Fix child agent startup routing and terminal failure status

app/src/ai/agent/conversation.rs

@@ -3445,7 +3445,7 @@ impl AIConversation {
                 };
 
                 let current_comment_state = self.code_review.as_ref().cloned();
-                task.add_messages(
+                let add_result = task.add_messages(
                     messages,
                     exchange_id,
                     TaskMessageContext {
@@ -3459,9 +3459,11 @@ impl AIConversation {
                     // to mimic the normal conversation flow. (If this is not a shared session, the
                     // exchange inputs will already be populated).
                     self.is_viewing_shared_session,
-                )?;
+                );
 
+                // Keep the task available for failure reporting even if message projection fails.
                 self.task_store.insert(task);
+                add_result?;
                 if !added_exchanges
                     .iter()
                     .any(|new_exchange_info| new_exchange_info.exchange_id == exchange_id)

app/src/ai/blocklist/controller.rs

@@ -3206,6 +3206,27 @@ impl BlocklistAIController {
         );
     }
 
+    /// Starts a newly created child on its root task. Shell initialization may still be
+    /// finishing when the bootstrap event arrives; it is not a command to monitor.
+    pub(crate) fn send_initial_child_agent_query(
+        &mut self,
+        query: String,
+        conversation_id: AIConversationId,
+        ctx: &mut ModelContext<Self>,
+    ) {
+        self.send_user_query_in_conversation_internal(
+            query,
+            conversation_id,
+            None,
+            RunningCommandDetection::Skip,
+            HashMap::new(),
+            EntrypointType::AgentInitiated,
+            false,
+            None,
+            ctx,
+        );
+    }
+
     /// Sends one non-preemptive final assessment to the root task after a CLI monitor completes.
     ///
     /// This deliberately bypasses `send_query`: command completion must not cancel
@@ -8339,8 +8360,11 @@ impl BlocklistAIController {
                     });
                 }
             },
-            // Failed outcomes are finalized by the projected InternalError event.
+            ProviderRunOutcome::Failed(failure) => {
-            ProviderRunOutcome::Failed(_) => {}
+                // Projection itself can fail before an exchange can display InternalError.
+                // The durable outcome must still release parents waiting for this child.
+                self.finalize_failed_provider_conversation(conversation_id, failure.message, ctx);
+            }
             ProviderRunOutcome::Cancelled { .. } => {
                 let cancellation_reason =
                     self.active_provider_runs[&conversation_id].cancellation_reason;
@@ -8373,6 +8397,28 @@ impl BlocklistAIController {
         self.cleanup_active_provider_run(conversation_id, &stream_id, &response_stream, ctx);
     }
 
+    fn finalize_failed_provider_conversation(
+        &self,
+        conversation_id: AIConversationId,
+        message: String,
+        ctx: &mut ModelContext<Self>,
+    ) {
+        BlocklistAIHistoryModel::handle(ctx).update(ctx, |history_model, ctx| {
+            if history_model
+                .conversation_status(&conversation_id)
+                .is_some_and(|status| status != &ConversationStatus::Error)
+            {
+                history_model.update_conversation_status_with_error(
+                    self.terminal_surface_id,
+                    conversation_id,
+                    ConversationStatus::Error,
+                    Some(RenderableAIError::other(message, false)),
+                    ctx,
+                );
+            }
+        });
+    }
+
     fn fail_provider_startup(
         &mut self,
         conversation_id: AIConversationId,
@@ -8391,7 +8437,7 @@ impl BlocklistAIController {
         BlocklistAIHistoryModel::handle(ctx).update(ctx, |history_model, ctx| {
             history_model.mark_response_stream_completed_with_error(
                 RenderableAIError::Other {
-                    error_message: message,
+                    error_message: message.clone(),
                     will_attempt_resume: false,
                     waiting_for_network: false,
                     is_user_error: false,
@@ -8403,6 +8449,7 @@ impl BlocklistAIController {
                 ctx,
             );
         });
+        self.finalize_failed_provider_conversation(conversation_id, message, ctx);
         self.cleanup_active_provider_run(conversation_id, &stream_id, &response_stream, ctx);
     }
 
@@ -10361,7 +10408,7 @@ fn get_running_command_for_conversation(
     conversation_id: AIConversationId,
 ) -> Option<RunningCommand> {
     let active_block = terminal_model.block_list().active_block();
-    if !active_block.is_active_and_long_running() {
+    if !active_block.bootstrap_stage().is_done() || !active_block.is_active_and_long_running() {
         return None;
     }
     if active_block.is_agent_monitoring()

app/src/ai/blocklist/controller_tests.rs

@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ use crate::ai::remote_logging::RemoteLogLevel;
 use crate::ai::runtime::ProviderRunProjection;
 use crate::persistence::model::{AcpConversationData, AgentBackend};
 use crate::terminal::model::block::{BlockId, BlockState};
+use crate::terminal::model::bootstrap::BootstrapStage;
+use crate::terminal::model::test_utils::TestBlockBuilder;
 use crate::test_util::settings::initialize_history_persistence_for_tests;
 use crate::test_util::terminal::{add_window_with_terminal, initialize_app_for_terminal_view};
 
@@ -3812,3 +3814,79 @@ fn progressive_summary_keeps_retained_tool_results_paired() {
     let budget = super::estimated_history_tokens(&messages[2..]);
     assert_eq!(super::progressive_summary_split_point(&messages, budget), 1);
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn shell_bootstrap_is_never_a_command_monitor_target() {
+    App::test((), |mut app| async move {
+        initialize_app_for_terminal_view(&mut app);
+        let terminal = add_window_with_terminal(&mut app, None);
+        terminal.update(&mut app, |terminal, _ctx| {
+            let mut model = terminal.model.lock();
+            let conversation_id = AIConversationId::new();
+            for stage in [
+                BootstrapStage::WarpInput,
+                BootstrapStage::ScriptExecution,
+                BootstrapStage::Bootstrapped,
+                BootstrapStage::PostBootstrapPrecmd,
+            ] {
+                *model.block_list_mut().active_block_mut() =
+                    TestBlockBuilder::new().with_bootstrap_stage(stage).build();
+                model.simulate_long_running_block("sleep 100", "shell startup output");
+                assert!(model
+                    .block_list()
+                    .active_block()
+                    .is_active_and_long_running());
+                assert_eq!(
+                    super::get_running_command_for_conversation(&model, conversation_id).is_some(),
+                    stage == BootstrapStage::PostBootstrapPrecmd,
+                    "bootstrap stage {stage:?}",
+                );
+            }
+        });
+    });
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn failed_child_without_an_exchange_reaches_terminal_error() {
+    App::test((), |mut app| async move {
+        initialize_app_for_terminal_view(&mut app);
+        let terminal = add_window_with_terminal(&mut app, None);
+        terminal.update(&mut app, |terminal, ctx| {
+            let terminal_id = terminal.id();
+            let children = BlocklistAIHistoryModel::handle(ctx).update(ctx, |history, ctx| {
+                let parent = history.start_new_conversation(terminal_id, false, false, false, ctx);
+                ["stakeholder", "architect", "developer"].map(|name| {
+                    history.start_new_child_conversation(
+                        terminal_id,
+                        name.to_owned(),
+                        parent,
+                        None,
+                        ctx,
+                    )
+                })
+            });
+            terminal.ai_controller().update(ctx, |controller, ctx| {
+                for child in [children[0], children[2]] {
+                    controller.finalize_failed_provider_conversation(
+                        child,
+                        "projection failed: ExchangeNotFound".to_owned(),
+                        ctx,
+                    );
+                }
+            });
+            let history = BlocklistAIHistoryModel::as_ref(ctx);
+            for child in [children[0], children[2]] {
+                let conversation = history.conversation(&child).unwrap();
+                assert_eq!(conversation.status(), &ConversationStatus::Error);
+                assert!(conversation
+                    .status_error_message()
+                    .unwrap()
+                    .contains("ExchangeNotFound"));
+            }
+            assert_eq!(
+                history.conversation(&children[1]).unwrap().status(),
+                &ConversationStatus::InProgress
+            );
+        });
+    });
+}

app/src/terminal/view.rs

@@ -16279,7 +16279,7 @@ impl TerminalView {
             return;
         }
         self.ai_controller.update(ctx, |controller, ctx| {
-            controller.send_agent_query_in_conversation(prompt, conversation_id, ctx);
+            controller.send_initial_child_agent_query(prompt, conversation_id, ctx);
         });
     }
     pub fn has_pending_command_or_awaiting_completion(&self, ctx: &AppContext) -> bool {