diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/eval/__tests__/bridge-timeout.test.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/eval/__tests__/bridge-timeout.test.ts
index 6589cbfd6..aa6fb9be0 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/src/eval/__tests__/bridge-timeout.test.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/eval/__tests__/bridge-timeout.test.ts
@@ -19,10 +19,12 @@ describe("withBridgeTimeoutPause", () => {
 				await Bun.sleep(80);
 				return "done";
 			},
+			{ deferExternalAbort: true },
 		);
 
 		expect(value).toBe("done");
 		expect(events.map(event => event.op)).toEqual([EVAL_TIMEOUT_PAUSE_OP, EVAL_TIMEOUT_RESUME_OP]);
+		expect(events.every(event => event.deferExternalAbort === true)).toBe(true);
 
 		const settledCount = events.length;
 		await Bun.sleep(40);
@@ -75,27 +77,26 @@ class TestCancelledError extends Error {
 	}
 }
 
-it("defers external aborts until an in-flight bridge call resumes", async () => {
+it("defers external aborts until an in-flight agent bridge call resumes", async () => {
 	const abortController = new AbortController();
+	const entered = Promise.withResolvers<void>();
+	const triggerAbort = Promise.withResolvers<void>();
+	const observed = Promise.withResolvers<boolean>();
 	const release = Promise.withResolvers<void>();
-	let completed = false;
-	let kernelSignal: AbortSignal | undefined;
 	const kernel: GenericKernel<Record<string, string | null>> = {
 		async execute(_code, options) {
-			kernelSignal = options.signal;
+			entered.resolve();
+			await triggerAbort.promise;
 			options.onDisplay({
 				type: "status",
-				event: { op: EVAL_TIMEOUT_PAUSE_OP },
+				event: { op: EVAL_TIMEOUT_PAUSE_OP, deferExternalAbort: true },
 			} satisfies KernelDisplayOutput);
-
 			abortController.abort(new Error("external interrupt"));
-			expect(kernelSignal?.aborted).toBe(false);
-
+			observed.resolve(options.signal?.aborted ?? false);
 			await release.promise;
-			completed = true;
 			options.onDisplay({
 				type: "status",
-				event: { op: EVAL_TIMEOUT_RESUME_OP },
+				event: { op: EVAL_TIMEOUT_RESUME_OP, deferExternalAbort: true },
 			} satisfies KernelDisplayOutput);
 			return { status: "ok", cancelled: false, timedOut: false };
 		},
@@ -113,12 +114,57 @@ it("defers external aborts until an in-flight bridge call resumes", async () =>
 		formatTimeoutAnnotation: () => "timed out",
 	});
 
-	await Promise.resolve();
-	expect(completed).toBe(false);
-
+	await entered.promise;
+	triggerAbort.resolve();
+	expect(await observed.promise).toBe(false);
+	release.resolve();
+	const result = await resultPromise;
+	expect(result.cancelled).toBe(true);
+	expect(result.exitCode).toBeUndefined();
+});
+
+it("does not defer external aborts for a completion bridge call", async () => {
+	const abortController = new AbortController();
+	const entered = Promise.withResolvers<void>();
+	const triggerAbort = Promise.withResolvers<void>();
+	const observed = Promise.withResolvers<boolean>();
+	const release = Promise.withResolvers<void>();
+	const kernel: GenericKernel<Record<string, string | null>> = {
+		async execute(_code, options) {
+			entered.resolve();
+			await triggerAbort.promise;
+			options.onDisplay({
+				type: "status",
+				event: { op: EVAL_TIMEOUT_PAUSE_OP },
+			} satisfies KernelDisplayOutput);
+			abortController.abort(new Error("external interrupt"));
+			observed.resolve(options.signal?.aborted ?? false);
+			await release.promise;
+			options.onDisplay({
+				type: "status",
+				event: { op: EVAL_TIMEOUT_RESUME_OP },
+			} satisfies KernelDisplayOutput);
+			return { status: "ok", cancelled: false, timedOut: false };
+		},
+	};
+
+	const resultPromise = executeWithKernelBase({
+		kernel,
+		code: "completion('slow')",
+		options: { signal: abortController.signal },
+		runIdPrefix: "test",
+		errorLogLabel: "test",
+		cancelledErrorClass: TestCancelledError,
+		buildKernelEnvPatch: () => ({}),
+		formatKernelTimeoutAnnotation: () => "kernel timed out",
+		formatTimeoutAnnotation: () => "timed out",
+	});
+
+	await entered.promise;
+	triggerAbort.resolve();
+	expect(await observed.promise).toBe(true);
 	release.resolve();
 	const result = await resultPromise;
-	expect(completed).toBe(true);
 	expect(result.cancelled).toBe(true);
 	expect(result.exitCode).toBeUndefined();
 });
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/eval/agent-bridge.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/eval/agent-bridge.ts
index 4d98fd898..43ab2d3d4 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/src/eval/agent-bridge.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/eval/agent-bridge.ts
@@ -572,7 +572,7 @@ export async function runEvalAgent(args: unknown, options: EvalAgentBridgeOption
 		options.session.recordEvalSubagentUsage?.(result.usage?.output ?? 0);
 
 		return { result, mergeSummary, changesApplied };
-	});
+	}, { deferExternalAbort: true });
 
 	return {
 		text: structured ? result.output : result.output + mergeSummary,
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/eval/bridge-timeout.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/eval/bridge-timeout.ts
index 90907b0e1..cdb714eb6 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/src/eval/bridge-timeout.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/eval/bridge-timeout.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,15 @@ export function isEvalTimeoutControlEvent(event: JsStatusEvent): boolean {
 	return event.op === EVAL_TIMEOUT_PAUSE_OP || event.op === EVAL_TIMEOUT_RESUME_OP;
 }
 
+/** Optional behavior for a timeout pause around a host bridge call. */
+export interface BridgeTimeoutPauseOptions {
+	/**
+	 * Marks the pause as an `agent()` call whose already-started work must finish
+	 * before an external eval abort reaches the kernel.
+	 */
+	deferExternalAbort?: boolean;
+}
+
 /**
  * Run {@link operation} while suspending the eval watchdog through
  * {@link emitStatus}. A no-op wrapper when no status sink is wired.
@@ -33,12 +42,21 @@ export function isEvalTimeoutControlEvent(event: JsStatusEvent): boolean {
 export async function withBridgeTimeoutPause<T>(
 	emitStatus: ((event: JsStatusEvent) => void) | undefined,
 	operation: () => Promise<T>,
+	options?: BridgeTimeoutPauseOptions,
 ): Promise<T> {
 	if (!emitStatus) return operation();
-	emitStatus({ op: EVAL_TIMEOUT_PAUSE_OP });
+	emitStatus(
+		options?.deferExternalAbort
+			? { op: EVAL_TIMEOUT_PAUSE_OP, deferExternalAbort: true }
+			: { op: EVAL_TIMEOUT_PAUSE_OP },
+	);
 	try {
 		return await operation();
 	} finally {
-		emitStatus({ op: EVAL_TIMEOUT_RESUME_OP });
+		emitStatus(
+			options?.deferExternalAbort
+				? { op: EVAL_TIMEOUT_RESUME_OP, deferExternalAbort: true }
+				: { op: EVAL_TIMEOUT_RESUME_OP },
+		);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/eval/executor-base.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/eval/executor-base.ts
index 82848eb67..edccaec61 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/src/eval/executor-base.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/eval/executor-base.ts
@@ -198,6 +198,7 @@ function createBridgeAbortShield(source: AbortSignal | undefined): BridgeAbortSh
 
 	shield.signal = controller.signal;
 	shield.handleStatus = (event: JsStatusEvent): void => {
+		if (event.deferExternalAbort !== true) return;
 		if (event.op === EVAL_TIMEOUT_PAUSE_OP) {
 			pauseDepth++;
 			return;