fix(orchestration): worker-start settles readiness on observed turn start, not write acceptance

A dispatched PTY worker whose agent wedged at startup (six codex workers on
2026-09-07) was reported 'ok: true, state: ready, stage: input_accepted': the
preamble write was acknowledged with observationTimeoutMs: 0 and nothing ever
verified a turn began. The corpse and the healthy worker produced identical
receipts.

worker-start now runs the existing second-stage prompt observer
(observeTerminalAgentPrompt) after acceptance, inside the 30s window the
client RPC grace already budgets for (orchestration-worker-start-prompt-budget):

- turn observed (or provider ack for structured sessions) -> ready
- permission prompt -> ready; positive liveness, surfaced in the receipt
- provider without a turn-start signal -> ready; observation: unsupported
- observation supported and nothing started -> worker state start_unknown,
  response state outcome_unknown with nextCommands. Honest 'unverifiable',
  never a death claim: the capability and terminal are kept, and
  worker-report settlement already reconnects a start_unknown worker that
  recovers and reports.

Also fixes the effect-verb lie that misdirected the first diagnosis of this
incident: agent-first worktree creation labeled its own brand-new agent
terminal 'reused_agent_terminal' (a role test picking a lifecycle verb) on
both the local and federation paths. It now says 'created'; readers keep
accepting the retired verb for rows persisted before the rename.

src/main/runtime/orchestration/db/worker-dispatch/worker-dispatch-authority.ts

@@ -15,9 +15,9 @@ export function prepareStartingWorkerAuthority(
     effects: unknown[]
     setupState: string
     hostScope?: string | null
-    // 'created': this worker-start operation created the agent terminal (including agent-first
-    // worktree creation, whose effects receipt says 'reused_agent_terminal'). 'external': an
-    // explicit --terminal reuse; ownership transfers only from an exact owned settled resource.
+    // 'created': this worker-start operation created the agent terminal (agent-first worktree
+    // creation included; its pre-rename effects rows said 'reused_agent_terminal'). 'external':
+    // an explicit --terminal reuse; ownership transfers only from an exact owned settled resource.
     terminalOwnership?: 'created' | 'external'
   }
 ): string {

src/main/runtime/orchestration/db/worker-dispatch/worker-dispatch-outcome.ts

@@ -121,7 +121,8 @@ export function markWorkerStartUnknown(
   this: OrchestrationDb,
   dispatchId: string,
   stage: string,
-  reason: string
+  reason: string,
+  effects?: unknown[]
 ): WorkerDispatchRow {
   this.db.exec('BEGIN IMMEDIATE')
   try {
@@ -135,7 +136,12 @@ export function markWorkerStartUnknown(
       id: dispatchId,
       from: 'starting',
       to: 'start_unknown',
-      projection: { stage, last_error: reason, updated_at: new Date().toISOString() }
+      projection: {
+        stage,
+        last_error: reason,
+        updated_at: new Date().toISOString(),
+        ...(effects ? { effects: JSON.stringify(effects) } : {})
+      }
     })
     transitionLifecycleWithDb(this.db, {
       entity: 'dispatch',

src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/orchestration/federation/federation-effects.ts

@@ -29,7 +29,9 @@ export function appendFederationTerminalEffects(
           : terminal.handle === setupHandle
             ? 'setup'
             : 'configured_tab',
-      action: terminal.handle === agentHandle ? 'reused_agent_terminal' : 'created',
+      // Remote agent-first worktree creation made every listed terminal, the agent one included;
+      // the verb is a lifecycle fact, not a role marker.
+      action: 'created',
       id: terminal.handle,
       tabId: terminal.tabId,
       leafId: terminal.leafId

src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/orchestration/worker/composed-workers.test.ts

@@ -572,7 +572,7 @@ describe('orchestration RPC methods', () => {
       )
       expect(result.effects).toEqual(
         expect.arrayContaining([
-          expect.objectContaining({ role: 'agent', action: 'reused_agent_terminal' }),
+          expect.objectContaining({ role: 'agent', action: 'created' }),
           expect.objectContaining({ role: 'setup', action: 'created' }),
           expect.objectContaining({ role: 'configured_tab', action: 'created' })
         ])

src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/orchestration/worker/local-worker-start.ts

@@ -18,18 +18,17 @@ import {
 import { failWorkerStartWithReceipt } from './worker-start-receipt'
 import { parseTaskDeps } from './task-deps-argument'
 import { assertExplicitWorkerTerminalUsable } from './explicit-worker-terminal-validation'
-import { deliverWorkerDispatchPreamble } from './deliver-worker-dispatch-preamble'
 import { tearDownFailedWorkerStart } from './failed-worker-start-teardown'
 import {
   createExistingWorktreeWorkerTerminal,
   createStructuredWorkerSessionForWorktree,
   createWorkerWorktree,
-  monitorWorkerSetup,
   requireWorkerAuthority,
   type WorkerEffect,
   type WorkerSetupReceipt
 } from './worker-topology'
 import { prepareLocalWorkerStart } from './worker-start-validation'
+import { deliverAndSettleWorkerStartReadiness } from './worker-start-readiness-settlement'
 
 type WorkerStartMutation = {
   callerFingerprint: string
@@ -240,50 +239,30 @@ export async function startLocalWorker(args: {
       terminalOwnership: params.terminal ? 'external' : 'created'
     })
 
-    failedStage = 'dispatch_input'
-    const promptDelivery = await deliverWorkerDispatchPreamble({
+    return await deliverAndSettleWorkerStartReadiness({
       runtime,
-      structuredSession,
-      terminalHandle,
+      db,
+      run,
+      task,
       dispatchId: started.dispatch.id,
       dispatchDepth: started.dispatch.depth,
-      taskId: task.id,
-      taskSpec: task.spec,
+      structuredSession,
+      terminalHandle,
       coordinatorHandle: params.from,
       dispatchCapability: capability,
       devMode: params.devMode,
-      requestId: orchestrationMutation?.requestId ?? started.dispatch.id
-    })
-    effects.push({
-      kind: 'dispatch_input',
-      role: 'agent',
-      id: terminalHandle,
-      state: 'accepted'
-    })
-    const worker = db.markWorkerDispatchReady(started.dispatch.id, effects)
-    monitorWorkerSetup({
-      runtime,
-      db,
-      runId: run.id,
-      dispatchId: started.dispatch.id,
+      requestId: orchestrationMutation?.requestId ?? started.dispatch.id,
+      agent: agent ?? null,
       setupReceipt,
-      effects
-    })
-    return {
-      runId: run.id,
-      taskId: task.id,
-      dispatchId: started.dispatch.id,
-      state: worker.state,
-      stage: worker.stage,
-      setup: setupReceipt,
-      launch: launch.receipt,
+      launchReceipt: launch.receipt,
       mode,
       timeoutMs: params.timeoutMs ?? 60_000,
       effects,
-      ...(promptDelivery ? { prompt: promptDelivery } : {}),
-      residualResources: [],
-      ...(terminalRevealWarning ? { warning: terminalRevealWarning } : {})
-    }
+      terminalRevealWarning,
+      onStage: (stage) => {
+        failedStage = stage
+      }
+    })
   } catch (error) {
     const residualAgentTerminal = await tearDownFailedWorkerStart({
       runtime,

src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/orchestration/worker/worker-setup-gate.ts

@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ import {
 } from './worker-topology'
 
 function residualWorkerEffects(effects: WorkerEffect[]): WorkerEffect[] {
+  // 'reused_agent_terminal' is the retired verb agent-first creation used for its own agent
+  // terminal; rows persisted before the rename still carry it.
   return effects.filter(
     (effect) => effect.action?.startsWith('created') || effect.action === 'reused_agent_terminal'
   )

src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/orchestration/worker/worker-start-prompt-contract.test.ts

@@ -227,22 +227,26 @@ describe('orchestration worker-start prompt contract', () => {
     })
   })
 
-  it('keeps a swallowed Enter queued without revoking the worker or retrying input', async () => {
+  it('reports a swallowed Enter as start_unknown while keeping the worker and its capability', async () => {
     vi.useFakeTimers()
     const harness = await createPromptContractHarness('swallowed')
     const pending = harness.dispatcher.dispatch(harness.request)
 
     await vi.runAllTimersAsync()
     const response = await pending
+    // Codex supports turn-start observation and no turn started, so ready would be a lie: the
+    // paste can sit unsent in the composer while the receipt looks like a healthy dispatch.
     expect(response).toMatchObject({
       ok: true,
       result: {
-        state: 'ready',
-        stage: 'input_accepted',
+        state: 'outcome_unknown',
+        stage: 'turn_start_unobserved',
+        turnStart: 'unobserved',
         prompt: {
           requestId: harness.requestId,
           stages: ['input_accepted']
         },
+        nextCommands: expect.arrayContaining([expect.stringContaining('worker-show')]),
         mutation: { requestId: harness.requestId, replayed: false }
       }
     })
@@ -251,29 +255,42 @@ describe('orchestration worker-start prompt contract', () => {
     }
     const dispatchId = (response.result as { dispatchId: string }).dispatchId
     await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(20_000)
+    // Unverifiable is not failure: exactly one submit, no blind retry, nothing torn down.
     expect(harness.submittedTurns()).toBe(1)
     expect(harness.startedTurns()).toBe(0)
     expect(harness.prematureSubmits()).toBe(0)
     expect(harness.writes.filter((data) => data === '\r')).toHaveLength(1)
     const persisted = reopenPromptContractDb(harness)
-    expect(persisted.getTask(harness.taskId)?.status).toBe('dispatched')
+    expect(persisted.getTask(harness.taskId)?.status).toBe('blocked')
     expect(persisted.getDispatchContextById(dispatchId)).toMatchObject({
-      status: 'dispatched',
+      status: 'pending',
       last_failure: null,
+      // The capability survives so a worker that recovers can still report; worker-report
+      // settlement reconnects a start_unknown worker through 'ready'.
+      capability_hash: expect.any(String),
       capability_revoked_at: null
     })
     expect(persisted.getWorkerDispatch(dispatchId)).toMatchObject({
-      state: 'ready',
-      stage: 'input_accepted',
-      last_error: null
+      state: 'start_unknown',
+      stage: 'turn_start_unobserved',
+      last_error: expect.stringContaining('never started a turn')
     })
+    const persistedEffects = JSON.parse(
+      persisted.getWorkerDispatch(dispatchId)?.effects ?? '[]'
+    ) as { kind?: string; state?: string }[]
+    expect(persistedEffects).toEqual(
+      expect.arrayContaining([
+        expect.objectContaining({ kind: 'dispatch_input', state: 'accepted' }),
+        expect.objectContaining({ kind: 'dispatch_input', state: 'turn_unobserved' })
+      ])
+    )
     const callerFingerprint = persisted.getOrCreateLocalMutationCallerFingerprint()
     const receipt = persisted.getMutationReceipt(callerFingerprint, harness.requestId)
     expect(receipt).toMatchObject({ state: 'completed' })
     expect(JSON.parse(receipt?.receipt ?? 'null')).toMatchObject({
       dispatchId,
-      state: 'ready',
-      stage: 'input_accepted',
+      state: 'outcome_unknown',
+      stage: 'turn_start_unobserved',
       prompt: {
         requestId: harness.requestId,
         stages: ['input_accepted']

src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/orchestration/worker/worker-start-readiness-settlement.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,145 @@
+import type { OrcaRuntimeService } from '../../../../orca-runtime'
+import type { OrchestrationDb } from '../../../../orchestration/db'
+import type { RunRow, TaskRow } from '../../../../orchestration/types'
+import type { WorkerStartModeReceipt } from '../../orchestration-worker-start-mode'
+import { deliverWorkerDispatchPreamble } from './deliver-worker-dispatch-preamble'
+import type { OrchestrationWorkerLaunchReceipt } from './worker-launch-preferences'
+import {
+  describeUnobservedWorkerTurnStart,
+  observeWorkerTurnStart,
+  type WorkerTurnStartObservation
+} from './worker-start-turn-observation'
+import {
+  monitorWorkerSetup,
+  type createStructuredWorkerSessionForWorktree,
+  type WorkerEffect,
+  type WorkerSetupReceipt
+} from './worker-topology'
+
+/**
+ * Delivers the dispatch preamble and settles the worker's start state on the strongest
+ * evidence available: `ready` only with a positive turn-start (or a provider that cannot
+ * prove one), `start_unknown` when observation is supported and nothing started.
+ */
+export async function deliverAndSettleWorkerStartReadiness(args: {
+  runtime: OrcaRuntimeService
+  db: OrchestrationDb
+  run: RunRow
+  task: TaskRow
+  dispatchId: string
+  dispatchDepth: number
+  structuredSession: Awaited<ReturnType<typeof createStructuredWorkerSessionForWorktree>> | null
+  terminalHandle: string
+  coordinatorHandle: string
+  dispatchCapability: string
+  devMode: boolean | undefined
+  requestId: string
+  agent: string | null
+  setupReceipt: WorkerSetupReceipt
+  launchReceipt: OrchestrationWorkerLaunchReceipt
+  mode: WorkerStartModeReceipt
+  timeoutMs: number
+  effects: WorkerEffect[]
+  terminalRevealWarning: string | undefined
+  /** Keeps the caller's failure receipt naming the stage that actually failed. */
+  onStage: (stage: 'dispatch_input' | 'turn_observation') => void
+}): Promise<unknown> {
+  const { runtime, db, run, task, structuredSession, terminalHandle, effects } = args
+
+  args.onStage('dispatch_input')
+  const promptDelivery = await deliverWorkerDispatchPreamble({
+    runtime,
+    structuredSession,
+    terminalHandle,
+    dispatchId: args.dispatchId,
+    dispatchDepth: args.dispatchDepth,
+    taskId: task.id,
+    taskSpec: task.spec,
+    coordinatorHandle: args.coordinatorHandle,
+    dispatchCapability: args.dispatchCapability,
+    devMode: args.devMode,
+    requestId: args.requestId
+  })
+  effects.push({
+    kind: 'dispatch_input',
+    role: 'agent',
+    id: terminalHandle,
+    state: 'accepted'
+  })
+
+  args.onStage('turn_observation')
+  // The write above was accepted without waiting on provider hooks; now demand the positive
+  // evidence the receipt claims is observable. A worker whose turn never starts must not be
+  // reported ready — a wedged agent and a working one looked identical before this gate.
+  // A structured preamble send is acknowledged by the provider or throws, so it is already
+  // positive evidence.
+  const turnStart: WorkerTurnStartObservation = structuredSession
+    ? { verdict: 'observed' }
+    : await observeWorkerTurnStart({ runtime, terminalHandle, prompt: promptDelivery })
+  const deliveredPrompt = turnStart.prompt ?? promptDelivery
+  monitorWorkerSetup({
+    runtime,
+    db,
+    runId: run.id,
+    dispatchId: args.dispatchId,
+    setupReceipt: args.setupReceipt,
+    effects
+  })
+  if (turnStart.verdict === 'unobserved') {
+    // Honest `unverifiable`: keep the dispatch capability and the terminal — the worker may
+    // still recover and report (worker-report settlement reconnects a start_unknown worker) —
+    // but never claim ready for a turn nobody observed.
+    effects.push({
+      kind: 'dispatch_input',
+      role: 'agent',
+      id: terminalHandle,
+      state: 'turn_unobserved'
+    })
+    const reason = describeUnobservedWorkerTurnStart(args.agent)
+    const worker = db.markWorkerStartUnknown(
+      args.dispatchId,
+      'turn_start_unobserved',
+      reason,
+      effects
+    )
+    return {
+      runId: run.id,
+      taskId: task.id,
+      dispatchId: args.dispatchId,
+      state: 'outcome_unknown',
+      stage: worker.stage,
+      turnStart: turnStart.verdict,
+      lastError: reason,
+      setup: args.setupReceipt,
+      launch: args.launchReceipt,
+      mode: args.mode,
+      timeoutMs: args.timeoutMs,
+      effects,
+      ...(deliveredPrompt ? { prompt: deliveredPrompt } : {}),
+      residualResources: JSON.parse(worker.residual_resources) as unknown[],
+      nextCommands: [
+        `orca orchestration worker-show --dispatch ${args.dispatchId} --json`,
+        `orca terminal read --terminal ${terminalHandle} --screen`,
+        `orca orchestration worker-abandon --dispatch ${args.dispatchId} --json`
+      ],
+      ...(args.terminalRevealWarning ? { warning: args.terminalRevealWarning } : {})
+    }
+  }
+  const worker = db.markWorkerDispatchReady(args.dispatchId, effects)
+  return {
+    runId: run.id,
+    taskId: task.id,
+    dispatchId: args.dispatchId,
+    state: worker.state,
+    stage: worker.stage,
+    turnStart: turnStart.verdict,
+    setup: args.setupReceipt,
+    launch: args.launchReceipt,
+    mode: args.mode,
+    timeoutMs: args.timeoutMs,
+    effects,
+    ...(deliveredPrompt ? { prompt: deliveredPrompt } : {}),
+    residualResources: [],
+    ...(args.terminalRevealWarning ? { warning: args.terminalRevealWarning } : {})
+  }
+}

src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/orchestration/worker/worker-start-turn-observation.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+import type { RuntimeTerminalPromptDelivery } from '../../../../../../shared/runtime-terminal-contracts'
+import type { OrcaRuntimeService } from '../../../../orca-runtime'
+import { observeWorkerTurnStart } from './worker-start-turn-observation'
+
+function delivery(
+  overrides: Partial<RuntimeTerminalPromptDelivery> = {}
+): RuntimeTerminalPromptDelivery {
+  return {
+    requestId: 'req-1',
+    stages: ['input_accepted'],
+    provider: 'codex',
+    observation: 'supported',
+    processIncarnation: 'inc-1',
+    generation: 1,
+    baselineWorkingSequence: 0,
+    ...overrides
+  }
+}
+
+function runtimeObserving(result: RuntimeTerminalPromptDelivery): {
+  runtime: OrcaRuntimeService
+  observe: ReturnType<typeof vi.fn>
+} {
+  const observe = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(result)
+  return {
+    runtime: { observeTerminalAgentPrompt: observe } as unknown as OrcaRuntimeService,
+    observe
+  }
+}
+
+describe('observeWorkerTurnStart', () => {
+  it('treats a missing receipt as unsupported observation, never as failure', async () => {
+    const { runtime, observe } = runtimeObserving(delivery())
+    await expect(
+      observeWorkerTurnStart({ runtime, terminalHandle: 'term_w', prompt: undefined })
+    ).resolves.toEqual({ verdict: 'unsupported' })
+    expect(observe).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+  })
+
+  it('accepts a first-stage turn_started without a second observation pass', async () => {
+    const prompt = delivery({ stages: ['input_accepted', 'turn_started'] })
+    const { runtime, observe } = runtimeObserving(prompt)
+    await expect(
+      observeWorkerTurnStart({ runtime, terminalHandle: 'term_w', prompt })
+    ).resolves.toEqual({ verdict: 'observed', prompt })
+    expect(observe).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+  })
+
+  it('reports observed when the second-stage observer sees the turn start', async () => {
+    const observed = delivery({ stages: ['input_accepted', 'turn_started'] })
+    const { runtime, observe } = runtimeObserving(observed)
+    await expect(
+      observeWorkerTurnStart({
+        runtime,
+        terminalHandle: 'term_w',
+        prompt: delivery(),
+        timeoutMs: 5
+      })
+    ).resolves.toEqual({ verdict: 'observed', prompt: observed })
+    expect(observe).toHaveBeenCalledWith('term_w', delivery(), 5)
+  })
+
+  it('reports unobserved — not dead — when a supported observation stalls', async () => {
+    const { runtime } = runtimeObserving(delivery())
+    await expect(
+      observeWorkerTurnStart({
+        runtime,
+        terminalHandle: 'term_w',
+        prompt: delivery(),
+        timeoutMs: 5
+      })
+    ).resolves.toMatchObject({ verdict: 'unobserved' })
+  })
+
+  it('reports permission as positive liveness', async () => {
+    const observed = delivery({ observation: 'permission' })
+    const { runtime } = runtimeObserving(observed)
+    await expect(
+      observeWorkerTurnStart({
+        runtime,
+        terminalHandle: 'term_w',
+        prompt: delivery(),
+        timeoutMs: 5
+      })
+    ).resolves.toEqual({ verdict: 'permission', prompt: observed })
+  })
+
+  it('treats a replaced incarnation as unobserved rather than unsupported', async () => {
+    const observed = delivery({ observation: 'incarnation_replaced' })
+    const { runtime } = runtimeObserving(observed)
+    await expect(
+      observeWorkerTurnStart({
+        runtime,
+        terminalHandle: 'term_w',
+        prompt: delivery(),
+        timeoutMs: 5
+      })
+    ).resolves.toEqual({ verdict: 'unobserved', prompt: observed })
+  })
+
+  it('leaves an unsupported provider on the accepted receipt', async () => {
+    const prompt = delivery({ provider: 'unsupported', observation: 'unsupported' })
+    const { runtime, observe } = runtimeObserving(prompt)
+    await expect(
+      observeWorkerTurnStart({ runtime, terminalHandle: 'term_w', prompt })
+    ).resolves.toEqual({ verdict: 'unsupported', prompt })
+    expect(observe).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+  })
+})

src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/orchestration/worker/worker-start-turn-observation.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+import { AGENT_PROMPT_EFFECT_TIMEOUT_MS } from '../../../../../../shared/orchestration-timing-budgets'
+import type { RuntimeTerminalPromptDelivery } from '../../../../../../shared/runtime-terminal-contracts'
+import type { OrcaRuntimeService } from '../../../../orca-runtime'
+
+/**
+ * Turn-start verdict for a dispatched worker prompt, in the execution-boundary vocabulary:
+ *
+ * - 'observed': the provider proved a turn started for this request. Positive liveness.
+ * - 'permission': the agent rendered an approval prompt after the write. Positive liveness,
+ *   but the turn is blocked on a human.
+ * - 'unsupported': this provider exposes no turn-start signal; the accepted write is the
+ *   strongest receipt that can exist. Never treated as failure.
+ * - 'unobserved': observation IS supported and no turn started within the window. This is
+ *   `unverifiable`, never evidence of death — the bytes were written, but the agent may be
+ *   wedged at startup or holding the spec unsent in its composer.
+ */
+export type WorkerTurnStartVerdict = 'observed' | 'permission' | 'unsupported' | 'unobserved'
+
+export type WorkerTurnStartObservation = {
+  verdict: WorkerTurnStartVerdict
+  prompt?: RuntimeTerminalPromptDelivery
+}
+
+function classifyPromptDelivery(prompt: RuntimeTerminalPromptDelivery): WorkerTurnStartVerdict {
+  if (prompt.stages.includes('turn_started')) {
+    return 'observed'
+  }
+  if (prompt.observation === 'permission') {
+    return 'permission'
+  }
+  if (prompt.observation === 'supported') {
+    return 'unobserved'
+  }
+  // 'unsupported' (and an old host's missing observation) leaves acceptance as the best receipt.
+  return 'unsupported'
+}
+
+/**
+ * Second-stage turn-start observation for a worker prompt that was accepted without waiting on
+ * provider hooks. Reuses the same observer that terminal.send receipts replay through, so the
+ * evidence rules (lifecycle edge or hook turn-start, never output bytes) stay in one place.
+ *
+ * The observation window is `AGENT_PROMPT_EFFECT_TIMEOUT_MS`, which worker-start's client RPC
+ * grace already budgets for (see orchestration-worker-start-prompt-budget.ts).
+ */
+export async function observeWorkerTurnStart(args: {
+  runtime: OrcaRuntimeService
+  terminalHandle: string
+  prompt: RuntimeTerminalPromptDelivery | undefined
+  timeoutMs?: number
+}): Promise<WorkerTurnStartObservation> {
+  if (!args.prompt) {
+    return { verdict: 'unsupported' }
+  }
+  const verdict = classifyPromptDelivery(args.prompt)
+  if (verdict !== 'unobserved') {
+    return { verdict, prompt: args.prompt }
+  }
+  const observed = await args.runtime.observeTerminalAgentPrompt(
+    args.terminalHandle,
+    args.prompt,
+    args.timeoutMs ?? AGENT_PROMPT_EFFECT_TIMEOUT_MS
+  )
+  if (observed.observation === 'incarnation_replaced') {
+    // The PTY under this handle changed mid-observation; the accepted write is unproven.
+    return { verdict: 'unobserved', prompt: observed }
+  }
+  return { verdict: classifyPromptDelivery(observed), prompt: observed }
+}
+
+export function describeUnobservedWorkerTurnStart(agent: string | null): string {
+  const name = agent ?? 'the agent'
+  return (
+    `Dispatch input was written and submitted, but ${name} never started a turn within ` +
+    `${Math.round(AGENT_PROMPT_EFFECT_TIMEOUT_MS / 1000)}s. This is unverifiable, not proof the ` +
+    'worker is dead: the agent may still be starting, may be wedged (for example waiting on ' +
+    'network), or may be holding the task unsent in its composer. If the worker recovers and ' +
+    'reports, this Dispatch settles normally.'
+  )
+}

src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/orchestration/worker/worker-topology.ts

@@ -228,7 +228,10 @@ export async function createWorkerWorktree(args: {
           : terminal.handle === setupTerminalHandle
             ? 'setup'
             : 'configured_tab',
-      action: terminal.handle === terminalHandle ? 'reused_agent_terminal' : 'created',
+      // Every terminal listed here — the agent terminal included — was created by this call's
+      // agent-first worktree creation. The old 'reused_agent_terminal' verb on the agent row
+      // conflated the role test with a lifecycle claim and misdiagnosed at least one incident.
+      action: 'created',
       id: terminal.handle,
       tabId: terminal.tabId,
       leafId: terminal.leafId

src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/orchestration/worker/workers-new-worktree.test.ts

@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ describe('orchestration new-worktree workers', () => {
         expect.objectContaining({
           kind: 'terminal',
           role: 'agent',
-          action: 'reused_agent_terminal',
+          action: 'created',
           id: 'term_worker'
         })
       ])