diff --git a/desktop/src/features/agents/agentConversations.test.mjs b/desktop/src/features/agents/agentConversations.test.mjs
index d78958877..ccb653bdb 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/agents/agentConversations.test.mjs
+++ b/desktop/src/features/agents/agentConversations.test.mjs
@@ -155,7 +155,12 @@ test("continued conversation mention routing preserves explicit multi-agent ment
   );
 });
 
-function markerEvent({ content = {}, createdAt = 1, id = "marker" } = {}) {
+function markerEvent({
+  content = {},
+  createdAt = 1,
+  id = "marker",
+  includeAgent = true,
+} = {}) {
   return {
     id,
     pubkey: "starter",
@@ -165,15 +170,15 @@ function markerEvent({ content = {}, createdAt = 1, id = "marker" } = {}) {
       ["h", "channel"],
       ["e", "root", "", "root"],
       ["e", "agent-reply", "", "agent-reply"],
-      ["p", "agent"],
+      ...(includeAgent ? [["p", "agent"]] : []),
       ["title", "Data in Buzz app"],
     ],
     content: JSON.stringify({
       version: 1,
       title: "Data in Buzz app",
       titleStatus: "resolved",
-      agentName: "Fizz",
-      agentPubkey: "agent",
+      agentName: includeAgent ? "Fizz" : "",
+      agentPubkey: includeAgent ? "agent" : "",
       threadRootId: "root",
       threadRootMessageId: "root",
       parentMessageId: "root",
@@ -226,6 +231,16 @@ test("continued conversation marker parses summary metadata", () => {
   assert.equal(marker?.summaryCreatedAt, 12);
 });
 
+test("continued conversation marker can anchor a task without a primary agent", () => {
+  const marker = parseAgentConversationMarker(
+    markerEvent({ includeAgent: false }),
+  );
+
+  assert.equal(marker?.agentName, "Task");
+  assert.equal(marker?.agentPubkey, "");
+  assert.equal(marker?.agentReplyId, "agent-reply");
+});
+
 test("continued conversations persist across app restarts", () => {
   withMockLocalStorage(() => {
     const workspaceScope = "wss://relay.example.com";
@@ -265,6 +280,33 @@ test("continued conversations persist across app restarts", () => {
   });
 });
 
+test("message-anchored tasks persist without a primary agent", () => {
+  withMockLocalStorage(() => {
+    const root = message({
+      body: "Can someone turn this into a task?",
+      createdAt: 1,
+      id: "root",
+    });
+    const conversation = buildAgentConversation({
+      agentName: "",
+      agentPubkey: "",
+      agentReply: root,
+      channel: { id: "channel", name: "general" },
+      contextMessages: [root],
+      parentMessage: null,
+      threadRootMessage: root,
+    });
+
+    writePersistedAgentConversations("human", [conversation]);
+    const persisted = readPersistedAgentConversations("human");
+
+    assert.equal(persisted.length, 1);
+    assert.equal(persisted[0].id, conversation.id);
+    assert.equal(persisted[0].agentPubkey, "");
+    assert.equal(persisted[0].agentReply.id, "root");
+  });
+});
+
 test("continued conversation marker summary update replaces earlier marker", () => {
   const markers = buildAgentConversationMarkers([
     markerEvent({
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/agents/agentConversations.ts b/desktop/src/features/agents/agentConversations.ts
index 0036412ad..744f94d87 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/agents/agentConversations.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/features/agents/agentConversations.ts
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ export type AgentConversation = {
 export type OpenAgentConversationInput = {
   agentName: string;
   agentPubkey: string;
+  /** Source message the task was started from. Kept as `agentReply` for link compatibility. */
   agentReply: TimelineMessage;
   channel: Pick<Channel, "id" | "name">;
   contextMessages?: TimelineMessage[];
@@ -258,8 +259,8 @@ function parseStoredAgentConversation(
   }
 
   const id = maybeString(value.id);
-  const agentName = maybeString(value.agentName);
-  const agentPubkey = maybeString(value.agentPubkey);
+  const agentName = maybeString(value.agentName) ?? "Task";
+  const agentPubkey = maybeString(value.agentPubkey) ?? "";
   const channelId = maybeString(value.channelId);
   const channelName = maybeString(value.channelName);
   const threadRootId = maybeString(value.threadRootId);
@@ -289,8 +290,6 @@ function parseStoredAgentConversation(
 
   if (
     !id ||
-    !agentName ||
-    !agentPubkey ||
     !agentReply ||
     !channelId ||
     !channelName ||
@@ -469,7 +468,7 @@ export function parseAgentConversationMarker(
     (typeof content.agentReplyId === "string" ? content.agentReplyId : null);
   const agentPubkey =
     getTagValue(event.tags, "p") ??
-    (typeof content.agentPubkey === "string" ? content.agentPubkey : null);
+    (typeof content.agentPubkey === "string" ? content.agentPubkey : "");
   const parentMessageId =
     typeof content.parentMessageId === "string"
       ? content.parentMessageId
@@ -478,7 +477,7 @@ export function parseAgentConversationMarker(
     typeof content.threadRootMessageId === "string"
       ? content.threadRootMessageId
       : null;
-  const agentName = trimmedString(content.agentName) || agentPubkey || "Agent";
+  const agentName = trimmedString(content.agentName) || agentPubkey || "Task";
   const title =
     trimmedString(content.title) ??
     getTagValue(event.tags, "title") ??
@@ -496,7 +495,7 @@ export function parseAgentConversationMarker(
       ? content.startedAt
       : event.created_at;
 
-  if (!channelId || !threadRootId || !agentReplyId || !agentPubkey) {
+  if (!channelId || !threadRootId || !agentReplyId) {
     return null;
   }
 
@@ -624,16 +623,20 @@ export async function publishAgentConversationMarker(
         }
       : {}),
   });
+  const tags = [
+    ["h", conversation.channelId],
+    ["e", conversation.threadRootId, "", "root"],
+    ["e", conversation.agentReply.id, "", "agent-reply"],
+    ["title", conversation.title],
+  ];
+  if (conversation.agentPubkey) {
+    tags.splice(3, 0, ["p", conversation.agentPubkey]);
+  }
+
   const event = await signRelayEvent({
     kind: KIND_AGENT_CONVERSATION_COMPAT,
     content,
-    tags: [
-      ["h", conversation.channelId],
-      ["e", conversation.threadRootId, "", "root"],
-      ["e", conversation.agentReply.id, "", "agent-reply"],
-      ["p", conversation.agentPubkey],
-      ["title", conversation.title],
-    ],
+    tags,
   });
 
   return relayClient.publishEvent(
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/agents/ui/AgentConversationScreen.helpers.ts b/desktop/src/features/agents/ui/AgentConversationScreen.helpers.ts
index 087c458f1..ba84833fa 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/agents/ui/AgentConversationScreen.helpers.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/features/agents/ui/AgentConversationScreen.helpers.ts
@@ -370,7 +370,8 @@ export function buildKnownAgentParticipants({
     });
   }
 
-  if (!participants.has(normalizePubkey(conversation.agentPubkey))) {
+  const primaryAgentKey = normalizePubkey(conversation.agentPubkey);
+  if (primaryAgentKey && !participants.has(primaryAgentKey)) {
     add({
       canMessage: true,
       displayName: conversation.agentName,
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/agents/ui/AgentConversationScreen.tsx b/desktop/src/features/agents/ui/AgentConversationScreen.tsx
index cac2f84f8..43b034eaf 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/agents/ui/AgentConversationScreen.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/agents/ui/AgentConversationScreen.tsx
@@ -275,11 +275,10 @@ export function AgentConversationScreen({
       conversationSourceMessages,
       knownAgentParticipants,
     );
+    const primaryAgentKey = normalizePubkey(conversation.agentPubkey);
     if (
-      !pubkeys.some(
-        (pubkey) =>
-          normalizePubkey(pubkey) === normalizePubkey(conversation.agentPubkey),
-      )
+      primaryAgentKey &&
+      !pubkeys.some((pubkey) => normalizePubkey(pubkey) === primaryAgentKey)
     ) {
       pubkeys.unshift(conversation.agentPubkey);
     }
@@ -517,6 +516,9 @@ export function AgentConversationScreen({
     [restrictedAgentNames],
   );
   const composerPlaceholder = React.useMemo(() => {
+    if (agentParticipants.length === 0) {
+      return "Message task";
+    }
     if (!canMessageAnyAgent) {
       return "Reply to conversation";
     }
@@ -527,9 +529,11 @@ export function AgentConversationScreen({
     return "Message conversation";
   }, [agentParticipants, canMessageAnyAgent]);
   const emptyDescription =
-    agentParticipants.length === 1
-      ? "Send a message below to keep working with this agent on the topic."
-      : "Send a message below to keep working with these agents on the topic.";
+    agentParticipants.length === 0
+      ? "Send a message below to start working on this task."
+      : agentParticipants.length === 1
+        ? "Send a message below to keep working with this agent on the topic."
+        : "Send a message below to keep working with these agents on the topic.";
   const [isPublishingThreadSummary, setIsPublishingThreadSummary] =
     React.useState(false);
   const lastPublishedThreadRecapRef = React.useRef<string | null>(null);
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/channels/ui/ChannelPane.tsx b/desktop/src/features/channels/ui/ChannelPane.tsx
index 3417701dd..03d8be6f5 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/channels/ui/ChannelPane.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/channels/ui/ChannelPane.tsx
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ import * as agentSessionSelection from "@/features/channels/ui/agentSessionSelec
 import { Button } from "@/shared/ui/button";
 import { buildMainTimelineEntries } from "@/features/messages/lib/threadPanel";
 import { isBroadcastReply } from "@/features/messages/lib/threading";
+import { collectMessageMentionPubkeys } from "@/features/messages/lib/formatTimelineMessages";
 import { useRenderScopedReactionHydration } from "@/features/messages/lib/useRenderScopedReactionHydration";
 import type { TimelineMessage } from "@/features/messages/types";
 import { isWelcomeChannel } from "@/features/onboarding/welcome";
@@ -59,6 +60,7 @@ import { useAppShell } from "@/app/AppShellContext";
 import { useIsThreadPanelOverlay } from "@/shared/hooks/use-mobile";
 import { channelChrome } from "@/shared/layout/chromeLayout";
 import { cn } from "@/shared/lib/cn";
+import { normalizePubkey } from "@/shared/lib/pubkey";
 export const ChannelPane = React.memo(function ChannelPane({
   activeChannel,
   agentConversationMarkers,
@@ -280,6 +282,63 @@ export const ChannelPane = React.memo(function ChannelPane({
 
     return pubkeys;
   }, [activityAgents, agentPubkeys, agentSessionAgents]);
+  const knownAgentByPubkey = React.useMemo(() => {
+    const agents = new Map<string, { name: string; pubkey: string }>();
+    const addAgent = (pubkey: string, name?: string | null) => {
+      const key = normalizePubkey(pubkey);
+      if (!key) {
+        return;
+      }
+
+      const profileName = profiles?.[key]?.displayName?.trim();
+      const fallbackName = name?.trim() || profileName || pubkey;
+      const current = agents.get(key);
+      agents.set(key, {
+        name:
+          current?.name && current.name !== current.pubkey
+            ? current.name
+            : fallbackName,
+        pubkey: current?.pubkey ?? pubkey,
+      });
+    };
+
+    for (const agent of agentSessionAgents) {
+      addAgent(agent.pubkey, agent.name);
+    }
+    for (const agent of activityAgents) {
+      addAgent(agent.pubkey, agent.name);
+    }
+    for (const pubkey of agentPubkeys ?? []) {
+      addAgent(pubkey);
+    }
+
+    return agents;
+  }, [activityAgents, agentPubkeys, agentSessionAgents, profiles]);
+  const resolveTaskAgentForMessage = React.useCallback(
+    (message: TimelineMessage) => {
+      if (message.pubkey) {
+        const directAgent = knownAgentByPubkey.get(
+          normalizePubkey(message.pubkey),
+        );
+        if (directAgent) {
+          return {
+            name: message.author?.trim() || directAgent.name,
+            pubkey: directAgent.pubkey,
+          };
+        }
+      }
+
+      for (const pubkey of collectMessageMentionPubkeys([message])) {
+        const mentionedAgent = knownAgentByPubkey.get(normalizePubkey(pubkey));
+        if (mentionedAgent) {
+          return mentionedAgent;
+        }
+      }
+
+      return null;
+    },
+    [knownAgentByPubkey],
+  );
   const completeWelcomeComposerBanner = React.useCallback(() => {
     if (!activeChannelId || !isActiveWelcomeChannel) {
       return;
@@ -341,7 +400,7 @@ export const ChannelPane = React.memo(function ChannelPane({
       if (
         !enableAgentConversations ||
         !activeChannel ||
-        !message.pubkey ||
+        message.pending ||
         !canOpenAgentConversationInChannel({
           channel: activeChannel,
           publishMarker: options?.publishMarker,
@@ -350,6 +409,7 @@ export const ChannelPane = React.memo(function ChannelPane({
         return;
       }
 
+      const taskAgent = resolveTaskAgentForMessage(message);
       const rootId = message.rootId ?? message.parentId ?? message.id;
       const contextMessages = messages.filter(
         (candidate) =>
@@ -360,8 +420,8 @@ export const ChannelPane = React.memo(function ChannelPane({
       );
       openAgentConversation(
         {
-          agentName: message.author,
-          agentPubkey: message.pubkey,
+          agentName: taskAgent?.name ?? "",
+          agentPubkey: taskAgent?.pubkey ?? "",
           agentReply: message,
           channel: activeChannel,
           contextMessages,
@@ -377,7 +437,13 @@ export const ChannelPane = React.memo(function ChannelPane({
         options,
       );
     },
-    [activeChannel, enableAgentConversations, messages, openAgentConversation],
+    [
+      activeChannel,
+      enableAgentConversations,
+      messages,
+      openAgentConversation,
+      resolveTaskAgentForMessage,
+    ],
   );
   const handleGoToTaskMessage = React.useCallback(
     (
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/channels/ui/ChannelScreen.tsx b/desktop/src/features/channels/ui/ChannelScreen.tsx
index 7851d4ac8..cfb2f77c4 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/channels/ui/ChannelScreen.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/channels/ui/ChannelScreen.tsx
@@ -731,7 +731,9 @@ export function ChannelScreen({
   );
   useAgentConversationRouteTarget({
     activeChannel,
-    activeChannelId,
+    agentConversationMarkers,
+    agentPubkeys,
+    enabled: isChannelTasksEnabled,
     goChannel,
     messageProfilesReady,
     openAgentConversation,
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/channels/ui/ChannelTasksView.tsx b/desktop/src/features/channels/ui/ChannelTasksView.tsx
index b5d61a1d9..8cb26334e 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/channels/ui/ChannelTasksView.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/channels/ui/ChannelTasksView.tsx
@@ -281,8 +281,8 @@ export function ChannelTasksView({
                   No tasks yet
                 </p>
                 <p className="mx-auto mt-2 max-w-sm text-sm leading-5 text-muted-foreground">
-                  New tasks will appear here when an agent conversation is
-                  opened from this channel.
+                  New tasks will appear here when one is started from a message
+                  in this channel.
                 </p>
               </div>
               {olderTasksLoader}
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/channels/ui/useAgentConversationRouteTarget.ts b/desktop/src/features/channels/ui/useAgentConversationRouteTarget.ts
index 5637d3968..05d0409e7 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/channels/ui/useAgentConversationRouteTarget.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/features/channels/ui/useAgentConversationRouteTarget.ts
@@ -1,44 +1,58 @@
 import * as React from "react";
 
-import type { useAppNavigation } from "@/app/navigation/useAppNavigation";
-import type { OpenAgentConversationInput } from "@/features/agents/agentConversations";
+import type {
+  AgentConversationMarker,
+  OpenAgentConversationInput,
+} from "@/features/agents/agentConversations";
 import type { TimelineMessage } from "@/features/messages/types";
 import type { Channel } from "@/shared/api/types";
+import { normalizePubkey } from "@/shared/lib/pubkey";
 
-type GoChannel = ReturnType<typeof useAppNavigation>["goChannel"];
-type OpenAgentConversation = (
-  input: OpenAgentConversationInput,
-  options?: { publishMarker?: boolean },
-) => void;
+type GoChannel = (
+  channelId: string,
+  options?: {
+    messageId?: string;
+    replace?: boolean;
+    taskReplyId?: string;
+    threadRootId?: string | null;
+  },
+) => Promise<boolean>;
 
-type UseAgentConversationRouteTargetOptions = {
+type UseAgentConversationRouteTargetInput = {
   activeChannel: Channel | null;
-  activeChannelId: string | null;
+  agentConversationMarkers: readonly AgentConversationMarker[];
+  agentPubkeys: ReadonlySet<string>;
+  enabled: boolean;
   goChannel: GoChannel;
   messageProfilesReady: boolean;
-  openAgentConversation: OpenAgentConversation;
+  openAgentConversation: (
+    input: OpenAgentConversationInput,
+    options?: { publishMarker?: boolean },
+  ) => void;
   targetAgentConversationReplyId: string | null;
   timelineMessages: readonly TimelineMessage[];
 };
 
 export function useAgentConversationRouteTarget({
   activeChannel,
-  activeChannelId,
+  agentConversationMarkers,
+  agentPubkeys,
+  enabled,
   goChannel,
   messageProfilesReady,
   openAgentConversation,
   targetAgentConversationReplyId,
   timelineMessages,
-}: UseAgentConversationRouteTargetOptions) {
+}: UseAgentConversationRouteTargetInput) {
   const handledRouteTargetRef = React.useRef<string | null>(null);
 
   React.useEffect(() => {
-    if (!targetAgentConversationReplyId) {
+    if (!enabled || !targetAgentConversationReplyId) {
       handledRouteTargetRef.current = null;
       return;
     }
 
-    const targetKey = `${activeChannelId ?? "none"}:${targetAgentConversationReplyId}`;
+    const targetKey = `${activeChannel?.id ?? "none"}:${targetAgentConversationReplyId}`;
     if (handledRouteTargetRef.current === targetKey) {
       return;
     }
@@ -49,26 +63,40 @@ export function useAgentConversationRouteTarget({
       return;
     }
 
-    const agentReply =
+    const marker =
+      agentConversationMarkers.find(
+        (candidate) =>
+          candidate.channelId === activeChannel.id &&
+          candidate.agentReplyId === targetAgentConversationReplyId,
+      ) ?? null;
+    const sourceMessage =
       timelineMessages.find(
         (message) => message.id === targetAgentConversationReplyId,
       ) ?? null;
-    const agentReplyPubkey = agentReply?.pubkey;
-    if (!agentReply || !agentReplyPubkey) {
+    if (!sourceMessage) {
       return;
     }
 
-    const rootId = agentReply.rootId ?? agentReply.parentId ?? agentReply.id;
+    const sourceAuthorIsAgent = sourceMessage.pubkey
+      ? agentPubkeys.has(normalizePubkey(sourceMessage.pubkey))
+      : false;
+    const taskAgentPubkey =
+      marker?.agentPubkey ||
+      (sourceAuthorIsAgent ? (sourceMessage.pubkey ?? "") : "");
+    const taskAgentName =
+      marker?.agentName || (taskAgentPubkey ? sourceMessage.author : "");
+    const rootId =
+      sourceMessage.rootId ?? sourceMessage.parentId ?? sourceMessage.id;
     const contextMessages = timelineMessages.filter(
       (candidate) =>
         candidate.id === rootId ||
-        candidate.id === agentReply.id ||
+        candidate.id === sourceMessage.id ||
         candidate.rootId === rootId ||
         candidate.parentId === rootId,
     );
-    const parentMessage = agentReply.parentId
+    const parentMessage = sourceMessage.parentId
       ? (timelineMessages.find(
-          (candidate) => candidate.id === agentReply.parentId,
+          (candidate) => candidate.id === sourceMessage.parentId,
         ) ?? null)
       : null;
     const threadRootMessage =
@@ -78,9 +106,9 @@ export function useAgentConversationRouteTarget({
     void goChannel(activeChannel.id, { replace: true }).then(() => {
       openAgentConversation(
         {
-          agentName: agentReply.author,
-          agentPubkey: agentReplyPubkey,
-          agentReply,
+          agentName: taskAgentName,
+          agentPubkey: taskAgentPubkey,
+          agentReply: sourceMessage,
           channel: activeChannel,
           contextMessages,
           parentMessage,
@@ -91,7 +119,9 @@ export function useAgentConversationRouteTarget({
     });
   }, [
     activeChannel,
-    activeChannelId,
+    agentConversationMarkers,
+    agentPubkeys,
+    enabled,
     goChannel,
     messageProfilesReady,
     openAgentConversation,
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/MessageRow.tsx b/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/MessageRow.tsx
index 7ba31d80f..af3c2c2e3 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/MessageRow.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/MessageRow.tsx
@@ -272,10 +272,6 @@ export const MessageRow = React.memo(
       message.tags,
     );
     const bodyOffsetClass = emojiOnly ? "mt-1" : "-mt-0.5";
-    const isAgentMessage =
-      message.pubkey != null &&
-      !message.pending &&
-      resolvedAgentPubkeys.has(normalizePubkey(message.pubkey));
     const { channels } = useChannelNavigation();
     const channelNames = React.useMemo(
       () => channels.filter((c) => c.channelType !== "dm").map((c) => c.name),
@@ -475,7 +471,7 @@ export const MessageRow = React.memo(
           isUnread={isUnread}
           message={message}
           onContinueConversation={
-            isAgentMessage ? onOpenAgentConversation : undefined
+            message.pending ? undefined : onOpenAgentConversation
           }
           onDelete={onDelete}
           onEdit={onEdit}