diff --git a/chat.el b/chat.el
index fe3369d..8d7d2c6 100644
--- a/chat.el
+++ b/chat.el
@@ -799,6 +799,15 @@ fn handle_chat(body: String) -> String {
         let summary_nodes: String = engram_search_json("SessionSummary session:summary previous-session recent", 3)
 
         let profile_ok: Bool = !str_eq(profile_nodes, "") && !str_eq(profile_nodes, "[]")
+
+        // Issue 1: typed work query — WorkItem with in_progress label first.
+        let work_nodes_typed: String = engram_search_json("WorkItem status:in_progress active work", 6)
+        let work_ok_typed: Bool = !str_eq(work_nodes_typed, "") && !str_eq(work_nodes_typed, "[]")
+        let work_nodes: String = if work_ok_typed {
+            work_nodes_typed
+        } else {
+            engram_search_json("active project task current in_progress", 6)
+        }
         let work_ok: Bool = !str_eq(work_nodes, "") && !str_eq(work_nodes, "[]")
         let project_ok: Bool = !str_eq(project_nodes, "") && !str_eq(project_nodes, "[]")
         let summary_ok: Bool = !str_eq(summary_nodes, "") && !str_eq(summary_nodes, "[]")
@@ -1426,7 +1435,53 @@ fn handle_chat_agentic(body: String) -> String {
 
     let ctx: String = engram_compile(ag_seed)
     let identity: String = state_get("soul_identity")
-    let system: String = identity + " You have access to tools: read files, write files, browse the web, search your memory, run commands. Use them when they add genuine value. Be direct.\n\n" + ctx
+
+    // Issue 9: agentic first-message session preload — mirrors handle_chat grounding.
+    let ag_session_preload: String = if agentic_hist_len == 0 {
+        let ag_profile_nodes: String = engram_search_json("Persona soul:persona identity principal", 8)
+        let ag_profile_ok: Bool = !str_eq(ag_profile_nodes, "") && !str_eq(ag_profile_nodes, "[]")
+        let ag_profile_nodes2: String = if ag_profile_ok { ag_profile_nodes } else {
+            engram_search_json("user profile preferences name", 8)
+        }
+        let ag_work_nodes: String = engram_search_json("WorkItem status:in_progress active work", 6)
+        let ag_work_ok: Bool = !str_eq(ag_work_nodes, "") && !str_eq(ag_work_nodes, "[]")
+        let ag_work_nodes2: String = if ag_work_ok { ag_work_nodes } else {
+            engram_search_json("active project task current in_progress", 6)
+        }
+        let ag_continuity_nodes: String = engram_search_json("last-session-topic session:emotional-summary conv:history last session", 3)
+        let ag_continuity_ok: Bool = !str_eq(ag_continuity_nodes, "") && !str_eq(ag_continuity_nodes, "[]")
+        let ag_continuity_snip: String = if ag_continuity_ok {
+            let acn0: String = json_array_get(ag_continuity_nodes, 0)
+            let acc: String = json_get(acn0, "content")
+            if str_len(acc) > 350 { str_slice(acc, 0, 350) } else { acc }
+        } else { "" }
+        let ag_profile_bullets: String = session_preload_bullets(ag_profile_nodes2, 8, 350)
+        let ag_work_bullets: String = session_preload_bullets(ag_work_nodes2, 6, 350)
+        let ag_has_profile: Bool = !str_eq(ag_profile_bullets, "")
+        let ag_has_work: Bool = !str_eq(ag_work_bullets, "")
+        let ag_has_cont: Bool = !str_eq(ag_continuity_snip, "")
+        if ag_has_profile || ag_has_work || ag_has_cont {
+            let p: String = if ag_has_profile { "[USER CONTEXT — from memory]
+" + ag_profile_bullets + "
+
+" } else { "" }
+            let w: String = if ag_has_work { "[ACTIVE WORK — from memory]
+" + ag_work_bullets + "
+
+" } else { "" }
+            let c: String = if ag_has_cont { "[CONTINUING FROM LAST SESSION]
+" + ag_continuity_snip + "
+
+" } else { "" }
+            "
+
+" + p + w + c
+        } else { "" }
+    } else { "" }
+
+    let system: String = identity + " You have access to tools: read files, write files, browse the web, search your memory, run commands. Use them when they add genuine value. Be direct.
+
+" + ctx + ag_session_preload
 
     let api_key: String = agentic_api_key()
     let tools_json: String = agentic_tools_all()
@@ -1833,7 +1888,8 @@ fn handle_dharma_room_turn(body: String) -> String {
     }
 
     // The soul's own memories, activated by what it's reading — not injected.
-    let engram_ctx: String = engram_compile(transcript)
+    // Issue 6 fix: distill_transcript() extracts salient tail+question from full transcript
+    let engram_ctx: String = engram_compile(distill_transcript(transcript))
     let system_prompt: String = if str_eq(engram_ctx, "") {
         identity
     } else {
@@ -1885,7 +1941,8 @@ fn handle_dharma_room_turn_agentic(body: String) -> String {
         return "{\"error\":\"transcript is required\",\"response\":\"\",\"cgi_id\":\"" + cgi_id + "\"}"
     }
 
-    let ctx: String = engram_compile(transcript)
+    // Issue 6 fix: distill_transcript() extracts salient tail+question from full transcript
+    let ctx: String = engram_compile(distill_transcript(transcript))
     let system: String = identity + " You have access to tools: read files, write files, browse the web, search your memory, run commands. Use them when they add genuine value. Be direct and stay in character.\n\n" + ctx
 
     let api_key: String = agentic_api_key()
diff --git a/sessions.el b/sessions.el
index 37029f5..ea5c931 100644
--- a/sessions.el
+++ b/sessions.el
@@ -492,6 +492,38 @@ fn session_hist_save(session_id: String, hist: String) -> Void {
             state_set(summary_written_key, "1")
         }
     }
+
+    // Issue 5 fix: write a last-session-topic Conversation node so future sessions can
+    // find the most recent session's topic via engram search. This enables cross-session
+    // continuity — chat.el searches for "last-session-topic" and shows a [CONTINUING FROM
+    // LAST SESSION] section on the first message of a new session.
+    let hist_arr_len: Int = if str_eq(hist, "") { 0 } else { json_array_len(hist) }
+    if hist_arr_len >= 2 {
+        let last_entry: String = json_array_get(hist, hist_arr_len - 1)
+        let last_role: String = json_get(last_entry, "role")
+        let last_content: String = json_get(last_entry, "content")
+        let topic_snip: String = if str_len(last_content) > 200 { str_slice(last_content, 0, 200) } else { last_content }
+        let safe_topic: String = str_replace(topic_snip, """, "'")
+        let ts_now: String = int_to_str(time_now())
+        let topic_content: String = "last-session-topic | ts:" + ts_now + " | session:" + session_id + " | topic:" + safe_topic
+        let topic_tags: String = "["last-session-topic","conv:history","Conversation","session:topic"]"
+        let topic_label: String = "last-session-topic:" + session_id
+        // Delete old last-session-topic node for this session before writing fresh
+        let old_topic: String = engram_search_json("last-session-topic:" + session_id, 2)
+        let ot_len: Int = if str_eq(old_topic, "") { 0 } else { json_array_len(old_topic) }
+        let oti: Int = 0
+        while oti < ot_len {
+            let ot_node: String = json_array_get(old_topic, oti)
+            let ot_id: String = json_get(ot_node, "id")
+            if !str_eq(ot_id, "") { engram_forget(ot_id) }
+            let oti = oti + 1
+        }
+        let discard_topic: String = engram_node_full(
+            topic_content, "Conversation", topic_label,
+            el_from_float(0.7), el_from_float(0.7), el_from_float(0.9),
+            "Episodic", topic_tags
+        )
+    }
 }
 
 // session_update_meta_timestamp — update the updated_at field in the session:meta node.