diff --git a/manuals/spawn_agent.md b/manuals/spawn_agent.md
index ec4d096..57f7b77 100644
--- a/manuals/spawn_agent.md
+++ b/manuals/spawn_agent.md
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 # spawn_agent — Manual
 
 ## What it does
-Delegates a focused multi-step sub-task to an isolated agent instance with its own tool-calling loop
-and a clean context window. Returns the sub-agent's complete final response as a tool result.
+Delegates EXACTLY ONE step of your plan to an isolated agent instance with its own tool-calling loop and a clean context window. Returns the sub-agent's complete final response as a tool result.
+
+**One plan step = one spawn_agent call.** If your plan has three AGENT steps, make three separate calls.
 
 **CRITICAL: spawn_agent is SYNCHRONOUS.** It blocks until the sub-agent fully completes (or times out after 5 minutes).
 
@@ -10,24 +11,15 @@
 
 | Parameter | Required | Description |
 |-----------|----------|-------------|
-| `task` | yes | What to accomplish: exact goal, success criteria, expected output format. End with: "Complete ALL assigned work before responding. Your output is final." |
-| `briefing` | no | All context the sub-agent needs (IPs, credentials, file paths, prior findings, step-by-step instructions). Sub-agent starts blank — include everything. |
+| `task` | yes | Goal for this one step, success criteria, expected output format. End with: "Complete ALL assigned work before responding. Your output is final." |
+| `briefing` | no | Credentials, IPs, file paths, constraints, step-by-step instructions — injected as system-level context into the sub-agent. |
 | `profile_id` | no | Which profile to use (`secretary`, `server_admin`, `developer`). Defaults to current session's profile. |
-| `system_prompt` | no | Role definition injected on top of the profile's built-in subagent prompt. Use to specialise the agent for this task (e.g. "You are a security auditor. Report findings by severity."). |
+| `system_prompt` | no | Role specialisation for this task (e.g. "You are a security auditor. Report findings by severity."). Injected on top of the profile's built-in subagent prompt. |
 | `max_iterations` | no | Tool-call iteration limit (default: 20). |
 
-## Context transfer — automatic
-
-Before spawning, write key working state to your scratchpad `context_transfer` section:
-```
-scratchpad(op="write", section="context_transfer", content="...")
-```
-This section is **automatically injected** into the sub-agent at the start of its context.
-Use it to pass findings from earlier tool calls or parallel agents without duplicating them in `briefing`.
-
 ## Sub-agent tools
 
-Sub-agents receive a focused tool set (not all profile tools — no todo, switch_profile, email_manager, etc.):
+Sub-agents receive a focused tool set (no todo, switch_profile, email_manager, etc.):
 
 | Profile | Sub-agent tools |
 |---------|----------------|
@@ -43,24 +35,24 @@
 
 **Never repeat the result header to the user.** Synthesise findings in your own words.
 
-## Writing a good task + briefing
+## Example: correct multi-agent execution
 
-```json
-{
-  "task": "Check CPU temperature and memory usage. Return a structured table: metric, value, unit, status (ok/warn/crit). Complete ALL assigned work before responding. Your output is final.",
-  "briefing": "Host: 192.168.1.75\nUser: gmikcon\nPassword: getroot\nUse ssh_exec to connect. Check temperature via 'sensors' or /sys/class/thermal. Check memory via 'free -h'.",
-  "profile_id": "server_admin"
-}
+```
+Plan step 2 → AGENT  →  spawn_agent(task="Research pricing for product X ...", briefing="...")
+Plan step 3 → AGENT  →  spawn_agent(task="Research pricing for product Y ...", briefing="...")
+Plan step 4 → SELF   →  synthesise both results, write final answer
 ```
 
-## Using system_prompt for role specialisation
+**Wrong:** `spawn_agent(task="Research X and Y pricing and write a comparison")` — two steps, one call.
+
+## Full example
 
 ```json
 {
-  "task": "Audit the SSH configuration for security issues.",
-  "briefing": "Host: 192.168.1.75, user: gmikcon, password: getroot.",
+  "task": "Check CPU temperature and memory usage. Return a table: metric, value, unit, status (ok/warn/crit). Complete ALL assigned work before responding. Your output is final.",
+  "briefing": "Host: 192.168.1.75\nUser: gmikcon\nPassword: getroot\nUse ssh_exec. Check temperature via 'sensors' or /sys/class/thermal. Check memory via 'free -h'.",
   "profile_id": "server_admin",
-  "system_prompt": "You are a security auditor. For each finding report: setting name, current value, risk level (critical/warning/info), recommended fix."
+  "system_prompt": "You are a system metrics collector. Report all values in a structured table."
 }
 ```
 
@@ -74,5 +66,5 @@
 
 ## What the sub-agent cannot do
 - Spawn further sub-agents (recursion is blocked)
-- Access your conversation history (only context_transfer scratchpad section is passed)
+- Access your conversation history
 - Use administrative tools: todo, switch_profile, list_profiles, email_manager, delete_tool
diff --git a/navi/profiles/secretary/system_prompt.txt b/navi/profiles/secretary/system_prompt.txt
index eab7c60..ce6956b 100644
--- a/navi/profiles/secretary/system_prompt.txt
+++ b/navi/profiles/secretary/system_prompt.txt
@@ -56,11 +56,9 @@
 ### Briefing sub-agents
 spawn_agent takes three content fields:
 - `task`: goal for this one step + expected output format + "Complete ALL assigned work before responding. Your output is final."
-- `briefing`: static context the sub-agent needs — credentials, file paths, constraints, step-by-step instructions.
+- `briefing`: credentials, file paths, constraints, step-by-step instructions for this sub-agent.
 - `system_prompt`: optional role specialisation (e.g. "You are a data analyst. Return results as a structured table.").
 
-Context transfer: write intermediate findings from prior steps into `scratchpad(section="context_transfer")` before spawning — injected automatically. Credentials and instructions always go in `briefing`, not here.
-
 ---
 
 ## Tool priorities
diff --git a/navi/profiles/server_admin/system_prompt.txt b/navi/profiles/server_admin/system_prompt.txt
index 54131b0..56ea4ab 100644
--- a/navi/profiles/server_admin/system_prompt.txt
+++ b/navi/profiles/server_admin/system_prompt.txt
@@ -57,11 +57,9 @@
 ### Briefing sub-agents
 spawn_agent takes three content fields:
 - `task`: what to accomplish in this one step + expected output format + "Complete ALL assigned work before responding. Your output is final."
-- `briefing`: static context — hostname/IP, credentials, exact commands or checks to run, constraints.
+- `briefing`: hostname/IP, credentials, exact commands or checks to run, constraints.
 - `system_prompt`: optional role specialisation (e.g. "You are a security auditor. Report findings by severity: critical / warning / info.").
 
-Context transfer: write findings from prior agents into `scratchpad(section="context_transfer")` before spawning — injected automatically. Credentials always go in `briefing`, not here.
-
 ### Scratchpad discipline
 - `status` — host/service states, versions, resource usage
 - `logs` — relevant excerpts with timestamps (trim noise aggressively)
diff --git a/navi/tools/spawn_agent.py b/navi/tools/spawn_agent.py
index 67b306b..0c46d00 100644
--- a/navi/tools/spawn_agent.py
+++ b/navi/tools/spawn_agent.py
@@ -25,8 +25,6 @@
         "USER CANNOT SEE sub-agent output — synthesise findings into your own response.\n\n"
         "USE when a step requires 2+ tool calls to complete as a single logical unit.\n"
         "DO NOT USE for a single tool call — call the tool directly.\n\n"
-        "Context transfer: before spawning, write working state from prior steps into "
-        "scratchpad(section='context_transfer') — it is injected automatically."
     )
     parameters = {
         "type": "object",
@@ -42,10 +40,8 @@
             "briefing": {
                 "type": "string",
                 "description": (
-                    "Static context injected as a system-level instruction: "
-                    "IPs, credentials, file paths, constraints, step-by-step instructions. "
-                    "For dynamic results from prior steps, use scratchpad(section='context_transfer') "
-                    "instead — it is injected automatically."
+                    "Static context injected as system-level instruction: "
+                    "IPs, credentials, file paths, constraints, step-by-step instructions."
                 ),
             },
             "profile_id": {
diff --git a/persona.txt b/persona.txt
index 2ad551a..1e43e34 100644
--- a/persona.txt
+++ b/persona.txt
@@ -28,10 +28,8 @@
 
 spawn_agent fields:
 - task (required): goal for THIS ONE STEP, success criteria, expected output format.
-- briefing (optional): credentials, file paths, step-by-step instructions — injected as system-level context.
-- system_prompt (optional): role specialisation (e.g. "You are a security auditor. Report by severity.").
-
-context_transfer: write findings from prior steps into scratchpad(section="context_transfer") before spawning — injected automatically into the next subagent. Use for intermediate results. Credentials and instructions go in briefing, not here.
+- briefing (optional): credentials, file paths, constraints, step-by-step instructions — injected as system-level context into the sub-agent.
+- system_prompt (optional): role specialisation for this task (e.g. "You are a security auditor. Report by severity.").
 
 End every task field with:
 "Before each tool call, write one sentence: what you are calling and why. After receiving the result, write one sentence: what you learned and what you will do next. Complete ALL your assigned work before writing your final response. Your output is final."