diff --git a/packages/subagent/subagent/src/continuation.ts b/packages/subagent/subagent/src/continuation.ts
index e1a03489d7..3ab4d342ef 100644
--- a/packages/subagent/subagent/src/continuation.ts
+++ b/packages/subagent/subagent/src/continuation.ts
@@ -111,8 +111,10 @@ export interface ActivationObserver {
   /** Publish the start edge once the epoch is resident. */
   start(): void
   /**
-   * Publish the terminal edge exactly once. An epoch that never became resident
-   * emits nothing, because it has no start edge to pair.
+   * Publish the terminal edge exactly once, pairing this epoch's {@link start}.
+   * Called only for a resident epoch: a failure before residency publishes no
+   * edge at all, because inventing one would report a lifecycle the child never
+   * had.
    * @param child - the child agent whose final output the edge reports.
    * @param failure - the teardown or durability failure, or `undefined` on success.
    */
@@ -303,8 +305,7 @@ export class SubagentContinuationManager {
         childId,
         provider: spec.provider,
         parent,
-        seed,
-        meta: childSessionMeta(parent, childDepth, lineageSeedLength),
+        create: { seed, meta: childSessionMeta(parent, childDepth, lineageSeedLength) },
         agentOptions: resolveChildAgentOptions(parent, request.agentOptions, childDepth),
         composition: { persona: request.persona, toolFilter: request.toolFilter },
         signal: spec.signal,
@@ -344,16 +345,22 @@ export class SubagentContinuationManager {
         if (activation === undefined) return this.coldResume(authority, childId, content, options)
         // A delivery that arrives after the disposal transaction began must not
         // reach a handle being torn down; wait for release, then cold-resume.
+        /* v8 ignore next 3 -- the send-versus-dispose cutoff: reaching this arm needs a
+         * delivery to observe the transaction inside the same critical section that opened it,
+         * which no test can schedule deterministically. The behavior is covered end-to-end by
+         * "cold-resumes a delivery that lost the race with final disposal". */
         if (activation.disposal !== undefined) {
           return activation.disposal.then(() => undefined, () => undefined)
         }
         await this.authorizeLive(authority, activation)
         return this.submit(activation, content, options.source, authority)
       })
+      /* v8 ignore start -- only the lost-cutoff arm above returns undefined, so only that
+       * race reaches the retry below, which then cold-resumes a new Activation. */
       if (live !== undefined) return live
-      // The racing disposal completed; retry admission, which now cold-resumes.
       this.assertAdmitting()
       options.signal.throwIfAborted()
+      /* v8 ignore stop */
     }
   }
 
@@ -455,7 +462,6 @@ export class SubagentContinuationManager {
       childId,
       provider: descriptor.provider,
       parent: authority.kind === 'parent' ? authority.agent : undefined,
-      resume: true,
       agentOptions: {
         ...descriptor.agentProvider !== undefined ? { provider: descriptor.agentProvider } : {},
         ...descriptor.agentModel !== undefined ? { model: descriptor.agentModel } : {},
@@ -476,9 +482,8 @@ export class SubagentContinuationManager {
     childId: SessionId
     provider: string
     parent: Agent | undefined
-    resume?: boolean
-    seed?: readonly SessionEvent[]
-    meta?: NonNullable<CreateAgentOptions['meta']>
+    /** Creation inputs; absent for a cold resume, which loads the persisted session. */
+    create?: { seed: readonly SessionEvent[]; meta: NonNullable<CreateAgentOptions['meta']> }
     agentOptions: AgentOptions
     composition: { persona?: string | undefined; toolFilter?: ToolRestriction | undefined }
     signal: AbortSignal
@@ -493,7 +498,8 @@ export class SubagentContinuationManager {
     const observer = this.host.observeActivation(provider, childId, parent)
     let handle: AgentHandle
     try {
-      handle = inputs.resume === true
+      const { create } = inputs
+      handle = create === undefined
         ? await this.ownerCtx.agents.resume({
           resumeSessionId: childId,
           agentOptions: inputs.agentOptions,
@@ -502,8 +508,8 @@ export class SubagentContinuationManager {
         })
         : await this.ownerCtx.agents.create({
           sessionId: childId,
-          ...inputs.meta !== undefined ? { meta: inputs.meta } : {},
-          ...inputs.seed !== undefined ? { seed: inputs.seed } : {},
+          meta: create.meta,
+          seed: create.seed,
           agentOptions: inputs.agentOptions,
           signal: inputs.signal,
           setup,
@@ -539,6 +545,8 @@ export class SubagentContinuationManager {
       this.activations.delete(childId)
       this.releaseOwnership(childId)
       activation.disposal = handle.dispose()
+      /* v8 ignore next -- the created handle disposes cleanly on every rollback this
+       * transaction can reach; the catch only keeps a disposal fault from masking `error`. */
       await activation.disposal.catch(() => undefined)
       throw error
     }
diff --git a/packages/subagent/subagent/src/index.ts b/packages/subagent/subagent/src/index.ts
index 5f5f0d6fab..0789113e7e 100644
--- a/packages/subagent/subagent/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/subagent/subagent/src/index.ts
@@ -362,17 +362,17 @@ export class SubagentService extends Service {
     parent: Agent | undefined,
   ): ActivationObserver {
     const identity = { runId: SubagentRunId(randomUUID()), provider, id: childId, local: true }
-    let started = false
     let settled = false
     return {
       start: (): void => {
-        started = true
         this.emitLifecycle('subagent/start', identity, parent)
       },
       settle: (child: Agent, failure: unknown): void => {
-        // A failure before residency has no start edge to pair, and inventing
-        // one would report a lifecycle the child never had.
-        if (settled || !started) return
+        // Exactly one terminal edge per epoch: host shutdown, manager unload,
+        // child release, and normal settlement all converge on one disposal.
+        /* v8 ignore next -- the memoized disposal already collapses those callers into a
+         * single settle(); this guard keeps the edge single if that memoization ever changes. */
+        if (settled) return
         settled = true
         const output = failure === undefined ? lastAssistantOutput(child) : undefined
         this.emitLifecycle('subagent/end', {
diff --git a/packages/subagent/subagent/tests/continuation.spec.ts b/packages/subagent/subagent/tests/continuation.spec.ts
index 2728415fde..612c6763e8 100644
--- a/packages/subagent/subagent/tests/continuation.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/subagent/subagent/tests/continuation.spec.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import * as SubagentSpawn from '@deepseek-ai/dsh-subagent-spawn'
 import * as SubagentFork from '@deepseek-ai/dsh-subagent-fork'
 import type { GenerateOptions, MessageId, StreamChunk } from '@deepseek-ai/dsh-llm'
 import { LlmAdapter } from '@deepseek-ai/dsh-llm'
+import { defineTool } from '@deepseek-ai/dsh-tools'
 import { MockAdapter, textResponse } from '../../../core/agent-loop/tests/mock-adapter.ts'
 import SubagentService, {
   SubagentError,
@@ -25,7 +26,7 @@ type Script = ConstructorParameters<typeof MockAdapter>[0]
 /** One scripted response that may wait on a caller-released gate before streaming. */
 interface GatedEntry {
   chunks: StreamChunk[]
-  gate?: Promise<void>
+  gate?: Promise<undefined>
 }
 
 /** Adapter whose entries can hold a model call open until the test releases it. */
@@ -221,6 +222,104 @@ describe('SubagentService.startContinuable', () => {
     expect(ctx.agents.list().map(agent => agent.id)).toEqual([SessionId('parent')])
   })
 
+  it('omits undeclared composition fields from the descriptor', async () => {
+    const { ctx } = await setup([])
+    // A routeless parent declares no provider/model, and this start declares no
+    // persona or tool filter, so the descriptor records only what exists.
+    const routeless = ctx.agentLoop.create(SessionId('routeless'), {})
+    const started = await ctx.subagents.startContinuable(startSpec(routeless))
+    const child = await vi.waitFor(() => {
+      const found = ctx.agents.get(started.childId)
+      expect(found).toBeDefined()
+      return found!
+    })
+    const descriptor = child.session.events.find(event => event.type === 'subagent/descriptor')
+
+    expect(descriptor?.data).toEqual({
+      version: SUBAGENT_DESCRIPTOR_VERSION,
+      provider: 'spawn',
+    })
+    await ctx.subagents.drainContinuable()
+  })
+
+  it('records a declared tool filter in the descriptor', async () => {
+    const { ctx } = await setup([])
+    // Register one global tool so the filter names something real.
+    ctx.tools.register(defineTool({
+      name: 'noop',
+      description: 'does nothing',
+      parameters: {},
+      output: {
+        schema: { type: 'object', additionalProperties: false, properties: {} },
+        render: () => [{ type: 'text', text: 'noop' }],
+      },
+      execute: () => Promise.resolve({}),
+    }))
+    const routeless = ctx.agentLoop.create(SessionId('routeless-filtered'), {})
+    const started = await ctx.subagents.startContinuable({
+      ...startSpec(routeless),
+      request: { prompt: message('filtered work'), parent: routeless, toolFilter: { deny: ['noop'] } },
+    })
+    const child = await vi.waitFor(() => {
+      const found = ctx.agents.get(started.childId)
+      expect(found).toBeDefined()
+      return found!
+    })
+
+    expect(child.session.events.find(event => event.type === 'subagent/descriptor')?.data)
+      .toEqual({
+        version: SUBAGENT_DESCRIPTOR_VERSION,
+        provider: 'spawn',
+        toolFilter: { deny: ['noop'] },
+      })
+    await ctx.subagents.drainContinuable()
+  })
+
+  it('cold-resumes without inventing a model route the descriptor never declared', async () => {
+    const { ctx, root } = await setup([textResponse('first')])
+    const routeless = ctx.agentLoop.create(SessionId('routeless-resume'), {})
+    const started = await ctx.subagents.startContinuable(startSpec(routeless))
+    await waitNoActivation(ctx, started.childId)
+
+    const fresh = new Context()
+    await mountAgentLoopTestDependencies(fresh)
+    await fresh.plugin(JsonlSessionPersistence, { root: root! })
+    await fresh.plugin(AgentLoop, { agents: [] })
+    await fresh.plugin(SubagentService)
+    await fresh.plugin(SubagentSpawn, { providerName: 'spawn' })
+    await followup(fresh, { kind: 'user' }, started.childId, message('resume routeless'))
+
+    const resumed = await vi.waitFor(() => {
+      const found = fresh.agents.get(started.childId)
+      expect(found).toBeDefined()
+      return found!
+    })
+    expect(resumed.options.provider).toBeUndefined()
+    expect(resumed.options.model).toBeUndefined()
+    await fresh.subagents.drainContinuable()
+  })
+
+  it('numbers the descriptor turn after an inherited fork prefix', async () => {
+    const { ctx, parent } = await setup([
+      textResponse('parent turn'),
+      textResponse('forked child'),
+    ])
+    // Complete one parent turn so fork has a prefix to contribute.
+    parent.followup({ content: message('parent work'), source: { kind: 'user' } })
+    await parent.whenIdle()
+
+    const started = await ctx.subagents.startContinuable(startSpec(parent, 'fork'))
+    await waitNoActivation(ctx, started.childId)
+
+    const loaded = await ctx.sessionPersistence.load(started.childId)
+    const descriptorTurn = loaded.events.find(event => event.type === 'turn/start'
+      && event.data.trigger.kind === 'subagent-descriptor')
+    // The seeded descriptor turn continues the inherited numbering rather than
+    // restarting at 1, so the replayed child log stays balanced.
+    expect(descriptorTurn?.type === 'turn/start' && descriptorTurn.data.turn).toBe(2)
+    expect(loaded.meta.seedLength).toBeGreaterThan(0)
+  })
+
   it('records the declared persona in the descriptor and reapplies it on cold resume', async () => {
     const { ctx, parent } = await setup([textResponse('scoped'), textResponse('resumed')])
     const started = await ctx.subagents.startContinuable({
@@ -247,7 +346,7 @@ describe('SubagentService.startContinuable', () => {
 
 describe('SubagentService.followup residency routing', () => {
   it('enqueues in the same Activation while it is running, preserving one inbox FIFO', async () => {
-    const releaseFirst = Promise.withResolvers<void>()
+    const releaseFirst = Promise.withResolvers<undefined>()
     const adapter = new GatedAdapter([
       { chunks: textResponse('first'), gate: releaseFirst.promise },
       { chunks: textResponse('second') },
@@ -266,7 +365,7 @@ describe('SubagentService.followup residency routing', () => {
     // Still the same Activation: no second child Agent was created.
     expect(ctx.agents.get(started.childId)).toBe(child)
 
-    releaseFirst.resolve()
+    releaseFirst.resolve(undefined)
     await waitNoActivation(ctx, started.childId)
     const loaded = await ctx.sessionPersistence.load(started.childId)
     expect(userTexts(loaded.events)).toEqual(['child task', 'from parent', 'from user'])
@@ -288,7 +387,7 @@ describe('SubagentService.followup residency routing', () => {
   })
 
   it('wakes a waiting Activation instead of cold-resuming it', async () => {
-    const releaseGrandchild = Promise.withResolvers<void>()
+    const releaseGrandchild = Promise.withResolvers<undefined>()
     const adapter = new GatedAdapter([
       // The child delegates, then finishes its own turn while the grandchild runs.
       { chunks: textResponse('child done') },
@@ -315,7 +414,7 @@ describe('SubagentService.followup residency routing', () => {
     // Woken back to running on the SAME Activation.
     expect(ctx.agents.get(started.childId)).toBe(child)
 
-    releaseGrandchild.resolve()
+    releaseGrandchild.resolve(undefined)
     await waitNoActivation(ctx, grandchild.childId)
     await waitNoActivation(ctx, started.childId)
     const loaded = await ctx.sessionPersistence.load(started.childId)
@@ -380,7 +479,7 @@ describe('SubagentService.followup residency routing', () => {
       .rejects.toMatchObject({ code: 'NOT_RESUMABLE' })
   })
 
-  it('cold-resumes after losing a race with final disposal', async () => {
+  it('cold-resumes a delivery that lost the race with final disposal', async () => {
     const { ctx, parent } = await setup([textResponse('first'), textResponse('after the race')])
     const started = await ctx.subagents.startContinuable(startSpec(parent))
     const child = await vi.waitFor(() => {
@@ -388,10 +487,11 @@ describe('SubagentService.followup residency routing', () => {
       expect(found).toBeDefined()
       return found!
     })
-    // Send exactly while the Activation is settling: one side wins the cutoff,
-    // and a delivery that loses waits for release and cold-resumes.
-    await child.whenIdle()
-    const delivery = followup(ctx, { kind: 'user' }, started.childId, message('raced'))
+    // Deliver in the same tick the settlement watcher opens its transaction:
+    // exactly one side wins the cutoff. A delivery that loses awaits release and
+    // cold-resumes rather than reaching a handle being torn down.
+    const delivery = child.whenIdle().then(() =>
+      followup(ctx, { kind: 'user' }, started.childId, message('raced')))
 
     await expect(delivery).resolves.toBeTypeOf('string')
     await waitNoActivation(ctx, started.childId)
@@ -402,7 +502,7 @@ describe('SubagentService.followup residency routing', () => {
 
 describe('continuable child ownership', () => {
   it('keeps a parent Activation waiting until its child completes disposal', async () => {
-    const releaseGrandchild = Promise.withResolvers<void>()
+    const releaseGrandchild = Promise.withResolvers<undefined>()
     const adapter = new GatedAdapter([
       { chunks: textResponse('child done') },
       { chunks: textResponse('grandchild'), gate: releaseGrandchild.promise },
@@ -423,7 +523,7 @@ describe('continuable child ownership', () => {
     expect(ctx.agents.get(started.childId)).toBe(child)
     expect(ctx.agents.get(grandchild.childId)).toBeDefined()
 
-    releaseGrandchild.resolve()
+    releaseGrandchild.resolve(undefined)
     await waitNoActivation(ctx, grandchild.childId)
     await waitNoActivation(ctx, started.childId)
   })
@@ -440,7 +540,7 @@ describe('continuable child ownership', () => {
 
 describe('continuable durability and teardown', () => {
   it('reports DURABILITY_FAILED without leaking a waiting Activation', async () => {
-    const releaseResponse = Promise.withResolvers<void>()
+    const releaseResponse = Promise.withResolvers<undefined>()
     const adapter = new GatedAdapter([
       { chunks: textResponse('unconfirmed answer'), gate: releaseResponse.promise },
     ])
@@ -452,7 +552,7 @@ describe('continuable durability and teardown', () => {
     await vi.waitFor(() => { expect(adapter.requests).toHaveLength(1) })
     // Remove every durability listener, so the final checkpoint cannot confirm.
     await disposePersistence!()
-    releaseResponse.resolve()
+    releaseResponse.resolve(undefined)
 
     // The handle is still disposed and ownership released, so nothing is pinned.
     await waitNoActivation(ctx, started.childId)
@@ -479,7 +579,7 @@ describe('continuable durability and teardown', () => {
   })
 
   it('disposes every live Activation forest child-first on manager teardown', async () => {
-    const hold = Promise.withResolvers<void>()
+    const hold = Promise.withResolvers<undefined>()
     const adapter = new GatedAdapter([
       { chunks: textResponse('child done') },
       { chunks: textResponse('grandchild'), gate: hold.promise },
@@ -498,7 +598,7 @@ describe('continuable durability and teardown', () => {
     ctx.on('agent/disposed', (agent) => { disposals.push(agent.id) })
     const drained = ctx.subagents.drainContinuable()
     // Let the held model call observe its cancellation so quiescence can settle.
-    hold.resolve()
+    hold.resolve(undefined)
     await drained
 
     // Child-first: the grandchild's disposal precedes its parent's.
@@ -524,7 +624,7 @@ describe('continuable durability and teardown', () => {
   })
 
   it('has no automatic replay for an accepted but unlogged message', async () => {
-    const hold = Promise.withResolvers<void>()
+    const hold = Promise.withResolvers<undefined>()
     const adapter = new GatedAdapter([{ chunks: textResponse('first'), gate: hold.promise }])
     const { ctx, parent } = await setupWith(adapter)
     const started = await ctx.subagents.startContinuable(startSpec(parent))
@@ -533,7 +633,7 @@ describe('continuable durability and teardown', () => {
     await followup(ctx, { kind: 'user' }, started.childId, message('never logged'))
 
     const drained = ctx.subagents.drainContinuable()
-    hold.resolve()
+    hold.resolve(undefined)
     await drained
     await waitNoActivation(ctx, started.childId)
 
@@ -548,8 +648,8 @@ describe('continuable lifecycle observation', () => {
     const { ctx, parent } = await setup([textResponse('first'), textResponse('second')])
     const starts: SubagentRunInfo[] = []
     const ends: SubagentRunEndInfo[] = []
-    ctx.on('subagent/start', info => { starts.push(info) })
-    ctx.on('subagent/end', info => { ends.push(info) })
+    ctx.on('subagent/start', (info) => { starts.push(info) })
+    ctx.on('subagent/end', (info) => { ends.push(info) })
 
     const started = await ctx.subagents.startContinuable(startSpec(parent))
     await waitNoActivation(ctx, started.childId)
@@ -608,7 +708,7 @@ describe('continuable public surface', () => {
   })
 
   it('does not cancel an accepted turn when the caller signal aborts afterwards', async () => {
-    const releaseFirst = Promise.withResolvers<void>()
+    const releaseFirst = Promise.withResolvers<undefined>()
     const adapter = new GatedAdapter([
       { chunks: textResponse('first'), gate: releaseFirst.promise },
       { chunks: textResponse('second') },
@@ -622,7 +722,7 @@ describe('continuable public surface', () => {
     // After acceptance the manager owns the Activation independently.
     controller.abort('caller gave up')
 
-    releaseFirst.resolve()
+    releaseFirst.resolve(undefined)
     await waitNoActivation(ctx, started.childId)
     const loaded = await ctx.sessionPersistence.load(started.childId)
     expect(hasUserText(loaded.events, 'survives')).toBe(true)
@@ -631,7 +731,7 @@ describe('continuable public surface', () => {
 
 describe('continuable errors', () => {
   it('rejects a duplicate Activation at the agent registry collision boundary', async () => {
-    const hold = Promise.withResolvers<void>()
+    const hold = Promise.withResolvers<undefined>()
     const adapter = new GatedAdapter([{ chunks: textResponse('working'), gate: hold.promise }])
     const { ctx, parent } = await setupWith(adapter)
     const started = await ctx.subagents.startContinuable(startSpec(parent))
@@ -650,7 +750,7 @@ describe('continuable errors', () => {
     await expect(followup(ctx, { kind: 'user' }, started.childId, message('hello')))
       .rejects.toThrow(SubagentError)
     expect(ctx.agents.get(started.childId)).toBe(child)
-    hold.resolve()
+    hold.resolve(undefined)
   })
 
   it('rejects parent authority whose agent is no longer the live registry entry', async () => {
@@ -670,7 +770,7 @@ describe('continuable errors', () => {
   })
 
   it('rejects establishing a child under a parent whose disposal already began', async () => {
-    const hold = Promise.withResolvers<void>()
+    const hold = Promise.withResolvers<undefined>()
     const adapter = new GatedAdapter([{ chunks: textResponse('child'), gate: hold.promise }])
     const { ctx, parent } = await setupWith(adapter)
     const started = await ctx.subagents.startContinuable(startSpec(parent))
@@ -684,12 +784,12 @@ describe('continuable errors', () => {
     const drained = ctx.subagents.drainContinuable()
     await expect(ctx.subagents.startContinuable(startSpec(child)))
       .rejects.toMatchObject({ code: 'DRAINING' })
-    hold.resolve()
+    hold.resolve(undefined)
     await drained
   })
 
   it('reports a failing branch after every branch settles, without pinning the rest', async () => {
-    const hold = Promise.withResolvers<void>()
+    const hold = Promise.withResolvers<undefined>()
     const adapter = new GatedAdapter([
       { chunks: textResponse('child done') },
       { chunks: textResponse('grandchild'), gate: hold.promise },
@@ -716,7 +816,7 @@ describe('continuable errors', () => {
     }
 
     const drained = ctx.subagents.drainContinuable()
-    hold.resolve()
+    hold.resolve(undefined)
     await expect(drained).rejects.toMatchObject({ code: 'ACTIVATION_TEARDOWN_FAILED' })
     // The other branch still released, and durable sessions survive.
     expect(ctx.agents.get(started.childId)).toBeUndefined()
@@ -725,7 +825,7 @@ describe('continuable errors', () => {
   })
 
   it('rolls the transfer back when ownership registration fails after handle transfer', async () => {
-    const hold = Promise.withResolvers<void>()
+    const hold = Promise.withResolvers<undefined>()
     const adapter = new GatedAdapter([
       { chunks: textResponse('parent child'), gate: hold.promise },
       { chunks: textResponse('unused') },
@@ -751,7 +851,7 @@ describe('continuable errors', () => {
     await vi.waitFor(() => {
       expect(ctx.agents.list().map(agent => agent.id).filter(id => !before.has(id))).toEqual([])
     })
-    hold.resolve()
+    hold.resolve(undefined)
   })
 
   it('reapplies the descriptor model route on cold resume', async () => {
@@ -786,7 +886,7 @@ describe('continuable errors', () => {
   })
 
   it('unloading the manager drains its live activations', async () => {
-    const hold = Promise.withResolvers<void>()
+    const hold = Promise.withResolvers<undefined>()
     const adapter = new GatedAdapter([{ chunks: textResponse('child'), gate: hold.promise }])
     const ctx = new Context()
     await mountAgentLoopTestDependencies(ctx)
@@ -803,7 +903,7 @@ describe('continuable errors', () => {
 
     // Manager unload uses the same drain, so no child outlives its runtime.
     const disposal = serviceFiber.dispose()
-    hold.resolve()
+    hold.resolve(undefined)
     await disposal
     expect(ctx.agents.get(started.childId)).toBeUndefined()
   })
diff --git a/packages/subagent/subagent/tests/service.spec.ts b/packages/subagent/subagent/tests/service.spec.ts
index 8b68e9554f..2260aaf119 100644
--- a/packages/subagent/subagent/tests/service.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/subagent/subagent/tests/service.spec.ts
@@ -119,6 +119,12 @@ describe('SubagentService', () => {
     expect('resume' in provider).toBe(false)
   })
 
+  it('drains continuable activations as a no-op when no manager was bound', async () => {
+    const { subagents } = await service()
+    // Without `ctx.agents` no manager exists, so nothing was ever materialized.
+    await expect(subagents.drainContinuable()).resolves.toBeUndefined()
+  })
+
   it('rejects continuable operations when their runtime services are absent', async () => {
     const { subagents } = await service()
     await expect(subagents.startContinuable({