diff --git a/quill.go b/quill.go
index eb2c403..8292c9e 100644
--- a/quill.go
+++ b/quill.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package main
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 )
@@ -8,13 +9,43 @@ import (
 const quillSystem = `You are Quill crow, the owner's assistant and point of contact in a nest of AI crows.
 Answer the owner in one or two plain sentences. You are text-only: no web, no files, no tools.`
 
+const quillHistoryCap = 20
+
+// quillHistory builds a block of the most recent nest messages (excluding the
+// requesting message), formatted as "[author|kind] text" with text truncated
+// to 200 runes. Returns a single line when no earlier messages exist.
+func quillHistory(all []Message, excludeID int) string {
+	var filtered []Message
+	for _, m := range all {
+		if m.ID != excludeID {
+			filtered = append(filtered, m)
+		}
+	}
+	if len(filtered) == 0 {
+		return "The nest has no earlier messages."
+	}
+	if len(filtered) > quillHistoryCap {
+		filtered = filtered[len(filtered)-quillHistoryCap:]
+	}
+	var sb strings.Builder
+	for _, m := range filtered {
+		text := []rune(m.Text)
+		if len(text) > 200 {
+			text = text[:200]
+		}
+		sb.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("[%s|%s] %s\n", m.Author, m.Kind, string(text)))
+	}
+	return strings.TrimRight(sb.String(), "\n")
+}
+
 // respondQuill answers a message addressed to Quill, the assistant service
-// role (CHATROOM_SPEC section 6). D1: one in-character reply through the
-// flock. Reading the nest for status (D2) and relaying (D3) extend this file.
+// role (CHATROOM_SPEC section 6). D2: reads the nest for status before
+// composing its reply.
 func (s *Server) respondQuill(nest Nest, req Message) {
 	budget := &Budget{name: "quill-reply", limit: s.p.G.TokenBudgetPerItem}
 	system := systemFor("Quill", quillSystem, false)
-	prompt := "FROM: " + req.Author + "\nMESSAGE: " + req.Text
+	history := quillHistory(s.msgs.All(nest.ID), req.ID)
+	prompt := history + "\n---\nFROM: " + req.Author + "\nMESSAGE: " + req.Text
 	answer, err := s.p.Flock.ask(s.ctx, nil, "Quill", system, prompt, budget)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
diff --git a/quill_test.go b/quill_test.go
index cbbb9a2..2032823 100644
--- a/quill_test.go
+++ b/quill_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/http/httptest"
 	"strings"
@@ -95,3 +96,119 @@ func TestQuillNotInNestCrows(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal("Quill must not need or earn a worker trust record")
 	}
 }
+
+func TestQuillPromptContainsNestHistory(t *testing.T) {
+	ts, _, qb := newQuillServer(t, "Hugin finished the build already.")
+	id := newNest(t, ts, "Lab", `"Hugin","Munin"`)
+
+	// 1. owner says something that sets up context
+	code, out := post(t, ts.URL+"/api/nests/"+id+"/messages",
+		`{"author":"owner","to":"Hugin","kind":"say","text":"build the widget factory"}`)
+	if code != http.StatusCreated {
+		t.Fatalf("post say: %d", code)
+	}
+	sayMsgID := out["msg_id"].(string)
+
+	// 2. Hugin delivers an answer
+	code, _ = post(t, ts.URL+"/api/nests/"+id+"/messages",
+		`{"author":"Hugin","kind":"deliver","text":"the widget factory is live","refers_to":"`+sayMsgID+`"}`)
+	if code != http.StatusCreated {
+		t.Fatalf("post deliver: %d", code)
+	}
+
+	// 3. owner asks Quill for status
+	code, _ = post(t, ts.URL+"/api/nests/"+id+"/messages",
+		`{"author":"owner","to":"Quill","kind":"request","text":"where did that get to"}`)
+	if code != http.StatusCreated {
+		t.Fatalf("post request to Quill: %d", code)
+	}
+
+	// Wait for Quill's reply (3 prior + 1 Quill reply = 4)
+	msgs := awaitMessages(t, ts, id, 4)
+	var quillReply map[string]any
+	for _, m := range msgs {
+		if m["author"] == "Quill" {
+			quillReply = m
+		}
+	}
+	if quillReply == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Quill never answered: %v", msgs)
+	}
+
+	qb.mu.Lock()
+	defer qb.mu.Unlock()
+	if len(qb.pairs) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("want exactly one model call, got %d", len(qb.pairs))
+	}
+	prompt := qb.pairs[0][1]
+	if !strings.Contains(prompt, "build the widget factory") {
+		t.Fatalf("prompt must contain the owner's earlier message: %q", prompt)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(prompt, "the widget factory is live") {
+		t.Fatalf("prompt must contain Hugin's deliver: %q", prompt)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestQuillEmptyNestSaysQuiet(t *testing.T) {
+	ts, _, qb := newQuillServer(t, "All quiet here.")
+	id := newNest(t, ts, "Quiet", `"Hugin"`)
+
+	// Only message is the request to Quill — history excluding it is empty
+	code, _ := post(t, ts.URL+"/api/nests/"+id+"/messages",
+		`{"author":"owner","to":"Quill","kind":"request","text":"any updates?"}`)
+	if code != http.StatusCreated {
+		t.Fatalf("post: %d", code)
+	}
+	awaitMessages(t, ts, id, 2)
+
+	qb.mu.Lock()
+	defer qb.mu.Unlock()
+	if len(qb.pairs) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("want exactly one model call, got %d", len(qb.pairs))
+	}
+	prompt := qb.pairs[0][1]
+	if !strings.Contains(prompt, "no earlier messages") {
+		t.Fatalf("prompt must state the nest is empty: %q", prompt)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestQuillHistoryCap(t *testing.T) {
+	ts, _, qb := newQuillServer(t, "got it")
+	id := newNest(t, ts, "Busy", `"Hugin"`)
+
+	// Post 25 filler messages from owner
+	for i := 0; i < 25; i++ {
+		code, _ := post(t, ts.URL+"/api/nests/"+id+"/messages",
+			fmt.Sprintf(`{"author":"owner","kind":"say","text":"filler line %d"}`, i))
+		if code != http.StatusCreated {
+			t.Fatalf("post filler %d: %d", i, code)
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Ask Quill
+	code, _ := post(t, ts.URL+"/api/nests/"+id+"/messages",
+		`{"author":"owner","to":"Quill","kind":"request","text":"status"}`)
+	if code != http.StatusCreated {
+		t.Fatalf("post to Quill: %d", code)
+	}
+	awaitMessages(t, ts, id, 27)
+
+	qb.mu.Lock()
+	defer qb.mu.Unlock()
+	if len(qb.pairs) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("want exactly one model call, got %d", len(qb.pairs))
+	}
+	prompt := qb.pairs[0][1]
+	historyLines := 0
+	for _, line := range strings.Split(prompt, "\n") {
+		if strings.HasPrefix(line, "[") {
+			historyLines++
+		}
+	}
+	if historyLines > 20 {
+		t.Fatalf("history lines must be capped at 20, got %d\nprompt:\n%s", historyLines, prompt)
+	}
+	if historyLines == 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected some history lines, got none")
+	}
+}