diff --git a/src/yetibot/core/commands/agent.clj b/src/yetibot/core/commands/agent.clj
index 16e6e5e9..51735b44 100644
--- a/src/yetibot/core/commands/agent.clj
+++ b/src/yetibot/core/commands/agent.clj
@@ -347,7 +347,12 @@
        "code is not a request to audit CI.\n"
        "- If you can't tell what the request refers to, reply briefly asking for "
        "the missing detail. NEVER invent work or report an unrelated summary like "
-       "\"checked all repos, everything green\".\n\n"
+       "\"checked all repos, everything green\".\n"
+       "- If you need more background context than what is provided in the thread "
+       "context, you are highly encouraged to search the entire channel's history "
+       "using the `yetibot` tool with the `history` command (e.g., `history` or "
+       "`history | grep keyword`). It is your job as an autonomous agent to "
+       "perform this extra search when needed!\n\n"
        "The codebase (so you can go straight to the right place — don't rediscover "
        "it). The org is `yetibot`:\n"
        "- `yetibot/core` — the library: chat commands, adapters, and most logic.\n"
@@ -573,14 +578,19 @@
    whole thread lets a follow-up like \"retry\" resolve to the original ask."
   [channel-id]
   (try
-    (let [topic (try (:name @(discord/get-channel! (rest-conn) channel-id))
-                     (catch Exception _ nil))
-          lines (->> (all-channel-messages channel-id)
-                     (sort-by :timestamp)
-                     (map (fn [m] (str (get-in m [:author :username]) ": " (:content m))))
-                     (remove string/blank?))]
-      (string/join "\n" (cond->> lines
-                          (not (string/blank? topic)) (cons (str "[thread topic] " topic)))))
+    (let [channel @(discord/get-channel! (rest-conn) channel-id)
+          type (:type channel)]
+      (if (not (#{10 11 12} type))
+        ""
+        (let [lines (->> (all-channel-messages channel-id)
+                         (sort-by :timestamp)
+                         (map (fn [m] (str (get-in m [:author :username]) ": " (:content m))))
+                         (remove string/blank?))]
+          (if (<= (count lines) 1)
+            ""
+            (let [topic (:name channel)]
+              (string/join "\n" (cond->> lines
+                                  (not (string/blank? topic)) (cons (str "[thread topic] " topic)))))))))
     (catch Exception e (debug "thread-context failed:" (.getMessage e)) "")))
 
 ;; ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/test/yetibot/core/test/commands/agent.clj b/test/yetibot/core/test/commands/agent.clj
index a1d0ece1..8975e554 100644
--- a/test/yetibot/core/test/commands/agent.clj
+++ b/test/yetibot/core/test/commands/agent.clj
@@ -52,7 +52,9 @@
   (fact "gives the bot an identity"
     (agent/build-agent-prompt "do x" nil nil) => (contains "Yetibot"))
   (fact "tells gemini to use yetibot tool to run yetibot commands"
-    (agent/build-agent-prompt "do x" nil nil) => (contains "yetibot")))
+    (agent/build-agent-prompt "do x" nil nil) => (contains "yetibot"))
+  (fact "encourages searching entire channel if needed"
+    (agent/build-agent-prompt "do x" nil nil) => (contains "search the entire channel's history")))
 
 (facts "about parse-json-response"
   (fact "pulls the response field"
@@ -184,6 +186,28 @@
   (fact "keeps the original request text"
     (agent/resume-request "add a bagif command") => (contains "add a bagif command")))
 
+(facts "about thread-context"
+  (fact "returns empty string if the channel is not a thread (type is not 10, 11, or 12)"
+    (#'agent/thread-context "channel-id-123") => ""
+    (provided
+      (#'agent/rest-conn) => "mock-conn"
+      (discljord.messaging/get-channel! "mock-conn" "channel-id-123") => (atom {:type 0 :name "general"})))
+
+  (fact "returns thread context if the channel is a thread (type 11) with multiple messages"
+    (#'agent/thread-context "thread-id-456") => "[thread topic] cool-thread\nalice: hello\nbob: world"
+    (provided
+      (#'agent/rest-conn) => "mock-conn"
+      (discljord.messaging/get-channel! "mock-conn" "thread-id-456") => (atom {:type 11 :name "cool-thread"})
+      (#'agent/all-channel-messages "thread-id-456") => [{:author {:username "alice"} :content "hello" :timestamp 1}
+                                                         {:author {:username "bob"} :content "world" :timestamp 2}]))
+
+  (fact "returns empty string if the channel is a thread but has 1 or fewer messages (first message/prompt only)"
+    (#'agent/thread-context "thread-id-789") => ""
+    (provided
+      (#'agent/rest-conn) => "mock-conn"
+      (discljord.messaging/get-channel! "mock-conn" "thread-id-789") => (atom {:type 11 :name "cool-thread"})
+      (#'agent/all-channel-messages "thread-id-789") => [{:author {:username "alice"} :content "hello" :timestamp 1}])))
+
 (facts "about agent subcommands"
   (fact "agent-list-commands-cmd returns available commands in JSON"
     (agent/agent-list-commands-cmd {}) => {:result/value "{\"commands\":[\"cmd1\",\"cmd2\"]}"}