diff --git a/internal/pipeline/compaction_pressure_e2e_test.go b/internal/pipeline/compaction_pressure_e2e_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0f482bf0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/pipeline/compaction_pressure_e2e_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,133 @@
+package pipeline
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/nextlevelbuilder/goclaw/internal/providers"
+)
+
+// This file closes the last uncovered link in the anti-recompaction-loop chain.
+//
+// The chain has three hops:
+//  1. prune_stage / final_request_guard compact mid-loop and set
+//     state.Prune.MidLoopCompacted  — covered by
+//     TestPruneStage_Compaction_PreservesPending + stages_test.go.
+//  2. finalize_stage forwards that flag into deps.MaybeSummarize             — THIS FILE.
+//  3. maybeSummarize lowers its threshold and PERSISTS the compaction        — covered by
+//     internal/agent/loop_maybe_summarize_pressure_test.go.
+//
+// Hop 2 was effectively untested: TestFinalizeStage_MaybeSummarize_Called binds
+// the flag as `_ bool` and never asserts it, so hardcoding `false` at the
+// finalize call site would keep every existing test green while silently
+// restoring the unbounded re-compaction loop (each turn recompacts from scratch
+// because nothing is ever written back to the session store).
+//
+// These tests drive the REAL NewDefaultPipeline().Run() end to end — no stage is
+// invoked directly — so the flag has to survive the actual run wiring.
+
+// pressureE2EDeps builds deps for a full-pipeline run whose token math forces a
+// mid-loop compaction, capturing what finalize hands to MaybeSummarize.
+//
+// Token math (mirrors TestPruneStage_Compaction_PreservesPending):
+//
+//	budget = ContextWindow(1000) - overhead(0) - MaxTokens(100) - ReserveTokens(0) = 900
+//	history = 50 msgs * 100 tokens                                                = 5000 > 900
+//
+// PruneMessages deliberately reduces nothing, forcing fall-through to
+// CompactMessages, which is the path that sets MidLoopCompacted.
+func pressureE2EDeps(gotFlag *bool, gotCalls *int, compact bool) PipelineDeps {
+	deps := PipelineDeps{
+		Config: PipelineConfig{
+			MaxIterations: 2,
+			ContextWindow: 1000,
+			MaxTokens:     100,
+		},
+		TokenCounter: &mockTokenCounter{countPerMessage: 100},
+		CallLLM: func(_ context.Context, _ *RunState, _ providers.ChatRequest) (*providers.ChatResponse, error) {
+			// No tool calls -> ThinkStage returns BreakLoop, so the run reaches
+			// finalize after exactly one iteration.
+			return &providers.ChatResponse{Content: "final answer", FinishReason: "stop"}, nil
+		},
+		MaybeSummarize: func(_ context.Context, _ string, midLoopCompacted bool) {
+			*gotCalls++
+			*gotFlag = midLoopCompacted
+		},
+	}
+	if compact {
+		deps.PruneMessages = func(msgs []providers.Message, _ int) ([]providers.Message, PruneStats) {
+			return msgs, PruneStats{} // no reduction — force the compaction path
+		}
+		deps.CompactMessages = func(_ context.Context, _ []providers.Message, _ string) ([]providers.Message, error) {
+			return []providers.Message{{Role: "user", Content: "[compacted summary]"}}, nil
+		}
+	}
+	return deps
+}
+
+func pressureE2EState(historyMsgs int) *RunState {
+	state := defaultState()
+	history := make([]providers.Message, historyMsgs)
+	for i := range history {
+		history[i] = providers.Message{Role: "user", Content: "msg"}
+	}
+	state.Messages.SetHistory(history)
+	return state
+}
+
+// A full pipeline run that compacts mid-loop must tell post-turn summarization
+// about it, so the compaction gets persisted to the session store instead of
+// being thrown away and redone next turn.
+func TestPipelineE2E_MidLoopCompaction_PropagatesPressureToMaybeSummarize(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+	var gotFlag bool
+	var calls int
+	deps := pressureE2EDeps(&gotFlag, &calls, true)
+	state := pressureE2EState(50) // 5000 tokens >> budget 900 -> compaction fires
+
+	if _, err := NewDefaultPipeline(deps).Run(context.Background(), state); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("pipeline Run() error: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Precondition: the run really did compact mid-loop (otherwise this test
+	// would vacuously pass on a false flag).
+	if !state.Prune.MidLoopCompacted {
+		t.Fatal("MidLoopCompacted = false, want true (pipeline should have compacted mid-loop)")
+	}
+	if calls != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("MaybeSummarize called %d times, want 1", calls)
+	}
+	// The assertion that TestFinalizeStage_MaybeSummarize_Called cannot make.
+	if !gotFlag {
+		t.Error("MaybeSummarize received midLoopCompacted=false, want true — " +
+			"mid-loop compaction would not be persisted, re-introducing the re-compaction loop")
+	}
+}
+
+// The mirror case: a run that never compacts must NOT claim pressure, otherwise
+// every ordinary turn would truncate its session history early (over-compaction,
+// which is what makes an agent lose context and "get dumber").
+func TestPipelineE2E_NoCompaction_ReportsNoPressure(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+	var gotFlag bool
+	var calls int
+	// compact=false: no CompactMessages wired, and a tiny history that fits the
+	// budget anyway, so no mid-loop compaction can occur.
+	deps := pressureE2EDeps(&gotFlag, &calls, false)
+	state := pressureE2EState(2) // 200 tokens < budget 900
+
+	if _, err := NewDefaultPipeline(deps).Run(context.Background(), state); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("pipeline Run() error: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if state.Prune.MidLoopCompacted {
+		t.Fatal("MidLoopCompacted = true, want false (history fits the budget)")
+	}
+	if calls != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("MaybeSummarize called %d times, want 1", calls)
+	}
+	if gotFlag {
+		t.Error("MaybeSummarize received midLoopCompacted=true on a run that never compacted — " +
+			"would lower the summarize threshold and over-compact healthy sessions")
+	}
+}