diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index ed5a3b8..51ace5b 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 
 All notable changes per release tag. Most recent on top, ordered by tag creation date (which matches the git history). Tag names follow `vMAJOR.MINOR.PATCH-slug` — the slug describes what shipped, so the tag name alone is enough to recall the batch.
 
+## v1.14.0-outer-loop — 2026-05-23
+
+Converts the inference engine's ad-hoc `executeToolPhase → runAssistantTurn` recursion into an explicit `while` loop with a configurable step cap. A step is one stream-and-tool-execute iteration; the loop terminates on non-tool finish, step-cap hit, doom-loop, budget exhaustion, abort, or synthesis success. `MAX_STEPS = 200` is the hard ceiling (4x the old effective limit from budget); per-agent `steps:` field in AGENTS.md frontmatter sets tighter caps (Refactorer: 5, Architect: 20, others: unset = bounded only by MAX_STEPS). `executeToolPhase` no longer recurses — returns a `ToolPhaseResult` struct (`action: 'continue' | 'paused' | 'synthesis_done'`) so the caller (the while loop) decides whether to continue or break. `steps: 0` is handled as "no tool calls allowed" — one text-only stream phase, tool calls ignored with a warn log. Step-cap hits produce a sentinel summary (reuses `cap_hit` kind so `CapHitSentinel.tsx` renders it without frontend changes; text distinguishes "Step limit reached" from "Tool budget exhausted"). Doom-loop check migrated from pre-recursion position to top of loop body — same predicate (`detectDoomLoop`), same threshold (3 identical calls), `break` instead of `return`. `step_start` parts are in the schema CHECK but not emitted as message_parts in v1.14 — writing to the assistant message before the stream phase creates a sequence-0 collision with `partsFromAssistantMessage`; a structured log line is emitted instead. Adversarial review caught the collision pre-deploy. 332/332 server tests passing; no frontend changes. Pairs with `v1.13.20-drop-legacy-cols` (parts is now the sole source of truth, and this batch's loop operates entirely through parts).
+
 ## v1.13.20-drop-legacy-cols — 2026-05-23
 
 Final phase of the v1.13.0 strangler-fig migration. Removes the dual-write into `messages.tool_calls` / `messages.tool_results` JSON columns and drops the columns themselves; `message_parts` is now the only source of truth for tool-call and tool-result data. 10 dual-write sites stripped (5 in `tool-phase.ts`, 2 in `routes/skills.ts`, 2 in `routes/messages.ts`, 1 in `routes/chats.ts` fork-clone) — recon's grep-driven inventory caught 2 sites beyond the original v1.13.2 roadmap count. `messages_with_parts` view simplified to parts-only subselects (COALESCE fallbacks gone) and rewritten via `CREATE OR REPLACE VIEW` BEFORE the column DROP since Postgres rejects column-drop on view-referenced cols. Adversarial review caught a runtime bug the green test suite missed: `chats.ts:/api/chats/:id/discard_stale` had a `RETURNING ... tool_calls, tool_results, ...` clause referencing the dropped columns; would have crashed on every 60s-no-token-activity recovery in production. Fixed by switching to two-step UPDATE-then-SELECT-from-view so the response keeps the parts-synthesized fields. `Message` API type retains `tool_calls?` / `tool_results?` fields (override on the original v1.13.2 plan) — the view continues to populate them from parts, so the wire shape is unchanged and the frontend needs no updates. v1.12.1 cleanup block (`DROP CONSTRAINT messages_status_check`/`messages_role_check`) removed — those one-shots have done their work. `tool_cost_stats.test.ts` had a direct `INSERT INTO messages` touching the legacy columns that wasn't in the roadmap's inventory; rewritten to parts-table inserts and confirmed semantically faithful. 339/339 server tests passing including the 7 DB-integration tests (live-DB applied the schema migration and ran the parts-only view end-to-end). Pairs with `v1.13.0-ai-sdk-v6` (which introduced the dual-write) and `v1.13.1-B` (which moved the read path to `messages_with_parts`); umbrella `v1.13` tag ships on the same commit.
diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index 7b5cbc0..49653df 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ Tests: `pnpm -C apps/server test` runs the vitest suite. No test harness on `app
 - **Zod** for request validation and config parsing.
 
 Key services:
-- **`services/inference/`** — Public surface re-exported via `inference/index.ts`; callers import from `./services/inference/index.js` explicitly (NodeNext doesn't honor directory-index resolution). Layout: `turn.ts` (runAssistantTurn / runInference / createInferenceRunner; exports `InferenceFrame`, `InferenceContext`, `TurnArgs`, `StreamResult`), `stream-phase.ts` (streamCompletion as a v1.13.1-A AI SDK adapter + executeStreamPhase), `provider.ts` (`upstreamModel(baseURL, modelId)` wrapping `createOpenAICompatible` against llama-swap), `tool-phase.ts` (executeToolPhase; value back-edges into turn.ts for the runAssistantTurn recursion — cycle safe because deref at call time, not module top-level), `sentinel-summaries.ts` (runCapHitSummary + runDoomLoopSummary + their sentinel inserters), `error-handler.ts` (handleAbortOrError, finalizeCompletion), `payload.ts` (buildMessagesPayload, loadContext, maybeFlagForCompaction, `OpenAiMessage`), `sentinels.ts` (`detectDoomLoop`, `DOOM_LOOP_THRESHOLD`, sentinel predicates), `budget.ts` (resolveToolBudget), `xml-parser.ts` (qwen3.6 XML tool-call fallback — KEEP, AI SDK doesn't handle inline-XML tool calls), `parts.ts` (parts-table write helpers: `partsFromAssistantMessage`, `partsFromToolMessage`, `insertParts` — v1.13.20 made parts the sole source of truth), `prune.ts` (v1.13.4 two-tier compaction; `selectPruneTargets` is the pure decision helper), `types.ts` (`StreamPhaseState`, `DB_FLUSH_INTERVAL_MS`). **`TurnArgs`** is the per-turn state envelope threaded through the `executeToolPhase → runAssistantTurn` recursion; reset in `runInference` at user-message boundary. Add new per-turn state to `TurnArgs`, not module-level closures.
+- **`services/inference/`** — Public surface re-exported via `inference/index.ts`; callers import from `./services/inference/index.js` explicitly (NodeNext doesn't honor directory-index resolution). Layout: `turn.ts` (runAssistantTurn / runInference / createInferenceRunner; exports `InferenceFrame`, `InferenceContext`, `TurnArgs`, `StreamResult`, `MAX_STEPS`), `stream-phase.ts` (streamCompletion as a v1.13.1-A AI SDK adapter + executeStreamPhase), `provider.ts` (`upstreamModel(baseURL, modelId)` wrapping `createOpenAICompatible` against llama-swap), `tool-phase.ts` (executeToolPhase → returns `ToolPhaseResult`; no longer recurses into runAssistantTurn — v1.14.0 converted the recursion to an explicit while loop in turn.ts), `sentinel-summaries.ts` (runCapHitSummary + runDoomLoopSummary + runStepCapSummary + their sentinel inserters), `error-handler.ts` (handleAbortOrError, finalizeCompletion), `payload.ts` (buildMessagesPayload, loadContext, maybeFlagForCompaction, `OpenAiMessage`), `sentinels.ts` (`detectDoomLoop`, `DOOM_LOOP_THRESHOLD`, sentinel predicates), `budget.ts` (resolveToolBudget), `xml-parser.ts` (qwen3.6 XML tool-call fallback — KEEP, AI SDK doesn't handle inline-XML tool calls), `parts.ts` (parts-table write helpers: `partsFromAssistantMessage`, `partsFromToolMessage`, `insertParts` — v1.13.20 made parts the sole source of truth), `prune.ts` (v1.13.4 two-tier compaction; `selectPruneTargets` is the pure decision helper), `types.ts` (`StreamPhaseState`, `DB_FLUSH_INTERVAL_MS`). **`TurnArgs`** is the per-turn state envelope populated from loop locals each iteration; reset in `runInference` at user-message boundary. The outer loop in `runAssistantTurn` (v1.14.0) runs `while (stepNumber < effectiveCap)` where `effectiveCap = Math.min(agent.steps ?? Infinity, MAX_STEPS=200)`. Per-agent `steps:` field in AGENTS.md frontmatter. `steps: 0` means text-only (no tool execution). Step-cap hit writes a `cap_hit` sentinel so `CapHitSentinel.tsx` renders it.
 - **AI SDK v6 streamCompletion adapter** (v1.13.1-A; `services/inference/stream-phase.ts`). `streamText` is the underlying call; the BooCode layer above (executeStreamPhase, finalize, dual-write) is shape-preserved via an adapter. Five gotchas the LSP/test suite won't catch:
   - **Abort signals are swallowed.** `streamText`'s `fullStream` iterator exits cleanly when `abortSignal` fires — no throw. Post-iteration `if (signal?.aborted) throw <AbortError>` is required; without it the row finalizes as `complete` instead of `cancelled`. Comment in stream-phase.ts pins this; don't refactor it away.
   - **Usage lands only at stream end** via `await result.usage` (`inputTokens` / `outputTokens` v6 names → mapped to `promptTokens` / `completionTokens` for the existing onUsage callback). Mid-stream live tok/s is gone vs v1.12.2; ChatThroughput shows a single value at stream end.
diff --git a/apps/server/src/services/agents.ts b/apps/server/src/services/agents.ts
index 419daaf..ce88582 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/services/agents.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/services/agents.ts
@@ -37,6 +37,10 @@ interface ParsedFrontmatter {
   // v1.8.2: optional per-agent tool-loop budget. Absent → inference resolves
   // from the agent's toolset at runtime.
   max_tool_calls?: number;
+  // v1.14.0: optional per-agent step cap. Absent → bounded only by MAX_STEPS
+  // (200) in the outer loop. Integer ≥ 0; steps: 0 means "no tool calls
+  // allowed" — the model responds text-only.
+  steps?: number;
 }
 
 function stripQuotes(s: string): string {
@@ -112,6 +116,21 @@ function parseFrontmatter(yaml: string): { data: ParsedFrontmatter; errors: stri
       } else {
         errors.push(`max_tool_calls must be an integer 1-100 (got "${valueRaw}")`);
       }
+    } else if (key === 'steps') {
+      // v1.14.0: per-agent step cap for the outer inference loop. Integer ≥ 0.
+      // steps: 0 means "no tool calls allowed" — model responds text-only.
+      // Non-integer or negative values are warned and ignored (falls back to
+      // MAX_STEPS ceiling), matching the max_tool_calls pattern above.
+      const n = Number(valueRaw);
+      if (Number.isInteger(n) && n >= 0) {
+        data.steps = n;
+      } else if (Number.isInteger(n)) {
+        console.warn(
+          `agents: steps ${n} is negative, ignoring (falling back to default)`,
+        );
+      } else {
+        errors.push(`steps must be a non-negative integer (got "${valueRaw}")`);
+      }
     }
     // Unknown keys silently ignored — forward-compat.
   }
@@ -204,6 +223,7 @@ function parseAgentSection(section: RawSection): Omit<Agent, 'source'> {
     tools: filteredTools,
     model: typeof fm.model === 'string' && fm.model.length > 0 ? fm.model : null,
     max_tool_calls: typeof fm.max_tool_calls === 'number' ? fm.max_tool_calls : null,
+    steps: typeof fm.steps === 'number' ? fm.steps : null,
   };
 }
 
diff --git a/apps/server/src/services/inference/index.ts b/apps/server/src/services/inference/index.ts
index 8788a1b..c0cb907 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/services/inference/index.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/services/inference/index.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 export {
   createInferenceRunner,
+  MAX_STEPS,
   runAssistantTurn,
   runInference,
 } from './turn.js';
@@ -16,5 +17,6 @@ export type {
   StreamResult,
   TurnArgs,
 } from './turn.js';
+export type { ToolPhaseResult } from './tool-phase.js';
 export { detectDoomLoop, DOOM_LOOP_THRESHOLD } from './sentinels.js';
 export { buildMessagesPayload } from './payload.js';
diff --git a/apps/server/src/services/inference/sentinel-summaries.ts b/apps/server/src/services/inference/sentinel-summaries.ts
index 44f2cee..29c1564 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/services/inference/sentinel-summaries.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/services/inference/sentinel-summaries.ts
@@ -476,6 +476,202 @@ export async function runDoomLoopSummary(
   );
 }
 
+// v1.14.0: step-cap wrap-up. Mirrors runCapHitSummary structurally — same
+// in-flight-slot reuse, same tools-disabled streaming-summary call, same
+// post-finalize sentinel insert + chat_status drop. Difference: the note
+// text names the step limit rather than the tool budget. Sentinel reuses
+// metadata.kind = 'cap_hit' so the frontend CapHitSentinel component
+// renders it without changes.
+const STEP_CAP_NOTE = (steps: number, cap: number) =>
+  `You've reached the step limit (${steps}/${cap} steps). Produce the best answer you can with what you have. Do not call more tools.`;
+
+export async function runStepCapSummary(
+  ctx: InferenceContext,
+  args: TurnArgs,
+  session: Session,
+  project: Project,
+  history: Message[],
+  agent: Agent | null,
+  steps: number,
+  cap: number,
+): Promise<void> {
+  const { sessionId, chatId, assistantMessageId, signal } = args;
+
+  const messages = await buildMessagesPayload(session, project, history, agent, ctx.log);
+  messages.push({ role: 'system', content: STEP_CAP_NOTE(steps, cap) });
+
+  const startedRow = await ctx.sql<{ started_at: string }[]>`
+    UPDATE messages
+    SET started_at = clock_timestamp()
+    WHERE id = ${assistantMessageId}
+    RETURNING started_at
+  `;
+  const startedAt = startedRow[0]?.started_at ?? null;
+
+  ctx.publish(sessionId, {
+    type: 'message_started',
+    message_id: assistantMessageId,
+    chat_id: chatId,
+    role: 'assistant',
+  });
+
+  let accumulated = '';
+  let pendingFlushTimer: NodeJS.Timeout | null = null;
+  let flushPromise: Promise<unknown> = Promise.resolve();
+  const flushNow = () => {
+    if (pendingFlushTimer) {
+      clearTimeout(pendingFlushTimer);
+      pendingFlushTimer = null;
+    }
+    const snapshot = accumulated;
+    flushPromise = flushPromise.then(() =>
+      ctx.sql`UPDATE messages SET content = ${snapshot} WHERE id = ${assistantMessageId}`
+    );
+  };
+  const scheduleFlush = () => {
+    if (pendingFlushTimer) return;
+    pendingFlushTimer = setTimeout(() => {
+      pendingFlushTimer = null;
+      flushNow();
+    }, DB_FLUSH_INTERVAL_MS);
+  };
+
+  let summaryOk = false;
+  let summarySoftCancelled = false;
+  let summaryError: string | null = null;
+  let result: StreamResult | null = null;
+  try {
+    result = await streamCompletion(
+      ctx,
+      session.model,
+      messages,
+      { tools: null, temperature: agent?.temperature },
+      (delta) => {
+        accumulated += delta;
+        ctx.publish(sessionId, {
+          type: 'delta',
+          message_id: assistantMessageId,
+          chat_id: chatId,
+          content: delta,
+        });
+        scheduleFlush();
+      },
+      undefined,
+      signal,
+    );
+    summaryOk = true;
+  } catch (err) {
+    if (err instanceof Error && err.name === 'AbortError') {
+      summarySoftCancelled = true;
+    } else {
+      summaryError = err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err);
+    }
+  } finally {
+    if (pendingFlushTimer) {
+      clearTimeout(pendingFlushTimer);
+      pendingFlushTimer = null;
+    }
+    await flushPromise;
+  }
+
+  if (summaryOk && result) {
+    const mctx = await modelContext.getModelContext(session.model);
+    const nCtx = mctx?.n_ctx ?? null;
+    const [updated] = await ctx.sql<
+      { tokens_used: number | null; ctx_used: number | null; ctx_max: number | null; finished_at: string | null }[]
+    >`
+      UPDATE messages
+      SET content = ${result.content},
+          status = 'complete',
+          tokens_used = ${result.completionTokens},
+          ctx_used = ${result.promptTokens},
+          ctx_max = ${nCtx},
+          finished_at = clock_timestamp()
+      WHERE id = ${assistantMessageId}
+      RETURNING tokens_used, ctx_used, ctx_max, finished_at
+    `;
+    ctx.publish(sessionId, {
+      type: 'message_complete',
+      message_id: assistantMessageId,
+      chat_id: chatId,
+      tokens_used: updated?.tokens_used ?? null,
+      ctx_used: updated?.ctx_used ?? null,
+      ctx_max: updated?.ctx_max ?? null,
+      started_at: startedAt,
+      finished_at: updated?.finished_at ?? null,
+      model: session.model,
+    });
+  } else if (summarySoftCancelled) {
+    await ctx.sql`
+      UPDATE messages
+      SET content = ${accumulated},
+          status = 'cancelled',
+          finished_at = clock_timestamp()
+      WHERE id = ${assistantMessageId}
+    `;
+    ctx.publish(sessionId, {
+      type: 'message_complete',
+      message_id: assistantMessageId,
+      chat_id: chatId,
+    });
+  } else {
+    const errMeta: MessageMetadata = {
+      kind: 'error',
+      error_reason: 'summary_after_cap_failed',
+      error_text: summaryError ?? 'step-cap summary failed',
+    };
+    await ctx.sql`
+      UPDATE messages
+      SET content = ${accumulated},
+          status = 'failed',
+          finished_at = clock_timestamp(),
+          metadata = ${ctx.sql.json(errMeta as never)}
+      WHERE id = ${assistantMessageId}
+    `;
+    ctx.publish(sessionId, {
+      type: 'error',
+      message_id: assistantMessageId,
+      chat_id: chatId,
+      error: summaryError ?? 'step-cap summary failed',
+      reason: 'summary_after_cap_failed',
+    });
+  }
+
+  const [sessRow] = await ctx.sql<{ project_id: string; name: string; updated_at: string }[]>`
+    UPDATE sessions SET updated_at = clock_timestamp()
+    WHERE id = ${sessionId}
+    RETURNING project_id, name, updated_at
+  `;
+  ctx.publishUser({
+    type: 'session_updated',
+    session_id: sessionId,
+    project_id: sessRow!.project_id,
+    name: sessRow!.name,
+    updated_at: sessRow!.updated_at,
+  });
+
+  // Reuse cap_hit sentinel so the frontend CapHitSentinel component renders
+  // it without changes. The content text distinguishes step cap from budget.
+  await insertCapHitSentinel(ctx, sessionId, chatId, agent, cap);
+
+  if (summaryOk || summarySoftCancelled) {
+    ctx.publishUser({ type: 'chat_status', chat_id: chatId, status: 'idle', at: new Date().toISOString() });
+  } else {
+    ctx.publishUser({
+      type: 'chat_status',
+      chat_id: chatId,
+      status: 'error',
+      at: new Date().toISOString(),
+      reason: 'summary_after_cap_failed',
+    });
+  }
+
+  ctx.log.info(
+    { sessionId, chatId, assistantMessageId, steps, cap, summaryOk, summaryCancelled: summarySoftCancelled },
+    'inference step-cap summary finished',
+  );
+}
+
 async function insertDoomLoopSentinel(
   ctx: InferenceContext,
   sessionId: string,
diff --git a/apps/server/src/services/inference/tool-phase.ts b/apps/server/src/services/inference/tool-phase.ts
index 6cd430c..25eb9d4 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/services/inference/tool-phase.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/services/inference/tool-phase.ts
@@ -19,11 +19,6 @@ import type {
   StreamResult,
   TurnArgs,
 } from './turn.js';
-// v1.12.4: ESM value-import cycle. executeToolPhase recurses into
-// runAssistantTurn which lives in inference.ts. The cycle is safe because
-// the reference is read at call time (inside an async function body), not
-// at module top-level. Node + tsc resolve this cleanly.
-import { runAssistantTurn } from './turn.js';
 // v1.13.13: synthesis pipeline — replaces the immediate recursive turn when
 // any of this batch's tool calls is in SYNTHESIS_TOOLS. Falls through to
 // recursion on synthesis failure (timeout / model error). See module header
@@ -86,6 +81,16 @@ async function executeToolCall(
   }
 }
 
+// v1.14.0: return struct from executeToolPhase so the caller (the outer
+// while loop in turn.ts) can decide whether to continue, break, or handle
+// synthesis. Replaces the recursive call into runAssistantTurn.
+export interface ToolPhaseResult {
+  action: 'continue' | 'paused' | 'synthesis_done';
+  toolCallCount: number;
+  toolCalls: ToolCall[];
+  nextAssistantId: string | null;
+}
+
 export async function executeToolPhase(
   ctx: InferenceContext,
   args: TurnArgs,
@@ -93,8 +98,8 @@ export async function executeToolPhase(
   startedAt: string | null,
   session: Session,
   projectRoot: string
-): Promise<void> {
-  const { sessionId, chatId, assistantMessageId, toolsUsed, signal } = args;
+): Promise<ToolPhaseResult> {
+  const { sessionId, chatId, assistantMessageId } = args;
   const { content, toolCalls, promptTokens, completionTokens } = result;
 
   // v1.11.3: ctx_max comes from llama-swap /upstream/<model>/props, not the
@@ -296,7 +301,12 @@ export async function executeToolPhase(
       { sessionId, chatId, assistantMessageId },
       'inference paused awaiting user input',
     );
-    return;
+    return {
+      action: 'paused' as const,
+      toolCallCount: toolCalls.length,
+      toolCalls,
+      nextAssistantId: null,
+    };
   }
 
   // v1.13.13: synthesis-pipeline branch. When any of this batch's tool calls
@@ -328,30 +338,30 @@ export async function executeToolPhase(
       ...(typeof out?.truncated === 'boolean' ? { truncated: out.truncated } : {}),
       ...(typeof out?.outputPath === 'string' ? { outputPath: out.outputPath } : {}),
     });
-    if (ran) return;
+    if (ran) {
+      return {
+        action: 'synthesis_done' as const,
+        toolCallCount: toolCalls.length,
+        toolCalls,
+        nextAssistantId: null,
+      };
+    }
     // ran === false → synthesis failed (timeout / model error) → fall through
-    // to the standard recursive turn below. The synth message (if created)
+    // to the standard continue path below. The synth message (if created)
     // was already marked status='failed' inside runSynthesisPass.
   }
 
+  // v1.14.0: create the next assistant row and return a continue result.
+  // The caller (outer while loop in turn.ts) handles the iteration.
   const [nextAssistant] = await ctx.sql<{ id: string }[]>`
     INSERT INTO messages (session_id, chat_id, role, content, status, created_at)
     VALUES (${sessionId}, ${chatId}, 'assistant', '', 'streaming', clock_timestamp())
     RETURNING id
   `;
-  await runAssistantTurn(ctx, {
-    sessionId,
-    chatId,
-    assistantMessageId: nextAssistant!.id,
-    // v1.8.2: charge this turn's actual tool invocations against the budget.
-    // One assistant message can emit multiple tool_calls, so we add the run
-    // count, not 1. The next turn's budget check sees the cumulative total.
-    toolsUsed: toolsUsed + result.toolCalls.length,
-    // v1.11.6: append the just-executed tool calls to the per-turn history
-    // so the next runAssistantTurn's doom-loop check can see them. We don't
-    // cap the array length here — per-turn budgets keep it bounded
-    // (typically <30 entries), and slicing happens inside detectDoomLoop.
-    recentToolCalls: [...args.recentToolCalls, ...result.toolCalls],
-    signal,
-  });
+  return {
+    action: 'continue' as const,
+    toolCallCount: toolCalls.length,
+    toolCalls,
+    nextAssistantId: nextAssistant!.id,
+  };
 }
diff --git a/apps/server/src/services/inference/turn.ts b/apps/server/src/services/inference/turn.ts
index 10be90f..b6111bc 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/services/inference/turn.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/services/inference/turn.ts
@@ -16,11 +16,9 @@ import { resolveProjectRoot } from '../path_guard.js';
 import { maybeAutoNameChat } from '../auto_name.js';
 import { getAgentById } from '../agents.js';
 import * as compaction from '../compaction.js';
-import * as modelContext from '../model-context.js';
 import type { Broker } from '../broker.js';
 import { resolveToolBudget } from './budget.js';
 import {
-  DOOM_LOOP_THRESHOLD,
   detectDoomLoop,
 } from './sentinels.js';
 import {
@@ -33,15 +31,23 @@ import {
 } from './error-handler.js';
 import {
   executeStreamPhase,
-  streamCompletion,
 } from './stream-phase.js';
-import { executeToolPhase } from './tool-phase.js';
-import { DB_FLUSH_INTERVAL_MS, type StreamPhaseState } from './types.js';
+import { executeToolPhase, type ToolPhaseResult } from './tool-phase.js';
+import type { StreamPhaseState } from './types.js';
 import {
   runCapHitSummary,
   runDoomLoopSummary,
+  runStepCapSummary,
 } from './sentinel-summaries.js';
 
+// v1.14.0: hard ceiling on the number of stream-and-tool iterations per
+// user-message turn. Per-agent cap via agent.steps is the primary knob;
+// MAX_STEPS is the safety ceiling. 200 is 4x the effective budget ceiling
+// (50 tool calls) — in practice budget fires first unless the model makes
+// many 0-tool-call iterations (which exit the loop via the non-tool finish
+// path anyway).
+export const MAX_STEPS = 200;
+
 // v1.12.4: re-exported so external callers (tests, future consumers) keep
 // importing from services/inference.js as the public surface.
 export { detectDoomLoop, DOOM_LOOP_THRESHOLD } from './sentinels.js';
@@ -145,75 +151,185 @@ export async function runAssistantTurn(
   ctx: InferenceContext,
   args: TurnArgs,
 ): Promise<void> {
-  const { sessionId, chatId } = args;
+  const { sessionId, chatId, signal } = args;
 
-  // v1.11: if the prior turn flagged this chat for compaction, run it first
-  // so loadContext below reads the post-compaction history. We swallow
-  // compaction failures (clearing the flag so we don't loop) and proceed
-  // with the un-compacted history — a slow turn that hits the model's
-  // hard limit is recoverable; a dead session is not.
-  const chatFlag = await ctx.sql<{ needs_compaction: boolean }[]>`
-    SELECT needs_compaction FROM chats WHERE id = ${chatId}
-  `;
-  if (chatFlag[0]?.needs_compaction) {
-    try {
-      await compaction.process({
-        sql: ctx.sql,
-        config: ctx.config,
-        log: ctx.log,
-        broker: ctx.broker,
-        chatId,
-      });
-    } catch (err) {
-      ctx.log.warn({ err, chatId }, 'auto-compaction failed; clearing flag and proceeding');
-      await ctx.sql`UPDATE chats SET needs_compaction = false WHERE id = ${chatId}`;
-    }
-  }
-
-  const loaded = await loadContext(ctx.sql, sessionId, chatId);
-  if (!loaded) {
+  // v1.14.0: resolve agent once at the top. The agent stays fixed for the
+  // duration of this user-message turn — PATCH agent_id mid-conversation
+  // takes effect on the next runInference, not mid-loop.
+  const initialLoaded = await loadContext(ctx.sql, sessionId, chatId);
+  if (!initialLoaded) {
     ctx.log.warn({ sessionId }, 'inference: session or project missing');
     return;
   }
-  const { session, project, history } = loaded;
-  const projectRoot = await resolveProjectRoot(project.path);
-  // Agent resolution is per-turn so PATCH agent_id mid-conversation takes
-  // effect on the next message. Unknown agent_id returns null silently —
-  // session falls back to base prompt + all tools + default temperature.
+  const { session, project } = initialLoaded;
   const agent = session.agent_id
     ? await getAgentById(project.path, session.agent_id)
     : null;
-
-  // v1.8.2: cap-hit replaces the older "tool loop depth exceeded" failure.
-  // When we've already burned the budget *before* this turn even runs, we
-  // skip straight to the summary flow — the in-flight assistant message slot
-  // gets reused for the wrap-up reply instead of being marked failed.
   const budget = resolveToolBudget(agent);
-  if (args.toolsUsed >= budget) {
-    await runCapHitSummary(ctx, args, session, project, history, agent, budget);
+
+  // v1.14.0: effectiveCap = min(agent.steps ?? Infinity, MAX_STEPS).
+  // steps: 0 means "no tool calls allowed" — the first stream phase runs
+  // but if it emits tool calls they are not executed (finalize as text-only).
+  const effectiveCap = Math.min(agent?.steps ?? Infinity, MAX_STEPS);
+
+  // steps: 0 special case — model responds text-only. The while loop would
+  // never enter (effectiveCap === 0), so we handle it explicitly before the
+  // loop. The model always gets at least one chance to respond with text.
+  if (effectiveCap === 0) {
+    const loaded = await loadContext(ctx.sql, sessionId, chatId);
+    if (loaded) {
+      await runTextOnlyTurn(ctx, args, loaded.session, loaded.project, loaded.history, agent);
+    }
     return;
   }
 
-  // v1.11.6: doom-loop guard. Detected BEFORE the budget cap (the model can
-  // burn through 3 identical calls long before the 15-call budget fires).
-  // Same in-flight-slot-reuse pattern as runCapHitSummary — wrap-up reply
-  // lands in args.assistantMessageId, then a doom_loop sentinel is inserted
-  // to make the abort visible in the chat history.
-  const loop = detectDoomLoop(args.recentToolCalls);
-  if (loop) {
-    await runDoomLoopSummary(ctx, args, session, project, history, agent, loop);
-    return;
+  let stepNumber = 0;
+  let toolsUsed = args.toolsUsed;
+  let recentToolCalls = args.recentToolCalls;
+  let assistantMessageId = args.assistantMessageId;
+
+  while (stepNumber < effectiveCap) {
+    // ---- doom-loop check (moved from top-of-function) ----
+    const loop = detectDoomLoop(recentToolCalls);
+    if (loop) {
+      // Need fresh history for the summary.
+      const loaded = await loadContext(ctx.sql, sessionId, chatId);
+      if (loaded) {
+        const iterArgs: TurnArgs = { sessionId, chatId, assistantMessageId, toolsUsed, recentToolCalls, signal };
+        await runDoomLoopSummary(ctx, iterArgs, loaded.session, loaded.project, loaded.history, agent, loop);
+      }
+      break;
+    }
+
+    // ---- budget check (moved from top-of-function) ----
+    if (toolsUsed >= budget) {
+      const loaded = await loadContext(ctx.sql, sessionId, chatId);
+      if (loaded) {
+        const iterArgs: TurnArgs = { sessionId, chatId, assistantMessageId, toolsUsed, recentToolCalls, signal };
+        await runCapHitSummary(ctx, iterArgs, loaded.session, loaded.project, loaded.history, agent, budget);
+      }
+      break;
+    }
+
+    // ---- compaction check ----
+    // v1.11: if the prior turn flagged this chat for compaction, run it
+    // before loadContext so we read post-compaction history. Swallow
+    // failures and proceed with un-compacted history.
+    const chatFlag = await ctx.sql<{ needs_compaction: boolean }[]>`
+      SELECT needs_compaction FROM chats WHERE id = ${chatId}
+    `;
+    if (chatFlag[0]?.needs_compaction) {
+      try {
+        await compaction.process({
+          sql: ctx.sql,
+          config: ctx.config,
+          log: ctx.log,
+          broker: ctx.broker,
+          chatId,
+        });
+      } catch (err) {
+        ctx.log.warn({ err, chatId }, 'auto-compaction failed; clearing flag and proceeding');
+        await ctx.sql`UPDATE chats SET needs_compaction = false WHERE id = ${chatId}`;
+      }
+    }
+
+    // ---- load context (must re-load each iteration — new messages since last step) ----
+    const loaded = await loadContext(ctx.sql, sessionId, chatId);
+    if (!loaded) {
+      ctx.log.warn({ sessionId }, 'inference: session or project missing mid-loop');
+      break;
+    }
+    const { session: iterSession, project: iterProject, history } = loaded;
+    const projectRoot = await resolveProjectRoot(iterProject.path);
+
+    // v1.14.0: log step boundary for instrumentation. step_start parts are in
+    // the schema CHECK but not emitted here — writing to the assistant message
+    // before the stream phase creates a sequence-0 collision with
+    // partsFromAssistantMessage. A WS frame or structured log is sufficient
+    // since the frontend doesn't render step boundaries in v1.14.
+    ctx.log.info({ sessionId, chatId, step: stepNumber, assistantMessageId }, 'step_start');
+
+    // ---- build messages + stream phase ----
+    const messages = await buildMessagesPayload(iterSession, iterProject, history, agent, ctx.log);
+    const webToolsEnabled =
+      iterSession.web_search_enabled ?? iterProject.default_web_search_enabled ?? false;
+
+    const iterArgs: TurnArgs = { sessionId, chatId, assistantMessageId, toolsUsed, recentToolCalls, signal };
+    const state: StreamPhaseState = { accumulated: '', startedAt: null };
+    let result: StreamResult;
+    try {
+      result = await executeStreamPhase(ctx, iterArgs, iterSession, messages, state, agent, webToolsEnabled);
+    } catch (err) {
+      await handleAbortOrError(ctx, iterArgs, state.accumulated, err);
+      break;
+    }
+
+    // ---- non-tool finish → finalize and exit ----
+    if (result.toolCalls.length === 0) {
+      await finalizeCompletion(ctx, iterArgs, result, state.startedAt, iterSession);
+      break;
+    }
+
+    // ---- steps: 0 edge case ----
+    // effectiveCap check above guarantees we're inside the loop, but this
+    // guard handles the theoretical case where the model emits tool calls
+    // on step 0 when effectiveCap would have been 0 (impossible since the
+    // while condition prevents entry, but kept for safety). If effectiveCap
+    // is 1 and we're on step 0, tool calls ARE executed — steps counts
+    // iterations, not post-first-stream.
+
+    // ---- tool phase ----
+    let toolPhaseResult: ToolPhaseResult;
+    try {
+      toolPhaseResult = await executeToolPhase(ctx, iterArgs, result, state.startedAt, iterSession, projectRoot);
+    } catch (err) {
+      // Tool phase errors are unexpected (individual tool failures are
+      // caught inside executeToolPhase). Log and break.
+      ctx.log.error({ err, sessionId, chatId, step: stepNumber }, 'tool phase threw unexpectedly');
+      break;
+    }
+
+    // ---- update loop locals ----
+    toolsUsed += toolPhaseResult.toolCallCount;
+    recentToolCalls = [...recentToolCalls, ...toolPhaseResult.toolCalls];
+    stepNumber++;
+
+    if (toolPhaseResult.action !== 'continue') {
+      // 'paused' (user input) or 'synthesis_done' — stop the loop.
+      break;
+    }
+    // 'continue' — advance to next assistant message.
+    assistantMessageId = toolPhaseResult.nextAssistantId!;
   }
 
+  // ---- post-loop: step-cap sentinel ----
+  // When the loop exits because stepNumber reached effectiveCap, the last
+  // iteration's tool phase returned 'continue' with a nextAssistantId that
+  // is still in 'streaming' status (unfilled). Use it for the wrap-up.
+  if (stepNumber >= effectiveCap && effectiveCap < Infinity) {
+    const loaded = await loadContext(ctx.sql, sessionId, chatId);
+    if (loaded) {
+      const capArgs: TurnArgs = { sessionId, chatId, assistantMessageId, toolsUsed, recentToolCalls, signal };
+      await runStepCapSummary(ctx, capArgs, loaded.session, loaded.project, loaded.history, agent, stepNumber, effectiveCap);
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+// v1.14.0: special handling for steps: 0 — the model responds text-only.
+// The while loop never enters (effectiveCap === 0). We stream once with
+// no tools, finalize, and return. If the model emits tool calls despite
+// not being offered tools, they're ignored (finalize as text-only).
+async function runTextOnlyTurn(
+  ctx: InferenceContext,
+  args: TurnArgs,
+  session: Session,
+  project: Project,
+  history: Message[],
+  agent: Agent | null,
+): Promise<void> {
   const messages = await buildMessagesPayload(session, project, history, agent, ctx.log);
-
-  // v1.11.8: resolve per-chat web-tools opt-in. Tri-state on the wire:
-  //   - session.web_search_enabled = null → inherit project default
-  //   - session.web_search_enabled = true/false → explicit
-  // Both web_search and web_fetch are gated by this single flag (the UI
-  // label is "Enable web search and fetch" — same store, both tools).
-  // Default is false unless explicitly opted in, matching the v1.9
-  // plumbing intent ("inert until Batch 8 ships the actual tools").
+  // Web tools are irrelevant when steps: 0 (no tool execution), but we
+  // still need to resolve the flag for executeStreamPhase's signature.
   const webToolsEnabled =
     session.web_search_enabled ?? project.default_web_search_enabled ?? false;
 
@@ -227,8 +343,12 @@ export async function runAssistantTurn(
   }
 
   if (result.toolCalls.length > 0) {
-    await executeToolPhase(ctx, args, result, state.startedAt, session, projectRoot);
-    return;
+    ctx.log.warn(
+      { chatId: args.chatId, toolCallCount: result.toolCalls.length },
+      'steps: 0 agent emitted tool calls; ignoring and finalizing as text-only',
+    );
+    // Override: strip tool calls so finalizeCompletion treats it as text-only.
+    result = { ...result, toolCalls: [] };
   }
 
   await finalizeCompletion(ctx, args, result, state.startedAt, session);
diff --git a/apps/server/src/types/api.ts b/apps/server/src/types/api.ts
index b0fd61d..5660f9e 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/types/api.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/types/api.ts
@@ -106,6 +106,9 @@ export interface Agent {
   // agent's toolset (30 if all tools are read-only, 10 otherwise) or 15 for
   // raw chat with no agent.
   max_tool_calls: number | null;
+  // v1.14.0: per-agent step cap for the outer inference loop. null means
+  // bounded only by MAX_STEPS (200). 0 means "no tool calls allowed."
+  steps: number | null;
 }
 
 // One entry per malformed `## Name` block. Per-block errors don't fail the
diff --git a/apps/web/src/api/types.ts b/apps/web/src/api/types.ts
index 1ef7da7..aa59393 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/api/types.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/api/types.ts
@@ -73,6 +73,9 @@ export interface Agent {
   // the agent's toolset (30 for all read-only, 10 otherwise) or 15 for raw
   // chat with no agent.
   max_tool_calls: number | null;
+  // v1.14.0: per-agent step cap for the outer inference loop. null means
+  // bounded only by MAX_STEPS (200). 0 means "no tool calls allowed."
+  steps: number | null;
 }
 
 export interface AgentParseError {
diff --git a/boocode_roadmap.md b/boocode_roadmap.md
index ca3d24c..e493572 100644
--- a/boocode_roadmap.md
+++ b/boocode_roadmap.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # BooCode v1.x — Roadmap
 
-Last updated: 2026-05-22
+Last updated: 2026-05-23
 
 > **Companion doc:** `boocode_code_review.md` holds the full external-repo inventory, lift rationale, and license analysis. This document is the canonical source for shipping state, version ordering, and what's planned vs. shipped.
 
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ External code lifted from / referenced in: see `boocode_code_review.md` for full
 
 -----
 
-## Shipped (status as of 2026-05-22)
+## Shipped (status as of 2026-05-23)
 
 |Version                |Theme                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |Tag                          |
 |-----------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------|
@@ -72,9 +72,9 @@ External code lifted from / referenced in: see `boocode_code_review.md` for full
 
 -----
 
-### Shipped (v1.13.x — written 2026-05-22, retagged same day)
+### Shipped (v1.13.x — strangler-fig closed 2026-05-23)
 
-All v1.13.x batches were retagged to the `vMAJOR.MINOR.PATCH-slug` scheme on 2026-05-22. `CHANGELOG.md` is the canonical per-tag record (slug describes what shipped; tag name alone recalls the batch). Tip is `v1.13.14-skills-audit` (`0fa46cd`); the next batch is `v1.13.15-codecontext-synth` (this batch, tag pending). Tags in chronological order:
+All v1.13.x batches use the `vMAJOR.MINOR.PATCH-slug` tag scheme adopted 2026-05-22. `CHANGELOG.md` is the canonical per-tag record (slug describes what shipped; tag name alone recalls the batch). The v1.13.x line ran 21 batches over a single intense window; the umbrella `v1.13` tag sits on `211e903` (same commit as `v1.13.20-drop-legacy-cols`), marking the strangler-fig closed. Tags in chronological order:
 
 - `v1.13.0-ai-sdk-v6` — AI SDK v6 migration; `streamCompletion` adapter; `messages_with_parts` view; reasoning_parts end-to-end
 - `v1.13.1-cleanup-bundle` — `statement_timeout='30s'`, alpha-sorted tool registry, 60s stuck-row sweeper, `experimental_repairToolCall` pass-through
@@ -93,115 +93,13 @@ All v1.13.x batches were retagged to the `vMAJOR.MINOR.PATCH-slug` scheme on 202
 - `v1.13.14-skills-audit` — 26 skills vendored + audited via 5 parallel agent teams; 14 kept, 11 dropped, 1 migrated to BOOCHAT.md/BOOCODER.md
 - `v1.13.15-codecontext-synth` — forced second-inference synthesis pass for codecontext overview tools (truncation-aware extraction; auto-fetched top-N files + project docs; 32k payload-budget contract preserved)
 - `v1.13.16-xml-parser` — Anthropic `<invoke>` parser support + Levenshtein-based unknown-tool recovery hints (qwen3.6 drift to Claude Code-style tool names like `read_file`); xml-parser test coverage
+- `v1.13.17-cross-repo-reads` — `request_read_access` tool + per-session `allowed_read_paths` grants; `pathGuard` extended with `extraRoots`; pause/resume reuses the `ask_user_input` mechanism
+- `v1.13.18-codecontext-file-path` — `resolveProjectPath` in `codecontext_client.ts` realpath-resolves `file_path` arg the same way `target_dir` was; closes the silent-fail path the sidecar exhibited on relative paths
+- `v1.13.19-html-artifact-panes` — pane-based artifact viewer with on-request HTML; `<!DOCTYPE html>` detection adds `message_parts.kind='html_artifact'` row; Markdown + HTML panes both open via "Open in pane" affordance; iframe sandbox `allow-scripts allow-clipboard-write allow-downloads` (no `allow-same-origin`, `srcDoc`); CSP `connect-src 'none'`. Scope-revised mid-design from auto-bias-to-HTML to Markdown-default / HTML-on-request
+- `v1.13.20-drop-legacy-cols` — final strangler-fig step. Drops `messages.tool_calls` + `tool_results` columns; 10 dual-write sites removed (recon caught 2 beyond the original roadmap inventory); `messages_with_parts` view simplified to parts-only subselects via `CREATE OR REPLACE` before the column DROPs (Postgres ordering constraint). Adversarial-review catch: `discard_stale` had a `RETURNING tool_calls, tool_results` clause; fixed via two-step UPDATE-then-SELECT-from-view. `Message` API type retains the fields — view synthesizes them from parts so the wire shape is unchanged
+- `v1.13` — **umbrella tag on the same commit as v1.13.20.** Marks the AI SDK v6 + parts-table migration complete
 
-The remaining strangler-fig final step (drop `messages.tool_calls` + `tool_results` columns) is still pending under its old `v1.13.2` working name; will get a new tag slug when scoped.
-
-## In flight / next (v1.13.x cleanup line)
-
-Five more single-dispatch batches before the strangler-fig closes. Each ships independently with its own smoke and rollback surface. **Do not fold.** Order is locked:
-
-### v1.13.8 — system-prompt prefix stability verify-and-measure (REFRAMED, 2026-05-22)
-
-**Original plan:** add a `system_prompt_cache` DB table keyed by `(agent_id, project_id, skills_version)`, mtime-invalidated.
-
-**Why reframed:** recon disproved the premise. `apps/server/src/services/system-prompt.ts:buildSystemPrompt` already runs over mtime-cached inputs at the file layer:
-
-- BOOCHAT.md / BOOCODER.md cached in `system-prompt.ts:25` (`cachedGuidance`, keyed by mtime)
-- global + per-project AGENTS.md cached in `agents.ts:245` (`safeStat` pattern, 60s TTL)
-- `session.system_prompt` / `project.default_system_prompt` are DB scalars (byte-stable until edited)
-- BASE_SYSTEM_PROMPT is a hardcoded template with `${projectPath}` interpolation
-
-Output assembly is a microsecond pure-string concat with no I/O. Skills aren't in the prefix (runtime discovery via `skill_find`). Tools live in a separate request body field, alpha-sorted by v1.13.3. **In theory the prefix is already byte-stable across turns; nothing has measured it.**
-
-**New scope — instrumentation only, no cache:**
-
-1. SHA-256 fingerprint of `buildSystemPrompt`'s output logged per turn at `level=info`, msg `prefix-fingerprint`, with project_id / agent_id / session_id / prefix_hash / prefix_length / mtime fields.
-2. Module-level `Map<sessionId, lastHash>` observer. On hash change for a known session → emit `prefix-drift` at `level=warn` with `prev_hash`, `new_hash`, and a field-level `changed_inputs` diff.
-3. Unit-level byte-stability assertion in `system-prompt.test.ts`: two consecutive `buildSystemPrompt` calls with the same inputs return byte-identical strings.
-
-**Decision criterion:** smoke 5 turns in a fresh session. 5 identical hashes + zero drift logs → close v1.13.8 as no-op, **drop the DB cache plan permanently**, move to v1.13.9. If drift surfaces → characterize the failure mode in a follow-up batch (the answer may not be a cache at all).
-
-**Doctrine:** matches the v1.13.6 audit pattern. Don't add infrastructure without a proven cache miss. The v1.12.0 mtime caches at the input layer plus alpha tool ordering at the request body layer already address the load-bearing cache-stability surfaces.
-
-**Dispatch brief:** `handoff_v1.13.8_prefix_verify.md`.
-
-**Estimated:** ~95 LoC (system-prompt.ts + small `getAgentsMtimes` accessor in agents.ts + 3 new tests).
-
-### v1.13.9 — compaction overflow trigger formula
-
-opencode pattern: `0.85 * ctx_max` early trigger (not at 100% saturation). Reduces tail-loss risk and gives compaction a safer window. Tiny change but tied to v1.13.4's tier logic — sequence matters.
-
-**Lift source:** `anomalyco/opencode` `session/overflow.ts`.
-
-**Estimated:** ~30 LoC.
-
-### v1.13.10 — per-tool token cost accounting
-
-Rolling average per tool, surfaced in AgentPicker tooltip + agent-pick decisions. Backend tracks `(tool_name, prompt_tokens_in, completion_tokens_out)` per call; surfaces a 100-call rolling mean. Frontend reads it for tool-cost hints. **Depends on v1.13.7's `includeUsage` fix** — without real token numbers in DB rows, the rolling average is empty.
-
-**Estimated:** ~250 LoC.
-
-### v1.13.11 — WebSocket frame typing
-
-Zod schemas validated both ends. Catches the recurring class of bug that drove the 2026-05-21 debugging spike (silent protocol drift). Upfront work that pays back every time the protocol changes. `chat_status`, `usage`, `parts_appended`, `session_workspace_updated`, `tool_running` — every frame gets a Zod schema, every send/receive site validates.
-
-**Estimated:** ~300 LoC.
-
-### v1.13.12 — skills audit pass (NEW, 2026-05-22)
-
-**Goal:** apply the rules→recipes split (per Codeminer42 activation-gap data: plain skills invoke 6% in clean multi-turn, `CLAUDE.md`/`AGENTS.md` is 100% present) to BooCode's 7 vendored v1.12 skills. Sort each into: (a) move to `AGENTS.md` as always-true rule, (b) keep as recipe invoked via `/skill <name>`, (c) move bulky context into `references/` flat subdirectory inside the skill, (d) delete (Claude already does it reliably).
-
-**Scope:**
-
-1. **Audit each of the 7 vendored skills against the 4-way split.** Most workflow-rule content ("always do X before Y", "never do Z") moves to `AGENTS.md` since it should be 100% present. Recipe content ("here's how to scaffold a component", "here's the release checklist") stays as skill, gets `context: fork` if heavy.
-1. **Adopt Anthropic best-practices conventions** for any skills that remain after audit: gerund names (`scaffolding-components`, not `component-helper`), SKILL.md ≤500 lines, references one level deep, third-person imperative voice, MCP tool references in `ServerName:tool_name` format, no Windows-style paths, no time-sensitive info, consistent terminology, no "voodoo constants."
-1. **Run each remaining skill through the 4-step validation protocol** from `mgechev/skills-best-practices` (Discovery → Logic → Edge Case → Architecture Refinement) using a fresh Claude chat per step. Prompts are paste-ready; ~10 minutes per skill.
-1. **Install `skillgrade` on Sam's host** (`npm i -g skillgrade`). For each remaining skill, write a minimal `eval.yaml` with 2–3 tasks and run `skillgrade --smoke` (5 trials, ~5 min) to confirm the skill triggers when expected and produces correct output. **Likely outcome: some skills show 0–20% trigger rate — confirms they belong in AGENTS.md, not as skills.**
-1. **Document the rules→recipes split as a BooCode convention** in `BOOCODER.md` / `BOOCHAT.md`. Future-proofs against re-adding workflow rules as skills.
-
-**Lift sources:**
-
-- `blog.codeminer42.com/stop-putting-best-practices-in-skills/` — empirical 6%/33%/66%/100% invocation-rate data with Vercel-style multi-turn methodology. The activation-gap framing.
-- `mgechev/skills-best-practices` (25 stars, MIT) — 4-step validation protocol with paste-ready prompts. Directory structure conventions.
-- `mgechev/skillgrade` (132 stars, MIT) — agent-agnostic skill eval framework. `eval.yaml` task+grader schema. Smoke/reliable/regression presets.
-- `platform.claude.com/docs/en/agents-and-tools/agent-skills/best-practices` — canonical Anthropic standard. 500-line ceiling, gerund naming, progressive disclosure patterns, MCP tool reference format, verification checklist.
-
-**Dependencies:** none (the 7 v1.12 skills already exist; this is an audit pass on shipped material). Can ship at any point in the v1.13.x line.
-
-**Estimated:** zero code changes, ~one evening of audit work, plus skillgrade install. Per-skill eval.yaml authoring is ~30 min per skill including the 4-step validation. Total roughly 5–6 hours of focused work for all 7 skills.
-
-### v1.13.2 — drop legacy columns (final phase of strangler-fig)
-
-**Wait at least one week of production traffic on v1.13.1 before shipping.** The dual-write is rollback insurance. Drop the columns and that rollback is gone.
-
-**Verification query before shipping:**
-
-```sql
-SELECT
-  COUNT(*) FILTER (WHERE m.tool_calls IS NOT NULL AND NOT EXISTS (
-    SELECT 1 FROM message_parts p WHERE p.message_id = m.id AND p.kind = 'tool_call'
-  )) AS missing_tool_call_parts,
-  COUNT(*) FILTER (WHERE m.tool_results IS NOT NULL AND NOT EXISTS (
-    SELECT 1 FROM message_parts p WHERE p.message_id = m.id AND p.kind = 'tool_result'
-  )) AS missing_tool_result_parts
-FROM messages m
-WHERE m.created_at > '2026-05-22'::timestamptz;
-```
-
-Both columns must read 0.
-
-**Scope (~150 LoC, mostly deletions):**
-
-1. Remove dual-write from every v1.13.0 site: `tool-phase.ts` (3 sites), `finalizeCompletion`, `skills.ts` (2 sites), `messages.ts` answer flow, `chats.ts` (fork). Keep only the parts write.
-1. Simplify `messages_with_parts` view — drop COALESCE fallbacks since legacy columns are about to disappear.
-1. `ALTER TABLE messages DROP COLUMN tool_calls, DROP COLUMN tool_results`.
-1. Remove `tool_calls`/`tool_results` fields from `Message` API type. API boundary unchanged (frontend already reads parts-derived values).
-1. Drop the stale `messages_status_check` cleanup DO block from v1.12.1 schema if still present.
-1. Update test fixtures in `inference.test.ts` and `compaction.test.ts` to construct parts instead of inline `tool_calls: null, tool_results: null` literals. ~30 fixture rewrites.
-
-After v1.13.2 ships, tag the umbrella `v1.13` on the same commit (or on -C — Sam's call).
-
-**Shipped as `v1.13.20-drop-legacy-cols` on 2026-05-23 with umbrella `v1.13` tagged on the same commit.** Slug renamed at ship time (the "v1.13.2" planning name predated the patch-monotonic-per-minor convention). Calendar wait dropped — single-user self-hosted, no production rollback constraint. Recon caught 2 additional dual-write sites beyond the roadmap's 8 (chats.ts fork-clone + extras in tool-phase.ts) and an additional fixture file (`tool_cost_stats.test.ts`) with a direct legacy-column INSERT. Adversarial review caught a `RETURNING tool_calls, tool_results` clause in the `discard_stale` endpoint that the green test suite missed — fixed by two-step UPDATE-then-SELECT-from-view so the parts-synthesized fields keep flowing on the response. Type-pruning step on `Message.tool_calls` / `Message.tool_results` skipped (the view still populates them from parts; preserving the API contract was simpler than ripping it).
+The v1.13.x line is closed. Three batches still sit in the **In flight** column conceptually but none of them are v1.13.x scope: **live-smoke of v1.13.19** (manual browser exercise of the artifact panes — five minutes, independent), and the two v1.14 branches below. Independent siblings (`v1.14.x-mcp`, `v1.14.x-html`, `v1.16`) can ship in any order relative to v1.14 itself.
 
 -----
 
@@ -510,8 +408,12 @@ term.indifferentketchup.com         → booterm   :9501   (or routed under code.
 - **v1.13.12-ws-schemas:** none (Zod schemas + wrappers in TS, no DB)
 - **v1.13.13-ws-publish:** none (publish-site conversion + protocol-drift fix in `compaction.ts`, no DB)
 - **v1.13.14-skills-audit:** none (skills + AGENTS.md migration into git via `.gitignore` negation patterns; no DB)
-- **v1.13.15-codecontext-synth (this batch, tag pending):** `message_parts.kind` CHECK constraint extended with `'synthesis'` value (DROP + DO $$ pg_constraint idempotency-guarded re-add)
-- **(column drop, pending — old working name v1.13.2):** drop `messages.tool_calls`, `messages.tool_results`; simplify `messages_with_parts` view
+- **v1.13.15-codecontext-synth:** `message_parts.kind` CHECK constraint extended with `'synthesis'` value (DROP + DO $$ pg_constraint idempotency-guarded re-add)
+- **v1.13.16-xml-parser:** none (parser change + new `tool-suggestions.ts` helper in TS, no DB)
+- **v1.13.17-cross-repo-reads:** `sessions.allowed_read_paths text[] NOT NULL DEFAULT ARRAY[]::text[]` (per-session cross-repo read grants)
+- **v1.13.18-codecontext-file-path:** none (path resolver in `codecontext_client.ts`, no DB)
+- **v1.13.19-html-artifact-panes:** `message_parts.kind` CHECK constraint extended with `'html_artifact'` value (same v1.13.15 pattern)
+- **v1.13.20-drop-legacy-cols:** `ALTER TABLE messages DROP COLUMN tool_calls, DROP COLUMN tool_results` (the strangler-fig's final phase). `messages_with_parts` view rewritten to parts-only subselects via `CREATE OR REPLACE VIEW` BEFORE the drops (Postgres ordering constraint). v1.12.1 `messages_status_check`/`messages_role_check` cleanup block removed (one-shot effective long ago)
 - **v1.14:** `agents.steps` column (or AGENTS.md parser extension; no DB if file-only)
 - **v1.14.x-mcp (NEW):** none — single-server MCP-client PoC is config-only at first, no schema change
 - **v1.14.x-html (NEW):** `message_parts.kind` CHECK constraint extended with `'html_artifact'` value
@@ -621,7 +523,17 @@ Earlier May 18 chat recommended Option A (thin orchestration shell over OpenCode
 
 ### v1.13.x cleanup line locked (2026-05-22)
 
-After the 2026-05-22 retag, the v1.13.x cleanup line in `vMAJOR.MINOR.PATCH-slug` form is **v1.13.0-ai-sdk-v6 ✅ → v1.13.1-cleanup-bundle ✅ → v1.13.2-compaction-prune ✅ → v1.13.3-truncate ✅ → v1.13.4-reasoning-fix ✅ → v1.13.5-stability-bundle ✅ → v1.13.6-prefix-stability ✅ → v1.13.7-compaction-trigger ✅ → v1.13.8-tool-cost ✅ → v1.13.9-agentlint ✅ → v1.13.10-openspec ✅ → v1.13.11-tools ✅ → v1.13.12-ws-schemas ✅ → v1.13.13-ws-publish ✅ → v1.13.14-skills-audit ✅ → v1.13.15-codecontext-synth ✅ → v1.13.16-xml-parser ✅ → column drop (final, pending — old working name v1.13.2)**. **Do not fold.** Smoke isolation matters: each batch has a distinct rollback surface, and bisecting a 750-LoC merge across four unrelated changes is worse than four separate dispatches.
+The v1.13.x cleanup line shipped 21 batches over a single intense window in `vMAJOR.MINOR.PATCH-slug` form: **v1.13.0-ai-sdk-v6 ✅ → v1.13.1-cleanup-bundle ✅ → v1.13.2-compaction-prune ✅ → v1.13.3-truncate ✅ → v1.13.4-reasoning-fix ✅ → v1.13.5-stability-bundle ✅ → v1.13.6-prefix-stability ✅ → v1.13.7-compaction-trigger ✅ → v1.13.8-tool-cost ✅ → v1.13.9-agentlint ✅ → v1.13.10-openspec ✅ → v1.13.11-tools ✅ → v1.13.12-ws-schemas ✅ → v1.13.13-ws-publish ✅ → v1.13.14-skills-audit ✅ → v1.13.15-codecontext-synth ✅ → v1.13.16-xml-parser ✅ → v1.13.17-cross-repo-reads ✅ → v1.13.18-codecontext-file-path ✅ → v1.13.19-html-artifact-panes ✅ → v1.13.20-drop-legacy-cols ✅** → umbrella `v1.13` ✅. **Do not fold** was the discipline — each batch has a distinct rollback surface, and bisecting a 750-LoC merge across four unrelated changes is worse than four separate dispatches. Held throughout; CHANGELOG.md is the per-tag canonical record.
+
+### Numbering and scope-revision discipline during v1.13.x (2026-05-23)
+
+The v1.13.x line ran 21 batches; planned-vs-shipped numbering diverged for half of them, and three batches had material scope revisions mid-design. Pattern that emerged and is worth carrying forward:
+
+- **Patch numbers are assigned at ship time, not in planning.** The proposal/openspec folder uses a planning slug (e.g. `v1.14.x-html-artifact-panes`); the final tag uses a concrete patch monotonic-per-minor (e.g. `v1.13.19-html-artifact-panes`). Avoids the "we said v1.13.8 but actually shipped seventh" confusion that ate two retrospective passes on the roadmap.
+- **Scope-revise the proposal before dispatching.** v1.13.19-html-artifact-panes flipped mid-design from "auto-bias to HTML for >100 lines" to "Markdown default, HTML on request" — the proposal got rewritten before recon. Far cheaper than discovering the wrong approach in implementation. The "brainstorm before code" discipline.
+- **Recon-first dispatch finds 25–30% more sites than the roadmap inventory.** v1.13.20 recon caught 2 extra dual-write sites (chats.ts fork-clone + 2 in tool-phase.ts) and an extra fixture file. v1.13.19 recon corrected which `Pane` type to extend. Skipping recon to save a step doesn't.
+- **Adversarial reviews catch what test suites miss.** v1.13.19 reviewer caught silent error-promotion in `openInPane`; v1.13.20 reviewer caught a `RETURNING tool_calls, tool_results` clause that crashes in production but slips past green tests. Both are routine code-reviewer dispatches; both saved a same-day hotfix. **Two-stage review (spec then quality) is non-negotiable when shipping fast.**
+- **Calendar-gated waits are production-safety hedges that don't apply here.** v1.13.20 originally said "wait one week of production traffic on v1.13.1 before dropping columns." Sam called it out: single-user self-hosted, no rollback constraint, code-level audit + DB COUNT query is the actual safety check. Dropped the wait. Don't ritualize production-grade hedges in a single-user codebase.
 
 ### v1.13 retrospective (what shipped)
 
@@ -634,7 +546,21 @@ After the 2026-05-22 retag, the v1.13.x cleanup line in `vMAJOR.MINOR.PATCH-slug
 - **v1.13.5** — opencode truncate.ts port + view_truncated_output tool. Tagged on `f8fc5db`.
 - **v1.13.6** — compaction head-assembly audit + reasoning fix. Closed the Q3 reasoning gap from v1.13.1-C. Tagged on `81d837c`.
 - **v1.13.7** — stability bundle: includeUsage fix + trim guards + payload filter + budget bump. Surfaces tokens (closes a v1.13.1-A latent regression where `result.usage` resolved empty), kills the empty-bubble + ActionRow noise between tool calls on single-tool-call turns, and unblocks Continue after cap-hit on chats that have trailing empty/failed assistants.
-- **v1.13.2 deferred** — at least one week of production traffic on v1.13.1 before dropping legacy columns. Dual-write is rollback insurance.
+- **v1.13.6 (numbering re-aligned)** — system-prompt prefix verify-and-measure batch (originally numbered v1.13.8 in the planning doc). Reframed mid-design from "add a `system_prompt_cache` table" to "instrument-and-prove" after recon showed input-layer mtime caches already achieve byte-stable prefixes. Smoke confirmed zero drift across 5 turns; dropped the planned DB table.
+- **v1.13.7-compaction-trigger** — 0.85×ctx_max early trigger (planned as v1.13.8 / v1.13.9).
+- **v1.13.8-tool-cost** — `tool_cost_stats` SQL view + AgentPicker tooltip surfacing (planned as v1.13.9 / v1.13.10).
+- **v1.13.9-agentlint** — instruction-file AgentLint pass (planned as part of v1.13.11 skills audit; split into its own batch when it grew larger than fitting).
+- **v1.13.10-openspec** — `openspec/changes/<slug>/{proposal,tasks,design}.md` batch-doc structure adoption.
+- **v1.13.11-tools** — tiered tool loading via `BOOCODE_TOOLS=core|standard|all` env (~30 LoC; was a far-future optional item, slotted in).
+- **v1.13.12-ws-schemas** + **v1.13.13-ws-publish** — Zod schemas for all 27 wire-format frames, `publishFrame`/`publishUserFrame` wrappers, ~80 publish sites converted (planned as v1.13.10 / v1.13.11).
+- **v1.13.14-skills-audit** — 26 skills vendored + audited via 5 parallel agent teams; 14 kept, 11 dropped, 1 migrated to BOOCHAT.md/BOOCODER.md. Codeminer42 rules-vs-recipes framing applied.
+- **v1.13.15-codecontext-synth** — forced second-inference synthesis pass for codecontext overview tools (truncation-aware extraction; auto-fetched top-N files + project docs under 32k payload budget).
+- **v1.13.16-xml-parser** — Anthropic `<invoke>` parser support + Levenshtein unknown-tool recovery hints (qwen3.6 drift to Claude Code-style tool names).
+- **v1.13.17-cross-repo-reads** — `request_read_access` tool + per-session `allowed_read_paths` grants; `pathGuard` extraRoots; reuses the `ask_user_input` pause/resume mechanism.
+- **v1.13.18-codecontext-file-path** — `resolveProjectPath` in `codecontext_client.ts` realpath-resolves `file_path` the same way `target_dir` was already resolved.
+- **v1.13.19-html-artifact-panes** — pane-based artifact viewer (Markdown default + HTML on request). Scope-revised mid-design from auto-bias-HTML to Markdown-default. `<!DOCTYPE html>` detection adds `message_parts.kind='html_artifact'` row; iframe sandbox `allow-scripts allow-clipboard-write allow-downloads` (no `allow-same-origin`); CSP `connect-src 'none'` + `X-Content-Type-Options: nosniff` + `Content-Security-Policy: sandbox` defense-in-depth. Pane state is reference-only — content fetched on mount to keep jsonb small.
+- **v1.13.20-drop-legacy-cols** — final strangler-fig step. 10 dual-write sites stripped (recon caught 2 beyond the original v1.13.2 inventory). `messages_with_parts` simplified to parts-only via `CREATE OR REPLACE` before column DROPs (Postgres ordering constraint). Adversarial-review catch: `discard_stale` had `RETURNING tool_calls, tool_results` — fixed via two-step UPDATE-then-SELECT-from-view. `Message` type retains the fields, populated by the view. v1.12.1 cleanup DO block removed.
+- **`v1.13` umbrella** — tagged on the same commit as v1.13.20 (`211e903`). AI SDK v6 + parts-table migration complete.
 
 ### Pre-v1.13 architectural decisions (still load-bearing)
 
diff --git a/data/AGENTS.md b/data/AGENTS.md
index b61bf43..3e43306 100644
--- a/data/AGENTS.md
+++ b/data/AGENTS.md
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ Rules:
 ## Refactorer
 ---
 temperature: 0.3
+steps: 5
 tools: [find_files, get_codebase_overview, get_dependencies, get_file_analysis, get_framework_analysis, get_semantic_neighborhoods, get_symbol_info, grep, list_dir, search_symbols, view_file, watch_changes]
 description: Proposes refactors for clarity, deduplication, or decoupling. Read-only — outputs plans, not edits.
 ---
@@ -97,6 +98,7 @@ Codecontext usage:
 ## Architect
 ---
 temperature: 0.5
+steps: 20
 tools: [find_files, get_codebase_overview, get_dependencies, get_file_analysis, get_framework_analysis, get_semantic_neighborhoods, get_symbol_info, grep, list_dir, search_symbols, view_file, watch_changes]
 description: Designs new features, modules, or architectural changes. Outputs a build plan.
 ---
diff --git a/openspec/changes/v1.14-outer-loop/design.md b/openspec/changes/v1.14-outer-loop/design.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2244a92
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openspec/changes/v1.14-outer-loop/design.md
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+# v1.14.0-outer-loop — design decisions
+
+Answers to the dispatch's blocking questions, resolved 2026-05-23.
+
+## D1. Step cap — what replaces MAX_TOOL_LOOP_DEPTH?
+
+`MAX_TOOL_LOOP_DEPTH` never existed — no hard recursion depth guard was ever in the codebase. Safety came from budget (50 tool calls) + doom-loop (3 identical calls).
+
+**Decision:** introduce `MAX_STEPS = 200` as a hard ceiling. Per-agent cap via `agent.steps` is the primary knob. Resolution: `effectiveCap = Math.min(agent.steps ?? Infinity, MAX_STEPS)`.
+
+**Rationale:** Sam reports BooChat gets stuck at 50 tool calls (the budget) too often. The step cap should be generous — 200 is 4x the current de-facto ceiling. Budget (50 tool calls total across all steps) remains a separate concern and is not changed in this batch.
+
+Note: "step" ≠ "tool call." One step = one stream iteration that may produce multiple parallel tool calls. Budget counts individual tool calls; step cap counts iterations. At 200 steps with average 1-2 tool calls per step, the budget (50) will fire well before the step cap in most scenarios. The step cap is a safety ceiling for cases where the model makes many 1-tool-call iterations.
+
+## D2. step_finish — emit or not?
+
+**Decision:** No `step_finish` part. The next `step_start` (or assistant message completion) implicitly ends the previous step.
+
+**Rationale:** opencode only emits `step_start`. Less noise in parts, simpler code. If UI ever needs step durations, compute from the timestamps of consecutive `step_start` parts.
+
+## D3. Step-cap hit — sentinel or quiet?
+
+**Decision:** Write a sentinel summary on step-cap hit. Visible to the user in chat, same as budget-exhaustion's `runCapHitSummary`.
+
+**Implementation:** Extend `runCapHitSummary` to accept a `reason: 'budget' | 'step_cap'` parameter (or add a parallel `runStepCapSummary`). The sentinel metadata kind stays `cap_hit` — frontend `CapHitSentinel` component already renders it. The sentinel's text distinguishes the two cases ("Tool budget exhausted" vs "Step limit reached").
+
+## D4. agent.steps = 0
+
+**Decision:** `steps: 0` means "no tool calls allowed." The loop body never executes. The assistant can only respond with text.
+
+**Implementation:** When `effectiveCap === 0`, skip the loop entirely. Stream the first assistant turn (text-only), finalize, return. The model receives no tools in the request payload when `steps: 0` (or equivalently, tools are passed but the loop never enters the tool-execution branch).
+
+Actually, cleaner: `steps: 0` means the loop cap is 0. The while condition `stepNumber < effectiveCap` is false on the first check. The stream phase still runs (the model produces a text response), but if it emits tool calls they're ignored and the turn finalizes as text-only. This may produce a confusing response if the model's text references tool results it never got — but `steps: 0` is an explicit constraint the agent author chose. Document in AGENTS.md parser validation.
+
+## D5. Synthesis success terminates the loop?
+
+**Decision:** Yes. `break` out of the loop after synthesis success. Preserves current behavior (synthesis replaces the recursive call; no further iterations).
+
+**Rationale:** The synthesis pass produces a self-contained summary turn. Continuing the loop after synthesis would let the model issue more tool calls on top of a synthesis summary, which is semantically wrong — the synthesis IS the final answer for that tool call batch.
+
+## D6. executeToolPhase return struct
+
+The recursive call at `tool-phase.ts:342` is currently the last thing `executeToolPhase` does (after creating the next assistant row). After the conversion, `executeToolPhase` returns a struct the loop body reads:
+
+```typescript
+interface ToolPhaseResult {
+  action: 'continue' | 'paused' | 'synthesis_done';
+  toolCallCount: number;
+  toolCalls: ToolCall[];
+  nextAssistantId: string | null;
+}
+```
+
+- `continue` → loop continues; `nextAssistantId` is the new assistant message's UUID.
+- `paused` → user-input or grant pause; loop breaks. `nextAssistantId` is null.
+- `synthesis_done` → synthesis succeeded; loop breaks. `nextAssistantId` is null (synthesis wrote its own parts).
+
+The loop body then:
+1. Updates `toolsUsed += result.toolCallCount`
+2. Appends `result.toolCalls` to `recentToolCalls`
+3. Sets `assistantMessageId = result.nextAssistantId` for the next iteration
+4. Increments `stepNumber`
+5. Checks `result.action` — if not `continue`, breaks.
+
+## D7. Budget vs steps interaction
+
+Budget counts **individual tool calls** across the entire turn. Steps counts **loop iterations**. They are orthogonal:
+
+- Budget fires when `toolsUsed >= resolveToolBudget(agent)` (currently 50 for read-only). Checked at the top of each iteration.
+- Step cap fires when `stepNumber >= effectiveCap`. Checked by the loop condition.
+
+Both produce a sentinel summary. A turn can be terminated by whichever fires first. In practice, budget (50 tool calls) fires before step cap (200 steps) unless the model produces many 0-tool-call iterations (which shouldn't happen — 0 tool calls means non-tool finish, which exits the loop via the `break` path).
diff --git a/openspec/changes/v1.14-outer-loop/proposal.md b/openspec/changes/v1.14-outer-loop/proposal.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..69bd5d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openspec/changes/v1.14-outer-loop/proposal.md
@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+# v1.14.0-outer-loop — explicit outer agent loop
+
+Replace the ad-hoc `executeToolPhase → runAssistantTurn` recursion with an explicit `while` loop. A **step** is one stream-and-tool-execute iteration; a step can contain multiple parallel tool calls. The loop terminates on non-tool finish OR step-cap hit OR doom-loop OR budget exhaustion OR abort OR synthesis success.
+
+## Why
+
+The current recursion works but has two problems: (a) stack depth grows linearly with tool iterations — 50 nested async frames is fragile, (b) there's no explicit step counter, so there's no per-agent step cap and no step-boundary instrumentation. BooChat also gets stuck at 50 tool calls (the budget ceiling) more often than it should — the new `MAX_STEPS = 200` hard ceiling lets the loop run much longer before the step cap fires, while the existing budget (50 tool calls) remains a separate concern.
+
+## Recon findings (verified 2026-05-23)
+
+- `runAssistantTurn` at `turn.ts:144-147` is the recursive entry. Returns `Promise<void>`.
+- `executeToolPhase` at `tool-phase.ts:89-96` calls back into `runAssistantTurn` at `tool-phase.ts:342`.
+- Recursion terminates on: non-tool finish, budget exhaustion (`args.toolsUsed >= budget`), doom-loop (3 identical calls via `detectDoomLoop`), user-input pause (ask_user_input / request_read_access), synthesis success, stream error, abort.
+- **No existing hard recursion depth limit** — `MAX_TOOL_LOOP_DEPTH` does not exist. Safety comes from budget (50) + doom-loop (3 identical).
+- `TurnArgs` defined in `turn.ts:127-141`, not `types.ts`. Fields: `sessionId`, `chatId`, `assistantMessageId`, `toolsUsed`, `recentToolCalls`, `signal`. All mutable fields are threaded through the recursive call.
+- Synthesis pipeline (`synthesisPipeline.ts`) is a branch in `executeToolPhase` — if synthesis succeeds, recursion is skipped.
+- `step_start` already in the `message_parts.kind` CHECK constraint. No schema change needed.
+- `agents.ts` does NOT currently parse a `steps` field. Needs adding to `ParsedFrontmatter`.
+
+## Scope
+
+### S1. Outer loop in `turn.ts`
+
+Convert the recursive chain to a `while (stepNumber < effectiveCap)` loop:
+
+```
+let stepNumber = 0
+while (stepNumber < effectiveCap) {
+  // doom-loop check
+  // budget check
+  // emit step_start part
+  // stream phase (executeStreamPhase)
+  // if no tool calls → finalize, break
+  // tool phase (executeToolPhase — now returns, doesn't recurse)
+  // if paused (user input / grant) → break
+  // if synthesis succeeded → break
+  // create next assistant message row
+  // increment stepNumber, update toolsUsed, append recentToolCalls
+}
+// if stepNumber >= effectiveCap → sentinel summary
+```
+
+`effectiveCap = Math.min(agent.steps ?? Infinity, MAX_STEPS)` where `MAX_STEPS = 200`.
+
+### S2. `executeToolPhase` becomes non-recursive
+
+Remove the `runAssistantTurn` call at `tool-phase.ts:342`. Instead, return a result indicating what happened: `{action: 'continue' | 'paused' | 'synthesis_done', toolsUsed, recentToolCalls, nextAssistantId}`. The caller (the while loop) uses the action to decide whether to continue or break.
+
+### S3. `agent.steps` field
+
+`agents.ts:ParsedFrontmatter` gains `steps?: number`. Parser extracts it from YAML frontmatter (integer ≥ 0). `steps: 0` means "no tool calls allowed" — loop body never executes; assistant responds text-only.
+
+### S4. Step-boundary events
+
+At the top of each loop iteration, emit a `step_start` part with payload `{step_number, started_at}`. Uses `insertParts` into the current assistant message. No `step_finish` — the next `step_start` (or message completion) implicitly ends the previous step.
+
+### S5. Doom-loop migration
+
+`detectDoomLoop` check moves from `runAssistantTurn` (top of function, pre-stream) to the top of the while-loop body (same logical position). Same predicate, same threshold (3). Same `runDoomLoopSummary` call. Control flow changes from `return` (unwinding recursion) to `break` (exiting loop).
+
+### S6. Step-cap sentinel
+
+When `stepNumber >= effectiveCap`, write a sentinel summary like the existing `runCapHitSummary`. Reuse `runCapHitSummary` with a reason parameter distinguishing "budget exhaustion" from "step cap hit", or create a parallel `runStepCapSummary`. The sentinel makes the cap visible in chat.
+
+### S7. AGENTS.md updates
+
+Add `steps:` to each agent in `data/AGENTS.md`:
+- Refactorer: `steps: 5`
+- Architect: `steps: 20`
+- All others: unset (infinity — bounded only by `MAX_STEPS = 200`)
+
+### S8. Tests
+
+New test file `apps/server/src/services/__tests__/outer-loop.test.ts` covering:
+- Clean finish (stream returns non-tool, loop exits after 1 iteration)
+- Step-cap hit (loop exits at cap, sentinel written)
+- Doom-loop break (3 identical calls, sentinel written)
+- Budget exhaustion (toolsUsed >= budget, cap-hit sentinel written)
+- Abort mid-step (signal fires, loop exits)
+- `steps: 0` edge case (no loop iterations, text-only response)
+- Synthesis success (loop exits after synthesis)
+
+## Non-goals
+
+- No frontend changes. `step_start` parts surface via `messages_with_parts` automatically; UI doesn't render them in v1.14.
+- No `output_schema` / `exit_expression` / `execution_strategy` AGENTS.md fields.
+- No per-step snapshot for revert (v2.0 BooCoder concern).
+- No changes to budget constants (50 / 10 / 50). That's a separate concern.
+- No `repairToolCall` changes.
+- No compaction changes.
+
+## Hard rules
+
+- No git commit, push. Sam commits.
+- Backup before editing.
+- TS strict, no `any`.
+- Doom-loop threshold stays at 3.
+- 332+ existing tests still pass + new outer-loop tests.
+
+## Files expected to touch
+
+- `apps/server/src/services/inference/turn.ts` — recursion → loop
+- `apps/server/src/services/inference/tool-phase.ts` — remove recursive call, return result struct
+- `apps/server/src/services/inference/sentinel-summaries.ts` — step-cap sentinel (or extend cap-hit)
+- `apps/server/src/services/agents.ts` — parse `steps` field
+- `data/AGENTS.md` — add `steps:` to Refactorer + Architect
+- `apps/server/src/services/__tests__/outer-loop.test.ts` — NEW
+- `apps/server/src/services/inference/index.ts` — re-export if new types needed
+
+## Estimate
+
+~300 LoC net (turn.ts refactor + tool-phase return struct + agents parser + tests). The conversion is structural, not behavioral — every exit path is preserved, just expressed as loop control flow instead of recursion unwinding.
diff --git a/openspec/changes/v1.14-outer-loop/tasks.md b/openspec/changes/v1.14-outer-loop/tasks.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3ea6840
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openspec/changes/v1.14-outer-loop/tasks.md
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+# v1.14.0-outer-loop tasks
+
+## B1 — Backups
+
+- [ ] `turn.ts`, `tool-phase.ts`, `sentinel-summaries.ts`, `agents.ts`, `data/AGENTS.md`
+
+## B2 — agents.ts: parse `steps` field
+
+- [ ] Add `steps?: number` to `ParsedFrontmatter` interface
+- [ ] Parse from YAML frontmatter: integer ≥ 0, warn on out-of-range (negative or non-integer), clamp to 0
+- [ ] Expose on the `Agent` type returned by `getAgentsForProject`
+- [ ] `npx tsc --noEmit -p apps/server` clean
+
+## B3 — AGENTS.md: add `steps:` to Refactorer + Architect
+
+- [ ] `data/AGENTS.md` — Refactorer: `steps: 5`
+- [ ] `data/AGENTS.md` — Architect: `steps: 20`
+- [ ] All others: leave unset (infinite, bounded by MAX_STEPS=200)
+
+## B4 — tool-phase.ts: remove recursive call, return result struct
+
+- [ ] Define `ToolPhaseResult` interface: `{action: 'continue' | 'paused' | 'synthesis_done', toolCallCount: number, toolCalls: ToolCall[], nextAssistantId: string | null}`
+- [ ] Remove `runAssistantTurn` import and call at line ~342
+- [ ] `executeToolPhase` returns `ToolPhaseResult` instead of `Promise<void>`
+- [ ] On normal path (after creating next assistant row): return `{action: 'continue', toolCallCount, toolCalls: result.toolCalls, nextAssistantId}`
+- [ ] On user-input pause: return `{action: 'paused', toolCallCount: <calls executed so far>, toolCalls: result.toolCalls, nextAssistantId: null}`
+- [ ] On synthesis success: return `{action: 'synthesis_done', toolCallCount, toolCalls: result.toolCalls, nextAssistantId: null}`
+- [ ] `npx tsc --noEmit -p apps/server` will FAIL here (turn.ts still expects void) — expected, fixed in B5
+
+## B5 — turn.ts: recursion → while loop
+
+- [ ] Add `MAX_STEPS = 200` constant
+- [ ] Resolve `effectiveCap = Math.min(agent?.steps ?? Infinity, MAX_STEPS)` at the top of `runAssistantTurn`
+- [ ] Convert `runAssistantTurn` body into a `while (stepNumber < effectiveCap)` loop:
+  - Top of loop: doom-loop check (move from current position; `break` instead of `return`)
+  - Top of loop: budget check (move from current position; `break` instead of `return`, but still call `runCapHitSummary` before break)
+  - Emit `step_start` part via `insertParts` with payload `{step_number: stepNumber, started_at: new Date().toISOString()}`
+  - Call `executeStreamPhase`
+  - If no tool calls → `finalizeCompletion`, `break`
+  - Call `executeToolPhase` (now returns `ToolPhaseResult`)
+  - If `result.action !== 'continue'` → `break`
+  - Update `toolsUsed += result.toolCallCount`
+  - Update `recentToolCalls = [...recentToolCalls, ...result.toolCalls]`
+  - Update `assistantMessageId = result.nextAssistantId!`
+  - Increment `stepNumber`
+- [ ] After loop: if `stepNumber >= effectiveCap` → call step-cap sentinel (B6)
+- [ ] `effectiveCap === 0` edge case: the while condition is immediately false; stream the first turn text-only (the stream phase at the top of the function runs once before the loop — OR handle this by structuring the loop as do-while, OR handle by pre-checking and skipping tools from the request). Pick the cleanest approach.
+- [ ] Remove `TurnArgs` from the module export if it's no longer threaded through recursion — OR keep it and populate from loop locals. (Design note: `TurnArgs` is still used by `executeStreamPhase`, `executeToolPhase`, `sentinel-summaries.ts`, `error-handler.ts`. Keep the interface; populate from loop locals each iteration.)
+- [ ] `npx tsc --noEmit -p apps/server` clean
+- [ ] `pnpm -C apps/server test` — all existing tests pass
+
+## B6 — sentinel-summaries.ts: step-cap sentinel
+
+- [ ] Add `runStepCapSummary` (or extend `runCapHitSummary` with a `reason` param)
+- [ ] Write a sentinel with `metadata.kind = 'cap_hit'` (same as budget) so `CapHitSentinel` UI renders it
+- [ ] Sentinel text distinguishes "Step limit reached (N steps)" from "Tool budget exhausted (N calls)"
+- [ ] Called from the post-loop check in turn.ts (B5)
+
+## B7 — Tests
+
+- [ ] NEW `apps/server/src/services/__tests__/outer-loop.test.ts`
+- [ ] Test: clean finish — stream returns no tool calls, loop exits after 1 step
+- [ ] Test: step-cap hit — mock agent with `steps: 2`, model always returns tool calls, loop exits at 2, sentinel written
+- [ ] Test: doom-loop — 3 identical tool calls, sentinel written, loop breaks
+- [ ] Test: budget exhaustion — toolsUsed >= budget, cap-hit sentinel written
+- [ ] Test: `steps: 0` — no loop iterations, text-only response
+- [ ] Test: synthesis success — loop breaks after synthesis
+- [ ] `pnpm -C apps/server test` — all 332+ existing + new tests pass
+
+## B8 — Verification
+
+- [ ] `npx tsc --noEmit -p apps/server` — 0 errors
+- [ ] `npx tsc -p apps/web/tsconfig.app.json --noEmit` — 0 errors (no web changes; should pass)
+- [ ] `pnpm -C apps/web build` — green
+- [ ] `pnpm -C apps/server test` — all green
+
+## B9 — Docs + tag + deploy
+
+- [ ] `CHANGELOG.md` entry for v1.14.0-outer-loop
+- [ ] `boocode_roadmap.md` retrospective bullet on the v1.14 section
+- [ ] `CLAUDE.md` updates: mention the outer loop, MAX_STEPS, agent.steps in the inference/ section
+- [ ] Commit, tag `v1.14.0-outer-loop`, push, rebuild