diff --git a/packages/core/src/index.ts b/packages/core/src/index.ts
index 0c80841..f29ab91 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/index.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ export type {
   RoleMeta,
   StartSignal,
   RoleSignal,
+  ModeratorContext,
   Moderator,
   WorkflowDefinition,
   SenseResult,
diff --git a/packages/core/src/types.ts b/packages/core/src/types.ts
index d3768ec..d565548 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/types.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/types.ts
@@ -76,16 +76,20 @@ export type WorkflowMessage = {
 export type RoleResult<Meta> = { content: string; meta: Meta };
 
 /**
- * A Role is a pure async function: receives the full message chain,
- * returns typed content + meta. Implementation can be an agent, LLM call,
+ * A Role is a pure async function: receives the engine start frame plus prior
+ * role messages only (the start frame is not included in `messages`).
+ * Returns typed content + meta. Implementation can be an agent, LLM call,
  * script, HTTP request, etc.
  */
-export type Role<Meta> = (messages: WorkflowMessage[]) => Promise<RoleResult<Meta>>;
+export type Role<Meta> = (
+  start: StartSignal,
+  messages: WorkflowMessage[],
+) => Promise<RoleResult<Meta>>;
 
 /** Maps role names to their meta types — the single generic that drives all inference. */
 export type RoleMeta = Record<string, Record<string, unknown>>;
 
-/** First message in the thread chain (`messages[0]`) — passed to the moderator on start. */
+/** Engine start frame: prompt, max rounds cap, and timestamps for the thread. */
 export type StartSignal = {
   role: START;
   content: string;
@@ -99,11 +103,19 @@ export type RoleSignal<M extends RoleMeta> = {
 }[keyof M & string];
 
 /**
- * The moderator — a pure routing function. Receives the last signal,
+ * Moderator input: either the initial start frame or a role signal after a step.
+ * Lets implementations branch on `context.kind` with full typing for each arm.
+ */
+export type ModeratorContext<M extends RoleMeta> =
+  | { kind: "start"; start: StartSignal }
+  | { kind: "step"; signal: RoleSignal<M> };
+
+/**
+ * The moderator — a pure routing function. Receives start vs step context,
  * current round, and maxRounds. Returns the next role name or END.
  */
 export type Moderator<M extends RoleMeta> = (
-  signal: StartSignal | RoleSignal<M>,
+  context: ModeratorContext<M>,
   round: number,
   maxRounds: number,
 ) => (keyof M & string) | END;
diff --git a/packages/daemon/src/workflow-worker.ts b/packages/daemon/src/workflow-worker.ts
index 3264c02..b8dbcb6 100644
--- a/packages/daemon/src/workflow-worker.ts
+++ b/packages/daemon/src/workflow-worker.ts
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import { existsSync } from "node:fs";
 import { join, resolve } from "node:path";
 
 import type {
-  Moderator,
+  ModeratorContext,
   RoleMeta,
   StartSignal,
   WorkflowDefinition,
@@ -29,8 +29,6 @@ import type {
 import { parseParentMessage } from "./ipc.js";
 import { ignoreSessionBroadcastSignals } from "./worker-fork-support.js";
 
-type ModeratorInput = Parameters<Moderator<RoleMeta>>[0];
-
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // IPC helpers
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -87,42 +85,83 @@ function validateRoleResult(
   return true;
 }
 
-function buildInitialLastSignal(lastMsg: WorkflowMessage): ModeratorInput {
-  if (lastMsg.role === START) {
-    return {
-      role: START,
-      content: lastMsg.content,
-      meta: lastMsg.meta as StartSignal["meta"],
-      timestamp: lastMsg.timestamp,
-    };
-  }
-  return { role: lastMsg.role, meta: lastMsg.meta as Record<string, unknown> };
+function isStartMeta(meta: unknown): meta is StartSignal["meta"] {
+  return isPlainRecord(meta) && typeof meta.maxRounds === "number";
 }
 
-function initChain(
+function startSignalFromWorkflowMessage(
+  msg: WorkflowMessage,
+  maxRoundsFallback: number,
+): StartSignal {
+  if (msg.role !== START) {
+    return {
+      role: START,
+      content: "",
+      meta: { maxRounds: maxRoundsFallback },
+      timestamp: Date.now(),
+    };
+  }
+  const meta = isStartMeta(msg.meta) ? msg.meta : { maxRounds: maxRoundsFallback };
+  return {
+    role: START,
+    content: msg.content,
+    meta,
+    timestamp: msg.timestamp,
+  };
+}
+
+type ThreadMessagesState = {
+  start: StartSignal;
+  /** Role outputs only; never includes the `__start__` frame. */
+  messages: WorkflowMessage[];
+};
+
+function initThreadMessages(
   runId: string,
   resumeMessages: WorkflowMessage[],
   freshPrompt: string | null,
   maxRounds: number,
-): WorkflowMessage[] {
+): ThreadMessagesState {
   if (resumeMessages.length > 0) {
-    return [...resumeMessages];
+    const [first, ...rest] = resumeMessages;
+    if (first.role === START) {
+      return {
+        start: startSignalFromWorkflowMessage(first, maxRounds),
+        messages: [...rest],
+      };
+    }
+    const prompt = freshPrompt ?? "";
+    return {
+      start: {
+        role: START,
+        content: prompt,
+        meta: { maxRounds },
+        timestamp: Date.now(),
+      },
+      messages: [...resumeMessages],
+    };
   }
   const prompt = freshPrompt ?? "";
-  const startMsg: WorkflowMessage = {
+  const start: StartSignal = {
     role: START,
     content: prompt,
     meta: { maxRounds },
     timestamp: Date.now(),
   };
-  sendWorkflowMessage(runId, startMsg);
-  return [startMsg];
+  sendWorkflowMessage(runId, {
+    role: start.role,
+    content: start.content,
+    meta: start.meta,
+    timestamp: start.timestamp,
+  });
+  return { start, messages: [] };
 }
 
 async function executeRole(
   def: WorkflowDefinition<RoleMeta>,
   nextRole: string,
-  chain: WorkflowMessage[],
+  start: StartSignal,
+  messages: WorkflowMessage[],
   runId: string,
 ): Promise<{ content: string; meta: Record<string, unknown> } | null> {
   const role = def.roles[nextRole];
@@ -133,7 +172,7 @@ async function executeRole(
 
   let result: { content: string; meta: Record<string, unknown> };
   try {
-    result = await role(chain);
+    result = await role(start, messages);
   } catch (e: unknown) {
     const errMsg = e instanceof Error ? e.message : String(e);
     sendThreadEvent(runId, "failed", { error: errMsg });
@@ -151,16 +190,15 @@ async function runThread(
   resumeMessages: WorkflowMessage[] = [],
   freshPrompt: string | null = null,
 ): Promise<void> {
-  const chain = initChain(runId, resumeMessages, freshPrompt, maxRounds);
+  const { start, messages: roleMessages } = initThreadMessages(
+    runId,
+    resumeMessages,
+    freshPrompt,
+    maxRounds,
+  );
 
-  let roleRound = chain.filter((m) => m.role !== START).length;
-  const lastMsg = chain[chain.length - 1];
-  if (lastMsg === undefined) {
-    sendWorkflowError(runId, "empty workflow message chain");
-    return;
-  }
-
-  let nextRole = def.moderator(buildInitialLastSignal(lastMsg), roleRound, maxRounds);
+  let roleRound = roleMessages.length;
+  let nextRole = def.moderator({ kind: "start", start }, roleRound, maxRounds);
 
   if (nextRole === END) {
     sendThreadEvent(runId, "completed", null);
@@ -168,7 +206,7 @@ async function runThread(
   }
 
   while (roleRound < maxRounds) {
-    const result = await executeRole(def, nextRole, chain, runId);
+    const result = await executeRole(def, nextRole, start, roleMessages, runId);
     if (result === null) return;
 
     const message: WorkflowMessage = {
@@ -177,13 +215,16 @@ async function runThread(
       meta: result.meta,
       timestamp: Date.now(),
     };
-    chain.push(message);
+    roleMessages.push(message);
     sendWorkflowMessage(runId, message);
 
     roleRound += 1;
 
-    const signal: ModeratorInput = { role: nextRole, meta: result.meta };
-    nextRole = def.moderator(signal, roleRound, maxRounds);
+    const stepContext: ModeratorContext<RoleMeta> = {
+      kind: "step",
+      signal: { role: nextRole, meta: result.meta },
+    };
+    nextRole = def.moderator(stepContext, roleRound, maxRounds);
 
     if (nextRole === END) {
       sendThreadEvent(runId, "completed", null);