diff --git a/pkg/agentic/actions.go b/pkg/agentic/actions.go
index 6f6bd6b..463896b 100644
--- a/pkg/agentic/actions.go
+++ b/pkg/agentic/actions.go
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ func (s *PrepSubsystem) handleQA(ctx context.Context, opts core.Options) core.Re
 		if st, err := ReadStatus(wsDir); err == nil {
 			st.Status = "failed"
 			st.Question = "QA check failed — build or tests did not pass"
-			writeStatus(wsDir, st)
+			writeStatusResult(wsDir, st)
 		}
 	}
 	// Emit QA result for observability (monitor picks this up)
diff --git a/pkg/agentic/auto_pr.go b/pkg/agentic/auto_pr.go
index 51f3cf4..29991b8 100644
--- a/pkg/agentic/auto_pr.go
+++ b/pkg/agentic/auto_pr.go
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ func (s *PrepSubsystem) autoCreatePR(wsDir string) {
 	if !process.RunIn(ctx, repoDir, "git", "push", forgeRemote, st.Branch).OK {
 		if st2, err := ReadStatus(wsDir); err == nil {
 			st2.Question = "PR push failed"
-			writeStatus(wsDir, st2)
+			writeStatusResult(wsDir, st2)
 		}
 		return
 	}
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ func (s *PrepSubsystem) autoCreatePR(wsDir string) {
 	if err != nil {
 		if st2, err := ReadStatus(wsDir); err == nil {
 			st2.Question = core.Sprintf("PR creation failed: %v", err)
-			writeStatus(wsDir, st2)
+			writeStatusResult(wsDir, st2)
 		}
 		return
 	}
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ func (s *PrepSubsystem) autoCreatePR(wsDir string) {
 	// Update status with PR URL
 	if st2, err := ReadStatus(wsDir); err == nil {
 		st2.PRURL = prURL
-		writeStatus(wsDir, st2)
+		writeStatusResult(wsDir, st2)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/agentic/dispatch.go b/pkg/agentic/dispatch.go
index 0a16405..d208606 100644
--- a/pkg/agentic/dispatch.go
+++ b/pkg/agentic/dispatch.go
@@ -358,7 +358,7 @@ func (s *PrepSubsystem) onAgentComplete(agent, wsDir, outputFile string, exitCod
 		st.Status = finalStatus
 		st.PID = 0
 		st.Question = question
-		writeStatus(wsDir, st)
+		writeStatusResult(wsDir, st)
 		s.TrackWorkspace(WorkspaceName(wsDir), st)
 	}
 
@@ -580,7 +580,7 @@ func (s *PrepSubsystem) dispatch(ctx context.Context, req *mcp.CallToolRequest,
 				StartedAt: time.Now(),
 				Runs:      0,
 			}
-			writeStatus(wsDir, st)
+			writeStatusResult(wsDir, st)
 			if runnerSvc, ok := core.ServiceFor[workspaceTracker](s.Core(), "runner"); ok {
 				runnerSvc.TrackWorkspace(WorkspaceName(wsDir), st)
 			}
@@ -612,7 +612,7 @@ func (s *PrepSubsystem) dispatch(ctx context.Context, req *mcp.CallToolRequest,
 		StartedAt: time.Now(),
 		Runs:      1,
 	}
-	writeStatus(wsDir, st)
+	writeStatusResult(wsDir, st)
 	// Track in runner's registry (runner owns workspace state)
 	if s.ServiceRuntime != nil {
 		if runnerSvc, ok := core.ServiceFor[workspaceTracker](s.Core(), "runner"); ok {
diff --git a/pkg/agentic/handlers.go b/pkg/agentic/handlers.go
index 88be7a9..06ca30b 100644
--- a/pkg/agentic/handlers.go
+++ b/pkg/agentic/handlers.go
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ func (s *PrepSubsystem) HandleIPCEvents(c *core.Core, msg core.Message) core.Res
 		if st, serr := ReadStatus(wsDir); serr == nil {
 			st.PID = pid
 			st.ProcessID = processID
-			writeStatus(wsDir, st)
+			writeStatusResult(wsDir, st)
 			if runnerSvc, ok := core.ServiceFor[workspaceTracker](c, "runner"); ok {
 				runnerSvc.TrackWorkspace(WorkspaceName(wsDir), st)
 			}
diff --git a/pkg/agentic/plan.go b/pkg/agentic/plan.go
index a705d49..7a299f8 100644
--- a/pkg/agentic/plan.go
+++ b/pkg/agentic/plan.go
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import (
 // Plan represents an implementation plan for agent work.
 //
 //	plan := &Plan{ID: "id-1-a3f2b1", Title: "Migrate Core", Status: "draft", Objective: "..."}
-//	writePlan(PlansRoot(), plan)
+//	r := writePlanResult(PlansRoot(), plan)
 type Plan struct {
 	ID        string    `json:"id"`
 	Title     string    `json:"title"`
diff --git a/pkg/agentic/pr.go b/pkg/agentic/pr.go
index 5747094..3e36ecc 100644
--- a/pkg/agentic/pr.go
+++ b/pkg/agentic/pr.go
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ func (s *PrepSubsystem) createPR(ctx context.Context, _ *mcp.CallToolRequest, in
 
 	// Update status with PR URL
 	st.PRURL = prURL
-	writeStatus(wsDir, st)
+	writeStatusResult(wsDir, st)
 
 	// Comment on issue if tracked
 	if st.Issue > 0 {
diff --git a/pkg/agentic/queue.go b/pkg/agentic/queue.go
index 3ac3f66..7d5e1ee 100644
--- a/pkg/agentic/queue.go
+++ b/pkg/agentic/queue.go
@@ -363,7 +363,7 @@ func (s *PrepSubsystem) drainOne() bool {
 		st.PID = pid
 		st.ProcessID = processID
 		st.Runs++
-		writeStatus(wsDir, st)
+		writeStatusResult(wsDir, st)
 		s.TrackWorkspace(WorkspaceName(wsDir), st)
 
 		return true
diff --git a/pkg/agentic/resume.go b/pkg/agentic/resume.go
index 5042409..77b0a95 100644
--- a/pkg/agentic/resume.go
+++ b/pkg/agentic/resume.go
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ func (s *PrepSubsystem) resume(ctx context.Context, _ *mcp.CallToolRequest, inpu
 	st.ProcessID = processID
 	st.Runs++
 	st.Question = ""
-	writeStatus(wsDir, st)
+	writeStatusResult(wsDir, st)
 
 	return nil, ResumeOutput{
 		Success:    true,
diff --git a/pkg/agentic/status.go b/pkg/agentic/status.go
index c789674..a213e34 100644
--- a/pkg/agentic/status.go
+++ b/pkg/agentic/status.go
@@ -26,8 +26,8 @@ import (
 
 // WorkspaceStatus represents the current state of an agent workspace.
 //
-//	st, err := ReadStatus(wsDir)
-//	if err == nil && st.Status == "completed" { autoCreatePR(wsDir) }
+//	r := ReadStatusResult(wsDir)
+//	if r.OK && r.Value.(*WorkspaceStatus).Status == "completed" { autoCreatePR(wsDir) }
 type WorkspaceStatus struct {
 	Status    string    `json:"status"`               // running, completed, blocked, failed
 	Agent     string    `json:"agent"`                // gemini, claude, codex
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ func (s *PrepSubsystem) status(ctx context.Context, _ *mcp.CallToolRequest, inpu
 						st.Status = "completed"
 					}
 				}
-				writeStatus(wsDir, st)
+				writeStatusResult(wsDir, st)
 			}
 		}
 
diff --git a/pkg/agentic/verify.go b/pkg/agentic/verify.go
index 6615bf1..b6ee261 100644
--- a/pkg/agentic/verify.go
+++ b/pkg/agentic/verify.go
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ func (s *PrepSubsystem) autoVerifyAndMerge(wsDir string) {
 	markMerged := func() {
 		if st2, err := ReadStatus(wsDir); err == nil {
 			st2.Status = "merged"
-			writeStatus(wsDir, st2)
+			writeStatusResult(wsDir, st2)
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ func (s *PrepSubsystem) autoVerifyAndMerge(wsDir string) {
 
 	if st2, err := ReadStatus(wsDir); err == nil {
 		st2.Question = "Flagged for review — auto-merge failed after retry"
-		writeStatus(wsDir, st2)
+		writeStatusResult(wsDir, st2)
 	}
 }