diff --git a/examples/rpc/python/__pycache__/zot_client.cpython-314.pyc b/examples/rpc/python/__pycache__/zot_client.cpython-314.pyc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6a874b0
Binary files /dev/null and b/examples/rpc/python/__pycache__/zot_client.cpython-314.pyc differ
diff --git a/internal/agent/rpc.go b/internal/agent/rpc.go
index 2ce07d5..739cec2 100644
--- a/internal/agent/rpc.go
+++ b/internal/agent/rpc.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"bufio"
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"os"
@@ -67,10 +68,19 @@ type rpcServer struct {
 	turnMu       sync.Mutex // serialises one prompt at a time
 	activeCancel context.CancelFunc
 	authed       bool
+
+	// inFlight tracks long-running command goroutines so run() can
+	// wait for them before returning when stdin closes. Without this,
+	// piping a single 'prompt' command into 'zot rpc' would race the
+	// process exit against the agent loop and the prompt would never
+	// produce output.
+	inFlight sync.WaitGroup
 }
 
 // run reads NDJSON commands from in and dispatches them. Returns when
-// in is closed. Errors writing to stdout are fatal.
+// in is closed AND every in-flight long-running command (prompt /
+// compact) has finished, so a quick `echo cmd | zot rpc` invocation
+// still produces full output before the process exits.
 func (s *rpcServer) run(in io.Reader) error {
 	requireToken := os.Getenv("ZOTCORE_RPC_TOKEN") != ""
 	s.authed = !requireToken
@@ -114,7 +124,9 @@ func (s *rpcServer) run(in io.Reader) error {
 		}
 		s.dispatch(head.Type, head.ID, []byte(line))
 	}
-	return sc.Err()
+	err := sc.Err()
+	s.inFlight.Wait()
+	return err
 }
 
 // dispatch routes a command. Long-running commands (prompt, compact)
@@ -140,7 +152,11 @@ func (s *rpcServer) dispatch(cmd, id string, raw []byte) {
 			s.writeError(id, cmd, err.Error())
 			return
 		}
-		go s.runPrompt(id, req.Message, req.Images)
+		s.inFlight.Add(1)
+		go func() {
+			defer s.inFlight.Done()
+			s.runPrompt(id, req.Message, req.Images)
+		}()
 
 	case "abort":
 		if c := s.takeCancel(); c != nil {
@@ -149,7 +165,11 @@ func (s *rpcServer) dispatch(cmd, id string, raw []byte) {
 		s.writeResponse(id, cmd, nil)
 
 	case "compact":
-		go s.runCompact(id)
+		s.inFlight.Add(1)
+		go func() {
+			defer s.inFlight.Done()
+			s.runCompact(id)
+		}()
 
 	case "get_state":
 		s.writeResponse(id, cmd, s.snapshotState())
@@ -222,9 +242,16 @@ func (s *rpcServer) runPrompt(id, message string, images []struct {
 	}
 
 	err := s.agent.Prompt(subCtx, message, imgs, func(ev core.AgentEvent) {
+		// EvDone is emitted by the agent loop and we re-emit our own
+		// 'done' below; suppressing it here avoids duplicate frames.
+		if _, ok := ev.(core.EvDone); ok {
+			return
+		}
 		s.writeEvent(modes.EventToJSON(ev))
 	})
-	if err != nil {
+	// Don't emit a stand-alone error event for cancellation; the prior
+	// turn_end with stop=aborted already carries that signal.
+	if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, context.Canceled) {
 		s.writeEvent(map[string]any{"type": "error", "message": err.Error()})
 	}
 	s.writeEvent(map[string]any{"type": "done"})
@@ -242,7 +269,9 @@ func (s *rpcServer) runCompact(id string) {
 	s.writeResponse(id, "compact", map[string]any{"started": true})
 	summary, err := s.agent.Compact(subCtx, 4, nil)
 	if err != nil {
-		s.writeEvent(map[string]any{"type": "error", "message": err.Error()})
+		if !errors.Is(err, context.Canceled) {
+			s.writeEvent(map[string]any{"type": "error", "message": err.Error()})
+		}
 		return
 	}
 	s.writeEvent(map[string]any{