diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/prompts/tools/todo.md b/packages/coding-agent/src/prompts/tools/todo.md
index f5dc3acd3..bf5e2f341 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/src/prompts/tools/todo.md
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/prompts/tools/todo.md
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ Allowed `op` values are only `init`, `start`, `done`, `drop`, `rm`, `append`, an
 |`op`|Required fields|Effect|
 |---|---|---|
 |`init`|`list: [{phase, items: string[]}]`|Initialize the full list (replaces any existing list)|
+|`init`|`items: string[]`|Flattened single-phase init|
 |`start`|`task`|Mark in progress|
 |`done`|`task` or `phase`|Mark completed|
 |`drop`|`task` or `phase`|Mark abandoned|
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/tools/todo.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/tools/todo.ts
index e4d224a0f..5ef611f91 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/src/tools/todo.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/tools/todo.ts
@@ -271,8 +271,20 @@ function getTaskTargets(phases: TodoPhase[], entry: TodoOpEntryValue, errors: st
 	return phases.flatMap(phase => phase.tasks);
 }
 
+/** Phase name for `init` given a flat `items` list with no explicit `phase`. */
+const DEFAULT_INIT_PHASE = "Tasks";
+
 function initPhases(entry: TodoOpEntryValue, errors: string[]): TodoPhase[] {
-	if (!entry.list) {
+	// Models routinely flatten the single-phase init into `{op:"init", items:[...]}`
+	// (optionally with a bare `phase`) instead of the canonical
+	// `list: [{phase, items}]`. Accept that shape by synthesizing a one-phase list
+	// so a common, recoverable mistake isn't a hard error.
+	const list =
+		entry.list ??
+		(entry.items && entry.items.length > 0
+			? [{ phase: entry.phase ?? DEFAULT_INIT_PHASE, items: entry.items }]
+			: undefined);
+	if (!list) {
 		errors.push("Missing list for init operation");
 		return [];
 	}
@@ -280,7 +292,7 @@ function initPhases(entry: TodoOpEntryValue, errors: string[]): TodoPhase[] {
 	// (every targeting op resolves the first match), so reject them up front.
 	const seenPhases = new Set<string>();
 	const seenTasks = new Set<string>();
-	for (const listEntry of entry.list) {
+	for (const listEntry of list) {
 		if (seenPhases.has(listEntry.phase)) {
 			errors.push(`Duplicate phase "${listEntry.phase}" in init list`);
 		}
@@ -292,7 +304,7 @@ function initPhases(entry: TodoOpEntryValue, errors: string[]): TodoPhase[] {
 			seenTasks.add(content);
 		}
 	}
-	return entry.list.map(listEntry => ({
+	return list.map(listEntry => ({
 		name: listEntry.phase,
 		tasks: listEntry.items.map<TodoItem>(content => ({ content, status: "pending" })),
 	}));
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/test/tools/todo.test.ts b/packages/coding-agent/test/tools/todo.test.ts
index 44c9bd952..96191f61f 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/test/tools/todo.test.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/test/tools/todo.test.ts
@@ -269,6 +269,44 @@ describe("TodoTool ops operations", () => {
 	});
 });
 
+describe("TodoTool lenient init shapes", () => {
+	it("accepts a flattened init with bare items and no phase", async () => {
+		const tool = new TodoTool(createSession());
+		const result = await tool.execute("call-1", {
+			ops: [{ op: "init", items: ["First", "Second"] }],
+		});
+
+		expect(result.isError).toBeUndefined();
+		expect(result.details?.phases.map(phase => phase.name)).toEqual(["Tasks"]);
+		const tasks = result.details?.phases[0]?.tasks ?? [];
+		expect(tasks.map(task => ({ content: task.content, status: task.status }))).toEqual([
+			{ content: "First", status: "in_progress" },
+			{ content: "Second", status: "pending" },
+		]);
+	});
+
+	it("honors a bare phase on a flattened init", async () => {
+		const tool = new TodoTool(createSession());
+		const result = await tool.execute("call-1", {
+			ops: [{ op: "init", phase: "Cleanup", items: ["Remove dead code"] }],
+		});
+
+		expect(result.isError).toBeUndefined();
+		expect(result.details?.phases.map(phase => phase.name)).toEqual(["Cleanup"]);
+		expect(result.details?.phases[0]?.tasks.map(task => task.content)).toEqual(["Remove dead code"]);
+	});
+
+	it("still errors when init has neither list nor items", async () => {
+		const tool = new TodoTool(createSession());
+		const result = await tool.execute("call-1", { ops: [{ op: "init" }] });
+
+		expect(result.isError).toBe(true);
+		const summary = result.content.find(part => part.type === "text");
+		if (summary?.type !== "text") throw new Error("Expected text summary");
+		expect(summary.text).toContain("Missing list for init operation");
+	});
+});
+
 describe("selectStickyTodoWindow", () => {
 	const makeTasks = (statuses: TodoStatus[]): TodoItem[] =>
 		statuses.map((status, i) => ({ content: `task-${i + 1}`, status }));