diff --git a/src/hooks/keyword-detector/hook-ralph-loop.test.ts b/src/hooks/keyword-detector/hook-ralph-loop.test.ts
index 567e4ae08..0cb5972d8 100644
--- a/src/hooks/keyword-detector/hook-ralph-loop.test.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/keyword-detector/hook-ralph-loop.test.ts
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ function createMockRalphLoop(startLoopCalls: StartLoopCall[], cancelLoopCalls: C
   }
 }
 
-describe("keyword-detector ralph-loop activation", () => {
+describe("keyword-detector ultrawork routing", () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     _resetForTesting()
   })
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ describe("keyword-detector ralph-loop activation", () => {
     _resetForTesting()
   })
 
-  test("#given ulw keyword in main session #when chat.message fires #then ralph-loop startLoop is invoked with the user task", async () => {
+  test("#given ulw keyword in main session #when chat.message fires #then ultrawork prompt is injected without starting ralph loop", async () => {
     // given
     setMainSession("main-session")
     const startLoopCalls: StartLoopCall[] = []
@@ -59,13 +59,12 @@ describe("keyword-detector ralph-loop activation", () => {
     await hook["chat.message"]({ sessionID: "main-session", agent: "sisyphus" }, output)
 
     // then
-    expect(startLoopCalls).toHaveLength(1)
-    expect(startLoopCalls[0].sessionID).toBe("main-session")
-    expect(startLoopCalls[0].prompt).toContain("build a multi-agent backend architecture")
-    expect(startLoopCalls[0].options.ultrawork).toBe(true)
+    expect(startLoopCalls).toHaveLength(0)
+    expect(output.parts[0]?.text).toContain("YOU MUST LEVERAGE ALL AVAILABLE AGENTS")
+    expect(output.parts[0]?.text).toContain("ulw build a multi-agent backend architecture")
   })
 
-  test("#given ultrawork keyword in main session #when chat.message fires #then ralph-loop startLoop is invoked with ultrawork enabled", async () => {
+  test("#given ultrawork keyword in main session #when chat.message fires #then ultrawork prompt is injected without starting ralph loop", async () => {
     // given
     setMainSession("main-session")
     const startLoopCalls: StartLoopCall[] = []
@@ -80,13 +79,12 @@ describe("keyword-detector ralph-loop activation", () => {
     await hook["chat.message"]({ sessionID: "main-session", agent: "sisyphus" }, output)
 
     // then
-    expect(startLoopCalls).toHaveLength(1)
-    expect(startLoopCalls[0].sessionID).toBe("main-session")
-    expect(startLoopCalls[0].prompt).toContain("ship the dashboard")
-    expect(startLoopCalls[0].options.ultrawork).toBe(true)
+    expect(startLoopCalls).toHaveLength(0)
+    expect(output.parts[0]?.text).toContain("YOU MUST LEVERAGE ALL AVAILABLE AGENTS")
+    expect(output.parts[0]?.text).toContain("ultrawork ship the dashboard")
   })
 
-  test("#given ulw mentioned mid-sentence #when chat.message fires #then ralph-loop startLoop is invoked", async () => {
+  test("#given ulw mentioned mid-sentence #when chat.message fires #then ultrawork prompt is injected without starting ralph loop", async () => {
     // given
     setMainSession("main-session")
     const startLoopCalls: StartLoopCall[] = []
@@ -101,12 +99,11 @@ describe("keyword-detector ralph-loop activation", () => {
     await hook["chat.message"]({ sessionID: "main-session", agent: "sisyphus" }, output)
 
     // then
-    expect(startLoopCalls).toHaveLength(1)
-    expect(startLoopCalls[0].prompt).toBe("please fix the flaky keyword tests")
+    expect(startLoopCalls).toHaveLength(0)
     expect(output.parts[0]?.text).toContain("please ulw fix the flaky keyword tests")
   })
 
-  test("#given question about ultrawork #when chat.message fires #then ralph-loop startLoop is invoked", async () => {
+  test("#given question about ultrawork #when chat.message fires #then ultrawork prompt is injected without starting ralph loop", async () => {
     // given
     setMainSession("main-session")
     const startLoopCalls: StartLoopCall[] = []
@@ -121,8 +118,7 @@ describe("keyword-detector ralph-loop activation", () => {
     await hook["chat.message"]({ sessionID: "main-session", agent: "sisyphus" }, output)
 
     // then
-    expect(startLoopCalls).toHaveLength(1)
-    expect(startLoopCalls[0].prompt).toBe("what is ?")
+    expect(startLoopCalls).toHaveLength(0)
     expect(output.parts[0]?.text).toContain("what is ultrawork?")
   })
 
@@ -239,7 +235,7 @@ The system mentions ulw mode in passing.
     expect(startLoopCalls).toHaveLength(0)
   })
 
-  test("#given ulw keyword #when chat.message fires #then prompt is also injected as before", async () => {
+  test("#given ulw keyword #when chat.message fires #then prompt is injected as before without starting ralph loop", async () => {
     // given
     setMainSession("main-session")
     const startLoopCalls: StartLoopCall[] = []
@@ -257,6 +253,6 @@ The system mentions ulw mode in passing.
     const textPart = output.parts.find((p) => p.type === "text")
     expect(textPart!.text).toContain("YOU MUST LEVERAGE ALL AVAILABLE AGENTS")
     expect(textPart!.text).toContain("refactor the codebase")
-    expect(startLoopCalls).toHaveLength(1)
+    expect(startLoopCalls).toHaveLength(0)
   })
 })
diff --git a/src/hooks/keyword-detector/ultrawork-edge-trigger.test.ts b/src/hooks/keyword-detector/ultrawork-edge-trigger.test.ts
index 8e2a2a926..a2e60dd88 100644
--- a/src/hooks/keyword-detector/ultrawork-edge-trigger.test.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/keyword-detector/ultrawork-edge-trigger.test.ts
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ describe("keyword-detector ultrawork edge trigger", () => {
     _resetForTesting()
   })
 
-  test("#given greeting text before ulw and surrounding whitespace #when chat.message fires #then ultrawork still activates", async () => {
+  test("#given greeting text before ulw and surrounding whitespace #when chat.message fires #then ultrawork still activates without starting ralph loop", async () => {
     // given
     const toastCalls: string[] = []
     const startLoopCalls: StartLoopCall[] = []
@@ -59,22 +59,12 @@ describe("keyword-detector ultrawork edge trigger", () => {
 
     // then
     expect(toastCalls).toContain("Ultrawork Mode Activated")
-    expect(startLoopCalls).toHaveLength(1)
-    expect(startLoopCalls[0]).toEqual({
-      sessionID: "main-session",
-      prompt: "Complete the task as instructed",
-      options: {
-        ultrawork: true,
-        maxIterations: undefined,
-        completionPromise: undefined,
-        strategy: undefined,
-      },
-    })
+    expect(startLoopCalls).toHaveLength(0)
     expect(output.parts[0]?.text).toContain("ULTRAWORK MODE ENABLED!")
     expect(output.parts[0]?.text).toContain(" hi there ulw ")
   })
 
-  test("#given greeting before ulw with a trailing task #when chat.message fires #then ultrawork activates and preserves the task", async () => {
+  test("#given greeting before ulw with a trailing task #when chat.message fires #then ultrawork activates and preserves the task without starting ralph loop", async () => {
     // given
     const toastCalls: string[] = []
     const startLoopCalls: StartLoopCall[] = []
@@ -93,22 +83,12 @@ describe("keyword-detector ultrawork edge trigger", () => {
 
     // then
     expect(toastCalls).toContain("Ultrawork Mode Activated")
-    expect(startLoopCalls).toHaveLength(1)
-    expect(startLoopCalls[0]).toEqual({
-      sessionID: "main-session",
-      prompt: "fix the flaky keyword tests",
-      options: {
-        ultrawork: true,
-        maxIterations: undefined,
-        completionPromise: undefined,
-        strategy: undefined,
-      },
-    })
+    expect(startLoopCalls).toHaveLength(0)
     expect(output.parts[0]?.text).toContain("ULTRAWORK MODE ENABLED!")
     expect(output.parts[0]?.text).toContain("hey ulw fix the flaky keyword tests")
   })
 
-  test("#given ulw mentioned in the middle of a sentence #when chat.message fires #then ultrawork still activates", async () => {
+  test("#given ulw mentioned in the middle of a sentence #when chat.message fires #then ultrawork still activates without starting ralph loop", async () => {
     // given
     const toastCalls: string[] = []
     const startLoopCalls: StartLoopCall[] = []
@@ -127,12 +107,11 @@ describe("keyword-detector ultrawork edge trigger", () => {
 
     // then
     expect(toastCalls).toContain("Ultrawork Mode Activated")
-    expect(startLoopCalls).toHaveLength(1)
-    expect(startLoopCalls[0]?.prompt).toBe("please fix the flaky keyword tests")
+    expect(startLoopCalls).toHaveLength(0)
     expect(output.parts[0]?.text).toContain("please ulw fix the flaky keyword tests")
   })
 
-  test("#given trailing ultrawork reference without punctuation #when chat.message fires #then ultrawork still activates", async () => {
+  test("#given trailing ultrawork reference without punctuation #when chat.message fires #then ultrawork still activates without starting ralph loop", async () => {
     // given
     const toastCalls: string[] = []
     const startLoopCalls: StartLoopCall[] = []
@@ -151,8 +130,7 @@ describe("keyword-detector ultrawork edge trigger", () => {
 
     // then
     expect(toastCalls).toContain("Ultrawork Mode Activated")
-    expect(startLoopCalls).toHaveLength(1)
-    expect(startLoopCalls[0]?.prompt).toBe("what is")
+    expect(startLoopCalls).toHaveLength(0)
     expect(output.parts[0]?.text).toContain("what is ultrawork")
   })
 })