diff --git a/src/tasks/task-flow-registry.store.ts b/src/tasks/task-flow-registry.store.ts
index 8dd03a862ee..c131e7bf1b9 100644
--- a/src/tasks/task-flow-registry.store.ts
+++ b/src/tasks/task-flow-registry.store.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ export type TaskFlowRegistryStore = {
   close?: () => void;
 };
 
-export type TaskFlowRegistryHookEvent =
+export type TaskFlowRegistryObserverEvent =
   | {
       kind: "restored";
       flows: TaskFlowRecord[];
@@ -35,9 +35,9 @@ export type TaskFlowRegistryHookEvent =
       previous: TaskFlowRecord;
     };
 
-export type TaskFlowRegistryHooks = {
-  // Hooks are incremental/observational. Snapshot persistence belongs to TaskFlowRegistryStore.
-  onEvent?: (event: TaskFlowRegistryHookEvent) => void;
+export type TaskFlowRegistryObservers = {
+  // Observers are incremental/best-effort only. Snapshot persistence belongs to TaskFlowRegistryStore.
+  onEvent?: (event: TaskFlowRegistryObserverEvent) => void;
 };
 
 const defaultFlowRegistryStore: TaskFlowRegistryStore = {
@@ -49,30 +49,30 @@ const defaultFlowRegistryStore: TaskFlowRegistryStore = {
 };
 
 let configuredFlowRegistryStore: TaskFlowRegistryStore = defaultFlowRegistryStore;
-let configuredFlowRegistryHooks: TaskFlowRegistryHooks | null = null;
+let configuredFlowRegistryObservers: TaskFlowRegistryObservers | null = null;
 
 export function getTaskFlowRegistryStore(): TaskFlowRegistryStore {
   return configuredFlowRegistryStore;
 }
 
-export function getTaskFlowRegistryHooks(): TaskFlowRegistryHooks | null {
-  return configuredFlowRegistryHooks;
+export function getTaskFlowRegistryObservers(): TaskFlowRegistryObservers | null {
+  return configuredFlowRegistryObservers;
 }
 
 export function configureTaskFlowRegistryRuntime(params: {
   store?: TaskFlowRegistryStore;
-  hooks?: TaskFlowRegistryHooks | null;
+  observers?: TaskFlowRegistryObservers | null;
 }) {
   if (params.store) {
     configuredFlowRegistryStore = params.store;
   }
-  if ("hooks" in params) {
-    configuredFlowRegistryHooks = params.hooks ?? null;
+  if ("observers" in params) {
+    configuredFlowRegistryObservers = params.observers ?? null;
   }
 }
 
 export function resetTaskFlowRegistryRuntimeForTests() {
   configuredFlowRegistryStore.close?.();
   configuredFlowRegistryStore = defaultFlowRegistryStore;
-  configuredFlowRegistryHooks = null;
+  configuredFlowRegistryObservers = null;
 }
diff --git a/src/tasks/task-flow-registry.test.ts b/src/tasks/task-flow-registry.test.ts
index 213cab99e57..792f9d9a6b5 100644
--- a/src/tasks/task-flow-registry.test.ts
+++ b/src/tasks/task-flow-registry.test.ts
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ describe("task-flow-registry", () => {
     });
   });
 
-  it("emits restored, upserted, and deleted flow hook events", () => {
+  it("emits restored, upserted, and deleted flow observer events", () => {
     const onEvent = vi.fn();
     configureTaskFlowRegistryRuntime({
       store: {
@@ -203,15 +203,15 @@ describe("task-flow-registry", () => {
         }),
         saveSnapshot: () => {},
       },
-      hooks: {
+      observers: {
         onEvent,
       },
     });
 
     const created = createManagedTaskFlow({
       ownerKey: "agent:main:main",
-      controllerId: "tests/hooks",
-      goal: "Observe hooks",
+      controllerId: "tests/observers",
+      goal: "Observe observers",
     });
 
     deleteTaskFlowRecordById(created.flowId);
diff --git a/src/tasks/task-flow-registry.ts b/src/tasks/task-flow-registry.ts
index 4f5777cc620..cd5275395a5 100644
--- a/src/tasks/task-flow-registry.ts
+++ b/src/tasks/task-flow-registry.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 import crypto from "node:crypto";
 import { createSubsystemLogger } from "../logging/subsystem.js";
 import {
-  getTaskFlowRegistryHooks,
+  getTaskFlowRegistryObservers,
   getTaskFlowRegistryStore,
   resetTaskFlowRegistryRuntimeForTests,
-  type TaskFlowRegistryHookEvent,
+  type TaskFlowRegistryObserverEvent,
 } from "./task-flow-registry.store.js";
 import type {
   TaskFlowRecord,
@@ -118,15 +118,15 @@ function snapshotFlowRecords(source: ReadonlyMap<string, TaskFlowRecord>): TaskF
   return [...source.values()].map((record) => cloneFlowRecord(record));
 }
 
-function emitFlowRegistryHookEvent(createEvent: () => TaskFlowRegistryHookEvent): void {
-  const hooks = getTaskFlowRegistryHooks();
-  if (!hooks?.onEvent) {
+function emitFlowRegistryObserverEvent(createEvent: () => TaskFlowRegistryObserverEvent): void {
+  const observers = getTaskFlowRegistryObservers();
+  if (!observers?.onEvent) {
     return;
   }
   try {
-    hooks.onEvent(createEvent());
+    observers.onEvent(createEvent());
   } catch {
-    // Flow hooks are observational. They must not break registry writes.
+    // Flow observers are best-effort only. They must not break registry writes.
   }
 }
 
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ function ensureFlowRegistryReady() {
     log.warn("Failed to restore task-flow registry", { error });
     return;
   }
-  emitFlowRegistryHookEvent(() => ({
+  emitFlowRegistryObserverEvent(() => ({
     kind: "restored",
     flows: snapshotFlowRecords(flows),
   }));
@@ -339,7 +339,7 @@ function applyFlowPatch(current: TaskFlowRecord, patch: FlowRecordPatch): TaskFl
 function writeFlowRecord(next: TaskFlowRecord, previous?: TaskFlowRecord): TaskFlowRecord {
   flows.set(next.flowId, next);
   persistFlowUpsert(next);
-  emitFlowRegistryHookEvent(() => ({
+  emitFlowRegistryObserverEvent(() => ({
     kind: "upserted",
     flow: cloneFlowRecord(next),
     ...(previous ? { previous: cloneFlowRecord(previous) } : {}),
@@ -695,7 +695,7 @@ export function deleteTaskFlowRecordById(flowId: string): boolean {
   }
   flows.delete(flowId);
   persistFlowDelete(flowId);
-  emitFlowRegistryHookEvent(() => ({
+  emitFlowRegistryObserverEvent(() => ({
     kind: "deleted",
     flowId,
     previous: cloneFlowRecord(current),
diff --git a/src/tasks/task-registry.store.test.ts b/src/tasks/task-registry.store.test.ts
index e7950d71e97..7304cd871f4 100644
--- a/src/tasks/task-registry.store.test.ts
+++ b/src/tasks/task-registry.store.test.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,10 @@ import {
   resetTaskRegistryForTests,
 } from "./task-registry.js";
 import { resolveTaskRegistryDir, resolveTaskRegistrySqlitePath } from "./task-registry.paths.js";
-import { configureTaskRegistryRuntime, type TaskRegistryHookEvent } from "./task-registry.store.js";
+import {
+  configureTaskRegistryRuntime,
+  type TaskRegistryObserverEvent,
+} from "./task-registry.store.js";
 import type { TaskRecord } from "./task-registry.types.js";
 
 function createStoredTask(): TaskRecord {
@@ -80,8 +83,8 @@ describe("task-registry store runtime", () => {
     expect(latestSnapshot.tasks.get("task-restored")?.task).toBe("Restored task");
   });
 
-  it("emits incremental hook events for restore, mutation, and delete", () => {
-    const events: TaskRegistryHookEvent[] = [];
+  it("emits incremental observer events for restore, mutation, and delete", () => {
+    const events: TaskRegistryObserverEvent[] = [];
     configureTaskRegistryRuntime({
       store: {
         loadSnapshot: () => ({
@@ -90,7 +93,7 @@ describe("task-registry store runtime", () => {
         }),
         saveSnapshot: () => {},
       },
-      hooks: {
+      observers: {
         onEvent: (event) => {
           events.push(event);
         },
diff --git a/src/tasks/task-registry.store.ts b/src/tasks/task-registry.store.ts
index ba23bd91b2f..0d51121eafe 100644
--- a/src/tasks/task-registry.store.ts
+++ b/src/tasks/task-registry.store.ts
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ export type TaskRegistryStore = {
   close?: () => void;
 };
 
-export type TaskRegistryHookEvent =
+export type TaskRegistryObserverEvent =
   | {
       kind: "restored";
       tasks: TaskRecord[];
@@ -47,9 +47,9 @@ export type TaskRegistryHookEvent =
       previous: TaskRecord;
     };
 
-export type TaskRegistryHooks = {
-  // Hooks are incremental/observational. Snapshot persistence belongs to TaskRegistryStore.
-  onEvent?: (event: TaskRegistryHookEvent) => void;
+export type TaskRegistryObservers = {
+  // Observers are incremental/best-effort only. Snapshot persistence belongs to TaskRegistryStore.
+  onEvent?: (event: TaskRegistryObserverEvent) => void;
 };
 
 const defaultTaskRegistryStore: TaskRegistryStore = {
@@ -65,30 +65,30 @@ const defaultTaskRegistryStore: TaskRegistryStore = {
 };
 
 let configuredTaskRegistryStore: TaskRegistryStore = defaultTaskRegistryStore;
-let configuredTaskRegistryHooks: TaskRegistryHooks | null = null;
+let configuredTaskRegistryObservers: TaskRegistryObservers | null = null;
 
 export function getTaskRegistryStore(): TaskRegistryStore {
   return configuredTaskRegistryStore;
 }
 
-export function getTaskRegistryHooks(): TaskRegistryHooks | null {
-  return configuredTaskRegistryHooks;
+export function getTaskRegistryObservers(): TaskRegistryObservers | null {
+  return configuredTaskRegistryObservers;
 }
 
 export function configureTaskRegistryRuntime(params: {
   store?: TaskRegistryStore;
-  hooks?: TaskRegistryHooks | null;
+  observers?: TaskRegistryObservers | null;
 }) {
   if (params.store) {
     configuredTaskRegistryStore = params.store;
   }
-  if ("hooks" in params) {
-    configuredTaskRegistryHooks = params.hooks ?? null;
+  if ("observers" in params) {
+    configuredTaskRegistryObservers = params.observers ?? null;
   }
 }
 
 export function resetTaskRegistryRuntimeForTests() {
   configuredTaskRegistryStore.close?.();
   configuredTaskRegistryStore = defaultTaskRegistryStore;
-  configuredTaskRegistryHooks = null;
+  configuredTaskRegistryObservers = null;
 }
diff --git a/src/tasks/task-registry.ts b/src/tasks/task-registry.ts
index d265ff8e204..3b3ef426531 100644
--- a/src/tasks/task-registry.ts
+++ b/src/tasks/task-registry.ts
@@ -25,10 +25,10 @@ import {
   updateFlowRecordByIdExpectedRevision,
 } from "./task-flow-runtime-internal.js";
 import {
-  getTaskRegistryHooks,
+  getTaskRegistryObservers,
   getTaskRegistryStore,
   resetTaskRegistryRuntimeForTests,
-  type TaskRegistryHookEvent,
+  type TaskRegistryObserverEvent,
 } from "./task-registry.store.js";
 import { summarizeTaskRecords } from "./task-registry.summary.js";
 import type {
@@ -174,15 +174,15 @@ function snapshotTaskRecords(source: ReadonlyMap<string, TaskRecord>): TaskRecor
   return [...source.values()].map((record) => cloneTaskRecord(record));
 }
 
-function emitTaskRegistryHookEvent(createEvent: () => TaskRegistryHookEvent): void {
-  const hooks = getTaskRegistryHooks();
-  if (!hooks?.onEvent) {
+function emitTaskRegistryObserverEvent(createEvent: () => TaskRegistryObserverEvent): void {
+  const observers = getTaskRegistryObservers();
+  if (!observers?.onEvent) {
     return;
   }
   try {
-    hooks.onEvent(createEvent());
+    observers.onEvent(createEvent());
   } catch (error) {
-    log.warn("Task registry hook failed", {
+    log.warn("Task registry observer failed", {
       event: "task-registry",
       error,
     });
@@ -826,7 +826,7 @@ function restoreTaskRegistryOnce() {
     rebuildOwnerKeyIndex();
     rebuildParentFlowIdIndex();
     rebuildRelatedSessionKeyIndex();
-    emitTaskRegistryHookEvent(() => ({
+    emitTaskRegistryObserverEvent(() => ({
       kind: "restored",
       tasks: snapshotTaskRecords(tasks),
     }));
@@ -888,7 +888,7 @@ function updateTask(taskId: string, patch: Partial<TaskRecord>): TaskRecord | nu
       error,
     });
   }
-  emitTaskRegistryHookEvent(() => ({
+  emitTaskRegistryObserverEvent(() => ({
     kind: "upserted",
     task: cloneTaskRecord(next),
     previous: cloneTaskRecord(current),
@@ -1456,7 +1456,7 @@ export function createTaskRecord(params: {
       error,
     });
   }
-  emitTaskRegistryHookEvent(() => ({
+  emitTaskRegistryObserverEvent(() => ({
     kind: "upserted",
     task: cloneTaskRecord(record),
   }));
@@ -1902,7 +1902,7 @@ export function deleteTaskRecordById(taskId: string): boolean {
   rebuildRunIdIndex();
   persistTaskDelete(taskId);
   persistTaskDeliveryStateDelete(taskId);
-  emitTaskRegistryHookEvent(() => ({
+  emitTaskRegistryObserverEvent(() => ({
     kind: "deleted",
     taskId: current.taskId,
     previous: cloneTaskRecord(current),