diff --git a/tests/agent/test_runner.py b/tests/agent/test_runner.py
index 51d449a96..b47db948b 100644
--- a/tests/agent/test_runner.py
+++ b/tests/agent/test_runner.py
@@ -2918,3 +2918,45 @@ def test_snip_history_no_user_at_all_falls_back_gracefully(monkeypatch):
         assert non_system[0]["role"] in ("user", "tool"), (
             f"Safety net should ensure first non-system is user/tool, got {non_system[0]['role']}"
         )
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_runner_binds_on_retry_wait_to_retry_callback_not_progress():
+    """Regression: provider retry heartbeats must route through
+    ``retry_wait_callback``, not ``progress_callback``. Binding them to
+    the progress callback (as an earlier runtime refactor did) caused
+    internal retry diagnostics like "Model request failed, retry in 1s"
+    to leak to end-user channels as normal progress updates.
+    """
+    from nanobot.agent.runner import AgentRunSpec, AgentRunner
+
+    captured: dict = {}
+
+    async def chat_with_retry(**kwargs):
+        captured.update(kwargs)
+        return LLMResponse(content="done", tool_calls=[], usage={})
+
+    provider = MagicMock()
+    provider.chat_with_retry = chat_with_retry
+    tools = MagicMock()
+    tools.get_definitions.return_value = []
+
+    progress_cb = AsyncMock()
+    retry_wait_cb = AsyncMock()
+
+    runner = AgentRunner(provider)
+    await runner.run(AgentRunSpec(
+        initial_messages=[
+            {"role": "system", "content": "system"},
+            {"role": "user", "content": "hi"},
+        ],
+        tools=tools,
+        model="test-model",
+        max_iterations=1,
+        max_tool_result_chars=_MAX_TOOL_RESULT_CHARS,
+        progress_callback=progress_cb,
+        retry_wait_callback=retry_wait_cb,
+    ))
+
+    assert captured["on_retry_wait"] is retry_wait_cb
+    assert captured["on_retry_wait"] is not progress_cb
diff --git a/tests/channels/test_channel_manager_delta_coalescing.py b/tests/channels/test_channel_manager_delta_coalescing.py
index 0fa97f5b8..3c150f903 100644
--- a/tests/channels/test_channel_manager_delta_coalescing.py
+++ b/tests/channels/test_channel_manager_delta_coalescing.py
@@ -296,3 +296,50 @@ class TestDispatchOutboundWithCoalescing:
         # Should have pending regular message
         assert len(pending) == 1
         assert pending[0].content == "Final"
+
+
+class TestRetryWaitFiltering:
+    """Internal provider retry heartbeats must never reach channels."""
+
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_retry_wait_message_dropped(self, manager, bus):
+        """A ``_retry_wait`` message must be filtered before channel dispatch.
+
+        Regression: provider retry diagnostics like
+        ``Model request failed, retry in 1s (attempt 1).`` were being
+        delivered to end-user channels because the runner bound
+        ``on_retry_wait`` to the progress callback.
+        """
+        retry_msg = OutboundMessage(
+            channel="mock",
+            chat_id="chat1",
+            content="Model request failed, retry in 1s (attempt 1).",
+            metadata={"_retry_wait": True},
+        )
+        real_msg = OutboundMessage(
+            channel="mock",
+            chat_id="chat1",
+            content="final answer",
+            metadata={},
+        )
+        await bus.publish_outbound(retry_msg)
+        await bus.publish_outbound(real_msg)
+
+        task = asyncio.create_task(manager._dispatch_outbound())
+        try:
+            for _ in range(30):
+                if manager.channels["mock"]._send_mock.await_count >= 1:
+                    break
+                await asyncio.sleep(0.05)
+        finally:
+            task.cancel()
+            try:
+                await task
+            except asyncio.CancelledError:
+                pass
+
+        send_mock = manager.channels["mock"]._send_mock
+        assert send_mock.await_count == 1
+        sent = send_mock.await_args_list[0].args[0]
+        assert sent.content == "final answer"
+        assert not sent.metadata.get("_retry_wait")