diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/task/executor.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/task/executor.ts
index 73157a33b..4c062d182 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/src/task/executor.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/task/executor.ts
@@ -563,6 +563,7 @@ export async function runSubprocess(options: ExecutorOptions): Promise<SingleRes
 
 	const lspEnabled = enableLsp ?? true;
 	const ircEnabled = subagentSettings.get("irc.enabled") === true;
+	const contextFileForPrompt = ircEnabled ? undefined : options.contextFile;
 	const skipPythonPreflight = Array.isArray(toolNames) && !toolNames.includes("eval");
 
 	const outputChunks: string[] = [];
@@ -1001,7 +1002,7 @@ export async function runSubprocess(options: ExecutorOptions): Promise<SingleRes
 						context: options.context?.trim() ?? "",
 						worktree: worktree ?? "",
 						outputSchema: normalizedOutputSchema,
-						contextFile: options.contextFile,
+						contextFile: contextFileForPrompt,
 						ircPeers: ircEnabled ? renderIrcPeerRoster(id) : "",
 						ircSelfId: ircEnabled ? id : "",
 					});
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/task/index.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/task/index.ts
index acf8d1624..2d603fd4f 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/src/task/index.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/task/index.ts
@@ -785,9 +785,11 @@ export class TaskTool implements AgentTool<TSchema, TaskToolDetails, Theme> {
 				};
 			}
 
-			// Write parent conversation context for subagents
+			// Write parent conversation context for subagents. When IRC is available,
+			// subagents should ask live peers instead of reading a stale markdown dump.
 			await fs.mkdir(effectiveArtifactsDir, { recursive: true });
-			const compactContext = this.session.getCompactContext?.();
+			const shouldWriteConversationContext = this.session.settings.get("irc.enabled") !== true;
+			const compactContext = shouldWriteConversationContext ? this.session.getCompactContext?.() : undefined;
 			let contextFilePath: string | undefined;
 			if (compactContext) {
 				contextFilePath = path.join(effectiveArtifactsDir, "context.md");