diff --git a/apps/server/agent/manager.ts b/apps/server/agent/manager.ts
index 066d51d..152ac3c 100644
--- a/apps/server/agent/manager.ts
+++ b/apps/server/agent/manager.ts
@@ -283,14 +283,15 @@ export class MultiProviderAgentManager implements AgentManager {
     });
     const agentId = agent.id;
 
-    // 3a. Append inter-agent communication instructions with actual agent ID
-    prompt = prompt + buildInterAgentCommunication(agentId, mode);
+    // 3a. Append inter-agent communication + preview instructions (skipped for focused agents)
+    if (!options.skipPromptExtras) {
+      prompt = prompt + buildInterAgentCommunication(agentId, mode);
 
-    // 3b. Append preview deployment instructions if applicable
-    if (['execute', 'refine', 'discuss'].includes(mode) && initiativeId) {
-      const shouldInject = await this.shouldInjectPreviewInstructions(initiativeId);
-      if (shouldInject) {
-        prompt = prompt + buildPreviewInstructions(agentId);
+      if (['execute', 'refine', 'discuss'].includes(mode) && initiativeId) {
+        const shouldInject = await this.shouldInjectPreviewInstructions(initiativeId);
+        if (shouldInject) {
+          prompt = prompt + buildPreviewInstructions(agentId);
+        }
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/apps/server/agent/prompts/conflict-resolution.ts b/apps/server/agent/prompts/conflict-resolution.ts
index bb33ab7..e295b29 100644
--- a/apps/server/agent/prompts/conflict-resolution.ts
+++ b/apps/server/agent/prompts/conflict-resolution.ts
@@ -5,9 +5,7 @@
 
 import {
   SIGNAL_FORMAT,
-  SESSION_STARTUP,
   GIT_WORKFLOW,
-  CONTEXT_MANAGEMENT,
 } from './shared.js';
 
 export function buildConflictResolutionPrompt(
@@ -29,7 +27,12 @@ You are a Conflict Resolution agent. Your job is to merge \`${targetBranch}\` in
 ${conflictList}
 </conflict_details>
 ${SIGNAL_FORMAT}
-${SESSION_STARTUP}
+
+<session_startup>
+1. \`pwd\` — confirm working directory
+2. \`git status\` — check branch state
+3. Read \`CLAUDE.md\` at the repo root (if it exists) — it contains project conventions you must follow.
+</session_startup>
 
 <resolution_protocol>
 Follow these steps in order:
@@ -57,7 +60,6 @@ Follow these steps in order:
 8. **Signal done**: Write signal.json with status "done".
 </resolution_protocol>
 ${GIT_WORKFLOW}
-${CONTEXT_MANAGEMENT}
 
 <important>
 - You are on a temporary branch created from ${sourceBranch}. You are merging ${targetBranch} INTO this branch — bringing it up to date, NOT the other way around.
diff --git a/apps/server/agent/types.ts b/apps/server/agent/types.ts
index 94737d9..975abae 100644
--- a/apps/server/agent/types.ts
+++ b/apps/server/agent/types.ts
@@ -61,6 +61,8 @@ export interface SpawnAgentOptions {
   branchName?: string;
   /** Context data to write as input files in agent workdir */
   inputContext?: AgentInputContext;
+  /** Skip inter-agent communication and preview instructions (for focused agents like conflict resolution) */
+  skipPromptExtras?: boolean;
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/apps/server/trpc/routers/initiative.ts b/apps/server/trpc/routers/initiative.ts
index 1c317df..0077ad9 100644
--- a/apps/server/trpc/routers/initiative.ts
+++ b/apps/server/trpc/routers/initiative.ts
@@ -488,6 +488,7 @@ export function initiativeProcedures(publicProcedure: ProcedureBuilder) {
           initiativeId: input.initiativeId,
           baseBranch: initiative.branch,
           branchName: tempBranch,
+          skipPromptExtras: true,
         });
       }),
   };
diff --git a/docs/agent.md b/docs/agent.md
index 752a527..38f55db 100644
--- a/docs/agent.md
+++ b/docs/agent.md
@@ -24,14 +24,14 @@
 | `accounts/` | Account discovery, config dir setup, credential management, usage API |
 | `credentials/` | `AccountCredentialManager` — credential injection per account |
 | `lifecycle/` | `LifecycleController` — retry policy, signal recovery, missing signal instructions |
-| `prompts/` | Mode-specific prompt builders (execute, discuss, plan, detail, refine, chat, conflict-resolution, errand) + shared blocks (test integrity, deviation rules, git workflow, session startup, progress tracking) + inter-agent communication instructions |
+| `prompts/` | Mode-specific prompt builders (execute, discuss, plan, detail, refine, chat, conflict-resolution, errand) + shared blocks (test integrity, deviation rules, git workflow, session startup, progress tracking) + inter-agent communication instructions. Conflict-resolution uses a minimal inline startup (pwd, git status, CLAUDE.md) instead of the full `SESSION_STARTUP`/`CONTEXT_MANAGEMENT` blocks. |
 
 ## Key Flows
 
 ### Spawning an Agent
 
 1. **tRPC procedure** calls `agentManager.spawn(options)`
-2. Manager generates alias (adjective-animal), creates DB record
+2. Manager generates alias (adjective-animal), creates DB record. Appends inter-agent communication and preview instructions unless `skipPromptExtras: true` (used by conflict-resolution agents to keep prompts lean).
 3. `AgentProcessManager.createWorktree()` — creates git worktree at `.cw-worktrees/agent/<alias>/`
 4. `file-io.writeInputFiles()` — writes `.cw/input/` with assignment files (initiative, pages, phase, task) and read-only context dirs (`context/phases/`, `context/tasks/`)
 5. Provider config builds spawn command via `buildSpawnCommand()`