diff --git a/src/tools/athena-council/session-waiter.test.ts b/src/tools/athena-council/session-waiter.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8c3918b7e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tools/athena-council/session-waiter.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+/// <reference types="bun-types" />
+
+import { describe, expect, test } from "bun:test"
+import type { BackgroundManager } from "../../features/background-agent"
+import { waitForCouncilSessions } from "./session-waiter"
+
+describe("waitForCouncilSessions", () => {
+  test("resolves all sessions when tasks have sessionIDs immediately", async () => {
+    //#given
+    const launched = [
+      { member: { model: "openai/gpt-5.3-codex", name: "GPT" }, taskId: "task-1" },
+      { member: { model: "anthropic/claude-opus-4-6" }, taskId: "task-2" },
+    ]
+    const manager = {
+      getTask: (id: string) => ({ sessionID: `ses-${id}` }),
+    } as unknown as BackgroundManager
+
+    //#when
+    const result = await waitForCouncilSessions(launched, manager)
+
+    //#then
+    expect(result.sessions).toHaveLength(2)
+    expect(result.timedOut).toBe(false)
+    expect(result.aborted).toBe(false)
+    expect(result.sessions[0].taskId).toBe("task-1")
+    expect(result.sessions[0].memberName).toBe("GPT")
+    expect(result.sessions[1].taskId).toBe("task-2")
+    expect(result.sessions[1].memberName).toBe("anthropic/claude-opus-4-6")
+  })
+
+  test("returns empty sessions for empty launched list", async () => {
+    //#given
+    const manager = { getTask: () => undefined } as unknown as BackgroundManager
+
+    //#when
+    const result = await waitForCouncilSessions([], manager)
+
+    //#then
+    expect(result.sessions).toHaveLength(0)
+    expect(result.timedOut).toBe(false)
+    expect(result.aborted).toBe(false)
+  })
+
+  test("sets aborted flag when abort signal fires", async () => {
+    //#given
+    const launched = [
+      { member: { model: "openai/gpt-5.3-codex" }, taskId: "task-1" },
+    ]
+    const manager = { getTask: () => undefined } as unknown as BackgroundManager
+    const controller = new AbortController()
+    // Abort immediately
+    controller.abort()
+
+    //#when
+    const result = await waitForCouncilSessions(launched, manager, controller.signal)
+
+    //#then
+    expect(result.sessions).toHaveLength(0)
+    expect(result.aborted).toBe(true)
+    expect(result.timedOut).toBe(false)
+  })
+
+  test("resolves partial sessions when some tasks get sessionIDs", async () => {
+    //#given
+    const launched = [
+      { member: { model: "openai/gpt-5.3-codex", name: "GPT" }, taskId: "task-1" },
+      { member: { model: "anthropic/claude-opus-4-6" }, taskId: "task-2" },
+    ]
+    const controller = new AbortController()
+    let callCount = 0
+    const manager = {
+      getTask: (id: string) => {
+        callCount++
+        // Only task-1 gets a session, task-2 never does
+        if (id === "task-1") return { sessionID: "ses-task-1" }
+        return undefined
+      },
+    } as unknown as BackgroundManager
+
+    // Abort after a short delay to avoid waiting full 30s
+    setTimeout(() => controller.abort(), 200)
+
+    //#when
+    const result = await waitForCouncilSessions(launched, manager, controller.signal)
+
+    //#then
+    expect(result.sessions).toHaveLength(1)
+    expect(result.sessions[0].taskId).toBe("task-1")
+    expect(result.aborted).toBe(true)
+  })
+
+  test("uses member model as memberName when name is not provided", async () => {
+    //#given
+    const launched = [
+      { member: { model: "google/gemini-3-pro" }, taskId: "task-1" },
+    ]
+    const manager = {
+      getTask: () => ({ sessionID: "ses-1" }),
+    } as unknown as BackgroundManager
+
+    //#when
+    const result = await waitForCouncilSessions(launched, manager)
+
+    //#then
+    expect(result.sessions[0].memberName).toBe("google/gemini-3-pro")
+    expect(result.sessions[0].model).toBe("google/gemini-3-pro")
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/tools/athena-council/session-waiter.ts b/src/tools/athena-council/session-waiter.ts
index 071b27c81..bc7f39478 100644
--- a/src/tools/athena-council/session-waiter.ts
+++ b/src/tools/athena-council/session-waiter.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,12 @@ interface CouncilSessionInfo {
   sessionId: string
 }
 
+export interface CouncilSessionWaitResult {
+  sessions: CouncilSessionInfo[]
+  timedOut: boolean
+  aborted: boolean
+}
+
 /**
  * Waits for background sessions to be created for launched council members.
  * Returns session info for each member whose session became available within the timeout.
@@ -19,16 +25,21 @@ export async function waitForCouncilSessions(
   launched: CouncilLaunchedMember[],
   manager: BackgroundManager,
   abort?: AbortSignal
-): Promise<CouncilSessionInfo[]> {
+): Promise<CouncilSessionWaitResult> {
   const results: CouncilSessionInfo[] = []
   const pending = new Map(
     launched.map((entry) => [entry.taskId, entry])
   )
 
   const deadline = Date.now() + WAIT_TIMEOUT_MS
+  let timedOut = false
+  let aborted = false
 
   while (pending.size > 0 && Date.now() < deadline) {
-    if (abort?.aborted) break
+    if (abort?.aborted) {
+      aborted = true
+      break
+    }
 
     for (const [taskId, entry] of pending) {
       const task = manager.getTask(taskId)
@@ -48,5 +59,9 @@ export async function waitForCouncilSessions(
     }
   }
 
-  return results
+  if (pending.size > 0 && !aborted) {
+    timedOut = true
+  }
+
+  return { sessions: results, timedOut, aborted }
 }