diff --git a/TODO.md b/TODO.md
index dc956e7..66fb767 100644
--- a/TODO.md
+++ b/TODO.md
@@ -120,8 +120,3 @@ Pick anything from here when relevant. Cross-cutting design notes live in
   `HelperEvent::ContainerCrash` to the manager's inbox so the manager can
   react (restart, escalate, etc.).
 
-## Cleanup / docs
-
-- **Debug-only sub-commands.** `hive-ag3nt send/recv` and the analogous
-  `hive-m1nd send/recv/...` exist only for ops debugging. Move them into a
-  hidden `debug` sub-command to declutter `--help`, or drop entirely.
diff --git a/hive-ag3nt/src/bin/hive-ag3nt.rs b/hive-ag3nt/src/bin/hive-ag3nt.rs
index 16b521f..bc5af54 100644
--- a/hive-ag3nt/src/bin/hive-ag3nt.rs
+++ b/hive-ag3nt/src/bin/hive-ag3nt.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex};
 use std::time::Duration;
 
-use anyhow::{Result, bail};
+use anyhow::Result;
 use clap::{Parser, Subcommand};
 use hive_ag3nt::events::{Bus, LiveEvent};
 use hive_ag3nt::login::{self, LoginState};
@@ -29,10 +29,6 @@ enum Cmd {
         #[arg(long, default_value_t = 1000)]
         poll_ms: u64,
     },
-    /// Send a message to another agent.
-    Send { to: String, body: String },
-    /// Pop one message from the inbox.
-    Recv,
     /// Run the agent's MCP server on stdio. Spawned by `claude` via
     /// `--mcp-config`; tools dispatch through `/run/hive/mcp.sock` back into
     /// the hyperhive broker.
@@ -103,17 +99,6 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
                 }
             }
         }
-        Cmd::Send { to, body } => {
-            let resp: AgentResponse =
-                client::request(&cli.socket, &AgentRequest::Send { to, body }).await?;
-            render(&resp)?;
-            check(&resp)
-        }
-        Cmd::Recv => {
-            let resp: AgentResponse = client::request(&cli.socket, &AgentRequest::Recv).await?;
-            render(&resp)?;
-            check(&resp)
-        }
         Cmd::Mcp => mcp::serve_agent_stdio(cli.socket).await,
     }
 }
@@ -192,14 +177,3 @@ async fn inbox_unread(socket: &Path) -> u64 {
     }
 }
 
-fn render(resp: &AgentResponse) -> Result<()> {
-    println!("{}", serde_json::to_string_pretty(resp)?);
-    Ok(())
-}
-
-fn check(resp: &AgentResponse) -> Result<()> {
-    if let AgentResponse::Err { message } = resp {
-        bail!("{message}");
-    }
-    Ok(())
-}
diff --git a/hive-ag3nt/src/bin/hive-m1nd.rs b/hive-ag3nt/src/bin/hive-m1nd.rs
index 6798922..d3cbd8d 100644
--- a/hive-ag3nt/src/bin/hive-m1nd.rs
+++ b/hive-ag3nt/src/bin/hive-m1nd.rs
@@ -1,13 +1,12 @@
 //! Manager harness. Talks to the manager socket (bind-mounted from the host
-//! at `/run/hive/mcp.sock` inside the `hm1nd` container) using the privileged
-//! tool surface. Phase 4 minimum: a CLI to exercise the verbs from a shell,
-//! plus a `serve` loop that logs the manager's inbox.
+//! at `/run/hive/mcp.sock` inside the `hm1nd` container). Two surfaces:
+//! `serve` (long-lived turn loop) and `mcp` (stdio MCP server claude spawns).
 
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex};
 use std::time::Duration;
 
-use anyhow::{Result, bail};
+use anyhow::Result;
 use clap::{Parser, Subcommand};
 use hive_ag3nt::events::{Bus, LiveEvent};
 use hive_ag3nt::login::{self, LoginState};
@@ -32,25 +31,10 @@ enum Cmd {
         #[arg(long, default_value_t = 1000)]
         poll_ms: u64,
     },
-    /// Send a message to a sub-agent (or anywhere — the broker doesn't validate).
-    Send { to: String, body: String },
-    /// Pop one message from the manager's inbox.
-    Recv,
-    /// Submit a spawn request for the user to approve (creates a pending
-    /// approval; on approval the host creates + starts the container).
-    RequestSpawn { name: String },
-    /// Kill a sub-agent.
-    Kill { name: String },
-    /// Start a stopped sub-agent.
-    Start { name: String },
-    /// Restart a sub-agent (stop + start).
-    Restart { name: String },
-    /// Submit a config commit on the agent's config repo for user approval.
-    RequestApplyCommit { agent: String, commit_ref: String },
     /// Run the manager MCP server on stdio. Spawned by claude via
     /// `--mcp-config`; same shape as `hive-ag3nt mcp` but with the
-    /// manager tool surface (`request_spawn`, `kill`,
-    /// `request_apply_commit`).
+    /// manager tool surface (`request_spawn`, `kill`, `start`, `restart`,
+    /// `request_apply_commit`, `ask_operator`).
     Mcp,
 }
 
@@ -101,34 +85,10 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
                 }
             }
         }
-        Cmd::Send { to, body } => one_shot(&cli.socket, ManagerRequest::Send { to, body }).await,
-        Cmd::Recv => one_shot(&cli.socket, ManagerRequest::Recv).await,
-        Cmd::RequestSpawn { name } => {
-            one_shot(&cli.socket, ManagerRequest::RequestSpawn { name }).await
-        }
-        Cmd::Kill { name } => one_shot(&cli.socket, ManagerRequest::Kill { name }).await,
-        Cmd::Start { name } => one_shot(&cli.socket, ManagerRequest::Start { name }).await,
-        Cmd::Restart { name } => one_shot(&cli.socket, ManagerRequest::Restart { name }).await,
-        Cmd::RequestApplyCommit { agent, commit_ref } => {
-            one_shot(
-                &cli.socket,
-                ManagerRequest::RequestApplyCommit { agent, commit_ref },
-            )
-            .await
-        }
         Cmd::Mcp => mcp::serve_manager_stdio(cli.socket).await,
     }
 }
 
-async fn one_shot(socket: &Path, req: ManagerRequest) -> Result<()> {
-    let resp: ManagerResponse = client::request(socket, &req).await?;
-    println!("{}", serde_json::to_string_pretty(&resp)?);
-    if let ManagerResponse::Err { message } = resp {
-        bail!("{message}");
-    }
-    Ok(())
-}
-
 async fn serve(socket: &Path, interval: Duration, bus: Bus) -> Result<()> {
     tracing::info!(socket = %socket.display(), "hive-m1nd serve");
     let mcp_config = turn::write_mcp_config(socket).await?;