diff --git a/crates/pod/src/ipc/interceptor.rs b/crates/pod/src/ipc/interceptor.rs
index 6857b514..3f2721fb 100644
--- a/crates/pod/src/ipc/interceptor.rs
+++ b/crates/pod/src/ipc/interceptor.rs
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ use tracing::info;
 use tracing::warn;
 
 use crate::compact::state::CompactState;
-use session_store::SystemItem;
+use session_store::{SystemItem, SystemReminder};
 use tools::{TaskEntry, TaskStatus, TaskStore};
 
 use crate::hook::{
@@ -198,9 +198,10 @@ impl PodInterceptor {
         }
 
         self.task_reminder_state.note_reminder();
-        Some(SystemItem::TaskReminder {
-            body: render_task_reminder(&active_tasks),
-        })
+        Some(
+            SystemReminder::task_inactivity(render_task_reminder_body(&active_tasks))
+                .into_system_item(),
+        )
     }
 }
 
@@ -208,9 +209,9 @@ fn is_task_management_tool(name: &str) -> bool {
     TASK_MANAGEMENT_TOOL_NAMES.contains(&name)
 }
 
-fn render_task_reminder(active_tasks: &[TaskEntry]) -> String {
+fn render_task_reminder_body(active_tasks: &[TaskEntry]) -> String {
     let mut body = String::from(
-        "<system-reminder>\nActive session tasks are still open. If progress changed, call TaskUpdate.\n",
+        "Active session tasks are still open. If progress changed, call TaskUpdate.\n",
     );
     for task in active_tasks {
         body.push_str(&format!(
@@ -218,8 +219,7 @@ fn render_task_reminder(active_tasks: &[TaskEntry]) -> String {
             task.taskid, task.status, task.subject
         ));
     }
-    body.push_str("</system-reminder>");
-    body
+    body.trim_end_matches('\n').to_string()
 }
 
 #[async_trait]
@@ -430,6 +430,7 @@ mod tests {
 
     use super::*;
     use crate::hook::{Hook, HookRegistryBuilder, PreLlmRequest};
+    use session_store::SystemReminderSource;
 
     struct CountingHook(Arc<AtomicUsize>);
 
@@ -666,14 +667,48 @@ mod tests {
         let items = interceptor.pending_history_appends().await;
         assert_eq!(items.len(), 1);
         let body = items[0].as_text().unwrap_or_default();
-        assert!(body.contains("<system-reminder>"));
-        assert!(body.contains("</system-reminder>"));
+        assert_eq!(body.matches("<system-reminder>").count(), 1);
+        assert_eq!(body.matches("</system-reminder>").count(), 1);
         assert!(body.contains("taskid 1"));
         assert!(body.contains("pending"));
         assert!(body.contains("keep going"));
         assert!(!body.contains("long task description"));
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn task_reminder_system_item_retains_source() {
+        let task_store = TaskStore::new();
+        task_store.create("typed".into(), String::new());
+        let interceptor =
+            interceptor_for_task_reminders(task_store, Arc::new(TaskReminderState::new()));
+
+        for _ in 0..TASK_REMINDER_REQUEST_THRESHOLD - 1 {
+            assert!(interceptor.task_reminder_system_item().is_none());
+        }
+        let item = interceptor.task_reminder_system_item().unwrap();
+        match item {
+            SystemItem::TaskReminder { source, body } => {
+                assert_eq!(source, SystemReminderSource::TaskInactivity);
+                assert_eq!(body.matches("<system-reminder>").count(), 1);
+                assert_eq!(body.matches("</system-reminder>").count(), 1);
+                assert!(body.contains("typed"));
+            }
+            other => panic!("unexpected: {other:?}"),
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn render_task_reminder_body_is_unwrapped_for_system_reminder_helper() {
+        let task_store = TaskStore::new();
+        let task = task_store.create("body".into(), String::new());
+        let body = render_task_reminder_body(&[task]);
+
+        assert!(!body.contains("<system-reminder>"));
+        assert!(!body.contains("</system-reminder>"));
+        assert!(body.contains("TaskUpdate"));
+        assert!(body.contains("taskid 1"));
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn task_reminder_state_starts_with_initial_cooldown_elapsed() {
         let state = TaskReminderState::new();
@@ -797,6 +832,29 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(ctx.len(), 1, "pre_llm_request must not inject reminders");
     }
 
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn pre_llm_request_does_not_touch_task_reminder_lane() {
+        let task_store = TaskStore::new();
+        task_store.create("lane".into(), String::new());
+        let interceptor =
+            interceptor_for_task_reminders(task_store, Arc::new(TaskReminderState::new()));
+        let mut ctx = vec![Item::user_message("hi")];
+
+        for _ in 0..TASK_REMINDER_REQUEST_THRESHOLD - 1 {
+            assert!(interceptor.pending_history_appends().await.is_empty());
+        }
+        let action = interceptor.pre_llm_request(&mut ctx).await;
+
+        assert!(matches!(action, PreRequestAction::Continue));
+        assert_eq!(ctx.len(), 1, "pre_llm_request must not inject reminders");
+        let pending = interceptor.pending_history_appends().await;
+        assert_eq!(
+            pending.len(),
+            1,
+            "reminders stay in pending_history_appends"
+        );
+    }
+
     #[tokio::test]
     async fn pre_llm_request_does_not_touch_pending_notifies() {
         // The drain lane has moved to `pending_history_appends`;
diff --git a/crates/session-store/src/lib.rs b/crates/session-store/src/lib.rs
index da11e4dc..892c98b8 100644
--- a/crates/session-store/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/session-store/src/lib.rs
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ pub use segment_log::{
     collect_state,
 };
 pub use store::{Store, StoreError};
-pub use system_item::{SystemItem, render_pod_event};
+pub use system_item::{SystemItem, SystemReminder, SystemReminderSource, render_pod_event};
 
 /// Session identifier — the fork-tree root. UUID v7 (time-ordered).
 ///
diff --git a/crates/session-store/src/system_item.rs b/crates/session-store/src/system_item.rs
index 5ba621cb..6e75bac2 100644
--- a/crates/session-store/src/system_item.rs
+++ b/crates/session-store/src/system_item.rs
@@ -22,6 +22,86 @@ use llm_worker::llm_client::types::Item;
 use protocol::PodEvent;
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 
+const SYSTEM_REMINDER_OPEN: &str = "<system-reminder>";
+const SYSTEM_REMINDER_CLOSE: &str = "</system-reminder>";
+
+/// Source policy that produced a durable `<system-reminder>` input.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq, Serialize, Deserialize)]
+#[serde(rename_all = "snake_case")]
+pub enum SystemReminderSource {
+    /// Session task inactivity reminder emitted after task-management tools
+    /// have gone unused for the configured request threshold.
+    TaskInactivity,
+}
+
+fn default_task_reminder_source() -> SystemReminderSource {
+    SystemReminderSource::TaskInactivity
+}
+
+/// Typed pending system reminder before it is committed as a [`SystemItem`].
+///
+/// System reminders are durable input: producers must append the rendered
+/// `SystemItem` through worker history before the next LLM request. They are
+/// not transient UI notices and must not be prompt-cache/context-only
+/// injections, because then the model could react to input that is absent from
+/// persisted history on later turns.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub struct SystemReminder {
+    source: SystemReminderSource,
+    body: String,
+}
+
+impl SystemReminder {
+    /// Build a task-inactivity reminder from an unwrapped body.
+    pub fn task_inactivity(body: impl Into<String>) -> Self {
+        Self::new(SystemReminderSource::TaskInactivity, body)
+    }
+
+    /// Build a reminder from an unwrapped body. If a caller passes a body that
+    /// is already exactly wrapped in `<system-reminder>` tags, normalize it back
+    /// to the inner body so rendering still wraps exactly once.
+    pub fn new(source: SystemReminderSource, body: impl Into<String>) -> Self {
+        let body = normalize_unwrapped_system_reminder_body(body.into());
+        Self { source, body }
+    }
+
+    pub fn source(&self) -> SystemReminderSource {
+        self.source
+    }
+
+    pub fn body(&self) -> &str {
+        &self.body
+    }
+
+    pub fn rendered_body(&self) -> String {
+        render_system_reminder(&self.body)
+    }
+
+    pub fn into_system_item(self) -> SystemItem {
+        match self.source {
+            SystemReminderSource::TaskInactivity => SystemItem::TaskReminder {
+                source: self.source,
+                body: self.rendered_body(),
+            },
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+fn normalize_unwrapped_system_reminder_body(body: String) -> String {
+    let trimmed = body.trim();
+    if let Some(inner) = trimmed
+        .strip_prefix(SYSTEM_REMINDER_OPEN)
+        .and_then(|rest| rest.strip_suffix(SYSTEM_REMINDER_CLOSE))
+    {
+        return inner.trim_matches('\n').to_string();
+    }
+    body
+}
+
+fn render_system_reminder(body: &str) -> String {
+    format!("{SYSTEM_REMINDER_OPEN}\n{body}\n{SYSTEM_REMINDER_CLOSE}")
+}
+
 /// One agent-injected system item, tagged by origin.
 ///
 /// Each variant carries the kind-specific raw data clients use for
@@ -69,9 +149,13 @@ pub enum SystemItem {
     Workflow { slug: String, body: String },
 
     /// Task-management inactivity reminder inserted before an LLM request.
-    /// `body` is the exact LLM-context text wrapped in a
-    /// `<system-reminder>` block.
-    TaskReminder { body: String },
+    /// `source` is the policy that produced this durable reminder; `body` is
+    /// the exact LLM-context text wrapped in a `<system-reminder>` block.
+    TaskReminder {
+        #[serde(default = "default_task_reminder_source")]
+        source: SystemReminderSource,
+        body: String,
+    },
 
     /// Synthetic note inserted after an interrupted turn before the next
     /// user input. `body` is the exact LLM-context text explaining that the
@@ -89,7 +173,7 @@ impl SystemItem {
             SystemItem::FileAttachment { body, .. } => body.clone(),
             SystemItem::Knowledge { body, .. } => body.clone(),
             SystemItem::Workflow { body, .. } => body.clone(),
-            SystemItem::TaskReminder { body } => body.clone(),
+            SystemItem::TaskReminder { body, .. } => body.clone(),
             SystemItem::Interrupt { body } => body.clone(),
         }
     }
@@ -172,6 +256,53 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(item.history_text(), "[File: src/main.rs]\nfn main() {}");
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn system_reminder_renders_body_once() {
+        let reminder = SystemReminder::task_inactivity("remember tasks");
+        assert_eq!(
+            reminder.rendered_body(),
+            "<system-reminder>\nremember tasks\n</system-reminder>"
+        );
+
+        let already_wrapped = SystemReminder::task_inactivity(
+            "<system-reminder>\nremember tasks\n</system-reminder>",
+        );
+        assert_eq!(already_wrapped.body(), "remember tasks");
+        assert_eq!(
+            already_wrapped.rendered_body(),
+            "<system-reminder>\nremember tasks\n</system-reminder>"
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn system_reminder_source_is_retained_in_system_item() {
+        let item = SystemReminder::task_inactivity("remember tasks").into_system_item();
+        match item {
+            SystemItem::TaskReminder { source, body } => {
+                assert_eq!(source, SystemReminderSource::TaskInactivity);
+                assert_eq!(
+                    body,
+                    "<system-reminder>\nremember tasks\n</system-reminder>"
+                );
+            }
+            other => panic!("unexpected: {other:?}"),
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn task_reminder_deserialization_defaults_legacy_source() {
+        let parsed: SystemItem = serde_json::from_str(
+            r#"{"kind":"task_reminder","body":"<system-reminder>\nbody\n</system-reminder>"}"#,
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+        match parsed {
+            SystemItem::TaskReminder { source, .. } => {
+                assert_eq!(source, SystemReminderSource::TaskInactivity);
+            }
+            other => panic!("unexpected: {other:?}"),
+        }
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn round_trip_via_json() {
         let item = SystemItem::FileAttachment {