diff --git a/src/lib/agent/agent-interface.ts b/src/lib/agent/agent-interface.ts
index 22c7d539..828820b7 100644
--- a/src/lib/agent/agent-interface.ts
+++ b/src/lib/agent/agent-interface.ts
@@ -567,6 +567,33 @@ export function wizardCanUseTool(
   };
 }
 
+/**
+ * When the wizard itself runs inside another agent (e.g. a Claude Code session
+ * or CI harness), the parent's `CLAUDE*` env vars advertise an active agent
+ * session with its own OAuth identity. Inherited by the SDK subprocess, they
+ * push it onto that OAuth path instead of bearer-authenticating to the gateway
+ * — a 401. Drop every inherited `CLAUDE*` var except the two the wizard sets
+ * itself, so the child authenticates fresh from the gateway token. A no-op in a
+ * plain terminal where none are set. Returns an undefined-valued map; the spawn
+ * treats undefined as "unset".
+ */
+export function neutralizeInheritedAgentSession(): Record<string, undefined> {
+  const wizardOwned = new Set([
+    'CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN',
+    'CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_EXPERIMENTAL_BETAS',
+  ]);
+  const out: Record<string, undefined> = {};
+  for (const key of Object.keys(process.env)) {
+    if (
+      (key.startsWith('CLAUDE') || key === 'CLAUDECODE') &&
+      !wizardOwned.has(key)
+    ) {
+      out[key] = undefined;
+    }
+  }
+  return out;
+}
+
 /**
  * Initialize agent configuration for the LLM gateway
  */
@@ -967,6 +994,9 @@ export async function runAgent(
         },
         env: {
           ...process.env,
+          // Drop an outer agent's inherited Claude Code session identity so the
+          // SDK bearer-authenticates to the gateway instead of its OAuth path.
+          ...neutralizeInheritedAgentSession(),
           // Drop any shell ANTHROPIC_API_KEY so it can't override the wizard's
           // OAuth gateway token.
           ANTHROPIC_API_KEY: undefined,