diff --git a/server/src/agent_log/format.rs b/server/src/agent_log/format.rs
index 428a2bce..e38a46e4 100644
--- a/server/src/agent_log/format.rs
+++ b/server/src/agent_log/format.rs
@@ -104,9 +104,19 @@ pub fn format_log_entry_as_text(timestamp: &str, event: &serde_json::Value) -> O
                                 None => String::new(),
                             };
                             let display = if content_str.len() > 500 {
+                                // Walk back to the nearest char boundary so we
+                                // don't panic when the 500-byte mark lands
+                                // inside a multi-byte UTF-8 codepoint (e.g.
+                                // box-drawing chars like '─', smart quotes,
+                                // emoji). `is_char_boundary(len)` is always
+                                // true so the loop terminates.
+                                let mut end = 500;
+                                while !content_str.is_char_boundary(end) {
+                                    end -= 1;
+                                }
                                 format!(
                                     "{}... [{} chars total]",
-                                    &content_str[..500],
+                                    &content_str[..end],
                                     content_str.len()
                                 )
                             } else {
@@ -129,3 +139,42 @@ pub fn format_log_entry_as_text(timestamp: &str, event: &serde_json::Value) -> O
         _ => None,
     }
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use serde_json::json;
+
+    /// Regression: a tool_result whose content is >500 bytes AND has a
+    /// multi-byte UTF-8 codepoint straddling byte 500 must not panic.
+    /// Previously `&content_str[..500]` would slice mid-codepoint and crash
+    /// the get_agent_output MCP tool.
+    #[test]
+    fn tool_result_truncation_handles_multibyte_at_boundary() {
+        // 498 ASCII filler + a 3-byte '─' (U+2500) starting at byte 499 +
+        // 100 more ASCII chars.  The naive `..500` slice would land inside
+        // the box-drawing char and panic.
+        let mut content = "a".repeat(499);
+        content.push('─');
+        content.push_str(&"b".repeat(100));
+        assert!(content.len() > 500);
+        assert!(!content.is_char_boundary(500));
+
+        let event = json!({
+            "type": "agent_json",
+            "agent_name": "coder-1",
+            "data": {
+                "type": "user",
+                "message": {
+                    "content": [{ "type": "tool_result", "content": content }]
+                }
+            }
+        });
+
+        let out = format_log_entry_as_text("2026-05-12T15:30:00.000000Z", &event);
+        assert!(out.is_some(), "tool_result must format without panicking");
+        let s = out.unwrap();
+        assert!(s.contains("RESULT:"));
+        assert!(s.contains("chars total"));
+    }
+}