diff --git a/pkg/agent/core.go b/pkg/agent/core.go
index b8513fa..e7a1c53 100644
--- a/pkg/agent/core.go
+++ b/pkg/agent/core.go
@@ -79,7 +79,12 @@ func BuildAgentEnv(cfg *config.Config, d tools.Dispatcher, cwd string) AgentEnv
 		}
 	}
 
-	base := loadSystemPrompt(cwd)
+	path := DefaultPromptsDir() + "/SYSTEM_PROMPT.md"
+	data, err := os.ReadFile(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("loadSystemPrompt: %s: %v", path, err))
+	}
+	base := expandSystemPrompt(string(data), cwd)
 	sp := base
 	if agentPrompt != "" {
 		if sp != "" {
@@ -123,17 +128,6 @@ func DefaultPromptsDir() string {
 	return paths.CfgDir() + "/prompts"
 }
 
-// loadSystemPrompt reads SYSTEM_PROMPT.md from DefaultPromptsDir and expands
-// environment variables, including computed PRIME_* values.
-func loadSystemPrompt(cwd string) string {
-	path := DefaultPromptsDir() + "/SYSTEM_PROMPT.md"
-	data, err := os.ReadFile(path)
-	if err != nil {
-		panic(fmt.Sprintf("loadSystemPrompt: %s: %v", path, err))
-	}
-	return expandSystemPrompt(string(data), cwd)
-}
-
 func expandSystemPrompt(content, cwd string) string {
 	if cwd == "" {
 		cwd, _ = os.Getwd()
diff --git a/pkg/agent/core_test.go b/pkg/agent/core_test.go
index c94ca88..cdb81e0 100644
--- a/pkg/agent/core_test.go
+++ b/pkg/agent/core_test.go
@@ -526,17 +526,17 @@ func TestAgentSpawnFiresOnce(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-// --- loadSystemPrompt ---
+// --- BuildAgentEnv: missing system prompt ---
 
-func TestLoadSystemPrompt_MissingFile(t *testing.T) {
+func TestBuildAgentEnv_MissingSystemPrompt(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Setenv("OLLIE_CFG_PATH", t.TempDir()) // no SYSTEM_PROMPT.md written
 
 	defer func() {
 		if recover() == nil {
-			t.Error("expected panic from loadSystemPrompt; got none")
+			t.Error("expected panic from BuildAgentEnv; got none")
 		}
 	}()
-	loadSystemPrompt("")
+	BuildAgentEnv(nil, tools.NewDispatcher(), "")
 }
 
 // --- panic recovery ---