diff --git a/shared/lib/wavemill-mill.sh b/shared/lib/wavemill-mill.sh
index 9bf6ee5..ede6d1c 100755
--- a/shared/lib/wavemill-mill.sh
+++ b/shared/lib/wavemill-mill.sh
@@ -736,13 +736,13 @@ cleanup_completed_task() {
   # Kill tmux window (unconditional - no race condition)
   local win="$issue-$slug"
   execute tmux kill-window -t "$SESSION:$win" 2>/dev/null || true
-  log "  ✓ Closed window: $win"
+  log "debug" "  ✓ Closed window: $win"
 
   # Remove worktree
   local wt_dir="${WORKTREE_ROOT}/${slug}"
   if [[ -d "$wt_dir" ]]; then
     execute git -C "$REPO_DIR" worktree remove "$wt_dir" --force 2>/dev/null || true
-    log "  ✓ Removed worktree: $wt_dir"
+    log "debug" "  ✓ Removed worktree: $wt_dir"
   fi
 
   # Delete branch after removing the worktree so Git can detach cleanly first.
@@ -751,9 +751,9 @@ cleanup_completed_task() {
     log_warn "  Refusing to delete protected branch: $task_branch"
   elif git -C "$REPO_DIR" show-ref --verify --quiet "refs/heads/$task_branch" 2>/dev/null; then
     execute git -C "$REPO_DIR" branch -D "$task_branch" 2>/dev/null || true
-    log "  ✓ Deleted local branch: $task_branch"
+    log "debug" "  ✓ Deleted local branch: $task_branch"
     if execute git -C "$REPO_DIR" push origin --delete "$task_branch" 2>/dev/null; then
-      log "  ✓ Deleted remote branch: $task_branch"
+      log "debug" "  ✓ Deleted remote branch: $task_branch"
     else
       log "debug" "  ℹ Remote branch already deleted or push failed: $task_branch"
     fi
@@ -4063,13 +4063,13 @@ cleanup_completed_task() {
   # Kill tmux window (unconditional - no race condition)
   local win="$issue-$slug"
   tmux kill-window -t "$SESSION:$win" 2>/dev/null || true
-  log "  ✓ Closed window: $win"
+  log "debug" "  ✓ Closed window: $win"
 
   # Remove worktree
   local wt_dir="${WORKTREE_ROOT}/${slug}"
   if [[ -d "$wt_dir" ]]; then
     git -C "$REPO_DIR" worktree remove "$wt_dir" --force 2>/dev/null || true
-    log "  ✓ Removed worktree: $wt_dir"
+    log "debug" "  ✓ Removed worktree: $wt_dir"
   fi
 
   # Delete branch after removing the worktree so Git can detach cleanly first.
@@ -4078,9 +4078,9 @@ cleanup_completed_task() {
     log_warn "  Refusing to delete protected branch: $task_branch"
   elif git -C "$REPO_DIR" show-ref --verify --quiet "refs/heads/$task_branch" 2>/dev/null; then
     git -C "$REPO_DIR" branch -D "$task_branch" 2>/dev/null || true
-    log "  ✓ Deleted local branch: $task_branch"
+    log "debug" "  ✓ Deleted local branch: $task_branch"
     if git -C "$REPO_DIR" push origin --delete "$task_branch" 2>/dev/null; then
-      log "  ✓ Deleted remote branch: $task_branch"
+      log "debug" "  ✓ Deleted remote branch: $task_branch"
     else
       log "debug" "  ℹ Remote branch already deleted or push failed: $task_branch"
     fi
diff --git a/tests/startup-handoff.test.sh b/tests/startup-handoff.test.sh
index 3ecc4cd..25434ef 100644
--- a/tests/startup-handoff.test.sh
+++ b/tests/startup-handoff.test.sh
@@ -184,6 +184,15 @@ cp "$REPO_DIR/shared/lib/agent-adapters.sh" "$TEST_REPO/shared/lib/"
 cp "$REPO_DIR/shared/lib/model-validator.ts" "$TEST_REPO/shared/lib/"
 cp "$REPO_DIR/shared/lib/wavemill-status.sh" "$TEST_REPO/shared/lib/"
 cp "$REPO_DIR/tools/prompts/"*.md "$TEST_REPO/tools/prompts/"
+
+# Stub agent_launch_interactive so it doesn't exercise real tmux pane readiness
+# checks against the mock tmux. Appended functions override the original at
+# source time.
+cat >> "$TEST_REPO/shared/lib/agent-adapters.sh" <<'STUB_EOF'
+
+agent_launch_interactive() { return 0; }
+agent_launch_autonomous() { return 0; }
+STUB_EOF
 printf '{}' > "$TMP_ROOT/home/.claude.json"
 printf '{"token":"ok"}' > "$TMP_ROOT/home/.codex/auth.json"
 
@@ -294,7 +303,7 @@ write_plan "$SUCCESS_PLAN" "$TEST_REPO" "$STATE_DIR" "$STATE_FILE" "startup-succ
 SUCCESS_OUTPUT="$TMP_ROOT/success-output.txt"
 bash "$RUNNER_SCRIPT" "$SUCCESS_PLAN" > "$SUCCESS_OUTPUT" 2>&1
 
-if jq -e '.tasks["HOK-1001"].phase == "coding"' "$STATE_FILE" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+if jq -e '.tasks["HOK-1001"].phase == "planning"' "$STATE_FILE" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
   pass "startup runner writes workflow state only after in-tmux startup succeeds"
 else
   fail "startup runner did not persist workflow state for the launched task"