diff --git a/libs/langgraph/langgraph/agent/__init__.py b/libs/langgraph/langgraph/agent/__init__.py
index 32de10de4..fdf61798a 100644
--- a/libs/langgraph/langgraph/agent/__init__.py
+++ b/libs/langgraph/langgraph/agent/__init__.py
@@ -66,15 +66,6 @@ def create_agent(
         if m.__class__.after_model is not AgentMiddleware.after_model
     ]
 
-    default_model_request = ModelRequest(
-        model=model, 
-        tools=list(tool_node.tools_by_name.values()), 
-        system_prompt=system_prompt, 
-        response_format=response_format,
-        messages=[],
-        tool_choice=None,
-    )
-
     # create graph, add nodes
     graph = StateGraph(
         AgentState,
@@ -85,7 +76,14 @@ def create_agent(
 
     def model_request(state: AgentState) -> AgentState:
 
-        request = state.model_request or default_model_request
+        request = state.model_request or ModelRequest(
+            model=model, 
+            tools=list(tool_node.tools_by_name.values()), 
+            system_prompt=system_prompt, 
+            response_format=response_format,
+            messages=state.messages,
+            tool_choice=None,
+        )
 
         # prepare messages
         if request.system_prompt:
@@ -102,10 +100,8 @@ def create_agent(
             )
             return {"messages": output["raw"], "response": output["parsed"]}
         else:
-            model_ = request.model
-            output = model_.invoke(
-                messages, tools=request.tools, tool_choice=request.tool_choice
-            )
+            model_ = request.model.bind_tools(request.tools, tool_choice=request.tool_choice)
+            output = model_.invoke(messages)
             if state.response is not None:
                 return {"messages": output, "response": None}
             else:
@@ -125,6 +121,16 @@ def create_agent(
 
             def modify_model_request_node(state: AgentState) -> dict[str, ModelRequest]:
                 # TODO assert request.tools in tools, or pass them to tool node
+
+                default_model_request = ModelRequest(
+                    model=model, 
+                    tools=list(tool_node.tools_by_name.values()), 
+                    system_prompt=system_prompt, 
+                    response_format=response_format,
+                    messages=state.messages,
+                    tool_choice=None,
+                )
+
                 return {"model_request": m.modify_model_request(state.model_request or default_model_request, state)}
         
             graph.add_node(
@@ -162,7 +168,7 @@ def create_agent(
         [first_node, END],
     )
     graph.add_conditional_edges(
-        last_node, _make_model_to_tools_edge(first_node), ["tools", END]
+        last_node, _make_model_to_tools_edge(first_node), [first_node, "tools", END]
     )
 
     # add before model edges
@@ -216,6 +222,13 @@ def create_agent(
                 f"{m2.__class__.__name__}.after_model",
                 first_node,
             )
+        # _add_middleware_edge(
+        #     graph,
+        #     middleware_w_after[-1].after_model,
+        #     f"{middleware_w_after[-1].__class__.__name__}.after_model",
+        #     "model_request",
+        #     first_node,
+        # )
 
     return graph
 
diff --git a/libs/langgraph/langgraph/agent/middleware/swarm.py b/libs/langgraph/langgraph/agent/middleware/swarm.py
index ffa966d2c..82be98549 100644
--- a/libs/langgraph/langgraph/agent/middleware/swarm.py
+++ b/libs/langgraph/langgraph/agent/middleware/swarm.py
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
-from langgraph.agent.types import AgentMiddleware, ModelRequest
+from langgraph.agent.types import AgentMiddleware, ModelRequest, AgentJump
 from langchain_core.tools import BaseTool, tool
 from langgraph.agent import create_agent
-from langchain_core.messages import AIMessage, ToolMessage
+from langchain_core.messages import AIMessage, ToolMessage, HumanMessage
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 from typing import cast
 
+
 @dataclass
 class SwarmAgent:
     name: str
@@ -14,28 +15,35 @@ class SwarmAgent:
 
 class SwarmMiddleware(AgentMiddleware):
     """Swarm middleware.
-    
+
     TODOs:
     * Support create_agent for handoffs
-    * Support handoff customization 
+    * Support handoff customization
       * do we want to include handoff messages / enable togglging
       * default active agent
       * handoff tool naming / descriptions
     """
-    
+
     class State(AgentMiddleware.State):
         active_agent: str | None = None
 
     @staticmethod
     def _create_handoff_tools(agents: list[SwarmAgent]) -> list[BaseTool]:
+        handoff_tools: list[BaseTool] = []
 
-        def handoff_tool(agent_name: str) -> str:
-            return f"Handing off to {agent_name}"
+        for agent in agents:
 
-        return [
-            tool(f"handoff_to_{agent.name}", description=f"Handoff tool to trigger a handoff to {agent.name}")(handoff_tool)
-            for agent in agents
-        ]
+            def handoff_tool() -> str:
+                return f"Handing off to {agent.name}"
+
+            handoff_tools.append(
+                tool(
+                    f"handoff_to_{agent.name}",
+                    description=f"Handoff tool to trigger a handoff to {agent.name}",
+                )(handoff_tool)
+            )
+
+        return handoff_tools
 
     def __init__(self, agents: list[SwarmAgent]):
         self.agents: dict[str, SwarmAgent] = {agent.name: agent for agent in agents}
@@ -51,15 +59,21 @@ class SwarmMiddleware(AgentMiddleware):
         return request
 
     def after_model(self, state) -> State | None:
-        # TODO: handle parallel handoffs
+        # TODO: handle parallel handoffs, we don't do this currently
 
         ai_msg: AIMessage = cast(AIMessage, state.messages[-1])
         if ai_msg.tool_calls:
             for call in ai_msg.tool_calls:
                 if call["name"].startswith("handoff_to_"):
-                    active_agent = call["args"]["agent_name"]
+                    active_agent = call["name"].replace("handoff_to_", "")
                     return {
-                        "messages": [ToolMessage(name=call["name"], content=f"Successfully transferred to {active_agent}")],
+                        "messages": [
+                            ToolMessage(
+                                name=call["name"],
+                                content=f"Successfully transferred to {active_agent}",
+                                tool_call_id=call["id"],
+                            )
+                        ],
                         "active_agent": active_agent,
                         "jump_to": "model",
                     }