diff --git a/agents/s08_background_tasks.py b/agents/s08_background_tasks.py
index 77a992eaf..459c1c121 100644
--- a/agents/s08_background_tasks.py
+++ b/agents/s08_background_tasks.py
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ def __init__(self):
         self.tasks = {}  # task_id -> {status, result, command}
         self._notification_queue = []  # completed task results
         self._lock = threading.Lock()
+        self._notifications_ready = threading.Condition(self._lock)
 
     def run(self, command: str) -> str:
         """Start a background thread, return task_id immediately."""
@@ -77,15 +78,16 @@ def _execute(self, task_id: str, command: str):
         except Exception as e:
             output = f"Error: {e}"
             status = "error"
-        self.tasks[task_id]["status"] = status
-        self.tasks[task_id]["result"] = output or "(no output)"
-        with self._lock:
+        with self._notifications_ready:
+            self.tasks[task_id]["status"] = status
+            self.tasks[task_id]["result"] = output or "(no output)"
             self._notification_queue.append({
                 "task_id": task_id,
                 "status": status,
                 "command": command[:80],
                 "result": (output or "(no output)")[:500],
             })
+            self._notifications_ready.notify_all()
 
     def check(self, task_id: str = None) -> str:
         """Check status of one task or list all."""
@@ -106,6 +108,17 @@ def drain_notifications(self) -> list:
             self._notification_queue.clear()
         return notifs
 
+    def wait_for_notifications(self) -> list:
+        """Block until a background task finishes or no tasks remain running."""
+        with self._notifications_ready:
+            while not self._notification_queue and any(
+                task["status"] == "running" for task in self.tasks.values()
+            ):
+                self._notifications_ready.wait()
+            notifs = list(self._notification_queue)
+            self._notification_queue.clear()
+        return notifs
+
 
 BG = BackgroundManager()
 
@@ -184,23 +197,30 @@ def run_edit(path: str, old_text: str, new_text: str) -> str:
 ]
 
 
+def inject_background_results(messages: list, notifs: list):
+    if not notifs:
+        return
+    notif_text = "\n".join(
+        f"[bg:{n['task_id']}] {n['status']}: {n['result']}" for n in notifs
+    )
+    messages.append({"role": "user", "content": f"<background-results>\n{notif_text}\n</background-results>"})
+    messages.append({"role": "assistant", "content": "Noted background results."})
+
+
 def agent_loop(messages: list):
     while True:
-        # Drain background notifications and inject as system message before LLM call
-        notifs = BG.drain_notifications()
-        if notifs and messages:
-            notif_text = "\n".join(
-                f"[bg:{n['task_id']}] {n['status']}: {n['result']}" for n in notifs
-            )
-            messages.append({"role": "user", "content": f"<background-results>\n{notif_text}\n</background-results>"})
-            messages.append({"role": "assistant", "content": "Noted background results."})
+        inject_background_results(messages, BG.drain_notifications())
         response = client.messages.create(
             model=MODEL, system=SYSTEM, messages=messages,
             tools=TOOLS, max_tokens=8000,
         )
         messages.append({"role": "assistant", "content": response.content})
         if response.stop_reason != "tool_use":
-            return
+            late_notifs = BG.wait_for_notifications()
+            if not late_notifs:
+                return
+            inject_background_results(messages, late_notifs)
+            continue
         results = []
         for block in response.content:
             if block.type == "tool_use":
diff --git a/tests/test_s08_background_tasks.py b/tests/test_s08_background_tasks.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3f8febb91
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_s08_background_tasks.py
@@ -0,0 +1,136 @@
+import importlib
+import os
+import sys
+import threading
+import time
+import types
+import unittest
+from pathlib import Path
+from types import SimpleNamespace
+
+
+REPO_ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1]
+if str(REPO_ROOT) not in sys.path:
+    sys.path.insert(0, str(REPO_ROOT))
+
+os.environ.setdefault("MODEL_ID", "test-model")
+
+if "dotenv" not in sys.modules:
+    dotenv = types.ModuleType("dotenv")
+    dotenv.load_dotenv = lambda override=True: None
+    sys.modules["dotenv"] = dotenv
+
+if "anthropic" not in sys.modules:
+    anthropic = types.ModuleType("anthropic")
+
+    class Anthropic:  # pragma: no cover - import shim only
+        def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
+            self.messages = SimpleNamespace(create=lambda **kwargs: None)
+
+    anthropic.Anthropic = Anthropic
+    sys.modules["anthropic"] = anthropic
+
+
+s08 = importlib.import_module("agents.s08_background_tasks")
+
+
+class FakeMessagesAPI:
+    def __init__(self, responses):
+        self._responses = list(responses)
+        self.calls = []
+
+    def create(self, **kwargs):
+        self.calls.append(kwargs)
+        return self._responses.pop(0)
+
+
+class BackgroundTasksTests(unittest.TestCase):
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.original_client = s08.client
+        self.original_bg = s08.BG
+
+    def tearDown(self):
+        s08.client = self.original_client
+        s08.BG = self.original_bg
+
+    def test_wait_for_notifications_unblocks_when_task_finishes(self):
+        bg = s08.BackgroundManager()
+        bg.tasks["task-1"] = {"status": "running", "result": None, "command": "demo"}
+
+        def complete_task():
+            time.sleep(0.05)
+            with bg._notifications_ready:
+                bg.tasks["task-1"]["status"] = "completed"
+                bg.tasks["task-1"]["result"] = "done"
+                bg._notification_queue.append(
+                    {
+                        "task_id": "task-1",
+                        "status": "completed",
+                        "command": "demo",
+                        "result": "done",
+                    }
+                )
+                bg._notifications_ready.notify_all()
+
+        threading.Thread(target=complete_task, daemon=True).start()
+        notifs = bg.wait_for_notifications()
+
+        self.assertEqual(
+            notifs,
+            [
+                {
+                    "task_id": "task-1",
+                    "status": "completed",
+                    "command": "demo",
+                    "result": "done",
+                }
+            ],
+        )
+
+    def test_agent_loop_resumes_after_background_completion(self):
+        bg = s08.BackgroundManager()
+        bg.tasks["task-1"] = {"status": "running", "result": None, "command": "demo"}
+        s08.BG = bg
+
+        responses = [
+            SimpleNamespace(stop_reason="end_turn", content=[SimpleNamespace(type="text", text="running")]),
+            SimpleNamespace(stop_reason="end_turn", content=[SimpleNamespace(type="text", text="done")]),
+        ]
+        fake_messages = FakeMessagesAPI(responses)
+        s08.client = SimpleNamespace(messages=fake_messages)
+
+        def complete_task():
+            time.sleep(0.05)
+            with bg._notifications_ready:
+                bg.tasks["task-1"]["status"] = "completed"
+                bg.tasks["task-1"]["result"] = "done"
+                bg._notification_queue.append(
+                    {
+                        "task_id": "task-1",
+                        "status": "completed",
+                        "command": "demo",
+                        "result": "done",
+                    }
+                )
+                bg._notifications_ready.notify_all()
+
+        threading.Thread(target=complete_task, daemon=True).start()
+        messages = [{"role": "user", "content": "run task in background"}]
+
+        s08.agent_loop(messages)
+
+        self.assertEqual(len(fake_messages.calls), 2)
+        second_call_messages = fake_messages.calls[1]["messages"]
+        self.assertTrue(
+            any(
+                msg["role"] == "user"
+                and isinstance(msg["content"], str)
+                and "<background-results>" in msg["content"]
+                and "[bg:task-1] completed: done" in msg["content"]
+                for msg in second_call_messages
+            )
+        )
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    unittest.main()
diff --git a/tests/test_unit.py b/tests/test_unit.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e01a569d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_unit.py
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+import sys
+import unittest
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    suite = unittest.defaultTestLoader.discover("tests", pattern="test_*.py")
+    result = unittest.TextTestRunner(verbosity=2).run(suite)
+    sys.exit(0 if result.wasSuccessful() else 1)