diff --git a/frontend/src/components/Chat.tsx b/frontend/src/components/Chat.tsx
index 410dfed..6c765c8 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/Chat.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/Chat.tsx
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ import * as React from "react";
 import Markdown from "react-markdown";
 import { Prism as SyntaxHighlighter } from "react-syntax-highlighter";
 import { oneDark } from "react-syntax-highlighter/dist/esm/styles/prism";
+import type { AgentConfigInfo } from "../api/agents";
+import { agentsApi } from "../api/agents";
 import type { PipelineState } from "../api/client";
 import { api, ChatWebSocket } from "../api/client";
 import { useChatHistory } from "../hooks/useChatHistory";
@@ -202,6 +204,7 @@ export function Chat({ projectPath, onCloseProject }: ChatProps) {
 	const [agentConfigVersion, setAgentConfigVersion] = useState(0);
 	const [agentStateVersion, setAgentStateVersion] = useState(0);
 	const [pipelineVersion, setPipelineVersion] = useState(0);
+	const [agentRoster, setAgentRoster] = useState<AgentConfigInfo[]>([]);
 	const [storyTokenCosts, setStoryTokenCosts] = useState<Map<string, number>>(
 		new Map(),
 	);
@@ -237,6 +240,26 @@ export function Chat({ projectPath, onCloseProject }: ChatProps) {
 	const userScrolledUpRef = useRef(false);
 	const pendingMessageRef = useRef<string>("");
 
+	// Agents currently running or pending across all pipeline stages.
+	const busyAgentNames = useMemo(() => {
+		const busy = new Set<string>();
+		const allItems = [
+			...pipeline.backlog,
+			...pipeline.current,
+			...pipeline.qa,
+			...pipeline.merge,
+		];
+		for (const item of allItems) {
+			if (
+				item.agent &&
+				(item.agent.status === "running" || item.agent.status === "pending")
+			) {
+				busy.add(item.agent.agent_name);
+			}
+		}
+		return busy;
+	}, [pipeline]);
+
 	const contextUsage = useMemo(() => {
 		let totalTokens = 0;
 		totalTokens += 200;
@@ -504,6 +527,27 @@ export function Chat({ projectPath, onCloseProject }: ChatProps) {
 		return () => window.removeEventListener("resize", handleResize);
 	}, []);
 
+	// Fetch agent roster whenever the config changes so the start button knows available agents.
+	useEffect(() => {
+		agentsApi
+			.getAgentConfig()
+			.then(setAgentRoster)
+			.catch(() => {
+				// Silently ignore — roster unavailable.
+			});
+	}, [agentConfigVersion]);
+
+	const handleStartAgent = useCallback(
+		async (storyId: string, agentName?: string) => {
+			try {
+				await agentsApi.startAgent(storyId, agentName);
+			} catch (err) {
+				console.error("Failed to start agent:", err);
+			}
+		},
+		[],
+	);
+
 	const cancelGeneration = async () => {
 		// Preserve queued messages by appending them to the chat input box
 		if (queuedMessagesRef.current.length > 0) {
@@ -1051,12 +1095,18 @@ export function Chat({ projectPath, onCloseProject }: ChatProps) {
 									items={pipeline.current}
 									costs={storyTokenCosts}
 									onItemClick={(item) => setSelectedWorkItemId(item.story_id)}
+									agentRoster={agentRoster}
+									busyAgentNames={busyAgentNames}
+									onStartAgent={handleStartAgent}
 								/>
 								<StagePanel
 									title="Backlog"
 									items={pipeline.backlog}
 									costs={storyTokenCosts}
 									onItemClick={(item) => setSelectedWorkItemId(item.story_id)}
+									agentRoster={agentRoster}
+									busyAgentNames={busyAgentNames}
+									onStartAgent={handleStartAgent}
 								/>
 								<ServerLogsPanel logs={serverLogs} />
 							</>
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/StagePanel.tsx b/frontend/src/components/StagePanel.tsx
index 91ae51a..d0b7766 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/StagePanel.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/StagePanel.tsx
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 import * as React from "react";
+import type { AgentConfigInfo } from "../api/agents";
 import type { AgentAssignment, PipelineStageItem } from "../api/client";
 import { useLozengeFly } from "./LozengeFlyContext";
 
-const { useLayoutEffect, useRef } = React;
+const { useLayoutEffect, useRef, useState } = React;
 
 type WorkItemType = "story" | "bug" | "spike" | "refactor" | "unknown";
 
@@ -44,6 +45,12 @@ interface StagePanelProps {
 	onItemClick?: (item: PipelineStageItem) => void;
 	/** Map of story_id → total_cost_usd for displaying cost badges. */
 	costs?: Map<string, number>;
+	/** Agent roster to populate the start agent dropdown. */
+	agentRoster?: AgentConfigInfo[];
+	/** Names of agents currently running/pending (busy). */
+	busyAgentNames?: Set<string>;
+	/** Called when the user requests to start an agent on a story. */
+	onStartAgent?: (storyId: string, agentName?: string) => void;
 }
 
 function AgentLozenge({
@@ -125,13 +132,108 @@ function AgentLozenge({
 	);
 }
 
+function StartAgentControl({
+	storyId,
+	agentRoster,
+	busyAgentNames,
+	onStartAgent,
+}: {
+	storyId: string;
+	agentRoster: AgentConfigInfo[];
+	busyAgentNames: Set<string>;
+	onStartAgent: (storyId: string, agentName?: string) => void;
+}) {
+	const [selectedAgent, setSelectedAgent] = useState<string>("");
+
+	const allBusy =
+		agentRoster.length > 0 &&
+		agentRoster.every((a) => busyAgentNames.has(a.name));
+
+	const handleStart = (e: React.MouseEvent) => {
+		e.stopPropagation();
+		onStartAgent(storyId, selectedAgent || undefined);
+	};
+
+	const handleSelectChange = (e: React.ChangeEvent<HTMLSelectElement>) => {
+		e.stopPropagation();
+		setSelectedAgent(e.target.value);
+	};
+
+	return (
+		<div
+			style={{
+				display: "flex",
+				gap: "4px",
+				marginTop: "6px",
+				alignItems: "center",
+			}}
+		>
+			{agentRoster.length > 1 && (
+				<select
+					value={selectedAgent}
+					onChange={handleSelectChange}
+					disabled={allBusy}
+					data-testid={`start-agent-select-${storyId}`}
+					style={{
+						background: "#2a2a2a",
+						color: allBusy ? "#555" : "#ccc",
+						border: "1px solid #444",
+						borderRadius: "5px",
+						padding: "2px 4px",
+						fontSize: "0.75em",
+						cursor: allBusy ? "not-allowed" : "pointer",
+						flex: 1,
+						minWidth: 0,
+					}}
+				>
+					<option value="">Default agent</option>
+					{agentRoster.map((a) => (
+						<option key={a.name} value={a.name}>
+							{a.name}
+						</option>
+					))}
+				</select>
+			)}
+			<button
+				type="button"
+				onClick={handleStart}
+				disabled={allBusy}
+				data-testid={`start-agent-btn-${storyId}`}
+				title={allBusy ? "All agents are busy" : "Start a coder on this story"}
+				style={{
+					background: allBusy ? "#1a1a1a" : "#1a3a1a",
+					color: allBusy ? "#555" : "#3fb950",
+					border: `1px solid ${allBusy ? "#333" : "#2a5a2a"}`,
+					borderRadius: "5px",
+					padding: "2px 8px",
+					fontSize: "0.75em",
+					fontWeight: 600,
+					cursor: allBusy ? "not-allowed" : "pointer",
+					whiteSpace: "nowrap",
+					flexShrink: 0,
+				}}
+			>
+				▶ Start
+			</button>
+		</div>
+	);
+}
+
 export function StagePanel({
 	title,
 	items,
 	emptyMessage = "Empty.",
 	onItemClick,
 	costs,
+	agentRoster,
+	busyAgentNames,
+	onStartAgent,
 }: StagePanelProps) {
+	const showStartButton =
+		Boolean(onStartAgent) &&
+		agentRoster !== undefined &&
+		agentRoster.length > 0;
+
 	return (
 		<div
 			style={{
@@ -201,6 +303,10 @@ export function StagePanel({
 							font: "inherit",
 							cursor: onItemClick ? "pointer" : "default",
 						};
+
+						// Only offer "Start" when the item has no assigned agent
+						const canStart = showStartButton && !item.agent;
+
 						const cardInner = (
 							<>
 								<div style={{ flex: 1 }}>
@@ -287,6 +393,14 @@ export function StagePanel({
 								{item.agent && (
 									<AgentLozenge agent={item.agent} storyId={item.story_id} />
 								)}
+								{canStart && onStartAgent && (
+									<StartAgentControl
+										storyId={item.story_id}
+										agentRoster={agentRoster ?? []}
+										busyAgentNames={busyAgentNames ?? new Set()}
+										onStartAgent={onStartAgent}
+									/>
+								)}
 							</>
 						);
 						return onItemClick ? (