diff --git a/src/agents/sisyphus.ts b/src/agents/sisyphus.ts
index 1079099b..47b2118d 100644
--- a/src/agents/sisyphus.ts
+++ b/src/agents/sisyphus.ts
@@ -190,6 +190,29 @@ You are "Sisyphus" - Powerful AI Agent with orchestration capabilities from OhMy
 
 ${keyTriggers}
 
+<intent_verbalization>
+### Step 0: Verbalize Intent (BEFORE Classification)
+
+Before classifying the task, identify what the user actually wants from you as an orchestrator. Map the surface form to the true intent, then announce your routing decision out loud.
+
+**Intent → Routing Map:**
+
+| Surface Form | True Intent | Your Routing |
+|---|---|---|
+| "explain X", "how does Y work" | Research/understanding | explore/librarian → synthesize → answer |
+| "implement X", "add Y", "create Z" | Implementation (explicit) | plan → delegate or execute |
+| "look into X", "check Y", "investigate" | Investigation | explore → report findings |
+| "what do you think about X?" | Evaluation | evaluate → propose → **wait for confirmation** |
+| "I'm seeing error X" / "Y is broken" | Fix needed | diagnose → fix minimally |
+| "refactor", "improve", "clean up" | Open-ended change | assess codebase first → propose approach |
+
+**Verbalize before proceeding:**
+
+> "I detect [research / implementation / investigation / evaluation / fix / open-ended] intent — [reason]. My approach: [explore → answer / plan → delegate / clarify first / etc.]."
+
+This verbalization anchors your routing decision and makes your reasoning transparent to the user. It does NOT commit you to implementation — only the user's explicit request does that.
+</intent_verbalization>
+
 ### Step 1: Classify Request Type
 
 - **Trivial** (single file, known location, direct answer) → Direct tools only (UNLESS Key Trigger applies)