diff --git a/cmd/picoclaw/internal/gateway/helpers.go b/cmd/picoclaw/internal/gateway/helpers.go
index a7e988c88..3048e44f9 100644
--- a/cmd/picoclaw/internal/gateway/helpers.go
+++ b/cmd/picoclaw/internal/gateway/helpers.go
@@ -226,55 +226,66 @@ func gatewayCmd(debug bool) error {
 			return nil
 
 		case newCfg := <-configReloadChan:
-			logger.Info("🔄 Config file changed, reloading...")
-
-			newModel := newCfg.Agents.Defaults.ModelName
-			if newModel == "" {
-				newModel = newCfg.Agents.Defaults.Model
-			}
-
-			logger.Infof(" New model is '%s', recreating provider...", newModel)
-
-			// Create new provider from updated config first to ensure validity
-			// This will use the correct API key and settings from newCfg.ModelList
-			newProvider, newModelID, err := providers.CreateProvider(newCfg)
-			if err != nil {
-				logger.Errorf("  ⚠ Error creating new provider: %v", err)
-				logger.Warn("  Continuing with old provider")
-				continue
-			}
-
-			if newModelID != "" {
-				newCfg.Agents.Defaults.ModelName = newModelID
-			}
-
-			// Use the atomic reload method on AgentLoop to safely swap provider and config.
-			// This handles locking internally to prevent races with in-flight LLM calls
-			// and concurrent reads of registry/config while the swap occurs.
-			ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 30*time.Second)
-			defer cancel()
-
-			if err := agentLoop.ReloadProviderAndConfig(ctx, newProvider, newCfg); err != nil {
-				logger.Errorf("  ⚠ Error reloading agent loop: %v", err)
-				// Close the newly created provider since it wasn't adopted
-				if cp, ok := newProvider.(providers.StatefulProvider); ok {
-					cp.Close()
-				}
-				logger.Warn("  Continuing with old provider and config")
-				continue
-			}
-
-			// Update local references only after successful atomic reload
-			if cp, ok := provider.(providers.StatefulProvider); ok {
-				cp.Close()
-			}
-			provider = newProvider
-
-			logger.Info("  ✓ Provider and configuration reloaded successfully (thread-safe)")
+			handleConfigReload(agentLoop, newCfg, &provider)
 		}
 	}
 }
 
+// handleConfigReload handles config file reload in a dedicated function.
+// Extracting this improves the semantics of context cancellation,
+// avoiding defer in the select-case.
+func handleConfigReload(
+	al *agent.AgentLoop,
+	newCfg *config.Config,
+	providerRef *providers.LLMProvider,
+) {
+	logger.Info("🔄 Config file changed, reloading...")
+
+	newModel := newCfg.Agents.Defaults.ModelName
+	if newModel == "" {
+		newModel = newCfg.Agents.Defaults.Model
+	}
+
+	logger.Infof(" New model is '%s', recreating provider...", newModel)
+
+	// Create new provider from updated config first to ensure validity
+	// This will use the correct API key and settings from newCfg.ModelList
+	newProvider, newModelID, err := providers.CreateProvider(newCfg)
+	if err != nil {
+		logger.Errorf("  ⚠ Error creating new provider: %v", err)
+		logger.Warn("  Continuing with old provider")
+		return
+	}
+
+	if newModelID != "" {
+		newCfg.Agents.Defaults.ModelName = newModelID
+	}
+
+	// Use the atomic reload method on AgentLoop to safely swap provider and config.
+	// This handles locking internally to prevent races with in-flight LLM calls
+	// and concurrent reads of registry/config while the swap occurs.
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 30*time.Second)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	if err := al.ReloadProviderAndConfig(ctx, newProvider, newCfg); err != nil {
+		logger.Errorf("  ⚠ Error reloading agent loop: %v", err)
+		// Close the newly created provider since it wasn't adopted
+		if cp, ok := newProvider.(providers.StatefulProvider); ok {
+			cp.Close()
+		}
+		logger.Warn("  Continuing with old provider and config")
+		return
+	}
+
+	// Update local references only after successful atomic reload
+	if cp, ok := (*providerRef).(providers.StatefulProvider); ok {
+		cp.Close()
+	}
+	*providerRef = newProvider
+
+	logger.Info("  ✓ Provider and configuration reloaded successfully (thread-safe)")
+}
+
 // setupConfigWatcherPolling sets up a simple polling-based config file watcher
 // Returns a channel for config updates and a stop function
 func setupConfigWatcherPolling(configPath string, debug bool) (chan *config.Config, func()) {
diff --git a/pkg/agent/loop.go b/pkg/agent/loop.go
index fdbb8c20f..1834a4849 100644
--- a/pkg/agent/loop.go
+++ b/pkg/agent/loop.go
@@ -240,7 +240,8 @@ func (al *AgentLoop) Run(ctx context.Context) error {
 	al.running.Store(true)
 
 	// Initialize MCP servers for all agents
-	if al.cfg.Tools.IsToolEnabled("mcp") {
+	cfg := al.GetConfig()
+	if cfg.Tools.IsToolEnabled("mcp") {
 		mcpManager := mcp.NewManager()
 		// Ensure MCP connections are cleaned up on exit, regardless of initialization success
 		// This fixes resource leak when LoadFromMCPConfig partially succeeds then fails
@@ -253,15 +254,15 @@ func (al *AgentLoop) Run(ctx context.Context) error {
 			}
 		}()
 
-		defaultAgent := al.registry.GetDefaultAgent()
+		defaultAgent := al.GetRegistry().GetDefaultAgent()
 		var workspacePath string
 		if defaultAgent != nil && defaultAgent.Workspace != "" {
 			workspacePath = defaultAgent.Workspace
 		} else {
-			workspacePath = al.cfg.WorkspacePath()
+			workspacePath = cfg.WorkspacePath()
 		}
 
-		if err := mcpManager.LoadFromMCPConfig(ctx, al.cfg.Tools.MCP, workspacePath); err != nil {
+		if err := mcpManager.LoadFromMCPConfig(ctx, cfg.Tools.MCP, workspacePath); err != nil {
 			logger.WarnCF("agent", "Failed to load MCP servers, MCP tools will not be available",
 				map[string]any{
 					"error": err.Error(),
@@ -271,14 +272,15 @@ func (al *AgentLoop) Run(ctx context.Context) error {
 			servers := mcpManager.GetServers()
 			uniqueTools := 0
 			totalRegistrations := 0
-			agentIDs := al.registry.ListAgentIDs()
+			registry := al.GetRegistry()
+			agentIDs := registry.ListAgentIDs()
 			agentCount := len(agentIDs)
 
 			for serverName, conn := range servers {
 				uniqueTools += len(conn.Tools)
 				for _, tool := range conn.Tools {
 					for _, agentID := range agentIDs {
-						agent, ok := al.registry.GetAgent(agentID)
+						agent, ok := registry.GetAgent(agentID)
 						if !ok {
 							continue
 						}
@@ -341,7 +343,7 @@ func (al *AgentLoop) Run(ctx context.Context) error {
 					// If so, skip publishing to avoid duplicate messages to the user.
 					// Use default agent's tools to check (message tool is shared).
 					alreadySent := false
-					defaultAgent := al.registry.GetDefaultAgent()
+					defaultAgent := al.GetRegistry().GetDefaultAgent()
 					if defaultAgent != nil {
 						if tool, ok := defaultAgent.Tools.Get("message"); ok {
 							if mt, ok := tool.(*tools.MessageTool); ok {
@@ -382,8 +384,9 @@ func (al *AgentLoop) Stop() {
 }
 
 func (al *AgentLoop) RegisterTool(tool tools.Tool) {
-	for _, agentID := range al.registry.ListAgentIDs() {
-		if agent, ok := al.registry.GetAgent(agentID); ok {
+	registry := al.GetRegistry()
+	for _, agentID := range registry.ListAgentIDs() {
+		if agent, ok := registry.GetAgent(agentID); ok {
 			agent.Tools.Register(tool)
 		}
 	}
@@ -412,11 +415,13 @@ func (al *AgentLoop) ReloadProviderAndConfig(
 	// Create new registry with updated config and provider
 	// Wrap in defer/recover to handle any panics gracefully
 	var registry *AgentRegistry
+	var panicErr error
 	done := make(chan struct{}, 1)
 
 	go func() {
 		defer func() {
 			if r := recover(); r != nil {
+				panicErr = fmt.Errorf("panic during registry creation: %v", r)
 				logger.ErrorCF("agent", "Panic during registry creation",
 					map[string]any{"panic": r})
 			}
@@ -430,6 +435,9 @@ func (al *AgentLoop) ReloadProviderAndConfig(
 	select {
 	case <-done:
 		if registry == nil {
+			if panicErr != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("registry creation failed: %w", panicErr)
+			}
 			return fmt.Errorf("registry creation failed (nil result)")
 		}
 	case <-ctx.Done():
@@ -503,7 +511,8 @@ func (al *AgentLoop) SetMediaStore(s media.MediaStore) {
 	al.mediaStore = s
 
 	// Propagate store to send_file tools in all agents.
-	al.registry.ForEachTool("send_file", func(t tools.Tool) {
+	registry := al.GetRegistry()
+	registry.ForEachTool("send_file", func(t tools.Tool) {
 		if sf, ok := t.(*tools.SendFileTool); ok {
 			sf.SetMediaStore(s)
 		}
@@ -644,7 +653,7 @@ func (al *AgentLoop) ProcessHeartbeat(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	content, channel, chatID string,
 ) (string, error) {
-	agent := al.registry.GetDefaultAgent()
+	agent := al.GetRegistry().GetDefaultAgent()
 	if agent == nil {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("no default agent for heartbeat")
 	}
@@ -734,7 +743,8 @@ func (al *AgentLoop) processMessage(ctx context.Context, msg bus.InboundMessage)
 }
 
 func (al *AgentLoop) resolveMessageRoute(msg bus.InboundMessage) (routing.ResolvedRoute, *AgentInstance, error) {
-	route := al.registry.ResolveRoute(routing.RouteInput{
+	registry := al.GetRegistry()
+	route := registry.ResolveRoute(routing.RouteInput{
 		Channel:    msg.Channel,
 		AccountID:  inboundMetadata(msg, metadataKeyAccountID),
 		Peer:       extractPeer(msg),
@@ -743,9 +753,9 @@ func (al *AgentLoop) resolveMessageRoute(msg bus.InboundMessage) (routing.Resolv
 		TeamID:     inboundMetadata(msg, metadataKeyTeamID),
 	})
 
-	agent, ok := al.registry.GetAgent(route.AgentID)
+	agent, ok := registry.GetAgent(route.AgentID)
 	if !ok {
-		agent = al.registry.GetDefaultAgent()
+		agent = registry.GetDefaultAgent()
 	}
 	if agent == nil {
 		return routing.ResolvedRoute{}, nil, fmt.Errorf("no agent available for route (agent_id=%s)", route.AgentID)
@@ -807,7 +817,7 @@ func (al *AgentLoop) processSystemMessage(
 	}
 
 	// Use default agent for system messages
-	agent := al.registry.GetDefaultAgent()
+	agent := al.GetRegistry().GetDefaultAgent()
 	if agent == nil {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("no default agent for system message")
 	}
@@ -863,7 +873,8 @@ func (al *AgentLoop) runAgentLoop(
 	)
 
 	// Resolve media:// refs to base64 data URLs (streaming)
-	maxMediaSize := al.cfg.Agents.Defaults.GetMaxMediaSize()
+	cfg := al.GetConfig()
+	maxMediaSize := cfg.Agents.Defaults.GetMaxMediaSize()
 	messages = resolveMediaRefs(messages, al.mediaStore, maxMediaSize)
 
 	// 2. Save user message to session
@@ -1480,7 +1491,8 @@ func (al *AgentLoop) forceCompression(agent *AgentInstance, sessionKey string) {
 func (al *AgentLoop) GetStartupInfo() map[string]any {
 	info := make(map[string]any)
 
-	agent := al.registry.GetDefaultAgent()
+	registry := al.GetRegistry()
+	agent := registry.GetDefaultAgent()
 	if agent == nil {
 		return info
 	}
@@ -1497,8 +1509,8 @@ func (al *AgentLoop) GetStartupInfo() map[string]any {
 
 	// Agents info
 	info["agents"] = map[string]any{
-		"count": len(al.registry.ListAgentIDs()),
-		"ids":   al.registry.ListAgentIDs(),
+		"count": len(registry.ListAgentIDs()),
+		"ids":   registry.ListAgentIDs(),
 	}
 
 	return info
@@ -1739,9 +1751,11 @@ func (al *AgentLoop) handleCommand(
 }
 
 func (al *AgentLoop) buildCommandsRuntime(agent *AgentInstance) *commands.Runtime {
+	registry := al.GetRegistry()
+	cfg := al.GetConfig()
 	rt := &commands.Runtime{
-		Config:          al.cfg,
-		ListAgentIDs:    al.registry.ListAgentIDs,
+		Config:          cfg,
+		ListAgentIDs:    registry.ListAgentIDs,
 		ListDefinitions: al.cmdRegistry.Definitions,
 		GetEnabledChannels: func() []string {
 			if al.channelManager == nil {
@@ -1761,7 +1775,7 @@ func (al *AgentLoop) buildCommandsRuntime(agent *AgentInstance) *commands.Runtim
 	}
 	if agent != nil {
 		rt.GetModelInfo = func() (string, string) {
-			return agent.Model, al.cfg.Agents.Defaults.Provider
+			return agent.Model, cfg.Agents.Defaults.Provider
 		}
 		rt.SwitchModel = func(value string) (string, error) {
 			oldModel := agent.Model