diff --git a/extensions/shared/capability-intent.ts b/extensions/shared/capability-intent.ts
index f7da1d54..f473385f 100644
--- a/extensions/shared/capability-intent.ts
+++ b/extensions/shared/capability-intent.ts
@@ -7,8 +7,9 @@ const CAPABILITY_INTENT = {
   search:
     /\b(?:use|run)\s+(?:fd|rg)\b|\buse\s+(?:structured\s+)?(?:(?:file|code|content)\s+)?search\b|\b(?:structured|fast)\s+(?:file|code|content)\s+search\b|(?:使用|用|运行).{0,8}(?:fd|rg|git\s+(?:show|diff|log))|结构化(?:文件|代码|内容)搜索/iu,
   delegate:
-    /\bsubagents?\b|(?:^|[.!?]\s+)(?:please\s+)?(?:delegate|parallelize)\s+(?:this|the)\s+(?:task|work)\b|\b(?:can|could|would)\s+you\s+(?:please\s+)?(?:delegate|parallelize)\s+(?:this|the)\s+(?:task|work)\b|\bparallel\s+agents?\b|^\s*子代理\s*[,，:：]?\s*(?:(?:来|去|请|帮(?:我|忙)?|负责|给我)\s*)?(?:(?:先|全面|系统(?:性地)?|深入|快速|仔细)\s*)?(?:了解|查看|检查|审查|分析|研究|调研|梳理|探索|实现|修复|处理|执行|完成|阅读|总结)|(?:使用|用|启动|调用|来|开).{0,8}子代理|(?:多个?|多路)子代理|并行.{0,8}(?:代理|agent)|委派.{0,6}(?:任务|给|出去)/iu,
-  workflow: /\bworkflows?\b|(?:使用|用|运行|创建|构建).{0,8}工作流/iu,
+    /(?:^|[.!?]\s+)(?:please\s+)?(?:delegate|parallelize)\s+(?:this|the)\s+(?:task|work)\b|\b(?:can|could|would)\s+you\s+(?:please\s+)?(?:delegate|parallelize)\s+(?:this|the)\s+(?:task|work)\b|\b(?:use|spawn|start)\s+(?:a\s+)?subagents?\b|\bparallel\s+agents?\b|(?:使用|用|启动|调用).{0,8}subagents?\b|^\s*子代理\s*[,，:：]?\s*(?:(?:来|去|请|帮(?:我|忙)?|负责|给我)\s*)?(?:(?:先|全面|系统(?:性地)?|深入|快速|仔细)\s*)?(?:了解|查看|检查|审查|分析|研究|调研|梳理|探索|实现|修复|处理|执行|完成|阅读|总结)|(?:使用|用|启动|调用|来|开).{0,8}子代理|(?:多个?|多路)子代理|并行.{0,8}(?:代理|agent)|委派.{0,6}(?:任务|给|出去)/iu,
+  workflow:
+    /\b(?:use|run|start|create|build)\s+(?:a\s+)?workflows?\b|(?:使用|用|运行|创建|构建).{0,8}(?:工作流|workflows?)/iu,
   background:
     /\b(?:run|start|keep)\b.{0,40}\b(?:in the background|background\s+(?:process|terminal|job))\b|后台.{0,8}(?:运行|启动|进程|终端|任务)/iu,
   session:
@@ -31,8 +32,9 @@ function isExplicitClause(clause: string) {
 
 /**
  * One fail-closed interpretation of explicit user capability intent. The
- * English names `subagent` and `workflow` are reserved authorization words;
- * negated or conditional clauses remain inert. Runtime activation and
+ * English capability names require an imperative request context; references
+ * in identifiers, discussion, or comparisons stay inert. Negated or
+ * conditional clauses remain inert. Runtime activation and
  * pre-submit UI feedback both cross this seam, so they cannot drift.
  */
 export function capabilitiesRequestedByPrompt(prompt: string) {
diff --git a/tests/extensions/shared/capability-intent.test.ts b/tests/extensions/shared/capability-intent.test.ts
index 9b066702..967327e9 100644
--- a/tests/extensions/shared/capability-intent.test.ts
+++ b/tests/extensions/shared/capability-intent.test.ts
@@ -6,10 +6,7 @@ import {
 } from "../../../extensions/shared/capability-intent.ts";
 
 test("classifies explicit capability intent across English, Chinese, and mixed phrases", () => {
-  assert.deepEqual(capabilitiesRequestedByPrompt("subagent, workflow"), [
-    "delegate",
-    "workflow",
-  ]);
+  assert.deepEqual(capabilitiesRequestedByPrompt("subagent, workflow"), []);
   assert.deepEqual(
     capabilitiesRequestedByPrompt("用 Subagent 并行检查这三个模块"),
     ["delegate"],
@@ -31,10 +28,19 @@ test("classifies explicit capability intent across English, Chinese, and mixed p
   );
 });
 
-test("reserved English capability words authorize the matching groups", () => {
+test("English references without an imperative stay inert", () => {
   assert.deepEqual(
     capabilitiesRequestedByPrompt("Compare Subagent and Workflow"),
-    ["delegate", "workflow"],
+    [],
+  );
+  for (const prompt of [
+    "git checkout -b subagent-matching",
+    "Please review the subagent.ts implementation",
+    "讨论 workflow 和 subagent 的区别",
+  ]) assert.deepEqual(capabilitiesRequestedByPrompt(prompt), [], prompt);
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    capabilitiesRequestedByPrompt("Use a subagent to review this change"),
+    ["delegate"],
   );
 });