diff --git a/plugins/codex/scripts/lib/codex.mjs b/plugins/codex/scripts/lib/codex.mjs
index fead00cc4..f573db3d4 100644
--- a/plugins/codex/scripts/lib/codex.mjs
+++ b/plugins/codex/scripts/lib/codex.mjs
@@ -104,8 +104,16 @@ function looksLikeVerificationCommand(command) {
   );
 }
 
+// Prompts shaped by the gpt-5-4-prompting skill carry the job in a `<task>` block,
+// often after other instructions, so name the thread after that block when present.
+function taskThreadNameSource(prompt) {
+  const text = String(prompt ?? "");
+  const taskBlock = /<task>([\s\S]*?)(?:<\/task>|$)/.exec(text)?.[1];
+  return taskBlock?.trim() ? taskBlock : text;
+}
+
 function buildTaskThreadName(prompt) {
-  const excerpt = shorten(prompt, 56);
+  const excerpt = shorten(taskThreadNameSource(prompt), 56);
   return excerpt ? `${TASK_THREAD_PREFIX}: ${excerpt}` : TASK_THREAD_PREFIX;
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/runtime.test.mjs b/tests/runtime.test.mjs
index 8f276835b..cd1417f8d 100644
--- a/tests/runtime.test.mjs
+++ b/tests/runtime.test.mjs
@@ -175,6 +175,54 @@ test("task runs when the active provider does not require OpenAI login", () => {
   assert.match(result.stdout, /Handled the requested task/);
 });
 
+test("task names the thread after the <task> block of a structured prompt", () => {
+  const repo = makeTempDir();
+  const binDir = makeTempDir();
+  installFakeCodex(binDir);
+  initGitRepo(repo);
+  const promptPath = path.join(repo, "prompt.txt");
+  fs.writeFileSync(
+    promptPath,
+    [
+      "Stay read-only.",
+      "<task>",
+      "Fix the flaky login test",
+      "</task>",
+      "<structured_output_contract>",
+      "Return a numbered list.",
+      "</structured_output_contract>"
+    ].join("\n"),
+    "utf8"
+  );
+
+  const result = run("node", [SCRIPT, "task", "--prompt-file", promptPath], {
+    cwd: repo,
+    env: buildEnv(binDir)
+  });
+
+  assert.equal(result.status, 0, result.stderr);
+  const fakeState = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(path.join(binDir, "fake-codex-state.json"), "utf8"));
+  assert.equal(fakeState.threads[0].name, "Codex Companion Task: Fix the flaky login test");
+});
+
+test("task names the thread after the prompt when it has no <task> block", () => {
+  const repo = makeTempDir();
+  const binDir = makeTempDir();
+  installFakeCodex(binDir);
+  initGitRepo(repo);
+  const promptPath = path.join(repo, "prompt.txt");
+  fs.writeFileSync(promptPath, "check Map<string> typing in the auth module", "utf8");
+
+  const result = run("node", [SCRIPT, "task", "--prompt-file", promptPath], {
+    cwd: repo,
+    env: buildEnv(binDir)
+  });
+
+  assert.equal(result.status, 0, result.stderr);
+  const fakeState = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(path.join(binDir, "fake-codex-state.json"), "utf8"));
+  assert.equal(fakeState.threads[0].name, "Codex Companion Task: check Map<string> typing in the auth module");
+});
+
 test("task runs without auth preflight so Codex can refresh an expired session", () => {
   const repo = makeTempDir();
   const binDir = makeTempDir();