diff --git a/cli/__tests__/adapters.claude.environment.test.mjs b/cli/__tests__/adapters.claude.environment.test.mjs
index 59b819062f..4a54e56fed 100644
--- a/cli/__tests__/adapters.claude.environment.test.mjs
+++ b/cli/__tests__/adapters.claude.environment.test.mjs
@@ -1072,6 +1072,28 @@ describe('claude adapter — a public seat gets its declared skills as prompt te
     expect(args[args.indexOf('--setting-sources') + 1]).toBe('');
   });
 
+  // D48 (TASK-545). A public seat has no subagent to spawn and works no board
+  // rows, so its fresh session carries the memory cues and not the habits. The
+  // legacy `internal` record reads as public, so it is held to the same line.
+  // Seatbelt wraps argv and spends `-p` on its profile, so the prompt is found
+  // by its content rather than by the flag.
+  test.each(['public', 'internal'])('a fresh trust=%s seat is not taught the row-working habits', async (trust) => {
+    const { impl, calls } = makeSpawnImpl();
+    await publicSpawn(impl, {
+      environment: { model: 'test-model',
+        sandbox: { mode: 'workspace', trust },
+        skills: { claude: [skillSrc] },
+      },
+    });
+
+    expect(calls[0].cmd).toBe('/usr/bin/sandbox-exec');
+    const promptArg = calls[0].args.find((arg) => String(arg).includes('=== Current turn ==='));
+    expect(promptArg).toBeDefined();
+    expect(promptArg).toContain('=== Fresh session ===');
+    expect(promptArg).not.toContain('=== Working a row ===');
+    expect(promptArg).not.toContain('Agent tool');
+  });
+
   test('a private seat loads skills natively and gets no appended prompt', async () => {
     const { impl, calls } = makeSpawnImpl();
     await claude.spawn('hi', {
diff --git a/cli/__tests__/adapters.claude.test.mjs b/cli/__tests__/adapters.claude.test.mjs
index 2f2d2befb1..d3fbadbe5a 100644
--- a/cli/__tests__/adapters.claude.test.mjs
+++ b/cli/__tests__/adapters.claude.test.mjs
@@ -170,6 +170,7 @@ describe('claude adapter — spawn()', () => {
     // Recovery creates an underlying session, so it must receive the same
     // fresh-session memory cues as an initial spawn.
     expect(calls[1].args[1]).toContain('=== Fresh session ===');
+    expect(calls[1].args[1]).toContain('=== Working a row ===');
     // newSessionId returned is the fresh one so the wrapper persists it next turn
     expect(res.newSessionId).not.toBe('abc-123');
     expect(res.newSessionId).toMatch(/^[0-9a-f]{8}-/);
@@ -215,6 +216,35 @@ describe('claude adapter — spawn()', () => {
     expect(promptArg).toContain("section: 'long_term'");
   });
 
+  // D48 (TASK-545) is done when a live seat's spawn argv shows these habits, so
+  // they are pinned on the argv here, not only on the shared helper.
+  test('a fresh private Claude seat is taught parallel reads and row slicing', async () => {
+    const { impl, calls } = makeSpawnImpl({ stdout: 'ok' });
+    await claude.spawn('current message', { environment: { model: 'test-model' },
+      memoryLongTerm: 'open gate: #123',
+      _spawnImpl: impl,
+    });
+
+    const promptArg = calls[0].args[1];
+    expect(promptArg).toContain('=== Working a row ===');
+    expect(promptArg).toContain('use the Agent tool');
+    expect(promptArg).toContain('commonly_create_task with parentTask');
+    expect(promptArg.indexOf('=== Working a row ===')).toBeLessThan(promptArg.indexOf('=== Current turn ==='));
+  });
+
+  test('a resumed Claude seat is not re-taught the habits its transcript holds', async () => {
+    const { impl, calls } = makeSpawnImpl({ stdout: 'ok' });
+    await claude.spawn('current message', { environment: { model: 'test-model' },
+      sessionId: 'sid-1',
+      memoryLongTerm: 'open gate: #123',
+      _spawnImpl: impl,
+    });
+
+    const promptArg = calls[0].args[1];
+    expect(promptArg).not.toContain('=== Working a row ===');
+    expect(promptArg).not.toContain('Agent tool');
+  });
+
   // Replaces an assertion that empty memory passed the prompt verbatim. That
   // made two different states byte-identical from inside the session — an agent
   // that has never saved anything, and a runtime with no memory bridge at all —
diff --git a/cli/__tests__/adapters.codex.test.mjs b/cli/__tests__/adapters.codex.test.mjs
index e9ee9cc22f..b5b474a8a4 100644
--- a/cli/__tests__/adapters.codex.test.mjs
+++ b/cli/__tests__/adapters.codex.test.mjs
@@ -764,6 +764,69 @@ describe('codex adapter — spawn()', () => {
     expect(calls[0].args[calls[0].args.length - 1]).not.toContain('=== Fresh session ===');
   });
 
+  // D48 (TASK-545). Codex has no subagent tool, so it is taught row slicing
+  // and not parallel reads; claude.js carries that half.
+  test('a fresh private Codex seat is taught row slicing alone', async () => {
+    const { impl, calls } = makeSpawnImpl({
+      stdoutChunks: ['{"type":"thread.started","thread_id":"sid-1"}\n'],
+      outputContents: 'ok',
+    });
+    await codex.spawn('current message', { environment: { model: 'test-model' },
+      sessionId: null,
+      memoryLongTerm: 'open gate: #123',
+      _spawnImpl: impl,
+    });
+
+    const promptArg = calls[0].args[calls[0].args.length - 1];
+    expect(promptArg).toContain('=== Working a row ===');
+    expect(promptArg).toContain('commonly_create_task with parentTask');
+    expect(promptArg).not.toContain('Agent tool');
+  });
+
+  test('a resumed Codex seat is not re-taught row slicing', async () => {
+    const { impl, calls } = makeSpawnImpl({
+      stdoutChunks: ['{"type":"thread.started","thread_id":"sid-1"}\n'],
+      outputContents: 'ok',
+    });
+    await codex.spawn('current message', { environment: { model: 'test-model' },
+      sessionId: 'sid-1',
+      memoryLongTerm: 'open gate: #123',
+      _spawnImpl: impl,
+    });
+
+    expect(calls[0].args[calls[0].args.length - 1]).not.toContain('=== Working a row ===');
+  });
+
+  // The legacy `internal` record reads as public, so it is held to the same line.
+  test.each(['public', 'internal'])('a fresh trust=%s Codex seat is not taught row slicing', async (trust) => {
+    const operatorHome = await mkdtemp(join(tmpdir(), 'commonly-codex-operator-home-'));
+    const publicHome = await mkdtemp(join(tmpdir(), 'commonly-codex-public-home-'));
+    try {
+      await writeFile(join(operatorHome, 'auth.json'), '{"test":true}', 'utf8');
+      const { impl, calls } = makeSpawnImpl({
+        stdoutChunks: ['{"type":"thread.started","thread_id":"sid-public"}\n'],
+        outputContents: 'ok',
+      });
+      await codex.spawn('current message', {
+        sessionId: null,
+        cwd: '/tmp/public-agent-workspace',
+        environment: { model: 'test-model', sandbox: { trust } },
+        env: { ...process.env, CODEX_HOME: operatorHome },
+        agentName: 'public-work-cue-agent',
+        memoryLongTerm: 'open gate: #123',
+        _publicCodexHome: publicHome,
+        _spawnImpl: impl,
+      });
+
+      const promptArg = calls[0].args[calls[0].args.length - 1];
+      expect(promptArg).toContain('=== Fresh session ===');
+      expect(promptArg).not.toContain('=== Working a row ===');
+    } finally {
+      await rm(operatorHome, { recursive: true, force: true });
+      await rm(publicHome, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
+
   // Same swap as the claude adapter: both delegate to `buildMemoryPreamble`, so
   // the empty case is a cue rather than a bare prompt. Pinned on both adapters
   // deliberately — a shared helper is only shared until someone re-inlines one.
diff --git a/cli/__tests__/memory-bridge.test.mjs b/cli/__tests__/memory-bridge.test.mjs
index 579181cbfb..98a64912e6 100644
--- a/cli/__tests__/memory-bridge.test.mjs
+++ b/cli/__tests__/memory-bridge.test.mjs
@@ -7,7 +7,9 @@
  */
 
 import { jest } from '@jest/globals';
-import { readLongTerm, syncBack, SOURCE_RUNTIME, buildMemoryPreamble } from '../src/lib/memory-bridge.js';
+import {
+  readLongTerm, syncBack, SOURCE_RUNTIME, buildMemoryPreamble, ROW_SLICING_CUE,
+} from '../src/lib/memory-bridge.js';
 
 const makeClient = ({ memoryPayload = null, getThrows = false, postThrows = false } = {}) => {
   const get = jest.fn(async () => {
@@ -238,4 +240,34 @@ describe('buildMemoryPreamble', () => {
     expect(fresh).toMatch(/Do not treat it as empty or write a replacement/i);
     expect(fresh).not.toContain('commonly_save_my_memory');
   });
+
+  // D48 (TASK-545). Working habits ride the memory cues' once-per-session rule,
+  // and only the habits an adapter passes are rendered.
+  it('renders work cues on a fresh session, after the read cue and before the turn', () => {
+    const fresh = buildMemoryPreamble('turn', 'mem', {
+      freshSession: true,
+      workCues: ['first habit', 'second habit'],
+    });
+    expect(fresh).toContain('=== Working a row ===\n- first habit\n- second habit\n');
+    expect(fresh.indexOf('=== Fresh session ===')).toBeLessThan(fresh.indexOf('=== Working a row ==='));
+    expect(fresh.indexOf('=== Working a row ===')).toBeLessThan(fresh.indexOf('=== Current turn ==='));
+  });
+
+  it('does not render work cues on a resumed turn, even when an adapter passes them', () => {
+    const resumed = buildMemoryPreamble('turn', 'mem', { workCues: ['first habit'] });
+    expect(resumed).not.toContain('=== Working a row ===');
+    expect(resumed).not.toContain('first habit');
+  });
+
+  it('leaves the fresh preamble as it was when no cues are passed', () => {
+    const none = buildMemoryPreamble('turn', 'mem', { freshSession: true, workCues: [] });
+    expect(none).toBe(buildMemoryPreamble('turn', 'mem', { freshSession: true }));
+    expect(none).not.toContain('=== Working a row ===');
+    expect(none).toContain('prior sessions.\n\n=== Current turn ===\nturn');
+  });
+
+  it('names the exact call and field a seat slices a row with', () => {
+    expect(ROW_SLICING_CUE).toContain('commonly_create_task');
+    expect(ROW_SLICING_CUE).toContain('parentTask');
+  });
 });
diff --git a/cli/src/lib/adapters/claude.js b/cli/src/lib/adapters/claude.js
index d7e0b7abad..75a17b48dd 100644
--- a/cli/src/lib/adapters/claude.js
+++ b/cli/src/lib/adapters/claude.js
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ import { deliverSeatCredential, withholdRuntimeCredential } from '../mcp-credent
 import {
   prepareMcpSpawn, PUBLIC_MCP_UNAVAILABLE_CODE, publicMcpUnavailableError, selectedMcpVersionDir,
 } from '../mcp-home.js';
-import { buildMemoryPreamble } from '../memory-bridge.js';
+import { buildMemoryPreamble, ROW_SLICING_CUE } from '../memory-bridge.js';
 import { claudeConfigDirFor, claudeContextTokens } from '../session-recycle.js';
 import { skillsAsText } from '../skill-prompt.js';
 import { adapterFailure, spawnCredentials } from '../upstream-refusal.js';
@@ -98,6 +98,16 @@ const DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_MS = (() => {
 })();
 
 const buildPrompt = buildMemoryPreamble;
+
+// The working habits a private claude seat is taught on a fresh session (D48,
+// TASK-545). Parallel reads live here because only this CLI has a subagent
+// tool; codex is passed row slicing alone. A public seat is passed neither: its
+// argv allows Read and the MCP under dontAsk, so it has no subagent to spawn,
+// and it answers strangers rather than working board rows.
+const PARALLEL_READS_CUE = 'Parallel reads: when a row needs several files or sources read, '
+  + 'use the Agent tool. Spawn read-only subagents in parallel, brief each one with the files '
+  + 'to read and the question to answer, and keep only their conclusions.';
+const WORK_CUES = [PARALLEL_READS_CUE, ROW_SLICING_CUE];
 const RUNTIME_CREDENTIAL_PLACEHOLDER = '${COMMONLY_AGENT_TOKEN}';
 
 const QUOTE_SHELL_ARGUMENT = (value) => `'${String(value).replaceAll("'", "'\\''")}'`;
@@ -799,7 +809,12 @@ export default {
     // the only two paths that build a real prompt. buildPrompt handles
     // undefined and '' as absence itself; it does not need a guard, it needs
     // the value.
-    const fullPrompt = buildPrompt(prompt, ctx.memoryLongTerm, { freshSession: !isResume });
+    const publicTrust = ctx.environment?.sandbox?.trust === 'public';
+    const workCues = publicTrust ? [] : WORK_CUES;
+    const fullPrompt = buildPrompt(prompt, ctx.memoryLongTerm, {
+      freshSession: !isResume,
+      workCues,
+    });
     const sessionFlag = isResume ? '--resume' : '--session-id';
     // Model pin from the ADR-008 environment spec. Absent it, claude picks its
     // own default — which is how a fleet of ten agents ended up running three
@@ -839,7 +854,6 @@ export default {
     let mcpConfig = null;
     let publicClaudeState = null;
     let publicSkillArgs = [];
-    const publicTrust = ctx.environment?.sandbox?.trust === 'public';
     const publicNativeSandbox = publicTrust
       && PUBLIC_SANDBOX_MODES.has(resolvePublicSandboxMode(ctx.environment?.sandbox));
     const publicBwrapSandbox = publicTrust
@@ -927,7 +941,10 @@ export default {
         // The retry creates a new underlying CLI session. Rebuild its prompt
         // as fresh too: otherwise a session-recovery path is the one fresh
         // session that misses the durable-state cue.
-        const freshPrompt = buildPrompt(prompt, ctx.memoryLongTerm, { freshSession: true });
+        const freshPrompt = buildPrompt(prompt, ctx.memoryLongTerm, {
+          freshSession: true,
+          workCues,
+        });
         const retryBase = ['-p', freshPrompt,
         '--output-format', 'text', '--session-id', freshId, ...modelArgs];
         const retryCtx = {
diff --git a/cli/src/lib/adapters/codex.js b/cli/src/lib/adapters/codex.js
index f55cd44100..2b417acb74 100644
--- a/cli/src/lib/adapters/codex.js
+++ b/cli/src/lib/adapters/codex.js
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ import { CREDENTIAL_KEY, writeCredentialFile } from '../credential-file.js';
 import { supportedGitHooks } from '../commit-attribution.js';
 import { deliverSeatCredential, withholdRuntimeCredential } from '../mcp-credential-delivery.js';
 import { prepareMcpSpawn, publicMcpUnavailableError, selectedMcpVersionDir } from '../mcp-home.js';
-import { buildMemoryPreamble } from '../memory-bridge.js';
+import { buildMemoryPreamble, ROW_SLICING_CUE } from '../memory-bridge.js';
 import { resolveSkillSource, skillsAsText } from '../skill-prompt.js';
 import { isLegacySandboxTrust, normalizeSandboxTrust } from '../environment.js';
 import { adapterFailure, spawnCredentials } from '../upstream-refusal.js';
@@ -650,14 +650,20 @@ export default {
 
   async spawn(prompt, ctx = {}) {
     const seatModel = requireSeatModel(ctx.environment, 'codex');
+    const sandbox = normalizeSandboxTrust(ctx.environment?.sandbox);
     // Passed through UNCOALESCED. `ctx.memoryLongTerm || ''` was here, and
     // `null || ''` is `''` — which routed the unreadable case straight into
     // the empty-memory branch and made the whole distinction unreachable from
     // the only two paths that build a real prompt. buildPrompt handles
     // undefined and '' as absence itself; it does not need a guard, it needs
     // the value.
+    //
+    // Codex has no subagent tool, so of D48's two habits (TASK-545) it is
+    // taught row slicing alone; claude.js adds parallel reads. A public seat
+    // answers strangers rather than working board rows, so it is taught neither.
     const fullPrompt = buildPrompt(prompt, ctx.memoryLongTerm, {
       freshSession: !ctx.sessionId,
+      workCues: sandbox?.trust === 'public' ? [] : [ROW_SLICING_CUE],
     });
 
     // Per-spawn temp dir for --output-last-message. Cleaned up in `finally`
@@ -674,7 +680,6 @@ export default {
     });
 
     try {
-      const sandbox = normalizeSandboxTrust(ctx.environment?.sandbox);
       const mcp = buildMcpOverrideArgs(ctx.environment?.mcp, {
         runtimeToken: ctx.runtimeToken,
         instanceUrl: ctx.instanceUrl,
diff --git a/cli/src/lib/memory-bridge.js b/cli/src/lib/memory-bridge.js
index 813dc675c7..5f8573a2d2 100644
--- a/cli/src/lib/memory-bridge.js
+++ b/cli/src/lib/memory-bridge.js
@@ -22,6 +22,18 @@
 
 export const SOURCE_RUNTIME = 'local-cli';
 
+/**
+ * Row slicing, the runtime-agnostic half of D48 (TASK-545). A row too large
+ * for one turn drifts when one seat carries it whole, so the seat splits it on
+ * the board before any code. It names the exact call and field for the reason
+ * the memory cue below names `long_term`: a seat adopts a habit through a
+ * surface it can see. Each adapter decides whether to pass it.
+ */
+export const ROW_SLICING_CUE = 'Slicing: when a row is too large for one turn, split it before '
+  + 'writing any code. Post each slice as a child row (commonly_create_task with parentTask set '
+  + "to the row's taskId) with one assignee, a written file or area boundary, and its own "
+  + 'acceptance line.';
+
 /**
  * The turn preamble, shared by every adapter so the two cannot drift.
  *
@@ -39,8 +51,17 @@ export const SOURCE_RUNTIME = 'local-cli';
  * the section whose name most invites exactly this use — succeeds, returns 200,
  * and is never seen again; the write and the silence are indistinguishable from
  * a correct round trip. Naming the section is the whole point of the cue.
+ *
+ * `workCues` are working habits an adapter teaches on a fresh session, beside
+ * the memory cues and under the same once-per-session rule. An adapter passes
+ * only the habits its CLI can act on; passing none leaves the preamble as it
+ * was.
  */
-export const buildMemoryPreamble = (prompt, memoryLongTerm, { freshSession = false } = {}) => {
+export const buildMemoryPreamble = (
+  prompt,
+  memoryLongTerm,
+  { freshSession = false, workCues = [] } = {},
+) => {
   // `null` is the UNREADABLE signal, and it is deliberately not the same value
   // as `''`. Telling a seat whose token was revoked that "nothing has ever been
   // saved here" is a false claim about its own history, and it is the same
@@ -87,7 +108,10 @@ export const buildMemoryPreamble = (prompt, memoryLongTerm, { freshSession = fal
       + 'gates held, decisions pending, and task context, not a transcript — using '
       + 'the long_term write above.';
   }
-  return `${context}\n${freshReadCue}\n=== Current turn ===\n${prompt}\n${sessionEndCue}`;
+  const workCue = workCues.length
+    ? `\n=== Working a row ===\n${workCues.map((cue) => `- ${cue}`).join('\n')}\n`
+    : '';
+  return `${context}\n${freshReadCue}${workCue}\n=== Current turn ===\n${prompt}\n${sessionEndCue}`;
 };
 
 export const readLongTerm = async (client, { onError } = {}) => {