diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 20f15edcf..1cb1685e8 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 - Tools: add Firecrawl fallback for `web_fetch` when configured.
 - Tools: send Chrome-like headers by default for `web_fetch` to improve extraction on bot-sensitive sites.
 - Tools: Firecrawl fallback now uses bot-circumvention + cache by default; remove basic HTML fallback when extraction fails.
+- Tools: default `exec` exit notifications and auto-migrate legacy `tools.bash` to `tools.exec`.
 - Status: trim `/status` to current-provider usage only and drop the OAuth/token block.
 - Directory: unify `clawdbot directory` across channels and plugin channels.
 - UI: allow deleting sessions from the Control UI.
diff --git a/docs/gateway/background-process.md b/docs/gateway/background-process.md
index 6a8a71bf3..a48ab092f 100644
--- a/docs/gateway/background-process.md
+++ b/docs/gateway/background-process.md
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ Config (preferred):
 - `tools.exec.backgroundMs` (default 10000)
 - `tools.exec.timeoutSec` (default 1800)
 - `tools.exec.cleanupMs` (default 1800000)
+ - `tools.exec.notifyOnExit` (default true): enqueue a system event + request heartbeat when a backgrounded exec exits.
 
 ## process tool
 
diff --git a/docs/gateway/configuration.md b/docs/gateway/configuration.md
index 076c30704..e8e37bd21 100644
--- a/docs/gateway/configuration.md
+++ b/docs/gateway/configuration.md
@@ -1745,10 +1745,10 @@ of `every`, keep `HEARTBEAT.md` tiny, and/or choose a cheaper `model`.
 - `backgroundMs`: time before auto-background (ms, default 10000)
 - `timeoutSec`: auto-kill after this runtime (seconds, default 1800)
 - `cleanupMs`: how long to keep finished sessions in memory (ms, default 1800000)
+- `notifyOnExit`: enqueue a system event + request heartbeat when backgrounded exec exits (default true)
 - `applyPatch.enabled`: enable experimental `apply_patch` (OpenAI/OpenAI Codex only; default false)
 - `applyPatch.allowModels`: optional allowlist of model ids (e.g. `gpt-5.2` or `openai/gpt-5.2`)
-Note: `applyPatch` is only under `tools.exec` (no `tools.bash` alias).
-Legacy: `tools.bash` is still accepted as an alias.
+Note: `applyPatch` is only under `tools.exec`.
 
 `tools.web` configures web search + fetch tools:
 - `tools.web.search.enabled` (default: true when key is present)
diff --git a/docs/tools/apply-patch.md b/docs/tools/apply-patch.md
index 45e53d070..1ab9d806c 100644
--- a/docs/tools/apply-patch.md
+++ b/docs/tools/apply-patch.md
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ The tool accepts a single `input` string that wraps one or more file operations:
 - Experimental and disabled by default. Enable with `tools.exec.applyPatch.enabled`.
 - OpenAI-only (including OpenAI Codex). Optionally gate by model via
   `tools.exec.applyPatch.allowModels`.
-- Config is only under `tools.exec` (no `tools.bash` alias).
+- Config is only under `tools.exec`.
 
 ## Example
 
diff --git a/docs/tools/exec.md b/docs/tools/exec.md
index 532d9ba93..afe047e9f 100644
--- a/docs/tools/exec.md
+++ b/docs/tools/exec.md
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@ Background sessions are scoped per agent; `process` only sees sessions from the
 - Need a fully interactive session? Use `pty: true` and the `process` tool for stdin/output.
 Note: `elevated` is ignored when sandboxing is off (exec already runs on the host).
 
+## Config
+
+- `tools.exec.notifyOnExit` (default: true): when true, backgrounded exec sessions enqueue a system event and request a heartbeat on exit.
+
 ## Examples
 
 Foreground:
@@ -53,4 +57,4 @@ Enable it explicitly:
 Notes:
 - Only available for OpenAI/OpenAI Codex models.
 - Tool policy still applies; `allow: ["exec"]` implicitly allows `apply_patch`.
-- Config lives under `tools.exec.applyPatch` (no `tools.bash` alias).
+- Config lives under `tools.exec.applyPatch`.
diff --git a/src/agents/bash-process-registry.ts b/src/agents/bash-process-registry.ts
index 070685300..6f7c5750e 100644
--- a/src/agents/bash-process-registry.ts
+++ b/src/agents/bash-process-registry.ts
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@ export interface ProcessSession {
   id: string;
   command: string;
   scopeKey?: string;
+  sessionKey?: string;
+  notifyOnExit?: boolean;
+  exitNotified?: boolean;
   child?: ChildProcessWithoutNullStreams;
   stdin?: SessionStdin;
   pid?: number;
diff --git a/src/agents/bash-tools.exec.ts b/src/agents/bash-tools.exec.ts
index 3e621684a..e5a9a7af6 100644
--- a/src/agents/bash-tools.exec.ts
+++ b/src/agents/bash-tools.exec.ts
@@ -3,13 +3,17 @@ import { randomUUID } from "node:crypto";
 import type { AgentTool, AgentToolResult } from "@mariozechner/pi-agent-core";
 import { Type } from "@sinclair/typebox";
 
+import { requestHeartbeatNow } from "../infra/heartbeat-wake.js";
+import { enqueueSystemEvent } from "../infra/system-events.js";
 import { logInfo } from "../logger.js";
 import {
+  type ProcessSession,
   type SessionStdin,
   addSession,
   appendOutput,
   markBackgrounded,
   markExited,
+  tail,
 } from "./bash-process-registry.js";
 import type { BashSandboxConfig } from "./bash-tools.shared.js";
 import {
@@ -34,6 +38,7 @@ const DEFAULT_MAX_OUTPUT = clampNumber(
 );
 const DEFAULT_PATH =
   process.env.PATH ?? "/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin";
+const DEFAULT_NOTIFY_TAIL_CHARS = 400;
 
 type PtyExitEvent = { exitCode: number; signal?: number };
 type PtyListener<T> = (event: T) => void;
@@ -62,6 +67,8 @@ export type ExecToolDefaults = {
   elevated?: ExecElevatedDefaults;
   allowBackground?: boolean;
   scopeKey?: string;
+  sessionKey?: string;
+  notifyOnExit?: boolean;
   cwd?: string;
 };
 
@@ -117,6 +124,28 @@ export type ExecToolDetails =
       cwd?: string;
     };
 
+function normalizeNotifyOutput(value: string) {
+  return value.replace(/\s+/g, " ").trim();
+}
+
+function maybeNotifyOnExit(session: ProcessSession, status: "completed" | "failed") {
+  if (!session.backgrounded || !session.notifyOnExit || session.exitNotified) return;
+  const sessionKey = session.sessionKey?.trim();
+  if (!sessionKey) return;
+  session.exitNotified = true;
+  const exitLabel = session.exitSignal
+    ? `signal ${session.exitSignal}`
+    : `code ${session.exitCode ?? 0}`;
+  const output = normalizeNotifyOutput(
+    tail(session.tail || session.aggregated || "", DEFAULT_NOTIFY_TAIL_CHARS),
+  );
+  const summary = output
+    ? `Exec ${status} (${session.id.slice(0, 8)}, ${exitLabel}) :: ${output}`
+    : `Exec ${status} (${session.id.slice(0, 8)}, ${exitLabel})`;
+  enqueueSystemEvent(summary, { sessionKey });
+  requestHeartbeatNow({ reason: `exec:${session.id}:exit` });
+}
+
 export function createExecTool(
   defaults?: ExecToolDefaults,
   // biome-ignore lint/suspicious/noExplicitAny: TypeBox schema type from pi-agent-core uses a different module instance.
@@ -132,6 +161,8 @@ export function createExecTool(
     typeof defaults?.timeoutSec === "number" && defaults.timeoutSec > 0
       ? defaults.timeoutSec
       : 1800;
+  const notifyOnExit = defaults?.notifyOnExit !== false;
+  const notifySessionKey = defaults?.sessionKey?.trim() || undefined;
 
   return {
     name: "exec",
@@ -308,6 +339,9 @@ export function createExecTool(
         id: sessionId,
         command: params.command,
         scopeKey: defaults?.scopeKey,
+        sessionKey: notifySessionKey,
+        notifyOnExit,
+        exitNotified: false,
         child: child ?? undefined,
         stdin,
         pid: child?.pid ?? pty?.pid,
@@ -347,6 +381,7 @@ export function createExecTool(
       const finalizeTimeout = () => {
         if (session.exited) return;
         markExited(session, null, "SIGKILL", "failed");
+        maybeNotifyOnExit(session, "failed");
         if (settled || !rejectFn) return;
         const aggregated = session.aggregated.trim();
         const reason = `Command timed out after ${effectiveTimeout} seconds`;
@@ -477,6 +512,7 @@ export function createExecTool(
           const isSuccess = code === 0 && !wasSignal && !signal?.aborted && !timedOut;
           const status: "completed" | "failed" = isSuccess ? "completed" : "failed";
           markExited(session, code, exitSignal, status);
+          maybeNotifyOnExit(session, status);
           if (!session.child && session.stdin) {
             session.stdin.destroyed = true;
           }
@@ -536,6 +572,7 @@ export function createExecTool(
             if (timeoutTimer) clearTimeout(timeoutTimer);
             if (timeoutFinalizeTimer) clearTimeout(timeoutFinalizeTimer);
             markExited(session, null, null, "failed");
+            maybeNotifyOnExit(session, "failed");
             settle(() => reject(err));
           });
         }
diff --git a/src/agents/bash-tools.test.ts b/src/agents/bash-tools.test.ts
index 8b76fab8c..198a062ca 100644
--- a/src/agents/bash-tools.test.ts
+++ b/src/agents/bash-tools.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
-import { resetProcessRegistryForTests } from "./bash-process-registry.js";
+import { peekSystemEvents, resetSystemEventsForTest } from "../infra/system-events.js";
+import { getFinishedSession, resetProcessRegistryForTests } from "./bash-process-registry.js";
 import { createExecTool, createProcessTool, execTool, processTool } from "./bash-tools.js";
 import { buildDockerExecArgs } from "./bash-tools.shared.js";
 import { sanitizeBinaryOutput } from "./shell-utils.js";
@@ -42,6 +43,7 @@ async function waitForCompletion(sessionId: string) {
 
 beforeEach(() => {
   resetProcessRegistryForTests();
+  resetSystemEventsForTest();
 });
 
 describe("exec tool backgrounding", () => {
@@ -241,6 +243,36 @@ describe("exec tool backgrounding", () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe("exec notifyOnExit", () => {
+  it("enqueues a system event when a backgrounded exec exits", async () => {
+    const tool = createExecTool({
+      allowBackground: true,
+      backgroundMs: 0,
+      notifyOnExit: true,
+      sessionKey: "agent:main:main",
+    });
+
+    const result = await tool.execute("call1", {
+      command: echoAfterDelay("notify"),
+      background: true,
+    });
+
+    expect(result.details.status).toBe("running");
+    const sessionId = (result.details as { sessionId: string }).sessionId;
+
+    let finished = getFinishedSession(sessionId);
+    const deadline = Date.now() + (isWin ? 8000 : 2000);
+    while (!finished && Date.now() < deadline) {
+      await sleep(20);
+      finished = getFinishedSession(sessionId);
+    }
+
+    expect(finished).toBeTruthy();
+    const events = peekSystemEvents("agent:main:main");
+    expect(events.some((event) => event.includes(sessionId.slice(0, 8)))).toBe(true);
+  });
+});
+
 describe("buildDockerExecArgs", () => {
   it("prepends custom PATH after login shell sourcing to preserve both custom and system tools", () => {
     const args = buildDockerExecArgs({
diff --git a/src/agents/pi-embedded-runner/utils.ts b/src/agents/pi-embedded-runner/utils.ts
index 4da0b9a2b..ff8020168 100644
--- a/src/agents/pi-embedded-runner/utils.ts
+++ b/src/agents/pi-embedded-runner/utils.ts
@@ -11,10 +11,8 @@ export function mapThinkingLevel(level?: ThinkLevel): ThinkingLevel {
 
 export function resolveExecToolDefaults(config?: ClawdbotConfig): ExecToolDefaults | undefined {
   const tools = config?.tools;
-  if (!tools) return undefined;
-  if (!tools.exec) return tools.bash;
-  if (!tools.bash) return tools.exec;
-  return { ...tools.bash, ...tools.exec };
+  if (!tools?.exec) return undefined;
+  return tools.exec;
 }
 
 export function describeUnknownError(error: unknown): string {
diff --git a/src/agents/pi-tools.ts b/src/agents/pi-tools.ts
index 9ddfdf159..09945897a 100644
--- a/src/agents/pi-tools.ts
+++ b/src/agents/pi-tools.ts
@@ -181,6 +181,7 @@ export function createClawdbotCodingTools(options?: {
     cwd: options?.workspaceDir,
     allowBackground,
     scopeKey,
+    sessionKey: options?.sessionKey,
     sandbox: sandbox
       ? {
           containerName: sandbox.containerName,
diff --git a/src/auto-reply/reply/bash-command.ts b/src/auto-reply/reply/bash-command.ts
index dc8797664..0ae45ec03 100644
--- a/src/auto-reply/reply/bash-command.ts
+++ b/src/auto-reply/reply/bash-command.ts
@@ -328,11 +328,14 @@ export async function handleBashChatCommand(params: {
   try {
     const foregroundMs = resolveForegroundMs(params.cfg);
     const shouldBackgroundImmediately = foregroundMs <= 0;
-    const timeoutSec = params.cfg.tools?.exec?.timeoutSec ?? params.cfg.tools?.bash?.timeoutSec;
+    const timeoutSec = params.cfg.tools?.exec?.timeoutSec;
+    const notifyOnExit = params.cfg.tools?.exec?.notifyOnExit;
     const execTool = createExecTool({
       scopeKey: CHAT_BASH_SCOPE_KEY,
       allowBackground: true,
       timeoutSec,
+      sessionKey: params.sessionKey,
+      notifyOnExit,
       elevated: {
         enabled: params.elevated.enabled,
         allowed: params.elevated.allowed,
diff --git a/src/config/config.legacy-config-detection.rejects-routing-allowfrom.test.ts b/src/config/config.legacy-config-detection.rejects-routing-allowfrom.test.ts
index 641a1e85b..2af325033 100644
--- a/src/config/config.legacy-config-detection.rejects-routing-allowfrom.test.ts
+++ b/src/config/config.legacy-config-detection.rejects-routing-allowfrom.test.ts
@@ -141,6 +141,18 @@ describe("legacy config detection", () => {
     });
     expect((res.config as { agent?: unknown }).agent).toBeUndefined();
   });
+  it("migrates tools.bash to tools.exec", async () => {
+    vi.resetModules();
+    const { migrateLegacyConfig } = await import("./config.js");
+    const res = migrateLegacyConfig({
+      tools: {
+        bash: { timeoutSec: 12 },
+      },
+    });
+    expect(res.changes).toContain("Moved tools.bash → tools.exec.");
+    expect(res.config?.tools?.exec).toEqual({ timeoutSec: 12 });
+    expect((res.config?.tools as { bash?: unknown } | undefined)?.bash).toBeUndefined();
+  });
   it("accepts per-agent tools.elevated overrides", async () => {
     vi.resetModules();
     const { validateConfigObject } = await import("./config.js");
diff --git a/src/config/legacy.migrations.part-3.ts b/src/config/legacy.migrations.part-3.ts
index 1f38fe42e..aafe97c73 100644
--- a/src/config/legacy.migrations.part-3.ts
+++ b/src/config/legacy.migrations.part-3.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,22 @@ export const LEGACY_CONFIG_MIGRATIONS_PART_3: LegacyConfigMigration[] = [
       changes.push('Updated auth.profiles["anthropic:claude-cli"].mode → "oauth".');
     },
   },
+  {
+    id: "tools.bash->tools.exec",
+    describe: "Move tools.bash to tools.exec",
+    apply: (raw, changes) => {
+      const tools = ensureRecord(raw, "tools");
+      const bash = getRecord(tools.bash);
+      if (!bash) return;
+      if (tools.exec === undefined) {
+        tools.exec = bash;
+        changes.push("Moved tools.bash → tools.exec.");
+      } else {
+        changes.push("Removed tools.bash (tools.exec already set).");
+      }
+      delete tools.bash;
+    },
+  },
   {
     id: "agent.defaults-v2",
     describe: "Move agent config to agents.defaults and tools",
@@ -59,13 +75,11 @@ export const LEGACY_CONFIG_MIGRATIONS_PART_3: LegacyConfigMigration[] = [
 
       const bash = getRecord(agent.bash);
       if (bash) {
-        if (tools.exec === undefined && tools.bash === undefined) {
+        if (tools.exec === undefined) {
           tools.exec = bash;
           changes.push("Moved agent.bash → tools.exec.");
-        } else if (tools.exec !== undefined) {
-          changes.push("Removed agent.bash (tools.exec already set).");
         } else {
-          changes.push("Removed agent.bash (tools.bash already set).");
+          changes.push("Removed agent.bash (tools.exec already set).");
         }
       }
 
diff --git a/src/config/legacy.rules.ts b/src/config/legacy.rules.ts
index 31bc48037..1ec76bc79 100644
--- a/src/config/legacy.rules.ts
+++ b/src/config/legacy.rules.ts
@@ -85,6 +85,10 @@ export const LEGACY_CONFIG_RULES: LegacyConfigRule[] = [
     message:
       "agent.* was moved; use agents.defaults (and tools.* for tool/elevated/exec settings) instead (auto-migrated on load).",
   },
+  {
+    path: ["tools", "bash"],
+    message: "tools.bash was removed; use tools.exec instead (auto-migrated on load).",
+  },
   {
     path: ["agent", "model"],
     message:
diff --git a/src/config/schema.ts b/src/config/schema.ts
index 60bb21961..88ee6c29f 100644
--- a/src/config/schema.ts
+++ b/src/config/schema.ts
@@ -135,6 +135,7 @@ const FIELD_LABELS: Record<string, string> = {
   "agents.list[].tools.byProvider": "Agent Tool Policy by Provider",
   "tools.exec.applyPatch.enabled": "Enable apply_patch",
   "tools.exec.applyPatch.allowModels": "apply_patch Model Allowlist",
+  "tools.exec.notifyOnExit": "Exec Notify On Exit",
   "tools.message.allowCrossContextSend": "Allow Cross-Context Messaging",
   "tools.message.crossContext.allowWithinProvider": "Allow Cross-Context (Same Provider)",
   "tools.message.crossContext.allowAcrossProviders": "Allow Cross-Context (Across Providers)",
@@ -288,6 +289,8 @@ const FIELD_HELP: Record<string, string> = {
     "Experimental. Enables apply_patch for OpenAI models when allowed by tool policy.",
   "tools.exec.applyPatch.allowModels":
     'Optional allowlist of model ids (e.g. "gpt-5.2" or "openai/gpt-5.2").',
+  "tools.exec.notifyOnExit":
+    "When true (default), backgrounded exec sessions enqueue a system event and request a heartbeat on exit.",
   "tools.message.allowCrossContextSend":
     "Legacy override: allow cross-context sends across all providers.",
   "tools.message.crossContext.allowWithinProvider":
diff --git a/src/config/types.tools.ts b/src/config/types.tools.ts
index f3e9736e7..1b4c32418 100644
--- a/src/config/types.tools.ts
+++ b/src/config/types.tools.ts
@@ -263,6 +263,8 @@ export type ToolsConfig = {
     timeoutSec?: number;
     /** How long to keep finished sessions in memory (ms). */
     cleanupMs?: number;
+    /** Emit a system event and heartbeat when a backgrounded exec exits. */
+    notifyOnExit?: boolean;
     /** apply_patch subtool configuration (experimental). */
     applyPatch?: {
       /** Enable apply_patch for OpenAI models (default: false). */
@@ -274,15 +276,6 @@ export type ToolsConfig = {
       allowModels?: string[];
     };
   };
-  /** @deprecated Use tools.exec. */
-  bash?: {
-    /** Default time (ms) before a bash command auto-backgrounds. */
-    backgroundMs?: number;
-    /** Default timeout (seconds) before auto-killing bash commands. */
-    timeoutSec?: number;
-    /** How long to keep finished sessions in memory (ms). */
-    cleanupMs?: number;
-  };
   /** Sub-agent tool policy defaults (deny wins). */
   subagents?: {
     /** Default model selection for spawned sub-agents (string or {primary,fallbacks}). */
diff --git a/src/config/zod-schema.agent-runtime.ts b/src/config/zod-schema.agent-runtime.ts
index 6032530aa..b9d721035 100644
--- a/src/config/zod-schema.agent-runtime.ts
+++ b/src/config/zod-schema.agent-runtime.ts
@@ -324,6 +324,7 @@ export const ToolsSchema = z
         backgroundMs: z.number().int().positive().optional(),
         timeoutSec: z.number().int().positive().optional(),
         cleanupMs: z.number().int().positive().optional(),
+        notifyOnExit: z.boolean().optional(),
         applyPatch: z
           .object({
             enabled: z.boolean().optional(),
@@ -332,13 +333,6 @@ export const ToolsSchema = z
           .optional(),
       })
       .optional(),
-    bash: z
-      .object({
-        backgroundMs: z.number().int().positive().optional(),
-        timeoutSec: z.number().int().positive().optional(),
-        cleanupMs: z.number().int().positive().optional(),
-      })
-      .optional(),
     subagents: z
       .object({
         tools: ToolPolicySchema,
diff --git a/src/media-understanding/apply.ts b/src/media-understanding/apply.ts
index e5a756e70..0ae1c1b2b 100644
--- a/src/media-understanding/apply.ts
+++ b/src/media-understanding/apply.ts
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@ import type { MsgContext } from "../auto-reply/templating.js";
 import { applyTemplate } from "../auto-reply/templating.js";
 import { finalizeInboundContext } from "../auto-reply/reply/inbound-context.js";
 import { resolveApiKeyForProvider } from "../agents/model-auth.js";
-import { ensureClawdbotModelsJson } from "../agents/models-config.js";
-import { minimaxUnderstandImage } from "../agents/minimax-vlm.js";
 import { logVerbose, shouldLogVerbose } from "../globals.js";
 import { runExec } from "../process/exec.js";
 import type {