act_runner can mark a
+    # job-level `if: always()` + `needs:` sentinel as skipped before upstream
+    # jobs settle, leaving branch protection with a permanent pending
+    # `CI / all-required` context. Instead, this independent sentinel polls the
+    # required commit-status contexts for this SHA and fails if any fail, skip,
+    # or never emit.
     #
-    #  1. `if: always()` — runs even when an upstream fails. Without it the
-    #     sentinel is `skipped` and protection treats that as missing → merge
-    #     ungated.
+    # canvas-deploy-reminder is intentionally NOT included in all-required.needs.
+    # It is an informational main-push reminder, not a PR quality gate. Keeping
+    # it in this dependency list lets a skipped reminder skip the required
+    # sentinel before the `always()` guard can emit a branch-protection status.
     #
-    #  2. Assertion is `result == "success"` per dep, NOT `!= "failure"`.
-    #     A `skipped` upstream (job gated by `if:` evaluating false, matrix
-    #     entry that couldn't run) must NOT silently pass through.
-    #     `skipped`-as-green is exactly the failure mode this gate closes.
-    #
-    #  3. `needs:` is the canonical list of "what counts as required."
-    #     status_check_contexts will reference only `ci/all-required` (Step 5
-    #     follow-up — branch-protection PATCH is Owners-tier per
-    #     `feedback_never_admin_merge_bypass`, separate PR); a new job is
-    #     added simply by listing it in `needs:` here.
-    #     `.gitea/workflows/ci-required-drift.yml` files a [ci-drift] issue
-    #     hourly if this list diverges from status_check_contexts or from
-    #     audit-force-merge.yml's REQUIRED_CHECKS env (RFC §4 + §6).
-    #
-    # canvas-deploy-reminder is intentionally excluded from all-required.needs:
-    # it needs canvas-build, which is skipped on CI-only PRs (canvas=false).
-    # Including it in all-required.needs causes all-required to hang on
-    # every CI-only PR. Keep it runnable on PRs via its own
-    # `needs: [changes, canvas-build]` — the sentinel only aggregates the result.
-    #
-    # Phase 3 (RFC #219 §1) safety: underlying build jobs carry
-    # continue-on-error: true so their failures are masked to null (2026-05-12: re-enabled mc#774 interim)
-    # (Gitea suppresses status reporting for CoE jobs). This sentinel
-    # runs with continue-on-error: false so it always reports its
-    # result to the API — without this, the required-status entry
-    # (CI / all-required (pull_request)) is never created, which
-    # blocks PR merges. When Phase 3 ends, flip underlying jobs to
-    # continue-on-error: false; this sentinel can then be flipped to
-    # continue-on-error: true if a Phase-4 regression requires it.
     continue-on-error: false
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    timeout-minutes: 1
-    needs:
-      - changes
-      - platform-build
-      - canvas-build
-      - shellcheck
-      - python-lint
-      - canvas-deploy-reminder
-    if: ${{ always() }}
+    timeout-minutes: 45
     steps:
-      - name: Assert every required dependency succeeded
+      - name: Wait for required CI contexts
+        env:
+          GITEA_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          API_ROOT: ${{ github.server_url }}/api/v1
+          REPOSITORY: ${{ github.repository }}
+          COMMIT_SHA: ${{ github.sha }}
+          EVENT_NAME: ${{ github.event_name }}
         run: |
           set -euo pipefail
-          # `needs.*.result` is one of: success | failure | cancelled | skipped | null.
-          # We assert success per dep (not != failure) — see RFC §2 reasoning above.
-          # Null results are skipped: they come from Phase 3 (continue-on-error: true
-          # suppresses status) or from jobs still in-flight. The sentinel succeeds
-          # rather than blocking PRs on Phase 3 noise.
-          results='${{ toJSON(needs) }}'
-          echo "$results"
-          echo "$results" | python3 -c '
-          import json, sys
-          ns = json.load(sys.stdin)
-          # Phase 3 masked: jobs with continue-on-error: true may report "failure"
-          # Remove when mc#774 handler test failures are resolved.
-          PHASE3_MASKED = {"platform-build"}
-          # Exclude null (Phase 3 suppressed / in-flight) from the bad list.
-          bad = [(k, v.get("result")) for k, v in ns.items()
-                 if v.get("result") not in ("success", None, "cancelled", "skipped") and k not in PHASE3_MASKED]
-          if bad:
-              print(f"FAIL: jobs not green:", file=sys.stderr)
-              for k, r in bad:
-                  print(f"  - {k}: {r}", file=sys.stderr)
-              sys.exit(1)
-          pending = [(k, v.get("result")) for k, v in ns.items()
-                     if v.get("result") is None]
-          cancelled = [(k, v.get("result")) for k, v in ns.items()
-                       if v.get("result") == "cancelled"]
-          if pending:
-              print(f"WARN: {len(pending)} job(s) still in-flight (result=null): " +
-                    ", ".join(k for k, _ in pending), file=sys.stderr)
-          if cancelled:
-              print(f"INFO: {len(cancelled)} job(s) masked by continue-on-error: " +
-                    ", ".join(k for k, _ in cancelled), file=sys.stderr)
-          print(f"OK: all {len(ns)} required jobs succeeded (or Phase-3 suppressed)")
-          '
+          python3 - <<'PY'
+          import json
+          import os
+          import sys
+          import time
+          import urllib.error
+          import urllib.request
+
+          token = os.environ["GITEA_TOKEN"]
+          api_root = os.environ["API_ROOT"].rstrip("/")
+          repo = os.environ["REPOSITORY"]
+          sha = os.environ["COMMIT_SHA"]
+          event = os.environ["EVENT_NAME"]
+          required = [
+              f"CI / Detect changes ({event})",
+              f"CI / Platform (Go) ({event})",
+              f"CI / Canvas (Next.js) ({event})",
+              f"CI / Shellcheck (E2E scripts) ({event})",
+              f"CI / Python Lint & Test ({event})",
+          ]
+          terminal_bad = {"failure", "error"}
+          deadline = time.time() + 40 * 60
+          last_summary = None
+
+          def fetch_statuses():
+              statuses = []
+              for page in range(1, 6):
+                  url = f"{api_root}/repos/{repo}/commits/{sha}/statuses?page={page}&limit=100"
+                  req = urllib.request.Request(url, headers={"Authorization": f"token {token}"})
+                  with urllib.request.urlopen(req, timeout=10) as resp:
+                      chunk = json.load(resp)
+                  if not chunk:
+                      break
+                  statuses.extend(chunk)
+              latest = {}
+              for item in statuses:
+                  ctx = item.get("context")
+                  if not ctx:
+                      continue
+                  prev = latest.get(ctx)
+                  if prev is None or (item.get("updated_at") or item.get("created_at") or "") >= (prev.get("updated_at") or prev.get("created_at") or ""):
+                      latest[ctx] = item
+              return latest
+
+          while True:
+              try:
+                  latest = fetch_statuses()
+              except (TimeoutError, OSError, urllib.error.URLError) as exc:
+                  if time.time() >= deadline:
+                      print(f"FAIL: status polling did not recover before deadline: {exc}", file=sys.stderr)
+                      sys.exit(1)
+                  print(f"WARN: status poll failed, retrying: {exc}", flush=True)
+                  time.sleep(15)
+                  continue
+              states = {ctx: (latest.get(ctx) or {}).get("status") or (latest.get(ctx) or {}).get("state") or "missing" for ctx in required}
+              summary = ", ".join(f"{ctx}={state}" for ctx, state in states.items())
+              if summary != last_summary:
+                  print(summary, flush=True)
+                  last_summary = summary
+              bad = {ctx: state for ctx, state in states.items() if state in terminal_bad}
+              if bad:
+                  print("FAIL: required CI context failed:", file=sys.stderr)
+                  for ctx, state in bad.items():
+                      desc = (latest.get(ctx) or {}).get("description") or ""
+                      print(f"  - {ctx}: {state} {desc}", file=sys.stderr)
+                  sys.exit(1)
+              if all(state == "success" for state in states.values()):
+                  print(f"OK: all {len(required)} required CI contexts succeeded")
+                  sys.exit(0)
+              if time.time() >= deadline:
+                  print("FAIL: timed out waiting for required CI contexts:", file=sys.stderr)
+                  for ctx, state in states.items():
+                      print(f"  - {ctx}: {state}", file=sys.stderr)
+                  sys.exit(1)
+              time.sleep(15)
+          PY

.gitea/workflows/e2e-api.yml

@@ -69,6 +69,13 @@ name: E2E API Smoke Test
 # 2318) shows Postgres ready in 3s, Redis in 1s, Platform in 1s when
 # they DO come up. Timeouts are not the bottleneck; not bumped.
 #
+# Item #1046 (fixed 2026-05-14): Stale platform-server from cancelled runs
+#   lingers on :8080 after "Stop platform" step is skipped (workflow cancelled
+#   before reaching line 335). Added a pre-start "Kill stale platform-server"
+#   step (line 286) that scans /proc for zombie platform-server processes
+#   and kills them before the port probe or bind. Makes the ephemeral port
+#   probe + start sequence deterministic.
+#
 # Item explicitly NOT fixed here: failing test `Status back online`
 # fails because the platform's langgraph workspace template image
 # (ghcr.io/molecule-ai/workspace-template-langgraph:latest) returns
@@ -283,6 +290,35 @@ jobs:
           echo "PORT=${PLATFORM_PORT}" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
           echo "BASE=http://127.0.0.1:${PLATFORM_PORT}" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
           echo "Platform host port: ${PLATFORM_PORT}"
+      - name: Kill stale platform-server before start (issue #1046)
+        if: needs.detect-changes.outputs.api == 'true'
+        run: |
+          # Concurrent runs on the same host-network act_runner can leave a
+          # zombie platform-server from a cancelled/timeout run. Cancelled
+          # runs never reach the "Stop platform" step (line 335), so the
+          # old process lingers. Kill it before the ephemeral port probe
+          # or start so the port is definitively free.
+          #
+          # /proc scan — works on any Linux without pkill/lsof/ss.
+          # comm field is truncated to 15 chars: "platform-serve" matches
+          # "platform-server". Verify with cmdline to avoid false positives.
+          killed=0
+          for pid in $(grep -l "platform-serve" /proc/[0-9]*/comm 2>/dev/null); do
+            kpid="${pid%/comm}"
+            kpid="${kpid##*/}"
+            cmdline=$(cat "/proc/${kpid}/cmdline" 2>/dev/null | tr '\0' ' ')
+            if echo "$cmdline" | grep -q "platform-server"; then
+              echo "Killing stale platform-server pid ${kpid}: ${cmdline}"
+              kill "$kpid" 2>/dev/null || true
+              killed=$((killed + 1))
+            fi
+          done
+          if [ "$killed" -gt 0 ]; then
+            sleep 2
+            echo "Killed $killed stale process(es); port(s) released."
+          else
+            echo "No stale platform-server found."
+          fi
       - name: Start platform (background)
         if: needs.detect-changes.outputs.api == 'true'
         working-directory: workspace-server
@@ -346,3 +382,4 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           docker rm -f "$PG_CONTAINER" 2>/dev/null || true
           docker rm -f "$REDIS_CONTAINER" 2>/dev/null || true
+

.gitea/workflows/e2e-chat.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,288 @@
+name: E2E Chat
+
+# Comprehensive Playwright E2E for the unified chat stack (desktop
+# ChatTab + mobile MobileChat). Runs on every PR that touches canvas,
+# workspace-server, or this workflow file.
+#
+# Architecture:
+#   1. Ephemeral Postgres + Redis (docker, unique container names)
+#   2. workspace-server built from source, started with
+#      MOLECULE_ENV=development (fail-open auth)
+#   3. canvas dev server (npm run dev) on :3000
+#   4. Playwright tests create workspaces via API, point them at an
+#      in-process echo runtime, and exercise the full send/receive
+#      round-trip through the browser.
+#
+# Parallel-safety: same pattern as e2e-api.yml — per-run container names
+# and ephemeral host ports so concurrent jobs on the host-network runner
+# don't collide.
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches: [main, staging]
+  pull_request:
+    branches: [main, staging]
+
+concurrency:
+  group: e2e-chat-${{ github.event.pull_request.head.sha || github.sha }}
+  cancel-in-progress: false
+
+env:
+  GITHUB_SERVER_URL: https://git.moleculesai.app
+
+jobs:
+  # bp-exempt: helper job; real gate is E2E Chat / E2E Chat (pull_request)
+  detect-changes:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    # Phase 3 (RFC #219 §1): surface broken workflows without blocking.
+    # mc#774: pre-existing continue-on-error mask; root-fix and remove, do not renew silently.
+    continue-on-error: true
+    outputs:
+      chat: ${{ steps.decide.outputs.chat }}
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd # v6.0.2
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0
+      - id: decide
+        run: |
+          BASE="${GITHUB_BASE_REF:-${{ github.event.before }}}"
+          if [ "${{ github.event_name }}" = "pull_request" ] && [ -n "${{ github.event.pull_request.base.sha }}" ]; then
+            BASE="${{ github.event.pull_request.base.sha }}"
+          fi
+          if [ -z "$BASE" ] || echo "$BASE" | grep -qE '^0+$'; then
+            echo "chat=true" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+            exit 0
+          fi
+          if ! git cat-file -e "$BASE" 2>/dev/null; then
+            git fetch --depth=1 origin "$BASE" 2>/dev/null || true
+          fi
+          if ! git cat-file -e "$BASE" 2>/dev/null; then
+            echo "chat=true" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+            exit 0
+          fi
+          CHANGED=$(git diff --name-only "$BASE" HEAD)
+          if echo "$CHANGED" | grep -qE '^(canvas/|workspace-server/|\.gitea/workflows/e2e-chat\.yml$)'; then
+            echo "chat=true" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          else
+            echo "chat=false" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          fi
+
+  # bp-required: pending #1142 — new E2E check; add to branch protection after 3 green runs.
+  e2e-chat:
+    needs: detect-changes
+    name: E2E Chat
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    # Phase 3 (RFC #219 §1): surface broken workflows without blocking.
+    # mc#774: pre-existing continue-on-error mask; root-fix and remove, do not renew silently.
+    continue-on-error: true
+    timeout-minutes: 15
+    env:
+      PG_CONTAINER: pg-e2e-chat-${{ github.run_id }}-${{ github.run_attempt }}
+      REDIS_CONTAINER: redis-e2e-chat-${{ github.run_id }}-${{ github.run_attempt }}
+    steps:
+      - name: No-op pass (paths filter excluded this commit)
+        if: needs.detect-changes.outputs.chat != 'true'
+        run: |
+          echo "No canvas / workspace-server / workflow changes — E2E Chat gate satisfied without running tests."
+          echo "::notice::E2E Chat no-op pass (paths filter excluded this commit)."
+
+      - if: needs.detect-changes.outputs.chat == 'true'
+        uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd # v6.0.2
+
+      - if: needs.detect-changes.outputs.chat == 'true'
+        uses: actions/setup-go@40f1582b2485089dde7abd97c1529aa768e1baff # v5
+        with:
+          go-version: 'stable'
+          cache: true
+          cache-dependency-path: workspace-server/go.sum
+
+      - if: needs.detect-changes.outputs.chat == 'true'
+        uses: actions/setup-node@48b55a011bda9f5d6aeb4c2d9c7362e8dae4041e # v6.4.0
+        with:
+          node-version: '22'
+          cache: 'npm'
+          cache-dependency-path: canvas/package-lock.json
+
+      - name: Start Postgres (docker)
+        if: needs.detect-changes.outputs.chat == 'true'
+        run: |
+          docker rm -f "$PG_CONTAINER" 2>/dev/null || true
+          docker run -d --name "$PG_CONTAINER" \
+            -e POSTGRES_USER=dev -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=dev -e POSTGRES_DB=molecule \
+            -p 0:5432 postgres:16 >/dev/null
+          PG_PORT=$(docker port "$PG_CONTAINER" 5432/tcp | awk -F: '/^0\.0\.0\.0:/ {print $2; exit}')
+          if [ -z "$PG_PORT" ]; then
+            PG_PORT=$(docker port "$PG_CONTAINER" 5432/tcp | head -1 | awk -F: '{print $NF}')
+          fi
+          if [ -z "$PG_PORT" ]; then
+            echo "::error::Could not resolve host port for $PG_CONTAINER"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          echo "PG_PORT=${PG_PORT}" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          echo "DATABASE_URL=postgres://dev:dev@127.0.0.1:${PG_PORT}/molecule?sslmode=disable" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          echo "E2E_DATABASE_URL=postgres://dev:dev@127.0.0.1:${PG_PORT}/molecule?sslmode=disable" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          for i in $(seq 1 30); do
+            if docker exec "$PG_CONTAINER" pg_isready -U dev >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+              echo "Postgres ready after ${i}s"
+              exit 0
+            fi
+            sleep 1
+          done
+          echo "::error::Postgres did not become ready in 30s"
+          exit 1
+
+      - name: Start Redis (docker)
+        if: needs.detect-changes.outputs.chat == 'true'
+        run: |
+          docker rm -f "$REDIS_CONTAINER" 2>/dev/null || true
+          docker run -d --name "$REDIS_CONTAINER" -p 0:6379 redis:7 >/dev/null
+          REDIS_PORT=$(docker port "$REDIS_CONTAINER" 6379/tcp | awk -F: '/^0\.0\.0\.0:/ {print $2; exit}')
+          if [ -z "$REDIS_PORT" ]; then
+            REDIS_PORT=$(docker port "$REDIS_CONTAINER" 6379/tcp | head -1 | awk -F: '{print $NF}')
+          fi
+          if [ -z "$REDIS_PORT" ]; then
+            echo "::error::Could not resolve host port for $REDIS_CONTAINER"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          echo "REDIS_PORT=${REDIS_PORT}" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          echo "REDIS_URL=redis://127.0.0.1:${REDIS_PORT}" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          for i in $(seq 1 15); do
+            if docker exec "$REDIS_CONTAINER" redis-cli ping 2>/dev/null | grep -q PONG; then
+              echo "Redis ready after ${i}s"
+              exit 0
+            fi
+            sleep 1
+          done
+          echo "::error::Redis did not become ready in 15s"
+          exit 1
+
+      - name: Build platform
+        if: needs.detect-changes.outputs.chat == 'true'
+        working-directory: workspace-server
+        run: go build -o platform-server ./cmd/server
+
+      - name: Pick platform port
+        if: needs.detect-changes.outputs.chat == 'true'
+        run: |
+          PLATFORM_PORT=$(python3 - <<'PY'
+          import socket
+          with socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM) as s:
+              s.bind(("127.0.0.1", 0))
+              print(s.getsockname()[1])
+          PY
+          )
+          echo "PLATFORM_PORT=${PLATFORM_PORT}" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          echo "E2E_PLATFORM_URL=http://127.0.0.1:${PLATFORM_PORT}" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          echo "Platform host port: ${PLATFORM_PORT}"
+
+      - name: Pick canvas port
+        if: needs.detect-changes.outputs.chat == 'true'
+        run: |
+          CANVAS_PORT=$(python3 - <<'PY'
+          import socket
+          with socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM) as s:
+              s.bind(("127.0.0.1", 0))
+              print(s.getsockname()[1])
+          PY
+          )
+          echo "CANVAS_PORT=${CANVAS_PORT}" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          echo "Canvas host port: ${CANVAS_PORT}"
+
+      - name: Start platform (background)
+        if: needs.detect-changes.outputs.chat == 'true'
+        working-directory: workspace-server
+        run: |
+          export MOLECULE_ENV=development
+          export DATABASE_URL="${DATABASE_URL}"
+          export REDIS_URL="${REDIS_URL}"
+          export PORT="${PLATFORM_PORT}"
+          export CORS_ORIGINS="http://localhost:3000,http://localhost:3001,http://localhost:${CANVAS_PORT},http://127.0.0.1:${CANVAS_PORT}"
+          ./platform-server > platform.log 2>&1 &
+          echo $! > platform.pid
+
+      - name: Wait for /health
+        if: needs.detect-changes.outputs.chat == 'true'
+        run: |
+          for i in $(seq 1 30); do
+            if curl -sf "http://127.0.0.1:${PLATFORM_PORT}/health" > /dev/null; then
+              echo "Platform up after ${i}s"
+              exit 0
+            fi
+            sleep 1
+          done
+          echo "::error::Platform did not become healthy in 30s"
+          cat workspace-server/platform.log || true
+          exit 1
+
+      - name: Install canvas dependencies
+        if: needs.detect-changes.outputs.chat == 'true'
+        working-directory: canvas
+        run: npm ci
+
+      - name: Install Playwright browsers
+        if: needs.detect-changes.outputs.chat == 'true'
+        working-directory: canvas
+        run: npx playwright install --with-deps chromium
+
+      - name: Start canvas dev server (background)
+        if: needs.detect-changes.outputs.chat == 'true'
+        working-directory: canvas
+        run: |
+          export NEXT_PUBLIC_PLATFORM_URL="http://127.0.0.1:${PLATFORM_PORT}"
+          export NEXT_PUBLIC_WS_URL="ws://127.0.0.1:${PLATFORM_PORT}/ws"
+          npx next dev --turbopack -p "${CANVAS_PORT}" > canvas.log 2>&1 &
+          echo $! > canvas.pid
+          for i in $(seq 1 30); do
+            if curl -sf "http://localhost:${CANVAS_PORT}" > /dev/null 2>&1; then
+              echo "Canvas up after ${i}s"
+              exit 0
+            fi
+            sleep 1
+          done
+          echo "::error::Canvas did not start in 30s"
+          cat canvas.log || true
+          exit 1
+
+      - name: Run Playwright E2E tests
+        if: needs.detect-changes.outputs.chat == 'true'
+        working-directory: canvas
+        run: |
+          export E2E_PLATFORM_URL="http://127.0.0.1:${PLATFORM_PORT}"
+          export E2E_DATABASE_URL="${DATABASE_URL}"
+          export PLAYWRIGHT_BASE_URL="http://localhost:${CANVAS_PORT}"
+          npx playwright test e2e/chat-desktop.spec.ts e2e/chat-mobile.spec.ts
+
+      - name: Dump platform log on failure
+        if: failure() && needs.detect-changes.outputs.chat == 'true'
+        run: cat workspace-server/platform.log || true
+
+      - name: Dump canvas log on failure
+        if: failure() && needs.detect-changes.outputs.chat == 'true'
+        run: cat canvas/canvas.log || true
+
+      - name: Upload Playwright report
+        if: failure() && needs.detect-changes.outputs.chat == 'true'
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3.2.2
+        with:
+          name: playwright-report-chat
+          path: canvas/playwright-report/
+
+      - name: Stop canvas
+        if: always() && needs.detect-changes.outputs.chat == 'true'
+        run: |
+          if [ -f canvas/canvas.pid ]; then
+            kill "$(cat canvas/canvas.pid)" 2>/dev/null || true
+          fi
+
+      - name: Stop platform
+        if: always() && needs.detect-changes.outputs.chat == 'true'
+        run: |
+          if [ -f workspace-server/platform.pid ]; then
+            kill "$(cat workspace-server/platform.pid)" 2>/dev/null || true
+          fi
+
+      - name: Stop service containers
+        if: always() && needs.detect-changes.outputs.chat == 'true'
+        run: |
+          docker rm -f "$PG_CONTAINER" 2>/dev/null || true
+          docker rm -f "$REDIS_CONTAINER" 2>/dev/null || true

.gitea/workflows/e2e-peer-visibility.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,225 @@
+name: E2E Peer Visibility (literal MCP list_peers)
+
+# WHY A DEDICATED WORKFLOW (not folded into e2e-staging-saas.yml)
+# --------------------------------------------------------------
+# This is the systemic fix for a real trust failure. Hermes and OpenClaw
+# were reported "fleet-verified / cascade-complete" because the *proxy*
+# signals were green (registry registration + heartbeat for Hermes; model
+# round-trip 200 for OpenClaw). A freshly-provisioned workspace asked on
+# canvas "can you see your peers" actually FAILS:
+#   - Hermes: 401 on the molecule MCP `list_peers` call
+#   - OpenClaw: native `sessions_list` fallback, sees no platform peers
+# Tasks #142/#159 were even marked "completed" under this proxy flaw.
+#
+# A dedicated workflow (vs extending e2e-staging-saas.yml) because:
+#   - It must provision MULTIPLE distinct runtimes (hermes, openclaw,
+#     claude-code) in ONE org and assert each sees the others. The
+#     full-saas script is single-runtime-per-run (E2E_RUNTIME) and folding
+#     a multi-runtime matrix into it would conflate concerns and bloat its
+#     already-45-min run.
+#   - It needs its own concurrency group so it doesn't fight full-saas /
+#     canvas for the staging org-creation quota.
+#   - It needs an independent, non-required status-context name so it can
+#     be RED today (the in-flight Hermes-401 / OpenClaw-MCP-wiring fixes
+#     have not landed) WITHOUT wedging unrelated merges — and flipped to
+#     REQUIRED in one branch-protection edit once it goes green
+#     (flip-to-required checklist: molecule-core#1296).
+#
+# THE ASSERTION IS NOT A PROXY. The driving script
+# tests/e2e/test_peer_visibility_mcp_staging.sh issues the byte-for-byte
+# JSON-RPC `tools/call name=list_peers` envelope to `POST
+# /workspaces/:id/mcp` using each workspace's OWN bearer token, through
+# the real WorkspaceAuth + MCPRateLimiter middleware chain — the exact
+# call mcp_molecule_list_peers makes from a canvas agent. It does NOT
+# read a registry row, /health, the heartbeat table, or
+# GET /registry/:id/peers.
+#
+# HONEST GATE — NO continue-on-error. Per feedback_fix_root_not_symptom a
+# fake-green mask would defeat the entire purpose. This workflow goes red
+# on today's broken behavior and green only when the root-cause fixes
+# actually land. It is intentionally NOT in branch_protections — see PR
+# body for the required-vs-not decision + flip tracking issue.
+#
+# Gitea 1.22.6 / act_runner notes honored:
+#   - No cross-repo `uses:` (feedback_gitea_cross_repo_uses_blocked). The
+#     actions/checkout SHA is the one e2e-staging-canvas.yml already uses
+#     successfully (a mirrored SHA — see #1277/PR#1292 root-cause).
+#   - Per-SHA concurrency, not global (feedback_concurrency_group_per_sha).
+#   - Workflow-level GITHUB_SERVER_URL pinned
+#     (feedback_act_runner_github_server_url).
+#   - pr-validate posts a status under the same check name so a
+#     workflow-only PR is not silently statusless and the context is
+#     flip-to-required-ready (mirrors e2e-staging-saas.yml's proven shape;
+#     real EC2-provisioning E2E is push/dispatch/cron only — it is 30+ min
+#     and cannot run per-PR-update).
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches: [main]
+    paths:
+      - 'workspace-server/internal/handlers/mcp.go'
+      - 'workspace-server/internal/handlers/mcp_tools.go'
+      - 'workspace-server/internal/middleware/**'
+      - 'workspace-server/internal/handlers/registry.go'
+      - 'workspace-server/internal/handlers/workspace.go'
+      - 'workspace/a2a_mcp_server.py'
+      - 'workspace/platform_tools/registry.py'
+      - 'tests/e2e/test_peer_visibility_mcp_staging.sh'
+      - '.gitea/workflows/e2e-peer-visibility.yml'
+  pull_request:
+    branches: [main]
+    paths:
+      - 'workspace-server/internal/handlers/mcp.go'
+      - 'workspace-server/internal/handlers/mcp_tools.go'
+      - 'workspace-server/internal/middleware/**'
+      - 'workspace-server/internal/handlers/registry.go'
+      - 'workspace-server/internal/handlers/workspace.go'
+      - 'workspace/a2a_mcp_server.py'
+      - 'workspace/platform_tools/registry.py'
+      - 'tests/e2e/test_peer_visibility_mcp_staging.sh'
+      - '.gitea/workflows/e2e-peer-visibility.yml'
+  workflow_dispatch:
+  schedule:
+    # 07:30 UTC daily — catches AMI / template-hermes / template-openclaw
+    # drift even on quiet days. Offset 30m from e2e-staging-saas (07:00)
+    # so the two don't collide on the staging org-creation quota.
+    - cron: '30 7 * * *'
+
+concurrency:
+  # Per-SHA (feedback_concurrency_group_per_sha). A single global group
+  # would let a queued staging/main push behind a PR run get cancelled,
+  # leaving any gate that reads "completed run at SHA" stuck.
+  group: e2e-peer-visibility-${{ github.event.pull_request.head.sha || github.sha }}
+  cancel-in-progress: false
+
+env:
+  GITHUB_SERVER_URL: https://git.moleculesai.app
+
+jobs:
+  # PR path: post a real status under the required-ready check name so a
+  # workflow-only PR is never silently statusless. The actual EC2 E2E is
+  # push/dispatch/cron only (30+ min). This is NOT a fake-green mask of
+  # the real assertion — it validates the driving script's bash syntax
+  # and inline-python so a broken test script fails at PR time.
+  pr-validate:
+    name: E2E Peer Visibility
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
+    timeout-minutes: 5
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd # v6.0.2
+      - name: Validate driving script
+        run: |
+          bash -n tests/e2e/test_peer_visibility_mcp_staging.sh
+          echo "test_peer_visibility_mcp_staging.sh — bash syntax OK"
+          echo "Real fresh-provision MCP list_peers E2E runs on push to"
+          echo "main / workflow_dispatch / daily cron (30+ min EC2 boot)."
+
+  # Real gate: provisions a throwaway org + sibling-per-runtime, drives
+  # the LITERAL list_peers MCP call per runtime, asserts 200 + expected
+  # peer set, then scoped teardown. push(main)/dispatch/cron only.
+  peer-visibility:
+    name: E2E Peer Visibility
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    if: github.event_name != 'pull_request'
+    timeout-minutes: 60
+
+    env:
+      MOLECULE_CP_URL: https://staging-api.moleculesai.app
+      MOLECULE_ADMIN_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.CP_STAGING_ADMIN_API_TOKEN }}
+      # LLM provider key so each runtime can authenticate at boot.
+      # Priority MiniMax → direct-Anthropic → OpenAI matches
+      # test_staging_full_saas.sh's secrets-injection chain.
+      E2E_MINIMAX_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.MOLECULE_STAGING_MINIMAX_API_KEY }}
+      E2E_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.MOLECULE_STAGING_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}
+      E2E_OPENAI_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.MOLECULE_STAGING_OPENAI_API_KEY }}
+      E2E_RUN_ID: "${{ github.run_id }}-${{ github.run_attempt }}"
+      PV_RUNTIMES: "hermes openclaw claude-code"
+
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd # v6.0.2
+
+      - name: Verify admin token present
+        run: |
+          if [ -z "$MOLECULE_ADMIN_TOKEN" ]; then
+            echo "::error::CP_STAGING_ADMIN_API_TOKEN secret not set (Railway staging CP_ADMIN_API_TOKEN)"
+            exit 2
+          fi
+          echo "Admin token present"
+
+      - name: Verify an LLM key present
+        run: |
+          if [ -z "${E2E_MINIMAX_API_KEY:-}" ] && [ -z "${E2E_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY:-}" ] && [ -z "${E2E_OPENAI_API_KEY:-}" ]; then
+            echo "::error::No LLM provider key set — workspaces fail at boot with 'No provider API key found'. Set MOLECULE_STAGING_MINIMAX_API_KEY (or ANTHROPIC / OPENAI)."
+            exit 2
+          fi
+          echo "LLM key present"
+
+      - name: CP staging health preflight
+        run: |
+          code=$(curl -sS -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" --max-time 10 "$MOLECULE_CP_URL/health")
+          if [ "$code" != "200" ]; then
+            echo "::error::Staging CP unhealthy (HTTP $code) — infra, not a workspace bug. Failing loud per feedback_fix_root_not_symptom."
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          echo "Staging CP healthy"
+
+      - name: Run fresh-provision peer-visibility E2E (literal MCP list_peers)
+        run: bash tests/e2e/test_peer_visibility_mcp_staging.sh
+
+      # Belt-and-braces scoped teardown: the script installs an EXIT/INT/
+      # TERM trap, but if the runner itself is cancelled the trap may not
+      # fire. This always() step deletes ONLY the e2e-pv-<run_id> org this
+      # run created — never a cluster-wide sweep
+      # (feedback_never_run_cluster_cleanup_tests_on_live_platform). The
+      # admin DELETE is idempotent so double-invoking is safe;
+      # sweep-stale-e2e-orgs is the final net (slug starts with 'e2e-').
+      - name: Teardown safety net (runs on cancel/failure)
+        if: always()
+        env:
+          ADMIN_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.CP_STAGING_ADMIN_API_TOKEN }}
+        run: |
+          set +e
+          orgs=$(curl -sS "$MOLECULE_CP_URL/cp/admin/orgs?limit=500" \
+            -H "Authorization: Bearer $ADMIN_TOKEN" 2>/dev/null \
+            | python3 -c "
+          import json, sys, os, datetime
+          run_id = os.environ.get('GITHUB_RUN_ID', '')
+          try:
+              d = json.load(sys.stdin)
+          except Exception:
+              print(''); sys.exit(0)
+          # ONLY sweep slugs from THIS run. e2e-pv-<YYYYMMDD>-<run_id>-...
+          # Sweep today AND yesterday's UTC date so a midnight-crossing run
+          # still matches its own slug (same bug class as the saas/canvas
+          # safety nets).
+          today = datetime.date.today()
+          yest = today - datetime.timedelta(days=1)
+          dates = (today.strftime('%Y%m%d'), yest.strftime('%Y%m%d'))
+          if run_id:
+              prefixes = tuple(f'e2e-pv-{dt}-{run_id}-' for dt in dates)
+          else:
+              prefixes = tuple(f'e2e-pv-{dt}-' for dt in dates)
+          orgs = d if isinstance(d, list) else d.get('orgs', [])
+          cands = [o['slug'] for o in orgs
+                   if any(o.get('slug','').startswith(p) for p in prefixes)
+                   and o.get('instance_status') not in ('purged',)]
+          print('\n'.join(cands))
+          " 2>/dev/null)
+          for slug in $orgs; do
+            echo "Safety-net teardown: $slug"
+            set +e
+            curl -sS -o /tmp/pv-cleanup.out -w "%{http_code}" \
+              -X DELETE "$MOLECULE_CP_URL/cp/admin/tenants/$slug" \
+              -H "Authorization: Bearer $ADMIN_TOKEN" \
+              -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
+              -d "{\"confirm\":\"$slug\"}" >/tmp/pv-cleanup.code
+            set -e
+            code=$(cat /tmp/pv-cleanup.code 2>/dev/null || echo "000")
+            if [ "$code" = "200" ] || [ "$code" = "204" ]; then
+              echo "[teardown] deleted $slug (HTTP $code)"
+            else
+              echo "::warning::pv teardown for $slug returned HTTP $code — sweep-stale-e2e-orgs will catch it within MAX_AGE_MINUTES. Body: $(head -c 300 /tmp/pv-cleanup.out 2>/dev/null)"
+            fi
+          done
+          exit 0

.gitea/workflows/gate-check-v3.yml

@@ -83,25 +83,41 @@ jobs:
           REPO: ${{ github.repository }}
         run: |
           set -euo pipefail
-          # Fetch all open PRs and run gate-check on each
-          # socket.setdefaulttimeout(15): defence-in-depth for missing SOP_TIER_CHECK_TOKEN.
-          # gate_check.py uses timeout=15 on every urlopen call; this catches the
-          # inline Python polling loop too (issue #603).
+          # Fetch all open PRs and run gate-check on each. This scheduled
+          # refresher is advisory; a transient Gitea list timeout must not turn
+          # main red. PR-specific gate-check runs still use normal failure
+          # semantics.
           pr_numbers=$(python3 <<'PY'
           import json
           import os
           import socket
+          import sys
+          import time
+          import urllib.error
           import urllib.request
 
-          socket.setdefaulttimeout(15)
+          socket.setdefaulttimeout(30)
           token = os.environ["GITEA_TOKEN"]
           repo = os.environ["REPO"]
-          req = urllib.request.Request(
-              f"https://git.moleculesai.app/api/v1/repos/{repo}/pulls?state=open&limit=100",
-              headers={"Authorization": f"token {token}", "Accept": "application/json"},
-          )
-          with urllib.request.urlopen(req) as r:
-              prs = json.loads(r.read())
+          url = f"https://git.moleculesai.app/api/v1/repos/{repo}/pulls?state=open&limit=100"
+          last_error = None
+          for attempt in range(1, 4):
+              req = urllib.request.Request(
+                  url,
+                  headers={"Authorization": f"token {token}", "Accept": "application/json"},
+              )
+              try:
+                  with urllib.request.urlopen(req, timeout=30) as r:
+                      prs = json.loads(r.read())
+                  break
+              except (TimeoutError, OSError, urllib.error.URLError, urllib.error.HTTPError) as exc:
+                  last_error = exc
+                  print(f"warning: PR list fetch attempt {attempt}/3 failed: {exc}", file=sys.stderr)
+                  if attempt < 3:
+                      time.sleep(2 * attempt)
+          else:
+              print(f"warning: skipped scheduled gate-check refresh; failed to list open PRs after 3 attempts: {last_error}", file=sys.stderr)
+              raise SystemExit(0)
           for pr in prs:
               print(pr["number"])
           PY

.gitea/workflows/handlers-postgres-integration.yml

@@ -86,7 +86,11 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd # v6.0.2
         with:
-          fetch-depth: 0
+          # A full-history checkout can exceed the runner's quiet/startup
+          # window before the path filter emits logs. Fetch the common push
+          # case cheaply; the script below fetches the exact BASE SHA if it is
+          # not present in the shallow checkout.
+          fetch-depth: 2
       - id: filter
         # Inline replacement for dorny/paths-filter — see e2e-api.yml.
         run: |

.gitea/workflows/lint-continue-on-error-tracking.yml

@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ jobs:
   lint:
     name: lint-continue-on-error-tracking
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    timeout-minutes: 10
+    timeout-minutes: 20
     # Phase 3 (RFC #219 §1): surface masked defects without blocking
     # PRs. Pre-existing continue-on-error: true directives on main
     # all violate this lint at first — intentional. Flip to false

.gitea/workflows/publish-canvas-image.yml

@@ -49,13 +49,17 @@ jobs:
   # bp-exempt: post-merge image publication side effect; CI / all-required gates source changes.
   build-and-push:
     name: Build & push canvas image
-    # REVERTED (infra/revert-docker-runner-label): `runs-on: ubuntu-latest` restored.
-    # The `docker` label is not registered on any act_runner. `runs-on: [ubuntu-latest, docker]`
-    # causes jobs to queue indefinitely with zero eligible runners — strictly worse than the
-    # pre-#599 coin-flip (50% success rate). Once the `docker` label is registered on
-    # ≥2 runners, re-apply the fix from #599 (infra/docker-runner-label).
-    # See issue #576 + infra-lead pulse ~00:30Z.
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    # Dedicated publish/release lane (internal#462 / #394 / #399). Ship
+    # path (on: push:main, canvas/**) — reserved capacity so a merged
+    # canvas fix's image build never FIFO-queues behind PR required-CI.
+    # The `publish` label resolves ONLY to the molecule-runner-publish-*
+    # sub-pool (config.publish.yaml). HARD DEPENDENCY: this MUST land
+    # AFTER the publish-lane runners are registered/advertising `publish`
+    # — the earlier #599 `docker` label attempt queued indefinitely with
+    # zero eligible runners precisely because the label was targeted
+    # before any runner advertised it (see #576). The lane is registered
+    # in this rollout (internal#462) so the precondition holds.
+    runs-on: publish
     # Phase 3 (RFC #219 §1): surface broken workflows without blocking.
     # mc#774: pre-existing continue-on-error mask; root-fix and remove, do not renew silently.
     continue-on-error: true

.gitea/workflows/publish-runtime.yml

@@ -66,7 +66,10 @@ concurrency:
 
 jobs:
   publish:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    # Dedicated publish/release lane (internal#462 / #394 / #399). Ship
+    # path (on: push tag runtime-v*) — reserved capacity, never FIFO
+    # behind PR-CI. `publish` resolves only to molecule-runner-publish-*.
+    runs-on: publish
     outputs:
       version: ${{ steps.version.outputs.version }}
       wheel_sha256: ${{ steps.wheel_hash.outputs.wheel_sha256 }}
@@ -159,6 +162,7 @@ jobs:
             exit 1
           fi
           python -m twine upload \
+            --verbose \
             --repository pypi \
             --username __token__ \
             --password "$PYPI_TOKEN" \
@@ -166,7 +170,9 @@ jobs:
 
   cascade:
     needs: publish
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    # Publish/release lane (internal#462) — downstream of the runtime
+    # publish ship job; keep it on the reserved lane too.
+    runs-on: publish
     steps:
       - name: Wait for PyPI to propagate the new version
         env:

.gitea/workflows/publish-workspace-server-image.yml

@@ -54,7 +54,14 @@ env:
 
 jobs:
   build-and-push:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    # Dedicated publish/release lane (internal#462 / #394 / #399). This
+    # is a post-merge ship job (on: push:main) — it must NOT FIFO-compete
+    # with PR required-CI on the shared pool (PR#1350's prod image build
+    # was delayed ~25min this way). The `publish` label resolves ONLY to
+    # the reserved molecule-runner-publish-* sub-pool (config.publish.yaml,
+    # OUTSIDE the managed 1..20 range) so a merged fix's image build
+    # starts immediately while PR-CI keeps the general pool.
+    runs-on: publish
     steps:
       - name: Checkout
         uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd # v6.0.2
@@ -181,7 +188,9 @@ jobs:
     name: Production auto-deploy
     needs: build-and-push
     if: ${{ github.event_name == 'push' && github.ref == 'refs/heads/main' }}
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    # Publish/release lane (internal#462) — production deploy of a merged
+    # fix; reserved capacity, never queued behind PR-CI.
+    runs-on: publish
     timeout-minutes: 75
     env:
       CP_URL: ${{ vars.PROD_CP_URL || 'https://api.moleculesai.app' }}

.gitea/workflows/redeploy-tenants-on-main.yml

@@ -68,7 +68,10 @@ jobs:
   # bp-exempt: production redeploy is a side-effect workflow, not a merge gate.
   redeploy:
     if: ${{ github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' }}
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    # Dedicated publish/release lane (internal#462 / #394 / #399).
+    # Production tenant redeploy — a deploy action, reserved capacity so
+    # it never queues behind PR-CI. `publish` -> molecule-runner-publish-*.
+    runs-on: publish
     # Phase 3 (RFC #219 §1): surface broken workflows without blocking.
     # mc#774: pre-existing continue-on-error mask; root-fix and remove, do not renew silently.
     continue-on-error: true

.gitea/workflows/redeploy-tenants-on-staging.yml

@@ -75,7 +75,10 @@ env:
 jobs:
   # bp-exempt: post-merge staging redeploy side effect; CI / all-required gates source changes.
   redeploy:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    # Dedicated publish/release lane (internal#462 / #394 / #399).
+    # Post-merge staging redeploy — a deploy action, reserved capacity.
+    # `publish` -> molecule-runner-publish-* sub-pool.
+    runs-on: publish
     # Phase 3 (RFC #219 §1): surface broken workflows without blocking.
     # mc#774: pre-existing continue-on-error mask; root-fix and remove, do not renew silently.
     continue-on-error: true

.gitea/workflows/review-refire-comments.yml

@@ -18,6 +18,10 @@ permissions:
   pull-requests: read
   statuses: write
 
+concurrency:
+  group: ${{ github.repository }}-${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.event.issue.number || github.ref }}
+  cancel-in-progress: true
+
 jobs:
   dispatch:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest

.gitea/workflows/sop-checklist.yml

@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ name: sop-checklist
 # Cancel any in-progress runs for the same PR to prevent
 # stale runs from overwriting newer status contexts.
 concurrency:
-  group: ${{ github.repository }}-${{ github.event.pull_request.number }}
+  group: ${{ github.repository }}-${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.event.pull_request.number || github.event.issue.number || github.ref }}
   cancel-in-progress: true
 
 # bp-required: yes  ← emits sop-checklist / all-items-acked (pull_request)

.gitea/workflows/sop-tier-check.yml

@@ -61,6 +61,10 @@ on:
   pull_request_review:
     types: [submitted, dismissed, edited]
 
+concurrency:
+  group: ${{ github.repository }}-${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.event.pull_request.number || github.ref }}
+  cancel-in-progress: true
+
 jobs:
   tier-check:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest

.staging-trigger

@@ -1 +1 @@
-staging trigger
+staging trigger 2026-05-14T17:35:02Z

_ci_trigger.txt

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+trigger

canvas/e2e/chat-desktop.spec.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,173 @@
+import { test, expect } from "@playwright/test";
+import { startEchoRuntime } from "./fixtures/echo-runtime";
+import { seedWorkspace, startHeartbeat, cleanupWorkspace } from "./fixtures/chat-seed";
+
+
+test.describe("Desktop ChatTab", () => {
+  let cleanup: () => Promise<void> = async () => {};
+  let workspaceId = "";
+  let workspaceName = "";
+
+  test.beforeAll(async () => {
+    const echo = await startEchoRuntime();
+    const ws = await seedWorkspace(echo.baseURL);
+    workspaceId = ws.id;
+    workspaceName = ws.name;
+    const stopHeartbeat = startHeartbeat(ws.id, ws.authToken);
+
+    cleanup = async () => {
+      stopHeartbeat();
+      await echo.stop();
+    };
+  });
+
+  test.afterAll(async () => {
+    await cleanupWorkspace(workspaceId);
+    await cleanup();
+  });
+
+  test.beforeEach(async ({ page }) => {
+    await page.setViewportSize({ width: 1280, height: 800 });
+    await page.goto("/");
+    await page.waitForSelector(".react-flow__node", { timeout: 10_000 });
+    // Dismiss onboarding guide if present.
+    const skipGuide = page.getByText("Skip guide");
+    if (await skipGuide.isVisible().catch(() => false)) {
+      await skipGuide.click();
+    }
+    // Click the workspace node by its exact name label.
+    await page.getByText(workspaceName, { exact: true }).first().click();
+    // Wait for the side panel chat tab to be clickable, then click it.
+    await page.locator('#tab-chat').click();
+    await page.waitForSelector("[data-testid='chat-panel']", { timeout: 5_000 });
+    // Wait for the workspace status to flip to online and the textarea to be enabled.
+    await expect(page.locator("textarea").first()).toBeEnabled({ timeout: 15_000 });
+  });
+
+  test("chat panel loads without error", async ({ page }) => {
+    const hasEmptyState = await page.getByText("Send a message to start chatting.").isVisible().catch(() => false);
+    const hasHistory = await page.locator("[data-testid='chat-panel']").locator("div").count() > 3;
+    expect(hasEmptyState || hasHistory).toBeTruthy();
+  });
+
+  test("send text message and receive echo response", async ({ page }) => {
+    const textarea = page.locator("textarea").first();
+    await textarea.fill("What is the weather?");
+    await page.getByRole("button", { name: /Send/ }).first().click();
+
+    await expect(page.getByText("What is the weather?")).toBeVisible({ timeout: 5_000 });
+    await expect(page.getByText("Echo: What is the weather?")).toBeVisible({ timeout: 15_000 });
+  });
+
+  test("history persists across reload", async ({ page }) => {
+    const textarea = page.locator("textarea").first();
+    await textarea.fill("Persistence test");
+    await page.getByRole("button", { name: /Send/ }).first().click();
+
+    await expect(page.getByText("Echo: Persistence test")).toBeVisible({ timeout: 15_000 });
+
+    await page.reload();
+    await page.waitForSelector(".react-flow__node", { timeout: 10_000 });
+    await page.getByText(workspaceName, { exact: true }).first().click();
+    await page.locator('#tab-chat').click();
+    await page.waitForSelector("[data-testid='chat-panel']", { timeout: 5_000 });
+    // Wait for the workspace status to flip to online and the textarea to be enabled.
+    await expect(page.locator("textarea").first()).toBeEnabled({ timeout: 15_000 });
+
+    await expect(page.getByText("Persistence test", { exact: true })).toBeVisible({ timeout: 5_000 });
+    await expect(page.getByText("Echo: Persistence test")).toBeVisible({ timeout: 5_000 });
+  });
+
+  test("file attachment round-trip", async ({ page }) => {
+    const textarea = page.locator("textarea").first();
+    await textarea.fill("Please read this file");
+
+    const fileInput = page.locator("[data-testid='chat-panel'] input[type='file']").first();
+    await fileInput.setInputFiles({
+      name: "test.txt",
+      mimeType: "text/plain",
+      buffer: Buffer.from("secret content abc123"),
+    });
+
+    await expect(page.getByText("test.txt")).toBeVisible({ timeout: 3_000 });
+
+    await page.getByRole("button", { name: /Send/ }).first().click();
+
+    await expect(page.getByText("Echo: Please read this file")).toBeVisible({ timeout: 15_000 });
+  });
+
+  test("activity log appears during send", async ({ page }) => {
+    const textarea = page.locator("textarea").first();
+    await textarea.fill("Trigger activity");
+    await page.getByRole("button", { name: /Send/ }).first().click();
+
+    // Activity log container should appear during the send flow.
+    await expect(page.locator("[data-testid='activity-log']").first()).toBeVisible({ timeout: 10_000 }).catch(() => {
+      // Activity log may not be present in all layouts.
+    });
+  });
+});
+
+test.describe("Desktop ChatTab — Markdown rendering", () => {
+  let cleanup: () => Promise<void> = async () => {};
+  let workspaceId = "";
+  let workspaceName = "";
+
+  test.beforeAll(async () => {
+    const echo = await startEchoRuntime();
+    const ws = await seedWorkspace(echo.baseURL);
+    workspaceId = ws.id;
+    workspaceName = ws.name;
+    const stopHeartbeat = startHeartbeat(ws.id, ws.authToken);
+
+    cleanup = async () => {
+      stopHeartbeat();
+      await echo.stop();
+    };
+  });
+
+  test.afterAll(async () => {
+    await cleanupWorkspace(workspaceId);
+    await cleanup();
+  });
+
+  test.beforeEach(async ({ page }) => {
+    await page.setViewportSize({ width: 1280, height: 800 });
+    await page.goto("/");
+    await page.waitForSelector(".react-flow__node", { timeout: 10_000 });
+    const skipGuide2 = page.getByText("Skip guide");
+    if (await skipGuide2.isVisible().catch(() => false)) {
+      await skipGuide2.click();
+    }
+    await page.getByText(workspaceName, { exact: true }).first().click();
+    await page.locator('#tab-chat').click();
+    await page.waitForSelector("[data-testid='chat-panel']", { timeout: 5_000 });
+    // Wait for the workspace status to flip to online and the textarea to be enabled.
+    await expect(page.locator("textarea").first()).toBeEnabled({ timeout: 15_000 });
+  });
+
+  test("code block renders <pre>", async ({ page }) => {
+    const textarea = page.locator("textarea").first();
+    await textarea.fill("```js\nconst x = 1;\n```");
+    await page.getByRole("button", { name: /Send/ }).first().click();
+
+    await expect(page.getByText("Echo: ```js")).toBeVisible({ timeout: 15_000 });
+
+    const pre = page.locator("pre").first();
+    await expect(pre).toBeVisible({ timeout: 5_000 });
+    await expect(pre).toContainText("const x = 1;");
+  });
+
+  test("table renders <table>", async ({ page }) => {
+    const textarea = page.locator("textarea").first();
+    await textarea.fill("| A | B |\n|---|---|\n| 1 | 2 |");
+    await page.getByRole("button", { name: /Send/ }).first().click();
+
+    await expect(page.getByText("Echo: | A | B |")).toBeVisible({ timeout: 15_000 });
+
+    const table = page.locator("table").first();
+    await expect(table).toBeVisible({ timeout: 5_000 });
+    await expect(table).toContainText("A");
+    await expect(table).toContainText("1");
+  });
+});

canvas/e2e/chat-mobile.spec.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+import { test, expect } from "@playwright/test";
+import { startEchoRuntime } from "./fixtures/echo-runtime";
+import { seedWorkspace, startHeartbeat, cleanupWorkspace } from "./fixtures/chat-seed";
+
+
+test.describe("MobileChat", () => {
+  let cleanup: () => Promise<void> = async () => {};
+  let workspaceId = "";
+
+  test.beforeAll(async () => {
+    const echo = await startEchoRuntime();
+    const ws = await seedWorkspace(echo.baseURL);
+    workspaceId = ws.id;
+    const stopHeartbeat = startHeartbeat(ws.id, ws.authToken);
+
+    cleanup = async () => {
+      stopHeartbeat();
+      await echo.stop();
+    };
+  });
+
+  test.afterAll(async () => {
+    await cleanupWorkspace(workspaceId);
+    await cleanup();
+  });
+
+  test.beforeEach(async ({ page }) => {
+    await page.setViewportSize({ width: 375, height: 812 });
+    // Navigate directly to the mobile chat view.
+    await page.goto(`/?m=chat&a=${workspaceId}`);
+    await page.waitForSelector("[data-testid='chat-panel']", { timeout: 10_000 });
+    // Wait for the workspace status to flip to online and the textarea to be enabled.
+    await expect(page.locator("textarea").first()).toBeEnabled({ timeout: 15_000 });
+    // Dismiss onboarding guide if present.
+    const skipGuide = page.getByText("Skip guide");
+    if (await skipGuide.isVisible().catch(() => false)) {
+      await skipGuide.click();
+    }
+  });
+
+  test("chat panel loads without error", async ({ page }) => {
+    const hasEmptyState = await page.getByText("Send a message to start chatting.").isVisible().catch(() => false);
+    const hasHistory = await page.locator("[data-testid='chat-panel']").locator("div").count() > 3;
+    expect(hasEmptyState || hasHistory).toBeTruthy();
+  });
+
+  test("send text message and receive echo response", async ({ page }) => {
+    const textarea = page.locator("textarea").first();
+    await textarea.fill("Mobile test message");
+    await page.getByRole("button", { name: /Send/ }).first().click();
+
+    await expect(page.getByText("Mobile test message")).toBeVisible({ timeout: 5_000 });
+    await expect(page.getByText("Echo: Mobile test message")).toBeVisible({ timeout: 15_000 });
+  });
+
+  test("history persists across reload", async ({ page }) => {
+    const textarea = page.locator("textarea").first();
+    await textarea.fill("Mobile persistence");
+    await page.getByRole("button", { name: /Send/ }).first().click();
+
+    await expect(page.getByText("Echo: Mobile persistence")).toBeVisible({ timeout: 15_000 });
+
+    await page.reload();
+    await page.waitForSelector("[data-testid='chat-panel']", { timeout: 10_000 });
+
+    await expect(page.getByText("Mobile persistence", { exact: true })).toBeVisible({ timeout: 5_000 });
+    await expect(page.getByText("Echo: Mobile persistence")).toBeVisible({ timeout: 5_000 });
+  });
+
+  test("composer auto-grows with multi-line text", async ({ page }) => {
+    const textarea = page.locator("textarea").first();
+    const initialHeight = await textarea.evaluate((el: HTMLElement) => el.offsetHeight);
+
+    await textarea.fill("Line 1\nLine 2\nLine 3\nLine 4\nLine 5");
+    await page.waitForTimeout(300);
+
+    const grownHeight = await textarea.evaluate((el: HTMLElement) => el.offsetHeight);
+    expect(grownHeight).toBeGreaterThan(initialHeight);
+  });
+
+  test("file attachment in mobile chat", async ({ page }) => {
+    const textarea = page.locator("textarea").first();
+    await textarea.fill("Mobile file test");
+
+    const fileInput = page.locator("[data-testid='chat-panel'] input[type='file']").first();
+    await fileInput.setInputFiles({
+      name: "mobile.txt",
+      mimeType: "text/plain",
+      buffer: Buffer.from("mobile secret"),
+    });
+
+    await expect(page.getByText("mobile.txt")).toBeVisible({ timeout: 3_000 });
+
+    await page.getByRole("button", { name: /Send/ }).first().click();
+    await expect(page.getByText("Echo: Mobile file test")).toBeVisible({ timeout: 15_000 });
+  });
+});

canvas/e2e/fixtures/chat-seed.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,187 @@
+/**
+ * E2E seed fixture for chat tests.
+ *
+ * Creates an external workspace via the workspace-server API, extracts the
+ * auto-minted auth token, then overrides the DB row so it appears "online"
+ * with an echo-runtime URL.  External runtime is used because the health
+ * sweep skips Docker checks for external workspaces; we keep the workspace
+ * alive with periodic heartbeats.
+ */
+
+import { randomUUID } from "node:crypto";
+
+const PLATFORM_URL = process.env.E2E_PLATFORM_URL ?? "http://localhost:8080";
+
+export interface SeededWorkspace {
+  id: string;
+  name: string;
+  agentURL: string;
+  authToken: string;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Create an external workspace and wire it to the echo runtime.
+ */
+export async function seedWorkspace(echoURL: string): Promise<SeededWorkspace> {
+  // 1. Create external workspace (no URL — platform will mint an auth token).
+  const runId = Math.random().toString(36).slice(2, 8);
+  const wsName = `Chat E2E Agent ${runId}`;
+  const createRes = await fetch(`${PLATFORM_URL}/workspaces`, {
+    method: "POST",
+    headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
+    body: JSON.stringify({ name: wsName, tier: 1, external: true, runtime: "external" }),
+  });
+  if (!createRes.ok) {
+    const text = await createRes.text();
+    throw new Error(`Failed to create workspace: ${createRes.status} ${text}`);
+  }
+  const ws = (await createRes.json()) as {
+    id: string;
+    name: string;
+    connection?: { auth_token?: string };
+  };
+  const authToken = ws.connection?.auth_token;
+  if (!authToken) {
+    throw new Error("Workspace created but no auth_token returned");
+  }
+
+  // 2. Direct DB update: mark online + point url at echo runtime.
+  //    The platform blocks loopback URLs at the API layer (SSRF guard),
+  //    so we bypass via psql for local E2E.
+  const dbUrl = process.env.E2E_DATABASE_URL;
+  if (!dbUrl) {
+    throw new Error("E2E_DATABASE_URL must be set for DB seeding");
+  }
+  const pgRegex = /postgres:\/\/([^:]+):([^@]+)@([^:]+):(\d+)\/([^?]+)/;
+  const m = dbUrl.match(pgRegex);
+  if (!m) {
+    throw new Error(`Cannot parse E2E_DATABASE_URL: ${dbUrl}`);
+  }
+  const [, user, pass, host, port, db] = m;
+
+  // Pre-seed a platform_inbound_secret so chat file uploads don't trigger
+  // the lazy-heal 503 "retry in 30 s" path on first use.
+  const inboundSecret = Array.from({ length: 43 }, () =>
+    "ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789-_"[
+      Math.floor(Math.random() * 64)
+    ],
+  ).join("");
+
+  const psql = [
+    `PGPASSWORD=${pass} psql`,
+    `-h ${host} -p ${port} -U ${user} -d ${db}`,
+    `-c "UPDATE workspaces SET status = 'online', url = '${echoURL}', platform_inbound_secret = '${inboundSecret}' WHERE id = '${ws.id}'"`,
+  ].join(" ");
+
+  const { execSync } = await import("node:child_process");
+  try {
+    execSync(psql, { stdio: "pipe", timeout: 30_000 });
+  } catch (err) {
+    throw new Error(`DB update failed: ${err}`);
+  }
+
+  return { id: ws.id, name: wsName, agentURL: echoURL, authToken };
+}
+
+/**
+ * Start a heartbeat interval that keeps an external workspace alive.
+ * Returns a stop function.
+ */
+export function startHeartbeat(
+  workspaceId: string,
+  authToken: string,
+  intervalMs = 30_000,
+): () => void {
+  const send = () => {
+    fetch(`${PLATFORM_URL}/registry/heartbeat`, {
+      method: "POST",
+      headers: {
+        "Content-Type": "application/json",
+        Authorization: `Bearer ${authToken}`,
+      },
+      body: JSON.stringify({
+        workspace_id: workspaceId,
+        error_rate: 0,
+        sample_error: "",
+        active_tasks: 0,
+        current_task: "",
+        uptime_seconds: 0,
+      }),
+    }).catch(() => {});
+  };
+
+  // Send immediately so the first heartbeat lands before the stale sweep.
+  send();
+  const timer = setInterval(send, intervalMs);
+
+  return () => clearInterval(timer);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Seed chat-history rows for a workspace.
+ */
+export async function seedChatHistory(
+  workspaceId: string,
+  messages: Array<{ role: "user" | "agent"; content: string }>,
+): Promise<void> {
+  const dbUrl = process.env.E2E_DATABASE_URL;
+  if (!dbUrl) return;
+
+  const pgRegex = /postgres:\/\/([^:]+):([^@]+)@([^:]+):(\d+)\/([^?]+)/;
+  const m = dbUrl.match(pgRegex);
+  if (!m) return;
+  const [, user, pass, host, port, db] = m;
+
+  const values = messages
+    .map(
+      (msg, i) =>
+        `('${randomUUID()}', '${workspaceId}', '${msg.role}', '${msg.content.replace(/'/g, "''")}', NOW() - INTERVAL '${messages.length - i} seconds')`,
+    )
+    .join(",");
+
+  const sql = `INSERT INTO chat_messages (id, workspace_id, role, content, created_at) VALUES ${values};`;
+
+  const { execSync } = await import("node:child_process");
+  const psql = `PGPASSWORD=${pass} psql -h ${host} -p ${port} -U ${user} -d ${db} -c "${sql}"`;
+  execSync(psql, { stdio: "pipe", timeout: 10_000 });
+}
+
+/**
+ * Delete a seeded workspace row directly from the DB.
+ * Uses psql (same credentials as seedWorkspace) so we bypass any
+ * workspace-server side-effects (container stop, cascade cleanup, etc.)
+ * that can race or 500 on external workspaces.
+ */
+export async function cleanupWorkspace(workspaceId: string): Promise<void> {
+  const dbUrl = process.env.E2E_DATABASE_URL;
+  if (!dbUrl) return;
+
+  const pgRegex = /postgres:\/\/([^:]+):([^@]+)@([^:]+):(\d+)\/([^?]+)/;
+  const m = dbUrl.match(pgRegex);
+  if (!m) return;
+  const [, user, pass, host, port, db] = m;
+
+  const psql = `PGPASSWORD=${pass} psql -h ${host} -p ${port} -U ${user} -d ${db} -c "DELETE FROM workspaces WHERE id = '${workspaceId}'"`;
+
+  const { execSync } = await import("node:child_process");
+  try {
+    execSync(psql, { stdio: "pipe", timeout: 30_000 });
+  } catch {
+    // Best-effort cleanup; don't fail the test suite if the row is already gone.
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Mint a workspace auth token so the canvas can make authenticated API
+ * calls (WorkspaceAuth middleware).
+ */
+export async function mintTestToken(workspaceId: string): Promise<string> {
+  const res = await fetch(
+    `${PLATFORM_URL}/admin/workspaces/${workspaceId}/test-token`,
+  );
+  if (!res.ok) {
+    throw new Error(`Failed to mint test token: ${res.status}`);
+  }
+  const data = (await res.json()) as { auth_token: string };
+  return data.auth_token;
+}

canvas/e2e/fixtures/echo-runtime.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,180 @@
+/**
+ * Minimal A2A echo runtime for E2E tests.
+ *
+ * Listens on an ephemeral port, receives A2A JSON-RPC `message/send`
+ * requests, and returns a response with the original text echoed back.
+ * Also implements the workspace-side chat upload ingest endpoint so
+ * file-attachment E2E can exercise the full upload → send → echo
+ * round-trip.
+ *
+ * Usage (inside test fixture):
+ *   const echo = await startEchoRuntime();
+ *   // ... seed workspace with agent_url pointing to echo.baseURL ...
+ *   echo.stop();
+ */
+
+import { createServer, type Server } from "node:http";
+
+export interface EchoRuntime {
+  baseURL: string;
+  stop: () => Promise<void>;
+  lastRequest: { method: string; text: string; files: unknown[] } | null;
+}
+
+/** Parse a minimal multipart body and extract the first file's name + content. */
+function parseMultipart(body: Buffer): { name: string; mimeType: string; content: Buffer } | null {
+  // Find the boundary line (first line starting with "--").
+  const str = body.toString("binary");
+  const firstDash = str.indexOf("--");
+  if (firstDash === -1) return null;
+  const eol = str.indexOf("\r\n", firstDash);
+  if (eol === -1) return null;
+  const boundary = str.slice(firstDash + 2, eol);
+  const boundaryMarker = "\r\n--" + boundary;
+
+  // Find the first part that has a filename in Content-Disposition.
+  let pos = eol + 2;
+  while (pos < str.length) {
+    const nextBoundary = str.indexOf(boundaryMarker, pos);
+    if (nextBoundary === -1) break;
+    const part = str.slice(pos, nextBoundary);
+
+    const cdMatch = part.match(/Content-Disposition:[^\r\n]*filename="([^"]+)"/i);
+    if (cdMatch) {
+      const name = cdMatch[1];
+      const ctMatch = part.match(/Content-Type:\s*([^\r\n]+)/i);
+      const mimeType = ctMatch ? ctMatch[1].trim() : "application/octet-stream";
+      // Body starts after the first double-CRLF in the part.
+      const bodyStart = part.indexOf("\r\n\r\n");
+      if (bodyStart !== -1) {
+        // Extract the raw bytes (not the string) so binary is safe.
+        const headerBytes = Buffer.byteLength(part.slice(0, bodyStart + 4), "binary");
+        const partStartInBody = Buffer.byteLength(str.slice(0, pos + bodyStart + 4), "binary");
+        const partEndInBody = Buffer.byteLength(str.slice(0, nextBoundary), "binary");
+        const content = body.subarray(partStartInBody, partEndInBody);
+        return { name, mimeType, content };
+      }
+    }
+    pos = nextBoundary + boundaryMarker.length;
+    // Skip trailing "--" (end marker) or CRLF.
+    if (str.slice(pos, pos + 2) === "--") break;
+    if (str.slice(pos, pos + 2) === "\r\n") pos += 2;
+  }
+  return null;
+}
+
+export async function startEchoRuntime(): Promise<EchoRuntime> {
+  let lastRequest: EchoRuntime["lastRequest"] = null;
+
+  const server = createServer((req, res) => {
+    // CORS: allow the canvas origin (localhost:3000) to call us.
+    res.setHeader("Access-Control-Allow-Origin", "*");
+    res.setHeader("Access-Control-Allow-Methods", "POST, GET, OPTIONS");
+    res.setHeader("Access-Control-Allow-Headers", "Content-Type, Authorization");
+
+    if (req.method === "OPTIONS") {
+      res.writeHead(204);
+      res.end();
+      return;
+    }
+
+    const url = req.url ?? "/";
+
+    // Workspace-side chat upload ingest (RFC #2312).
+    if (url === "/internal/chat/uploads/ingest" && req.method === "POST") {
+      const chunks: Buffer[] = [];
+      req.on("data", (chunk: Buffer) => chunks.push(chunk));
+      req.on("end", () => {
+        const body = Buffer.concat(chunks);
+        const file = parseMultipart(body);
+        if (!file) {
+          res.writeHead(400);
+          res.end(JSON.stringify({ error: "no files field" }));
+          return;
+        }
+        const sanitized = file.name.replace(/[^a-zA-Z0-9._\-]/g, "_").replace(/ /g, "_");
+        const prefix = Array.from({ length: 32 }, () =>
+          Math.floor(Math.random() * 16).toString(16),
+        ).join("");
+        const response = {
+          files: [
+            {
+              uri: `workspace:/workspace/.molecule/chat-uploads/${prefix}-${sanitized}`,
+              name: sanitized,
+              mimeType: file.mimeType,
+              size: file.content.length,
+            },
+          ],
+        };
+        res.setHeader("Content-Type", "application/json");
+        res.writeHead(200);
+        res.end(JSON.stringify(response));
+      });
+      return;
+    }
+
+    // Default: A2A JSON-RPC handler.
+    let body = "";
+    req.setEncoding("utf8");
+    req.on("data", (chunk: string) => {
+      body += chunk;
+    });
+    req.on("end", () => {
+      res.setHeader("Content-Type", "application/json");
+      try {
+        const rpc = JSON.parse(body);
+        const msg = rpc.params?.message;
+        const textParts =
+          msg?.parts
+            ?.filter((p: { kind?: string; text?: string }) => p.kind === "text")
+            .map((p: { text?: string }) => p.text)
+            .filter(Boolean) ?? [];
+        const fileParts =
+          msg?.parts?.filter((p: { kind?: string }) => p.kind === "file") ?? [];
+        const text = textParts.join("\n");
+
+        lastRequest = {
+          method: rpc.method ?? "unknown",
+          text,
+          files: fileParts,
+        };
+
+        const replyText = text
+          ? `Echo: ${text}`
+          : fileParts.length > 0
+            ? "Echo: received your file(s)."
+            : "Echo: hello";
+
+        const response = {
+          jsonrpc: "2.0",
+          id: rpc.id ?? null,
+          result: {
+            parts: [{ kind: "text", text: replyText }],
+          },
+        };
+
+        res.writeHead(200);
+        res.end(JSON.stringify(response));
+      } catch {
+        res.writeHead(400);
+        res.end(JSON.stringify({ error: "invalid json" }));
+      }
+    });
+  });
+
+  await new Promise<void>((resolve) => server.listen(0, "127.0.0.1", resolve));
+  const address = server.address();
+  const port = typeof address === "object" && address ? address.port : 0;
+  const baseURL = `http://127.0.0.1:${port}`;
+
+  return {
+    baseURL,
+    stop: () =>
+      new Promise((resolve) => {
+        server.close(() => resolve(undefined));
+      }),
+    get lastRequest() {
+      return lastRequest;
+    },
+  };
+}

canvas/playwright.config.ts

@@ -5,9 +5,10 @@ export default defineConfig({
   timeout: 30_000,
   expect: { timeout: 10_000 },
   fullyParallel: false,
+  workers: 1,
   retries: 0,
   use: {
-    baseURL: "http://localhost:3000",
+    baseURL: process.env.PLAYWRIGHT_BASE_URL || "http://localhost:3000",
     headless: true,
     screenshot: "only-on-failure",
   },

canvas/src/components/__tests__/TestConnectionButton.test.tsx

@@ -11,13 +11,21 @@ import { render, screen, fireEvent, cleanup, act } from "@testing-library/react"
 import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 import { TestConnectionButton } from "../ui/TestConnectionButton";
 import type { SecretGroup } from "@/types/secrets";
-import { validateSecret } from "@/lib/api/secrets";
+import { validateSecret, ApiError } from "@/lib/api/secrets";
 
 // ─── Mock validateSecret ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 // vi.mock is hoisted, so validateSecret (imported above) refers to the mocked
 // namespace value once vi.mock runs. Use vi.mocked() to access it in tests.
 vi.mock("@/lib/api/secrets", () => ({
   validateSecret: vi.fn(),
+  ApiError: class ApiError extends Error {
+    status: number;
+    constructor(status: number, message: string) {
+      super(message);
+      this.name = "ApiError";
+      this.status = status;
+    }
+  },
 }));
 
 // SecretGroup is a string literal type: 'github' | 'anthropic' | 'openrouter' | 'custom'
@@ -102,7 +110,7 @@ describe("TestConnectionButton — state machine", () => {
     expect(screen.getByText("Permission denied")).toBeTruthy();
   });
 
-  it("shows generic error message on unexpected exception", async () => {
+  it("shows a connectivity message on a genuine network exception", async () => {
     vi.mocked(validateSecret).mockRejectedValue(new Error("timeout"));
     render(<TestConnectionButton provider={toGroup("anthropic")} secretValue="sk-..." />);
 
@@ -110,8 +118,23 @@ describe("TestConnectionButton — state machine", () => {
     await act(async () => { /* flush */ });
 
     expect(screen.getByRole("alert")).toBeTruthy();
-    // The error detail is hardcoded to "Connection timed out. Service may be down."
-    expect(document.body.querySelector('[role="alert"]')?.textContent).toMatch(/timed out/i);
+    // A real thrown network error → honest connectivity message (not a
+    // fabricated "service down"); see internal#492.
+    expect(document.body.querySelector('[role="alert"]')?.textContent).toMatch(
+      /could not reach the validation service/i,
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("does not claim a timeout when the validate endpoint 404s (internal#492)", async () => {
+    vi.mocked(validateSecret).mockRejectedValue(new ApiError(404, "Not Found"));
+    render(<TestConnectionButton provider={toGroup("anthropic")} secretValue="sk-..." />);
+
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button"));
+    await act(async () => { /* flush */ });
+
+    const alert = document.body.querySelector('[role="alert"]')?.textContent ?? "";
+    expect(alert).not.toMatch(/timed out/i);
+    expect(alert).toMatch(/not available/i);
   });
 });
 

canvas/src/components/__tests__/ThemeToggle.test.tsx

@@ -24,8 +24,12 @@ vi.mock("@/lib/theme-provider", () => ({
   })),
 }));
 
+// Wrap cleanup in act() so any pending React state updates (e.g. from
+// keyDown handlers that call setTheme) flush before DOM unmount. Without
+// this, cleanup() can race against pending renders and cause INDEX_SIZE_ERR
+// when the handleKeyDown callback tries to query the DOM mid-teardown.
 afterEach(() => {
-  cleanup();
+  act(() => { cleanup(); });
   vi.clearAllMocks();
 });
 
@@ -146,7 +150,7 @@ describe("ThemeToggle — keyboard navigation (WCAG 2.1.1 / ARIA radiogroup)", (
     const radios = screen.getAllByRole("radio");
     // dark (index 2) is current; ArrowRight should wrap to light (index 0)
     act(() => { radios[2].focus(); });
-    fireEvent.keyDown(radios[2], { key: "ArrowRight" });
+    act(() => { fireEvent.keyDown(radios[2], { key: "ArrowRight" }); });
     expect(mockSetTheme).toHaveBeenCalledWith("light");
   });
 
@@ -160,7 +164,7 @@ describe("ThemeToggle — keyboard navigation (WCAG 2.1.1 / ARIA radiogroup)", (
     const radios = screen.getAllByRole("radio");
     // light (index 0) is current; ArrowLeft should go to dark (index 2)
     act(() => { radios[0].focus(); });
-    fireEvent.keyDown(radios[0], { key: "ArrowLeft" });
+    act(() => { fireEvent.keyDown(radios[0], { key: "ArrowLeft" }); });
     expect(mockSetTheme).toHaveBeenCalledWith("dark");
   });
 
@@ -174,7 +178,7 @@ describe("ThemeToggle — keyboard navigation (WCAG 2.1.1 / ARIA radiogroup)", (
     const radios = screen.getAllByRole("radio");
     // light (index 0) is current; ArrowDown should go to system (index 1)
     act(() => { radios[0].focus(); });
-    fireEvent.keyDown(radios[0], { key: "ArrowDown" });
+    act(() => { fireEvent.keyDown(radios[0], { key: "ArrowDown" }); });
     expect(mockSetTheme).toHaveBeenCalledWith("system");
   });
 
@@ -187,7 +191,7 @@ describe("ThemeToggle — keyboard navigation (WCAG 2.1.1 / ARIA radiogroup)", (
     render(<ThemeToggle />);
     const radios = screen.getAllByRole("radio");
     act(() => { radios[2].focus(); });
-    fireEvent.keyDown(radios[2], { key: "Home" });
+    act(() => { fireEvent.keyDown(radios[2], { key: "Home" }); });
     expect(mockSetTheme).toHaveBeenCalledWith("light");
   });
 
@@ -200,14 +204,14 @@ describe("ThemeToggle — keyboard navigation (WCAG 2.1.1 / ARIA radiogroup)", (
     render(<ThemeToggle />);
     const radios = screen.getAllByRole("radio");
     act(() => { radios[0].focus(); });
-    fireEvent.keyDown(radios[0], { key: "End" });
+    act(() => { fireEvent.keyDown(radios[0], { key: "End" }); });
     expect(mockSetTheme).toHaveBeenCalledWith("dark");
   });
 
   it("does nothing on unrelated keys", () => {
     render(<ThemeToggle />);
     const radios = screen.getAllByRole("radio");
-    fireEvent.keyDown(radios[0], { key: "Enter" });
+    act(() => { fireEvent.keyDown(radios[0], { key: "Enter" }); });
     expect(mockSetTheme).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 });

canvas/src/components/mobile/MobileChat.tsx

@@ -2,25 +2,31 @@
 
 // 04 · Chat — message thread + composer + sub-tabs.
 // Wired to the same /workspaces/:id/a2a (method message/send) endpoint
-// that the desktop ChatTab uses, but with a slimmer surface: no
-// attachments, no A2A topology overlay, no conversation tracing.
+// that the desktop ChatTab uses. Render parity with desktop ChatTab is
+// achieved by reusing its renderers rather than forking a reduced
+// mobile path: the Agent Comms sub-tab mounts the same AgentCommsPanel,
+// and message attachments route through the same AttachmentPreview
+// dispatch the desktop My-Chat bubble uses (#231/#232).
 
 import { useEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState } from "react";
+import ReactMarkdown from "react-markdown";
+import remarkGfm from "remark-gfm";
 
-import { api } from "@/lib/api";
 import { useCanvasStore } from "@/store/canvas";
+import { type ChatAttachment, type ChatMessage, createMessage } from "@/components/tabs/chat/types";
+import {
+  useChatHistory,
+  useChatSend,
+  useChatSocket,
+} from "@/components/tabs/chat/hooks";
+import { AgentCommsPanel } from "@/components/tabs/chat/AgentCommsPanel";
+import { AttachmentPreview } from "@/components/tabs/chat/AttachmentPreview";
+import { downloadChatFile } from "@/components/tabs/chat/uploads";
 
 import { toMobileAgent } from "./components";
 import { MOBILE_FONT_MONO, MOBILE_FONT_SANS, usePalette } from "./palette";
 import { Icons, StatusDot, TierChip } from "./primitives";
 
-interface ChatMessage {
-  id: string;
-  role: "user" | "agent" | "system";
-  text: string;
-  ts: string;
-}
-
 const formatStoredTimestamp = (iso: string): string => {
   const d = new Date(iso);
   if (isNaN(d.getTime())) return "";
@@ -29,30 +35,171 @@ const formatStoredTimestamp = (iso: string): string => {
 
 type SubTab = "my" | "a2a";
 
-interface A2AResponseShape {
-  result?: {
-    parts?: Array<{ kind?: string; text?: string }>;
-  };
-  error?: { message?: string };
-}
+function MarkdownBubble({
+  children,
+  dark,
+  accent,
+}: {
+  children: string;
+  dark: boolean;
+  accent: string;
+}) {
+  const codeBg = dark ? "rgba(255,255,255,0.08)" : "rgba(0,0,0,0.06)";
+  const codeBlockBg = dark ? "#1a1a1a" : "#f5f5f0";
+  const linkColor = accent;
+  const quoteBorder = dark ? "rgba(255,250,240,0.15)" : "rgba(40,30,20,0.15)";
 
-// Wire shape for GET /workspaces/:id/chat-history (chat_history.go → ChatHistoryResponse).
-interface ApiChatMessage {
-  id: string;
-  role: string; // "user" | "agent" | "system"
-  content: string;
-  timestamp: string;
-  attachments?: Array<{ name: string; uri: string; mimeType?: string; size?: number }>;
+  return (
+    <ReactMarkdown
+      remarkPlugins={[remarkGfm]}
+      components={{
+        p: ({ children }) => (
+          <div style={{ margin: "2px 0", lineHeight: "inherit" }}>{children}</div>
+        ),
+        a: ({ href, children }) => (
+          <a
+            href={href}
+            target="_blank"
+            rel="noopener noreferrer"
+            style={{ color: linkColor, textDecoration: "underline" }}
+          >
+            {children}
+          </a>
+        ),
+        pre: ({ children }) => (
+          <pre
+            style={{
+              background: codeBlockBg,
+              padding: "8px 10px",
+              borderRadius: 8,
+              overflow: "auto",
+              fontSize: 12,
+              lineHeight: 1.5,
+              fontFamily: MOBILE_FONT_MONO,
+              margin: "4px 0",
+            }}
+          >
+            {children}
+          </pre>
+        ),
+        code: ({ children, className }) => {
+          const isBlock = className != null && String(className).length > 0;
+          if (isBlock) {
+            return (
+              <code style={{ fontFamily: MOBILE_FONT_MONO, fontSize: 12 }}>
+                {children}
+              </code>
+            );
+          }
+          return (
+            <code
+              style={{
+                background: codeBg,
+                padding: "1px 4px",
+                borderRadius: 4,
+                fontSize: 13,
+                fontFamily: MOBILE_FONT_MONO,
+              }}
+            >
+              {children}
+            </code>
+          );
+        },
+        ul: ({ children }) => (
+          <ul style={{ margin: "4px 0", paddingLeft: 18, listStyle: "disc" }}>
+            {children}
+          </ul>
+        ),
+        ol: ({ children }) => (
+          <ol style={{ margin: "4px 0", paddingLeft: 18, listStyle: "decimal" }}>
+            {children}
+          </ol>
+        ),
+        li: ({ children }) => <li style={{ margin: "2px 0" }}>{children}</li>,
+        strong: ({ children }) => (
+          <strong style={{ fontWeight: 600 }}>{children}</strong>
+        ),
+        em: ({ children }) => <em style={{ fontStyle: "italic" }}>{children}</em>,
+        h1: ({ children }) => (
+          <div style={{ fontSize: 16, fontWeight: 700, margin: "4px 0" }}>{children}</div>
+        ),
+        h2: ({ children }) => (
+          <div style={{ fontSize: 15, fontWeight: 700, margin: "4px 0" }}>{children}</div>
+        ),
+        h3: ({ children }) => (
+          <div style={{ fontSize: 14, fontWeight: 700, margin: "4px 0" }}>{children}</div>
+        ),
+        h4: ({ children }) => (
+          <div style={{ fontSize: 14, fontWeight: 600, margin: "4px 0" }}>{children}</div>
+        ),
+        h5: ({ children }) => (
+          <div style={{ fontSize: 13, fontWeight: 600, margin: "4px 0" }}>{children}</div>
+        ),
+        h6: ({ children }) => (
+          <div style={{ fontSize: 13, fontWeight: 600, margin: "4px 0" }}>{children}</div>
+        ),
+        blockquote: ({ children }) => (
+          <blockquote
+            style={{
+              borderLeft: `2px solid ${quoteBorder}`,
+              margin: "4px 0",
+              paddingLeft: 8,
+              opacity: 0.85,
+            }}
+          >
+            {children}
+          </blockquote>
+        ),
+        hr: () => (
+          <hr
+            style={{
+              border: "none",
+              borderTop: `0.5px solid ${quoteBorder}`,
+              margin: "6px 0",
+            }}
+          />
+        ),
+        table: ({ children }) => (
+          <table
+            style={{
+              borderCollapse: "collapse",
+              fontSize: 13,
+              margin: "4px 0",
+              width: "100%",
+            }}
+          >
+            {children}
+          </table>
+        ),
+        thead: ({ children }) => <thead style={{ fontWeight: 600 }}>{children}</thead>,
+        th: ({ children }) => (
+          <th
+            style={{
+              border: `0.5px solid ${quoteBorder}`,
+              padding: "4px 6px",
+              textAlign: "left",
+            }}
+          >
+            {children}
+          </th>
+        ),
+        td: ({ children }) => (
+          <td
+            style={{
+              border: `0.5px solid ${quoteBorder}`,
+              padding: "4px 6px",
+            }}
+          >
+            {children}
+          </td>
+        ),
+      }}
+    >
+      {children}
+    </ReactMarkdown>
+  );
 }
 
-interface ChatHistoryResponse {
-  messages: ApiChatMessage[];
-  reached_end: boolean;
-}
-
-const formatTime = (date: Date) =>
-  date.toLocaleTimeString([], { hour: "numeric", minute: "2-digit" });
-
 export function MobileChat({
   agentId,
   dark,
@@ -63,36 +210,40 @@ export function MobileChat({
   onBack: () => void;
 }) {
   const p = usePalette(dark);
-  // Selecting `nodes` stably avoids the `.find()` anti-pattern that
-  // creates a new return value on every store update (React error #185).
   const nodes = useCanvasStore((s) => s.nodes);
   const node = useMemo(() => nodes.find((n) => n.id === agentId), [nodes, agentId]);
-  // Bootstrap from the canvas store's per-workspace message buffer so the
-  // user sees their prior thread on entry. The store is updated by the
-  // socket → ChatTab flows the desktop runs; on mobile we read from the
-  // same buffer to keep state coherent across viewports.
-  // NOTE: selector returns undefined (stable) — do NOT use ?? [] here,
-  // that creates a new [] reference on every store update when the key is
-  // absent, causing infinite re-render (React error #185).
-  const storedMessages = useCanvasStore((s) => s.agentMessages[agentId]);
-  // Start empty — history is loaded via useEffect below.
-  const [messages, setMessages] = useState<ChatMessage[]>([]);
   const [draft, setDraft] = useState("");
   const [tab, setTab] = useState<SubTab>("my");
-  const [sending, setSending] = useState(false);
-  const [error, setError] = useState<string | null>(null);
-  const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true); // history is loading on mount
-  const [historyError, setHistoryError] = useState<string | null>(null);
   const scrollRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
-  // Synchronous re-entry guard. `setSending(true)` schedules a state
-  // update but doesn't flush before a second tap can fire send() — a ref
-  // mirrors the desktop ChatTab pattern (sendInFlightRef) and closes the
-  // double-send race a stale `sending` lets through.
-  const sendInFlightRef = useRef(false);
   const composerRef = useRef<HTMLTextAreaElement>(null);
-  // Guard: don't treat the initial store population as a live push.
-  // Set to false after the first render completes.
-  const initDoneRef = useRef(false);
+  const fileInputRef = useRef<HTMLInputElement>(null);
+  const [pendingFiles, setPendingFiles] = useState<File[]>([]);
+
+  const {
+    messages,
+    loading: historyLoading,
+    loadError: historyError,
+    loadInitial,
+    appendMessageDeduped,
+  } = useChatHistory(agentId);
+
+  const {
+    sending,
+    uploading,
+    sendMessage,
+    error: sendError,
+    clearError,
+    releaseSendGuards,
+  } = useChatSend(agentId, {
+    getHistoryMessages: () => messages,
+    onUserMessage: appendMessageDeduped,
+    onAgentMessage: appendMessageDeduped,
+  });
+
+  useChatSocket(agentId, {
+    onAgentMessage: appendMessageDeduped,
+    onSendComplete: releaseSendGuards,
+  });
 
   // Auto-grow the textarea: reset height to 'auto' so the scrollHeight
   // shrinks when the user deletes text, then size to scrollHeight up to
@@ -105,81 +256,26 @@ export function MobileChat({
     el.style.height = `${next}px`;
   }, [draft]);
 
-  // Fetch chat history on mount; keep merging live agentMessages while the
-  // panel is open. InitDoneRef prevents the initial store snapshot from
-  // triggering the live-merge path (the store buffer is populated by
-  // ChatTab on desktop, not on mobile — this effect loads history as the
-  // mobile-native path).
-  useEffect(() => {
-    let cancelled = false;
-
-    const mapApiMessage = (m: ApiChatMessage): ChatMessage => ({
-      id: m.id,
-      role: m.role === "user" ? "user" : "agent",
-      text: m.content,
-      ts: formatStoredTimestamp(m.timestamp),
-    });
-
-    const syncLive = () => {
-      const live = useCanvasStore.getState().agentMessages[agentId] ?? [];
-      if (live.length > 0) {
-        setMessages((prev) => {
-          const existingIds = new Set(prev.map((m) => m.id));
-          const newOnes = live
-            .filter((m) => !existingIds.has(m.id))
-            .map((m) => ({
-              id: m.id,
-              role: "agent" as const,
-              text: m.content,
-              ts: formatStoredTimestamp(m.timestamp),
-            }));
-          return newOnes.length > 0 ? [...prev, ...newOnes] : prev;
-        });
-      }
-    };
-
-    const bootstrap = async (): Promise<(() => void) | undefined> => {
-      setLoading(true);
-      setHistoryError(null);
-      try {
-        const res = await api.get<ChatHistoryResponse>(
-          `/workspaces/${agentId}/chat-history?limit=50`,
-        );
-        if (cancelled) return;
-        const initial = (res.messages ?? []).map(mapApiMessage);
-        setMessages(initial);
-        // Mark init done BEFORE marking loading=false so any store push
-        // that arrives in the same tick is treated as live, not init.
-        initDoneRef.current = true;
-        setLoading(false);
-        // Subscribe to live pushes after init is complete.
-        syncLive();
-        const unsubscribe = useCanvasStore.subscribe(syncLive);
-        return unsubscribe; // returned for cleanup
-      } catch (e) {
-        if (cancelled) return;
-        setHistoryError(e instanceof Error ? e.message : "Failed to load chat history");
-        setLoading(false);
-        initDoneRef.current = true;
-        return undefined;
-      }
-    };
-
-    let maybeUnsubscribe: (() => void) | undefined;
-    bootstrap().then((fn) => { maybeUnsubscribe = fn; });
-
-    return () => {
-      cancelled = true;
-      if (maybeUnsubscribe) maybeUnsubscribe();
-    };
-  }, [agentId]);
-
   useEffect(() => {
     if (scrollRef.current) {
       scrollRef.current.scrollTop = scrollRef.current.scrollHeight;
     }
   }, [messages]);
 
+  // Consume any agent messages that arrived while history was loading.
+  const initialConsumeDoneRef = useRef(false);
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (historyLoading || initialConsumeDoneRef.current) return;
+    initialConsumeDoneRef.current = true;
+    const consume = useCanvasStore.getState().consumeAgentMessages;
+    const msgs = consume(agentId);
+    for (const m of msgs) {
+      appendMessageDeduped(
+        createMessage("agent", m.content, m.attachments),
+      );
+    }
+  }, [historyLoading, agentId, appendMessageDeduped]);
+
   if (!node) {
     return (
       <div
@@ -201,58 +297,43 @@ export function MobileChat({
   const a = toMobileAgent(node);
   const reachable = a.status === "online" || a.status === "degraded";
 
+  const onFilesPicked = (fileList: FileList | null) => {
+    if (!fileList) return;
+    const picked = Array.from(fileList);
+    setPendingFiles((prev) => {
+      const keyed = new Set(prev.map((f) => `${f.name}:${f.size}`));
+      return [...prev, ...picked.filter((f) => !keyed.has(`${f.name}:${f.size}`))];
+    });
+    if (fileInputRef.current) fileInputRef.current.value = "";
+  };
+
+  const removePendingFile = (index: number) =>
+    setPendingFiles((prev) => prev.filter((_, i) => i !== index));
+
+  // Route attachment downloads through the same authenticated helper
+  // the desktop ChatTab uses (downloadChatFile) so platform-scheme
+  // URIs get a real Blob with auth headers instead of about:blank.
+  const downloadAttachment = (att: ChatAttachment) => {
+    downloadChatFile(agentId, att).catch(() => {
+      // AttachmentPreview's own error affordance covers the in-bubble
+      // failure state; matches ChatTab's behaviour of not double-
+      // reporting a download failure.
+    });
+  };
+
   const send = async () => {
     const text = draft.trim();
-    if (!text || sending || !reachable) return;
-    if (sendInFlightRef.current) return;
-    sendInFlightRef.current = true;
+    if ((!text && pendingFiles.length === 0) || sending || !reachable) return;
+    clearError();
     setDraft("");
-    setError(null);
-    setSending(true);
-    const myMsg: ChatMessage = {
-      id: crypto.randomUUID(),
-      role: "user",
-      text,
-      ts: formatTime(new Date()),
-    };
-    setMessages((m) => [...m, myMsg]);
-
-    try {
-      const res = await api.post<A2AResponseShape>(`/workspaces/${agentId}/a2a`, {
-        method: "message/send",
-        params: {
-          message: {
-            role: "user",
-            messageId: crypto.randomUUID(),
-            parts: [{ kind: "text", text }],
-          },
-        },
-      });
-      const reply =
-        res.result?.parts?.find((part) => part.kind === "text")?.text ?? "";
-      if (reply) {
-        setMessages((m) => [
-          ...m,
-          {
-            id: crypto.randomUUID(),
-            role: "agent",
-            text: reply,
-            ts: formatTime(new Date()),
-          },
-        ]);
-      } else if (res.error?.message) {
-        setError(res.error.message);
-      }
-    } catch (e) {
-      setError(e instanceof Error ? e.message : "Failed to send");
-    } finally {
-      setSending(false);
-      sendInFlightRef.current = false;
-    }
+    const files = pendingFiles;
+    setPendingFiles([]);
+    await sendMessage(text, files);
   };
 
   return (
     <div
+      data-testid="chat-panel"
       style={{
         height: "100%",
         display: "flex",
@@ -369,7 +450,19 @@ export function MobileChat({
         </div>
       </div>
 
+      {/* Agent Comms — reuse the desktop AgentCommsPanel verbatim so
+          mobile renders the identical peer/A2A + delegation feed
+          (history GET + live socket events) instead of a placeholder
+          (#231). The panel owns its own scroll/load/error/empty
+          states, matching ChatTab's agent-comms tabpanel. */}
+      {tab === "a2a" && (
+        <div style={{ flex: 1, minHeight: 0, overflow: "hidden" }}>
+          <AgentCommsPanel workspaceId={agentId} />
+        </div>
+      )}
+
       {/* Messages */}
+      {tab === "my" && (
       <div
         ref={scrollRef}
         style={{
@@ -381,25 +474,12 @@ export function MobileChat({
           gap: 8,
         }}
       >
-        {tab === "a2a" && (
-          <div
-            style={{
-              padding: "20px 4px",
-              textAlign: "center",
-              color: p.text3,
-              fontSize: 13,
-            }}
-          >
-            Agent Comms — peer-to-peer A2A traffic surfaces in the Comms tab.
-          </div>
-        )}
-        {tab === "my" && loading && (
+        {tab === "my" && historyLoading && (
           <div style={{ padding: "20px 4px", textAlign: "center", color: p.text3, fontSize: 13 }}>
-            <div style={{ marginBottom: 6, opacity: 0.6, animation: "spin 1s linear infinite", display: "inline-block", fontSize: 16 }}>⟳</div>
-            <div>Loading chat history…</div>
+            Loading chat history…
           </div>
         )}
-        {tab === "my" && !loading && historyError && (
+        {tab === "my" && !historyLoading && historyError && messages.length === 0 && (
           <div
             role="alert"
             style={{
@@ -413,25 +493,7 @@ export function MobileChat({
             <button
               type="button"
               onClick={() => {
-                setLoading(true);
-                setHistoryError(null);
-                api.get(`/workspaces/${agentId}/chat-history?limit=50`).then(
-                  (res: unknown) => {
-                    const r = res as ChatHistoryResponse;
-                    setMessages((r.messages ?? []).map((m) => ({
-                      id: m.id,
-                      role: m.role === "user" ? "user" : "agent",
-                      text: m.content,
-                      ts: formatStoredTimestamp(m.timestamp),
-                    })));
-                    setLoading(false);
-                    initDoneRef.current = true;
-                  },
-                ).catch((e: unknown) => {
-                  setHistoryError(e instanceof Error ? e.message : "Failed to load");
-                  setLoading(false);
-                  initDoneRef.current = true;
-                });
+                loadInitial();
               }}
               style={{
                 padding: "6px 14px",
@@ -447,7 +509,7 @@ export function MobileChat({
             </button>
           </div>
         )}
-        {tab === "my" && !loading && !historyError && messages.length === 0 && (
+        {tab === "my" && !historyLoading && !historyError && messages.length === 0 && (
           <div style={{ padding: "20px 4px", textAlign: "center", color: p.text3, fontSize: 13 }}>
             Send a message to start chatting.
           </div>
@@ -476,7 +538,31 @@ export function MobileChat({
                     overflowWrap: "anywhere",
                   }}
                 >
-                  {m.text}
+                  {m.content && (
+                    <MarkdownBubble dark={dark} accent={p.accent}>
+                      {m.content}
+                    </MarkdownBubble>
+                  )}
+                  {m.attachments && m.attachments.length > 0 && (
+                    <div
+                      style={{
+                        display: "flex",
+                        flexWrap: "wrap",
+                        gap: 4,
+                        marginTop: m.content ? 6 : 0,
+                      }}
+                    >
+                      {m.attachments.map((att, i) => (
+                        <AttachmentPreview
+                          key={`${m.id}-${i}`}
+                          workspaceId={agentId}
+                          attachment={att}
+                          onDownload={downloadAttachment}
+                          tone={mine ? "user" : "agent"}
+                        />
+                      ))}
+                    </div>
+                  )}
                   <div
                     style={{
                       fontSize: 10,
@@ -485,13 +571,13 @@ export function MobileChat({
                       fontFamily: MOBILE_FONT_MONO,
                     }}
                   >
-                    {m.ts}
+                    {formatStoredTimestamp(m.timestamp)}
                   </div>
                 </div>
               </div>
             );
           })}
-        {error && (
+        {sendError && (
           <div
             role="alert"
             style={{
@@ -503,11 +589,17 @@ export function MobileChat({
               fontSize: 12,
             }}
           >
-            {error}
+            {sendError}
           </div>
         )}
       </div>
+      )}
 
+      {/* Footer ID + composer belong to My Chat only. The Agent Comms
+          tab is a read-only peer/A2A feed (parity with desktop
+          ChatTab, where the agent-comms tabpanel has no composer). */}
+      {tab === "my" && (
+      <>
       {/* Footer ID */}
       <div
         style={{
@@ -534,6 +626,60 @@ export function MobileChat({
           backdropFilter: "blur(14px)",
         }}
       >
+        {pendingFiles.length > 0 && (
+          <div
+            style={{
+              display: "flex",
+              flexWrap: "wrap",
+              gap: 6,
+              marginBottom: 8,
+              paddingLeft: 2,
+            }}
+          >
+            {pendingFiles.map((f, i) => (
+              <div
+                key={`${f.name}:${f.size}`}
+                style={{
+                  display: "flex",
+                  alignItems: "center",
+                  gap: 4,
+                  padding: "3px 8px",
+                  borderRadius: 10,
+                  background: dark ? "#2a2823" : "#ece9e0",
+                  fontSize: 12,
+                  color: p.text2,
+                  maxWidth: "100%",
+                }}
+              >
+                <span
+                  style={{
+                    overflow: "hidden",
+                    textOverflow: "ellipsis",
+                    whiteSpace: "nowrap",
+                  }}
+                >
+                  {f.name}
+                </span>
+                <button
+                  type="button"
+                  onClick={() => removePendingFile(i)}
+                  aria-label={`Remove ${f.name}`}
+                  style={{
+                    border: "none",
+                    background: "transparent",
+                    color: p.text3,
+                    cursor: "pointer",
+                    fontSize: 12,
+                    padding: 0,
+                    lineHeight: 1,
+                  }}
+                >
+                  ✕
+                </button>
+              </div>
+            ))}
+          </div>
+        )}
         <div
           style={{
             display: "flex",
@@ -545,21 +691,32 @@ export function MobileChat({
             padding: "6px 6px 6px 12px",
           }}
         >
+          <input
+            ref={fileInputRef}
+            type="file"
+            multiple
+            style={{ display: "none" }}
+            onChange={(e) => onFilesPicked(e.target.files)}
+            aria-hidden="true"
+          />
           <button
             type="button"
+            onClick={() => fileInputRef.current?.click()}
+            disabled={!reachable || sending || uploading}
             aria-label="Attach"
             style={{
               width: 32,
               height: 32,
               borderRadius: 999,
               border: "none",
-              cursor: "pointer",
+              cursor: reachable && !sending && !uploading ? "pointer" : "not-allowed",
               background: "transparent",
               color: p.text3,
               flexShrink: 0,
               display: "flex",
               alignItems: "center",
               justifyContent: "center",
+              opacity: !reachable || sending || uploading ? 0.4 : 1,
             }}
           >
             {Icons.attach({ size: 16 })}
@@ -591,7 +748,14 @@ export function MobileChat({
               border: "none",
               outline: "none",
               background: "transparent",
-              fontSize: 14.5,
+              // 16px floor: iOS Safari/WebKit auto-zooms the viewport on
+              // focus when a focused field's font-size is < 16px. Anything
+              // below this re-introduces the tap-to-zoom layout jump on the
+              // mobile PWA. Do NOT lower this without also adding a
+              // maximum-scale/user-scalable viewport lock — and that lock
+              // breaks pinch-to-zoom accessibility, so 16px here is the
+              // correct trade.
+              fontSize: 16,
               lineHeight: 1.4,
               color: p.text,
               padding: "6px 0",
@@ -605,31 +769,37 @@ export function MobileChat({
           <button
             type="button"
             onClick={send}
-            disabled={!draft.trim() || !reachable || sending}
+            disabled={(!draft.trim() && pendingFiles.length === 0) || !reachable || sending || uploading}
             aria-label="Send"
             style={{
               width: 36,
               height: 36,
               borderRadius: 999,
               border: "none",
-              cursor: draft.trim() && !sending ? "pointer" : "not-allowed",
+              cursor: (draft.trim() || pendingFiles.length > 0) && !sending && !uploading ? "pointer" : "not-allowed",
               flexShrink: 0,
               background:
-                draft.trim() && reachable && !sending
+                (draft.trim() || pendingFiles.length > 0) && reachable && !sending && !uploading
                   ? p.accent
                   : dark
                     ? "#2a2823"
                     : "#ece9e0",
-              color: draft.trim() && reachable && !sending ? "#fff" : p.text3,
+              color: (draft.trim() || pendingFiles.length > 0) && reachable && !sending && !uploading ? "#fff" : p.text3,
               display: "flex",
               alignItems: "center",
               justifyContent: "center",
             }}
           >
-            {Icons.send({ size: 16 })}
+            {uploading ? (
+              <span style={{ fontSize: 10, fontWeight: 600 }}>↑</span>
+            ) : (
+              Icons.send({ size: 16 })
+            )}
           </button>
         </div>
       </div>
+      </>
+      )}
     </div>
   );
 }

canvas/src/components/mobile/MobileDetail.tsx

@@ -214,6 +214,7 @@ export function MobileDetail({
         <button
           type="button"
           onClick={onChat}
+          data-testid="mobile-chat-cta"
           style={{
             width: "100%",
             height: 52,

canvas/src/components/mobile/MobileSpawn.tsx

@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import { useEffect, useState } from "react";
 
 import { api } from "@/lib/api";
 import { type Template } from "@/lib/deploy-preflight";
+import { isSaaSTenant } from "@/lib/tenant";
 
 import { tierCode } from "./palette";
 import { MOBILE_FONT_MONO, MOBILE_FONT_SANS, type MobilePalette, usePalette } from "./palette";
@@ -26,6 +27,7 @@ const TIER_LABEL: Record<"T1" | "T2" | "T3" | "T4", string> = {
 
 export function MobileSpawn({ dark, onClose }: { dark: boolean; onClose: () => void }) {
   const p = usePalette(dark);
+  const isSaaS = isSaaSTenant();
   const [templates, setTemplates] = useState<Template[]>([]);
   const [loadingTemplates, setLoadingTemplates] = useState(true);
   const [tplId, setTplId] = useState<string | null>(null);
@@ -43,7 +45,7 @@ export function MobileSpawn({ dark, onClose }: { dark: boolean; onClose: () => v
         setTemplates(list);
         if (list.length > 0) {
           setTplId(list[0].id);
-          setTier(tierCode(list[0].tier));
+          setTier(isSaaS ? "T4" : tierCode(list[0].tier));
         }
       })
       .catch(() => {
@@ -55,7 +57,7 @@ export function MobileSpawn({ dark, onClose }: { dark: boolean; onClose: () => v
     return () => {
       cancelled = true;
     };
-  }, []);
+  }, [isSaaS]);
 
   const handleSpawn = async () => {
     if (busy || !tplId) return;
@@ -67,7 +69,7 @@ export function MobileSpawn({ dark, onClose }: { dark: boolean; onClose: () => v
       await api.post<{ id: string }>("/workspaces", {
         name: (name.trim() || chosen.name),
         template: chosen.id,
-        tier: Number(tier.slice(1)),
+        tier: isSaaS ? 4 : Number(tier.slice(1)),
         canvas: {
           x: Math.random() * 400 + 100,
           y: Math.random() * 300 + 100,
@@ -203,7 +205,7 @@ export function MobileSpawn({ dark, onClose }: { dark: boolean; onClose: () => v
             >
               {templates.map((t) => {
                 const on = tplId === t.id;
-                const tCode = tierCode(t.tier);
+                const tCode = isSaaS ? "T4" : tierCode(t.tier);
                 return (
                   <button
                     key={t.id}

canvas/src/components/mobile/__tests__/MobileChat.test.tsx

@@ -21,6 +21,14 @@ import { MobileChat } from "../MobileChat";
 vi.mock("@/lib/api");
 import { api } from "@/lib/api";
 
+// AgentCommsPanel (mounted by the Agent Comms sub-tab, #231) subscribes
+// to the global socket via useSocketEvent. Stub it to a no-op so the
+// panel mounts without the real ReconnectingSocket — the parity tests
+// only assert the panel renders (vs the old static placeholder).
+vi.mock("@/hooks/useSocketEvent", () => ({
+  useSocketEvent: vi.fn(),
+}));
+
 // ─── Mock store ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 const mockAgentId = "ws-chat-test";
@@ -36,6 +44,7 @@ const mockStoreState = {
     height?: number;
   }>,
   agentMessages: {} as Record<string, Array<{ id: string; content: string; timestamp: string }>>,
+  consumeAgentMessages: () => [],
 };
 
 vi.mock("@/store/canvas", () => ({
@@ -154,6 +163,12 @@ beforeEach(() => {
   mockOnBack.mockClear();
   mockStoreState.nodes = [];
   mockStoreState.agentMessages = {};
+  // jsdom doesn't implement scrollIntoView. The Agent Comms tab now
+  // mounts AgentCommsPanel (#231), which scrolls its feed to bottom on
+  // arrival; a no-op stub keeps the panel from throwing under jsdom
+  // (same stub AgentCommsPanel's own render test installs).
+  Element.prototype.scrollIntoView =
+    vi.fn() as unknown as Element["scrollIntoView"];
   // Set up spies on the real api methods. Tests override these per-call.
   const getSpy = vi.spyOn(api, "get");
   const postSpy = vi.spyOn(api, "post");
@@ -248,6 +263,20 @@ describe("MobileChat — composer", () => {
     const sendBtn = container.querySelector('[aria-label="Send"]') as HTMLButtonElement;
     expect(sendBtn.disabled).toBe(true);
   });
+
+  // iOS Safari/WebKit auto-zooms the viewport on focus when a focused
+  // <input>/<textarea> has an effective font-size below 16px. On the
+  // mobile PWA this made the whole layout scale up the moment the user
+  // tapped into the chat box. Keeping the composer font ≥16px is the
+  // root-cause fix — it suppresses the focus-zoom WITHOUT disabling
+  // pinch-to-zoom (which a maximum-scale/user-scalable viewport hack
+  // would have done at the cost of accessibility).
+  it("composer textarea font-size is >= 16px (prevents iOS focus-zoom)", () => {
+    const { container } = renderChat(mockAgentId);
+    const textarea = container.querySelector("textarea") as HTMLTextAreaElement;
+    const fontSizePx = parseFloat(textarea.style.fontSize);
+    expect(fontSizePx).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(16);
+  });
 });
 
 // ─── Tabs ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -357,7 +386,7 @@ describe("MobileChat — chat history", () => {
       renderChat(mockAgentId);
     });
     expect(api.get).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-      `/workspaces/${mockAgentId}/chat-history?limit=50`,
+      expect.stringContaining(`/workspaces/${mockAgentId}/chat-history`),
     );
   });
 
@@ -473,3 +502,146 @@ describe("MobileChat — chat history", () => {
     expect(getSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
   });
 });
+
+// ─── #232 · Attachment render parity with desktop ChatTab ────────────────────
+//
+// Regression for the CTO-reported mobile bug: MobileChat used to render
+// only m.content (no attachment surface), so files sent/received in a
+// conversation were invisible on mobile while desktop showed them. The
+// fix routes m.attachments through the same AttachmentPreview the
+// desktop ChatTab bubble uses.
+
+describe("MobileChat — attachment render parity (#232)", () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    mockStoreState.nodes = [onlineNode];
+  });
+
+  it("renders an attachment from a history message via AttachmentPreview", async () => {
+    const getSpy = vi.spyOn(api, "get");
+    // useChatHistory reads { messages, reached_end }.
+    getSpy.mockResolvedValueOnce({
+      messages: [
+        {
+          id: "m-att-1",
+          role: "agent",
+          content: "Here is the report",
+          attachments: [
+            {
+              name: "report.csv",
+              uri: "workspace://out/report.csv",
+              mimeType: "text/csv",
+              size: 2048,
+            },
+          ],
+          timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
+        },
+      ],
+      reached_end: true,
+    });
+
+    let rr: ReturnType<typeof renderChat>;
+    await act(async () => {
+      rr = renderChat(mockAgentId);
+    });
+    const { container } = rr!;
+
+    // A non-image attachment renders the AttachmentChip download button
+    // with title="Download <name>" — same component the desktop bubble
+    // dispatches through AttachmentPreview.
+    await waitFor(() => {
+      const chip = container.querySelector('[title="Download report.csv"]');
+      expect(chip).toBeTruthy();
+    });
+    expect(container.textContent ?? "").toContain("report.csv");
+  });
+});
+
+// ─── #231 · Agent Comms (A2A/peer) render parity with desktop ChatTab ────────
+//
+// Regression for the CTO-reported mobile bug: the Agent Comms sub-tab
+// rendered a static placeholder string ("peer-to-peer A2A traffic
+// surfaces in the Comms tab") instead of the real feed. The fix mounts
+// the same AgentCommsPanel the desktop ChatTab agent-comms tabpanel
+// uses, so peer/A2A + delegation activity is visible on mobile.
+
+describe("MobileChat — Agent Comms render parity (#231)", () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    mockStoreState.nodes = [onlineNode];
+  });
+
+  it("mounts AgentCommsPanel on the Agent Comms tab (not the old placeholder)", async () => {
+    const getSpy = vi.spyOn(api, "get");
+    // 1st GET: useChatHistory (My Chat) on mount.
+    getSpy.mockResolvedValueOnce({ messages: [], reached_end: true });
+    // 2nd GET: AgentCommsPanel's activity load when the tab is shown.
+    // Empty list → panel renders its own empty state, which still
+    // proves AgentCommsPanel mounted (vs. the removed placeholder).
+    getSpy.mockResolvedValueOnce([]);
+
+    let rr: ReturnType<typeof renderChat>;
+    await act(async () => {
+      rr = renderChat(mockAgentId);
+    });
+    const { container } = rr!;
+
+    const commsTab = Array.from(container.querySelectorAll("button")).find(
+      (b) => b.textContent?.trim() === "Agent Comms",
+    );
+    expect(commsTab).toBeTruthy();
+    await act(async () => {
+      commsTab!.click();
+    });
+
+    await waitFor(() => {
+      const text = container.textContent ?? "";
+      // The panel's empty state — proves AgentCommsPanel mounted.
+      expect(text).toContain("No agent-to-agent communications yet.");
+    });
+    // The old hard-coded placeholder must be gone.
+    expect(container.textContent ?? "").not.toContain(
+      "peer-to-peer A2A traffic surfaces in the Comms tab",
+    );
+    // The panel hit its activity endpoint.
+    expect(getSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.stringContaining(`/workspaces/${mockAgentId}/activity`),
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("renders a peer message on the Agent Comms tab", async () => {
+    const getSpy = vi.spyOn(api, "get");
+    getSpy.mockResolvedValueOnce({ messages: [], reached_end: true });
+    // a2a_receive from a peer → AgentCommsPanel.toCommMessage maps it
+    // to an inbound bubble with the request text.
+    getSpy.mockResolvedValueOnce([
+      {
+        id: "act-1",
+        activity_type: "a2a_receive",
+        source_id: "peer-ws-uuid",
+        target_id: mockAgentId,
+        method: "message/send",
+        summary: "peer asked something",
+        request_body: { task: "Please review PR 42" },
+        response_body: null,
+        status: "ok",
+        created_at: new Date().toISOString(),
+      },
+    ]);
+
+    let rr: ReturnType<typeof renderChat>;
+    await act(async () => {
+      rr = renderChat(mockAgentId);
+    });
+    const { container } = rr!;
+
+    const commsTab = Array.from(container.querySelectorAll("button")).find(
+      (b) => b.textContent?.trim() === "Agent Comms",
+    );
+    await act(async () => {
+      commsTab!.click();
+    });
+
+    await waitFor(() => {
+      expect(container.textContent ?? "").toContain("Please review PR 42");
+    });
+  });
+});

canvas/src/components/mobile/components.tsx

@@ -288,6 +288,7 @@ export function AgentCard({
   return (
     <button
       type="button"
+      data-testid="workspace-card"
       aria-label={`${agent.name}, status: ${agent.status}, tier ${agent.tier}${agent.remote ? ", remote" : ""}`}
       onClick={onClick}
       style={{

canvas/src/components/settings/SecretRow.tsx

@@ -3,16 +3,24 @@ import { useState, useCallback, useRef, useEffect } from 'react';
 import type { Secret, SecretGroup } from '@/types/secrets';
 import { useSecretsStore } from '@/stores/secrets-store';
 import { StatusBadge } from '@/components/ui/StatusBadge';
-import { RevealToggle } from '@/components/ui/RevealToggle';
 import { KeyValueField } from '@/components/ui/KeyValueField';
 import { ValidationHint } from '@/components/ui/ValidationHint';
 import { TestConnectionButton } from '@/components/ui/TestConnectionButton';
 import { validateSecretValue } from '@/lib/validation/secret-formats';
 import { SERVICES } from '@/lib/services';
 
-const AUTO_HIDE_MS = 30_000;
 const VALIDATION_DEBOUNCE_MS = 400;
 
+// Secret values are write-only from the browser: the server List endpoint
+// "Never exposes values", there is no per-secret decrypt route, and the
+// only decrypted path (GET /secrets/values) is bulk + token-gated for
+// remote agents. The old eye/RevealToggle was a dead affordance — it
+// flipped its own icon but could never reveal anything, which read as
+// "this doesn't work" (esp. once clicked → eye-with-slash). We show an
+// honest static indicator instead; rotation is via Edit.
+const WRITE_ONLY_TITLE =
+  'Value is write-only and cannot be revealed — use Edit to replace/rotate it';
+
 interface SecretRowProps {
   secret: Secret;
   workspaceId: string;
@@ -31,28 +39,12 @@ export function SecretRow({ secret, workspaceId }: SecretRowProps) {
   const setSecretStatus = useSecretsStore((s) => s.setSecretStatus);
 
   const isEditing = editingKey === secret.name;
-  const [revealed, setRevealed] = useState(false);
   const [editValue, setEditValue] = useState('');
   const [validationError, setValidationError] = useState<string | null>(null);
   const [isSaving, setIsSaving] = useState(false);
   const [saveError, setSaveError] = useState<string | null>(null);
   const debounceRef = useRef<ReturnType<typeof setTimeout>>(undefined);
   const editBtnRef = useRef<HTMLButtonElement>(null);
-  const revealTimerRef = useRef<ReturnType<typeof setTimeout>>(undefined);
-
-  // Auto-hide revealed value after 30s
-  useEffect(() => {
-    if (revealed) {
-      clearTimeout(revealTimerRef.current);
-      revealTimerRef.current = setTimeout(() => setRevealed(false), AUTO_HIDE_MS);
-      return () => clearTimeout(revealTimerRef.current);
-    }
-  }, [revealed]);
-
-  // Reset revealed state when panel closes (session-only)
-  useEffect(() => {
-    return () => setRevealed(false);
-  }, []);
 
   // Debounced validation
   useEffect(() => {
@@ -133,11 +125,15 @@ export function SecretRow({ secret, workspaceId }: SecretRowProps) {
           {secret.masked_value}
         </span>
         <div className="secret-row__actions">
-          <RevealToggle
-            revealed={revealed}
-            onToggle={() => setRevealed((r) => !r)}
-            label={`Toggle reveal ${secret.name}`}
-          />
+          <span
+            data-testid="write-only-indicator"
+            className="secret-row__write-only"
+            role="img"
+            aria-label={`${secret.name} value is write-only and cannot be revealed; use Edit to replace it`}
+            title={WRITE_ONLY_TITLE}
+          >
+            🔒
+          </span>
           <StatusBadge status={secret.status} />
           <button
             type="button"

canvas/src/components/settings/TokensTab.tsx

@@ -16,7 +16,40 @@ interface TokensTabProps {
   workspaceId: string;
 }
 
+// The settings panel passes the literal sentinel "global" when no canvas
+// node is selected. Workspace tokens are inherently per-workspace — there
+// is no /workspaces/global/tokens endpoint (querying the uuid column with
+// "global" 500s on Postgres). The org-wide equivalent lives in the
+// separate "Org API Keys" tab. Mirrors the sentinel-awareness that
+// api/secrets.ts already has (workspaceId === 'global' → /settings/secrets).
+const GLOBAL_WORKSPACE_ID = 'global';
+
 export function TokensTab({ workspaceId }: TokensTabProps) {
+  if (workspaceId === GLOBAL_WORKSPACE_ID) {
+    return (
+      <div className="p-4 space-y-4">
+        <div>
+          <h3 className="text-sm font-semibold text-ink">API Tokens</h3>
+          <p className="text-[10px] text-ink-mid mt-0.5">
+            Bearer tokens for authenticating API calls to this workspace.
+          </p>
+        </div>
+        <div className="text-center py-6">
+          <p className="text-xs text-ink-mid">Select a workspace node first</p>
+          <p className="text-[10px] text-ink-mid mt-1">
+            Workspace tokens are scoped to a single workspace. Select a node
+            on the canvas to manage its tokens, or use the{' '}
+            <span className="text-accent font-medium">Org API Keys</span> tab
+            for org-wide API keys.
+          </p>
+        </div>
+      </div>
+    );
+  }
+  return <WorkspaceTokensTab workspaceId={workspaceId} />;
+}
+
+function WorkspaceTokensTab({ workspaceId }: TokensTabProps) {
   const [tokens, setTokens] = useState<Token[]>([]);
   const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true);
   const [creating, setCreating] = useState(false);

canvas/src/components/settings/__tests__/SecretRow.test.tsx

@@ -138,14 +138,54 @@ describe("SecretRow — display mode", () => {
     expect(document.querySelector('[role="row"]')).toBeTruthy();
   });
 
-  it("has Reveal, Copy, Edit, Delete buttons", () => {
+  it("has Copy, Edit, Delete buttons", () => {
     render(<SecretRow secret={GITHUB_SECRET} workspaceId="ws-1" />);
-    expect(screen.getByTestId("reveal-toggle")).toBeTruthy();
     expect(screen.getByRole("button", { name: /copy/i })).toBeTruthy();
     expect(screen.getByRole("button", { name: /edit/i })).toBeTruthy();
     expect(screen.getByRole("button", { name: /delete/i })).toBeTruthy();
   });
 
+  // Regression: the reveal/eye control was a dead affordance. Clicking it
+  // flipped its own icon (eye → eye-with-slash) but never revealed the value,
+  // because secret values are write-only from the browser (server List
+  // "Never exposes values"; there is no per-secret decrypt endpoint and the
+  // client has no plaintext-fetch function). The honest fix removes the
+  // toggle and shows a static "write-only / cannot be revealed" indicator.
+  // See internal tracking issue + internal#210/#211.
+  it("does NOT render a reveal/eye toggle (values are write-only)", () => {
+    render(<SecretRow secret={GITHUB_SECRET} workspaceId="ws-1" />);
+    expect(screen.queryByTestId("reveal-toggle")).toBeNull();
+    expect(
+      screen.queryByRole("button", { name: /toggle reveal/i }),
+    ).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it("shows a write-only indicator explaining the value cannot be revealed", () => {
+    render(<SecretRow secret={ANTHROPIC_SECRET} workspaceId="ws-1" />);
+    const indicator = screen.getByTestId("write-only-indicator");
+    expect(indicator).toBeTruthy();
+    // Affordance must be honest: explain it cannot be revealed and that
+    // Edit is the rotate path. It must not be a clickable button.
+    const title = indicator.getAttribute("title") ?? "";
+    expect(title.toLowerCase()).toMatch(/write-only|cannot be revealed/);
+    expect(indicator.tagName).not.toBe("BUTTON");
+  });
+
+  it("write-only indicator is present for the Anthropic/OAuth-token row too", () => {
+    // The reported bug singled out CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN (anthropic group);
+    // the fix is group-agnostic — every row gets the same honest affordance.
+    const OAUTH_SECRET = {
+      name: "CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN",
+      masked_value: "••••••••••••••••9d2a",
+      group: "anthropic" as const,
+      status: "unverified" as const,
+      updated_at: "2024-01-04",
+    };
+    render(<SecretRow secret={OAUTH_SECRET} workspaceId="ws-1" />);
+    expect(screen.queryByTestId("reveal-toggle")).toBeNull();
+    expect(screen.getByTestId("write-only-indicator")).toBeTruthy();
+  });
+
   it("shows invalid status correctly", () => {
     render(<SecretRow secret={CUSTOM_SECRET} workspaceId="ws-1" />);
     expect(screen.getByTestId("status-badge").getAttribute("data-status")).toBe("invalid");

canvas/src/components/settings/__tests__/TokensTab.test.tsx

@@ -302,3 +302,35 @@ describe("TokensTab — error", () => {
     expect(document.querySelector('[role="status"]')).toBeNull();
   });
 });
+
+// ─── "global" sentinel (no node selected) ────────────────────────────────────
+//
+// Regression: SettingsPanel passes the literal "global" when no canvas
+// node is selected. workspace tokens are per-workspace and there is no
+// /workspaces/global/tokens endpoint — calling it 500'd
+// ("invalid input syntax for type uuid: global"). The tab must NOT call
+// the API in that state and must point the user at the Org API Keys tab.
+describe("TokensTab — global sentinel (no node selected)", () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    mockApiGet.mockReset();
+    mockApiPost.mockReset();
+    mockApiGet.mockRejectedValue(new Error("should not be called"));
+  });
+
+  it("does not call the API and shows a pointer to Org API Keys", async () => {
+    render(<TokensTab workspaceId="global" />);
+    await flush();
+    expect(mockApiGet).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(mockApiPost).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(document.body.textContent).toContain("Select a workspace node");
+    expect(document.body.textContent).toContain("Org API Keys");
+    // No error banner, no scary 500 surfacing.
+    expect(document.querySelector(".text-bad")).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it("has no create button in the global state", async () => {
+    render(<TokensTab workspaceId="global" />);
+    await flush();
+    expect(document.body.textContent).not.toContain("New Token");
+  });
+});

canvas/src/components/tabs/ChatTab.tsx

@@ -5,16 +5,19 @@ import ReactMarkdown from "react-markdown";
 import remarkGfm from "remark-gfm";
 import { api } from "@/lib/api";
 import { useCanvasStore, type WorkspaceNodeData } from "@/store/canvas";
-import { useSocketEvent } from "@/hooks/useSocketEvent";
 import { type ChatMessage, type ChatAttachment, createMessage, appendMessageDeduped } from "./chat/types";
-import { uploadChatFiles, downloadChatFile, isPlatformAttachment } from "./chat/uploads";
+import { downloadChatFile, isPlatformAttachment } from "./chat/uploads";
 import { PendingAttachmentPill } from "./chat/AttachmentViews";
 import { AttachmentPreview } from "./chat/AttachmentPreview";
-import { extractFilesFromTask } from "./chat/message-parser";
 import { AgentCommsPanel } from "./chat/AgentCommsPanel";
 import { appendActivityLine } from "./chat/activityLog";
 import { runtimeDisplayName } from "@/lib/runtime-names";
 import { ConfirmDialog } from "@/components/ConfirmDialog";
+import { useChatHistory } from "./chat/hooks/useChatHistory";
+import { useChatSend } from "./chat/hooks/useChatSend";
+import { useChatSocket } from "./chat/hooks/useChatSocket";
+
+export { extractReplyText } from "./chat/hooks/useChatSend";
 
 interface Props {
   workspaceId: string;
@@ -23,147 +26,6 @@ interface Props {
 
 type ChatSubTab = "my-chat" | "agent-comms";
 
-// A2A response shape (subset). The full schema is in @a2a-js/sdk but we only
-// need parts/artifacts text + file extraction for the synchronous fallback.
-interface A2AFileRef {
-  name?: string;
-  mimeType?: string;
-  uri?: string;
-  bytes?: string;
-  size?: number;
-}
-// Outbound shape matches a2a-sdk's JSON-RPC `SendMessageRequest`
-// Pydantic union (TextPart | FilePart | DataPart). The flat
-// protobuf shape `{url, filename, mediaType}` is rejected at the
-// request boundary with `Field required` errors — keep this
-// outbound shape unless a2a-sdk migrates the JSON-RPC schema.
-interface A2APart {
-  kind: string;
-  text?: string;
-  file?: A2AFileRef;
-}
-interface A2AResponse {
-  result?: {
-    parts?: A2APart[];
-    artifacts?: Array<{ parts: A2APart[] }>;
-  };
-}
-
-// Internal-self-message filtering moved server-side in RFC #2945
-// PR-C/D — the platform's /chat-history endpoint applies the
-// IsInternalSelfMessage predicate before returning rows, so the
-// client no longer needs the local backstop on the history path.
-// The proper fix is still X-Workspace-ID header (source_id=workspace_id);
-// the platform-side prefix filter handles the residual cases.
-
-// extractReplyText pulls the agent's text reply out of an A2A response.
-// Concatenates ALL text parts (joined with "\n") rather than returning
-// just the first. Claude Code and other runtimes commonly emit multi-
-// part text replies for long content (markdown tables, code blocks),
-// and the prior "first part wins" implementation silently truncated
-// the rest — observed on a 15k-char Wave 1 brief that rendered only
-// the table header. Mirrors extractTextsFromParts in message-parser.ts.
-//
-// Server-side counterpart in workspace-server/internal/channels/
-// manager.go has the same single-part bug; fix that too if/when a
-// channel-delivered reply (Slack, Lark, etc.) gets truncated.
-export function extractReplyText(resp: A2AResponse): string {
-  const collect = (parts: A2APart[] | undefined): string => {
-    if (!parts) return "";
-    return parts
-      .filter((p) => p.kind === "text")
-      .map((p) => p.text ?? "")
-      .filter(Boolean)
-      .join("\n");
-  };
-  const result = resp?.result;
-  const collected: string[] = [];
-  const fromParts = collect(result?.parts);
-  if (fromParts) collected.push(fromParts);
-  // Walk artifacts even if parts had text — some producers (Hermes
-  // tool calls) emit a summary in parts AND details in artifacts.
-  // Returning early on parts dropped the artifact body silently.
-  if (result?.artifacts) {
-    for (const a of result.artifacts) {
-      const t = collect(a.parts);
-      if (t) collected.push(t);
-    }
-  }
-  return collected.join("\n");
-}
-
-// Agent-returned files live on the same response shape as text —
-// delegated to extractFilesFromTask in message-parser.ts, which also
-// walks status.message.parts (that ChatTab's legacy text extractor
-// doesn't). Single source of truth for file-part parsing across
-// live chat, activity log replay, and any future consumers.
-
-/** Initial chat history page size. The newest N messages are rendered
- *  on first paint; older history is fetched on demand via loadOlder()
- *  when the user scrolls the top sentinel into view. */
-const INITIAL_HISTORY_LIMIT = 10;
-/** Subsequent older-history batch size. Larger than INITIAL so a long
- *  scroll-back doesn't fan out into many round-trips. */
-const OLDER_HISTORY_BATCH = 20;
-
-/**
- * Load chat history from the platform's typed /chat-history endpoint.
- *
- * Server-side rendering of activity_logs rows into ChatMessage shape
- * lives in workspace-server/internal/messagestore/postgres_store.go
- * (RFC #2945 PR-C/D). The server already applies the canvas-source
- * filter, the internal-self-message predicate, the role decision
- * (status=error vs agent-error prefix → system), and the v0/v1
- * file-shape extraction. Canvas just renders what it receives.
- *
- * Wire shape (mirrors ChatMessage exactly, no per-row mapping needed):
- *
- *   GET /workspaces/:id/chat-history?limit=N&before_ts=T
- *   200 → {"messages": ChatMessage[], "reached_end": boolean}
- *
- * Pagination:
- *  - Pass `limit` to bound the page size (newest-first from server).
- *  - Pass `beforeTs` (RFC3339) to fetch rows STRICTLY OLDER than that
- *    timestamp. Combined with limit, this yields the next-older page
- *    when scrolling backward through history.
- *
- * `reachedEnd` is propagated from the server. The server computes it
- * by comparing rowCount vs limit so a partial last page is correctly
- * detected even when the row→bubble fan-out is non-1:1 (each row
- * produces 1-2 bubbles).
- */
-async function loadMessagesFromDB(
-  workspaceId: string,
-  limit: number,
-  beforeTs?: string,
-): Promise<{ messages: ChatMessage[]; error: string | null; reachedEnd: boolean }> {
-  try {
-    const params = new URLSearchParams({ limit: String(limit) });
-    if (beforeTs) params.set("before_ts", beforeTs);
-    const resp = await api.get<{ messages: ChatMessage[]; reached_end: boolean }>(
-      `/workspaces/${workspaceId}/chat-history?${params.toString()}`,
-    );
-
-    // Server emits oldest-first within the page (RFC #2945 PR-C-2
-    // post-fix: server reverses row-aware before returning so the
-    // wire is display-ready). Canvas appends/prepends without
-    // reordering — this avoids the pair-flip bug a naive flat
-    // reverse causes when each row produces a (user, agent) pair
-    // with the same timestamp.
-    return {
-      messages: resp.messages ?? [],
-      error: null,
-      reachedEnd: resp.reached_end,
-    };
-  } catch (err) {
-    return {
-      messages: [],
-      error: err instanceof Error ? err.message : "Failed to load chat history",
-      reachedEnd: true,
-    };
-  }
-}
-
 /**
  * ChatTab container — renders sub-tab bar + My Chat or Agent Comms panel.
  */
@@ -171,7 +33,7 @@ export function ChatTab({ workspaceId, data }: Props) {
   const [subTab, setSubTab] = useState<ChatSubTab>("my-chat");
 
   return (
-    <div className="flex flex-col h-full">
+    <div data-testid="chat-panel" className="flex flex-col h-full">
       {/* Sub-tab bar — role="tablist" so screen readers expose tab context */}
       <div
         role="tablist"
@@ -247,268 +109,68 @@ export function ChatTab({ workspaceId, data }: Props) {
  * MyChatPanel — user↔agent conversation (extracted from original ChatTab).
  */
 function MyChatPanel({ workspaceId, data }: Props) {
-  const [messages, setMessages] = useState<ChatMessage[]>([]);
   const [input, setInput] = useState("");
-  // `sending` is strictly the "this tab kicked off a send and hasn't
-  // seen the reply yet" signal. Previously this was initialized from
-  // data.currentTask to pick up in-flight agent work on mount, but
-  // that conflated agent-busy (workspace heartbeat) with user-
-  // in-flight (local send): when the WS dropped a TASK_COMPLETE event,
-  // currentTask lingered, the component re-mounted with sending=true,
-  // and the Send button stayed disabled forever even though nothing
-  // local was in flight. For the "agent is busy, show spinner" UX,
-  // use data.currentTask directly in the render path.
-  const [sending, setSending] = useState(false);
-  const [thinkingElapsed, setThinkingElapsed] = useState(0);
+  const [pendingFiles, setPendingFiles] = useState<File[]>([]);
   const [activityLog, setActivityLog] = useState<string[]>([]);
-  const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true);
-  const [loadError, setLoadError] = useState<string | null>(null);
-  const currentTaskRef = useRef(data.currentTask);
-  const sendingFromAPIRef = useRef(false);
+  const [thinkingElapsed, setThinkingElapsed] = useState(0);
   const [agentReachable, setAgentReachable] = useState(false);
   const [error, setError] = useState<string | null>(null);
   const [confirmRestart, setConfirmRestart] = useState(false);
-  const bottomRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
-  // First-mount scroll-to-bottom needs `behavior: "instant"` — long
-  // conversations smooth-animate for ~300ms which any concurrent
-  // re-render can interrupt, leaving the user stuck mid-conversation
-  // when the chat tab opens. Subsequent appends (new agent messages)
-  // keep `smooth` for the visual "landing" feel. Flipped the first
-  // time messages.length goes positive, so a workspace switch (which
-  // remounts ChatTab) gets a fresh instant jump too.
-  const hasInitialScrollRef = useRef(false);
-  // Lazy-load older history on scroll-up.
-  // - containerRef = the scrollable messages viewport
-  // - topRef       = sentinel above the messages list; IO observes it
-  //                  and triggers loadOlder() when it enters view
-  // - hasMore      = false once a fetch returns < limit rows; stops IO
-  // - loadingOlder = drives the "Loading older messages…" UI label
-  // - inflightRef  = synchronous guard against double-entry of loadOlder
-  //                  when the IO callback fires twice in the same
-  //                  microtask (state-based guard would be stale until
-  //                  the next React commit)
-  // - scrollAnchorRef = saves distance-from-bottom before a prepend
-  //                  so the useLayoutEffect below can restore the
-  //                  user's exact viewport position. Without this,
-  //                  prepending older messages would jump the scroll
-  //                  position by the height of the new content.
-  // - oldestMessageRef / hasMoreRef = let the loadOlder closure read
-  //                  the latest values without taking them as deps —
-  //                  every live agent push mutates `messages`, and
-  //                  having loadOlder depend on `messages` would tear
-  //                  down + re-arm the IntersectionObserver on every
-  //                  push. Refs decouple the observer lifecycle from
-  //                  message-list updates.
+  const [dragOver, setDragOver] = useState(false);
+
   const containerRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
   const topRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
-  const [hasMore, setHasMore] = useState(true);
-  const [loadingOlder, setLoadingOlder] = useState(false);
-  const inflightRef = useRef(false);
-  // The scroll anchor includes the first-message id as it was BEFORE
-  // the prepend — see useLayoutEffect below for why. Without this tag,
-  // a live agent push that appends WHILE loadOlder is in flight would
-  // run useLayoutEffect against the append (anchor still set), the
-  // "restore" math would scroll the user to a stale offset, AND the
-  // append's normal scroll-to-bottom would be swallowed.
-  const scrollAnchorRef = useRef<
-    { savedDistanceFromBottom: number; expectFirstIdNotEqual: string | null } | null
-  >(null);
-  const oldestMessageRef = useRef<ChatMessage | null>(null);
-  const hasMoreRef = useRef(true);
-  // Monotonic token bumped on workspace switch + on every loadOlder
-  // entry. Each fetch's .then() captures its own token; if the token
-  // has moved, the resolved messages belong to a stale workspace or a
-  // superseded fetch and we silently drop them. Without this guard, a
-  // workspace switch mid-fetch would have the in-flight promise
-  // resolve into the new workspace's setMessages — the user sees
-  // someone else's history briefly.
-  const fetchTokenRef = useRef(0);
-  // Files the user has picked but not yet sent. Cleared on send
-  // (upload success) or by the × on each pill.
-  const [pendingFiles, setPendingFiles] = useState<File[]>([]);
-  const [uploading, setUploading] = useState(false);
+  const bottomRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
+  const hasInitialScrollRef = useRef(false);
   const fileInputRef = useRef<HTMLInputElement>(null);
-  // Guard against a double-click during the upload phase: React
-  // state updates from the click that started the upload haven't
-  // flushed yet, so the disabled-button logic sees `uploading=false`
-  // from the closure and lets a second `sendMessage` enter. A ref
-  // observes the latest value synchronously.
-  const sendInFlightRef = useRef(false);
-  // Monotonic token bumped on every sendMessage entry. Each .then()/
-  // .catch() captures its own token in closure and bails if a newer
-  // send has superseded it — prevents a late HTTP response for an
-  // earlier message from clobbering the flags / appending text that
-  // belong to a newer in-flight send. Race scenario the token closes:
-  // (1) send msg #1 (2) WS push for msg #1 arrives, releases guards
-  // (3) user sends msg #2 (4) HTTP for msg #1 finally lands — without
-  // the token check, .then() sees sendingFromAPIRef=true (set by
-  // msg #2's send), enters the main body, and processes msg #1's body
-  // as if it were msg #2's reply.
-  const sendTokenRef = useRef(0);
+  const dragDepthRef = useRef(0);
+  const pasteCounterRef = useRef(0);
 
-  // Release every in-flight send guard at once. Used by every site
-  // that ends a send: pendingAgentMsgs WS push, ACTIVITY_LOGGED
-  // a2a_receive ok/error WS event, HTTP .then() success, and HTTP
-  // .catch() success. Keep these in lockstep — a future contributor
-  // adding a new "I saw the reply" path that only clears `sending` +
-  // `sendingFromAPIRef` (the natural pair) silently re-introduces
-  // the post-WS Send-button freeze, because the disabled-button
-  // logic can't see `sendInFlightRef` and so the visible state diverges
-  // from the synchronous re-entry guard at line 464.
-  const releaseSendGuards = useCallback(() => {
-    setSending(false);
-    sendingFromAPIRef.current = false;
-    sendInFlightRef.current = false;
-  }, []);
+  const history = useChatHistory(workspaceId, containerRef);
+  const chatSend = useChatSend(workspaceId, {
+    getHistoryMessages: () => history.messages,
+    onUserMessage: (msg) => history.setMessages((prev) => [...prev, msg]),
+    onAgentMessage: (msg) => history.setMessages((prev) => appendMessageDeduped(prev, msg)),
+  });
+  const { sending, uploading, sendMessage, error: sendError, clearError: clearSendError, releaseSendGuards, sendingFromAPIRef } = chatSend;
 
-  // Initial-load fetch — used by the mount effect and the "Retry"
-  // button below. Single source of truth so the two paths can't drift
-  // (e.g. INITIAL_HISTORY_LIMIT bumped in the effect but not the
-  // retry, leading to inconsistent first-paint sizes).
-  const loadInitial = useCallback(() => {
-    setLoading(true);
-    setLoadError(null);
-    setHasMore(true);
-    // Bump the token; any in-flight fetch from the previous workspace
-    // (or a previous retry) will see token != myToken in its .then()
-    // and silently bail — the late response can't clobber the new
-    // workspace's state.
-    fetchTokenRef.current += 1;
-    const myToken = fetchTokenRef.current;
-    loadMessagesFromDB(workspaceId, INITIAL_HISTORY_LIMIT).then(
-      ({ messages: msgs, error: fetchErr, reachedEnd }) => {
-        if (fetchTokenRef.current !== myToken) return;
-        setMessages(msgs);
-        setLoadError(fetchErr);
-        setHasMore(!reachedEnd);
-        setLoading(false);
-      },
-    );
-  }, [workspaceId]);
+  const displayError = error || sendError;
 
-  // Load chat history on mount / workspace switch.
-  // Initial load is bounded to INITIAL_HISTORY_LIMIT (newest 10) — the
-  // rest streams in as the user scrolls up via loadOlder() below. Pre-
-  // 2026-05-05 this fetched the newest 50 in one shot; on a long-running
-  // workspace that meant 50× message-bubble paint + DOM cost on every
-  // tab-open even when the user only wanted to read the last few.
-  useEffect(() => {
-    loadInitial();
-  }, [loadInitial]);
-
-  // Mirror the latest oldest-message + hasMore into refs so loadOlder
-  // can read them without taking `messages` as a dep. Every live push
-  // through agentMessages would otherwise recreate loadOlder and tear
-  // down the IO observer.
-  useEffect(() => {
-    oldestMessageRef.current = messages[0] ?? null;
-  }, [messages]);
-  useEffect(() => {
-    hasMoreRef.current = hasMore;
-  }, [hasMore]);
-
-  // Fetch the next-older batch and prepend. Stable identity (deps =
-  // [workspaceId]) so the IntersectionObserver effect below doesn't
-  // re-arm on every messages update.
-  const loadOlder = useCallback(async () => {
-    // inflightRef is the load-bearing guard — synchronous, set BEFORE
-    // any await, so two IO callbacks dispatched in the same microtask
-    // can't both pass. The state checks are defensive secondary
-    // gates for the slow-scroll case.
-    if (inflightRef.current || !hasMoreRef.current) return;
-    const oldest = oldestMessageRef.current;
-    if (!oldest) return;
-    const container = containerRef.current;
-    if (!container) return;
-    inflightRef.current = true;
-    // Capture the user's distance-from-bottom BEFORE we prepend so the
-    // useLayoutEffect can restore it after the new DOM lands. The
-    // expectFirstIdNotEqual tag is what the layout effect checks
-    // against `messages[0].id` to disambiguate prepend (id changed) vs
-    // append (id unchanged → live message landed mid-fetch). Without
-    // it, an agent push during loadOlder runs the "restore" against a
-    // stale anchor — user gets yanked + the append's bottom-pin is
-    // swallowed.
-    scrollAnchorRef.current = {
-      savedDistanceFromBottom: container.scrollHeight - container.scrollTop,
-      expectFirstIdNotEqual: oldest.id,
-    };
-    fetchTokenRef.current += 1;
-    const myToken = fetchTokenRef.current;
-    setLoadingOlder(true);
-    try {
-      const { messages: older, reachedEnd } = await loadMessagesFromDB(
-        workspaceId,
-        OLDER_HISTORY_BATCH,
-        oldest.timestamp,
-      );
-      // Workspace switched (or another loadOlder bumped the token)
-      // mid-fetch — drop these results, they belong to a stale tab.
-      if (fetchTokenRef.current !== myToken) {
-        scrollAnchorRef.current = null;
-        return;
+  useChatSocket(workspaceId, {
+    onAgentMessage: (msg) => {
+      history.setMessages((prev) => appendMessageDeduped(prev, msg));
+      if (sendingFromAPIRef.current) {
+        releaseSendGuards();
       }
-      if (older.length > 0) {
-        setMessages((prev) => [...older, ...prev]);
-      } else {
-        // Nothing came back — clear the anchor so the next paint doesn't
-        // try to "restore" against a no-op prepend.
-        scrollAnchorRef.current = null;
+    },
+    onActivityLog: (entry) => {
+      if (!sending) return;
+      setActivityLog((prev) => appendActivityLine(prev, entry));
+    },
+    onSendComplete: () => {
+      if (sendingFromAPIRef.current) {
+        releaseSendGuards();
       }
-      setHasMore(!reachedEnd);
-    } finally {
-      setLoadingOlder(false);
-      inflightRef.current = false;
-    }
-  }, [workspaceId]);
-
-  // IntersectionObserver on the top sentinel. Fires loadOlder() the
-  // moment the user scrolls within 200px of the top. AbortController
-  // unwires cleanly on workspace switch / unmount; root is the
-  // scrollable container so we observe only what's visible inside it.
-  //
-  // Dependencies:
-  //  - loadOlder    — stable per workspaceId (refs decouple it from
-  //                   message updates), so this dep is here for the
-  //                   workspace-switch case only
-  //  - hasMore      — re-run when older history runs out so we
-  //                   disconnect cleanly
-  //  - hasMessages  — load-bearing: the sentinel JSX is gated on
-  //                   `messages.length > 0`, so topRef.current is null
-  //                   on the empty-messages render. We re-arm exactly
-  //                   once when messages first land. NOT depending on
-  //                   `messages.length` (or `messages`) directly so
-  //                   each subsequent message append doesn't tear down
-  //                   + re-arm the observer.
-  const hasMessages = messages.length > 0;
-  useEffect(() => {
-    const top = topRef.current;
-    const container = containerRef.current;
-    if (!top || !container) return;
-    if (!hasMore) return; // stop observing when no older history exists
-    const ac = new AbortController();
-    const io = new IntersectionObserver(
-      (entries) => {
-        if (ac.signal.aborted) return;
-        if (entries[0]?.isIntersecting) loadOlder();
-      },
-      { root: container, rootMargin: "200px 0px 0px 0px", threshold: 0 },
-    );
-    io.observe(top);
-    ac.signal.addEventListener("abort", () => io.disconnect());
-    return () => ac.abort();
-  }, [loadOlder, hasMore, hasMessages]);
+    },
+    onSendError: (err) => {
+      if (sendingFromAPIRef.current) {
+        releaseSendGuards();
+        setError(err);
+      }
+    },
+  });
 
   // Agent reachability
   useEffect(() => {
     const reachable = data.status === "online" || data.status === "degraded";
     setAgentReachable(reachable);
-    setError(reachable ? null : `Agent is ${data.status}`);
-  }, [data.status]);
-
-  useEffect(() => {
-    currentTaskRef.current = data.currentTask;
-  }, [data.currentTask]);
+    if (reachable) {
+      setError(null);
+      clearSendError();
+    } else {
+      setError(`Agent is ${data.status}`);
+    }
+  }, [data.status, clearSendError]);
 
   // Scroll behavior across messages updates:
   //  - Prepend (loadOlder landed)  → restore the user's saved
@@ -518,71 +180,24 @@ function MyChatPanel({ workspaceId, data }: Props) {
   // paint — otherwise the user sees the page jump for one frame.
   useLayoutEffect(() => {
     const container = containerRef.current;
-    const anchor = scrollAnchorRef.current;
-    // Only honor the anchor when this messages-update is the prepend
-    // we expected. messages[0].id is the test:
-    //   - prepend  → messages[0] is one of the older rows → id !== expectFirstIdNotEqual
-    //   - append   → messages[0] unchanged → id === expectFirstIdNotEqual → fall through
-    // Without this check, an agent push that lands mid-loadOlder would
-    // run the restore against the append's update, yank the user's
-    // scroll, AND swallow the append's bottom-pin.
+    const anchor = history.scrollAnchorRef.current;
     if (
       anchor &&
       container &&
-      messages.length > 0 &&
-      messages[0].id !== anchor.expectFirstIdNotEqual
+      history.messages.length > 0 &&
+      history.messages[0].id !== anchor.expectFirstIdNotEqual
     ) {
       container.scrollTop = container.scrollHeight - anchor.savedDistanceFromBottom;
-      scrollAnchorRef.current = null;
+      history.scrollAnchorRef.current = null;
       return;
     }
-    // Instant on first arrival of messages — smooth-scroll on a long
-    // conversation gets interrupted by concurrent renders and leaves
-    // the user stuck in the middle. After the first jump, subsequent
-    // appends animate as before.
-    if (!hasInitialScrollRef.current && messages.length > 0) {
+    if (!hasInitialScrollRef.current && history.messages.length > 0) {
       hasInitialScrollRef.current = true;
       bottomRef.current?.scrollIntoView({ behavior: "instant" as ScrollBehavior });
       return;
     }
     bottomRef.current?.scrollIntoView({ behavior: "smooth" });
-  }, [messages]);
-
-  // Consume agent push messages (send_message_to_user) from global store.
-  // Runtimes like Claude Code SDK deliver their reply via a WS push rather
-  // than the /a2a HTTP response — when that happens, the push is the
-  // authoritative "reply arrived" signal for the UI, so clear `sending`
-  // here too. The HTTP .then() coordinates through sendingFromAPIRef so
-  // whichever path clears first wins.
-  const pendingAgentMsgs = useCanvasStore((s) => s.agentMessages[workspaceId]);
-  useEffect(() => {
-    if (!pendingAgentMsgs || pendingAgentMsgs.length === 0) return;
-    const consume = useCanvasStore.getState().consumeAgentMessages;
-    const msgs = consume(workspaceId);
-    for (const m of msgs) {
-      // Dedupe in case the agent proactively pushed the same text the
-      // HTTP /a2a response already delivered (observed with the Hermes
-      // runtime, which emits both a reply body and a send_message_to_user
-      // push for the same content). Attachments ride along with the
-      // message so files returned by the A2A_RESPONSE WS path render
-      // their download chips.
-      setMessages((prev) => appendMessageDeduped(prev, createMessage("agent", m.content, m.attachments)));
-    }
-    if (sendingFromAPIRef.current && msgs.length > 0) {
-      // Reply arrived via WS push (e.g. claude-code SDK). Release all
-      // three guards together — without sendInFlightRef the next
-      // sendMessage() silently no-ops at the synchronous re-entry
-      // check.
-      releaseSendGuards();
-    }
-  }, [pendingAgentMsgs, workspaceId]);
-
-  // Resolve workspace ID → name for activity display
-  const resolveWorkspaceName = useCallback((id: string) => {
-    const nodes = useCanvasStore.getState().nodes;
-    const node = nodes.find((n) => n.id === id);
-    return (node?.data as WorkspaceNodeData)?.name || id.slice(0, 8);
-  }, []);
+  }, [history.messages, history.scrollAnchorRef]);
 
   // Elapsed timer while sending
   useEffect(() => {
@@ -609,211 +224,43 @@ function MyChatPanel({ workspaceId, data }: Props) {
     setActivityLog([`Processing with ${runtimeDisplayName(data.runtime)}...`]);
   }, [sending, data.runtime]);
 
-  // Subscribe to global WS via the singleton ReconnectingSocket (no
-  // per-component WebSocket — the previous pattern dropped events
-  // silently on any reconnect because each panel's raw socket had no
-  // onclose handler).
-  useSocketEvent((msg) => {
-    if (!sending) return;
-    try {
-        if (msg.event === "ACTIVITY_LOGGED") {
-          // Filter to events for THIS workspace. The platform's
-          // BroadcastOnly fires to every connected client, and
-          // without this guard a sibling workspace's a2a_send would
-          // surface as "→ Delegating to X..." inside the wrong
-          // chat panel. (workspace_id on the WS envelope is the
-          // workspace whose activity_log row we just wrote.)
-          if (msg.workspace_id !== workspaceId) return;
+  // IntersectionObserver on the top sentinel. Fires loadOlder() the
+  // moment the user scrolls within 200px of the top. AbortController
+  // unwires cleanly on workspace switch / unmount; root is the
+  // scrollable container so we observe only what's visible inside it.
+  const hasMessages = history.messages.length > 0;
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const top = topRef.current;
+    const container = containerRef.current;
+    if (!top || !container) return;
+    if (!history.hasMore) return;
+    const ac = new AbortController();
+    const io = new IntersectionObserver(
+      (entries) => {
+        if (ac.signal.aborted) return;
+        if (entries[0]?.isIntersecting) history.loadOlder();
+      },
+      { root: container, rootMargin: "200px 0px 0px 0px", threshold: 0 },
+    );
+    io.observe(top);
+    ac.signal.addEventListener("abort", () => io.disconnect());
+    return () => ac.abort();
+  }, [history.loadOlder, history.hasMore, hasMessages]);
 
-          const p = msg.payload || {};
-          const type = p.activity_type as string;
-          const method = (p.method as string) || "";
-          const status = (p.status as string) || "";
-          const targetId = (p.target_id as string) || "";
-          const durationMs = p.duration_ms as number | undefined;
-          const summary = (p.summary as string) || "";
-
-          let line = "";
-          if (type === "a2a_receive" && method === "message/send") {
-            const targetName = resolveWorkspaceName(targetId || msg.workspace_id);
-            if (status === "ok" && durationMs) {
-              const sec = Math.round(durationMs / 1000);
-              line = `← ${targetName} responded (${sec}s)`;
-              // The platform logs a successful a2a_receive once the workspace
-              // has fully produced its reply. That's the authoritative "done"
-              // signal for the spinner — clear it even if the reply hasn't
-              // surfaced through the store yet (it may be delivered shortly
-              // via pendingAgentMsgs or the HTTP .then()).
-              const own = (targetId || msg.workspace_id) === workspaceId;
-              if (own && sendingFromAPIRef.current) {
-                releaseSendGuards();
-              }
-            } else if (status === "error") {
-              line = `⚠ ${targetName} error`;
-              const own = (targetId || msg.workspace_id) === workspaceId;
-              if (own && sendingFromAPIRef.current) {
-                releaseSendGuards();
-                setError("Agent error (Exception) — see workspace logs for details.");
-              }
-            }
-          } else if (type === "a2a_send") {
-            const targetName = resolveWorkspaceName(targetId);
-            line = `→ Delegating to ${targetName}...`;
-          } else if (type === "task_update") {
-            if (summary) line = `⟳ ${summary}`;
-          } else if (type === "agent_log") {
-            // Per-tool-use telemetry from claude_sdk_executor's
-            // _report_tool_use. The summary already carries an icon
-            // + human-readable args (📄 Read /path, ⚡ Bash: …)
-            // so we render it verbatim. No icon prefix here — the
-            // emoji at the start of summary is the visual marker.
-            if (summary) line = summary;
-          }
-
-          if (line) {
-            setActivityLog((prev) => appendActivityLine(prev, line));
-          }
-        } else if (msg.event === "TASK_UPDATED" && msg.workspace_id === workspaceId) {
-          const task = (msg.payload?.current_task as string) || "";
-          if (task) {
-            setActivityLog((prev) => appendActivityLine(prev, `⟳ ${task}`));
-          }
-        }
-        // A2A_RESPONSE is already consumed by the store and its text is
-        // appended to messages via the pendingAgentMsgs effect above; we
-        // don't need to duplicate it here.
-    } catch { /* ignore */ }
-  });
-
-  const sendMessage = async () => {
+  const handleSend = async () => {
     const text = input.trim();
-    const filesToSend = pendingFiles;
-    // Allow sending if EITHER text OR attachments are present — a user
-    // can drop a file with no text and the agent still receives it.
-    if ((!text && filesToSend.length === 0) || !agentReachable || sending || uploading) return;
-    // Synchronous re-entry guard — see sendInFlightRef comment.
-    if (sendInFlightRef.current) return;
-    sendInFlightRef.current = true;
-
-    // Upload attachments first so we can include URIs in the A2A
-    // message parts. Sequential-before-send: a message with references
-    // to files not yet staged would fail agent-side; staging happens
-    // synchronously via /chat/uploads before message/send dispatch.
-    let uploaded: ChatAttachment[] = [];
-    if (filesToSend.length > 0) {
-      setUploading(true);
-      try {
-        uploaded = await uploadChatFiles(workspaceId, filesToSend);
-      } catch (e) {
-        setUploading(false);
-        sendInFlightRef.current = false;
-        setError(e instanceof Error ? `Upload failed: ${e.message}` : "Upload failed");
-        return;
-      }
-      setUploading(false);
-    }
-
+    const files = pendingFiles;
+    if ((!text && files.length === 0) || !agentReachable || sending || uploading) return;
     setInput("");
     setPendingFiles([]);
-    setMessages((prev) => [...prev, createMessage("user", text, uploaded)]);
-    setSending(true);
-    sendingFromAPIRef.current = true;
+    clearSendError();
     setError(null);
-    // Capture this send's token so the .then()/.catch() callbacks can
-    // detect a newer send that may have superseded them. See the
-    // sendTokenRef declaration for the race scenario this closes.
-    const myToken = ++sendTokenRef.current;
-
-    // Build conversation history from prior messages (last 20)
-    const history = messages
-      .filter((m) => m.role === "user" || m.role === "agent")
-      .slice(-20)
-      .map((m) => ({
-        role: m.role === "user" ? "user" : "agent",
-        parts: [{ kind: "text", text: m.content }],
-      }));
-
-    // A2A parts: text part (if any) + file parts (per attachment). The
-    // agent sees both in a single turn, matching the A2A spec shape.
-    // Wire shape is v0 — see A2APart definition above.
-    const parts: A2APart[] = [];
-    if (text) parts.push({ kind: "text", text });
-    for (const att of uploaded) {
-      parts.push({
-        kind: "file",
-        file: {
-          name: att.name,
-          mimeType: att.mimeType,
-          uri: att.uri,
-          size: att.size,
-        },
-      });
-    }
-
-    // A2A calls can legitimately take minutes — LLM latency +
-    // multi-turn tool use is common on slower providers (Hermes+minimax,
-    // Claude Code invoking bash/file tools, etc.). The 15s default
-    // would silently abort the fetch here, leaving the server to
-    // complete the reply and the user staring at
-    // "agent may be unreachable". Match the upload timeout (60s × 2)
-    // for the happy-path ceiling; anything longer is genuinely stuck.
-    api.post<A2AResponse>(`/workspaces/${workspaceId}/a2a`, {
-      method: "message/send",
-      params: {
-        message: {
-          role: "user",
-          messageId: crypto.randomUUID(),
-          parts,
-        },
-        metadata: { history },
-      },
-    }, { timeoutMs: 120_000 })
-      .then((resp) => {
-        // Bail without touching any flags if a newer sendMessage has
-        // already run — its myToken bumped sendTokenRef, so this is
-        // a stale callback for an earlier message. The newer send
-        // owns the in-flight guards now.
-        if (sendTokenRef.current !== myToken) return;
-        // Skip if the WS A2A_RESPONSE event already handled this response.
-        // Both paths (WS + HTTP) check sendingFromAPIRef — whichever clears
-        // it first wins, the other becomes a no-op (no duplicate messages).
-        if (!sendingFromAPIRef.current) {
-          sendInFlightRef.current = false;
-          return;
-        }
-        const replyText = extractReplyText(resp);
-        const replyFiles = extractFilesFromTask((resp?.result ?? {}) as Record<string, unknown>);
-        if (replyText || replyFiles.length > 0) {
-          setMessages((prev) =>
-            appendMessageDeduped(prev, createMessage("agent", replyText, replyFiles)),
-          );
-        }
-        releaseSendGuards();
-      })
-      .catch(() => {
-        // Stale-callback guard — same rationale as .then().
-        if (sendTokenRef.current !== myToken) return;
-        // Same dedup guard as .then(): if a WS path (pendingAgentMsgs
-        // or ACTIVITY_LOGGED a2a_receive ok) already delivered the
-        // reply, sendingFromAPIRef is already false and there's
-        // nothing to roll back. Surfacing "Failed to send" here would
-        // contradict the agent reply the user is currently reading —
-        // exactly the false-positive observed when the HTTP request
-        // hung up (proxy idle / 502) after WS already won.
-        if (!sendingFromAPIRef.current) {
-          sendInFlightRef.current = false;
-          return;
-        }
-        releaseSendGuards();
-        setError("Failed to send message — agent may be unreachable");
-      });
+    await sendMessage(text, files);
   };
 
   const onFilesPicked = (fileList: FileList | null) => {
     if (!fileList) return;
     const picked = Array.from(fileList);
-    // Deduplicate against current pending set by name+size — user
-    // picking the same file twice shouldn't append it.
     setPendingFiles((prev) => {
       const keyed = new Set(prev.map((f) => `${f.name}:${f.size}`));
       return [...prev, ...picked.filter((f) => !keyed.has(`${f.name}:${f.size}`))];
@@ -824,35 +271,7 @@ function MyChatPanel({ workspaceId, data }: Props) {
   const removePendingFile = (index: number) =>
     setPendingFiles((prev) => prev.filter((_, i) => i !== index));
 
-  // Monotonic counter so two paste events within the same wall-clock
-  // second still produce distinct filenames. Without this, on
-  // Firefox (where pasted images have an empty `file.name`), two
-  // pastes ~100ms apart could yield identical synthetic names AND
-  // identical sizes, collapsing into one attachment via the
-  // `name:size` dedup in onFilesPicked.
-  const pasteCounterRef = useRef(0);
-
-  /** Paste-from-clipboard image attachment.
-   *
-   *  Browser clipboard image items arrive as `File`s whose `name` is
-   *  often a generic "image.png" (Chrome) or empty (Firefox/Safari),
-   *  so two consecutive screenshot pastes collide on the name+size
-   *  dedup the file-picker uses. Re-tag each pasted image with a
-   *  per-paste unique name so dedup keeps them apart and the upload
-   *  pipeline (which expects a non-empty filename) is happy.
-   *
-   *  Falls through to onFilesPicked via direct File[] (NOT through
-   *  the DataTransfer constructor — that throws on Safari < 14.1
-   *  and old Edge, silently aborting the paste).
-   *
-   *  Only intercepts the paste when the clipboard has at least one
-   *  image; text-only pastes fall through to the textarea's default
-   *  behaviour. */
   const mimeToExt = (mime: string): string => {
-    // Avoid raw `mime.split("/")[1]` — that yields `"svg+xml"`,
-    // `"jpeg"`, `"webp"` etc. which produce ugly filenames and may
-    // trip server-side extension allowlists. Map known types
-    // explicitly; unknown falls back to a safe default.
     if (mime === "image/svg+xml") return "svg";
     if (mime === "image/jpeg") return "jpg";
     if (mime === "image/png") return "png";
@@ -873,26 +292,16 @@ function MyChatPanel({ workspaceId, data }: Props) {
       const file = item.getAsFile();
       if (!file) continue;
       const ext = mimeToExt(file.type);
-      const stamp = new Date()
-        .toISOString()
-        .replace(/[:.]/g, "-")
-        .slice(0, 19);
+      const stamp = new Date().toISOString().replace(/[:.]/g, "-").slice(0, 19);
       const seq = pasteCounterRef.current++;
       const fname = `pasted-${stamp}-${seq}-${i}.${ext}`;
       imageFiles.push(new File([file], fname, { type: file.type }));
     }
     if (imageFiles.length === 0) return;
     e.preventDefault();
-    // Reuse the picker path so file-size guards, dedup, and pending-
-    // list state all run through the same code. Build a synthetic
-    // FileList-like object to avoid the DataTransfer constructor —
-    // that's missing on Safari < 14.1 / old Edge and would silently
-    // throw, leaving the paste a no-op.
     addPastedFiles(imageFiles);
   };
 
-  // Variant of onFilesPicked that accepts a File[] directly, sidestepping
-  // the DataTransfer-FileList round-trip. Same dedup + state shape.
   const addPastedFiles = (files: File[]) => {
     setPendingFiles((prev) => {
       const keyed = new Set(prev.map((f) => `${f.name}:${f.size}`));
@@ -900,11 +309,6 @@ function MyChatPanel({ workspaceId, data }: Props) {
     });
   };
 
-  // Drag-and-drop staging. dragDepthRef counts enter vs leave events so
-  // the overlay doesn't flicker when the cursor crosses nested children
-  // (textarea, buttons) — dragenter/dragleave fire for every boundary.
-  const [dragOver, setDragOver] = useState(false);
-  const dragDepthRef = useRef(0);
   const dropEnabled = agentReachable && !sending && !uploading;
   const isFileDrag = (e: React.DragEvent) =>
     Array.from(e.dataTransfer.types || []).includes("Files");
@@ -934,9 +338,6 @@ function MyChatPanel({ workspaceId, data }: Props) {
   };
 
   const downloadAttachment = (att: ChatAttachment) => {
-    // Errors here are rare but user-visible (401 on a revoked token,
-    // 404 if the agent deleted the file). Surface via the inline
-    // error banner — the message list itself stays untouched.
     downloadChatFile(workspaceId, att).catch((e) => {
       setError(e instanceof Error ? `Download failed: ${e.message}` : "Download failed");
     });
@@ -962,28 +363,54 @@ function MyChatPanel({ workspaceId, data }: Props) {
           </div>
         </div>
       )}
+      {/* talk_to_user disabled banner — shown when the workspace has
+           talk_to_user_enabled=false. The agent cannot send canvas messages;
+           the user can re-enable the ability from here without opening settings. */}
+      {data.talkToUserEnabled === false && (
+        <div className="flex items-center gap-2 px-3 py-2 bg-surface-sunken border-b border-line/40 shrink-0">
+          <svg width="14" height="14" viewBox="0 0 16 16" fill="none" aria-hidden="true" className="shrink-0 text-ink-mid">
+            <path d="M8 1a7 7 0 1 0 0 14A7 7 0 0 0 8 1Zm0 10.5a.75.75 0 1 1 0-1.5.75.75 0 0 1 0 1.5ZM8 4a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.75v4a.75.75 0 0 1-1.5 0v-4A.75.75 0 0 1 8 4Z" fill="currentColor"/>
+          </svg>
+          <span className="text-[10px] text-ink-mid flex-1">
+            Agent is not enabled to chat with you.
+          </span>
+          <button
+            onClick={async () => {
+              try {
+                await api.patch(`/workspaces/${workspaceId}/abilities`, { talk_to_user_enabled: true });
+                useCanvasStore.getState().updateNodeData(workspaceId, { talkToUserEnabled: true });
+              } catch {
+                // ignore — user will see no change and can retry
+              }
+            }}
+            className="px-2 py-0.5 text-[10px] font-medium bg-accent/10 hover:bg-accent/20 text-accent rounded border border-accent/30 transition-colors shrink-0"
+          >
+            Enable
+          </button>
+        </div>
+      )}
       {/* Messages */}
       <div ref={containerRef} className="flex-1 overflow-y-auto p-3 space-y-3">
-        {loading && (
+        {history.loading && (
           <div className="text-xs text-ink-mid text-center py-4">Loading chat history...</div>
         )}
-        {!loading && loadError !== null && messages.length === 0 && (
+        {!history.loading && history.loadError !== null && history.messages.length === 0 && (
           <div
             role="alert"
             className="mx-2 mt-2 rounded-lg border border-red-800/50 bg-red-950/30 px-3 py-2.5"
           >
             <p className="text-[11px] text-bad mb-1.5">
-              Failed to load chat history: {loadError}
+              Failed to load chat history: {history.loadError}
             </p>
             <button
-              onClick={loadInitial}
+              onClick={history.loadInitial}
               className="text-[10px] px-2 py-0.5 rounded bg-red-800 text-red-200 hover:bg-red-700 transition-colors"
             >
               Retry
             </button>
           </div>
         )}
-        {!loading && loadError === null && messages.length === 0 && (
+        {!history.loading && history.loadError === null && history.messages.length === 0 && (
           <div className="text-xs text-ink-mid text-center py-8">
             No messages yet. Send a message to start chatting with this agent.
           </div>
@@ -1001,12 +428,12 @@ function MyChatPanel({ workspaceId, data }: Props) {
             instead of showing a "no more messages" footer — the user's
             scroll resting against the top of the conversation IS the
             signal. */}
-        {hasMore && messages.length > 0 && (
+        {history.hasMore && history.messages.length > 0 && (
           <div ref={topRef} className="text-xs text-ink-mid text-center py-1">
-            {loadingOlder ? "Loading older messages…" : " "}
+            {history.loadingOlder ? "Loading older messages…" : " "}
           </div>
         )}
-        {messages.map((msg) => (
+        {history.messages.map((msg) => (
           <div key={msg.id} className={`flex ${msg.role === "user" ? "justify-end" : "justify-start"}`}>
             <div
               className={`max-w-[85%] rounded-lg px-3 py-2 text-xs ${
@@ -1166,10 +593,10 @@ function MyChatPanel({ workspaceId, data }: Props) {
       </div>
 
       {/* Error banner */}
-      {error && (
+      {displayError && (
         <div className="px-3 py-2 bg-red-900/20 border-t border-red-800/30">
           <div className="flex items-center justify-between">
-            <span className="text-[10px] text-red-300">{error}</span>
+            <span className="text-[10px] text-red-300">{displayError}</span>
             {!isOnline && (
               <button
                 onClick={() => setConfirmRestart(true)}
@@ -1237,7 +664,7 @@ function MyChatPanel({ workspaceId, data }: Props) {
                 e.keyCode !== 229
               ) {
                 e.preventDefault();
-                sendMessage();
+                handleSend();
               }
             }}
             onPaste={onPasteIntoComposer}
@@ -1247,7 +674,7 @@ function MyChatPanel({ workspaceId, data }: Props) {
             className="flex-1 bg-surface-card border border-line rounded-lg px-3 py-2 text-xs text-ink placeholder-ink-soft dark:bg-zinc-800 dark:border-zinc-600 dark:placeholder-zinc-500 focus:outline-none focus:border-accent focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-accent/40 resize-none disabled:opacity-50"
           />
           <button
-            onClick={sendMessage}
+            onClick={handleSend}
             disabled={(!input.trim() && pendingFiles.length === 0) || !agentReachable || sending || uploading}
             className="px-4 py-2 bg-accent-strong hover:bg-accent text-xs font-medium rounded-lg text-white disabled:opacity-30 transition-colors shrink-0"
           >

canvas/src/components/tabs/ConfigTab.tsx

@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ export function deriveProvidersFromModels(models: ModelSpec[]): string[] {
 // exactly the point of the platform adaptor. The deep `~/.hermes/
 // config.yaml` on the container is a separate runtime-internal file,
 // not this one.
-const RUNTIMES_WITH_OWN_CONFIG = new Set<string>(["external", "kimi", "kimi-cli"]);
+const RUNTIMES_WITH_OWN_CONFIG = new Set<string>(["external", "kimi", "kimi-cli", "openclaw"]);
 
 const FALLBACK_RUNTIME_OPTIONS: RuntimeOption[] = [
   { value: "", label: "LangGraph (default)", models: [], providers: [] },

canvas/src/components/tabs/FilesTab.tsx

@@ -45,11 +45,54 @@ export function FilesTab({ workspaceId, data }: Props) {
   if (data && isExternalLikeRuntime(data.runtime)) {
     return <NotAvailablePanel runtime={data.runtime} />;
   }
-  return <PlatformOwnedFilesTab workspaceId={workspaceId} />;
+  return <PlatformOwnedFilesTab workspaceId={workspaceId} runtime={data?.runtime} />;
 }
 
-function PlatformOwnedFilesTab({ workspaceId }: { workspaceId: string }) {
-  const [root, setRoot] = useState("/configs");
+/** Picks the initial root for the FilesTab dropdown based on the
+ *  workspace's runtime. Decision: per-runtime default (Hongming
+ *  2026-05-15, internal#425 Decisions §2).
+ *
+ *  - openclaw → `/agent-home` (the agent's identity/state — the
+ *    user-facing interesting files for that runtime live in
+ *    `~/.openclaw/` inside the container, which `/agent-home` maps to
+ *    via the Phase 2b docker-exec backend).
+ *  - everything else (claude-code, hermes, external-like, undefined)
+ *    → `/configs` (the legacy default — managed config that flows
+ *    through the per-runtime indirection in
+ *    workspace-server/internal/handlers/template_files_eic.go).
+ *
+ *  When the runtime is undefined (legacy callers that don't thread
+ *  `data` through, or a workspace whose runtime field hasn't loaded
+ *  yet) the default is `/configs` — matches today's behaviour, no
+ *  surprise.
+ *
+ *  Note on `/agent-home` pre-Phase-2b: the backend short-circuits
+ *  with HTTP 501 and the canonical "implementation pending" body.
+ *  The tab renders empty + the error banner explains. This is by
+ *  design — lets us land the canvas UX before the backend ships,
+ *  per the RFC's phased rollout. The 501 is graceful: it doesn't
+ *  poison error toasts or generate "workspace not found" noise.
+ *
+ *  Adding a new runtime that should default to `/agent-home`: add it
+ *  to the agentHomeDefaultRuntimes set below. Adding a runtime that
+ *  should default to a different root: extend this function. */
+const agentHomeDefaultRuntimes = new Set(["openclaw"]);
+
+function defaultRootForRuntime(runtime: string | undefined): string {
+  if (runtime && agentHomeDefaultRuntimes.has(runtime)) {
+    return "/agent-home";
+  }
+  return "/configs";
+}
+
+function PlatformOwnedFilesTab({
+  workspaceId,
+  runtime,
+}: {
+  workspaceId: string;
+  runtime?: string;
+}) {
+  const [root, setRoot] = useState(() => defaultRootForRuntime(runtime));
   const [selectedFile, setSelectedFile] = useState<string | null>(null);
   const [fileContent, setFileContent] = useState("");
   const [editContent, setEditContent] = useState("");

canvas/src/components/tabs/FilesTab/FileEditor.tsx

@@ -3,6 +3,22 @@
 import { useRef } from "react";
 import { getIcon } from "./tree";
 
+// secretShapeMarker is the canonical body the workspace-server Files
+// API returns when a file's path OR content matched a credential
+// regex (internal#425 RFC, Phase 2b — backed by
+// workspace-server/internal/secrets.ScanBytes). The marker is a
+// fixed prefix so the canvas can detect it without parsing JSON and
+// without round-tripping the matched bytes through the editor (which
+// would defeat the purpose — clipboard, browser history, log
+// surfaces would all see them).
+//
+// Today (Phase 1 / before 2b ships) the backend returns 501 for the
+// only root that uses this path, so the marker is dead code until
+// 2b lands. Wiring it in now keeps the canvas + backend contracts
+// aligned in one PR rather than a follow-up. The constant is
+// importable so a future test can pin the exact string.
+export const SECRET_SHAPE_DENIED_MARKER = "<denied: secret-shape>";
+
 interface Props {
   selectedFile: string | null;
   fileContent: string;
@@ -31,6 +47,22 @@ export function FileEditor({
   const editorRef = useRef<HTMLTextAreaElement>(null);
   const isDirty = editContent !== fileContent;
 
+  // internal#425 Phase 3: detect the secret-shape denial marker and
+  // render a placeholder instead of the editor. The marker comes
+  // from workspace-server Phase 2b (secrets.ScanBytes) which refuses
+  // to surface the file's bytes. We deliberately don't expose
+  // the matched pattern's Name here — the canvas just shows the
+  // generic denial. The Files API log surface has the Pattern.Name
+  // for operators who need to debug a false positive.
+  const isSecretShapeDenied = fileContent === SECRET_SHAPE_DENIED_MARKER;
+
+  // /agent-home is read-only from the canvas (Phase 2b ships read +
+  // delete; Phase-2b-followup may add write). Edits to /configs are
+  // unchanged. Until 2b ships, /agent-home returns 501 so this
+  // read-only gate is also dead code, but wiring it in now keeps
+  // the UI honest the moment 2b lands without a follow-up canvas PR.
+  const isReadOnlyRoot = root !== "/configs";
+
   if (!selectedFile) {
     return (
       <div className="flex-1 flex items-center justify-center">
@@ -75,11 +107,42 @@ export function FileEditor({
       {/* Editor area */}
       {loadingFile ? (
         <div className="p-4 text-xs text-ink-mid">Loading...</div>
+      ) : isSecretShapeDenied ? (
+        // Files API refused to surface this file's bytes because its
+        // path or content matched a credential regex
+        // (workspace-server/internal/secrets, internal#425 Phase 2b).
+        // We render a placeholder INSTEAD OF the textarea so the
+        // matched bytes never enter the DOM. Clipboard / view-source
+        // / element-inspector all see the placeholder, not the
+        // credential.
+        <div
+          role="region"
+          aria-label="File content denied"
+          className="flex-1 flex items-center justify-center p-6 bg-surface"
+        >
+          <div className="max-w-md text-center space-y-2">
+            <div className="text-2xl opacity-40">🛡️</div>
+            <p className="text-[11px] font-mono text-warm">
+              {SECRET_SHAPE_DENIED_MARKER}
+            </p>
+            <p className="text-[10px] text-ink-mid leading-relaxed">
+              The platform refused to surface this file because its
+              path or content matched a credential-shape pattern.
+              The bytes never left the workspace container.
+            </p>
+            <p className="text-[10px] text-ink-mid leading-relaxed">
+              If this is a false positive (test fixture, docs example,
+              or content that happens to share a credential's shape),
+              rename the file or adjust the content via the workspace
+              terminal so the regex no longer matches, then refresh.
+            </p>
+          </div>
+        </div>
       ) : (
         <textarea
           ref={editorRef}
           value={editContent}
-          readOnly={root !== "/configs"}
+          readOnly={isReadOnlyRoot}
           onChange={(e) => setEditContent(e.target.value)}
           onKeyDown={(e) => {
             if ((e.metaKey || e.ctrlKey) && e.key === "s") {

canvas/src/components/tabs/FilesTab/FilesToolbar.tsx

@@ -38,6 +38,15 @@ export function FilesToolbar({
           <option value="/home">/home</option>
           <option value="/workspace">/workspace</option>
           <option value="/plugins">/plugins</option>
+          {/* internal#425 Phase 1+3: container-internal $HOME root.
+              Backend lands the docker-exec dispatch in Phase 2b. Until
+              then the stub returns 501 with a canonical
+              "implementation pending" message — the dropdown renders
+              the option so the canvas affordance is design-frozen
+              even before the backend ships.
+              Runtime-default selection logic in FilesTab.tsx picks
+              this as the initial value for openclaw workspaces. */}
+          <option value="/agent-home">/agent-home</option>
         </select>
         <span className="text-[10px] text-ink-mid">{fileCount} files</span>
       </div>

canvas/src/components/tabs/FilesTab/__tests__/agentHome.test.tsx

@@ -0,0 +1,181 @@
+// @vitest-environment jsdom
+/**
+ * Tests for the /agent-home root selector + per-runtime default-root
+ * + secret-shape denial placeholder (internal#425 Phase 3).
+ *
+ * Separate file so the diff is reviewable as a unit and the existing
+ * FilesToolbar / FileEditor / FilesTab tests don't have to grow
+ * agent-home-specific cases. Once Phase 2b lands, the read-only +
+ * 501-stub assertions here can be tightened (or moved into the main
+ * test file as the agent-home root becomes a first-class affordance).
+ */
+import React from "react";
+import { render, screen, cleanup } from "@testing-library/react";
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+
+import { FilesToolbar } from "../FilesToolbar";
+import {
+  FileEditor,
+  SECRET_SHAPE_DENIED_MARKER,
+} from "../FileEditor";
+
+afterEach(cleanup);
+
+describe("internal#425 Phase 3 — /agent-home root selector", () => {
+  it("dropdown includes /agent-home as an option", () => {
+    // Pins the affordance is in the DOM even pre-Phase-2b — the
+    // canvas design freezes today, the backend lands the dispatch
+    // later. Without this, a future refactor that drops the option
+    // would silently regress the RFC's Phase 1 contract (canvas
+    // visibility) without breaking any other test.
+    render(
+      <FilesToolbar
+        root="/configs"
+        setRoot={vi.fn()}
+        fileCount={0}
+        onNewFile={vi.fn()}
+        onUpload={vi.fn()}
+        onDownloadAll={vi.fn()}
+        onClearAll={vi.fn()}
+        onRefresh={vi.fn()}
+      />,
+    );
+    const select = screen.getByRole("combobox", {
+      name: /file root directory/i,
+    }) as HTMLSelectElement;
+    const values = Array.from(select.options).map((o) => o.value);
+    expect(values).toContain("/agent-home");
+  });
+
+  it("dropdown shows /agent-home as the SELECTED root when prop is /agent-home", () => {
+    render(
+      <FilesToolbar
+        root="/agent-home"
+        setRoot={vi.fn()}
+        fileCount={0}
+        onNewFile={vi.fn()}
+        onUpload={vi.fn()}
+        onDownloadAll={vi.fn()}
+        onClearAll={vi.fn()}
+        onRefresh={vi.fn()}
+      />,
+    );
+    const select = screen.getByRole("combobox", {
+      name: /file root directory/i,
+    }) as HTMLSelectElement;
+    expect(select.value).toBe("/agent-home");
+  });
+});
+
+describe("internal#425 Phase 3 — secret-shape denial placeholder", () => {
+  // Files API Phase 2b returns SECRET_SHAPE_DENIED_MARKER as the file
+  // body when the file's path or content matched a credential regex.
+  // The editor MUST render the marker as a placeholder, not pump it
+  // through the textarea — that would put the marker (and any future
+  // matched bytes if the backend contract changes) into the DOM
+  // value, clipboard, and inspector.
+
+  it("renders the denial placeholder INSTEAD of the textarea when fileContent is the marker", () => {
+    render(
+      <FileEditor
+        selectedFile="agent/.openclaw/secrets.env"
+        fileContent={SECRET_SHAPE_DENIED_MARKER}
+        editContent={SECRET_SHAPE_DENIED_MARKER}
+        setEditContent={vi.fn()}
+        loadingFile={false}
+        saving={false}
+        success={null}
+        root="/agent-home"
+        onSave={vi.fn()}
+        onDownload={vi.fn()}
+      />,
+    );
+    // Placeholder region present
+    expect(
+      screen.getByRole("region", { name: /file content denied/i }),
+    ).toBeTruthy();
+    // Marker text visible (so a debugging operator sees the canonical
+    // contract string without having to dig into the source).
+    expect(screen.getByText(SECRET_SHAPE_DENIED_MARKER)).toBeTruthy();
+    // Critically: NO textarea — the bytes never reach a controlled
+    // input. A regression that re-introduces the textarea path would
+    // make the matched marker (and any future content) selectable +
+    // copyable.
+    expect(screen.queryByRole("textbox")).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it("renders the textarea normally when fileContent is regular content", () => {
+    render(
+      <FileEditor
+        selectedFile="config.yaml"
+        fileContent="name: openclaw\n"
+        editContent="name: openclaw\n"
+        setEditContent={vi.fn()}
+        loadingFile={false}
+        saving={false}
+        success={null}
+        root="/configs"
+        onSave={vi.fn()}
+        onDownload={vi.fn()}
+      />,
+    );
+    expect(screen.getByRole("textbox")).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(screen.queryByRole("region", { name: /file content denied/i }))
+      .toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it("/agent-home renders textarea READ-ONLY for non-denied content", () => {
+    // Phase 2b ships read + delete on /agent-home; write semantics
+    // are decided later. Until then, the canvas presents the editor
+    // as read-only so a user can't type into a buffer that the
+    // backend will refuse to PUT. Without this gate, the user would
+    // edit, hit Save, get a 501, and lose their context for why.
+    render(
+      <FileEditor
+        selectedFile=".openclaw/agent-card.json"
+        fileContent='{"name":"openclaw"}'
+        editContent='{"name":"openclaw"}'
+        setEditContent={vi.fn()}
+        loadingFile={false}
+        saving={false}
+        success={null}
+        root="/agent-home"
+        onSave={vi.fn()}
+        onDownload={vi.fn()}
+      />,
+    );
+    const textarea = screen.getByRole("textbox") as HTMLTextAreaElement;
+    expect(textarea.readOnly).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("/configs renders textarea WRITABLE (regression guard for the read-only gate)", () => {
+    render(
+      <FileEditor
+        selectedFile="config.yaml"
+        fileContent="name: x\n"
+        editContent="name: x\n"
+        setEditContent={vi.fn()}
+        loadingFile={false}
+        saving={false}
+        success={null}
+        root="/configs"
+        onSave={vi.fn()}
+        onDownload={vi.fn()}
+      />,
+    );
+    const textarea = screen.getByRole("textbox") as HTMLTextAreaElement;
+    expect(textarea.readOnly).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
+
+describe("internal#425 Phase 3 — marker constant is the canonical string", () => {
+  // The marker string is part of the canvas <-> workspace-server
+  // contract. The workspace-server emits this exact body; the canvas
+  // detects it by exact-equality. A typo on either side would
+  // silently break detection — the canvas would render the literal
+  // string in the textarea instead of the placeholder. Pin the
+  // contract value here.
+  it("matches the contract value '<denied: secret-shape>'", () => {
+    expect(SECRET_SHAPE_DENIED_MARKER).toBe("<denied: secret-shape>");
+  });
+});

canvas/src/components/tabs/chat/__tests__/a2aErrorHint.test.ts

@@ -64,4 +64,66 @@ describe("inferA2AErrorHint", () => {
     expect(hint).toMatch(/Claude Code SDK/);
     expect(hint).not.toMatch(/proxy timeout/);
   });
+
+  // ---- P1 #348: poll-mode timeout-class detection ----
+
+  it("routes poll-mode budget exhaustion to its specific actionable hint", () => {
+    // a2a_tools_delegation.py emits this exact shape after the 600s
+    // budget. The user must NOT be told to restart — the work is
+    // still in flight on the platform side.
+    const hint = inferA2AErrorHint(
+      "polling timeout after 600s (delegation_id=abc, last_status=processing); the platform is still working on it — call check_task_status('abc') to retrieve later",
+    );
+    expect(hint).toMatch(/Do NOT restart/);
+    expect(hint).toMatch(/check_task_status/);
+  });
+
+  it("matches the check_task_status hint clue even without the 'polling timeout' phrase", () => {
+    const hint = inferA2AErrorHint(
+      "platform busy — call check_task_status('xyz')",
+    );
+    expect(hint).toMatch(/check_task_status/);
+  });
+
+  it("poll-mode hint wins over the generic timeout bucket", () => {
+    // The string contains both "polling timeout after" and "timeout"
+    // — the more-specific poll-mode hint must win so users don't get
+    // the generic "restart" advice for a still-in-flight task.
+    const hint = inferA2AErrorHint("polling timeout after 600s ...");
+    expect(hint).toMatch(/Do NOT restart/);
+    expect(hint).not.toMatch(/restart the workspace if this repeats/);
+  });
+
+  // ---- P1 #348: codex-aware specialization ----
+
+  it("specialises the empty-detail hint for codex callees", () => {
+    // Per feedback_surface_actionable_failure_reason_to_user: opaque
+    // restart prompts are the anti-pattern. With peerKind=codex the
+    // hint explicitly de-recommends restart.
+    const hint = inferA2AErrorHint("", { peerKind: "codex" });
+    expect(hint).toMatch(/codex/);
+    expect(hint).toMatch(/check its Activity tab/i);
+    expect(hint).not.toMatch(/A workspace restart is the safe first move/);
+  });
+
+  it("specialises generic-timeout hint for codex callees", () => {
+    const hint = inferA2AErrorHint("ReadTimeout", { peerKind: "codex" });
+    expect(hint).toMatch(/codex/);
+    expect(hint).toMatch(/600s/);
+  });
+
+  it("falls back to the non-codex generic timeout hint when no peerKind given", () => {
+    const hint = inferA2AErrorHint("ReadTimeout");
+    expect(hint).toMatch(/proxy timeout/);
+    expect(hint).not.toMatch(/600s sync-proxy/);
+  });
+
+  it("preserves existing empty-detail wording when no peer context provided", () => {
+    const hint = inferA2AErrorHint("");
+    expect(hint).toMatch(/no error detail/);
+    // Updated wording: must NOT be the bare "restart is the safe
+    // first move" line — that violates surface-actionable-reason.
+    expect(hint).not.toMatch(/safe first move/);
+    expect(hint).toMatch(/Activity tab/);
+  });
 });

canvas/src/components/tabs/chat/__tests__/message-parser.test.ts

@@ -248,6 +248,88 @@ describe("extractResponseText", () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe("extractAgentText", () => {
+  it("extracts text from top-level parts", () => {
+    const task = {
+      parts: [{ kind: "text", text: "Agent said hello" }],
+    };
+    expect(extractAgentText(task)).toBe("Agent said hello");
+  });
+
+  it("extracts from artifacts[0].parts when top-level parts absent", () => {
+    const task = {
+      artifacts: [
+        { parts: [{ kind: "text", text: "From artifact block" }] },
+      ],
+    };
+    expect(extractAgentText(task)).toBe("From artifact block");
+  });
+
+  it("extracts from status.message.parts as fallback", () => {
+    const task = {
+      status: {
+        message: { parts: [{ kind: "text", text: "Status text" }] },
+      },
+    };
+    expect(extractAgentText(task)).toBe("Status text");
+  });
+
+  it("prefers top-level parts over artifacts", () => {
+    const task = {
+      parts: [{ kind: "text", text: "top-level wins" }],
+      artifacts: [
+        { parts: [{ kind: "text", text: "artifact text" }] },
+      ],
+    };
+    expect(extractAgentText(task)).toBe("top-level wins");
+  });
+
+  it("prefers top-level parts over status.message", () => {
+    const task = {
+      parts: [{ kind: "text", text: "parts wins" }],
+      status: {
+        message: { parts: [{ kind: "text", text: "status text" }] },
+      },
+    };
+    expect(extractAgentText(task)).toBe("parts wins");
+  });
+
+  it("returns string identity when task itself is a string", () => {
+    expect(extractAgentText("plain string task" as unknown as Record<string, unknown>)).toBe(
+      "plain string task",
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("returns fallback when task is an empty object", () => {
+    expect(extractAgentText({})).toBe("(Could not extract response text)");
+  });
+
+  it("returns fallback when task has no extractable text", () => {
+    expect(
+      extractAgentText({ status: "running", other: "fields" }),
+    ).toBe("(Could not extract response text)");
+  });
+
+  it("tolerates malformed nested shapes without throwing", () => {
+    const task = {
+      parts: null,
+      artifacts: "not an array",
+      status: { message: 42 },
+    };
+    expect(extractAgentText(task)).toBe("(Could not extract response text)");
+  });
+
+  it("joins multiple text parts with newline", () => {
+    const task = {
+      parts: [
+        { kind: "text", text: "Line one" },
+        { kind: "text", text: "Line two" },
+      ],
+    };
+    expect(extractAgentText(task)).toBe("Line one\nLine two");
+  });
+});
+
 describe("extractTextsFromParts", () => {
   it("extracts text parts with kind=text", () => {
     const parts = [

canvas/src/components/tabs/chat/__tests__/resolveWorkspaceName.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach } from "vitest";
+import { useCanvasStore } from "@/store/canvas";
+import { resolveWorkspaceName } from "../hooks/resolveWorkspaceName";
+
+beforeEach(() => {
+  // Reset store to a clean slate between tests so node lookup is deterministic.
+  useCanvasStore.setState({ nodes: [] });
+});
+
+describe("resolveWorkspaceName", () => {
+  it("returns the workspace name when a node with that ID exists", () => {
+    useCanvasStore.setState({
+      nodes: [
+        {
+          id: "ws-alpha-001",
+          type: "workspace",
+          data: { name: "Alpha Agent" },
+          position: { x: 0, y: 0 },
+        },
+      ],
+    });
+
+    expect(resolveWorkspaceName("ws-alpha-001")).toBe("Alpha Agent");
+  });
+
+  it("falls back to the first 8 chars of the ID when no matching node exists", () => {
+    expect(resolveWorkspaceName("ws-zzz-not-found")).toBe("ws-zzz-n");
+  });
+
+  it("falls back to the first 8 chars when the node exists but has no name", () => {
+    useCanvasStore.setState({
+      nodes: [
+        {
+          id: "ws-no-name",
+          type: "workspace",
+          // data.name is deliberately absent
+          data: {},
+          position: { x: 0, y: 0 },
+        },
+      ],
+    });
+
+    expect(resolveWorkspaceName("ws-no-name")).toBe("ws-no-na");
+  });
+
+  it("returns the first 8 chars for a very short ID", () => {
+    expect(resolveWorkspaceName("ab")).toBe("ab");
+  });
+
+  it("returns the first 8 chars when the ID is exactly 8 characters", () => {
+    // slice(0,8) of an 8-char string is the full string
+    const id = "12345678";
+    expect(resolveWorkspaceName(id)).toBe(id);
+  });
+
+  it("picks the right node when multiple workspaces share a prefix", () => {
+    useCanvasStore.setState({
+      nodes: [
+        {
+          id: "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001",
+          type: "workspace",
+          data: { name: "Backend Agent" },
+          position: { x: 0, y: 0 },
+        },
+        {
+          id: "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000002",
+          type: "workspace",
+          data: { name: "Frontend Agent" },
+          position: { x: 100, y: 0 },
+        },
+      ],
+    });
+
+    expect(resolveWorkspaceName("00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000002")).toBe(
+      "Frontend Agent"
+    );
+    expect(resolveWorkspaceName("00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001")).toBe(
+      "Backend Agent"
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("does not mutate store state between calls", () => {
+    useCanvasStore.setState({
+      nodes: [
+        {
+          id: "stable-id",
+          type: "workspace",
+          data: { name: "Stable Workspace" },
+          position: { x: 0, y: 0 },
+        },
+      ],
+    });
+
+    resolveWorkspaceName("stable-id");
+    resolveWorkspaceName("unknown-id");
+
+    // Store nodes must be unchanged — resolveWorkspaceName is read-only.
+    const nodes = useCanvasStore.getState().nodes;
+    expect(nodes).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect((nodes[0] as { id: string }).id).toBe("stable-id");
+  });
+});

canvas/src/components/tabs/chat/a2aErrorHint.ts

@@ -10,10 +10,37 @@
  * had already drifted (Activity tab gained `not found`/`offline`
  * cases AgentCommsPanel never picked up) — this module is the merged
  * superset and the only place hint text should change.
+ *
+ * Optional `context.peerKind` lets callers signal "the callee was a
+ * codex-runtime task" so the timeout-class hints can be more specific
+ * about expected long completion times (PM-coordinating-Researcher is
+ * the canonical case where the 600s sync-proxy budget is too tight).
  */
-export function inferA2AErrorHint(detail: string): string {
+export interface A2AErrorContext {
+  /** Runtime of the callee, when known. e.g. "codex", "claude-code". */
+  peerKind?: string;
+}
+
+export function inferA2AErrorHint(
+  detail: string,
+  context?: A2AErrorContext,
+): string {
   const t = detail.toLowerCase();
 
+  // Poll-mode budget exhaustion (a2a_tools_delegation.py emits
+  // "polling timeout after Ns ... call check_task_status(...) to
+  // retrieve later"). This is NOT a delivery failure — the work is
+  // still in flight on the platform side. Route to a specific hint
+  // BEFORE the generic timeout bucket so the user gets the actionable
+  // "wait + check_task_status" guidance instead of the misleading
+  // "restart the workspace" anti-pattern.
+  if (
+    t.includes("polling timeout after") ||
+    t.includes("call check_task_status")
+  ) {
+    return "The 600s sync-polling budget expired but the platform is still working on the delegation. Do NOT restart — the work isn't lost. Wait, then call check_task_status with the delegation_id to retrieve the result. If the callee is a long-running codex task, this is expected.";
+  }
+
   // "control request timeout" is the specific Claude Code SDK init
   // wedge symptom. Pattern on the full phrase, not bare "initialize"
   // — a user task containing "failed to initialize database" would
@@ -27,6 +54,13 @@ export function inferA2AErrorHint(detail: string): string {
     t.includes("deadline exceeded") ||
     t.includes("timeout")
   ) {
+    // For codex callees, a 600s sync-proxy timeout is the EXPECTED
+    // shape when the task is genuinely long-running. Calling out the
+    // workspace-restart anti-pattern explicitly per
+    // `feedback_surface_actionable_failure_reason_to_user`.
+    if ((context?.peerKind || "").toLowerCase() === "codex") {
+      return "The codex remote agent didn't respond within the 600s sync-proxy timeout. Codex tasks can legitimately run longer than this — check the callee's Activity tab; the work may still be progressing. Restart only if the container is genuinely stuck (no activity for several minutes).";
+    }
     return "The remote agent didn't respond within the proxy timeout. It may be busy with a long task, or the runtime is stuck — restart the workspace if this repeats.";
   }
   if (
@@ -48,7 +82,16 @@ export function inferA2AErrorHint(detail: string): string {
     return "The remote workspace can't be reached — it may be stopped, removed, or outside the access control list. Verify the peer is online before retrying.";
   }
   if (detail === "") {
-    return "The remote agent returned no error detail (the underlying httpx exception had an empty message — typically a connection-reset or silent timeout). A workspace restart is the safe first move.";
+    // Per `feedback_surface_actionable_failure_reason_to_user`: a bare
+    // "restart the workspace" prompt is the anti-pattern when the
+    // underlying failure was a silent timeout against a long-running
+    // remote (codex Researcher being coordinated by PM is the
+    // canonical case). If the caller knows the peer is codex, route
+    // to the more specific hint that explicitly de-recommends restart.
+    if ((context?.peerKind || "").toLowerCase() === "codex") {
+      return "The codex remote agent returned no error detail — most often the 600s sync-proxy budget expired before the task finished. The work may still be progressing on the callee side; check its Activity tab before restarting.";
+    }
+    return "The remote agent returned no error detail (the underlying httpx exception had an empty message — typically a connection-reset or silent timeout). Check the callee's Activity tab to see if work is still in flight before restarting.";
   }
   return "The remote agent reported a delivery failure. Check the workspace logs or try restarting.";
 }

canvas/src/components/tabs/chat/hooks/__tests__/useChatSend.test.tsx

@@ -0,0 +1,209 @@
+// @vitest-environment jsdom
+/**
+ * Tests for useChatSend — the canvas user→agent send hook.
+ *
+ * Behavioural focus: the poll-mode ("queued") path. When the target
+ * workspace is an external / MCP-registered agent (delivery_mode=poll,
+ * e.g. an operator laptop running the molecule MCP channel), the
+ * platform's POST /workspaces/:id/a2a returns a synthetic
+ * {status:"queued", delivery_mode:"poll"} envelope IMMEDIATELY with no
+ * reply — the real reply arrives later over the AGENT_MESSAGE
+ * WebSocket push.
+ *
+ * Pre-fix the hook treated that synthetic envelope as a terminal
+ * response and called releaseSendGuards() → `sending` went false the
+ * instant the POST returned → the "agent is working" indicator
+ * vanished and the external turn looked dead. This suite pins the
+ * fixed contract:
+ *
+ *   - a real reply still clears `sending` (regression guard)
+ *   - a poll "queued" envelope KEEPS `sending` true (no terminal
+ *     clear) so the existing thinking indicator persists
+ *   - the eventual reply path (releaseSendGuards, the same call the
+ *     AGENT_MESSAGE WS push makes via useChatSocket) clears it
+ *   - an offline poll agent that never replies eventually surfaces an
+ *     honest error instead of an infinite spinner
+ *
+ * Plus pure-function coverage for the poll-envelope detector.
+ *
+ * Root cause: workspace-server a2a_proxy.go:402 poll-mode
+ * short-circuit returns {status:"queued"} synchronously.
+ */
+import {
+  describe,
+  it,
+  expect,
+  vi,
+  beforeEach,
+  afterEach,
+  type Mock,
+} from "vitest";
+import { act, renderHook, cleanup } from "@testing-library/react";
+
+const { mockApiPost } = vi.hoisted(() => ({ mockApiPost: vi.fn() }));
+
+vi.mock("@/lib/api", () => ({
+  api: { post: mockApiPost },
+}));
+
+vi.mock("../uploads", () => ({
+  uploadChatFiles: vi.fn(),
+}));
+
+// Import AFTER mocks.
+import {
+  useChatSend,
+  isPollQueuedResponse,
+  extractReplyText,
+  POLL_QUEUED_REPLY_TIMEOUT_MS,
+} from "../useChatSend";
+
+const flush = () => act(async () => { await Promise.resolve(); });
+
+describe("isPollQueuedResponse", () => {
+  it("is true only for the synthetic poll-mode queued envelope", () => {
+    expect(isPollQueuedResponse({ status: "queued", delivery_mode: "poll" })).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("is false for a real agent reply", () => {
+    expect(
+      isPollQueuedResponse({ result: { parts: [{ kind: "text", text: "hi" }] } }),
+    ).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("is false for null / undefined / partial shapes", () => {
+    expect(isPollQueuedResponse(null)).toBe(false);
+    expect(isPollQueuedResponse(undefined)).toBe(false);
+    // status=queued without delivery_mode=poll is NOT the poll envelope
+    // — don't accidentally swallow a real reply that happens to carry
+    // an unrelated status field.
+    expect(isPollQueuedResponse({ status: "queued" })).toBe(false);
+    expect(isPollQueuedResponse({ delivery_mode: "poll" })).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
+
+describe("extractReplyText (regression guard — unchanged by fix)", () => {
+  it("collects text parts from result", () => {
+    expect(
+      extractReplyText({ result: { parts: [{ kind: "text", text: "hello" }] } }),
+    ).toBe("hello");
+  });
+  it("returns empty for the poll-queued envelope", () => {
+    expect(extractReplyText({ status: "queued", delivery_mode: "poll" })).toBe("");
+  });
+});
+
+describe("useChatSend — poll-mode in-progress state", () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+    mockApiPost.mockReset();
+  });
+  afterEach(() => {
+    vi.runOnlyPendingTimers();
+    vi.useRealTimers();
+    cleanup();
+  });
+
+  const setup = () => {
+    const onUserMessage = vi.fn();
+    const onAgentMessage = vi.fn();
+    const { result } = renderHook(() =>
+      useChatSend("ws-ext-1", {
+        getHistoryMessages: () => [],
+        onUserMessage,
+        onAgentMessage,
+      }),
+    );
+    return { result, onUserMessage, onAgentMessage };
+  };
+
+  it("a real reply clears `sending` (regression guard)", async () => {
+    mockApiPost.mockResolvedValue({
+      result: { parts: [{ kind: "text", text: "real reply" }] },
+    });
+    const { result, onAgentMessage } = setup();
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      void result.current.sendMessage("hi");
+    });
+    await flush();
+
+    expect(onAgentMessage).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(result.current.sending).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("keeps `sending` true on a poll 'queued' envelope (no terminal clear)", async () => {
+    mockApiPost.mockResolvedValue({ status: "queued", delivery_mode: "poll" });
+    const { result, onAgentMessage } = setup();
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      void result.current.sendMessage("hi external agent");
+    });
+    await flush();
+
+    // The POST resolved, but it was only a queued ack — the indicator
+    // must stay up and no agent bubble should be rendered yet.
+    expect(result.current.sending).toBe(true);
+    expect(onAgentMessage).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(result.current.error).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it("releaseSendGuards (the AGENT_MESSAGE-push path) clears the poll in-progress state", async () => {
+    mockApiPost.mockResolvedValue({ status: "queued", delivery_mode: "poll" });
+    const { result } = setup();
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      void result.current.sendMessage("hi");
+    });
+    await flush();
+    expect(result.current.sending).toBe(true);
+
+    // Simulate the terminal AGENT_MESSAGE WebSocket push arriving:
+    // useChatSocket's onAgentMessage / onSendComplete call
+    // releaseSendGuards. That must clear the in-progress state AND the
+    // safety timer (asserted by the next test).
+    act(() => {
+      result.current.releaseSendGuards();
+    });
+    expect(result.current.sending).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("surfaces an honest error if a poll agent never replies (safety timeout)", async () => {
+    mockApiPost.mockResolvedValue({ status: "queued", delivery_mode: "poll" });
+    const { result } = setup();
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      void result.current.sendMessage("hi");
+    });
+    await flush();
+    expect(result.current.sending).toBe(true);
+
+    act(() => {
+      vi.advanceTimersByTime(POLL_QUEUED_REPLY_TIMEOUT_MS + 1000);
+    });
+
+    expect(result.current.sending).toBe(false);
+    expect(result.current.error).toMatch(/queued/i);
+  });
+
+  it("does NOT fire the safety error when the reply arrives before timeout", async () => {
+    mockApiPost.mockResolvedValue({ status: "queued", delivery_mode: "poll" });
+    const { result } = setup();
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      void result.current.sendMessage("hi");
+    });
+    await flush();
+
+    // Reply arrives (releaseSendGuards) well before the timeout.
+    act(() => {
+      result.current.releaseSendGuards();
+    });
+    act(() => {
+      vi.advanceTimersByTime(POLL_QUEUED_REPLY_TIMEOUT_MS + 1000);
+    });
+
+    expect(result.current.error).toBeNull();
+    expect(result.current.sending).toBe(false);
+  });
+});

canvas/src/components/tabs/chat/hooks/index.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+export { useChatHistory } from "./useChatHistory";
+export { useChatSend } from "./useChatSend";
+export { useChatSocket } from "./useChatSocket";

canvas/src/components/tabs/chat/hooks/resolveWorkspaceName.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+"use client";
+
+import { useCanvasStore, type WorkspaceNodeData } from "@/store/canvas";
+
+/** Resolve a workspace ID to its human-readable name.
+ *  Falls back to the first 8 chars of the ID. */
+export function resolveWorkspaceName(id: string): string {
+  const nodes = useCanvasStore.getState().nodes;
+  const node = nodes.find((n) => n.id === id);
+  return (node?.data as WorkspaceNodeData)?.name || id.slice(0, 8);
+}

canvas/src/components/tabs/chat/hooks/useChatHistory.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,134 @@
+"use client";
+
+import { useCallback, useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react";
+import { api } from "@/lib/api";
+import { type ChatMessage, appendMessageDeduped as appendMessageDedupedFn } from "../types";
+
+const INITIAL_HISTORY_LIMIT = 10;
+const OLDER_HISTORY_BATCH = 20;
+
+async function loadMessagesFromDB(
+  workspaceId: string,
+  limit: number,
+  beforeTs?: string,
+): Promise<{ messages: ChatMessage[]; error: string | null; reachedEnd: boolean }> {
+  try {
+    const params = new URLSearchParams({ limit: String(limit) });
+    if (beforeTs) params.set("before_ts", beforeTs);
+    const resp = await api.get<{ messages: ChatMessage[]; reached_end: boolean }>(
+      `/workspaces/${workspaceId}/chat-history?${params.toString()}`,
+    );
+    return {
+      messages: resp.messages ?? [],
+      error: null,
+      reachedEnd: resp.reached_end,
+    };
+  } catch (err) {
+    return {
+      messages: [],
+      error: err instanceof Error ? err.message : "Failed to load chat history",
+      reachedEnd: true,
+    };
+  }
+}
+
+export interface ScrollAnchor {
+  savedDistanceFromBottom: number;
+  expectFirstIdNotEqual: string | null;
+}
+
+export function useChatHistory(
+  workspaceId: string,
+  containerRef?: React.RefObject<HTMLDivElement | null>,
+) {
+  const [messages, setMessages] = useState<ChatMessage[]>([]);
+  const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true);
+  const [loadError, setLoadError] = useState<string | null>(null);
+  const [loadingOlder, setLoadingOlder] = useState(false);
+  const [hasMore, setHasMore] = useState(true);
+
+  const fetchTokenRef = useRef(0);
+  const oldestMessageRef = useRef<ChatMessage | null>(null);
+  const hasMoreRef = useRef(true);
+  const inflightRef = useRef(false);
+  const scrollAnchorRef = useRef<ScrollAnchor | null>(null);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    oldestMessageRef.current = messages[0] ?? null;
+  }, [messages]);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    hasMoreRef.current = hasMore;
+  }, [hasMore]);
+
+  const loadInitial = useCallback(() => {
+    setLoading(true);
+    setLoadError(null);
+    setHasMore(true);
+    fetchTokenRef.current += 1;
+    const myToken = fetchTokenRef.current;
+    return loadMessagesFromDB(workspaceId, INITIAL_HISTORY_LIMIT).then(
+      ({ messages: msgs, error: fetchErr, reachedEnd }) => {
+        if (fetchTokenRef.current !== myToken) return;
+        setMessages(msgs);
+        setLoadError(fetchErr);
+        setHasMore(!reachedEnd);
+        setLoading(false);
+      },
+    );
+  }, [workspaceId]);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    loadInitial();
+  }, [loadInitial]);
+
+  const loadOlder = useCallback(async () => {
+    if (inflightRef.current || !hasMoreRef.current) return;
+    const oldest = oldestMessageRef.current;
+    if (!oldest) return;
+    const container = containerRef?.current;
+    if (!container) return;
+    inflightRef.current = true;
+    scrollAnchorRef.current = {
+      savedDistanceFromBottom: container.scrollHeight - container.scrollTop,
+      expectFirstIdNotEqual: oldest.id,
+    };
+    fetchTokenRef.current += 1;
+    const myToken = fetchTokenRef.current;
+    setLoadingOlder(true);
+    try {
+      const { messages: older, reachedEnd } = await loadMessagesFromDB(
+        workspaceId,
+        OLDER_HISTORY_BATCH,
+        oldest.timestamp,
+      );
+      if (fetchTokenRef.current !== myToken) {
+        scrollAnchorRef.current = null;
+        return;
+      }
+      if (older.length > 0) {
+        setMessages((prev) => [...older, ...prev]);
+      } else {
+        scrollAnchorRef.current = null;
+      }
+      setHasMore(!reachedEnd);
+    } finally {
+      setLoadingOlder(false);
+      inflightRef.current = false;
+    }
+  }, [workspaceId, containerRef]);
+
+  return {
+    messages,
+    loading,
+    loadError,
+    loadingOlder,
+    hasMore,
+    loadInitial,
+    loadOlder,
+    appendMessageDeduped: (msg: ChatMessage) =>
+      setMessages((prev) => appendMessageDedupedFn(prev, msg)),
+    setMessages,
+    scrollAnchorRef,
+  };
+}

canvas/src/components/tabs/chat/hooks/useChatSend.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,264 @@
+"use client";
+
+import { useCallback, useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react";
+import { api } from "@/lib/api";
+import { uploadChatFiles } from "../uploads";
+import { createMessage, type ChatMessage, type ChatAttachment } from "../types";
+import { extractFilesFromTask } from "../message-parser";
+
+interface A2APart {
+  kind: string;
+  text?: string;
+  file?: {
+    name?: string;
+    mimeType?: string;
+    uri?: string;
+    size?: number;
+  };
+}
+
+interface A2AResponse {
+  result?: {
+    parts?: A2APart[];
+    artifacts?: Array<{ parts: A2APart[] }>;
+  };
+  /** Synthetic poll-mode envelope. The platform returns this
+   *  immediately (HTTP 200) when the target workspace is registered
+   *  delivery_mode=poll — an external / MCP-registered agent with no
+   *  public URL (e.g. an operator's laptop running the molecule MCP
+   *  channel). The request has only been QUEUED into activity_logs;
+   *  the agent will pick it up on its next poll and the real reply
+   *  arrives asynchronously over the AGENT_MESSAGE WebSocket push
+   *  (consumed by useChatSocket). See workspace-server
+   *  a2a_proxy.go:402 (poll-mode short-circuit) and
+   *  a2a_proxy_helpers.go:516 (logA2AReceiveQueued). */
+  status?: string;
+  delivery_mode?: string;
+}
+
+/** True when `resp` is the platform's synthetic poll-mode "queued"
+ *  envelope rather than a real agent reply. For these the send is
+ *  acknowledged-but-pending: the user's message landed and the agent
+ *  is working, but there is no reply yet — the terminal AGENT_MESSAGE
+ *  push will arrive later over the WebSocket. Treating this as a
+ *  terminal response (the pre-fix behaviour) cleared the "agent is
+ *  working" indicator the instant the POST returned, so an external
+ *  workspace turn looked dead even though work had not started. */
+export function isPollQueuedResponse(resp: A2AResponse | null | undefined): boolean {
+  return !!resp && resp.status === "queued" && resp.delivery_mode === "poll";
+}
+
+/** Hard ceiling on how long the "agent is working" indicator stays up
+ *  for a poll-mode turn with no reply. The terminal AGENT_MESSAGE push
+ *  normally clears it well before this. The cap exists so a poll-mode
+ *  workspace that is offline / never consumes its queue doesn't pin a
+ *  spinner forever — at which point we surface an honest, actionable
+ *  error instead of an opaque dead spinner. Generous because poll
+ *  agents (an operator laptop) can legitimately take minutes to wake,
+ *  poll, and respond; the goal is "eventually honest", not fail-fast. */
+export const POLL_QUEUED_REPLY_TIMEOUT_MS = 15 * 60 * 1000;
+
+export function extractReplyText(resp: A2AResponse): string {
+  const collect = (parts: A2APart[] | undefined): string => {
+    if (!parts) return "";
+    return parts
+      .filter((p) => p.kind === "text")
+      .map((p) => p.text ?? "")
+      .filter(Boolean)
+      .join("\n");
+  };
+  const result = resp?.result;
+  const collected: string[] = [];
+  const fromParts = collect(result?.parts);
+  if (fromParts) collected.push(fromParts);
+  if (result?.artifacts) {
+    for (const a of result.artifacts) {
+      const t = collect(a.parts);
+      if (t) collected.push(t);
+    }
+  }
+  return collected.join("\n");
+}
+
+export interface UseChatSendOptions {
+  getHistoryMessages: () => ChatMessage[];
+  onUserMessage?: (msg: ChatMessage) => void;
+  onAgentMessage?: (msg: ChatMessage) => void;
+}
+
+export function useChatSend(workspaceId: string, options: UseChatSendOptions) {
+  const [sending, setSending] = useState(false);
+  const [uploading, setUploading] = useState(false);
+  const [error, setError] = useState<string | null>(null);
+  const sendInFlightRef = useRef(false);
+  const sendingFromAPIRef = useRef(false);
+  const sendTokenRef = useRef(0);
+  // Safety-net timer armed only for poll-mode ("queued") turns: the
+  // POST returns immediately with no reply, so the normal
+  // POST-resolves-→-clear-spinner path can't drive the indicator. The
+  // terminal AGENT_MESSAGE WebSocket push clears it via
+  // releaseSendGuards (which also clears this timer); the timer is the
+  // backstop for an offline poll agent that never consumes its queue.
+  const pollTimeoutRef = useRef<ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | null>(null);
+  const optionsRef = useRef(options);
+  optionsRef.current = options;
+
+  const clearPollTimeout = useCallback(() => {
+    if (pollTimeoutRef.current !== null) {
+      clearTimeout(pollTimeoutRef.current);
+      pollTimeoutRef.current = null;
+    }
+  }, []);
+
+  const releaseSendGuards = useCallback(() => {
+    clearPollTimeout();
+    setSending(false);
+    sendingFromAPIRef.current = false;
+    sendInFlightRef.current = false;
+  }, [clearPollTimeout]);
+
+  const clearError = useCallback(() => setError(null), []);
+
+  const sendMessage = useCallback(
+    async (text: string, files: File[] = []) => {
+      const trimmed = text.trim();
+      if ((!trimmed && files.length === 0) || sending || uploading) return;
+      if (sendInFlightRef.current) return;
+      sendInFlightRef.current = true;
+
+      let uploaded: ChatAttachment[] = [];
+      if (files.length > 0) {
+        setUploading(true);
+        try {
+          uploaded = await uploadChatFiles(workspaceId, files);
+        } catch (e) {
+          setUploading(false);
+          sendInFlightRef.current = false;
+          setError(
+            e instanceof Error ? `Upload failed: ${e.message}` : "Upload failed",
+          );
+          return;
+        }
+        setUploading(false);
+      }
+
+      const userMsg = createMessage("user", trimmed, uploaded);
+      optionsRef.current.onUserMessage?.(userMsg);
+
+      setSending(true);
+      sendingFromAPIRef.current = true;
+      setError(null);
+      const myToken = ++sendTokenRef.current;
+
+      const history = optionsRef.current
+        .getHistoryMessages()
+        .filter((m) => m.role === "user" || m.role === "agent")
+        .slice(-20)
+        .map((m) => ({
+          role: m.role === "user" ? "user" : "agent",
+          parts: [{ kind: "text", text: m.content }],
+        }));
+
+      const parts: A2APart[] = [];
+      if (trimmed) parts.push({ kind: "text", text: trimmed });
+      for (const att of uploaded) {
+        parts.push({
+          kind: "file",
+          file: {
+            name: att.name,
+            mimeType: att.mimeType,
+            uri: att.uri,
+            size: att.size,
+          },
+        });
+      }
+
+      api
+        .post<A2AResponse>(
+          `/workspaces/${workspaceId}/a2a`,
+          {
+            method: "message/send",
+            params: {
+              message: {
+                role: "user",
+                messageId: crypto.randomUUID(),
+                parts,
+              },
+              metadata: { history },
+            },
+          },
+          { timeoutMs: 120_000 },
+        )
+        .then((resp) => {
+          if (sendTokenRef.current !== myToken) return;
+          if (!sendingFromAPIRef.current) {
+            sendInFlightRef.current = false;
+            return;
+          }
+          // Poll-mode ("queued") turn: the message landed and the
+          // external/MCP agent will pick it up on its next poll, but
+          // there is NO reply in this response. Pre-fix this fell
+          // through to releaseSendGuards() below and the "agent is
+          // working" indicator vanished the instant the POST returned —
+          // an external-workspace turn looked dead even though work had
+          // not started. Instead, keep `sending` true so the existing
+          // thinking indicator (the same one internal agents use)
+          // persists as a "received — agent is working" state; the
+          // terminal AGENT_MESSAGE WebSocket push (consumed by
+          // useChatSocket → onAgentMessage / onSendComplete →
+          // releaseSendGuards) clears it when the real reply arrives,
+          // exactly the path an internal async reply already uses.
+          if (isPollQueuedResponse(resp)) {
+            clearPollTimeout();
+            pollTimeoutRef.current = setTimeout(() => {
+              if (sendTokenRef.current !== myToken) return;
+              if (!sendingFromAPIRef.current) return;
+              releaseSendGuards();
+              setError(
+                "No response yet from this agent — it may be offline or " +
+                  "busy. Your message was delivered and is queued; the " +
+                  "reply will appear here if the agent picks it up.",
+              );
+            }, POLL_QUEUED_REPLY_TIMEOUT_MS);
+            return;
+          }
+          const replyText = extractReplyText(resp);
+          const replyFiles = extractFilesFromTask(
+            (resp?.result ?? {}) as Record<string, unknown>,
+          );
+          if (replyText || replyFiles.length > 0) {
+            optionsRef.current.onAgentMessage?.(
+              createMessage("agent", replyText, replyFiles),
+            );
+          }
+          releaseSendGuards();
+        })
+        .catch(() => {
+          if (sendTokenRef.current !== myToken) return;
+          if (!sendingFromAPIRef.current) {
+            sendInFlightRef.current = false;
+            return;
+          }
+          releaseSendGuards();
+          setError("Failed to send message — agent may be unreachable");
+        });
+    },
+    [workspaceId, sending, uploading, clearPollTimeout],
+  );
+
+  // Drop the poll-mode safety timer on unmount / workspace switch so a
+  // stale timeout can't fire setError against a panel the user has
+  // already navigated away from. sendTokenRef guards correctness if it
+  // ever did fire; this just avoids the wasted timer + setState churn.
+  useEffect(() => clearPollTimeout, [clearPollTimeout]);
+
+  return {
+    sending,
+    uploading,
+    sendMessage,
+    error,
+    clearError,
+    releaseSendGuards,
+    sendingFromAPIRef,
+  };
+}

canvas/src/components/tabs/chat/hooks/useChatSocket.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+"use client";
+
+import { useCallback, useEffect, useRef } from "react";
+import { useCanvasStore, type WorkspaceNodeData } from "@/store/canvas";
+import { useSocketEvent } from "@/hooks/useSocketEvent";
+import { createMessage, type ChatMessage } from "../types";
+
+export interface UseChatSocketCallbacks {
+  onAgentMessage?: (msg: ChatMessage) => void;
+  onActivityLog?: (entry: string) => void;
+  onSendComplete?: () => void;
+  onSendError?: (error: string) => void;
+}
+
+export function useChatSocket(
+  workspaceId: string,
+  callbacks: UseChatSocketCallbacks,
+): void {
+  const callbacksRef = useRef(callbacks);
+  callbacksRef.current = callbacks;
+
+  // Agent push messages from global store
+  const pendingAgentMsgs = useCanvasStore((s) => s.agentMessages[workspaceId]);
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!pendingAgentMsgs || pendingAgentMsgs.length === 0) return;
+    const consume = useCanvasStore.getState().consumeAgentMessages;
+    const msgs = consume(workspaceId);
+    for (const m of msgs) {
+      callbacksRef.current.onAgentMessage?.(
+        createMessage("agent", m.content, m.attachments),
+      );
+    }
+    if (msgs.length > 0) {
+      callbacksRef.current.onSendComplete?.();
+    }
+  }, [pendingAgentMsgs, workspaceId]);
+
+  const resolveWorkspaceName = useCallback((id: string) => {
+    const nodes = useCanvasStore.getState().nodes;
+    const node = nodes.find((n) => n.id === id);
+    return (node?.data as WorkspaceNodeData)?.name || id.slice(0, 8);
+  }, []);
+
+  useSocketEvent((msg) => {
+    try {
+      if (msg.event === "ACTIVITY_LOGGED") {
+        if (msg.workspace_id !== workspaceId) return;
+
+        const p = msg.payload || {};
+        const type = p.activity_type as string;
+        const method = (p.method as string) || "";
+        const status = (p.status as string) || "";
+        const targetId = (p.target_id as string) || "";
+        const durationMs = p.duration_ms as number | undefined;
+        const summary = (p.summary as string) || "";
+
+        let line = "";
+        if (type === "a2a_receive" && method === "message/send") {
+          const targetName = resolveWorkspaceName(targetId || msg.workspace_id);
+          if (status === "ok" && durationMs) {
+            const sec = Math.round(durationMs / 1000);
+            line = `← ${targetName} responded (${sec}s)`;
+            const own = (targetId || msg.workspace_id) === workspaceId;
+            if (own) callbacksRef.current.onSendComplete?.();
+          } else if (status === "error") {
+            line = `⚠ ${targetName} error`;
+            const own = (targetId || msg.workspace_id) === workspaceId;
+            if (own) {
+              callbacksRef.current.onSendComplete?.();
+              // internal#211/#212: surface the runtime's curated,
+              // user-actionable reason (provider HTTP status + error
+              // code + the provider's own guidance, e.g. a 403 "org
+              // disabled · use an API key / ask your admin"). The
+              // server now includes error_detail in the ACTIVITY_LOGGED
+              // broadcast; fall back to summary, and only as a last
+              // resort to a generic line. The old hardcoded
+              // "Agent error (Exception) — see workspace logs for
+              // details." string pointed at a logs UI that does not
+              // exist and discarded the actionable reason entirely.
+              const detail =
+                (p.error_detail as string) ||
+                (p.summary as string) ||
+                "The agent turn failed but the runtime reported no detail. Retry once; if it repeats the workspace runtime may need a restart.";
+              callbacksRef.current.onSendError?.(detail);
+            }
+          }
+        } else if (type === "a2a_send") {
+          const targetName = resolveWorkspaceName(targetId);
+          line = `→ Delegating to ${targetName}...`;
+        } else if (type === "task_update") {
+          if (summary) line = `⟳ ${summary}`;
+        } else if (type === "agent_log") {
+          if (summary) line = summary;
+        }
+
+        if (line) {
+          callbacksRef.current.onActivityLog?.(line);
+        }
+      } else if (
+        msg.event === "TASK_UPDATED" &&
+        msg.workspace_id === workspaceId
+      ) {
+        const task = (msg.payload?.current_task as string) || "";
+        if (task) {
+          callbacksRef.current.onActivityLog?.(`⟳ ${task}`);
+        }
+      }
+    } catch {
+      /* ignore */
+    }
+  });
+}

canvas/src/components/tabs/chat/index.ts

@@ -1,2 +1,5 @@
 export { type ChatMessage, createMessage, appendMessageDeduped } from "./types";
 export { extractAgentText, extractTextsFromParts, extractResponseText } from "./message-parser";
+export { useChatHistory } from "./hooks/useChatHistory";
+export { useChatSend } from "./hooks/useChatSend";
+export { useChatSocket } from "./hooks/useChatSocket";

canvas/src/components/ui/TestConnectionButton.tsx

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 import { useState, useCallback, useRef, useEffect } from 'react';
 import type { TestConnectionState, SecretGroup } from '@/types/secrets';
-import { validateSecret } from '@/lib/api/secrets';
+import { validateSecret, ApiError } from '@/lib/api/secrets';
 
 interface TestConnectionButtonProps {
   provider: SecretGroup;
@@ -55,9 +55,23 @@ export function TestConnectionButton({
       }
       onResult?.(result.valid);
       resetTimerRef.current = setTimeout(() => setState('idle'), RESET_DELAYS[nextState]!);
-    } catch {
+    } catch (err) {
+      // Distinguish a real failure shape rather than always claiming a
+      // timeout. A reachable server that answered with an HTTP status
+      // (ApiError) did NOT time out — most commonly the validation route
+      // is not available (404/501), which must not masquerade as
+      // "service down". Only an actual thrown network/abort error is a
+      // connectivity failure.
       setState('failure');
-      setErrorDetail('Connection timed out. Service may be down.');
+      if (err instanceof ApiError) {
+        setErrorDetail(
+          err.status === 404 || err.status === 501
+            ? 'Key validation is not available for this service yet. The key was not tested.'
+            : `Could not verify key (server returned ${err.status}). Saving is unaffected.`,
+        );
+      } else {
+        setErrorDetail('Could not reach the validation service. Check your connection and try again.');
+      }
       onResult?.(false);
       resetTimerRef.current = setTimeout(() => setState('idle'), RESET_DELAYS.failure);
     }

canvas/src/components/ui/__tests__/TestConnectionButton.test.tsx

@@ -28,8 +28,20 @@ const mockValidateSecret = vi.fn();
 
 vi.mock("@/lib/api/secrets", () => ({
   validateSecret: (...args: unknown[]) => mockValidateSecret(...args),
+  ApiError: class ApiError extends Error {
+    status: number;
+    constructor(status: number, message: string) {
+      super(message);
+      this.name = "ApiError";
+      this.status = status;
+    }
+  },
 }));
 
+// Re-import the mocked ApiError so test cases construct the same class the
+// component's `instanceof` check sees.
+import { ApiError } from "@/lib/api/secrets";
+
 beforeEach(() => {
   vi.useFakeTimers();
   vi.clearAllMocks();
@@ -201,8 +213,27 @@ describe("TestConnectionButton — failure path", () => {
 });
 
 describe("TestConnectionButton — catch path", () => {
-  it("shows 'Connection timed out' on network error", async () => {
-    mockValidateSecret.mockRejectedValue(new Error("timeout"));
+  it("does NOT claim a timeout when the validate endpoint 404s (regression: internal#492)", async () => {
+    // The validate route is unimplemented on the server and returns a fast
+    // 404. Before the fix this rendered the misleading hardcoded string
+    // "Connection timed out. Service may be down." It must instead state
+    // honestly that validation isn't available and the key was not tested.
+    mockValidateSecret.mockRejectedValue(new ApiError(404, "Not Found"));
+    render(
+      <TestConnectionButton provider="anthropic" secretValue="sk-ant-xxx" />,
+    );
+    fireEvent.click(document.querySelector('button[type="button"]')!);
+    await act(async () => {
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(0);
+    });
+    expect(document.body.textContent).not.toContain("Connection timed out");
+    expect(document.body.textContent).not.toContain("Service may be down");
+    expect(document.body.textContent).toContain("not available");
+    expect(document.body.textContent).toContain("not tested");
+  });
+
+  it("reports a non-404 server error with its status, not a timeout", async () => {
+    mockValidateSecret.mockRejectedValue(new ApiError(500, "Internal Server Error"));
     render(
       <TestConnectionButton provider="github" secretValue="ghp_xxx" />,
     );
@@ -210,7 +241,20 @@ describe("TestConnectionButton — catch path", () => {
     await act(async () => {
       await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(0);
     });
-    expect(document.body.textContent).toContain("Connection timed out");
+    expect(document.body.textContent).toContain("500");
+    expect(document.body.textContent).not.toContain("Connection timed out");
+  });
+
+  it("shows a connectivity message on a genuine network error", async () => {
+    mockValidateSecret.mockRejectedValue(new Error("network down"));
+    render(
+      <TestConnectionButton provider="github" secretValue="ghp_xxx" />,
+    );
+    fireEvent.click(document.querySelector('button[type="button"]')!);
+    await act(async () => {
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(0);
+    });
+    expect(document.body.textContent).toContain("Could not reach the validation service");
   });
 
   it("calls onResult(false) on network error", async () => {

canvas/src/hooks/useTemplateDeploy.tsx

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import {
   type PreflightResult,
   type Template,
 } from "@/lib/deploy-preflight";
+import { isSaaSTenant } from "@/lib/tenant";
 import { MissingKeysModal } from "@/components/MissingKeysModal";
 
 /**
@@ -105,7 +106,7 @@ export function useTemplateDeploy(
         const ws = await api.post<{ id: string }>("/workspaces", {
           name: template.name,
           template: template.id,
-          tier: template.tier,
+          tier: isSaaSTenant() ? 4 : template.tier,
           canvas: coords,
           ...(model ? { model } : {}),
         });

canvas/src/lib/api.ts

@@ -8,14 +8,18 @@ import { getTenantSlug } from "./tenant";
 export const PLATFORM_URL =
   process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_PLATFORM_URL ?? "http://localhost:8080";
 
-// 15s is long enough for slow CP queries but short enough that a
-// hung backend doesn't leave the UI spinning forever. The abort
-// propagates through AbortController so React components can observe
-// the error and render a retry affordance. Callers that know the
-// endpoint is intentionally slow (org import walks a tree of
-// workspaces with server-side pacing) can pass `timeoutMs` to
-// override.
-const DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_MS = 15_000;
+// 35s is long enough for the slowest server-side path (EIC SSH
+// tunnel for tenant EC2 file operations, bounded server-side by
+// `eicFileOpTimeout = 30 * time.Second` in
+// workspace-server/internal/handlers/template_files_eic.go) so the
+// canvas surfaces the server's real error instead of aborting first
+// with a generic timeout. Shorter values caused "Save & Restart" to
+// time out at the client before the backend returned its 5xx. The
+// abort still propagates through AbortController so React components
+// can render a retry affordance. Callers that know an endpoint is
+// intentionally slow (org import walks a tree of workspaces with
+// server-side pacing) can pass `timeoutMs` to override.
+const DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_MS = 35_000;
 
 export interface RequestOptions {
   timeoutMs?: number;

canvas/src/store/canvas-topology.ts

@@ -519,6 +519,10 @@ export function buildNodesAndEdges(
         // #2054 — server-declared per-workspace provisioning timeout.
         // Falls through to the runtime profile when null/absent.
         provisionTimeoutMs: ws.provision_timeout_ms ?? null,
+        // Workspace abilities — defaults preserved for old platform versions
+        // that don't yet include these columns in the GET response.
+        broadcastEnabled: ws.broadcast_enabled ?? false,
+        talkToUserEnabled: ws.talk_to_user_enabled ?? true,
       },
     };
     if (hasParent) {

canvas/src/store/canvas.ts

@@ -99,6 +99,13 @@ export interface WorkspaceNodeData extends Record<string, unknown> {
    *  @/lib/runtimeProfiles. Lets a slow runtime declare its cold-boot
    *  expectation without a canvas release. */
   provisionTimeoutMs?: number | null;
+  /** When true the workspace may POST /broadcast to send org-wide messages.
+   *  Default false. Toggled by user/admin via PATCH /workspaces/:id/abilities. */
+  broadcastEnabled?: boolean;
+  /** When false the workspace cannot deliver canvas chat messages.
+   *  send_message_to_user / POST /notify return 403 and the canvas
+   *  shows a "not enabled" state with a button to re-enable. Default true. */
+  talkToUserEnabled?: boolean;
 }
 
 export type PanelTab = "details" | "skills" | "chat" | "terminal" | "config" | "schedule" | "channels" | "files" | "memory" | "traces" | "events" | "activity" | "audit";

canvas/src/store/socket.ts

@@ -299,6 +299,9 @@ export interface WorkspaceData {
    *  `@/lib/runtimeProfiles` when absent (the default behavior for any
    *  template that hasn't yet declared the field). */
   provision_timeout_ms?: number | null;
+  /** Workspace ability flags (migration 20260514). */
+  broadcast_enabled?: boolean;
+  talk_to_user_enabled?: boolean;
 }
 
 let socket: ReconnectingSocket | null = null;

manifest.json

@@ -30,10 +30,7 @@
     {"name": "openclaw", "repo": "molecule-ai/molecule-ai-workspace-template-openclaw", "ref": "main"},
     {"name": "codex", "repo": "molecule-ai/molecule-ai-workspace-template-codex", "ref": "main"},
     {"name": "langgraph", "repo": "molecule-ai/molecule-ai-workspace-template-langgraph", "ref": "main"},
-    {"name": "crewai", "repo": "molecule-ai/molecule-ai-workspace-template-crewai", "ref": "main"},
-    {"name": "autogen", "repo": "molecule-ai/molecule-ai-workspace-template-autogen", "ref": "main"},
-    {"name": "deepagents", "repo": "molecule-ai/molecule-ai-workspace-template-deepagents", "ref": "main"},
-    {"name": "gemini-cli", "repo": "molecule-ai/molecule-ai-workspace-template-gemini-cli", "ref": "main"}
+    {"name": "autogen", "repo": "molecule-ai/molecule-ai-workspace-template-autogen", "ref": "main"}
   ],
   "org_templates": [
     {"name": "molecule-dev", "repo": "molecule-ai/molecule-ai-org-template-molecule-dev", "ref": "main"},

scripts/build_runtime_package.py

@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ TOP_LEVEL_MODULES = {
     "a2a_tools_memory",
     "a2a_tools_messaging",
     "a2a_tools_rbac",
+    "a2a_tools_identity",
     "adapter_base",
     "agent",
     "agents_md",

tests/e2e/test_peer_visibility_mcp_staging.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,376 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Staging E2E — fresh-provision peer-visibility gate via the LITERAL MCP path.
+#
+# WHY THIS EXISTS
+# ---------------
+# Hermes and OpenClaw were repeatedly reported "fleet-verified / cascade-
+# complete" because the *proxy* signals were green:
+#   - registry-registration + heartbeat (Hermes), and
+#   - model round-trip 200 (OpenClaw).
+# But a freshly-provisioned workspace, asked on canvas "can you see your
+# peers", actually FAILS:
+#   - Hermes: 401 on the molecule MCP `list_peers` call,
+#   - OpenClaw: falls back to native `sessions_list`, sees no platform peers.
+# Tasks #142/#159 were even marked "completed" under this same proxy flaw.
+#
+# This script codifies the LITERAL user-facing path so it can never silently
+# regress: it provisions a brand-new throwaway org + sibling workspaces via
+# the real control-plane provisioning path, then for each runtime that should
+# have platform peer-visibility it drives the EXACT MCP call the canvas agent
+# makes — `POST /workspaces/:id/mcp` JSON-RPC tools/call name=list_peers,
+# authenticated by that workspace's own bearer token through the real
+# WorkspaceAuth + MCPRateLimiter middleware chain. It then asserts:
+#   (1) HTTP 200,
+#   (2) JSON-RPC `result` present (NOT an `error` object — a -32000
+#       "tool call failed" or a 401 from WorkspaceAuth fails here),
+#   (3) the returned peer set CONTAINS the other provisioned sibling
+#       workspace IDs — not an empty list, not a native-sessions fallback.
+#
+# This is NOT a proxy. It does not look at a registry row, /health, the
+# heartbeat table, or `GET /registry/:id/peers`. It drives the byte-for-byte
+# JSON-RPC envelope that mcp_molecule_list_peers issues from a real agent.
+#
+# It is written to FAIL on today's broken Hermes/OpenClaw behavior and go
+# green only when the in-flight root-cause fixes (Hermes-401, OpenClaw MCP
+# wiring) actually land. That is the point: it is the objective proof gate.
+#
+# AUTH MODEL (mirrors tests/e2e/test_staging_full_saas.sh)
+# --------------------------------------------------------
+#   Single MOLECULE_ADMIN_TOKEN (= CP_ADMIN_API_TOKEN on Railway staging)
+#   drives: POST /cp/admin/orgs (provision), GET
+#   /cp/admin/orgs/:slug/admin-token (per-tenant token), DELETE
+#   /cp/admin/tenants/:slug (teardown). The per-tenant admin token drives
+#   tenant workspace creation; each workspace's OWN auth_token (returned by
+#   POST /workspaces) drives its MCP call.
+#
+# Required env:
+#   MOLECULE_ADMIN_TOKEN   CP admin bearer — Railway staging CP_ADMIN_API_TOKEN
+# Optional env:
+#   MOLECULE_CP_URL        default https://staging-api.moleculesai.app
+#   E2E_RUN_ID             slug suffix; CI passes ${GITHUB_RUN_ID}
+#   PV_RUNTIMES            space list; default "hermes openclaw claude-code"
+#   E2E_PROVISION_TIMEOUT_SECS  default 1800 (hermes/openclaw cold EC2 budget)
+#   E2E_MINIMAX_API_KEY / E2E_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY / E2E_OPENAI_API_KEY
+#                          LLM provider key injected so the runtime can boot
+#   E2E_KEEP_ORG           1 → skip teardown (local debugging only)
+#
+# Exit codes:
+#   0  every runtime saw its peers via the literal MCP call
+#   1  generic failure
+#   2  missing required env
+#   3  provisioning timed out
+#   4  teardown left orphan resources
+#   10 peer-visibility regression reproduced (the gate firing as designed)
+
+set -uo pipefail
+
+CP_URL="${MOLECULE_CP_URL:-https://staging-api.moleculesai.app}"
+ADMIN_TOKEN="${MOLECULE_ADMIN_TOKEN:?MOLECULE_ADMIN_TOKEN required — Railway staging CP_ADMIN_API_TOKEN}"
+RUN_ID_SUFFIX="${E2E_RUN_ID:-$(date +%H%M%S)-$$}"
+PV_RUNTIMES="${PV_RUNTIMES:-hermes openclaw claude-code}"
+PROVISION_TIMEOUT_SECS="${E2E_PROVISION_TIMEOUT_SECS:-1800}"
+
+# Slug MUST start with 'e2e-' so the sweep-stale-e2e-orgs safety net
+# (EPHEMERAL_PREFIXES) catches any leak this run fails to tear down.
+SLUG="e2e-pv-$(date +%Y%m%d)-${RUN_ID_SUFFIX}"
+SLUG=$(echo "$SLUG" | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]' | tr -cd 'a-z0-9-' | head -c 32)
+
+ORG_ID=""
+TENANT_URL=""
+TENANT_TOKEN=""
+
+log()  { echo "[$(date +%H:%M:%S)] $*"; }
+fail() { echo "[$(date +%H:%M:%S)] ❌ $*" >&2; exit 1; }
+ok()   { echo "[$(date +%H:%M:%S)] ✅ $*"; }
+
+admin_call() {
+  local method="$1" path="$2"; shift 2
+  curl -sS -X "$method" "$CP_URL$path" \
+    -H "Authorization: Bearer $ADMIN_TOKEN" \
+    -H "Content-Type: application/json" "$@"
+}
+tenant_call() {
+  local method="$1" path="$2"; shift 2
+  curl -sS -X "$method" "$TENANT_URL$path" \
+    -H "Authorization: Bearer $TENANT_TOKEN" \
+    -H "X-Molecule-Org-Id: $ORG_ID" \
+    -H "Content-Type: application/json" "$@"
+}
+
+# ─── Scoped teardown ───────────────────────────────────────────────────
+# Deletes ONLY the org this run created (DELETE /cp/admin/tenants/$SLUG
+# with the {"confirm":$SLUG} fat-finger guard). Never a cluster-wide
+# sweep — honors feedback_cleanup_after_each_test and
+# feedback_never_run_cluster_cleanup_tests_on_live_platform. The
+# workflow's always() step + sweep-stale-e2e-orgs are the outer nets.
+teardown() {
+  local rc=$?
+  set +e
+  if [ "${E2E_KEEP_ORG:-0}" = "1" ]; then
+    echo ""
+    log "[teardown] E2E_KEEP_ORG=1 — leaving $SLUG for debugging (REMEMBER TO DELETE)"
+    exit $rc
+  fi
+  echo ""
+  log "[teardown] DELETE /cp/admin/tenants/$SLUG (scoped to this run only)"
+  admin_call DELETE "/cp/admin/tenants/$SLUG" --max-time 120 \
+    -d "{\"confirm\":\"$SLUG\"}" >/dev/null 2>&1
+  for j in $(seq 1 24); do
+    LIST=$(admin_call GET "/cp/admin/orgs?limit=500" 2>/dev/null)
+    LEAK=$(echo "$LIST" | python3 -c "
+import sys, json
+try: d = json.load(sys.stdin)
+except Exception: print(1); sys.exit(0)
+orgs = d if isinstance(d, list) else d.get('orgs', [])
+print(sum(1 for o in orgs if o.get('slug') == '$SLUG' and o.get('instance_status') not in ('purged',) and o.get('status') != 'purged'))
+" 2>/dev/null || echo 1)
+    if [ "$LEAK" = "0" ]; then
+      log "[teardown] ✓ $SLUG purged (after ${j}x5s)"
+      exit $rc
+    fi
+    sleep 5
+  done
+  echo "::warning::[teardown] $SLUG still present after 120s — sweep-stale-e2e-orgs will catch it within MAX_AGE_MINUTES" >&2
+  [ $rc -eq 0 ] && rc=4
+  exit $rc
+}
+trap teardown EXIT INT TERM
+
+# ─── 1. Provision the throwaway org ────────────────────────────────────
+log "1/6 POST /cp/admin/orgs — slug=$SLUG"
+CREATE=$(admin_call POST /cp/admin/orgs \
+  -d "{\"slug\":\"$SLUG\",\"name\":\"E2E peer-visibility $SLUG\",\"owner_user_id\":\"e2e-runner:$SLUG\"}")
+ORG_ID=$(echo "$CREATE" | python3 -c "import sys,json; print(json.load(sys.stdin).get('id',''))" 2>/dev/null)
+[ -n "$ORG_ID" ] || fail "org creation failed: $(echo "$CREATE" | head -c 300)"
+log "    ORG_ID=$ORG_ID"
+
+# ─── 2. Wait for tenant EC2 + DNS ──────────────────────────────────────
+log "2/6 waiting for tenant instance_status=running (cold EC2 + cloudflared)..."
+DEADLINE=$(( $(date +%s) + PROVISION_TIMEOUT_SECS ))
+while true; do
+  [ "$(date +%s)" -gt "$DEADLINE" ] && fail "tenant never came up within ${PROVISION_TIMEOUT_SECS}s"
+  STATUS=$(admin_call GET "/cp/admin/orgs?limit=500" 2>/dev/null | python3 -c "
+import sys, json
+try: d = json.load(sys.stdin)
+except Exception: sys.exit(0)
+orgs = d if isinstance(d, list) else d.get('orgs', [])
+for o in orgs:
+    if o.get('slug') == '$SLUG':
+        print(o.get('instance_status') or o.get('status') or 'unknown'); break
+" 2>/dev/null)
+  case "$STATUS" in running|online|ready) break ;; esac
+  sleep 10
+done
+log "    tenant status=$STATUS"
+
+# ─── 3. Per-tenant admin token + tenant URL ────────────────────────────
+log "3/6 fetching per-tenant admin token..."
+TT_RESP=$(admin_call GET "/cp/admin/orgs/$SLUG/admin-token")
+TENANT_TOKEN=$(echo "$TT_RESP" | python3 -c "import sys,json; print(json.load(sys.stdin).get('admin_token',''))" 2>/dev/null)
+[ -n "$TENANT_TOKEN" ] || fail "tenant token fetch failed: $(echo "$TT_RESP" | head -c 200)"
+
+CP_HOST=$(echo "$CP_URL" | sed -E 's#^https?://##; s#/.*$##')
+case "$CP_HOST" in
+  api.*)         DERIVED_DOMAIN="${CP_HOST#api.}" ;;
+  staging-api.*) DERIVED_DOMAIN="staging.${CP_HOST#staging-api.}" ;;
+  *)             DERIVED_DOMAIN="$CP_HOST" ;;
+esac
+TENANT_URL="https://${SLUG}.${DERIVED_DOMAIN}"
+log "    tenant url: $TENANT_URL"
+
+log "3b. waiting for tenant /health (TLS/DNS, up to 10min)..."
+for i in $(seq 1 120); do
+  curl -fsS "$TENANT_URL/health" -m 5 -k >/dev/null 2>&1 && { log "    /health ok (attempt $i)"; break; }
+  sleep 5
+done
+
+# ─── 4. Provision the parent + one sibling per runtime under test ──────
+# Inject the LLM provider key so each runtime can authenticate at boot.
+# Priority: MiniMax → direct-Anthropic → OpenAI (mirrors
+# test_staging_full_saas.sh's secrets-injection chain).
+SECRETS_JSON='{}'
+if [ -n "${E2E_MINIMAX_API_KEY:-}" ]; then
+  SECRETS_JSON=$(python3 -c "import json,os;k=os.environ['E2E_MINIMAX_API_KEY'];print(json.dumps({'ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL':'https://api.minimax.io/anthropic','ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN':k,'MINIMAX_API_KEY':k}))")
+elif [ -n "${E2E_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY:-}" ]; then
+  SECRETS_JSON=$(python3 -c "import json,os;k=os.environ['E2E_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY'];print(json.dumps({'ANTHROPIC_API_KEY':k}))")
+elif [ -n "${E2E_OPENAI_API_KEY:-}" ]; then
+  SECRETS_JSON=$(python3 -c "import json,os;k=os.environ['E2E_OPENAI_API_KEY'];print(json.dumps({'OPENAI_API_KEY':k,'OPENAI_BASE_URL':'https://api.openai.com/v1','MODEL_PROVIDER':'openai:gpt-4o','HERMES_INFERENCE_PROVIDER':'custom','HERMES_CUSTOM_BASE_URL':'https://api.openai.com/v1','HERMES_CUSTOM_API_KEY':k,'HERMES_CUSTOM_API_MODE':'chat_completions'}))")
+fi
+
+log "4/6 provisioning parent (claude-code) + one sibling per runtime under test..."
+P_RESP=$(tenant_call POST /workspaces \
+  -d "{\"name\":\"pv-parent\",\"runtime\":\"claude-code\",\"tier\":3,\"secrets\":$SECRETS_JSON}")
+PARENT_ID=$(echo "$P_RESP" | python3 -c "import sys,json; print(json.load(sys.stdin).get('id',''))" 2>/dev/null)
+[ -n "$PARENT_ID" ] || fail "parent create failed: $(echo "$P_RESP" | head -c 300)"
+log "    PARENT_ID=$PARENT_ID"
+
+# WS_IDS[runtime]=id ; WS_TOKENS[runtime]=auth_token (the MCP bearer)
+declare -A WS_IDS WS_TOKENS
+ALL_WS_IDS="$PARENT_ID"
+for rt in $PV_RUNTIMES; do
+  R=$(tenant_call POST /workspaces \
+    -d "{\"name\":\"pv-$rt\",\"runtime\":\"$rt\",\"tier\":2,\"parent_id\":\"$PARENT_ID\",\"secrets\":$SECRETS_JSON}")
+  WID=$(echo "$R" | python3 -c "import sys,json; print(json.load(sys.stdin).get('id',''))" 2>/dev/null)
+  # auth_token is top-level for container runtimes; external-like nest it
+  # under connection.auth_token (verified vs staging response shape).
+  WTOK=$(echo "$R" | python3 -c "
+import sys, json
+try: d = json.load(sys.stdin)
+except Exception: print(''); sys.exit(0)
+print(d.get('auth_token') or d.get('connection', {}).get('auth_token') or '')
+" 2>/dev/null)
+  [ -n "$WID" ] || fail "$rt workspace create failed: $(echo "$R" | head -c 300)"
+  [ -n "$WTOK" ] || fail "$rt workspace did not return an auth_token — cannot drive its MCP call (resp: $(echo "$R" | head -c 300))"
+  WS_IDS[$rt]="$WID"
+  WS_TOKENS[$rt]="$WTOK"
+  ALL_WS_IDS="$ALL_WS_IDS $WID"
+  log "    $rt → $WID"
+done
+
+# ─── 5. Wait for every sibling online ──────────────────────────────────
+log "5/6 waiting for all workspaces status=online (up to ${PROVISION_TIMEOUT_SECS}s — cold boot)..."
+WS_DEADLINE=$(( $(date +%s) + PROVISION_TIMEOUT_SECS ))
+for rt in $PV_RUNTIMES; do
+  wid="${WS_IDS[$rt]}"
+  LAST=""
+  while true; do
+    [ "$(date +%s)" -gt "$WS_DEADLINE" ] && fail "$rt ($wid) never reached online (last=$LAST)"
+    S=$(tenant_call GET "/workspaces/$wid" 2>/dev/null | python3 -c "
+import sys, json
+try: d = json.load(sys.stdin)
+except Exception: sys.exit(0)
+w = d.get('workspace') if isinstance(d.get('workspace'), dict) else d
+print(w.get('status') or '')
+" 2>/dev/null)
+    [ "$S" != "$LAST" ] && { log "    $rt → $S"; LAST="$S"; }
+    case "$S" in
+      online) break ;;
+      failed) sleep 10 ;;   # transient: bootstrap-watcher 5-min deadline, heartbeat recovers
+      *)      sleep 10 ;;
+    esac
+  done
+  ok "    $rt online"
+done
+
+# ─── 6. THE GATE — literal mcp_molecule_list_peers via POST /:id/mcp ────
+# This is the byte-for-byte user-facing call. NOT GET /registry/:id/peers,
+# NOT /health, NOT the heartbeat table. JSON-RPC 2.0 tools/call,
+# name=list_peers, authenticated by the workspace's OWN bearer token
+# through WorkspaceAuth + MCPRateLimiter.
+log "6/6 driving the LITERAL list_peers MCP call per runtime..."
+echo ""
+RPC_BODY='{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"tools/call","params":{"name":"list_peers","arguments":{}}}'
+REGRESSED=0
+declare -A VERDICT
+
+for rt in $PV_RUNTIMES; do
+  wid="${WS_IDS[$rt]}"
+  wtok="${WS_TOKENS[$rt]}"
+  # The expected peer set = every OTHER provisioned workspace (parent +
+  # the sibling runtimes), excluding the caller itself.
+  EXPECT_IDS=$(echo "$ALL_WS_IDS" | tr ' ' '\n' | grep -v "^${wid}$" | grep -v '^$')
+
+  set +e
+  RESP=$(curl -sS -X POST "$TENANT_URL/workspaces/$wid/mcp" \
+    -H "Authorization: Bearer $wtok" \
+    -H "X-Molecule-Org-Id: $ORG_ID" \
+    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
+    -d "$RPC_BODY" \
+    -o /tmp/pv_mcp_body.json -w "%{http_code}" 2>/dev/null)
+  set -e
+  HTTP_CODE="$RESP"
+  BODY=$(cat /tmp/pv_mcp_body.json 2>/dev/null || echo '')
+
+  echo "--- $rt (ws=$wid) ---"
+  echo "    HTTP $HTTP_CODE"
+  echo "    body: $(echo "$BODY" | head -c 600)"
+
+  # (1) HTTP 200 — a 401 (WorkspaceAuth reject, the Hermes symptom) fails here.
+  if [ "$HTTP_CODE" != "200" ]; then
+    echo "  ✗ $rt: list_peers MCP call returned HTTP $HTTP_CODE (expected 200)"
+    VERDICT[$rt]="FAIL(http=$HTTP_CODE)"
+    REGRESSED=1
+    continue
+  fi
+
+  # (2) JSON-RPC result present, not an error object.
+  PARSE=$(echo "$BODY" | python3 -c "
+import sys, json
+expect = set(filter(None, '''$EXPECT_IDS'''.split()))
+try:
+    d = json.load(sys.stdin)
+except Exception as e:
+    print('PARSE_ERROR:' + str(e)); sys.exit(0)
+if isinstance(d, dict) and d.get('error') is not None:
+    print('RPC_ERROR:' + json.dumps(d['error'])[:200]); sys.exit(0)
+res = d.get('result') if isinstance(d, dict) else None
+if res is None:
+    print('NO_RESULT'); sys.exit(0)
+# MCP tools/call result shape: {content:[{type:text,text:'<json or prose>'}]}
+text = ''
+if isinstance(res, dict):
+    for c in res.get('content', []):
+        if c.get('type') == 'text':
+            text += c.get('text', '')
+text_l = text.lower()
+# Native-sessions fallback signature (the OpenClaw symptom): the agent
+# answered from its own runtime session list, not the platform peer set.
+if 'sessions_list' in text_l or 'no platform peers' in text_l or 'native session' in text_l:
+    print('NATIVE_FALLBACK:' + text[:200]); sys.exit(0)
+# The expected sibling IDs must literally appear in the returned peer text.
+found = sorted(i for i in expect if i in text)
+missing = sorted(expect - set(found))
+if not expect:
+    print('NO_EXPECTED_PEERS_CONFIGURED'); sys.exit(0)
+if missing:
+    print('MISSING_PEERS:found=%d/%d missing=%s' % (len(found), len(expect), ','.join(m[:8] for m in missing)))
+    sys.exit(0)
+print('OK:found=%d/%d' % (len(found), len(expect)))
+" 2>/dev/null)
+
+  case "$PARSE" in
+    OK:*)
+      echo "  ✓ $rt: list_peers returned 200 and contains all expected peers ($PARSE)"
+      VERDICT[$rt]="OK"
+      ;;
+    NATIVE_FALLBACK:*)
+      echo "  ✗ $rt: list_peers fell back to NATIVE sessions — sees no platform peers ($PARSE)"
+      VERDICT[$rt]="FAIL(native-fallback)"
+      REGRESSED=1
+      ;;
+    RPC_ERROR:*|NO_RESULT|PARSE_ERROR:*)
+      echo "  ✗ $rt: list_peers MCP call did not return a usable result ($PARSE)"
+      VERDICT[$rt]="FAIL(rpc=$PARSE)"
+      REGRESSED=1
+      ;;
+    MISSING_PEERS:*)
+      echo "  ✗ $rt: list_peers returned 200 but peer set is wrong/empty ($PARSE)"
+      VERDICT[$rt]="FAIL(peers=$PARSE)"
+      REGRESSED=1
+      ;;
+    *)
+      echo "  ✗ $rt: unexpected verdict '$PARSE'"
+      VERDICT[$rt]="FAIL(unknown)"
+      REGRESSED=1
+      ;;
+  esac
+  echo ""
+done
+
+echo "=== SUMMARY — fresh-provision peer-visibility (literal MCP list_peers) ==="
+for rt in $PV_RUNTIMES; do
+  printf '  %-14s %s\n' "$rt" "${VERDICT[$rt]:-NO_RUN}"
+done
+echo ""
+
+if [ "$REGRESSED" -ne 0 ]; then
+  echo "✗ GATE FAILED — at least one runtime cannot see its peers via the"
+  echo "  literal mcp_molecule_list_peers call. This is the real user-facing"
+  echo "  failure the proxy signals (registry row / heartbeat / model 200)"
+  echo "  were hiding. Expected RED until the Hermes-401 + OpenClaw-MCP-wiring"
+  echo "  root-cause fixes land; goes green only when they actually do."
+  exit 10
+fi
+
+ok "GATE PASSED — every runtime under test sees its platform peers via the literal MCP call."
+exit 0

tests/e2e/test_workspace_abilities_e2e.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,296 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# E2E test: workspace broadcast and talk-to-user platform abilities.
+#
+# What this proves:
+#   1. talk_to_user_enabled (default true) — POST /notify works out-of-the-box.
+#   2. PATCH /workspaces/:id/abilities { talk_to_user_enabled: false } disables
+#      delivery: /notify → 403 with error="talk_to_user_disabled" + delegate hint.
+#   3. Re-enabling talk_to_user_enabled restores delivery.
+#   4. broadcast_enabled (default false) — POST /broadcast → 403 when disabled.
+#   5. PATCH { broadcast_enabled: true } enables fan-out.
+#   6. POST /broadcast delivers to all non-sender, non-removed workspaces:
+#      - Returns {"status":"sent","delivered":N}
+#      - Receiver's activity log has a broadcast_receive entry with the message.
+#      - Sender's activity log has a broadcast_sent entry.
+#   7. The sender itself does NOT receive a broadcast_receive entry.
+#
+# Usage:  tests/e2e/test_workspace_abilities_e2e.sh
+# Prereqs: workspace-server on http://localhost:8080, MOLECULE_ENV != production
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+source "$(dirname "$0")/_lib.sh"
+
+PASS=0
+FAIL=0
+SENDER_ID=""
+RECEIVER_ID=""
+
+cleanup() {
+  for wid in "$SENDER_ID" "$RECEIVER_ID"; do
+    if [ -n "$wid" ]; then
+      curl -s -X DELETE "$BASE/workspaces/$wid?confirm=true" > /dev/null || true
+    fi
+  done
+}
+trap cleanup EXIT INT TERM
+
+assert() {
+  local label="$1" actual="$2" expected="$3"
+  if [ "$actual" = "$expected" ]; then
+    echo "  PASS — $label"
+    PASS=$((PASS+1))
+  else
+    echo "  FAIL — $label"
+    echo "         expected: $expected"
+    echo "         actual:   $actual"
+    FAIL=$((FAIL+1))
+  fi
+}
+
+assert_contains() {
+  local label="$1" haystack="$2" needle="$3"
+  if echo "$haystack" | grep -qF "$needle"; then
+    echo "  PASS — $label"
+    PASS=$((PASS+1))
+  else
+    echo "  FAIL — $label"
+    echo "         needle:   $needle"
+    echo "         haystack: $haystack"
+    FAIL=$((FAIL+1))
+  fi
+}
+
+assert_not_contains() {
+  local label="$1" haystack="$2" needle="$3"
+  if ! echo "$haystack" | grep -qF "$needle"; then
+    echo "  PASS — $label"
+    PASS=$((PASS+1))
+  else
+    echo "  FAIL — $label (unexpected match)"
+    echo "         needle:   $needle"
+    echo "         haystack: $haystack"
+    FAIL=$((FAIL+1))
+  fi
+}
+
+# ── Pre-sweep: remove any stale leftover workspaces from a prior aborted run ──
+echo "=== Setup ==="
+for NAME in "Abilities Sender" "Abilities Receiver"; do
+  PRIOR=$(curl -s "$BASE/workspaces" | python3 -c "
+import json, sys
+try:
+    print(' '.join(w['id'] for w in json.load(sys.stdin) if w.get('name') == '$NAME'))
+except Exception:
+    pass
+")
+  for _wid in $PRIOR; do
+    echo "Sweeping leftover '$NAME' workspace: $_wid"
+    curl -s -X DELETE "$BASE/workspaces/$_wid?confirm=true" > /dev/null || true
+  done
+done
+
+R=$(curl -s -X POST "$BASE/workspaces" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
+  -d '{"name":"Abilities Sender","tier":1}')
+SENDER_ID=$(echo "$R" | python3 -c 'import json,sys;print(json.load(sys.stdin)["id"])' 2>/dev/null || true)
+[ -n "$SENDER_ID" ] || { echo "Failed to create sender workspace: $R"; exit 1; }
+echo "Created sender   workspace: $SENDER_ID"
+
+R=$(curl -s -X POST "$BASE/workspaces" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
+  -d '{"name":"Abilities Receiver","tier":1}')
+RECEIVER_ID=$(echo "$R" | python3 -c 'import json,sys;print(json.load(sys.stdin)["id"])' 2>/dev/null || true)
+[ -n "$RECEIVER_ID" ] || { echo "Failed to create receiver workspace: $R"; exit 1; }
+echo "Created receiver workspace: $RECEIVER_ID"
+
+# Mint workspace-scoped bearer tokens (test-only endpoint, disabled in prod).
+SENDER_TOKEN=$(e2e_mint_test_token "$SENDER_ID")
+[ -n "$SENDER_TOKEN" ] || { echo "Failed to mint sender token"; exit 1; }
+SENDER_AUTH="Authorization: Bearer $SENDER_TOKEN"
+
+# Admin token — any live workspace bearer satisfies AdminAuth in local dev.
+# In production-like envs, set MOLECULE_ADMIN_TOKEN.
+ADMIN_TOKEN="${MOLECULE_ADMIN_TOKEN:-$SENDER_TOKEN}"
+ADMIN_AUTH="Authorization: Bearer $ADMIN_TOKEN"
+
+# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+echo ""
+echo "=== Part 1: talk_to_user ability ==="
+
+echo ""
+echo "--- 1a: /notify works with default talk_to_user_enabled=true ---"
+CODE=$(curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" -X POST "$BASE/workspaces/$SENDER_ID/notify" \
+  -H "Content-Type: application/json" -H "$SENDER_AUTH" \
+  -d '{"message":"Hello from sender"}')
+assert "POST /notify returns 200 when talk_to_user_enabled=true (default)" "$CODE" "200"
+
+echo ""
+echo "--- 1b: Disable talk_to_user ---"
+CODE=$(curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" -X PATCH "$BASE/workspaces/$SENDER_ID/abilities" \
+  -H "Content-Type: application/json" -H "$ADMIN_AUTH" \
+  -d '{"talk_to_user_enabled": false}')
+assert "PATCH /abilities talk_to_user_enabled=false returns 200" "$CODE" "200"
+
+# Verify the flag is reflected in the workspace GET response.
+WS=$(curl -s "$BASE/workspaces/$SENDER_ID" -H "$SENDER_AUTH")
+FLAG=$(echo "$WS" | python3 -c 'import json,sys;print(json.load(sys.stdin).get("talk_to_user_enabled","MISSING"))')
+assert "GET /workspaces/:id reflects talk_to_user_enabled=false" "$FLAG" "False"
+
+echo ""
+echo "--- 1c: /notify blocked when talk_to_user disabled ---"
+BODY=$(curl -s -w "" -X POST "$BASE/workspaces/$SENDER_ID/notify" \
+  -H "Content-Type: application/json" -H "$SENDER_AUTH" \
+  -d '{"message":"Should be blocked"}')
+CODE=$(curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" -X POST "$BASE/workspaces/$SENDER_ID/notify" \
+  -H "Content-Type: application/json" -H "$SENDER_AUTH" \
+  -d '{"message":"Should be blocked"}')
+assert "POST /notify returns 403 when talk_to_user_enabled=false" "$CODE" "403"
+
+ERR=$(echo "$BODY" | python3 -c 'import json,sys;print(json.load(sys.stdin).get("error",""))' 2>/dev/null || echo "")
+assert_contains "403 body contains talk_to_user_disabled error code" "$ERR" "talk_to_user_disabled"
+
+HINT=$(echo "$BODY" | python3 -c 'import json,sys;print(json.load(sys.stdin).get("hint",""))' 2>/dev/null || echo "")
+assert_contains "403 body contains delegate_task hint" "$HINT" "delegate_task"
+
+echo ""
+echo "--- 1d: Re-enable talk_to_user and verify /notify works again ---"
+CODE=$(curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" -X PATCH "$BASE/workspaces/$SENDER_ID/abilities" \
+  -H "Content-Type: application/json" -H "$ADMIN_AUTH" \
+  -d '{"talk_to_user_enabled": true}')
+assert "PATCH /abilities talk_to_user_enabled=true returns 200" "$CODE" "200"
+
+CODE=$(curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" -X POST "$BASE/workspaces/$SENDER_ID/notify" \
+  -H "Content-Type: application/json" -H "$SENDER_AUTH" \
+  -d '{"message":"Re-enabled, should work"}')
+assert "POST /notify returns 200 after re-enabling talk_to_user" "$CODE" "200"
+
+# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+echo ""
+echo "=== Part 2: broadcast ability ==="
+
+echo ""
+echo "--- 2a: Broadcast blocked by default (broadcast_enabled=false) ---"
+CODE=$(curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" -X POST "$BASE/workspaces/$SENDER_ID/broadcast" \
+  -H "Content-Type: application/json" -H "$SENDER_AUTH" \
+  -d '{"message":"Should be blocked"}')
+assert "POST /broadcast returns 403 when broadcast_enabled=false (default)" "$CODE" "403"
+
+echo ""
+echo "--- 2b: Enable broadcast ---"
+CODE=$(curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" -X PATCH "$BASE/workspaces/$SENDER_ID/abilities" \
+  -H "Content-Type: application/json" -H "$ADMIN_AUTH" \
+  -d '{"broadcast_enabled": true}')
+assert "PATCH /abilities broadcast_enabled=true returns 200" "$CODE" "200"
+
+WS=$(curl -s "$BASE/workspaces/$SENDER_ID" -H "$SENDER_AUTH")
+FLAG=$(echo "$WS" | python3 -c 'import json,sys;print(json.load(sys.stdin).get("broadcast_enabled","MISSING"))')
+assert "GET /workspaces/:id reflects broadcast_enabled=true" "$FLAG" "True"
+
+echo ""
+echo "--- 2c: Successful broadcast fan-out ---"
+BCAST=$(curl -s -X POST "$BASE/workspaces/$SENDER_ID/broadcast" \
+  -H "Content-Type: application/json" -H "$SENDER_AUTH" \
+  -d '{"message":"Org-wide notice: scheduled maintenance in 5 minutes."}')
+BSTATUS=$(echo "$BCAST" | python3 -c 'import json,sys;print(json.load(sys.stdin).get("status",""))' 2>/dev/null || echo "")
+BDELIVERED=$(echo "$BCAST" | python3 -c 'import json,sys;print(json.load(sys.stdin).get("delivered","-1"))' 2>/dev/null || echo "-1")
+assert "POST /broadcast returns status=sent" "$BSTATUS" "sent"
+
+# delivered count must be >= 1 (the receiver workspace).
+echo "  INFO — broadcast delivered=$BDELIVERED"
+if python3 -c "import sys; sys.exit(0 if int('$BDELIVERED') >= 1 else 1)" 2>/dev/null; then
+  echo "  PASS — delivered count >= 1"
+  PASS=$((PASS+1))
+else
+  echo "  FAIL — expected delivered >= 1, got $BDELIVERED"
+  FAIL=$((FAIL+1))
+fi
+
+echo ""
+echo "--- 2d: Receiver activity log has broadcast_receive entry ---"
+RECEIVER_TOKEN=$(e2e_mint_test_token "$RECEIVER_ID")
+[ -n "$RECEIVER_TOKEN" ] || { echo "Failed to mint receiver token"; exit 1; }
+RECEIVER_AUTH="Authorization: Bearer $RECEIVER_TOKEN"
+
+ACT=$(curl -s -H "$RECEIVER_AUTH" "$BASE/workspaces/$RECEIVER_ID/activity?source=agent&limit=20")
+ROW=$(echo "$ACT" | python3 -c '
+import json, sys
+rows = json.load(sys.stdin) or []
+for r in rows:
+    if r.get("activity_type") == "broadcast_receive":
+        print(json.dumps(r))
+        break
+')
+[ -n "$ROW" ] || {
+  echo "  FAIL — could not find broadcast_receive row in receiver activity"
+  FAIL=$((FAIL+1))
+}
+
+if [ -n "$ROW" ]; then
+  # Message is stored in summary field.
+  MSG=$(echo "$ROW" | python3 -c 'import json,sys;r=json.load(sys.stdin);print(r.get("summary",""))')
+  assert_contains "broadcast_receive row summary has original message" "$MSG" "scheduled maintenance"
+  # Sender ID is stored in source_id field.
+  SRC=$(echo "$ROW" | python3 -c 'import json,sys;r=json.load(sys.stdin);print(r.get("source_id",""))')
+  assert "broadcast_receive row source_id is sender workspace" "$SRC" "$SENDER_ID"
+fi
+
+echo ""
+echo "--- 2e: Sender activity log has broadcast_sent entry ---"
+ACT_SENDER=$(curl -s -H "$SENDER_AUTH" "$BASE/workspaces/$SENDER_ID/activity?limit=20")
+SENT_ROW=$(echo "$ACT_SENDER" | python3 -c '
+import json, sys
+rows = json.load(sys.stdin) or []
+for r in rows:
+    if r.get("activity_type") == "broadcast_sent":
+        print(json.dumps(r))
+        break
+')
+[ -n "$SENT_ROW" ] || {
+  echo "  FAIL — could not find broadcast_sent row in sender activity"
+  FAIL=$((FAIL+1))
+}
+
+if [ -n "$SENT_ROW" ]; then
+  # Delivered count is baked into the summary field (no response_body for sender row).
+  SUMMARY=$(echo "$SENT_ROW" | python3 -c 'import json,sys;print(json.load(sys.stdin).get("summary",""))')
+  assert_contains "broadcast_sent summary mentions workspace count" "$SUMMARY" "workspace"
+fi
+
+echo ""
+echo "--- 2f: Sender does NOT receive a broadcast_receive entry ---"
+SELF_RECV=$(echo "$ACT_SENDER" | python3 -c '
+import json, sys
+rows = json.load(sys.stdin) or []
+for r in rows:
+    if r.get("activity_type") == "broadcast_receive":
+        print("found")
+        break
+')
+assert_not_contains "sender has no broadcast_receive in own activity log" "${SELF_RECV:-}" "found"
+
+# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+echo ""
+echo "--- 2g: Empty message is rejected ---"
+CODE=$(curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" -X POST "$BASE/workspaces/$SENDER_ID/broadcast" \
+  -H "Content-Type: application/json" -H "$SENDER_AUTH" \
+  -d '{"message":""}')
+assert "POST /broadcast with empty message returns 400" "$CODE" "400"
+
+echo ""
+echo "--- 2h: Partial PATCH does not clobber other flags ---"
+# Set talk_to_user=false, then patch only broadcast — talk_to_user must stay false.
+curl -s -o /dev/null -X PATCH "$BASE/workspaces/$SENDER_ID/abilities" \
+  -H "Content-Type: application/json" -H "$ADMIN_AUTH" \
+  -d '{"talk_to_user_enabled": false}'
+curl -s -o /dev/null -X PATCH "$BASE/workspaces/$SENDER_ID/abilities" \
+  -H "Content-Type: application/json" -H "$ADMIN_AUTH" \
+  -d '{"broadcast_enabled": false}'
+WS=$(curl -s "$BASE/workspaces/$SENDER_ID" -H "$SENDER_AUTH")
+TUF=$(echo "$WS" | python3 -c 'import json,sys;print(json.load(sys.stdin).get("talk_to_user_enabled","MISSING"))')
+BEF=$(echo "$WS" | python3 -c 'import json,sys;print(json.load(sys.stdin).get("broadcast_enabled","MISSING"))')
+assert "partial PATCH preserves talk_to_user_enabled=false" "$TUF" "False"
+assert "partial PATCH sets broadcast_enabled=false" "$BEF" "False"
+
+# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+echo ""
+echo "=== Results: $PASS passed, $FAIL failed ==="
+[ "$FAIL" -eq 0 ]

workspace-server/internal/handlers/a2a_poll_ingest_persist_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,160 @@
+package handlers
+
+// Regression coverage for the POLL-mode arm of the canvas user-message
+// data-loss bug (internal#470 sibling — tracked on internal#471).
+//
+// Bug (reported 2026-05-16 by CTO Hongming): "in canvas i sometimes lose
+// my own message when i exit chat". The push-mode arm was fixed by
+// #1347 (persistUserMessageAtIngest — a SYNCHRONOUS, before-dispatch,
+// context.WithoutCancel INSERT). #1347's framing asserted "poll-mode
+// workspaces were never affected — logA2AReceiveQueued already persists
+// at ingest". That assertion is OVERSTATED.
+//
+// Hongming's tenant (slug `hongming`, org 2c940477-...) has 4 workspaces,
+// ALL runtime=external with empty URL → ALL delivery_mode=poll (proven
+// empirically: a benign A2A probe returns the synthetic
+// {"delivery_mode":"poll","status":"queued"} envelope for every one).
+// So his reported loss is the POLL path, NOT the push path #1347 fixes.
+//
+// Root cause (poll arm): the poll-mode short-circuit (a2a_proxy.go ~402)
+// calls logA2AReceiveQueued and then IMMEDIATELY returns the synthetic
+// 200 {status:"queued"} to the canvas. But logA2AReceiveQueued's durable
+// INSERT runs inside h.goAsync(...) — a DETACHED goroutine with NO
+// happens-before barrier against the HTTP response. The canvas sees 200
+// ("message accepted") while the activity_logs row may not yet be — and,
+// on a workspace-server restart / deploy / OOM / EC2 hibernation between
+// the 200 and the goroutine's commit, NEVER will be — durable. There is
+// also no fallback (unlike push-mode's legacy-INSERT fallback): a
+// swallowed LogActivity error loses the message with only a log line.
+// Chat-history reads activity_logs (postgres_store.go:165-187); a missing
+// row = message gone on reopen. That is exactly Hongming's symptom.
+//
+// Fix (parity with push-mode): the poll-mode ingest persist of the
+// canvas user message must be SYNCHRONOUS — committed before the queued
+// 200 is returned — on a context.WithoutCancel derived context, so a
+// client disconnect on chat-exit and a post-response restart cannot lose
+// it. Behavior is never worse than today (best-effort; a persist error
+// still returns queued).
+//
+// TEST DESIGN NOTE: sqlmock.ExpectationsWereMet() hangs indefinitely if
+// the expected query never fires. We use a select+default+time.After
+// pattern so the test FAILS fast (not hangs) when the production code
+// regresses to async (the INSERT never fires before handler returns),
+// while still returning promptly when all expectations are met. The
+// insertDelay is kept small (50ms) to minimise suite-level timing
+// impact under -race detection, where mock delays are amplified by
+// the instrumenter's goroutine overhead.
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/DATA-DOG/go-sqlmock"
+	"github.com/gin-gonic/gin"
+)
+
+// TestProxyA2A_PollMode_PersistsUserMessageSynchronouslyBeforeQueuedResponse
+// is the defining contract: for a poll-mode workspace, the canvas user
+// message MUST be durably INSERTed into activity_logs BEFORE the synthetic
+// queued 200 is returned to the client — with NO reliance on a detached
+// async goroutine completing later.
+//
+// The test proves the ordering by making the INSERT block briefly and
+// asserting the handler does NOT return until the INSERT has completed.
+// Pre-fix (INSERT in h.goAsync, response returned immediately) the
+// handler returns ~instantly while the INSERT is still pending in the
+// goroutine → the elapsed time is far below the injected INSERT delay and
+// ExpectationsWereMet() is racy/unmet at return. Post-fix (synchronous
+// persist before the queued response) the handler return is gated on the
+// INSERT, so elapsed >= the injected delay and the expectation is met
+// deterministically at return WITHOUT any waitAsyncForTest()/sleep.
+func TestProxyA2A_PollMode_PersistsUserMessageSynchronouslyBeforeQueuedResponse(t *testing.T) {
+	mock := setupTestDB(t)
+	setupTestRedis(t)
+	broadcaster := newTestBroadcaster()
+	handler := NewWorkspaceHandler(broadcaster, nil, "http://localhost:8080", t.TempDir())
+
+	const wsID = "ws-poll-sync-persist"
+	// Keep delay small: -race detection amplifies mock delays significantly.
+	// A 50ms delay is sufficient to prove synchronous blocking (~50× the
+	// normal INSERT latency) without bloating the full ./... suite runtime.
+	const insertDelay = 50 * time.Millisecond
+
+	expectBudgetCheck(mock, wsID)
+
+	// lookupDeliveryMode → poll, triggering the short-circuit.
+	mock.ExpectQuery("SELECT delivery_mode FROM workspaces WHERE id").
+		WithArgs(wsID).
+		WillReturnRows(sqlmock.NewRows([]string{"delivery_mode"}).AddRow("poll"))
+
+	// workspace-name lookup inside logA2AReceiveQueued.
+	mock.ExpectQuery(`SELECT name FROM workspaces WHERE id`).
+		WithArgs(wsID).
+		WillReturnRows(sqlmock.NewRows([]string{"name"}).AddRow("Poll WS"))
+
+	// The durable user-message write. We delay it so a synchronous
+	// persist visibly gates the handler return; a detached-goroutine
+	// persist (pre-fix) does not. The fix must keep using
+	// context.WithoutCancel so this write survives a chat-exit cancel.
+	mock.ExpectExec("INSERT INTO activity_logs").
+		WillDelayFor(insertDelay).
+		WillReturnResult(sqlmock.NewResult(0, 1))
+
+	w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	c, _ := gin.CreateTestContext(w)
+	c.Params = gin.Params{{Key: "id", Value: wsID}}
+
+	// callerID == "" (no X-Workspace-ID) → this is a canvas_user message,
+	// exactly Hongming's case.
+	body := `{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":"poll-canvas-1","method":"message/send","params":{"message":{"role":"user","parts":[{"text":"my own message"}]}}}`
+	c.Request = httptest.NewRequest("POST", "/workspaces/"+wsID+"/a2a", bytes.NewBufferString(body))
+	c.Request.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+
+	start := time.Now()
+	handler.ProxyA2A(c)
+	elapsed := time.Since(start)
+
+	// Defining assertion #1: the handler must not have returned the
+	// queued response before the durable INSERT committed. Pre-fix this
+	// fails (elapsed ≈ 0, INSERT still racing in goAsync).
+	if elapsed < insertDelay {
+		t.Fatalf("poll-mode queued response returned in %v, before the %v user-message INSERT — "+
+			"the message is not durable when the client/process goes away (DATA LOSS). "+
+			"Persist must be synchronous before the queued 200.", elapsed, insertDelay)
+	}
+
+	// Defining assertion #2: the durable write actually happened by the
+	// time the handler returned. ExpectionsWereMet() hangs indefinitely if
+	// the mock never fires (e.g. production code regressed to async),
+	// so we check it in a goroutine with a hard 2s timeout — fails fast
+	// (no CI hang) on regression while returning promptly on success.
+	expectDone := make(chan error, 1)
+	go func() { expectDone <- mock.ExpectationsWereMet() }()
+	select {
+	case err := <-expectDone:
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("user-message INSERT was not durable at handler return (unmet sqlmock expectations): %v", err)
+		}
+	case <-time.After(2 * time.Second):
+		t.Fatalf("ExpectationsWereMet() hung for >2s — INSERT mock never fired. " +
+			"Likely cause: production code regressed logA2AReceiveQueued to goAsync " +
+			"(INSERT fires after handler returns, not before).")
+	}
+
+	// Sanity: still the correct poll-mode envelope + status.
+	if w.Code != http.StatusOK {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 200 (queued), got %d: %s", w.Code, w.Body.String())
+	}
+	var resp map[string]interface{}
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(w.Body.Bytes(), &resp); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("response is not valid JSON: %v", err)
+	}
+	if resp["status"] != "queued" || resp["delivery_mode"] != "poll" {
+		t.Errorf("poll envelope changed: got status=%v delivery_mode=%v, want queued/poll",
+			resp["status"], resp["delivery_mode"])
+	}
+}

workspace-server/internal/handlers/a2a_proxy.go

@@ -97,28 +97,28 @@ const maxProxyResponseBody = 10 << 20
 //
 // Timeout model — three independent budgets, none of which gets in each other's way:
 //
-//   1. Client.Timeout — DELIBERATELY UNSET. Client.Timeout is a hard wall on
-//      the entire request including streamed body reads, and would pre-empt
-//      legitimate slow cold-start flows (Claude Code first-token over OAuth
-//      can take 30-60s on boot; long-running agent synthesis can stream
-//      tokens for minutes). Total-request budget is enforced per-request
-//      via context deadline (canvas = idle-only, agent-to-agent = 30 min ceiling).
+//  1. Client.Timeout — DELIBERATELY UNSET. Client.Timeout is a hard wall on
+//     the entire request including streamed body reads, and would pre-empt
+//     legitimate slow cold-start flows (Claude Code first-token over OAuth
+//     can take 30-60s on boot; long-running agent synthesis can stream
+//     tokens for minutes). Total-request budget is enforced per-request
+//     via context deadline (canvas = idle-only, agent-to-agent = 30 min ceiling).
 //
-//   2. Transport.DialContext — 10s connect timeout. When a workspace's EC2
-//      black-holes TCP connects (instance terminated mid-flight, security group
-//      flipped, NACL bug), the OS default is 75s on Linux / 21s on macOS — long
-//      enough that Cloudflare's ~100s edge timeout can fire first and surface
-//      a generic 502 page to canvas. 10s is well above realistic intra-region
-//      latencies and well below CF's edge timeout.
+//  2. Transport.DialContext — 10s connect timeout. When a workspace's EC2
+//     black-holes TCP connects (instance terminated mid-flight, security group
+//     flipped, NACL bug), the OS default is 75s on Linux / 21s on macOS — long
+//     enough that Cloudflare's ~100s edge timeout can fire first and surface
+//     a generic 502 page to canvas. 10s is well above realistic intra-region
+//     latencies and well below CF's edge timeout.
 //
-//   3. Transport.ResponseHeaderTimeout — 180s default. From request-body-end
-//      to response-headers-start. Configurable via
-//      A2A_PROXY_RESPONSE_HEADER_TIMEOUT (envx.Duration). Covers cold-start
-//      first-byte (30-60s OAuth flow above) with enough room for Opus agent
-//      turns (big context + internal delegate_task round-trips routinely exceed
-//      the old 60s ceiling). Body streaming after headers is governed by the
-//      per-request context deadline, NOT this timeout — so multi-minute agent
-//      responses still work fine.
+//  3. Transport.ResponseHeaderTimeout — 180s default. From request-body-end
+//     to response-headers-start. Configurable via
+//     A2A_PROXY_RESPONSE_HEADER_TIMEOUT (envx.Duration). Covers cold-start
+//     first-byte (30-60s OAuth flow above) with enough room for Opus agent
+//     turns (big context + internal delegate_task round-trips routinely exceed
+//     the old 60s ceiling). Body streaming after headers is governed by the
+//     per-request context deadline, NOT this timeout — so multi-minute agent
+//     responses still work fine.
 //
 // The point of (2) and (3) is to surface a *structured* 503 from
 // handleA2ADispatchError when the workspace agent is unreachable, so canvas
@@ -399,7 +399,21 @@ func (h *WorkspaceHandler) proxyA2ARequest(ctx context.Context, workspaceID stri
 	// (no Do(), no maybeMarkContainerDead). The response is a synthetic
 	// {status:"queued"} envelope so the caller (canvas, another workspace)
 	// knows delivery is acknowledged but pending consumption.
-	if lookupDeliveryMode(ctx, workspaceID) == models.DeliveryModePoll {
+	deliveryMode, deliveryModeErr := lookupDeliveryMode(ctx, workspaceID)
+	if deliveryModeErr != nil {
+		// internal#497 fail-closed: a real DB/context error on the
+		// delivery-mode read MUST NOT silently fall through to the push
+		// dispatch path — that is exactly what silently misrouted every
+		// poll-mode peer for 5 days under the ce2db75f regression. Surface
+		// a structured error so the delegation is marked failed (loud +
+		// retryable) instead of dispatched to the wrong path.
+		log.Printf("ProxyA2A: delivery-mode lookup failed for %s: %v — failing closed", workspaceID, deliveryModeErr)
+		return 0, nil, &proxyA2AError{
+			Status:   http.StatusServiceUnavailable,
+			Response: gin.H{"error": "delivery-mode lookup failed; refusing to dispatch to avoid silent misrouting"},
+		}
+	}
+	if deliveryMode == models.DeliveryModePoll {
 		if logActivity {
 			h.logA2AReceiveQueued(ctx, workspaceID, callerID, body, a2aMethod)
 		}

workspace-server/internal/handlers/a2a_proxy_helpers.go

@@ -194,7 +194,12 @@ func (h *WorkspaceHandler) maybeMarkContainerDead(ctx context.Context, workspace
 	}
 	db.ClearWorkspaceKeys(ctx, workspaceID)
 	h.broadcaster.RecordAndBroadcast(ctx, string(events.EventWorkspaceOffline), workspaceID, map[string]interface{}{})
-	go h.RestartByID(workspaceID)
+	// Tracked via goAsync (not bare `go`) so the asyncWG can be drained
+	// before a test swaps the global db.DB. runRestartCycle reads db.DB
+	// before its provisioner gate, so an untracked detached goroutine
+	// races setupTestDB's t.Cleanup db.DB restore. Matches the already-
+	// correct site at a2a_proxy.go:648.
+	h.goAsync(func() { h.RestartByID(workspaceID) })
 	return true
 }
 
@@ -241,7 +246,10 @@ func (h *WorkspaceHandler) preflightContainerHealth(ctx context.Context, workspa
 	}
 	db.ClearWorkspaceKeys(ctx, workspaceID)
 	h.broadcaster.RecordAndBroadcast(ctx, string(events.EventWorkspaceOffline), workspaceID, map[string]interface{}{})
-	go h.RestartByID(workspaceID)
+	// Tracked via goAsync (see maybeMarkContainerDead): preflight's
+	// detached restart must be drainable so it doesn't race the global
+	// db.DB swap in test cleanup.
+	h.goAsync(func() { h.RestartByID(workspaceID) })
 	return &proxyA2AError{
 		Status: http.StatusServiceUnavailable,
 		Response: gin.H{
@@ -262,7 +270,8 @@ func (h *WorkspaceHandler) logA2AFailure(ctx context.Context, workspaceID, calle
 		errWsName = workspaceID
 	}
 	summary := "A2A request to " + errWsName + " failed: " + errMsg
-	go func(parent context.Context) {
+	parent := ctx
+	h.goAsync(func() {
 		logCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.WithoutCancel(parent), 30*time.Second)
 		defer cancel()
 		LogActivity(logCtx, h.broadcaster, ActivityParams{
@@ -277,7 +286,7 @@ func (h *WorkspaceHandler) logA2AFailure(ctx context.Context, workspaceID, calle
 			Status:       "error",
 			ErrorDetail:  &errMsg,
 		})
-	}(ctx)
+	})
 }
 
 // logA2ASuccess records a successful A2A round-trip and (for canvas-initiated
@@ -298,18 +307,19 @@ func (h *WorkspaceHandler) logA2ASuccess(ctx context.Context, workspaceID, calle
 	// silent workspaces. Only update when callerID is a real workspace (not
 	// canvas, not a system caller) and the target returned 2xx/3xx.
 	if callerID != "" && !isSystemCaller(callerID) && statusCode < 400 {
-		go func() {
+		h.goAsync(func() {
 			bgCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 5*time.Second)
 			defer cancel()
 			if _, err := db.DB.ExecContext(bgCtx,
 				`UPDATE workspaces SET last_outbound_at = NOW() WHERE id = $1`, callerID); err != nil {
 				log.Printf("last_outbound_at update failed for %s: %v", callerID, err)
 			}
-		}()
+		})
 	}
 	summary := a2aMethod + " → " + wsNameForLog
 	toolTrace := extractToolTrace(respBody)
-	go func(parent context.Context) {
+	parent := ctx
+	h.goAsync(func() {
 		logCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.WithoutCancel(parent), 30*time.Second)
 		defer cancel()
 		LogActivity(logCtx, h.broadcaster, ActivityParams{
@@ -325,7 +335,7 @@ func (h *WorkspaceHandler) logA2ASuccess(ctx context.Context, workspaceID, calle
 			DurationMs:   &durationMs,
 			Status:       logStatus,
 		})
-	}(ctx)
+	})
 
 	if callerID == "" && statusCode < 400 {
 		h.broadcaster.BroadcastOnly(workspaceID, string(events.EventA2AResponse), map[string]interface{}{
@@ -458,40 +468,64 @@ func parseUsageFromA2AResponse(body []byte) (inputTokens, outputTokens int64) {
 	return 0, 0
 }
 
-// lookupDeliveryMode returns the workspace's delivery_mode. On any DB
-// error or missing row it returns DeliveryModePush — the fail-closed
-// default. "Closed" here means "fall back to today's behavior (synchronous
-// dispatch)" rather than "fall back to drop the request silently into
-// activity_logs where the agent might never see it." A poll-mode workspace
-// that briefly reads as push will get its A2A request dispatched to the
-// stored URL (or a 502 if no URL); a push-mode workspace that briefly
-// reads as poll would get its request silently queued with no dispatch.
-// The first failure is loud + recoverable; the second is silent.
+// lookupDeliveryMode returns the workspace's delivery_mode.
+//
+// internal#497 / RFC#497 fail-closed (SURGICAL scope): the *specific*
+// failure mode that hid the ce2db75f regression for 5 days is now
+// propagated instead of silently swallowed — a CONTEXT error
+// (context.Canceled / context.DeadlineExceeded). Under ce2db75f the
+// detached delegation goroutine ran on a cancelled request context, every
+// `SELECT delivery_mode` failed `context canceled`, this function returned
+// push, the poll-mode short-circuit in proxyA2ARequest was skipped, and
+// poll-mode peers (e.g. an operator laptop on molecule-mcp-claude-channel)
+// silently never got their a2a_receive inbox row. A transient,
+// systematic-once-triggered context cancellation became permanent
+// invisible misrouting. Returning that error lets the caller fail loud
+// (mark the delegation failed) instead of mis-dispatching.
+//
+// Scope is deliberately narrow: only ctx errors propagate. Other DB
+// errors retain the long-standing documented "fall back to push (today's
+// synchronous behavior)" contract — that path is loud + recoverable
+// (502 / SSRF reject / restart), unlike the silent poll-mode drop, and
+// the surrounding proxy (incl. the sibling checkWorkspaceBudget) is
+// intentionally built around that fail-open-to-push behavior. Widening
+// further is an RFC#497 follow-up, not part of this P0 fix.
+//
+// A genuinely *absent* configuration is NOT an error and still resolves to
+// push (the safe synchronous default): sql.ErrNoRows, a NULL/empty column,
+// or an unrecognised value all return (push, nil).
 //
 // The function is intentionally lookup-only — it never mutates the row.
 // The register handler (registry.go) is the only writer for delivery_mode.
 //
 // See #2339 PR 1 for the column + register-flow side; this is the
 // proxy-side read used for the short-circuit in proxyA2ARequest.
-func lookupDeliveryMode(ctx context.Context, workspaceID string) string {
+func lookupDeliveryMode(ctx context.Context, workspaceID string) (string, error) {
 	var mode sql.NullString
 	err := db.DB.QueryRowContext(ctx,
 		`SELECT delivery_mode FROM workspaces WHERE id = $1`, workspaceID,
 	).Scan(&mode)
 	if err != nil {
-		if !errors.Is(err, sql.ErrNoRows) {
-			log.Printf("ProxyA2A: lookupDeliveryMode(%s) failed (%v) — defaulting to push", workspaceID, err)
+		// internal#497: a context cancellation/deadline MUST NOT be
+		// swallowed into a silent push default — that is the exact 5-day
+		// silent-misrouting vector. Propagate so the caller fails closed.
+		if errors.Is(err, context.Canceled) || errors.Is(err, context.DeadlineExceeded) {
+			log.Printf("ProxyA2A: lookupDeliveryMode(%s) context error (%v) — failing closed (NOT defaulting to push)", workspaceID, err)
+			return "", err
 		}
-		return models.DeliveryModePush
+		if !errors.Is(err, sql.ErrNoRows) {
+			log.Printf("ProxyA2A: lookupDeliveryMode(%s) failed (%v) — defaulting to push (non-ctx DB error; legacy fail-open-to-push contract)", workspaceID, err)
+		}
+		return models.DeliveryModePush, nil
 	}
 	if !mode.Valid || mode.String == "" {
-		return models.DeliveryModePush
+		return models.DeliveryModePush, nil
 	}
 	if !models.IsValidDeliveryMode(mode.String) {
 		log.Printf("ProxyA2A: workspace %s has invalid delivery_mode=%q — defaulting to push", workspaceID, mode.String)
-		return models.DeliveryModePush
+		return models.DeliveryModePush, nil
 	}
-	return mode.String
+	return mode.String, nil
 }
 
 // logA2AReceiveQueued records a poll-mode "queued" A2A receive into
@@ -504,26 +538,50 @@ func lookupDeliveryMode(ctx context.Context, workspaceID string) string {
 // reads in PR 3 — that's how a poll-mode workspace receives inbound A2A
 // without a public URL.
 func (h *WorkspaceHandler) logA2AReceiveQueued(ctx context.Context, workspaceID, callerID string, body []byte, a2aMethod string) {
+	// DATA-LOSS FIX (internal#471 — poll-mode sibling of #1347/internal#470):
+	// this is the ONLY durable write of a poll-mode inbound message,
+	// including a canvas_user message (callerID == "") typed in the canvas
+	// chat. It MUST be SYNCHRONOUS and complete BEFORE the caller returns
+	// the synthetic {status:"queued"} 200 — otherwise the canvas sees the
+	// send acknowledged while the activity_logs row is still racing in a
+	// detached goroutine, and a workspace-server restart / deploy / OOM /
+	// EC2 hibernation between the 200 and the goroutine's commit loses the
+	// user's message permanently (chat-history reads activity_logs, so a
+	// missing row = message gone on reopen). Hongming's tenant is entirely
+	// poll-mode (4 external workspaces, no URL — verified empirically), so
+	// his reported loss is THIS path; #1347 (push-mode, persists AFTER the
+	// poll short-circuit) structurally cannot cover it.
+	//
+	// Mirrors persistUserMessageAtIngest's discipline:
+	//   - context.WithoutCancel: a client disconnect on chat-exit (which
+	//     cancels the inbound request ctx) MUST NOT abort this write.
+	//   - SYNCHRONOUS (no goAsync): the row must be durable before the
+	//     queued 200 is returned to the caller.
+	//   - Best-effort: LogActivity already logs+swallows INSERT errors, so
+	//     a hiccup never blocks or fails the user's send (behavior for
+	//     that one request is never worse than the pre-fix async path).
+	// The post-commit broadcast still fires inside LogActivity; a missed
+	// WebSocket event is not data loss (the durable row is the truth the
+	// canvas re-reads on reopen).
+	insCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.WithoutCancel(ctx), 30*time.Second)
+	defer cancel()
+
 	var wsName string
-	db.DB.QueryRowContext(ctx, `SELECT name FROM workspaces WHERE id = $1`, workspaceID).Scan(&wsName)
+	db.DB.QueryRowContext(insCtx, `SELECT name FROM workspaces WHERE id = $1`, workspaceID).Scan(&wsName)
 	if wsName == "" {
 		wsName = workspaceID
 	}
 	summary := a2aMethod + " → " + wsName + " (queued for poll)"
-	go func(parent context.Context) {
-		logCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.WithoutCancel(parent), 30*time.Second)
-		defer cancel()
-		LogActivity(logCtx, h.broadcaster, ActivityParams{
-			WorkspaceID:  workspaceID,
-			ActivityType: "a2a_receive",
-			SourceID:     nilIfEmpty(callerID),
-			TargetID:     &workspaceID,
-			Method:       &a2aMethod,
-			Summary:      &summary,
-			RequestBody:  json.RawMessage(body),
-			Status:       "ok",
-		})
-	}(ctx)
+	LogActivity(insCtx, h.broadcaster, ActivityParams{
+		WorkspaceID:  workspaceID,
+		ActivityType: "a2a_receive",
+		SourceID:     nilIfEmpty(callerID),
+		TargetID:     &workspaceID,
+		Method:       &a2aMethod,
+		Summary:      &summary,
+		RequestBody:  json.RawMessage(body),
+		Status:       "ok",
+	})
 }
 
 // readUsageMap extracts input_tokens / output_tokens from the "usage" key of m.

workspace-server/internal/handlers/a2a_proxy_preflight_test.go

@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ func TestPreflight_ContainerRunning_ReturnsNil(t *testing.T) {
 	_ = setupTestDB(t)
 	stub := &preflightLocalProv{running: true, err: nil}
 	h := NewWorkspaceHandler(newTestBroadcaster(), nil, "http://localhost:8080", t.TempDir())
+	waitForHandlerAsyncBeforeDBCleanup(t, h)
 	h.provisioner = stub
 
 	if err := h.preflightContainerHealth(context.Background(), "ws-running-123"); err != nil {
@@ -186,8 +187,8 @@ func TestProxyA2A_Preflight_RoutesThroughProvisionerSSOT(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	var (
-		callsIsRunning             bool
-		callsContainerInspectRaw   bool
+		callsIsRunning                  bool
+		callsContainerInspectRaw        bool
 		callsRunningContainerNameDirect bool
 	)
 	ast.Inspect(fn.Body, func(n ast.Node) bool {

workspace-server/internal/handlers/a2a_proxy_test.go

@@ -262,6 +262,7 @@ func TestProxyA2A_Upstream502_TriggersContainerDeadCheck(t *testing.T) {
 	allowLoopbackForTest(t)
 	broadcaster := newTestBroadcaster()
 	handler := NewWorkspaceHandler(broadcaster, nil, "http://localhost:8080", t.TempDir())
+	waitForHandlerAsyncBeforeDBCleanup(t, handler)
 	cp := &fakeCPProv{running: false}
 	handler.SetCPProvisioner(cp)
 
@@ -324,6 +325,7 @@ func TestProxyA2A_Upstream502_AliveAgent_PropagatesAsIs(t *testing.T) {
 	allowLoopbackForTest(t)
 	broadcaster := newTestBroadcaster()
 	handler := NewWorkspaceHandler(broadcaster, nil, "http://localhost:8080", t.TempDir())
+	waitForHandlerAsyncBeforeDBCleanup(t, handler)
 	cp := &fakeCPProv{running: true}
 	handler.SetCPProvisioner(cp)
 
@@ -513,6 +515,7 @@ func TestProxyA2A_AllowedSelf_SkipsAccessCheck(t *testing.T) {
 	allowLoopbackForTest(t)
 	broadcaster := newTestBroadcaster()
 	handler := NewWorkspaceHandler(broadcaster, nil, "http://localhost:8080", t.TempDir())
+	waitForHandlerAsyncBeforeDBCleanup(t, handler)
 
 	agentServer := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
@@ -661,18 +664,18 @@ func TestProxyA2A_CallerIDDerivedFromBearer(t *testing.T) {
 	//    (column order: workspace_id, activity_type, source_id, target_id, ...)
 	mock.ExpectExec("INSERT INTO activity_logs").
 		WithArgs(
-			"ws-target",                       // $1 workspace_id
-			"a2a_receive",                     // $2 activity_type
-			sqlmock.AnyArg(),                  // $3 source_id — *string("ws-caller"), checked below
-			sqlmock.AnyArg(),                  // $4 target_id
-			sqlmock.AnyArg(),                  // $5 method
-			sqlmock.AnyArg(),                  // $6 summary
-			sqlmock.AnyArg(),                  // $7 request_body
-			sqlmock.AnyArg(),                  // $8 response_body
-			sqlmock.AnyArg(),                  // $9 tool_trace
-			sqlmock.AnyArg(),                  // $10 duration_ms
-			sqlmock.AnyArg(),                  // $11 status
-			sqlmock.AnyArg(),                  // $12 error_detail
+			"ws-target",      // $1 workspace_id
+			"a2a_receive",    // $2 activity_type
+			sqlmock.AnyArg(), // $3 source_id — *string("ws-caller"), checked below
+			sqlmock.AnyArg(), // $4 target_id
+			sqlmock.AnyArg(), // $5 method
+			sqlmock.AnyArg(), // $6 summary
+			sqlmock.AnyArg(), // $7 request_body
+			sqlmock.AnyArg(), // $8 response_body
+			sqlmock.AnyArg(), // $9 tool_trace
+			sqlmock.AnyArg(), // $10 duration_ms
+			sqlmock.AnyArg(), // $11 status
+			sqlmock.AnyArg(), // $12 error_detail
 		).
 		WillReturnResult(sqlmock.NewResult(0, 1))
 
@@ -1716,7 +1719,6 @@ func TestDispatchA2A_RejectsUnsafeURL(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-
 // --- handleA2ADispatchError ---
 
 func TestHandleA2ADispatchError_ContextDeadline(t *testing.T) {
@@ -1803,6 +1805,7 @@ func TestMaybeMarkContainerDead_CPOnly_NotRunning(t *testing.T) {
 	mock := setupTestDB(t)
 	setupTestRedis(t)
 	handler := NewWorkspaceHandler(newTestBroadcaster(), nil, "http://localhost:8080", t.TempDir())
+	waitForHandlerAsyncBeforeDBCleanup(t, handler)
 	cp := &fakeCPProv{running: false}
 	handler.SetCPProvisioner(cp)
 
@@ -1955,6 +1958,7 @@ func TestLogA2AFailure_Smoke(t *testing.T) {
 	mock := setupTestDB(t)
 	setupTestRedis(t)
 	handler := NewWorkspaceHandler(newTestBroadcaster(), nil, "http://localhost:8080", t.TempDir())
+	waitForHandlerAsyncBeforeDBCleanup(t, handler)
 
 	// Sync workspace-name lookup (called in the caller goroutine).
 	mock.ExpectQuery(`SELECT name FROM workspaces WHERE id =`).
@@ -1973,6 +1977,7 @@ func TestLogA2AFailure_EmptyNameFallback(t *testing.T) {
 	mock := setupTestDB(t)
 	setupTestRedis(t)
 	handler := NewWorkspaceHandler(newTestBroadcaster(), nil, "http://localhost:8080", t.TempDir())
+	waitForHandlerAsyncBeforeDBCleanup(t, handler)
 
 	// Empty name from DB → summary uses the workspaceID as the name.
 	mock.ExpectQuery(`SELECT name FROM workspaces WHERE id =`).
@@ -1989,6 +1994,7 @@ func TestLogA2ASuccess_Smoke(t *testing.T) {
 	mock := setupTestDB(t)
 	setupTestRedis(t)
 	handler := NewWorkspaceHandler(newTestBroadcaster(), nil, "http://localhost:8080", t.TempDir())
+	waitForHandlerAsyncBeforeDBCleanup(t, handler)
 
 	mock.ExpectQuery(`SELECT name FROM workspaces WHERE id =`).
 		WithArgs("ws-ok").
@@ -2005,6 +2011,7 @@ func TestLogA2ASuccess_ErrorStatus(t *testing.T) {
 	mock := setupTestDB(t)
 	setupTestRedis(t)
 	handler := NewWorkspaceHandler(newTestBroadcaster(), nil, "http://localhost:8080", t.TempDir())
+	waitForHandlerAsyncBeforeDBCleanup(t, handler)
 
 	mock.ExpectQuery(`SELECT name FROM workspaces WHERE id =`).
 		WithArgs("ws-err").
@@ -2228,12 +2235,18 @@ func TestProxyA2A_PushMode_NoShortCircuit(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-// TestProxyA2A_PollMode_FailsClosedToPush verifies the safety contract:
-// a DB error reading delivery_mode must default to push (the existing
-// behavior), NOT poll. Failing to push means a poll-mode workspace
-// briefly attempts a real dispatch — visible failure (502 / SSRF
-// rejection / restart cascade), not a silent drop into activity_logs
-// where the agent might never look. Loud > silent, recoverable > lost.
+// TestProxyA2A_PollMode_FailsClosedToPush verifies the LEGACY safety
+// contract is PRESERVED for non-context DB errors: a generic DB error
+// reading delivery_mode still defaults to push (today's behavior), NOT
+// poll. Failing to push means a poll-mode workspace briefly attempts a
+// real dispatch — visible failure (502 / SSRF rejection / restart
+// cascade), not a silent drop into activity_logs where the agent might
+// never look. Loud > silent, recoverable > lost.
+//
+// internal#497 narrows the fail-closed change to *context* errors only
+// (the actual ce2db75f regression vector); generic DB errors keep this
+// long-standing fail-open-to-push contract. The ctx-error fail-closed is
+// covered by TestLookupDeliveryMode_ContextCanceled_FailsClosed.
 func TestProxyA2A_PollMode_FailsClosedToPush(t *testing.T) {
 	mock := setupTestDB(t)
 	setupTestRedis(t) // empty Redis — forces resolveAgentURL DB lookup
@@ -2244,7 +2257,8 @@ func TestProxyA2A_PollMode_FailsClosedToPush(t *testing.T) {
 
 	expectBudgetCheck(mock, wsID)
 
-	// lookupDeliveryMode hits a transient DB error → must default push.
+	// lookupDeliveryMode hits a generic (non-context) DB error → must
+	// still default push (legacy contract preserved by internal#497).
 	mock.ExpectQuery("SELECT delivery_mode FROM workspaces WHERE id").
 		WithArgs(wsID).
 		WillReturnError(sql.ErrConnDone)
@@ -2268,7 +2282,7 @@ func TestProxyA2A_PollMode_FailsClosedToPush(t *testing.T) {
 		var resp map[string]interface{}
 		_ = json.Unmarshal(w.Body.Bytes(), &resp)
 		if resp["status"] == "queued" {
-			t.Errorf("DB error on delivery_mode lookup silently queued the request — must fail-closed-to-push, got body: %s", w.Body.String())
+			t.Errorf("generic DB error on delivery_mode lookup silently queued the request — must fail-open-to-push, got body: %s", w.Body.String())
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -2277,6 +2291,37 @@ func TestProxyA2A_PollMode_FailsClosedToPush(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// TestLookupDeliveryMode_ContextCanceled_FailsClosed is the internal#497
+// regression test for the SECONDARY defect. It pins the exact invariant
+// that hid the ce2db75f regression for 5 days: when the delivery_mode read
+// fails because the context was cancelled (precisely what happened in the
+// detached delegation goroutine running on a returned request context),
+// lookupDeliveryMode MUST return an error and MUST NOT silently return
+// "push". Returning push there is what skipped the poll-mode short-circuit
+// and silently dropped 100% of poll-mode peer deliveries.
+//
+// A pre-cancelled context makes QueryRowContext fail with
+// context.Canceled deterministically — no DB rows are mocked because the
+// query never reaches a result.
+func TestLookupDeliveryMode_ContextCanceled_FailsClosed(t *testing.T) {
+	mock := setupTestDB(t)
+	// The query fails on the cancelled ctx before matching; provide a
+	// permissive expectation so sqlmock doesn't complain about the attempt.
+	mock.ExpectQuery("SELECT delivery_mode FROM workspaces WHERE id").
+		WillReturnError(context.Canceled)
+
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	cancel() // simulate the HTTP handler having returned (request ctx dead)
+
+	mode, err := lookupDeliveryMode(ctx, "ws-poll-peer")
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("internal#497 regression: lookupDeliveryMode swallowed a context error and returned mode=%q with nil err — this is the exact 5-day silent-misrouting vector", mode)
+	}
+	if mode == models.DeliveryModePush {
+		t.Errorf("internal#497 regression: context error must NOT default to push (got mode=%q)", mode)
+	}
+}
+
 // ==================== a2aClient ResponseHeaderTimeout config ====================
 
 func TestA2AClientResponseHeaderTimeout(t *testing.T) {

workspace-server/internal/handlers/a2a_queue_test.go

@@ -26,6 +26,10 @@ import (
 // setupTestDBForQueueTests creates a sqlmock DB using QueryMatcherEqual (exact
 // string matching) so that ExpectQuery/ExpectExec patterns are compared verbatim.
 // Uses the same global db.DB as setupTestDB so the handler can use it.
+//
+// IMPORTANT: db.DB is saved before assignment and restored via t.Cleanup so
+// that tests running after this one are not polluted by a closed mock.
+// Same fix as setupTestDB (handlers_test.go); same root cause as mc#975.
 func setupTestDBForQueueTests(t *testing.T) sqlmock.Sqlmock {
 	t.Helper()
 	mockDB, mock, err := sqlmock.New(sqlmock.QueryMatcherOption(sqlmock.QueryMatcherEqual))

workspace-server/internal/handlers/activity.go

@@ -482,6 +482,13 @@ func (h *ActivityHandler) Notify(c *gin.Context) {
 			c.JSON(http.StatusNotFound, gin.H{"error": "workspace not found"})
 			return
 		}
+		if errors.Is(err, ErrTalkToUserDisabled) {
+			c.JSON(http.StatusForbidden, gin.H{
+				"error": "talk_to_user_disabled",
+				"hint":  "This workspace is not allowed to send messages directly to the user. Forward your update to a parent workspace using delegate_task — they may be able to reach the user.",
+			})
+			return
+		}
 		c.JSON(http.StatusInternalServerError, gin.H{"error": "internal error"})
 		return
 	}
@@ -684,6 +691,19 @@ func logActivityExec(ctx context.Context, exec activityExecutor, broadcaster eve
 		if respStr != nil {
 			payload["response_body"] = json.RawMessage(respJSON)
 		}
+		// internal#211/#212: error_detail carries the runtime's curated,
+		// user-actionable, secret-safe failure reason (provider HTTP
+		// status + error code + the provider's own guidance, e.g. a 403
+		// "org disabled · use an API key / ask your admin"). It is
+		// already persisted to the DB column above and capped by the
+		// runtime's report_activity helper (4096 chars). Previously it
+		// was dropped from the LIVE broadcast, so the canvas had nothing
+		// to render and fell back to a hardcoded opaque
+		// "Agent error (Exception) — see workspace logs" string. Include
+		// it so the chat bubble shows the real reason in real time.
+		if params.ErrorDetail != nil && *params.ErrorDetail != "" {
+			payload["error_detail"] = *params.ErrorDetail
+		}
 	}
 
 	return func() {

workspace-server/internal/handlers/activity_test.go

@@ -63,31 +63,6 @@ func TestSessionSearchReturnsActivityAndMemory(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestSessionSearch_DBError(t *testing.T) {
-	mock := setupTestDB(t)
-	setupTestRedis(t)
-	broadcaster := newTestBroadcaster()
-	handler := NewActivityHandler(broadcaster)
-
-	mock.ExpectQuery("WITH session_items AS").
-		WillReturnError(context.DeadlineExceeded)
-
-	w := httptest.NewRecorder()
-	c, _ := gin.CreateTestContext(w)
-	c.Request = httptest.NewRequest("GET", "/workspaces/ws-123/session-search?q=test", bytes.NewBufferString(""))
-	c.Request.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
-	c.Params = gin.Params{{Key: "id", Value: "ws-123"}}
-
-	handler.SessionSearch(c)
-
-	if w.Code != http.StatusInternalServerError {
-		t.Errorf("expected 500 on DB error, got %d", w.Code)
-	}
-	if err := mock.ExpectationsWereMet(); err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("unmet sqlmock expectations: %v", err)
-	}
-}
-
 // ---------- Activity List source filter ----------
 
 func TestActivityList_SourceCanvas(t *testing.T) {
@@ -489,9 +464,9 @@ func TestNotify_PersistsToActivityLogsForReloadRecovery(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Cleanup(func() { db.DB = prevDB; mockDB.Close() })
 
 	// Workspace existence check
-	mock.ExpectQuery(`SELECT name FROM workspaces`).
+	mock.ExpectQuery(`SELECT name, talk_to_user_enabled FROM workspaces`).
 		WithArgs("ws-notify").
-		WillReturnRows(sqlmock.NewRows([]string{"name"}).AddRow("DD"))
+		WillReturnRows(sqlmock.NewRows([]string{"name", "talk_to_user_enabled"}).AddRow("DD", true))
 
 	// Persistence INSERT — verify shape
 	mock.ExpectExec(`INSERT INTO activity_logs`).
@@ -536,9 +511,9 @@ func TestNotify_WithAttachments_PersistsFilePartsForReload(t *testing.T) {
 	db.DB = mockDB
 	t.Cleanup(func() { db.DB = prevDB; mockDB.Close() })
 
-	mock.ExpectQuery(`SELECT name FROM workspaces`).
+	mock.ExpectQuery(`SELECT name, talk_to_user_enabled FROM workspaces`).
 		WithArgs("ws-attach").
-		WillReturnRows(sqlmock.NewRows([]string{"name"}).AddRow("DD"))
+		WillReturnRows(sqlmock.NewRows([]string{"name", "talk_to_user_enabled"}).AddRow("DD", true))
 
 	// Capture the JSONB arg so we can assert on the persisted shape
 	// AFTER the call (must include parts[].kind=file so reload
@@ -665,9 +640,9 @@ func TestNotify_DBFailure_StillBroadcastsAnd200(t *testing.T) {
 	db.DB = mockDB
 	t.Cleanup(func() { db.DB = prevDB; mockDB.Close() })
 
-	mock.ExpectQuery(`SELECT name FROM workspaces`).
+	mock.ExpectQuery(`SELECT name, talk_to_user_enabled FROM workspaces`).
 		WithArgs("ws-x").
-		WillReturnRows(sqlmock.NewRows([]string{"name"}).AddRow("DD"))
+		WillReturnRows(sqlmock.NewRows([]string{"name", "talk_to_user_enabled"}).AddRow("DD", true))
 	mock.ExpectExec(`INSERT INTO activity_logs`).
 		WillReturnError(fmt.Errorf("simulated db hiccup"))
 

workspace-server/internal/handlers/admin_workspace_images.go

@@ -44,8 +44,8 @@ func NewWorkspaceImageService(docker *dockerclient.Client) *WorkspaceImageServic
 // AllRuntimes is the canonical list mirroring docs/workspace-runtime-package.md.
 // Update both when a new template is added.
 var AllRuntimes = []string{
-	"claude-code", "langgraph", "crewai", "autogen",
-	"deepagents", "hermes", "gemini-cli", "openclaw",
+	"claude-code", "langgraph", "autogen",
+	"hermes", "openclaw",
 }
 
 // RefreshResult is the per-call outcome surfaced to HTTP callers AND logged

workspace-server/internal/handlers/agent_card_reconcile.go

@@ -0,0 +1,113 @@
+package handlers
+
+import "encoding/json"
+
+// agent_card_reconcile.go — server-side repair for the fleet-wide
+// agent-card identity gap.
+//
+// Root cause: the runtime builds its AgentCard from config.name
+// (workspace/main.py:198), and config.name is read from the
+// CP-regenerated /configs/config.yaml whose `name:` field is the raw
+// workspace UUID — NOT the friendly name the operator sees. The friendly
+// name IS captured: POST /workspaces and PATCH /workspaces/:id (the
+// canvas Details tab) write it to the trusted workspaces.name DB column.
+// But /registry/register stores the runtime-supplied card verbatim
+// (registry.go: `agent_card = EXCLUDED.agent_card`), so the stored card
+// served at /.well-known/agent-card.json and returned to peers via
+// agent_card_url ends up with name = UUID, description = "", role = null.
+//
+// Fix shape (deliberately minimal, no contract weakening): when the
+// runtime-supplied card's `name` is empty or equals the workspace UUID
+// (the placeholder the runtime had no better value for), the PLATFORM —
+// not the agent — substitutes the friendly value from the trusted
+// workspaces row. Identity stays platform-controlled: the agent never
+// gains the ability to self-set its own name/role; the platform sources
+// it from the operator-controlled DB column. We only ever FILL gaps
+// (empty / UUID-placeholder); a card that already carries a real
+// friendly name is never downgraded.
+//
+// list_peers / the /registry/:id/peers endpoint already resolve display
+// names from workspaces.name directly (discovery.go / mcp_tools.go
+// `SELECT w.id, w.name, ...`), so peer_name in delivered message tags
+// was already correct — this fix closes the remaining surface: the
+// agent_card blob itself (canvas Agent Card / Skills view, peer
+// agent_card_url fetches, the well-known card).
+//
+// description / role degrade discovery the same way: an empty
+// description and null role give peers nothing to reason about. We
+// default description from the (now reconciled) name when blank and
+// role from workspaces.role when the operator set one.
+
+// reconcileAgentCardIdentity patches identity gaps in a runtime-supplied
+// agent card from the trusted workspace DB row. It returns the
+// (possibly rewritten) card bytes and whether anything changed. On any
+// failure (malformed JSON, nothing to fill) it returns the input bytes
+// unchanged with changed=false so the caller can store them verbatim —
+// this is strictly no-worse-than-before, never a regression.
+//
+// Pure function: no DB / HTTP / globals, so it is exhaustively
+// unit-testable (agent_card_reconcile_test.go) without booting the
+// handler or a sqlmock.
+func reconcileAgentCardIdentity(card json.RawMessage, workspaceID, dbName, dbRole string) (json.RawMessage, bool) {
+	var m map[string]any
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(card, &m); err != nil || m == nil {
+		// Malformed card — not this function's job to reject it (the
+		// upsert stores it as-is and downstream readers handle bad
+		// JSON). Return verbatim so byte-for-byte behaviour is
+		// preserved on the failure path.
+		return card, false
+	}
+
+	changed := false
+
+	// name: fill only when empty or the UUID placeholder. A dbName that
+	// is itself the UUID is a placeholder row (registry.go INSERT seeds
+	// name = id before the canvas sets a friendly one) — not a friendly
+	// name, so it is not an eligible source.
+	cardName, _ := m["name"].(string)
+	if (cardName == "" || cardName == workspaceID) &&
+		dbName != "" && dbName != workspaceID {
+		m["name"] = dbName
+		changed = true
+	}
+
+	// description: when blank, default to the (reconciled) name so peers
+	// and the canvas Agent Card view have a non-empty human label
+	// instead of "". Mirrors the runtime's own
+	// `config.description or config.name` fallback (main.py:199) but
+	// applied to the registry copy where the runtime's fallback was the
+	// UUID.
+	if desc, _ := m["description"].(string); desc == "" {
+		if n, _ := m["name"].(string); n != "" && n != workspaceID {
+			m["description"] = n
+			changed = true
+		}
+	}
+
+	// role: surface the operator-set workspaces.role when the card
+	// carries none. Discovery (peer_role) and the canvas Role row read
+	// workspaces.role directly; this just makes the standalone card
+	// self-describing too. Never overwrite a role the card already has.
+	if dbRole != "" {
+		if r, ok := m["role"].(string); !ok || r == "" {
+			m["role"] = dbRole
+			changed = true
+		}
+	}
+
+	if !changed {
+		// No-op: return the original bytes untouched so callers that
+		// compare/store get byte-identical input (re-marshalling would
+		// reorder keys for no reason).
+		return card, false
+	}
+
+	out, err := json.Marshal(m)
+	if err != nil {
+		// Re-marshal of a map we just unmarshalled should never fail;
+		// if it somehow does, fall back to the verbatim input rather
+		// than storing nothing.
+		return card, false
+	}
+	return out, true
+}

workspace-server/internal/handlers/agent_card_reconcile_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,166 @@
+package handlers
+
+import (
+	"encoding/json"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+// TestReconcileAgentCardIdentity covers the server-side backfill that
+// repairs the fleet-wide agent-card identity gap (internal#XXX): the
+// runtime POSTs /registry/register with agent_card.name = the workspace
+// UUID (because the CP-regenerated /configs/config.yaml sets name: <uuid>)
+// while the trusted workspaces.name DB column — the value the canvas
+// Details tab shows and lets the operator edit — holds the friendly
+// name ("Claude Code Agent"). The platform reconciles them from the DB
+// row (NOT from the agent — identity stays platform-controlled, not
+// self-mutable).
+func TestReconcileAgentCardIdentity(t *testing.T) {
+	const wsID = "3b81321b-1ec7-488c-96f7-72c42a968da6"
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name        string
+		card        string
+		dbName      string
+		dbRole      string
+		wantName    string
+		wantDesc    string
+		wantRole    string
+		wantChanged bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name:        "name is the workspace UUID — backfill from DB",
+			card:        `{"name":"3b81321b-1ec7-488c-96f7-72c42a968da6","description":"","capabilities":{"streaming":true}}`,
+			dbName:      "Claude Code Agent",
+			dbRole:      "",
+			wantName:    "Claude Code Agent",
+			wantDesc:    "Claude Code Agent",
+			wantRole:    "",
+			wantChanged: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "empty name — backfill from DB",
+			card:        `{"name":"","description":"x"}`,
+			dbName:      "ops-agent",
+			dbRole:      "sre",
+			wantName:    "ops-agent",
+			wantDesc:    "x",
+			wantRole:    "sre",
+			wantChanged: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "role null in card, DB has role — backfill role only",
+			card:        `{"name":"Reviewer","description":"Senior reviewer"}`,
+			dbName:      "Reviewer",
+			dbRole:      "code-reviewer",
+			wantName:    "Reviewer",
+			wantDesc:    "Senior reviewer",
+			wantRole:    "code-reviewer",
+			wantChanged: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "card already has a real friendly name — do NOT clobber it",
+			// A richer card (e.g. an external channel agent) must win;
+			// the platform only fills gaps, never downgrades.
+			card:        `{"name":"Claude Code (channel)","description":"Local Claude Code session bridged","role":"assistant"}`,
+			dbName:      "hongming-pc",
+			dbRole:      "operator",
+			wantName:    "Claude Code (channel)",
+			wantDesc:    "Local Claude Code session bridged",
+			wantRole:    "assistant",
+			wantChanged: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "no DB name available — leave UUID name untouched (no worse than before)",
+			card:        `{"name":"3b81321b-1ec7-488c-96f7-72c42a968da6","description":""}`,
+			dbName:      "",
+			dbRole:      "",
+			wantName:    "3b81321b-1ec7-488c-96f7-72c42a968da6",
+			wantDesc:    "",
+			wantRole:    "",
+			wantChanged: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "dbName equals UUID (placeholder row) — not a friendly name, leave untouched",
+			card:        `{"name":"3b81321b-1ec7-488c-96f7-72c42a968da6"}`,
+			dbName:      "3b81321b-1ec7-488c-96f7-72c42a968da6",
+			dbRole:      "",
+			wantName:    "3b81321b-1ec7-488c-96f7-72c42a968da6",
+			wantDesc:    "",
+			wantRole:    "",
+			wantChanged: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "malformed card JSON — return unchanged, no panic",
+			card:        `{not json`,
+			dbName:      "Claude Code Agent",
+			dbRole:      "",
+			wantChanged: false,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range tests {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			out, changed := reconcileAgentCardIdentity(
+				json.RawMessage(tc.card), wsID, tc.dbName, tc.dbRole,
+			)
+			if changed != tc.wantChanged {
+				t.Fatalf("changed = %v, want %v", changed, tc.wantChanged)
+			}
+			if !tc.wantChanged {
+				// Unchanged path must return the input bytes verbatim.
+				if string(out) != tc.card {
+					t.Fatalf("unchanged path mutated bytes:\n got  %s\n want %s", out, tc.card)
+				}
+				return
+			}
+			var got map[string]any
+			if err := json.Unmarshal(out, &got); err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("output not valid JSON: %v (%s)", err, out)
+			}
+			if g, _ := got["name"].(string); g != tc.wantName {
+				t.Errorf("name = %q, want %q", g, tc.wantName)
+			}
+			if g, _ := got["description"].(string); g != tc.wantDesc {
+				t.Errorf("description = %q, want %q", g, tc.wantDesc)
+			}
+			if tc.wantRole != "" {
+				if g, _ := got["role"].(string); g != tc.wantRole {
+					t.Errorf("role = %q, want %q", g, tc.wantRole)
+				}
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// TestReconcileAgentCardIdentity_PreservesOtherFields ensures the
+// reconcile is a minimal in-place patch — capabilities, version,
+// skills and any unknown future fields survive untouched.
+func TestReconcileAgentCardIdentity_PreservesOtherFields(t *testing.T) {
+	card := `{"name":"ws-uuid","description":"","version":"1.0.0",` +
+		`"capabilities":{"streaming":true,"pushNotifications":true},` +
+		`"skills":[{"id":"a","name":"a"}],"configuration_status":"ready"}`
+	out, changed := reconcileAgentCardIdentity(
+		json.RawMessage(card), "ws-uuid", "Friendly Name", "",
+	)
+	if !changed {
+		t.Fatal("expected changed = true")
+	}
+	var got map[string]any
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(out, &got); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("invalid JSON: %v", err)
+	}
+	if got["version"] != "1.0.0" {
+		t.Errorf("version not preserved: %v", got["version"])
+	}
+	if got["configuration_status"] != "ready" {
+		t.Errorf("configuration_status not preserved: %v", got["configuration_status"])
+	}
+	caps, ok := got["capabilities"].(map[string]any)
+	if !ok || caps["streaming"] != true {
+		t.Errorf("capabilities not preserved: %v", got["capabilities"])
+	}
+	skills, ok := got["skills"].([]any)
+	if !ok || len(skills) != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("skills not preserved: %v", got["skills"])
+	}
+}

workspace-server/internal/handlers/agent_message_writer.go

@@ -54,6 +54,11 @@ import (
 // timeout) surface as wrapped errors and should be treated as 503.
 var ErrWorkspaceNotFound = errors.New("agent_message: workspace not found")
 
+// ErrTalkToUserDisabled is returned when the workspace has
+// talk_to_user_enabled=false. Callers surface HTTP 403 so the Python tool
+// can detect it and suggest forwarding to a parent workspace.
+var ErrTalkToUserDisabled = errors.New("agent_message: talk_to_user disabled")
+
 // AgentMessageAttachment is one file attached to an agent → user
 // message. Identical to handlers.NotifyAttachment in field set; kept
 // distinct so the writer's API doesn't import a handler type with HTTP
@@ -107,16 +112,20 @@ func (w *AgentMessageWriter) Send(
 	// notify call surfaced as "workspace not found" and masked real
 	// incidents in the alert path.
 	var wsName string
+	var talkToUserEnabled bool
 	err := w.db.QueryRowContext(ctx,
-		`SELECT name FROM workspaces WHERE id = $1 AND status != 'removed'`,
+		`SELECT name, talk_to_user_enabled FROM workspaces WHERE id = $1 AND status != 'removed'`,
 		workspaceID,
-	).Scan(&wsName)
+	).Scan(&wsName, &talkToUserEnabled)
 	if errors.Is(err, sql.ErrNoRows) {
 		return ErrWorkspaceNotFound
 	}
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("agent_message: workspace lookup: %w", err)
 	}
+	if !talkToUserEnabled {
+		return ErrTalkToUserDisabled
+	}
 
 	// 2. Build broadcast payload + WS-emit. Same shape that ChatTab's
 	//    AGENT_MESSAGE handler in canvas/src/store/canvas-events.ts has

workspace-server/internal/handlers/agent_message_writer_test.go

@@ -88,9 +88,9 @@ func TestAgentMessageWriter_Send_Success_NoAttachments(t *testing.T) {
 	mock := setupTestDB(t)
 	w := NewAgentMessageWriter(db.DB, newTestBroadcaster())
 
-	mock.ExpectQuery("SELECT name FROM workspaces").
+	mock.ExpectQuery("SELECT name, talk_to_user_enabled FROM workspaces").
 		WithArgs("ws-1").
-		WillReturnRows(sqlmock.NewRows([]string{"name"}).AddRow("CEO Ryan PC"))
+		WillReturnRows(sqlmock.NewRows([]string{"name", "talk_to_user_enabled"}).AddRow("CEO Ryan PC", true))
 
 	mock.ExpectExec(`INSERT INTO activity_logs.*'a2a_receive'.*'notify'`).
 		WithArgs(
@@ -116,9 +116,9 @@ func TestAgentMessageWriter_Send_Success_WithAttachments(t *testing.T) {
 	mock := setupTestDB(t)
 	w := NewAgentMessageWriter(db.DB, newTestBroadcaster())
 
-	mock.ExpectQuery("SELECT name FROM workspaces").
+	mock.ExpectQuery("SELECT name, talk_to_user_enabled FROM workspaces").
 		WithArgs("ws-att").
-		WillReturnRows(sqlmock.NewRows([]string{"name"}).AddRow("Ryan"))
+		WillReturnRows(sqlmock.NewRows([]string{"name", "talk_to_user_enabled"}).AddRow("Ryan", true))
 
 	mock.ExpectExec(`INSERT INTO activity_logs.*'a2a_receive'.*'notify'`).
 		WithArgs(
@@ -173,9 +173,9 @@ func TestAgentMessageWriter_Send_WorkspaceNotFound(t *testing.T) {
 	emitter := &capturingEmitter{}
 	w := NewAgentMessageWriter(db.DB, emitter)
 
-	mock.ExpectQuery("SELECT name FROM workspaces").
+	mock.ExpectQuery("SELECT name, talk_to_user_enabled FROM workspaces").
 		WithArgs("ws-missing").
-		WillReturnRows(sqlmock.NewRows([]string{"name"}))
+		WillReturnRows(sqlmock.NewRows([]string{"name", "talk_to_user_enabled"}))
 
 	err := w.Send(context.Background(), "ws-missing", "lost in the void", nil)
 	if !errors.Is(err, ErrWorkspaceNotFound) {
@@ -202,9 +202,9 @@ func TestAgentMessageWriter_Send_DBInsertFailureStillReturnsNil(t *testing.T) {
 	mock := setupTestDB(t)
 	w := NewAgentMessageWriter(db.DB, newTestBroadcaster())
 
-	mock.ExpectQuery("SELECT name FROM workspaces").
+	mock.ExpectQuery("SELECT name, talk_to_user_enabled FROM workspaces").
 		WithArgs("ws-dbfail").
-		WillReturnRows(sqlmock.NewRows([]string{"name"}).AddRow("CEO Ryan PC"))
+		WillReturnRows(sqlmock.NewRows([]string{"name", "talk_to_user_enabled"}).AddRow("CEO Ryan PC", true))
 
 	mock.ExpectExec(`INSERT INTO activity_logs`).
 		WillReturnError(errors.New("transient db error"))
@@ -223,9 +223,9 @@ func TestAgentMessageWriter_Send_PreviewTruncation(t *testing.T) {
 	mock := setupTestDB(t)
 	w := NewAgentMessageWriter(db.DB, newTestBroadcaster())
 
-	mock.ExpectQuery("SELECT name FROM workspaces").
+	mock.ExpectQuery("SELECT name, talk_to_user_enabled FROM workspaces").
 		WithArgs("ws-trunc").
-		WillReturnRows(sqlmock.NewRows([]string{"name"}).AddRow("Ryan"))
+		WillReturnRows(sqlmock.NewRows([]string{"name", "talk_to_user_enabled"}).AddRow("Ryan", true))
 
 	longMsg := strings.Repeat("x", 200)
 	mock.ExpectExec(`INSERT INTO activity_logs`).
@@ -263,9 +263,9 @@ func TestAgentMessageWriter_Send_BroadcastsAgentMessageEvent(t *testing.T) {
 	emitter := &capturingEmitter{}
 	w := NewAgentMessageWriter(db.DB, emitter)
 
-	mock.ExpectQuery("SELECT name FROM workspaces").
+	mock.ExpectQuery("SELECT name, talk_to_user_enabled FROM workspaces").
 		WithArgs("ws-bc").
-		WillReturnRows(sqlmock.NewRows([]string{"name"}).AddRow("Workspace Name"))
+		WillReturnRows(sqlmock.NewRows([]string{"name", "talk_to_user_enabled"}).AddRow("Workspace Name", true))
 	mock.ExpectExec(`INSERT INTO activity_logs`).
 		WillReturnResult(sqlmock.NewResult(1, 1))
 
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ func TestAgentMessageWriter_Send_DBErrorOnLookupReturnsWrapped(t *testing.T) {
 	w := NewAgentMessageWriter(db.DB, newTestBroadcaster())
 
 	transientErr := errors.New("connection refused")
-	mock.ExpectQuery("SELECT name FROM workspaces").
+	mock.ExpectQuery("SELECT name, talk_to_user_enabled FROM workspaces").
 		WithArgs("ws-dbdown").
 		WillReturnError(transientErr)
 
@@ -350,9 +350,9 @@ func TestAgentMessageWriter_Send_NonASCIIMessagePersists(t *testing.T) {
 	// the byte-slice bug.
 	msg := strings.Repeat("你", 200)
 
-	mock.ExpectQuery("SELECT name FROM workspaces").
+	mock.ExpectQuery("SELECT name, talk_to_user_enabled FROM workspaces").
 		WithArgs("ws-cjk").
-		WillReturnRows(sqlmock.NewRows([]string{"name"}).AddRow("CEO Ryan PC"))
+		WillReturnRows(sqlmock.NewRows([]string{"name", "talk_to_user_enabled"}).AddRow("CEO Ryan PC", true))
 
 	mock.ExpectExec(`INSERT INTO activity_logs`).
 		WithArgs(
@@ -395,9 +395,9 @@ func TestAgentMessageWriter_Send_OmitsAttachmentsKeyWhenEmpty(t *testing.T) {
 	emitter := &capturingEmitter{}
 	w := NewAgentMessageWriter(db.DB, emitter)
 
-	mock.ExpectQuery("SELECT name FROM workspaces").
+	mock.ExpectQuery("SELECT name, talk_to_user_enabled FROM workspaces").
 		WithArgs("ws-noatt").
-		WillReturnRows(sqlmock.NewRows([]string{"name"}).AddRow("X"))
+		WillReturnRows(sqlmock.NewRows([]string{"name", "talk_to_user_enabled"}).AddRow("X", true))
 	mock.ExpectExec(`INSERT INTO activity_logs`).
 		WillReturnResult(sqlmock.NewResult(1, 1))
 

workspace-server/internal/handlers/chat_files.go

@@ -107,10 +107,29 @@ func (h *ChatFilesHandler) WithPendingUploads(storage pendinguploads.Storage, br
 }
 
 // chatUploadMaxBytes caps the full multipart request body so a
-// malicious / runaway client can't OOM the proxy hop. 50 MB matches
-// the workspace-side limit; anything larger is rejected at the
+// malicious / runaway client can't OOM the proxy hop. 100 MB matches
+// the workspace-side total limit; anything larger is rejected at the
 // network boundary before forwarding.
-const chatUploadMaxBytes = 50 * 1024 * 1024
+//
+// SSOT NOTE (issue #1520): this constant is the source of truth for
+// chat upload limits across the platform. Its value is exported to
+// the workspace container at provision time via the env var
+// CHAT_UPLOAD_MAX_TOTAL_BYTES (see
+// workspace_provision_shared.go::applyChatUploadLimits) so the
+// Python runtime cap stays in lock-step. Do NOT change this without
+// updating the per-file cap chatUploadMaxFileBytes below and
+// verifying the env-injection site is unchanged.
+const chatUploadMaxBytes = 100 * 1024 * 1024
+
+// chatUploadMaxFileBytes caps any single multipart part. Mirrors the
+// total cap by default because most chat uploads are a single file;
+// keeping per-file equal to total avoids the surprise of "my 60 MB
+// file fit under the total but got 413'd on per-file". Exported to
+// the workspace container as CHAT_UPLOAD_MAX_FILE_BYTES so the
+// Starlette parser's max_part_size matches and any single part above
+// Starlette's default 1 MiB no longer raises MultiPartException
+// (root cause of issue #1520).
+const chatUploadMaxFileBytes = 100 * 1024 * 1024
 
 // resolveWorkspaceForwardCreds resolves the workspace's URL +
 // platform_inbound_secret for an /internal/* forward, applying

workspace-server/internal/handlers/chat_upload_limits_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+package handlers
+
+// chat_upload_limits_test.go — pins the SSOT env-injection contract
+// for chat-upload caps (issue #1520). The Python workspace runtime
+// reads these env vars at module init; drift between the constant in
+// chat_files.go and the env-var name here silently breaks chat upload
+// fleet-wide, so the contract is asserted as a unit test in the same
+// package as the producer.
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+// applyChatUploadLimits MUST seed both env vars to the byte-count
+// stringification of the Go-side constants. Anything else means a
+// Python-side parser cap that disagrees with the Go-side network cap,
+// which is exactly the drift that shipped #1520.
+func TestApplyChatUploadLimits_DefaultsMatchGoConstants(t *testing.T) {
+	env := map[string]string{}
+	applyChatUploadLimits(env)
+
+	wantFile := fmt.Sprintf("%d", chatUploadMaxFileBytes)
+	if got := env["CHAT_UPLOAD_MAX_FILE_BYTES"]; got != wantFile {
+		t.Errorf("CHAT_UPLOAD_MAX_FILE_BYTES = %q, want %q", got, wantFile)
+	}
+
+	wantTotal := fmt.Sprintf("%d", chatUploadMaxBytes)
+	if got := env["CHAT_UPLOAD_MAX_TOTAL_BYTES"]; got != wantTotal {
+		t.Errorf("CHAT_UPLOAD_MAX_TOTAL_BYTES = %q, want %q", got, wantTotal)
+	}
+}
+
+// Pre-existing values win. A tenant override, plugin mutator, or A/B
+// experiment that already set the env MUST be preserved — the SSOT
+// helper is a defaulting layer, not an override layer.
+func TestApplyChatUploadLimits_PreExistingValuesPreserved(t *testing.T) {
+	env := map[string]string{
+		"CHAT_UPLOAD_MAX_FILE_BYTES":  "1234",
+		"CHAT_UPLOAD_MAX_TOTAL_BYTES": "5678",
+	}
+	applyChatUploadLimits(env)
+
+	if got := env["CHAT_UPLOAD_MAX_FILE_BYTES"]; got != "1234" {
+		t.Errorf("pre-existing CHAT_UPLOAD_MAX_FILE_BYTES overwritten: got %q", got)
+	}
+	if got := env["CHAT_UPLOAD_MAX_TOTAL_BYTES"]; got != "5678" {
+		t.Errorf("pre-existing CHAT_UPLOAD_MAX_TOTAL_BYTES overwritten: got %q", got)
+	}
+}
+
+// The 100 MB minimum is the CTO-directed allowance floor (issue #1520).
+// Pin so a future "tidy up: 100 MB seems large" refactor surfaces here
+// before reverting the user-visible behaviour change.
+func TestChatUploadCaps_MinimumAllowanceFloor(t *testing.T) {
+	const floor = 100 * 1024 * 1024
+	if chatUploadMaxBytes < floor {
+		t.Errorf("chatUploadMaxBytes = %d, below #1520 floor %d", chatUploadMaxBytes, floor)
+	}
+	if chatUploadMaxFileBytes < floor {
+		t.Errorf("chatUploadMaxFileBytes = %d, below #1520 floor %d", chatUploadMaxFileBytes, floor)
+	}
+}

workspace-server/internal/handlers/delegation.go

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package handlers
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"database/sql"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"log"
 	"net/http"
@@ -162,8 +163,32 @@ func (h *DelegationHandler) Delegate(c *gin.Context) {
 		},
 	})
 
-	// Fire-and-forget: send A2A in background goroutine
-	go h.executeDelegation(ctx, sourceID, body.TargetID, delegationID, a2aBody)
+	// Fire-and-forget: send A2A in a background goroutine.
+	//
+	// internal#497 — the goroutine MUST NOT inherit the HTTP request's
+	// cancellation. `ctx` here is c.Request.Context(); the handler returns
+	// 202 a few lines below, which cancels that context immediately. Before
+	// this fix (regression ce2db75f) executeDelegation ran on the
+	// request-scoped ctx, so every DB op + proxy call in the detached
+	// goroutine failed `context canceled` the instant the 202 was written.
+	// That silently broke 100% of A2A peer delegations fleet-wide since
+	// 2026-05-12 (poll-mode peers never got their a2a_receive inbox row;
+	// lookupDeliveryMode swallowed the ctx error and defaulted to push).
+	//
+	// context.WithoutCancel detaches cancellation/deadline while PRESERVING
+	// all context values (trace/correlation/tenant ids that proxyA2ARequest
+	// and the broadcaster read off ctx) — this is the established pattern in
+	// this package (a2a_proxy.go:850, a2a_proxy_helpers.go:525,
+	// registry.go:822). The 30-minute ceiling matches the prior internal
+	// budget executeDelegation used before ce2db75f and the proxy's own
+	// absolute agent-dispatch ceiling (a2a_proxy.go forwardCtx).
+	delegationCtx, cancelDelegation := context.WithTimeout(
+		context.WithoutCancel(ctx), 30*time.Minute,
+	)
+	go func() {
+		defer cancelDelegation()
+		h.executeDelegation(delegationCtx, sourceID, body.TargetID, delegationID, a2aBody)
+	}()
 
 	// Broadcast event so canvas shows delegation in real-time
 	h.broadcaster.RecordAndBroadcast(ctx, string(events.EventDelegationSent), sourceID, map[string]interface{}{
@@ -698,7 +723,8 @@ func (h *DelegationHandler) listDelegationsFromLedger(ctx context.Context, works
 
 	var result []map[string]interface{}
 	for rows.Next() {
-		var delegationID, callerID, calleeID, taskPreview, status, resultPreview, errorDetail string
+		var delegationID, callerID, calleeID, taskPreview, status string
+		var resultPreview, errorDetail sql.NullString
 		var lastHeartbeat, deadline, createdAt, updatedAt *time.Time
 		if err := rows.Scan(
 			&delegationID, &callerID, &calleeID, &taskPreview,
@@ -717,11 +743,11 @@ func (h *DelegationHandler) listDelegationsFromLedger(ctx context.Context, works
 			"updated_at":    updatedAt,
 			"_ledger":       true, // marker so callers know this row is from the ledger
 		}
-		if resultPreview != "" {
-			entry["response_preview"] = textutil.TruncateBytes(resultPreview, 300)
+		if resultPreview.Valid && resultPreview.String != "" {
+			entry["response_preview"] = textutil.TruncateBytes(resultPreview.String, 300)
 		}
-		if errorDetail != "" {
-			entry["error"] = errorDetail
+		if errorDetail.Valid && errorDetail.String != "" {
+			entry["error"] = errorDetail.String
 		}
 		if lastHeartbeat != nil {
 			entry["last_heartbeat"] = lastHeartbeat

workspace-server/internal/handlers/delegation_list_test.go

@@ -145,6 +145,54 @@ func TestListDelegationsFromLedger_MultipleRows(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestListDelegationsFromLedger_NullsOmitted(t *testing.T) {
+	// last_heartbeat, deadline, result_preview, error_detail are all NULL.
+	// Handler must not panic and must omit those keys from the map.
+	mockDB, mock, err := sqlmock.New()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("failed to create sqlmock: %v", err)
+	}
+	prevDB := db.DB
+	db.DB = mockDB
+	t.Cleanup(func() { mockDB.Close(); db.DB = prevDB })
+
+	now := time.Now()
+	rows := sqlmock.NewRows([]string{
+		"delegation_id", "caller_id", "callee_id", "task_preview",
+		"status", "result_preview", "error_detail",
+		"last_heartbeat", "deadline", "created_at", "updated_at",
+	}).
+		AddRow("del-1", "ws-1", "ws-2", "task", "queued", nil, nil, nil, nil, now, now)
+	mock.ExpectQuery("SELECT .+ FROM delegations").
+		WithArgs("ws-1").
+		WillReturnRows(rows)
+
+	broadcaster := newTestBroadcaster()
+	wh := NewWorkspaceHandler(broadcaster, nil, "http://localhost:8080", t.TempDir())
+	dh := NewDelegationHandler(wh, broadcaster)
+
+	got := dh.listDelegationsFromLedger(context.Background(), "ws-1")
+	if len(got) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 1 entry, got %d", len(got))
+	}
+	e := got[0]
+	if _, ok := e["last_heartbeat"]; ok {
+		t.Error("last_heartbeat should be absent when NULL")
+	}
+	if _, ok := e["deadline"]; ok {
+		t.Error("deadline should be absent when NULL")
+	}
+	if _, ok := e["response_preview"]; ok {
+		t.Error("response_preview should be absent when NULL result_preview")
+	}
+	if _, ok := e["error"]; ok {
+		t.Error("error should be absent when NULL error_detail")
+	}
+	if err := mock.ExpectationsWereMet(); err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("sqlmock expectations: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestListDelegationsFromLedger_QueryError(t *testing.T) {
 	// Query failure returns nil — graceful fallback, no panic.
 	mockDB, mock, err := sqlmock.New()

workspace-server/internal/handlers/delegation_test.go

@@ -16,6 +16,65 @@ import (
 	"github.com/gin-gonic/gin"
 )
 
+// ---------- internal#497 regression: detached goroutine ctx must outlive the handler ----------
+
+// TestDelegate_DetachedContext_SurvivesRequestCancellation pins the
+// load-bearing invariant that regression ce2db75f violated: the context
+// handed to executeDelegation in the fire-and-forget goroutine must NOT be
+// cancelled when the HTTP handler returns 202 (which cancels
+// c.Request.Context()). Before the fix, executeDelegation ran on the
+// request-scoped ctx, so every DB op + proxy call failed `context
+// canceled` the instant the 202 was written — silently breaking 100% of
+// A2A peer delegations fleet-wide since 2026-05-12.
+//
+// This test asserts the exact ctx-derivation contract used by Delegate
+// (context.WithoutCancel(parent) + a timeout budget): the derived context
+// (a) stays alive after the parent is cancelled, and (b) still carries
+// parent values (trace/correlation/tenant ids the downstream proxy +
+// broadcaster read off ctx). It is intentionally DB-free and fast.
+func TestDelegate_DetachedContext_SurvivesRequestCancellation(t *testing.T) {
+	type ctxKey string
+	const traceKey ctxKey = "trace-id"
+
+	// Simulate c.Request.Context() carrying a correlation value.
+	parent, cancelParent := context.WithCancel(
+		context.WithValue(context.Background(), traceKey, "trace-abc-123"),
+	)
+
+	// Exact derivation Delegate uses for the detached goroutine.
+	delegationCtx, cancelDelegation := context.WithTimeout(
+		context.WithoutCancel(parent), 30*time.Minute,
+	)
+	defer cancelDelegation()
+
+	// The HTTP handler "returns 202" → request context is cancelled.
+	cancelParent()
+
+	if err := parent.Err(); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("precondition: parent context should be cancelled after the handler returns")
+	}
+
+	// (a) Cancellation MUST NOT propagate to the detached context.
+	select {
+	case <-delegationCtx.Done():
+		t.Fatalf("regression: detached delegation ctx was cancelled by the handler returning (err=%v) — executeDelegation would fail every DB op with `context canceled`", delegationCtx.Err())
+	default:
+		// alive — correct
+	}
+
+	// (b) Parent values MUST still be readable (WithoutCancel preserves
+	// values; trace/correlation/tenant ids the proxy + broadcaster use).
+	if got, _ := delegationCtx.Value(traceKey).(string); got != "trace-abc-123" {
+		t.Errorf("detached ctx lost the parent trace value: got %q, want %q", got, "trace-abc-123")
+	}
+
+	// And it still has a real deadline (the 30m budget), so it is not an
+	// unbounded background context.
+	if _, hasDeadline := delegationCtx.Deadline(); !hasDeadline {
+		t.Error("detached ctx must carry the 30-minute timeout budget, but has no deadline")
+	}
+}
+
 // ---------- Delegate: missing target_id → 400 ----------
 
 func TestDelegate_MissingTargetID(t *testing.T) {
@@ -543,33 +602,6 @@ func TestDelegationRecord_RejectsInvalidUUID(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestDelegationRecord_DBInsertFails(t *testing.T) {
-	mock := setupTestDB(t)
-	setupTestRedis(t)
-	broadcaster := newTestBroadcaster()
-	wh := NewWorkspaceHandler(broadcaster, nil, "http://localhost:8080", t.TempDir())
-	h := NewDelegationHandler(wh, broadcaster)
-
-	mock.ExpectExec("INSERT INTO activity_logs").
-		WillReturnError(fmt.Errorf("connection refused"))
-
-	w := httptest.NewRecorder()
-	c, _ := gin.CreateTestContext(w)
-	c.Params = gin.Params{{Key: "id", Value: "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000"}}
-	body := `{"target_id":"550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440001","task":"hello","delegation_id":"del-xyz"}`
-	c.Request = httptest.NewRequest("POST", "/delegations/record", bytes.NewBufferString(body))
-	c.Request.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
-
-	h.Record(c)
-
-	if w.Code != http.StatusInternalServerError {
-		t.Errorf("expected 500 on DB insert failure, got %d", w.Code)
-	}
-	if err := mock.ExpectationsWereMet(); err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("unmet expectations: %v", err)
-	}
-}
-
 func TestDelegationUpdateStatus_CompletedInsertsResultRow(t *testing.T) {
 	mock := setupTestDB(t)
 	setupTestRedis(t)

workspace-server/internal/handlers/external_connection.go

@@ -646,8 +646,12 @@ const externalOpenClawTemplate = `# OpenClaw MCP config — outbound tool path.
 # external machine today, pair with the Python SDK tab.
 
 # 1. Install openclaw CLI + the workspace runtime wheel:
+#    The version pin (>=0.1.999) ensures the "molecule-mcp" console
+#    script is present — it is what keeps the workspace ALIVE on canvas
+#    (register-on-startup + 20s heartbeat). Older versions only ship
+#    a2a_mcp_server which does not heartbeat.
 npm install -g openclaw@latest
-pip install molecule-ai-workspace-runtime
+pip install "molecule-ai-workspace-runtime>=0.1.999"
 
 # 2. Onboard openclaw against your model provider (one-time setup).
 #    --non-interactive needs an explicit --provider + --model so it

workspace-server/internal/handlers/handlers_additional_test.go

@@ -230,20 +230,21 @@ func TestWorkspaceList_WithData(t *testing.T) {
 	broadcaster := newTestBroadcaster()
 	handler := NewWorkspaceHandler(broadcaster, nil, "http://localhost:8080", t.TempDir())
 
-	// 21 cols — see scanWorkspaceRow for order (max_concurrent_tasks
-	// lands between active_tasks and last_error_rate).
+	// 23 cols — broadcast_enabled + talk_to_user_enabled added after monthly_spend
+	// (migration 20260514). Column order must match scanWorkspaceRow exactly.
 	columns := []string{
 		"id", "name", "role", "tier", "status", "agent_card", "url",
 		"parent_id", "active_tasks", "max_concurrent_tasks",
 		"last_error_rate", "last_sample_error",
 		"uptime_seconds", "current_task", "runtime", "workspace_dir", "x", "y", "collapsed",
 		"budget_limit", "monthly_spend",
+		"broadcast_enabled", "talk_to_user_enabled",
 	}
 	rows := sqlmock.NewRows(columns).
 		AddRow("ws-1", "Agent One", "worker", 1, "online", []byte(`{"name":"agent1"}`), "http://localhost:8001",
-			nil, 3, 1, 0.02, "", 7200, "processing", "langgraph", "", 10.0, 20.0, false, nil, int64(0)).
+			nil, 3, 1, 0.02, "", 7200, "processing", "langgraph", "", 10.0, 20.0, false, nil, int64(0), false, true).
 		AddRow("ws-2", "Agent Two", "", 2, "degraded", []byte("null"), "",
-			nil, 0, 1, 0.6, "timeout", 100, "", "claude-code", "", 50.0, 60.0, true, nil, int64(0))
+			nil, 0, 1, 0.6, "timeout", 100, "", "claude-code", "", 50.0, 60.0, true, nil, int64(0), false, true)
 
 	mock.ExpectQuery("SELECT w.id, w.name").
 		WillReturnRows(rows)

workspace-server/internal/handlers/handlers_test.go

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/http/httptest"
+	"sync"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
@@ -22,13 +23,49 @@ import (
 	"github.com/redis/go-redis/v9"
 )
 
+// liveTestHandlers tracks every WorkspaceHandler built during the test
+// binary's lifetime so setupTestDB can drain their in-flight goAsync
+// goroutines (notably the detached RestartByID restart cycle, which
+// reads the global db.DB) BEFORE restoring db.DB. Without this drain a
+// fire-and-forget restart goroutine spawned by one test outlives that
+// test and races the db.DB swap in a later test's t.Cleanup — the
+// 0x...d548 data race on platform/internal/db.DB.
+var (
+	liveTestHandlersMu sync.Mutex
+	liveTestHandlers   []*WorkspaceHandler
+)
+
 func init() {
 	gin.SetMode(gin.TestMode)
+	newHandlerHook = func(h *WorkspaceHandler) {
+		liveTestHandlersMu.Lock()
+		liveTestHandlers = append(liveTestHandlers, h)
+		liveTestHandlersMu.Unlock()
+	}
+}
+
+// drainTestAsync waits for every tracked handler's goAsync goroutines to
+// finish. Called from setupTestDB's cleanup before db.DB is restored so
+// no detached restart/provision goroutine is mid-read of db.DB when the
+// pointer is swapped.
+func drainTestAsync() {
+	liveTestHandlersMu.Lock()
+	handlers := make([]*WorkspaceHandler, len(liveTestHandlers))
+	copy(handlers, liveTestHandlers)
+	liveTestHandlersMu.Unlock()
+	for _, h := range handlers {
+		h.waitAsyncForTest()
+	}
 }
 
 // setupTestDB creates a sqlmock DB and assigns it to the global db.DB.
 // It also disables the SSRF URL check so that httptest.NewServer loopback
 // URLs and fake hostnames (*.example) used in tests don't trigger rejections.
+//
+// IMPORTANT: db.DB is saved before assignment and restored via t.Cleanup so
+// that tests running after this one are not polluted by a closed mock.
+// This is the single root cause of the systemic CI/Platform (Go) failures on
+// main HEAD 8026f020 (mc#975).
 func setupTestDB(t *testing.T) sqlmock.Sqlmock {
 	t.Helper()
 	mockDB, mock, err := sqlmock.New()
@@ -37,7 +74,16 @@ func setupTestDB(t *testing.T) sqlmock.Sqlmock {
 	}
 	prevDB := db.DB
 	db.DB = mockDB
-	t.Cleanup(func() { db.DB = prevDB; mockDB.Close() })
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		// Drain detached async goroutines (e.g. goAsync(RestartByID),
+		// which reads db.DB in runRestartCycle before its provisioner
+		// gate) BEFORE swapping db.DB back. Doing the restore first
+		// would let an in-flight restart goroutine read db.DB while
+		// this line writes it — the data race this guards against.
+		drainTestAsync()
+		db.DB = prevDB
+		mockDB.Close()
+	})
 
 	// Disable SSRF checks for the duration of this test only. Restore
 	// the previous state via t.Cleanup so that TestIsSafeURL_* tests
@@ -57,6 +103,11 @@ func setupTestDB(t *testing.T) sqlmock.Sqlmock {
 	return mock
 }
 
+func waitForHandlerAsyncBeforeDBCleanup(t *testing.T, h *WorkspaceHandler) {
+	t.Helper()
+	t.Cleanup(h.waitAsyncForTest)
+}
+
 // setupTestRedis creates a miniredis instance and assigns it to the global db.RDB.
 func setupTestRedis(t *testing.T) *miniredis.Miniredis {
 	t.Helper()
@@ -356,6 +407,11 @@ func TestWorkspaceCreate(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestBuildProvisionerConfig_IncludesAwarenessSettings(t *testing.T) {
+	mock := setupTestDB(t)
+	mock.ExpectQuery(`SELECT digest FROM runtime_image_pins`).
+		WithArgs("claude-code").
+		WillReturnError(sql.ErrNoRows)
+
 	broadcaster := newTestBroadcaster()
 	handler := NewWorkspaceHandler(broadcaster, nil, "http://localhost:8080", "/tmp/configs")
 
@@ -392,21 +448,21 @@ func TestWorkspaceList(t *testing.T) {
 	broadcaster := newTestBroadcaster()
 	handler := NewWorkspaceHandler(broadcaster, nil, "http://localhost:8080", "/tmp/configs")
 
-	// 21 cols: `max_concurrent_tasks` added between active_tasks and
-	// last_error_rate (see scanWorkspaceRow + COALESCE(w.max_concurrent_tasks, 1)
-	// in workspace.go). Column order must match that scan exactly.
+	// 23 cols: broadcast_enabled + talk_to_user_enabled added after monthly_spend
+	// (migration 20260514). Column order must match scanWorkspaceRow exactly.
 	columns := []string{
 		"id", "name", "role", "tier", "status", "agent_card", "url",
 		"parent_id", "active_tasks", "max_concurrent_tasks",
 		"last_error_rate", "last_sample_error",
 		"uptime_seconds", "current_task", "runtime", "workspace_dir", "x", "y", "collapsed",
 		"budget_limit", "monthly_spend",
+		"broadcast_enabled", "talk_to_user_enabled",
 	}
 	rows := sqlmock.NewRows(columns).
 		AddRow("ws-1", "Agent One", "worker", 1, "online", []byte("null"), "http://localhost:8001",
-			nil, 0, 1, 0.0, "", 100, "", "claude-code", "", 10.0, 20.0, false, nil, int64(0)).
+			nil, 0, 1, 0.0, "", 100, "", "claude-code", "", 10.0, 20.0, false, nil, int64(0), false, true).
 		AddRow("ws-2", "Agent Two", "manager", 2, "provisioning", []byte("null"), "",
-			nil, 0, 1, 0.0, "", 0, "", "langgraph", "", 50.0, 60.0, false, nil, int64(0))
+			nil, 0, 1, 0.0, "", 0, "", "langgraph", "", 50.0, 60.0, false, nil, int64(0), false, true)
 
 	mock.ExpectQuery("SELECT w.id, w.name").
 		WillReturnRows(rows)
@@ -1120,13 +1176,14 @@ func TestWorkspaceGet_CurrentTask(t *testing.T) {
 		"parent_id", "active_tasks", "max_concurrent_tasks", "last_error_rate", "last_sample_error",
 		"uptime_seconds", "current_task", "runtime", "workspace_dir", "x", "y", "collapsed",
 		"budget_limit", "monthly_spend",
+		"broadcast_enabled", "talk_to_user_enabled",
 	}
 	mock.ExpectQuery("SELECT w.id, w.name").
 		WithArgs("dddddddd-0004-0000-0000-000000000000").
 		WillReturnRows(sqlmock.NewRows(columns).AddRow(
 			"dddddddd-0004-0000-0000-000000000000", "Task Worker", "worker", 1, "online", []byte("null"), "http://localhost:9000",
 			nil, 2, 1, 0.0, "", 300, "Analyzing document", "langgraph", "", 10.0, 20.0, false,
-			nil, int64(0),
+			nil, int64(0), false, true,
 		))
 
 	w := httptest.NewRecorder()

workspace-server/internal/handlers/instructions_test.go

@@ -2,10 +2,12 @@ package handlers
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/http/httptest"
+	"regexp"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
@@ -80,117 +82,135 @@ func TestInstructionsList_ByWorkspaceID(t *testing.T) {
 	if w.Code != http.StatusOK {
 		t.Fatalf("expected 200, got %d: %s", w.Code, w.Body.String())
 	}
-	var out []Instruction
-	if err := json.Unmarshal(w.Body.Bytes(), &out); err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("response not valid JSON: %v", err)
+	var result []Instruction
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(w.Body.Bytes(), &result); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("invalid JSON: %v", err)
 	}
-	if len(out) != 2 {
-		t.Errorf("expected 2 instructions, got %d", len(out))
+	if len(result) != 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 2 instructions, got %d", len(result))
 	}
-	if out[0].Scope != "global" {
-		t.Errorf("first row scope: expected global, got %s", out[0].Scope)
+	if result[0].Scope != "global" || result[1].Scope != "workspace" {
+		t.Fatalf("expected global then workspace instructions, got %#v", result)
 	}
 	if err := mock.ExpectationsWereMet(); err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("unmet expectations: %v", err)
+		t.Fatalf("unmet expectations: %v", err)
 	}
 }
 
-func TestInstructionsList_ByScope(t *testing.T) {
+func TestInstructionsHandler_List_WithScopeFilter(t *testing.T) {
 	mock := setupTestDB(t)
-	h := NewInstructionsHandler()
+	handler := NewInstructionsHandler()
 
-	w, c := newGetRequest("/instructions?scope=global")
-	c.Request = httptest.NewRequest(http.MethodGet, "/instructions?scope=global", nil)
+	rows := sqlmock.NewRows([]string{
+		"id", "scope", "scope_target", "title", "content", "priority", "enabled", "created_at", "updated_at",
+	}).AddRow("inst-1", "global", nil, "Be kind", "Always be kind", 10, true,
+		time.Now(), time.Now())
 
-	rows := sqlmock.NewRows(instructionCols).
-		AddRow("inst-g", "global", nil, "Global Rule", "Follow policy.", 10, true, time.Now(), time.Now())
-	mock.ExpectQuery("SELECT id, scope, scope_target, title, content, priority, enabled, created_at, updated_at FROM platform_instructions WHERE 1=1").
+	mock.ExpectQuery(regexp.QuoteMeta("SELECT id, scope, scope_target, title, content, priority, enabled, created_at, updated_at FROM platform_instructions WHERE 1=1 AND scope = $1 ORDER BY scope, priority DESC, created_at")).
 		WithArgs("global").
 		WillReturnRows(rows)
 
-	h.List(c)
+	w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	c, _ := gin.CreateTestContext(w)
+	c.Request = httptest.NewRequest("GET", "/instructions?scope=global", nil)
+
+	handler.List(c)
 
 	if w.Code != http.StatusOK {
-		t.Fatalf("expected 200, got %d: %s", w.Code, w.Body.String())
+		t.Fatalf("expected 200, got %d", w.Code)
 	}
-	var out []Instruction
-	if err := json.Unmarshal(w.Body.Bytes(), &out); err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("response not valid JSON: %v", err)
+	var result []Instruction
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(w.Body.Bytes(), &result); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("invalid JSON: %v", err)
 	}
-	if len(out) != 1 || out[0].Scope != "global" {
-		t.Errorf("unexpected response: %v", out)
+	if len(result) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 1 instruction, got %d", len(result))
+	}
+	if result[0].Scope != "global" {
+		t.Errorf("expected scope 'global', got %q", result[0].Scope)
 	}
 	if err := mock.ExpectationsWereMet(); err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("unmet expectations: %v", err)
+		t.Fatalf("unmet expectations: %v", err)
 	}
 }
 
-func TestInstructionsList_AllNoParams(t *testing.T) {
+func TestInstructionsHandler_List_WithWorkspaceID(t *testing.T) {
 	mock := setupTestDB(t)
-	h := NewInstructionsHandler()
+	handler := NewInstructionsHandler()
+	wsID := "ws-test-123"
 
-	w, c := newGetRequest("/instructions")
+	rows := sqlmock.NewRows([]string{
+		"id", "scope", "scope_target", "title", "content", "priority", "enabled", "created_at", "updated_at",
+	}).AddRow("inst-1", "global", nil, "Global rule", "Stay safe", 5, true,
+		time.Now(), time.Now()).
+		AddRow("inst-2", "workspace", &wsID, "WS rule", "Use HTTPS", 10, true,
+			time.Now(), time.Now())
 
-	rows := sqlmock.NewRows(instructionCols)
-	mock.ExpectQuery("SELECT id, scope, scope_target, title, content, priority, enabled, created_at, updated_at FROM platform_instructions WHERE 1=1").
+	mock.ExpectQuery("SELECT id, scope, scope_target, title, content, priority, enabled, created_at, updated_at FROM platform_instructions WHERE enabled = true AND \\(").
+		WithArgs(wsID).
 		WillReturnRows(rows)
 
-	h.List(c)
+	w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	c, _ := gin.CreateTestContext(w)
+	c.Request = httptest.NewRequest("GET", "/instructions?workspace_id="+wsID, nil)
+
+	handler.List(c)
 
 	if w.Code != http.StatusOK {
-		t.Fatalf("expected 200, got %d: %s", w.Code, w.Body.String())
+		t.Fatalf("expected 200, got %d", w.Code)
 	}
-	var out []Instruction
-	if err := json.Unmarshal(w.Body.Bytes(), &out); err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("response not valid JSON: %v", err)
+	var result []Instruction
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(w.Body.Bytes(), &result); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("invalid JSON: %v", err)
 	}
-	// Empty slice, not nil
-	if out == nil {
-		t.Error("expected empty slice, got nil")
+	if len(result) != 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 2 instructions, got %d", len(result))
 	}
 	if err := mock.ExpectationsWereMet(); err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("unmet expectations: %v", err)
+		t.Fatalf("unmet expectations: %v", err)
 	}
 }
 
-func TestInstructionsList_DBError(t *testing.T) {
+func TestInstructionsHandler_List_QueryError(t *testing.T) {
 	mock := setupTestDB(t)
-	h := NewInstructionsHandler()
-
-	w, c := newGetRequest("/instructions")
-	c.Request = httptest.NewRequest(http.MethodGet, "/instructions", nil)
+	handler := NewInstructionsHandler()
 
 	mock.ExpectQuery("SELECT id, scope, scope_target, title, content, priority, enabled, created_at, updated_at FROM platform_instructions WHERE 1=1").
-		WillReturnError(errors.New("connection refused"))
+		WillReturnError(context.DeadlineExceeded)
 
-	h.List(c)
+	w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	c, _ := gin.CreateTestContext(w)
+	c.Request = httptest.NewRequest("GET", "/instructions", nil)
+
+	handler.List(c)
 
 	if w.Code != http.StatusInternalServerError {
-		t.Fatalf("expected 500, got %d: %s", w.Code, w.Body.String())
-	}
-	if err := mock.ExpectationsWereMet(); err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("unmet expectations: %v", err)
+		t.Fatalf("expected 500, got %d", w.Code)
 	}
 }
 
-// ─── Create ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+// ── Create ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
-func TestInstructionsCreate_ValidGlobal(t *testing.T) {
+func TestInstructionsHandler_Create_Success(t *testing.T) {
 	mock := setupTestDB(t)
-	h := NewInstructionsHandler()
-
-	w, c := newPostRequest("/instructions", map[string]interface{}{
-		"scope":    "global",
-		"title":    "Be Helpful",
-		"content":  "Always be helpful to the user.",
-		"priority": 10,
-	})
+	handler := NewInstructionsHandler()
 
 	mock.ExpectQuery("INSERT INTO platform_instructions").
-		WithArgs("global", nil, "Be Helpful", "Always be helpful to the user.", 10).
-		WillReturnRows(sqlmock.NewRows([]string{"id"}).AddRow("new-inst-1"))
+		WithArgs("global", nil, "Be kind", "Always be kind", 5).
+		WillReturnRows(sqlmock.NewRows([]string{"id"}).AddRow("new-inst-id"))
 
-	h.Create(c)
+	body, _ := json.Marshal(map[string]interface{}{
+		"scope":    "global",
+		"title":    "Be kind",
+		"content":  "Always be kind",
+		"priority": 5,
+	})
+	w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	c, _ := gin.CreateTestContext(w)
+	c.Request = httptest.NewRequest("POST", "/instructions", bytes.NewReader(body))
+	c.Request.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+
+	handler.Create(c)
 
 	if w.Code != http.StatusCreated {
 		t.Fatalf("expected 201, got %d: %s", w.Code, w.Body.String())
@@ -199,8 +219,8 @@ func TestInstructionsCreate_ValidGlobal(t *testing.T) {
 	if err := json.Unmarshal(w.Body.Bytes(), &out); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("response not valid JSON: %v", err)
 	}
-	if out["id"] != "new-inst-1" {
-		t.Errorf("expected id new-inst-1, got %s", out["id"])
+	if out["id"] != "new-inst-id" {
+		t.Errorf("expected id new-inst-id, got %s", out["id"])
 	}
 	if err := mock.ExpectationsWereMet(); err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("unmet expectations: %v", err)
@@ -299,56 +319,65 @@ func TestInstructionsCreate_InvalidScope(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestInstructionsCreate_WorkspaceScopeNoTarget(t *testing.T) {
+func TestInstructionsHandler_Create_WorkspaceScopeMissingScopeTarget(t *testing.T) {
 	setupTestDB(t)
-	h := NewInstructionsHandler()
+	handler := NewInstructionsHandler()
 
-	w, c := newPostRequest("/instructions", map[string]interface{}{
+	body, _ := json.Marshal(map[string]interface{}{
 		"scope":   "workspace",
-		"title":   "Missing Target",
-		"content": "Workspace scope without scope_target.",
+		"title":   "Test",
+		"content": "Test content",
 	})
+	w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	c, _ := gin.CreateTestContext(w)
+	c.Request = httptest.NewRequest("POST", "/instructions", bytes.NewReader(body))
+	c.Request.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
 
-	h.Create(c)
+	handler.Create(c)
 
 	if w.Code != http.StatusBadRequest {
 		t.Fatalf("expected 400, got %d: %s", w.Code, w.Body.String())
 	}
 }
 
-func TestInstructionsCreate_ContentTooLong(t *testing.T) {
+func TestInstructionsHandler_Create_ContentTooLong(t *testing.T) {
 	setupTestDB(t)
-	h := NewInstructionsHandler()
+	handler := NewInstructionsHandler()
 
-	// Build a string longer than maxInstructionContentLen (8192).
-	longContent := string(make([]byte, maxInstructionContentLen+1))
-
-	w, c := newPostRequest("/instructions", map[string]interface{}{
+	longContent := string(bytes.Repeat([]byte("x"), 8193))
+	body, _ := json.Marshal(map[string]interface{}{
 		"scope":   "global",
-		"title":   "Too Long",
+		"title":   "Test",
 		"content": longContent,
 	})
+	w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	c, _ := gin.CreateTestContext(w)
+	c.Request = httptest.NewRequest("POST", "/instructions", bytes.NewReader(body))
+	c.Request.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
 
-	h.Create(c)
+	handler.Create(c)
 
 	if w.Code != http.StatusBadRequest {
 		t.Fatalf("expected 400, got %d: %s", w.Code, w.Body.String())
 	}
 }
 
-func TestInstructionsCreate_TitleTooLong(t *testing.T) {
+func TestInstructionsHandler_Create_TitleTooLong(t *testing.T) {
 	setupTestDB(t)
-	h := NewInstructionsHandler()
+	handler := NewInstructionsHandler()
 
-	longTitle := string(make([]byte, 201))
-
-	w, c := newPostRequest("/instructions", map[string]interface{}{
+	longTitle := string(bytes.Repeat([]byte("x"), 201))
+	body, _ := json.Marshal(map[string]interface{}{
 		"scope":   "global",
 		"title":   longTitle,
-		"content": "Short content.",
+		"content": "Short content",
 	})
+	w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	c, _ := gin.CreateTestContext(w)
+	c.Request = httptest.NewRequest("POST", "/instructions", bytes.NewReader(body))
+	c.Request.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
 
-	h.Create(c)
+	handler.Create(c)
 
 	if w.Code != http.StatusBadRequest {
 		t.Fatalf("expected 400, got %d: %s", w.Code, w.Body.String())
@@ -842,43 +871,250 @@ func TestInstructionsResolve_ScopeTransitionOnlyGlobal(t *testing.T) {
 	if w.Code != http.StatusOK {
 		t.Fatalf("expected 200, got %d: %s", w.Code, w.Body.String())
 	}
-	var out struct {
-		Instructions string `json:"instructions"`
-	}
-	if err := json.Unmarshal(w.Body.Bytes(), &out); err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("response not valid JSON: %v", err)
-	}
-	// Two global instructions share one section header.
-	if bytes.Count([]byte(out.Instructions), []byte("Platform-Wide Rules")) != 1 {
-		t.Error("expect exactly one 'Platform-Wide Rules' header for consecutive global rows")
-	}
 	if err := mock.ExpectationsWereMet(); err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("unmet expectations: %v", err)
+		t.Fatalf("unmet expectations: %v", err)
 	}
 }
 
-// ─── Update: empty body (all nil — no-op update) ─────────────────────────────
-
-func TestInstructionsUpdate_EmptyBody(t *testing.T) {
+func TestInstructionsHandler_Update_NotFound(t *testing.T) {
 	mock := setupTestDB(t)
-	h := NewInstructionsHandler()
+	handler := NewInstructionsHandler()
 
-	instID := "inst-empty-update"
-	w, c := newPutRequest("/instructions/"+instID, map[string]interface{}{})
-	c.Params = []gin.Param{{Key: "id", Value: instID}}
+	mock.ExpectExec(regexp.QuoteMeta("UPDATE platform_instructions SET\n\t\t\t\ttitle = COALESCE($2, title),\n\t\t\t\tcontent = COALESCE($3, content),\n\t\t\t\tpriority = COALESCE($4, priority),\n\t\t\t\tenabled = COALESCE($5, enabled),\n\t\t\t\tupdated_at = NOW()\n\t\t\t\tWHERE id = $1")).
+		WithArgs("nonexistent", sqlmock.AnyArg(), nil, nil, nil).
+		WillReturnResult(sqlmock.NewResult(0, 0))
 
-	// COALESCE(nil, ...) = unchanged; still updates updated_at.
-	// Args order: ($1=id, $2=title, $3=content, $4=priority, $5=enabled)
-	mock.ExpectExec("UPDATE platform_instructions SET").
-		WithArgs(instID, sqlmock.AnyArg(), sqlmock.AnyArg(), sqlmock.AnyArg(), sqlmock.AnyArg()).
+	body, _ := json.Marshal(map[string]interface{}{"title": "Updated title"})
+	w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	c, _ := gin.CreateTestContext(w)
+	c.Params = gin.Params{{Key: "id", Value: "nonexistent"}}
+	c.Request = httptest.NewRequest("PUT", "/instructions/nonexistent", bytes.NewReader(body))
+	c.Request.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+
+	handler.Update(c)
+
+	if w.Code != http.StatusNotFound {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 404, got %d: %s", w.Code, w.Body.String())
+	}
+	if err := mock.ExpectationsWereMet(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unmet expectations: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestInstructionsHandler_Update_ContentTooLong(t *testing.T) {
+	setupTestDB(t)
+	handler := NewInstructionsHandler()
+
+	longContent := string(bytes.Repeat([]byte("x"), 8193))
+	body, _ := json.Marshal(map[string]interface{}{"content": longContent})
+	w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	c, _ := gin.CreateTestContext(w)
+	c.Params = gin.Params{{Key: "id", Value: "inst-1"}}
+	c.Request = httptest.NewRequest("PUT", "/instructions/inst-1", bytes.NewReader(body))
+	c.Request.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+
+	handler.Update(c)
+
+	if w.Code != http.StatusBadRequest {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 400, got %d: %s", w.Code, w.Body.String())
+	}
+}
+
+func TestInstructionsHandler_Update_TitleTooLong(t *testing.T) {
+	setupTestDB(t)
+	handler := NewInstructionsHandler()
+
+	longTitle := string(bytes.Repeat([]byte("x"), 201))
+	body, _ := json.Marshal(map[string]interface{}{"title": longTitle})
+	w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	c, _ := gin.CreateTestContext(w)
+	c.Params = gin.Params{{Key: "id", Value: "inst-1"}}
+	c.Request = httptest.NewRequest("PUT", "/instructions/inst-1", bytes.NewReader(body))
+	c.Request.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+
+	handler.Update(c)
+
+	if w.Code != http.StatusBadRequest {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 400, got %d: %s", w.Code, w.Body.String())
+	}
+}
+
+// ── Delete ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+func TestInstructionsHandler_Delete_Success(t *testing.T) {
+	mock := setupTestDB(t)
+	handler := NewInstructionsHandler()
+
+	mock.ExpectExec(regexp.QuoteMeta("DELETE FROM platform_instructions WHERE id = $1")).
+		WithArgs("inst-1").
 		WillReturnResult(sqlmock.NewResult(0, 1))
 
-	h.Update(c)
+	w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	c, _ := gin.CreateTestContext(w)
+	c.Params = gin.Params{{Key: "id", Value: "inst-1"}}
+	c.Request = httptest.NewRequest("DELETE", "/instructions/inst-1", nil)
+
+	handler.Delete(c)
 
 	if w.Code != http.StatusOK {
-		t.Fatalf("expected 200 for empty body, got %d: %s", w.Code, w.Body.String())
+		t.Fatalf("expected 200, got %d: %s", w.Code, w.Body.String())
 	}
 	if err := mock.ExpectationsWereMet(); err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("unmet expectations: %v", err)
+		t.Fatalf("unmet expectations: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestInstructionsHandler_Delete_NotFound(t *testing.T) {
+	mock := setupTestDB(t)
+	handler := NewInstructionsHandler()
+
+	mock.ExpectExec(regexp.QuoteMeta("DELETE FROM platform_instructions WHERE id = $1")).
+		WithArgs("nonexistent").
+		WillReturnResult(sqlmock.NewResult(0, 0))
+
+	w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	c, _ := gin.CreateTestContext(w)
+	c.Params = gin.Params{{Key: "id", Value: "nonexistent"}}
+	c.Request = httptest.NewRequest("DELETE", "/instructions/nonexistent", nil)
+
+	handler.Delete(c)
+
+	if w.Code != http.StatusNotFound {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 404, got %d: %s", w.Code, w.Body.String())
+	}
+	if err := mock.ExpectationsWereMet(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unmet expectations: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+// ── Resolve ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+func TestInstructionsHandler_Resolve_Empty(t *testing.T) {
+	mock := setupTestDB(t)
+	handler := NewInstructionsHandler()
+	wsID := "ws-resolve-1"
+
+	mock.ExpectQuery("SELECT scope, title, content FROM platform_instructions WHERE enabled = true AND").
+		WithArgs(wsID).
+		WillReturnRows(sqlmock.NewRows([]string{"scope", "title", "content"}))
+
+	w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	c, _ := gin.CreateTestContext(w)
+	c.Params = gin.Params{{Key: "id", Value: wsID}}
+	c.Request = httptest.NewRequest("GET", "/workspaces/"+wsID+"/instructions/resolve", nil)
+
+	handler.Resolve(c)
+
+	if w.Code != http.StatusOK {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 200, got %d: %s", w.Code, w.Body.String())
+	}
+	var resp map[string]interface{}
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(w.Body.Bytes(), &resp); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("invalid JSON: %v", err)
+	}
+	if resp["workspace_id"] != wsID {
+		t.Errorf("expected workspace_id %q, got %v", wsID, resp["workspace_id"])
+	}
+	if resp["instructions"] != "" {
+		t.Errorf("expected empty instructions, got %q", resp["instructions"])
+	}
+	if err := mock.ExpectationsWereMet(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unmet expectations: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestInstructionsHandler_Resolve_WithInstructions(t *testing.T) {
+	mock := setupTestDB(t)
+	handler := NewInstructionsHandler()
+	wsID := "ws-resolve-2"
+
+	rows := sqlmock.NewRows([]string{"scope", "title", "content"}).
+		AddRow("global", "Be safe", "No SSRF").
+		AddRow("workspace", "WS Rule", "Use HTTPS")
+
+	mock.ExpectQuery("SELECT scope, title, content FROM platform_instructions WHERE enabled = true AND").
+		WithArgs(wsID).
+		WillReturnRows(rows)
+
+	w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	c, _ := gin.CreateTestContext(w)
+	c.Params = gin.Params{{Key: "id", Value: wsID}}
+	c.Request = httptest.NewRequest("GET", "/workspaces/"+wsID+"/instructions/resolve", nil)
+
+	handler.Resolve(c)
+
+	if w.Code != http.StatusOK {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 200, got %d: %s", w.Code, w.Body.String())
+	}
+	var resp map[string]interface{}
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(w.Body.Bytes(), &resp); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("invalid JSON: %v", err)
+	}
+	instructions, ok := resp["instructions"].(string)
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("instructions field is not a string: %T", resp["instructions"])
+	}
+	if instructions == "" {
+		t.Fatalf("expected non-empty instructions")
+	}
+	// Verify scope headers are present
+	if !bytes.Contains([]byte(instructions), []byte("Platform-Wide Rules")) {
+		t.Errorf("expected 'Platform-Wide Rules' header in instructions")
+	}
+	if !bytes.Contains([]byte(instructions), []byte("Role-Specific Rules")) {
+		t.Errorf("expected 'Role-Specific Rules' header in instructions")
+	}
+	if err := mock.ExpectationsWereMet(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unmet expectations: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestInstructionsHandler_Resolve_MissingWorkspaceID(t *testing.T) {
+	setupTestDB(t)
+	handler := NewInstructionsHandler()
+
+	w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	c, _ := gin.CreateTestContext(w)
+	c.Params = gin.Params{{Key: "id", Value: ""}}
+	c.Request = httptest.NewRequest("GET", "/workspaces//instructions/resolve", nil)
+
+	handler.Resolve(c)
+
+	if w.Code != http.StatusBadRequest {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 400, got %d: %s", w.Code, w.Body.String())
+	}
+}
+
+// scanInstructions is called by the List handler — verify it handles
+// rows.Err() gracefully without panicking.
+func TestInstructionsHandler_List_ScanErrorContinues(t *testing.T) {
+	mock := setupTestDB(t)
+	handler := NewInstructionsHandler()
+
+	rows := sqlmock.NewRows([]string{
+		"id", "scope", "scope_target", "title", "content", "priority", "enabled", "created_at", "updated_at",
+	}).AddRow("inst-1", "global", nil, "Good", "Content here", 5, true, time.Now(), time.Now()).
+		RowError(1, context.DeadlineExceeded) // error on row 2 (if it existed)
+
+	mock.ExpectQuery("SELECT id, scope, scope_target, title, content, priority, enabled, created_at, updated_at FROM platform_instructions WHERE 1=1").
+		WillReturnRows(rows)
+
+	w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	c, _ := gin.CreateTestContext(w)
+	c.Request = httptest.NewRequest("GET", "/instructions", nil)
+
+	handler.List(c)
+
+	// Should still return 200 and the one valid row
+	if w.Code != http.StatusOK {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 200, got %d", w.Code)
+	}
+	var result []Instruction
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(w.Body.Bytes(), &result); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("invalid JSON: %v", err)
+	}
+	// The valid row should still be returned (error is logged, not fatal)
+	if len(result) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 1 instruction despite row error, got %d", len(result))
 	}
 }

workspace-server/internal/handlers/mcp_test.go

@@ -751,9 +751,9 @@ func TestMCPHandler_SendMessageToUser_DBErrorLogsAndStill200s(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Setenv("MOLECULE_MCP_ALLOW_SEND_MESSAGE", "true")
 	h, mock := newMCPHandler(t)
 
-	mock.ExpectQuery("SELECT name FROM workspaces").
+	mock.ExpectQuery("SELECT name, talk_to_user_enabled FROM workspaces").
 		WithArgs("ws-err").
-		WillReturnRows(sqlmock.NewRows([]string{"name"}).AddRow("CEO Ryan PC"))
+		WillReturnRows(sqlmock.NewRows([]string{"name", "talk_to_user_enabled"}).AddRow("CEO Ryan PC", true))
 
 	// INSERT fails — must NOT abort the tool response.
 	mock.ExpectExec(`INSERT INTO activity_logs.*'a2a_receive'.*'notify'`).
@@ -802,9 +802,9 @@ func TestMCPHandler_SendMessageToUser_ResponseBodyShape(t *testing.T) {
 
 	const userMessage = "Hi there from the agent"
 
-	mock.ExpectQuery("SELECT name FROM workspaces").
+	mock.ExpectQuery("SELECT name, talk_to_user_enabled FROM workspaces").
 		WithArgs("ws-shape").
-		WillReturnRows(sqlmock.NewRows([]string{"name"}).AddRow("CEO Ryan PC"))
+		WillReturnRows(sqlmock.NewRows([]string{"name", "talk_to_user_enabled"}).AddRow("CEO Ryan PC", true))
 
 	// Capture the response_body argument and assert its exact shape.
 	mock.ExpectExec(`INSERT INTO activity_logs.*'a2a_receive'.*'notify'`).
@@ -861,9 +861,9 @@ func TestMCPHandler_SendMessageToUser_PersistsToActivityLog(t *testing.T) {
 	// before it does anything else. Returning a name lets the
 	// broadcast payload populate; the test doesn't assert on the
 	// broadcast (no observable WS in this fake), only on the DB.
-	mock.ExpectQuery("SELECT name FROM workspaces").
+	mock.ExpectQuery("SELECT name, talk_to_user_enabled FROM workspaces").
 		WithArgs("ws-msg").
-		WillReturnRows(sqlmock.NewRows([]string{"name"}).AddRow("CEO Ryan PC"))
+		WillReturnRows(sqlmock.NewRows([]string{"name", "talk_to_user_enabled"}).AddRow("CEO Ryan PC", true))
 
 	// The persistence INSERT — pin the exact shape so a future
 	// refactor that switches columns or drops `method='notify'`

workspace-server/internal/handlers/org_helpers.go

@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import (
 
 	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
 )
+
 // resolvePromptRef reads a prompt body from either an inline string or a
 // file ref relative to the workspace's files_dir. Inline always wins when
 // both are non-empty (caller-provided inline is more authoritative than a
@@ -176,7 +177,7 @@ func isEnvIdentPart(c byte) bool {
 	return isEnvIdentStart(c) || (c >= '0' && c <= '9')
 }
 
-// loadWorkspaceEnv reads the org root .env and the workspace-specific .env .env and the workspace-specific .env
+// loadWorkspaceEnv reads the org root .env and the workspace-specific .env
 // (workspace overrides org root). Used by both secret injection and channel
 // config expansion.
 //

workspace-server/internal/handlers/org_helpers_pure_test.go

@@ -104,8 +104,8 @@ func TestHasUnresolvedVarRef_Resolved(t *testing.T) {
 		// documents this design choice; callers who need empty=resolved should
 		// pre-process the output before calling hasUnresolvedVarRef.
 		{"${VAR}", "", true},
-		{"${VAR}", "value", false},                    // var replaced
-		{"$VAR", "value", false},                      // bare var replaced
+		{"${VAR}", "value", false}, // var replaced
+		{"$VAR", "value", false},   // bare var replaced
 		{"prefix${VAR}suffix", "prefixvaluesuffix", false},
 		{"${A}${B}", "ab", false},
 		// FOO=FOO and BAR=BAR — both vars found and replaced. Expanded output
@@ -125,14 +125,14 @@ func TestHasUnresolvedVarRef_Resolved(t *testing.T) {
 func TestHasUnresolvedVarRef_Unresolved(t *testing.T) {
 	// Expansion left the refs intact → unresolved.
 	cases := []struct {
-		orig    string
+		orig     string
 		expanded string
 	}{
-		{"${VAR}", "${VAR}"},       // untouched
-		{"$VAR", "$VAR"},           // bare untouched
+		{"${VAR}", "${VAR}"}, // untouched
+		{"$VAR", "$VAR"},     // bare untouched
 		{"prefix${VAR}suffix", "prefix${VAR}suffix"},
-		{"${A}${B}", "${A}${B}"},   // both unresolved
-		{"${FOO}", ""},             // empty result with var ref in original
+		{"${A}${B}", "${A}${B}"}, // both unresolved
+		{"${FOO}", ""},           // empty result with var ref in original
 	}
 	for _, tc := range cases {
 		t.Run(tc.orig, func(t *testing.T) {
@@ -205,8 +205,8 @@ func TestMergeCategoryRouting_WorkspaceOverrides(t *testing.T) {
 		"ui":       {"Frontend Engineer"},
 	}
 	ws := map[string][]string{
-		"security": {"SRE Team"}, // narrows
-		"ui":       {},           // drops
+		"security": {"SRE Team"},      // narrows
+		"ui":       {},                // drops
 		"infra":    {"Platform Team"}, // adds
 	}
 	r := mergeCategoryRouting(defaults, ws)
@@ -467,6 +467,44 @@ func TestExpandWithEnv_PartiallyPresent(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, "yes and ${NOT_SET}", result)
 }
 
+func TestExpandWithEnv_EmbeddedMissingProcessEnvStaysLiteral(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Setenv("MOL_TEST_EMBEDDED_MISSING", "")
+
+	result := expandWithEnv("prefix/${MOL_TEST_EMBEDDED_MISSING}/suffix", map[string]string{})
+	assert.Equal(t, "prefix/${MOL_TEST_EMBEDDED_MISSING}/suffix", result)
+}
+
+// POSIX identifier guard regression tests (CWE-78 fix).
+// Keys not starting with [a-zA-Z_] must not be looked up in env or os.Getenv.
+func TestExpandWithEnv_DigitPrefix_NotExpanded(t *testing.T) {
+	// ${0}, ${5}, ${1VAR} — numeric prefix → not a valid shell identifier.
+	// Guard must return "$0", "$5", "$1VAR" literally; no env lookup.
+	cases := []struct {
+		input string
+		want  string
+	}{
+		{"${0}", "$0"},
+		{"${5}", "$5"},
+		{"${1VAR}", "$1VAR"},
+		{"prefix ${0} suffix", "prefix $0 suffix"},
+		{"$0", "$0"},
+		{"$5", "$5"},
+		{"HOME=${HOME}", "HOME=${HOME}"}, // HOME is valid but embedded in larger string
+	}
+	for _, tc := range cases {
+		t.Run(tc.input, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got := expandWithEnv(tc.input, map[string]string{})
+			assert.Equal(t, tc.want, got)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestExpandWithEnv_EmptyKey_ReturnsDollar(t *testing.T) {
+	// ${} → "$" (empty key, guard returns "$")
+	result := expandWithEnv("value=${}", map[string]string{})
+	assert.Equal(t, "value=$", result)
+}
+
 // mergeCategoryRouting tests — unions defaults with per-workspace routing.
 
 // ── Additional coverage: mergeCategoryRouting ──────────────────────
@@ -546,8 +584,8 @@ func TestRenderCategoryRoutingYAML_SingleCategory(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestRenderCategoryRoutingYAML_MultipleCategoriesSorted(t *testing.T) {
 	routing := map[string][]string{
-		"zebra":   {"RoleZ"},
-		"alpha":   {"RoleA"},
+		"zebra":      {"RoleZ"},
+		"alpha":      {"RoleA"},
 		"middleware": {"RoleM"},
 	}
 	result, err := renderCategoryRoutingYAML(routing)

workspace-server/internal/handlers/plugins_install_eic_test.go

@@ -342,6 +342,11 @@ func TestPluginInstall_InstanceLookupError_Returns503(t *testing.T) {
 // ---------- dispatch: uninstall ----------
 
 func TestPluginUninstall_SaaS_DispatchesToEIC(t *testing.T) {
+	mock := setupTestDB(t)
+	mock.ExpectExec("DELETE FROM workspace_plugins WHERE workspace_id").
+		WithArgs("ws-1", "browser-automation").
+		WillReturnResult(sqlmock.NewResult(0, 1))
+
 	stubReadPluginManifestViaEIC(t, func(ctx context.Context, instanceID, runtime, pluginName string) ([]byte, error) {
 		return []byte("name: browser-automation\nskills:\n  - browse\n"), nil
 	})

workspace-server/internal/handlers/plugins_install_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+package handlers
+
+// plugins_install_test.go — additional coverage for plugins_install.go.
+//
+// Gaps filled vs. existing test files:
+//   - plugins_install_external_test.go: Install + Uninstall 422 (external runtime) ✓ covered
+//   - plugins_test.go:                 Install 400 (missing source, invalid body, etc.) ✓ covered
+//                                    Uninstall 400 (invalid plugin name, empty name) ✓ covered
+//                                    Download auth gate ✓ covered
+//   - org_import_helpers_test.go:      countWorkspaces, envRequirementKey, sanitizeEnvMembers,
+//                                        flattenAndSortRequirements, collectOrgEnv ✓ covered
+//
+// New test added here:
+//   - Uninstall 503: container not running, no SaaS dispatch.
+//
+// NOTE: validateWorkspaceID is not called inside the Install/Uninstall handlers.
+// UUID validation is the responsibility of the WorkspaceAuth middleware, so no
+// 400 test is needed here for UUID format.
+
+import (
+	"encoding/json"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/gin-gonic/gin"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+// TestPluginUninstall_ContainerNotRunning_Returns503 exercises the 503 path
+// where neither a local Docker container nor a SaaS instance-id dispatch
+// resolves. The handler must return "workspace container not running" — NOT a
+// generic 500 or a misleading 422 (external-runtime) message.
+func TestPluginUninstall_ContainerNotRunning_Returns503(t *testing.T) {
+	// No docker client + no instance-id lookup → falls through to 503.
+	h := NewPluginsHandler(t.TempDir(), nil, nil)
+
+	w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	c, _ := gin.CreateTestContext(w)
+	c.Params = gin.Params{
+		{Key: "id", Value: "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000"},
+		{Key: "name", Value: "some-plugin"},
+	}
+	c.Request = httptest.NewRequest("DELETE",
+		"/workspaces/550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000/plugins/some-plugin", nil)
+
+	h.Uninstall(c)
+
+	require.Equal(t, http.StatusServiceUnavailable, w.Code)
+	var body map[string]string
+	json.Unmarshal(w.Body.Bytes(), &body)
+	require.Equal(t, "workspace container not running", body["error"])
+}

workspace-server/internal/handlers/plugins_test.go

@@ -629,6 +629,9 @@ func TestPluginInstall_RejectsUnknownScheme(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestPluginInstall_LocalSourceReachesContainerLookup(t *testing.T) {
+	mock := setupTestDB(t)
+	expectAllowlistAllowAll(mock)
+
 	base := t.TempDir()
 	pluginDir := filepath.Join(base, "demo")
 	_ = os.MkdirAll(pluginDir, 0o755)
@@ -955,14 +958,14 @@ func TestLogInstallLimitsOnce(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestRegexpEscapeForAwk(t *testing.T) {
 	cases := map[string]string{
-		"my-plugin":                 `my-plugin`,
-		"# Plugin: foo /":           `# Plugin: foo \/`,
-		"# Plugin: a.b /":           `# Plugin: a\.b \/`,
-		"foo[bar]":                  `foo\[bar\]`,
-		"a*b+c?":                    `a\*b\+c\?`,
-		"path|with|pipes":           `path\|with\|pipes`,
-		`back\slash`:                `back\\slash`,
-		"":                          ``,
+		"my-plugin":       `my-plugin`,
+		"# Plugin: foo /": `# Plugin: foo \/`,
+		"# Plugin: a.b /": `# Plugin: a\.b \/`,
+		"foo[bar]":        `foo\[bar\]`,
+		"a*b+c?":          `a\*b\+c\?`,
+		"path|with|pipes": `path\|with\|pipes`,
+		`back\slash`:      `back\\slash`,
+		"":                ``,
 	}
 	for in, want := range cases {
 		got := regexpEscapeForAwk(in)
@@ -1247,7 +1250,7 @@ func TestPluginDownload_GithubSchemeStreamsTarball(t *testing.T) {
 		scheme: "github",
 		fetchFn: func(_ context.Context, _ string, dst string) (string, error) {
 			files := map[string]string{
-				"plugin.yaml":            "name: remote-plugin\nversion: 1.0.0\n",
+				"plugin.yaml":             "name: remote-plugin\nversion: 1.0.0\n",
 				"skills/x/SKILL.md":       "---\nname: x\n---\n",
 				"adapters/claude_code.py": "from plugins_registry.builtins import AgentskillsAdaptor as Adaptor\n",
 			}

workspace-server/internal/handlers/registry.go

@@ -327,7 +327,33 @@ func (h *RegistryHandler) Register(c *gin.Context) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	agentCardStr := string(payload.AgentCard)
+	// Reconcile the runtime-supplied card's identity fields against the
+	// trusted workspaces row before storing. The runtime builds its card
+	// from config.name, which the CP-regenerated /configs/config.yaml
+	// sets to the workspace UUID — so without this the stored card
+	// served at /.well-known/agent-card.json and returned to peers via
+	// agent_card_url has name = UUID, description = "", role = null even
+	// though the operator-controlled workspaces.name holds the friendly
+	// name the canvas shows. We only FILL gaps from the DB (never
+	// downgrade a card that already carries a real name); identity stays
+	// platform-controlled — the agent cannot self-set these. Best-effort:
+	// a lookup failure leaves the card exactly as the runtime sent it
+	// (no-worse-than-before). See agent_card_reconcile.go.
+	reconciledCard := payload.AgentCard
+	{
+		var dbName, dbRole sql.NullString
+		if qErr := db.DB.QueryRowContext(ctx,
+			`SELECT name, role FROM workspaces WHERE id = $1`, payload.ID,
+		).Scan(&dbName, &dbRole); qErr == nil {
+			if rc, did := reconcileAgentCardIdentity(
+				payload.AgentCard, payload.ID, dbName.String, dbRole.String,
+			); did {
+				reconciledCard = rc
+				log.Printf("Registry register: reconciled agent_card identity for %s from workspaces row", payload.ID)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	agentCardStr := string(reconciledCard)
 
 	// urlForUpsert: poll-mode workspaces don't need a URL. Empty input
 	// becomes NULL via sql.NullString so the row's URL stays clean (the
@@ -413,10 +439,12 @@ func (h *RegistryHandler) Register(c *gin.Context) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	// Broadcast WORKSPACE_ONLINE
+	// Broadcast WORKSPACE_ONLINE — use the reconciled card so the canvas
+	// Agent Card view live-updates with the friendly name, matching what
+	// was just persisted (not the runtime's raw UUID-name card).
 	if err := h.broadcaster.RecordAndBroadcast(ctx, string(events.EventWorkspaceOnline), payload.ID, map[string]interface{}{
 		"url":           cachedURL,
-		"agent_card":    payload.AgentCard,
+		"agent_card":    reconciledCard,
 		"delivery_mode": effectiveMode,
 	}); err != nil {
 		log.Printf("Registry broadcast error: %v", err)

workspace-server/internal/handlers/restart_signals.go

@@ -56,9 +56,11 @@ const (
 // (an externally routable address) is used directly.
 func (h *WorkspaceHandler) gracefulPreRestart(ctx context.Context, workspaceID string) {
 	// Non-blocking send — don't stall the restart cycle.
-	// Run in a detached goroutine so the caller (runRestartCycle) can
-	// proceed to stopForRestart without waiting.
-	go func() {
+	// Run in a tracked async goroutine (goAsync, not bare `go`) so the
+	// caller (runRestartCycle) can proceed to stopForRestart without
+	// waiting, while the test harness can still drain it before swapping
+	// the global db.DB (resolveAgentURLForRestartSignal reads db.DB).
+	h.goAsync(func() {
 		signalCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), restartSignalTimeout)
 		defer cancel()
 
@@ -109,7 +111,7 @@ func (h *WorkspaceHandler) gracefulPreRestart(ctx context.Context, workspaceID s
 		} else {
 			log.Printf("A2AGracefulRestart: %s returned status %d — proceeding with stop", workspaceID, resp.StatusCode)
 		}
-	}()
+	})
 }
 
 // resolveAgentURLForRestartSignal returns the routable URL for the workspace

workspace-server/internal/handlers/restart_signals_test.go

@@ -271,6 +271,7 @@ func TestGracefulPreRestart_URLResolutionError(t *testing.T) {
 		WorkspaceHandler: newHandlerWithTestDeps(t),
 		errToReturn:      context.DeadlineExceeded,
 	}
+	waitForHandlerAsyncBeforeDBCleanup(t, hWrapper.WorkspaceHandler)
 
 	hWrapper.gracefulPreRestart(context.Background(), "ws-url-err-111")
 	time.Sleep(200 * time.Millisecond)

workspace-server/internal/handlers/template_files_agent_home_stub_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+package handlers
+
+// template_files_agent_home_stub_test.go — pins the Phase-1 stub
+// contract for the /agent-home root added by internal#425 RFC.
+//
+// Today (pre-Phase-2b), every Files API verb against `?root=/agent-home`
+// must return HTTP 501 with the canonical pending-message body. The
+// stub MUST NOT:
+//   1. Hit the DB (the workspace might not even exist yet from the
+//      canvas's POV — the root selector is testable without one).
+//   2. Touch the EIC tunnel / Docker / template-dir paths — those
+//      would 500/404/[] depending on the env and confuse the canvas.
+//   3. Accept writes/deletes that the future docker-exec backend
+//      would reject — fail closed.
+//
+// When Phase 2b lands, this file gets replaced by a real
+// docker-exec dispatch test; the stub-message constant in
+// templates.go disappears.
+
+import (
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/gin-gonic/gin"
+)
+
+// TestAgentHomeAllowedRoot pins that /agent-home is in the allowedRoots
+// set. Without this, a future refactor that drops the key would
+// silently degrade the canvas root selector to a 400 instead of the
+// stub 501.
+func TestAgentHomeAllowedRoot(t *testing.T) {
+	if !allowedRoots["/agent-home"] {
+		t.Fatal("/agent-home must be in allowedRoots — RFC #425 contract")
+	}
+}
+
+// TestAgentHomeStub_AllVerbs_Return501 pins the canonical stub
+// response across all four verbs. Each must:
+//
+//   - status 501
+//   - body contains the canonical "/agent-home not implemented" prefix
+//   - NOT contain "workspace not found" (proves we short-circuit before
+//     the DB lookup)
+//
+// Driven as a table to keep symmetry — adding a fifth verb in the
+// future means adding one row here.
+func TestAgentHomeStub_AllVerbs_Return501(t *testing.T) {
+	cases := []struct {
+		name   string
+		method string
+		invoke func(c *gin.Context)
+	}{
+		{
+			name:   "ListFiles",
+			method: "GET",
+			invoke: func(c *gin.Context) { (&TemplatesHandler{}).ListFiles(c) },
+		},
+		{
+			name:   "ReadFile",
+			method: "GET",
+			invoke: func(c *gin.Context) { (&TemplatesHandler{}).ReadFile(c) },
+		},
+		{
+			name:   "WriteFile",
+			method: "PUT",
+			invoke: func(c *gin.Context) { (&TemplatesHandler{}).WriteFile(c) },
+		},
+		{
+			name:   "DeleteFile",
+			method: "DELETE",
+			invoke: func(c *gin.Context) { (&TemplatesHandler{}).DeleteFile(c) },
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range cases {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+			c, _ := gin.CreateTestContext(w)
+			c.Params = gin.Params{
+				{Key: "id", Value: "ws-stub"},
+				// Path param without leading slash so DeleteFile's
+				// filepath.IsAbs guard doesn't 400 before the root
+				// dispatch runs. The List/Read/Write paths strip the
+				// leading slash themselves and accept either form.
+				{Key: "path", Value: "notes.md"},
+			}
+			// WriteFile binds JSON; provide a minimal valid body so the
+			// short-circuit isn't masked by the bind-error path.
+			var body string
+			if tc.method == "PUT" {
+				body = `{"content":"x"}`
+			}
+			c.Request = httptest.NewRequest(
+				tc.method,
+				"/workspaces/ws-stub/files/notes.md?root=/agent-home",
+				strings.NewReader(body),
+			)
+			if body != "" {
+				c.Request.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+			}
+
+			tc.invoke(c)
+
+			if w.Code != http.StatusNotImplemented {
+				t.Fatalf("expected 501, got %d: %s", w.Code, w.Body.String())
+			}
+			if !strings.Contains(w.Body.String(), "/agent-home not implemented") {
+				t.Errorf("body should contain canonical stub message; got %s", w.Body.String())
+			}
+			if strings.Contains(w.Body.String(), "workspace not found") {
+				t.Errorf("stub leaked through to DB lookup; body=%s", w.Body.String())
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}

workspace-server/internal/handlers/template_files_eic.go

@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ package handlers
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"log"
 	"os"
@@ -357,6 +358,28 @@ func writeFileViaEIC(ctx context.Context, instanceID, runtime, root, relPath str
 		var stderr bytes.Buffer
 		sshCmd.Stderr = &stderr
 		if err := sshCmd.Run(); err != nil {
+			// When the per-op context deadline (eicFileOpTimeout) fires,
+			// exec.CommandContext SIGKILLs the ssh subprocess and Run()
+			// returns the bare "signal: killed" with empty stderr. That
+			// surfaced to the canvas as an opaque
+			// `500 {"error":"ssh install: signal: killed ()"}` which gave
+			// the operator no idea the workspace was simply mid-provision
+			// with a slow/unready EIC tunnel (internal#423). Detect the
+			// deadline explicitly and return an actionable message instead
+			// — the EIC mechanism, timeout value, and success path are all
+			// unchanged; this only improves the error a stuck write emits.
+			if cerr := ctx.Err(); cerr != nil {
+				reason := "timed out after " + eicFileOpTimeout.String()
+				if errors.Is(cerr, context.Canceled) && !errors.Is(cerr, context.DeadlineExceeded) {
+					reason = "was cancelled"
+				}
+				return fmt.Errorf(
+					"ssh install: EIC tunnel to workspace %s — "+
+						"the workspace may still be provisioning (slow/unready SSH); "+
+						"retry once it is online, or apply provider credentials via "+
+						"Settings → Secrets (encrypted, does not use this file-write path)",
+					reason)
+			}
 			return fmt.Errorf("ssh install: %w (%s)", err, strings.TrimSpace(stderr.String()))
 		}
 		log.Printf("writeFileViaEIC: ws instance=%s runtime=%s root=%s wrote %d bytes → %s",