diff --git a/backend/apps/agents/agent_manager.py b/backend/apps/agents/agent_manager.py
index 8ae07529..5270b927 100644
--- a/backend/apps/agents/agent_manager.py
+++ b/backend/apps/agents/agent_manager.py
@@ -156,6 +156,13 @@ class AgentManager(SessionLifecycle, SessionPersistence, Messaging, SessionContr
                 )
             session.status = "completed"
 
+            # Silent-quit seal: a turn that ran tools and ended with no visible answer gets ONE hidden continue nudge (dispatched by the auto-continuation block below); a second silent quit in the same ask surfaces as-is rather than looping.
+            try:
+                from backend.apps.agents.manager.run.empty_finish import maybe_nudge_empty_finish
+                maybe_nudge_empty_finish(session, session_id)
+            except Exception:
+                logger.exception("empty-finish detection failed; continuing")
+
             # Auto-continuation hook (Phase 3). If MCPActivate (or any analogous flow) flagged pending_continuation during this turn, kick off a follow-up turn immediately with the captured prompt. We dispatch as a fire-and-forget task so the current run_agent_loop frame can unwind cleanly before the next turn's options + history rebuild kicks in. The follow-up is `hidden=True` so it doesn't add a user bubble to the visible chat; the model sees it as a synthetic prompt to keep working.
             try:
                 if getattr(session, "pending_continuation", False):
diff --git a/backend/apps/agents/core/models.py b/backend/apps/agents/core/models.py
index 41964275..e2415437 100644
--- a/backend/apps/agents/core/models.py
+++ b/backend/apps/agents/core/models.py
@@ -133,6 +133,8 @@ class AgentSession(BaseModel):
     # Auto-continue: agent loop dispatches a hidden turn at end-of-loop using pending_continuation_prompt. Race-free vs background tasks.
     pending_continuation: bool = False
     pending_continuation_prompt: Optional[str] = None
+    # Silent-quit nudges spent since the user's last real message; capped at 1 so an agent that keeps ending empty can't loop.
+    empty_finish_nudges: int = 0
     # Sanitized server names model has explicitly activated this session; _build_mcp_servers intersects connected MCPs with this. Non-bypassable; dispatch-layer gate.
     active_mcps: list[str] = Field(default_factory=list)
     # Heuristic preamble tokens (preset + tool defs + MCP descs + composed prompt); subtracted from displayed input.
diff --git a/backend/apps/agents/manager/Messaging.py b/backend/apps/agents/manager/Messaging.py
index 169f3e3f..daf5ba96 100644
--- a/backend/apps/agents/manager/Messaging.py
+++ b/backend/apps/agents/manager/Messaging.py
@@ -133,6 +133,9 @@ class Messaging(AgentManagerProtocol):
             "message": user_msg.model_dump(mode="json"),
         })
 
+        # A real user message opens a fresh silent-quit budget; the cap only guards within one ask.
+        if not hidden:
+            session.empty_finish_nudges = 0
         # Fire a background aux LLM call to generate a 3-6 word verb-phrase describing this turn ("Auditing the pull request", "Drafting your email"). The narrator pill swaps from its heuristic verb to this label as soon as it lands, usually ~500ms-1s into the turn, which is exactly when "Thinking…" starts feeling generic. Provider-agnostic via resolve_aux_model. Non-blocking; failure is silent and the heuristic stays.
         if not hidden and prompt:
             try:
diff --git a/backend/apps/agents/manager/context_budget.py b/backend/apps/agents/manager/context_budget.py
index 0d4cacfe..9310f1a9 100644
--- a/backend/apps/agents/manager/context_budget.py
+++ b/backend/apps/agents/manager/context_budget.py
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ def maybe_break_midturn(session: AgentSession, turn: TurnState, msg_usage: Dict)
         return False
     # Keep the session's counter honest mid-turn: a broken turn never gets its ResultMessage accounting, and the next pre-send guard reads this.
     session.tokens["input"] = total
+    turn.last_step_input = total
     if total < compact_trigger_tokens(session):
         turn.saw_input_below_trigger = True
         return False
diff --git a/backend/apps/agents/manager/run/empty_finish.py b/backend/apps/agents/manager/run/empty_finish.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1389ae1c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/apps/agents/manager/run/empty_finish.py
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+"""Detect a turn that ended without an answer: the model ran tools and then quit with a
+thinking-only/empty end_turn, so the chat's last visible event is a tool result and the user
+gets a Done pill with no response. Live incident (2026-08-03, opus-5-cc lint audit): the final
+inference was a 2-char thinking block + end_turn at 70K/1M context, scored as a clean success.
+The loop nudges such a turn ONCE with a hidden continuation; twice in a row surfaces honestly."""
+
+import logging
+from typing import List
+
+from typeguard import typechecked
+
+from backend.apps.agents.core.models import AgentSession
+from backend.apps.agents.manager.session.history_compaction import get_branch_messages
+
+NUDGE_PROMPT = (
+    "You ended your turn without reporting anything. Continue exactly where you left off and "
+    "finish the task; when done, always end with your findings or answer as normal text."
+)
+
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+@typechecked
+def maybe_nudge_empty_finish(session: AgentSession, session_id: str) -> bool:
+    """Arm one hidden continue nudge when the finished turn quit silently; the loop's existing
+    auto-continuation block dispatches it. Capped per user ask; never loops."""
+    if getattr(session, "pending_continuation", False) or session.empty_finish_nudges >= 1:
+        return False
+    if not turn_finished_empty(session):
+        return False
+    session.empty_finish_nudges += 1
+    session.pending_continuation = True
+    session.pending_continuation_prompt = NUDGE_PROMPT
+    logger.warning(f"Agent {session_id}: turn finished with no answer after tool work; one hidden continue nudge")
+    try:
+        from backend.apps.service.client import submit_diagnostic
+        submit_diagnostic({"kind": "empty_finish_nudge", "session_id": session_id, "model": session.model})
+    except Exception:
+        pass
+    return True
+
+# A turn legitimately ENDS on these tools: the rendered widget or delegation IS the answer.
+P_ANSWER_TOOL_MARKERS = ("openswarm-ui", "ShowUI", "AskUI", "AskUserQuestion")
+
+
+def p_tool_name_of(msg: object) -> str:
+    content = getattr(msg, "content", None)
+    if isinstance(content, dict):
+        return str(content.get("tool") or content.get("tool_name") or "")
+    return ""
+
+
+@typechecked
+def turn_finished_empty(session: AgentSession) -> bool:
+    """True when the branch's last visible message is a tool result whose call was ordinary work
+    (not a UI/answer tool): the model did things and then said nothing."""
+    msgs: List = get_branch_messages(session)
+    p_last_call_name = ""
+    for m in reversed(msgs):
+        if getattr(m, "hidden", False):
+            continue
+        role = getattr(m, "role", "")
+        if role == "assistant":
+            text = m.content if isinstance(m.content, str) else ""
+            return not text.strip()
+        if role == "tool_result":
+            continue
+        if role == "tool_call":
+            p_last_call_name = p_tool_name_of(m)
+            return not any(marker in p_last_call_name for marker in P_ANSWER_TOOL_MARKERS)
+        if role in ("user", "system"):
+            return False
+    return False
diff --git a/backend/apps/agents/manager/streaming/handle_result_message.py b/backend/apps/agents/manager/streaming/handle_result_message.py
index e69b5d43..fae05a87 100644
--- a/backend/apps/agents/manager/streaming/handle_result_message.py
+++ b/backend/apps/agents/manager/streaming/handle_result_message.py
@@ -140,7 +140,9 @@ async def handle_result_message(
         cache_create = usage.get("cache_creation_input_tokens", 0) or 0
         cache_read = usage.get("cache_read_input_tokens", 0) or 0
         total_input = inp + cache_create + cache_read
-        session.tokens["input"] = total_input
+        # The result's input usage is summed across every inference step of the turn, which is BILLING; live context is the last step's request size. On a 9-step audit turn the sum read 589K while the real context was 70K, and the meter (plus the compaction trigger) believed it.
+        p_ctx_input = turn.last_step_input if turn.last_step_input > 0 else total_input
+        session.tokens["input"] = p_ctx_input
         session.tokens["input_fresh"] = inp
         session.tokens["output"] = out
 
@@ -202,12 +204,12 @@ async def handle_result_message(
     if isinstance(usage, dict):
         # Per-turn context-usage broadcast. Drives the UI status pill and the auto-compact threshold. The denominator is the session's real model cap, populated from registry.get_context_window at session creation, restore, and model-switch (see apply_context_window). max(1, ...) is a belt-and-braces guard against zero/None drift from any future restore-from-disk corner case.
         ctx_window = max(1, getattr(session, "context_window", 0) or 200_000)
-        ctx_used_pct = round(total_input / ctx_window, 4) if total_input else 0.0
+        ctx_used_pct = round(p_ctx_input / ctx_window, 4) if p_ctx_input else 0.0
         cache_read_pct = round(cache_read / total_input, 4) if total_input else 0.0
         try:
             await ws_manager.send_to_session(session_id, "agent:context_update", {
                 "session_id": session_id,
-                "input_tokens": total_input,
+                "input_tokens": p_ctx_input,
                 "output_tokens": out,
                 "cache_read_tokens": cache_read,
                 "cache_read_pct": cache_read_pct,
diff --git a/backend/apps/agents/manager/streaming/state.py b/backend/apps/agents/manager/streaming/state.py
index 6bb33398..96ca7c72 100644
--- a/backend/apps/agents/manager/streaming/state.py
+++ b/backend/apps/agents/manager/streaming/state.py
@@ -59,3 +59,5 @@ class TurnState(BaseModel):
     # Mid-turn context breaker: fires once per turn, and only after a below-trigger reading (a turn that STARTS over the trigger must run, or a failed shrink would break-loop forever).
     context_break_fired: bool = False
     saw_input_below_trigger: bool = False
+    # The LAST inference step's request size (input + cache read + cache creation): the true live context. The ResultMessage's usage sums these across every step of the turn, which is billing, not context.
+    last_step_input: int = 0
diff --git a/backend/tests/test_empty_finish.py b/backend/tests/test_empty_finish.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7b5d60ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/tests/test_empty_finish.py
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+"""The silent-quit seal: a turn that runs tools and ends with no visible answer gets one hidden
+continue nudge, never a loop. Detector shapes pinned here; the loop wiring is pinned in
+test_context_pressure_valve-style fashion against run_agent_loop."""
+
+import asyncio
+
+from backend.apps.agents.agent_manager import agent_manager
+import backend.apps.agents.agent_manager as agent_manager_module
+from backend.apps.agents.core.models import AgentSession, Message
+from backend.apps.agents.manager.run.empty_finish import NUDGE_PROMPT, turn_finished_empty
+
+
+def p_session(*msgs) -> AgentSession:
+    s = AgentSession(name="t", model="sonnet")
+    for role, content in msgs:
+        s.messages.append(Message(role=role, content=content, branch_id="main"))
+    return s
+
+
+def test_tool_result_tail_is_an_empty_finish():
+    s = p_session(("user", "audit the repo"),
+                  ("tool_call", {"tool": "Bash", "input": {"command": "ls"}}),
+                  ("tool_result", {"text": "ok"}))
+    assert turn_finished_empty(s) is True
+
+
+def test_final_answer_text_is_not_empty():
+    s = p_session(("user", "audit"),
+                  ("tool_call", {"tool": "Bash", "input": {}}),
+                  ("tool_result", {"text": "ok"}),
+                  ("assistant", "Here is the audit report."))
+    assert turn_finished_empty(s) is False
+
+
+def test_empty_assistant_text_is_an_empty_finish():
+    s = p_session(("user", "audit"), ("assistant", ""))
+    assert turn_finished_empty(s) is True
+
+
+def test_ui_answer_tools_are_a_legit_finish():
+    s = p_session(("user", "show me"),
+                  ("tool_call", {"tool": "mcp__openswarm-ui__ShowUI", "input": {}}),
+                  ("tool_result", {"text": "rendered"}))
+    assert turn_finished_empty(s) is False
+
+
+def test_plain_chat_answer_is_not_empty():
+    s = p_session(("user", "hi"), ("assistant", "Hey! What can I do for you?"))
+    assert turn_finished_empty(s) is False
+
+
+def test_bare_user_prompt_is_not_claimed():
+    s = p_session(("user", "hi"))
+    assert turn_finished_empty(s) is False
+
+
+def p_install_run_fakes(monkeypatch, run_turn_fake) -> None:
+    async def fake_build(session, session_id, prompt, prompt_content, builtin_perms,
+                         selected_browser_ids, selected_app_output_ids, selected_setting_ids,
+                         fork_session, router_model_id, api_type):
+        from backend.apps.settings.settings import load_settings
+        return object(), {}, prompt_content, [], load_settings()
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(agent_manager, "build_agent_options", fake_build)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(agent_manager, "run_turn_with_retry", run_turn_fake)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(agent_manager_module, "save_session", lambda sid, data: None)
+
+
+def test_loop_nudges_a_silent_quit_once(monkeypatch) -> None:
+    session = AgentSession(name="t", model="sonnet", dashboard_id="d")
+    agent_manager.sessions[session.id] = session
+    continues: list = []
+
+    async def fake_run_turn(sess, session_id, prompt_content, options, options_kwargs,
+                            turn, thinking, stderr, resolved_model, api_type,
+                            global_settings, force_respawn=False):
+        # Every turn ends as a silent quit: tools ran, no answer text.
+        sess.messages.append(Message(role="tool_call", content={"tool": "Bash", "input": {}}, branch_id="main"))
+        sess.messages.append(Message(role="tool_result", content={"text": "out"}, branch_id="main"))
+
+    async def fake_send_message(session_id, prompt, hidden=False, **kwargs):
+        continues.append({"prompt": prompt, "hidden": hidden})
+
+    p_install_run_fakes(monkeypatch, fake_run_turn)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(agent_manager, "send_message", fake_send_message)
+
+    async def main():
+        await agent_manager.run_agent_loop(session.id, "audit everything")
+        await asyncio.sleep(0)
+
+    asyncio.run(main())
+    assert continues == [{"prompt": NUDGE_PROMPT, "hidden": True}]
+    assert session.empty_finish_nudges == 1
+
+    # The nudged turn ALSO quits silently: the cap must hold, no second nudge, no loop.
+    continues.clear()
+    asyncio.run(main())
+    assert continues == []
+    assert session.empty_finish_nudges == 1
diff --git a/backend/tests/test_result_message.py b/backend/tests/test_result_message.py
index 44ecad4d..da0ee0c3 100644
--- a/backend/tests/test_result_message.py
+++ b/backend/tests/test_result_message.py
@@ -114,3 +114,34 @@ async def test_resets_per_turn_state_at_completion():
     assert turn.tool_count == 0
     assert thinking.total_ms == 0
     assert thinking.block_starts == {}
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_context_meter_prefers_last_step_over_cumulative_billing():
+    # A 9-step turn's result usage sums input across steps (billing); the meter must show the last step's request size (real context). The 925K/1M incident read the sum.
+    session, turn, thinking = p_fixt()
+    turn.last_step_input = 70_454
+    payloads = []
+
+    async def fake_send(sid, ev, data):
+        if ev == "agent:context_update":
+            payloads.append(data)
+
+    with patch.object(result_message.ws_manager, "send_to_session", AsyncMock(side_effect=fake_send)):
+        await result_message.handle_result_message(
+            p_result(usage={"input_tokens": 2_023, "cache_read_input_tokens": 500_000, "cache_creation_input_tokens": 86_972, "output_tokens": 1_210}),
+            session, "sid", turn, thinking, {}, "cc/claude-opus-5", "anthropic", load_settings(),
+        )
+    assert session.tokens["input"] == 70_454
+    assert payloads and payloads[0]["input_tokens"] == 70_454
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_context_meter_falls_back_to_result_usage_without_step_readings():
+    session, turn, thinking = p_fixt()
+    with patch.object(result_message.ws_manager, "send_to_session", AsyncMock()):
+        await result_message.handle_result_message(
+            p_result(usage={"input_tokens": 1_000, "cache_read_input_tokens": 2_000, "output_tokens": 10}),
+            session, "sid", turn, thinking, {}, "sonnet", "anthropic", load_settings(),
+        )
+    assert session.tokens["input"] == 3_000