diff --git a/src/agent/context.rs b/src/agent/context.rs
index ce5ff02..0223183 100644
--- a/src/agent/context.rs
+++ b/src/agent/context.rs
@@ -491,6 +491,13 @@ impl ResponseParser {
         let handle = tokio::spawn(async move {
             let mut parser = self;
             let agent_name = agent.state.lock().await.provenance.clone();
+            // One-shot debug: dump rendered prompt to file
+            {
+                let ctx = agent.context.lock().await;
+                let rendered = ctx.render();
+                let dump_path = format!("/tmp/poc-{}-prompt.txt", agent_name);
+                let _ = std::fs::write(&dump_path, &rendered);
+            }
             let log_path = format!("/tmp/poc-{}.log", agent_name);
             let mut log_file = std::fs::OpenOptions::new()
                 .create(true).append(true).open(&log_path).ok();
diff --git a/src/agent/mod.rs b/src/agent/mod.rs
index 7ffdc87..8390ec4 100644
--- a/src/agent/mod.rs
+++ b/src/agent/mod.rs
@@ -540,10 +540,9 @@ impl Agent {
 
     pub async fn compact(&self) {
         match crate::config::reload_for_model(&self.app_config, &self.prompt_file) {
-            Ok((system_prompt, personality)) => {
+            Ok((_system_prompt, personality)) => {
                 let mut ctx = self.context.lock().await;
-                ctx.clear(Section::System);
-                ctx.push(Section::System, AstNode::system_msg(&system_prompt));
+                // System section (prompt + tools) set by new(), don't touch it
                 ctx.clear(Section::Identity);
                 for (name, content) in &personality {
                     ctx.push(Section::Identity, AstNode::memory(name, content));