diff --git a/agents/s06_context_compact.py b/agents/s06_context_compact.py
index 04899b526..ab47bcb00 100644
--- a/agents/s06_context_compact.py
+++ b/agents/s06_context_compact.py
@@ -117,7 +117,6 @@ def auto_compact(messages: list) -> list:
     # Replace all messages with compressed summary
     return [
         {"role": "user", "content": f"[Conversation compressed. Transcript: {transcript_path}]\n\n{summary}"},
-        {"role": "assistant", "content": "Understood. I have the context from the summary. Continuing."},
     ]
 
 
@@ -227,6 +226,7 @@ def agent_loop(messages: list):
         if manual_compact:
             print("[manual compact]")
             messages[:] = auto_compact(messages)
+            return
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
diff --git a/agents/s08_background_tasks.py b/agents/s08_background_tasks.py
index e006cccb0..5a574a1cf 100644
--- a/agents/s08_background_tasks.py
+++ b/agents/s08_background_tasks.py
@@ -194,7 +194,6 @@ def agent_loop(messages: list):
                 f"[bg:{n['task_id']}] {n['status']}: {n['result']}" for n in notifs
             )
             messages.append({"role": "user", "content": f"<background-results>\n{notif_text}\n</background-results>"})
-            messages.append({"role": "assistant", "content": "Noted background results."})
         response = client.messages.create(
             model=MODEL, system=SYSTEM, messages=messages,
             tools=TOOLS, max_tokens=8000,
diff --git a/agents/s09_agent_teams.py b/agents/s09_agent_teams.py
index a40427179..53a358a59 100644
--- a/agents/s09_agent_teams.py
+++ b/agents/s09_agent_teams.py
@@ -350,10 +350,6 @@ def agent_loop(messages: list):
                 "role": "user",
                 "content": f"<inbox>{json.dumps(inbox, indent=2)}</inbox>",
             })
-            messages.append({
-                "role": "assistant",
-                "content": "Noted inbox messages.",
-            })
         response = client.messages.create(
             model=MODEL,
             system=SYSTEM,
diff --git a/agents/s10_team_protocols.py b/agents/s10_team_protocols.py
index 5f45c1f3d..ef57c4536 100644
--- a/agents/s10_team_protocols.py
+++ b/agents/s10_team_protocols.py
@@ -431,10 +431,6 @@ def agent_loop(messages: list):
                 "role": "user",
                 "content": f"<inbox>{json.dumps(inbox, indent=2)}</inbox>",
             })
-            messages.append({
-                "role": "assistant",
-                "content": "Noted inbox messages.",
-            })
         response = client.messages.create(
             model=MODEL,
             system=SYSTEM,
diff --git a/agents/s11_autonomous_agents.py b/agents/s11_autonomous_agents.py
index 5eabdb91a..99eb23bb6 100644
--- a/agents/s11_autonomous_agents.py
+++ b/agents/s11_autonomous_agents.py
@@ -515,10 +515,6 @@ def agent_loop(messages: list):
                 "role": "user",
                 "content": f"<inbox>{json.dumps(inbox, indent=2)}</inbox>",
             })
-            messages.append({
-                "role": "assistant",
-                "content": "Noted inbox messages.",
-            })
         response = client.messages.create(
             model=MODEL,
             system=SYSTEM,
diff --git a/agents/s_full.py b/agents/s_full.py
index 2a816b510..5f5877df0 100644
--- a/agents/s_full.py
+++ b/agents/s_full.py
@@ -255,7 +255,6 @@ def auto_compact(messages: list) -> list:
     summary = resp.content[0].text
     return [
         {"role": "user", "content": f"[Compressed. Transcript: {path}]\n{summary}"},
-        {"role": "assistant", "content": "Understood. Continuing with summary context."},
     ]
 
 
@@ -665,12 +664,10 @@ def agent_loop(messages: list):
         if notifs:
             txt = "\n".join(f"[bg:{n['task_id']}] {n['status']}: {n['result']}" for n in notifs)
             messages.append({"role": "user", "content": f"<background-results>\n{txt}\n</background-results>"})
-            messages.append({"role": "assistant", "content": "Noted background results."})
         # s10: check lead inbox
         inbox = BUS.read_inbox("lead")
         if inbox:
             messages.append({"role": "user", "content": f"<inbox>{json.dumps(inbox, indent=2)}</inbox>"})
-            messages.append({"role": "assistant", "content": "Noted inbox messages."})
         # LLM call
         response = client.messages.create(
             model=MODEL, system=SYSTEM, messages=messages,
@@ -705,6 +702,7 @@ def agent_loop(messages: list):
         if manual_compress:
             print("[manual compact]")
             messages[:] = auto_compact(messages)
+            return
 
 
 # === SECTION: repl ===
diff --git a/docs/en/s06-context-compact.md b/docs/en/s06-context-compact.md
index d3e2d4661..2fbef2ec1 100644
--- a/docs/en/s06-context-compact.md
+++ b/docs/en/s06-context-compact.md
@@ -81,7 +81,6 @@ def auto_compact(messages: list) -> list:
     )
     return [
         {"role": "user", "content": f"[Compressed]\n\n{response.content[0].text}"},
-        {"role": "assistant", "content": "Understood. Continuing."},
     ]
 ```
 
diff --git a/docs/en/s08-background-tasks.md b/docs/en/s08-background-tasks.md
index ffd933378..5a98f2126 100644
--- a/docs/en/s08-background-tasks.md
+++ b/docs/en/s08-background-tasks.md
@@ -81,8 +81,6 @@ def agent_loop(messages: list):
             messages.append({"role": "user",
                 "content": f"<background-results>\n{notif_text}\n"
                            f"</background-results>"})
-            messages.append({"role": "assistant",
-                "content": "Noted background results."})
         response = client.messages.create(...)
 ```
 
diff --git a/docs/en/s09-agent-teams.md b/docs/en/s09-agent-teams.md
index 34b54b3df..9f19723aa 100644
--- a/docs/en/s09-agent-teams.md
+++ b/docs/en/s09-agent-teams.md
@@ -93,8 +93,6 @@ def _teammate_loop(self, name, role, prompt):
         if inbox != "[]":
             messages.append({"role": "user",
                 "content": f"<inbox>{inbox}</inbox>"})
-            messages.append({"role": "assistant",
-                "content": "Noted inbox messages."})
         response = client.messages.create(...)
         if response.stop_reason != "tool_use":
             break
diff --git a/docs/ja/s06-context-compact.md b/docs/ja/s06-context-compact.md
index 555cc01e2..6927e7d1c 100644
--- a/docs/ja/s06-context-compact.md
+++ b/docs/ja/s06-context-compact.md
@@ -81,7 +81,6 @@ def auto_compact(messages: list) -> list:
     )
     return [
         {"role": "user", "content": f"[Compressed]\n\n{response.content[0].text}"},
-        {"role": "assistant", "content": "Understood. Continuing."},
     ]
 ```
 
diff --git a/docs/ja/s08-background-tasks.md b/docs/ja/s08-background-tasks.md
index c09be7d14..b3fe0773e 100644
--- a/docs/ja/s08-background-tasks.md
+++ b/docs/ja/s08-background-tasks.md
@@ -81,8 +81,6 @@ def agent_loop(messages: list):
             messages.append({"role": "user",
                 "content": f"<background-results>\n{notif_text}\n"
                            f"</background-results>"})
-            messages.append({"role": "assistant",
-                "content": "Noted background results."})
         response = client.messages.create(...)
 ```
 
diff --git a/docs/ja/s09-agent-teams.md b/docs/ja/s09-agent-teams.md
index 5857df496..671b6e660 100644
--- a/docs/ja/s09-agent-teams.md
+++ b/docs/ja/s09-agent-teams.md
@@ -93,8 +93,6 @@ def _teammate_loop(self, name, role, prompt):
         if inbox != "[]":
             messages.append({"role": "user",
                 "content": f"<inbox>{inbox}</inbox>"})
-            messages.append({"role": "assistant",
-                "content": "Noted inbox messages."})
         response = client.messages.create(...)
         if response.stop_reason != "tool_use":
             break
diff --git a/docs/zh/s06-context-compact.md b/docs/zh/s06-context-compact.md
index c9d2a2b74..cce879fba 100644
--- a/docs/zh/s06-context-compact.md
+++ b/docs/zh/s06-context-compact.md
@@ -81,7 +81,6 @@ def auto_compact(messages: list) -> list:
     )
     return [
         {"role": "user", "content": f"[Compressed]\n\n{response.content[0].text}"},
-        {"role": "assistant", "content": "Understood. Continuing."},
     ]
 ```
 
diff --git a/docs/zh/s08-background-tasks.md b/docs/zh/s08-background-tasks.md
index 418fabc06..61da15995 100644
--- a/docs/zh/s08-background-tasks.md
+++ b/docs/zh/s08-background-tasks.md
@@ -81,8 +81,6 @@ def agent_loop(messages: list):
             messages.append({"role": "user",
                 "content": f"<background-results>\n{notif_text}\n"
                            f"</background-results>"})
-            messages.append({"role": "assistant",
-                "content": "Noted background results."})
         response = client.messages.create(...)
 ```
 
diff --git a/docs/zh/s09-agent-teams.md b/docs/zh/s09-agent-teams.md
index f42065145..ebb389242 100644
--- a/docs/zh/s09-agent-teams.md
+++ b/docs/zh/s09-agent-teams.md
@@ -93,8 +93,6 @@ def _teammate_loop(self, name, role, prompt):
         if inbox != "[]":
             messages.append({"role": "user",
                 "content": f"<inbox>{inbox}</inbox>"})
-            messages.append({"role": "assistant",
-                "content": "Noted inbox messages."})
         response = client.messages.create(...)
         if response.stop_reason != "tool_use":
             break