diff --git a/apps/server/agent/file-io.ts b/apps/server/agent/file-io.ts
index 6f07b13..211befc 100644
--- a/apps/server/agent/file-io.ts
+++ b/apps/server/agent/file-io.ts
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@
  * Output: .cw/output/ — written by agent during execution
  */
 
-import { readdirSync, existsSync, readFileSync } from 'node:fs';
-import { mkdir, writeFile } from 'node:fs/promises';
+import { existsSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { mkdir, writeFile, readFile, readdir } from 'node:fs/promises';
 import { join } from 'node:path';
 import matter from 'gray-matter';
 import { nanoid } from 'nanoid';
@@ -303,9 +303,9 @@ export async function writeInputFiles(options: WriteInputFilesOptions): Promise<
 // OUTPUT FILE READING
 // =============================================================================
 
-export function readFrontmatterFile(filePath: string): { data: Record<string, unknown>; body: string } | null {
+export async function readFrontmatterFile(filePath: string): Promise<{ data: Record<string, unknown>; body: string } | null> {
   try {
-    const raw = readFileSync(filePath, 'utf-8');
+    const raw = await readFile(filePath, 'utf-8');
     const parsed = matter(raw);
     return { data: parsed.data as Record<string, unknown>, body: parsed.content.trim() };
   } catch {
@@ -313,19 +313,19 @@ export function readFrontmatterFile(filePath: string): { data: Record<string, un
   }
 }
 
-function readFrontmatterDir<T>(
+async function readFrontmatterDir<T>(
   dirPath: string,
   mapper: (data: Record<string, unknown>, body: string, filename: string) => T | null,
-): T[] {
+): Promise<T[]> {
   if (!existsSync(dirPath)) return [];
 
   const results: T[] = [];
   try {
-    const entries = readdirSync(dirPath);
+    const entries = await readdir(dirPath);
     for (const entry of entries) {
       if (!entry.endsWith('.md')) continue;
       const filePath = join(dirPath, entry);
-      const parsed = readFrontmatterFile(filePath);
+      const parsed = await readFrontmatterFile(filePath);
       if (!parsed) continue;
       const mapped = mapper(parsed.data, parsed.body, entry);
       if (mapped) results.push(mapped);
@@ -336,9 +336,9 @@ function readFrontmatterDir<T>(
   return results;
 }
 
-export function readSummary(agentWorkdir: string): ParsedSummary | null {
+export async function readSummary(agentWorkdir: string): Promise<ParsedSummary | null> {
   const filePath = join(agentWorkdir, '.cw', 'output', 'SUMMARY.md');
-  const parsed = readFrontmatterFile(filePath);
+  const parsed = await readFrontmatterFile(filePath);
   if (!parsed) return null;
 
   const filesModified = parsed.data.files_modified;
@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@ export function readSummary(agentWorkdir: string): ParsedSummary | null {
   };
 }
 
-export function readPhaseFiles(agentWorkdir: string): ParsedPhaseFile[] {
+export async function readPhaseFiles(agentWorkdir: string): Promise<ParsedPhaseFile[]> {
   const dirPath = join(agentWorkdir, '.cw', 'output', 'phases');
   return readFrontmatterDir(dirPath, (data, body, filename) => {
     const id = filename.replace(/\.md$/, '');
@@ -364,7 +364,7 @@ export function readPhaseFiles(agentWorkdir: string): ParsedPhaseFile[] {
   });
 }
 
-export function readTaskFiles(agentWorkdir: string): ParsedTaskFile[] {
+export async function readTaskFiles(agentWorkdir: string): Promise<ParsedTaskFile[]> {
   const dirPath = join(agentWorkdir, '.cw', 'output', 'tasks');
   return readFrontmatterDir(dirPath, (data, body, filename) => {
     const id = filename.replace(/\.md$/, '');
@@ -384,7 +384,7 @@ export function readTaskFiles(agentWorkdir: string): ParsedTaskFile[] {
   });
 }
 
-export function readDecisionFiles(agentWorkdir: string): ParsedDecisionFile[] {
+export async function readDecisionFiles(agentWorkdir: string): Promise<ParsedDecisionFile[]> {
   const dirPath = join(agentWorkdir, '.cw', 'output', 'decisions');
   return readFrontmatterDir(dirPath, (data, body, filename) => {
     const id = filename.replace(/\.md$/, '');
@@ -398,7 +398,7 @@ export function readDecisionFiles(agentWorkdir: string): ParsedDecisionFile[] {
   });
 }
 
-export function readPageFiles(agentWorkdir: string): ParsedPageFile[] {
+export async function readPageFiles(agentWorkdir: string): Promise<ParsedPageFile[]> {
   const dirPath = join(agentWorkdir, '.cw', 'output', 'pages');
   return readFrontmatterDir(dirPath, (data, body, filename) => {
     const pageId = filename.replace(/\.md$/, '');
diff --git a/apps/server/agent/output-handler.ts b/apps/server/agent/output-handler.ts
index 2413c17..9c85b2c 100644
--- a/apps/server/agent/output-handler.ts
+++ b/apps/server/agent/output-handler.ts
@@ -415,14 +415,14 @@ export class OutputHandler {
     getAgentWorkdir: (alias: string) => string,
   ): Promise<void> {
     const agentWorkdir = getAgentWorkdir(agent.worktreeId);
-    const summary = readSummary(agentWorkdir);
+    const summary = await readSummary(agentWorkdir);
     const initiativeId = agent.initiativeId;
     const canWriteChangeSets = this.changeSetRepository && initiativeId;
 
     let resultMessage = summary?.body ?? 'Task completed';
     switch (mode) {
       case 'plan': {
-        const phases = readPhaseFiles(agentWorkdir);
+        const phases = await readPhaseFiles(agentWorkdir);
         if (canWriteChangeSets && this.phaseRepository && phases.length > 0) {
           const entries: CreateChangeSetEntryData[] = [];
 
@@ -499,9 +499,9 @@ export class OutputHandler {
         break;
       }
       case 'detail': {
-        const tasks = readTaskFiles(agentWorkdir);
+        const tasks = await readTaskFiles(agentWorkdir);
         if (canWriteChangeSets && this.taskRepository && tasks.length > 0) {
-          const phaseInput = readFrontmatterFile(join(agentWorkdir, '.cw', 'input', 'phase.md'));
+          const phaseInput = await readFrontmatterFile(join(agentWorkdir, '.cw', 'input', 'phase.md'));
           const phaseId = (phaseInput?.data?.id as string) ?? null;
           const entries: CreateChangeSetEntryData[] = [];
           const fileIdToDbId = new Map<string, string>();
@@ -595,12 +595,12 @@ export class OutputHandler {
         break;
       }
       case 'discuss': {
-        const decisions = readDecisionFiles(agentWorkdir);
+        const decisions = await readDecisionFiles(agentWorkdir);
         resultMessage = JSON.stringify({ summary: summary?.body, decisions });
         break;
       }
       case 'refine': {
-        const pages = readPageFiles(agentWorkdir);
+        const pages = await readPageFiles(agentWorkdir);
         if (canWriteChangeSets && this.pageRepository && pages.length > 0) {
           const entries: CreateChangeSetEntryData[] = [];
 
@@ -662,9 +662,9 @@ export class OutputHandler {
         break;
       }
       case 'chat': {
-        const chatPhases = readPhaseFiles(agentWorkdir);
-        const chatTasks = readTaskFiles(agentWorkdir);
-        const chatPages = readPageFiles(agentWorkdir);
+        const chatPhases = await readPhaseFiles(agentWorkdir);
+        const chatTasks = await readTaskFiles(agentWorkdir);
+        const chatPages = await readPageFiles(agentWorkdir);
         if (canWriteChangeSets) {
           const entries: CreateChangeSetEntryData[] = [];
           let sortOrd = 0;