diff --git a/hive-ag3nt/assets/agent.css b/hive-ag3nt/assets/agent.css
index b83c802..a15548c 100644
--- a/hive-ag3nt/assets/agent.css
+++ b/hive-ag3nt/assets/agent.css
@@ -212,6 +212,27 @@ pre.diff {
   background: rgba(243, 139, 168, 0.1);
   box-shadow: 0 0 10px -2px currentColor;
 }
+.btn-new-session {
+  font-family: inherit;
+  font-size: 0.8em;
+  letter-spacing: 0.08em;
+  background: transparent;
+  color: var(--amber);
+  border: 1px solid var(--amber);
+  border-radius: 999px;
+  padding: 0.2em 0.8em;
+  cursor: pointer;
+  text-shadow: 0 0 4px currentColor;
+  transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease, background 0.15s ease;
+}
+.btn-new-session:hover {
+  background: rgba(250, 179, 135, 0.1);
+  box-shadow: 0 0 10px -2px currentColor;
+}
+.btn-new-session:disabled {
+  opacity: 0.4;
+  cursor: progress;
+}
 .state-badge {
   display: inline-block;
   padding: 0.25em 0.8em;
diff --git a/hive-ag3nt/assets/app.js b/hive-ag3nt/assets/app.js
index 98ea546..8f786c1 100644
--- a/hive-ag3nt/assets/app.js
+++ b/hive-ag3nt/assets/app.js
@@ -170,11 +170,12 @@
   let termAPI = null;
 
   const SLASH_COMMANDS = [
-    { name: '/help',    desc: 'list slash commands' },
-    { name: '/clear',   desc: 'wipe the terminal panel (local-only)' },
-    { name: '/cancel',  desc: 'SIGINT the in-flight claude turn' },
-    { name: '/compact', desc: 'compact the persistent claude session' },
-    { name: '/model',   desc: '/model <name>  — switch claude model for future turns' },
+    { name: '/help',        desc: 'list slash commands' },
+    { name: '/clear',       desc: 'wipe the terminal panel (local-only)' },
+    { name: '/cancel',      desc: 'SIGINT the in-flight claude turn' },
+    { name: '/compact',     desc: 'compact the persistent claude session' },
+    { name: '/model',       desc: '/model <name>  — switch claude model for future turns' },
+    { name: '/new-session', desc: 'next turn runs without --continue (fresh claude session)' },
   ];
 
   async function postModel(name) {
@@ -213,6 +214,7 @@
   }
   const postCancelTurn = () => postSimple('/api/cancel',  '/cancel');
   const postCompact    = () => postSimple('/api/compact', '/compact');
+  const postNewSession = () => postSimple('/api/new-session', '/new-session');
 
   function handleSlashCommand(line) {
     if (!termAPI) return false;
@@ -236,6 +238,11 @@
       case '/compact':
         postCompact();
         return true;
+      case '/new-session':
+        if (window.confirm('arm a fresh claude session for the next turn? all prior --continue context will be dropped.')) {
+          postNewSession();
+        }
+        return true;
       case '/model': {
         const parts = trimmed.split(/\s+/);
         if (parts.length < 2 || !parts[1]) {
@@ -431,6 +438,19 @@
     });
   })();
 
+  // Wire the new-session button (always visible; arms a one-shot for
+  // the next turn). Mildly destructive (drops --continue context) so
+  // we confirm before posting.
+  (() => {
+    const btn = $('new-session-btn');
+    if (!btn) return;
+    btn.addEventListener('click', () => {
+      if (!window.confirm('arm a fresh claude session for the next turn? all prior --continue context will be dropped.')) return;
+      btn.disabled = true;
+      postNewSession().finally(() => { btn.disabled = false; });
+    });
+  })();
+
   // Track banner activity by reference-counting in-flight turns. A turn
   // can begin while the previous turn_end is still in the pipeline (rare
   // but happens on tight wake cycles), so we count rather than toggle.
diff --git a/hive-ag3nt/assets/index.html b/hive-ag3nt/assets/index.html
index bde7c6a..c1e7ae4 100644
--- a/hive-ag3nt/assets/index.html
+++ b/hive-ag3nt/assets/index.html
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@
     <span id="model-chip" class="model-chip" hidden></span>
     <span id="last-turn" class="last-turn" hidden></span>
     <button type="button" id="cancel-btn" class="btn-cancel-turn" hidden>■ cancel turn</button>
+    <button type="button" id="new-session-btn" class="btn-new-session"
+            title="next turn runs without --continue, starting a fresh claude session">↻ new session</button>
   </div>
 
   <details id="inbox-section" class="agent-inbox" hidden>
diff --git a/hive-ag3nt/src/events.rs b/hive-ag3nt/src/events.rs
index 9771217..a5c89d2 100644
--- a/hive-ag3nt/src/events.rs
+++ b/hive-ag3nt/src/events.rs
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 //! showing "connecting…" until the first event arrives.
 
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
+use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, Ordering};
 use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex};
 
 use rusqlite::{Connection, params};
@@ -189,6 +190,13 @@ pub struct Bus {
     /// Model name passed to `claude --model`. Default `haiku`; the
     /// operator can override at runtime via `POST /api/model`.
     model: Arc<Mutex<String>>,
+    /// One-shot: next `run_claude` call drops `--continue`, starting
+    /// a fresh claude session. Set by `POST /api/new-session` from
+    /// the per-agent web UI; consumed (cleared back to false) by the
+    /// next turn. Subsequent turns resume normal `--continue`
+    /// behavior. Atomic so the consumer can take-and-clear without a
+    /// lock.
+    skip_continue_once: Arc<AtomicBool>,
 }
 
 impl Bus {
@@ -213,9 +221,24 @@ impl Bus {
             store,
             state: Arc::new(Mutex::new((TurnState::Idle, now_unix()))),
             model: Arc::new(Mutex::new(initial_model)),
+            skip_continue_once: Arc::new(AtomicBool::new(false)),
         }
     }
 
+    /// Arm the one-shot: the next claude invocation will run without
+    /// `--continue`, dropping any prior session context. Idempotent
+    /// — calling twice in a row before the next turn still consumes
+    /// to a single fresh-start.
+    pub fn request_new_session(&self) {
+        self.skip_continue_once.store(true, Ordering::SeqCst);
+    }
+
+    /// Take + clear the one-shot. Returns true iff the caller should
+    /// run claude without `--continue` for this turn.
+    pub fn take_skip_continue(&self) -> bool {
+        self.skip_continue_once.swap(false, Ordering::SeqCst)
+    }
+
     /// Currently-selected claude model name. Read on every turn so a
     /// `/model <name>` flip takes effect on the next turn.
     #[must_use]
diff --git a/hive-ag3nt/src/turn.rs b/hive-ag3nt/src/turn.rs
index 6dd2643..8edea91 100644
--- a/hive-ag3nt/src/turn.rs
+++ b/hive-ag3nt/src/turn.rs
@@ -228,6 +228,18 @@ async fn run_claude(
     mode: ClaudeMode,
 ) -> Result<bool> {
     let model = bus.model();
+    // /compact must always run against the existing session — otherwise
+    // there's nothing to compact. Only normal turns honor the
+    // operator's "new session" one-shot flag.
+    let resume = match mode {
+        ClaudeMode::Turn => !bus.take_skip_continue(),
+        ClaudeMode::Compact => true,
+    };
+    if !resume {
+        bus.emit(LiveEvent::Note(
+            "fresh session (--continue suppressed for this turn)".into(),
+        ));
+    }
     let mut cmd = Command::new("claude");
     cmd.arg("--print")
         .arg("--verbose")
@@ -235,9 +247,11 @@ async fn run_claude(
         .arg("stream-json")
         .arg("--model")
         .arg(&model)
-        .arg("--continue")
         .arg("--settings")
         .arg(settings);
+    if resume {
+        cmd.arg("--continue");
+    }
     if let Some(p) = system_prompt {
         cmd.arg("--system-prompt-file").arg(p);
     }
diff --git a/hive-ag3nt/src/web_ui.rs b/hive-ag3nt/src/web_ui.rs
index cb4acef..c9d759e 100644
--- a/hive-ag3nt/src/web_ui.rs
+++ b/hive-ag3nt/src/web_ui.rs
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ pub async fn serve(
         .route("/api/cancel", post(post_cancel_turn))
         .route("/api/compact", post(post_compact))
         .route("/api/model", post(post_set_model))
+        .route("/api/new-session", post(post_new_session))
         .with_state(state);
     let addr = SocketAddr::from(([0, 0, 0, 0], port));
     let listener = bind_with_retry(addr, "web UI").await?;
@@ -427,6 +428,21 @@ async fn post_compact(State(state): State<AppState>) -> Response {
 /// final result row. Emits a Note so the operator sees the cancel
 /// landed; the actual state transition back to `idle` happens when
 /// `run_claude` wakes up and the harness emits `TurnEnd`.
+/// Arm a one-shot: the next claude turn drops `--continue`, starting a
+/// fresh session. Subsequent turns resume normal `--continue`
+/// behavior. Idempotent before the next turn fires — calling twice
+/// still results in a single fresh start. Useful when the
+/// session-resume context is poisoned (claude went off the rails,
+/// hit an unrecoverable refusal, etc.) and a full reset is cheaper
+/// than asking claude to forget mid-stream.
+async fn post_new_session(State(state): State<AppState>) -> Response {
+    state.bus.request_new_session();
+    state.bus.emit(crate::events::LiveEvent::Note(
+        "operator: new session armed — next turn runs without --continue".into(),
+    ));
+    Redirect::to("/").into_response()
+}
+
 async fn post_cancel_turn(State(state): State<AppState>) -> Response {
     let out = tokio::process::Command::new("pkill")
         .args(["-INT", "claude"])