diff --git a/loopx/chat_agent.py b/loopx/chat_agent.py
index e66ed6924d..83d9c3dc45 100644
--- a/loopx/chat_agent.py
+++ b/loopx/chat_agent.py
@@ -985,6 +985,7 @@ def send(
         if on_event:
             on_event("turn.started", {"upstream_turn_id": turn_id})
         parts: list[str] = []
+        completed_structured_response: str | None = None
         display_filter = VisibleResponseStreamFilter(protected_paths=[self.work_dir])
         visible_delta_count = 0
         started_at = time.monotonic()
@@ -1069,6 +1070,18 @@ def send(
                         on_event("answer.delta", {"text": visible})
             elif method == "item/completed":
                 item_text = _agent_item_text(message)
+                if output_schema is not None and isinstance(params, dict):
+                    item = params.get("item")
+                    if isinstance(item, dict) and item.get("type") == "agentMessage":
+                        # Completed items are authoritative. A structured Turn
+                        # may stream commentary before its final JSON; joining
+                        # all deltas would turn that valid answer into invalid
+                        # JSON (or promote commentary JSON as the result).
+                        phase = item.get("phase")
+                        if phase is None or phase == "final_answer":
+                            completed_structured_response = item_text
+                        elif phase != "commentary" or completed_structured_response is None:
+                            completed_structured_response = ""
                 if item_text and not parts:
                     parts.append(item_text)
                     visible = display_filter.feed(item_text)
@@ -1113,6 +1126,8 @@ def send(
             on_event("answer.delta", {"text": visible_tail})
         raw_response = "".join(parts)
         if output_schema is not None:
+            if completed_structured_response is not None:
+                raw_response = completed_structured_response
             try:
                 result = json.loads(raw_response)
             except (ValueError, TypeError) as exc:
diff --git a/loopx/control_plane/work_items/operation_agent_handoff.ts b/loopx/control_plane/work_items/operation_agent_handoff.ts
index 5814501af5..0845ca29ec 100644
--- a/loopx/control_plane/work_items/operation_agent_handoff.ts
+++ b/loopx/control_plane/work_items/operation_agent_handoff.ts
@@ -28,12 +28,15 @@ function timestamp(value: unknown): number {
 }
 
 /** Readback of an operator-selected transport. This is not a session binding,
- * a runtime qualification or an execution permit. Python supplies argv facts. */
+ * a runtime qualification or an execution permit. Python supplies argv facts.
+ * Accept the CLI's provider-neutral effort vocabulary; actual model support
+ * remains a host qualification, not something this preflight can establish. */
 export function projectManagedOperationTransport(input: JsonObject): JsonObject {
   const reason = input.host !== "codex-cli" ? "operation_transport_host_unsupported"
     : !["read-only", "workspace-write"].includes(String(input.sandbox)) ? "operation_transport_sandbox_unsupported"
     : typeof input.model !== "string" || !ID.test(input.model)
-      || !["minimal", "low", "medium", "high", "xhigh"].includes(String(input.reasoning_effort))
+      || typeof input.reasoning_effort !== "string"
+      || !["none", "minimal", "low", "medium", "high", "xhigh", "max", "ultra"].includes(input.reasoning_effort)
       ? "operation_transport_profile_required" : null;
   return {reason, transport: {schema_version: "loopx_operation_transport_v0",
     kind: "owned_app_server", revision: "app-server-operation-tools-v0",
diff --git a/tests/control_plane_ts/operation_agent_handoff.test.ts b/tests/control_plane_ts/operation_agent_handoff.test.ts
index f904f4f180..bd65cce56c 100644
--- a/tests/control_plane_ts/operation_agent_handoff.test.ts
+++ b/tests/control_plane_ts/operation_agent_handoff.test.ts
@@ -36,6 +36,28 @@ test("operator transport preflight projects pinned configuration without claimin
   }
 });
 
+test("operation transport accepts the explicit CLI effort vocabulary without qualifying a model", () => {
+  for (const reasoning_effort of ["none", "minimal", "low", "medium", "high", "xhigh", "max", "ultra"]) {
+    for (const sandbox of ["read-only", "workspace-write"]) {
+      const projected = projectManagedOperationTransport({host: "codex-cli", sandbox,
+        model: "test-model", reasoning_effort});
+      assert.equal(projected.reason, null, reasoning_effort);
+      const transport = projected.transport as JsonObject;
+      assert.equal(transport.configuration_valid, true);
+      assert.equal(transport.runtime_qualified, false);
+      assert.equal(transport.human_confirmation_required, true);
+      assert.equal(transport.first_consumption_required, true);
+      assert.equal(transport.source_conversation_is_executor, false);
+    }
+  }
+  for (const reasoning_effort of [null, "", "unknown", "MAX", 1, ["max"]]) {
+    const projected = projectManagedOperationTransport({host: "codex-cli", sandbox: "read-only",
+      model: "test-model", reasoning_effort});
+    assert.equal(projected.reason, "operation_transport_profile_required");
+    assert.equal((projected.transport as JsonObject).configuration_valid, false);
+  }
+});
+
 function managedInput(): JsonObject {
   const value = input();
   const parameters = (value.proposal as JsonObject).normalized_parameters as JsonObject;
diff --git a/tests/test_chat_agent.py b/tests/test_chat_agent.py
index 31cbecdc2a..db4989261c 100644
--- a/tests/test_chat_agent.py
+++ b/tests/test_chat_agent.py
@@ -227,6 +227,50 @@ def popen(command, **kwargs):
         session.close()
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("commentary", ["I will read the context.", '{"answer":"not-final"}'])
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("final_phase", [None, "final_answer"])
+def test_structured_turn_uses_completed_answer_not_commentary_or_partial_deltas(
+    monkeypatch, tmp_path, commentary, final_phase,
+):
+    session = chat_agent.CodexChatAgentSession(
+        process=_FakeAppServerProcess(), messages=queue.Queue(), thread_id="thread-fixture",
+        work_dir=tmp_path, execution_mode=True,
+    )
+    params = {"threadId": "thread-fixture", "turnId": "turn-fixture"}
+    final = {"type": "agentMessage", "text": '{"answer":"actual"}'}
+    if final_phase is not None:
+        final["phase"] = final_phase
+    upstream = iter([
+        {"method": "item/agentMessage/delta", "params": {**params, "delta": commentary}},
+        {"method": "item/completed", "params": {**params, "item": {
+            "type": "agentMessage", "phase": "commentary", "text": commentary}}},
+        {"method": "item/agentMessage/delta", "params": {**params, "delta": '{"answer":'}},
+        {"method": "item/completed", "params": {**params, "item": final}},
+        {"method": "turn/completed", "params": {"turn": {"status": "completed"}}},
+    ])
+    monkeypatch.setattr(session, "_request", lambda *a, **kw: {"turn": {"id": "turn-fixture"}})
+    monkeypatch.setattr(session, "_next_event", lambda **kw: next(upstream))
+    assert session.send("Return the structured result.", output_schema={"type": "object"}) == {"answer": "actual"}
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("phase", ["commentary", "futurePhase", []])
+def test_structured_turn_cannot_promote_nonfinal_json_to_a_final_result(monkeypatch, tmp_path, phase):
+    session = chat_agent.CodexChatAgentSession(
+        process=_FakeAppServerProcess(), messages=queue.Queue(), thread_id="thread-fixture",
+        work_dir=tmp_path, execution_mode=True,
+    )
+    upstream = iter([
+        {"method": "item/agentMessage/delta", "params": {"delta": '{"answer":"not-final"}'}},
+        {"method": "item/completed", "params": {"item": {
+            "type": "agentMessage", "phase": phase, "text": '{"answer":"not-final"}'}}},
+        {"method": "turn/completed", "params": {"turn": {"status": "completed"}}},
+    ])
+    monkeypatch.setattr(session, "_request", lambda *a, **kw: {"turn": {"id": "turn-fixture"}})
+    monkeypatch.setattr(session, "_next_event", lambda **kw: next(upstream))
+    with pytest.raises(chat_agent.CodexChatAgentError, match="structured output"):
+        session.send("Return the structured result.", output_schema={"type": "object"})
+
+
 def test_trusted_manager_profile_reaches_app_server_and_turn_prompt(
     monkeypatch,
     tmp_path,
diff --git a/tests/test_codex_operation_host.py b/tests/test_codex_operation_host.py
index 0903ca0a2c..7256e3710f 100644
--- a/tests/test_codex_operation_host.py
+++ b/tests/test_codex_operation_host.py
@@ -217,8 +217,11 @@ def test_owned_operation_host_reaps_descendants_on_success_and_timeout(
     not os.environ.get("LOOPX_QUALIFY_CODEX_OPERATION_HOST"),
     reason="explicit live-host release qualification only",
 )
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ("model", "effort"), [("gpt-6-sol", "xhigh"), ("gpt-6-luna", "max")]
+)
 def test_live_owned_app_server_native_tool_metadata(
-    tmp_path: Path, monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch
+    tmp_path: Path, monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch, model: str, effort: str
 ) -> None:
     from loopx.control_plane.turn_driver import codex_operation_host
 
@@ -247,8 +250,8 @@ def record(tool, arguments, native):
         runtime_root=tmp_path / "runtime",
         registry_path=tmp_path / "registry.json",
         project=tmp_path,
-        model="gpt-6-sol",
-        reasoning_effort="xhigh",
+        model=model,
+        reasoning_effort=effort,
         timeout_seconds=120,
     )
     result = run_codex_operation_host(request, **options)
diff --git a/tests/test_turn_managed_executor_binding.py b/tests/test_turn_managed_executor_binding.py
index b735c17d27..836de2fe7f 100644
--- a/tests/test_turn_managed_executor_binding.py
+++ b/tests/test_turn_managed_executor_binding.py
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 
 import pytest
 
+from loopx.reasoning_effort import REASONING_EFFORTS
+
 from loopx.control_plane.turn_driver.host_binding import (
     DEFAULT_DSH_OUTPUT_TOKEN_LIMIT,
     DSH_OUTPUT_TOKEN_BUDGET_SCHEMA_VERSION,
@@ -108,17 +110,19 @@ def test_trusted_codex_binding_projects_its_independent_agent_profile():
     assert "unrelated-managed-credential" not in json.dumps(binding)
 
 
-def test_owned_operation_transport_is_opt_in_and_read_back_by_the_existing_host_owner():
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("effort", REASONING_EFFORTS)
+def test_owned_operation_transport_is_opt_in_and_read_back_by_the_existing_host_owner(effort):
     options = ["--host", "codex-cli", "--codex-operation-tools"]
     blocked = managed_executor_binding_from_host_args(options, environ={})
     assert blocked["available"] is False
     assert blocked["unavailable_reason"] == "operation_transport_profile_required"
     pinned = managed_executor_binding_from_host_args(
-        [*options, "--codex-model", "test-model", "--codex-reasoning-effort", "xhigh"],
+        [*options, "--codex-model", "test-model", "--codex-reasoning-effort", effort],
         environ={},
     )
     assert pinned["available"] is None  # argv cannot qualify a real host
-    assert pinned["execution_profile"] == "test-model@xhigh"
+    assert pinned["execution_profile"] == f"test-model@{effort}"
+    assert pinned["operation_transport"]["configuration_valid"] is True
     assert pinned["operation_transport"]["identity_source"] == "native_thread_turn_metadata"
     assert pinned["operation_transport"]["runtime_qualified"] is False
     assert "operation_transport" not in managed_executor_binding("codex-cli")