diff --git a/container/agent-runner/src/poll-loop.ts b/container/agent-runner/src/poll-loop.ts
index 5ccb2e4..d93bdd3 100644
--- a/container/agent-runner/src/poll-loop.ts
+++ b/container/agent-runner/src/poll-loop.ts
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ export async function runPollLoop(config: PollLoopConfig): Promise<void> {
     const skippedSet = new Set(skipped);
     const processingIds = ids.filter((id) => !commandIds.includes(id) && !skippedSet.has(id));
     try {
-      const result = await processQuery(query, routing);
+      const result = await processQuery(query, routing, processingIds);
       if (result.continuation && result.continuation !== continuation) {
         continuation = result.continuation;
         setStoredSessionId(continuation);
@@ -189,6 +189,8 @@ export async function runPollLoop(config: PollLoopConfig): Promise<void> {
       });
     }
 
+    // Ensure completed even if processQuery ended without a result event
+    // (e.g. stream closed unexpectedly).
     markCompleted(processingIds);
     log(`Completed ${ids.length} message(s)`);
   }
@@ -232,7 +234,11 @@ interface QueryResult {
   continuation?: string;
 }
 
-async function processQuery(query: AgentQuery, routing: RoutingContext): Promise<QueryResult> {
+async function processQuery(
+  query: AgentQuery,
+  routing: RoutingContext,
+  initialBatchIds: string[],
+): Promise<QueryResult> {
   let queryContinuation: string | undefined;
   let done = false;
 
@@ -246,14 +252,15 @@ async function processQuery(query: AgentQuery, routing: RoutingContext): Promise
     if (done) return;
 
     // Skip system messages (MCP tool responses) and /clear (needs fresh query).
-    // Also defer messages whose thread_id differs from the active turn's routing
-    // — mixing threads into one streaming turn would send the reply to the wrong
-    // thread because `routing` is captured at turn start. The next turn will pick
-    // them up with fresh routing.
+    // Thread routing is the router's concern — if a message landed in this
+    // session, the agent should see it. Per-thread sessions already isolate
+    // threads into separate containers; shared sessions intentionally merge
+    // everything. Filtering on thread_id here caused deadlocks when the
+    // initial batch and follow-ups had mismatched thread_ids (e.g. a
+    // host-generated welcome trigger with null thread vs a Discord DM reply).
     const newMessages = getPendingMessages().filter((m) => {
       if (m.kind === 'system') return false;
       if ((m.kind === 'chat' || m.kind === 'chat-sdk') && isClearCommand(m)) return false;
-      if ((m.thread_id ?? null) !== (routing.threadId ?? null)) return false;
       return true;
     });
     if (newMessages.length > 0) {
@@ -282,8 +289,17 @@ async function processQuery(query: AgentQuery, routing: RoutingContext): Promise
         // effectively orphaned and the next message started a blank
         // Claude session with no prior context.
         setStoredSessionId(event.continuation);
-      } else if (event.type === 'result' && event.text) {
-        dispatchResultText(event.text, routing);
+      } else if (event.type === 'result') {
+        // A result — with or without text — means the turn is done. Mark
+        // the initial batch completed now so the host sweep doesn't see
+        // stale 'processing' claims while the query stays open for
+        // follow-up pushes. The agent may have responded via MCP
+        // (send_message) mid-turn, or the message may not need a response
+        // at all — either way the turn is finished.
+        markCompleted(initialBatchIds);
+        if (event.text) {
+          dispatchResultText(event.text, routing);
+        }
       }
     }
   } finally {
diff --git a/scripts/init-first-agent.ts b/scripts/init-first-agent.ts
index b3d7bd0..dcb99b5 100644
--- a/scripts/init-first-agent.ts
+++ b/scripts/init-first-agent.ts
@@ -363,7 +363,7 @@ async function sendWelcomeViaCliSocket(
           to: {
             channelType: dmMg.channel_type,
             platformId: dmMg.platform_id,
-            threadId: null,
+            threadId: dmMg.platform_id,
           },
         }) + '\n';
       socket.write(payload, (err) => {