diff --git a/server/src/agents/pool/start/spawn.rs b/server/src/agents/pool/start/spawn.rs
index 1dffc363..b53d471e 100644
--- a/server/src/agents/pool/start/spawn.rs
+++ b/server/src/agents/pool/start/spawn.rs
@@ -267,11 +267,13 @@ pub(super) async fn run_agent_spawn(
             // resumed session has a deferred-tool marker. Watchdog-killed
             // sessions don't have one, so an empty -p aborts the CLI with
             // "No deferred tool marker found... Provide a prompt to continue
-            // the conversation." We default to a brief "continue from
-            // PLAN.md" message when no gate-failure context was provided.
+            // the conversation." When resume succeeds, the agent already has
+            // its full prior conversation restored (no need to point at
+            // PLAN.md — that's the cold-start orientation path). A brief
+            // "continue" nudge is all the CLI needs.
             let resume_msg = resume_context_owned.filter(|s| !s.is_empty()).unwrap_or_else(
                 || {
-                    "Continue from your prior session. Read PLAN.md for your current state and pick up where you left off.".to_string()
+                    "Continue your prior work.".to_string()
                 },
             );
             (resume_msg, Some(fallback))