diff --git a/pkg/agentic/paths.go b/pkg/agentic/paths.go
index 4047c9e..c058376 100644
--- a/pkg/agentic/paths.go
+++ b/pkg/agentic/paths.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ package agentic
 
 import (
 	"os"
+	"strings"
 	"path/filepath"
 )
 
@@ -27,3 +28,17 @@ func CoreRoot() string {
 func PlansRoot() string {
 	return filepath.Join(CoreRoot(), "plans")
 }
+
+// AgentName returns the name of this agent based on hostname.
+// Checks AGENT_NAME env var first.
+func AgentName() string {
+	if name := os.Getenv("AGENT_NAME"); name != "" {
+		return name
+	}
+	hostname, _ := os.Hostname()
+	h := strings.ToLower(hostname)
+	if strings.Contains(h, "snider") || strings.Contains(h, "studio") || strings.Contains(h, "mac") {
+		return "cladius"
+	}
+	return "charon"
+}
diff --git a/pkg/agentic/remote.go b/pkg/agentic/remote.go
index 4a0db97..8126476 100644
--- a/pkg/agentic/remote.go
+++ b/pkg/agentic/remote.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
+	coreio "forge.lthn.ai/core/go-io"
 	coreerr "forge.lthn.ai/core/go-log"
 	"github.com/modelcontextprotocol/go-sdk/mcp"
 )
@@ -193,8 +194,8 @@ func remoteToken(host string) string {
 		fmt.Sprintf("%s/.core/agent-token", home),
 	}
 	for _, f := range tokenFiles {
-		if data, err := os.ReadFile(f); err == nil {
-			return strings.TrimSpace(string(data))
+		if data, err := coreio.Local.Read(f); err == nil {
+			return strings.TrimSpace(data)
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/agentic/review_queue.go b/pkg/agentic/review_queue.go
index 53fde04..06e7009 100644
--- a/pkg/agentic/review_queue.go
+++ b/pkg/agentic/review_queue.go
@@ -242,12 +242,12 @@ func (s *PrepSubsystem) pushAndMerge(ctx context.Context, repoDir, repo string)
 	}
 
 	// Mark PR ready if draft
-	readyCmd := exec.CommandContext(ctx, "gh", "pr", "ready", "1")
+	readyCmd := exec.CommandContext(ctx, "gh", "pr", "ready", "--repo", "dAppCore/"+repo)
 	readyCmd.Dir = repoDir
 	readyCmd.Run() // Ignore error — might already be ready
 
 	// Try to merge
-	mergeCmd := exec.CommandContext(ctx, "gh", "pr", "merge", "1", "--merge", "--delete-branch")
+	mergeCmd := exec.CommandContext(ctx, "gh", "pr", "merge", "--merge", "--delete-branch")
 	mergeCmd.Dir = repoDir
 	if out, err := mergeCmd.CombinedOutput(); err != nil {
 		return coreerr.E("pushAndMerge", "merge failed: "+string(out), err)
diff --git a/pkg/agentic/verify.go b/pkg/agentic/verify.go
index 53250e6..ddb68df 100644
--- a/pkg/agentic/verify.go
+++ b/pkg/agentic/verify.go
@@ -341,6 +341,5 @@ func extractPRNumber(prURL string) int {
 
 // fileExists checks if a file exists.
 func fileExists(path string) bool {
-	data, err := coreio.Local.Read(path)
-	return err == nil && data != ""
+	return coreio.Local.IsFile(path)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/brain/direct.go b/pkg/brain/direct.go
index d7598eb..16140f8 100644
--- a/pkg/brain/direct.go
+++ b/pkg/brain/direct.go
@@ -14,22 +14,15 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
+	"forge.lthn.ai/core/agent/pkg/agentic"
 	coreio "forge.lthn.ai/core/go-io"
 	coreerr "forge.lthn.ai/core/go-log"
 	"github.com/modelcontextprotocol/go-sdk/mcp"
 )
 
-// agentName returns the identity of this agent from env or hostname.
+// agentName returns the identity of this agent.
 func agentName() string {
-	if name := os.Getenv("AGENT_NAME"); name != "" {
-		return name
-	}
-	hostname, _ := os.Hostname()
-	h := strings.ToLower(hostname)
-	if strings.Contains(h, "snider") || strings.Contains(h, "studio") || strings.Contains(h, "mac") {
-		return "cladius"
-	}
-	return "charon"
+	return agentic.AgentName()
 }
 
 // DirectSubsystem implements mcp.Subsystem for OpenBrain via direct HTTP calls.
diff --git a/pkg/brain/provider.go b/pkg/brain/provider.go
index 3dec757..1a02cb1 100644
--- a/pkg/brain/provider.go
+++ b/pkg/brain/provider.go
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-// SPDX-Licence-Identifier: EUPL-1.2
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: EUPL-1.2
 
 package brain
 
diff --git a/pkg/monitor/monitor.go b/pkg/monitor/monitor.go
index d4ced1f..8083df4 100644
--- a/pkg/monitor/monitor.go
+++ b/pkg/monitor/monitor.go
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@ import (
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
+	coreio "forge.lthn.ai/core/go-io"
+	"forge.lthn.ai/core/agent/pkg/agentic"
+
 	coreerr "forge.lthn.ai/core/go-log"
 	"github.com/modelcontextprotocol/go-sdk/mcp"
 )
@@ -169,7 +172,7 @@ func (m *Subsystem) check(ctx context.Context) {
 
 // checkCompletions scans workspace for newly completed agents.
 func (m *Subsystem) checkCompletions() string {
-	wsRoot := workspaceRoot()
+	wsRoot := agentic.WorkspaceRoot()
 	entries, err := filepath.Glob(filepath.Join(wsRoot, "*/status.json"))
 	if err != nil {
 		return ""
@@ -181,7 +184,7 @@ func (m *Subsystem) checkCompletions() string {
 	var recentlyCompleted []string
 
 	for _, entry := range entries {
-		data, err := os.ReadFile(entry)
+		data, err := coreio.Local.Read(entry)
 		if err != nil {
 			continue
 		}
@@ -190,7 +193,7 @@ func (m *Subsystem) checkCompletions() string {
 			Repo   string `json:"repo"`
 			Agent  string `json:"agent"`
 		}
-		if json.Unmarshal(data, &st) != nil {
+		if json.Unmarshal([]byte(data), &st) != nil {
 			continue
 		}
 
@@ -229,15 +232,15 @@ func (m *Subsystem) checkCompletions() string {
 func (m *Subsystem) checkInbox() string {
 	home, _ := os.UserHomeDir()
 	keyFile := filepath.Join(home, ".claude", "brain.key")
-	apiKey, err := os.ReadFile(keyFile)
+	apiKeyStr, err := coreio.Local.Read(keyFile)
 	if err != nil {
 		return ""
 	}
 
 	// Call the API to check inbox
 	cmd := exec.Command("curl", "-sf",
-		"-H", "Authorization: Bearer "+strings.TrimSpace(string(apiKey)),
-		"https://api.lthn.sh/v1/messages/inbox?agent="+agentName(),
+		"-H", "Authorization: Bearer "+strings.TrimSpace(apiKeyStr),
+		"https://api.lthn.sh/v1/messages/inbox?agent="+agentic.AgentName(),
 	)
 	out, err := cmd.Output()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -292,7 +295,7 @@ func (m *Subsystem) checkInbox() string {
 	if latestSubject != "" {
 		notify += fmt.Sprintf(" — \"%s\"", latestSubject)
 	}
-	os.WriteFile("/tmp/claude-inbox-notify", []byte(notify), 0644)
+	coreio.Local.Write("/tmp/claude-inbox-notify", notify)
 
 	return fmt.Sprintf("%d unread message(s) in inbox", unread)
 }
@@ -315,7 +318,7 @@ func (m *Subsystem) notify(ctx context.Context, message string) {
 
 // agentStatusResource returns current workspace status as a JSON resource.
 func (m *Subsystem) agentStatusResource(ctx context.Context, req *mcp.ReadResourceRequest) (*mcp.ReadResourceResult, error) {
-	wsRoot := workspaceRoot()
+	wsRoot := agentic.WorkspaceRoot()
 	entries, err := filepath.Glob(filepath.Join(wsRoot, "*/status.json"))
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, coreerr.E("monitor.agentStatus", "failed to scan workspaces", err)
@@ -331,7 +334,7 @@ func (m *Subsystem) agentStatusResource(ctx context.Context, req *mcp.ReadResour
 
 	var workspaces []wsInfo
 	for _, entry := range entries {
-		data, err := os.ReadFile(entry)
+		data, err := coreio.Local.Read(entry)
 		if err != nil {
 			continue
 		}
@@ -341,7 +344,7 @@ func (m *Subsystem) agentStatusResource(ctx context.Context, req *mcp.ReadResour
 			Agent  string `json:"agent"`
 			PRURL  string `json:"pr_url"`
 		}
-		if json.Unmarshal(data, &st) != nil {
+		if json.Unmarshal([]byte(data), &st) != nil {
 			continue
 		}
 		workspaces = append(workspaces, wsInfo{
@@ -365,22 +368,3 @@ func (m *Subsystem) agentStatusResource(ctx context.Context, req *mcp.ReadResour
 	}, nil
 }
 
-func workspaceRoot() string { 
-	if root := os.Getenv("CORE_WORKSPACE"); root != "" {
-		return filepath.Join(root, "workspace")
-	}
-	home, _ := os.UserHomeDir()
-	return filepath.Join(home, "Code", ".core", "workspace")
-}
-
-func agentName() string {
-	if name := os.Getenv("AGENT_NAME"); name != "" {
-		return name
-	}
-	hostname, _ := os.Hostname()
-	h := strings.ToLower(hostname)
-	if strings.Contains(h, "snider") || strings.Contains(h, "studio") || strings.Contains(h, "mac") {
-		return "cladius"
-	}
-	return "charon"
-}
diff --git a/pkg/monitor/sync.go b/pkg/monitor/sync.go
index 181824d..846ff45 100644
--- a/pkg/monitor/sync.go
+++ b/pkg/monitor/sync.go
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
+
+	"forge.lthn.ai/core/agent/pkg/agentic"
+	coreio "forge.lthn.ai/core/go-io"
 )
 
 // CheckinResponse is what the API returns for an agent checkin.
@@ -36,7 +39,7 @@ func (m *Subsystem) syncRepos() string {
 		apiURL = "https://api.lthn.sh"
 	}
 
-	agentName := agentName()
+	agentName := agentic.AgentName()
 
 	url := fmt.Sprintf("%s/v1/agent/checkin?agent=%s&since=%d", apiURL, agentName, m.lastSyncTimestamp)
 
@@ -49,8 +52,8 @@ func (m *Subsystem) syncRepos() string {
 	brainKey := os.Getenv("CORE_BRAIN_KEY")
 	if brainKey == "" {
 		home, _ := os.UserHomeDir()
-		if data, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(home, ".claude", "brain.key")); err == nil {
-			brainKey = strings.TrimSpace(string(data))
+		if data, err := coreio.Local.Read(filepath.Join(home, ".claude", "brain.key")); err == nil {
+			brainKey = strings.TrimSpace(data)
 		}
 	}
 	if brainKey != "" {