diff --git a/agent/codex_responses_adapter.py b/agent/codex_responses_adapter.py
index d28d401cbd..a23d2a8ed1 100644
--- a/agent/codex_responses_adapter.py
+++ b/agent/codex_responses_adapter.py
@@ -67,7 +67,8 @@ _SHELL_JSON_LEAK_PATTERN = re.compile(
 )
 _ACTION_VERBS = r"creat(?:e|ing)|writ(?:e|ing)|runn?(?:ing)?|execut(?:e|ing)|check(?:ing)?|verif(?:y|ying)|updat(?:e|ing)|install(?:ing)?|edit(?:ing)?|mak(?:e|ing)"
 _SHELL_JSON_LEAK_LEADIN_PATTERN = re.compile(
-    rf"^(?:sure,\s*)?(?:now\s+)?(?:let\s+me\s+|i(?:'|’)?ll\s+|i\s+will\s+|i(?:'|’)?m\s+|i\s+am\s+)?(?:{_ACTION_VERBS})\b",
+    rf"^(?:(?:next|first|then|okay|ok|alright)\b[\s,—–-]*)?(?:sure,\s*)?(?:now\s+)?"
+    rf"(?:let\s+me\s+|i(?:'|’)?ll\s+|i\s+will\s+|i(?:'|’)?m\s+|i\s+am\s+)?(?:{_ACTION_VERBS})\b",
     re.IGNORECASE,
 )
 
diff --git a/tests/agent/test_codex_responses_adapter.py b/tests/agent/test_codex_responses_adapter.py
index add8e68596..1f773efc35 100644
--- a/tests/agent/test_codex_responses_adapter.py
+++ b/tests/agent/test_codex_responses_adapter.py
@@ -837,6 +837,8 @@ def _final_text_response(text):
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("text", [
     'Creating the PowerShell script now.\n{"cmd": "mkdir -p /c/Temp && cat > /c/Temp/x.ps1 <<\'EOF\'"}',
     'Sure, let me run the tests.\n{"cmd": "pytest -q", "workdir": "/repo", "timeout": 120}',
+    'Next, I\'ll create the script.\n{"cmd": "cat > x.sh"}',
+    'Okay — running the tests.\n{"cmd": "pytest -q"}',
     "Calling tool now to=functions.terminal {\"command\": \"ls\"}",
 ])
 def test_normalize_codex_response_treats_leaked_tool_call_text_as_incomplete(text):