diff --git a/container/agent-runner/src/destinations.test.ts b/container/agent-runner/src/destinations.test.ts
index f5e5818..14243f2 100644
--- a/container/agent-runner/src/destinations.test.ts
+++ b/container/agent-runner/src/destinations.test.ts
@@ -33,14 +33,14 @@ describe('buildSystemPromptAddendum — multi-destination routing guidance', ()
     expect(prompt).toContain('`whatsapp-mg-17780`');
   });
 
-  it('omits the default-routing nudge for a single destination (short-circuited)', () => {
+  it('requires explicit wrapping even for a single destination', () => {
     seedDestination('casa', 'Casa', 'whatsapp', 'group-1@g.us');
 
     const prompt = buildSystemPromptAddendum('Casa');
 
-    // Single-destination path uses the simpler "no special wrapping needed" copy
-    expect(prompt).toContain('no special wrapping needed');
-    expect(prompt).not.toContain('Default routing');
+    expect(prompt).toContain('Every response must be wrapped');
+    expect(prompt).toContain('<message to="name">');
+    expect(prompt).toContain('`casa`');
   });
 
   it('handles the no-destination case without crashing', () => {
@@ -49,4 +49,15 @@ describe('buildSystemPromptAddendum — multi-destination routing guidance', ()
     expect(prompt).toContain('no configured destinations');
     expect(prompt).not.toContain('Default routing');
   });
+
+  it('includes default-routing and wrapping instructions for single destination', () => {
+    seedDestination('casa', 'Casa', 'whatsapp', 'group-1@g.us');
+
+    const prompt = buildSystemPromptAddendum('Casa');
+
+    expect(prompt).toContain('Every response must be wrapped');
+    expect(prompt).toContain('<message to="name">');
+    expect(prompt).toContain('Default routing');
+    expect(prompt).toContain('`casa`');
+  });
 });
diff --git a/container/agent-runner/src/integration.test.ts b/container/agent-runner/src/integration.test.ts
index 9d243b2..cc537b5 100644
--- a/container/agent-runner/src/integration.test.ts
+++ b/container/agent-runner/src/integration.test.ts
@@ -112,6 +112,125 @@ describe('poll loop integration', () => {
     await loopPromise.catch(() => {});
   });
 
+  it('bare text produces no outbound messages (scratchpad only)', async () => {
+    insertMessage('m1', { sender: 'Alice', text: 'hello' }, { platformId: 'chan-1', channelType: 'discord' });
+
+    // Agent responds with bare text — no <message to="..."> wrapping
+    const provider = new MockProvider({}, () => 'I am thinking about this...');
+    const controller = new AbortController();
+    const loopPromise = runPollLoopWithTimeout(provider, controller.signal, 2000);
+
+    // Wait long enough for the poll loop to process
+    await sleep(1000);
+    controller.abort();
+
+    const out = getUndeliveredMessages();
+    expect(out).toHaveLength(0);
+
+    await loopPromise.catch(() => {});
+  });
+
+  it('unknown destination is dropped, valid destination is sent', async () => {
+    insertMessage('m1', { sender: 'Alice', text: 'hi' }, { platformId: 'chan-1', channelType: 'discord' });
+
+    const provider = new MockProvider(
+      {},
+      () => '<message to="nonexistent">dropped</message><message to="discord-test">delivered</message>',
+    );
+    const controller = new AbortController();
+    const loopPromise = runPollLoopWithTimeout(provider, controller.signal, 2000);
+
+    await waitFor(() => getUndeliveredMessages().length > 0, 2000);
+    controller.abort();
+
+    const out = getUndeliveredMessages();
+    // Only the valid destination should produce output
+    expect(out).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(JSON.parse(out[0].content).text).toBe('delivered');
+    expect(out[0].platform_id).toBe('chan-1');
+
+    await loopPromise.catch(() => {});
+  });
+
+  it('multiple <message> blocks each produce an outbound message', async () => {
+    getInboundDb()
+      .prepare(
+        `INSERT INTO destinations (name, display_name, type, channel_type, platform_id, agent_group_id)
+         VALUES ('slack-test', 'Slack Test', 'channel', 'slack', 'chan-2', NULL)`,
+      )
+      .run();
+
+    insertMessage('m1', { sender: 'Alice', text: 'broadcast' }, { platformId: 'chan-1', channelType: 'discord' });
+
+    const provider = new MockProvider(
+      {},
+      () => '<message to="discord-test">for discord</message><message to="slack-test">for slack</message>',
+    );
+    const controller = new AbortController();
+    const loopPromise = runPollLoopWithTimeout(provider, controller.signal, 2000);
+
+    await waitFor(() => getUndeliveredMessages().length >= 2, 2000);
+    controller.abort();
+
+    const out = getUndeliveredMessages();
+    expect(out).toHaveLength(2);
+    const discord = out.find((m) => m.platform_id === 'chan-1');
+    const slack = out.find((m) => m.platform_id === 'chan-2');
+    expect(discord).toBeDefined();
+    expect(JSON.parse(discord!.content).text).toBe('for discord');
+    expect(slack).toBeDefined();
+    expect(JSON.parse(slack!.content).text).toBe('for slack');
+
+    await loopPromise.catch(() => {});
+  });
+
+  it('sends null thread_id when no prior inbound from destination', async () => {
+    // Seed a second destination that has NO inbound messages
+    getInboundDb()
+      .prepare(
+        `INSERT INTO destinations (name, display_name, type, channel_type, platform_id, agent_group_id)
+         VALUES ('slack-new', 'Slack New', 'channel', 'slack', 'chan-new', NULL)`,
+      )
+      .run();
+
+    // Only insert a message from discord — slack-new has never sent anything
+    insertMessage('m1', { sender: 'Alice', text: 'tell slack' }, { platformId: 'chan-1', channelType: 'discord', threadId: 'discord-thread' });
+
+    const provider = new MockProvider({}, () => '<message to="slack-new">hello slack</message>');
+    const controller = new AbortController();
+    const loopPromise = runPollLoopWithTimeout(provider, controller.signal, 2000);
+
+    await waitFor(() => getUndeliveredMessages().length > 0, 2000);
+    controller.abort();
+
+    const out = getUndeliveredMessages();
+    expect(out).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(out[0].platform_id).toBe('chan-new');
+    expect(out[0].thread_id).toBeNull();
+
+    await loopPromise.catch(() => {});
+  });
+
+  it('resolves most recent thread_id when destination has multiple inbound messages', async () => {
+    // Two messages from same destination, different threads
+    insertMessage('m-old', { sender: 'Alice', text: 'old' }, { platformId: 'chan-1', channelType: 'discord', threadId: 'thread-old' });
+    insertMessage('m-new', { sender: 'Alice', text: 'new' }, { platformId: 'chan-1', channelType: 'discord', threadId: 'thread-new' });
+
+    const provider = new MockProvider({}, () => '<message to="discord-test">reply</message>');
+    const controller = new AbortController();
+    const loopPromise = runPollLoopWithTimeout(provider, controller.signal, 2000);
+
+    await waitFor(() => getUndeliveredMessages().length > 0, 2000);
+    controller.abort();
+
+    const out = getUndeliveredMessages();
+    expect(out).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(out[0].thread_id).toBe('thread-new');
+    expect(out[0].in_reply_to).toBe('m-new');
+
+    await loopPromise.catch(() => {});
+  });
+
   it('should process messages arriving after loop starts', async () => {
     const provider = new MockProvider({}, () => '<message to="discord-test">Processed</message>');
     const controller = new AbortController();
diff --git a/container/agent-runner/src/poll-loop.test.ts b/container/agent-runner/src/poll-loop.test.ts
index 6a0bcbd..82f9f75 100644
--- a/container/agent-runner/src/poll-loop.test.ts
+++ b/container/agent-runner/src/poll-loop.test.ts
@@ -149,6 +149,76 @@ describe('routing', () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe('origin metadata (from= attribute)', () => {
+  function seedDestination(name: string, channelType: string, platformId: string): void {
+    getInboundDb()
+      .prepare(
+        `INSERT INTO destinations (name, display_name, type, channel_type, platform_id, agent_group_id)
+         VALUES (?, ?, 'channel', ?, ?, NULL)`,
+      )
+      .run(name, name, channelType, platformId);
+  }
+
+  function insertWithRouting(id: string, kind: string, content: object, channelType: string | null, platformId: string | null): void {
+    getInboundDb()
+      .prepare(
+        `INSERT INTO messages_in (id, kind, timestamp, status, platform_id, channel_type, content)
+         VALUES (?, ?, datetime('now'), 'pending', ?, ?, ?)`,
+      )
+      .run(id, kind, platformId, channelType, JSON.stringify(content));
+  }
+
+  it('chat message includes from= when destination matches', () => {
+    seedDestination('discord-main', 'discord', 'chan-1');
+    insertWithRouting('m1', 'chat', { sender: 'Alice', text: 'hi' }, 'discord', 'chan-1');
+    const prompt = formatMessages(getPendingMessages());
+    expect(prompt).toContain('from="discord-main"');
+  });
+
+  it('chat message falls back to raw routing when no destination matches', () => {
+    insertWithRouting('m1', 'chat', { sender: 'Alice', text: 'hi' }, 'telegram', 'chat-999');
+    const prompt = formatMessages(getPendingMessages());
+    expect(prompt).toContain('from="unknown:telegram:chat-999"');
+  });
+
+  it('chat message omits from= when routing is null', () => {
+    insertMessage('m1', 'chat', { sender: 'Alice', text: 'hi' });
+    const prompt = formatMessages(getPendingMessages());
+    expect(prompt).not.toContain('from=');
+  });
+
+  it('task message includes from= when destination matches', () => {
+    seedDestination('slack-ops', 'slack', 'C-OPS');
+    insertWithRouting('t1', 'task', { prompt: 'check status' }, 'slack', 'C-OPS');
+    const prompt = formatMessages(getPendingMessages());
+    expect(prompt).toContain('<task');
+    expect(prompt).toContain('from="slack-ops"');
+  });
+
+  it('task message omits from= when routing is null', () => {
+    insertMessage('t1', 'task', { prompt: 'check status' });
+    const prompt = formatMessages(getPendingMessages());
+    expect(prompt).toContain('<task');
+    expect(prompt).not.toContain('from=');
+  });
+
+  it('webhook message includes from= when destination matches', () => {
+    seedDestination('github-ch', 'github', 'repo-1');
+    insertWithRouting('w1', 'webhook', { source: 'github', event: 'push', payload: {} }, 'github', 'repo-1');
+    const prompt = formatMessages(getPendingMessages());
+    expect(prompt).toContain('<webhook');
+    expect(prompt).toContain('from="github-ch"');
+  });
+
+  it('system message includes from= when destination matches', () => {
+    seedDestination('discord-main', 'discord', 'chan-1');
+    insertWithRouting('s1', 'system', { action: 'test', status: 'ok', result: null }, 'discord', 'chan-1');
+    const prompt = formatMessages(getPendingMessages());
+    expect(prompt).toContain('<system_response');
+    expect(prompt).toContain('from="discord-main"');
+  });
+});
+
 describe('mock provider', () => {
   it('should produce init + result events', async () => {
     const provider = new MockProvider({}, (prompt) => `Echo: ${prompt}`);
diff --git a/container/agent-runner/src/poll-loop.ts b/container/agent-runner/src/poll-loop.ts
index 804d1f2..f22fc7d 100644
--- a/container/agent-runner/src/poll-loop.ts
+++ b/container/agent-runner/src/poll-loop.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { findByName, type DestinationEntry } from './destinations.js';
+import { findByName, getAllDestinations, type DestinationEntry } from './destinations.js';
 import { getPendingMessages, markProcessing, markCompleted, type MessageInRow } from './db/messages-in.js';
 import { writeMessageOut } from './db/messages-out.js';
 import { getInboundDb, touchHeartbeat, clearStaleProcessingAcks } from './db/connection.js';