diff --git a/pkg/agentic/queue.go b/pkg/agentic/queue.go
index 27b93d2..b88d88c 100644
--- a/pkg/agentic/queue.go
+++ b/pkg/agentic/queue.go
@@ -74,7 +74,12 @@ func (s *PrepSubsystem) loadAgentsConfig() *AgentsConfig {
 // for a given agent type, based on rate config and time of day.
 func (s *PrepSubsystem) delayForAgent(agent string) time.Duration {
 	cfg := s.loadAgentsConfig()
-	rate, ok := cfg.Rates[agent]
+	// Strip variant suffix (claude:opus → claude) for config lookup
+	base := agent
+	if idx := strings.Index(agent, ":"); idx >= 0 {
+		base = agent[:idx]
+	}
+	rate, ok := cfg.Rates[base]
 	if !ok || rate.SustainedDelay == 0 {
 		return 0
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/agentic/review_queue.go b/pkg/agentic/review_queue.go
index fd278ff..576bae9 100644
--- a/pkg/agentic/review_queue.go
+++ b/pkg/agentic/review_queue.go
@@ -94,7 +94,11 @@ func (s *PrepSubsystem) reviewQueue(ctx context.Context, _ *mcp.CallToolRequest,
 		}
 
 		repoDir := filepath.Join(basePath, repo)
-		result := s.reviewRepo(ctx, repoDir, repo, input.DryRun, input.LocalOnly)
+		reviewer := input.Reviewer
+		if reviewer == "" {
+			reviewer = "coderabbit"
+		}
+		result := s.reviewRepo(ctx, repoDir, repo, reviewer, input.DryRun, input.LocalOnly)
 
 		// Parse rate limit from result
 		if result.Verdict == "rate_limited" {
@@ -150,7 +154,7 @@ func (s *PrepSubsystem) findReviewCandidates(basePath string) []string {
 }
 
 // reviewRepo runs CodeRabbit on a single repo and takes action.
-func (s *PrepSubsystem) reviewRepo(ctx context.Context, repoDir, repo string, dryRun, localOnly bool) ReviewResult {
+func (s *PrepSubsystem) reviewRepo(ctx context.Context, repoDir, repo, reviewer string, dryRun, localOnly bool) ReviewResult {
 	result := ReviewResult{Repo: repo}
 
 	// Check saved rate limit
@@ -160,8 +164,10 @@ func (s *PrepSubsystem) reviewRepo(ctx context.Context, repoDir, repo string, dr
 		return result
 	}
 
-	// Run reviewer CLI locally
-	reviewer := "coderabbit" // default, can be overridden by caller
+	// Run reviewer CLI locally — use the reviewer passed from reviewQueue
+	if reviewer == "" {
+		reviewer = "coderabbit"
+	}
 	cmd := s.buildReviewCommand(ctx, repoDir, reviewer)
 	out, err := cmd.CombinedOutput()
 	output := string(out)
diff --git a/pkg/monitor/harvest.go b/pkg/monitor/harvest.go
index 7889b8d..528a72d 100644
--- a/pkg/monitor/harvest.go
+++ b/pkg/monitor/harvest.go
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ func (m *Subsystem) harvestCompleted() string {
 				})
 			}
 		} else {
-			parts = append(parts, fmt.Sprintf("%s: pushed %s (%d files)", h.repo, h.branch, h.files))
+			parts = append(parts, fmt.Sprintf("%s: ready-for-review %s (%d files)", h.repo, h.branch, h.files))
 			if m.notifier != nil {
 				m.notifier.ChannelSend(context.Background(), "harvest.complete", map[string]any{
 					"repo":   h.repo,
diff --git a/pkg/monitor/monitor.go b/pkg/monitor/monitor.go
index 0d90837..09a9913 100644
--- a/pkg/monitor/monitor.go
+++ b/pkg/monitor/monitor.go
@@ -263,11 +263,15 @@ func (m *Subsystem) checkCompletions() string {
 
 // checkInbox checks for unread messages.
 func (m *Subsystem) checkInbox() string {
-	home, _ := os.UserHomeDir()
-	keyFile := filepath.Join(home, ".claude", "brain.key")
-	apiKeyStr, err := coreio.Local.Read(keyFile)
-	if err != nil {
-		return ""
+	apiKeyStr := os.Getenv("CORE_BRAIN_KEY")
+	if apiKeyStr == "" {
+		home, _ := os.UserHomeDir()
+		keyFile := filepath.Join(home, ".claude", "brain.key")
+		data, err := coreio.Local.Read(keyFile)
+		if err != nil {
+			return ""
+		}
+		apiKeyStr = data
 	}
 
 	// Call the API to check inbox
@@ -293,11 +297,11 @@ func (m *Subsystem) checkInbox() string {
 	}
 
 	var resp struct {
-		Data []struct {
+		Messages []struct {
 			Read    bool   `json:"read"`
-			From    string `json:"from_agent"`
+			From    string `json:"from"`
 			Subject string `json:"subject"`
-		} `json:"data"`
+		} `json:"messages"`
 	}
 	if json.NewDecoder(httpResp.Body).Decode(&resp) != nil {
 		return ""
@@ -306,7 +310,7 @@ func (m *Subsystem) checkInbox() string {
 	unread := 0
 	senders := make(map[string]int)
 	latestSubject := ""
-	for _, msg := range resp.Data {
+	for _, msg := range resp.Messages {
 		if !msg.Read {
 			unread++
 			if msg.From != "" {
diff --git a/pkg/monitor/monitor_test.go b/pkg/monitor/monitor_test.go
index 27062f1..af64a83 100644
--- a/pkg/monitor/monitor_test.go
+++ b/pkg/monitor/monitor_test.go
@@ -228,10 +228,10 @@ func TestCheckInbox_Good_UnreadMessages(t *testing.T) {
 		assert.NotEmpty(t, r.URL.Query().Get("agent"))
 
 		resp := map[string]any{
-			"data": []map[string]any{
-				{"read": false, "from_agent": "clotho", "subject": "task done"},
-				{"read": false, "from_agent": "gemini", "subject": "review ready"},
-				{"read": true, "from_agent": "clotho", "subject": "old msg"},
+			"messages": []map[string]any{
+				{"read": false, "from": "clotho", "subject": "task done"},
+				{"read": false, "from": "gemini", "subject": "review ready"},
+				{"read": true, "from": "clotho", "subject": "old msg"},
 			},
 		}
 		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
@@ -262,8 +262,8 @@ func TestCheckInbox_Good_UnreadMessages(t *testing.T) {
 func TestCheckInbox_Good_NoUnread(t *testing.T) {
 	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		resp := map[string]any{
-			"data": []map[string]any{
-				{"read": true, "from_agent": "clotho", "subject": "old"},
+			"messages": []map[string]any{
+				{"read": true, "from": "clotho", "subject": "old"},
 			},
 		}
 		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
@@ -281,8 +281,8 @@ func TestCheckInbox_Good_NoUnread(t *testing.T) {
 func TestCheckInbox_Good_SameCountNoRepeat(t *testing.T) {
 	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		resp := map[string]any{
-			"data": []map[string]any{
-				{"read": false, "from_agent": "clotho", "subject": "msg"},
+			"messages": []map[string]any{
+				{"read": false, "from": "clotho", "subject": "msg"},
 			},
 		}
 		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
@@ -338,10 +338,10 @@ func TestCheckInbox_Bad_InvalidJSON(t *testing.T) {
 func TestCheckInbox_Good_MultipleSameSender(t *testing.T) {
 	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		resp := map[string]any{
-			"data": []map[string]any{
-				{"read": false, "from_agent": "clotho", "subject": "msg1"},
-				{"read": false, "from_agent": "clotho", "subject": "msg2"},
-				{"read": false, "from_agent": "gemini", "subject": "msg3"},
+			"messages": []map[string]any{
+				{"read": false, "from": "clotho", "subject": "msg1"},
+				{"read": false, "from": "clotho", "subject": "msg2"},
+				{"read": false, "from": "gemini", "subject": "msg3"},
 			},
 		}
 		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
diff --git a/pkg/monitor/sync.go b/pkg/monitor/sync.go
index 4570eba..6c607bf 100644
--- a/pkg/monitor/sync.go
+++ b/pkg/monitor/sync.go
@@ -75,12 +75,11 @@ func (m *Subsystem) syncRepos() string {
 		return ""
 	}
 
-	// Update timestamp for next checkin
-	m.mu.Lock()
-	m.lastSyncTimestamp = checkin.Timestamp
-	m.mu.Unlock()
-
 	if len(checkin.Changed) == 0 {
+		// No changes — safe to advance timestamp
+		m.mu.Lock()
+		m.lastSyncTimestamp = checkin.Timestamp
+		m.mu.Unlock()
 		return ""
 	}
 
@@ -98,12 +97,22 @@ func (m *Subsystem) syncRepos() string {
 			continue
 		}
 
-		// Check if we're already on main and clean
+		// Check if on the default branch and clean
 		branchCmd := exec.Command("git", "rev-parse", "--abbrev-ref", "HEAD")
 		branchCmd.Dir = repoDir
-		branch, err := branchCmd.Output()
-		if err != nil || strings.TrimSpace(string(branch)) != "main" {
-			continue // Don't pull if not on main
+		currentBranch, err := branchCmd.Output()
+		if err != nil {
+			continue
+		}
+		current := strings.TrimSpace(string(currentBranch))
+
+		// Accept main or master (or whatever the repo reports)
+		expectedBranch := repo.Branch
+		if expectedBranch == "" {
+			expectedBranch = "main"
+		}
+		if current != expectedBranch && current != "main" && current != "master" {
+			continue // Don't pull if on a feature branch
 		}
 
 		statusCmd := exec.Command("git", "status", "--porcelain")
@@ -113,14 +122,20 @@ func (m *Subsystem) syncRepos() string {
 			continue // Don't pull if dirty
 		}
 
-		// Fast-forward pull
-		pullCmd := exec.Command("git", "pull", "--ff-only", "origin", "main")
+		// Fast-forward pull on whatever branch we're on
+		pullCmd := exec.Command("git", "pull", "--ff-only", "origin", current)
 		pullCmd.Dir = repoDir
 		if pullCmd.Run() == nil {
 			pulled = append(pulled, repo.Repo)
 		}
 	}
 
+	// Only advance timestamp after attempting pulls — missed repos
+	// will be retried on the next cycle
+	m.mu.Lock()
+	m.lastSyncTimestamp = checkin.Timestamp
+	m.mu.Unlock()
+
 	if len(pulled) == 0 {
 		return ""
 	}