diff --git a/packages/bus/README.md b/packages/bus/README.md
index 0cbbc8192..b0c469263 100644
--- a/packages/bus/README.md
+++ b/packages/bus/README.md
@@ -157,6 +157,7 @@ an operator inspect content and delivery evidence after an uncertain result.
 | `decisions` | `{list}`: `roles` or `recent`; human and reader sessions only. Open decisions routed to a role, or the last 50 closed. |
 | `credentials` | No args; human and reader sessions only. `[{service,account,role,dateKind,date,state}]` for the capability's business, never a token, file path or variable name. |
 | `requirements` | No args; role sessions only, as `task.create` is (row 90, #1584). The approved PRD's requirement ids, `{prd,version,requirements:[{id,title}]}`, from `packages/tasks/requirements.json`, loaded when the broker starts; a bad file refuses the start. A human session refuses `agent-required`, a reader `read-only`. |
+| `state` | No args; role, human and reader sessions (row 109, #1603). `{launch:{state,at,event},tasks:{open:[{task_ref,title}],total,cap}}` for the capability's business. `launch` is the latest `launch.revoked` or `launch.restored` event: `allowed` with `at` and `event` null when none exists. `open` is the tracker snapshot's open tasks in `task_ref` order, at most `cap` (the `tasks` page size, 50); `total` counts every open task. The harness runner reads it before each turn. Writes nothing. |
 | `replies` | `{id}`: a message UUID; human and reader sessions only. The messages whose `in_reply_to` is that id, oldest first, at most 50. Writes nothing. |
 
 ### Agent state (row 59, #1548)
diff --git a/packages/bus/src/broker.mjs b/packages/bus/src/broker.mjs
index 732c7310e..ddc18f21c 100644
--- a/packages/bus/src/broker.mjs
+++ b/packages/bus/src/broker.mjs
@@ -654,7 +654,7 @@ export class Broker {
       if (!object(args)) fail('invalid-request');
       this.#secretCheck(args);
       return this.#store.transaction(() => {
-        if (s.reader && !['inbox', 'agents', 'tasks', 'trail', 'decisions', 'credentials', 'replies', 'messages'].includes(request.verb))
+        if (s.reader && !['inbox', 'agents', 'tasks', 'trail', 'decisions', 'credentials', 'replies', 'messages', 'state'].includes(request.verb))
           fail('read-only');
         const result = this.#dispatch(s, request.verb, args);
         this.#secretCheck(result);
@@ -1086,6 +1086,23 @@ export class Broker {
         this.#agent(s);
         return this.#requirements;
       }
+      // Row 109 (#1603): what a run needs to know before it plans. The business's launch state with
+      // the time and id of the event that set it (`allowed`, no time and no id when none has), and
+      // the open tasks as the tracker snapshot shows them: refs and titles, at most `cap` of them,
+      // `total` counting every open task. A read for role, reader and human sessions; nothing is stored.
+      case 'state': {
+        keys(a, []);
+        if (!s.human && !s.reader) this.#agent(s);
+        const set = this.#store.get(
+          "SELECT id,kind,at FROM events WHERE business=? AND kind IN ('launch.revoked','launch.restored') ORDER BY seq DESC LIMIT 1",
+          s.business,
+        );
+        const open = this.#tasks(s.business, { done: false });
+        return {
+          launch: { state: set?.kind === 'launch.revoked' ? 'revoked' : 'allowed', at: set?.at ?? null, event: set?.id ?? null },
+          tasks: { open: open.tasks.map(({ task_ref, title }) => ({ task_ref, title })), total: open.total, cap: TASK_PAGE },
+        };
+      }
       case 'inbox':
       case 'agents':
       case 'tasks':
diff --git a/packages/bus/tests/state.test.mjs b/packages/bus/tests/state.test.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7ae0085a7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/bus/tests/state.test.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,113 @@
+import test from 'node:test';
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import { mkdtempSync, rmSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { tmpdir } from 'node:os';
+import { join } from 'node:path';
+import { Store } from '../src/store.mjs';
+import { Broker, TASK_PAGE } from '../src/broker.mjs';
+// Row 109 (#1603): `state` is what a run reads before it plans: the launch state with the time and
+// id of the event that set it, and the open tasks from the tracker snapshot, capped.
+const authority = { withinRole: ['message.send', 'role.launch'], crossRole: [] };
+const roles = { pm: { authority }, coder: { authority } };
+const businesses = {
+  demo: { id: 'demo', human: 'jason', arbiters: { technical: 'pm', delivery: 'pm' }, launch: { by: 'pm', instances: ['coder'], max: { opus: 2, sonnet: 2 } }, roles },
+};
+const at = '2026-10-12T12:00:00.000Z';
+const digest = 'd'.repeat(64);
+const ref = (i) => `vikunja:3/${i}`;
+const fields = (i, done = false) => ({ project_id: 3, title: `Task ${i}`, description: `<p>${i}</p>`, done, bucket: 11 });
+
+function setup(t) {
+  const root = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'bus-state-'));
+  const store = new Store(root);
+  const b = new Broker({ store, businesses });
+  t.after(() => {
+    store.close();
+    rmSync(root, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  });
+  const human = b.bindHuman({ business: 'demo', human: 'jason', via: 'cli', outsideAgent: true });
+  const pm = b.bindLaunch({ business: 'demo', role: 'pm', run: 'demo-pm', harness: 'claude-code' });
+  b.request(pm, { verb: 'role.claim' });
+  const snap = (i, over = {}, read_at = at) => ({ task_ref: ref(i), updated: read_at, digest, fields: { ...fields(i), ...over }, via: 'board', read_at });
+  const record = (...snapshots) => b.recordTask({ business: 'demo', snapshots });
+  const state = (cap = pm, args = {}) => b.request(cap, { verb: 'state', args });
+  return { b, store, human, pm, snap, record, state, reader: b.bindReader({ business: 'demo' }) };
+}
+
+test('a business that never switched launches reads allowed with no time and no event', (t) => {
+  const { state } = setup(t);
+  assert.deepEqual(state().launch, { state: 'allowed', at: null, event: null });
+});
+
+test('launches revoked and then restored read allowed, with the restore time and event id', (t) => {
+  const { b, store, human, pm, state } = setup(t);
+  const revoked = b.request(human, { verb: 'launch.revoke' }).id;
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    { state: state().launch.state, event: state().launch.event },
+    { state: 'revoked', event: revoked },
+  );
+  const restored = b.request(human, { verb: 'launch.restore' }).id;
+  const row = store.get('SELECT at FROM events WHERE id=?', restored);
+  assert.deepEqual(state(pm).launch, { state: 'allowed', at: row.at, event: restored });
+  assert.notEqual(restored, revoked);
+});
+
+test('a task closed on the tracker leaves the open list, and total counts the open ones', (t) => {
+  const { snap, record, state } = setup(t);
+  record(snap(1), snap(2), snap(3));
+  assert.deepEqual(state().tasks, {
+    open: [1, 2, 3].map((i) => ({ task_ref: ref(i), title: `Task ${i}` })),
+    total: 3,
+    cap: TASK_PAGE,
+  });
+  record(snap(2, { done: true }, '2026-10-12T13:00:00.000Z'));
+  const { open, total } = state().tasks;
+  assert.deepEqual(open.map((x) => x.task_ref), [ref(1), ref(3)]);
+  assert.equal(total, 2);
+});
+
+test('a tombstone is not open', (t) => {
+  const { snap, record, state } = setup(t);
+  record(snap(1), { ...snap(2), fields: { gone: 'no-access' }, via: 'task' });
+  assert.deepEqual(state().tasks.open.map((x) => x.task_ref), [ref(1)]);
+});
+
+test('the open list stops at the cap and says so; total still counts every open task', (t) => {
+  const { snap, record, state } = setup(t);
+  record(...Array.from({ length: TASK_PAGE + 5 }, (_, k) => snap(k + 1)));
+  const { open, total, cap } = state().tasks;
+  assert.equal(open.length, TASK_PAGE);
+  assert.equal(total, TASK_PAGE + 5);
+  assert.equal(cap, TASK_PAGE);
+});
+
+test('a role and a reader session read state; arguments, and an unbound cap, refuse', (t) => {
+  const { reader, pm, state } = setup(t);
+  assert.deepEqual(state(reader), state(pm));
+  assert.throws(() => state(pm, { business: 'other' }), { code: 'invalid-request' });
+  assert.throws(() => state('f'.repeat(64)), /unauthenticated/);
+});
+
+test('a human session reads the same state, with the same cap', (t) => {
+  const { snap, record, human, pm, state } = setup(t);
+  record(...Array.from({ length: TASK_PAGE + 2 }, (_, k) => snap(k + 1)));
+  const read = state(human);
+  assert.deepEqual(read, state(pm));
+  assert.equal(read.tasks.cap, TASK_PAGE);
+  assert.equal(read.tasks.open.length, TASK_PAGE);
+  assert.equal(read.tasks.total, TASK_PAGE + 2);
+});
+
+test('reading state writes nothing: every table keeps its row count', (t) => {
+  const { b, store, human, pm, reader, snap, record, state } = setup(t);
+  b.request(human, { verb: 'launch.revoke' });
+  record(snap(1), snap(2));
+  const counts = () => Object.fromEntries(
+    store.all("SELECT name FROM sqlite_master WHERE type='table' AND name NOT LIKE 'sqlite_%'")
+      .map(({ name }) => [name, store.get(`SELECT COUNT(*) AS n FROM "${name}"`).n]),
+  );
+  const before = counts();
+  assert.ok(before.events > 0 && before.task_snapshots > 0);
+  for (const cap of [pm, reader, human]) state(cap);
+  assert.deepEqual(counts(), before);
+});
diff --git a/packages/cli/tests/launcher.test.mjs b/packages/cli/tests/launcher.test.mjs
index 7e2623728..80d945dc2 100644
--- a/packages/cli/tests/launcher.test.mjs
+++ b/packages/cli/tests/launcher.test.mjs
@@ -234,10 +234,14 @@ test("the PM launches a coder through its launch tool; the coder answers; refusa
   }
 
   // The coder claimed its role and answers its own messages.
+  const before = Date.now();
   const hello = await client.call("message.send", { to: "coder", class: "REQUEST", body: "hello" });
   const echo = await until(async () => (await client.call("message.receive")).find((m) => m.in_reply_to === hello.id));
   assert.equal(echo.from_role, "coder");
-  assert.match(echo.body, /^echo: Message .* from cto, class REQUEST:\n\nhello/);
+  // Row 109 (#1603): the turn opens with the state block, then the header with the time it was sent.
+  const turn = echo.body.match(new RegExp(`^echo: Current state, read at \\S+:\nLaunches: allowed \\(never switched\\)\\.\nOpen tasks: 0\\.\n\nMessage ${hello.id} from cto, sent (\\S+), class REQUEST:\n\nhello$`));
+  assert.ok(turn, echo.body);
+  assert.ok(Date.parse(turn[1]) >= before - 1000 && Date.parse(turn[1]) <= Date.now(), "the sent time is when it was sent");
 
   // Host refusals, asked with the cto capability (steps 2 to 8 come before
   // the broker's role.launch check, which cto would fail).
diff --git a/packages/harness/README.md b/packages/harness/README.md
index 6f87ac731..4d2d6fb96 100644
--- a/packages/harness/README.md
+++ b/packages/harness/README.md
@@ -182,6 +182,15 @@ it never touches the disk and isn't in the environment or argv.
    Its stdout goes back to the sender as a RESULT; a failed turn replies
    `The turn failed: <reason>`; an incoming RESULT never gets an automatic
    reply. Then `message.read`.
+
+   Row 109 (#1603): before each turn the runner calls the broker's `state`
+   verb and puts a block at the top of the request, headed `Current state,
+   read at <time>`: the launch state with the time and id of the event that
+   set it, and the open tasks (refs and titles, at most the stated cap, with
+   the total). The block is the truth over any older message. The message
+   header after it names when the message was sent. A failed read fails the
+   turn without running the adapter: the sender gets `The turn failed: could
+   not read the current state: <code>`, and the message is read.
 5. SIGTERM or SIGINT kills the turn's process group, releases the role and
    exits 0. The handlers go in before anything else, because pid 1 of a
    PID namespace never sees a signal it has no handler for; a stop before
diff --git a/packages/harness/src/runner.mjs b/packages/harness/src/runner.mjs
index 00595542b..f806cabed 100644
--- a/packages/harness/src/runner.mjs
+++ b/packages/harness/src/runner.mjs
@@ -62,7 +62,10 @@ export function founderCheck(policy, env) {
 
 // The request text one message becomes.
 export function turnRequest(m) {
-  const head = [`Message ${m.id} from ${m.from_role}`, `class ${m.class}`];
+  const head = [`Message ${m.id} from ${m.from_role}`];
+  // Row 109 (#1603): when the sender sent it, so a message that waited reads as old.
+  if (m.at) head.push(`sent ${m.at}`);
+  head.push(`class ${m.class}`);
   if (m.in_reply_to) head.push(`in reply to ${m.in_reply_to}`);
   if (m.decision) head.push(`citing decision ${m.decision}`);
   // Row 90 (#1584): the human input id task_create cites as its request.
@@ -70,6 +73,22 @@ export function turnRequest(m) {
   return `${head.join(", ")}:\n\n${m.body}`;
 }
 
+// Row 109 (#1603): the block at the top of a turn's request. It is what the broker said at `readAt`,
+// the truth for launch state and task status over any older message.
+export function stateBlock(state, readAt) {
+  const { launch, tasks } = state;
+  const since = launch.at ? ` since ${launch.at} (event ${launch.event})` : " (never switched)";
+  const shown = tasks.open.length < tasks.total ? `, the first ${tasks.open.length} of cap ${tasks.cap}` : "";
+  const open = tasks.open.map((t) => `- ${t.task_ref} ${t.title ?? ""}`.trimEnd());
+  return [
+    `Current state, read at ${readAt}:`,
+    `Launches: ${launch.state}${since}.`,
+    `Open tasks: ${tasks.total}${shown}.`,
+    ...open,
+    "",
+  ].join("\n");
+}
+
 function clip(text) {
   return text.length > BODY_MAX ? text.slice(0, BODY_MAX) + "\n[answer cut at 32000 characters]" : text;
 }
@@ -339,7 +358,23 @@ export async function main(runDir, { stdin = process.stdin, env = process.env, l
     }
     for (const m of messages) {
       if (stopping) break loop;
-      const turn = await runTurn({ session, request: turnRequest(m), n: ++n, env: turnEnv, onChild: (c) => (child = c) });
+      // Row 109 (#1603): read the state now, not when the message was sent. A failed read fails the turn.
+      let block = null;
+      let unread = null;
+      try {
+        block = stateBlock(await client.call("state"), new Date().toISOString());
+      } catch (e) {
+        if (SESSION_GONE.has(e.code)) {
+          log(`runner: session stopped working: ${e.code}`);
+          code = EXIT.session;
+          break loop;
+        }
+        unread = `could not read the current state: ${e.code ?? e.message}`;
+      }
+      ++n;
+      const turn = unread
+        ? { ok: false, reason: unread }
+        : await runTurn({ session, request: `${block}\n${turnRequest(m)}`, n, env: turnEnv, onChild: (c) => (child = c) });
       if (stopping) break loop;
       if (!turn.ok) log(`runner: turn ${n} for message ${m.id} failed: ${turn.reason}`);
       try {
diff --git a/packages/harness/tests/fixtures/fake-adapter.mjs b/packages/harness/tests/fixtures/fake-adapter.mjs
index 4024172d1..4e1ec9bd3 100644
--- a/packages/harness/tests/fixtures/fake-adapter.mjs
+++ b/packages/harness/tests/fixtures/fake-adapter.mjs
@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@ import { appendFileSync, writeFileSync } from "node:fs";
 import { callTool } from "../../src/tools.mjs";
 
 const request = process.env.MOSAIC_REQUEST ?? "";
-const body = request.split("\n\n").slice(1).join("\n\n");
+// The message body follows the "Message ...:" header line; a state block (row 109) may sit above it.
+const body = request.match(/^Message [^\n]*:\n\n([\s\S]*)$/m)?.[1] ?? request.split("\n\n").slice(1).join("\n\n");
 if (process.env.FAKE_PIDS) appendFileSync(process.env.FAKE_PIDS, `${process.pid}\n`);
 process.stderr.write(`fake adapter: ${process.env.MOSAIC_MODEL}\n`);
 const done = () => writeFileSync(process.env.MOSAIC_TURN_MARKER, "done\n");
diff --git a/packages/harness/tests/runner.test.mjs b/packages/harness/tests/runner.test.mjs
index 777d16148..12b683cb7 100644
--- a/packages/harness/tests/runner.test.mjs
+++ b/packages/harness/tests/runner.test.mjs
@@ -11,9 +11,9 @@ import { open } from "node:fs/promises";
 import { createServer } from "node:net";
 import { join } from "node:path";
 import { Store } from "../../bus/src/store.mjs";
-import { Broker } from "../../bus/src/broker.mjs";
+import { Broker, BusError } from "../../bus/src/broker.mjs";
 import { serve } from "../../bus/src/server.mjs";
-import { EXIT, founderCheck, turnRequest } from "../src/runner.mjs";
+import { EXIT, founderCheck, stateBlock, turnRequest } from "../src/runner.mjs";
 import { scratch } from "./helpers.mjs";
 
 const RUNNER = new URL("../src/runner.mjs", import.meta.url).pathname;
@@ -56,6 +56,25 @@ test("turnRequest names the sender, class, reply and decision", () => {
   assert.equal(turnRequest({ id: "m4", from_role: "cto", class: "RESULT", request: null, body: "b" }), "Message m4 from cto, class RESULT:\n\nb");
 });
 
+// Row 109 (#1603): the header carries when the message was sent, not when it is read.
+test("turnRequest shows the message's own sent time, a day old as well as new", () => {
+  const sent = "2026-10-12T09:30:00.000Z";
+  assert.equal(
+    turnRequest({ id: "m5", from_role: "jason", class: "REQUEST", at: sent, body: "resume" }),
+    `Message m5 from jason, sent ${sent}, class REQUEST:\n\nresume`,
+  );
+  assert.equal(turnRequest({ id: "m6", from_role: "cto", class: "RESULT", at: sent, in_reply_to: "m5", body: "b" }), `Message m6 from cto, sent ${sent}, class RESULT, in reply to m5:\n\nb`);
+});
+
+test("stateBlock names the launch state with its time and event, and the open tasks with the cap", () => {
+  const read = "2026-10-13T10:00:00.000Z";
+  const restored = stateBlock({ launch: { state: "allowed", at: "2026-10-12T20:00:00.000Z", event: "ev-9" }, tasks: { open: [{ task_ref: "vikunja:3/7", title: "Seven" }], total: 1, cap: 50 } }, read);
+  assert.equal(restored, "Current state, read at 2026-10-13T10:00:00.000Z:\nLaunches: allowed since 2026-10-12T20:00:00.000Z (event ev-9).\nOpen tasks: 1.\n- vikunja:3/7 Seven\n");
+  const capped = stateBlock({ launch: { state: "allowed", at: null, event: null }, tasks: { open: [{ task_ref: "vikunja:3/1", title: "One" }], total: 9, cap: 1 } }, read);
+  assert.match(capped, /Launches: allowed \(never switched\)\./);
+  assert.match(capped, /Open tasks: 9, the first 1 of cap 1\./);
+});
+
 async function setup(t, { session = {}, policy = {}, tools } = {}) {
   const dir = scratch(t);
   const store = new Store(dir);
@@ -113,7 +132,8 @@ async function setup(t, { session = {}, policy = {}, tools } = {}) {
   const pm = broker.bindLaunch({ business: "demo", role: "pm", run: "pm-run", harness: "pi" });
   const call = (c, verb, args = {}) => broker.request(c, { verb, args });
   call(pm, "role.claim");
-  return { dir, runDir, store, broker, server, cap, pm, call, launches, pids: join(dir, "pids") };
+  const human = broker.bindHuman({ business: "demo", human: "jason", via: "cli", outsideAgent: true });
+  return { dir, runDir, store, broker, server, cap, pm, human, call, launches, pids: join(dir, "pids") };
 }
 
 // A runner that hasn't exited after a minute is killed, so a test that
@@ -162,7 +182,8 @@ test("a message becomes a turn, the answer goes back as a RESULT, SIGTERM releas
   assert.equal(reply.from_role, "coder");
   assert.equal(reply.from_run, "coder-run");
   assert.equal(reply.in_reply_to, sent.id);
-  assert.equal(reply.body, `echo: Message ${sent.id} from pm, class REQUEST:\n\nhello`);
+  const sentAt = ctx.store.get("SELECT at FROM messages WHERE id=?", sent.id).at;
+  assert.match(reply.body, new RegExp(`^echo: Current state, read at \\S+:\nLaunches: allowed \\(never switched\\)\\.\nOpen tasks: 0\\.\n\nMessage ${sent.id} from pm, sent ${sentAt}, class REQUEST:\n\nhello$`));
   await until(() => ctx.store.get("SELECT 1 FROM deliveries WHERE message=? AND op='read'", sent.id));
   const err = join(ctx.runDir, "turns", "0001.stderr");
   assert.equal(statSync(err).mode & 0o777, 0o600);
@@ -176,6 +197,85 @@ test("a message becomes a turn, the answer goes back as a RESULT, SIGTERM releas
   assert.ok(!existsSync(join(ctx.runDir, "tools.sock")));
 });
 
+// Row 109 (#1603): each turn reads the state when it starts. The fake adapter echoes the request,
+// so a reply shows the block the turn was given.
+const ask = async (ctx, body = "what now") => {
+  const before = ctx.inbox.length;
+  ctx.call(ctx.pm, "message.send", { to: "coder", body, class: "REQUEST" });
+  await until(() => replies(ctx)() && ctx.inbox.length > before);
+  return ctx.inbox.at(-1);
+};
+const snapshot = (i, over = {}, read = "2026-10-12T12:00:00.000Z") => ({
+  task_ref: `vikunja:3/${i}`,
+  updated: read,
+  digest: "d".repeat(64),
+  fields: { project_id: 3, title: `Task ${i}`, description: "", done: false, bucket: 11, ...over },
+  via: "board",
+  read_at: read,
+});
+
+test("launches revoked and then restored: the turn's block reads allowed and gives the restore time", async (t) => {
+  const ctx = await setup(t);
+  ctx.inbox = [];
+  const r = startRunner(ctx.runDir, ctx.cap);
+  t.after(() => r.child.kill("SIGKILL"));
+  ctx.call(ctx.human, "launch.revoke");
+  assert.match((await ask(ctx)).body, /\nLaunches: revoked since \S+ \(event \S+\)\.\n/);
+  ctx.call(ctx.human, "launch.restore");
+  const restored = ctx.store.get("SELECT id,at FROM events WHERE kind='launch.restored'");
+  assert.ok((await ask(ctx)).body.includes(`\nLaunches: allowed since ${restored.at} (event ${restored.id}).\n`));
+});
+
+test("a task closed on the tracker is missing from the next turn's open list", async (t) => {
+  const ctx = await setup(t);
+  ctx.inbox = [];
+  ctx.broker.recordTask({ business: "demo", snapshots: [snapshot(1), snapshot(2)] });
+  const r = startRunner(ctx.runDir, ctx.cap);
+  t.after(() => r.child.kill("SIGKILL"));
+  const first = (await ask(ctx)).body;
+  assert.match(first, /\nOpen tasks: 2\.\n- vikunja:3\/1 Task 1\n- vikunja:3\/2 Task 2\n/);
+  ctx.broker.recordTask({ business: "demo", snapshots: [snapshot(2, { done: true }, "2026-10-12T13:00:00.000Z")] });
+  const second = (await ask(ctx)).body;
+  assert.match(second, /\nOpen tasks: 1\.\n- vikunja:3\/1 Task 1\n\nMessage /);
+  assert.ok(!second.includes("vikunja:3/2"));
+});
+
+test("a message read a day after it was sent shows the time it was sent", async (t) => {
+  const ctx = await setup(t);
+  ctx.inbox = [];
+  const sent = ctx.call(ctx.pm, "message.send", { to: "coder", body: "resume the launch", class: "REQUEST" });
+  const sentAt = ctx.store.get("SELECT at FROM messages WHERE id=?", sent.id).at;
+  // The broker's clock jumps a day before the runner reads: the header keeps the original time.
+  const now = Date.now;
+  Date.now = () => now() + 86_400_000;
+  t.after(() => (Date.now = now));
+  const r = startRunner(ctx.runDir, ctx.cap);
+  t.after(() => r.child.kill("SIGKILL"));
+  const [reply] = await until(replies(ctx));
+  assert.ok(reply.body.includes(`Message ${sent.id} from pm, sent ${sentAt}, class REQUEST:`));
+  assert.ok(Date.parse(reply.at) - Date.parse(sentAt) >= 86_000_000);
+});
+
+test("a failed state read fails the turn: no adapter runs, the sender hears why, the message is read", async (t) => {
+  const ctx = await setup(t);
+  ctx.inbox = [];
+  const request = ctx.broker.request.bind(ctx.broker);
+  ctx.broker.request = (cap, req) => {
+    if (req.verb === "state") throw new BusError("state-unavailable");
+    return request(cap, req);
+  };
+  const r = startRunner(ctx.runDir, ctx.cap);
+  t.after(() => r.child.kill("SIGKILL"));
+  const sent = ctx.call(ctx.pm, "message.send", { to: "coder", body: "plan the week", class: "REQUEST" });
+  const [reply] = await until(replies(ctx));
+  assert.equal(reply.class, "RESULT");
+  assert.equal(reply.in_reply_to, sent.id);
+  assert.equal(reply.body, "The turn failed: could not read the current state: state-unavailable");
+  await until(() => ctx.store.get("SELECT 1 FROM deliveries WHERE message=? AND op='read'", sent.id));
+  assert.ok(!existsSync(join(ctx.runDir, "turns", "0001.stderr")));
+  assert.match(r.stderr(), /turn 1 for message \S+ failed: could not read the current state: state-unavailable/);
+});
+
 test("a SIGTERM before the claim stops the runner with exit 0 and no claim", async (t) => {
   const ctx = await setup(t);
   // session.json becomes a FIFO: main opens it right after its handlers go
diff --git a/packages/seat/tests/sandbox.test.mjs b/packages/seat/tests/sandbox.test.mjs
index c2bb68347..9995b6b03 100644
--- a/packages/seat/tests/sandbox.test.mjs
+++ b/packages/seat/tests/sandbox.test.mjs
@@ -214,7 +214,8 @@ async function session(t, { expose = () => [] } = {}) {
   writeFileSync(join(bundle, "tools.json"), "[]");
   const adapter = join(root, "adapter.sh");
   writeFileSync(adapter, [
-    `body=$(printf '%s\\n' "$MOSAIC_REQUEST" | sed '1,/^$/d')`,
+    // Row 109 (#1603): a state block opens the request, so the body is what follows the "Message ...:" header and its blank line.
+    `body=$(printf '%s\\n' "$MOSAIC_REQUEST" | sed '1,/^Message .*:$/d' | sed '1d')`,
     `case $body in TOOL\\ *) exec '${process.execPath}' '${FAKE}' ;; esac`,
     `out=$(cd "$MOSAIC_WORKSPACE" && /bin/sh -c "$body" 2>&1); rc=$?`,
     `printf 'rc=%s\\n%s' "$rc" "$out"`,
diff --git a/packages/seat/tests/session.test.mjs b/packages/seat/tests/session.test.mjs
index 72e8c9453..e072709cb 100644
--- a/packages/seat/tests/session.test.mjs
+++ b/packages/seat/tests/session.test.mjs
@@ -224,7 +224,9 @@ test("a session runs in its sandbox as pid 1 of its namespace, claims, answers,
     if (!reply) await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 50));
   }
   assert.ok(reply, "the session answered");
-  assert.match(reply.body, /^echo: Message .* from pm, class REQUEST:\n\nhello/);
+  // Row 109 (#1603): the turn opens with the state block, then the header with the time it was sent.
+  const sentAt = store.get("SELECT at FROM messages WHERE id=?", sent.id).at;
+  assert.match(reply.body, new RegExp(`^echo: Current state, read at \\S+:\nLaunches: allowed \\(never switched\\)\\.\nOpen tasks: 0\\.\n\nMessage ${sent.id} from pm, sent ${sentAt}, class REQUEST:\n\nhello$`));
 
   const registry = new Registry(dataRoot);
   registry.add({ business: "acme", instance: "coder", run, pid: child.pid, startTime: startTimeOf(child.pid), runnerPid: runner.pid, runnerStartTime: runner.startTime });
diff --git a/roles/pm.md b/roles/pm.md
index 522ac9c0e..8ef433f58 100644
--- a/roles/pm.md
+++ b/roles/pm.md
@@ -53,5 +53,10 @@ cross-role. Raise it as a decision for the technical arbiter.
 
 - You act on the tracker and on Gitea only through the typed tools the
   broker gives you. You never hold a token.
+- Each turn opens with a "Current state" block, read when the turn
+  started. It is the truth for launch state and task status. A message
+  or a note of yours that disagrees with it is out of date. Before you
+  plan to resume or launch work on a task, check the task with
+  `get_task`.
 - Send messages through the bus, addressed to a role, not a person.
 - Report a blocker as soon as you find it, with what you tried.