diff --git a/docs/approvals.md b/docs/approvals.md
index 8bba144..31e4355 100644
--- a/docs/approvals.md
+++ b/docs/approvals.md
@@ -47,6 +47,15 @@ step — the operator just sees the name. On approve, hive-c0re
 creates the container in a background task while the dashboard
 shows a spinner.
 
+`InitConfig` approvals are the first step in a two-step spawn
+flow. On approve, hive-c0re seeds the proposed config repo with
+a default `agent.nix` template and sends the manager
+`HelperEvent::ConfigReady { agent }`. The manager then reviews,
+edits, and commits the template before calling `request_spawn`
+to proceed to a Spawn approval. This gives the manager (and
+operator) an explicit review gate on the initial configuration
+before any container is created.
+
 ## Meta flake
 
 The hive-c0re-owned repo at `/var/lib/hyperhive/meta/`
@@ -341,6 +350,10 @@ regular claude turn so the manager can react. Variants
   the operator.
 - `LoggedIn { agent }` — sub-agent just completed login. Manager
   often greets the agent on this event.
+- `ConfigReady { agent }` — a new agent's proposed config repo was
+  just seeded (post-`InitConfig` approval). The manager can now
+  edit `/agents/<agent>/config/agent.nix`, commit the changes,
+  and submit `request_spawn` to create the container.
 - `NeedsUpdate { agent }` — sub-agent's recorded flake rev is
   stale. Manager calls `update(name)` to rebuild — idempotent,
   no approval required.
diff --git a/docs/persistence.md b/docs/persistence.md
index 59d3ece..8acd29f 100644
--- a/docs/persistence.md
+++ b/docs/persistence.md
@@ -9,7 +9,9 @@ Where state lives, what survives what, and how it's bounded.
 Three tables, all in one file:
 
 - `messages` — every inter-agent / operator-bound message.
-  `sender / recipient / body / sent_at / delivered_at`.
+  `sender / recipient / body / sent_at / delivered_at / acked_at /
+  in_reply_to`. `in_reply_to` links a reply to its parent row id;
+  the dashboard and per-agent inbox render these as threaded rows.
 - `approvals` — the queue. `agent / kind (apply_commit | spawn) /
   commit_ref / requested_at / status / resolved_at / note`.
 - `operator_questions` — `ask` / `answer` queue (despite the
@@ -72,6 +74,18 @@ No host-side vacuum yet — tracked as forge issue
 [#10](http://localhost:3000/hyperhive/hyperhive/issues/10)
 (target retention ~90 days, age-only sweep like events_vacuum).
 
+### `/state/hyperhive-rate-limited` (per agent)
+
+Sentinel file written by `Bus::emit_status("rate_limited")` when the
+harness detects a 429 / rate-limit response from the Claude API, and
+removed when the retry sleep expires (any subsequent status emit
+clears it). The file's presence is checked by hive-c0re's
+`container_view::is_rate_limited` on each `build_all` sweep (~10s) to
+populate `ContainerView.rate_limited` for the dashboard. Survives a
+harness restart (the Bus reads it back at boot and restores the flag),
+so the badge remains accurate if hive-c0re restarts while the harness
+is mid-sleep.
+
 ### `/state/hyperhive-model` (per agent)
 
 Single-line text file holding the claude model name currently
diff --git a/docs/turn-loop.md b/docs/turn-loop.md
index 5c9c411..8ad00e8 100644
--- a/docs/turn-loop.md
+++ b/docs/turn-loop.md
@@ -20,7 +20,12 @@ Each agent harness (`hive-ag3nt serve` or `hive-m1nd serve`) runs:
    `LiveEvent::Stream(value)`. Pump stderr as `Note`.
 6. Wait for claude to exit. Compaction is two-pronged — *reactive*
    on `Prompt is too long` and *proactive* on a context watermark
-   (see [Compaction](#compaction) below).
+   (see [Compaction](#compaction) below). **Rate-limit detection**:
+   if stdout contains `429` or `rate_limit` markers, the harness
+   sets the `rate_limited` sentinel (`Bus::emit_status("rate_limited")`),
+   sleeps `HIVE_RATE_LIMIT_SLEEP_SECS` (default 300), then retries.
+   The dashboard and per-agent page show a `⊘ rate limited` badge
+   while the harness is parked.
 7. Emit `LiveEvent::TurnEnd { ok, note }`. Sleep `poll_ms` to avoid
    tight loops on transient failures.
 
@@ -78,6 +83,20 @@ best-effort — a failed checkpoint turn or `/compact` is surfaced as a
 `Note` but never fails the turn that already succeeded. The operator
 can also force a compaction any time via `/api/compact`.
 
+- **Auto session-reset** — a third path that fires when both
+  conditions hold: context is ≥ a watermark (`HIVE_AUTO_RESET_WATERMARK_TOKENS`,
+  default `100_000`) AND the time since the last turn exceeds the
+  assumed prompt-cache TTL (`HIVE_CACHE_TTL_SECS`, default `300`).
+  Claude's prompt cache lives ~5 minutes; if the cache is already
+  cold, resuming with `--continue` pays the full re-upload cost of
+  the current context with no benefit over starting fresh. So:
+  `drive_turn` injects one `AUTO_RESET_CHECKPOINT_PROMPT` notes turn
+  ("flush state to files, cache is cold") then arms
+  `Bus::take_skip_continue()` for the real turn — the next turn runs
+  without `--continue`, starting a fresh session. Unlike proactive
+  compaction the session is dropped entirely, not compacted. Set
+  `HIVE_AUTO_RESET_WATERMARK_TOKENS=0` to disable.
+
 The child runs with `cwd = /state` (when the bind exists; falls
 back to the parent's cwd in dev), so any relative path in a tool
 call (`Read foo.md`, `Bash ls`, `Write notes.md`) lands in the
@@ -126,9 +145,11 @@ it as a stdio child via `--mcp-config`. The hyperhive socket name is
 
 ### Sub-agent tools
 
-- `send(to, body)` — message a peer (logical agent name), another
-  agent, or the operator (recipient `operator`, surfaces in the
-  dashboard inbox).
+- `send(to, body, in_reply_to?)` — message a peer (logical agent
+  name), another agent, or the operator (recipient `operator`,
+  surfaces in the dashboard inbox). Optional `in_reply_to: i64`
+  links this message to a prior message id for thread rendering
+  in the dashboard message flow and the per-agent inbox.
 - `recv(wait_seconds?, max?)` — drain inbox messages. Without
   `wait_seconds` (or with `0`) returns immediately, a cheap
   "anything pending?" peek. Positive value parks the turn up
@@ -161,7 +182,9 @@ it as a stdio child via `--mcp-config`. The hyperhive socket name is
   this agent's own inbox at a future time (sender shows as
   `reminder`). Large payloads spill to
   `/agents/<self>/state/reminders/` with the inbox message a
-  short pointer.
+  short pointer. Each agent's pending-reminder count is capped
+  (default 50, override via `HIVE_REMIND_MAX_PENDING_PER_AGENT`);
+  scheduling a new one fails if the cap is already hit.
 - `whoami()` — `{ name, role, pronouns, hyperhive_rev }` for
   self-identification without scraping the system prompt.
 
@@ -209,8 +232,17 @@ meta's.
 
 ### Manager tools (in addition to send/recv)
 
-- `request_spawn(name)` — queue a Spawn approval for a brand-new
-  sub-agent (≤9 char name). Operator approves on the dashboard.
+- `request_init_config(name, description?)` — first step of a
+  two-step spawn. Queues an `InitConfig` approval (≤9 char name);
+  on operator approve, hive-c0re seeds the proposed config repo
+  with a default `agent.nix` template and sends the manager a
+  `HelperEvent::ConfigReady { agent }`. The manager then edits
+  `agent.nix`, commits the changes, and calls `request_spawn`.
+  Fails if a proposed repo for this name already exists.
+- `request_spawn(name)` — second step of a two-step spawn. Queues
+  a Spawn approval; requires the proposed config repo to exist
+  (from a prior approved `request_init_config`). Operator approves
+  on the dashboard to create the container.
 - `kill(name)` — graceful stop. No approval required.
 - `start(name)` — start a stopped sub-agent. No approval.
 - `restart(name)` — stop + start. No approval.
diff --git a/docs/web-ui.md b/docs/web-ui.md
index b1901fd..7e6b815 100644
--- a/docs/web-ui.md
+++ b/docs/web-ui.md
@@ -150,10 +150,14 @@ the previous process's socket release resolves itself.
 
 Two-line layout (`assets/app.js::renderContainers`):
 
-- Line 1: agent name (link → new tab), m1nd/ag3nt chip, `needs
-  login` / `needs update` warning badges, in-flight `◐
+- Line 1: agent name (link → new tab), m1nd/ag3nt chip, status
+  badges — `⊘ rate limited` (red, while the harness is parked
+  after a 429), `needs login`, `needs update` — in-flight `◐
   pending-state…` pill (replaces buttons during start / stop /
-  restart / rebuild / destroy), container name + port.
+  restart / rebuild / destroy), container name + port, and a
+  `ctx · Nk` chip showing the agent's last-turn context size
+  (from `ContainerView.ctx_tokens`, read from the turn-stats
+  sqlite on each `build_all` sweep; absent until the first turn).
 - Line 2: action buttons — `↻ R3BU1LD` always, `DESTR0Y` + `PURG3`
   on sub-agents, `↺ R3ST4RT` + (sub-agents) `■ ST0P` when running,
   `▶ ST4RT` when stopped. Buttons dim + disable while a transient
@@ -296,9 +300,12 @@ Wire vocabulary on `/dashboard/stream` (kind tag is in the JSON
 payload):
 
 - `sent` / `delivered` — broker traffic, mirrored from the
-  intra-process channel by a forwarder task. Used by the
-  message-flow terminal renderer and the operator-inbox
-  derived state.
+  intra-process channel by a forwarder task. Both carry `id: i64`
+  (the broker row id) and `in_reply_to: Option<i64>` for thread
+  rendering. The dashboard message-flow terminal renders reply
+  rows with a `↳ reply` tag that scroll-highlights the parent
+  row on click. Used by the message-flow terminal renderer and
+  the operator-inbox derived state.
 - `approval_added` (id, agent, approval_kind, sha_short, diff,
   description) / `approval_resolved` (id, agent, approval_kind,
   sha_short, status, resolved_at, note, description) — pending
@@ -355,8 +362,10 @@ Layout, top to bottom:
   badge + last-turn timing + cancel-turn button + new-session
   button. Every chip carries a `title=...` tooltip with the
   detailed breakdown.
-  - Alive badge: `● alive` (green) / `◌ needs login` (amber) /
-    `◌ logging in` / `○ offline` / `… connecting`. Driven by
+  - Alive badge: `● alive` (green) / `⊘ rate limited` (red, while
+    the harness is parked after a 429 — clears automatically when
+    the sleep expires) / `◌ needs login` (amber) / `◌ logging in` /
+    `○ offline` / `… connecting`. Driven by
     `LiveEvent::StatusChanged`; replaces the old "harness alive
     — turn loop running" paragraph so the state row carries
     every reachability signal.
@@ -401,7 +410,9 @@ Layout, top to bottom:
   updates from SSE; no periodic refresh timer runs.
 - Inbox `<details>` block (collapsed): `inbox · N` — last 30
   messages addressed to this agent, fetched via
-  `AgentRequest::Recent { limit: 30 }`. (Separate from
+  `AgentRequest::Recent { limit: 30 }`. Reply messages (those
+  with a non-null `in_reply_to`) are indented and prefixed with
+  `↳ reply ·` in amber. (Separate from
   `AgentRequest::Recv { wait_seconds, max }` which the harness
   uses internally to long-poll the broker.)
 - Loose-ends `<details>` block: `loose ends · N` — questions,
@@ -506,12 +517,22 @@ shaped).
 - `POST /api/new-session` — arm a one-shot for the next turn to
   drop `--continue`. Emits a `LiveEvent::Note`.
 - `GET /events/history` — replay buffer for the terminal.
+- `GET /screen` — VNC viewer page (minimal RFB-over-WebSocket
+  renderer). Only accessible when `hyperhive.gui.enable = true`
+  in the agent's `agent.nix`; the harness shows a 🖥 screen link
+  in the state row when `gui_vnc_port` is present.
+- `GET /screen/ws` — raw RFB byte relay: proxies WebSocket
+  frames to the weston VNC server at `127.0.0.1:<vnc_port>`.
+  Transparent to any RFB variant. VNC port comes from
+  `/etc/hyperhive/gui.json` (written by the weston startup
+  script in `weston-vnc.nix`).
 
 Bus events (new vocabulary on `/events/stream`):
 
-- `status_changed { status }` — `online` /
+- `status_changed { status }` — `online` / `rate_limited` /
   `needs_login_idle` / `needs_login_in_progress`. Drives the
-  alive-badge.
+  alive-badge. `rate_limited` is set when the harness detects a
+  429 response and cleared when the retry sleep expires.
 - `model_changed { model }` — drives the model chip.
 - `token_usage_changed { ctx: TokenUsage, cost: TokenUsage }`
   — drives the ctx + cost badges. Emitted from