diff --git a/.spec/CollaborationProtocol/ignition-prompts.md b/.spec/CollaborationProtocol/ignition-prompts.md
index 0bff613..0f4d10e 100644
--- a/.spec/CollaborationProtocol/ignition-prompts.md
+++ b/.spec/CollaborationProtocol/ignition-prompts.md
@@ -51,8 +51,8 @@ You are part of a multi-agent team. Follow these rules:
 **Hierarchy**
 - You report to: {parent_agent} (or boss if no parent)
 - Send status updates to your manager via message when significant progress happens
-- Message your manager directly when blocked; message the boss agent channel for boss-level decisions
-- Escalate to boss only after manager unresponsive for 30+ minutes
+- Message your manager when blocked; set the task to `blocked` status
+- Escalate up the chain if your manager is unresponsive
 
 **Your Role**
 - Your role is defined by the agent that spawned you — check your ignition message for specifics
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ You → {parent} → {grandparent} → boss
 Peers (same manager): {peer1}, {peer2}
 Your team (if manager): {child1}, {child2}
 
-Note: The org structure may change as work evolves. Check your messages for hierarchy updates.
+Note: Your position in the team is set by whoever spawned you. Check your ignition message for specifics.
 ```
 
 ### Section: Work Loop
diff --git a/.spec/CollaborationProtocol/messaging-protocol.md b/.spec/CollaborationProtocol/messaging-protocol.md
index 8511e42..fb1424f 100644
--- a/.spec/CollaborationProtocol/messaging-protocol.md
+++ b/.spec/CollaborationProtocol/messaging-protocol.md
@@ -63,8 +63,8 @@ the Escalation section below.
 
 ### 4. Peer-to-Peer Coordination
 
-Agents may message any peer directly — no manager authorization is required. Peer communication
-is the default; a manager can explicitly forbid a specific interaction if needed.
+Agents may message any peer directly — no authorization required. Direct peer messaging is always
+allowed.
 
 ```
 DevA sends message to DevB:
@@ -76,10 +76,11 @@ update so the manager has visibility.
 
 ### 5. Escalation
 
-If work is blocked and the manager is unresponsive for >30 minutes:
+If work is blocked and the manager is unresponsive after multiple check cycles, escalate up the
+chain — message the manager's manager (or the operator if no higher level exists):
 ```
-Agent sends message to boss:
-  "ESCALATION: TASK-{id} blocked on {blocker}. Manager {ManagerName} unresponsive for 30+ min."
+Agent sends message to {ManagersManager}:
+  "TASK-{id} blocked on {blocker}. {ManagerName} has not responded. Requesting escalation."
 ```
 
 ## Message Discipline
diff --git a/.spec/CollaborationProtocol/organizational-model.md b/.spec/CollaborationProtocol/organizational-model.md
index 638ecda..030bca1 100644
--- a/.spec/CollaborationProtocol/organizational-model.md
+++ b/.spec/CollaborationProtocol/organizational-model.md
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ Every task must have: an assignee, a parent (or be a root task), and a status th
 
 - Agents report status up (via messages and status updates)
 - Managers send decisions down (via task assignment and messages)
-- Peers coordinate laterally (via direct messages — allowed by default; manager can restrict specific interactions as an exception)
+- Peers coordinate laterally (via direct messages — always allowed, no authorization required)
 
 ### 5. Context at the edge
 
diff --git a/.spec/CollaborationProtocol/team-formation.md b/.spec/CollaborationProtocol/team-formation.md
index fa49245..97e4e88 100644
--- a/.spec/CollaborationProtocol/team-formation.md
+++ b/.spec/CollaborationProtocol/team-formation.md
@@ -18,10 +18,12 @@ meets **any** of these criteria:
 - Has more than one acceptance criterion
 - Is a planning, spec, or design task (always non-trivial)
 - Would benefit from an independent review pass
-- Estimated effort exceeds ~30 minutes of focused work
+- Could benefit from a second perspective or independent review
+- Requires more than one focused action to complete (e.g. research then implement, or implement then test)
 
-Solo work is appropriate only for tightly scoped leaf tasks: a single bug fix, a one-file
-documentation update, or a clearly-specified implementation with no design decisions.
+Solo work is appropriate only for atomic leaf tasks: a single, completely specified change with
+no decisions to make and no more than one deliverable. When in doubt, form a team — the cost of
+an extra agent is far lower than the cost of a solo agent going off in the wrong direction.
 
 ## Required Team Roles
 
diff --git a/docs/AGENT_PROTOCOL.md b/docs/AGENT_PROTOCOL.md
index b0330f7..94d09d1 100644
--- a/docs/AGENT_PROTOCOL.md
+++ b/docs/AGENT_PROTOCOL.md
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ X-Agent-Name: {agent}
     }
   ],
   "next_steps": "open PR after tests pass",
-  "questions": ["[?BOSS] should we use approach X or Y?"],
+  "questions": ["should we use approach X or Y?"],
   "blockers": ["waiting for DataMgr to merge PR #7"],
   "parent": "ManagerAgent",
   "role": "Developer",
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ X-Agent-Name: {agent}
 | `items` | array | no | Bullet points shown in dashboard |
 | `sections` | array | no | Titled sub-sections with item lists |
 | `next_steps` | string | no | What you will do next |
-| `questions` | array | no | Auto-tagged `[?BOSS]` in dashboard |
+| `questions` | array | no | Questions surfaced in the dashboard for the human operator |
 | `blockers` | array | no | Highlighted in dashboard |
 | `parent` | string | no | Manager agent name — sticky hierarchy link |
 | `role` | string | no | Display label e.g. `"Developer"`, `"SME"` |
@@ -568,7 +568,7 @@ X-Agent-Boss-Agent: {agent}
 4. GET  /agent/{agent}/events    → open SSE stream (blocking)
    ↕ (in parallel)
 5. Do work
-6. POST /agent/{agent}           → status update every ~10 minutes
+6. POST /agent/{agent}           → status update at meaningful milestones
 7. On SSE message event → act immediately
 8. POST /agent/{agent}           → status: done when finished
 ```
@@ -691,7 +691,7 @@ Non-tmux agents (Docker, CI, remote, script) interact with the coordinator exact
 
 1. **Register** with `agent_type` set to your runtime (`"http"`, `"docker"`, `"script"`, etc.)
 2. **Set `heartbeat_interval_sec`** if you want staleness detection (recommended: 60)
-3. **Post status updates** at least every 10 minutes during active work
+3. **Post status updates** at meaningful milestones (task complete, blocker hit, PR opened, etc.)
 4. **Send heartbeats** at your registered interval
 5. **Subscribe to SSE** or poll `/messages` for incoming instructions
 6. **Post `"status": "done"`** when finished
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/ConversationsView.vue b/frontend/src/components/ConversationsView.vue
index ce3cc38..b0e99d3 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/ConversationsView.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/components/ConversationsView.vue
@@ -24,11 +24,22 @@ const props = defineProps<{
   preselectAgent?: string
 }>()
 
-// Derive the operator name from agent_type — avoids hardcoding 'boss' string.
-// Fallback to 'operator' while the space loads.
+// Collect ALL human agents (spaces may have both 'boss' legacy and 'operator' canonical).
+// Using a Set lets isOperatorConversation match any of them for categorization.
+const humanAgentNames = computed(() =>
+  new Set(
+    Object.entries(props.space.agents ?? {})
+      .filter(([, a]) => a.agent_type === 'human')
+      .map(([name]) => name),
+  ),
+)
+
+// Canonical operator name used for composing messages.
+// Prefer 'operator' (the current canonical name) over legacy 'boss' if both exist.
 const operatorName = computed(() => {
-  const entry = Object.entries(props.space.agents ?? {}).find(([, a]) => a.agent_type === 'human')
-  return entry?.[0] ?? 'operator'
+  if (humanAgentNames.value.has('operator')) return 'operator'
+  const [first] = humanAgentNames.value
+  return first ?? 'operator'
 })
 
 interface ConversationMessage {
@@ -273,15 +284,15 @@ const selectedConversation = computed((): Conversation | null => {
 const readKeys = ref(new Set<string>())
 
 function isOperatorConversation(conv: Conversation): boolean {
-  return conv.participants.includes(operatorName.value)
+  return conv.participants.some(p => humanAgentNames.value.has(p))
 }
 
 function unreadCount(conv: Conversation): number {
   // Agent-to-agent conversations never show unread badges
   if (!isOperatorConversation(conv)) return 0
   if (readKeys.value.has(conv.key)) return 0
-  // Only count messages directed at the operator that haven't been acknowledged on the backend
-  return conv.messages.filter(m => m.recipient === operatorName.value && !m.read).length
+  // Count messages directed at ANY human agent that haven't been acknowledged on the backend
+  return conv.messages.filter(m => humanAgentNames.value.has(m.recipient) && !m.read).length
 }
 
 // ACK all unread messages to the operator in a conversation so the backend persists read state.
@@ -289,9 +300,9 @@ function unreadCount(conv: Conversation): number {
 // the conversation stays read after navigate-away + return.
 function ackOperatorMessages(conv: Conversation) {
   if (!isOperatorConversation(conv)) return
-  const unread = conv.messages.filter(m => m.recipient === operatorName.value && !m.read)
+  const unread = conv.messages.filter(m => humanAgentNames.value.has(m.recipient) && !m.read)
   for (const msg of unread) {
-    api.ackMessage(props.space.name, operatorName.value, msg.id, operatorName.value).catch(() => {})
+    api.ackMessage(props.space.name, msg.recipient, msg.id, msg.recipient).catch(() => {})
   }
 }
 
@@ -518,12 +529,12 @@ const inlineSending = ref(false)
 const inlineSendError = ref<string | null>(null)
 const composeRef = ref<HTMLTextAreaElement | null>(null)
 
-// Operator can compose to the other participant (only if operator is in the conversation)
+// Operator can compose to the other participant (only if a human agent is in the conversation)
 const composeRecipient = computed(() => {
   if (!selectedConversation.value) return null
   const { participants } = selectedConversation.value
-  if (!participants.includes(operatorName.value)) return null
-  return participants.find(p => p !== operatorName.value) ?? null
+  if (!participants.some(p => humanAgentNames.value.has(p))) return null
+  return participants.find(p => !humanAgentNames.value.has(p)) ?? null
 })
 
 async function sendInlineCompose() {
diff --git a/internal/coordinator/handlers_agent.go b/internal/coordinator/handlers_agent.go
index 0a1e269..8b37298 100644
--- a/internal/coordinator/handlers_agent.go
+++ b/internal/coordinator/handlers_agent.go
@@ -386,6 +386,9 @@ func (s *Server) handleAgentMessage(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, spac
 
 	s.mu.Lock()
 	canonical := resolveAgentName(ks, agentName)
+	// Canonicalize sender name so "Cto" and "cto" resolve to the same conversation thread.
+	senderName = resolveAgentName(ks, senderName)
+	messageReq.Sender = senderName
 
 	var recipients []string
 	if scope == "subtree" {
diff --git a/internal/coordinator/mcp_tools.go b/internal/coordinator/mcp_tools.go
index b601562..476cd8e 100644
--- a/internal/coordinator/mcp_tools.go
+++ b/internal/coordinator/mcp_tools.go
@@ -407,6 +407,9 @@ func (s *Server) addToolSendMessage(srv *mcp.Server) {
 
 		s.mu.Lock()
 		canonical := resolveAgentName(ks, targetName)
+		// Canonicalize sender so "Cto" and "cto" produce the same conversation thread.
+		senderName = resolveAgentName(ks, senderName)
+		msgReq.Sender = senderName
 		ag := ks.agentStatus(canonical)
 		if ag == nil {
 			ag = &AgentUpdate{