diff --git a/cmd/picoclaw/internal/onboard/helpers.go b/cmd/picoclaw/internal/onboard/helpers.go
index 2294cfa4c..721d74552 100644
--- a/cmd/picoclaw/internal/onboard/helpers.go
+++ b/cmd/picoclaw/internal/onboard/helpers.go
@@ -146,11 +146,6 @@ func createWorkspaceTemplates(workspace string) {
 }
 
 func copyEmbeddedToTarget(targetDir string) error {
-	legacyWorkspaceFiles := map[string]struct{}{
-		"AGENTS.md":   {},
-		"IDENTITY.md": {},
-	}
-
 	// Ensure target directory exists
 	if err := os.MkdirAll(targetDir, 0o755); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("Failed to create target directory: %w", err)
@@ -177,9 +172,6 @@ func copyEmbeddedToTarget(targetDir string) error {
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("Failed to get relative path for %s: %v\n", path, err)
 		}
-		if _, skip := legacyWorkspaceFiles[filepath.Base(new_path)]; skip {
-			return nil
-		}
 
 		// Build target file path
 		targetPath := filepath.Join(targetDir, new_path)
diff --git a/pkg/agent/loop.go b/pkg/agent/loop.go
index 5bb597187..0c79f6daa 100644
--- a/pkg/agent/loop.go
+++ b/pkg/agent/loop.go
@@ -645,7 +645,11 @@ func (al *AgentLoop) drainBusToSteering(ctx context.Context, activeScope, active
 
 		if handled, response := al.tryHandlePriorityCommand(ctx, msg); handled {
 			if response != "" {
-				al.publishResponse(ctx, msg.Channel, msg.ChatID, response)
+				al.bus.PublishOutbound(ctx, bus.OutboundMessage{
+					Channel: msg.Channel,
+					ChatID:  msg.ChatID,
+					Content: response,
+				})
 			}
 			continue
 		}
@@ -676,32 +680,20 @@ func (al *AgentLoop) Stop() {
 	al.running.Store(false)
 }
 
-func (al *AgentLoop) resetMessageToolRound(agent *AgentInstance) {
-	if agent == nil {
-		return
-	}
-
-	if tool, ok := agent.Tools.Get("message"); ok {
-		if resetter, ok := tool.(interface{ ResetSentInRound() }); ok {
-			resetter.ResetSentInRound()
-		}
-	}
-}
-
 func (al *AgentLoop) PublishResponseIfNeeded(ctx context.Context, channel, chatID, response string) {
 	if response == "" {
 		return
 	}
 
 	alreadySentToSameChat := false
-	al.GetRegistry().ForEachTool("message", func(tool tools.Tool) {
-		if alreadySentToSameChat {
-			return
+	defaultAgent := al.GetRegistry().GetDefaultAgent()
+	if defaultAgent != nil {
+		if tool, ok := defaultAgent.Tools.Get("message"); ok {
+			if mt, ok := tool.(*tools.MessageTool); ok {
+				alreadySentToSameChat = mt.HasSentTo(channel, chatID)
+			}
 		}
-		if mt, ok := tool.(*tools.MessageTool); ok && mt.HasSentTo(channel, chatID) {
-			alreadySentToSameChat = true
-		}
-	})
+	}
 
 	if alreadySentToSameChat {
 		logger.DebugCF(
@@ -712,14 +704,6 @@ func (al *AgentLoop) PublishResponseIfNeeded(ctx context.Context, channel, chatI
 		return
 	}
 
-	al.publishResponse(ctx, channel, chatID, response)
-}
-
-func (al *AgentLoop) publishResponse(ctx context.Context, channel, chatID, response string) {
-	if response == "" {
-		return
-	}
-
 	al.bus.PublishOutbound(ctx, bus.OutboundMessage{
 		Channel: channel,
 		ChatID:  chatID,
@@ -1420,6 +1404,9 @@ func (al *AgentLoop) askSideQuestion(
 		activeSkills...,
 	)
 
+	maxMediaSize := al.GetConfig().Agents.Defaults.GetMaxMediaSize()
+	messages = resolveMediaRefs(messages, al.mediaStore, maxMediaSize)
+
 	activeCandidates, activeModel, usedLight := al.selectCandidates(agent, question, messages)
 	activeProvider := agent.Provider
 	if usedLight && agent.LightProvider != nil {
@@ -1511,7 +1498,11 @@ func (al *AgentLoop) processMessage(ctx context.Context, msg bus.InboundMessage)
 	}
 
 	// Reset message-tool state for this round so we don't skip publishing due to a previous round.
-	al.resetMessageToolRound(agent)
+	if tool, ok := agent.Tools.Get("message"); ok {
+		if resetter, ok := tool.(interface{ ResetSentInRound() }); ok {
+			resetter.ResetSentInRound()
+		}
+	}
 
 	// Resolve session key from route, while preserving explicit agent-scoped keys.
 	scopeKey := resolveScopeKey(route, msg.SessionKey)
@@ -3659,11 +3650,6 @@ func (al *AgentLoop) buildCommandsRuntime(agent *AgentInstance, opts *processOpt
 			rt.ListSkillNames = agent.ContextBuilder.ListSkillNames
 		}
 		rt.AskSideQuestion = func(ctx context.Context, question string) (string, error) {
-			question = strings.TrimSpace(question)
-			if question == "" {
-				return "", fmt.Errorf("Usage: /btw <question>")
-			}
-
 			return al.askSideQuestion(ctx, agent, opts, question)
 		}
 		rt.GetModelInfo = func() (string, string) {
@@ -3810,13 +3796,9 @@ func (al *AgentLoop) tryHandlePriorityCommand(ctx context.Context, msg bus.Inbou
 		SessionKey:        resolveScopeKey(route, msg.SessionKey),
 		Channel:           msg.Channel,
 		ChatID:            msg.ChatID,
-		MessageID:         msg.MessageID,
-		ReplyToMessageID:  inboundMetadata(msg, metadataKeyReplyToMessage),
 		SenderID:          msg.SenderID,
 		SenderDisplayName: msg.Sender.DisplayName,
-		UserMessage:       msg.Content,
 		Media:             msg.Media,
-		DefaultResponse:   defaultResponse,
 	}
 
 	response, handled := al.handleCommand(ctx, msg, agent, &opts)
diff --git a/pkg/agent/loop_test.go b/pkg/agent/loop_test.go
index 4d7c0212e..91558f6ed 100644
--- a/pkg/agent/loop_test.go
+++ b/pkg/agent/loop_test.go
@@ -300,69 +300,6 @@ func TestProcessMessage_BtwCommandRunsWithoutPersistingHistory(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestPublishResponseIfNeeded_SkipsWhenNonDefaultAgentAlreadySentToChat(t *testing.T) {
-	tmpDir := t.TempDir()
-	cfg := &config.Config{
-		Agents: config.AgentsConfig{
-			Defaults: config.AgentDefaults{
-				Workspace:         tmpDir,
-				ModelName:         "test-model",
-				MaxTokens:         4096,
-				MaxToolIterations: 10,
-			},
-			List: []config.AgentConfig{
-				{ID: "main", Default: true},
-				{ID: "support"},
-			},
-		},
-		Tools: config.ToolsConfig{
-			Message: config.ToolConfig{Enabled: true},
-		},
-	}
-
-	msgBus := bus.NewMessageBus()
-	al := NewAgentLoop(cfg, msgBus, &recordingProvider{})
-
-	supportAgent, ok := al.GetRegistry().GetAgent("support")
-	if !ok || supportAgent == nil {
-		t.Fatal("expected support agent")
-	}
-
-	tool, ok := supportAgent.Tools.Get("message")
-	if !ok {
-		t.Fatal("expected message tool on support agent")
-	}
-	mt, ok := tool.(*tools.MessageTool)
-	if !ok {
-		t.Fatal("expected message tool type")
-	}
-
-	if result := mt.Execute(context.Background(), map[string]any{
-		"channel": "telegram",
-		"chat_id": "chat-1",
-		"content": "interim reply",
-	}); result == nil || result.IsError {
-		t.Fatalf("message tool setup result = %+v, want successful send", result)
-	}
-
-	select {
-	case outbound := <-msgBus.OutboundChan():
-		if outbound.Content != "interim reply" {
-			t.Fatalf("expected setup outbound %q, got %#v", "interim reply", outbound)
-		}
-	default:
-		t.Fatal("expected interim outbound from message tool setup")
-	}
-
-	al.PublishResponseIfNeeded(context.Background(), "telegram", "chat-1", "final reply")
-
-	select {
-	case outbound := <-msgBus.OutboundChan():
-		t.Fatalf("expected final reply to be suppressed, got outbound %#v", outbound)
-	default:
-	}
-}
-
 func TestHandleCommand_UseCommandRejectsUnknownSkill(t *testing.T) {
 	tmpDir := t.TempDir()
 	cfg := &config.Config{
diff --git a/pkg/agent/steering.go b/pkg/agent/steering.go
index 863badd03..ad6613e8c 100644
--- a/pkg/agent/steering.go
+++ b/pkg/agent/steering.go
@@ -346,7 +346,11 @@ func (al *AgentLoop) Continue(ctx context.Context, sessionKey, channel, chatID s
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("no agent available for session %q", sessionKey)
 	}
 
-	al.resetMessageToolRound(agent)
+	if tool, ok := agent.Tools.Get("message"); ok {
+		if resetter, ok := tool.(interface{ ResetSentInRound() }); ok {
+			resetter.ResetSentInRound()
+		}
+	}
 
 	return al.continueWithSteeringMessages(ctx, agent, sessionKey, channel, chatID, steeringMsgs)
 }