diff --git a/agents/s06_context_compact.py b/agents/s06_context_compact.py
index 4a4a74a..d544fde 100644
--- a/agents/s06_context_compact.py
+++ b/agents/s06_context_compact.py
@@ -117,7 +117,6 @@ def auto_compact(messages: list) -> list:
     # Replace all messages with compressed summary
     return [
         {"role": "user", "content": f"[Conversation compressed. Transcript: {transcript_path}]\n\n{summary}"},
-        {"role": "assistant", "content": "Understood. I have the context from the summary. Continuing."},
     ]
 
 
@@ -228,6 +227,7 @@ def agent_loop(messages: list):
         if manual_compact:
             print("[manual compact]")
             messages[:] = auto_compact(messages)
+            return
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
diff --git a/agents/s08_background_tasks.py b/agents/s08_background_tasks.py
index 7444ab0..390a777 100644
--- a/agents/s08_background_tasks.py
+++ b/agents/s08_background_tasks.py
@@ -194,7 +194,6 @@ def agent_loop(messages: list):
                 f"[bg:{n['task_id']}] {n['status']}: {n['result']}" for n in notifs
             )
             messages.append({"role": "user", "content": f"<background-results>\n{notif_text}\n</background-results>"})
-            messages.append({"role": "assistant", "content": "Noted background results."})
         response = client.messages.create(
             model=MODEL, system=SYSTEM, messages=messages,
             tools=TOOLS, max_tokens=8000,
diff --git a/agents/s09_agent_teams.py b/agents/s09_agent_teams.py
index 92eef49..90f6760 100644
--- a/agents/s09_agent_teams.py
+++ b/agents/s09_agent_teams.py
@@ -350,10 +350,6 @@ def agent_loop(messages: list):
                 "role": "user",
                 "content": f"<inbox>{json.dumps(inbox, indent=2)}</inbox>",
             })
-            messages.append({
-                "role": "assistant",
-                "content": "Noted inbox messages.",
-            })
         response = client.messages.create(
             model=MODEL,
             system=SYSTEM,
diff --git a/agents/s10_team_protocols.py b/agents/s10_team_protocols.py
index 816104f..d547535 100644
--- a/agents/s10_team_protocols.py
+++ b/agents/s10_team_protocols.py
@@ -431,10 +431,6 @@ def agent_loop(messages: list):
                 "role": "user",
                 "content": f"<inbox>{json.dumps(inbox, indent=2)}</inbox>",
             })
-            messages.append({
-                "role": "assistant",
-                "content": "Noted inbox messages.",
-            })
         response = client.messages.create(
             model=MODEL,
             system=SYSTEM,
diff --git a/agents/s11_autonomous_agents.py b/agents/s11_autonomous_agents.py
index 481e91c..c326ff1 100644
--- a/agents/s11_autonomous_agents.py
+++ b/agents/s11_autonomous_agents.py
@@ -515,10 +515,6 @@ def agent_loop(messages: list):
                 "role": "user",
                 "content": f"<inbox>{json.dumps(inbox, indent=2)}</inbox>",
             })
-            messages.append({
-                "role": "assistant",
-                "content": "Noted inbox messages.",
-            })
         response = client.messages.create(
             model=MODEL,
             system=SYSTEM,
diff --git a/agents/s_full.py b/agents/s_full.py
index 316202d..1fc1a52 100644
--- a/agents/s_full.py
+++ b/agents/s_full.py
@@ -255,7 +255,6 @@ def auto_compact(messages: list) -> list:
     summary = resp.content[0].text
     return [
         {"role": "user", "content": f"[Compressed. Transcript: {path}]\n{summary}"},
-        {"role": "assistant", "content": "Understood. Continuing with summary context."},
     ]
 
 
@@ -665,12 +664,10 @@ def agent_loop(messages: list):
         if notifs:
             txt = "\n".join(f"[bg:{n['task_id']}] {n['status']}: {n['result']}" for n in notifs)
             messages.append({"role": "user", "content": f"<background-results>\n{txt}\n</background-results>"})
-            messages.append({"role": "assistant", "content": "Noted background results."})
         # s10: check lead inbox
         inbox = BUS.read_inbox("lead")
         if inbox:
             messages.append({"role": "user", "content": f"<inbox>{json.dumps(inbox, indent=2)}</inbox>"})
-            messages.append({"role": "assistant", "content": "Noted inbox messages."})
         # LLM call
         response = client.messages.create(
             model=MODEL, system=SYSTEM, messages=messages,
@@ -706,6 +703,7 @@ def agent_loop(messages: list):
         if manual_compress:
             print("[manual compact]")
             messages[:] = auto_compact(messages)
+            return
 
 
 # === SECTION: repl ===
diff --git a/docs/en/s06-context-compact.md b/docs/en/s06-context-compact.md
index d3e2d46..2fbef2e 100644
--- a/docs/en/s06-context-compact.md
+++ b/docs/en/s06-context-compact.md
@@ -81,7 +81,6 @@ def auto_compact(messages: list) -> list:
     )
     return [
         {"role": "user", "content": f"[Compressed]\n\n{response.content[0].text}"},
-        {"role": "assistant", "content": "Understood. Continuing."},
     ]
 ```
 
diff --git a/docs/en/s08-background-tasks.md b/docs/en/s08-background-tasks.md
index ffd9333..5a98f21 100644
--- a/docs/en/s08-background-tasks.md
+++ b/docs/en/s08-background-tasks.md
@@ -81,8 +81,6 @@ def agent_loop(messages: list):
             messages.append({"role": "user",
                 "content": f"<background-results>\n{notif_text}\n"
                            f"</background-results>"})
-            messages.append({"role": "assistant",
-                "content": "Noted background results."})
         response = client.messages.create(...)
 ```
 
diff --git a/docs/en/s09-agent-teams.md b/docs/en/s09-agent-teams.md
index 34b54b3..9f19723 100644
--- a/docs/en/s09-agent-teams.md
+++ b/docs/en/s09-agent-teams.md
@@ -93,8 +93,6 @@ def _teammate_loop(self, name, role, prompt):
         if inbox != "[]":
             messages.append({"role": "user",
                 "content": f"<inbox>{inbox}</inbox>"})
-            messages.append({"role": "assistant",
-                "content": "Noted inbox messages."})
         response = client.messages.create(...)
         if response.stop_reason != "tool_use":
             break
diff --git a/docs/ja/s06-context-compact.md b/docs/ja/s06-context-compact.md
index 555cc01..6927e7d 100644
--- a/docs/ja/s06-context-compact.md
+++ b/docs/ja/s06-context-compact.md
@@ -81,7 +81,6 @@ def auto_compact(messages: list) -> list:
     )
     return [
         {"role": "user", "content": f"[Compressed]\n\n{response.content[0].text}"},
-        {"role": "assistant", "content": "Understood. Continuing."},
     ]
 ```
 
diff --git a/docs/ja/s08-background-tasks.md b/docs/ja/s08-background-tasks.md
index c09be7d..b3fe077 100644
--- a/docs/ja/s08-background-tasks.md
+++ b/docs/ja/s08-background-tasks.md
@@ -81,8 +81,6 @@ def agent_loop(messages: list):
             messages.append({"role": "user",
                 "content": f"<background-results>\n{notif_text}\n"
                            f"</background-results>"})
-            messages.append({"role": "assistant",
-                "content": "Noted background results."})
         response = client.messages.create(...)
 ```
 
diff --git a/docs/ja/s09-agent-teams.md b/docs/ja/s09-agent-teams.md
index 5857df4..671b6e6 100644
--- a/docs/ja/s09-agent-teams.md
+++ b/docs/ja/s09-agent-teams.md
@@ -93,8 +93,6 @@ def _teammate_loop(self, name, role, prompt):
         if inbox != "[]":
             messages.append({"role": "user",
                 "content": f"<inbox>{inbox}</inbox>"})
-            messages.append({"role": "assistant",
-                "content": "Noted inbox messages."})
         response = client.messages.create(...)
         if response.stop_reason != "tool_use":
             break
diff --git a/docs/zh/s06-context-compact.md b/docs/zh/s06-context-compact.md
index c9d2a2b..cce879f 100644
--- a/docs/zh/s06-context-compact.md
+++ b/docs/zh/s06-context-compact.md
@@ -81,7 +81,6 @@ def auto_compact(messages: list) -> list:
     )
     return [
         {"role": "user", "content": f"[Compressed]\n\n{response.content[0].text}"},
-        {"role": "assistant", "content": "Understood. Continuing."},
     ]
 ```
 
diff --git a/docs/zh/s08-background-tasks.md b/docs/zh/s08-background-tasks.md
index 418fabc..61da159 100644
--- a/docs/zh/s08-background-tasks.md
+++ b/docs/zh/s08-background-tasks.md
@@ -81,8 +81,6 @@ def agent_loop(messages: list):
             messages.append({"role": "user",
                 "content": f"<background-results>\n{notif_text}\n"
                            f"</background-results>"})
-            messages.append({"role": "assistant",
-                "content": "Noted background results."})
         response = client.messages.create(...)
 ```
 
diff --git a/docs/zh/s09-agent-teams.md b/docs/zh/s09-agent-teams.md
index f420651..ebb3892 100644
--- a/docs/zh/s09-agent-teams.md
+++ b/docs/zh/s09-agent-teams.md
@@ -93,8 +93,6 @@ def _teammate_loop(self, name, role, prompt):
         if inbox != "[]":
             messages.append({"role": "user",
                 "content": f"<inbox>{inbox}</inbox>"})
-            messages.append({"role": "assistant",
-                "content": "Noted inbox messages."})
         response = client.messages.create(...)
         if response.stop_reason != "tool_use":
             break