diff --git a/src/agents/embedded-agent-runner/run/abortable.test.ts b/src/agents/embedded-agent-runner/run/abortable.test.ts
index 2c6e78bb2495..ad3fe372d843 100644
--- a/src/agents/embedded-agent-runner/run/abortable.test.ts
+++ b/src/agents/embedded-agent-runner/run/abortable.test.ts
@@ -82,4 +82,19 @@ describe("joinWithRunLivenessDeadline", () => {
     });
     expect(onTimeout).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
+
+  it("runs work without an abort signal and remains bounded", async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+    try {
+      const joinWork = vi.fn(() => new Promise<never>(() => {}));
+      const onTimeout = vi.fn();
+      const join = joinWithRunLivenessDeadline({ joinWork, onTimeout });
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(RUN_LIVENESS_JOIN_TIMEOUT_MS);
+      await join;
+      expect(joinWork).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+      expect(onTimeout).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+    } finally {
+      vi.useRealTimers();
+    }
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/agents/embedded-agent-runner/run/abortable.ts b/src/agents/embedded-agent-runner/run/abortable.ts
index c48b07429817..3c8e2496cc92 100644
--- a/src/agents/embedded-agent-runner/run/abortable.ts
+++ b/src/agents/embedded-agent-runner/run/abortable.ts
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ export const RUN_LIVENESS_JOIN_TIMEOUT_MS = 120_000;
  */
 export function joinWithRunLivenessDeadline(input: {
   joinWork: () => Promise<void> | void;
-  runAbortSignal: AbortSignal;
+  runAbortSignal?: AbortSignal;
   timeoutMs?: number;
   onTimeout: () => void;
 }): Promise<void> {
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ export function joinWithRunLivenessDeadline(input: {
       }
       settled = true;
       clearTimeout(timer);
-      input.runAbortSignal.removeEventListener("abort", onAbort);
+      input.runAbortSignal?.removeEventListener("abort", onAbort);
       if (reason === "timeout") {
         input.onTimeout();
       }
@@ -71,11 +71,11 @@ export function joinWithRunLivenessDeadline(input: {
       input.timeoutMs ?? RUN_LIVENESS_JOIN_TIMEOUT_MS,
     );
     timer.unref?.();
-    if (input.runAbortSignal.aborted) {
+    if (input.runAbortSignal?.aborted) {
       finish("abort");
       return;
     }
-    input.runAbortSignal.addEventListener("abort", onAbort, { once: true });
+    input.runAbortSignal?.addEventListener("abort", onAbort, { once: true });
     Promise.resolve()
       .then(() => input.joinWork())
       .then(
diff --git a/src/agents/embedded-agent-runner/run/attempt-prompt-phase.test.ts b/src/agents/embedded-agent-runner/run/attempt-prompt-phase.test.ts
index fe21d2cdc57b..9f4caa93a4ff 100644
--- a/src/agents/embedded-agent-runner/run/attempt-prompt-phase.test.ts
+++ b/src/agents/embedded-agent-runner/run/attempt-prompt-phase.test.ts
@@ -261,6 +261,7 @@ function createFixture() {
       setFinalPromptText,
       markBeforeAgentRunBlocked,
       markYieldAborted,
+      isRunBudgetTimeoutAbort: () => false,
       readYieldState: () => yieldState,
       stopAcceptingSteerMessages,
       takePendingMidTurnPrecheckRequest: () => undefined,
@@ -409,6 +410,36 @@ describe("runEmbeddedAttemptPromptPhase", () => {
     );
   });
 
+  it("keeps a run-budget timeout failure-free for partial-output salvage", async () => {
+    const fixture = createFixture();
+    const timeoutAbort = new Error("request timed out");
+    mocks.submitPrompt.mockRejectedValueOnce(timeoutAbort);
+    mocks.handlePromptError.mockResolvedValueOnce({
+      promptFailure: { error: timeoutAbort, source: "prompt" },
+    });
+    fixture.input.lifecycle.isRunBudgetTimeoutAbort = (error) => error === timeoutAbort;
+
+    await runEmbeddedAttemptPromptPhase(fixture.input);
+
+    expect(fixture.state.promptError).toBeNull();
+    expect(fixture.state.promptErrorSource).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it("records a provider failure that races a run-budget timeout", async () => {
+    const fixture = createFixture();
+    const providerError = new Error("provider failed");
+    mocks.submitPrompt.mockRejectedValueOnce(providerError);
+    mocks.handlePromptError.mockResolvedValueOnce({
+      promptFailure: { error: providerError, source: "prompt" },
+    });
+    fixture.input.lifecycle.isRunBudgetTimeoutAbort = () => false;
+
+    await runEmbeddedAttemptPromptPhase(fixture.input);
+
+    expect(fixture.state.promptError).toBe(providerError);
+    expect(fixture.state.promptErrorSource).toBe("prompt");
+  });
+
   it("releases steering when preflight skips provider submission", async () => {
     const fixture = createFixture();
     const promptError = new Error("preflight rejected");
diff --git a/src/agents/embedded-agent-runner/run/attempt-prompt-phase.ts b/src/agents/embedded-agent-runner/run/attempt-prompt-phase.ts
index a32982584bcf..eb77926f14fe 100644
--- a/src/agents/embedded-agent-runner/run/attempt-prompt-phase.ts
+++ b/src/agents/embedded-agent-runner/run/attempt-prompt-phase.ts
@@ -140,6 +140,7 @@ export async function runEmbeddedAttemptPromptPhase(input: {
     setFinalPromptText: (prompt: string) => void;
     markBeforeAgentRunBlocked: (outcome: BeforeAgentRunOutcome) => void;
     markYieldAborted: () => void;
+    isRunBudgetTimeoutAbort: (error: unknown) => boolean;
     readYieldState: () => Pick<
       PromptErrorInput,
       "yieldAbortSettled" | "yieldDetected" | "yieldMessage"
@@ -398,7 +399,12 @@ export async function runEmbeddedAttemptPromptPhase(input: {
       withOwnedTranscriptWrite: input.withOwnedTranscriptWrite,
       ...input.lifecycle.readYieldState(),
     });
-    if (promptErrorOutcome.promptFailure) {
+    // The timeout owner records its terminal before aborting the prompt. That
+    // abort is not a provider failure and must leave timeout salvage eligible.
+    if (
+      promptErrorOutcome.promptFailure &&
+      !input.lifecycle.isRunBudgetTimeoutAbort(promptErrorOutcome.promptFailure.error)
+    ) {
       patchState({
         promptError: promptErrorOutcome.promptFailure.error,
         promptErrorSource: promptErrorOutcome.promptFailure.source,
diff --git a/src/agents/embedded-agent-runner/run/attempt-settle.ts b/src/agents/embedded-agent-runner/run/attempt-settle.ts
index 2e9310a0efaa..c4c9fad64d96 100644
--- a/src/agents/embedded-agent-runner/run/attempt-settle.ts
+++ b/src/agents/embedded-agent-runner/run/attempt-settle.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,11 @@ import type { NormalizedUsage } from "../../usage.js";
 import { log } from "../logger.js";
 import type { PromptCacheBreak, PromptCacheChange } from "../prompt-cache-observability.js";
 import { clearActiveEmbeddedRun } from "../runs.js";
-import { joinWithRunLivenessDeadline, RUN_LIVENESS_JOIN_TIMEOUT_MS } from "./abortable.js";
+import {
+  isOpenClawAbortableWrapper,
+  joinWithRunLivenessDeadline,
+  RUN_LIVENESS_JOIN_TIMEOUT_MS,
+} from "./abortable.js";
 import type {
   EmbeddedAttemptExecutionPhaseInput,
   EmbeddedAttemptExecutionState,
@@ -335,28 +339,60 @@ export async function runEmbeddedAttemptSettledPhase(
             source: "yield_cleanup",
           });
         },
+        isRunBudgetTimeoutAbort: (error) =>
+          readTerminal().timedOutByRunBudget &&
+          isOpenClawAbortableWrapper(error) &&
+          error instanceof Error &&
+          error.cause === input.runAbortController.signal.reason,
         readYieldState: input.lifecycle.readYieldState,
         stopAcceptingSteerMessages,
         takePendingMidTurnPrecheckRequest: contextGuards.takePendingMidTurnPrecheckRequest,
       },
     });
 
-    // Queued subscription handlers (block-reply delivery, tool events) are
-    // fire-and-forget during the turn; the pending-events join below is the only
-    // place the run waits for them. One hung handler (e.g. a stuck delivery
-    // dispatch lane) must not dead-end the turn until the run budget — 48h by
-    // default — so the join is bounded and settlement proceeds with a recorded
-    // warning instead of producing no visible outcome at all.
-    await joinWithRunLivenessDeadline({
-      joinWork: waitForPendingEvents,
-      runAbortSignal: input.runAbortController.signal,
-      onTimeout: () => {
-        log.warn(
-          `pending subscription events did not settle within ${RUN_LIVENESS_JOIN_TIMEOUT_MS}ms; ` +
-            `proceeding to stream settlement: runId=${attempt.runId}`,
-        );
-      },
-    });
+    // Only a failure-free run-budget terminal may publish buffered text.
+    const isFailureFreeRunBudgetTimeout = (): boolean => {
+      const terminal = readTerminal();
+      return terminal.timedOutByRunBudget && !terminal.failed;
+    };
+    const runBudgetTimeoutTerminal = isFailureFreeRunBudgetTimeout();
+    const drainPendingEventsBounded = () =>
+      joinWithRunLivenessDeadline({
+        // Partial-reply callbacks cannot mutate the buffer and may be stalled
+        // on transport; timeout salvage needs only the serialized event chain.
+        joinWork: () => waitForPendingEvents({ includePartialReplies: false }),
+        onTimeout: () => {
+          log.warn(
+            `pending subscription events did not settle within ${RUN_LIVENESS_JOIN_TIMEOUT_MS}ms; ` +
+              `proceeding to stream settlement: runId=${attempt.runId}`,
+          );
+        },
+      });
+    if (runBudgetTimeoutTerminal) {
+      // The timeout already aborted the signal; drain without racing it.
+      await drainPendingEventsBounded();
+    } else {
+      await joinWithRunLivenessDeadline({
+        joinWork: waitForPendingEvents,
+        runAbortSignal: input.runAbortController.signal,
+        onTimeout: () => {
+          log.warn(
+            `pending subscription events did not settle within ${RUN_LIVENESS_JOIN_TIMEOUT_MS}ms; ` +
+              `proceeding to stream settlement: runId=${attempt.runId}`,
+          );
+        },
+      });
+      // A timeout can fire during the abort-aware join and resolve it before
+      // its queue drains. Re-read terminal ownership, then drain if eligible.
+      if (isFailureFreeRunBudgetTimeout()) {
+        await drainPendingEventsBounded();
+      }
+    }
+    // Ownership can change during the drain; publish only after the final read.
+    const salvageTerminal = readTerminal();
+    if (salvageTerminal.timedOutByRunBudget && !salvageTerminal.failed) {
+      subscription.flushPartialAssistantText();
+    }
     const beforeAgentFinalizeRevisionReason = getBeforeAgentFinalizeRevisionReason();
     const beforeAgentFinalizeRevisionEntryId = getBeforeAgentFinalizeRevisionEntryId();
     let rewoundBeforeAgentFinalizeRevision = false;
diff --git a/src/agents/embedded-agent-runner/run/attempt-spawn-workspace.test-support.ts b/src/agents/embedded-agent-runner/run/attempt-spawn-workspace.test-support.ts
index 14216d1f62f2..94419231bdcb 100644
--- a/src/agents/embedded-agent-runner/run/attempt-spawn-workspace.test-support.ts
+++ b/src/agents/embedded-agent-runner/run/attempt-spawn-workspace.test-support.ts
@@ -138,6 +138,7 @@ function createSubscriptionMock(): SubscriptionMock {
     setTerminalLifecycleMeta: () => {},
     waitForCompactionRetry: async () => {},
     waitForPendingEvents: async () => {},
+    flushPartialAssistantText: () => {},
     getAcceptedSessionSpawns: () => [],
     getMessagingToolSentTexts: () => [] as string[],
     getMessagingToolSentMediaUrls: () => [] as string[],
diff --git a/src/agents/embedded-agent-runner/run/attempt-stream-finalize.test.ts b/src/agents/embedded-agent-runner/run/attempt-stream-finalize.test.ts
index b9ae3731bca9..5177899baad5 100644
--- a/src/agents/embedded-agent-runner/run/attempt-stream-finalize.test.ts
+++ b/src/agents/embedded-agent-runner/run/attempt-stream-finalize.test.ts
@@ -41,12 +41,13 @@ type SettleMockInput = {
 };
 type FixtureOverrides = {
   activeSession?: SettledInput["prepared"]["sessionRuntime"]["agentSession"]["activeSession"];
+  flushPartialAssistantText?: () => void;
   getBeforeAgentFinalizeRevisionEntryId?: () => string | undefined;
   getBeforeAgentFinalizeRevisionReason?: () => string | undefined;
   repairedRejectedProviderReplay?: boolean;
   runAbortController?: AbortController;
   sessionManager?: SettledInput["prepared"]["sessionRuntime"]["sessionManager"];
-  waitForPendingEvents?: () => Promise<void>;
+  waitForPendingEvents?: (options?: { includePartialReplies?: boolean }) => Promise<void>;
 };
 
 function createFixture(overrides: FixtureOverrides = {}) {
@@ -68,15 +69,19 @@ function createFixture(overrides: FixtureOverrides = {}) {
     } as never);
   const waitForPendingEvents =
     overrides.waitForPendingEvents ??
-    vi.fn(async () => {
-      order.push("pending-events");
+    vi.fn(async (options?: { includePartialReplies?: boolean }) => {
+      order.push(
+        options?.includePartialReplies === false ? "pending-event-chain" : "pending-events",
+      );
     });
   const getBeforeAgentFinalizeRevisionReason =
     overrides.getBeforeAgentFinalizeRevisionReason ?? (() => "revision changed");
   const getBeforeAgentFinalizeRevisionEntryId =
     overrides.getBeforeAgentFinalizeRevisionEntryId ?? (() => undefined);
+  const flushPartialAssistantText = overrides.flushPartialAssistantText ?? vi.fn();
   const unsubscribe = vi.fn();
   const subscription = {
+    flushPartialAssistantText,
     isCompacting: vi.fn(() => false),
     unsubscribe,
     waitForPendingEvents,
@@ -205,6 +210,25 @@ function createFixture(overrides: FixtureOverrides = {}) {
     markYieldAborted = promptInput.lifecycle.markYieldAborted;
     return { promptStartedAt: 100 };
   });
+  mocks.settleStream.mockResolvedValue({
+    promptError: null,
+    promptErrorSource: null,
+    timedOutDuringCompaction: false,
+    compactionOccurredThisAttempt: false,
+    messagesSnapshot: [],
+    sessionIdUsed: "session-1",
+    lastAssistant: undefined,
+    currentAttemptAssistant: undefined,
+    currentAttemptCompletedAssistant: undefined,
+    attemptUsage: undefined,
+    cacheBreak: null,
+    lastCallUsage: undefined,
+    promptCache: undefined,
+  });
+  mocks.completeAfterTurn.mockResolvedValue({
+    sessionIdUsed: "session-1",
+    sessionFileUsed: "session.jsonl",
+  });
   mocks.completeResult.mockImplementation((resultInput) => ({
     sessionIdUsed: resultInput.state.sessionIdUsed,
     sessionFileUsed: resultInput.state.sessionFileUsed,
@@ -213,6 +237,7 @@ function createFixture(overrides: FixtureOverrides = {}) {
 
   return {
     activeSession,
+    flushPartialAssistantText,
     input,
     markYieldAborted: () => markYieldAborted?.(),
     order,
@@ -605,4 +630,251 @@ describe("runEmbeddedAttemptSettledPhase stream finalization", () => {
     expect(mocks.settleStream).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
     expect(mocks.completeAfterTurn).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
+
+  it("drains queued events after a run-budget abort before re-flushing partial assistant text", async () => {
+    // abortRun(true) aborts the run signal synchronously before settlement, so the abort-aware join returns
+    // without draining. The run-budget terminal must still drain the serialized
+    // event chain (bounded) so a message_update queued behind the abort commits
+    // before the re-flush.
+    const abortController = new AbortController();
+    abortController.abort(new Error("run budget exceeded"));
+    const fixture = createFixture({
+      runAbortController: abortController,
+      waitForPendingEvents: vi.fn(async () => {
+        fixture.order.push("pending-event-chain");
+      }),
+      flushPartialAssistantText: vi.fn(() => {
+        fixture.order.push("flush-partial");
+      }),
+    });
+    fixture.state.terminal = { kind: "timeout", phase: "prompt", source: "run_budget" };
+
+    await expect(runEmbeddedAttemptSettledPhase(fixture.input)).resolves.toEqual({
+      sessionIdUsed: "session-1",
+      sessionFileUsed: "session.jsonl",
+    });
+
+    // The queued-event drain must run (and complete) BEFORE the re-flush reads
+    // the buffer; with the abort-aware join this ordering was unreachable. The
+    // timeout salvage path drains only the serialized event chain (queue-only),
+    // not partial-reply fan-out callbacks.
+    expect(fixture.order).toEqual(["pending-event-chain", "flush-partial"]);
+    expect(mocks.settleStream).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+  });
+
+  it("discards buffered partial text when an external abort supersedes the run-budget timeout during the drain", async () => {
+    // Partial output must be committed only after terminal ownership is final. The drain is awaited, then the
+    // terminal is re-read: if an external abort wins while the queued chain
+    // drains, the run-budget timeout no longer owns the terminal and the
+    // buffered text must NOT be published.
+    const abortController = new AbortController();
+    abortController.abort(new Error("run budget exceeded"));
+    const fixture = createFixture({
+      runAbortController: abortController,
+      waitForPendingEvents: vi.fn(async () => {
+        fixture.order.push("pending-event-chain");
+        // External abort lands while the queued chain drains.
+        fixture.state.terminal = { kind: "aborted", source: "external" };
+      }),
+      flushPartialAssistantText: vi.fn(() => {
+        fixture.order.push("flush-partial");
+      }),
+    });
+    fixture.state.terminal = { kind: "timeout", phase: "prompt", source: "run_budget" };
+
+    await expect(runEmbeddedAttemptSettledPhase(fixture.input)).resolves.toEqual({
+      sessionIdUsed: "session-1",
+      sessionFileUsed: "session.jsonl",
+    });
+
+    // The drain still ran (bounded, abort-independent), but the superseded
+    // terminal discards the buffered text: no flush, no partial output.
+    expect(fixture.order).toEqual(["pending-event-chain"]);
+    expect(fixture.flushPartialAssistantText).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(mocks.settleStream).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+  });
+
+  it("discards buffered partial text when a provider failure is attached before the terminal-owned flush", async () => {
+    // A provider error queued behind the run-budget abort is merged into the terminal before the
+    // post-drain flush decision. The failure-terminal invariant must suppress
+    // the salvage — a timed-out run that also failed must not publish partial
+    // output.
+    const abortController = new AbortController();
+    abortController.abort(new Error("run budget exceeded"));
+    const fixture = createFixture({
+      runAbortController: abortController,
+      waitForPendingEvents: vi.fn(async () => {
+        fixture.order.push("pending-event-chain");
+        // Provider failure is recorded while the queued chain drains.
+        fixture.state.terminal = {
+          kind: "timeout",
+          phase: "prompt",
+          source: "run_budget",
+          failure: { source: "prompt", error: new Error("provider stream failed") },
+        };
+      }),
+      flushPartialAssistantText: vi.fn(() => {
+        fixture.order.push("flush-partial");
+      }),
+    });
+    fixture.state.terminal = { kind: "timeout", phase: "prompt", source: "run_budget" };
+
+    await expect(runEmbeddedAttemptSettledPhase(fixture.input)).resolves.toEqual({
+      sessionIdUsed: "session-1",
+      sessionFileUsed: "session.jsonl",
+    });
+
+    // The drain still ran (bounded, abort-independent), but the attached
+    // provider failure discards the buffered text: no flush, no partial output.
+    expect(fixture.order).toEqual(["pending-event-chain"]);
+    expect(fixture.flushPartialAssistantText).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(mocks.settleStream).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+  });
+
+  it("skips the bounded drain when a provider failure is already attached before settlement", async () => {
+    // A failure already attached to the run-budget terminal must prevent the drain. The bounded drain can only stall settlement
+    // for the full 120s liveness deadline when a serialized handler is wedged,
+    // and partial output would be discarded by the flush gate anyway. A failed
+    // run-budget terminal must skip the drain entirely so a wedged event chain
+    // cannot delay a failed run.
+    const abortController = new AbortController();
+    abortController.abort(new Error("run budget exceeded"));
+    // Wedged serialized handler: never resolves. Pre-fix the bounded drain
+    // would wait the full RUN_LIVENESS_JOIN_TIMEOUT_MS (120s) before settling.
+    const chainGate = new Promise<void>(() => {
+      // Intentionally never resolved; reaching the await means the drain ran,
+      // which would be a regression.
+    });
+    const waitForPendingEvents = vi.fn(async () => {
+      fixture.order.push("pending-event-chain");
+      await chainGate;
+    });
+    const fixture = createFixture({
+      runAbortController: abortController,
+      waitForPendingEvents,
+      flushPartialAssistantText: vi.fn(() => {
+        fixture.order.push("flush-partial");
+      }),
+    });
+    // Failure is attached before settlement chooses whether to drain.
+    fixture.state.terminal = {
+      kind: "timeout",
+      phase: "prompt",
+      source: "run_budget",
+      failure: { source: "prompt", error: new Error("provider stream failed") },
+    };
+    mocks.settleStream.mockResolvedValue({
+      promptError: new Error("provider stream failed"),
+      promptErrorSource: "prompt",
+      timedOutDuringCompaction: false,
+      compactionOccurredThisAttempt: false,
+      messagesSnapshot: [],
+      sessionIdUsed: "session-1",
+      lastAssistant: undefined,
+      currentAttemptAssistant: undefined,
+      currentAttemptCompletedAssistant: undefined,
+      attemptUsage: undefined,
+      cacheBreak: null,
+      lastCallUsage: undefined,
+      promptCache: undefined,
+    });
+    mocks.completeAfterTurn.mockResolvedValue({
+      sessionIdUsed: "session-1",
+      sessionFileUsed: "session.jsonl",
+    });
+
+    // Settlement must resolve immediately without entering the bounded drain.
+    // A 120s wall-clock guard ensures pre-fix (which would drain the wedged
+    // chain) fails fast rather than hanging the suite.
+    await expect(
+      Promise.race([
+        runEmbeddedAttemptSettledPhase(fixture.input),
+        new Promise<never>((_, reject) => {
+          setTimeout(
+            () => reject(new Error("settlement stalled on the bounded drain")),
+            5_000,
+          ).unref?.();
+        }),
+      ]),
+    ).resolves.toEqual({
+      sessionIdUsed: "session-1",
+      sessionFileUsed: "session.jsonl",
+    });
+
+    // The bounded drain was skipped: the wedged serialized chain was never
+    // awaited, and no partial text was flushed (failed terminal).
+    expect(waitForPendingEvents).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(fixture.flushPartialAssistantText).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(fixture.order).toEqual([]);
+    expect(mocks.settleStream).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+  });
+
+  it("re-drains queued events when the run-budget timeout fires during the abort-aware join", async () => {
+    // Settlement starts with a non-budget terminal and waits on the abort-aware join. If the run-budget
+    // timer fires while that join is pending, the abort resolves the join
+    // immediately WITHOUT draining; the salvage must then run the bounded
+    // drain before flushing so a queued suffix is not lost.
+    const abortController = new AbortController();
+    let releaseJoin!: () => void;
+    const joinGate = new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+      releaseJoin = resolve;
+    });
+    const fixture = createFixture({
+      runAbortController: abortController,
+      waitForPendingEvents: vi.fn(async (options) => {
+        if (options?.includePartialReplies === false) {
+          fixture.order.push("pending-event-chain");
+          return;
+        }
+        fixture.order.push("pending-events");
+        await joinGate;
+      }),
+      flushPartialAssistantText: vi.fn(() => {
+        fixture.order.push("flush-partial");
+      }),
+    });
+    fixture.state.terminal = { kind: "ok" };
+
+    const settlePromise = runEmbeddedAttemptSettledPhase(fixture.input);
+    // Let the abort-aware join reach waitForPendingEvents, then fire the
+    // run-budget timeout while the join is pending.
+    await vi.waitFor(() => {
+      expect(fixture.order).toContain("pending-events");
+    });
+    fixture.state.terminal = { kind: "timeout", phase: "prompt", source: "run_budget" };
+    abortController.abort(new Error("run budget exceeded"));
+    // Release the join gate so the bounded re-drain can complete too.
+    releaseJoin();
+
+    await expect(settlePromise).resolves.toEqual({
+      sessionIdUsed: "session-1",
+      sessionFileUsed: "session.jsonl",
+    });
+
+    // The abort-aware join resolved on abort without draining; the bounded
+    // re-drain must run BEFORE the salvage flush (pre-fix code flushed
+    // without it, losing the queued suffix). The re-drain is queue-only
+    // (pending-event-chain), separate from the abort-aware join's
+    // pending-events wait.
+    expect(fixture.order.filter((entry) => entry === "pending-events")).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(fixture.order.filter((entry) => entry === "pending-event-chain")).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(fixture.order).toEqual(["pending-events", "pending-event-chain", "flush-partial"]);
+    expect(mocks.settleStream).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+  });
+
+  it("does not re-flush partial assistant text on non-run-budget terminals", async () => {
+    // Cancellation and provider-failure aborts must not publish partial output through settlement.
+    const abortController = new AbortController();
+    abortController.abort(new Error("operator cancel"));
+    const fixture = createFixture({ runAbortController: abortController });
+    fixture.state.terminal = { kind: "aborted", source: "external" };
+
+    await expect(runEmbeddedAttemptSettledPhase(fixture.input)).resolves.toEqual({
+      sessionIdUsed: "session-1",
+      sessionFileUsed: "session.jsonl",
+    });
+
+    expect(fixture.flushPartialAssistantText).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(mocks.settleStream).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/agents/embedded-agent-runner/run/attempt-timeout-prepare.test.ts b/src/agents/embedded-agent-runner/run/attempt-timeout-prepare.test.ts
index ef9902f30249..8fdaa75428de 100644
--- a/src/agents/embedded-agent-runner/run/attempt-timeout-prepare.test.ts
+++ b/src/agents/embedded-agent-runner/run/attempt-timeout-prepare.test.ts
@@ -63,6 +63,14 @@ describe("prepareEmbeddedAttemptTimeout", () => {
 
     expect(harness.markTimedOutByRunBudget).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
     expect(harness.abortRun).toHaveBeenCalledWith(true);
+    // The run-budget marker must be recorded before the abort so settlement
+    // can re-confirm terminal ownership before committing partial output; the
+    // timeout callback itself never commits buffered text.
+    const markOrder = harness.markTimedOutByRunBudget.mock.invocationCallOrder[0];
+    const abortOrder = harness.abortRun.mock.invocationCallOrder[0];
+    expect(markOrder).toBeDefined();
+    expect(abortOrder).toBeDefined();
+    expect(markOrder ?? -1).toBeLessThan(abortOrder ?? -1);
     harness.timeout.clearTimers();
   });
 
diff --git a/src/agents/embedded-agent-runner/run/attempt-timeout-prepare.ts b/src/agents/embedded-agent-runner/run/attempt-timeout-prepare.ts
index 77a056805482..f605e85c7293 100644
--- a/src/agents/embedded-agent-runner/run/attempt-timeout-prepare.ts
+++ b/src/agents/embedded-agent-runner/run/attempt-timeout-prepare.ts
@@ -71,6 +71,8 @@ export function prepareEmbeddedAttemptTimeout(input: {
         ) {
           input.markTimedOutDuringCompaction();
         }
+        // Settlement owns partial-output publication because abort or failure
+        // can still supersede this timeout while queued events drain.
         input.markTimedOutByRunBudget();
         input.abortRun(true);
         if (!abortWarnTimer) {
diff --git a/src/agents/embedded-agent-subscribe.handlers.messages.lifecycle.ts b/src/agents/embedded-agent-subscribe.handlers.messages.lifecycle.ts
index cd115c1203f3..06eb825962c8 100644
--- a/src/agents/embedded-agent-subscribe.handlers.messages.lifecycle.ts
+++ b/src/agents/embedded-agent-subscribe.handlers.messages.lifecycle.ts
@@ -247,6 +247,8 @@ export function handleMessageEnd(
   const finalizeMessageEnd = () => {
     ctx.state.deltaBuffer = "";
     ctx.state.thinkingTagStream = createThinkingTagStreamState();
+    ctx.state.deltaBufferIsCommentary = false;
+    ctx.state.hasFlushedPartialText = false;
     ctx.state.blockBuffer = "";
     ctx.blockChunker?.reset();
     ctx.state.blockState.thinking = false;
diff --git a/src/agents/embedded-agent-subscribe.handlers.messages.update.ts b/src/agents/embedded-agent-subscribe.handlers.messages.update.ts
index 83f1518811e3..0916b74fb0dd 100644
--- a/src/agents/embedded-agent-subscribe.handlers.messages.update.ts
+++ b/src/agents/embedded-agent-subscribe.handlers.messages.update.ts
@@ -252,6 +252,7 @@ export function handleMessageUpdate(
     if (isResponsesCommentary && chunk) {
       // Keep cumulative end events monotonic without feeding commentary into reply buffers.
       ctx.state.deltaBuffer += chunk;
+      ctx.state.deltaBufferIsCommentary = true;
     }
     const commentaryText =
       !chunk && (!isResponsesCommentary || !hadResponsesCommentaryText)
@@ -289,6 +290,7 @@ export function handleMessageUpdate(
 
   if (chunk) {
     ctx.state.deltaBuffer += chunk;
+    ctx.state.deltaBufferIsCommentary = false;
     if (!skipLiveStream && !shouldUsePhaseAwareBlockReply) {
       if (!isPhasePendingAnthropicText && !isPhasePendingCompletionsText) {
         appendBlockReplyChunk(ctx, chunk);
diff --git a/src/agents/embedded-agent-subscribe.handlers.types.ts b/src/agents/embedded-agent-subscribe.handlers.types.ts
index 68840dff92f0..24d1353c882f 100644
--- a/src/agents/embedded-agent-subscribe.handlers.types.ts
+++ b/src/agents/embedded-agent-subscribe.handlers.types.ts
@@ -117,6 +117,16 @@ export type EmbeddedAgentSubscribeState = {
   deltaBuffer: string;
   /** Scanner state shares deltaBuffer's lifecycle so each provider byte is parsed once. */
   thinkingTagStream: ThinkingTagStreamState;
+  /**
+   * True while the buffered stream text belongs to an explicit commentary
+   * item (e.g. the Responses API "commentary" phase). Commentary is routed to
+   * a separate lane by the normal stream path, so the run-budget timeout
+   * flush must skip it too: flushing the raw deltaBuffer without this marker
+   * would publish reasoning/commentary bytes as assistant text.
+   */
+  deltaBufferIsCommentary: boolean;
+  /** Whether timeout settlement committed visible text for this message. */
+  hasFlushedPartialText: boolean;
   blockBuffer: string;
   blockState: {
     thinking: boolean;
diff --git a/src/agents/embedded-agent-subscribe.partial-reply-lifecycle.test.ts b/src/agents/embedded-agent-subscribe.partial-reply-lifecycle.test.ts
index e4106da1bd0d..a017c4c9ff3a 100644
--- a/src/agents/embedded-agent-subscribe.partial-reply-lifecycle.test.ts
+++ b/src/agents/embedded-agent-subscribe.partial-reply-lifecycle.test.ts
@@ -96,4 +96,57 @@ describe("subscribeEmbeddedAgentSession partial reply lifecycle", () => {
       `assistant partial reply callback failed: ${String(callbackError)}`,
     );
   });
+
+  it("queue-only drain is not blocked by a stalled partial reply callback", async () => {
+    // Timeout salvage drains only the serialized event chain — the queue whose handlers mutate the assistant
+    // text buffer. A stalled onPartialReply transport callback is external
+    // fan-out and cannot change the buffered text, so it must not hold an
+    // already-aborted run in settlement. Pre-fix, the salvage path used
+    // waitForPendingEvents, which also awaits pendingPartialReplyTasks; a
+    // stalled callback would block the drain until the bounded liveness
+    // deadline (120s) elapsed.
+    const onPartialReply = vi.fn(() => new Promise<void>(() => {}));
+    const { emit, subscription } = createSubscribedSessionHarness({
+      runId: "run-stalled-partial-callback",
+      onPartialReply,
+    });
+
+    // First delta fires the partial-reply callback (stalled, never resolves).
+    emit({
+      type: "message_update",
+      message: { role: "assistant" },
+      assistantMessageEvent: { type: "text_delta", delta: "partial " },
+    });
+    await vi.waitFor(() => expect(onPartialReply).toHaveBeenCalledOnce());
+
+    // A second delta queues behind the first on the serialized event chain.
+    emit({
+      type: "message_update",
+      message: { role: "assistant" },
+      assistantMessageEvent: { type: "text_delta", delta: "answer" },
+    });
+
+    // Queue-only drain completes promptly: the event chain is null once both
+    // deltas are processed, regardless of the stalled fan-out callback.
+    await expect(
+      Promise.race([
+        subscription.waitForPendingEvents({ includePartialReplies: false }).then(() => "drained"),
+        new Promise<"timeout">((resolve) => {
+          setTimeout(() => resolve("timeout"), 1000);
+        }),
+      ]),
+    ).resolves.toBe("drained");
+
+    // The broad join still observes the stalled callback (proving the two
+    // drains are genuinely distinct and the queue-only split is meaningful).
+    const broad = Promise.race([
+      subscription.waitForPendingEvents().then(() => "drained"),
+      new Promise<"timeout">((resolve) => {
+        setTimeout(() => resolve("timeout"), 1000);
+      }),
+    ]);
+    await expect(broad).resolves.toBe("timeout");
+
+    subscription.unsubscribe();
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/agents/embedded-agent-subscribe.reply-delivery.ts b/src/agents/embedded-agent-subscribe.reply-delivery.ts
index 8a80abe08caf..25f733bf2638 100644
--- a/src/agents/embedded-agent-subscribe.reply-delivery.ts
+++ b/src/agents/embedded-agent-subscribe.reply-delivery.ts
@@ -215,6 +215,18 @@ export function createReplyDelivery({ params, state, log }: ReplyDeliveryParams)
     rememberAssistantText(text);
   };
 
+  const replaceCurrentAssistantText = (text: string) => {
+    const count = assistantTexts.length - state.assistantTextBaseline;
+    if (!text) {
+      assistantTexts.splice(state.assistantTextBaseline, count);
+    } else if (count > 0) {
+      assistantTexts.splice(state.assistantTextBaseline, count, text);
+      rememberAssistantText(text);
+    } else {
+      pushAssistantText(text);
+    }
+  };
+
   const finalizeAssistantTexts = (args: {
     text: string;
     addedDuringMessage: boolean;
@@ -222,19 +234,22 @@ export function createReplyDelivery({ params, state, log }: ReplyDeliveryParams)
   }) => {
     const { text, addedDuringMessage, chunkerHasBuffered } = args;
 
+    // A run-budget timeout flush may already have committed partial text for
+    // this message. When message_end later finalizes the complete text, replace
+    // the flushed partial instead of appending a duplicate. The partial stays
+    // when message_end never arrives (hard run-budget abort) — that is the
+    // salvage the timeout flush exists for.
+    if (state.hasFlushedPartialText && text) {
+      replaceCurrentAssistantText(text);
+      state.hasFlushedPartialText = false;
+      state.assistantTextBaseline = assistantTexts.length;
+      return;
+    }
+
     // If we're not streaming block replies, ensure the final payload includes
     // the final text even when interim streaming was enabled.
     if (state.includeReasoning && text && !params.onBlockReply) {
-      if (assistantTexts.length > state.assistantTextBaseline) {
-        assistantTexts.splice(
-          state.assistantTextBaseline,
-          assistantTexts.length - state.assistantTextBaseline,
-          text,
-        );
-        rememberAssistantText(text);
-      } else {
-        pushAssistantText(text);
-      }
+      replaceCurrentAssistantText(text);
       state.suppressBlockChunks = true;
     } else if (!addedDuringMessage && !chunkerHasBuffered && text) {
       // Non-streaming models (no text_delta): ensure assistantTexts gets the final
@@ -245,14 +260,17 @@ export function createReplyDelivery({ params, state, log }: ReplyDeliveryParams)
     state.assistantTextBaseline = assistantTexts.length;
   };
 
-  const waitForPendingEvents = async () => {
+  const waitForPendingEvents = async (options?: { includePartialReplies?: boolean }) => {
     // Partial presentation stays concurrent with provider events, but terminal
     // settlement must observe callbacks launched while the event chain drains.
-    while (state.pendingEventChain || pendingPartialReplyTasks.size > 0) {
-      await Promise.allSettled([
-        ...(state.pendingEventChain ? [state.pendingEventChain] : []),
-        ...pendingPartialReplyTasks,
-      ]);
+    const includePartialReplies = options?.includePartialReplies !== false;
+    while (true) {
+      const eventChain = state.pendingEventChain;
+      const partialReplyTasks = includePartialReplies ? [...pendingPartialReplyTasks] : [];
+      if (!eventChain && partialReplyTasks.length === 0) {
+        return;
+      }
+      await Promise.allSettled([...(eventChain ? [eventChain] : []), ...partialReplyTasks]);
     }
   };
 
@@ -267,6 +285,7 @@ export function createReplyDelivery({ params, state, log }: ReplyDeliveryParams)
     flushDeferredBlockReplies,
     pendingBlockReplyTasks,
     pushAssistantText,
+    replaceCurrentAssistantText,
     shouldSkipAssistantText,
     waitForPendingEvents,
   };
diff --git a/src/agents/embedded-agent-subscribe.run-state.ts b/src/agents/embedded-agent-subscribe.run-state.ts
index a5d0c74d6596..32888627f934 100644
--- a/src/agents/embedded-agent-subscribe.run-state.ts
+++ b/src/agents/embedded-agent-subscribe.run-state.ts
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ export function createEmbeddedAgentSubscribeState(
       typeof params.onReasoningStream === "function",
     deltaBuffer: "",
     thinkingTagStream: createThinkingTagStreamState(),
+    deltaBufferIsCommentary: false,
+    hasFlushedPartialText: false,
     blockBuffer: "",
     // Track if a streamed chunk opened a <think> block (stateful across chunks).
     blockState: { thinking: false, final: false, inlineCode: createInlineCodeState() },
diff --git a/src/agents/embedded-agent-subscribe.stream-rendering.ts b/src/agents/embedded-agent-subscribe.stream-rendering.ts
index 599002062fc2..be2b4f7aa424 100644
--- a/src/agents/embedded-agent-subscribe.stream-rendering.ts
+++ b/src/agents/embedded-agent-subscribe.stream-rendering.ts
@@ -581,6 +581,8 @@ export function createStreamRendering({
   const resetAssistantMessageState = (nextAssistantTextBaseline: number) => {
     state.deltaBuffer = "";
     state.thinkingTagStream = createThinkingTagStreamState();
+    state.deltaBufferIsCommentary = false;
+    state.hasFlushedPartialText = false;
     state.blockBuffer = "";
     blockChunker?.reset();
     replyDirectiveAccumulator.reset();
diff --git a/src/agents/embedded-agent-subscribe.subscribe-embedded-agent-session.subscribeembeddedagentsession.test.ts b/src/agents/embedded-agent-subscribe.subscribe-embedded-agent-session.subscribeembeddedagentsession.test.ts
index 131c79169a65..f11f7f7cd8dd 100644
--- a/src/agents/embedded-agent-subscribe.subscribe-embedded-agent-session.subscribeembeddedagentsession.test.ts
+++ b/src/agents/embedded-agent-subscribe.subscribe-embedded-agent-session.subscribeembeddedagentsession.test.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import {
   findLifecycleErrorAgentEvent,
 } from "./embedded-agent-subscribe.e2e-harness.js";
 import { subscribeEmbeddedAgentSession } from "./embedded-agent-subscribe.js";
+import { createOpenAiResponsesTextEvent } from "./embedded-agent-subscribe.openai-responses.test-helpers.js";
 import { makeZeroUsageSnapshot } from "./usage.js";
 
 const retryingCompactionEnd = () =>
@@ -1718,5 +1719,354 @@ describe("subscribeEmbeddedAgentSession", () => {
       summary: "Nothing needs attention.",
     });
   });
+
+  describe("flushPartialAssistantText", () => {
+    it("does not commit commentary-phase text on timeout flush", () => {
+      const { emit, subscription } = createSubscribedHarness({
+        runId: "run",
+      });
+
+      emit({ type: "message_start", message: { role: "assistant" } });
+      // OpenAI Responses commentary items stream text_delta events that the
+      // normal path deliberately keeps out of reply buffers. The timeout flush
+      // must preserve that boundary: commentary must not become assistantTexts.
+      emit(
+        createOpenAiResponsesTextEvent({
+          type: "text_delta",
+          text: "Working...",
+          delta: "Working...",
+          id: "item-commentary",
+          signaturePhase: "commentary",
+          partialPhase: "commentary",
+        }),
+      );
+
+      subscription.flushPartialAssistantText();
+
+      expect(subscription.assistantTexts).toEqual([]);
+    });
+
+    it("commits final-answer text that follows a commentary item", () => {
+      const { emit, subscription } = createSubscribedHarness({
+        runId: "run",
+      });
+
+      emit({ type: "message_start", message: { role: "assistant" } });
+      emit(
+        createOpenAiResponsesTextEvent({
+          type: "text_delta",
+          text: "Working...",
+          delta: "Working...",
+          id: "item-commentary",
+          signaturePhase: "commentary",
+          partialPhase: "commentary",
+        }),
+      );
+      // A later final-answer item resets the buffered item boundary, so the
+      // timeout flush must preserve the visible final text while dropping the
+      // preceding commentary bytes.
+      emit(
+        createOpenAiResponsesTextEvent({
+          type: "text_delta",
+          text: "Final answer",
+          delta: "Final answer",
+          id: "item-final",
+          signaturePhase: "final_answer",
+          partialPhase: "final_answer",
+        }),
+      );
+
+      subscription.flushPartialAssistantText();
+
+      expect(subscription.assistantTexts).toEqual(["Final answer"]);
+    });
+
+    it("preserves normal visible text", () => {
+      const { emit, subscription } = createSubscribedHarness({
+        runId: "run",
+      });
+
+      emit({ type: "message_start", message: { role: "assistant" } });
+      emitAssistantTextDelta(emit, "Hello ");
+      emitAssistantTextDelta(emit, "world");
+
+      subscription.flushPartialAssistantText();
+
+      expect(subscription.assistantTexts).toEqual(["Hello world"]);
+    });
+
+    it("strips think tags before committing text", () => {
+      const { emit, subscription } = createSubscribedHarness({
+        runId: "run",
+      });
+
+      emit({ type: "message_start", message: { role: "assistant" } });
+      emitAssistantTextDelta(emit, "Before<think>");
+      emitAssistantTextDelta(emit, " secret");
+      emitAssistantTextDelta(emit, "</think>After");
+
+      subscription.flushPartialAssistantText();
+
+      expect(subscription.assistantTexts).toEqual(["BeforeAfter"]);
+    });
+
+    it("handles final tags matching enforceFinalTag param", () => {
+      const { emit, subscription } = createSubscribedHarness({
+        runId: "run",
+        enforceFinalTag: true,
+      });
+
+      emit({ type: "message_start", message: { role: "assistant" } });
+      emitAssistantTextDelta(emit, "Discarded <final>");
+      emitAssistantTextDelta(emit, "preserved");
+      emitAssistantTextDelta(emit, "</final> also discarded");
+
+      subscription.flushPartialAssistantText();
+
+      expect(subscription.assistantTexts).toEqual(["preserved"]);
+    });
+
+    it("strips final tags but preserves visible text when enforceFinalTag is disabled", () => {
+      const { emit, subscription } = createSubscribedHarness({
+        runId: "run",
+        // Default policy: final-tag enforcement is off, so the timeout flush
+        // must keep the same visible text the normal path would retain and
+        // only strip the <final> markers themselves.
+        enforceFinalTag: false,
+      });
+
+      emit({ type: "message_start", message: { role: "assistant" } });
+      emitAssistantTextDelta(emit, "Discarded <final>");
+      emitAssistantTextDelta(emit, "preserved");
+      emitAssistantTextDelta(emit, "</final> also kept");
+
+      subscription.flushPartialAssistantText();
+
+      // Same normalization as normal completion with enforceFinalTag=false:
+      // the final-tag markers are stripped, no surrounding visible text is lost.
+      expect(subscription.assistantTexts).toEqual(["Discarded preserved also kept"]);
+    });
+
+    it("strips downgraded tool call text", () => {
+      const { emit, subscription } = createSubscribedHarness({
+        runId: "run",
+      });
+
+      emit({ type: "message_start", message: { role: "assistant" } });
+      emitAssistantTextDelta(emit, "Visible answer");
+      emitAssistantTextDelta(emit, " [Tool Call: some_fn]");
+
+      subscription.flushPartialAssistantText();
+
+      expect(subscription.assistantTexts).toEqual(["Visible answer"]);
+    });
+
+    it("is a no-op when deltaBuffer is empty", () => {
+      const { subscription } = createSubscribedHarness({
+        runId: "run",
+      });
+
+      subscription.flushPartialAssistantText();
+
+      expect(subscription.assistantTexts).toEqual([]);
+    });
+
+    it("preserves visible prefix before unclosed think tag on flush", () => {
+      const { emit, subscription } = createSubscribedHarness({
+        runId: "run",
+      });
+
+      emit({ type: "message_start", message: { role: "assistant" } });
+      // Streaming path advances state.blockState.thinking to true on <think>,
+      // then a timeout fires before </think>. flushPartialAssistantText must
+      // use fresh filter state so "Before " is not treated as hidden content.
+      emitAssistantTextDelta(emit, "Before ");
+      emitAssistantTextDelta(emit, "<think> reasoning without close");
+
+      subscription.flushPartialAssistantText();
+
+      // The visible prefix is preserved (trimEnd removes trailing space).
+      expect(subscription.assistantTexts).toEqual(["Before"]);
+    });
+
+    it("preserves visible prefix before unclosed final tag on flush", () => {
+      const { emit, subscription } = createSubscribedHarness({
+        runId: "run",
+        enforceFinalTag: true,
+      });
+
+      emit({ type: "message_start", message: { role: "assistant" } });
+      // Same boundary: streaming advances state.blockState.final to true
+      // on <final>, then timeout fires. Flush must preserve text inside
+      // the unclosed final block and hide text that appeared before <final>.
+      emitAssistantTextDelta(emit, "Before ");
+      emitAssistantTextDelta(emit, "<final> content without close");
+
+      subscription.flushPartialAssistantText();
+
+      // enforceFinalTag hides text before <final>; text inside the
+      // unclosed final block is preserved.
+      expect(subscription.assistantTexts).toEqual([" content without close"]);
+    });
+
+    it("does not re-append text already committed by an earlier flush", () => {
+      const { emit, subscription } = createSubscribedHarness({
+        runId: "run",
+      });
+
+      emit({ type: "message_start", message: { role: "assistant" } });
+      emitAssistantTextDelta(emit, "Hello world");
+
+      // Pre-abort flush commits the buffered text.
+      subscription.flushPartialAssistantText();
+      // Post-drain re-flush sees the same buffer (a queued suffix may or may
+      // not have landed); it must not append the cumulative text again.
+      subscription.flushPartialAssistantText();
+
+      expect(subscription.assistantTexts).toEqual(["Hello world"]);
+    });
+
+    it("commits only the queued suffix on a second flush", () => {
+      const { emit, subscription } = createSubscribedHarness({
+        runId: "run",
+      });
+
+      emit({ type: "message_start", message: { role: "assistant" } });
+      emitAssistantTextDelta(emit, "Hello ");
+
+      subscription.flushPartialAssistantText();
+      // A message_update serialized behind the abort lands after the first
+      // flush; the re-flush must append only the new suffix to the same entry
+      // (never re-append the already-committed prefix).
+      emitAssistantTextDelta(emit, "world");
+      subscription.flushPartialAssistantText();
+
+      expect(subscription.assistantTexts).toEqual(["Hello world"]);
+    });
+
+    it("replaces already-delivered live block chunks with the cumulative text instead of duplicating them", () => {
+      const onBlockReply = vi.fn();
+      const { emit, subscription } = createSubscribedHarness({
+        runId: "run",
+        onBlockReply,
+        blockReplyChunking: {
+          minChars: 8,
+          maxChars: 200,
+          breakPreference: "sentence",
+        },
+      });
+
+      emit({ type: "message_start", message: { role: "assistant" } });
+      emitAssistantTextDelta(emit, "Hello world. ");
+      emitAssistantTextDelta(emit, "Next sentence. ");
+
+      // Normal live block streaming already committed each chunk into
+      // assistantTexts before the deadline; the timeout flush must not append
+      // the cumulative buffer on top of them (P1: avoid duplicating live block
+      // chunks during timeout flushing).
+      expect(subscription.assistantTexts).toEqual(["Hello world.", "Next sentence."]);
+
+      subscription.flushPartialAssistantText();
+
+      expect(subscription.assistantTexts).toEqual(["Hello world. Next sentence."]);
+      expect(onBlockReply).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+
+    it("folds a queued suffix into the already-committed live projection without duplicating it", () => {
+      const onBlockReply = vi.fn();
+      const { emit, subscription } = createSubscribedHarness({
+        runId: "run",
+        onBlockReply,
+        blockReplyChunking: {
+          minChars: 8,
+          maxChars: 200,
+          breakPreference: "sentence",
+        },
+      });
+
+      emit({ type: "message_start", message: { role: "assistant" } });
+      emitAssistantTextDelta(emit, "Hello world. ");
+
+      // Pre-abort flush replaces the live chunk with the buffered projection.
+      subscription.flushPartialAssistantText();
+      expect(subscription.assistantTexts).toEqual(["Hello world."]);
+
+      // A message_update serialized behind the abort lands after the first
+      // flush; the live path also commits the new chunk. The re-flush must
+      // reconcile the whole segment instead of appending the suffix twice.
+      emitAssistantTextDelta(emit, "Next sentence. ");
+      expect(subscription.assistantTexts).toEqual(["Hello world.", "Next sentence."]);
+
+      subscription.flushPartialAssistantText();
+
+      expect(subscription.assistantTexts).toEqual(["Hello world. Next sentence."]);
+    });
+
+    it("retains hidden-tag context across flushes so a queued suffix inside an unclosed think tag never leaks", () => {
+      const { emit, subscription } = createSubscribedHarness({
+        runId: "run",
+      });
+
+      emit({ type: "message_start", message: { role: "assistant" } });
+      emitAssistantTextDelta(emit, "Before ");
+      emitAssistantTextDelta(emit, "<think> reasoning without close");
+
+      // First flush commits the visible prefix and would have cleared the
+      // buffer under the previous implementation, losing the opening <think>.
+      subscription.flushPartialAssistantText();
+      expect(subscription.assistantTexts).toEqual(["Before"]);
+
+      // A queued suffix inside the still-open hidden block must stay hidden:
+      // the retained buffer keeps the opening tag visible to the filter.
+      emitAssistantTextDelta(emit, "secret continuation");
+      subscription.flushPartialAssistantText();
+
+      expect(subscription.assistantTexts).toEqual(["Before"]);
+    });
+
+    it("replaces flushed partial text with the complete text when message_end arrives", () => {
+      const { emit, subscription } = createSubscribedHarness({
+        runId: "run",
+      });
+
+      emit({ type: "message_start", message: { role: "assistant" } });
+      emitAssistantTextDelta(emit, "Hello");
+      subscription.flushPartialAssistantText();
+      expect(subscription.assistantTexts).toEqual(["Hello"]);
+
+      // The abort raced a clean completion: message_end finalizes the complete
+      // text. The flushed partial must be replaced, not duplicated.
+      emit({
+        type: "message_end",
+        message: {
+          role: "assistant",
+          content: [{ type: "text", text: "Hello world" }],
+        },
+      });
+
+      expect(subscription.assistantTexts).toEqual(["Hello world"]);
+    });
+
+    it("replaces a flushed entry when a queued orphan reasoning close retracts the prefix", () => {
+      const { emit, subscription } = createSubscribedHarness({
+        runId: "run",
+      });
+
+      emit({ type: "message_start", message: { role: "assistant" } });
+      // First flush commits text that the sanitizer still treats as visible:
+      // the opening reasoning tag has not arrived yet.
+      emitAssistantTextDelta(emit, "private chain");
+      subscription.flushPartialAssistantText();
+      expect(subscription.assistantTexts).toEqual(["private chain"]);
+
+      // A queued delta delivers the orphan close plus the real answer. The
+      // full-buffer re-filter retracts the leaked prefix; the flush must
+      // REPLACE the stored entry, not extend it (P1: reconcile retractions).
+      emitAssistantTextDelta(emit, "</mm:think>Visible answer");
+      subscription.flushPartialAssistantText();
+
+      expect(subscription.assistantTexts).toEqual(["Visible answer"]);
+    });
+  });
 });
 /* oxlint-disable max-lines -- TODO: split this grandfathered oversized file. */
diff --git a/src/agents/embedded-agent-subscribe.ts b/src/agents/embedded-agent-subscribe.ts
index 60c8d0b3f414..088b01f20ac6 100644
--- a/src/agents/embedded-agent-subscribe.ts
+++ b/src/agents/embedded-agent-subscribe.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { createInlineCodeState } from "../../packages/markdown-core/src/code-spans.js";
 /**
  * Subscribes to embedded-agent sessions and streams formatted replies/events.
  */
@@ -34,6 +35,7 @@ import {
   filterToolResultMediaUrls,
 } from "./embedded-agent-tool-media.js";
 import { buildToolLifecycleErrorResult } from "./embedded-agent-tool-results.js";
+import { stripDowngradedToolCallText } from "./embedded-agent-utils.js";
 import type { AgentRunTimeoutPhase } from "./run-timeout-attribution.js";
 import type { AgentMessage } from "./runtime/index.js";
 import { hasNonzeroUsage, normalizeUsage, type UsageLike } from "./usage.js";
@@ -467,6 +469,42 @@ export function subscribeEmbeddedAgentSession(params: SubscribeEmbeddedAgentSess
     }
   };
 
+  // Re-filter the full raw buffer. Reusing live scanner state would hide the
+  // visible prefix when timeout interrupts an open <think> or <final> block.
+  const finalizeFlushedAssistantText = (text: string) =>
+    stripDowngradedToolCallText(
+      stripBlockTags(
+        text,
+        {
+          thinking: false,
+          final: false,
+          inlineCode: createInlineCodeState(),
+        },
+        { final: true },
+      ),
+    ).trimEnd();
+
+  // Settlement calls this only for the final, failure-free run-budget terminal.
+  // Retain and re-filter the full buffer so queued suffixes keep hidden-tag
+  // context; replace live chunks instead of appending cumulative text twice.
+  const flushPartialAssistantText = () => {
+    const text = state.deltaBuffer;
+    if (!text) {
+      return;
+    }
+    if (state.deltaBufferIsCommentary) {
+      state.hasFlushedPartialText = false;
+      return;
+    }
+    const visibleText = finalizeFlushedAssistantText(text);
+    if (assistantTexts.length > state.assistantTextBaseline || state.hasFlushedPartialText) {
+      replyDelivery.replaceCurrentAssistantText(visibleText);
+    } else if (visibleText) {
+      replyDelivery.pushAssistantText(visibleText);
+    }
+    state.hasFlushedPartialText = Boolean(visibleText);
+  };
+
   const ctx: EmbeddedAgentSubscribeContext = {
     params,
     state,
@@ -666,6 +704,7 @@ export function subscribeEmbeddedAgentSession(params: SubscribeEmbeddedAgentSess
     getLastCompactionTokensAfter: () => state.lastCompactionTokensAfter,
     getAssistantTurnCount: () => state.assistantTurnCount,
     waitForPendingEvents: replyDelivery.waitForPendingEvents,
+    flushPartialAssistantText,
     getItemLifecycle: () => ({
       startedCount: state.itemStartedCount,
       completedCount: state.itemCompletedCount,