diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 289ff28..21c5491 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 
 ⚡️ Delivers core agent functionality in just **~4,000** lines of code — **99% smaller** than Clawdbot's 430k+ lines.
 
-📏 Real-time line count: **3,781 lines** (run `bash core_agent_lines.sh` to verify anytime)
+📏 Real-time line count: **3,793 lines** (run `bash core_agent_lines.sh` to verify anytime)
 
 ## 📢 News
 
diff --git a/nanobot/agent/loop.py b/nanobot/agent/loop.py
index 6bdf6ff..a90dccb 100644
--- a/nanobot/agent/loop.py
+++ b/nanobot/agent/loop.py
@@ -183,6 +183,7 @@ class AgentLoop:
         iteration = 0
         final_content = None
         tools_used: list[str] = []
+        text_only_retried = False
 
         while iteration < self.max_iterations:
             iteration += 1
@@ -226,6 +227,17 @@ class AgentLoop:
                     )
             else:
                 final_content = self._strip_think(response.content)
+                # Some models send an interim text response before tool calls.
+                # Give them one retry; don't forward the text to avoid duplicates.
+                if not tools_used and not text_only_retried and final_content:
+                    text_only_retried = True
+                    logger.debug("Interim text response (no tools used yet), retrying: {}", final_content[:80])
+                    messages = self.context.add_assistant_message(
+                        messages, response.content,
+                        reasoning_content=response.reasoning_content,
+                    )
+                    final_content = None
+                    continue
                 break
 
         return final_content, tools_used