diff --git a/src/main/services/team/TeamProvisioningService.ts b/src/main/services/team/TeamProvisioningService.ts
index 05c22d9e..1960e7a8 100644
--- a/src/main/services/team/TeamProvisioningService.ts
+++ b/src/main/services/team/TeamProvisioningService.ts
@@ -1567,9 +1567,12 @@ ${teamCtlOps}
 ${actionModeProtocol}
 
 Communication protocol (CRITICAL — you are running headless, no one sees your text output):
-- When you receive a <teammate-message> from a teammate, reply using the SendMessage tool ONLY when a reply changes what happens next: decision, clarification, unblock, assignment, review, correction, or explicit acknowledgement the teammate asked for.
+- When you receive a <teammate-message> from a teammate and that message expects any reaction from you, your default action is to reply to THAT teammate using the SendMessage tool. Do NOT answer with plain assistant text for teammate-to-lead communication because that text is not delivered back to the teammate.
+- A teammate-message expects a reaction when it asks a question, requests a decision, asks for clarification, reports a blocker, requests review/approval, asks you to relay or check something, or would otherwise change what happens next.
+- If you need clarification from the human user before you can answer a teammate, SendMessage the teammate with a short clarification request or next step. Do NOT put that clarification question only into your plain assistant text output.
 - Your plain text output is invisible to teammates — they are separate processes and can only read their inbox.
 - Example: if you receive <teammate-message teammate_id="alice">...</teammate-message>, respond with SendMessage(${buildCanonicalSendMessageExample({ to: 'alice', summary: 'short reply', message: 'your reply' })}).
+- Example: if alice asks "Сколько времени осталось?" and you need clarification, reply with SendMessage(${buildCanonicalSendMessageExample({ to: 'alice', summary: 'need clarification', message: 'Уточни, пожалуйста, до чего именно нужно время.' })}) instead of asking that question in plain assistant text.
 - Do NOT reply to low-value acknowledgements or presence pings such as "ready", "online", "status accepted", "awaiting task", or "received" unless you need to give the teammate a concrete next action.
 - Cross-team communication: when work needs expertise, coordination, review, or a decision from ANOTHER team, CALL the MCP tool named "cross_team_send" with teamName: "${teamName}" and a focused actionable message.
 - Before sending cross-team, use MCP tool "cross_team_list_targets" with teamName: "${teamName}" to discover valid target teams.