diff --git a/src/cli/handlers/orchestration.test.ts b/src/cli/handlers/orchestration.test.ts
index d19d486e209..9d8e40378b3 100644
--- a/src/cli/handlers/orchestration.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli/handlers/orchestration.test.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ vi.mock('../selectors', () => ({ getTerminalHandle: getTerminalHandleMock }))
 
 import { ORCHESTRATION_HANDLERS } from './orchestration'
 import { RuntimeClientError } from '../runtime-client'
+import { printResult } from '../format'
 
 function staleHandleError(): RuntimeClientError {
   return new RuntimeClientError('terminal_handle_stale', 'terminal_handle_stale')
@@ -213,7 +214,7 @@ describe('orchestration send structured payload flags', () => {
     })
   })
 
-  it('continues to use ORCA_TERMINAL_HANDLE as worker lifecycle sender authority', async () => {
+  it('uses a live ORCA_TERMINAL_HANDLE as worker lifecycle sender metadata', async () => {
     process.env.ORCA_TERMINAL_HANDLE = 'term_worker_env'
 
     await invokeSend(
@@ -224,8 +225,11 @@ describe('orchestration send structured payload flags', () => {
       ])
     )
 
-    expect(callMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
-    expect(callMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith('orchestration.send', {
+    expect(callMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
+    expect(callMock).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(1, 'terminal.show', {
+      terminal: 'term_worker_env'
+    })
+    expect(callMock).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(2, 'orchestration.send', {
       from: 'term_worker_env',
       to: 'term_coord',
       subject: 'done',
@@ -238,6 +242,49 @@ describe('orchestration send structured payload flags', () => {
     })
   })
 
+  it('remints a stale lifecycle sender from its pane key', async () => {
+    process.env.ORCA_TERMINAL_HANDLE = 'term_worker_stale'
+    process.env.ORCA_PANE_KEY = 'tab_worker:leaf_worker'
+    stubStaleHandleRemint('term_worker_live', { result: { message: { id: 'msg_1' } } })
+
+    await invokeSend(
+      new Map<string, string | boolean>([
+        ['to', 'term_coord'],
+        ['subject', 'done'],
+        ['type', 'worker_done']
+      ])
+    )
+
+    expect(callMock).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(2, 'terminal.resolvePane', {
+      paneKey: 'tab_worker:leaf_worker'
+    })
+    expect(callMock).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(
+      3,
+      'orchestration.send',
+      expect.objectContaining({ from: 'term_worker_live' })
+    )
+  })
+
+  it('keeps a stale lifecycle sender when no pane key is available', async () => {
+    process.env.ORCA_TERMINAL_HANDLE = 'term_worker_stale'
+    callMock.mockRejectedValueOnce(staleHandleError())
+
+    await invokeSend(
+      new Map<string, string | boolean>([
+        ['to', 'term_coord'],
+        ['subject', 'done'],
+        ['type', 'worker_done']
+      ])
+    )
+
+    expect(callMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
+    expect(callMock).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(
+      2,
+      'orchestration.send',
+      expect.objectContaining({ from: 'term_worker_stale' })
+    )
+  })
+
   it('reports sender resolution failure instead of raw no_active_terminal', async () => {
     getTerminalHandleMock.mockRejectedValue(
       new RuntimeClientError('no_active_terminal', 'no_active_terminal')
@@ -631,13 +678,14 @@ describe('orchestration timeout flag validation', () => {
     expect(callMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
   })
 
-  it('passes a parsed check timeout into the RPC payload', async () => {
+  it('passes a parsed check timeout and peek mode into the RPC payload', async () => {
     process.env.ORCA_TERMINAL_HANDLE = 'term_worker'
     callMock.mockResolvedValue({ result: { messages: [], count: 0 } })
 
     await invokeCheck(
       new Map<string, string | boolean>([
         ['wait', true],
+        ['peek', true],
         ['timeout-ms', '250']
       ])
     )
@@ -645,6 +693,7 @@ describe('orchestration timeout flag validation', () => {
     expect(callMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith('orchestration.check', {
       terminal: 'term_worker',
       unread: undefined,
+      peek: true,
       all: undefined,
       types: undefined,
       inject: undefined,
@@ -697,3 +746,27 @@ describe('orchestration timeout flag validation', () => {
     )
   })
 })
+
+describe('orchestration task-list brief output', () => {
+  it('abbreviates task specs in the JSON response', async () => {
+    callMock.mockReset().mockResolvedValue({
+      result: {
+        tasks: [{ id: 'task_1', spec: `First line\n${'detail '.repeat(40)}`, status: 'ready' }],
+        count: 1
+      }
+    })
+    vi.mocked(printResult).mockClear()
+
+    await ORCHESTRATION_HANDLERS['orchestration task-list']({
+      flags: new Map([['brief', true]]),
+      client: { call: callMock },
+      json: true
+    } as never)
+
+    const response = vi.mocked(printResult).mock.calls[0]?.[0] as {
+      result: { tasks: { spec: string; spec_truncated: boolean }[] }
+    }
+    expect(response.result.tasks[0].spec).toHaveLength(160)
+    expect(response.result.tasks[0].spec_truncated).toBe(true)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/cli/handlers/orchestration.ts b/src/cli/handlers/orchestration.ts
index 4006c809cd1..166a1c3ece1 100644
--- a/src/cli/handlers/orchestration.ts
+++ b/src/cli/handlers/orchestration.ts
@@ -8,12 +8,13 @@ import {
 } from '../flags'
 import { RuntimeClientError } from '../runtime-client'
 import { getTerminalHandle } from '../selectors'
+import { abbreviateOrchestrationTasks } from '../orchestration-task-summary'
 
 // Why: 15 s is well under Claude Code's empirical ~2 min Bash-tool silence
 // budget and generates only ~40 lines per 10 min wait — enough to assure the
 // parent process the subprocess is alive without flooding logs. See design
 // doc §3.4.
-const DEFAULT_HEARTBEAT_INTERVAL_MS = 15_000
+const DEFAULT_KEEPALIVE_INTERVAL_MS = 15_000
 function getLifecycleGroupRecipientError(type: 'worker_done' | 'heartbeat'): string {
   return `${type} messages must be sent to a concrete coordinator terminal handle, not a group address.`
 }
@@ -21,33 +22,36 @@ function getLifecycleGroupRecipientError(type: 'worker_done' | 'heartbeat'): str
 // Why: test-only escape hatch so subprocess tests can verify the feature in
 // under 10 s rather than needing a full 15 s silence window. Production users
 // should never set this — there is no surface documentation. A bogus value
-// falls back to the default rather than disabling the heartbeat.
-function resolveHeartbeatIntervalMs(): number {
-  const raw = process.env.ORCA_HEARTBEAT_INTERVAL_MS
+// falls back to the default rather than disabling the keepalive.
+function resolveKeepaliveIntervalMs(): number {
+  const raw = process.env.ORCA_KEEPALIVE_INTERVAL_MS ?? process.env.ORCA_HEARTBEAT_INTERVAL_MS
   if (!raw) {
-    return DEFAULT_HEARTBEAT_INTERVAL_MS
+    return DEFAULT_KEEPALIVE_INTERVAL_MS
   }
   const parsed = Number(raw)
   if (!Number.isFinite(parsed) || parsed <= 0) {
-    return DEFAULT_HEARTBEAT_INTERVAL_MS
+    return DEFAULT_KEEPALIVE_INTERVAL_MS
   }
   return parsed
 }
 
-function startCheckHeartbeat(deadlineMs: number | undefined): () => void {
+function startCheckKeepalive(deadlineMs: number | undefined): () => void {
   const startedAt = Date.now()
   const interval = setInterval(() => {
     const payload = {
+      _keepalive: true,
+      // Why: retain the old marker for scripts filtering merged stderr while
+      // callers migrate to the unambiguous _keepalive field.
       _heartbeat: true,
       elapsedMs: Date.now() - startedAt,
       deadlineMs: deadlineMs ?? null
     }
     // Why: `process.stderr.write` is line-flushed per-call in Node, whereas a
-    // fully-buffered writer would hold all heartbeat lines until exit and
+    // fully-buffered writer would hold all keepalive lines until exit and
     // silently defeat the whole point of the ping. Subprocess test asserts
     // this by reading stderr incrementally. See §3.4.
     process.stderr.write(`${JSON.stringify(payload)}\n`)
-  }, resolveHeartbeatIntervalMs())
+  }, resolveKeepaliveIntervalMs())
   if (typeof interval.unref === 'function') {
     interval.unref()
   }
@@ -128,7 +132,7 @@ async function resolveOrchestrationTerminalHandle(
   cwd: string,
   client: Parameters<CommandHandler>[0]['client'],
   flagName: 'from' | 'terminal',
-  options: { validateEnvHandle?: boolean } = {}
+  options: { validateEnvHandle?: boolean; allowStaleEnvHandle?: boolean } = {}
 ): Promise<string> {
   const explicit = getOptionalStringFlag(flags, flagName)
   if (explicit) {
@@ -142,7 +146,16 @@ async function resolveOrchestrationTerminalHandle(
       // coordinator preambles.
       const live = await isLiveTerminalHandle(envHandle, client)
       if (!live) {
-        return await resolveStaleOrchestrationSender(client)
+        const reminted = await resolveOrchestrationPaneTerminalHandle(client, {
+          optional: options.allowStaleEnvHandle
+        })
+        if (reminted) {
+          return reminted
+        }
+        if (options.allowStaleEnvHandle) {
+          return envHandle
+        }
+        throwNoActiveSenderTerminal()
       }
     }
     return envHandle
@@ -268,16 +281,6 @@ function getClientErrorMessage(err: unknown): string | undefined {
   return typeof message === 'string' ? message : undefined
 }
 
-async function resolveStaleOrchestrationSender(
-  client: Parameters<CommandHandler>[0]['client']
-): Promise<string> {
-  const paneHandle = await resolveOrchestrationPaneTerminalHandle(client)
-  if (paneHandle) {
-    return paneHandle
-  }
-  throwNoActiveSenderTerminal()
-}
-
 async function resolveCoordinatorTerminalHandle(
   flags: Map<string, string | boolean>,
   cwd: string,
@@ -348,7 +351,12 @@ export const ORCHESTRATION_HANDLERS: Record<string, CommandHandler> = {
     const type = getOptionalStringFlag(flags, 'type')
     rejectLifecycleGroupRecipient(type, to)
 
-    const from = await resolveOrchestrationTerminalHandle(flags, cwd, client, 'from')
+    const from = await resolveOrchestrationTerminalHandle(flags, cwd, client, 'from', {
+      validateEnvHandle: type === 'worker_done' || type === 'heartbeat',
+      // Why: payload IDs remain authoritative when an older/SSH session lacks
+      // a pane key, so handle repair must not prevent lifecycle delivery.
+      allowStaleEnvHandle: type === 'worker_done' || type === 'heartbeat'
+    })
     const result = await client.call<
       { message: { id: string } } | { messages: { id: string }[]; recipients: number }
     >('orchestration.send', {
@@ -377,12 +385,12 @@ export const ORCHESTRATION_HANDLERS: Record<string, CommandHandler> = {
 
     // Why: Claude Code's Bash tool auto-backgrounds subprocesses that produce
     // no output for ~2 min (shorter on the non-interactive path). Emit a
-    // heartbeat line to stderr every HEARTBEAT_INTERVAL_MS while the wait is
+    // keepalive line to stderr every KEEPALIVE_INTERVAL_MS while the wait is
     // active so the parent process can see the subprocess is still alive.
     // Stderr rather than stdout so stdout stays a single final JSON payload,
     // and JSON-shaped rather than `# …` so `2>&1 | jq` pipelines still work
     // (jq refuses `#`-prefixed lines). See design doc §3.4.
-    const stopHeartbeat = wait ? startCheckHeartbeat(timeoutMs) : null
+    const stopKeepalive = wait ? startCheckKeepalive(timeoutMs) : null
     type CheckResult = {
       messages: MessageSummary[]
       count: number
@@ -393,6 +401,7 @@ export const ORCHESTRATION_HANDLERS: Record<string, CommandHandler> = {
       result = await client.call<CheckResult>('orchestration.check', {
         terminal,
         unread: flags.has('unread') ? true : undefined,
+        peek: flags.has('peek') ? true : undefined,
         all: flags.has('all') ? true : undefined,
         types: getOptionalStringFlag(flags, 'types'),
         inject: flags.has('inject') ? true : undefined,
@@ -400,7 +409,7 @@ export const ORCHESTRATION_HANDLERS: Record<string, CommandHandler> = {
         timeoutMs
       })
     } finally {
-      stopHeartbeat?.()
+      stopKeepalive?.()
     }
     printResult(result, json, (r) => {
       if (r.formatted) {
@@ -491,7 +500,13 @@ export const ORCHESTRATION_HANDLERS: Record<string, CommandHandler> = {
       status: getOptionalStringFlag(flags, 'status'),
       ready: flags.has('ready') ? true : undefined
     })
-    printResult(result, json, (r) => {
+    const output = flags.has('brief')
+      ? {
+          ...result,
+          result: { ...result.result, tasks: abbreviateOrchestrationTasks(result.result.tasks) }
+        }
+      : result
+    printResult(output, json, (r) => {
       if (r.count === 0) {
         return 'No tasks.'
       }
diff --git a/src/cli/orchestration-task-summary.test.ts b/src/cli/orchestration-task-summary.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..69c7a19131f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli/orchestration-task-summary.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+import { abbreviateOrchestrationTasks } from './orchestration-task-summary'
+
+describe('abbreviateOrchestrationTasks', () => {
+  it('collapses whitespace and caps long task specs', () => {
+    const [task] = abbreviateOrchestrationTasks([
+      { id: 'task_1', spec: `First line\n\n${'detail '.repeat(40)}` }
+    ])
+
+    expect(task.id).toBe('task_1')
+    expect(task.spec).not.toContain('\n')
+    expect(task.spec).toHaveLength(160)
+    expect(task.spec.endsWith('…')).toBe(true)
+    expect(task.spec_truncated).toBe(true)
+  })
+
+  it('preserves a short one-line spec', () => {
+    const [task] = abbreviateOrchestrationTasks([{ spec: 'Short task' }])
+
+    expect(task).toEqual({ spec: 'Short task', spec_truncated: false })
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/cli/orchestration-task-summary.ts b/src/cli/orchestration-task-summary.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..930041893b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli/orchestration-task-summary.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+const TASK_SPEC_BRIEF_LENGTH = 160
+
+export function abbreviateOrchestrationTasks<T extends { spec: string }>(
+  tasks: readonly T[]
+): (T & { spec_truncated: boolean })[] {
+  return tasks.map((task) => {
+    const spec = task.spec.replace(/\s+/g, ' ').trim()
+    const abbreviated =
+      spec.length > TASK_SPEC_BRIEF_LENGTH
+        ? `${spec.slice(0, TASK_SPEC_BRIEF_LENGTH - 1).trimEnd()}…`
+        : spec
+    return {
+      ...task,
+      spec: abbreviated,
+      spec_truncated: abbreviated !== task.spec
+    }
+  })
+}
diff --git a/src/cli/specs/core.ts b/src/cli/specs/core.ts
index e4f2ffe9f91..73c677a0f9b 100644
--- a/src/cli/specs/core.ts
+++ b/src/cli/specs/core.ts
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ export const CORE_COMMAND_SPECS: CommandSpec[] = [
       '--no-parent only affects Orca lineage; omit --base-branch to use the repo default base, or pass the default base ref explicitly for independent top-level work.',
       'By default this creates the worktree and its first terminal without switching the active Orca view.',
       'Pass --agent to launch an agent in the first terminal; --prompt sends initial work to that agent.',
+      'With --agent --json, read the new agent handle from result.agentTerminalHandle (or result.startupTerminal.handle on older runtimes).',
       'Repo-defined setup hooks follow the repository setup policy; pass --setup run to force them.',
       'Pass --activate when the CLI caller intentionally wants to reveal the new worktree in the app.',
       'Passing --run-hooks is kept as a legacy alias for --setup run and reveals the worktree.'
diff --git a/src/cli/specs/orchestration.ts b/src/cli/specs/orchestration.ts
index d3708a3dc77..86971bfd8dc 100644
--- a/src/cli/specs/orchestration.ts
+++ b/src/cli/specs/orchestration.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ export const ORCHESTRATION_COMMAND_SPECS: CommandSpec[] = [
     notes: [
       'On Windows PowerShell, quote group addresses such as --to "@all" or --to "@worktree:<id>".',
       'worker_done and heartbeat must target a concrete coordinator terminal handle; use status for broadcast updates.',
+      'A worker_done with the active task/dispatch IDs completes that task automatically; handles are routing metadata.',
       'Prefer --task-id/--dispatch-id/etc. over raw --payload JSON in worker commands; PowerShell strips JSON quotes easily.'
     ]
   },
@@ -33,17 +34,20 @@ export const ORCHESTRATION_COMMAND_SPECS: CommandSpec[] = [
     path: ['orchestration', 'check'],
     summary: 'Check messages for a terminal',
     usage:
-      'orca orchestration check [--terminal <handle>] [--unread | --all] [--types <type,...>] [--inject] [--wait] [--timeout-ms <n>] [--json]\n' +
+      'orca orchestration check [--terminal <handle>] [--unread | --peek | --all] [--types <type,...>] [--inject] [--wait] [--timeout-ms <n>] [--json]\n' +
       '  --unread (default): return only unread messages and mark them read.\n' +
+      '  --peek: return only unread messages without marking them read.\n' +
       '  --all: return every message for the handle; does not mark read.\n' +
       '  --wait: block until a matching message arrives or --timeout-ms expires.\n' +
-      '          Emits JSON heartbeat lines to stderr every 15s so the caller can\n' +
-      '          tell the process is alive. Filter with `grep -v _heartbeat` or\n' +
-      '          `jq "select(._heartbeat|not)"` when merging streams with 2>&1.',
+      '          Emits JSON keepalive lines to stderr every 15s so the caller can\n' +
+      '          tell the process is alive. `_keepalive` is unrelated to heartbeat\n' +
+      '          messages; `_heartbeat` remains as a deprecated compatibility alias.\n' +
+      '          Filter with `jq "select(._keepalive|not)"` when merging streams.',
     allowedFlags: [
       ...GLOBAL_FLAGS,
       'terminal',
       'unread',
+      'peek',
       'all',
       'types',
       'inject',
@@ -76,8 +80,9 @@ export const ORCHESTRATION_COMMAND_SPECS: CommandSpec[] = [
   {
     path: ['orchestration', 'task-list'],
     summary: 'List orchestration tasks',
-    usage: 'orca orchestration task-list [--status <status>] [--ready] [--json]',
-    allowedFlags: [...GLOBAL_FLAGS, 'status', 'ready']
+    usage: 'orca orchestration task-list [--status <status>] [--ready] [--brief] [--json]',
+    allowedFlags: [...GLOBAL_FLAGS, 'status', 'ready', 'brief'],
+    notes: ['--brief collapses whitespace and caps each spec at 160 characters.']
   },
   {
     path: ['orchestration', 'task-update'],
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime.ts b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime.ts
index 19d08a619ba..0f08bcd0960 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime.ts
@@ -14618,6 +14618,7 @@ export class OrcaRuntimeService {
       const shouldActivate = args.activate === true || args.runHooks === true
       let warning: string | undefined
       let didSpawnStartup = false
+      let startupTerminal: CreateWorktreeResult['startupTerminal']
       if (effectiveStartup && this.ptyController?.spawn) {
         try {
           const startupTrustAgent = effectiveDraftPaste?.agent ?? effectiveCreatedWithAgent
@@ -14641,6 +14642,14 @@ export class OrcaRuntimeService {
             this.sendStartupFollowupWhenReady(terminal.handle, effectiveStartupFollowup)
           }
           didSpawnStartup = true
+          startupTerminal = {
+            spawned: true,
+            handle: terminal.handle,
+            ...(terminal.tabId ? { tabId: terminal.tabId } : {}),
+            ...(terminal.paneKey ? { paneKey: terminal.paneKey } : {}),
+            ...(terminal.ptyId ? { ptyId: terminal.ptyId } : {}),
+            surface: 'background'
+          }
         } catch (err) {
           const message = err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err)
           warning = `Failed to create the startup terminal for ${worktree.path}: ${message}`
@@ -14678,6 +14687,7 @@ export class OrcaRuntimeService {
             isMainWorktree: worktree.isMainWorktree
           }
         },
+        ...(startupTerminal ? { startupTerminal } : {}),
         ...(warning ? { warning } : {})
       }
     }
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/orchestration-cli-subprocess.test.ts b/src/main/runtime/orchestration-cli-subprocess.test.ts
index 3b94acbb3df..6ec938a7e28 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/orchestration-cli-subprocess.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/orchestration-cli-subprocess.test.ts
@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
-// Why: subprocess-level test for the CLI heartbeat behavior described in
+// Why: subprocess-level test for the CLI keepalive behavior described in
 // design doc §3.4. Spawns the real compiled CLI with no TTY, points it at a
 // real in-process runtime via ORCA_USER_DATA_PATH, and asserts:
-//   - the first heartbeat line appears on stderr well under Claude Code's
+//   - the first keepalive line appears on stderr well under Claude Code's
 //     ~2 min Bash-tool silence budget (we verify with a shortened interval;
 //     production uses 15 s via the same code path)
-//   - ≥3 heartbeats arrive during the wait window
-//   - stderr is line-flushed (we observe each heartbeat as a separate chunk
+//   - ≥3 keepalives arrive during the wait window
+//   - stderr is line-flushed (we observe each keepalive as a separate chunk
 //     before the process exits — not in one burst at the end)
-//   - stdout stays a single clean JSON payload (no heartbeats leak to stdout)
-//   - a `jq "select(._heartbeat|not)"` filter on the merged stream would
+//   - stdout stays a single clean JSON payload (no keepalives leak to stdout)
+//   - a `jq "select(._keepalive|not)"` filter on the merged stream would
 //     yield exactly the final result
 //
 // This test is skipped if the CLI hasn't been built yet (out/cli/index.js
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ async function runBuiltCli(
 }
 
 describeIfBuilt('orca orchestration check --wait subprocess (§3.4)', () => {
-  it('emits newline-flushed JSON heartbeats to stderr while waiting', async () => {
+  it('emits newline-flushed JSON keepalives to stderr while waiting', async () => {
     const userDataPath = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'orca-cli-sub-'))
     const runtime = new OrcaRuntimeService()
     const db = new OrchestrationDb(':memory:')
@@ -75,12 +75,12 @@ describeIfBuilt('orca orchestration check --wait subprocess (§3.4)', () => {
     await server.start()
 
     try {
-      // Why: use the ORCA_HEARTBEAT_INTERVAL_MS escape hatch to shrink the
+      // Why: use the ORCA_KEEPALIVE_INTERVAL_MS escape hatch to shrink the
       // test to ~1 s wall time. Production callers never set this; the
       // production default (15 s) is exercised by §3.4's own unit tests
       // and by the fact that this same code path runs with the real
       // constant when the env var is absent.
-      const heartbeatMs = 200
+      const keepaliveMs = 200
       const waitTimeoutMs = 1200
 
       const child = spawn(
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ describeIfBuilt('orca orchestration check --wait subprocess (§3.4)', () => {
             ...process.env,
             ORCA_USER_DATA_PATH: userDataPath,
             ORCA_TERMINAL_HANDLE: 'term_nobody',
-            ORCA_HEARTBEAT_INTERVAL_MS: String(heartbeatMs)
+            ORCA_KEEPALIVE_INTERVAL_MS: String(keepaliveMs)
           },
           // Why: explicit pipe for all three fds so we can watch stderr
           // in real time; no TTY attached (Bash-tool parity).
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ describeIfBuilt('orca orchestration check --wait subprocess (§3.4)', () => {
       const stderr = stderrChunks.map((c) => c.data).join('')
       const stdout = stdoutChunks.map((c) => c.data).join('')
 
-      const heartbeatLines = stderr
+      const keepaliveLines = stderr
         .split('\n')
         .filter((line) => line.trim().length > 0)
         .map((line) => {
@@ -135,51 +135,52 @@ describeIfBuilt('orca orchestration check --wait subprocess (§3.4)', () => {
             return null
           }
         })
-        .filter((p): p is Record<string, unknown> => p !== null && p._heartbeat === true)
+        .filter((p): p is Record<string, unknown> => p !== null && p._keepalive === true)
 
-      // ≥3 heartbeats in a 1.2s window with a 200ms interval
-      expect(heartbeatLines.length).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(3)
-      expect(heartbeatLines[0]).toHaveProperty('elapsedMs')
-      expect(heartbeatLines[0]).toHaveProperty('deadlineMs', waitTimeoutMs)
+      // ≥3 keepalives in a 1.2s window with a 200ms interval
+      expect(keepaliveLines.length).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(3)
+      expect(keepaliveLines[0]).toMatchObject({ _keepalive: true, _heartbeat: true })
+      expect(keepaliveLines[0]).toHaveProperty('elapsedMs')
+      expect(keepaliveLines[0]).toHaveProperty('deadlineMs', waitTimeoutMs)
 
       // Why: under full-suite load the child process startup may take longer
-      // than one heartbeat interval. The invariant that matters is that at
-      // least one heartbeat is observed before the terminal stdout payload.
-      const firstHeartbeatChunk = stderrChunks.find((c) => c.data.includes('_heartbeat'))
-      expect(firstHeartbeatChunk).toBeDefined()
-      expect(firstHeartbeatChunk!.at).toBeLessThan(stdoutChunks[0]?.at ?? Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY)
+      // than one keepalive interval. The invariant that matters is that at
+      // least one keepalive is observed before the terminal stdout payload.
+      const firstKeepaliveChunk = stderrChunks.find((c) => c.data.includes('_keepalive'))
+      expect(firstKeepaliveChunk).toBeDefined()
+      expect(firstKeepaliveChunk!.at).toBeLessThan(stdoutChunks[0]?.at ?? Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY)
 
-      // Why: line-flushing proof — the *first* heartbeat chunk must arrive
+      // Why: line-flushing proof — the *first* keepalive chunk must arrive
       // strictly before the exit chunk; i.e. we got at least two separate
-      // stderr data events (heartbeat + final). A single-chunk delivery
+      // stderr data events (keepalive + final). A single-chunk delivery
       // would indicate stderr was buffered until exit.
       const lastStderrAt = stderrChunks.at(-1)?.at ?? 0
       const firstStderrAt = stderrChunks.at(0)?.at ?? 0
       expect(lastStderrAt).toBeGreaterThan(firstStderrAt)
 
-      // Stdout: exactly one JSON payload, the terminal result. No heartbeats
+      // Stdout: exactly one JSON payload, the terminal result. No keepalives
       // leak, and the content parses as valid JSON.
       const stdoutTrimmed = stdout.trim()
       const stdoutPayload = JSON.parse(stdoutTrimmed) as Record<string, unknown>
-      expect(stdoutPayload).not.toHaveProperty('_heartbeat')
-      expect(stdoutTrimmed).not.toContain('_heartbeat')
+      expect(stdoutPayload).not.toHaveProperty('_keepalive')
+      expect(stdoutTrimmed).not.toContain('_keepalive')
       // Why: result should be an RPC success envelope with the expected
       // shape. `count: 0` and `messages: []` because the wait timed out
       // with no message for term_nobody.
       expect(stdoutPayload).toMatchObject({ ok: true })
 
-      // Why: the heartbeats-on-stderr design is meant to pair with shell
-      // filters like `2>&1 | jq "select(._heartbeat|not)"`. jq is
+      // Why: the keepalives-on-stderr design is meant to pair with shell
+      // filters like `2>&1 | jq "select(._keepalive|not)"`. jq is
       // line-oriented by default, but also accepts pretty-printed JSON
       // across multiple lines. What matters here is that every
-      // heartbeat line on stderr is a standalone JSON object (so jq can
+      // keepalive line on stderr is a standalone JSON object (so jq can
       // match it) and doesn't span multiple lines — assert that each
-      // heartbeat is a single-line JSON with no embedded newlines.
+      // keepalive is a single-line JSON with no embedded newlines.
       for (const line of stderr.split('\n')) {
         if (line.trim().length === 0) {
           continue
         }
-        if (line.includes('_heartbeat')) {
+        if (line.includes('_keepalive')) {
           expect(() => JSON.parse(line)).not.toThrow()
           expect(line).not.toContain('\n')
         }
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/orchestration/coordinator.test.ts b/src/main/runtime/orchestration/coordinator.test.ts
index 8593fd81622..34f50b78d18 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/orchestration/coordinator.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/orchestration/coordinator.test.ts
@@ -570,7 +570,7 @@ describe('Coordinator', () => {
     expect(db.getDispatchContextById(activeCtx.id)?.status).toBe('completed')
   })
 
-  it('ignores worker_done sent by a terminal that does not own the dispatch', async () => {
+  it('accepts worker_done payload provenance after an assignee handle changes', async () => {
     db = new OrchestrationDb(':memory:')
     const runtime = createMockRuntime()
     const logs: string[] = []
@@ -579,9 +579,9 @@ describe('Coordinator', () => {
     const ctx = db.createDispatchContext(task.id, 'term_owner')
 
     db.insertMessage({
-      from: 'term_intruder',
+      from: 'term_reminted',
       to: 'coord',
-      subject: 'Spoofed done',
+      subject: 'Done after restart',
       type: 'worker_done',
       payload: JSON.stringify({ taskId: task.id, dispatchId: ctx.id })
     })
@@ -592,16 +592,12 @@ describe('Coordinator', () => {
       pollIntervalMs: 20,
       onLog: (m) => logs.push(m)
     })
-    const runPromise = coordinator.run()
-    await new Promise((r) => {
-      setTimeout(r, 80)
-    })
-    coordinator.stop()
-    await runPromise
+    const result = await coordinator.run()
 
-    expect(db.getTask(task.id)?.status).toBe('dispatched')
-    expect(db.getDispatchContextById(ctx.id)?.status).toBe('dispatched')
-    expect(logs.some((m) => m.includes('expected term_owner'))).toBe(true)
+    expect(result.status).toBe('completed')
+    expect(db.getTask(task.id)?.status).toBe('completed')
+    expect(db.getDispatchContextById(ctx.id)?.status).toBe('completed')
+    expect(logs.some((m) => m.includes('accepting payload provenance'))).toBe(true)
   })
 
   it('can be stopped', async () => {
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/orchestration/db.ts b/src/main/runtime/orchestration/db.ts
index 0c137fe78a5..a0f0c8a13d7 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/orchestration/db.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/orchestration/db.ts
@@ -382,6 +382,20 @@ export class OrchestrationDb {
       .run(...ids)
   }
 
+  markAsReadAndDelivered(ids: string[]): void {
+    if (ids.length === 0) {
+      return
+    }
+    const placeholders = ids.map(() => '?').join(',')
+    // Why: superseded lifecycle messages stay queryable through history but
+    // must not be consumed or injected after their dispatch has finished.
+    this.db
+      .prepare(
+        `UPDATE messages SET read = 1, delivered_at = COALESCE(delivered_at, datetime('now')) WHERE id IN (${placeholders})`
+      )
+      .run(...ids)
+  }
+
   getInbox(limit = 20): MessageRow[] {
     return this.db
       .prepare('SELECT * FROM messages ORDER BY sequence DESC LIMIT ?')
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/orchestration/lifecycle-reconciliation.test.ts b/src/main/runtime/orchestration/lifecycle-reconciliation.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c7e47beab0c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/runtime/orchestration/lifecycle-reconciliation.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+import { OrchestrationDb } from './db'
+import { reconcileLifecycleMessage } from './lifecycle-reconciliation'
+
+describe('lifecycle reconciliation', () => {
+  let db: OrchestrationDb
+
+  afterEach(() => db?.close())
+
+  it('completes an active dispatch from payload IDs after its terminal handle is reminted', () => {
+    db = new OrchestrationDb(':memory:')
+    const task = db.createTask({ spec: 'work' })
+    const dispatch = db.createDispatchContext(task.id, 'term_before_restart')
+    const logs: string[] = []
+    const message = db.insertMessage({
+      from: 'term_after_restart',
+      to: 'term_coordinator',
+      subject: 'Done',
+      type: 'worker_done',
+      payload: JSON.stringify({ taskId: task.id, dispatchId: dispatch.id })
+    })
+
+    expect(reconcileLifecycleMessage(db, message, (line) => logs.push(line))).toEqual({
+      action: 'completed',
+      taskId: task.id,
+      dispatchId: dispatch.id
+    })
+    expect(db.getTask(task.id)?.status).toBe('completed')
+    expect(db.getDispatchContextById(dispatch.id)?.status).toBe('completed')
+    expect(logs.some((line) => line.includes('accepting payload provenance'))).toBe(true)
+  })
+
+  it('suppresses same-dispatch heartbeats once worker_done is reconciled', () => {
+    db = new OrchestrationDb(':memory:')
+    const task = db.createTask({ spec: 'work' })
+    const dispatch = db.createDispatchContext(task.id, 'term_worker')
+    const otherTask = db.createTask({ spec: 'other work' })
+    const otherDispatch = db.createDispatchContext(otherTask.id, 'term_other')
+    const insertHeartbeat = (dispatchId: string, from: string) =>
+      db.insertMessage({
+        from,
+        to: 'term_coordinator',
+        subject: 'alive',
+        type: 'heartbeat',
+        payload: JSON.stringify({ dispatchId })
+      })
+    const staleHeartbeat = insertHeartbeat(dispatch.id, 'term_worker')
+    const otherHeartbeat = insertHeartbeat(otherDispatch.id, 'term_other')
+    reconcileLifecycleMessage(db, staleHeartbeat)
+    reconcileLifecycleMessage(db, otherHeartbeat)
+    const done = db.insertMessage({
+      from: 'term_worker',
+      to: 'term_coordinator',
+      subject: 'Done',
+      type: 'worker_done',
+      payload: JSON.stringify({ taskId: task.id, dispatchId: dispatch.id })
+    })
+
+    reconcileLifecycleMessage(db, done)
+
+    expect(db.getUnreadMessages('term_coordinator', ['heartbeat']).map((row) => row.id)).toEqual([
+      otherHeartbeat.id
+    ])
+    const archived = db
+      .getAllMessagesForHandle('term_coordinator')
+      .find((row) => row.id === staleHeartbeat.id)
+    expect(archived).toMatchObject({ read: 1 })
+    expect(archived?.delivered_at).not.toBeNull()
+
+    const lateHeartbeat = insertHeartbeat(dispatch.id, 'term_worker')
+    expect(reconcileLifecycleMessage(db, lateHeartbeat)).toEqual({ action: 'ignored' })
+    expect(db.getMessageById(lateHeartbeat.id)).toMatchObject({ read: 1 })
+    expect(db.getMessageById(lateHeartbeat.id)?.delivered_at).not.toBeNull()
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/orchestration/lifecycle-reconciliation.ts b/src/main/runtime/orchestration/lifecycle-reconciliation.ts
index a413924c59a..12f828b5d5c 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/orchestration/lifecycle-reconciliation.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/orchestration/lifecycle-reconciliation.ts
@@ -63,6 +63,15 @@ function reconcileHeartbeatMessage(
     return { action: 'ignored' }
   }
 
+  const dispatch = db.getDispatchContextById(dispatchId)
+  if (!dispatch || dispatch.status !== 'dispatched') {
+    // Why: an in-flight heartbeat can arrive after completion; retain it for
+    // audit history without surfacing obsolete liveness to the coordinator.
+    db.markAsReadAndDelivered([msg.id])
+    onLog(`Heartbeat for inactive dispatch ${dispatchId} suppressed`)
+    return { action: 'ignored' }
+  }
+
   // Why: dispatchId-specific writes let the DB ignore late heartbeats for
   // completed/failed retries without masking a newer hung dispatch.
   db.recordHeartbeat(dispatchId, msg.created_at)
@@ -113,9 +122,8 @@ function reconcileWorkerDoneMessage(
   }
   if (dispatch.assignee_handle !== msg.from_handle) {
     onLog(
-      `Warning: worker_done for dispatch ${dispatchId} came from ${msg.from_handle}, expected ${dispatch.assignee_handle ?? '<unknown>'}`
+      `Warning: worker_done for dispatch ${dispatchId} came from ${msg.from_handle}, expected ${dispatch.assignee_handle ?? '<unknown>'}; accepting payload provenance`
     )
-    return { action: 'ignored' }
   }
   // Why: `orchestration.send` can release the DB lock before waking the
   // coordinator; the later coordinator read still needs to observe completion.
@@ -143,7 +151,26 @@ function reconcileWorkerDoneMessage(
     completedAt: new Date().toISOString()
   })
   db.updateTaskStatus(taskId, 'completed', result)
+  suppressEarlierHeartbeats(db, msg, dispatchId)
 
   onLog(`Task ${taskId} completed`)
   return { action: 'completed', taskId, dispatchId }
 }
+
+function suppressEarlierHeartbeats(
+  db: OrchestrationDb,
+  workerDone: MessageRow,
+  dispatchId: string
+): void {
+  const heartbeatIds = db
+    .getUnreadMessages(workerDone.to_handle, ['heartbeat'])
+    .filter((message) => {
+      if (message.sequence >= workerDone.sequence) {
+        return false
+      }
+      const payload = parseObjectPayload(message, () => undefined)
+      return payload.dispatchId === dispatchId
+    })
+    .map((message) => message.id)
+  db.markAsReadAndDelivered(heartbeatIds)
+}
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/orchestration.test.ts b/src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/orchestration.test.ts
index e5255595a6a..0f0c237b00d 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/orchestration.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/orchestration.test.ts
@@ -598,11 +598,11 @@ describe('orchestration RPC methods', () => {
       expect(db.getDispatchContextById(dispatch.id)?.status).toBe('dispatched')
     })
 
-    it('does not complete worker_done from a terminal that does not own the dispatch', async () => {
+    it('completes worker_done by payload IDs when the sender handle changed', async () => {
       setup()
       const { task, dispatch } = createDispatchedTask('term_owner')
       insertWorkerDone({
-        from: 'term_intruder',
+        from: 'term_reminted',
         taskId: task.id,
         dispatchId: dispatch.id
       })
@@ -613,8 +613,8 @@ describe('orchestration RPC methods', () => {
       })) as { count: number }
 
       expect(result.count).toBe(1)
-      expect(db.getTask(task.id)?.status).toBe('dispatched')
-      expect(db.getDispatchContextById(dispatch.id)?.status).toBe('dispatched')
+      expect(db.getTask(task.id)?.status).toBe('completed')
+      expect(db.getDispatchContextById(dispatch.id)?.status).toBe('completed')
     })
 
     it('does not complete worker_done for a stale inactive dispatch', async () => {
@@ -670,6 +670,11 @@ describe('orchestration RPC methods', () => {
       ).rejects.toThrow('Invalid --types')
     })
 
+    it('rejects conflicting message read modes', () => {
+      const method = findMethod('orchestration.check')
+      expect(() => method.params!.parse({ unread: true, peek: true })).toThrow(/read mode/)
+    })
+
     it('default (unread only) marks returned rows as read', async () => {
       setup()
       db.insertMessage({ from: 'a', to: 'b', subject: 'one' })
@@ -686,6 +691,19 @@ describe('orchestration RPC methods', () => {
       expect(second.count).toBe(0)
     })
 
+    it('--peek returns unread messages without marking them read', async () => {
+      setup()
+      db.insertMessage({ from: 'a', to: 'b', subject: 'one' })
+
+      const result = (await call('orchestration.check', {
+        terminal: 'b',
+        peek: true
+      })) as { count: number }
+
+      expect(result.count).toBe(1)
+      expect(db.getUnreadMessages('b')).toHaveLength(1)
+    })
+
     it('--all returns every message for the handle without marking read', async () => {
       setup()
       db.insertMessage({ from: 'a', to: 'b', subject: 'one' })
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/orchestration.ts b/src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/orchestration.ts
index f22ad62d8f4..d33f003e24f 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/orchestration.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/orchestration.ts
@@ -72,18 +72,33 @@ const SendParams = z
     })
   })
 
-const CheckParams = z.object({
-  terminal: OptionalString,
-  unread: OptionalBoolean,
-  // Why: `all` surfaces every message for the handle and skips mark-read.
-  // Previously the only way to ask for "all" was the hidden RPC trick
-  // `{unread: false}`. See design doc §3.2 / §3.3.
-  all: OptionalBoolean,
-  types: OptionalString,
-  inject: OptionalBoolean,
-  wait: OptionalBoolean,
-  timeoutMs: OptionalFiniteNumber
-})
+const CheckParams = z
+  .object({
+    terminal: OptionalString,
+    unread: OptionalBoolean,
+    peek: OptionalBoolean,
+    // Why: `all` surfaces every message for the handle and skips mark-read.
+    // Previously the only way to ask for "all" was the hidden RPC trick
+    // `{unread: false}`. See design doc §3.2 / §3.3.
+    all: OptionalBoolean,
+    types: OptionalString,
+    inject: OptionalBoolean,
+    wait: OptionalBoolean,
+    timeoutMs: OptionalFiniteNumber
+  })
+  .superRefine((params, ctx) => {
+    const modes = [
+      params.unread === true,
+      params.peek === true,
+      params.all === true || params.unread === false
+    ].filter(Boolean)
+    if (modes.length > 1) {
+      ctx.addIssue({
+        code: z.ZodIssueCode.custom,
+        message: 'Choose at most one message read mode: --unread, --peek, or --all.'
+      })
+    }
+  })
 
 const ReplyParams = z.object({
   id: requiredString('Missing --id'),
@@ -265,14 +280,14 @@ export const ORCHESTRATION_METHODS: RpcMethod[] = [
       // shim so in-flight callers don't break (see design doc §5). Otherwise
       // today's behavior is preserved: default is unread-only + mark-read.
       const showAll = params.all === true || params.unread === false
-      const showUnread = !showAll
+      const consumeUnread = !showAll && params.peek !== true
 
       const readAndReturn = () => {
-        const messages = showUnread
-          ? db.getUnreadMessages(handle, typeFilter)
-          : db.getAllMessagesForHandle(handle, undefined, typeFilter)
+        const messages = showAll
+          ? db.getAllMessagesForHandle(handle, undefined, typeFilter)
+          : db.getUnreadMessages(handle, typeFilter)
 
-        if (showUnread && messages.length > 0) {
+        if (consumeUnread && messages.length > 0) {
           // Why: manual coordinators can consume lifecycle messages before
           // the coordinator loop sees them, but unread `check` is still an
           // authoritative read path for worker_done/heartbeat.
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/worktree.test.ts b/src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/worktree.test.ts
index ef7ef3910f0..8bc68319d2d 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/worktree.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/worktree.test.ts
@@ -472,14 +472,18 @@ describe('worktree RPC methods', () => {
     const runtime = {
       getRuntimeId: () => 'test-runtime',
       showRepo: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(repo),
-      createManagedWorktree: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({ worktree: { id: 'wt-1' } })
+      createManagedWorktree: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({
+        worktree: { id: 'wt-1' },
+        startupTerminal: { spawned: true, handle: 'term_agent' }
+      })
     } as unknown as OrcaRuntimeService
     const dispatcher = new RpcDispatcher({ runtime, methods: WORKTREE_METHODS })
 
-    await dispatcher.dispatch(
+    const response = await dispatcher.dispatch(
       makeRequest('worktree.create', {
         repo: 'repo-1',
         name: 'agent-startup',
+        startupAgent: 'codex',
         startupCommand: "codex 'summarize repo'",
         startupCommandDelivery: 'shell-ready',
         startupEnv: { ORCA_AGENT_MODE: 'direct' },
@@ -492,11 +496,17 @@ describe('worktree RPC methods', () => {
       })
     )
 
+    expect(response).toMatchObject({
+      ok: true,
+      result: { agentTerminalHandle: 'term_agent' }
+    })
+
     expect(runtime.createManagedWorktree).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
       expect.objectContaining({
         repoSelector: 'repo-1',
         name: 'agent-startup',
         activate: true,
+        startupAgent: 'codex',
         startup: {
           command: "codex 'summarize repo'",
           startupCommandDelivery: 'shell-ready',
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/worktree.ts b/src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/worktree.ts
index f84a26d1d87..8132a96e3f8 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/worktree.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/worktree.ts
@@ -133,7 +133,11 @@ export const WORKTREE_METHODS: RpcMethod[] = [
           }
         })
         finishAutomationWorkspaceProvenanceRequest(params.automationProvenanceRequest)
-        return result
+        // Why: agent callers need a stable dispatch target without traversing
+        // terminal-list layout duplicates after creating the worktree.
+        return params.startupAgent && result.startupTerminal?.handle
+          ? { ...result, agentTerminalHandle: result.startupTerminal.handle }
+          : result
       } catch (error) {
         releaseAutomationWorkspaceProvenanceRequest(params.automationProvenanceRequest)
         throw error
diff --git a/src/shared/runtime-types.ts b/src/shared/runtime-types.ts
index f3328ab66dc..9f91e7dcc8e 100644
--- a/src/shared/runtime-types.ts
+++ b/src/shared/runtime-types.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import type {
   BrowserCookieImportResult,
   BrowserSessionProfile,
   BrowserSessionProfileSource,
+  CreateWorktreeResult,
   GitWorktreeInfo,
   RemoveWorktreeResult,
   Repo,
@@ -673,6 +674,8 @@ export type RuntimeWorktreeCreateResult = {
   workspaceLineage?: WorkspaceLineage | null
   warnings: WorktreeLineageWarning[]
   warning?: string
+  startupTerminal?: CreateWorktreeResult['startupTerminal']
+  agentTerminalHandle?: string
 }
 
 export type RuntimeWorktreeRemoveResult = RemoveWorktreeResult & {