diff --git a/src/auto-reply/reply/agent-runner-helpers.test.ts b/src/auto-reply/reply/agent-runner-helpers.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..388d53b3c54
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/auto-reply/reply/agent-runner-helpers.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import type { ReplyPayload } from "../types.js";
+
+const hoisted = vi.hoisted(() => {
+  const loadSessionStoreMock = vi.fn();
+  const scheduleFollowupDrainMock = vi.fn();
+  return { loadSessionStoreMock, scheduleFollowupDrainMock };
+});
+
+vi.mock("../../config/sessions.js", async (importOriginal) => {
+  const actual = await importOriginal<typeof import("../../config/sessions.js")>();
+  return {
+    ...actual,
+    loadSessionStore: (...args: unknown[]) => hoisted.loadSessionStoreMock(...args),
+  };
+});
+
+vi.mock("./queue.js", async (importOriginal) => {
+  const actual = await importOriginal<typeof import("./queue.js")>();
+  return {
+    ...actual,
+    scheduleFollowupDrain: (...args: unknown[]) => hoisted.scheduleFollowupDrainMock(...args),
+  };
+});
+
+const {
+  createShouldEmitToolOutput,
+  createShouldEmitToolResult,
+  finalizeWithFollowup,
+  isAudioPayload,
+  signalTypingIfNeeded,
+} = await import("./agent-runner-helpers.js");
+
+describe("agent runner helpers", () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    hoisted.loadSessionStoreMock.mockReset();
+    hoisted.scheduleFollowupDrainMock.mockReset();
+  });
+
+  it("detects audio payloads from mediaUrl/mediaUrls", () => {
+    expect(isAudioPayload({ mediaUrl: "https://example.test/audio.mp3" })).toBe(true);
+    expect(isAudioPayload({ mediaUrls: ["https://example.test/video.mp4"] })).toBe(false);
+    expect(isAudioPayload({ mediaUrls: ["https://example.test/voice.m4a"] })).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("uses fallback verbose level when session context is missing", () => {
+    expect(createShouldEmitToolResult({ resolvedVerboseLevel: "off" })()).toBe(false);
+    expect(createShouldEmitToolResult({ resolvedVerboseLevel: "on" })()).toBe(true);
+    expect(createShouldEmitToolOutput({ resolvedVerboseLevel: "on" })()).toBe(false);
+    expect(createShouldEmitToolOutput({ resolvedVerboseLevel: "full" })()).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("uses session verbose level when present", () => {
+    hoisted.loadSessionStoreMock.mockReturnValue({
+      "agent:main:main": { verboseLevel: "full" },
+    });
+    const shouldEmitResult = createShouldEmitToolResult({
+      sessionKey: "agent:main:main",
+      storePath: "/tmp/store.json",
+      resolvedVerboseLevel: "off",
+    });
+    const shouldEmitOutput = createShouldEmitToolOutput({
+      sessionKey: "agent:main:main",
+      storePath: "/tmp/store.json",
+      resolvedVerboseLevel: "off",
+    });
+    expect(shouldEmitResult()).toBe(true);
+    expect(shouldEmitOutput()).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("falls back when store read fails or session value is invalid", () => {
+    hoisted.loadSessionStoreMock.mockImplementation(() => {
+      throw new Error("boom");
+    });
+    const fallbackOn = createShouldEmitToolResult({
+      sessionKey: "agent:main:main",
+      storePath: "/tmp/store.json",
+      resolvedVerboseLevel: "on",
+    });
+    expect(fallbackOn()).toBe(true);
+
+    hoisted.loadSessionStoreMock.mockReset();
+    hoisted.loadSessionStoreMock.mockReturnValue({
+      "agent:main:main": { verboseLevel: "weird" },
+    });
+    const fallbackFull = createShouldEmitToolOutput({
+      sessionKey: "agent:main:main",
+      storePath: "/tmp/store.json",
+      resolvedVerboseLevel: "full",
+    });
+    expect(fallbackFull()).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("schedules followup drain and returns the original value", () => {
+    const runFollowupTurn = vi.fn();
+    const value = { ok: true };
+    expect(finalizeWithFollowup(value, "queue-key", runFollowupTurn)).toBe(value);
+    expect(hoisted.scheduleFollowupDrainMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith("queue-key", runFollowupTurn);
+  });
+
+  it("signals typing only when any payload has text or media", async () => {
+    const signalRunStart = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined);
+    const typingSignals = { signalRunStart };
+    const emptyPayloads: ReplyPayload[] = [{ text: "   " }, {}];
+    await signalTypingIfNeeded(emptyPayloads, typingSignals);
+    expect(signalRunStart).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+    await signalTypingIfNeeded([{ mediaUrl: "https://example.test/img.png" }], typingSignals);
+    expect(signalRunStart).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/auto-reply/reply/agent-runner-helpers.ts b/src/auto-reply/reply/agent-runner-helpers.ts
index 6f3658b7436..11ea0fe9f53 100644
--- a/src/auto-reply/reply/agent-runner-helpers.ts
+++ b/src/auto-reply/reply/agent-runner-helpers.ts
@@ -11,54 +11,43 @@ const hasAudioMedia = (urls?: string[]): boolean =>
 export const isAudioPayload = (payload: ReplyPayload): boolean =>
   hasAudioMedia(payload.mediaUrls ?? (payload.mediaUrl ? [payload.mediaUrl] : undefined));
 
-export const createShouldEmitToolResult = (params: {
+type VerboseGateParams = {
   sessionKey?: string;
   storePath?: string;
   resolvedVerboseLevel: VerboseLevel;
-}): (() => boolean) => {
-  // Normalize verbose values from session store/config so false/"false" still means off.
-  const fallbackVerbose = normalizeVerboseLevel(String(params.resolvedVerboseLevel ?? "")) ?? "off";
-  return () => {
-    if (!params.sessionKey || !params.storePath) {
-      return fallbackVerbose !== "off";
-    }
-    try {
-      const store = loadSessionStore(params.storePath);
-      const entry = store[params.sessionKey];
-      const current = normalizeVerboseLevel(String(entry?.verboseLevel ?? ""));
-      if (current) {
-        return current !== "off";
-      }
-    } catch {
-      // ignore store read failures
-    }
-    return fallbackVerbose !== "off";
-  };
 };
 
-export const createShouldEmitToolOutput = (params: {
-  sessionKey?: string;
-  storePath?: string;
-  resolvedVerboseLevel: VerboseLevel;
-}): (() => boolean) => {
+function resolveCurrentVerboseLevel(params: VerboseGateParams): VerboseLevel | undefined {
+  if (!params.sessionKey || !params.storePath) {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+  try {
+    const store = loadSessionStore(params.storePath);
+    const entry = store[params.sessionKey];
+    return normalizeVerboseLevel(String(entry?.verboseLevel ?? ""));
+  } catch {
+    // ignore store read failures
+    return undefined;
+  }
+}
+
+function createVerboseGate(
+  params: VerboseGateParams,
+  shouldEmit: (level: VerboseLevel) => boolean,
+): () => boolean {
   // Normalize verbose values from session store/config so false/"false" still means off.
   const fallbackVerbose = normalizeVerboseLevel(String(params.resolvedVerboseLevel ?? "")) ?? "off";
   return () => {
-    if (!params.sessionKey || !params.storePath) {
-      return fallbackVerbose === "full";
-    }
-    try {
-      const store = loadSessionStore(params.storePath);
-      const entry = store[params.sessionKey];
-      const current = normalizeVerboseLevel(String(entry?.verboseLevel ?? ""));
-      if (current) {
-        return current === "full";
-      }
-    } catch {
-      // ignore store read failures
-    }
-    return fallbackVerbose === "full";
+    return shouldEmit(resolveCurrentVerboseLevel(params) ?? fallbackVerbose);
   };
+}
+
+export const createShouldEmitToolResult = (params: VerboseGateParams): (() => boolean) => {
+  return createVerboseGate(params, (level) => level !== "off");
+};
+
+export const createShouldEmitToolOutput = (params: VerboseGateParams): (() => boolean) => {
+  return createVerboseGate(params, (level) => level === "full");
 };
 
 export const finalizeWithFollowup = <T>(