diff --git a/.agents/skills/lib.sh b/.agents/skills/lib.sh
index d094bfd..b15529d 100644
--- a/.agents/skills/lib.sh
+++ b/.agents/skills/lib.sh
@@ -194,6 +194,12 @@ done
 _MAM_SESSION="${HERDR_SESSION_NAME:-default}"
 if [ "$_MAM_SESSION" = "default" ]; then
   _MAM_SESSION=""
+elif [ "${MAM_NO_AUTOSTART:-0}" = "1" ]; then
+  # ISSUE-9: query-only callers (status.sh, reconcile.sh) must never start a
+  # daemon as a side effect of looking. A session whose server is down just
+  # answers server_not_running, which every caller already reads as "no live
+  # agents" - the same answer a freshly bootstrapped, empty server would give.
+  :
 else
   _mam_session_running=$("$REAL_HERDR" session list --json 2>/dev/null | MAM_SESS="$_MAM_SESSION" python3 -c "
 import sys, json, os
@@ -216,9 +222,25 @@ except Exception:
     # installed by default on macOS, so spawn via Python's
     # start_new_session=True (os.setsid in the child) instead - portable
     # across macOS and Linux, and lib_py already depends on Python.
+    #
+    # ISSUE-9: the caller is usually an agent CLI itself (a Claude Code
+    # orchestrator pane), and herdr hands the daemon's environment to every
+    # pane it later spawns. An inherited CLAUDE_CODE_CHILD_SESSION makes each
+    # sub-agent claude disable transcript saving (no <uuid>.jsonl, so resume
+    # is impossible), and the other markers advertise the orchestrator's own
+    # identity to its sub-agents. Drop only per-session runtime markers - user
+    # configuration such as CLAUDE_PROJECT_DIR or CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR still
+    # inherits. The family ids mirror what orc_onboard.sh auto-detects.
     _mam_server_pid=$(python3 -c '
-import subprocess, sys
-p = subprocess.Popen(sys.argv[1:], start_new_session=True,
+import os, subprocess, sys
+deny = ("CLAUDECODE", "CLAUDE_CODE_CHILD_SESSION", "CLAUDE_CODE_SESSION_ID",
+        "CLAUDE_CODE_SESSION_ATTENDED", "CLAUDE_CODE_ENTRYPOINT", "CLAUDE_PID",
+        "CLAUDE_CODE_MESSAGING_TOKEN", "CLAUDE_CODE_MESSAGING_SOCKET",
+        "CLAUDE_CODE_BRIDGE_SESSION_ID",
+        "ANTIGRAVITY_CONVERSATION_ID", "HERMES_SESSION_ID", "GROK_SESSION_ID",
+        "OPENCODE_SESSION_ID")
+env = {k: v for k, v in os.environ.items() if k not in deny}
+p = subprocess.Popen(sys.argv[1:], start_new_session=True, env=env,
                       stdout=subprocess.DEVNULL, stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL,
                       stdin=subprocess.DEVNULL)
 print(p.pid)
@@ -1218,7 +1240,21 @@ except Exception:
     if [ "$_sess" = "default" ]; then
       _sess=""
     fi
-    _real_herdr agent list 2>/dev/null | \
+    # ISSUE-9: under MAM_NO_AUTOSTART the session's server may simply be down.
+    # Say so in the wording reconcile.sh already treats as "empty" ("no server
+    # running", tmux's phrasing) instead of an opaque parse failure, which
+    # would flip herdr_confirmed=False and freeze drift detection for every
+    # server on the next heartbeat.
+    _ls_err=$(mktemp 2>/dev/null || echo "/tmp/mam_ls_err_$$")
+    _ls_raw="$(_real_herdr agent list 2>"$_ls_err")" || true
+    if grep -q server_not_running "$_ls_err" 2>/dev/null \
+       || printf '%s' "$_ls_raw" | grep -q server_not_running; then
+      rm -f "$_ls_err" 2>/dev/null || true
+      echo "no server running (herdr session ${_sess:-default})" >&2
+      exit 1
+    fi
+    rm -f "$_ls_err" 2>/dev/null || true
+    printf '%s\n' "$_ls_raw" | \
       MAM_LS_FORMAT="$format" MAM_REAL_HERDR="$REAL_HERDR" MAM_LS_SESSION="$_sess" \
       TZ=UTC LC_ALL=C python3 -c '
 import json, os, subprocess, sys, time
@@ -2183,6 +2219,21 @@ except Exception:
 # blank rows; window on non-blank lines or top-anchored dialogs are invisible.
 _pane_tail() { _pane_capture "$1" | grep -v '^[[:space:]]*$' | tail -n "${2:-20}"; }
 
+# _sks_agent_status <sess> [target] — herdr agent_status, empty when unavailable.
+_sks_agent_status() {
+  local raw
+  raw="$(_sks_herdr agent get "${2:-$1}" 2>/dev/null || _sks_herdr agent get "$1" 2>/dev/null || true)"
+  [ -n "$raw" ] || { echo ""; return 0; }
+  "$(_delegate_py_bin)" -c '
+import sys, json
+try:
+    d = json.loads(sys.stdin.read())
+    print((d.get("result", {}).get("agent", {}) or {}).get("agent_status", "") or "")
+except Exception:
+    print("")
+' <<< "$raw" 2>/dev/null || true
+}
+
 # _wait_session_gone <sess> [max_sec=5]
 # Reactive loop to wait until a herdr session goes away (happy path returns early).
 _wait_session_gone() {
@@ -2324,6 +2375,8 @@ except Exception:
 #    SKS_DIALOG_TIMEOUT (default 30 s); if SKS_DIALOG_ESCAPE=1, send a single
 #    Escape per poll and re-check. NEVER a blind Enter.
 # 3. Native herdr 0.8+ RPC fast path: agent prompt handles atomic text + enter submission.
+#    An accepted submission whose status watch timed out is confirmed by polling
+#    for SKS_DELIVERY_GRACE_S (default 15 s) - see ISSUE-14 below.
 # 4. Paste via unique buffer; verify the text landed (marker visible).
 # 5. Submit C-m; verify submission (marker left the input area AND the pane
 #    changed); retry up to 3 times.
@@ -2395,6 +2448,9 @@ send_keys_safe() {
   # Native herdr 0.8+ fast path: agent prompt handles atomic submission
   if [ "${SKS_PROMPT_WAIT:-1}" = "1" ]; then
     local p_out="" p_rc=0
+    # ISSUE-14: pre-submit snapshot for the delivery-confirmation poll below.
+    local rpc_pre_pane=""
+    [ "$_q_rc" != "2" ] && rpc_pre_pane=$(_pane_capture "$sess")
     local _p_tmp
     _p_tmp=$(mktemp 2>/dev/null || echo "/tmp/sks_p_${sess}_$$")
     if _sks_herdr agent prompt "$agent_target" "$text" --wait --until working --timeout 5000 >"$_p_tmp" 2>&1; then
@@ -2429,19 +2485,35 @@ send_keys_safe() {
       # Prompt was dispatched via RPC; on any error (empty output, timeout, stalled, transport error, etc.),
       # do NOT resubmit via paste buffer (single injection contract). Check agent get after 2s.
       sleep 2
-      local check_raw check_st
-      check_raw="$(_sks_herdr agent get "$agent_target" 2>/dev/null || _sks_herdr agent get "$sess" 2>/dev/null || true)"
-      check_st="$("$(_delegate_py_bin)" -c '
-import sys, json
-try:
-    d = json.loads(sys.stdin.read())
-    print((d.get("result", {}).get("agent", {}) or {}).get("agent_status", "") or "")
-except Exception:
-    print("")
-' <<< "$check_raw" 2>/dev/null || true)"
-      if [ "$check_st" = "working" ]; then
+      if [ "$(_sks_agent_status "$sess" "$agent_target")" = "working" ]; then
         return 0
       fi
+      # ISSUE-14: `timeout` / `agent_prompt_stalled` mean herdr ACCEPTED the
+      # submission and sent the input - only its post-submit status watch came
+      # up empty. An agent whose agent_status never leaves `idle` mid-turn
+      # (codex under herdr 0.9.0) therefore failed every delivered prompt here:
+      # the job was closed as agent_blocked and the agent's own `started` /
+      # `completed`, published seconds later, were refused as late. For an
+      # accepted submission keep observing for SKS_DELIVERY_GRACE_S (default
+      # 15) and take any positive signal: agent_status working, a busy token
+      # the pane did not show before the prompt, or the pane moving on from
+      # its pre-submit snapshot. No signal at all still fails closed (rc 4).
+      if printf '%s\n' "$p_out" | grep -Eq '"code": *"(timeout|agent_prompt_stalled)"'; then
+        local g_deadline=$(( $(date +%s) + ${SKS_DELIVERY_GRACE_S:-15} ))
+        local pre_busy_rpc=0 cur_pane
+        printf '%s\n' "$rpc_pre_pane" | grep -Fq "esc to interrupt" && pre_busy_rpc=1
+        while [ "$(date +%s)" -lt "$g_deadline" ]; do
+          [ "$(_sks_agent_status "$sess" "$agent_target")" = "working" ] && return 0
+          if [ "$_q_rc" != "2" ]; then
+            cur_pane=$(_pane_capture "$sess")
+            if [ "$pre_busy_rpc" -eq 0 ] && printf '%s\n' "$cur_pane" | grep -Fq "esc to interrupt"; then
+              return 0
+            fi
+            [ -n "$cur_pane" ] && [ "$cur_pane" != "$rpc_pre_pane" ] && return 0
+          fi
+          sleep 1
+        done
+      fi
       echo "send_keys_safe: delivery unknown/failed ($sess)" >&2
       return 4
     fi
diff --git a/.agents/skills/multi-agent-mux-create/SKILL.md b/.agents/skills/multi-agent-mux-create/SKILL.md
index dd016e3..68c0112 100644
--- a/.agents/skills/multi-agent-mux-create/SKILL.md
+++ b/.agents/skills/multi-agent-mux-create/SKILL.md
@@ -72,6 +72,8 @@ Additionally, you can specify `--herdr-workspace <name>` (default: workspace slu
 
 Under the hood this maps to a real, separate herdr **session** (`herdr --session <name>` — its own socket, its own `agent list`/`workspace list`, completely invisible to the default session and vice versa), not just a workspace label inside the same server. `lib.sh`'s shim bootstraps the named session's server headlessly (`herdr --session <name> server`, backgrounded) the first time it's needed, and scopes every subsequent herdr call to it automatically — this headless bootstrap is what lets it work even when the skill itself is running from inside another herdr-managed pane (a plain interactive `herdr --session <name>` launch is blocked there by herdr's "nested herdr is disabled" guard; headless `server` mode isn't).
 
+The bootstrapped server receives a **sanitized copy of the caller's environment** (Issue #9): per-session agent runtime markers — `CLAUDECODE`, `CLAUDE_CODE_CHILD_SESSION`, `CLAUDE_CODE_SESSION_ID`, the Claude Code messaging/bridge/pid markers, and the `ANTIGRAVITY_CONVERSATION_ID` / `HERMES_SESSION_ID` / `GROK_SESSION_ID` / `OPENCODE_SESSION_ID` equivalents — are dropped, because herdr hands its environment to every pane it spawns and an inherited `CLAUDE_CODE_CHILD_SESSION` silently turns transcript saving off in every sub-agent claude (no `<uuid>.jsonl`, so `multi-agent-mux-resume` can never find it). User configuration such as `CLAUDE_PROJECT_DIR` or `CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR` is inherited unchanged. Query-only callers set `MAM_NO_AUTOSTART=1` to skip the bootstrap entirely (`status.sh` and `reconcile.sh` do). A server bootstrapped before this fix keeps its polluted environment until it is restarted (`herdr session stop <name>`, then create/resume again).
+
 ### How to use
 1. **Via Environment Variable**:
    ```bash
diff --git a/.agents/skills/multi-agent-mux-delegate-job/multi-agent-mux-delegate-job b/.agents/skills/multi-agent-mux-delegate-job/multi-agent-mux-delegate-job
index eaa5c4f..fe26298 100755
--- a/.agents/skills/multi-agent-mux-delegate-job/multi-agent-mux-delegate-job
+++ b/.agents/skills/multi-agent-mux-delegate-job/multi-agent-mux-delegate-job
@@ -564,6 +564,27 @@ _disk_status() {
   "$PY" -c "import json, os; p=os.path.join('$REGISTRY_DIR', '$jid.json'); print(json.load(open(p)).get('status','')) if os.path.exists(p) else print('')" 2>/dev/null || true
 }
 
+# ISSUE-14: send_keys_safe can only report what herdr lets it observe. When it
+# gives up, the prompt may still have landed - codex under herdr 0.9.0 never
+# reports `working`, yet publishes `started` within seconds. Closing such a job
+# as agent_blocked strands a live agent whose later `completed` the CAS table
+# then refuses. Before finalising, give the registry MAM_INJECT_ACK_GRACE_S
+# (default 10 s) to show the agent's own acknowledgement: any status other than
+# pending means the prompt was delivered.
+_inject_acknowledged() {
+  local job_id="$1" deadline st
+  deadline=$(( $(date +%s) + ${MAM_INJECT_ACK_GRACE_S:-10} ))
+  while :; do
+    st="$(_disk_status "$job_id")"
+    if [ -n "$st" ] && [ "$st" != "pending" ]; then
+      echo "inject: herdr could not confirm delivery, but job $job_id is already '$st' — the agent acknowledged it; continuing." >&2
+      return 0
+    fi
+    [ "$(date +%s)" -ge "$deadline" ] && return 1
+    sleep 1
+  done
+}
+
 _map_sub_rc() {
   local sub_rc="$1" job_id="$2"
   local job_status="running"
@@ -829,7 +850,7 @@ inject_agent() {
   fi
 
   echo "살아있는 에이전트 세션 '$sess'에 작업을 위임합니다..."
-  if ! send_keys_safe "$sess" "$instructions" "$job_id"; then
+  if ! send_keys_safe "$sess" "$instructions" "$job_id" && ! _inject_acknowledged "$job_id"; then
     trap - EXIT
     echo "ERROR: 프롬프트 주입 실패 — 세션 '$sess' (프롬프트 잠금 의심)" >&2
     return 1
diff --git a/.agents/skills/multi-agent-mux-monitor/scripts/reconcile.sh b/.agents/skills/multi-agent-mux-monitor/scripts/reconcile.sh
index 32f6bf7..0e7b55d 100755
--- a/.agents/skills/multi-agent-mux-monitor/scripts/reconcile.sh
+++ b/.agents/skills/multi-agent-mux-monitor/scripts/reconcile.sh
@@ -20,6 +20,12 @@ SKILLS_DIR="$(cd "$SCRIPT_DIR/../.." && pwd)"
 LIB_SH="$SKILLS_DIR/lib.sh"
 [ -f "$LIB_SH" ] || LIB_SH="${WORKSPACE_ROOT:-$PWD}/.agents/skills/lib.sh"
 source "$LIB_SH"
+
+# ISSUE-9: the reconciler only observes and marks - it never creates a pane -
+# so no herdr call it makes (the per-server `ls` sweep on every heartbeat, in
+# --dry-run and in --subscribe alike) may bootstrap a server as a side effect.
+# A server that is down simply has no live sessions.
+export MAM_NO_AUTOSTART=1
 if [ -n "${AGENT_SESSIONS_STATE_DIR:-}" ]; then
   echo "Notice: AGENT_SESSIONS_STATE_DIR is set but has no effect; the monitor keeps no state directory (C-2)." >&2
 fi
diff --git a/.agents/skills/multi-agent-mux-status/SKILL.md b/.agents/skills/multi-agent-mux-status/SKILL.md
index 1b06cca..4c87560 100644
--- a/.agents/skills/multi-agent-mux-status/SKILL.md
+++ b/.agents/skills/multi-agent-mux-status/SKILL.md
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ lab-paper-pdf2md-creator-claude              default      running    alive  clau
 
 - **Do NOT use this skill to drive mutations** — the output is a snapshot, not a call to action. If you need to fix drifts, run `multi-agent-mux-monitor` or `multi-agent-mux-resume` / `multi-agent-mux-stop` manually.
 - **Read-only is enforced by script** — `status.sh` opens the YAML with `open(path)` (no `'w'`), never calls `herdr kill-session`, never writes anywhere. The `reconcile.sh --dry-run` mode is the same path.
+- **It never starts a herdr server either** — `status.sh` exports `MAM_NO_AUTOSTART=1`, so the `lib.sh` shim skips its headless server bootstrap and a session whose isolated server is down is simply reported `dead`. Before Issue #9 a bare status query could leave a fresh `herdr --session <name> server` daemon (and an empty pane) behind, inheriting the caller's environment.
 - **If `agent-sessions.yaml` is malformed** — print the YAML error verbatim and exit 1. Do NOT attempt recovery (that's `multi-agent-mux-stop --purge-conversation` or manual edit's job).
 - **Sessions outside the `<workspace>-creator-*` naming convention** are still shown but tagged `ad-hoc` — they didn't go through `multi-agent-mux-create` and aren't tracked in YAML.
 
diff --git a/.agents/skills/multi-agent-mux-status/scripts/status.sh b/.agents/skills/multi-agent-mux-status/scripts/status.sh
index d668bbd..90ba9e6 100755
--- a/.agents/skills/multi-agent-mux-status/scripts/status.sh
+++ b/.agents/skills/multi-agent-mux-status/scripts/status.sh
@@ -7,6 +7,11 @@
 # Usage: bash status.sh [--json]
 set -euo pipefail
 
+# ISSUE-9: a status query must not bootstrap a herdr server as a side effect.
+# With this set, the lib.sh shim reports a session whose isolated server is
+# down as dead instead of starting a headless daemon just to answer.
+export MAM_NO_AUTOSTART=1
+
 source "$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/../.." && pwd)/lib.sh"
 
 RECONCILE="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/../.." && pwd)/multi-agent-mux-monitor/scripts/reconcile.sh"
diff --git a/tests/test_issue14_delivery_ack.py b/tests/test_issue14_delivery_ack.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..219740a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_issue14_delivery_ack.py
@@ -0,0 +1,242 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""Issue #14 — a prompt that herdr accepted must not be reported as undelivered.
+
+`herdr agent prompt --wait --until working --timeout 5000` answers `timeout` (or
+`agent_prompt_stalled`) when the input was sent but no `working` state was
+observed afterwards. Agents whose agent_status never leaves `idle` mid-turn
+(codex under herdr 0.9.0) therefore had every delivered prompt closed as
+`agent_blocked`, and their own `started` / `completed` events, published seconds
+later, were refused as late. send_keys_safe now confirms an accepted submission
+through the pane, and the delegate wrapper additionally honours the registry's
+own acknowledgement before finalising a job as an inject failure.
+"""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import json
+import os
+import subprocess
+import sys
+import time
+from pathlib import Path
+
+REPO_ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent
+SKILLS = REPO_ROOT / ".agents" / "skills"
+LIB_SH = SKILLS / "lib.sh"
+WRAPPER = SKILLS / "multi-agent-mux-delegate-job" / "multi-agent-mux-delegate-job"
+REGISTRY_PY = SKILLS / "multi-agent-mux-delegate-job" / "scripts" / "registry.py"
+
+TIMEOUT_JSON = '{"error":{"code":"timeout","message":"timed out waiting for agent status"},"id":"cli:agent:prompt"}'
+IDLE_JSON = '{"result":{"agent":{"agent_status":"idle"}}}'
+
+
+def _base_env(cwd: Path, extra=None) -> dict:
+    env = dict(os.environ)
+    env["DELEGATE_JOB_PYTHON"] = sys.executable
+    env["AGENT_PYTHON_BIN"] = sys.executable
+    env["WORKSPACE_ROOT"] = str(cwd)
+    env["HOME"] = str(cwd)
+    if extra:
+        env.update({k: str(v) for k, v in extra.items()})
+    return env
+
+
+def _run_lib_sh(snippet: str, cwd: Path, env=None, timeout=60) -> subprocess.CompletedProcess:
+    return subprocess.run(
+        ["bash", "-c", f'source "{LIB_SH}" >/dev/null 2>&1; {snippet}'],
+        capture_output=True, text=True, cwd=str(cwd), env=_base_env(cwd, env), timeout=timeout,
+    )
+
+
+def _codex_like_mock(pre_pane: str, post_pane: str, prompt_code: str = "timeout") -> str:
+    """A bash `_sks_herdr` stand-in replaying what herdr 0.9.0 shows for codex:
+    the RPC returns `timeout`, agent_status stays `idle`, and only the pane
+    reveals what happened. Captures switch from PRE to POST once the prompt
+    has been submitted. Any paste-buffer use is a contract violation."""
+    return f'''
+_pane_quiescent() {{ return 0; }}
+_pane_dialog_open() {{ return 1; }}
+FLAG="$WORKSPACE_ROOT/.prompt-submitted"
+rm -f "$FLAG"
+_sks_herdr() {{
+  case "${{1:-}}" in
+    agent)
+      case "${{2:-}}" in
+        prompt) touch "$FLAG"; echo '{{"error":{{"code":"{prompt_code}","message":"x"}}}}' >&2; return 1 ;;
+        get)    echo '{IDLE_JSON}'; return 0 ;;
+      esac ;;
+    capture-pane)
+      if [ -e "$FLAG" ]; then printf '%s\\n' "{post_pane}"; else printf '%s\\n' "{pre_pane}"; fi
+      return 0 ;;
+    paste-buffer|set-buffer|delete-buffer|send-keys)
+      echo "PASTE_PATH_USED: $*" >&2; return 0 ;;
+  esac
+  return 0
+}}
+'''
+
+
+CODEX_IDLE = "identified.\\n› Ask Codex to do anything"
+CODEX_WORKING = "Working (0s • esc to interrupt)\\n› Ask Codex to do anything"
+CODEX_ANSWERED = "• OK\\n› Ask Codex to do anything"
+
+
+def _assert_single_injection(res: subprocess.CompletedProcess):
+    assert "PASTE_PATH_USED" not in res.stderr, f"must not fall back to paste-buffer: {res.stderr}"
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# lib.sh: accepted submission confirmed through the pane
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+def test_accepted_timeout_confirmed_by_busy_token(tmp_path):
+    script = _codex_like_mock(CODEX_IDLE, CODEX_WORKING) + \
+        'send_keys_safe "reviewer-codex-01" "review the triage report" "job_14a"'
+    res = _run_lib_sh(script, tmp_path, env={"SKS_DELIVERY_GRACE_S": "5"})
+    assert res.returncode == 0, f"rc={res.returncode}\n{res.stderr}"
+    _assert_single_injection(res)
+    assert "delivery unknown" not in res.stderr
+
+
+def test_accepted_timeout_confirmed_by_pane_change_after_fast_turn(tmp_path):
+    """A turn that already finished before the first poll shows no busy token,
+    only the answer; the pane moving on from its pre-submit snapshot is enough."""
+    script = _codex_like_mock(CODEX_IDLE, CODEX_ANSWERED) + \
+        'send_keys_safe "reviewer-codex-01" "Reply with OK" "job_14b"'
+    res = _run_lib_sh(script, tmp_path, env={"SKS_DELIVERY_GRACE_S": "5"})
+    assert res.returncode == 0, f"rc={res.returncode}\n{res.stderr}"
+    _assert_single_injection(res)
+
+
+def test_accepted_timeout_with_no_signal_still_fails_closed(tmp_path):
+    """Nothing moves, nothing works: the grace window expires into rc=4 exactly
+    as before, without ever re-submitting."""
+    script = _codex_like_mock(CODEX_IDLE, CODEX_IDLE) + \
+        'send_keys_safe "reviewer-codex-01" "silent prompt" "job_14c"'
+    started = time.time()
+    res = _run_lib_sh(script, tmp_path, env={"SKS_DELIVERY_GRACE_S": "2"})
+    elapsed = time.time() - started
+    assert res.returncode == 4, f"rc={res.returncode}\n{res.stderr}"
+    assert "delivery unknown/failed" in res.stderr
+    _assert_single_injection(res)
+    assert 2 <= elapsed < 20, f"grace window not honoured: {elapsed:.1f}s"
+
+
+def test_pre_existing_busy_token_is_not_taken_as_delivery(tmp_path):
+    """A busy token that was already on screen before the prompt is a leftover
+    of the previous turn, not evidence for this one."""
+    script = _codex_like_mock(CODEX_WORKING, CODEX_WORKING) + \
+        'send_keys_safe "reviewer-codex-01" "prompt into a busy pane" "job_14d"'
+    res = _run_lib_sh(script, tmp_path, env={"SKS_DELIVERY_GRACE_S": "2"})
+    assert res.returncode == 4, f"rc={res.returncode}\n{res.stderr}"
+    _assert_single_injection(res)
+
+
+def test_transport_error_is_not_treated_as_accepted(tmp_path):
+    """Only `timeout` / `agent_prompt_stalled` mean the input was sent. A
+    transport-level failure keeps the single 2 s probe and rc=4, even if the
+    pane happens to change meanwhile (T2-13 contract, pinned with pane noise)."""
+    script = _codex_like_mock(CODEX_IDLE, CODEX_WORKING, prompt_code="transport_error") + \
+        'send_keys_safe "reviewer-codex-01" "prompt" "job_14e"'
+    started = time.time()
+    res = _run_lib_sh(script, tmp_path, env={"SKS_DELIVERY_GRACE_S": "30"})
+    elapsed = time.time() - started
+    assert res.returncode == 4, f"rc={res.returncode}\n{res.stderr}"
+    _assert_single_injection(res)
+    assert elapsed < 15, f"no grace poll may run for a non-accepted code: {elapsed:.1f}s"
+
+
+def test_mock_herdr_timeout_with_idle_status_is_confirmed(tmp_path, mock_herdr):
+    """Same scenario through the shared mock herdr: `timeout` from agent prompt,
+    agent_status pinned to idle, the pane gaining the busy token after
+    submission. Exactly one prompt call, no paste-buffer fallback."""
+    state_file = Path(mock_herdr)
+    state = json.loads(state_file.read_text())
+    state["agents"]["agt_codex"] = {
+        "agent": "codex",
+        "agent_status": "idle",
+        "prompt_wait_result": "timeout",
+        "buffer": "Ready",
+    }
+    state_file.write_text(json.dumps(state, indent=2))
+
+    res = _run_lib_sh(
+        'send_keys_safe "agt_codex" "review please" "job_14f"',
+        tmp_path, env={"SKS_IDLE_HANDSHAKE": "0", "SKS_DELIVERY_GRACE_S": "5"},
+    )
+    assert res.returncode == 0, f"rc={res.returncode}\n{res.stderr}"
+
+    final_state = json.loads(state_file.read_text())
+    calls = final_state.get("calls", [])
+    prompt_calls = [c for c in calls if len(c) >= 2 and c[0] == "agent" and c[1] == "prompt"]
+    paste_calls = [c for c in calls if len(c) >= 2 and (c[0] in ("paste-buffer", "set-buffer") or c[1] in ("paste-buffer", "set-buffer"))]
+    assert len(prompt_calls) == 1, f"prompt must be submitted exactly once, got {len(prompt_calls)}"
+    assert not paste_calls, f"no paste-buffer fallback allowed: {paste_calls}"
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# wrapper: the registry's own acknowledgement beats an unconfirmed inject
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+def test_wrapper_honours_registry_ack_over_unconfirmed_inject(tmp_path, mock_herdr):
+    """The RPC fails outright, but the agent has already published `started`
+    (status running) by the time the wrapper decides: the job must not be
+    closed as agent_blocked. With the broker unreachable the wrapper then
+    follows its normal broker_unavailable path (rc=3), never the inject path."""
+    reg_dir = tmp_path / "jobs"
+    reg_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+
+    state_file = Path(mock_herdr)
+    state = json.loads(state_file.read_text())
+    state["agents"]["ack-agent"] = {
+        "agent": "codex",
+        "agent_status": "idle",
+        "prompt_wait_result": "transport_error",
+    }
+    state["prompt_wait_result"] = "transport_error"
+    state_file.write_text(json.dumps(state, indent=2))
+
+    env = _base_env(tmp_path, {
+        "MQTT_HOST": "127.0.0.1", "MQTT_PORT": "65534",
+        "SKS_IDLE_TIMEOUT_MS": "500", "MAM_INJECT_ACK_GRACE_S": "8",
+    })
+    proc = subprocess.Popen(
+        [
+            "bash", str(WRAPPER), "submit",
+            "--agent", "codex",
+            "--agent-session", "herdr:ack-agent",
+            "--prompt", "issue 14 ack",
+            "--registry-dir", str(reg_dir),
+            "--workdir", str(tmp_path),
+            "--timeout", "6",
+            "--idle-timeout", "2",
+        ],
+        cwd=str(tmp_path), env=env, stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE, text=True,
+    )
+
+    jid = ""
+    for _ in range(100):
+        job_files = list(reg_dir.glob("*.json"))
+        if job_files:
+            jid = job_files[0].stem
+            break
+        time.sleep(0.1)
+    assert jid, "job was not registered"
+
+    # The agent acknowledges the job out of band, as codex does via publish_event.
+    ack = subprocess.run(
+        [sys.executable, str(REGISTRY_PY), "--registry-dir", str(reg_dir),
+         "update", "--job", jid, "--status", "running"],
+        capture_output=True, text=True, cwd=str(tmp_path), env=env,
+    )
+    assert ack.returncode == 0, ack.stderr
+
+    stdout, stderr = proc.communicate(timeout=90)
+    assert "acknowledged it; continuing" in stderr, f"ack guard did not fire:\n{stderr}\n{stdout}"
+    assert "프롬프트 주입 실패" not in stderr
+    assert proc.returncode == 3, f"expected the broker_unavailable path (rc=3), got {proc.returncode}\n{stderr}"
+
+    events_log = reg_dir / f"{jid}.events.log"
+    if not events_log.exists():
+        events_log = reg_dir / jid / "events.log"
+    if events_log.exists():
+        assert "agent_blocked" not in events_log.read_text(), events_log.read_text()
+    job_data = json.loads((reg_dir / f"{jid}.json").read_text())
+    assert job_data.get("status") != "pending"
diff --git a/tests/test_issue6_fail_closed.py b/tests/test_issue6_fail_closed.py
index a3f6dce..4c43361 100644
--- a/tests/test_issue6_fail_closed.py
+++ b/tests/test_issue6_fail_closed.py
@@ -259,12 +259,15 @@ def test_t1_7_custom_registry_dir_inject_failure(tmp_path, mock_herdr):
     # Set up mock herdr with an agent, but prompt will fail
     state_file = Path(mock_herdr)
     state = json.loads(state_file.read_text())
+    # A transport-level RPC failure is a definite inject failure. (`timeout` is
+    # not: since Issue #14 it means herdr accepted the submission and only its
+    # status watch timed out, which send_keys_safe then confirms via the pane.)
     state["agents"]["fail-agent"] = {
         "agent": "claude",
         "agent_status": "idle",
-        "prompt_wait_result": "timeout",  # will fail prompt
+        "prompt_wait_result": "transport_error",  # will fail prompt
     }
-    state["prompt_wait_result"] = "timeout"
+    state["prompt_wait_result"] = "transport_error"
     state_file.write_text(json.dumps(state, indent=2))
 
     res = _run_wrapper(
@@ -278,7 +281,7 @@ def test_t1_7_custom_registry_dir_inject_failure(tmp_path, mock_herdr):
             "--timeout", "15",
             "--idle-timeout", "10",
         ],
-        env={"SKS_BUSY_TIMEOUT": "1", "SKS_IDLE_TIMEOUT_MS": "500"},
+        env={"SKS_BUSY_TIMEOUT": "1", "SKS_IDLE_TIMEOUT_MS": "500", "MAM_INJECT_ACK_GRACE_S": "1"},
         cwd=tmp_path,
         timeout=60,
     )
diff --git a/tests/test_issue9_server_env.py b/tests/test_issue9_server_env.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..429d679
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_issue9_server_env.py
@@ -0,0 +1,181 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""Issue #9 — herdr server bootstrap must not inherit the caller's agent-runtime
+markers, and query-only skills must never bootstrap a server at all.
+
+The bootstrap lives in the `.mam/shim/herdr` wrapper that lib.sh writes, so every
+test drives that shim against a fake `herdr` binary placed first on PATH: it logs
+each call, answers `session list --json` with "not running", and dumps its own
+environment when asked to run as the `server`.
+"""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import json
+import os
+import subprocess
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+REPO_ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent
+RECONCILE_SH = REPO_ROOT / ".agents" / "skills" / "multi-agent-mux-monitor" / "scripts" / "reconcile.sh"
+STATUS_SH = REPO_ROOT / ".agents" / "skills" / "multi-agent-mux-status" / "scripts" / "status.sh"
+
+FAKE_HERDR = r'''#!/usr/bin/env python3
+import json, os, sys
+args = sys.argv[1:]
+with open(os.environ["FAKE_HERDR_LOG"], "a") as f:
+    f.write(json.dumps(args) + "\n")
+if args[-1:] == ["server"]:
+    with open(os.environ["FAKE_HERDR_ENV_DUMP"], "w") as f:
+        json.dump(dict(os.environ), f)
+    sys.exit(0)
+if args[-3:] == ["session", "list", "--json"]:
+    print(json.dumps({"sessions": []}))
+    sys.exit(0)
+print(json.dumps({"result": {"agents": []}}))
+'''
+
+# Per-session runtime markers of the calling agent CLI: none of these may reach
+# the daemon (and through it, every pane it later spawns).
+RUNTIME_MARKERS = {
+    "CLAUDECODE": "1",
+    "CLAUDE_CODE_CHILD_SESSION": "1",
+    "CLAUDE_CODE_SESSION_ID": "orchestrator-uuid",
+    "CLAUDE_CODE_MESSAGING_SOCKET": "/tmp/cc-socks/1.sock",
+    "CLAUDE_PID": "12345",
+    "ANTIGRAVITY_CONVERSATION_ID": "agy-uuid",
+    "HERMES_SESSION_ID": "hermes-uuid",
+    "GROK_SESSION_ID": "grok-uuid",
+    "OPENCODE_SESSION_ID": "opencode-uuid",
+}
+
+# Ordinary configuration must keep flowing through unchanged.
+KEPT_CONFIG = {
+    "CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR": "/keep/claude-config",
+    "MAM_CUSTOM_SETTING": "kept",
+}
+
+
+def _install_fake_herdr(sandbox: Path) -> dict:
+    fakebin = sandbox / "fakebin"
+    fakebin.mkdir(exist_ok=True)
+    binary = fakebin / "herdr"
+    binary.write_text(FAKE_HERDR)
+    binary.chmod(0o755)
+    env = dict(os.environ)
+    env.update({
+        "PATH": f"{fakebin}:{env['PATH']}",
+        "FAKE_HERDR_LOG": str(sandbox / "fake_herdr_calls.log"),
+        "FAKE_HERDR_ENV_DUMP": str(sandbox / "server_env.json"),
+        "AGENT_PYTHON_BIN": sys.executable,
+        "DELEGATE_JOB_PYTHON": sys.executable,
+    })
+    return env
+
+
+def _calls(env: dict) -> list:
+    log = Path(env["FAKE_HERDR_LOG"])
+    if not log.exists():
+        return []
+    return [json.loads(line) for line in log.read_text().splitlines() if line.strip()]
+
+
+def _run_through_shim(sandbox: Path, env: dict, session: str) -> subprocess.CompletedProcess:
+    """`herdr agent list` through lib.sh's shim, scoped to an isolated session
+    whose server the fake reports as not running."""
+    lib = sandbox / ".agents" / "skills" / "lib.sh"
+    env = dict(env, HERDR_SESSION_NAME=session)
+    return subprocess.run(
+        ["bash", "-c", f'source "{lib}" >/dev/null 2>&1; herdr agent list'],
+        capture_output=True, text=True, cwd=str(sandbox), env=env, timeout=60,
+    )
+
+
+def test_bootstrap_strips_agent_runtime_markers(mam_sandbox):
+    env = _install_fake_herdr(mam_sandbox)
+    env.update(RUNTIME_MARKERS)
+    env.update(KEPT_CONFIG)
+
+    res = _run_through_shim(mam_sandbox, env, "issue9-probe")
+    assert res.returncode == 0, res.stderr
+
+    server_calls = [c for c in _calls(env) if c[-1:] == ["server"]]
+    assert server_calls == [["--session", "issue9-probe", "server"]], _calls(env)
+
+    dump = Path(env["FAKE_HERDR_ENV_DUMP"])
+    assert dump.exists(), "server was bootstrapped but never received an environment"
+    server_env = json.loads(dump.read_text())
+
+    leaked = sorted(k for k in RUNTIME_MARKERS if k in server_env)
+    assert not leaked, f"runtime markers leaked into the herdr server: {leaked}"
+    for key, value in KEPT_CONFIG.items():
+        assert server_env.get(key) == value, f"{key} must be inherited unchanged"
+    # MAM's own configuration is configuration, not a marker.
+    assert server_env.get("CLAUDE_PROJECT_DIR") == os.environ["CLAUDE_PROJECT_DIR"]
+    for key in ("HOME", "PATH", "WORKSPACE_ROOT"):
+        assert key in server_env
+
+
+def test_no_autostart_skips_bootstrap_but_still_routes_the_call(mam_sandbox):
+    env = _install_fake_herdr(mam_sandbox)
+    env["MAM_NO_AUTOSTART"] = "1"
+
+    res = _run_through_shim(mam_sandbox, env, "issue9-quiet")
+    assert res.returncode == 0, res.stderr
+
+    calls = _calls(env)
+    assert not any(c[-1:] == ["server"] for c in calls), f"server must not be started: {calls}"
+    assert not Path(env["FAKE_HERDR_ENV_DUMP"]).exists()
+    # The command itself still goes to the named session, whose server answers.
+    assert ["--session", "issue9-quiet", "agent", "list"] in calls, calls
+
+
+def test_status_query_never_starts_a_server(mam_sandbox):
+    """status.sh sweeps every herdr_session named in the YAML; a stopped
+    isolated server must be reported dead, not bootstrapped to answer."""
+    env = _install_fake_herdr(mam_sandbox)
+    (mam_sandbox / ".mam" / "agent-sessions.yaml").write_text(
+        "herdr_sessions:\n"
+        "  - name: ghost-creator-claude\n"
+        "    status: stopped\n"
+        "    herdr_session: ghost-srv\n"
+        "    pane:\n"
+        "      cwd: /tmp/nonexistent-workspace\n"
+    )
+    status_sh = mam_sandbox / "skills" / "multi-agent-mux-status" / "scripts" / "status.sh"
+
+    res = subprocess.run(["bash", str(status_sh), "--json"], capture_output=True, text=True,
+                         cwd=str(mam_sandbox), env=env, timeout=120)
+    assert res.returncode == 0, res.stderr
+
+    calls = _calls(env)
+    assert any("--session" in c and "ghost-srv" in c for c in calls), \
+        f"the ghost-srv session was never queried: {calls}"
+    assert not any(c[-1:] == ["server"] for c in calls), f"status.sh started a server: {calls}"
+    assert not Path(env["FAKE_HERDR_ENV_DUMP"]).exists()
+
+
+def test_reconcile_and_status_opt_out_of_autostart_statically():
+    for script in (RECONCILE_SH, STATUS_SH):
+        assert "export MAM_NO_AUTOSTART=1" in script.read_text(), \
+            f"{script.name} must opt out of the shim's server bootstrap"
+
+
+def test_ls_reports_down_server_as_no_server_running(mam_sandbox):
+    """reconcile.sh treats a nonzero `ls` as 'empty' only when stderr says
+    'no server running'; anything else flips herdr_confirmed=False for every
+    server. The shim must therefore translate server_not_running explicitly."""
+    env = _install_fake_herdr(mam_sandbox)
+    env["MAM_NO_AUTOSTART"] = "1"
+    fake = mam_sandbox / "fakebin" / "herdr"
+    fake.write_text(FAKE_HERDR.replace(
+        'print(json.dumps({"result": {"agents": []}}))',
+        'sys.stderr.write(json.dumps({"error": {"code": "server_not_running"}}) + "\\n"); sys.exit(1)',
+    ))
+    lib = mam_sandbox / ".agents" / "skills" / "lib.sh"
+    res = subprocess.run(
+        ["bash", "-c", f'source "{lib}" >/dev/null 2>&1; herdr -L down-srv ls -F "#{{session_name}}|#{{session_created}}"'],
+        capture_output=True, text=True, cwd=str(mam_sandbox), env=env, timeout=60,
+    )
+    assert res.returncode != 0
+    assert "no server running" in res.stderr, res.stderr
+    assert res.stdout.strip() == ""