diff --git a/tests/runner-e2e/catalog.test.ts b/tests/runner-e2e/catalog.test.ts
index 7b95618667..56d3cdeb37 100644
--- a/tests/runner-e2e/catalog.test.ts
+++ b/tests/runner-e2e/catalog.test.ts
@@ -121,6 +121,24 @@ describe("runner E2E catalog", () => {
     expect(localQuestion?.buildPrompt("nonce")).toContain(
       "refer to it only as “the terminal marker.”",
     );
+    expect(localQuestion?.buildPrompt("nonce")).toContain(
+      'API_ORIGIN="${PAPERCLIP_API_URL%/}"; API_ORIGIN="${API_ORIGIN%/api}"',
+    );
+    expect(localQuestion?.buildPrompt("nonce")).toContain(
+      '"idempotencyKey":"question-nonce"',
+    );
+    expect(localQuestion?.buildPrompt("nonce")).toContain(
+      'PATCH $API_ORIGIN/api/issues/$PAPERCLIP_TASK_ID with exactly {"status":"in_review"}',
+    );
+    expect(localQuestion?.buildPrompt("nonce")).toContain(
+      "Do not include `reviewInteractionId`",
+    );
+    expect(localQuestion?.buildPrompt("nonce")).toContain(
+      "retry only that PATCH and never POST the interaction again",
+    );
+    expect(localQuestion?.buildPrompt("nonce")).toContain(
+      "make exactly one completion write",
+    );
     const legacyQuestionExitInstruction =
       "In a legacy runner, after those two writes succeed, end the current response and heartbeat immediately. Do not wait, sleep, poll, or fetch the interaction; `wake_assignee` will start a new heartbeat after the user answers.";
     expect(localQuestion?.buildPrompt("nonce")).toContain(
diff --git a/tests/runner-e2e/catalog.ts b/tests/runner-e2e/catalog.ts
index 712c87c59f..1045336f33 100644
--- a/tests/runner-e2e/catalog.ts
+++ b/tests/runner-e2e/catalog.ts
@@ -588,11 +588,13 @@ const structuredQuestionResumeTask = {
       "The question must be required, single-select, and offer Cobalt and Amber. Do not publish a final answer or mark the task Done while it is pending.",
       `Before the answer arrives, do not spell, quote, repeat, announce, or include PAPERCLIP_E2E_QUESTION_DONE_${nonce} in any visible response, comment, or tool payload; refer to it only as “the terminal marker.”`,
       `In a native runner, call request_human_input exactly once with idempotencyKey \`question-${nonce}\`, interactionKind \`questions\`, title \`Verification word\`, prompt \`Choose the verification word\`, continuationPolicy \`wake_assignee\`, and payload {version:1,questions:[{id:\`verification-word\`,prompt:\`Choose the verification word.\`,selectionMode:\`single\`,required:true,options:[{id:\`cobalt\`,label:\`Cobalt\`},{id:\`amber\`,label:\`Amber\`}]}]}.`,
-      "In a legacy runner, POST /api/issues/$PAPERCLIP_TASK_ID/interactions with {kind:`ask_user_questions`,continuationPolicy:`wake_assignee`,payload:{version:1,questions:[{id:`verification-word`,prompt:`Choose the verification word.`,selectionMode:`single`,required:true,options:[{id:`cobalt`,label:`Cobalt`},{id:`amber`,label:`Amber`}]}]}} using Authorization and X-Paperclip-Run-Id, then move the issue to `in_review`.",
+      'In a legacy runner, derive `API_ORIGIN` exactly once with `API_ORIGIN="${PAPERCLIP_API_URL%/}"; API_ORIGIN="${API_ORIGIN%/api}"`. Build every endpoint as `$API_ORIGIN/api/...`; never append `/api` to a base that already ends in `/api`.',
+      `In a legacy runner, create exactly one question interaction: POST $API_ORIGIN/api/issues/$PAPERCLIP_TASK_ID/interactions once with {"kind":"ask_user_questions","idempotencyKey":"question-${nonce}","continuationPolicy":"wake_assignee","payload":{"version":1,"questions":[{"id":"verification-word","prompt":"Choose the verification word.","selectionMode":"single","required":true,"options":[{"id":"cobalt","label":"Cobalt"},{"id":"amber","label":"Amber"}]}]}} using Authorization and X-Paperclip-Run-Id. Do not create a replacement interaction if a later write fails.`,
+      'In a legacy runner, after that POST returns 2xx, PATCH $API_ORIGIN/api/issues/$PAPERCLIP_TASK_ID with exactly {"status":"in_review"}. Do not include `reviewInteractionId`: it only designates confirmation interactions, not `ask_user_questions`. If the PATCH fails, retry only that PATCH and never POST the interaction again.',
       "In a legacy runner, after those two writes succeed, end the current response and heartbeat immediately. Do not wait, sleep, poll, or fetch the interaction; `wake_assignee` will start a new heartbeat after the user answers.",
       `After the answer arrives, if it is Cobalt, publish exactly PAPERCLIP_E2E_QUESTION_DONE_${nonce} once as the complete visible response and mark the task Done.`,
       `In a native runner, after the answer arrives, call paperclip_finish exactly once with {reportedWorkDisposition:"done",summary:"PAPERCLIP_E2E_QUESTION_DONE_${nonce}",completionClaim:{contractRevision:"1",objectiveSatisfied:true,criteria:[{criterionId:"objective",status:"satisfied",evidenceRefs:[]}],remainingWork:[]},evidence:[],verification:[]}. Wait for that tool call to succeed, then emit exactly PAPERCLIP_E2E_QUESTION_DONE_${nonce} as the complete final response. Do not write a user-facing final response before paperclip_finish succeeds, and do not call another tool.`,
-      `In a legacy runner, post exactly PAPERCLIP_E2E_QUESTION_DONE_${nonce} as the task comment body and mark the task Done through the public API.`,
+      `In a legacy runner, make exactly one completion write: PATCH $API_ORIGIN/api/issues/$PAPERCLIP_TASK_ID with {"status":"done","comment":"PAPERCLIP_E2E_QUESTION_DONE_${nonce}"}. Do not POST a separate comment or perform a second write containing the marker.`,
       "Do not create files, plans, child tasks, or unrelated work, and do not expose credentials.",
     ].join("\n"),
   buildMatchers(nonce, execution) {