diff --git a/packages/workflow-agent-hermes/package.json b/packages/workflow-agent-hermes/package.json
index c98d03e..62f3bd6 100644
--- a/packages/workflow-agent-hermes/package.json
+++ b/packages/workflow-agent-hermes/package.json
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@
     "test": "bun test"
   },
   "dependencies": {
-    "@agentclientprotocol/sdk": "^0.22.1",
     "@uncaged/json-cas": "^0.4.0",
     "@uncaged/workflow-agent-kit": "workspace:^"
   },
diff --git a/packages/workflow-agent-hermes/src/acp-client.ts b/packages/workflow-agent-hermes/src/acp-client.ts
index 74d55f1..e7a9279 100644
--- a/packages/workflow-agent-hermes/src/acp-client.ts
+++ b/packages/workflow-agent-hermes/src/acp-client.ts
@@ -1,17 +1,23 @@
 import type { ChildProcess } from "node:child_process";
 import { spawn } from "node:child_process";
-import { Readable, Writable } from "node:stream";
-import type {
-  Client,
-  RequestPermissionRequest,
-  RequestPermissionResponse,
-  SessionNotification,
-} from "@agentclientprotocol/sdk";
-import { ClientSideConnection, ndJsonStream, PROTOCOL_VERSION } from "@agentclientprotocol/sdk";
+import { createInterface } from "node:readline";
 
 import type { HermesSessionMessage } from "./types.js";
 
 const HERMES_COMMAND = "hermes";
+const PROTOCOL_VERSION = 1;
+
+type JsonRpcResponse = {
+  jsonrpc: "2.0";
+  id: number;
+  result?: unknown;
+  error?: { code: number; message: string };
+};
+
+type PendingRequest = {
+  resolve: (value: JsonRpcResponse) => void;
+  reject: (reason: Error) => void;
+};
 
 /** Tracks in-flight tool calls so we can build complete messages when they finish. */
 type PendingToolCall = {
@@ -19,110 +25,6 @@ type PendingToolCall = {
   args: string;
 };
 
-/**
- * Collects ACP session/update events into a list of {@link HermesSessionMessage}
- * that mirrors what Hermes writes to its session JSONL files.
- */
-class UwfAcpClient implements Client {
-  private messageChunks: string[] = [];
-  private reasoningChunks: string[] = [];
-  private pendingTools = new Map<string, PendingToolCall>();
-  messages: HermesSessionMessage[] = [];
-
-  resetPerPrompt(): void {
-    this.messageChunks = [];
-    this.reasoningChunks = [];
-  }
-
-  async sessionUpdate(params: SessionNotification): Promise<void> {
-    const { update } = params;
-    switch (update.sessionUpdate) {
-      case "agent_message_chunk":
-        if (update.content.type === "text") {
-          this.messageChunks.push(update.content.text);
-        }
-        break;
-
-      case "agent_thought_chunk":
-        if (update.content.type === "text") {
-          this.reasoningChunks.push(update.content.text);
-        }
-        break;
-
-      case "tool_call": {
-        // Agent is invoking a tool — record the call.
-        const title = update.title ?? "";
-        const rawInput =
-          update.rawInput !== undefined && update.rawInput !== null
-            ? JSON.stringify(update.rawInput)
-            : "";
-        this.pendingTools.set(update.toolCallId, { name: title, args: rawInput });
-
-        // Flush accumulated assistant text + reasoning as an assistant message
-        // (the agent "spoke" before calling the tool).
-        this.flushAssistantMessage();
-        break;
-      }
-
-      case "tool_call_update": {
-        if (update.status === "completed" || update.status === "failed") {
-          const pending = this.pendingTools.get(update.toolCallId);
-          const toolName = pending?.name ?? update.toolCallId;
-          const rawOutput =
-            update.rawOutput !== undefined && update.rawOutput !== null
-              ? typeof update.rawOutput === "string"
-                ? update.rawOutput
-                : JSON.stringify(update.rawOutput)
-              : "";
-          this.messages.push({
-            role: "assistant",
-            content: null,
-            reasoning: null,
-            tool_calls: [{ function: { name: toolName, arguments: pending?.args ?? "" } }],
-          });
-          this.messages.push({
-            role: "tool",
-            content: rawOutput,
-            reasoning: null,
-            tool_calls: null,
-          });
-          this.pendingTools.delete(update.toolCallId);
-        }
-        break;
-      }
-
-      default:
-        break;
-    }
-  }
-
-  /** Flush any accumulated text/reasoning into an assistant message. */
-  flushAssistantMessage(): void {
-    const text = this.messageChunks.join("");
-    const reasoning = this.reasoningChunks.join("");
-    if (text !== "" || reasoning !== "") {
-      this.messages.push({
-        role: "assistant",
-        content: text || null,
-        reasoning: reasoning || null,
-        tool_calls: null,
-      });
-    }
-    this.messageChunks = [];
-    this.reasoningChunks = [];
-  }
-
-  async requestPermission(params: RequestPermissionRequest): Promise<RequestPermissionResponse> {
-    const firstOption = params.options[0];
-    return {
-      outcome: {
-        outcome: "selected",
-        optionId: firstOption?.optionId ?? "",
-      },
-    };
-  }
-}
-
 export type AcpPromptResult = {
   text: string;
   sessionId: string;
@@ -131,10 +33,16 @@ export type AcpPromptResult = {
 
 export class HermesAcpClient {
   private process: ChildProcess | null = null;
-  private connection: ClientSideConnection | null = null;
+  private nextId = 1;
   private sessionId: string | null = null;
   private stderrBuffer = "";
-  private client = new UwfAcpClient();
+  private pending = new Map<number, PendingRequest>();
+
+  // Message collection state
+  private messageChunks: string[] = [];
+  private reasoningChunks: string[] = [];
+  private pendingTools = new Map<string, PendingToolCall>();
+  messages: HermesSessionMessage[] = [];
 
   /** Spawn hermes acp, initialize, create session */
   async connect(cwd: string): Promise<string> {
@@ -150,32 +58,51 @@ export class HermesAcpClient {
       this.stderrBuffer += chunk.toString();
     });
 
-    if (child.stdin === null || child.stdout === null) {
-      throw new Error("hermes acp process stdio is not available");
-    }
+    child.on("error", (cause) => {
+      const message = cause instanceof Error ? cause.message : String(cause);
+      this.rejectAll(new Error(`hermes acp spawn failed: ${message}`));
+    });
 
-    const input = Writable.toWeb(child.stdin);
-    const output = Readable.toWeb(child.stdout);
-    const stream = ndJsonStream(input, output);
-
-    const clientRef = this.client;
-    const connection = new ClientSideConnection((_agent) => clientRef, stream);
-    this.connection = connection;
-
-    connection.signal.addEventListener("abort", () => {
-      if (this.sessionId !== null) {
+    child.on("close", (code) => {
+      if (code !== 0 && this.pending.size > 0) {
         const detail = this.stderrBuffer.trim() !== "" ? ` stderr=${this.stderrBuffer.trim()}` : "";
-        throw new Error(`hermes acp connection closed unexpectedly${detail}`);
+        this.rejectAll(
+          new Error(`hermes acp exited unexpectedly with code ${code ?? "null"}${detail}`),
+        );
       }
     });
 
-    await connection.initialize({
-      protocolVersion: PROTOCOL_VERSION,
-      clientCapabilities: {},
+    if (child.stdout === null) {
+      throw new Error("hermes acp process stdout is not available");
+    }
+    const rl = createInterface({ input: child.stdout });
+    rl.on("line", (line) => {
+      this.handleLine(line.trim());
     });
 
-    const sessionResult = await connection.newSession({ cwd, mcpServers: [] });
-    const { sessionId } = sessionResult;
+    const initResponse = await this.sendRequest("initialize", {
+      protocolVersion: PROTOCOL_VERSION,
+      clientInfo: { name: "uwf", version: "0.1.0" },
+      capabilities: {},
+    });
+
+    if ((initResponse as { error?: unknown }).error !== undefined) {
+      throw new Error(
+        `initialize failed: ${JSON.stringify((initResponse as { error: unknown }).error)}`,
+      );
+    }
+
+    this.sendNotification("initialized");
+
+    const sessionResponse = (await this.sendRequest("session/new", {
+      cwd,
+      mcpServers: [],
+    })) as { result: { sessionId: string } };
+
+    const sessionId = sessionResponse.result?.sessionId;
+    if (typeof sessionId !== "string" || sessionId === "") {
+      throw new Error(`session/new did not return a sessionId: ${JSON.stringify(sessionResponse)}`);
+    }
 
     this.sessionId = sessionId;
     return sessionId;
@@ -183,26 +110,37 @@ export class HermesAcpClient {
 
   /** Send prompt and collect full response text + structured messages. */
   async prompt(text: string): Promise<AcpPromptResult> {
-    if (this.connection === null || this.sessionId === null) {
+    if (this.sessionId === null) {
       throw new Error("Not connected — call connect() first");
     }
 
-    this.client.resetPerPrompt();
+    this.messageChunks = [];
+    this.reasoningChunks = [];
 
-    await this.connection.prompt({
+    const response = await this.sendRequest("session/prompt", {
       sessionId: this.sessionId,
       prompt: [{ type: "text", text }],
     });
 
+    if ((response as { error?: unknown }).error !== undefined) {
+      throw new Error(
+        `session/prompt failed: ${JSON.stringify((response as { error: unknown }).error)}`,
+      );
+    }
+
     // Flush any trailing assistant text that wasn't followed by a tool call.
-    this.client.flushAssistantMessage();
+    this.flushAssistantMessage();
 
     // Extract the final assistant text from collected messages.
-    const messages = this.client.messages;
     let finalText = "";
-    for (let i = messages.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
-      const msg = messages[i];
-      if (msg !== undefined && msg.role === "assistant" && msg.content !== null && msg.content.trim() !== "") {
+    for (let i = this.messages.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
+      const msg = this.messages[i];
+      if (
+        msg !== undefined &&
+        msg.role === "assistant" &&
+        msg.content !== null &&
+        msg.content.trim() !== ""
+      ) {
         finalText = msg.content;
         break;
       }
@@ -211,7 +149,7 @@ export class HermesAcpClient {
     return {
       text: finalText,
       sessionId: this.sessionId,
-      messages,
+      messages: this.messages,
     };
   }
 
@@ -228,6 +166,192 @@ export class HermesAcpClient {
       setTimeout(resolve, 5000);
     });
     this.process = null;
-    this.connection = null;
+  }
+
+  // ---- JSON-RPC transport ----
+
+  private sendRequest(
+    method: string,
+    params: Record<string, unknown>,
+    timeoutMs = 10 * 60 * 1000,
+  ): Promise<JsonRpcResponse> {
+    const id = this.nextId++;
+    return new Promise<JsonRpcResponse>((resolve, reject) => {
+      const timer = setTimeout(() => {
+        this.pending.delete(id);
+        reject(new Error(`Timeout waiting for response to ${method} (id=${id})`));
+      }, timeoutMs);
+
+      this.pending.set(id, {
+        resolve: (value) => {
+          clearTimeout(timer);
+          resolve(value);
+        },
+        reject: (err) => {
+          clearTimeout(timer);
+          reject(err);
+        },
+      });
+
+      this.writeLine(JSON.stringify({ jsonrpc: "2.0", id, method, params }));
+    });
+  }
+
+  private sendNotification(method: string, params?: Record<string, unknown>): void {
+    const message: Record<string, unknown> = { jsonrpc: "2.0", method };
+    if (params !== undefined) {
+      message.params = params;
+    }
+    this.writeLine(JSON.stringify(message));
+  }
+
+  private writeLine(line: string): void {
+    if (this.process?.stdin === null || this.process?.stdin === undefined) {
+      throw new Error("Cannot write: hermes acp process stdin not available");
+    }
+    this.process.stdin.write(`${line}\n`);
+  }
+
+  private handleLine(line: string): void {
+    if (line === "") {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    let parsed: unknown;
+    try {
+      parsed = JSON.parse(line);
+    } catch {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    const msg = parsed as Record<string, unknown>;
+
+    // JSON-RPC response (has "id")
+    if ("id" in msg && msg.id !== undefined && msg.id !== null) {
+      const response = msg as unknown as JsonRpcResponse;
+      const handler = this.pending.get(response.id);
+      if (handler !== undefined) {
+        this.pending.delete(response.id);
+        handler.resolve(response);
+      }
+      return;
+    }
+
+    // JSON-RPC notification — session/update
+    if (msg.method === "session/update") {
+      const params = msg.params as Record<string, unknown> | undefined;
+      const update = params?.update as Record<string, unknown> | undefined;
+      if (update !== undefined) {
+        this.handleSessionUpdate(update);
+      }
+      return;
+    }
+
+    // session/request_permission — auto-approve (yolo mode)
+    if (msg.method === "session/request_permission") {
+      const params = msg.params as Record<string, unknown> | undefined;
+      const options = (params?.options ?? []) as Array<{ optionId?: string }>;
+      const firstOptionId = options[0]?.optionId ?? "";
+      // Respond with the selected option
+      const responseMsg = {
+        jsonrpc: "2.0",
+        id: (msg as Record<string, unknown>).id,
+        result: { outcome: { outcome: "selected", optionId: firstOptionId } },
+      };
+      this.writeLine(JSON.stringify(responseMsg));
+    }
+  }
+
+  // ---- Session update → structured messages ----
+
+  private handleSessionUpdate(update: Record<string, unknown>): void {
+    const updateType = update.sessionUpdate as string;
+
+    switch (updateType) {
+      case "agent_message_chunk": {
+        const content = update.content as { type?: string; text?: string } | undefined;
+        if (content?.type === "text" && typeof content.text === "string") {
+          this.messageChunks.push(content.text);
+        }
+        break;
+      }
+
+      case "agent_thought_chunk": {
+        const content = update.content as { type?: string; text?: string } | undefined;
+        if (content?.type === "text" && typeof content.text === "string") {
+          this.reasoningChunks.push(content.text);
+        }
+        break;
+      }
+
+      case "tool_call": {
+        const title = (update.title as string) ?? "";
+        const rawInput = update.rawInput;
+        const args =
+          rawInput !== undefined && rawInput !== null ? JSON.stringify(rawInput) : "";
+        const toolCallId = update.toolCallId as string;
+        this.pendingTools.set(toolCallId, { name: title, args });
+
+        // Flush accumulated assistant text before tool call
+        this.flushAssistantMessage();
+        break;
+      }
+
+      case "tool_call_update": {
+        const status = update.status as string | undefined;
+        if (status === "completed" || status === "failed") {
+          const toolCallId = update.toolCallId as string;
+          const pending = this.pendingTools.get(toolCallId);
+          const toolName = pending?.name ?? toolCallId;
+          const rawOutput = update.rawOutput;
+          const outputStr =
+            rawOutput !== undefined && rawOutput !== null
+              ? typeof rawOutput === "string"
+                ? rawOutput
+                : JSON.stringify(rawOutput)
+              : "";
+          this.messages.push({
+            role: "assistant",
+            content: null,
+            reasoning: null,
+            tool_calls: [{ function: { name: toolName, arguments: pending?.args ?? "" } }],
+          });
+          this.messages.push({
+            role: "tool",
+            content: outputStr,
+            reasoning: null,
+            tool_calls: null,
+          });
+          this.pendingTools.delete(toolCallId);
+        }
+        break;
+      }
+
+      default:
+        break;
+    }
+  }
+
+  /** Flush any accumulated text/reasoning into an assistant message. */
+  private flushAssistantMessage(): void {
+    const text = this.messageChunks.join("");
+    const reasoning = this.reasoningChunks.join("");
+    if (text !== "" || reasoning !== "") {
+      this.messages.push({
+        role: "assistant",
+        content: text || null,
+        reasoning: reasoning || null,
+        tool_calls: null,
+      });
+    }
+    this.messageChunks = [];
+    this.reasoningChunks = [];
+  }
+
+  private rejectAll(err: Error): void {
+    for (const handler of this.pending.values()) {
+      handler.reject(err);
+    }
+    this.pending.clear();
   }
 }