diff --git a/tools/cascade b/tools/cascade
old mode 100755
new mode 100644
index 1fe6f91..ecebba3
--- a/tools/cascade
+++ b/tools/cascade
@@ -38,11 +38,24 @@ prompt="[parent_session_id=${OLLIE_SESSION_ID}]
 [session_id=${id}]
 
 You are a worker agent. Execute the following task exactly. Output only the result.
-When finished, write your result to: ${OLLIE}/s/${OLLIE_SESSION_ID}/prompt
-Use this exact format:
-[from=${id}]
-STATUS: done
-SUMMARY: <your result>
+
+TERMINATION RULES (mandatory — follow exactly):
+1. Complete the task using whatever tools are needed.
+2. When finished (success or failure), write your result to: ${OLLIE}/s/${OLLIE_SESSION_ID}/prompt
+   Use file_write with this exact format and nothing after it:
+
+   [from=${id}]
+   STATUS: done
+   SUMMARY: <one-line result or confirmation>
+
+   On failure, use:
+   [from=${id}]
+   STATUS: error
+   REASON: <why the task could not be completed>
+
+3. After writing the result, STOP. Do not call any more tools. Do not write again.
+4. Do not re-read the file to verify. Do not retry the write. One write, then stop.
+5. Do not expand the task scope. If the task is ambiguous or impossible, report STATUS: error immediately.
 
 TASK:
 ${instruction}"
diff --git a/tools/file_edit b/tools/file_edit
old mode 100755
new mode 100644
index c35057d..d7d871c
--- a/tools/file_edit
+++ b/tools/file_edit
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ def format_diff(path, old, new):
     new_lines = new.splitlines(keepends=True)
     diff = ''.join(difflib.unified_diff(old_lines, new_lines, fromfile=path, tofile=path))
     if not diff:
-        return "(no changes)"
+        return None
     return f"```diff\n{diff}```"
 
 def find_exact(content, find):
@@ -70,13 +70,13 @@ def robust_replace(content, old_string, new_string, replace_all):
              find_indent_flexible(content, old_string) or
              find_trimmed_boundary(content, old_string))
     if match is None:
-        return None, "old_string not found in file"
+        return None, "old_string not found in file", False
     if replace_all:
-        return content.replace(match, new_string), None
+        return content.replace(match, new_string), None, False
     n = content.count(match)
     if n > 1:
-        return None, f"old_string is not unique ({n} occurrences); use replace_all=true or provide more context"
-    return content.replace(match, new_string, 1), None
+        return None, f"old_string is not unique ({n} occurrences); use replace_all=true or provide more context", True
+    return content.replace(match, new_string, 1), None, False
 
 if len(sys.argv) < 4:
     print("usage: file_edit <file_path> <old_string> <new_string> [replace_all=true|1|yes]")
@@ -89,20 +89,24 @@ _ra = sys.argv[4].lower() if len(sys.argv) > 4 else ''
 replace_all = _ra.split('=')[-1] in ('true', '1', 'yes')
 
 if not os.path.isabs(file_path):
+    print(f"STATUS=error STATE_CHANGED=false RETRYABLE=false")
     print(f"error: path must be absolute, got: {file_path}")
     sys.exit(1)
 if old_string == new_string:
+    print("STATUS=no_change STATE_CHANGED=false RETRYABLE=false")
     print("error: old_string and new_string must be different")
     sys.exit(1)
 if not os.path.exists(file_path):
+    print(f"STATUS=error STATE_CHANGED=false RETRYABLE=false")
     print(f"error: file not found: {file_path}")
     sys.exit(1)
 
 with open(file_path, 'r', errors='replace') as f:
     original = f.read()
 
-new_content, err = robust_replace(original, old_string, new_string, replace_all)
+new_content, err, retryable = robust_replace(original, old_string, new_string, replace_all)
 if err:
+    print(f"STATUS=error STATE_CHANGED=false RETRYABLE={'true' if retryable else 'false'}")
     print(f"error: {err}")
     sys.exit(1)
 
@@ -110,7 +114,14 @@ try:
     with open(file_path, 'w') as f:
         f.write(new_content)
 except OSError as e:
+    print(f"STATUS=error STATE_CHANGED=false RETRYABLE=false")
     print(f"error: {e}")
     sys.exit(1)
 
-print(format_diff(file_path, original, new_content))
+diff = format_diff(file_path, original, new_content)
+if diff is None:
+    print("STATUS=no_change STATE_CHANGED=false RETRYABLE=false")
+    print("(no changes)")
+else:
+    print("STATUS=done STATE_CHANGED=true")
+    print(diff)
diff --git a/tools/file_glob b/tools/file_glob
old mode 100755
new mode 100644
index 6a879b3..2706408
--- a/tools/file_glob
+++ b/tools/file_glob
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ search_path="${2:-$PWD}"
 [ -z "$pattern" ] && echo "usage: file_glob <pattern> [path]" && exit 1
 
 if [ ! -d "$search_path" ]; then
+    echo "STATUS=error"
     echo "error: path is not a directory: $search_path"
     exit 1
 fi
@@ -17,14 +18,21 @@ fi
 rg_out=$(rg --no-config --files -g "$pattern" "$search_path" 2>&1)
 rg_exit=$?
 if [ $rg_exit -gt 1 ]; then
+    echo "STATUS=error"
     echo "error: $rg_out"
     exit 1
 fi
 if [ -z "$rg_out" ]; then
+    echo "STATUS=no_matches MATCH_COUNT=0"
     echo "no matches"
     exit 0
 fi
-echo "$rg_out" \
+
+sorted=$(echo "$rg_out" \
     | xargs -d '\n' stat --printf '%Y\t%n\n' 2>&1 \
     | sort -rn \
-    | cut -f2-
+    | cut -f2-)
+
+count=$(echo "$sorted" | wc -l | tr -d ' ')
+echo "STATUS=ok MATCH_COUNT=$count"
+echo "$sorted"
diff --git a/tools/file_grep b/tools/file_grep
old mode 100755
new mode 100644
index 1c7de22..1401bdb
--- a/tools/file_grep
+++ b/tools/file_grep
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ parser.add_argument('--offset', type=int, default=0)
 
 args = parser.parse_args()
 
-rg = 'rg'
 search_path = args.path or os.getcwd()
 
 cmd = ['rg', '--no-config', '--color=never']
@@ -58,9 +57,11 @@ cmd += ['-e', args.pattern, search_path]
 
 result = subprocess.run(cmd, capture_output=True, text=True)
 if result.returncode == 1:
+    print("STATUS=no_matches MATCH_COUNT=0")
     print("no matches")
     sys.exit(0)
 if result.returncode > 1:
+    print(f"STATUS=error")
     print(f"error: {result.stderr.strip() or f'rg exited with {result.returncode}'}")
     sys.exit(1)
 
@@ -81,7 +82,6 @@ if args.mode == 'content':
         if line == '--':
             formatted.append(line)
             continue
-        # file:lineno:content or file-lineno-content (context lines)
         for sep in (':', '-'):
             parts = line.split(sep, 2)
             if len(parts) == 3 and parts[1].isdigit():
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ if args.mode == 'content':
             formatted.append(line)
     lines = formatted
 
+print(f"STATUS=ok MATCH_COUNT={total}")
 print('\n'.join(lines))
 if capped:
     print(f"\n(showing {max_matches} of {total} matches; use --head=N or --offset=N for more)")
diff --git a/tools/file_read b/tools/file_read
old mode 100755
new mode 100644
index d1f74ad..e99c65e
--- a/tools/file_read
+++ b/tools/file_read
@@ -30,19 +30,23 @@ start = int(args[1]) if len(args) > 1 else 1
 end   = int(args[2]) if len(args) > 2 else None
 
 if not os.path.isabs(file_path):
+    print(f"STATUS=error")
     print(f"error: path must be absolute, got: {file_path}")
     sys.exit(1)
 
 if not os.path.exists(file_path):
+    print("STATUS=not_found")
     print("(new file)")
     sys.exit(0)
 
 if not os.path.isfile(file_path):
+    print(f"STATUS=error")
     print(f"error: not a regular file: {file_path}")
     sys.exit(1)
 
 with open(file_path, 'rb') as f:
     if b'\x00' in f.read(8192):
+        print("STATUS=ok BINARY=true")
         print("(binary file)")
         sys.exit(0)
 
@@ -55,14 +59,17 @@ else:
     end = min(end, start + MAX_SEGMENT - 1)
 
 with open(file_path, 'r', errors='replace') as f:
-    # Skip lines before start
     for _ in islice(f, start - 1):
         pass
-    # Read only the lines we need
     segment_lines = list(islice(f, end - start + 1))
 
 if not segment_lines:
-    print("(empty file)" if start == 1 else "(no lines in range)")
+    if start == 1:
+        print("STATUS=ok EMPTY=true")
+        print("(empty file)")
+    else:
+        print("STATUS=ok EMPTY=true")
+        print("(no lines in range)")
     sys.exit(0)
 
 out = []
@@ -73,4 +80,5 @@ for i, line in enumerate(segment_lines):
         text = text[:MAX_LINE_LEN] + '...'
     out.append(f"{lineno:>6}\t{text}")
 
+print(f"STATUS=ok LINES={len(out)}")
 print('\n'.join(out))
diff --git a/tools/file_write b/tools/file_write
old mode 100755
new mode 100644
index 74911cb..6797d6b
--- a/tools/file_write
+++ b/tools/file_write
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ def format_diff(path, old, new):
     new_lines = new.splitlines(keepends=True)
     diff = ''.join(difflib.unified_diff(old_lines, new_lines, fromfile=path, tofile=path))
     if not diff:
-        return "(no changes)"
+        return None
     return f"```diff\n{diff}```"
 
 if len(sys.argv) < 3:
@@ -22,11 +22,13 @@ file_path = sys.argv[1]
 content   = sys.argv[2]
 
 if not os.path.isabs(file_path):
+    print(f"STATUS=error STATE_CHANGED=false RETRYABLE=false")
     print(f"error: path must be absolute, got: {file_path}")
     sys.exit(1)
 
 parent = os.path.dirname(file_path)
 if parent and not os.path.isdir(parent):
+    print(f"STATUS=error STATE_CHANGED=false RETRYABLE=false")
     print(f"error: parent directory does not exist: {parent}")
     sys.exit(1)
 
@@ -39,7 +41,14 @@ try:
     with open(file_path, 'w') as f:
         f.write(content)
 except OSError as e:
+    print(f"STATUS=error STATE_CHANGED=false RETRYABLE=false")
     print(f"error: {e}")
     sys.exit(1)
 
-print(format_diff(file_path, old_content, content))
+diff = format_diff(file_path, old_content, content)
+if diff is None:
+    print("STATUS=no_change STATE_CHANGED=false RETRYABLE=false")
+    print("(no changes)")
+else:
+    print("STATUS=done STATE_CHANGED=true")
+    print(diff)
diff --git a/tools/task_add b/tools/task_add
old mode 100755
new mode 100644
index 47b9f51..3831820
--- a/tools/task_add
+++ b/tools/task_add
@@ -20,4 +20,5 @@ added=0
     done
 } > "$plan"
 
-echo "added $added task(s)"
+total=$(grep -c '^- \[' "$plan" 2>/dev/null || echo 0)
+echo "STATUS=ok ADDED=$added TOTAL_TASKS=$total"
diff --git a/tools/task_check b/tools/task_check
old mode 100755
new mode 100644
index 3009d4b..7083bc0
--- a/tools/task_check
+++ b/tools/task_check
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ lines = content.splitlines(keepends=True)
 tasks = [(i, l) for i, l in enumerate(lines) if l.startswith("- [ ]") or l.startswith("- [x]")]
 
 if not tasks:
+    print("STATUS=done TASK_COMPLETE=true REMAINING=0")
     print("no tasks in plan")
     sys.exit(0)
 
@@ -32,6 +33,8 @@ if n is None:
     # First unchecked
     target = next(((i, l) for i, l in tasks if l.startswith("- [ ]")), None)
     if target is None:
+        remaining = 0
+        print(f"STATUS=done TASK_COMPLETE=true REMAINING=0")
         print("all tasks already checked")
         sys.exit(0)
 else:
@@ -43,4 +46,8 @@ else:
 idx, line = target
 lines[idx] = line.replace("- [ ]", "- [x]", 1)
 open(plan_path, "w").write("".join(lines))
+
+remaining = sum(1 for _, l in tasks if l.startswith("- [ ]") and _ != idx)
+task_complete = remaining == 0
+print(f"STATUS=done TASK_COMPLETE={'true' if task_complete else 'false'} REMAINING={remaining}")
 print(f"checked: {lines[idx].rstrip()}")
diff --git a/tools/task_clear b/tools/task_clear
old mode 100755
new mode 100644
index 81dfcb2..48337f6
--- a/tools/task_clear
+++ b/tools/task_clear
@@ -7,11 +7,15 @@
 OLLIE="${OLLIE:-$HOME/mnt/ollie}"
 plan="$OLLIE/s/$OLLIE_SESSION_ID/plan"
 
-[ ! -f "$plan" ] && echo "no plan found" && exit 0
+[ ! -f "$plan" ] && echo "STATUS=ok CLEARED=0 REMAINING=0 TASK_COMPLETE=true" && echo "no plan found" && exit 0
 
 before=$(grep -c '^\- \[.\]' "$plan" 2>/dev/null || echo 0)
 grep -v '^\- \[x\]' "$plan" > "$plan.tmp" && mv "$plan.tmp" "$plan"
 after=$(grep -c '^\- \[.\]' "$plan" 2>/dev/null || echo 0)
 
 removed=$(( before - after ))
+task_complete="false"
+[ "$after" -eq 0 ] && task_complete="true"
+
+echo "STATUS=ok CLEARED=$removed REMAINING=$after TASK_COMPLETE=$task_complete"
 echo "cleared $removed completed task(s), $after remaining"