diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-loop.yml b/.github/workflows/release-loop.yml
index 65effe6..50e4036 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-loop.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-loop.yml
@@ -74,9 +74,10 @@ jobs:
           npm install "$RUNNER_TEMP"/onkernel-loop-*.tgz
           cat > smoke.mjs <<'NODE'
           import { compileLoopToolCatalog, formatBrowserActResult, loop } from "@onkernel/loop";
-          import { attach, getLoopModel, NodeExecutionEnv } from "@onkernel/loop/pi";
+          import * as loopPi from "@onkernel/loop/pi";
 
-          for (const [name, value] of Object.entries({ compileLoopToolCatalog, formatBrowserActResult, attach, getLoopModel, NodeExecutionEnv })) {
+          const { attach, createLoopModels, getLoopModel } = loopPi;
+          for (const [name, value] of Object.entries({ compileLoopToolCatalog, formatBrowserActResult, attach, createLoopModels, getLoopModel })) {
             if (typeof value !== "function") {
               throw new Error(`expected ${name} to be a function, got ${typeof value}`);
             }
@@ -84,6 +85,9 @@ jobs:
           if (typeof loop !== "object" || loop === null) {
             throw new Error(`expected loop to be an object, got ${typeof loop}`);
           }
+          if ("Agent" in loopPi || "NodeExecutionEnv" in loopPi) {
+            throw new Error("expected @onkernel/loop/pi not to re-export pi-agent-core");
+          }
           console.log("ESM import smoke OK");
           NODE
           node smoke.mjs
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index efe1e9a..a705890 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -88,8 +88,9 @@ plain pi objects. Nothing here is a Loop type you have to learn:
 
 ```ts
 import Kernel from "@onkernel/sdk";
+import { Agent } from "@earendil-works/pi-agent-core";
 import { loop } from "@onkernel/loop";
-import { Agent, attach } from "@onkernel/loop/pi";
+import { attach } from "@onkernel/loop/pi";
 
 const client = new Kernel({ apiKey: process.env.KERNEL_API_KEY! });
 const browser = await client.browsers.create({ stealth: true });
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 963a95e..6ffb415 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -4008,6 +4008,7 @@
         "node": ">=22.19.0"
       },
       "peerDependencies": {
+        "@earendil-works/pi-agent-core": "0.83.0",
         "@earendil-works/pi-coding-agent": "*"
       },
       "peerDependenciesMeta": {
diff --git a/packages/loop/README.md b/packages/loop/README.md
index a6e203a..7758482 100644
--- a/packages/loop/README.md
+++ b/packages/loop/README.md
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ extension described under [pi extension](#pi-extension).
 ## Install
 
 ```bash
-npm install @onkernel/loop @onkernel/sdk
+npm install @onkernel/loop @onkernel/sdk @earendil-works/pi-agent-core
 ```
 
 Requires Node 22.19 or newer, `KERNEL_API_KEY` for browser execution, and the
@@ -31,8 +31,9 @@ you construct whatever pi agent you want with them. There is no agent class here
 
 ```ts
 import Kernel from "@onkernel/sdk";
+import { Agent } from "@earendil-works/pi-agent-core";
 import { loop } from "@onkernel/loop";
-import { Agent, attach } from "@onkernel/loop/pi";
+import { attach } from "@onkernel/loop/pi";
 
 const client = new Kernel({ apiKey: process.env.KERNEL_API_KEY! });
 const browser = await client.browsers.create({ stealth: true });
@@ -72,8 +73,9 @@ package owns that are pi event handlers rather than constructor options, and
 points the handle's `models` at this catalog:
 
 ```ts
+import { AgentHarness, InMemorySessionRepo } from "@earendil-works/pi-agent-core";
 import { loop } from "@onkernel/loop";
-import { AgentHarness, attach, InMemorySessionRepo } from "@onkernel/loop/pi";
+import { attach } from "@onkernel/loop/pi";
 
 const session = await new InMemorySessionRepo().create();
 const kb = attach({ client, browser });
@@ -105,8 +107,9 @@ the new one. Changing the model or the tool list compiles a new pair; nothing
 mutates in place, and one shared execution-resource pool survives every change,
 so browser refs, tabs, connections, and translator state are not reset.
 
-`@onkernel/loop/pi` re-exports pi-agent-core's session, skill, prompt-template,
-compaction, and execution-environment primitives used with the harness.
+`@onkernel/loop/pi` does not re-export pi: install `@earendil-works/pi-agent-core`
+and import its session, skill, prompt-template, compaction, and
+execution-environment primitives directly, as these examples do.
 
 ### Tool context
 
@@ -116,15 +119,10 @@ and pi delivers the exact object (or the result of a zero-argument provider)
 to every tool call:
 
 ```ts
+import { AgentHarness, createBashTool, createReadTool, type ExecutionToolContext } from "@earendil-works/pi-agent-core";
+import { NodeExecutionEnv } from "@earendil-works/pi-agent-core/node";
 import { loop } from "@onkernel/loop";
-import {
-  AgentHarness,
-  attach,
-  NodeExecutionEnv,
-  createBashTool,
-  createReadTool,
-  type ExecutionToolContext,
-} from "@onkernel/loop/pi";
+import { attach } from "@onkernel/loop/pi";
 
 const compiled = kb.compile<ExecutionToolContext>({
   model: "openai:gpt-5.6-sol",
diff --git a/packages/loop/examples/agent-openai-smoke.ts b/packages/loop/examples/agent-openai-smoke.ts
index 69c0ffe..352a302 100644
--- a/packages/loop/examples/agent-openai-smoke.ts
+++ b/packages/loop/examples/agent-openai-smoke.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import Kernel from "@onkernel/sdk";
 import { loop } from "../src/index";
-import { Agent, attach, type LoopModelRef, requireLoopEnvApiKeyForModel } from "../src/pi/index";
+import { Agent } from "@earendil-works/pi-agent-core";
+import { attach, type LoopModelRef, requireLoopEnvApiKeyForModel } from "../src/pi/index";
 import { logAgentEvent, logAssistant } from "./shared/logging";
 import { SCENARIOS } from "./shared/scenarios";
 
diff --git a/packages/loop/examples/agent-provider-matrix.ts b/packages/loop/examples/agent-provider-matrix.ts
index f5fb018..f86f45f 100644
--- a/packages/loop/examples/agent-provider-matrix.ts
+++ b/packages/loop/examples/agent-provider-matrix.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import Kernel from "@onkernel/sdk";
-import { Agent, attach, type LoopModelRef, requireLoopEnvApiKeyForModel } from "../src/pi/index";
+import { Agent } from "@earendil-works/pi-agent-core";
+import { attach, type LoopModelRef, requireLoopEnvApiKeyForModel } from "../src/pi/index";
 import { logAgentEvent, logAssistant } from "./shared/logging";
 import { SCENARIOS } from "./shared/scenarios";
 import { toolsForModel } from "./shared/tools";
diff --git a/packages/loop/examples/anthropic-native-smoke.ts b/packages/loop/examples/anthropic-native-smoke.ts
index ef7c6a8..eec7195 100644
--- a/packages/loop/examples/anthropic-native-smoke.ts
+++ b/packages/loop/examples/anthropic-native-smoke.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@
 // CONFIG selects the requested catalog; nothing is inferred or appended.
 import Kernel from "@onkernel/sdk";
 import { loop, type LoopAgentTool } from "../src/index";
-import { Agent, attach, type LoopModelRef, requireLoopEnvApiKeyForModel } from "../src/pi/index";
+import { Agent } from "@earendil-works/pi-agent-core";
+import { attach, type LoopModelRef, requireLoopEnvApiKeyForModel } from "../src/pi/index";
 import { logAgentEvent, logAssistant } from "./shared/logging";
 
 const modelRef = (process.env.MODEL_REF as LoopModelRef | undefined) ?? "anthropic:claude-opus-5";
diff --git a/packages/loop/examples/harness-openai-smoke.ts b/packages/loop/examples/harness-openai-smoke.ts
index 9eb7ddd..59fe14c 100644
--- a/packages/loop/examples/harness-openai-smoke.ts
+++ b/packages/loop/examples/harness-openai-smoke.ts
@@ -1,12 +1,7 @@
 import Kernel from "@onkernel/sdk";
 import { loop } from "../src/index";
-import {
-	AgentHarness,
-	attach,
-	InMemorySessionRepo,
-	type LoopModelRef,
-	requireLoopEnvApiKeyForModel,
-} from "../src/pi/index";
+import { AgentHarness, InMemorySessionRepo } from "@earendil-works/pi-agent-core";
+import { attach, type LoopModelRef, requireLoopEnvApiKeyForModel } from "../src/pi/index";
 import { logAgentEvent, logAssistant } from "./shared/logging";
 import { SCENARIOS } from "./shared/scenarios";
 
diff --git a/packages/loop/examples/harness-provider-matrix.ts b/packages/loop/examples/harness-provider-matrix.ts
index 19a21ee..c758d38 100644
--- a/packages/loop/examples/harness-provider-matrix.ts
+++ b/packages/loop/examples/harness-provider-matrix.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,6 @@
 import Kernel from "@onkernel/sdk";
-import {
-	AgentHarness,
-	attach,
-	InMemorySessionRepo,
-	type LoopModelRef,
-	requireLoopEnvApiKeyForModel,
-} from "../src/pi/index";
+import { AgentHarness, InMemorySessionRepo } from "@earendil-works/pi-agent-core";
+import { attach, type LoopModelRef, requireLoopEnvApiKeyForModel } from "../src/pi/index";
 import { logAgentEvent, logAssistant } from "./shared/logging";
 import { SCENARIOS } from "./shared/scenarios";
 import { toolsForModel } from "./shared/tools";
diff --git a/packages/loop/examples/shared/logging.ts b/packages/loop/examples/shared/logging.ts
index 7d68b5b..779afe1 100644
--- a/packages/loop/examples/shared/logging.ts
+++ b/packages/loop/examples/shared/logging.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import type { AgentEvent, AgentHarnessEvent } from "../../src/pi/index";
+import type { AgentEvent, AgentHarnessEvent } from "@earendil-works/pi-agent-core";
 
 type AssistantLike = {
 	content: Array<{ type: string; text?: string }>;
diff --git a/packages/loop/package.json b/packages/loop/package.json
index ca86910..b9efb95 100644
--- a/packages/loop/package.json
+++ b/packages/loop/package.json
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@
     "typebox": "1.3.7"
   },
   "peerDependencies": {
+    "@earendil-works/pi-agent-core": "0.83.0",
     "@earendil-works/pi-coding-agent": "*"
   },
   "peerDependenciesMeta": {
diff --git a/packages/loop/src/pi/index.ts b/packages/loop/src/pi/index.ts
index 6cec36d..5f1081d 100644
--- a/packages/loop/src/pi/index.ts
+++ b/packages/loop/src/pi/index.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,3 @@
-export * from "@earendil-works/pi-agent-core";
-export { NodeExecutionEnv } from "@earendil-works/pi-agent-core/node";
-
 export * from "./api-keys";
 export * from "./models";
 export {
diff --git a/packages/loop/test/attach-session.test.ts b/packages/loop/test/attach-session.test.ts
index 17a1ffd..15acbb4 100644
--- a/packages/loop/test/attach-session.test.ts
+++ b/packages/loop/test/attach-session.test.ts
@@ -11,14 +11,16 @@ import {
 	AgentHarness,
 	type AgentMessage,
 	type AgentTool,
+	InMemorySessionRepo,
+	type Session,
+	type StreamFn,
+} from "@earendil-works/pi-agent-core";
+import {
 	attach,
 	createLoopModels,
 	getLoopModel,
 	GOOGLE_INTERACTIONS_API,
-	InMemorySessionRepo,
 	type LoopModelInput,
-	type Session,
-	type StreamFn,
 } from "../src/pi/index";
 import { type KernelBrowser, loop, type LoopHarnessTool } from "../src/index";
 import type Kernel from "@onkernel/sdk";
diff --git a/packages/loop/test/attach.test.ts b/packages/loop/test/attach.test.ts
index ccb2eb4..f6d64d7 100644
--- a/packages/loop/test/attach.test.ts
+++ b/packages/loop/test/attach.test.ts
@@ -5,16 +5,13 @@ import {
 	createAssistantMessageEventStream,
 	type Model,
 } from "@earendil-works/pi-ai";
+import { Agent, AgentHarness, InMemorySessionRepo, type StreamFn } from "@earendil-works/pi-agent-core";
 import {
-	Agent,
-	AgentHarness,
 	attach,
 	createLoopModels,
 	GOOGLE_INTERACTIONS_API,
-	InMemorySessionRepo,
 	type LoopSimpleStreamOptions,
 	OPENAI_COMPUTER_USE_API,
-	type StreamFn,
 } from "../src/pi/index";
 import { type KernelBrowser, loop } from "../src/index";
 import type Kernel from "@onkernel/sdk";
diff --git a/packages/loop/test/e2e.live.test.ts b/packages/loop/test/e2e.live.test.ts
index 59db5b6..6e7cccc 100644
--- a/packages/loop/test/e2e.live.test.ts
+++ b/packages/loop/test/e2e.live.test.ts
@@ -6,9 +6,9 @@ import {
 	AgentHarness,
 	type AgentHarnessEvent,
 	type AgentMessage,
-	attach,
 	InMemorySessionRepo,
-} from "../src/pi/index";
+} from "@earendil-works/pi-agent-core";
+import { attach } from "../src/pi/index";
 import { loop } from "../src/index";
 
 const LIVE = process.env.LOOP_E2E_LIVE === "1";
diff --git a/packages/loop/test/harness-context.test.ts b/packages/loop/test/harness-context.test.ts
index 0188160..932eda7 100644
--- a/packages/loop/test/harness-context.test.ts
+++ b/packages/loop/test/harness-context.test.ts
@@ -6,17 +6,16 @@ import { type AssistantMessage, createAssistantMessageEventStream, type Model }
 import {
 	AgentHarness,
 	type AgentHarnessTool,
-	attach,
 	createBashTool,
 	createEditTool,
-	createLoopModels,
 	createReadTool,
 	createWriteTool,
 	type ExecutionToolContext,
 	InMemorySessionRepo,
-	NodeExecutionEnv,
 	type StreamFn,
-} from "../src/pi/index";
+} from "@earendil-works/pi-agent-core";
+import { NodeExecutionEnv } from "@earendil-works/pi-agent-core/node";
+import { attach, createLoopModels } from "../src/pi/index";
 import type Kernel from "@onkernel/sdk";
 import type { KernelBrowser } from "../src/index";
 
diff --git a/packages/loop/test/pi-export-surface.test.ts b/packages/loop/test/pi-export-surface.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3e0ea78
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/loop/test/pi-export-surface.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import * as pi from "../src/pi/index";
+
+// ./pi exports only loop-owned symbols. pi-agent-core is composed with, not
+// re-exported: consumers construct Agent/AgentHarness from their own
+// pi-agent-core install.
+describe("./pi export surface", () => {
+	it("exports the loop pi binding", () => {
+		for (const name of ["attach", "createLoopModels", "loopModels", "getLoopModel", "listLoopModels", "loopApiKeyEnvVarsForProvider"]) {
+			expect(pi, name).toHaveProperty(name);
+		}
+	});
+
+	it("does not re-export pi-agent-core", () => {
+		const leaked = [
+			"Agent",
+			"AgentHarness",
+			"InMemorySessionRepo",
+			"NodeExecutionEnv",
+			"createBashTool",
+			"createEditTool",
+			"createReadTool",
+			"createWriteTool",
+		].filter((name) => name in pi);
+		expect(leaked).toEqual([]);
+	});
+});
diff --git a/packages/loop/test/published-declarations.test.ts b/packages/loop/test/published-declarations.test.ts
index 793e58d..8f94c53 100644
--- a/packages/loop/test/published-declarations.test.ts
+++ b/packages/loop/test/published-declarations.test.ts
@@ -24,17 +24,16 @@ import {
 import {
 	Agent,
 	AgentHarness,
-	attach,
-	getLoopModel,
 	InMemorySessionRepo,
-	NodeExecutionEnv,
 	createBashTool,
 	createEditTool,
 	createReadTool,
 	createWriteTool,
 	type AgentHarnessTool,
 	type ExecutionToolContext,
-} from "@onkernel/loop/pi";
+} from "@earendil-works/pi-agent-core";
+import { NodeExecutionEnv } from "@earendil-works/pi-agent-core/node";
+import { attach, getLoopModel } from "@onkernel/loop/pi";
 import type Kernel from "@onkernel/sdk";
 
 declare const browser: KernelBrowser;
@@ -159,6 +158,9 @@ describe("published declarations", () => {
 				paths: {
 					"@onkernel/loop": [join(out, "index.d.ts")],
 					"@onkernel/loop/pi": [join(out, "pi", "index.d.ts")],
+					// The "*" fallback resolves a package root through its package.json,
+					// but not subpath exports; map this one explicitly.
+					"@earendil-works/pi-agent-core/node": [join(repoRoot, "node_modules", "@earendil-works", "pi-agent-core", "dist", "node.d.ts")],
 					"*": ["./node_modules/*"],
 				},
 			},
diff --git a/packages/loop/test/tool-manager.test.ts b/packages/loop/test/tool-manager.test.ts
index 8d21d84..90aa549 100644
--- a/packages/loop/test/tool-manager.test.ts
+++ b/packages/loop/test/tool-manager.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
-import { type AgentTool, GOOGLE_INTERACTIONS_API } from "../src/pi/index";
+import type { AgentTool } from "@earendil-works/pi-agent-core";
+import { GOOGLE_INTERACTIONS_API } from "../src/pi/index";
 import {
 	callerToolIdentity,
 	type KernelBrowser,