fix(subagent): prevent instant failure from already-dead parent contexts

- Replace detachedWithCancel (goroutine-based) with context.WithoutCancel
  + valuesContext; the old goroutine would fire immediately if the parent
  was already cancelled/deadline-exceeded, causing 'failed after 0s'
- Kit.Subagent() pre-flight: if the incoming ctx is already done, reset
  to context.Background() before applying the subagent timeout
- Both Subagent() error paths now return a non-nil *SubagentResult with
  Elapsed set, so the tool response always shows accurate timing
- Narrow viperInitMu scope in Kit.New(): snapshot viper state + call
  BuildProviderConfig under the lock, then release before SetupAgent /
  MCP loading; parallel subagent spawns no longer serialise on viper I/O
- AgentSetupOptions gains ProviderConfig + scalar fields so SetupAgent
  can skip viper reads when a pre-built config is supplied
- Add subagent_test.go covering the fixed context detachment behaviour

internal/core/subagent.go

@@ -130,13 +130,22 @@ func executeSubagent(ctx context.Context, call fantasy.ToolCall) (fantasy.ToolRe
 		), fmt.Errorf("no subagent spawner in context")
 	}
 
-	// Detach from the parent's deadline so the subagent gets its own
-	// independent timeout (applied downstream in Kit.Subagent). The parent
-	// context may carry a tight deadline from the LLM generation loop or
-	// other tool timeouts that would prematurely kill the subagent.
-	// We preserve context values (spawner, etc.) and propagate parent
-	// cancellation (e.g. user hits Ctrl-C) without inheriting the deadline.
-	spawnCtx := detachedWithCancel(ctx)
+	// Build a clean context for the subagent that inherits values (e.g. the
+	// spawner callback) but is completely detached from the parent's
+	// deadline AND cancellation. The subagent gets its own independent
+	// timeout (applied downstream in Kit.Subagent).
+	//
+	// Why full detachment instead of propagating parent cancellation?
+	// The parent context may already be done (deadline exceeded or
+	// cancelled) by the time this tool handler executes — for example when
+	// the generation loop context carries a deadline, when the user
+	// double-ESC cancels mid-turn, or when parallel tool execution
+	// encounters a race between stream completion and tool dispatch. Using
+	// context.WithoutCancel (Go 1.21+) ensures the subagent always starts
+	// cleanly with a fresh timeout, following the pattern used by crush for
+	// shutdown-resilient child work. The subagent's own timeout
+	// (defaultSubagentTimeout / user-specified) provides the safety net.
+	spawnCtx := context.WithoutCancel(valuesContext{parent: ctx})
 
 	// Spawn in-process subagent.
 	result, err := spawner(spawnCtx, call.ID, args.Task, args.Model, args.SystemPrompt, timeout)
@@ -173,37 +182,21 @@ func executeSubagent(ctx context.Context, call fantasy.ToolCall) (fantasy.ToolRe
 }
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-// Context detachment
+// Context helpers
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-// detachedContext wraps a parent context, preserving its values but removing
-// its deadline and cancellation. This allows the subagent to have its own
-// independent timeout while still accessing context-stored values (e.g. the
-// subagent spawner function).
-type detachedContext struct {
+// valuesContext preserves a parent context's values (e.g. the subagent
+// spawner callback) while stripping its deadline and cancellation. Combined
+// with context.WithoutCancel() this gives the subagent a completely clean
+// context that only inherits value-based dependencies.
+type valuesContext struct {
 	parent context.Context
 }
 
-func (d detachedContext) Deadline() (time.Time, bool) { return time.Time{}, false }
-func (d detachedContext) Done() <-chan struct{}       { return nil }
-func (d detachedContext) Err() error                  { return nil }
-func (d detachedContext) Value(key any) any           { return d.parent.Value(key) }
-
-// detachedWithCancel creates a new context that inherits values from the
-// parent but has no deadline. Cancellation of the parent is propagated: when
-// the parent is cancelled the returned context is also cancelled, but the
-// parent's deadline does not apply to the child.
-func detachedWithCancel(parent context.Context) context.Context {
-	child, cancel := context.WithCancel(detachedContext{parent: parent})
-	go func() {
-		select {
-		case <-parent.Done():
-			cancel()
-		case <-child.Done():
-		}
-	}()
-	return child
-}
+func (v valuesContext) Deadline() (time.Time, bool) { return time.Time{}, false }
+func (v valuesContext) Done() <-chan struct{}       { return nil }
+func (v valuesContext) Err() error                  { return nil }
+func (v valuesContext) Value(key any) any           { return v.parent.Value(key) }
 
 // truncateResponse limits the response length to avoid overwhelming context windows.
 func truncateResponse(s string, maxLen int) string {

internal/core/subagent_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+package core
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+)
+
+func TestValuesContext_StripsDeadlineAndCancellation(t *testing.T) {
+	// Parent with a tight deadline.
+	parent, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 1*time.Millisecond)
+	defer cancel()
+	time.Sleep(5 * time.Millisecond) // Let deadline expire.
+
+	if parent.Err() == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected parent to be expired")
+	}
+
+	vc := valuesContext{parent: parent}
+
+	if _, ok := vc.Deadline(); ok {
+		t.Error("valuesContext should report no deadline")
+	}
+	if vc.Done() != nil {
+		t.Error("valuesContext.Done() should return nil")
+	}
+	if vc.Err() != nil {
+		t.Errorf("valuesContext.Err() should be nil, got %v", vc.Err())
+	}
+}
+
+func TestValuesContext_PreservesValues(t *testing.T) {
+	type testKey struct{}
+	parent := context.WithValue(context.Background(), testKey{}, "hello")
+
+	vc := valuesContext{parent: parent}
+
+	got, ok := vc.Value(testKey{}).(string)
+	if !ok || got != "hello" {
+		t.Errorf("expected value 'hello', got %q (ok=%v)", got, ok)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestSpawnContext_SurvivesCancelledParent(t *testing.T) {
+	// Simulate the exact scenario from the bug: the parent generation
+	// context is already cancelled when the subagent tool handler runs.
+	parent, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	cancel() // Cancelled before detach.
+
+	// This is what executeSubagent now does:
+	spawnCtx := context.WithoutCancel(valuesContext{parent: parent})
+
+	// The spawn context must be alive.
+	if spawnCtx.Err() != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("spawnCtx should be alive, got err: %v", spawnCtx.Err())
+	}
+
+	// Adding a timeout should produce a working context.
+	tCtx, tCancel := context.WithTimeout(spawnCtx, 5*time.Second)
+	defer tCancel()
+
+	if tCtx.Err() != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("timeout context should be alive, got err: %v", tCtx.Err())
+	}
+}
+
+func TestSpawnContext_SurvivesDeadlineExceededParent(t *testing.T) {
+	// Simulate: parent had a deadline that already expired.
+	parent, pCancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 1*time.Millisecond)
+	defer pCancel()
+	time.Sleep(5 * time.Millisecond)
+
+	if parent.Err() != context.DeadlineExceeded {
+		t.Fatalf("expected parent deadline exceeded, got: %v", parent.Err())
+	}
+
+	spawnCtx := context.WithoutCancel(valuesContext{parent: parent})
+
+	if spawnCtx.Err() != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("spawnCtx should be alive after deadline-exceeded parent, got: %v", spawnCtx.Err())
+	}
+}
+
+func TestSpawnContext_PreservesSpawnerValue(t *testing.T) {
+	// Verify the subagent spawner callback survives context detachment.
+	called := false
+	spawner := SubagentSpawnFunc(func(ctx context.Context, toolCallID, prompt, model, systemPrompt string, timeout time.Duration) (*SubagentSpawnResult, error) {
+		called = true
+		return &SubagentSpawnResult{Response: "ok"}, nil
+	})
+
+	parent := WithSubagentSpawner(context.Background(), spawner)
+	// Cancel the parent.
+	parentCtx, cancel := context.WithCancel(parent)
+	cancel()
+
+	spawnCtx := context.WithoutCancel(valuesContext{parent: parentCtx})
+
+	// Should be able to retrieve the spawner from the detached context.
+	recovered := getSubagentSpawner(spawnCtx)
+	if recovered == nil {
+		t.Fatal("spawner should be recoverable from detached context")
+	}
+
+	result, err := recovered(spawnCtx, "tc1", "test task", "", "", time.Minute)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("spawner call failed: %v", err)
+	}
+	if !called {
+		t.Error("spawner was not called")
+	}
+	if result.Response != "ok" {
+		t.Errorf("expected 'ok', got %q", result.Response)
+	}
+}