diff --git a/nanobot/agent/loop.py b/nanobot/agent/loop.py
index e94999a57..e58156758 100644
--- a/nanobot/agent/loop.py
+++ b/nanobot/agent/loop.py
@@ -323,6 +323,19 @@ class AgentLoop:
         from nanobot.utils.helpers import strip_think
         return strip_think(text) or None
 
+    # Registry: tool_name -> (key_args, template, is_path, is_command)
+    _TOOL_HINT_FORMATS: dict[str, tuple[list[str], str, bool, bool]] = {
+        "read_file":  (["path", "file_path"],              "read {}",     True,  False),
+        "write_file": (["path", "file_path"],              "write {}",    True,  False),
+        "edit":       (["file_path", "path"],              "edit {}",     True,  False),
+        "glob":       (["pattern"],                        'glob "{}"',   False, False),
+        "grep":       (["pattern"],                        'grep "{}"',   False, False),
+        "exec":       (["command"],                        "$ {}",        False, True),
+        "web_search": (["query"],                          'search "{}"', False, False),
+        "web_fetch":  (["url"],                            "fetch {}",    True,  False),
+        "list_dir":   (["path"],                           "ls {}",       True,  False),
+    }
+
     @staticmethod
     def _tool_hint(tool_calls: list) -> str:
         """Format tool calls as concise hints with smart abbreviation."""
@@ -331,6 +344,16 @@ class AgentLoop:
 
         from nanobot.utils.path import abbreviate_path
 
+        def _get_args(tc) -> dict:
+            """Extract args dict from tc.arguments, handling list/dict/None/empty."""
+            if tc.arguments is None:
+                return {}
+            if isinstance(tc.arguments, list):
+                return tc.arguments[0] if tc.arguments else {}
+            if isinstance(tc.arguments, dict):
+                return tc.arguments
+            return {}
+
         def _group_consecutive(calls):
             """Group consecutive calls to the same tool: [(name, count, first), ...]."""
             groups = []
@@ -343,7 +366,7 @@ class AgentLoop:
 
         def _extract_arg(tc, key_args):
             """Extract the first available value from preferred key names."""
-            args = (tc.arguments[0] if isinstance(tc.arguments, list) else tc.arguments) or {}
+            args = _get_args(tc)
             if not isinstance(args, dict):
                 return None
             for key in key_args:
@@ -365,10 +388,7 @@ class AgentLoop:
                 val = abbreviate_path(val)
             elif fmt[3]:  # is_command
                 val = val[:40] + "\u2026" if len(val) > 40 else val
-            template = fmt[1]
-            if '"{}"' in template:
-                return template.format(val)
-            return template.format(val)
+            return fmt[1].format(val)
 
         def _fmt_mcp(tc):
             """Format MCP tool as server::tool."""
@@ -385,7 +405,7 @@ class AgentLoop:
                 tool = parts[1] if len(parts) > 1 else ""
             if not tool:
                 return name
-            args = (tc.arguments[0] if isinstance(tc.arguments, list) else tc.arguments) or {}
+            args = _get_args(tc)
             val = next((v for v in args.values() if isinstance(v, str) and v), None)
             if val is None:
                 return f"{server}::{tool}"
@@ -393,27 +413,15 @@ class AgentLoop:
 
         def _fmt_fallback(tc):
             """Original formatting logic for unregistered tools."""
-            args = (tc.arguments[0] if isinstance(tc.arguments, list) else tc.arguments) or {}
+            args = _get_args(tc)
             val = next(iter(args.values()), None) if isinstance(args, dict) else None
             if not isinstance(val, str):
                 return tc.name
             return f'{tc.name}("{abbreviate_path(val, 40)}")' if len(val) > 40 else f'{tc.name}("{val}")'
 
-        # Registry: tool_name -> (key_args, template, is_path, is_command)
-        FORMATS: dict[str, tuple[list[str], str, bool, bool]] = {
-            "read_file":  (["path", "file_path"],              "read {}",     True,  False),
-            "write_file": (["path", "file_path"],              "write {}",    True,  False),
-            "edit":       (["file_path", "path"],              "edit {}",     True,  False),
-            "glob":       (["pattern"],                        'glob "{}"',   False, False),
-            "grep":       (["pattern"],                        'grep "{}"',   False, False),
-            "exec":       (["command"],                        "$ {}",        False, True),
-            "web_search": (["query"],                          'search "{}"', False, False),
-            "web_fetch":  (["url"],                            "fetch {}",    True,  False),
-        }
-
         hints = []
         for name, count, example_tc in _group_consecutive(tool_calls):
-            fmt = FORMATS.get(name)
+            fmt = AgentLoop._TOOL_HINT_FORMATS.get(name)
             if fmt:
                 hint = _fmt_known(example_tc, fmt)
             elif name.startswith("mcp_"):
diff --git a/nanobot/utils/__init__.py b/nanobot/utils/__init__.py
index 46f02acbd..9ad157c2e 100644
--- a/nanobot/utils/__init__.py
+++ b/nanobot/utils/__init__.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 """Utility functions for nanobot."""
 
 from nanobot.utils.helpers import ensure_dir
+from nanobot.utils.path import abbreviate_path
 
-__all__ = ["ensure_dir"]
+__all__ = ["ensure_dir", "abbreviate_path"]
diff --git a/nanobot/utils/path.py b/nanobot/utils/path.py
index d23836e08..32591a471 100644
--- a/nanobot/utils/path.py
+++ b/nanobot/utils/path.py
@@ -89,7 +89,8 @@ def _abbreviate_url(url: str, max_len: int = 40) -> str:
 
     budget = max_len - len(domain) - len(basename) - 4  # "…/" + "/"
     if budget < 0:
-        return domain + "/\u2026" + basename[: max_len - len(domain) - 4]
+        trunc = max_len - len(domain) - 5  # "…/" + "/"
+        return domain + "/\u2026/" + (basename[:trunc] if trunc > 0 else "")
 
     # Build abbreviated path
     kept: list[str] = []
diff --git a/tests/agent/test_tool_hint.py b/tests/agent/test_tool_hint.py
index f0c324083..caaa37ee3 100644
--- a/tests/agent/test_tool_hint.py
+++ b/tests/agent/test_tool_hint.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ from nanobot.agent.loop import AgentLoop
 from nanobot.providers.base import ToolCallRequest
 
 
-def _tc(name: str, args: dict) -> ToolCallRequest:
+def _tc(name: str, args) -> ToolCallRequest:
     return ToolCallRequest(id="c1", name=name, arguments=args)
 
 
@@ -147,3 +147,51 @@ class TestToolHintMultipleCalls:
         assert 'grep "TODO"' in result
         assert "read main.py" in result
         assert ", " in result
+
+
+class TestToolHintEdgeCases:
+    """Test edge cases and defensive handling (G1, G2)."""
+
+    def test_known_tool_empty_list_args(self):
+        """C1/G1: Empty list arguments should not crash."""
+        result = AgentLoop._tool_hint([_tc("read_file", [])])
+        assert result == "read_file"
+
+    def test_known_tool_none_args(self):
+        """G2: None arguments should not crash."""
+        result = AgentLoop._tool_hint([_tc("read_file", None)])
+        assert result == "read_file"
+
+    def test_fallback_empty_list_args(self):
+        """C1: Empty list args in fallback should not crash."""
+        result = AgentLoop._tool_hint([_tc("custom_tool", [])])
+        assert result == "custom_tool"
+
+    def test_fallback_none_args(self):
+        """G2: None args in fallback should not crash."""
+        result = AgentLoop._tool_hint([_tc("custom_tool", None)])
+        assert result == "custom_tool"
+
+    def test_list_dir_registered(self):
+        """S2: list_dir should use 'ls' format."""
+        result = AgentLoop._tool_hint([_tc("list_dir", {"path": "/tmp"})])
+        assert result == "ls /tmp"
+
+
+class TestToolHintMixedFolding:
+    """G4: Mixed folding groups with interleaved same-tool segments."""
+
+    def test_read_read_grep_grep_read(self):
+        """read×2, grep×2, read — should produce two separate groups."""
+        calls = [
+            _tc("read_file", {"path": "a.py"}),
+            _tc("read_file", {"path": "b.py"}),
+            _tc("grep", {"pattern": "x"}),
+            _tc("grep", {"pattern": "y"}),
+            _tc("read_file", {"path": "c.py"}),
+        ]
+        result = AgentLoop._tool_hint(calls)
+        assert "\u00d7 2" in result
+        # Should have 3 groups: read×2, grep×2, read
+        parts = result.split(", ")
+        assert len(parts) == 3
diff --git a/tests/utils/test_abbreviate_path.py b/tests/utils/test_abbreviate_path.py
index d8ee0a186..573ca0a92 100644
--- a/tests/utils/test_abbreviate_path.py
+++ b/tests/utils/test_abbreviate_path.py
@@ -77,3 +77,29 @@ class TestAbbreviatePathURLs:
     def test_short_url_unchanged(self):
         url = "https://example.com/api"
         assert abbreviate_path(url) == url
+
+    def test_url_no_path_just_domain(self):
+        """G3: URL with no path should return as-is if short enough."""
+        url = "https://example.com"
+        assert abbreviate_path(url) == url
+
+    def test_url_with_query_string(self):
+        """G3: URL with query params should abbreviate path part."""
+        url = "https://example.com/api/v2/endpoint?key=value&other=123"
+        result = abbreviate_path(url, max_len=40)
+        assert "example.com" in result
+        assert "\u2026" in result
+
+    def test_url_very_long_basename(self):
+        """G3: URL with very long basename should truncate basename."""
+        url = "https://example.com/path/very_long_resource_name_file.json"
+        result = abbreviate_path(url, max_len=35)
+        assert "example.com" in result
+        assert "\u2026" in result
+
+    def test_url_negative_budget_consistent_format(self):
+        """I3: Negative budget should still produce domain/…/basename format."""
+        url = "https://a.co/very/deep/path/with/lots/of/segments/and/a/long/basename.txt"
+        result = abbreviate_path(url, max_len=20)
+        assert "a.co" in result
+        assert "/\u2026/" in result