diff --git a/src/workspaces/context-injector.spec.ts b/src/workspaces/context-injector.spec.ts
index 52e42f118..f86578f49 100644
--- a/src/workspaces/context-injector.spec.ts
+++ b/src/workspaces/context-injector.spec.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
 
 import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
 
-import { defaultPath } from '@/core/paths.js';
+import { dataPath, defaultPath } from '@/core/paths.js';
 
 import { injectWorkspaceContext } from './context-injector.js';
 import type { TemplateMeta } from './template-registry.js';
@@ -74,10 +74,15 @@ describe('injectWorkspaceContext — MCP', () => {
 });
 
 describe('injectWorkspaceContext — persona', () => {
-  it('composes persona + separator + template CLAUDE.md into CLAUDE.md and AGENTS.md', async () => {
-    const persona = await readFile(defaultPath('persona.default.md'), 'utf8');
-    const templateMd = await readFile(join(CHAT_FILES, 'CLAUDE.md'), 'utf8');
-    const expected = `${persona}\n\n---\n\n${templateMd}`;
+  it('composes persona + separator + template instruction into CLAUDE.md and AGENTS.md', async () => {
+    // Mirror the injector's persona precedence: a live data/brain/persona.md
+    // override wins over the shipped default.
+    const personaPath = existsSync(dataPath('brain', 'persona.md'))
+      ? dataPath('brain', 'persona.md')
+      : defaultPath('persona.default.md');
+    const persona = await readFile(personaPath, 'utf8');
+    const instruction = await readFile(join(CHAT_FILES, 'instruction.md'), 'utf8');
+    const expected = `${persona}\n\n---\n\n${instruction}`;
 
     await injectWorkspaceContext({
       template: makeTemplate({ injectPersona: true, filesDir: CHAT_FILES }),
diff --git a/src/workspaces/context-injector.ts b/src/workspaces/context-injector.ts
index 23138732f..de7f55778 100644
--- a/src/workspaces/context-injector.ts
+++ b/src/workspaces/context-injector.ts
@@ -52,13 +52,16 @@ export async function injectWorkspaceContext(opts: {
   }
 
   if (template.injectPersona) {
-    // Compose `persona + "\n\n---\n\n" + <template>/CLAUDE.md`, byte-identical
-    // to the old `compose_persona_claude_md`. A template that asks for persona
-    // injection but ships no CLAUDE.md is a misconfiguration — let the readFile
-    // throw so the create fails loudly (matches the old `exit 4`).
+    // One neutral instruction source (`<template>/instruction.md`), composed
+    // with the persona, then written byte-identically to BOTH CLAUDE.md (Claude
+    // Code's filename) and AGENTS.md (Codex's). The CLIs disagree on the
+    // filename; we don't pick a side — we copy to each at injection. A template
+    // that asks for persona injection but ships no instruction.md is a
+    // misconfiguration — let the readFile throw so the create fails loudly
+    // (matches the old `compose_persona_claude_md` exit 4).
     const persona = await resolvePersona();
-    const templateMd = await readFile(join(template.filesDir, 'CLAUDE.md'), 'utf8');
-    const composed = persona !== null ? `${persona}\n\n---\n\n${templateMd}` : templateMd;
+    const instruction = await readFile(join(template.filesDir, 'instruction.md'), 'utf8');
+    const composed = persona !== null ? `${persona}\n\n---\n\n${instruction}` : instruction;
     await writeWorkspaceFile(dir, 'CLAUDE.md', composed);
     await writeWorkspaceFile(dir, 'AGENTS.md', composed);
   }
diff --git a/src/workspaces/template-registry.ts b/src/workspaces/template-registry.ts
index 2592588f2..81db2ec18 100644
--- a/src/workspaces/template-registry.ts
+++ b/src/workspaces/template-registry.ts
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ export interface TemplateMeta {
    * Launcher-owned context injection, post-bootstrap, gated per template
    * (defaults preserve each template's pre-standardization behavior):
    *   injectMcp     — write the standard OpenAlice `.mcp.json`
-   *   injectPersona — compose Alice persona + this template's CLAUDE.md
+   *   injectPersona — compose Alice persona + this template's instruction.md
    *                   into CLAUDE.md / AGENTS.md
    *   bundledSkills — names under `default/skills/` to copy into the
    *                   workspace's `.claude/skills` + `.agents/skills`
diff --git a/src/workspaces/templates/chat/files/CLAUDE.md b/src/workspaces/templates/chat/files/instruction.md
similarity index 59%
rename from src/workspaces/templates/chat/files/CLAUDE.md
rename to src/workspaces/templates/chat/files/instruction.md
index a87c3f73a..d86894133 100644
--- a/src/workspaces/templates/chat/files/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/src/workspaces/templates/chat/files/instruction.md
@@ -14,3 +14,12 @@ To verify the wiring on first attach:
 Otherwise, use this workspace however you like. The CWD is its own git
 repo (commits stay local), and any files you create or edit are scoped
 to this workspace.
+
+## Handing work back to the user
+
+This workspace has an outbound channel to the user's Inbox (`inbox_push`).
+When you finish something the user should see — a shortlist, a thesis, a
+rotation snapshot, a decision you reached — push it to their inbox: the
+file(s) you produced plus a short note on what it is and why it matters.
+Don't make them come looking in the workspace; surface the result. (One-way
+for now — they read the inbox; they don't reply through it.)
diff --git a/src/workspaces/templates/finance-research/files/CLAUDE.md b/src/workspaces/templates/finance-research/files/instruction.md
similarity index 100%
rename from src/workspaces/templates/finance-research/files/CLAUDE.md
rename to src/workspaces/templates/finance-research/files/instruction.md