diff --git a/workflows/sense-generator/index.ts b/workflows/sense-generator/index.ts
index 4bc4a69..b31976e 100644
--- a/workflows/sense-generator/index.ts
+++ b/workflows/sense-generator/index.ts
@@ -7,8 +7,7 @@ import type {
 import { END } from "@uncaged/nerve-core";
 import type { SpawnError } from "@uncaged/nerve-workflow-utils";
 import {
-  cursorAgent,
-  llmExtract,
+  createCursorRole,
   nerveAgentContext,
   readNerveYaml,
   spawnSafe,
@@ -20,6 +19,7 @@ import { z } from "zod";
 const HOME = process.env.HOME ?? "/home/azureuser";
 const NERVE_ROOT = join(HOME, ".uncaged-nerve");
 const SENSES_DIR = join(NERVE_ROOT, "senses");
+const AGENT_TIMEOUT_MS = 3_600_000;
 
 function getNerveYaml(): string {
   const result = readNerveYaml({ nerveRoot: NERVE_ROOT });
@@ -67,7 +67,9 @@ function formatSpawnFailure(error: SpawnError): string {
  * Run the same checks the workflow used to ask Hermes to perform, but locally.
  * Hermes chat often returns UI prose instead of shell output, which caused false failures.
  */
-async function runSenseSmokeTest(senseName: string): Promise<{ ok: boolean; log: string; reason: string }> {
+async function runSenseSmokeTest(
+  senseName: string,
+): Promise<{ ok: boolean; log: string; reason: string }> {
   const logParts: string[] = [];
 
   const runNerve = async (args: string[]): Promise<{ ok: true; out: string } | { ok: false; err: string }> => {
@@ -170,43 +172,69 @@ function buildSenseExamples(): string {
   return examples.join("\n\n---\n\n");
 }
 
+function getSenseNameFromThread(messages: WorkflowMessage[]): string {
+  const p = messages.find((m) => m.role === "planner");
+  if (p === undefined || typeof p.meta !== "object" || p.meta === null) {
+    return "";
+  }
+  return String((p.meta as { senseName: string }).senseName);
+}
+
+function getPlanFromThread(messages: WorkflowMessage[]): string {
+  const p = messages.find((m) => m.role === "planner");
+  return p !== undefined ? p.content : "";
+}
+
 type SenseMeta = {
-  planner: { plan: string; senseName: string; userInput: string };
-  coder: { senseName: string; files: Record<string, boolean>; cursorOutput: string };
-  tester: { passed: boolean; senseName: string; reason: string; attempt: number };
+  planner: { senseName: string };
+  coder: { filesCreated: boolean };
+  tester: { passed: boolean; attempt: number };
 };
 
-const senseMetaSchema = z
+const plannerMetaSchema = z
   .object({
-    name: z.string().describe("kebab-case sense name, e.g. 'disk-usage'"),
-    description: z.string().describe("One-line description of what this sense monitors"),
+    senseName: z
+      .string()
+      .describe("kebab-case sense name from the plan, e.g. 'disk-usage'"),
   })
-  .describe("Extract the sense name and a one-line description from the plan");
+  .describe("Extract the kebab-case sense name from the plan text");
 
-const workflow: WorkflowDefinition<SenseMeta> = {
-  name: "sense-generator",
+const coderMetaSchema = z
+  .object({
+    filesCreated: z
+      .boolean()
+      .describe("true if index.js, schema.ts, migrations/0001_init.sql exist and nerve.yaml was updated"),
+  })
+  .describe("Whether the agent completed all file work for the sense");
 
-  roles: {
-    async planner(
-      start: StartStep,
-      _messages: WorkflowMessage[],
-    ): Promise<RoleResult<SenseMeta["planner"]>> {
-      const userInput = start.content;
+async function runPlanner(
+  start: StartStep,
+  _messages: WorkflowMessage[],
+): Promise<RoleResult<SenseMeta["planner"]>> {
+  const userInput = start.content;
+  const provider = await resolveDashScopeProvider();
+  if (provider === null) {
+    return {
+      content:
+        "Cannot run planner: set DASHSCOPE_API_KEY and DASHSCOPE_BASE_URL (or configure via `cfg get`), " +
+        "and optionally DASHSCOPE_MODEL.",
+      meta: { senseName: "" },
+    };
+  }
 
-      const provider = await resolveDashScopeProvider();
-      if (provider === null) {
-        return {
-          content:
-            "Cannot run planner: set DASHSCOPE_API_KEY and DASHSCOPE_BASE_URL (or configure via `cfg get`), " +
-            "and optionally DASHSCOPE_MODEL.",
-          meta: { plan: "", senseName: "", userInput },
-        };
-      }
-
-      const planPrompt = `You are planning a new Nerve sense.
+  const role = createCursorRole<SenseMeta["planner"]>({
+    cwd: NERVE_ROOT,
+    mode: "ask",
+    timeoutMs: AGENT_TIMEOUT_MS,
+    prompt: async (threadId) => {
+      return `You are planning a new Nerve sense.
 
 ${nerveAgentContext}
 
+**Context:** Read this workflow run for background before you plan. From a shell in \`${NERVE_ROOT}\`, run:
+\`nerve thread show ${threadId} --budget 50000\`
+Use the thread transcript (prior user messages and rounds) when deciding the sense.
+
 User request: ${userInput}
 Pick a good kebab-case name for this sense.
 
@@ -239,50 +267,45 @@ ${getNerveYaml()}
 \`\`\`
 
 Output ONLY the plan in markdown. Be precise and implementation-ready.`;
-
-      const planResult = await cursorAgent({
-        prompt: planPrompt,
-        mode: "ask",
-        cwd: NERVE_ROOT,
-        env: null,
-        timeoutMs: null,
-      });
-      if (!planResult.ok) {
-        return {
-          content: `cursor-agent failed: ${formatSpawnFailure(planResult.error)}`,
-          meta: { plan: "", senseName: "", userInput },
-        };
-      }
-      const plan = planResult.value;
-
-      const extracted = await llmExtract({
-        text: plan,
-        schema: senseMetaSchema,
-        provider,
-      });
-      if (!extracted.ok) {
-        return {
-          content: `${plan}\n\n[llmExtract error] ${JSON.stringify(extracted.error)}`,
-          meta: { plan, senseName: "", userInput },
-        };
-      }
-
-      return {
-        content: plan,
-        meta: { plan, senseName: extracted.value.name, userInput },
-      };
     },
+    extract: { provider, schema: plannerMetaSchema },
+  });
 
-    async coder(
-      _start: StartStep,
-      messages: WorkflowMessage[],
-    ): Promise<RoleResult<SenseMeta["coder"]>> {
-      const last = messages[messages.length - 1];
-      const { plan, senseName } = last.meta as { plan: string; senseName: string };
+  try {
+    return await role(start, _messages);
+  } catch (e) {
+    const message = e instanceof Error ? e.message : String(e);
+    return { content: message, meta: { senseName: "" } };
+  }
+}
 
-      const codePrompt = `You are implementing a new Nerve sense called "${senseName}" in the directory ${SENSES_DIR}/${senseName}/.
+async function runCoder(
+  _start: StartStep,
+  messages: WorkflowMessage[],
+): Promise<RoleResult<SenseMeta["coder"]>> {
+  const plan = getPlanFromThread(messages);
+  const senseName = getSenseNameFromThread(messages);
+  const provider = await resolveDashScopeProvider();
+  if (provider === null) {
+    return {
+      content:
+        "Cannot run coder: set DASHSCOPE_API_KEY and DASHSCOPE_BASE_URL (or configure via `cfg get`), " +
+        "and optionally DASHSCOPE_MODEL.",
+      meta: { filesCreated: false },
+    };
+  }
 
-Here is the plan:
+  const role = createCursorRole<SenseMeta["coder"]>({
+    cwd: NERVE_ROOT,
+    mode: "default",
+    timeoutMs: AGENT_TIMEOUT_MS,
+    prompt: async (threadId) => {
+      return `You are implementing a new Nerve sense called "${senseName}" in the directory ${SENSES_DIR}/${senseName}/.
+
+**Context:** Read this workflow run for background before you edit files. From a shell in \`${NERVE_ROOT}\`, run:
+\`nerve thread show ${threadId} --budget 50000\`
+
+Here is the plan (from the planner step):
 
 ${plan}
 
@@ -311,77 +334,74 @@ IMPORTANT RULES:
 - nerve.yaml: add under \`senses:\` and add a reflex under \`reflexes:\`
 - Use the interval specified in the plan for the reflex
 
-Create all files now.`;
-
-      const agentResult = await cursorAgent({
-        prompt: codePrompt,
-        mode: "default",
-        cwd: NERVE_ROOT,
-        env: null,
-        timeoutMs: null,
-      });
-      if (!agentResult.ok) {
-        const resultText = `cursor-agent failed: ${formatSpawnFailure(agentResult.error)}`;
-        return {
-          content: resultText,
-          meta: {
-            senseName,
-            files: { index: false, schema: false, migration: false },
-            cursorOutput: resultText,
-          },
-        };
-      }
-      const result = agentResult.value;
-
-      const senseDir = join(SENSES_DIR, senseName);
-      const files = {
-        index: existsSync(join(senseDir, "index.js")),
-        schema: existsSync(join(senseDir, "schema.ts")),
-        migration: existsSync(join(senseDir, "migrations", "0001_init.sql")),
-      };
-
-      return {
-        content: result,
-        meta: { senseName, files, cursorOutput: result },
-      };
+Create all files now. End with a clear statement of whether all files and updates were created successfully, or what is still missing.`;
     },
+    extract: { provider, schema: coderMetaSchema },
+  });
 
-    async tester(
-      _start: StartStep,
-      messages: WorkflowMessage[],
-    ): Promise<RoleResult<SenseMeta["tester"]>> {
-      const last = messages[messages.length - 1];
-      const { senseName, files } = last.meta as { senseName: string; files: Record<string, boolean> };
+  try {
+    return await role(_start, messages);
+  } catch (e) {
+    const message = e instanceof Error ? e.message : String(e);
+    return { content: message, meta: { filesCreated: false } };
+  }
+}
 
-      const attempt = messages.filter((m) => m.role === "tester").length + 1;
+async function runTester(
+  _start: StartStep,
+  messages: WorkflowMessage[],
+): Promise<RoleResult<SenseMeta["tester"]>> {
+  const senseName = getSenseNameFromThread(messages);
+  const senseDir = join(SENSES_DIR, senseName);
 
-      const missing = Object.entries(files).filter(([, v]) => !v).map(([k]) => k);
-      if (missing.length > 0) {
-        return {
-          content: `FAIL — missing files: ${missing.join(", ")}`,
-          meta: { passed: false, senseName, reason: `Missing files: ${missing.join(", ")}`, attempt },
-        };
-      }
+  const files = {
+    index: existsSync(join(senseDir, "index.js")),
+    schema: existsSync(join(senseDir, "schema.ts")),
+    migration: existsSync(join(senseDir, "migrations", "0001_init.sql")),
+  };
 
-      const smoke = await runSenseSmokeTest(senseName);
+  const attempt = messages.filter((m) => m.role === "tester").length + 1;
 
-      if (smoke.ok) {
-        return {
-          content: `PASS — ${smoke.reason}`,
-          meta: { passed: true, senseName, reason: smoke.reason, attempt },
-        };
-      }
+  if (!senseName) {
+    return {
+      content: "FAIL — no senseName from planner meta",
+      meta: { passed: false, attempt },
+    };
+  }
 
-      return {
-        content: `FAIL — ${smoke.reason}`,
-        meta: {
-          passed: false,
-          senseName,
-          reason: `${smoke.reason}\n\n--- smoke log ---\n${smoke.log}`,
-          attempt,
-        },
-      };
+  const missing = Object.entries(files).filter(([, v]) => !v).map(([k]) => k);
+  if (missing.length > 0) {
+    return {
+      content: `FAIL — missing files: ${missing.join(", ")}`,
+      meta: { passed: false, attempt },
+    };
+  }
+
+  const smoke = await runSenseSmokeTest(senseName);
+
+  if (smoke.ok) {
+    return {
+      content: `PASS — ${smoke.reason}`,
+      meta: { passed: true, attempt },
+    };
+  }
+
+  return {
+    content: `FAIL — ${smoke.reason}\n\n--- smoke log ---\n${smoke.log}`,
+    meta: {
+      passed: false,
+      attempt,
     },
+  };
+}
+
+const workflow: WorkflowDefinition<SenseMeta> = {
+  name: "sense-generator",
+
+  roles: {
+    planner: runPlanner,
+    coder: runCoder,
+    tester: runTester,
   },
 
   moderator(context) {