diff --git a/scripts/agent-branch-start.sh b/scripts/agent-branch-start.sh
index 5a81f1e..0860726 100755
--- a/scripts/agent-branch-start.sh
+++ b/scripts/agent-branch-start.sh
@@ -105,6 +105,68 @@ sanitize_slug() {
   printf '%s' "$slug"
 }
 
+sanitize_optional_slug() {
+  local raw="$1"
+  local fallback="${2:-snapshot}"
+  if [[ -z "$raw" ]]; then
+    printf ''
+    return 0
+  fi
+  sanitize_slug "$raw" "$fallback"
+}
+
+normalize_positive_int() {
+  local raw="$1"
+  local fallback="$2"
+  if [[ "$raw" =~ ^[0-9]+$ ]] && [[ "$raw" -gt 0 ]]; then
+    printf '%s' "$raw"
+    return 0
+  fi
+  printf '%s' "$fallback"
+}
+
+shorten_slug() {
+  local slug="$1"
+  local raw_max="$2"
+  local max_len
+  max_len="$(normalize_positive_int "$raw_max" "32")"
+  if [[ "${#slug}" -le "$max_len" ]]; then
+    printf '%s' "$slug"
+    return 0
+  fi
+  local shortened="${slug:0:max_len}"
+  shortened="$(printf '%s' "$shortened" | sed -E 's/-+$//')"
+  if [[ -z "$shortened" ]]; then
+    shortened="${slug:0:max_len}"
+  fi
+  printf '%s' "$shortened"
+}
+
+checksum_slug_suffix() {
+  local raw="$1"
+  local checksum
+  checksum="$(printf '%s' "$raw" | cksum | awk '{print $1}')"
+  printf '%s' "${checksum:0:6}"
+}
+
+compose_branch_descriptor() {
+  local snapshot_slug="$1"
+  local task_slug="$2"
+  local snapshot_max task_max task_part snapshot_part checksum_input checksum_part
+  snapshot_max="$(normalize_positive_int "${MUSAFETY_BRANCH_SNAPSHOT_SLUG_MAX:-18}" "18")"
+  task_max="$(normalize_positive_int "${MUSAFETY_BRANCH_TASK_SLUG_MAX:-36}" "36")"
+  task_part="$(shorten_slug "$task_slug" "$task_max")"
+  if [[ -n "$snapshot_slug" ]]; then
+    snapshot_part="$(shorten_slug "$snapshot_slug" "$snapshot_max")"
+    checksum_input="${snapshot_slug}--${task_slug}"
+    checksum_part="$(checksum_slug_suffix "$checksum_input")"
+    printf '%s-%s-%s' "$snapshot_part" "$task_part" "$checksum_part"
+    return 0
+  fi
+  checksum_part="$(checksum_slug_suffix "$task_slug")"
+  printf '%s-%s' "$task_part" "$checksum_part"
+}
+
 normalize_bool() {
   local raw="${1:-}"
   local fallback="${2:-0}"
@@ -896,15 +958,13 @@ else
 fi
 
 task_slug="$(sanitize_slug "$TASK_NAME" "task")"
-agent_slug="$(sanitize_slug "$AGENT_NAME" "agent")"
+agent_slug_raw="$(sanitize_slug "$AGENT_NAME" "agent")"
+agent_slug="$(shorten_slug "$agent_slug_raw" "${MUSAFETY_BRANCH_AGENT_SLUG_MAX:-24}")"
 snapshot_name="$(resolve_active_codex_snapshot_name)"
-snapshot_slug="$(sanitize_slug "$snapshot_name" "")"
+snapshot_slug="$(sanitize_optional_slug "$snapshot_name" "snapshot")"
+branch_descriptor="$(compose_branch_descriptor "$snapshot_slug" "$task_slug")"
 timestamp="$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)"
-if [[ -n "$snapshot_slug" ]]; then
-  branch_name_base="agent/${agent_slug}/${snapshot_slug}-${task_slug}"
-else
-  branch_name_base="agent/${agent_slug}/${task_slug}"
-fi
+branch_name_base="agent/${agent_slug}/${branch_descriptor}"
 
 branch_name="$branch_name_base"
 worktree_root="${repo_root}/${WORKTREE_ROOT_REL}"
diff --git a/templates/scripts/agent-branch-start.sh b/templates/scripts/agent-branch-start.sh
index 9c99e6d..125abf5 100755
--- a/templates/scripts/agent-branch-start.sh
+++ b/templates/scripts/agent-branch-start.sh
@@ -86,6 +86,68 @@ sanitize_slug() {
   printf '%s' "$slug"
 }
 
+sanitize_optional_slug() {
+  local raw="$1"
+  local fallback="${2:-snapshot}"
+  if [[ -z "$raw" ]]; then
+    printf ''
+    return 0
+  fi
+  sanitize_slug "$raw" "$fallback"
+}
+
+normalize_positive_int() {
+  local raw="$1"
+  local fallback="$2"
+  if [[ "$raw" =~ ^[0-9]+$ ]] && [[ "$raw" -gt 0 ]]; then
+    printf '%s' "$raw"
+    return 0
+  fi
+  printf '%s' "$fallback"
+}
+
+shorten_slug() {
+  local slug="$1"
+  local raw_max="$2"
+  local max_len
+  max_len="$(normalize_positive_int "$raw_max" "32")"
+  if [[ "${#slug}" -le "$max_len" ]]; then
+    printf '%s' "$slug"
+    return 0
+  fi
+  local shortened="${slug:0:max_len}"
+  shortened="$(printf '%s' "$shortened" | sed -E 's/-+$//')"
+  if [[ -z "$shortened" ]]; then
+    shortened="${slug:0:max_len}"
+  fi
+  printf '%s' "$shortened"
+}
+
+checksum_slug_suffix() {
+  local raw="$1"
+  local checksum
+  checksum="$(printf '%s' "$raw" | cksum | awk '{print $1}')"
+  printf '%s' "${checksum:0:6}"
+}
+
+compose_branch_descriptor() {
+  local snapshot_slug="$1"
+  local task_slug="$2"
+  local snapshot_max task_max task_part snapshot_part checksum_input checksum_part
+  snapshot_max="$(normalize_positive_int "${MUSAFETY_BRANCH_SNAPSHOT_SLUG_MAX:-18}" "18")"
+  task_max="$(normalize_positive_int "${MUSAFETY_BRANCH_TASK_SLUG_MAX:-36}" "36")"
+  task_part="$(shorten_slug "$task_slug" "$task_max")"
+  if [[ -n "$snapshot_slug" ]]; then
+    snapshot_part="$(shorten_slug "$snapshot_slug" "$snapshot_max")"
+    checksum_input="${snapshot_slug}--${task_slug}"
+    checksum_part="$(checksum_slug_suffix "$checksum_input")"
+    printf '%s-%s-%s' "$snapshot_part" "$task_part" "$checksum_part"
+    return 0
+  fi
+  checksum_part="$(checksum_slug_suffix "$task_slug")"
+  printf '%s-%s' "$task_part" "$checksum_part"
+}
+
 normalize_bool() {
   local raw="${1:-}"
   local fallback="${2:-0}"
@@ -350,15 +412,13 @@ else
 fi
 
 task_slug="$(sanitize_slug "$TASK_NAME" "task")"
-agent_slug="$(sanitize_slug "$AGENT_NAME" "agent")"
+agent_slug_raw="$(sanitize_slug "$AGENT_NAME" "agent")"
+agent_slug="$(shorten_slug "$agent_slug_raw" "${MUSAFETY_BRANCH_AGENT_SLUG_MAX:-24}")"
 snapshot_name="$(resolve_active_codex_snapshot_name)"
-snapshot_slug="$(sanitize_slug "$snapshot_name" "")"
+snapshot_slug="$(sanitize_optional_slug "$snapshot_name" "snapshot")"
+branch_descriptor="$(compose_branch_descriptor "$snapshot_slug" "$task_slug")"
 timestamp="$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)"
-if [[ -n "$snapshot_slug" ]]; then
-  branch_name_base="agent/${agent_slug}/${snapshot_slug}-${task_slug}"
-else
-  branch_name_base="agent/${agent_slug}/${task_slug}"
-fi
+branch_name_base="agent/${agent_slug}/${branch_descriptor}"
 
 branch_name="$branch_name_base"
 branch_suffix=2
diff --git a/test/install.test.js b/test/install.test.js
index d37546e..6c917b4 100644
--- a/test/install.test.js
+++ b/test/install.test.js
@@ -1016,7 +1016,7 @@ OUT
     { env: { PATH: `${fakeBin}:${process.env.PATH || ''}` } },
   );
   assert.equal(result.status, 0, result.stderr || result.stdout);
-  assert.match(result.stdout, /Created branch: agent\/planner\/zeus-edix-hu-restore-snapshot(?:-\d+)?/);
+  assert.match(result.stdout, /Created branch: agent\/planner\/zeus-edix-hu-restore-snapshot-[0-9]{6}(?:-\d+)?/);
 });
 
 test('setup agent-branch-start supports explicit snapshot override without codex-auth', () => {
@@ -1033,7 +1033,34 @@ test('setup agent-branch-start supports explicit snapshot override without codex
     { env: { MUSAFETY_CODEX_AUTH_SNAPSHOT: 'Prod Snapshot One' } },
   );
   assert.equal(result.status, 0, result.stderr || result.stdout);
-  assert.match(result.stdout, /Created branch: agent\/bot\/prod-snapshot-one-ship-fix(?:-\d+)?/);
+  assert.match(result.stdout, /Created branch: agent\/bot\/prod-snapshot-one-ship-fix-[0-9]{6}(?:-\d+)?/);
+});
+
+test('setup agent-branch-start compacts long snapshot/task names for readable branch labels', () => {
+  const repoDir = initRepo();
+
+  let result = runNode(['setup', '--target', repoDir], repoDir);
+  assert.equal(result.status, 0, result.stderr || result.stdout);
+  seedCommit(repoDir);
+
+  result = runCmd(
+    'bash',
+    [
+      'scripts/agent-branch-start.sh',
+      'rust-layer-phase7-dashboard-read-name-columns-and-badges',
+      'codex-admin-recodee-com',
+      'dev',
+    ],
+    repoDir,
+    { env: { MUSAFETY_CODEX_AUTH_SNAPSHOT: 'Zeus Portasmosonmagyarovar Hu Snapshot' } },
+  );
+  assert.equal(result.status, 0, result.stderr || result.stdout);
+  const createdBranch = extractCreatedBranch(result.stdout);
+  assert.match(createdBranch, /^agent\/codex-admin-recodee-com\/[a-z0-9-]+$/);
+  assert.ok(createdBranch.length <= 100, `branch should stay compact, got: ${createdBranch}`);
+  const branchLeaf = createdBranch.split('/').pop() || '';
+  assert.ok(branchLeaf.length <= 70, `branch leaf should stay compact, got: ${branchLeaf}`);
+  assert.match(branchLeaf, /^zeus-portasmosonma-rust-layer-phase7-dashboard-read-name-[0-9]{6}(?:-\d+)?$/);
 });
 
 test('setup agent-branch-start supports optional OpenSpec auto-bootstrap toggles', () => {