@bastani/atomic 0.8.19 → 0.8.20-0

package/CHANGELOG.md

@@ -2,6 +2,19 @@
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+## [0.8.20-0] - 2026-05-29
+
+### Added
+
+- Added session-scoped `orchestrationContext` support to SDK agent sessions and extension contexts for workflow-stage policy enforcement.
+- Added support for the Claude Opus 4.8 model across model configuration, selection, and validation via the `@earendil-works/pi-ai` 0.77.0 upgrade ([#1097](https://github.com/flora131/atomic/issues/1097)).
+
+### Changed
+
+- Upgraded the pi runtime packages (`@earendil-works/pi-agent-core`, `@earendil-works/pi-ai`, `@earendil-works/pi-tui`) from 0.75.5 to 0.77.0 and bumped `@modelcontextprotocol/ext-apps` to 1.7.2, `highlight.js` to 11.x, `linkedom` to 0.18.x, `undici` to 8.x, and `vitest` (dev) to 4.x.
+- Switched the `highlight.js` import to the package-root default export and replaced the Node stream pipeline in the tools downloader with `Bun.write()` to align with the upgraded dependencies.
+- Pinned the footer (model + cwd identity) directly under the editor and moved below-editor widgets beneath it (separated by a blank line), so transient run status such as the workflow companion counter renders at the very bottom instead of separating the footer from the input. Stacked below-editor widgets (e.g. the async-subagent widget and the workflow run counter) are also separated from each other by a blank line. Rendering below-editor widgets last keeps a live widget at the bottom of the buffer (within the viewport), preserving the widget resize-flicker fix. Extension-provided custom footers are now swapped in place (rather than appended), so installing a custom footer keeps the below-editor widget container as the last UI child and does not regress this ordering ([#1109](https://github.com/flora131/atomic/issues/1109)).
+
 ## [0.8.19] - 2026-05-27
 
 ### Changed

package/dist/builtin/intercom/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@bastani/intercom",
-  "version": "0.8.19",
+  "version": "0.8.20-0",
   "private": true,
   "description": "Atomic extension providing a private coordination channel between parent and child agent sessions. Fork of: https://github.com/nicobailon/pi-intercom",
   "contributors": [

package/dist/builtin/mcp/CHANGELOG.md

@@ -7,6 +7,11 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+## [0.8.20-0] - 2026-05-29
+
+### Changed
+- Bumped `@modelcontextprotocol/ext-apps` to 1.7.2 to align with the pi 0.77.0 upgrade.
+
 ## [0.8.18] - 2026-05-27
 
 ### Changed

package/dist/builtin/mcp/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@bastani/mcp",
-  "version": "0.8.19",
+  "version": "0.8.20-0",
   "private": true,
   "description": "Atomic extension that adapts MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers into the coding agent. Fork of: https://github.com/nicobailon/pi-mcp-adapter",
   "contributors": [
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@
     }
   },
   "dependencies": {
-    "@modelcontextprotocol/ext-apps": "^1.2.2",
+    "@modelcontextprotocol/ext-apps": "^1.7.2",
     "@modelcontextprotocol/sdk": "^1.25.1",
     "open": "^10.2.0",
     "typebox": "^1.1.24",

package/dist/builtin/subagents/CHANGELOG.md

@@ -1,5 +1,17 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## [Unreleased]
+
+## [0.8.20-0] - 2026-05-29
+
+### Fixed
+
+- Fixed the subagent running spinner freezing/stuttering and the surrounding TUI flickering while subagents run: the running glyph is now driven by wall-clock time with a steady re-render ticker (result cards, slash result cards, and the async-agents widget), so it animates smoothly and continuously instead of only advancing when progress data changes. Per-frame diffs stay limited to the spinner glyph cell, so the differential renderer keeps doing partial redraws (no full-screen clear / flicker), and the ticker is torn down on completion, reload, and session shutdown ([#1084](https://github.com/flora131/atomic/issues/1084)).
+- Moved the async-agents (background subagent) widget from above the editor to below it (`belowEditor`). The widget animates a running glyph and elapsed labels every tick; pi-tui full-clears the screen+scrollback whenever a changed line sits above the viewport fold, so an above-editor widget flickered once the bottom region grew tall and pushed it above the fold. Rendering below the editor keeps the live line within the bottom viewport (flicker-free) and matches the workflow companion widget's placement ([#1109](https://github.com/flora131/atomic/issues/1109)).
+- Hardened workflow-stage subagent guard propagation tests with an internal executor runtime DI seam ([#1088](https://github.com/flora131/atomic/issues/1088)).
+- Capped subagent fanout spawned from workflow stages to a single child level with a workflow-specific nested-subagent error.
+- Fixed builtin subagent skill resolution from project cwd ([#1087](https://github.com/flora131/atomic/issues/1087)).
+
 ## [0.24.3] - 2026-05-14
 
 ### Added
@@ -9,8 +21,6 @@
 ### Fixed
 - Let `async: true` chain tool calls run in the background when `clarify` is omitted, and avoid showing the async badge for explicit foreground clarify runs.
 
-## [Unreleased]
-
 ## [0.8.18] - 2026-05-27
 
 ### Changed

package/dist/builtin/subagents/agents/code-simplifier.md

@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ description: |
   - Code that has gotten messy after several iterations.
 tools: read, edit, write, grep, find, ls, bash
 model: openai/gpt-5.5
-fallbackModels: openai-codex/gpt-5.5, github-copilot/gpt-5.5, anthropic/claude-opus-4-7, github-copilot/claude-opus-4.7
+fallbackModels: openai-codex/gpt-5.5, github-copilot/gpt-5.5, anthropic/claude-opus-4-8, github-copilot/claude-opus-4.7
 thinking: low
 ---
 

package/dist/builtin/subagents/agents/codebase-analyzer.md

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ name: codebase-analyzer
 description: Analyzes codebase implementation details. Call the codebase-analyzer agent when you need to find detailed information about specific components.
 tools: read, grep, find, ls, bash
 model: openai/gpt-5.5
-fallbackModels: openai-codex/gpt-5.5, github-copilot/gpt-5.5, anthropic/claude-opus-4-7, github-copilot/claude-opus-4.7
+fallbackModels: openai-codex/gpt-5.5, github-copilot/gpt-5.5, anthropic/claude-opus-4-8, github-copilot/claude-opus-4.7
 thinking: low
 ---
 

package/dist/builtin/subagents/agents/codebase-online-researcher.md

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ name: codebase-online-researcher
 description: Online research for up-to-date documentation and library-source knowledge. Use when you need authoritative external information — official docs, ecosystem context, version-specific behavior, GitHub permalinks into open-source libraries, or video tutorials.
 tools: read, grep, find, ls, bash, write, web_search, fetch_content, get_search_content
 model: openai/gpt-5.5
-fallbackModels: openai-codex/gpt-5.5, github-copilot/gpt-5.5, anthropic/claude-opus-4-7, github-copilot/claude-opus-4.7
+fallbackModels: openai-codex/gpt-5.5, github-copilot/gpt-5.5, anthropic/claude-opus-4-8, github-copilot/claude-opus-4.7
 thinking: low
 skills: playwright-cli
 ---

package/dist/builtin/subagents/agents/codebase-research-analyzer.md

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ name: codebase-research-analyzer
 description: Analyzes local research documents to extract high-value insights, decisions, and technical details while filtering out noise. Use this when you want to deep dive on a research topic or understand the rationale behind decisions.
 tools: read, grep, find, ls, bash
 model: openai/gpt-5.5
-fallbackModels: openai-codex/gpt-5.5, github-copilot/gpt-5.5, anthropic/claude-opus-4-7, github-copilot/claude-opus-4.7
+fallbackModels: openai-codex/gpt-5.5, github-copilot/gpt-5.5, anthropic/claude-opus-4-8, github-copilot/claude-opus-4.7
 thinking: low
 ---
 

package/dist/builtin/subagents/agents/debugger.md

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ name: debugger
 description: Debug errors, test failures, and unexpected behavior. Use PROACTIVELY when encountering issues, analyzing stack traces, or investigating system problems.
 tools: read, edit, write, grep, find, ls, bash, web_search, fetch_content, get_search_content
 model: openai/gpt-5.5
-fallbackModels: openai-codex/gpt-5.5, github-copilot/gpt-5.5, anthropic/claude-opus-4-7, github-copilot/claude-opus-4.7
+fallbackModels: openai-codex/gpt-5.5, github-copilot/gpt-5.5, anthropic/claude-opus-4-8, github-copilot/claude-opus-4.7
 thinking: high
 skills: tdd, playwright-cli
 ---

package/dist/builtin/subagents/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@bastani/subagents",
-  "version": "0.8.19",
+  "version": "0.8.20-0",
   "private": true,
   "description": "Atomic extension for delegating tasks to subagents with chains, parallel execution, and TUI clarification. Fork of: https://github.com/nicobailon/pi-subagents",
   "contributors": [

package/dist/builtin/subagents/skills/subagent/SKILL.md

@@ -118,18 +118,18 @@ Use this after implementation when the user wants cleanup review or when a final
 
 Builtin agents load at the lowest priority. Project agents override user agents, and user/project agents override builtins with the same name.
 
-| Agent | Purpose | Default model | Thinking | Tools | Notes |
-|-------|---------|---------------|----------|-------|-------|
-| `codebase-locator` | Locate files, directories, tests, and configs relevant to a topic | `openai/gpt-5.4-mini` | low | read, grep, find, ls, bash | Read-only finder. Returns a categorized file map; no analysis. |
-| `codebase-analyzer` | Explain how specific code currently works | `openai/gpt-5.5` | low | read, grep, find, ls, bash | Read-only. Traces flow with `file:line` references; does not critique. |
-| `codebase-pattern-finder` | Find similar implementations or conventions | `openai/gpt-5.4-mini` | low | read, grep, find, ls, bash | Read-only. Returns code snippets with `file:line` references. |
-| `codebase-research-locator` | Discover prior `research/` and `specs/` docs | `openai/gpt-5.4-mini` | low | read, grep, find, ls, bash | Read-only. Sorts by date, tiers by recency, flags supersession. |
-| `codebase-research-analyzer` | Extract decisions and constraints from prior docs | `openai/gpt-5.5` | low | read, grep, find, ls, bash | Read-only. Filters aggressively for what still applies today. |
-| `codebase-online-researcher` | Web research with authoritative sources | `openai/gpt-5.5` | low | read, grep, find, ls, bash, write, web_search, fetch_content, get_search_content | Has the `playwright-cli` skill. Persists keepers to `research/web/`. |
-| `code-simplifier` | Clean up recently changed code without changing behavior | `openai/gpt-5.5` | low | read, edit, write, grep, find, ls, bash | **Writer.** Scopes to recently modified code by default; preserves all observable behavior. |
-| `debugger` | Reproduce, diagnose, and fix failing behavior | `openai/gpt-5.5` | high | read, edit, write, grep, find, ls, bash, web_search, fetch_content, get_search_content | **Writer.** Has the `tdd` and `playwright-cli` skills. Inspect-only mode requires an explicit instruction. |
-
-Each builtin declares an explicit `model` and `fallbackModels` chain (typically `github-copilot/<same>`, then `anthropic/claude-opus-4-7`, then `github-copilot/claude-opus-4.7`). The current user-selected model is automatically appended as the last fallback and de-duplicated. Override per run with inline config:
+| Agent                        | Purpose                                                           | Default model         | Thinking | Tools                                                                                  | Notes                                                                                                      |
+| ---------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------- | -------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| `codebase-locator`           | Locate files, directories, tests, and configs relevant to a topic | `openai/gpt-5.4-mini` | low      | read, grep, find, ls, bash                                                             | Read-only finder. Returns a categorized file map; no analysis.                                             |
+| `codebase-analyzer`          | Explain how specific code currently works                         | `openai/gpt-5.5`      | low      | read, grep, find, ls, bash                                                             | Read-only. Traces flow with `file:line` references; does not critique.                                     |
+| `codebase-pattern-finder`    | Find similar implementations or conventions                       | `openai/gpt-5.4-mini` | low      | read, grep, find, ls, bash                                                             | Read-only. Returns code snippets with `file:line` references.                                              |
+| `codebase-research-locator`  | Discover prior `research/` and `specs/` docs                      | `openai/gpt-5.4-mini` | low      | read, grep, find, ls, bash                                                             | Read-only. Sorts by date, tiers by recency, flags supersession.                                            |
+| `codebase-research-analyzer` | Extract decisions and constraints from prior docs                 | `openai/gpt-5.5`      | low      | read, grep, find, ls, bash                                                             | Read-only. Filters aggressively for what still applies today.                                              |
+| `codebase-online-researcher` | Web research with authoritative sources                           | `openai/gpt-5.5`      | low      | read, grep, find, ls, bash, write, web_search, fetch_content, get_search_content       | Has the `playwright-cli` skill. Persists keepers to `research/web/`.                                       |
+| `code-simplifier`            | Clean up recently changed code without changing behavior          | `openai/gpt-5.5`      | low      | read, edit, write, grep, find, ls, bash                                                | **Writer.** Scopes to recently modified code by default; preserves all observable behavior.                |
+| `debugger`                   | Reproduce, diagnose, and fix failing behavior                     | `openai/gpt-5.5`      | high     | read, edit, write, grep, find, ls, bash, web_search, fetch_content, get_search_content | **Writer.** Has the `tdd` and `playwright-cli` skills. Inspect-only mode requires an explicit instruction. |
+
+Each builtin declares an explicit `model` and `fallbackModels` chain (typically `github-copilot/<same>`, then `anthropic/claude-opus-4-8`, then `github-copilot/claude-opus-4.7`). The current user-selected model is automatically appended as the last fallback and de-duplicated. Override per run with inline config:
 
 ```text
 /run codebase-analyzer[model=anthropic/claude-sonnet-4] "Trace the auth flow"

package/dist/builtin/subagents/src/agents/agent-management.ts

@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import * as fs from "node:fs";
 import * as path from "node:path";
-import type { AgentToolResult } from "@earendil-works/pi-agent-core";
 import { CONFIG_DIR_NAME } from "@bastani/atomic";
 import type { ExtensionContext } from "@bastani/atomic";
 import {
@@ -20,7 +19,7 @@ import {
 import { serializeAgent } from "./agent-serializer.ts";
 import { serializeChain } from "./chain-serializer.ts";
 import { discoverAvailableSkills } from "./skills.ts";
-import type { Details } from "../shared/types.ts";
+import type { SubagentToolResult } from "../shared/types.ts";
 
 type ManagementAction = "list" | "get" | "create" | "update" | "delete";
 type ManagementScope = "user" | "project";
@@ -34,7 +33,7 @@ interface ManagementParams {
 	config?: unknown;
 }
 
-function result(text: string, isError = false): AgentToolResult<Details> {
+function result(text: string, isError = false): SubagentToolResult {
 	return { content: [{ type: "text", text }], isError, details: { mode: "management", results: [] } };
 }
 
@@ -305,14 +304,20 @@ function applyAgentConfig(target: AgentConfig, cfg: Record<string, unknown>): st
 	return undefined;
 }
 
+type MutableDefinition<T extends { source: AgentSource }> = T & { source: ManagementScope };
+
+function isMutableDefinition<T extends { source: AgentSource }>(value: T): value is MutableDefinition<T> {
+	return value.source === "user" || value.source === "project";
+}
+
 function resolveTarget<T extends { source: AgentSource; filePath: string }>(
 	kind: "agent" | "chain",
 	name: string,
 	matches: T[],
 	cwd: string,
 	scopeHint?: string,
-): T | AgentToolResult<Details> {
-	const mutable = matches.filter((m) => m.source !== "builtin");
+): MutableDefinition<T> | SubagentToolResult {
+	const mutable = matches.filter(isMutableDefinition);
 	if (mutable.length === 0) {
 		if (matches.length > 0) {
 			return result(`${kind === "agent" ? "Agent" : "Chain"} '${name}' is builtin and cannot be modified. Create a same-named ${kind} in user or project scope to override it.`, true);
@@ -400,7 +405,7 @@ function formatChainDetail(chain: ChainConfig): string {
 	return lines.join("\n");
 }
 
-export function handleList(params: ManagementParams, ctx: ManagementContext): AgentToolResult<Details> {
+export function handleList(params: ManagementParams, ctx: ManagementContext): SubagentToolResult {
 	const scope = normalizeListScope(params.agentScope) ?? "both";
 	const d = discoverAgentsAll(ctx.cwd);
 	const scopedAgents = allAgents(d).filter((a) => scope === "both" || a.source === "builtin" || a.source === scope).sort((a, b) => a.name.localeCompare(b.name));
@@ -418,7 +423,7 @@ export function handleList(params: ManagementParams, ctx: ManagementContext): Ag
 	return result(lines.join("\n"));
 }
 
-function handleGet(params: ManagementParams, ctx: ManagementContext): AgentToolResult<Details> {
+function handleGet(params: ManagementParams, ctx: ManagementContext): SubagentToolResult {
 	if (!params.agent && !params.chainName) return result("Specify 'agent' or 'chainName' for get.", true);
 	const hasBoth = Boolean(params.agent && params.chainName);
 	const blocks: string[] = [];
@@ -448,7 +453,7 @@ function handleGet(params: ManagementParams, ctx: ManagementContext): AgentToolR
 	return result(blocks.join("\n\n"), !anyFound);
 }
 
-export function handleCreate(params: ManagementParams, ctx: ManagementContext): AgentToolResult<Details> {
+export function handleCreate(params: ManagementParams, ctx: ManagementContext): SubagentToolResult {
 	const parsedConfig = configObject(params.config);
 	if (parsedConfig.error) return result(parsedConfig.error, true);
 	const cfg = parsedConfig.value;
@@ -508,7 +513,7 @@ export function handleCreate(params: ManagementParams, ctx: ManagementContext):
 	return result([`Created agent '${runtimeName}' at ${targetPath}.`, ...warnings].join("\n"));
 }
 
-export function handleUpdate(params: ManagementParams, ctx: ManagementContext): AgentToolResult<Details> {
+export function handleUpdate(params: ManagementParams, ctx: ManagementContext): SubagentToolResult {
 	if (!params.agent && !params.chainName) return result("Specify 'agent' or 'chainName' for update.", true);
 	if (params.agent && params.chainName) return result("Specify either 'agent' or 'chainName', not both.", true);
 	const parsedConfig = configObject(params.config);
@@ -616,7 +621,7 @@ export function handleUpdate(params: ManagementParams, ctx: ManagementContext):
 	return result([headline, ...warnings].join("\n"));
 }
 
-function handleDelete(params: ManagementParams, ctx: ManagementContext): AgentToolResult<Details> {
+function handleDelete(params: ManagementParams, ctx: ManagementContext): SubagentToolResult {
 	if (!params.agent && !params.chainName) return result("Specify 'agent' or 'chainName' for delete.", true);
 	if (params.agent && params.chainName) return result("Specify either 'agent' or 'chainName', not both.", true);
 	const scopeHint = asDisambiguationScope(params.agentScope);
@@ -637,7 +642,7 @@ function handleDelete(params: ManagementParams, ctx: ManagementContext): AgentTo
 	return result(`Deleted chain '${target.name}' at ${target.filePath}.`);
 }
 
-export function handleManagementAction(action: string, params: ManagementParams, ctx: ManagementContext): AgentToolResult<Details> {
+export function handleManagementAction(action: string, params: ManagementParams, ctx: ManagementContext): SubagentToolResult {
 	switch (action as ManagementAction) {
 		case "list": return handleList(params, ctx);
 		case "get": return handleGet(params, ctx);

package/dist/builtin/subagents/src/agents/skills.ts

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import { execSync } from "node:child_process";
 import * as fs from "node:fs";
 import * as os from "node:os";
 import * as path from "node:path";
-import { getAgentConfigPaths, getAgentDirs, getProjectConfigDirs } from "@bastani/atomic";
+import { getAgentConfigPaths, getAgentDirs, getBuiltinPackagePaths, getProjectConfigDirs } from "@bastani/atomic";
 
 export type SkillSource =
 	| "project"
@@ -314,6 +314,17 @@ function collectSettingsPackageSkillPaths(cwd: string): SkillSearchPath[] {
 	return results;
 }
 
+function collectBuiltinPackageSkillPaths(): SkillSearchPath[] {
+	try {
+		return getBuiltinPackagePaths().flatMap((packageRoot) =>
+			extractSkillPathsFromPackageRoot(packageRoot, "builtin", true)
+		);
+	} catch {
+		// Builtin package discovery is additive; keep project/user/settings skill resolution working if unavailable.
+		return [];
+	}
+}
+
 function buildSkillPaths(cwd: string): SkillSearchPath[] {
 	const skillPaths: SkillSearchPath[] = [
 		...getProjectConfigDirs(cwd).map((configDir) => ({ path: path.join(configDir, "skills"), source: "project" as const })),
@@ -324,6 +335,7 @@ function buildSkillPaths(cwd: string): SkillSearchPath[] {
 		...collectSettingsPackageSkillPaths(cwd),
 		...extractSkillPathsFromPackageRoot(cwd, "project-package"),
 		...collectSettingsSkillPaths(cwd),
+		...collectBuiltinPackageSkillPaths(),
 	];
 
 	const deduped = new Map<string, SkillSearchPath>();

package/dist/builtin/subagents/src/extension/index.ts

@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ import { discoverAgents } from "../agents/agents.ts";
 import { cleanupAllArtifactDirs, cleanupOldArtifacts, getArtifactsDir } from "../shared/artifacts.ts";
 import { resolveCurrentSessionId } from "../shared/session-identity.ts";
 import { cleanupOldChainDirs } from "../shared/settings.ts";
-import { clearLegacyResultAnimationTimer, renderWidget, renderSubagentResult } from "../tui/render.ts";
+import { renderWidget, renderSubagentResult, stopResultAnimations, stopWidgetAnimation, syncResultAnimation } from "../tui/render.ts";
 import { SubagentParams } from "./schemas.ts";
 import { createSubagentExecutor, type SubagentParamsLike } from "../runs/foreground/subagent-executor.ts";
 import { createAsyncJobTracker } from "../runs/background/async-job-tracker.ts";
@@ -135,8 +135,10 @@ function createSlashResultComponent(
 	details: SlashMessageDetails,
 	options: { expanded: boolean },
 	theme: ExtensionContext["ui"]["theme"],
+	requestRender: () => void,
 ): Container {
 	const container = new Container();
+	const animationState: { subagentResultAnimationTimer?: ReturnType<typeof setInterval> } = {};
 	let lastVersion = -1;
 	container.render = (width: number): string[] => {
 		const snapshot = getSlashRenderableSnapshot(details);
@@ -144,6 +146,9 @@ function createSlashResultComponent(
 			lastVersion = snapshot.version;
 			rebuildSlashResultContainer(container, snapshot.result, options, theme);
 		}
+		// Keep the live slash card's spinner animating by scheduling steady
+		// re-renders while it runs (and tearing the timer down once it settles).
+		syncResultAnimation(snapshot.result, { state: animationState, invalidate: requestRender });
 		return Container.prototype.render.call(container, width);
 	};
 	return container;
@@ -266,6 +271,8 @@ export default function registerSubagentExtension(pi: ExtensionAPI): void {
 
 	const runtimeCleanup = () => {
 		stopResultWatcher();
+		stopWidgetAnimation();
+		stopResultAnimations();
 		clearPendingForegroundControlNotices(state);
 		if (state.poller) {
 			clearInterval(state.poller);
@@ -289,7 +296,7 @@ export default function registerSubagentExtension(pi: ExtensionAPI): void {
 	pi.registerMessageRenderer<SlashMessageDetails>(SLASH_RESULT_TYPE, (message, options, theme) => {
 		const details = resolveSlashMessageDetails(message.details);
 		if (!details) return undefined;
-		return createSlashResultComponent(details, options, theme);
+		return createSlashResultComponent(details, options, theme, () => state.lastUiContext?.ui.requestRender?.());
 	});
 
 	pi.registerMessageRenderer<SubagentNotifyDetails>("subagent-notify", (message, options, theme) => {
@@ -458,7 +465,9 @@ DIAGNOSTICS:
 		},
 
 		renderResult(result, options, theme, context) {
-			clearLegacyResultAnimationTimer(context);
+			// Animate the live subagent spinner by scheduling steady re-renders
+			// while the result is running; the timer stops once it settles.
+			syncResultAnimation(result, context);
 			return renderSubagentResult(result, options, theme);
 		},
 
@@ -549,6 +558,8 @@ DIAGNOSTICS:
 			delete globalStore[eventUnsubscribeStoreKey];
 		}
 		stopResultWatcher();
+		stopWidgetAnimation();
+		stopResultAnimations();
 		if (state.poller) clearInterval(state.poller);
 		state.poller = null;
 		clearPendingForegroundControlNotices(state);

package/dist/builtin/subagents/src/runs/background/async-execution.ts

@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ interface AsyncChainParams {
 	chainSkills?: string[];
 	sessionFilesByFlatIndex?: (string | undefined)[];
 	maxSubagentDepth: number;
+	workflowStageSubagentGuard?: boolean;
 	worktreeSetupHook?: string;
 	worktreeSetupHookTimeoutMs?: number;
 	controlConfig?: ResolvedControlConfig;
@@ -135,6 +136,7 @@ interface AsyncSingleParams {
 	modelOverride?: string;
 	availableModels?: AvailableModelInfo[];
 	maxSubagentDepth: number;
+	workflowStageSubagentGuard?: boolean;
 	worktreeSetupHook?: string;
 	worktreeSetupHookTimeoutMs?: number;
 	controlConfig?: ResolvedControlConfig;
@@ -241,6 +243,7 @@ export function executeAsyncChain(
 		sessionRoot,
 		sessionFilesByFlatIndex,
 		maxSubagentDepth,
+		workflowStageSubagentGuard,
 		worktreeSetupHook,
 		worktreeSetupHookTimeoutMs,
 		controlConfig,
@@ -348,6 +351,7 @@ export function executeAsyncChain(
 			outputMode: behavior.outputMode,
 			sessionFile,
 			maxSubagentDepth: resolveChildMaxSubagentDepth(maxSubagentDepth, a.maxSubagentDepth),
+			workflowStageSubagentGuard,
 		};
 	};
 
@@ -427,6 +431,7 @@ export function executeAsyncChain(
 				childIntercomTargets,
 				resultMode,
 				nestedRoute: nestedRoute ?? inheritedNestedRoute,
+				workflowStageSubagentGuard,
 				nestedSelf: inheritedNestedRoute && nestedAddress ? {
 					parentRunId: nestedAddress.parentRunId,
 					parentStepIndex: nestedAddress.parentStepIndex,
@@ -551,6 +556,7 @@ export function executeAsyncSingle(
 		sessionRoot,
 		sessionFile,
 		maxSubagentDepth,
+		workflowStageSubagentGuard,
 		worktreeSetupHook,
 		worktreeSetupHookTimeoutMs,
 		controlConfig,
@@ -624,6 +630,7 @@ export function executeAsyncSingle(
 						outputMode,
 						sessionFile,
 						maxSubagentDepth: resolveChildMaxSubagentDepth(maxSubagentDepth, agentConfig.maxSubagentDepth),
+						workflowStageSubagentGuard,
 					},
 				],
 				resultPath: inheritedNestedRoute ? nestedResultsPath(inheritedNestedRoute.rootRunId, id) : path.join(RESULTS_DIR, `${id}.json`),
@@ -645,6 +652,7 @@ export function executeAsyncSingle(
 				childIntercomTargets: childIntercomTarget ? [childIntercomTarget(agent, 0)] : undefined,
 				resultMode: "single",
 				nestedRoute: nestedRoute ?? inheritedNestedRoute,
+				workflowStageSubagentGuard,
 				nestedSelf: inheritedNestedRoute && nestedAddress ? {
 					parentRunId: nestedAddress.parentRunId,
 					parentStepIndex: nestedAddress.parentStepIndex,

package/dist/builtin/subagents/src/runs/background/run-status.ts

@@ -1,11 +1,10 @@
 import * as fs from "node:fs";
 import * as path from "node:path";
-import type { AgentToolResult } from "@earendil-works/pi-agent-core";
 import { formatAsyncRunList, formatAsyncRunOutputPath, formatAsyncRunProgressLabel, listAsyncRuns } from "./async-status.ts";
 import { formatNestedRunStatusLines } from "../shared/nested-render.ts";
 import { formatModelThinking } from "../../shared/formatters.ts";
 import { formatActivityLabel } from "../../shared/status-format.ts";
-import { ASYNC_DIR, RESULTS_DIR, type AsyncStatus, type Details, type NestedRunSummary, type SubagentState } from "../../shared/types.ts";
+import { ASYNC_DIR, RESULTS_DIR, type AsyncStatus, type NestedRunSummary, type SubagentState, type SubagentToolResult } from "../../shared/types.ts";
 import { resolveSubagentIntercomTarget } from "../../intercom/intercom-bridge.ts";
 import { resolveAsyncRunLocation } from "./async-resume.ts";
 import { resolveSubagentRunId } from "./run-id-resolver.ts";
@@ -98,7 +97,7 @@ function formatNestedExactStatus(rootRunId: string, run: NestedRunSummary): stri
 	return lines.join("\n");
 }
 
-export function inspectSubagentStatus(params: RunStatusParams, deps: RunStatusDeps = {}): AgentToolResult<Details> {
+export function inspectSubagentStatus(params: RunStatusParams, deps: RunStatusDeps = {}): SubagentToolResult {
 	const asyncDirRoot = deps.asyncDirRoot ?? ASYNC_DIR;
 	const resultsDir = deps.resultsDir ?? RESULTS_DIR;
 	if (!params.id && !params.runId && !params.dir) {

package/dist/builtin/subagents/src/runs/background/subagent-runner.ts

@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ interface SubagentRunConfig {
 	childIntercomTargets?: Array<string | undefined>;
 	resultMode?: SubagentRunMode;
 	nestedRoute?: NestedRouteInfo;
+	workflowStageSubagentGuard?: boolean;
 	nestedSelf?: { parentRunId: string; parentStepIndex?: number; depth: number; path?: Array<{ runId: string; stepIndex?: number; agent?: string }> };
 }
 
@@ -215,13 +216,18 @@ function runPiStreaming(
 	piPackageRoot?: string,
 	piArgv1?: string,
 	maxSubagentDepth?: number,
+	workflowStageSubagentGuard?: boolean,
 	childEventContext?: ChildEventContext,
 	registerInterrupt?: (interrupt: (() => void) | undefined) => void,
 	onChildEvent?: (event: ChildEvent) => void,
 ): Promise<RunPiStreamingResult> {
 	return new Promise((resolve) => {
 		const outputStream = fs.createWriteStream(outputFile, { flags: "w" });
-		const spawnEnv = { ...process.env, ...(env ?? {}), ...getSubagentDepthEnv(maxSubagentDepth) };
+		const spawnEnv = {
+			...process.env,
+			...(env ?? {}),
+			...getSubagentDepthEnv(maxSubagentDepth, { workflowStageSubagentGuard }),
+		};
 		const spawnSpec = getPiSpawnCommand(args, {
 			...(piPackageRoot ? { piPackageRoot } : {}),
 			...(piArgv1 ? { argv1: piArgv1 } : {}),
@@ -561,6 +567,7 @@ interface SingleStepContext {
 	nestedRoute?: NestedRouteInfo;
 	onAttemptStart?: (attempt: { model?: string; thinking?: string }) => void;
 	onChildEvent?: (event: ChildEvent) => void;
+	workflowStageSubagentGuard?: boolean;
 }
 
 /** Run a single pi agent step, returning output and metadata */
@@ -647,6 +654,7 @@ async function runSingleStep(
 			ctx.piPackageRoot,
 			ctx.piArgv1,
 			step.maxSubagentDepth,
+			step.workflowStageSubagentGuard ?? ctx.workflowStageSubagentGuard,
 			{ eventsPath, runId: ctx.id, stepIndex: ctx.flatIndex, agent: step.agent },
 			ctx.registerInterrupt,
 			ctx.onChildEvent,
@@ -1393,6 +1401,7 @@ async function runSubagent(config: SubagentRunConfig): Promise<void> {
 							},
 							onAttemptStart: (attempt) => updateStepModel(fi, attempt.model, attempt.thinking),
 							onChildEvent: (event) => updateStepFromChildEvent(fi, event),
+							workflowStageSubagentGuard: config.workflowStageSubagentGuard,
 						});
 						if (task.sessionFile) {
 							latestSessionFile = task.sessionFile;
@@ -1539,6 +1548,7 @@ async function runSubagent(config: SubagentRunConfig): Promise<void> {
 				},
 				onAttemptStart: (attempt) => updateStepModel(flatIndex, attempt.model, attempt.thinking),
 				onChildEvent: (event) => updateStepFromChildEvent(flatIndex, event),
+				workflowStageSubagentGuard: config.workflowStageSubagentGuard,
 			});
 			if (seqStep.sessionFile) {
 				latestSessionFile = seqStep.sessionFile;

package/dist/builtin/subagents/src/runs/foreground/chain-clarify.ts

@@ -775,7 +775,7 @@ export class ChainClarifyComponent implements Component {
 
 	private handleEditInput(data: string): void {
 		const textWidth = this.width - 4; // Must match render: innerW - 2 = (width - 2) - 2
-		if (matchesKey(data, "shift+up") || matchesKey(data, "pageup")) {
+		if (matchesKey(data, "shift+up") || matchesKey(data, "pageUp")) {
 			const { lines: wrapped, starts } = wrapText(this.editState.buffer, textWidth);
 			const cursorPos = getCursorDisplayPos(this.editState.cursor, starts);
 			const targetLine = Math.max(0, cursorPos.line - this.EDIT_VIEWPORT_HEIGHT);
@@ -785,7 +785,7 @@ export class ChainClarifyComponent implements Component {
 			return;
 		}
 
-		if (matchesKey(data, "shift+down") || matchesKey(data, "pagedown")) {
+		if (matchesKey(data, "shift+down") || matchesKey(data, "pageDown")) {
 			const { lines: wrapped, starts } = wrapText(this.editState.buffer, textWidth);
 			const cursorPos = getCursorDisplayPos(this.editState.cursor, starts);
 			const targetLine = Math.min(wrapped.length - 1, cursorPos.line + this.EDIT_VIEWPORT_HEIGHT);