perf: Speed up conflict resolution agents by trimming prompt bloat

Replace SESSION_STARTUP (full test suite run) and CONTEXT_MANAGEMENT
(progress file refs) with a minimal startup block (pwd, git status,
CLAUDE.md). Add skipPromptExtras option to SpawnAgentOptions to skip
inter-agent communication and preview deployment instructions. Conflict
agents now go straight to the resolution protocol — one post-resolution
test run instead of two.

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);
+        }
       }
     }
 

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.

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;
 }
 
 /**