diff --git a/packages/server/src/server/agent/mcp-server.ts b/packages/server/src/server/agent/mcp-server.ts
index 8f57f0ac7..da0884edd 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/server/agent/mcp-server.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/server/agent/mcp-server.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import type {
 } from "./agent-sdk-types.js";
 import type {
   AgentManager,
-  AgentSnapshot,
+  ManagedAgent,
   WaitForAgentResult,
 } from "./agent-manager.js";
 import {
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import {
   AgentSnapshotPayloadSchema,
   serializeAgentSnapshot,
 } from "../messages.js";
+import { toAgentPayload } from "./agent-projections.js";
 import { curateAgentActivity } from "./activity-curator.js";
 import { AGENT_PROVIDER_DEFINITIONS } from "./provider-manifest.js";
 import { AgentRegistry } from "./agent-registry.js";
@@ -90,7 +91,7 @@ async function resolveAgentTitle(
 
 async function serializeSnapshotWithMetadata(
   agentRegistry: AgentRegistry,
-  snapshot: AgentSnapshot
+  snapshot: ManagedAgent
 ) {
   const title = await resolveAgentTitle(agentRegistry, snapshot.id);
   return serializeAgentSnapshot(snapshot, { title });
@@ -232,7 +233,7 @@ export async function createAgentMcpServer(
         structuredContent: ensureValidJson({
           agentId: snapshot.id,
           type: provider,
-          status: snapshot.status,
+          status: snapshot.lifecycle,
           cwd: snapshot.cwd,
           currentModeId: snapshot.currentModeId,
           availableModes: snapshot.availableModes,
@@ -394,7 +395,7 @@ export async function createAgentMcpServer(
 
       const responseData = {
         success: true,
-        status: snapshot?.status ?? "idle",
+        status: snapshot?.lifecycle ?? "idle",
         lastMessage: null,
         permission: null,
       };
@@ -435,7 +436,7 @@ export async function createAgentMcpServer(
       return {
         content: [],
         structuredContent: ensureValidJson({
-          status: snapshot.status,
+          status: snapshot.lifecycle,
           snapshot: structuredSnapshot,
         }),
       };
@@ -616,13 +617,14 @@ export async function createAgentMcpServer(
       },
     },
     async () => {
-      const permissions = agentManager.listAgents().flatMap((agent) =>
-        agent.pendingPermissions.map((request) => ({
+      const permissions = agentManager.listAgents().flatMap((agent) => {
+        const payload = toAgentPayload(agent);
+        return payload.pendingPermissions.map((request) => ({
           agentId: agent.id,
-          status: agent.status,
+          status: payload.status,
           request,
-        }))
-      );
+        }));
+      });
 
       return {
         content: [],
diff --git a/packages/server/src/server/messages.ts b/packages/server/src/server/messages.ts
index 23e0475fa..07da81618 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/server/messages.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/server/messages.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 import { z } from "zod";
 import {
   AGENT_LIFECYCLE_STATUSES,
-  type AgentSnapshot,
+  type ManagedAgent,
 } from "./agent/agent-manager.js";
+import { toAgentPayload } from "./agent/agent-projections.js";
 import type {
   AgentCapabilityFlags,
   AgentModelDefinition,
@@ -16,16 +17,6 @@ import type {
   AgentUsage,
 } from "./agent/agent-sdk-types.js";
 
-export type AgentSnapshotPayload = Omit<
-  AgentSnapshot,
-  "createdAt" | "updatedAt" | "lastUserMessageAt"
-> & {
-  createdAt: string;
-  updatedAt: string;
-  lastUserMessageAt: string | null;
-  title: string | null;
-};
-
 const AGENT_PROVIDERS: [AgentProvider, AgentProvider] = ["claude", "codex"];
 const AgentProviderSchema = z.enum(AGENT_PROVIDERS);
 
@@ -230,96 +221,17 @@ export const AgentSnapshotPayloadSchema = z.object({
   title: z.string().nullable(),
 });
 
-function sanitizeOptionalJson(value: unknown): unknown {
-  if (value === undefined) {
-    return undefined;
-  }
-  if (value === null) {
-    return null;
-  }
-  if (Array.isArray(value)) {
-    return value
-      .map((item) => sanitizeOptionalJson(item))
-      .filter((item) => item !== undefined);
-  }
-  if (value instanceof Date) {
-    return value.toISOString();
-  }
-  if (typeof value === "object") {
-    const result: Record<string, unknown> = {};
-    for (const [key, val] of Object.entries(value as Record<string, unknown>)) {
-      const sanitized = sanitizeOptionalJson(val);
-      if (sanitized !== undefined) {
-        result[key] = sanitized;
-      }
-    }
-    return Object.keys(result).length ? result : undefined;
-  }
-  return value;
-}
-
-function sanitizeOptionalJsonValue<T>(value: T | undefined): T | undefined {
-  const sanitized = sanitizeOptionalJson(value);
-  return sanitized === undefined ? undefined : (sanitized as T);
-}
-
-function sanitizePersistenceHandle(
-  handle: AgentPersistenceHandle | null
-): AgentPersistenceHandle | null {
-  if (!handle) {
-    return null;
-  }
-  const sanitized: AgentPersistenceHandle = {
-    provider: handle.provider,
-    sessionId: handle.sessionId,
-  };
-  if (handle.nativeHandle !== undefined) {
-    sanitized.nativeHandle = handle.nativeHandle;
-  }
-  const metadata = sanitizeOptionalJsonValue(handle.metadata);
-  if (metadata !== undefined) {
-    sanitized.metadata = metadata;
-  }
-  return sanitized;
-}
+export type AgentSnapshotPayload = z.infer<typeof AgentSnapshotPayloadSchema>;
 
 export type AgentStreamEventPayload = z.infer<
   typeof AgentStreamEventPayloadSchema
 >;
 
 export function serializeAgentSnapshot(
-  snapshot: AgentSnapshot,
+  agent: ManagedAgent,
   options?: { title?: string | null }
 ): AgentSnapshotPayload {
-  const payload: AgentSnapshotPayload = {
-    id: snapshot.id,
-    provider: snapshot.provider,
-    cwd: snapshot.cwd,
-    model: snapshot.model,
-    createdAt: snapshot.createdAt.toISOString(),
-    updatedAt: snapshot.updatedAt.toISOString(),
-    lastUserMessageAt: snapshot.lastUserMessageAt
-      ? snapshot.lastUserMessageAt.toISOString()
-      : null,
-    status: snapshot.status,
-    sessionId: snapshot.sessionId,
-    capabilities: snapshot.capabilities,
-    currentModeId: snapshot.currentModeId,
-    availableModes: snapshot.availableModes,
-    pendingPermissions: snapshot.pendingPermissions,
-    persistence: sanitizePersistenceHandle(snapshot.persistence),
-    title: options?.title ?? null,
-  };
-
-  const lastUsage = sanitizeOptionalJsonValue<AgentUsage>(snapshot.lastUsage);
-  if (lastUsage !== undefined) {
-    payload.lastUsage = lastUsage;
-  }
-  if (snapshot.lastError !== undefined) {
-    payload.lastError = snapshot.lastError;
-  }
-
-  return payload;
+  return toAgentPayload(agent, options);
 }
 
 export function serializeAgentStreamEvent(
diff --git a/packages/server/src/server/session.ts b/packages/server/src/server/session.ts
index f54938c24..8e13aea60 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/server/session.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/server/session.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ import {
   OpenRouterProviderOptions,
 } from "@openrouter/ai-sdk-provider";
 import {
-  serializeAgentSnapshot,
   serializeAgentStreamEvent,
   type AgentSnapshotPayload,
   type SessionInboundMessage,
@@ -39,7 +38,8 @@ import { InMemoryTransport } from "@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/inMemory.js";
 import { createTerminalMcpServer } from "./terminal-mcp/index.js";
 import { fetchProviderModelCatalog } from "./agent/model-catalog.js";
 import { AgentManager } from "./agent/agent-manager.js";
-import type { AgentSnapshot } from "./agent/agent-manager.js";
+import type { ManagedAgent } from "./agent/agent-manager.js";
+import { toAgentPayload } from "./agent/agent-projections.js";
 import type {
   AgentPermissionResponse,
   AgentPromptInput,
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ export class Session {
   private unsubscribeAgentEvents: (() => void) | null = null;
   private pendingAgentInitializations: Map<
     string,
-    Promise<AgentSnapshot>
+    Promise<ManagedAgent>
   > = new Map();
 
   constructor(
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ export class Session {
       throw new Error(`Agent ${agentId} not found`);
     }
 
-    if (snapshot.status !== "running") {
+    if (snapshot.lifecycle !== "running") {
       return;
     }
 
@@ -532,10 +532,10 @@ export class Session {
   }
 
   private async buildAgentPayload(
-    agent: AgentSnapshot
+    agent: ManagedAgent
   ): Promise<AgentSnapshotPayload> {
     const title = await this.getStoredAgentTitle(agent.id);
-    return serializeAgentSnapshot(agent, { title });
+    return toAgentPayload(agent, { title });
   }
 
   private buildStoredAgentPayload(record: StoredAgentRecord): AgentSnapshotPayload {
@@ -576,7 +576,7 @@ export class Session {
     };
   }
 
-  private async ensureAgentLoaded(agentId: string): Promise<AgentSnapshot> {
+  private async ensureAgentLoaded(agentId: string): Promise<ManagedAgent> {
     const existing = this.agentManager.getAgent(agentId);
     if (existing) {
       return existing;
@@ -594,7 +594,7 @@ export class Session {
       }
 
       const handle = toAgentPersistenceHandle(record.persistence);
-      let snapshot: AgentSnapshot;
+      let snapshot: ManagedAgent;
       if (handle) {
         snapshot = await this.agentManager.resumeAgent(
           handle,
@@ -619,7 +619,7 @@ export class Session {
     }
   }
 
-  private async forwardAgentState(agent: AgentSnapshot): Promise<void> {
+  private async forwardAgentState(agent: ManagedAgent): Promise<void> {
     try {
       const payload = await this.buildAgentPayload(agent);
       this.emit({
@@ -1189,7 +1189,7 @@ export class Session {
           payload: {
             status: "agent_initialized",
             agentId,
-            agentStatus: snapshot.status,
+            agentStatus: snapshot.lifecycle,
             requestId,
             timelineSize,
           },
@@ -1197,7 +1197,7 @@ export class Session {
       }
 
       console.log(
-        `[Session ${this.clientId}] Agent ${agentId} initialized with ${timelineSize} timeline item(s); status=${snapshot.status}`
+        `[Session ${this.clientId}] Agent ${agentId} initialized with ${timelineSize} timeline item(s); status=${snapshot.lifecycle}`
       );
     } catch (error: any) {
       console.error(
@@ -1370,7 +1370,7 @@ export class Session {
     );
 
     try {
-      let snapshot: AgentSnapshot;
+      let snapshot: ManagedAgent;
       const existing = this.agentManager.getAgent(agentId);
       if (existing) {
         await this.interruptAgentIfRunning(agentId);
@@ -2048,7 +2048,7 @@ export class Session {
     }
   }
 
-  private emitAgentTimelineSnapshot(agent: AgentSnapshot): number {
+  private emitAgentTimelineSnapshot(agent: ManagedAgent): number {
     const timeline = this.agentManager.getTimeline(agent.id);
     const events = timeline.map((item) => ({
       event: serializeAgentStreamEvent({