diff --git a/src/agents/system-prompt.test.ts b/src/agents/system-prompt.test.ts
index 9daf3e0ea7a..3c21a1cdb90 100644
--- a/src/agents/system-prompt.test.ts
+++ b/src/agents/system-prompt.test.ts
@@ -636,9 +636,39 @@ describe("buildAgentSystemPrompt", () => {
 
     expect(prompt).toContain("message: Send messages and channel actions");
     expect(prompt).toContain("### message tool");
+    expect(prompt).toContain("Use `message` for proactive sends + channel actions");
+    expect(prompt).toContain("For `action=send`, include `target` and `message`.");
     expect(prompt).toContain(`respond with ONLY: ${SILENT_REPLY_TOKEN}`);
   });
 
+  it("gates sub-agent orchestration guidance on available tools", () => {
+    const messagingPrompt = buildAgentSystemPrompt({
+      workspaceDir: "/tmp/openclaw",
+      toolNames: ["message", "sessions_send"],
+    });
+    const spawnOnlyPrompt = buildAgentSystemPrompt({
+      workspaceDir: "/tmp/openclaw",
+      toolNames: ["sessions_spawn"],
+    });
+    const orchestrationPrompt = buildAgentSystemPrompt({
+      workspaceDir: "/tmp/openclaw",
+      toolNames: ["sessions_spawn", "subagents"],
+    });
+
+    expect(messagingPrompt).not.toContain("Sub-agent orchestration");
+    expect(messagingPrompt).not.toContain("sessions_spawn(...)");
+    expect(messagingPrompt).not.toContain("subagents(action=list|steer|kill)");
+
+    expect(spawnOnlyPrompt).toContain(
+      "- Sub-agent orchestration → use `sessions_spawn(...)` to start delegated work.",
+    );
+    expect(spawnOnlyPrompt).not.toContain("manage already-spawned children");
+
+    expect(orchestrationPrompt).toContain(
+      "- Sub-agent orchestration → use `sessions_spawn(...)` to start delegated work; use `subagents(action=list|steer|kill)` to manage already-spawned children.",
+    );
+  });
+
   it("reapplies provider prompt contributions", () => {
     const prompt = buildAgentSystemPrompt({
       workspaceDir: "/tmp/openclaw",
diff --git a/src/agents/system-prompt.ts b/src/agents/system-prompt.ts
index 4fa55a68e6c..12cd4a70bd7 100644
--- a/src/agents/system-prompt.ts
+++ b/src/agents/system-prompt.ts
@@ -343,11 +343,20 @@ function buildMessagingSection(params: {
   if (params.isMinimal) {
     return [];
   }
+  const hasSessionsSpawn = params.availableTools.has("sessions_spawn");
+  const hasSubagents = params.availableTools.has("subagents");
+  const subagentOrchestrationGuidance = hasSessionsSpawn
+    ? hasSubagents
+      ? "- Sub-agent orchestration → use `sessions_spawn(...)` to start delegated work; use `subagents(action=list|steer|kill)` to manage already-spawned children."
+      : "- Sub-agent orchestration → use `sessions_spawn(...)` to start delegated work."
+    : hasSubagents
+      ? "- Sub-agent orchestration → use `subagents(action=list|steer|kill)` to manage already-spawned children."
+      : "";
   return [
     "## Messaging",
     "- Reply in current session → automatically routes to the source channel (Signal, Telegram, etc.)",
     "- Cross-session messaging → use sessions_send(sessionKey, message)",
-    "- Sub-agent orchestration → use subagents(action=list|steer|kill)",
+    subagentOrchestrationGuidance,
     `- Runtime-generated completion events may ask for a user update. Rewrite those in your normal assistant voice and send the update (do not forward raw internal metadata or default to ${SILENT_REPLY_TOKEN}).`,
     "- Never use exec/curl for provider messaging; OpenClaw handles all routing internally.",
     params.availableTools.has("message")
@@ -355,7 +364,7 @@ function buildMessagingSection(params: {
           "",
           "### message tool",
           "- Use `message` for proactive sends + channel actions (polls, reactions, etc.).",
-          "- For `action=send`, include `to` and `message`.",
+          "- For `action=send`, include `target` and `message`.",
           `- If multiple channels are configured, pass \`channel\` (${params.messageChannelOptions}).`,
           `- If you use \`message\` (\`action=send\`) to deliver your user-visible reply, respond with ONLY: ${SILENT_REPLY_TOKEN} (avoid duplicate replies).`,
           params.inlineButtonsEnabled