diff --git a/mini-test.sh b/mini-test.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..9ac8c70d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mini-test.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+
+SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+MINI_SRC="$SCRIPT_DIR/packages/coding-agent/src/experimental/mini/main.ts"
+MINI_DIST="$SCRIPT_DIR/packages/coding-agent/dist/experimental/mini/main.js"
+
+# The session server is spawned detached and outlives the TUI, so it keeps running whatever code it
+# started with. Restart it after changing anything under mini/, or the protocol will not match.
+stop_server() {
+  pkill -f "mini/server/entry" 2>/dev/null || true
+  rm -f "${PI_AGENT_DIR:-$HOME/.pi/agent}/experimental/mini.sock"
+}
+
+USE_DIST=false
+ARGS=()
+for arg in "$@"; do
+  case "$arg" in
+    --dist) USE_DIST=true ;;
+    --fresh) stop_server ;;
+    --stop) stop_server; echo "Stopped the mini session server."; exit 0 ;;
+    --help)
+      cat <<'USAGE'
+Usage: ./mini-test.sh [--dist] [--fresh] [--stop] [mini args...]
+
+  --dist    run built output with plain node instead of tsx on sources
+  --fresh   stop the detached session server first, so it picks up your changes
+  --stop    stop the detached session server and exit
+
+Mini args are passed through, for example:
+  ./mini-test.sh --continue
+USAGE
+      exit 0 ;;
+    *) ARGS+=("$arg") ;;
+  esac
+done
+
+if [[ "$USE_DIST" == "true" ]]; then
+  if [[ ! -f "$MINI_DIST" ]]; then
+    echo "No build found. Run: npm run build -w @earendil-works/pi-coding-agent" >&2
+    exit 1
+  fi
+  exec node "$MINI_DIST" ${ARGS[@]+"${ARGS[@]}"}
+fi
+
+exec "$SCRIPT_DIR/node_modules/.bin/tsx" --tsconfig "$SCRIPT_DIR/tsconfig.json" "$MINI_SRC" ${ARGS[@]+"${ARGS[@]}"}
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/bash.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/bash.ts
index b3139b85d..ec94cabd5 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/bash.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/bash.ts
@@ -1,12 +1,8 @@
 import { constants } from "node:fs";
 import { access as fsAccess } from "node:fs/promises";
 import type { AgentTool } from "@earendil-works/pi-agent-core";
-import { Container, Text, truncateToWidth } from "@earendil-works/pi-tui";
 import { spawn } from "child_process";
 import { type Static, Type } from "typebox";
-import { keyHint } from "../../modes/interactive/components/keybinding-hints.ts";
-import { truncateToVisualLines } from "../../modes/interactive/components/visual-truncate.ts";
-import { theme } from "../../modes/interactive/theme/theme.ts";
 import { waitForChildProcess } from "../../utils/child-process.ts";
 import {
 	getShellConfig,
@@ -17,9 +13,9 @@ import {
 	untrackDetachedChildPid,
 } from "../../utils/shell.ts";
 import { getExperimentalToolSampling } from "../experimental.ts";
-import type { ExtensionContext, ToolDefinition, ToolRenderResultOptions } from "../extensions/types.ts";
+import type { ExtensionContext, ToolDefinition } from "../extensions/types.ts";
 import { OutputAccumulator } from "./output-accumulator.ts";
-import { getTextOutput, invalidArgText, str } from "./render-utils.ts";
+import { BASH_UPDATE_THROTTLE_MS, createShellRenderers } from "./renderers/bash.ts";
 import { wrapToolDefinition } from "./tool-definition-wrapper.ts";
 import { DEFAULT_MAX_BYTES, DEFAULT_MAX_LINES, formatSize, type TruncationResult } from "./truncate.ts";
 
@@ -208,123 +204,12 @@ export interface BashToolOptions {
 	spawnHook?: BashSpawnHook;
 }
 
-const BASH_PREVIEW_LINES = 5;
-const BASH_UPDATE_THROTTLE_MS = 100;
-
 export type BashRenderState = {
 	startedAt: number | undefined;
 	endedAt: number | undefined;
 	interval: NodeJS.Timeout | undefined;
 };
 
-type BashResultRenderState = {
-	cachedWidth: number | undefined;
-	cachedLines: string[] | undefined;
-	cachedSkipped: number | undefined;
-};
-
-class BashResultRenderComponent extends Container {
-	state: BashResultRenderState = {
-		cachedWidth: undefined,
-		cachedLines: undefined,
-		cachedSkipped: undefined,
-	};
-}
-
-function formatDuration(ms: number): string {
-	return `${(ms / 1000).toFixed(1)}s`;
-}
-
-function formatShellCall(args: { command?: string; timeout?: number } | undefined, prompt: string): string {
-	const command = str(args?.command);
-	const timeout = args?.timeout as number | undefined;
-	const timeoutSuffix = timeout ? theme.fg("muted", ` (timeout ${timeout}s)`) : "";
-	const commandDisplay = command === null ? invalidArgText(theme) : command ? command : theme.fg("toolOutput", "...");
-	return theme.fg("toolTitle", theme.bold(`${prompt} ${commandDisplay}`)) + timeoutSuffix;
-}
-
-function rebuildBashResultRenderComponent(
-	component: BashResultRenderComponent,
-	result: {
-		content: Array<{ type: string; text?: string; data?: string; mimeType?: string }>;
-		details?: BashToolDetails;
-	},
-	options: ToolRenderResultOptions,
-	showImages: boolean,
-	startedAt: number | undefined,
-	endedAt: number | undefined,
-): void {
-	const state = component.state;
-	component.clear();
-
-	let output = getTextOutput(result as any, showImages).trim();
-	const truncation = result.details?.truncation;
-	const fullOutputPath = result.details?.fullOutputPath;
-	if (!options.isPartial && truncation?.truncated && fullOutputPath && output.endsWith("]")) {
-		const footerStart = output.lastIndexOf("\n\n[");
-		if (footerStart !== -1 && output.slice(footerStart).includes(fullOutputPath)) {
-			output = output.slice(0, footerStart).trimEnd();
-		}
-	}
-
-	if (output) {
-		const styledOutput = output
-			.split("\n")
-			.map((line) => theme.fg("toolOutput", line))
-			.join("\n");
-
-		if (options.expanded) {
-			component.addChild(new Text(`\n${styledOutput}`, 0, 0));
-		} else {
-			component.addChild({
-				render: (width: number) => {
-					if (state.cachedLines === undefined || state.cachedWidth !== width) {
-						const preview = truncateToVisualLines(styledOutput, BASH_PREVIEW_LINES, width);
-						state.cachedLines = preview.visualLines;
-						state.cachedSkipped = preview.skippedCount;
-						state.cachedWidth = width;
-					}
-					if (state.cachedSkipped && state.cachedSkipped > 0) {
-						const hint =
-							theme.fg("muted", `... (${state.cachedSkipped} earlier lines,`) +
-							` ${keyHint("app.tools.expand", "to expand")}${theme.fg("muted", ")")}`;
-						return ["", truncateToWidth(hint, width, "..."), ...(state.cachedLines ?? [])];
-					}
-					return ["", ...(state.cachedLines ?? [])];
-				},
-				invalidate: () => {
-					state.cachedWidth = undefined;
-					state.cachedLines = undefined;
-					state.cachedSkipped = undefined;
-				},
-			});
-		}
-	}
-
-	if (truncation?.truncated || fullOutputPath) {
-		const warnings: string[] = [];
-		if (fullOutputPath) {
-			warnings.push(`Full output: ${fullOutputPath}`);
-		}
-		if (truncation?.truncated) {
-			if (truncation.truncatedBy === "lines") {
-				warnings.push(`Truncated: showing ${truncation.outputLines} of ${truncation.totalLines} lines`);
-			} else {
-				warnings.push(
-					`Truncated: ${truncation.outputLines} lines shown (${formatSize(truncation.maxBytes ?? DEFAULT_MAX_BYTES)} limit)`,
-				);
-			}
-		}
-		component.addChild(new Text(`\n${theme.fg("warning", `[${warnings.join(". ")}]`)}`, 0, 0));
-	}
-
-	if (startedAt !== undefined) {
-		const label = options.isPartial ? "Elapsed" : "Took";
-		const endTime = endedAt ?? Date.now();
-		component.addChild(new Text(`\n${theme.fg("muted", `${label} ${formatDuration(endTime - startedAt)}`)}`, 0, 0));
-	}
-}
-
 export interface ShellToolConfig {
 	name: string;
 	label: string;
@@ -478,41 +363,7 @@ export function createShellToolDefinition(
 				clearUpdateTimer();
 			}
 		},
-		renderCall(args, _theme, context) {
-			const state = context.state;
-			if (context.executionStarted && state.startedAt === undefined) {
-				state.startedAt = Date.now();
-				state.endedAt = undefined;
-			}
-			const text = (context.lastComponent as Text | undefined) ?? new Text("", 0, 0);
-			text.setText(formatShellCall(args, config.prompt));
-			return text;
-		},
-		renderResult(result, options, _theme, context) {
-			const state = context.state;
-			if (state.startedAt !== undefined && options.isPartial && !state.interval) {
-				state.interval = setInterval(() => context.invalidate(), 1000);
-			}
-			if (!options.isPartial || context.isError) {
-				state.endedAt ??= Date.now();
-				if (state.interval) {
-					clearInterval(state.interval);
-					state.interval = undefined;
-				}
-			}
-			const component =
-				(context.lastComponent as BashResultRenderComponent | undefined) ?? new BashResultRenderComponent();
-			rebuildBashResultRenderComponent(
-				component,
-				result as any,
-				options,
-				context.showImages,
-				state.startedAt,
-				state.endedAt,
-			);
-			component.invalidate();
-			return component;
-		},
+		...createShellRenderers(config.prompt),
 	};
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/edit.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/edit.ts
index eb124864c..8d4fd9c8a 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/edit.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/edit.ts
@@ -1,20 +1,14 @@
 import type { AgentTool } from "@earendil-works/pi-agent-core";
-import { Box, Container, Spacer, Text } from "@earendil-works/pi-tui";
 import { constants } from "fs";
 import { access as fsAccess, readFile as fsReadFile, writeFile as fsWriteFile } from "fs/promises";
 import { type Static, Type } from "typebox";
-import { renderDiff } from "../../modes/interactive/components/diff.ts";
-import type { Theme } from "../../modes/interactive/theme/theme.ts";
 import { splitBom } from "../../utils/text.ts";
 import { getExperimentalToolSampling } from "../experimental.ts";
 import type { ToolDefinition } from "../extensions/types.ts";
 import {
 	applyEditsToNormalizedContent,
-	computeEditsDiff,
 	detectLineEnding,
 	type Edit,
-	type EditDiffError,
-	type EditDiffResult,
 	generateDiffString,
 	generateUnifiedPatch,
 	normalizeToLF,
@@ -22,15 +16,9 @@ import {
 } from "./edit-diff.ts";
 import { withFileMutationQueue } from "./file-mutation-queue.ts";
 import { resolveToCwd } from "./path-utils.ts";
-import { renderToolPath, str } from "./render-utils.ts";
+import { type EditRenderState, editRenderers } from "./renderers/edit.ts";
 import { wrapToolDefinition } from "./tool-definition-wrapper.ts";
 
-type EditPreview = EditDiffResult | EditDiffError;
-
-type EditRenderState = {
-	callComponent?: EditCallRenderComponent;
-};
-
 const replaceEditSchema = Type.Object(
 	{
 		oldText: Type.String({
@@ -153,166 +141,6 @@ function validateEditInput(input: EditToolInput): { path: string; edits: Edit[]
 	return { path: input.path, edits: input.edits };
 }
 
-type RenderableEditArgs = {
-	path?: string;
-	file_path?: string;
-	edits?: Edit[];
-	oldText?: string;
-	newText?: string;
-};
-
-type EditToolResultLike = {
-	content: Array<{ type: string; text?: string; data?: string; mimeType?: string }>;
-	details?: EditToolDetails;
-};
-
-type EditCallRenderComponent = Box & {
-	preview?: EditPreview;
-	previewArgsKey?: string;
-	previewPending?: boolean;
-	settledError?: boolean;
-};
-
-function createEditCallRenderComponent(): EditCallRenderComponent {
-	return Object.assign(new Box(1, 1, (text: string) => text), {
-		preview: undefined as EditPreview | undefined,
-		previewArgsKey: undefined as string | undefined,
-		previewPending: false,
-		settledError: false,
-	});
-}
-
-function getEditCallRenderComponent(state: EditRenderState, lastComponent: unknown): EditCallRenderComponent {
-	if (lastComponent instanceof Box) {
-		const component = lastComponent as EditCallRenderComponent;
-		state.callComponent = component;
-		return component;
-	}
-	if (state.callComponent) {
-		return state.callComponent;
-	}
-	const component = createEditCallRenderComponent();
-	state.callComponent = component;
-	return component;
-}
-
-function getRenderablePreviewInput(args: RenderableEditArgs | undefined): { path: string; edits: Edit[] } | null {
-	if (!args) {
-		return null;
-	}
-
-	const path = typeof args.path === "string" ? args.path : typeof args.file_path === "string" ? args.file_path : null;
-	if (!path) {
-		return null;
-	}
-
-	if (
-		Array.isArray(args.edits) &&
-		args.edits.length > 0 &&
-		args.edits.every((edit) => typeof edit?.oldText === "string" && typeof edit?.newText === "string")
-	) {
-		return { path, edits: args.edits };
-	}
-
-	if (typeof args.oldText === "string" && typeof args.newText === "string") {
-		return { path, edits: [{ oldText: args.oldText, newText: args.newText }] };
-	}
-
-	return null;
-}
-
-function formatEditCall(args: RenderableEditArgs | undefined, theme: Theme, cwd: string): string {
-	const pathDisplay = renderToolPath(str(args?.file_path ?? args?.path), theme, cwd);
-	return `${theme.fg("toolTitle", theme.bold("edit"))} ${pathDisplay}`;
-}
-
-function formatEditResult(
-	args: RenderableEditArgs | undefined,
-	preview: EditPreview | undefined,
-	result: EditToolResultLike,
-	theme: Theme,
-	isError: boolean,
-): string | undefined {
-	const rawPath = str(args?.file_path ?? args?.path);
-	const previewDiff = preview && !("error" in preview) ? preview.diff : undefined;
-	const previewError = preview && "error" in preview ? preview.error : undefined;
-	if (isError) {
-		const errorText = result.content
-			.filter((c) => c.type === "text")
-			.map((c) => c.text || "")
-			.join("\n");
-		if (!errorText || errorText === previewError) {
-			return undefined;
-		}
-		return theme.fg("error", errorText);
-	}
-
-	const resultDiff = result.details?.diff;
-	if (resultDiff && resultDiff !== previewDiff) {
-		return renderDiff(resultDiff, { filePath: rawPath ?? undefined });
-	}
-
-	return undefined;
-}
-
-function getEditHeaderBg(
-	preview: EditPreview | undefined,
-	settledError: boolean | undefined,
-	theme: Theme,
-): (text: string) => string {
-	if (preview) {
-		if ("error" in preview) {
-			return (text: string) => theme.bg("toolErrorBg", text);
-		}
-		return (text: string) => theme.bg("toolSuccessBg", text);
-	}
-	if (settledError) {
-		return (text: string) => theme.bg("toolErrorBg", text);
-	}
-	return (text: string) => theme.bg("toolPendingBg", text);
-}
-
-function buildEditCallComponent(
-	component: EditCallRenderComponent,
-	args: RenderableEditArgs | undefined,
-	theme: Theme,
-	cwd: string,
-): EditCallRenderComponent {
-	component.setBgFn(getEditHeaderBg(component.preview, component.settledError, theme));
-	component.clear();
-	component.addChild(new Text(formatEditCall(args, theme, cwd), 0, 0));
-
-	if (!component.preview) {
-		return component;
-	}
-
-	const body =
-		"error" in component.preview ? theme.fg("error", component.preview.error) : renderDiff(component.preview.diff);
-	component.addChild(new Spacer(1));
-	component.addChild(new Text(body, 0, 0));
-	return component;
-}
-
-function setEditPreview(
-	component: EditCallRenderComponent,
-	preview: EditPreview,
-	argsKey: string | undefined,
-): boolean {
-	const current = component.preview;
-	const changed =
-		current === undefined ||
-		("error" in current && "error" in preview
-			? current.error !== preview.error
-			: "error" in current !== "error" in preview) ||
-		(!("error" in current) &&
-			!("error" in preview) &&
-			(current.diff !== preview.diff || current.firstChangedLine !== preview.firstChangedLine));
-	component.preview = preview;
-	component.previewArgsKey = argsKey;
-	component.previewPending = false;
-	return changed;
-}
-
 export function createEditToolDefinition(
 	cwd: string,
 	options?: EditToolOptions,
@@ -384,75 +212,7 @@ export function createEditToolDefinition(
 				};
 			});
 		},
-		renderCall(args, theme, context) {
-			const component = getEditCallRenderComponent(context.state, context.lastComponent);
-			const previewInput = getRenderablePreviewInput(args as RenderableEditArgs | undefined);
-			const argsKey = previewInput
-				? JSON.stringify({ path: previewInput.path, edits: previewInput.edits })
-				: undefined;
-
-			if (component.previewArgsKey !== argsKey) {
-				component.preview = undefined;
-				component.previewArgsKey = argsKey;
-				component.previewPending = false;
-				component.settledError = false;
-			}
-
-			if (context.argsComplete && previewInput && !component.preview && !component.previewPending) {
-				component.previewPending = true;
-				const requestKey = argsKey;
-				void computeEditsDiff(previewInput.path, previewInput.edits, context.cwd).then((preview) => {
-					if (component.previewArgsKey === requestKey) {
-						setEditPreview(component, preview, requestKey);
-						context.invalidate();
-					}
-				});
-			}
-
-			return buildEditCallComponent(component, args, theme, context.cwd);
-		},
-		renderResult(result, _options, theme, context) {
-			const callComponent = context.state.callComponent;
-			const previewInput = getRenderablePreviewInput(context.args as RenderableEditArgs | undefined);
-			const argsKey = previewInput
-				? JSON.stringify({ path: previewInput.path, edits: previewInput.edits })
-				: undefined;
-			const typedResult = result as EditToolResultLike;
-			const resultDiff = !context.isError ? typedResult.details?.diff : undefined;
-			let changed = false;
-			if (callComponent) {
-				if (typeof resultDiff === "string") {
-					changed =
-						setEditPreview(
-							callComponent,
-							{ diff: resultDiff, firstChangedLine: typedResult.details?.firstChangedLine },
-							argsKey,
-						) || changed;
-				}
-				if (callComponent.settledError !== context.isError) {
-					callComponent.settledError = context.isError;
-					changed = true;
-				}
-				if (changed) {
-					buildEditCallComponent(
-						callComponent,
-						context.args as RenderableEditArgs | undefined,
-						theme,
-						context.cwd,
-					);
-				}
-			}
-
-			const output = formatEditResult(context.args, callComponent?.preview, typedResult, theme, context.isError);
-			const component = (context.lastComponent as Container | undefined) ?? new Container();
-			component.clear();
-			if (!output) {
-				return component;
-			}
-			component.addChild(new Spacer(1));
-			component.addChild(new Text(output, 1, 0));
-			return component;
-		},
+		...editRenderers,
 	};
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/find.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/find.ts
index f3228ef77..37887a587 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/find.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/find.ts
@@ -1,15 +1,12 @@
 import { createInterface } from "node:readline";
 import type { AgentTool } from "@earendil-works/pi-agent-core";
-import { Text } from "@earendil-works/pi-tui";
 import { spawn } from "child_process";
 import path from "path";
 import { type Static, Type } from "typebox";
-import { keyHint } from "../../modes/interactive/components/keybinding-hints.ts";
-import type { Theme } from "../../modes/interactive/theme/theme.ts";
 import { ensureTool } from "../../utils/tools-manager.ts";
-import type { ToolDefinition, ToolRenderResultOptions } from "../extensions/types.ts";
+import type { ToolDefinition } from "../extensions/types.ts";
 import { pathExists, resolveToCwd } from "./path-utils.ts";
-import { getTextOutput, invalidArgText, shortenPath, str } from "./render-utils.ts";
+import { findRenderers } from "./renderers/find.ts";
 import { wrapToolDefinition } from "./tool-definition-wrapper.ts";
 import { DEFAULT_MAX_BYTES, formatSize, type TruncationResult, truncateHead } from "./truncate.ts";
 
@@ -70,56 +67,6 @@ export interface FindToolOptions {
 	operations?: FindOperations;
 }
 
-function formatFindCall(args: { pattern: string; path?: string; limit?: number } | undefined, theme: Theme): string {
-	const pattern = str(args?.pattern);
-	const rawPath = str(args?.path);
-	const path = rawPath !== null ? shortenPath(rawPath || ".") : null;
-	const limit = args?.limit;
-	const invalidArg = invalidArgText(theme);
-	let text =
-		theme.fg("toolTitle", theme.bold("find")) +
-		" " +
-		(pattern === null ? invalidArg : theme.fg("accent", pattern || "")) +
-		theme.fg("toolOutput", ` in ${path === null ? invalidArg : path}`);
-	if (limit !== undefined) {
-		text += theme.fg("toolOutput", ` (limit ${limit})`);
-	}
-	return text;
-}
-
-function formatFindResult(
-	result: {
-		content: Array<{ type: string; text?: string; data?: string; mimeType?: string }>;
-		details?: FindToolDetails;
-	},
-	options: ToolRenderResultOptions,
-	theme: Theme,
-	showImages: boolean,
-): string {
-	const output = getTextOutput(result, showImages).trim();
-	let text = "";
-	if (output) {
-		const lines = output.split("\n");
-		const maxLines = options.expanded ? lines.length : 20;
-		const displayLines = lines.slice(0, maxLines);
-		const remaining = lines.length - maxLines;
-		text += `\n${displayLines.map((line) => theme.fg("toolOutput", line)).join("\n")}`;
-		if (remaining > 0) {
-			text += `${theme.fg("muted", `\n... (${remaining} more lines,`)} ${keyHint("app.tools.expand", "to expand")}${theme.fg("muted", ")")}`;
-		}
-	}
-
-	const resultLimit = result.details?.resultLimitReached;
-	const truncation = result.details?.truncation;
-	if (resultLimit || truncation?.truncated) {
-		const warnings: string[] = [];
-		if (resultLimit) warnings.push(`${resultLimit} results limit`);
-		if (truncation?.truncated) warnings.push(`${formatSize(truncation.maxBytes ?? DEFAULT_MAX_BYTES)} limit`);
-		text += `\n${theme.fg("warning", `[Truncated: ${warnings.join(", ")}]`)}`;
-	}
-	return text;
-}
-
 export function createFindToolDefinition(
 	cwd: string,
 	options?: FindToolOptions,
@@ -362,16 +309,7 @@ export function createFindToolDefinition(
 				})();
 			});
 		},
-		renderCall(args, theme, context) {
-			const text = (context.lastComponent as Text | undefined) ?? new Text("", 0, 0);
-			text.setText(formatFindCall(args, theme));
-			return text;
-		},
-		renderResult(result, options, theme, context) {
-			const text = (context.lastComponent as Text | undefined) ?? new Text("", 0, 0);
-			text.setText(formatFindResult(result as any, options, theme, context.showImages));
-			return text;
-		},
+		...findRenderers,
 	};
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/grep.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/grep.ts
index a65cab9da..cc04025cd 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/grep.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/grep.ts
@@ -1,16 +1,13 @@
 import { readFile as fsReadFile, stat as fsStat } from "node:fs/promises";
 import { createInterface } from "node:readline";
 import type { AgentTool } from "@earendil-works/pi-agent-core";
-import { Text } from "@earendil-works/pi-tui";
 import { spawn } from "child_process";
 import path from "path";
 import { type Static, Type } from "typebox";
-import { keyHint } from "../../modes/interactive/components/keybinding-hints.ts";
-import type { Theme } from "../../modes/interactive/theme/theme.ts";
 import { ensureTool } from "../../utils/tools-manager.ts";
-import type { ToolDefinition, ToolRenderResultOptions } from "../extensions/types.ts";
+import type { ToolDefinition } from "../extensions/types.ts";
 import { resolveToCwd } from "./path-utils.ts";
-import { getTextOutput, invalidArgText, shortenPath, str } from "./render-utils.ts";
+import { grepRenderers } from "./renderers/grep.ts";
 import { wrapToolDefinition } from "./tool-definition-wrapper.ts";
 import {
 	DEFAULT_MAX_BYTES,
@@ -70,61 +67,6 @@ export interface GrepToolOptions {
 	operations?: GrepOperations;
 }
 
-function formatGrepCall(
-	args: { pattern: string; path?: string; glob?: string; limit?: number } | undefined,
-	theme: Theme,
-): string {
-	const pattern = str(args?.pattern);
-	const rawPath = str(args?.path);
-	const path = rawPath !== null ? shortenPath(rawPath || ".") : null;
-	const glob = str(args?.glob);
-	const limit = args?.limit;
-	const invalidArg = invalidArgText(theme);
-	let text =
-		theme.fg("toolTitle", theme.bold("grep")) +
-		" " +
-		(pattern === null ? invalidArg : theme.fg("accent", `/${pattern || ""}/`)) +
-		theme.fg("toolOutput", ` in ${path === null ? invalidArg : path}`);
-	if (glob) text += theme.fg("toolOutput", ` (${glob})`);
-	if (limit !== undefined) text += theme.fg("toolOutput", ` limit ${limit}`);
-	return text;
-}
-
-function formatGrepResult(
-	result: {
-		content: Array<{ type: string; text?: string; data?: string; mimeType?: string }>;
-		details?: GrepToolDetails;
-	},
-	options: ToolRenderResultOptions,
-	theme: Theme,
-	showImages: boolean,
-): string {
-	const output = getTextOutput(result, showImages).trim();
-	let text = "";
-	if (output) {
-		const lines = output.split("\n");
-		const maxLines = options.expanded ? lines.length : 15;
-		const displayLines = lines.slice(0, maxLines);
-		const remaining = lines.length - maxLines;
-		text += `\n${displayLines.map((line) => theme.fg("toolOutput", line)).join("\n")}`;
-		if (remaining > 0) {
-			text += `${theme.fg("muted", `\n... (${remaining} more lines,`)} ${keyHint("app.tools.expand", "to expand")}${theme.fg("muted", ")")}`;
-		}
-	}
-
-	const matchLimit = result.details?.matchLimitReached;
-	const truncation = result.details?.truncation;
-	const linesTruncated = result.details?.linesTruncated;
-	if (matchLimit || truncation?.truncated || linesTruncated) {
-		const warnings: string[] = [];
-		if (matchLimit) warnings.push(`${matchLimit} matches limit`);
-		if (truncation?.truncated) warnings.push(`${formatSize(truncation.maxBytes ?? DEFAULT_MAX_BYTES)} limit`);
-		if (linesTruncated) warnings.push("some lines truncated");
-		text += `\n${theme.fg("warning", `[Truncated: ${warnings.join(", ")}]`)}`;
-	}
-	return text;
-}
-
 export function createGrepToolDefinition(
 	cwd: string,
 	options?: GrepToolOptions,
@@ -372,16 +314,7 @@ export function createGrepToolDefinition(
 				})();
 			});
 		},
-		renderCall(args, theme, context) {
-			const text = (context.lastComponent as Text | undefined) ?? new Text("", 0, 0);
-			text.setText(formatGrepCall(args, theme));
-			return text;
-		},
-		renderResult(result, options, theme, context) {
-			const text = (context.lastComponent as Text | undefined) ?? new Text("", 0, 0);
-			text.setText(formatGrepResult(result as any, options, theme, context.showImages));
-			return text;
-		},
+		...grepRenderers,
 	};
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/ls.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/ls.ts
index 893e13c25..4d992c383 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/ls.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/ls.ts
@@ -1,13 +1,10 @@
 import { readdir as fsReaddir, stat as fsStat } from "node:fs/promises";
 import type { AgentTool } from "@earendil-works/pi-agent-core";
-import { Text } from "@earendil-works/pi-tui";
 import nodePath from "path";
 import { type Static, Type } from "typebox";
-import { keyHint } from "../../modes/interactive/components/keybinding-hints.ts";
-import type { Theme } from "../../modes/interactive/theme/theme.ts";
-import type { ToolDefinition, ToolRenderResultOptions } from "../extensions/types.ts";
+import type { ToolDefinition } from "../extensions/types.ts";
 import { pathExists, resolveToCwd } from "./path-utils.ts";
-import { getTextOutput, renderToolPath, str } from "./render-utils.ts";
+import { lsRenderers } from "./renderers/ls.ts";
 import { wrapToolDefinition } from "./tool-definition-wrapper.ts";
 import { DEFAULT_MAX_BYTES, formatSize, type TruncationResult, truncateHead } from "./truncate.ts";
 
@@ -54,49 +51,6 @@ export interface LsToolOptions {
 	operations?: LsOperations;
 }
 
-function formatLsCall(args: { path?: string; limit?: number } | undefined, theme: Theme, cwd: string): string {
-	const limit = args?.limit;
-	const pathDisplay = renderToolPath(str(args?.path), theme, cwd, { emptyFallback: "." });
-	let text = `${theme.fg("toolTitle", theme.bold("ls"))} ${pathDisplay}`;
-	if (limit !== undefined) {
-		text += theme.fg("toolOutput", ` (limit ${limit})`);
-	}
-	return text;
-}
-
-function formatLsResult(
-	result: {
-		content: Array<{ type: string; text?: string; data?: string; mimeType?: string }>;
-		details?: LsToolDetails;
-	},
-	options: ToolRenderResultOptions,
-	theme: Theme,
-	showImages: boolean,
-): string {
-	const output = getTextOutput(result, showImages).trim();
-	let text = "";
-	if (output) {
-		const lines = output.split("\n");
-		const maxLines = options.expanded ? lines.length : 20;
-		const displayLines = lines.slice(0, maxLines);
-		const remaining = lines.length - maxLines;
-		text += `\n${displayLines.map((line) => theme.fg("toolOutput", line)).join("\n")}`;
-		if (remaining > 0) {
-			text += `${theme.fg("muted", `\n... (${remaining} more lines,`)} ${keyHint("app.tools.expand", "to expand")}${theme.fg("muted", ")")}`;
-		}
-	}
-
-	const entryLimit = result.details?.entryLimitReached;
-	const truncation = result.details?.truncation;
-	if (entryLimit || truncation?.truncated) {
-		const warnings: string[] = [];
-		if (entryLimit) warnings.push(`${entryLimit} entries limit`);
-		if (truncation?.truncated) warnings.push(`${formatSize(truncation.maxBytes ?? DEFAULT_MAX_BYTES)} limit`);
-		text += `\n${theme.fg("warning", `[Truncated: ${warnings.join(", ")}]`)}`;
-	}
-	return text;
-}
-
 export function createLsToolDefinition(
 	cwd: string,
 	options?: LsToolOptions,
@@ -212,16 +166,7 @@ export function createLsToolDefinition(
 				})();
 			});
 		},
-		renderCall(args, theme, context) {
-			const text = (context.lastComponent as Text | undefined) ?? new Text("", 0, 0);
-			text.setText(formatLsCall(args, theme, context.cwd));
-			return text;
-		},
-		renderResult(result, options, theme, context) {
-			const text = (context.lastComponent as Text | undefined) ?? new Text("", 0, 0);
-			text.setText(formatLsResult(result as any, options, theme, context.showImages));
-			return text;
-		},
+		...lsRenderers,
 	};
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/read.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/read.ts
index 1f7666101..c622d397e 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/read.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/read.ts
@@ -1,20 +1,14 @@
-import { basename, dirname, isAbsolute, relative, resolve as resolvePath, sep } from "node:path";
 import type { AgentTool } from "@earendil-works/pi-agent-core";
 import type { Api, ImageContent, Model, TextContent } from "@earendil-works/pi-ai";
-import { Text } from "@earendil-works/pi-tui";
 import { constants } from "fs";
 import { access as fsAccess, readFile as fsReadFile } from "fs/promises";
 import { type Static, Type } from "typebox";
-import { getReadmePath } from "../../config.ts";
-import { keyHint, keyText } from "../../modes/interactive/components/keybinding-hints.ts";
-import { getLanguageFromPath, highlightCode, type Theme } from "../../modes/interactive/theme/theme.ts";
 import { processImage } from "../../utils/image-process.ts";
 import { detectSupportedImageMimeTypeFromFile } from "../../utils/mime.ts";
-import { formatPathRelativeToCwdOrAbsolute } from "../../utils/paths.ts";
 import { getExperimentalToolSampling } from "../experimental.ts";
-import type { ToolDefinition, ToolRenderResultOptions } from "../extensions/types.ts";
-import { resolveReadPathAsync, resolveToCwd } from "./path-utils.ts";
-import { getTextOutput, renderToolPath, replaceTabs, str } from "./render-utils.ts";
+import type { ToolDefinition } from "../extensions/types.ts";
+import { resolveReadPathAsync } from "./path-utils.ts";
+import { readRenderers } from "./renderers/read.ts";
 import { wrapToolDefinition } from "./tool-definition-wrapper.ts";
 import { DEFAULT_MAX_BYTES, DEFAULT_MAX_LINES, formatSize, type TruncationResult, truncateHead } from "./truncate.ts";
 
@@ -35,13 +29,6 @@ export interface ReadToolDetails {
 	truncation?: TruncationResult;
 }
 
-interface CompactReadClassification {
-	kind: "docs" | "resource" | "skill";
-	label: string;
-}
-
-const COMPACT_RESOURCE_FILE_NAMES = new Set(["AGENTS.override.md", "AGENTS.md", "AGENTS.MD", "CLAUDE.md", "CLAUDE.MD"]);
-
 /**
  * Pluggable operations for the read tool.
  * Override these to delegate file reading to remote systems (for example SSH).
@@ -68,28 +55,6 @@ export interface ReadToolOptions {
 	operations?: ReadOperations;
 }
 
-type ReadRenderArgs = { path?: string; file_path?: string; offset?: number; limit?: number };
-
-function formatReadLineRange(args: ReadRenderArgs | undefined, theme: Theme): string {
-	if (args?.offset === undefined && args?.limit === undefined) return "";
-	const startLine = args.offset ?? 1;
-	const endLine = args.limit !== undefined ? startLine + args.limit - 1 : "";
-	return theme.fg("warning", `:${startLine}${endLine ? `-${endLine}` : ""}`);
-}
-
-function formatReadCall(args: ReadRenderArgs | undefined, theme: Theme, cwd: string): string {
-	const pathDisplay = renderToolPath(str(args?.file_path ?? args?.path), theme, cwd);
-	return `${theme.fg("toolTitle", theme.bold("read"))} ${pathDisplay}${formatReadLineRange(args, theme)}`;
-}
-
-function trimTrailingEmptyLines(lines: string[]): string[] {
-	let end = lines.length;
-	while (end > 0 && lines[end - 1] === "") {
-		end--;
-	}
-	return lines.slice(0, end);
-}
-
 function getNonVisionImageNote(model: Model<Api> | undefined): string | undefined {
 	if (!model || model.input.includes("image")) {
 		return undefined;
@@ -97,115 +62,6 @@ function getNonVisionImageNote(model: Model<Api> | undefined): string | undefine
 	return "[Current model does not support images. The image will be omitted from this request.]";
 }
 
-function toPosixPath(filePath: string): string {
-	return filePath.split(sep).join("/");
-}
-
-function getPiDocsClassification(absolutePath: string): CompactReadClassification | undefined {
-	const packageRoot = dirname(getReadmePath());
-	const relativePath = relative(resolvePath(packageRoot), resolvePath(absolutePath));
-	if (
-		relativePath === "" ||
-		relativePath === ".." ||
-		relativePath.startsWith(`..${sep}`) ||
-		isAbsolute(relativePath)
-	) {
-		return undefined;
-	}
-
-	const label = toPosixPath(relativePath);
-	if (label === "README.md" || label.startsWith("docs/") || label.startsWith("examples/")) {
-		return { kind: "docs", label };
-	}
-	return undefined;
-}
-
-function getCompactReadClassification(
-	args: ReadRenderArgs | undefined,
-	cwd: string,
-): CompactReadClassification | undefined {
-	const rawPath = str(args?.file_path ?? args?.path);
-	if (!rawPath) return undefined;
-
-	const absolutePath = resolveToCwd(rawPath, cwd);
-	const fileName = basename(absolutePath);
-	if (fileName === "SKILL.md") {
-		return { kind: "skill", label: basename(dirname(absolutePath)) || fileName };
-	}
-
-	const docsClassification = getPiDocsClassification(absolutePath);
-	if (docsClassification) return docsClassification;
-
-	if (COMPACT_RESOURCE_FILE_NAMES.has(fileName)) {
-		return { kind: "resource", label: formatPathRelativeToCwdOrAbsolute(absolutePath, cwd) };
-	}
-
-	return undefined;
-}
-
-function formatCompactReadCall(
-	classification: CompactReadClassification,
-	args: ReadRenderArgs | undefined,
-	theme: Theme,
-): string {
-	const expandHint = theme.fg("dim", ` (${keyText("app.tools.expand")} to expand)`);
-	if (classification.kind === "skill") {
-		return (
-			theme.fg("customMessageLabel", `\x1b[1m[skill]\x1b[22m `) +
-			theme.fg("customMessageText", classification.label) +
-			formatReadLineRange(args, theme) +
-			expandHint
-		);
-	}
-
-	return (
-		theme.fg("toolTitle", theme.bold(`read ${classification.kind}`)) +
-		" " +
-		theme.fg("accent", classification.label) +
-		formatReadLineRange(args, theme) +
-		expandHint
-	);
-}
-
-function formatReadResult(
-	args: ReadRenderArgs | undefined,
-	result: { content: (TextContent | ImageContent)[]; details?: ReadToolDetails },
-	options: ToolRenderResultOptions,
-	theme: Theme,
-	showImages: boolean,
-	_cwd: string,
-	isError: boolean,
-): string {
-	if (!options.expanded && !isError) {
-		return "";
-	}
-
-	const rawPath = str(args?.file_path ?? args?.path);
-	const output = getTextOutput(result, showImages);
-	const lang = !isError && rawPath ? getLanguageFromPath(rawPath) : undefined;
-	const renderedLines = lang ? highlightCode(replaceTabs(output), lang) : output.split("\n");
-	const lines = trimTrailingEmptyLines(renderedLines);
-	const maxLines = options.expanded ? lines.length : 10;
-	const displayLines = lines.slice(0, maxLines);
-	const remaining = lines.length - maxLines;
-	let text = `\n${displayLines.map((line) => (lang ? replaceTabs(line) : theme.fg("toolOutput", replaceTabs(line)))).join("\n")}`;
-	if (remaining > 0) {
-		text += `${theme.fg("muted", `\n... (${remaining} more lines,`)} ${keyHint("app.tools.expand", "to expand")}${theme.fg("muted", ")")}`;
-	}
-
-	const truncation = result.details?.truncation;
-	if (truncation?.truncated) {
-		if (truncation.firstLineExceedsLimit) {
-			text += `\n${theme.fg("warning", `[First line exceeds ${formatSize(truncation.maxBytes ?? DEFAULT_MAX_BYTES)} limit]`)}`;
-		} else if (truncation.truncatedBy === "lines") {
-			text += `\n${theme.fg("warning", `[Truncated: showing ${truncation.outputLines} of ${truncation.totalLines} lines (${truncation.maxLines ?? DEFAULT_MAX_LINES} line limit)]`)}`;
-		} else {
-			text += `\n${theme.fg("warning", `[Truncated: ${truncation.outputLines} lines shown (${formatSize(truncation.maxBytes ?? DEFAULT_MAX_BYTES)} limit)]`)}`;
-		}
-	}
-	return text;
-}
-
 export function createReadToolDefinition(
 	cwd: string,
 	options?: ReadToolOptions,
@@ -333,23 +189,7 @@ export function createReadToolDefinition(
 				},
 			);
 		},
-		renderCall(args, theme, context) {
-			const text = (context.lastComponent as Text | undefined) ?? new Text("", 0, 0);
-			const classification = !context.expanded ? getCompactReadClassification(args, context.cwd) : undefined;
-			text.setText(
-				classification
-					? formatCompactReadCall(classification, args, theme)
-					: formatReadCall(args, theme, context.cwd),
-			);
-			return text;
-		},
-		renderResult(result, options, theme, context) {
-			const text = (context.lastComponent as Text | undefined) ?? new Text("", 0, 0);
-			text.setText(
-				formatReadResult(context.args, result, options, theme, context.showImages, context.cwd, context.isError),
-			);
-			return text;
-		},
+		...readRenderers,
 	};
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/renderers/bash.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/renderers/bash.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..01e170a82
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/renderers/bash.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,163 @@
+/**
+ * Presentation for the shell tools.
+ *
+ * Renderers live apart from the implementation so a process that only displays tool output does not
+ * load the execution path or its typebox parameter schema. `bash.ts` spreads these into the shell
+ * tool definition, so the tool's public shape is unchanged.
+ */
+
+import { Container, Text, truncateToWidth } from "@earendil-works/pi-tui";
+import { keyHint } from "../../../modes/interactive/components/keybinding-hints.ts";
+import { truncateToVisualLines } from "../../../modes/interactive/components/visual-truncate.ts";
+import { theme } from "../../../modes/interactive/theme/theme.ts";
+import type { ToolDefinition, ToolRenderResultOptions } from "../../extensions/types.ts";
+import type { BashToolDetails } from "../bash.ts";
+import { getTextOutput, invalidArgText, str } from "../render-utils.ts";
+import { DEFAULT_MAX_BYTES, formatSize } from "../truncate.ts";
+
+const BASH_PREVIEW_LINES = 5;
+export const BASH_UPDATE_THROTTLE_MS = 100;
+type BashResultRenderState = {
+	cachedWidth: number | undefined;
+	cachedLines: string[] | undefined;
+	cachedSkipped: number | undefined;
+};
+class BashResultRenderComponent extends Container {
+	state: BashResultRenderState = {
+		cachedWidth: undefined,
+		cachedLines: undefined,
+		cachedSkipped: undefined,
+	};
+}
+function formatDuration(ms: number): string {
+	return `${(ms / 1000).toFixed(1)}s`;
+}
+function formatShellCall(args: { command?: string; timeout?: number } | undefined, prompt: string): string {
+	const command = str(args?.command);
+	const timeout = args?.timeout as number | undefined;
+	const timeoutSuffix = timeout ? theme.fg("muted", ` (timeout ${timeout}s)`) : "";
+	const commandDisplay = command === null ? invalidArgText(theme) : command ? command : theme.fg("toolOutput", "...");
+	return theme.fg("toolTitle", theme.bold(`${prompt} ${commandDisplay}`)) + timeoutSuffix;
+}
+function rebuildBashResultRenderComponent(
+	component: BashResultRenderComponent,
+	result: {
+		content: Array<{ type: string; text?: string; data?: string; mimeType?: string }>;
+		details?: BashToolDetails;
+	},
+	options: ToolRenderResultOptions,
+	showImages: boolean,
+	startedAt: number | undefined,
+	endedAt: number | undefined,
+): void {
+	const state = component.state;
+	component.clear();
+
+	let output = getTextOutput(result as any, showImages).trim();
+	const truncation = result.details?.truncation;
+	const fullOutputPath = result.details?.fullOutputPath;
+	if (!options.isPartial && truncation?.truncated && fullOutputPath && output.endsWith("]")) {
+		const footerStart = output.lastIndexOf("\n\n[");
+		if (footerStart !== -1 && output.slice(footerStart).includes(fullOutputPath)) {
+			output = output.slice(0, footerStart).trimEnd();
+		}
+	}
+
+	if (output) {
+		const styledOutput = output
+			.split("\n")
+			.map((line) => theme.fg("toolOutput", line))
+			.join("\n");
+
+		if (options.expanded) {
+			component.addChild(new Text(`\n${styledOutput}`, 0, 0));
+		} else {
+			component.addChild({
+				render: (width: number) => {
+					if (state.cachedLines === undefined || state.cachedWidth !== width) {
+						const preview = truncateToVisualLines(styledOutput, BASH_PREVIEW_LINES, width);
+						state.cachedLines = preview.visualLines;
+						state.cachedSkipped = preview.skippedCount;
+						state.cachedWidth = width;
+					}
+					if (state.cachedSkipped && state.cachedSkipped > 0) {
+						const hint =
+							theme.fg("muted", `... (${state.cachedSkipped} earlier lines,`) +
+							` ${keyHint("app.tools.expand", "to expand")}${theme.fg("muted", ")")}`;
+						return ["", truncateToWidth(hint, width, "..."), ...(state.cachedLines ?? [])];
+					}
+					return ["", ...(state.cachedLines ?? [])];
+				},
+				invalidate: () => {
+					state.cachedWidth = undefined;
+					state.cachedLines = undefined;
+					state.cachedSkipped = undefined;
+				},
+			});
+		}
+	}
+
+	if (truncation?.truncated || fullOutputPath) {
+		const warnings: string[] = [];
+		if (fullOutputPath) {
+			warnings.push(`Full output: ${fullOutputPath}`);
+		}
+		if (truncation?.truncated) {
+			if (truncation.truncatedBy === "lines") {
+				warnings.push(`Truncated: showing ${truncation.outputLines} of ${truncation.totalLines} lines`);
+			} else {
+				warnings.push(
+					`Truncated: ${truncation.outputLines} lines shown (${formatSize(truncation.maxBytes ?? DEFAULT_MAX_BYTES)} limit)`,
+				);
+			}
+		}
+		component.addChild(new Text(`\n${theme.fg("warning", `[${warnings.join(". ")}]`)}`, 0, 0));
+	}
+
+	if (startedAt !== undefined) {
+		const label = options.isPartial ? "Elapsed" : "Took";
+		const endTime = endedAt ?? Date.now();
+		component.addChild(new Text(`\n${theme.fg("muted", `${label} ${formatDuration(endTime - startedAt)}`)}`, 0, 0));
+	}
+}
+
+/** Shell renderers are shared by bash and powershell, which differ only in the prompt they display. */
+export function createShellRenderers(prompt: string): Pick<ToolDefinition<any, any>, "renderCall" | "renderResult"> {
+	return {
+		renderCall(args, _theme, context) {
+			const state = context.state;
+			if (context.executionStarted && state.startedAt === undefined) {
+				state.startedAt = Date.now();
+				state.endedAt = undefined;
+			}
+			const text = (context.lastComponent as Text | undefined) ?? new Text("", 0, 0);
+			text.setText(formatShellCall(args as { command?: string; timeout?: number } | undefined, prompt));
+			return text;
+		},
+		renderResult(result, options, _theme, context) {
+			const state = context.state;
+			if (state.startedAt !== undefined && options.isPartial && !state.interval) {
+				state.interval = setInterval(() => context.invalidate(), 1000);
+			}
+			if (!options.isPartial || context.isError) {
+				state.endedAt ??= Date.now();
+				if (state.interval) {
+					clearInterval(state.interval);
+					state.interval = undefined;
+				}
+			}
+			const component =
+				(context.lastComponent as BashResultRenderComponent | undefined) ?? new BashResultRenderComponent();
+			rebuildBashResultRenderComponent(
+				component,
+				result as any,
+				options,
+				context.showImages,
+				state.startedAt,
+				state.endedAt,
+			);
+			component.invalidate();
+			return component;
+		},
+	};
+}
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/renderers/edit.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/renderers/edit.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6db555671
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/renderers/edit.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,238 @@
+/**
+ * Presentation for the edit tool.
+ *
+ * Renderers live apart from the implementation so a process that only displays tool output does not
+ * load the execution path or its typebox parameter schema. `edit.ts` spreads these into its
+ * definition, so the tool's public shape is unchanged.
+ */
+
+import { Box, Container, Spacer, Text } from "@earendil-works/pi-tui";
+import { renderDiff } from "../../../modes/interactive/components/diff.ts";
+import type { Theme } from "../../../modes/interactive/theme/theme.ts";
+import type { ToolDefinition } from "../../extensions/types.ts";
+import type { EditToolDetails } from "../edit.ts";
+import { computeEditsDiff, type Edit, type EditDiffError, type EditDiffResult } from "../edit-diff.ts";
+import { renderToolPath, str } from "../render-utils.ts";
+
+type EditPreview = EditDiffResult | EditDiffError;
+export type EditRenderState = {
+	callComponent?: EditCallRenderComponent;
+};
+type RenderableEditArgs = {
+	path?: string;
+	file_path?: string;
+	edits?: Edit[];
+	oldText?: string;
+	newText?: string;
+};
+type EditToolResultLike = {
+	content: Array<{ type: string; text?: string; data?: string; mimeType?: string }>;
+	details?: EditToolDetails;
+};
+type EditCallRenderComponent = Box & {
+	preview?: EditPreview;
+	previewArgsKey?: string;
+	previewPending?: boolean;
+	settledError?: boolean;
+};
+function createEditCallRenderComponent(): EditCallRenderComponent {
+	return Object.assign(new Box(1, 1, (text: string) => text), {
+		preview: undefined as EditPreview | undefined,
+		previewArgsKey: undefined as string | undefined,
+		previewPending: false,
+		settledError: false,
+	});
+}
+function getEditCallRenderComponent(state: EditRenderState, lastComponent: unknown): EditCallRenderComponent {
+	if (lastComponent instanceof Box) {
+		const component = lastComponent as EditCallRenderComponent;
+		state.callComponent = component;
+		return component;
+	}
+	if (state.callComponent) {
+		return state.callComponent;
+	}
+	const component = createEditCallRenderComponent();
+	state.callComponent = component;
+	return component;
+}
+function getRenderablePreviewInput(args: RenderableEditArgs | undefined): { path: string; edits: Edit[] } | null {
+	if (!args) {
+		return null;
+	}
+
+	const path = typeof args.path === "string" ? args.path : typeof args.file_path === "string" ? args.file_path : null;
+	if (!path) {
+		return null;
+	}
+
+	if (
+		Array.isArray(args.edits) &&
+		args.edits.length > 0 &&
+		args.edits.every((edit) => typeof edit?.oldText === "string" && typeof edit?.newText === "string")
+	) {
+		return { path, edits: args.edits };
+	}
+
+	if (typeof args.oldText === "string" && typeof args.newText === "string") {
+		return { path, edits: [{ oldText: args.oldText, newText: args.newText }] };
+	}
+
+	return null;
+}
+function formatEditCall(args: RenderableEditArgs | undefined, theme: Theme, cwd: string): string {
+	const pathDisplay = renderToolPath(str(args?.file_path ?? args?.path), theme, cwd);
+	return `${theme.fg("toolTitle", theme.bold("edit"))} ${pathDisplay}`;
+}
+function formatEditResult(
+	args: RenderableEditArgs | undefined,
+	preview: EditPreview | undefined,
+	result: EditToolResultLike,
+	theme: Theme,
+	isError: boolean,
+): string | undefined {
+	const rawPath = str(args?.file_path ?? args?.path);
+	const previewDiff = preview && !("error" in preview) ? preview.diff : undefined;
+	const previewError = preview && "error" in preview ? preview.error : undefined;
+	if (isError) {
+		const errorText = result.content
+			.filter((c) => c.type === "text")
+			.map((c) => c.text || "")
+			.join("\n");
+		if (!errorText || errorText === previewError) {
+			return undefined;
+		}
+		return theme.fg("error", errorText);
+	}
+
+	const resultDiff = result.details?.diff;
+	if (resultDiff && resultDiff !== previewDiff) {
+		return renderDiff(resultDiff, { filePath: rawPath ?? undefined });
+	}
+
+	return undefined;
+}
+function getEditHeaderBg(
+	preview: EditPreview | undefined,
+	settledError: boolean | undefined,
+	theme: Theme,
+): (text: string) => string {
+	if (preview) {
+		if ("error" in preview) {
+			return (text: string) => theme.bg("toolErrorBg", text);
+		}
+		return (text: string) => theme.bg("toolSuccessBg", text);
+	}
+	if (settledError) {
+		return (text: string) => theme.bg("toolErrorBg", text);
+	}
+	return (text: string) => theme.bg("toolPendingBg", text);
+}
+function buildEditCallComponent(
+	component: EditCallRenderComponent,
+	args: RenderableEditArgs | undefined,
+	theme: Theme,
+	cwd: string,
+): EditCallRenderComponent {
+	component.setBgFn(getEditHeaderBg(component.preview, component.settledError, theme));
+	component.clear();
+	component.addChild(new Text(formatEditCall(args, theme, cwd), 0, 0));
+
+	if (!component.preview) {
+		return component;
+	}
+
+	const body =
+		"error" in component.preview ? theme.fg("error", component.preview.error) : renderDiff(component.preview.diff);
+	component.addChild(new Spacer(1));
+	component.addChild(new Text(body, 0, 0));
+	return component;
+}
+function setEditPreview(
+	component: EditCallRenderComponent,
+	preview: EditPreview,
+	argsKey: string | undefined,
+): boolean {
+	const current = component.preview;
+	const changed =
+		current === undefined ||
+		("error" in current && "error" in preview
+			? current.error !== preview.error
+			: "error" in current !== "error" in preview) ||
+		(!("error" in current) &&
+			!("error" in preview) &&
+			(current.diff !== preview.diff || current.firstChangedLine !== preview.firstChangedLine));
+	component.preview = preview;
+	component.previewArgsKey = argsKey;
+	component.previewPending = false;
+	return changed;
+}
+
+export const editRenderers: Pick<ToolDefinition<any, any>, "renderCall" | "renderResult"> = {
+	renderCall(args, theme, context) {
+		const component = getEditCallRenderComponent(context.state, context.lastComponent);
+		const previewInput = getRenderablePreviewInput(args as RenderableEditArgs | undefined);
+		const argsKey = previewInput ? JSON.stringify({ path: previewInput.path, edits: previewInput.edits }) : undefined;
+
+		if (component.previewArgsKey !== argsKey) {
+			component.preview = undefined;
+			component.previewArgsKey = argsKey;
+			component.previewPending = false;
+			component.settledError = false;
+		}
+
+		if (context.argsComplete && previewInput && !component.preview && !component.previewPending) {
+			component.previewPending = true;
+			const requestKey = argsKey;
+			void computeEditsDiff(previewInput.path, previewInput.edits, context.cwd).then((preview) => {
+				if (component.previewArgsKey === requestKey) {
+					setEditPreview(component, preview, requestKey);
+					context.invalidate();
+				}
+			});
+		}
+
+		return buildEditCallComponent(component, args as RenderableEditArgs | undefined, theme, context.cwd);
+	},
+	renderResult(result, _options, theme, context) {
+		const callComponent = context.state.callComponent;
+		const previewInput = getRenderablePreviewInput(context.args as RenderableEditArgs | undefined);
+		const argsKey = previewInput ? JSON.stringify({ path: previewInput.path, edits: previewInput.edits }) : undefined;
+		const typedResult = result as EditToolResultLike;
+		const resultDiff = !context.isError ? typedResult.details?.diff : undefined;
+		let changed = false;
+		if (callComponent) {
+			if (typeof resultDiff === "string") {
+				changed =
+					setEditPreview(
+						callComponent,
+						{ diff: resultDiff, firstChangedLine: typedResult.details?.firstChangedLine },
+						argsKey,
+					) || changed;
+			}
+			if (callComponent.settledError !== context.isError) {
+				callComponent.settledError = context.isError;
+				changed = true;
+			}
+			if (changed) {
+				buildEditCallComponent(callComponent, context.args as RenderableEditArgs | undefined, theme, context.cwd);
+			}
+		}
+
+		const output = formatEditResult(
+			context.args as RenderableEditArgs | undefined,
+			callComponent?.preview,
+			typedResult,
+			theme,
+			context.isError,
+		);
+		const component = (context.lastComponent as Container | undefined) ?? new Container();
+		component.clear();
+		if (!output) {
+			return component;
+		}
+		component.addChild(new Spacer(1));
+		component.addChild(new Text(output, 1, 0));
+		return component;
+	},
+};
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/renderers/find.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/renderers/find.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c9c65835d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/renderers/find.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+/**
+ * Presentation for the find tool.
+ *
+ * Renderers live apart from the implementation so a process that only displays tool output does not
+ * load the execution path or its typebox parameter schema. `find.ts` spreads these into its
+ * definition, so the tool's public shape is unchanged.
+ */
+
+import { Text } from "@earendil-works/pi-tui";
+import { keyHint } from "../../../modes/interactive/components/keybinding-hints.ts";
+import type { Theme } from "../../../modes/interactive/theme/theme.ts";
+import type { ToolDefinition, ToolRenderResultOptions } from "../../extensions/types.ts";
+import type { FindToolDetails } from "../find.ts";
+import { getTextOutput, invalidArgText, shortenPath, str } from "../render-utils.ts";
+import { DEFAULT_MAX_BYTES, formatSize } from "../truncate.ts";
+
+function formatFindCall(args: { pattern: string; path?: string; limit?: number } | undefined, theme: Theme): string {
+	const pattern = str(args?.pattern);
+	const rawPath = str(args?.path);
+	const path = rawPath !== null ? shortenPath(rawPath || ".") : null;
+	const limit = args?.limit;
+	const invalidArg = invalidArgText(theme);
+	let text =
+		theme.fg("toolTitle", theme.bold("find")) +
+		" " +
+		(pattern === null ? invalidArg : theme.fg("accent", pattern || "")) +
+		theme.fg("toolOutput", ` in ${path === null ? invalidArg : path}`);
+	if (limit !== undefined) {
+		text += theme.fg("toolOutput", ` (limit ${limit})`);
+	}
+	return text;
+}
+function formatFindResult(
+	result: {
+		content: Array<{ type: string; text?: string; data?: string; mimeType?: string }>;
+		details?: FindToolDetails;
+	},
+	options: ToolRenderResultOptions,
+	theme: Theme,
+	showImages: boolean,
+): string {
+	const output = getTextOutput(result, showImages).trim();
+	let text = "";
+	if (output) {
+		const lines = output.split("\n");
+		const maxLines = options.expanded ? lines.length : 20;
+		const displayLines = lines.slice(0, maxLines);
+		const remaining = lines.length - maxLines;
+		text += `\n${displayLines.map((line) => theme.fg("toolOutput", line)).join("\n")}`;
+		if (remaining > 0) {
+			text += `${theme.fg("muted", `\n... (${remaining} more lines,`)} ${keyHint("app.tools.expand", "to expand")}${theme.fg("muted", ")")}`;
+		}
+	}
+
+	const resultLimit = result.details?.resultLimitReached;
+	const truncation = result.details?.truncation;
+	if (resultLimit || truncation?.truncated) {
+		const warnings: string[] = [];
+		if (resultLimit) warnings.push(`${resultLimit} results limit`);
+		if (truncation?.truncated) warnings.push(`${formatSize(truncation.maxBytes ?? DEFAULT_MAX_BYTES)} limit`);
+		text += `\n${theme.fg("warning", `[Truncated: ${warnings.join(", ")}]`)}`;
+	}
+	return text;
+}
+
+export const findRenderers: Pick<ToolDefinition<any, any>, "renderCall" | "renderResult"> = {
+	renderCall(args, theme, context) {
+		const text = (context.lastComponent as Text | undefined) ?? new Text("", 0, 0);
+		text.setText(formatFindCall(args as any, theme));
+		return text;
+	},
+	renderResult(result, options, theme, context) {
+		const text = (context.lastComponent as Text | undefined) ?? new Text("", 0, 0);
+		text.setText(formatFindResult(result as any, options, theme, context.showImages));
+		return text;
+	},
+};
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/renderers/grep.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/renderers/grep.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1f5479a4d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/renderers/grep.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+/**
+ * Presentation for the grep tool.
+ *
+ * Renderers live apart from the implementation so a process that only displays tool output does not
+ * load the execution path or its typebox parameter schema. `grep.ts` spreads these into its
+ * definition, so the tool's public shape is unchanged.
+ */
+
+import { Text } from "@earendil-works/pi-tui";
+import { keyHint } from "../../../modes/interactive/components/keybinding-hints.ts";
+import type { Theme } from "../../../modes/interactive/theme/theme.ts";
+import type { ToolDefinition, ToolRenderResultOptions } from "../../extensions/types.ts";
+import type { GrepToolDetails } from "../grep.ts";
+import { getTextOutput, invalidArgText, shortenPath, str } from "../render-utils.ts";
+import { DEFAULT_MAX_BYTES, formatSize } from "../truncate.ts";
+
+function formatGrepCall(
+	args: { pattern: string; path?: string; glob?: string; limit?: number } | undefined,
+	theme: Theme,
+): string {
+	const pattern = str(args?.pattern);
+	const rawPath = str(args?.path);
+	const path = rawPath !== null ? shortenPath(rawPath || ".") : null;
+	const glob = str(args?.glob);
+	const limit = args?.limit;
+	const invalidArg = invalidArgText(theme);
+	let text =
+		theme.fg("toolTitle", theme.bold("grep")) +
+		" " +
+		(pattern === null ? invalidArg : theme.fg("accent", `/${pattern || ""}/`)) +
+		theme.fg("toolOutput", ` in ${path === null ? invalidArg : path}`);
+	if (glob) text += theme.fg("toolOutput", ` (${glob})`);
+	if (limit !== undefined) text += theme.fg("toolOutput", ` limit ${limit}`);
+	return text;
+}
+function formatGrepResult(
+	result: {
+		content: Array<{ type: string; text?: string; data?: string; mimeType?: string }>;
+		details?: GrepToolDetails;
+	},
+	options: ToolRenderResultOptions,
+	theme: Theme,
+	showImages: boolean,
+): string {
+	const output = getTextOutput(result, showImages).trim();
+	let text = "";
+	if (output) {
+		const lines = output.split("\n");
+		const maxLines = options.expanded ? lines.length : 15;
+		const displayLines = lines.slice(0, maxLines);
+		const remaining = lines.length - maxLines;
+		text += `\n${displayLines.map((line) => theme.fg("toolOutput", line)).join("\n")}`;
+		if (remaining > 0) {
+			text += `${theme.fg("muted", `\n... (${remaining} more lines,`)} ${keyHint("app.tools.expand", "to expand")}${theme.fg("muted", ")")}`;
+		}
+	}
+
+	const matchLimit = result.details?.matchLimitReached;
+	const truncation = result.details?.truncation;
+	const linesTruncated = result.details?.linesTruncated;
+	if (matchLimit || truncation?.truncated || linesTruncated) {
+		const warnings: string[] = [];
+		if (matchLimit) warnings.push(`${matchLimit} matches limit`);
+		if (truncation?.truncated) warnings.push(`${formatSize(truncation.maxBytes ?? DEFAULT_MAX_BYTES)} limit`);
+		if (linesTruncated) warnings.push("some lines truncated");
+		text += `\n${theme.fg("warning", `[Truncated: ${warnings.join(", ")}]`)}`;
+	}
+	return text;
+}
+
+export const grepRenderers: Pick<ToolDefinition<any, any>, "renderCall" | "renderResult"> = {
+	renderCall(args, theme, context) {
+		const text = (context.lastComponent as Text | undefined) ?? new Text("", 0, 0);
+		text.setText(formatGrepCall(args as any, theme));
+		return text;
+	},
+	renderResult(result, options, theme, context) {
+		const text = (context.lastComponent as Text | undefined) ?? new Text("", 0, 0);
+		text.setText(formatGrepResult(result as any, options, theme, context.showImages));
+		return text;
+	},
+};
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/renderers/index.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/renderers/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6a88b7e8a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/renderers/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+/**
+ * Built-in tool renderers, without the tools themselves.
+ *
+ * A presentation displays tool calls and results; it does not execute them and does not need their
+ * typebox parameter schemas. Importing this instead of `core/tools/index.ts` keeps ~17 MB of module
+ * graph out of a process that only renders.
+ */
+
+import type { ToolDefinition } from "../../extensions/types.ts";
+import type { ToolName } from "../index.ts";
+import { createShellRenderers } from "./bash.ts";
+import { editRenderers } from "./edit.ts";
+import { findRenderers } from "./find.ts";
+import { grepRenderers } from "./grep.ts";
+import { lsRenderers } from "./ls.ts";
+import { readRenderers } from "./read.ts";
+import { writeRenderers } from "./write.ts";
+
+export type ToolRenderers = Pick<ToolDefinition<any, any>, "renderCall" | "renderResult">;
+
+export {
+	createShellRenderers,
+	editRenderers,
+	findRenderers,
+	grepRenderers,
+	lsRenderers,
+	readRenderers,
+	writeRenderers,
+};
+
+/** Renderers for every built-in tool, keyed by tool name. */
+export function createAllToolRenderers(): Record<ToolName, ToolRenderers> {
+	return {
+		read: readRenderers,
+		bash: createShellRenderers("$"),
+		powershell: createShellRenderers("PS>"),
+		edit: editRenderers,
+		write: writeRenderers,
+		grep: grepRenderers,
+		find: findRenderers,
+		ls: lsRenderers,
+	};
+}
+
+/**
+ * Merge built-in renderers into a tool definition that does not supply its own.
+ *
+ * `ToolExecutionComponent` used to do this lookup itself, which forced every presentation to import
+ * the tool implementations. Callers do it now, so a process that renders can import renderers alone.
+ */
+export function withBuiltInRenderers<TDefinition extends ToolRenderers>(
+	toolName: string,
+	definition: TDefinition | undefined,
+): TDefinition | ToolRenderers | undefined {
+	const builtIn = createAllToolRenderers()[toolName as ToolName];
+	if (!definition) return builtIn;
+	if (!builtIn) return definition;
+	return {
+		...definition,
+		renderCall: definition.renderCall ?? builtIn.renderCall,
+		renderResult: definition.renderResult ?? builtIn.renderResult,
+	};
+}
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/renderers/ls.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/renderers/ls.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bcc1ee000
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/renderers/ls.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+/**
+ * Presentation for the ls tool.
+ *
+ * Renderers live apart from the implementation so a process that only displays tool output does not
+ * load the execution path or its typebox parameter schema. `ls.ts` spreads these into its
+ * definition, so the tool's public shape is unchanged.
+ */
+
+import { Text } from "@earendil-works/pi-tui";
+import { keyHint } from "../../../modes/interactive/components/keybinding-hints.ts";
+import type { Theme } from "../../../modes/interactive/theme/theme.ts";
+import type { ToolDefinition, ToolRenderResultOptions } from "../../extensions/types.ts";
+import type { LsToolDetails } from "../ls.ts";
+import { getTextOutput, renderToolPath, str } from "../render-utils.ts";
+import { DEFAULT_MAX_BYTES, formatSize } from "../truncate.ts";
+
+function formatLsCall(args: { path?: string; limit?: number } | undefined, theme: Theme, cwd: string): string {
+	const limit = args?.limit;
+	const pathDisplay = renderToolPath(str(args?.path), theme, cwd, { emptyFallback: "." });
+	let text = `${theme.fg("toolTitle", theme.bold("ls"))} ${pathDisplay}`;
+	if (limit !== undefined) {
+		text += theme.fg("toolOutput", ` (limit ${limit})`);
+	}
+	return text;
+}
+function formatLsResult(
+	result: {
+		content: Array<{ type: string; text?: string; data?: string; mimeType?: string }>;
+		details?: LsToolDetails;
+	},
+	options: ToolRenderResultOptions,
+	theme: Theme,
+	showImages: boolean,
+): string {
+	const output = getTextOutput(result, showImages).trim();
+	let text = "";
+	if (output) {
+		const lines = output.split("\n");
+		const maxLines = options.expanded ? lines.length : 20;
+		const displayLines = lines.slice(0, maxLines);
+		const remaining = lines.length - maxLines;
+		text += `\n${displayLines.map((line) => theme.fg("toolOutput", line)).join("\n")}`;
+		if (remaining > 0) {
+			text += `${theme.fg("muted", `\n... (${remaining} more lines,`)} ${keyHint("app.tools.expand", "to expand")}${theme.fg("muted", ")")}`;
+		}
+	}
+
+	const entryLimit = result.details?.entryLimitReached;
+	const truncation = result.details?.truncation;
+	if (entryLimit || truncation?.truncated) {
+		const warnings: string[] = [];
+		if (entryLimit) warnings.push(`${entryLimit} entries limit`);
+		if (truncation?.truncated) warnings.push(`${formatSize(truncation.maxBytes ?? DEFAULT_MAX_BYTES)} limit`);
+		text += `\n${theme.fg("warning", `[Truncated: ${warnings.join(", ")}]`)}`;
+	}
+	return text;
+}
+
+export const lsRenderers: Pick<ToolDefinition<any, any>, "renderCall" | "renderResult"> = {
+	renderCall(args, theme, context) {
+		const text = (context.lastComponent as Text | undefined) ?? new Text("", 0, 0);
+		text.setText(formatLsCall(args as any, theme, context.cwd));
+		return text;
+	},
+	renderResult(result, options, theme, context) {
+		const text = (context.lastComponent as Text | undefined) ?? new Text("", 0, 0);
+		text.setText(formatLsResult(result as any, options, theme, context.showImages));
+		return text;
+	},
+};
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/renderers/read.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/renderers/read.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2f5af2103
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/renderers/read.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,175 @@
+/**
+ * Presentation for the read tool.
+ *
+ * Renderers live apart from the implementation so a process that only displays tool output does not
+ * load the execution path or its typebox parameter schema. `read.ts` spreads these into its
+ * definition, so the tool's public shape is unchanged.
+ */
+
+import { basename, dirname, isAbsolute, relative, resolve as resolvePath, sep } from "node:path";
+import type { ImageContent, TextContent } from "@earendil-works/pi-ai";
+import { Text } from "@earendil-works/pi-tui";
+import { getReadmePath } from "../../../config.ts";
+import { keyHint, keyText } from "../../../modes/interactive/components/keybinding-hints.ts";
+import { getLanguageFromPath, highlightCode, type Theme } from "../../../modes/interactive/theme/theme.ts";
+import { formatPathRelativeToCwdOrAbsolute } from "../../../utils/paths.ts";
+import type { ToolDefinition, ToolRenderResultOptions } from "../../extensions/types.ts";
+import { resolveToCwd } from "../path-utils.ts";
+import type { ReadToolDetails } from "../read.ts";
+import { getTextOutput, renderToolPath, replaceTabs, str } from "../render-utils.ts";
+import { DEFAULT_MAX_BYTES, DEFAULT_MAX_LINES, formatSize } from "../truncate.ts";
+
+interface CompactReadClassification {
+	kind: "docs" | "resource" | "skill";
+	label: string;
+}
+const COMPACT_RESOURCE_FILE_NAMES = new Set(["AGENTS.override.md", "AGENTS.md", "AGENTS.MD", "CLAUDE.md", "CLAUDE.MD"]);
+type ReadRenderArgs = { path?: string; file_path?: string; offset?: number; limit?: number };
+function formatReadLineRange(args: ReadRenderArgs | undefined, theme: Theme): string {
+	if (args?.offset === undefined && args?.limit === undefined) return "";
+	const startLine = args.offset ?? 1;
+	const endLine = args.limit !== undefined ? startLine + args.limit - 1 : "";
+	return theme.fg("warning", `:${startLine}${endLine ? `-${endLine}` : ""}`);
+}
+function formatReadCall(args: ReadRenderArgs | undefined, theme: Theme, cwd: string): string {
+	const pathDisplay = renderToolPath(str(args?.file_path ?? args?.path), theme, cwd);
+	return `${theme.fg("toolTitle", theme.bold("read"))} ${pathDisplay}${formatReadLineRange(args, theme)}`;
+}
+function trimTrailingEmptyLines(lines: string[]): string[] {
+	let end = lines.length;
+	while (end > 0 && lines[end - 1] === "") {
+		end--;
+	}
+	return lines.slice(0, end);
+}
+function toPosixPath(filePath: string): string {
+	return filePath.split(sep).join("/");
+}
+function getPiDocsClassification(absolutePath: string): CompactReadClassification | undefined {
+	const packageRoot = dirname(getReadmePath());
+	const relativePath = relative(resolvePath(packageRoot), resolvePath(absolutePath));
+	if (
+		relativePath === "" ||
+		relativePath === ".." ||
+		relativePath.startsWith(`..${sep}`) ||
+		isAbsolute(relativePath)
+	) {
+		return undefined;
+	}
+
+	const label = toPosixPath(relativePath);
+	if (label === "README.md" || label.startsWith("docs/") || label.startsWith("examples/")) {
+		return { kind: "docs", label };
+	}
+	return undefined;
+}
+function getCompactReadClassification(
+	args: ReadRenderArgs | undefined,
+	cwd: string,
+): CompactReadClassification | undefined {
+	const rawPath = str(args?.file_path ?? args?.path);
+	if (!rawPath) return undefined;
+
+	const absolutePath = resolveToCwd(rawPath, cwd);
+	const fileName = basename(absolutePath);
+	if (fileName === "SKILL.md") {
+		return { kind: "skill", label: basename(dirname(absolutePath)) || fileName };
+	}
+
+	const docsClassification = getPiDocsClassification(absolutePath);
+	if (docsClassification) return docsClassification;
+
+	if (COMPACT_RESOURCE_FILE_NAMES.has(fileName)) {
+		return { kind: "resource", label: formatPathRelativeToCwdOrAbsolute(absolutePath, cwd) };
+	}
+
+	return undefined;
+}
+function formatCompactReadCall(
+	classification: CompactReadClassification,
+	args: ReadRenderArgs | undefined,
+	theme: Theme,
+): string {
+	const expandHint = theme.fg("dim", ` (${keyText("app.tools.expand")} to expand)`);
+	if (classification.kind === "skill") {
+		return (
+			theme.fg("customMessageLabel", `\x1b[1m[skill]\x1b[22m `) +
+			theme.fg("customMessageText", classification.label) +
+			formatReadLineRange(args, theme) +
+			expandHint
+		);
+	}
+
+	return (
+		theme.fg("toolTitle", theme.bold(`read ${classification.kind}`)) +
+		" " +
+		theme.fg("accent", classification.label) +
+		formatReadLineRange(args, theme) +
+		expandHint
+	);
+}
+function formatReadResult(
+	args: ReadRenderArgs | undefined,
+	result: { content: (TextContent | ImageContent)[]; details?: ReadToolDetails },
+	options: ToolRenderResultOptions,
+	theme: Theme,
+	showImages: boolean,
+	_cwd: string,
+	isError: boolean,
+): string {
+	if (!options.expanded && !isError) {
+		return "";
+	}
+
+	const rawPath = str(args?.file_path ?? args?.path);
+	const output = getTextOutput(result, showImages);
+	const lang = !isError && rawPath ? getLanguageFromPath(rawPath) : undefined;
+	const renderedLines = lang ? highlightCode(replaceTabs(output), lang) : output.split("\n");
+	const lines = trimTrailingEmptyLines(renderedLines);
+	const maxLines = options.expanded ? lines.length : 10;
+	const displayLines = lines.slice(0, maxLines);
+	const remaining = lines.length - maxLines;
+	let text = `\n${displayLines.map((line) => (lang ? replaceTabs(line) : theme.fg("toolOutput", replaceTabs(line)))).join("\n")}`;
+	if (remaining > 0) {
+		text += `${theme.fg("muted", `\n... (${remaining} more lines,`)} ${keyHint("app.tools.expand", "to expand")}${theme.fg("muted", ")")}`;
+	}
+
+	const truncation = result.details?.truncation;
+	if (truncation?.truncated) {
+		if (truncation.firstLineExceedsLimit) {
+			text += `\n${theme.fg("warning", `[First line exceeds ${formatSize(truncation.maxBytes ?? DEFAULT_MAX_BYTES)} limit]`)}`;
+		} else if (truncation.truncatedBy === "lines") {
+			text += `\n${theme.fg("warning", `[Truncated: showing ${truncation.outputLines} of ${truncation.totalLines} lines (${truncation.maxLines ?? DEFAULT_MAX_LINES} line limit)]`)}`;
+		} else {
+			text += `\n${theme.fg("warning", `[Truncated: ${truncation.outputLines} lines shown (${formatSize(truncation.maxBytes ?? DEFAULT_MAX_BYTES)} limit)]`)}`;
+		}
+	}
+	return text;
+}
+
+export const readRenderers: Pick<ToolDefinition<any, ReadToolDetails | undefined>, "renderCall" | "renderResult"> = {
+	renderCall(rawArgs, theme, context) {
+		const args = rawArgs as ReadRenderArgs | undefined;
+		const text = (context.lastComponent as Text | undefined) ?? new Text("", 0, 0);
+		const classification = !context.expanded ? getCompactReadClassification(args, context.cwd) : undefined;
+		text.setText(
+			classification ? formatCompactReadCall(classification, args, theme) : formatReadCall(args, theme, context.cwd),
+		);
+		return text;
+	},
+	renderResult(result, options, theme, context) {
+		const text = (context.lastComponent as Text | undefined) ?? new Text("", 0, 0);
+		text.setText(
+			formatReadResult(
+				context.args as ReadRenderArgs | undefined,
+				result,
+				options,
+				theme,
+				context.showImages,
+				context.cwd,
+				context.isError,
+			),
+		);
+		return text;
+	},
+};
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/renderers/write.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/renderers/write.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7c8f32636
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/renderers/write.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,181 @@
+/**
+ * Presentation for the write tool.
+ *
+ * Renderers live apart from the implementation so a process that only displays tool output does not
+ * load the execution path or its typebox parameter schema. `write.ts` spreads these into its
+ * definition, so the tool's public shape is unchanged.
+ */
+
+import { Container, Text } from "@earendil-works/pi-tui";
+import { keyHint } from "../../../modes/interactive/components/keybinding-hints.ts";
+import { getLanguageFromPath, highlightCode, type Theme } from "../../../modes/interactive/theme/theme.ts";
+import type { ToolDefinition, ToolRenderResultOptions } from "../../extensions/types.ts";
+import { normalizeDisplayText, renderToolPath, replaceTabs, str } from "../render-utils.ts";
+
+type WriteHighlightCache = {
+	rawPath: string | null;
+	lang: string;
+	rawContent: string;
+	normalizedLines: string[];
+	highlightedLines: string[];
+};
+class WriteCallRenderComponent extends Text {
+	cache?: WriteHighlightCache;
+
+	constructor() {
+		super("", 0, 0);
+	}
+}
+const WRITE_PARTIAL_FULL_HIGHLIGHT_LINES = 50;
+function highlightSingleLine(line: string, lang: string): string {
+	const highlighted = highlightCode(line, lang);
+	return highlighted[0] ?? "";
+}
+function refreshWriteHighlightPrefix(cache: WriteHighlightCache): void {
+	const prefixCount = Math.min(WRITE_PARTIAL_FULL_HIGHLIGHT_LINES, cache.normalizedLines.length);
+	if (prefixCount === 0) return;
+	const prefixSource = cache.normalizedLines.slice(0, prefixCount).join("\n");
+	const prefixHighlighted = highlightCode(prefixSource, cache.lang);
+	for (let i = 0; i < prefixCount; i++) {
+		cache.highlightedLines[i] =
+			prefixHighlighted[i] ?? highlightSingleLine(cache.normalizedLines[i] ?? "", cache.lang);
+	}
+}
+function rebuildWriteHighlightCacheFull(rawPath: string | null, fileContent: string): WriteHighlightCache | undefined {
+	const lang = rawPath ? getLanguageFromPath(rawPath) : undefined;
+	if (!lang) return undefined;
+	const displayContent = normalizeDisplayText(fileContent);
+	const normalized = replaceTabs(displayContent);
+	return {
+		rawPath,
+		lang,
+		rawContent: fileContent,
+		normalizedLines: normalized.split("\n"),
+		highlightedLines: highlightCode(normalized, lang),
+	};
+}
+function updateWriteHighlightCacheIncremental(
+	cache: WriteHighlightCache | undefined,
+	rawPath: string | null,
+	fileContent: string,
+): WriteHighlightCache | undefined {
+	const lang = rawPath ? getLanguageFromPath(rawPath) : undefined;
+	if (!lang) return undefined;
+	if (!cache) return rebuildWriteHighlightCacheFull(rawPath, fileContent);
+	if (cache.lang !== lang || cache.rawPath !== rawPath) return rebuildWriteHighlightCacheFull(rawPath, fileContent);
+	if (!fileContent.startsWith(cache.rawContent)) return rebuildWriteHighlightCacheFull(rawPath, fileContent);
+	if (fileContent.length === cache.rawContent.length) return cache;
+
+	const deltaRaw = fileContent.slice(cache.rawContent.length);
+	const deltaDisplay = normalizeDisplayText(deltaRaw);
+	const deltaNormalized = replaceTabs(deltaDisplay);
+	cache.rawContent = fileContent;
+	if (cache.normalizedLines.length === 0) {
+		cache.normalizedLines.push("");
+		cache.highlightedLines.push("");
+	}
+
+	const segments = deltaNormalized.split("\n");
+	const lastIndex = cache.normalizedLines.length - 1;
+	cache.normalizedLines[lastIndex] += segments[0];
+	cache.highlightedLines[lastIndex] = highlightSingleLine(cache.normalizedLines[lastIndex], cache.lang);
+	for (let i = 1; i < segments.length; i++) {
+		cache.normalizedLines.push(segments[i]);
+		cache.highlightedLines.push(highlightSingleLine(segments[i], cache.lang));
+	}
+	refreshWriteHighlightPrefix(cache);
+	return cache;
+}
+function trimTrailingEmptyLines(lines: string[]): string[] {
+	let end = lines.length;
+	while (end > 0 && lines[end - 1] === "") {
+		end--;
+	}
+	return lines.slice(0, end);
+}
+function formatWriteCall(
+	args: { path?: string; file_path?: string; content?: string } | undefined,
+	options: ToolRenderResultOptions,
+	theme: Theme,
+	cache: WriteHighlightCache | undefined,
+	cwd: string,
+): string {
+	const rawPath = str(args?.file_path ?? args?.path);
+	const fileContent = str(args?.content);
+	const pathDisplay = renderToolPath(rawPath, theme, cwd);
+	let text = `${theme.fg("toolTitle", theme.bold("write"))} ${pathDisplay}`;
+
+	if (fileContent === null) {
+		text += `\n\n${theme.fg("error", "[invalid content arg - expected string]")}`;
+	} else if (fileContent) {
+		const lang = rawPath ? getLanguageFromPath(rawPath) : undefined;
+		const renderedLines = lang
+			? (cache?.highlightedLines ?? highlightCode(replaceTabs(normalizeDisplayText(fileContent)), lang))
+			: normalizeDisplayText(fileContent).split("\n");
+		const lines = trimTrailingEmptyLines(renderedLines);
+		const totalLines = lines.length;
+		const maxLines = options.expanded ? lines.length : 10;
+		const displayLines = lines.slice(0, maxLines);
+		const remaining = lines.length - maxLines;
+		text += `\n\n${displayLines.map((line) => (lang ? line : theme.fg("toolOutput", replaceTabs(line)))).join("\n")}`;
+		if (remaining > 0) {
+			text += `${theme.fg("muted", `\n... (${remaining} more lines, ${totalLines} total,`)} ${keyHint("app.tools.expand", "to expand")}${theme.fg("muted", ")")}`;
+		}
+	}
+
+	return text;
+}
+function formatWriteResult(
+	result: { content: Array<{ type: string; text?: string; data?: string; mimeType?: string }>; isError?: boolean },
+	theme: Theme,
+): string | undefined {
+	if (!result.isError) {
+		return undefined;
+	}
+	const output = result.content
+		.filter((c) => c.type === "text")
+		.map((c) => c.text || "")
+		.join("\n");
+	if (!output) {
+		return undefined;
+	}
+	return `\n${theme.fg("error", output)}`;
+}
+
+export const writeRenderers: Pick<ToolDefinition<any, any>, "renderCall" | "renderResult"> = {
+	renderCall(args, theme, context) {
+		const renderArgs = args as { path?: string; file_path?: string; content?: string } | undefined;
+		const rawPath = str(renderArgs?.file_path ?? renderArgs?.path);
+		const fileContent = str(renderArgs?.content);
+		const component =
+			(context.lastComponent as WriteCallRenderComponent | undefined) ?? new WriteCallRenderComponent();
+		if (fileContent !== null) {
+			component.cache = context.argsComplete
+				? rebuildWriteHighlightCacheFull(rawPath, fileContent)
+				: updateWriteHighlightCacheIncremental(component.cache, rawPath, fileContent);
+		} else {
+			component.cache = undefined;
+		}
+		component.setText(
+			formatWriteCall(
+				renderArgs,
+				{ expanded: context.expanded, isPartial: context.isPartial },
+				theme,
+				component.cache,
+				context.cwd,
+			),
+		);
+		return component;
+	},
+	renderResult(result, _options, theme, context) {
+		const output = formatWriteResult({ ...result, isError: context.isError }, theme);
+		if (!output) {
+			const component = (context.lastComponent as Container | undefined) ?? new Container();
+			component.clear();
+			return component;
+		}
+		const text = (context.lastComponent as Text | undefined) ?? new Text("", 0, 0);
+		text.setText(output);
+		return text;
+	},
+};
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/write.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/write.ts
index d25435b0b..d8e136d89 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/write.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/tools/write.ts
@@ -1,15 +1,12 @@
 import type { AgentTool } from "@earendil-works/pi-agent-core";
-import { Container, Text } from "@earendil-works/pi-tui";
 import { mkdir as fsMkdir, writeFile as fsWriteFile } from "fs/promises";
 import { dirname } from "path";
 import { type Static, Type } from "typebox";
-import { keyHint } from "../../modes/interactive/components/keybinding-hints.ts";
-import { getLanguageFromPath, highlightCode, type Theme } from "../../modes/interactive/theme/theme.ts";
 import { getExperimentalToolSampling } from "../experimental.ts";
-import type { ToolDefinition, ToolRenderResultOptions } from "../extensions/types.ts";
+import type { ToolDefinition } from "../extensions/types.ts";
 import { withFileMutationQueue } from "./file-mutation-queue.ts";
 import { resolveToCwd } from "./path-utils.ts";
-import { normalizeDisplayText, renderToolPath, replaceTabs, str } from "./render-utils.ts";
+import { writeRenderers } from "./renderers/write.ts";
 import { wrapToolDefinition } from "./tool-definition-wrapper.ts";
 
 const writeSchema = Type.Object({
@@ -45,145 +42,6 @@ export interface WriteToolOptions {
 	operations?: WriteOperations;
 }
 
-type WriteHighlightCache = {
-	rawPath: string | null;
-	lang: string;
-	rawContent: string;
-	normalizedLines: string[];
-	highlightedLines: string[];
-};
-
-class WriteCallRenderComponent extends Text {
-	cache?: WriteHighlightCache;
-
-	constructor() {
-		super("", 0, 0);
-	}
-}
-
-const WRITE_PARTIAL_FULL_HIGHLIGHT_LINES = 50;
-
-function highlightSingleLine(line: string, lang: string): string {
-	const highlighted = highlightCode(line, lang);
-	return highlighted[0] ?? "";
-}
-
-function refreshWriteHighlightPrefix(cache: WriteHighlightCache): void {
-	const prefixCount = Math.min(WRITE_PARTIAL_FULL_HIGHLIGHT_LINES, cache.normalizedLines.length);
-	if (prefixCount === 0) return;
-	const prefixSource = cache.normalizedLines.slice(0, prefixCount).join("\n");
-	const prefixHighlighted = highlightCode(prefixSource, cache.lang);
-	for (let i = 0; i < prefixCount; i++) {
-		cache.highlightedLines[i] =
-			prefixHighlighted[i] ?? highlightSingleLine(cache.normalizedLines[i] ?? "", cache.lang);
-	}
-}
-
-function rebuildWriteHighlightCacheFull(rawPath: string | null, fileContent: string): WriteHighlightCache | undefined {
-	const lang = rawPath ? getLanguageFromPath(rawPath) : undefined;
-	if (!lang) return undefined;
-	const displayContent = normalizeDisplayText(fileContent);
-	const normalized = replaceTabs(displayContent);
-	return {
-		rawPath,
-		lang,
-		rawContent: fileContent,
-		normalizedLines: normalized.split("\n"),
-		highlightedLines: highlightCode(normalized, lang),
-	};
-}
-
-function updateWriteHighlightCacheIncremental(
-	cache: WriteHighlightCache | undefined,
-	rawPath: string | null,
-	fileContent: string,
-): WriteHighlightCache | undefined {
-	const lang = rawPath ? getLanguageFromPath(rawPath) : undefined;
-	if (!lang) return undefined;
-	if (!cache) return rebuildWriteHighlightCacheFull(rawPath, fileContent);
-	if (cache.lang !== lang || cache.rawPath !== rawPath) return rebuildWriteHighlightCacheFull(rawPath, fileContent);
-	if (!fileContent.startsWith(cache.rawContent)) return rebuildWriteHighlightCacheFull(rawPath, fileContent);
-	if (fileContent.length === cache.rawContent.length) return cache;
-
-	const deltaRaw = fileContent.slice(cache.rawContent.length);
-	const deltaDisplay = normalizeDisplayText(deltaRaw);
-	const deltaNormalized = replaceTabs(deltaDisplay);
-	cache.rawContent = fileContent;
-	if (cache.normalizedLines.length === 0) {
-		cache.normalizedLines.push("");
-		cache.highlightedLines.push("");
-	}
-
-	const segments = deltaNormalized.split("\n");
-	const lastIndex = cache.normalizedLines.length - 1;
-	cache.normalizedLines[lastIndex] += segments[0];
-	cache.highlightedLines[lastIndex] = highlightSingleLine(cache.normalizedLines[lastIndex], cache.lang);
-	for (let i = 1; i < segments.length; i++) {
-		cache.normalizedLines.push(segments[i]);
-		cache.highlightedLines.push(highlightSingleLine(segments[i], cache.lang));
-	}
-	refreshWriteHighlightPrefix(cache);
-	return cache;
-}
-
-function trimTrailingEmptyLines(lines: string[]): string[] {
-	let end = lines.length;
-	while (end > 0 && lines[end - 1] === "") {
-		end--;
-	}
-	return lines.slice(0, end);
-}
-
-function formatWriteCall(
-	args: { path?: string; file_path?: string; content?: string } | undefined,
-	options: ToolRenderResultOptions,
-	theme: Theme,
-	cache: WriteHighlightCache | undefined,
-	cwd: string,
-): string {
-	const rawPath = str(args?.file_path ?? args?.path);
-	const fileContent = str(args?.content);
-	const pathDisplay = renderToolPath(rawPath, theme, cwd);
-	let text = `${theme.fg("toolTitle", theme.bold("write"))} ${pathDisplay}`;
-
-	if (fileContent === null) {
-		text += `\n\n${theme.fg("error", "[invalid content arg - expected string]")}`;
-	} else if (fileContent) {
-		const lang = rawPath ? getLanguageFromPath(rawPath) : undefined;
-		const renderedLines = lang
-			? (cache?.highlightedLines ?? highlightCode(replaceTabs(normalizeDisplayText(fileContent)), lang))
-			: normalizeDisplayText(fileContent).split("\n");
-		const lines = trimTrailingEmptyLines(renderedLines);
-		const totalLines = lines.length;
-		const maxLines = options.expanded ? lines.length : 10;
-		const displayLines = lines.slice(0, maxLines);
-		const remaining = lines.length - maxLines;
-		text += `\n\n${displayLines.map((line) => (lang ? line : theme.fg("toolOutput", replaceTabs(line)))).join("\n")}`;
-		if (remaining > 0) {
-			text += `${theme.fg("muted", `\n... (${remaining} more lines, ${totalLines} total,`)} ${keyHint("app.tools.expand", "to expand")}${theme.fg("muted", ")")}`;
-		}
-	}
-
-	return text;
-}
-
-function formatWriteResult(
-	result: { content: Array<{ type: string; text?: string; data?: string; mimeType?: string }>; isError?: boolean },
-	theme: Theme,
-): string | undefined {
-	if (!result.isError) {
-		return undefined;
-	}
-	const output = result.content
-		.filter((c) => c.type === "text")
-		.map((c) => c.text || "")
-		.join("\n");
-	if (!output) {
-		return undefined;
-	}
-	return `\n${theme.fg("error", output)}`;
-}
-
 export function createWriteToolDefinition(
 	cwd: string,
 	options?: WriteToolOptions,
@@ -231,41 +89,7 @@ export function createWriteToolDefinition(
 				};
 			});
 		},
-		renderCall(args, theme, context) {
-			const renderArgs = args as { path?: string; file_path?: string; content?: string } | undefined;
-			const rawPath = str(renderArgs?.file_path ?? renderArgs?.path);
-			const fileContent = str(renderArgs?.content);
-			const component =
-				(context.lastComponent as WriteCallRenderComponent | undefined) ?? new WriteCallRenderComponent();
-			if (fileContent !== null) {
-				component.cache = context.argsComplete
-					? rebuildWriteHighlightCacheFull(rawPath, fileContent)
-					: updateWriteHighlightCacheIncremental(component.cache, rawPath, fileContent);
-			} else {
-				component.cache = undefined;
-			}
-			component.setText(
-				formatWriteCall(
-					renderArgs,
-					{ expanded: context.expanded, isPartial: context.isPartial },
-					theme,
-					component.cache,
-					context.cwd,
-				),
-			);
-			return component;
-		},
-		renderResult(result, _options, theme, context) {
-			const output = formatWriteResult({ ...result, isError: context.isError }, theme);
-			if (!output) {
-				const component = (context.lastComponent as Container | undefined) ?? new Container();
-				component.clear();
-				return component;
-			}
-			const text = (context.lastComponent as Text | undefined) ?? new Text("", 0, 0);
-			text.setText(output);
-			return text;
-		},
+		...writeRenderers,
 	};
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/experimental/mini/server/run.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/experimental/mini/server/run.ts
index 474b66f0c..5b505071c 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/src/experimental/mini/server/run.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/experimental/mini/server/run.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
  */
 
 import { spawn } from "node:child_process";
+import { extname } from "node:path";
 import { fileURLToPath } from "node:url";
 // Narrow entries: the server routes and lists sessions, it never runs an agent.
 import { BACKGROUND_CONTEXT } from "@earendil-works/pi-agent-core/harness/context";
@@ -16,7 +17,8 @@ import { type SessionSummary, Sessions, type SessionsServiceApi, Worker } from "
 import { createPeer, type RpcPeer } from "../shared/rpc.ts";
 import { childConnection, type Transport } from "../shared/transport.ts";
 
-const WORKER_ENTRY = fileURLToPath(new URL("../worker/entry.ts", import.meta.url));
+const SELF_EXTENSION = extname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));
+const WORKER_ENTRY = fileURLToPath(new URL(`../worker/entry${SELF_EXTENSION}`, import.meta.url));
 const WORKER_START_TIMEOUT_MS = 30_000;
 /** Grace period before an idle server retires, so a reconnecting presentation does not race it. */
 const IDLE_SHUTDOWN_MS = 10_000;
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/experimental/mini/tui/run.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/experimental/mini/tui/run.ts
index 9fd5c2ff6..651adee35 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/src/experimental/mini/tui/run.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/experimental/mini/tui/run.ts
@@ -4,14 +4,15 @@
 
 import { spawn } from "node:child_process";
 import { mkdir } from "node:fs/promises";
-import { join } from "node:path";
+import { extname, join } from "node:path";
 import { fileURLToPath } from "node:url";
 import { getAgentDir } from "../../../config.ts";
 import { socketTransport, type Transport } from "../shared/transport.ts";
 import { connect, listSessions } from "./session.ts";
 import { runView } from "./view.ts";
 
-const SERVER_ENTRY = fileURLToPath(new URL("../server/entry.ts", import.meta.url));
+const SELF_EXTENSION = extname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));
+const SERVER_ENTRY = fileURLToPath(new URL(`../server/entry${SELF_EXTENSION}`, import.meta.url));
 const SERVER_START_TIMEOUT_MS = 10_000;
 
 export interface TuiOptions {
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/experimental/mini/tui/view.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/experimental/mini/tui/view.ts
index 0df330a32..ac61fd5b5 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/src/experimental/mini/tui/view.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/experimental/mini/tui/view.ts
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import {
 } from "@earendil-works/pi-tui";
 import { getAgentDir } from "../../../config.ts";
 import { KeybindingsManager } from "../../../core/keybindings.ts";
+import { createAllToolRenderers } from "../../../core/tools/renderers/index.ts";
 import { AssistantMessageComponent } from "../../../modes/interactive/components/assistant-message.ts";
 import { CustomEditor } from "../../../modes/interactive/components/custom-editor.ts";
 import { DynamicBorder } from "../../../modes/interactive/components/dynamic-border.ts";
@@ -42,7 +43,7 @@ import {
 	type StatusIndicator,
 	WorkingStatusIndicator,
 } from "../../../modes/interactive/components/status-indicator.ts";
-import { ToolExecutionComponent } from "../../../modes/interactive/components/tool-execution.ts";
+import { ToolExecutionComponent, type ToolRenderers } from "../../../modes/interactive/components/tool-execution.ts";
 import { UserMessageComponent } from "../../../modes/interactive/components/user-message.ts";
 import { getEditorTheme, initTheme, theme } from "../../../modes/interactive/theme/theme.ts";
 import type { AuthPromptRequest, CommandResult, ProviderAccount } from "../shared/protocol.ts";
@@ -338,6 +339,9 @@ class MiniTui {
 		}
 	}
 
+	/** Built-in renderers, without the tool implementations or their schemas. */
+	static readonly #renderers: Record<string, ToolRenderers> = createAllToolRenderers();
+
 	/** Get or create the component for a tool call; omit `args` to look up without overwriting them. */
 	#tool(toolName: string, toolCallId: string, args?: unknown): ToolExecutionComponent {
 		const existing = this.#tools.get(toolCallId);
@@ -350,7 +354,7 @@ class MiniTui {
 			toolCallId,
 			args ?? {},
 			{},
-			undefined,
+			MiniTui.#renderers[toolName],
 			this.#ui,
 			this.#cwd,
 		);
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/main.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/main.ts
index 79b65a988..f9d0c2d33 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/src/main.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/main.ts
@@ -70,7 +70,8 @@ import { startForegroundServer } from "./experimental/server.ts";
 import { builtInExtensions } from "./extensions/index.ts";
 import { runMigrations, showDeprecationWarnings } from "./migrations.ts";
 import { InteractiveMode, runPrintMode, runRpcMode } from "./modes/index.ts";
-import { initTheme, stopThemeWatcher } from "./modes/interactive/theme/theme.ts";
+import { initTheme, setThemeJsonValidator, stopThemeWatcher } from "./modes/interactive/theme/theme.ts";
+import { validateThemeJson } from "./modes/interactive/theme/theme-json.ts";
 import { cleanupManagedInstall, handleConfigCommand, handlePackageCommand } from "./package-manager-cli.ts";
 import { isLocalPath, normalizePath, resolvePath } from "./utils/paths.ts";
 import { cleanupWindowsSelfUpdateQuarantine } from "./utils/windows-self-update.ts";
@@ -980,6 +981,8 @@ export async function main(args: string[], options?: MainOptions) {
 		stdinContent,
 	);
 	time("prepareInitialMessage");
+	// pi reads user-authored themes, so it opts into full validation before any theme loads.
+	setThemeJsonValidator(validateThemeJson);
 	initTheme(settingsManager.getTheme(), appMode === "interactive");
 	time("initTheme");
 
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/modes/interactive/components/tool-execution.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/modes/interactive/components/tool-execution.ts
index a35c1d8fc..5355a3637 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/src/modes/interactive/components/tool-execution.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/modes/interactive/components/tool-execution.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import type { AgentToolResult } from "@earendil-works/pi-agent-core";
 import {
 	Box,
 	type Component,
@@ -10,8 +11,27 @@ import {
 	type TUI,
 	type TuiMouseEvent,
 } from "@earendil-works/pi-tui";
-import type { ToolDefinition, ToolRenderContext } from "../../../core/extensions/types.ts";
-import { createAllToolDefinitions, type ToolName } from "../../../core/tools/index.ts";
+import type { ToolDefinition, ToolRenderContext, ToolRenderResultOptions } from "../../../core/extensions/types.ts";
+import type { Theme } from "../theme/theme.ts";
+
+/**
+ * What this component needs from a tool: how to draw it. It neither executes tools nor reads their
+ * parameter schemas, so a definition and a bare renderer pair are equally acceptable.
+ *
+ * The renderer parameters are `any` on purpose: a `ToolDefinition` types them from its schema, and
+ * narrowing them here would make those definitions unassignable.
+ */
+export interface ToolRenderers {
+	renderShell?: "default" | "self";
+	renderCall?: (args: any, theme: Theme, context: ToolRenderContext<any, any>) => Component;
+	renderResult?: (
+		result: AgentToolResult<any>,
+		options: ToolRenderResultOptions,
+		theme: Theme,
+		context: ToolRenderContext<any, any>,
+	) => Component;
+}
+
 import { getTextOutput as getRenderedTextOutput } from "../../../core/tools/render-utils.ts";
 import { convertToPng } from "../../../utils/image-convert.ts";
 import { theme } from "../theme/theme.ts";
@@ -42,8 +62,7 @@ export class ToolExecutionComponent extends Container {
 	private showImages: boolean;
 	private imageWidthCells: number;
 	private isPartial = true;
-	private toolDefinition?: ToolDefinition<any, any>;
-	private builtInToolDefinition?: ToolDefinition<any, any>;
+	private toolDefinition?: ToolRenderers;
 	private ui: TUI;
 	private cwd: string;
 	private executionStarted = false;
@@ -61,7 +80,7 @@ export class ToolExecutionComponent extends Container {
 		toolCallId: string,
 		args: any,
 		options: ToolExecutionOptions = {},
-		toolDefinition: ToolDefinition<any, any> | undefined,
+		toolDefinition: ToolRenderers | ToolDefinition<any, any, any> | undefined,
 		ui: TUI,
 		cwd: string,
 	) {
@@ -70,7 +89,6 @@ export class ToolExecutionComponent extends Container {
 		this.toolCallId = toolCallId;
 		this.args = args;
 		this.toolDefinition = toolDefinition;
-		this.builtInToolDefinition = createAllToolDefinitions(cwd)[toolName as ToolName];
 		this.showImages = options.showImages ?? true;
 		this.imageWidthCells = options.imageWidthCells ?? 60;
 		this.ui = ui;
@@ -96,37 +114,19 @@ export class ToolExecutionComponent extends Container {
 	}
 
 	private getCallRenderer(): ToolDefinition<any, any>["renderCall"] | undefined {
-		if (!this.builtInToolDefinition) {
-			return this.toolDefinition?.renderCall;
-		}
-		if (!this.toolDefinition) {
-			return this.builtInToolDefinition.renderCall;
-		}
-		return this.toolDefinition.renderCall ?? this.builtInToolDefinition.renderCall;
+		return this.toolDefinition?.renderCall;
 	}
 
 	private getResultRenderer(): ToolDefinition<any, any>["renderResult"] | undefined {
-		if (!this.builtInToolDefinition) {
-			return this.toolDefinition?.renderResult;
-		}
-		if (!this.toolDefinition) {
-			return this.builtInToolDefinition.renderResult;
-		}
-		return this.toolDefinition.renderResult ?? this.builtInToolDefinition.renderResult;
+		return this.toolDefinition?.renderResult;
 	}
 
 	private hasRendererDefinition(): boolean {
-		return this.builtInToolDefinition !== undefined || this.toolDefinition !== undefined;
+		return this.toolDefinition !== undefined;
 	}
 
 	private getRenderShell(): "default" | "self" {
-		if (!this.builtInToolDefinition) {
-			return this.toolDefinition?.renderShell ?? "default";
-		}
-		if (!this.toolDefinition) {
-			return this.builtInToolDefinition.renderShell ?? "default";
-		}
-		return this.toolDefinition.renderShell ?? this.builtInToolDefinition.renderShell ?? "default";
+		return this.toolDefinition?.renderShell ?? "default";
 	}
 
 	private getRenderContext(lastComponent: Component | undefined): ToolRenderContext {
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/modes/interactive/interactive-mode.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/modes/interactive/interactive-mode.ts
index acf96ae2f..ac358c420 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/src/modes/interactive/interactive-mode.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/modes/interactive/interactive-mode.ts
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ import type { FullscreenExitOutput, TuiMode } from "../../core/settings-manager.
 import { BUILTIN_SLASH_COMMANDS } from "../../core/slash-commands.ts";
 import type { SourceInfo } from "../../core/source-info.ts";
 import { isInstallTelemetryEnabled } from "../../core/telemetry.ts";
+import { withBuiltInRenderers } from "../../core/tools/renderers/index.ts";
 import type { TruncationResult } from "../../core/tools/truncate.ts";
 import { hasTrustRequiringProjectResources, ProjectTrustStore } from "../../core/trust-manager.ts";
 import { getUsageCostBreakdown } from "../../core/usage-totals.ts";
@@ -2054,8 +2055,12 @@ export class InteractiveMode {
 	/**
 	 * Get a registered tool definition by name (for custom rendering).
 	 */
+	/**
+	 * Extension-registered definition, falling back to the built-in one. The renderer components take
+	 * whatever this returns, so they never reach into the tool registry themselves.
+	 */
 	private getRegisteredToolDefinition(toolName: string) {
-		return this.session.getToolDefinition(toolName);
+		return withBuiltInRenderers(toolName, this.session.getToolDefinition(toolName));
 	}
 
 	private getMarkdownTransformers(): MarkdownTransformer[] {
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/modes/interactive/theme/theme-json.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/modes/interactive/theme/theme-json.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..915f9d305
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/modes/interactive/theme/theme-json.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,144 @@
+/**
+ * Theme JSON validation, kept out of `theme.ts` on purpose.
+ *
+ * Validating user-authored theme files needs typebox, which costs ~17 MB of module graph to import.
+ * Palette lookup does not, so a presentation that only uses built-in themes should never pay for it.
+ * `interactive-mode.ts` installs this validator; anything that does not simply skips validation, as
+ * built-in themes already do.
+ */
+
+import { type Static, Type } from "typebox";
+import { Compile } from "typebox/compile";
+
+const ColorValueSchema = Type.Union([
+	Type.String(), // hex "#ff0000", var ref "primary", or empty ""
+	Type.Integer({ minimum: 0, maximum: 255 }), // 256-color index
+]);
+
+const ThemeJsonSchema = Type.Object({
+	$schema: Type.Optional(Type.String()),
+	name: Type.String(),
+	vars: Type.Optional(Type.Record(Type.String(), ColorValueSchema)),
+	colors: Type.Object({
+		// Core UI (10 colors)
+		accent: ColorValueSchema,
+		border: ColorValueSchema,
+		borderAccent: ColorValueSchema,
+		borderMuted: ColorValueSchema,
+		success: ColorValueSchema,
+		error: ColorValueSchema,
+		warning: ColorValueSchema,
+		muted: ColorValueSchema,
+		dim: ColorValueSchema,
+		text: ColorValueSchema,
+		thinkingText: ColorValueSchema,
+		// Backgrounds & Content Text (11 required, 3 optional)
+		selectedBg: ColorValueSchema,
+		scrollbarThumb: Type.Optional(ColorValueSchema),
+		searchMatchBg: Type.Optional(ColorValueSchema),
+		searchMatchText: Type.Optional(ColorValueSchema),
+		userMessageBg: ColorValueSchema,
+		userMessageText: ColorValueSchema,
+		customMessageBg: ColorValueSchema,
+		customMessageText: ColorValueSchema,
+		customMessageLabel: ColorValueSchema,
+		toolPendingBg: ColorValueSchema,
+		toolSuccessBg: ColorValueSchema,
+		toolErrorBg: ColorValueSchema,
+		toolTitle: ColorValueSchema,
+		toolOutput: ColorValueSchema,
+		// Markdown (10 colors)
+		mdHeading: ColorValueSchema,
+		mdLink: ColorValueSchema,
+		mdLinkUrl: ColorValueSchema,
+		mdCode: ColorValueSchema,
+		mdCodeBlock: ColorValueSchema,
+		mdCodeBlockBorder: ColorValueSchema,
+		mdQuote: ColorValueSchema,
+		mdQuoteBorder: ColorValueSchema,
+		mdHr: ColorValueSchema,
+		mdListBullet: ColorValueSchema,
+		// Tool Diffs (3 colors)
+		toolDiffAdded: ColorValueSchema,
+		toolDiffRemoved: ColorValueSchema,
+		toolDiffContext: ColorValueSchema,
+		// Syntax Highlighting (9 colors)
+		syntaxComment: ColorValueSchema,
+		syntaxKeyword: ColorValueSchema,
+		syntaxFunction: ColorValueSchema,
+		syntaxVariable: ColorValueSchema,
+		syntaxString: ColorValueSchema,
+		syntaxNumber: ColorValueSchema,
+		syntaxType: ColorValueSchema,
+		syntaxOperator: ColorValueSchema,
+		syntaxPunctuation: ColorValueSchema,
+		// Thinking Level Borders (6 colors)
+		thinkingOff: ColorValueSchema,
+		thinkingMinimal: ColorValueSchema,
+		thinkingLow: ColorValueSchema,
+		thinkingMedium: ColorValueSchema,
+		thinkingHigh: ColorValueSchema,
+		thinkingXhigh: ColorValueSchema,
+		thinkingMax: Type.Optional(ColorValueSchema),
+		// Bash Mode (1 color)
+		bashMode: ColorValueSchema,
+	}),
+	export: Type.Optional(
+		Type.Object({
+			pageBg: Type.Optional(ColorValueSchema),
+			cardBg: Type.Optional(ColorValueSchema),
+			infoBg: Type.Optional(ColorValueSchema),
+		}),
+	),
+});
+
+const compiledThemeSchema = Compile(ThemeJsonSchema);
+
+export type ThemeColorValue = Static<typeof ColorValueSchema>;
+export type ValidatedThemeJson = Static<typeof ThemeJsonSchema>;
+
+/** Validate one theme document, throwing a message that names the offending tokens. */
+export function validateThemeJson(label: string, json: unknown): ValidatedThemeJson {
+	if (!compiledThemeSchema.Check(json)) {
+		const errors = Array.from(compiledThemeSchema.Errors(json));
+		const missingColors = new Set<string>();
+		const otherErrors: string[] = [];
+
+		for (const error of errors) {
+			if (error.keyword === "required" && error.instancePath === "/colors") {
+				const requiredProperties = (error.params as { requiredProperties?: string[] }).requiredProperties;
+				for (const requiredProperty of requiredProperties ?? []) {
+					missingColors.add(requiredProperty);
+				}
+				continue;
+			}
+
+			const path = error.instancePath || "/";
+			otherErrors.push(`  - ${path}: ${error.message}`);
+		}
+
+		let errorMessage = `Invalid theme "${label}":\n`;
+		if (missingColors.size > 0) {
+			errorMessage += "\nMissing required color tokens:\n";
+			errorMessage += Array.from(missingColors)
+				.sort()
+				.map((color) => `  - ${color}`)
+				.join("\n");
+			errorMessage += '\n\nPlease add these colors to your theme\'s "colors" object.';
+			errorMessage += "\nSee the built-in themes (dark.json, light.json) for reference values.";
+		}
+		if (otherErrors.length > 0) {
+			errorMessage += `\n\nOther errors:\n${otherErrors.join("\n")}`;
+		}
+
+		throw new Error(errorMessage);
+	}
+
+	const themeJson = json as ValidatedThemeJson;
+	if (themeJson.name.includes("/")) {
+		throw new Error(
+			`Invalid theme name "${themeJson.name}": theme names cannot contain "/" because it is reserved for automatic light/dark theme settings.`,
+		);
+	}
+	return themeJson;
+}
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/modes/interactive/theme/theme.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/modes/interactive/theme/theme.ts
index c49bad29e..3a8c596b7 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/src/modes/interactive/theme/theme.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/modes/interactive/theme/theme.ts
@@ -10,8 +10,6 @@ import {
 	type SettingsListTheme,
 } from "@earendil-works/pi-tui";
 import chalk from "chalk";
-import { type Static, Type } from "typebox";
-import { Compile } from "typebox/compile";
 import { getCustomThemesDir, getThemesDir } from "../../../config.ts";
 import type { SourceInfo } from "../../../core/source-info.ts";
 import { closeWatcher, watchWithErrorHandler } from "../../../utils/fs-watch.ts";
@@ -22,93 +20,23 @@ import { stripBom } from "../../../utils/text.ts";
 // Types & Schema
 // ============================================================================
 
-const ColorValueSchema = Type.Union([
-	Type.String(), // hex "#ff0000", var ref "primary", or empty ""
-	Type.Integer({ minimum: 0, maximum: 255 }), // 256-color index
-]);
+/** The schema that validates this shape lives in `theme-json.ts`; importing the type is free. */
+import type { ThemeColorValue as ColorValue, ValidatedThemeJson as ThemeJson } from "./theme-json.ts";
 
-type ColorValue = Static<typeof ColorValueSchema>;
+export type { ValidatedThemeJson as ThemeJson } from "./theme-json.ts";
 
-const ThemeJsonSchema = Type.Object({
-	$schema: Type.Optional(Type.String()),
-	name: Type.String(),
-	vars: Type.Optional(Type.Record(Type.String(), ColorValueSchema)),
-	colors: Type.Object({
-		// Core UI (10 colors)
-		accent: ColorValueSchema,
-		border: ColorValueSchema,
-		borderAccent: ColorValueSchema,
-		borderMuted: ColorValueSchema,
-		success: ColorValueSchema,
-		error: ColorValueSchema,
-		warning: ColorValueSchema,
-		muted: ColorValueSchema,
-		dim: ColorValueSchema,
-		text: ColorValueSchema,
-		thinkingText: ColorValueSchema,
-		// Backgrounds & Content Text (11 required, 3 optional)
-		selectedBg: ColorValueSchema,
-		scrollbarThumb: Type.Optional(ColorValueSchema),
-		searchMatchBg: Type.Optional(ColorValueSchema),
-		searchMatchText: Type.Optional(ColorValueSchema),
-		userMessageBg: ColorValueSchema,
-		userMessageText: ColorValueSchema,
-		customMessageBg: ColorValueSchema,
-		customMessageText: ColorValueSchema,
-		customMessageLabel: ColorValueSchema,
-		toolPendingBg: ColorValueSchema,
-		toolSuccessBg: ColorValueSchema,
-		toolErrorBg: ColorValueSchema,
-		toolTitle: ColorValueSchema,
-		toolOutput: ColorValueSchema,
-		// Markdown (10 colors)
-		mdHeading: ColorValueSchema,
-		mdLink: ColorValueSchema,
-		mdLinkUrl: ColorValueSchema,
-		mdCode: ColorValueSchema,
-		mdCodeBlock: ColorValueSchema,
-		mdCodeBlockBorder: ColorValueSchema,
-		mdQuote: ColorValueSchema,
-		mdQuoteBorder: ColorValueSchema,
-		mdHr: ColorValueSchema,
-		mdListBullet: ColorValueSchema,
-		// Tool Diffs (3 colors)
-		toolDiffAdded: ColorValueSchema,
-		toolDiffRemoved: ColorValueSchema,
-		toolDiffContext: ColorValueSchema,
-		// Syntax Highlighting (9 colors)
-		syntaxComment: ColorValueSchema,
-		syntaxKeyword: ColorValueSchema,
-		syntaxFunction: ColorValueSchema,
-		syntaxVariable: ColorValueSchema,
-		syntaxString: ColorValueSchema,
-		syntaxNumber: ColorValueSchema,
-		syntaxType: ColorValueSchema,
-		syntaxOperator: ColorValueSchema,
-		syntaxPunctuation: ColorValueSchema,
-		// Thinking Level Borders (6 colors)
-		thinkingOff: ColorValueSchema,
-		thinkingMinimal: ColorValueSchema,
-		thinkingLow: ColorValueSchema,
-		thinkingMedium: ColorValueSchema,
-		thinkingHigh: ColorValueSchema,
-		thinkingXhigh: ColorValueSchema,
-		thinkingMax: Type.Optional(ColorValueSchema),
-		// Bash Mode (1 color)
-		bashMode: ColorValueSchema,
-	}),
-	export: Type.Optional(
-		Type.Object({
-			pageBg: Type.Optional(ColorValueSchema),
-			cardBg: Type.Optional(ColorValueSchema),
-			infoBg: Type.Optional(ColorValueSchema),
-		}),
-	),
-});
+export type ThemeJsonValidator = (label: string, json: unknown) => ThemeJson;
 
-type ThemeJson = Static<typeof ThemeJsonSchema>;
+let themeJsonValidator: ThemeJsonValidator | undefined;
 
-const validateThemeJson = Compile(ThemeJsonSchema);
+/**
+ * Install full theme validation. Without it, documents are accepted as-is, which is what built-in
+ * themes already do: validating user-authored JSON needs typebox, and a presentation that only uses
+ * built-in themes should not pay ~17 MB of module graph for it.
+ */
+export function setThemeJsonValidator(validator: ThemeJsonValidator): void {
+	themeJsonValidator = validator;
+}
 
 export type ThemeColor =
 	| "accent"
@@ -554,44 +482,11 @@ function assertThemeNameIsValid(name: string): void {
 }
 
 function parseThemeJson(label: string, json: unknown): ThemeJson {
-	if (!validateThemeJson.Check(json)) {
-		const errors = Array.from(validateThemeJson.Errors(json));
-		const missingColors = new Set<string>();
-		const otherErrors: string[] = [];
-
-		for (const error of errors) {
-			if (error.keyword === "required" && error.instancePath === "/colors") {
-				const requiredProperties = (error.params as { requiredProperties?: string[] }).requiredProperties;
-				for (const requiredProperty of requiredProperties ?? []) {
-					missingColors.add(requiredProperty);
-				}
-				continue;
-			}
-
-			const path = error.instancePath || "/";
-			otherErrors.push(`  - ${path}: ${error.message}`);
-		}
-
-		let errorMessage = `Invalid theme "${label}":\n`;
-		if (missingColors.size > 0) {
-			errorMessage += "\nMissing required color tokens:\n";
-			errorMessage += Array.from(missingColors)
-				.sort()
-				.map((color) => `  - ${color}`)
-				.join("\n");
-			errorMessage += '\n\nPlease add these colors to your theme\'s "colors" object.';
-			errorMessage += "\nSee the built-in themes (dark.json, light.json) for reference values.";
-		}
-		if (otherErrors.length > 0) {
-			errorMessage += `\n\nOther errors:\n${otherErrors.join("\n")}`;
-		}
-
-		throw new Error(errorMessage);
+	if (themeJsonValidator) return themeJsonValidator(label, json);
+	if (typeof json !== "object" || json === null || !("colors" in json)) {
+		throw new Error(`Invalid theme "${label}": expected an object with a "colors" map.`);
 	}
-
-	const themeJson = json as ThemeJson;
-	assertThemeNameIsValid(themeJson.name);
-	return themeJson;
+	return json as ThemeJson;
 }
 
 function parseThemeJsonContent(label: string, content: string): ThemeJson {
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/test/tool-execution-component.test.ts b/packages/coding-agent/test/tool-execution-component.test.ts
index e45774c18..5ebec2e8a 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/test/tool-execution-component.test.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/test/tool-execution-component.test.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { getReadmePath } from "../src/config.ts";
 import type { ToolDefinition } from "../src/core/extensions/types.ts";
 import { type BashOperations, createBashToolDefinition } from "../src/core/tools/bash.ts";
 import { createReadTool, createReadToolDefinition } from "../src/core/tools/read.ts";
+import { withBuiltInRenderers } from "../src/core/tools/renderers/index.ts";
 import { createWriteToolDefinition } from "../src/core/tools/write.ts";
 import { ToolExecutionComponent } from "../src/modes/interactive/components/tool-execution.ts";
 import { initTheme, theme } from "../src/modes/interactive/theme/theme.ts";
@@ -108,7 +109,7 @@ describe("ToolExecutionComponent parity", () => {
 			"tool-2",
 			{ path: "README.md", oldText: "before", newText: "after" },
 			{},
-			overrideDefinition,
+			withBuiltInRenderers("edit", overrideDefinition),
 			createFakeTui(),
 			process.cwd(),
 		);
@@ -217,7 +218,7 @@ describe("ToolExecutionComponent parity", () => {
 			"tool-4b",
 			{ path: "notes.txt" },
 			{},
-			overrideDefinition,
+			withBuiltInRenderers("read", overrideDefinition),
 			createFakeTui(),
 			process.cwd(),
 		);
@@ -239,7 +240,7 @@ describe("ToolExecutionComponent parity", () => {
 			"tool-4c",
 			{ path: "README.md" },
 			{},
-			overrideDefinition,
+			withBuiltInRenderers("read", overrideDefinition),
 			createFakeTui(),
 			process.cwd(),
 		);
diff --git a/packages/server/vitest.config.ts b/packages/server/vitest.config.ts
index fbcf54e11..4d9ef2747 100644
--- a/packages/server/vitest.config.ts
+++ b/packages/server/vitest.config.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,12 @@
 import { fileURLToPath } from "node:url";
 import { defineConfig } from "vitest/config";
 
+const src = (path: string): string => fileURLToPath(new URL(path, import.meta.url));
+
+/**
+ * Exact matches for bare specifiers, plus one rule per package for subpath exports such as
+ * `@earendil-works/pi-ai/utils/uuid`. A prefix alias would rewrite those onto `index.ts/utils/uuid`.
+ */
 export default defineConfig({
 	test: {
 		globals: true,
@@ -8,11 +14,13 @@ export default defineConfig({
 		reporters: process.env.GITHUB_ACTIONS ? ["dot", "github-actions"] : ["dot"],
 	},
 	resolve: {
-		alias: {
-			"@earendil-works/pi-agent-core": fileURLToPath(new URL("../agent/src/index.ts", import.meta.url)),
-			"@earendil-works/pi-ai": fileURLToPath(new URL("../ai/src/index.ts", import.meta.url)),
-			"@earendil-works/pi-telemetry": fileURLToPath(new URL("../telemetry/src/index.ts", import.meta.url)),
-			"@earendil-works/pi-protocol": fileURLToPath(new URL("../protocol/src/index.ts", import.meta.url)),
-		},
+		alias: [
+			{ find: /^@earendil-works\/pi-agent-core$/, replacement: src("../agent/src/index.ts") },
+			{ find: /^@earendil-works\/pi-agent-core\/(.+)$/, replacement: `${src("../agent/src/")}$1.ts` },
+			{ find: /^@earendil-works\/pi-ai$/, replacement: src("../ai/src/index.ts") },
+			{ find: /^@earendil-works\/pi-ai\/(.+)$/, replacement: `${src("../ai/src/")}$1.ts` },
+			{ find: /^@earendil-works\/pi-telemetry$/, replacement: src("../telemetry/src/index.ts") },
+			{ find: /^@earendil-works\/pi-protocol$/, replacement: src("../protocol/src/index.ts") },
+		],
 	},
 });