diff --git a/src/cli/cron-cli/register.cron-add.ts b/src/cli/cron-cli/register.cron-add.ts
index 83a48650b..2fda55e98 100644
--- a/src/cli/cron-cli/register.cron-add.ts
+++ b/src/cli/cron-cli/register.cron-add.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 import type { Command } from "commander";
 import type { CronJob } from "../../cron/types.js";
 import { danger } from "../../globals.js";
-import { normalizeAgentId } from "../../routing/session-key.js";
 import { defaultRuntime } from "../../runtime.js";
 import type { GatewayRpcOpts } from "../gateway-rpc.js";
 import { addGatewayClientOptions, callGatewayFromCli } from "../gateway-rpc.js";
@@ -139,9 +138,7 @@ export function registerCronAddCommand(cron: Command) {
           }
 
           const agentId =
-            typeof opts.agent === "string" && opts.agent.trim()
-              ? normalizeAgentId(opts.agent)
-              : undefined;
+            typeof opts.agent === "string" && opts.agent.trim() ? opts.agent.trim() : undefined;
 
           const payload = (() => {
             const systemEvent = typeof opts.systemEvent === "string" ? opts.systemEvent.trim() : "";
diff --git a/src/cli/cron-cli/register.cron-edit.ts b/src/cli/cron-cli/register.cron-edit.ts
index 3b50fc3f5..45eda04da 100644
--- a/src/cli/cron-cli/register.cron-edit.ts
+++ b/src/cli/cron-cli/register.cron-edit.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import type { Command } from "commander";
 import { danger } from "../../globals.js";
-import { normalizeAgentId } from "../../routing/session-key.js";
 import { defaultRuntime } from "../../runtime.js";
 import { addGatewayClientOptions, callGatewayFromCli } from "../gateway-rpc.js";
 import {
@@ -91,7 +90,7 @@ export function registerCronEditCommand(cron: Command) {
             throw new Error("Use --agent or --clear-agent, not both");
           }
           if (typeof opts.agent === "string" && opts.agent.trim()) {
-            patch.agentId = normalizeAgentId(opts.agent);
+            patch.agentId = opts.agent.trim();
           }
           if (opts.clearAgent) {
             patch.agentId = null;
diff --git a/src/cron/normalize.ts b/src/cron/normalize.ts
index 25304edb4..3e5515ffe 100644
--- a/src/cron/normalize.ts
+++ b/src/cron/normalize.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import { normalizeAgentId } from "../routing/session-key.js";
 import { parseAbsoluteTimeMs } from "./parse.js";
 import { migrateLegacyCronPayload } from "./payload-migration.js";
 import type { CronJobCreate, CronJobPatch } from "./types.js";
@@ -76,7 +75,7 @@ export function normalizeCronJobInput(
       next.agentId = null;
     } else if (typeof agentId === "string") {
       const trimmed = agentId.trim();
-      if (trimmed) next.agentId = normalizeAgentId(trimmed);
+      if (trimmed) next.agentId = trimmed;
       else delete next.agentId;
     }
   }
diff --git a/src/infra/outbound/message-action-runner.ts b/src/infra/outbound/message-action-runner.ts
index 3a4d13580..2a57db17c 100644
--- a/src/infra/outbound/message-action-runner.ts
+++ b/src/infra/outbound/message-action-runner.ts
@@ -665,7 +665,7 @@ async function handleSendAction(ctx: ResolvedActionContext): Promise<MessageActi
           threadId: threadId ?? slackAutoThreadId,
         })
       : null;
-  if (outboundRoute && !dryRun && agentId) {
+  if (outboundRoute && agentId && !dryRun) {
     await ensureOutboundSessionEntry({
       cfg,
       agentId,
diff --git a/src/routing/resolve-route.ts b/src/routing/resolve-route.ts
index 26f405176..744cac1af 100644
--- a/src/routing/resolve-route.ts
+++ b/src/routing/resolve-route.ts
@@ -92,12 +92,13 @@ function listAgents(cfg: ClawdbotConfig) {
 }
 
 function pickFirstExistingAgentId(cfg: ClawdbotConfig, agentId: string): string {
-  const normalized = normalizeAgentId(agentId);
+  const trimmed = (agentId ?? "").trim();
+  if (!trimmed) return normalizeAgentId(resolveDefaultAgentId(cfg));
+  const normalized = normalizeAgentId(trimmed);
   const agents = listAgents(cfg);
-  if (agents.length === 0) return normalized;
-  if (agents.some((agent) => normalizeAgentId(agent.id) === normalized)) {
-    return normalized;
-  }
+  if (agents.length === 0) return trimmed;
+  const match = agents.find((agent) => normalizeAgentId(agent.id) === normalized);
+  if (match?.id?.trim()) return match.id.trim();
   return normalizeAgentId(resolveDefaultAgentId(cfg));
 }
 
@@ -155,21 +156,23 @@ export function resolveAgentRoute(input: ResolveAgentRouteInput): ResolvedAgentR
 
   const choose = (agentId: string, matchedBy: ResolvedAgentRoute["matchedBy"]) => {
     const resolvedAgentId = pickFirstExistingAgentId(input.cfg, agentId);
+    const sessionKey = buildAgentSessionKey({
+      agentId: resolvedAgentId,
+      channel,
+      peer,
+      dmScope,
+      identityLinks,
+    }).toLowerCase();
+    const mainSessionKey = buildAgentMainSessionKey({
+      agentId: resolvedAgentId,
+      mainKey: DEFAULT_MAIN_KEY,
+    }).toLowerCase();
     return {
       agentId: resolvedAgentId,
       channel,
       accountId,
-      sessionKey: buildAgentSessionKey({
-        agentId: resolvedAgentId,
-        channel,
-        peer,
-        dmScope,
-        identityLinks,
-      }),
-      mainSessionKey: buildAgentMainSessionKey({
-        agentId: resolvedAgentId,
-        mainKey: DEFAULT_MAIN_KEY,
-      }),
+      sessionKey,
+      mainSessionKey,
       matchedBy,
     };
   };