diff --git a/.github/dispatch/APPEND_SYSTEM.md b/.github/dispatch/APPEND_SYSTEM.md
index 7c5e17f..4a4f526 100644
--- a/.github/dispatch/APPEND_SYSTEM.md
+++ b/.github/dispatch/APPEND_SYSTEM.md
@@ -96,14 +96,51 @@ should contain the change that resolves the issue and nothing that does not.
 
 ## Committing and the pull request
 - Commit only to the branch you were given. Never push to a protected branch.
-- Open exactly one PR. Title from the issue; body says `Closes #N`.
-- Your PR description is the user's first look at any of this. They did not
-  see the research or the tool calls, only this. Open with one sentence on the
-  outcome: what changed and why it resolves the issue. Then a short list of
-  the actual changes (file, what it does). Then the verification result: the
-  exact commands and their pass/fail. Write complete sentences. Drop the
-  shorthand and labels you built up while working; that vocabulary is yours,
-  not theirs.
+- Open exactly one PR. Title from the issue, prefixed for sortability.
+- The workflow opens the PR for you and publishes the body from a file you
+  write. Before committing, create `PR_BODY.md` in the repo root with the PR
+  description following the template below. Do not run `gh pr create` or
+  `gh pr edit` yourself; the workflow owns that.
+
+The workflow strips `PR_BODY.md` from the commit before pushing (it is a
+build artifact, not a source change), so write it freely.
+
+## PR_BODY.md template (follow exactly)
+Your PR body is the user's first and often only look at this work. They did
+not see the research or the tool calls. Write it for a reviewer who knows the
+codebase but nothing about this run. Short, concrete, accurate to what you
+actually did. Use this structure:
+
+```
+Closes #<issue number>
+
+## Problem
+One or two sentences on what was wrong: the symptom and its root cause, as a
+reader of the issue would understand them. No blame, no narrative of your
+investigation.
+
+## Changes
+A short bulleted list. One bullet per logical change, naming the file and what
+it does. Omit mechanical edits. If a change is non-obvious, one clause on why.
+
+## How to test
+The concrete steps a reviewer can run to confirm the fix works. Prefer the
+repository's own commands. Include the exact command(s) and the expected
+result. If you added a test, name it and the one-line code change that makes
+it fail without the fix.
+
+## Verification
+The gate you ran and its result. One line, e.g.: "`go build ./... && go vet
+./... && go test ./...` pass." Do not claim anything you did not run.
+```
+
+Rules:
+- Every section present. If a section genuinely does not apply (e.g. no test
+  added), say so in one line rather than omitting it.
+- Lead with the outcome in the Problem section, not with "This PR...".
+- Write complete sentences. Drop the shorthand and labels you built up while
+  working; that vocabulary is yours, not the reviewer's.
+- Never paste credentials, absolute paths, or endpoint URLs.
 
 ## Operating autonomously
 You are operating autonomously. The user cannot answer mid-task, so asking
diff --git a/.github/workflows/dispatch.yml b/.github/workflows/dispatch.yml
index 499d666..8caef6f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/dispatch.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/dispatch.yml
@@ -137,10 +137,35 @@ jobs:
           ISSUE_TITLE: ${{ github.event.issue.title }}
           AGENT_EXIT: ${{ steps.agent.outputs.exit }}
         run: |
-          if git diff --quiet && git diff --staged --quiet; then
-            echo "no changes produced by agent"
+          set -e
+          # Capture the PR body BEFORE stripping PR_BODY.md from the tree.
+          # PR_BODY.md is an artifact the agent authors; it describes the change
+          # but is not a source change, so it is kept out of the commit.
+          if [ -f PR_BODY.md ]; then
+            BODY_FILE=PR_BODY.md
+          else
+            BODY_FILE=$(mktemp)
+            {
+              echo "Closes #${ISSUE_NUMBER}."
+              echo
+              echo "_No structured body was produced by the agent._"
+              echo
+              echo "Generated by the dispatch workflow (sesh + glm-5.2)."
+              echo "Agent exit code: ${AGENT_EXIT} (0 done, 1 error, 3 stuck, 4 iter cap)."
+            } > "$BODY_FILE"
+          fi
+
+          # Copy the body out of the tree so stripping the file does not lose it.
+          PR_BODY_COPY="$(mktemp)"
+          cp "$BODY_FILE" "$PR_BODY_COPY"
+          BODY_FILE="$PR_BODY_COPY"
+
+          # Strip the artifact from the working tree before committing.
+          rm -f PR_BODY.md
+          git add -A
+          if git diff --cached --quiet; then
+            echo "no source changes produced by agent"
           else
-            git add -A
             git commit -m "dispatch: resolve #${ISSUE_NUMBER}" -q
           fi
           git push -u origin "$BRANCH"
@@ -149,11 +174,8 @@ jobs:
             --base "$BASE" \
             --head "$BRANCH" \
             --title "$ISSUE_TITLE" \
-            --body "Closes #${ISSUE_NUMBER}.
-
-          Generated by the dispatch workflow (sesh + glm-5.2).
-          Agent exit code: ${AGENT_EXIT} (0 done, 1 error, 3 stuck, 4 iter cap)." \
-            || gh pr edit "$BRANCH" --body "Updated by a dispatch run."
+            --body-file "$BODY_FILE" \
+            || gh pr edit "$BRANCH" --body-file "$BODY_FILE"
 
       - name: Remove the dispatch label (re-label to re-run)
         if: always()