diff --git a/.changeset/print-background-steer.md b/.changeset/print-background-steer.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..90c2bda639
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/print-background-steer.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@moonshot-ai/kimi-code": patch
+---
+
+Add a print-mode background policy that lets `kimi -p` stay alive across background-task completions so the main agent can be steered into follow-up turns. Set `[background].print_background_mode = "steer"` to enable it.
diff --git a/apps/kimi-code/src/cli/run-prompt.ts b/apps/kimi-code/src/cli/run-prompt.ts
index cb86adb2c6..f772862948 100644
--- a/apps/kimi-code/src/cli/run-prompt.ts
+++ b/apps/kimi-code/src/cli/run-prompt.ts
@@ -510,7 +510,7 @@ function runPromptTurn(
         finish(new Error(`${event.code}: ${event.message}`));
         return;
       }
-      if (event.type === 'turn.started' && activeTurnId === undefined) {
+      if (event.type === 'turn.started') {
         if (event.agentId !== PROMPT_MAIN_AGENT_ID) {
           return;
         }
@@ -599,7 +599,6 @@ function runPromptTurn(
         case 'subagent.started':
         case 'subagent.suspended':
         case 'tool.list.updated':
-        case 'turn.started':
         case 'turn.step.completed':
         case 'warning':
           return;
@@ -611,15 +610,22 @@ function runPromptTurn(
     });
 
     async function finishCompletedTurn(): Promise<void> {
-      // Flush the buffered assistant message before draining background tasks:
-      // in stream-json mode the final message is only emitted by finish(), so a
-      // long background wait would otherwise withhold the main turn's result
-      // until the drain settles.
+      // Flush the buffered assistant message before the end-of-turn policy
+      // runs: in stream-json mode the final message is only emitted by
+      // finish(), so a long drain/steer wait would otherwise withhold the main
+      // turn's result until the run exits.
       outputWriter.flushAssistant();
       try {
-        await session.waitForBackgroundTasksOnPrint();
+        const action = await session.handlePrintMainTurnCompleted();
+        if (action === 'continue') {
+          // Stay alive: a still-pending background task will, on completion,
+          // steer the main agent into a new turn whose events we keep mapping.
+          // Do not finish yet.
+          holdEventLoop();
+          return;
+        }
       } catch (error) {
-        log.warn('waitForBackgroundTasksOnPrint failed', { error });
+        log.warn('handlePrintMainTurnCompleted failed', { error });
       }
       finish();
     }
diff --git a/apps/kimi-code/test/cli/run-prompt.test.ts b/apps/kimi-code/test/cli/run-prompt.test.ts
index c7856954e9..bfebd12e27 100644
--- a/apps/kimi-code/test/cli/run-prompt.test.ts
+++ b/apps/kimi-code/test/cli/run-prompt.test.ts
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ const mocks = vi.hoisted(() => {
     waitForBackgroundTasksOnPrint: vi.fn(async () => {}),
     getGoal: vi.fn(async () => ({ goal: null })),
     getCronTasks: vi.fn(async () => ({ tasks: [] })),
+    handlePrintMainTurnCompleted: vi.fn(async (): Promise<'finish' | 'continue'> => 'finish'),
   };
 
   return {
@@ -752,6 +753,56 @@ describe('runPrompt', () => {
     await runPromise;
   });
 
+  it('follows a background-steered second main turn before finishing in steer mode', async () => {
+    // First end-of-turn: stay alive (a background task is still pending).
+    // Second end-of-turn: finish.
+    mocks.session.handlePrintMainTurnCompleted
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce('continue')
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce('finish');
+
+    mocks.session.prompt.mockImplementationOnce(async () => {
+      for (const handler of mocks.eventHandlers) {
+        handler(mocks.mainEvent({ type: 'turn.started', turnId: 10, origin: { kind: 'user' } }));
+        handler(mocks.mainEvent({ type: 'assistant.delta', turnId: 10, delta: 'first' }));
+        handler(mocks.mainEvent({ type: 'turn.ended', turnId: 10, reason: 'completed' }));
+      }
+    });
+
+    const stdout = writer();
+    const stderr = writer();
+    const runPromise = runPrompt(opts({ outputFormat: 'stream-json' }), '1.2.3-test', {
+      stdout,
+      stderr,
+    });
+
+    // The first turn's assistant message must be flushed and the end-of-turn
+    // policy consulted, while the run stays alive (action === 'continue').
+    await waitForAssertion(() => {
+      expect(mocks.session.handlePrintMainTurnCompleted).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+      expect(stdout.text()).toContain('{"role":"assistant","content":"first"}');
+    });
+
+    // Simulate a background-task completion steering the main agent into a new
+    // turn (the runtime does this via turn.steer; here we drive the events
+    // directly to verify the driver follows and finishes only after it).
+    for (const handler of mocks.eventHandlers) {
+      handler(
+        mocks.mainEvent({
+          type: 'turn.started',
+          turnId: 11,
+          origin: { kind: 'background_task' },
+        }),
+      );
+      handler(mocks.mainEvent({ type: 'assistant.delta', turnId: 11, delta: 'second' }));
+      handler(mocks.mainEvent({ type: 'turn.ended', turnId: 11, reason: 'completed' }));
+    }
+
+    await runPromise;
+
+    expect(mocks.session.handlePrintMainTurnCompleted).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+    expect(stdout.text()).toContain('{"role":"assistant","content":"second"}');
+  });
+
   it('resumes a concrete session without a configured default model', async () => {
     mocks.harnessGetConfig.mockResolvedValueOnce({ providers: {}, telemetry: true });
     mocks.session.getStatus.mockResolvedValueOnce({ permission: 'manual', model: 'saved-model' });
diff --git a/docs/en/configuration/config-files.md b/docs/en/configuration/config-files.md
index 2e093baf29..6d4bdfe99e 100644
--- a/docs/en/configuration/config-files.md
+++ b/docs/en/configuration/config-files.md
@@ -208,12 +208,14 @@ You can also switch models temporarily without touching the config file — by s
 | Field | Type | Default | Description |
 | --- | --- | --- | --- |
 | `max_running_tasks` | `integer` | — | Maximum number of background tasks running concurrently |
-| `keep_alive_on_exit` | `boolean` | `false` | Whether to keep still-running background tasks when the session closes. By default, Kimi Code requests that all background tasks stop before the process exits; set this to `true` only when you want tasks to outlive the session. In print mode (`kimi -p`), setting this to `true` also makes the process wait for all background tasks to finish before exiting, so background subagents can complete their work |
-| `print_wait_ceiling_s` | `integer` | `3600` | In print mode (`kimi -p`) with `keep_alive_on_exit = true`, the maximum number of seconds the process waits for background tasks to finish after the main agent's turn ends. Has no effect outside print mode or when `keep_alive_on_exit` is `false` |
+| `keep_alive_on_exit` | `boolean` | `false` | Whether to keep still-running background tasks when the session closes. By default, Kimi Code requests that all background tasks stop before the process exits; set this to `true` only when you want tasks to outlive the session. In print mode (`kimi -p`), this is only a legacy fallback used when `print_background_mode` is unset: `true` is equivalent to `print_background_mode = "drain"` |
+| `print_background_mode` | `"exit" \| "drain" \| "steer"` | `"exit"` | Print mode (`kimi -p`) only. Governs how pending background tasks are handled once the main agent's turn ends: `"exit"` exits immediately; `"drain"` waits for every background task to reach a terminal state before exiting (results are not fed back to the main agent); `"steer"` stays alive so a completing background task — like a background subagent — injects a synthetic user message that steers the main agent into a new turn, looping until a turn ends with no pending background tasks or a limit is hit. Takes precedence over the `keep_alive_on_exit` print fallback |
+| `print_wait_ceiling_s` | `integer` | `3600` | In print mode (`kimi -p`), the wall-clock ceiling (seconds) for the wait/steer loop when `print_background_mode` is `"drain"` or `"steer"`. Has no effect outside print mode or when it is `"exit"` |
+| `print_max_turns` | `integer` | `50` | In print mode (`kimi -p`) with `print_background_mode = "steer"`, the maximum number of new turns that may be triggered by background-task completions, to keep the steering loop bounded |
 
 `keep_alive_on_exit` can be overridden by the `KIMI_CODE_BACKGROUND_KEEP_ALIVE_ON_EXIT` environment variable, which takes higher priority than `config.toml`.
 
-In print mode (`kimi -p "<prompt>"`), Kimi Code runs a single non-interactive turn and exits as soon as the main agent finishes. If you launch background tasks (for example, concurrent subagents via `Agent(run_in_background=true)`) and need them to run to completion, set `keep_alive_on_exit = true`: the process then waits for every background task to reach a terminal state before exiting, bounded by `print_wait_ceiling_s`. Without it, the single turn ending tears background tasks down with the process.
+In print mode (`kimi -p "<prompt>"`), Kimi Code by default runs a single non-interactive turn and exits as soon as the main agent finishes (`print_background_mode = "exit"`). If you launch background tasks (for example, concurrent subagents via `Agent(run_in_background=true)`, or a long command via `Bash(run_in_background=true)`) and need them to run to completion, set `print_background_mode` to `"drain"` (wait for them to finish, without feeding results back) or `"steer"` (feed each completion back to the main agent, starting a new turn so it can act on the result). `"steer"` is useful when the main agent should keep working based on the outcome of a long background task (e.g. training or evaluation); its total wall-clock is bounded by `print_wait_ceiling_s` and the number of extra turns by `print_max_turns`.
 
 ## `image`
 
diff --git a/docs/en/release-notes/changelog.md b/docs/en/release-notes/changelog.md
index ab6868f1b8..d4bfec149b 100644
--- a/docs/en/release-notes/changelog.md
+++ b/docs/en/release-notes/changelog.md
@@ -169,6 +169,7 @@ This page documents the changes in each Kimi Code CLI release.
 - Add a TUI preference to keep rapid multi-line pastes from submitting line by line when bracketed paste is unavailable. Set `disable_paste_burst = true` in `tui.toml` to turn it off.
 - Keep subagent cards at a stable height and show a live status spinner with a compact two-row activity window.
 - In `kimi -p` runs, wait for background subagents to finish before exiting when `background.keep_alive_on_exit` is enabled. Set `keep_alive_on_exit = true` to let concurrent background subagents complete.
+- Add `background.print_background_mode` (`exit`/`drain`/`steer`) for `kimi -p`: in `steer` mode, a completing background task (including `Bash(run_in_background=true)`) behaves like a background subagent — it injects a synthetic user message that steers the main agent into a new turn so it can act on the result. Bounded by `print_wait_ceiling_s` and the new `print_max_turns`.
 
 ### Refactors
 
diff --git a/docs/zh/configuration/config-files.md b/docs/zh/configuration/config-files.md
index 23545d7f26..e25b41203e 100644
--- a/docs/zh/configuration/config-files.md
+++ b/docs/zh/configuration/config-files.md
@@ -208,12 +208,14 @@ display_name = "Kimi for Coding (custom)"
 | 字段 | 类型 | 默认值 | 说明 |
 | --- | --- | --- | --- |
 | `max_running_tasks` | `integer` | — | 同时运行的最大后台任务数 |
-| `keep_alive_on_exit` | `boolean` | `false` | 会话关闭时是否保留仍在运行的后台任务。默认情况下，Kimi Code 会在进程退出前请求停止所有后台任务；只有希望任务在会话结束后继续运行时才设为 `true`。在 print 模式（`kimi -p`）下，设为 `true` 还会让进程在退出前等待所有后台任务跑完，使后台子代理得以完成工作 |
-| `print_wait_ceiling_s` | `integer` | `3600` | 在 print 模式（`kimi -p`）且 `keep_alive_on_exit = true` 时，主 agent 的 turn 结束后进程等待后台任务完成的最长秒数。在非 print 模式或 `keep_alive_on_exit` 为 `false` 时无效 |
+| `keep_alive_on_exit` | `boolean` | `false` | 会话关闭时是否保留仍在运行的后台任务。默认情况下，Kimi Code 会在进程退出前请求停止所有后台任务；只有希望任务在会话结束后继续运行时才设为 `true`。在 print 模式（`kimi -p`）下，本字段仅作为 `print_background_mode` 未设置时的兼容回退：`true` 等价于 `print_background_mode = "drain"` |
+| `print_background_mode` | `"exit" \| "drain" \| "steer"` | `"exit"` | 仅 print 模式（`kimi -p`）生效，决定主 agent 的 turn 结束后如何处理未返回的后台任务：`"exit"` 立即退出；`"drain"` 退出前等待所有后台任务进入终态（结果不回馈给主 agent）；`"steer"` 不退出，让后台任务完成时像后台子代理一样以合成 user 消息 steer 主 agent 进入新 turn，直到某 turn 结束时无未决后台任务或触及上限。设置后优先级高于 `keep_alive_on_exit` 的 print 回退 |
+| `print_wait_ceiling_s` | `integer` | `3600` | print 模式（`kimi -p`）下，`print_background_mode` 为 `"drain"` 或 `"steer"` 时，等待/steer 循环的墙钟上限（秒）。在非 print 模式或 `"exit"` 时无效 |
+| `print_max_turns` | `integer` | `50` | print 模式（`kimi -p`）且 `print_background_mode = "steer"` 时，允许由后台任务完成触发的新 turn 的最大数量，防止 steer 循环失控 |
 
 `keep_alive_on_exit` 可被环境变量 `KIMI_CODE_BACKGROUND_KEEP_ALIVE_ON_EXIT` 覆盖，优先级高于配置文件。
 
-在 print 模式（`kimi -p "<prompt>"`）下，Kimi Code 只跑一个非交互的单轮 turn，主 agent 一结束就退出。如果你启动了后台任务（例如通过 `Agent(run_in_background=true)` 并发子代理）并希望它们跑完，请设置 `keep_alive_on_exit = true`：进程会在退出前等待所有后台任务进入终态，最长不超过 `print_wait_ceiling_s`。否则，单轮 turn 结束时后台任务会随进程一起被清理。
+在 print 模式（`kimi -p "<prompt>"`）下，Kimi Code 默认只跑一个非交互的单轮 turn，主 agent 一结束就退出（`print_background_mode = "exit"`）。如果你启动了后台任务（例如通过 `Agent(run_in_background=true)` 并发子代理，或 `Bash(run_in_background=true)` 的长命令）并希望它们跑完，可将 `print_background_mode` 设为 `"drain"`（等任务结束再退出，结果不回馈）或 `"steer"`（任务结束后把结果 steer 给主 agent，触发新 turn 继续处理）。`"steer"` 适合让主 agent 依据后台长任务（如训练、评测）的结果继续做后续步骤；其总耗时受 `print_wait_ceiling_s` 限制、额外 turn 数受 `print_max_turns` 限制。
 
 ## `image`
 
diff --git a/docs/zh/release-notes/changelog.md b/docs/zh/release-notes/changelog.md
index eef2673ed9..d6498bd60d 100644
--- a/docs/zh/release-notes/changelog.md
+++ b/docs/zh/release-notes/changelog.md
@@ -169,6 +169,7 @@ outline: 2
 - TUI 新增一项偏好设置：当 bracketed paste 不可用时，避免快速多行粘贴被逐行提交。可在 `tui.toml` 中设置 `disable_paste_burst = true` 关闭该行为。
 - 优化子 Agent 卡片，使其保持固定高度，并在紧凑的双行活动窗口内显示实时状态 spinner。
 - `kimi -p` 运行时，若启用了 `background.keep_alive_on_exit`，退出前会等待后台子 Agent 完成。设置 `keep_alive_on_exit = true` 可让并发的后台子 Agent 执行完毕。
+- `kimi -p` 新增 `background.print_background_mode`（`exit`/`drain`/`steer`）：`steer` 模式下，后台任务（含 `Bash(run_in_background=true)`）完成时会像后台子 Agent 一样，以合成 user 消息 steer 主 Agent 进入新 turn，使其能依据后台结果继续工作；上限由 `print_wait_ceiling_s` 与新增的 `print_max_turns` 控制。
 
 ### 重构
 
diff --git a/packages/agent-core/src/config/schema.ts b/packages/agent-core/src/config/schema.ts
index 190da81b76..1f9f9e3b2c 100644
--- a/packages/agent-core/src/config/schema.ts
+++ b/packages/agent-core/src/config/schema.ts
@@ -130,6 +130,8 @@ export const BackgroundConfigSchema = z.object({
   keepAliveOnExit: z.boolean().optional(),
   killGracePeriodMs: z.number().int().min(0).optional(),
   printWaitCeilingS: z.number().int().min(1).optional(),
+  printBackgroundMode: z.enum(['exit', 'drain', 'steer']).optional(),
+  printMaxTurns: z.number().int().min(1).optional(),
 });
 
 export type BackgroundConfig = z.infer<typeof BackgroundConfigSchema>;
diff --git a/packages/agent-core/src/rpc/core-api.ts b/packages/agent-core/src/rpc/core-api.ts
index 53e067b7f4..8bef899e09 100644
--- a/packages/agent-core/src/rpc/core-api.ts
+++ b/packages/agent-core/src/rpc/core-api.ts
@@ -443,6 +443,7 @@ export interface SessionAPI extends AgentAPIWithId {
   generateAgentsMd: (payload: EmptyPayload) => void;
   getSessionWarnings: (payload: EmptyPayload) => readonly SessionWarning[];
   waitForBackgroundTasksOnPrint: (payload: EmptyPayload) => void;
+  handlePrintMainTurnCompleted: (payload: EmptyPayload) => 'finish' | 'continue';
   addAdditionalDir: (payload: AddAdditionalDirPayload) => AddAdditionalDirResult;
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/agent-core/src/rpc/core-impl.ts b/packages/agent-core/src/rpc/core-impl.ts
index 0583fcb40d..2b12ad013d 100644
--- a/packages/agent-core/src/rpc/core-impl.ts
+++ b/packages/agent-core/src/rpc/core-impl.ts
@@ -842,6 +842,10 @@ export class KimiCore implements PromisableMethods<CoreAPI> {
     return this.sessionApi(sessionId).waitForBackgroundTasksOnPrint(payload);
   }
 
+  handlePrintMainTurnCompleted({ sessionId, ...payload }: SessionScopedPayload<EmptyPayload>): Promise<'finish' | 'continue'> {
+    return this.sessionApi(sessionId).handlePrintMainTurnCompleted(payload);
+  }
+
   addAdditionalDir({
     sessionId,
     ...payload
diff --git a/packages/agent-core/src/session/index.ts b/packages/agent-core/src/session/index.ts
index a5086e76ea..f8f40de5f2 100644
--- a/packages/agent-core/src/session/index.ts
+++ b/packages/agent-core/src/session/index.ts
@@ -189,6 +189,8 @@ export class Session {
   };
   private writeMetadataPromise = Promise.resolve();
   private agentsMdWarning: string | undefined;
+  private printSteerDeadline: number | undefined;
+  private printSteerTurns = 0;
 
   constructor(public readonly options: SessionOptions) {
     // Attach the per-session log sink up front so the constructor's
@@ -445,24 +447,18 @@ export class Session {
    * Wait for all still-running background tasks (across every agent) to reach a
    * terminal state before a `kimi -p` (print) run exits.
    *
-   * Gated by `background.keep_alive_on_exit`: when it is not `true`, this returns
-   * immediately so print mode keeps its default single-turn semantics. The wait is
-   * bounded by `background.print_wait_ceiling_s` (default 3600s) so a wedged task
-   * cannot keep the process alive forever.
+   * Only runs when the resolved print background mode is `'drain'` (see
+   * `resolvePrintBackgroundMode`): `print_background_mode = "drain"`, or the
+   * legacy `keep_alive_on_exit = true` fallback. In every other mode it returns
+   * immediately. The wait is bounded by `background.print_wait_ceiling_s`
+   * (default 3600s) so a wedged task cannot keep the process alive forever.
    *
    * Terminal notifications are suppressed for each task while we wait, so a task
    * completing cannot `turn.steer` the (already finished) main agent into launching
-   * a new turn.
+   * a new turn. (This is exactly what `'steer'` mode avoids by never calling here.)
    */
   async waitForBackgroundTasksOnPrint(): Promise<void> {
-    const keepAliveOnExit = resolveConfigValue({
-      env: process.env,
-      envKey: BACKGROUND_KEEP_ALIVE_ON_EXIT_ENV,
-      configValue: this.options.background?.keepAliveOnExit,
-      defaultValue: false,
-      parseEnv: parseBooleanEnv,
-    });
-    if (!keepAliveOnExit) return;
+    if (this.resolvePrintBackgroundMode() !== 'drain') return;
 
     const ceilingS = this.options.background?.printWaitCeilingS ?? 3600;
     const timeoutMs = ceilingS * 1000;
@@ -516,6 +512,77 @@ export class Session {
     }
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Resolve the effective print-mode (`kimi -p`) background-task policy.
+   *
+   * `background.print_background_mode` is authoritative when set. Otherwise we
+   * fall back to the legacy `background.keep_alive_on_exit` mapping so existing
+   * configs keep their behavior: `keep_alive_on_exit = true` ⇒ `'drain'`
+   * (suppress + drain background tasks before exit), otherwise `'exit'`.
+   */
+  private resolvePrintBackgroundMode(): 'exit' | 'drain' | 'steer' {
+    const configured = this.options.background?.printBackgroundMode;
+    if (configured !== undefined) return configured;
+    const keepAliveOnExit = resolveConfigValue({
+      env: process.env,
+      envKey: BACKGROUND_KEEP_ALIVE_ON_EXIT_ENV,
+      configValue: this.options.background?.keepAliveOnExit,
+      defaultValue: false,
+      parseEnv: parseBooleanEnv,
+    });
+    return keepAliveOnExit ? 'drain' : 'exit';
+  }
+
+  private countActiveBackgroundTasks(): number {
+    let count = 0;
+    for (const agent of this.readyAgents()) {
+      count += agent.background.list(true).length;
+    }
+    return count;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Decide what the `kimi -p` driver should do after the main agent's turn ends
+   * with `reason === 'completed'`. Returns `'finish'` when the run may exit, or
+   * `'continue'` when the driver must stay alive so a background-task completion
+   * can `turn.steer` the main agent into a new turn.
+   *
+   *  - 'exit'  : finish immediately (default).
+   *  - 'drain' : suppress + drain background tasks, then finish (legacy
+   *              `keep_alive_on_exit = true` behavior).
+   *  - 'steer' : while background tasks are still pending, return 'continue' so
+   *              completions steer new main turns; finish once quiescent, or when
+   *              the wall-clock ceiling (`print_wait_ceiling_s`) or the turn cap
+   *              (`print_max_turns`) is reached.
+   */
+  async handlePrintMainTurnCompleted(): Promise<'finish' | 'continue'> {
+    const mode = this.resolvePrintBackgroundMode();
+    if (mode === 'exit') return 'finish';
+    if (mode === 'drain') {
+      await this.waitForBackgroundTasksOnPrint();
+      return 'finish';
+    }
+
+    // 'steer'
+    const ceilingS = this.options.background?.printWaitCeilingS ?? 3600;
+    const maxTurns = this.options.background?.printMaxTurns ?? 50;
+    const now = Date.now();
+    this.printSteerDeadline ??= now + ceilingS * 1000;
+    this.printSteerTurns += 1;
+    if (now >= this.printSteerDeadline) {
+      this.log.warn('print steer ceiling reached, finishing', { ceilingS });
+      return 'finish';
+    }
+    if (this.printSteerTurns > maxTurns) {
+      this.log.warn('print steer max turns reached, finishing', { maxTurns });
+      return 'finish';
+    }
+    if (this.countActiveBackgroundTasks() > 0) {
+      return 'continue';
+    }
+    return 'finish';
+  }
+
   async createAgent(
     config: Partial<AgentOptions>,
     options: CreateAgentOptions = {},
diff --git a/packages/agent-core/src/session/rpc.ts b/packages/agent-core/src/session/rpc.ts
index d15edef256..bbc85c7763 100644
--- a/packages/agent-core/src/session/rpc.ts
+++ b/packages/agent-core/src/session/rpc.ts
@@ -111,6 +111,10 @@ export class SessionAPIImpl implements PromisableMethods<SessionAPI> {
     return this.session.waitForBackgroundTasksOnPrint();
   }
 
+  handlePrintMainTurnCompleted(_payload: EmptyPayload): Promise<'finish' | 'continue'> {
+    return this.session.handlePrintMainTurnCompleted();
+  }
+
   addAdditionalDir(payload: AddAdditionalDirPayload): Promise<AddAdditionalDirResult> {
     return this.session.addAdditionalDir(payload.path, payload.persist);
   }
diff --git a/packages/agent-core/test/session/lifecycle-hooks.test.ts b/packages/agent-core/test/session/lifecycle-hooks.test.ts
index d064f8cde9..cc45993382 100644
--- a/packages/agent-core/test/session/lifecycle-hooks.test.ts
+++ b/packages/agent-core/test/session/lifecycle-hooks.test.ts
@@ -295,6 +295,125 @@ describe('Session lifecycle hooks', () => {
     await session.close();
   });
 
+  it('handlePrintMainTurnCompleted returns finish by default (exit mode)', async () => {
+    const { sessionDir, workDir } = await hookFixture();
+    const session = new Session({
+      kaos: testKaos.withCwd(workDir),
+      id: 'session-print-mode-exit',
+      homedir: sessionDir,
+      rpc: createSessionRpc(),
+      skills: { explicitDirs: [join(workDir, 'missing-skills')] },
+    });
+    await session.createMain();
+
+    await expect(session.handlePrintMainTurnCompleted()).resolves.toBe('finish');
+    await session.close();
+  });
+
+  it('handlePrintMainTurnCompleted drains when printBackgroundMode is drain without keepAliveOnExit', async () => {
+    const { sessionDir, workDir } = await hookFixture();
+    const session = new Session({
+      kaos: testKaos.withCwd(workDir),
+      id: 'session-print-mode-drain',
+      homedir: sessionDir,
+      rpc: createSessionRpc(),
+      skills: { explicitDirs: [join(workDir, 'missing-skills')] },
+      background: { printBackgroundMode: 'drain' },
+    });
+    const agent = await session.createMain();
+    const { proc } = pendingProcess(0);
+    const taskId = agent.background.registerTask(
+      new ProcessBackgroundTask(proc, 'sleep 60', 'drain me'),
+    );
+
+    let settled = false;
+    const promise = session.handlePrintMainTurnCompleted().then((action) => {
+      settled = true;
+      return action;
+    });
+
+    await new Promise((resolve) => setImmediate(resolve));
+    expect(settled).toBe(false);
+
+    await proc.kill('SIGTERM');
+    await expect(promise).resolves.toBe('finish');
+    expect(agent.background.getTask(taskId)?.status).toBe('completed');
+    await session.close();
+  });
+
+  it('explicit printBackgroundMode exit overrides keepAliveOnExit (no drain)', async () => {
+    const { sessionDir, workDir } = await hookFixture();
+    const session = new Session({
+      kaos: testKaos.withCwd(workDir),
+      id: 'session-print-mode-exit-override',
+      homedir: sessionDir,
+      rpc: createSessionRpc(),
+      skills: { explicitDirs: [join(workDir, 'missing-skills')] },
+      background: { keepAliveOnExit: true, printBackgroundMode: 'exit' },
+    });
+    const agent = await session.createMain();
+    const { proc, killSpy } = pendingProcess();
+    const taskId = agent.background.registerTask(
+      new ProcessBackgroundTask(proc, 'sleep 60', 'no drain'),
+    );
+
+    await session.waitForBackgroundTasksOnPrint();
+    await expect(session.handlePrintMainTurnCompleted()).resolves.toBe('finish');
+
+    expect(killSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(agent.background.getTask(taskId)?.status).toBe('running');
+    await proc.kill('SIGTERM').catch(() => undefined);
+    await session.close();
+  });
+
+  it('handlePrintMainTurnCompleted returns continue in steer mode while a task is pending, then finish once quiescent', async () => {
+    const { sessionDir, workDir } = await hookFixture();
+    const session = new Session({
+      kaos: testKaos.withCwd(workDir),
+      id: 'session-print-mode-steer',
+      homedir: sessionDir,
+      rpc: createSessionRpc(),
+      skills: { explicitDirs: [join(workDir, 'missing-skills')] },
+      background: { printBackgroundMode: 'steer' },
+    });
+    const agent = await session.createMain();
+    const { proc } = pendingProcess();
+    agent.background.registerTask(new ProcessBackgroundTask(proc, 'sleep 60', 'steer me'));
+
+    await expect(session.handlePrintMainTurnCompleted()).resolves.toBe('continue');
+
+    await proc.kill('SIGTERM');
+    // Let the background manager observe the terminal status.
+    await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 50));
+
+    await expect(session.handlePrintMainTurnCompleted()).resolves.toBe('finish');
+    await session.close();
+  });
+
+  it('handlePrintMainTurnCompleted finishes in steer mode once printMaxTurns is reached', async () => {
+    const { sessionDir, workDir } = await hookFixture();
+    const session = new Session({
+      kaos: testKaos.withCwd(workDir),
+      id: 'session-print-mode-steer-cap',
+      homedir: sessionDir,
+      rpc: createSessionRpc(),
+      skills: { explicitDirs: [join(workDir, 'missing-skills')] },
+      background: { printBackgroundMode: 'steer', printMaxTurns: 1 },
+    });
+    const agent = await session.createMain();
+    const { proc } = pendingProcess();
+    agent.background.registerTask(new ProcessBackgroundTask(proc, 'sleep 60', 'cap me'));
+
+    // First call: printSteerTurns becomes 1 (not over cap), task pending ⇒ continue.
+    await expect(session.handlePrintMainTurnCompleted()).resolves.toBe('continue');
+    // Second call: printSteerTurns becomes 2 (> printMaxTurns=1) ⇒ finish even though
+    // the task is still running.
+    await expect(session.handlePrintMainTurnCompleted()).resolves.toBe('finish');
+
+    await proc.kill('SIGTERM').catch(() => undefined);
+    await session.close();
+  });
+
   it('waitForBackgroundTasksOnPrint waits for tasks spawned after the first enumeration', async () => {
     const { sessionDir, workDir } = await hookFixture();
     const session = new Session({
diff --git a/packages/node-sdk/src/rpc.ts b/packages/node-sdk/src/rpc.ts
index b51960e5c1..9b1b83554c 100644
--- a/packages/node-sdk/src/rpc.ts
+++ b/packages/node-sdk/src/rpc.ts
@@ -548,6 +548,11 @@ export abstract class SDKRpcClientBase {
     return rpc.waitForBackgroundTasksOnPrint({ sessionId: input.sessionId });
   }
 
+  async handlePrintMainTurnCompleted(input: SessionIdRpcInput): Promise<'finish' | 'continue'> {
+    const rpc = await this.getRpc();
+    return rpc.handlePrintMainTurnCompleted({ sessionId: input.sessionId });
+  }
+
   async createGoal(input: SessionIdRpcInput & CreateGoalInput): Promise<GoalSnapshot> {
     const rpc = await this.getRpc();
     return rpc.createGoal({
diff --git a/packages/node-sdk/src/session.ts b/packages/node-sdk/src/session.ts
index 687b0d275b..2c0ec3e9f5 100644
--- a/packages/node-sdk/src/session.ts
+++ b/packages/node-sdk/src/session.ts
@@ -381,15 +381,29 @@ export class Session {
   /**
    * Block until every still-running background task (across all agents in this
    * session) reaches a terminal state. Used by `kimi -p` after the main agent's
-   * turn finishes when `background.keep_alive_on_exit` is `true`, so background
-   * subagents get a chance to complete before the process exits. No-op when
-   * `keep_alive_on_exit` is not enabled. Bounded by `background.print_wait_ceiling_s`.
+   * turn finishes when the resolved print background mode is `'drain'`
+   * (`print_background_mode = "drain"`, or the legacy `keep_alive_on_exit = true`
+   * fallback), so background subagents get a chance to complete before the process
+   * exits. No-op in other modes. Bounded by `background.print_wait_ceiling_s`.
    */
   async waitForBackgroundTasksOnPrint(): Promise<void> {
     this.ensureOpen();
     await this.rpc.waitForBackgroundTasksOnPrint({ sessionId: this.id });
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Used by `kimi -p` after the main agent's turn ends with `reason ===
+   * 'completed'`. Returns `'finish'` when the run may exit, or `'continue'` when
+   * the caller must keep the session alive so a background-task completion can
+   * steer the main agent into a new turn. Policy is selected by
+   * `background.print_background_mode` (`'exit' | 'drain' | 'steer'`); when unset
+   * it falls back to the legacy `keep_alive_on_exit` mapping (`true ⇒ 'drain'`).
+   */
+  async handlePrintMainTurnCompleted(): Promise<'finish' | 'continue'> {
+    this.ensureOpen();
+    return this.rpc.handlePrintMainTurnCompleted({ sessionId: this.id });
+  }
+
   // --- Goal lifecycle ---------------------------------------------------
   // Deterministic user/host control surface. There is intentionally no
   // `updateGoal`: the goal's terminal status is decided by the model via the