diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a2b81fa3..49cee73b 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ Intercode keeps repository guidance and sub-agent profiles separate:
 
 - `AGENTS.md` — shared startup instructions and project context
 - `CLAUDE.md` — Claude-specific workspace notes
-- `packages/agents/` — built-in sub-agent profiles shipped with Intercode (`greybeard`, `critique`)
+- `src/agent/default-agents.ts` — built-in sub-agent profiles shipped with Intercode (`greybeard`, `critique`)
 - `.agents/agents/` — optional local profile overrides or additions; this directory is not required and may be absent
 
 Named `task` sub-agents resolve from built-ins first, then enabled agent plugins, then local `.agents/agents/*.json|*.yaml` profiles. Add a local profile under `.agents/agents/` or use an installed profile id such as `greybeard`.
diff --git a/bun.lock b/bun.lock
index 5ce1425c..dc951bd8 100644
--- a/bun.lock
+++ b/bun.lock
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
     "": {
       "name": "interchange-code",
       "dependencies": {
-        "@intercode/default-agents": "workspace:*",
         "@intx/agent": "workspace:*",
         "@intx/inference": "workspace:*",
         "@intx/log": "workspace:*",
@@ -139,10 +138,6 @@
         "@types/semver": "catalog:",
       },
     },
-    "packages/agents": {
-      "name": "@intercode/default-agents",
-      "version": "0.1.0",
-    },
     "vendor/intx-inference": {
       "name": "@intx/inference",
       "version": "0.1.2",
@@ -176,8 +171,6 @@
 
     "@hono/node-server": ["@hono/node-server@1.19.14", "", { "peerDependencies": { "hono": "^4" } }, "sha512-GwtvgtXxnWsucXvbQXkRgqksiH2Qed37H9xHZocE5sA3N8O8O8/8FA3uclQXxXVzc9XBZuEOMK7+r02FmSpHtw=="],
 
-    "@intercode/default-agents": ["@intercode/default-agents@workspace:packages/agents"],
-
     "@intx/agent": ["@intx/agent@workspace:interchange/packages/agent"],
 
     "@intx/crypto-node": ["@intx/crypto-node@workspace:interchange/packages/crypto-node"],
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 163d115d..27a5da9e 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -27,8 +27,7 @@
     "./interchange/packages/mime",
     "./interchange/packages/log",
     "./interchange/packages/crypto-node",
-    "./interchange/packages/tools-lsp",
-    "./packages/agents"
+    "./interchange/packages/tools-lsp"
   ],
   "catalog": {
     "@types/semver": "^7.7.1",
@@ -42,7 +41,6 @@
     "tar": "^7.5.1"
   },
   "dependencies": {
-    "@intercode/default-agents": "workspace:*",
     "@intx/agent": "workspace:*",
     "@intx/inference": "workspace:*",
     "@intx/log": "workspace:*",
diff --git a/packages/agents/package.json b/packages/agents/package.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 9c6a223d..00000000
--- a/packages/agents/package.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "name": "@intercode/default-agents",
-  "version": "0.1.0",
-  "private": true,
-  "type": "module",
-  "exports": {
-    ".": {
-      "types": "./src/index.ts",
-      "default": "./src/index.ts"
-    }
-  }
-}
diff --git a/packages/agents/tsconfig.json b/packages/agents/tsconfig.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 8670e092..00000000
--- a/packages/agents/tsconfig.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "extends": "../../interchange/tsconfig.base.json",
-  "include": ["src/**/*.ts"]
-}
diff --git a/packages/agents/src/index.ts b/src/agent/default-agents.ts
similarity index 82%
rename from packages/agents/src/index.ts
rename to src/agent/default-agents.ts
index 35d2442d..bf04a402 100644
--- a/packages/agents/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/agent/default-agents.ts
@@ -1,20 +1,9 @@
-export type {
-  AgentProfile,
-  AgentPlugin,
-  CapabilityFilter,
-  CapabilityMode,
-  InferenceLeg,
-  InferenceSpec,
-  ReasoningEffort,
-} from "./types.js";
-export { REASONING_EFFORTS } from "./types.js";
-
-import type { AgentPlugin } from "./types.js";
+import type { AgentPlugin } from "./profile-types.js";
 
 // Default agent profiles shipped with intercode. These are the sub-agents
 // referenced by the built-in workflows. Repositories can override any of
 // these by placing a same-id profile in .agents/agents/.
-export const plugin: AgentPlugin = {
+export const defaultAgentsPlugin: AgentPlugin = {
   agents: [
     {
       id: "greybeard",
diff --git a/packages/agents/src/types.ts b/src/agent/profile-types.ts
similarity index 82%
rename from packages/agents/src/types.ts
rename to src/agent/profile-types.ts
index 206ff9e9..3705b4fd 100644
--- a/packages/agents/src/types.ts
+++ b/src/agent/profile-types.ts
@@ -1,12 +1,13 @@
-// Public contract for agent plugin authors.
+// Agent profile contract. External profiles are data (JSON/YAML under
+// .agents/agents/ or contributed by agent-kind plugins) validated against
+// this shape at load time; these types never cross the repo boundary.
 
 // Reasoning-effort levels carried through to the provider. The canonical
-// definition lives here so plugin authors and runtime stay in sync without
-// re-declaring the literal set. Mirrored as a runtime array by
-// src/provider/reasoning-effort.ts. Ordered from least to most effort; "ultra"
-// is not simply a bigger thinking budget than "max" — it additionally enables
-// automatic sub-task delegation, so code that treats effort as a scalar dial
-// may need to branch on it separately.
+// definition lives here; src/provider/reasoning-effort.ts mirrors it as the
+// runtime array. Ordered from least to most effort; "ultra" is not simply a
+// bigger thinking budget than "max" — it additionally enables automatic
+// sub-task delegation, so code that treats effort as a scalar dial may need
+// to branch on it separately.
 export const REASONING_EFFORTS = [
   "none",
   "minimal",
@@ -76,8 +77,7 @@ export type AgentProfile = {
   maxTurns?: number;
 };
 
-// The shape every agent plugin package must export as "plugin" or as the
-// default export.
+// The shape an agent-kind plugin contributes: a list of profiles.
 export type AgentPlugin = {
   agents: AgentProfile[];
 };
diff --git a/src/agent/profiles.ts b/src/agent/profiles.ts
index ab7f8254..8237dc88 100644
--- a/src/agent/profiles.ts
+++ b/src/agent/profiles.ts
@@ -3,15 +3,11 @@ import { join } from "node:path";
 
 import { type } from "arktype";
 
-import {
-  plugin as defaultPlugin,
-  REASONING_EFFORTS,
-} from "@intercode/default-agents";
+import { defaultAgentsPlugin as defaultPlugin } from "./default-agents.js";
+import { REASONING_EFFORTS } from "./profile-types.js";
 
-// Public agent profile types live in @intercode/default-agents so plugin
-// authors can depend on that package without pulling in the full runtime.
-export type { AgentProfile, AgentPlugin, CapabilityFilter, CapabilityMode, InferenceLeg, InferenceSpec, ReasoningEffort } from "@intercode/default-agents";
-import type { AgentProfile } from "@intercode/default-agents";
+export type { AgentProfile, AgentPlugin, CapabilityFilter, CapabilityMode, InferenceLeg, InferenceSpec, ReasoningEffort } from "./profile-types.js";
+import type { AgentProfile } from "./profile-types.js";
 
 // Exported so agent-kind plugins can validate contributed profiles.
 export { AgentProfileSchema };
diff --git a/src/config/settings.ts b/src/config/settings.ts
index cb50805e..de8227f4 100644
--- a/src/config/settings.ts
+++ b/src/config/settings.ts
@@ -717,7 +717,7 @@ export function resolveTier(tier: ProviderTier, settings: Settings): TierAssignm
   };
 }
 
-import type { InferenceSpec } from "@intercode/default-agents";
+import type { InferenceSpec } from "../agent/profile-types.js";
 
 // A resolved inference leg, with reasoningEffort threaded through.
 export type ResolvedInference = {
diff --git a/src/plugins/data-only-agent.ts b/src/plugins/data-only-agent.ts
index 6edd4f85..534eb552 100644
--- a/src/plugins/data-only-agent.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/data-only-agent.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import type {
   ReasoningEffort,
 } from "../agent/profiles.js";
 import { AgentProfileSchema } from "../agent/profiles.js";
-import { REASONING_EFFORTS } from "@intercode/default-agents";
+import { REASONING_EFFORTS } from "../agent/profile-types.js";
 import { splitFrontmatter } from "./frontmatter.js";
 import { type } from "arktype";
 
diff --git a/src/provider/reasoning-effort.ts b/src/provider/reasoning-effort.ts
index a10da597..74967e38 100644
--- a/src/provider/reasoning-effort.ts
+++ b/src/provider/reasoning-effort.ts
@@ -3,10 +3,10 @@
 // "variant" or a separate model — the same model accepts an effort level that
 // trades latency and cost against reasoning depth.
 
-// The canonical literal set lives in @intercode/default-agents so plugin
-// authors and the runtime cannot drift. Re-exported here for callers that
-// already import from this module.
-import { REASONING_EFFORTS as CANONICAL_EFFORTS } from "@intercode/default-agents";
+// The canonical literal set lives in the agent profile contract so the
+// profile schema and the runtime cannot drift. Re-exported here for callers
+// that already import from this module.
+import { REASONING_EFFORTS as CANONICAL_EFFORTS } from "../agent/profile-types.js";
 
 export const REASONING_EFFORTS = CANONICAL_EFFORTS;
 export type ReasoningEffort = (typeof REASONING_EFFORTS)[number];
diff --git a/tests/unit/resolve-inference-spec.test.ts b/tests/unit/resolve-inference-spec.test.ts
index cc65a752..d8a60c49 100644
--- a/tests/unit/resolve-inference-spec.test.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/resolve-inference-spec.test.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import {
   resolveInferenceWithPolicy,
   type Settings,
 } from "../../src/config/settings.js";
-import type { InferenceSpec } from "@intercode/default-agents";
+import type { InferenceSpec } from "../../src/agent/profile-types.js";
 
 const baseSettings: Settings = {
   providers: {