[Feature] Subagent's TaskOutput should return final result text, not full JSONL log
Resolved 💬 13 comments Opened Jan 8, 2026 by Weizhena Closed Mar 8, 2026
Problem
When a subagent uses TaskOutput tool to retrieve another background agent's result, it returns the entire JSONL conversation log instead of just the final result text.
Current Behavior
Parent Agent → launches Background Subagent A
Parent Agent → launches Subagent B to consume A's result via TaskOutput
Subagent B receives: Full JSONL log (all messages, tool calls, intermediate steps)
Expected Behavior
Subagent B receives: Final assistant message text only
Workaround
tail -1 /tmp/claude/.../tasks/{task_id}.output | jq -r '.message.content[0].text'
Why This Matters
- Subagents only need the final result to continue their work
- Full JSONL log wastes context tokens and causes confusion
- May hit token limits with large conversation logs (#15095)
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