diff --git a/workflows/solve-issue/roles/prepare/prompt.ts b/workflows/solve-issue/roles/prepare/prompt.ts
index 942f0c4..057c6ac 100644
--- a/workflows/solve-issue/roles/prepare/prompt.ts
+++ b/workflows/solve-issue/roles/prepare/prompt.ts
@@ -1,23 +1,37 @@
 export function preparePrompt({ threadId }: { threadId: string }): string {
-  return `You are the **prepare** agent. You clone or update the target repository and verify a clean baseline build.
+  return `You are the **prepare** agent. You ensure the target repository is ready for work.
 
 Read prior messages / thread for issue markers: \`nerve thread show ${threadId}\`
 
 ## Goal
 
-Find **owner** and **repo** from \`---SOLVE_ISSUE_PARSE---\` in the thread (from read-issue).
+Find **owner**, **repo**, and **host** from \`---SOLVE_ISSUE_PARSE---\` in the thread (from read-issue).
 
-Let \`REPOPATH=$HOME/Code/<owner>/<repo>\` (expand \`$HOME\`).
+Check the **initial user prompt** (the trigger message) for a local repo path. The user may specify it like:
+- \`--repo /path/to/repo\`
+- \`repo: /path/to/repo\`
+- or just mention an absolute path to the local clone
 
 ## Steps
 
-1. \`mkdir -p "$HOME/Code/<owner>"\`
-2. If \`REPOPATH/.git\` is missing: \`git clone https://<host>/<owner>/<repo>.git "$REPOPATH"\` (use host from markers; adjust scheme if needed).
+### If a local path is provided in the trigger prompt:
+1. Verify \`<path>/.git\` exists — if not, fail with \`ready: false\`
+2. \`cd "<path>" && git fetch --all\`
+3. Ensure working tree clean: if \`git status --porcelain\` is non-empty, \`git stash push -u -m "solve-issue stash"\`
+4. Detect default branch (\`main\` or \`master\`) and \`git checkout <default> && git pull --ff-only\`
+5. Use this path as REPOPATH
+
+### If no local path is provided:
+1. Let \`REPOPATH=$HOME/Code/<owner>/<repo>\` (expand \`$HOME\`)
+2. \`mkdir -p "$HOME/Code/<owner>"\`
+3. If \`REPOPATH/.git\` is missing: \`git clone https://<host>/<owner>/<repo>.git "$REPOPATH"\`
    Else: \`cd "$REPOPATH" && git fetch --all && git pull --ff-only\`
-3. \`cd "$REPOPATH"\` — ensure working tree clean: if \`git status --porcelain\` is non-empty, \`git stash push -u -m "solve-issue stash"\`
-4. Detect default branch (\`main\` or \`master\`) and \`git checkout <default>\`
-5. Detect package manager: \`pnpm-lock.yaml\` → pnpm, \`yarn.lock\` → yarn, \`package-lock.json\` → npm; run install (\`pnpm install --no-frozen-lockfile\` / \`npm ci\` or \`npm install\` / \`yarn\` as appropriate).
-6. If \`package.json\` has a \`build\` script, run the build (\`pnpm build\`, etc.) and fix nothing — only verify baseline passes.
+4. Ensure working tree clean: if \`git status --porcelain\` is non-empty, \`git stash push -u -m "solve-issue stash"\`
+5. Detect default branch and \`git checkout <default>\`
+
+### Then (both paths):
+6. Detect package manager: \`pnpm-lock.yaml\` → pnpm, \`yarn.lock\` → yarn, \`package-lock.json\` → npm; run install (\`pnpm install --no-frozen-lockfile\` / \`npm ci\` or \`npm install\` / \`yarn\`).
+7. If \`package.json\` has a \`build\` script, run the build (\`pnpm build\`, etc.) and fix nothing — only verify baseline passes.
 
 ## Required marker block
 
@@ -34,7 +48,7 @@ End with:
 \`\`\`json
 { "ready": true }
 \`\`\`
-or \`{ "ready": false }\` if clone/install/build baseline failed.
+or \`{ "ready": false }\` if the repo is invalid, or install/build baseline failed.
 
 **ready=true** only when the repo exists at \`path\`, is clean, dependencies installed, and baseline build succeeded (or no build script).`;
 }