diff --git a/frontend/packages/agent/src/agent.css b/frontend/packages/agent/src/agent.css
index 9f142959..646a9442 100644
--- a/frontend/packages/agent/src/agent.css
+++ b/frontend/packages/agent/src/agent.css
@@ -319,53 +319,10 @@ h2, h3 {
   background: color-mix(in srgb, var(--purple) 6%, transparent);
 }
 
-/* Header pill — inbox / loose-ends triggers. Compact, count-prominent.
-   Filled to match every OTHER chip in `.agent-header-pills`
-   (StatusChips' alive/state/model/effort/pause, MetaNav's 🔗 trigger —
-   all `@hive/shared`'s `Badge`, an `.ui-badge` filled pill) — no
-   `hive-pill` on the markup any more (its bordered/transparent shape
-   is what made this one read as visually distinct from its neighbours;
-   values below are `.ui-badge`/`.ui-badge-interactive`'s own, not a
-   new shape). `display: inline-flex` (not Badge's default) for the
-   icon+label+count row this component alone needs. */
-.header-pill {
-  background: var(--purple-dim);
-  border: none;
-  border-radius: 1em;
-  padding: 0.15em 0.6em;
-  min-height: 2.75em;
-  padding-inline: 0.8em;
-  color: var(--fg);
-  font-family: inherit;
-  display: inline-flex;
-  align-items: center;
-  gap: 0.4em;
-  cursor: pointer;
-  transition: background 0.15s ease, color 0.15s ease;
-}
-.header-pill:hover {
-  background: var(--border);
-}
-.header-pill-icon { font-size: 1.05em; line-height: 1; }
-.header-pill-label { color: var(--muted); }
-.header-pill-count {
-  background: var(--purple-dim);
-  color: var(--purple);
-  border-radius: 999px;
-  padding: 0 0.5em;
-  min-width: 1.6em;
-  text-align: center;
-  font-weight: bold;
-  font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums;
-}
-.header-pill-inbox .header-pill-count {
-  background: color-mix(in srgb, var(--amber) 18%, transparent);
-  color: var(--amber);
-}
-.header-pill-todos .header-pill-count {
-  background: color-mix(in srgb, var(--green) 18%, transparent);
-  color: var(--green);
-}
+/* Header pill (inbox / loose-ends triggers) — no CSS of its own any
+   more. `HeaderPill.tsx` renders `@hive/shared`'s `Badge` directly now
+   (mara: "cant we reuse the badge component") instead of a hand-styled
+   pill matched to Badge's own values; nothing left to override here. */
 
 .agent-main {
   position: absolute;
diff --git a/frontend/packages/agent/src/components/HeaderPill.tsx b/frontend/packages/agent/src/components/HeaderPill.tsx
index 7a701de4..deea92eb 100644
--- a/frontend/packages/agent/src/components/HeaderPill.tsx
+++ b/frontend/packages/agent/src/components/HeaderPill.tsx
@@ -1,10 +1,15 @@
 // <HeaderPill> — the inbox/todos flyout triggers in the header's right
-// cluster. Reuses agent.css's existing `.header-pill…` rules (loaded
-// globally), styled to match `@hive/shared`'s filled `Badge` pill —
-// every other chip in the same cluster is one — not the bordered
-// `.hive-pill` shape (mara: "inbox badge looks different from all the
-// other ones"). Hidden (renders nothing) at count 0, matching the old
-// page's `pill.hidden = count === 0`.
+// cluster. A thin wrapper over `@hive/shared`'s `Badge` (icon+label+
+// value+onClick already covers this shape exactly) rather than a
+// bespoke pill — mara, reviewing the first cut of this (a hand-styled
+// `.header-pill` matched to `Badge`'s own CSS values rather than the
+// component itself): "cant we reuse the badge component". Only two
+// things this wrapper still owns: hiding at count 0 (`pill.hidden =
+// count === 0` in the old page) and picking the inbox/todos tone so
+// the count reads amber/green like it always has (`Badge`'s `tone`
+// colours the value, which here is the count).
+import { Badge, type BadgeTone } from '@hive/shared/badge.js';
+
 export interface HeaderPillProps {
   kind: 'inbox' | 'todos';
   icon: string;
@@ -13,15 +18,21 @@ export interface HeaderPillProps {
   onClick: () => void;
 }
 
+const TONE: Record<HeaderPillProps['kind'], BadgeTone> = {
+  inbox: 'warning',
+  todos: 'positive',
+};
+
 export function HeaderPill({ kind, icon, label, count, onClick }: HeaderPillProps) {
   if (count === 0) return null;
   return (
-    <button type="button" class={`header-pill header-pill-${kind}`} onClick={onClick} title={`open ${label} flyout`}>
-      <span class="header-pill-icon" aria-hidden="true">
-        {icon}
-      </span>
-      <span class="header-pill-label">{label}</span>
-      <span class="header-pill-count">{count}</span>
-    </button>
+    <Badge
+      icon={icon}
+      label={label}
+      value={count}
+      tone={TONE[kind]}
+      onClick={onClick}
+      title={`open ${label} flyout`}
+    />
   );
 }