diff --git a/src/agents/agent-command.ts b/src/agents/agent-command.ts
index 6335205a4d0..bdf999f7f4f 100644
--- a/src/agents/agent-command.ts
+++ b/src/agents/agent-command.ts
@@ -254,13 +254,10 @@ async function prepareAgentCommandExecution(
   }
 
   const laneRaw = normalizeOptionalString(opts.lane) ?? "";
-  const isSubagentLane = laneRaw === String(AGENT_LANE_SUBAGENT);
+  const subagentLane: string = AGENT_LANE_SUBAGENT;
+  const isSubagentLane = laneRaw === subagentLane;
   const timeoutSecondsRaw =
-    opts.timeout !== undefined
-      ? Number.parseInt(String(opts.timeout), 10)
-      : isSubagentLane
-        ? 0
-        : undefined;
+    opts.timeout !== undefined ? Number.parseInt(opts.timeout, 10) : isSubagentLane ? 0 : undefined;
   if (
     timeoutSecondsRaw !== undefined &&
     (Number.isNaN(timeoutSecondsRaw) || timeoutSecondsRaw < 0)