diff --git a/cmd/nomos/agent.go b/cmd/nomos/agent.go
index f937108..3a1e595 100644
--- a/cmd/nomos/agent.go
+++ b/cmd/nomos/agent.go
@@ -322,12 +322,16 @@ func (a *agent) chatWith(ctx context.Context, sessionID, message, systemInject s
 			note := fmt.Sprintf("[System: execution(s) %s are classified DESTRUCTIVE and were NOT approved by loose assent — you must ask the operator for an explicit typed confirmation before they can run. Once they do confirm, further destructive steps on that SAME target (e.g. finishing a stop-then-destroy sequence) will auto-run for 15 minutes without asking again — but a different target always needs its own confirmation.]", strings.Join(blocked, ", "))
 			messages = append(messages, openai.SystemMessage(note))
 		}
-	} else if assent && len(lastAssistantCalls) == 0 {
-		// The operator said "proceed"/"go ahead"/"yes" but the preceding
-		// assistant turn had NO pending approvals — meaning the agent
-		// proposed a plan in text and asked "shall I?" without calling
-		// run yet. Inject a system note telling the agent
-		// the operator approved — go execute the plan now.
+	} else if assent && len(pending) == 0 {
+		// The operator said "proceed"/"go ahead"/"yes" but there are no
+		// pending approvals from the preceding turn — meaning the agent
+		// proposed a plan (via propose_plan, possibly with pre-plan research
+		// tool calls) and asked "shall I?" without calling run yet. Inject
+		// a system note telling the agent the operator approved — go execute
+		// the plan now. The old check (len(lastAssistantCalls) == 0) was too
+		// restrictive: it only fired when the assistant had ZERO tool calls,
+		// but propose_plan + research tools are tool calls. The right check
+		// is "no pending APPROVALS" (len(pending) == 0), not "no tool calls."
 		note := "[System: The operator approved your proposed plan. Execute it now — call run to carry out the steps you described. Do not re-describe the plan or ask for confirmation again. The assent window is active: config_mutation commands will auto-run once you create them.]"
 		messages = append(messages, openai.SystemMessage(note))
 		a.openAssentWindow(ctx, sessionID)