diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 6d203d1..2365340 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -2,3 +2,7 @@
 .core/
 docker/.env
 ui/node_modules
+# Compiled binaries
+core-agent
+mcp
+*.exe
diff --git a/core-agent b/core-agent
deleted file mode 100755
index 507cea5..0000000
Binary files a/core-agent and /dev/null differ
diff --git a/mcp b/mcp
deleted file mode 100755
index 45e154d..0000000
Binary files a/mcp and /dev/null differ
diff --git a/pkg/agentic/events.go b/pkg/agentic/events.go
index ac8d329..57c2273 100644
--- a/pkg/agentic/events.go
+++ b/pkg/agentic/events.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ package agentic
 
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
-	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"time"
 
@@ -24,12 +23,7 @@ type CompletionEvent struct {
 // emitCompletionEvent appends a completion event to the events log.
 // The plugin's hook watches this file to notify the orchestrating agent.
 func emitCompletionEvent(agent, workspace string) {
-	home, err := os.UserHomeDir()
-	if err != nil {
-		return
-	}
-
-	eventsFile := filepath.Join(home, "Code", "host-uk", "core", ".core", "workspace", "events.jsonl")
+	eventsFile := filepath.Join(WorkspaceRoot(), "events.jsonl")
 
 	event := CompletionEvent{
 		Type:      "agent_completed",
diff --git a/pkg/agentic/paths.go b/pkg/agentic/paths.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4047c9e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/agentic/paths.go
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: EUPL-1.2
+
+package agentic
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+)
+
+// WorkspaceRoot returns the root directory for agent workspaces.
+// Checks CORE_WORKSPACE env var first, falls back to ~/Code/.core/workspace.
+func WorkspaceRoot() string {
+	return filepath.Join(CoreRoot(), "workspace")
+}
+
+// CoreRoot returns the root directory for core ecosystem files.
+// Checks CORE_WORKSPACE env var first, falls back to ~/Code/.core.
+func CoreRoot() string {
+	if root := os.Getenv("CORE_WORKSPACE"); root != "" {
+		return root
+	}
+	home, _ := os.UserHomeDir()
+	return filepath.Join(home, "Code", ".core")
+}
+
+// PlansRoot returns the root directory for agent plans.
+func PlansRoot() string {
+	return filepath.Join(CoreRoot(), "plans")
+}
diff --git a/pkg/agentic/plan.go b/pkg/agentic/plan.go
index cf4cf4e..4155768 100644
--- a/pkg/agentic/plan.go
+++ b/pkg/agentic/plan.go
@@ -313,8 +313,7 @@ func (s *PrepSubsystem) planList(_ context.Context, _ *mcp.CallToolRequest, inpu
 // --- Helpers ---
 
 func (s *PrepSubsystem) plansDir() string {
-	home, _ := os.UserHomeDir()
-	return filepath.Join(home, "Code", "host-uk", "core", ".core", "plans")
+	return PlansRoot()
 }
 
 func planPath(dir, id string) string {
diff --git a/pkg/agentic/pr.go b/pkg/agentic/pr.go
index e200de6..d4f8d9d 100644
--- a/pkg/agentic/pr.go
+++ b/pkg/agentic/pr.go
@@ -54,8 +54,7 @@ func (s *PrepSubsystem) createPR(ctx context.Context, _ *mcp.CallToolRequest, in
 		return nil, CreatePROutput{}, coreerr.E("createPR", "no Forge token configured", nil)
 	}
 
-	home, _ := os.UserHomeDir()
-	wsDir := filepath.Join(home, "Code", "host-uk", "core", ".core", "workspace", input.Workspace)
+	wsDir := filepath.Join(WorkspaceRoot(), input.Workspace)
 	srcDir := filepath.Join(wsDir, "src")
 
 	if _, err := os.Stat(srcDir); err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/agentic/prep.go b/pkg/agentic/prep.go
index d9cac80..2e747a0 100644
--- a/pkg/agentic/prep.go
+++ b/pkg/agentic/prep.go
@@ -58,13 +58,13 @@ func NewPrep() *PrepSubsystem {
 	}
 
 	return &PrepSubsystem{
-		forgeURL:    envOr("FORGE_URL", "https://forge.lthn.ai"),
-		forgeToken:  forgeToken,
-		brainURL:    envOr("CORE_BRAIN_URL", "https://api.lthn.sh"),
-		brainKey:    brainKey,
-		specsPath:   envOr("SPECS_PATH", filepath.Join(home, "Code", "host-uk", "specs")),
-		codePath:    envOr("CODE_PATH", filepath.Join(home, "Code")),
-		client: &http.Client{Timeout: 30 * time.Second},
+		forgeURL:   envOr("FORGE_URL", "https://forge.lthn.ai"),
+		forgeToken: forgeToken,
+		brainURL:   envOr("CORE_BRAIN_URL", "https://api.lthn.sh"),
+		brainKey:   brainKey,
+		specsPath:  envOr("SPECS_PATH", filepath.Join(home, "Code", "specs")),
+		codePath:   envOr("CODE_PATH", filepath.Join(home, "Code")),
+		client:     &http.Client{Timeout: 30 * time.Second},
 	}
 }
 
@@ -152,8 +152,7 @@ func (s *PrepSubsystem) prepWorkspace(ctx context.Context, _ *mcp.CallToolReques
 	}
 
 	// Workspace root: .core/workspace/{repo}-{timestamp}/
-	home, _ := os.UserHomeDir()
-	wsRoot := filepath.Join(home, "Code", "host-uk", "core", ".core", "workspace")
+	wsRoot := WorkspaceRoot()
 	wsName := fmt.Sprintf("%s-%d", input.Repo, time.Now().Unix())
 	wsDir := filepath.Join(wsRoot, wsName)
 
diff --git a/pkg/agentic/queue.go b/pkg/agentic/queue.go
index c3cb4d7..a5d4547 100644
--- a/pkg/agentic/queue.go
+++ b/pkg/agentic/queue.go
@@ -104,8 +104,7 @@ func (s *PrepSubsystem) delayForAgent(agent string) time.Duration {
 
 // countRunningByAgent counts running workspaces for a specific agent type.
 func (s *PrepSubsystem) countRunningByAgent(agent string) int {
-	home, _ := os.UserHomeDir()
-	wsRoot := filepath.Join(home, "Code", "host-uk", "core", ".core", "workspace")
+	wsRoot := WorkspaceRoot()
 
 	entries, err := os.ReadDir(wsRoot)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -163,8 +162,7 @@ func (s *PrepSubsystem) canDispatch() bool {
 // drainQueue finds the oldest queued workspace and spawns it if a slot is available.
 // Applies rate-based delay between spawns.
 func (s *PrepSubsystem) drainQueue() {
-	home, _ := os.UserHomeDir()
-	wsRoot := filepath.Join(home, "Code", "host-uk", "core", ".core", "workspace")
+	wsRoot := WorkspaceRoot()
 
 	entries, err := os.ReadDir(wsRoot)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/agentic/resume.go b/pkg/agentic/resume.go
index fa0f8cd..471474f 100644
--- a/pkg/agentic/resume.go
+++ b/pkg/agentic/resume.go
@@ -43,8 +43,7 @@ func (s *PrepSubsystem) resume(ctx context.Context, _ *mcp.CallToolRequest, inpu
 		return nil, ResumeOutput{}, coreerr.E("resume", "workspace is required", nil)
 	}
 
-	home, _ := os.UserHomeDir()
-	wsDir := filepath.Join(home, "Code", "host-uk", "core", ".core", "workspace", input.Workspace)
+	wsDir := filepath.Join(WorkspaceRoot(), input.Workspace)
 	srcDir := filepath.Join(wsDir, "src")
 
 	// Verify workspace exists
diff --git a/pkg/agentic/status.go b/pkg/agentic/status.go
index 9e396f3..dbe87ce 100644
--- a/pkg/agentic/status.go
+++ b/pkg/agentic/status.go
@@ -97,8 +97,7 @@ func (s *PrepSubsystem) registerStatusTool(server *mcp.Server) {
 }
 
 func (s *PrepSubsystem) status(ctx context.Context, _ *mcp.CallToolRequest, input StatusInput) (*mcp.CallToolResult, StatusOutput, error) {
-	home, _ := os.UserHomeDir()
-	wsRoot := filepath.Join(home, "Code", "host-uk", "core", ".core", "workspace")
+	wsRoot := WorkspaceRoot()
 
 	entries, err := os.ReadDir(wsRoot)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/agentic/watch.go b/pkg/agentic/watch.go
index b9a7a52..eb34faa 100644
--- a/pkg/agentic/watch.go
+++ b/pkg/agentic/watch.go
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ package agentic
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
-	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"time"
 
@@ -196,6 +195,5 @@ func (s *PrepSubsystem) resolveWorkspaceDir(name string) string {
 
 // workspaceRoot returns the root directory for agent workspaces.
 func (s *PrepSubsystem) workspaceRoot() string {
-	home, _ := os.UserHomeDir()
-	return filepath.Join(home, "Code", "host-uk", "core", ".core", "workspace")
+	return WorkspaceRoot()
 }
diff --git a/pkg/monitor/monitor.go b/pkg/monitor/monitor.go
index c69337b..4e3089d 100644
--- a/pkg/monitor/monitor.go
+++ b/pkg/monitor/monitor.go
@@ -366,8 +366,11 @@ func (m *Subsystem) agentStatusResource(ctx context.Context, req *mcp.ReadResour
 }
 
 func workspaceRoot() string {
+	if root := os.Getenv("CORE_WORKSPACE"); root != "" {
+		return filepath.Join(root, "workspace")
+	}
 	home, _ := os.UserHomeDir()
-	return filepath.Join(home, "Code", "host-uk", "core", ".core", "workspace")
+	return filepath.Join(home, "Code", ".core", "workspace")
 }
 
 func agentName() string {