diff --git a/services/hermes/agent-deployment.yaml b/services/hermes/agent-deployment.yaml
index b551abef5..326b1c70f 100644
--- a/services/hermes/agent-deployment.yaml
+++ b/services/hermes/agent-deployment.yaml
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ spec:
         ai.bstein.dev/execution: Herdr-supervised Codex and Claude Code
         ai.bstein.dev/model-policy: difficulty-aware low through xhigh, cross-provider fallback
         ai.bstein.dev/placement: rpi5 preferred; Jetson deferred until state storage is available
-        ai.bstein.dev/config-rev: "20260808-herdr-browser-tui-prompt-ready"
+        ai.bstein.dev/config-rev: "20260808-herdr-browser-tui-prompt-marker"
         vault.hashicorp.com/agent-inject: "true"
         vault.hashicorp.com/role: hermes-agent
         vault.hashicorp.com/agent-inject-secret-anthropic-token: kv/data/atlas/hermes/agent-tokens
diff --git a/services/hermes/scripts/herdr_dispatch.py b/services/hermes/scripts/herdr_dispatch.py
index 1a21ea8ea..94889e140 100644
--- a/services/hermes/scripts/herdr_dispatch.py
+++ b/services/hermes/scripts/herdr_dispatch.py
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import json
 import os
 import re
 import subprocess
-import time
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Any
 
@@ -17,7 +16,10 @@ ALLOWED_EFFORTS = ("low", "medium", "high", "xhigh")
 ROUTING_PATH = Path("/opt/data/workspace/coordinator/model-routing.json")
 HERDR_BIN = Path("/opt/data/tools/bin/herdr")
 CODEX_AUTH = Path("/opt/data/home/.codex/auth.json")
-CLAUDE_PROMPT_SETTLE_SECONDS = 3
+PROMPT_READY_MARKERS = {
+    "codex": "OpenAI Codex",
+    "claude": "accept edits on",
+}
 
 
 def _load_routes(path: Path) -> dict[str, Any]:
@@ -180,10 +182,25 @@ def launch_worker(
     started = _run(command, env)
     result = {**plan, "agent": agent_name, "pane": pane, "started": started}
     if prompt:
-        # Claude reports interactive readiness just before its prompt finishes
-        # drawing. Give that terminal a moment so the submitted Enter is not lost.
-        if plan["worker"] == "claude":
-            time.sleep(CLAUDE_PROMPT_SETTLE_SECONDS)
+        # Herdr can detect the process before the full-screen prompt has finished
+        # drawing. Wait for a pinned CLI marker so the submitted Enter is not lost.
+        _run(
+            [
+                str(HERDR_BIN),
+                "pane",
+                "wait-output",
+                pane,
+                "--match",
+                PROMPT_READY_MARKERS[plan["worker"]],
+                "--source",
+                "recent",
+                "--lines",
+                "120",
+                "--timeout",
+                "30000",
+            ],
+            env,
+        )
         result["prompted"] = _run(
             [
                 str(HERDR_BIN),
diff --git a/testing/tests/test_hermes_herdr.py b/testing/tests/test_hermes_herdr.py
index 7ae8d7062..198ccfbb7 100644
--- a/testing/tests/test_hermes_herdr.py
+++ b/testing/tests/test_hermes_herdr.py
@@ -55,7 +55,6 @@ def test_claude_worker_waits_for_prompt_readiness(tmp_path: Path, monkeypatch):
     project = tmp_path / "project"
     project.mkdir()
     calls = []
-    sleeps = []
 
     def fake_run(command, env):
         calls.append(command)
@@ -65,7 +64,6 @@ def test_claude_worker_waits_for_prompt_readiness(tmp_path: Path, monkeypatch):
 
     monkeypatch.setattr(dispatch, "HERDR_BIN", herdr)
     monkeypatch.setattr(dispatch, "_run", fake_run)
-    monkeypatch.setattr(dispatch.time, "sleep", sleeps.append)
     plan = {
         "worker": "claude",
         "model": "claude-haiku-4-5-20251001",
@@ -74,7 +72,20 @@ def test_claude_worker_waits_for_prompt_readiness(tmp_path: Path, monkeypatch):
 
     dispatch.launch_worker(plan, project, "review", "Check the implementation.")
 
-    assert sleeps == [dispatch.CLAUDE_PROMPT_SETTLE_SECONDS]
+    ready = calls[-2]
+    assert ready[1:] == [
+        "pane",
+        "wait-output",
+        "w2:p1",
+        "--match",
+        "accept edits on",
+        "--source",
+        "recent",
+        "--lines",
+        "120",
+        "--timeout",
+        "30000",
+    ]
     prompt = calls[-1]
     assert prompt[1:5] == [
         "agent",