diff --git a/src/hooks/start-work/parse-user-request.test.ts b/src/hooks/start-work/parse-user-request.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e5d61a4c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/hooks/start-work/parse-user-request.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+/// <reference types="bun-types" />
+
+import { describe, expect, test } from "bun:test"
+import { parseUserRequest } from "./parse-user-request"
+
+describe("parseUserRequest", () => {
+  describe("when no user-request tag", () => {
+    test("#given prompt without tag #when parsing #then returns nulls", () => {
+      const result = parseUserRequest("Just a regular message without any tags")
+      expect(result.planName).toBeNull()
+      expect(result.explicitWorktreePath).toBeNull()
+    })
+  })
+
+  describe("when user-request tag is empty", () => {
+    test("#given empty user-request tag #when parsing #then returns nulls", () => {
+      const result = parseUserRequest("<user-request>  </user-request>")
+      expect(result.planName).toBeNull()
+      expect(result.explicitWorktreePath).toBeNull()
+    })
+  })
+
+  describe("when only plan name given", () => {
+    test("#given plan name without worktree flag #when parsing #then returns plan name with null worktree", () => {
+      const result = parseUserRequest("<session-context>\n<user-request>my-plan</user-request>\n</session-context>")
+      expect(result.planName).toBe("my-plan")
+      expect(result.explicitWorktreePath).toBeNull()
+    })
+  })
+
+  describe("when only --worktree flag given", () => {
+    test("#given --worktree with path only #when parsing #then returns worktree path with null plan", () => {
+      const result = parseUserRequest("<user-request>--worktree /home/user/repo-feat</user-request>")
+      expect(result.planName).toBeNull()
+      expect(result.explicitWorktreePath).toBe("/home/user/repo-feat")
+    })
+  })
+
+  describe("when plan name and --worktree are both given", () => {
+    test("#given plan name before --worktree #when parsing #then returns both", () => {
+      const result = parseUserRequest("<user-request>my-plan --worktree /path/to/worktree</user-request>")
+      expect(result.planName).toBe("my-plan")
+      expect(result.explicitWorktreePath).toBe("/path/to/worktree")
+    })
+
+    test("#given --worktree before plan name #when parsing #then returns both", () => {
+      const result = parseUserRequest("<user-request>--worktree /path/to/worktree my-plan</user-request>")
+      expect(result.planName).toBe("my-plan")
+      expect(result.explicitWorktreePath).toBe("/path/to/worktree")
+    })
+  })
+
+  describe("when --worktree flag has no path", () => {
+    test("#given --worktree without path #when parsing #then worktree path is null", () => {
+      const result = parseUserRequest("<user-request>--worktree</user-request>")
+      expect(result.explicitWorktreePath).toBeNull()
+    })
+  })
+
+  describe("when ultrawork keywords are present", () => {
+    test("#given plan name with ultrawork keyword #when parsing #then strips keyword from plan name", () => {
+      const result = parseUserRequest("<user-request>my-plan ultrawork</user-request>")
+      expect(result.planName).toBe("my-plan")
+    })
+
+    test("#given plan name with ulw keyword and worktree #when parsing #then strips ulw, preserves worktree", () => {
+      const result = parseUserRequest("<user-request>my-plan ulw --worktree /path/to/wt</user-request>")
+      expect(result.planName).toBe("my-plan")
+      expect(result.explicitWorktreePath).toBe("/path/to/wt")
+    })
+
+    test("#given only ultrawork keyword with worktree #when parsing #then plan name is null, worktree preserved", () => {
+      const result = parseUserRequest("<user-request>ultrawork --worktree /wt</user-request>")
+      expect(result.planName).toBeNull()
+      expect(result.explicitWorktreePath).toBe("/wt")
+    })
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/hooks/start-work/parse-user-request.ts b/src/hooks/start-work/parse-user-request.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..627deb67
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/hooks/start-work/parse-user-request.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+const KEYWORD_PATTERN = /\b(ultrawork|ulw)\b/gi
+const WORKTREE_FLAG_PATTERN = /--worktree(?:\s+(\S+))?/
+
+export interface ParsedUserRequest {
+  planName: string | null
+  explicitWorktreePath: string | null
+}
+
+export function parseUserRequest(promptText: string): ParsedUserRequest {
+  const match = promptText.match(/<user-request>\s*([\s\S]*?)\s*<\/user-request>/i)
+  if (!match) return { planName: null, explicitWorktreePath: null }
+
+  let rawArg = match[1].trim()
+  if (!rawArg) return { planName: null, explicitWorktreePath: null }
+
+  const worktreeMatch = rawArg.match(WORKTREE_FLAG_PATTERN)
+  const explicitWorktreePath = worktreeMatch ? (worktreeMatch[1] ?? null) : null
+
+  if (worktreeMatch) {
+    rawArg = rawArg.replace(worktreeMatch[0], "").trim()
+  }
+
+  const cleanedArg = rawArg.replace(KEYWORD_PATTERN, "").trim()
+
+  return {
+    planName: cleanedArg || null,
+    explicitWorktreePath,
+  }
+}