diff --git a/scripts/src/hwlab-node-web-observe-runner-source.ts b/scripts/src/hwlab-node-web-observe-runner-source.ts
index 10bd74ef..a9fee6f8 100644
--- a/scripts/src/hwlab-node-web-observe-runner-source.ts
+++ b/scripts/src/hwlab-node-web-observe-runner-source.ts
@@ -1653,28 +1653,14 @@ async function controlPageLivenessSnapshot(reason, timeoutMs = 1500) {
     }));
 }
 
-async function ensureControlPageResponsiveForCommand(reason) {
-  const beforeUrl = currentPageUrl();
-  const liveness = await controlPageLivenessSnapshot(reason + "-preflight", 3000);
-  if (liveness.ok) return { ok: true, recovered: false, reason, beforeUrl, afterUrl: currentPageUrl(), liveness, pageRole: "control", pageId, pageEpoch: controlPageEpoch, valuesRedacted: true };
-  const target = controlPageRecoveryTarget(liveness.snapshot, beforeUrl);
-  await appendJsonl(files.control, eventRecord("control-page-unresponsive-before-command", {
-    reason,
-    beforeUrl,
-    target,
-    liveness,
-    pageRole: "control",
-    pageId,
-    pageEpoch: controlPageEpoch,
-    valuesRedacted: true
-  }));
+async function recoverControlPageToTarget(reason, beforeUrl, target, liveness = null) {
   let navigation = null;
   let hydration = null;
   let afterLiveness = null;
   const attempts = [];
   let ok = false;
   for (let attempt = 1; attempt <= 2; attempt += 1) {
-    await recreateControlPageForNavigation(reason + "-control-page-unresponsive", attempt);
+    await recreateControlPageForNavigation(reason + "-control-page-recovery", attempt);
     try {
       navigation = await gotoTarget(target.targetPath);
     } catch (error) {
@@ -1694,7 +1680,7 @@ async function ensureControlPageResponsiveForCommand(reason) {
     attempts.push({ attempt, ok, navigation, hydration, afterLiveness, pageId, pageEpoch: controlPageEpoch, valuesRedacted: true });
     if (ok) break;
   }
-  const recovery = {
+  return {
     ok,
     recovered: ok,
     reason,
@@ -1711,8 +1697,26 @@ async function ensureControlPageResponsiveForCommand(reason) {
     pageEpoch: controlPageEpoch,
     valuesRedacted: true
   };
-  await appendJsonl(files.control, eventRecord(ok ? "control-page-recovered-before-command" : "control-page-recovery-failed-before-command", recovery));
-  if (!ok) {
+}
+
+async function ensureControlPageResponsiveForCommand(reason) {
+  const beforeUrl = currentPageUrl();
+  const liveness = await controlPageLivenessSnapshot(reason + "-preflight", 3000);
+  if (liveness.ok) return { ok: true, recovered: false, reason, beforeUrl, afterUrl: currentPageUrl(), liveness, pageRole: "control", pageId, pageEpoch: controlPageEpoch, valuesRedacted: true };
+  const target = controlPageRecoveryTarget(liveness.snapshot, beforeUrl);
+  await appendJsonl(files.control, eventRecord("control-page-unresponsive-before-command", {
+    reason,
+    beforeUrl,
+    target,
+    liveness,
+    pageRole: "control",
+    pageId,
+    pageEpoch: controlPageEpoch,
+    valuesRedacted: true
+  }));
+  const recovery = await recoverControlPageToTarget(reason, beforeUrl, target, liveness);
+  await appendJsonl(files.control, eventRecord(recovery.ok ? "control-page-recovered-before-command" : "control-page-recovery-failed-before-command", recovery));
+  if (!recovery.ok) {
     const error = new Error("control page recovery failed before " + reason);
     error.details = recovery;
     throw error;
@@ -1720,17 +1724,56 @@ async function ensureControlPageResponsiveForCommand(reason) {
   return recovery;
 }
 
+async function forceRecoverControlPageForCommand(reason) {
+  const beforeUrl = currentPageUrl();
+  const liveness = await controlPageLivenessSnapshot(reason + "-snapshot", 3000);
+  const target = controlPageRecoveryTarget(liveness.snapshot, beforeUrl);
+  await appendJsonl(files.control, eventRecord("control-page-forced-recovery-before-command", {
+    reason,
+    beforeUrl,
+    target,
+    liveness,
+    pageRole: "control",
+    pageId,
+    pageEpoch: controlPageEpoch,
+    valuesRedacted: true
+  }));
+  const recovery = await recoverControlPageToTarget(reason, beforeUrl, target, liveness);
+  await appendJsonl(files.control, eventRecord(recovery.ok ? "control-page-forced-recovered-before-command" : "control-page-forced-recovery-failed-before-command", recovery));
+  return recovery;
+}
+
 async function sendPrompt(text, options = {}) {
   if (text.trim().length === 0) throw new Error("sendPrompt requires non-empty text");
   const responsePath = options.responsePath || "/v1/agent/chat";
   const controlRecovery = await ensureControlPageResponsiveForCommand("sendPrompt");
   const beforeUrl = currentPageUrl();
   const beforeEvidence = await promptSideEffectSnapshot();
-  const primaryEditor = page.locator("#command-input").last();
-  const editor = await primaryEditor.isVisible().catch(() => false)
-    ? primaryEditor
-    : page.locator('textarea, [role="textbox"], [contenteditable="true"], input[type="text"]').last();
-  await withHardTimeout(editor.waitFor({ state: "visible", timeout: 15000 }), 20000, "sendPrompt composer editor did not become visible within 20s");
+  let editor = null;
+  let composerRecovery = null;
+  let editorWaitError = null;
+  for (let attempt = 1; attempt <= 2; attempt += 1) {
+    const primaryEditor = page.locator("#command-input").last();
+    const candidate = await primaryEditor.isVisible().catch(() => false)
+      ? primaryEditor
+      : page.locator('textarea, [role="textbox"], [contenteditable="true"], input[type="text"]').last();
+    try {
+      await withHardTimeout(candidate.waitFor({ state: "visible", timeout: 15000 }), 20000, "sendPrompt composer editor did not become visible within 20s");
+      editor = candidate;
+      break;
+    } catch (error) {
+      editorWaitError = error;
+      if (attempt >= 2) break;
+      composerRecovery = await forceRecoverControlPageForCommand("sendPrompt-composer-editor-missing");
+      if (composerRecovery.ok !== true) break;
+    }
+  }
+  if (!editor) {
+    const snapshot = await controlPageLivenessSnapshot("sendPrompt-composer-editor-missing-final", 3000);
+    const error = new Error("sendPrompt composer editor did not become visible");
+    error.details = { beforeUrl, afterUrl: currentPageUrl(), controlRecovery, composerRecovery, snapshot, editorWaitError: errorSummary(editorWaitError), pageId, pageEpoch: controlPageEpoch, valuesRedacted: true };
+    throw error;
+  }
   await fillComposerEditor(editor, text);
   const primarySubmitSelector = '#command-send, #command-submit, [data-testid="command-submit"], [data-testid="composer-submit"], [data-testid="send-command"]';
   const primarySubmit = page.locator(primarySubmitSelector).last();