diff --git a/src/main.zig b/src/main.zig
index be9f3c7..8a5359f 100644
--- a/src/main.zig
+++ b/src/main.zig
@@ -159,6 +159,7 @@ fn run(alloc: std.mem.Allocator, active_repo: *?[]const u8) void {
             break;
         } orelse break;
         g_use_headers = g_use_headers or message_uses_headers;
+        @import("notify.zig").init(g_use_headers);
         defer alloc.free(line);
 
         const input = std.mem.trim(u8, line, " \t\r\n");
diff --git a/src/notify.zig b/src/notify.zig
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8245388
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/notify.zig
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+// notify.zig — MCP progress notifications (keepalive heartbeats)
+//
+// Sends JSON-RPC notifications/message to the client while a long-running
+// tool is executing.  Thread-safe — worker threads in run_swarm all share
+// the same global writer mutex.
+//
+// The MCP client (Claude Code / external bridges) uses these as proof that
+// the server is still alive.  Without periodic heartbeats, external MCP
+// bridges time out long-running tool calls with MCP error -32001.
+//
+// Usage:
+//   notify.init(use_headers);                          // once, at startup
+//   notify.send(alloc, "agent 'explorer' running…");   // any thread
+
+const std = @import("std");
+
+/// Call once at server startup with the framing mode in use.
+pub fn init(use_headers: bool) void {
+    g_use_headers = use_headers;
+    g_ready = true;
+}
+
+/// Send a notifications/message to the MCP client.
+/// Thread-safe.  No-ops silently if init() was not called.
+pub fn send(alloc: std.mem.Allocator, message: []const u8) void {
+    if (!g_ready) return;
+
+    // Build JSON-escaped message string
+    var escaped: std.ArrayList(u8) = .empty;
+    defer escaped.deinit(alloc);
+    escaped.append(alloc, '"') catch return;
+    for (message) |c| {
+        switch (c) {
+            '"'  => escaped.appendSlice(alloc, "\\\"") catch return,
+            '\\' => escaped.appendSlice(alloc, "\\\\") catch return,
+            '\n' => escaped.appendSlice(alloc, "\\n")  catch return,
+            '\r' => escaped.appendSlice(alloc, "\\r")  catch return,
+            '\t' => escaped.appendSlice(alloc, "\\t")  catch return,
+            else => escaped.append(alloc, c) catch return,
+        }
+    }
+    escaped.append(alloc, '"') catch return;
+
+    const payload = std.fmt.allocPrint(
+        alloc,
+        "{{\"jsonrpc\":\"2.0\",\"method\":\"notifications/message\",\"params\":{{\"level\":\"info\",\"data\":{s}}}}}",
+        .{escaped.items},
+    ) catch return;
+    defer alloc.free(payload);
+
+    const stdout = std.fs.File.stdout();
+    g_mutex.lock();
+    defer g_mutex.unlock();
+
+    if (g_use_headers) {
+        const header = std.fmt.allocPrint(
+            alloc, "Content-Length: {d}\r\n\r\n", .{payload.len},
+        ) catch return;
+        defer alloc.free(header);
+        stdout.writeAll(header)  catch {};
+        stdout.writeAll(payload) catch {};
+        stdout.writeAll("\r\n")  catch {};
+    } else {
+        stdout.writeAll(payload) catch {};
+        stdout.writeAll("\n")    catch {};
+    }
+}
+
+// ── Globals ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+var g_mutex:       std.Thread.Mutex = .{};
+var g_use_headers: bool             = false;
+var g_ready:       bool             = false;
+
+// ── Tests ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+test "notify: init sets ready flag" {
+    init(false);
+    send(std.testing.allocator, "test message");
+}
diff --git a/src/tools.zig b/src/tools.zig
index 887eeb4..b359c62 100644
--- a/src/tools.zig
+++ b/src/tools.zig
@@ -2279,6 +2279,7 @@ fn runChainStep(
     step_out: *std.ArrayList(u8),
 ) void {
     const rt = @import("runtime.zig");
+    const notify = @import("notify.zig");
     const req: rt.AgentRequest = .{
         .prompt          = prompt,
         .role            = role,
@@ -2288,7 +2289,52 @@ fn runChainStep(
     };
     const resolved = rt.resolve.resolveWithProbe(alloc, req);
     defer rt.prompts.freeAssembled(alloc, resolved.system_prompt);
-    rt.dispatch.dispatch(alloc, resolved, prompt, step_out);
+
+    // Run dispatch on a worker thread so we can send heartbeat notifications
+    // on the main thread.  Without heartbeats, external MCP bridges (which
+    // impose their own ~60s timeout) will kill the connection with -32001
+    // even though the agent is still working.
+    const Ctx = struct {
+        a: std.mem.Allocator,
+        resolved: rt.ResolvedAgent,
+        p: []const u8,
+        out: *std.ArrayList(u8),
+        done: std.Thread.ResetEvent = .{},
+
+        fn work(ctx: *@This()) void {
+            rt.dispatch.dispatch(ctx.a, ctx.resolved, ctx.p, ctx.out);
+            ctx.done.set();
+        }
+    };
+
+    const ctx = alloc.create(Ctx) catch {
+        step_out.appendSlice(alloc, "{\"error\":\"OOM allocating agent context\"}") catch {};
+        return;
+    };
+    defer alloc.destroy(ctx);
+    ctx.* = .{ .a = alloc, .resolved = resolved, .p = prompt, .out = step_out };
+
+    const thread = std.Thread.spawn(.{}, Ctx.work, .{ctx}) catch {
+        // Fallback: run synchronously (no heartbeat, but still works)
+        rt.dispatch.dispatch(alloc, resolved, prompt, step_out);
+        return;
+    };
+
+    // Send heartbeat every 15s while the agent is running.
+    // This keeps external MCP bridge connections alive.
+    const heartbeat_ns: u64 = 15 * std.time.ns_per_s;
+    var elapsed_s: u64 = 0;
+    while (true) {
+        if (ctx.done.timedWait(heartbeat_ns)) |_| {
+            break; // agent finished
+        } else |_| {
+            elapsed_s += 15;
+            var msg_buf: [128]u8 = undefined;
+            const msg = std.fmt.bufPrint(&msg_buf, "agent '{s}' running ({d}s elapsed)", .{ role, elapsed_s }) catch "agent running…";
+            notify.send(alloc, msg);
+        }
+    }
+    thread.join();
 }
 
 fn handleRunTask(