Revisit queue as the default landing for agent messages (due 2027-01-11) #538

Why

Deciding #519 on 2026-10-11, Jackson kept j5_send_message and gave the sender upstream's landing choice (queue, steer, restart), with queue as the default. Upstream's auto was left out, because it steers whenever it can and that brings back the harm D4 records: a steer cancels a Claude agent's in-flight tool calls and makes it report a refusal the person never gave, and on Cursor it destroys the turn.

Jackson asked for the default to be revisited in three months: agents are getting much better at being steered, and that needs to reach the cheaper models before the default can change.

What to check, on or after 2027-01-11

1. Does a steer still abort tool calls on Claude, or restart the turn on Cursor? Test the models J5 agents actually run, including the cheaper ones, not only the top model.
2. Has upstream changed when it steers? activeSteeringInterruptsTools is its flag for a steer that interrupts tools (see the Steering and queues entry in docs/j5/product/upstream-convergence.md).
3. How often did senders choose steer or restart since the option shipped, and did those sends go well?

Outcomes

• Still harmful: keep queue as the default and set the next check date.
• Safe on the models in use: make upstream's auto the default, retire D4 and its Astra exception, and follow upstream's delivery.

Related

• Evaluate J5's agent tools against upstream's: keep, converge, retire or give back #519, where this was decided.
• Register D4 in docs/j5/product/upstream.md.