diff --git a/backend/__tests__/unit/config/nativeAgents.scoutKnowledge.test.js b/backend/__tests__/unit/config/nativeAgents.scoutKnowledge.test.js
index 2833444860..64df7fc3d9 100644
--- a/backend/__tests__/unit/config/nativeAgents.scoutKnowledge.test.js
+++ b/backend/__tests__/unit/config/nativeAgents.scoutKnowledge.test.js
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ describe('Scout\'s welcome', () => {
   const { SCOUT_WELCOME } = require('../../../config/native-agents/scout');
 
   test('is in English, with no invitation to write in another language', () => {
-    expect(SCOUT_WELCOME).toBe('What would you like to do first?');
+    expect(SCOUT_WELCOME).toBe("I'm Scout, your first agent here. Pick one below, or just tell me what you're working on.");
     expect(SCOUT_WELCOME).not.toMatch(/[\u3040-\u30ff\u3400-\u9fff\uac00-\ud7af\uff00-\uffef]/);
   });
 });
diff --git a/backend/__tests__/unit/config/scoutWelcome.test.js b/backend/__tests__/unit/config/scoutWelcome.test.js
index 8f704dfe96..90c839059d 100644
--- a/backend/__tests__/unit/config/scoutWelcome.test.js
+++ b/backend/__tests__/unit/config/scoutWelcome.test.js
@@ -10,14 +10,21 @@ const {
 
 describe('Scout welcome locale', () => {
   it('keeps the English welcome unchanged', () => {
-    expect(scoutWelcomeFor('en')).toBe('What would you like to do first?');
-    expect(SCOUT_WELCOME).toBe('What would you like to do first?');
+    expect(scoutWelcomeFor('en')).toBe("I'm Scout, your first agent here. Pick one below, or just tell me what you're working on.");
+    expect(SCOUT_WELCOME).toBe("I'm Scout, your first agent here. Pick one below, or just tell me what you're working on.");
   });
 
-  it('returns a zh-CN welcome with no English in it', () => {
+  it('returns a zh-CN welcome whose only English is Scout\'s name', () => {
     const zh = scoutWelcomeFor('zh-CN');
     expect(zh).not.toBe(SCOUT_WELCOME);
-    expect(zh).not.toMatch(/[A-Za-z]{2,}/);
+    expect(zh.replace(/Scout/g, '')).not.toMatch(/[A-Za-z]{2,}/);
+  });
+
+  // TASK-644, ruled by UX Lead: the line says who Scout is and that typing
+  // works, and never calls the buttons "starts" (an internal name).
+  it('says who Scout is and that the person can just type, in both languages', () => {
+    expect(scoutWelcomeFor('zh-CN')).toBe('我是 Scout，你在这里的第一个智能体。选下面一项开始，或者直接告诉我你在做什么。');
+    expect(SCOUT_WELCOME).not.toMatch(/\bstarts?\b/i);
   });
 
   it('falls back to English for anything that is not zh-CN', () => {
diff --git a/backend/__tests__/unit/controllers/authController.guideIdentity.test.js b/backend/__tests__/unit/controllers/authController.guideIdentity.test.js
index bc89790848..bb3cec8095 100644
--- a/backend/__tests__/unit/controllers/authController.guideIdentity.test.js
+++ b/backend/__tests__/unit/controllers/authController.guideIdentity.test.js
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ describe('workspace onboarding guide identity fork (2026-08-13)', () => {
 
     const welcome = mockPostMessage.mock.calls[0][0];
     expect(welcome.content).toBe(SCOUT_WELCOME);
-    expect(welcome.content).toBe('What would you like to do first?');
+    expect(welcome.content).toBe("I'm Scout, your first agent here. Pick one below, or just tell me what you're working on.");
     expect(welcome.payload).toEqual({
       kind: 'starts',
       starts: [
diff --git a/backend/config/native-agents/scout.ts b/backend/config/native-agents/scout.ts
index c46df284a2..dc5f6b9bd7 100644
--- a/backend/config/native-agents/scout.ts
+++ b/backend/config/native-agents/scout.ts
@@ -46,10 +46,14 @@ export const SCOUT_HOSTED_START = { id: 'run-hosted', label: 'Run an agent here'
  * body is stored once, at signup, in the language the person signed up in
  * (TASK-550). The starts above keep their English labels: Scout matches on
  * them, and only the displayed button text is translated, by id.
+ *
+ * The body says who Scout is and that typing works too (TASK-644): two new
+ * people opened their workspace under the old one-line question, "What would
+ * you like to do first?", and left without clicking a start or typing.
  */
 const SCOUT_WELCOME_BY_LOCALE = {
-  en: 'What would you like to do first?',
-  'zh-CN': '你想先做什么？',
+  en: "I'm Scout, your first agent here. Pick one below, or just tell me what you're working on.",
+  'zh-CN': '我是 Scout，你在这里的第一个智能体。选下面一项开始，或者直接告诉我你在做什么。',
 } as const;
 
 export type ScoutLocale = keyof typeof SCOUT_WELCOME_BY_LOCALE;