diff --git a/apps/api/src/app.ts b/apps/api/src/app.ts
index 2a9e5c1..d3ff4e7 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/app.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/app.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import type {
   ComposioProvider,
   ConnectorRegistry,
   DestinationEmulator,
+  MediaOperationRegistration,
   RemoteConnectorDependencies,
 } from "@rakazo/adapters";
 import {
@@ -143,6 +144,8 @@ export async function createApp(
     email?: TransactionalEmailProvider;
     remoteConnectors?: RemoteConnectorDependencies;
     logger?: Logger;
+    /** Test seam: media operations instead of the configured ones. */
+    mediaOperations?: MediaOperationRegistration[];
   } = {},
 ): Promise<AppHandles> {
   const {
@@ -155,6 +158,7 @@ export async function createApp(
     email: emailOverride,
     remoteConnectors,
     logger: loggerOverride,
+    mediaOperations,
     ...envOverrides
   } = overrides;
   const env = { ...loadEnv(process.env), ...envOverrides };
@@ -384,9 +388,9 @@ export async function createApp(
     events,
     jobs,
     artifacts,
-    registrations: createMediaOperations({
-      loadSettings: () => loadMediaSettings({ prisma, secrets }),
-    }),
+    registrations:
+      mediaOperations ??
+      createMediaOperations({ loadSettings: () => loadMediaSettings({ prisma, secrets }) }),
   });
   const executor = createRunExecutor({
     prisma,
@@ -468,6 +472,7 @@ export async function createApp(
 
   const router = createRouter({
     cloudAgent,
+    media,
     prisma,
     events,
     auth,
diff --git a/apps/api/src/media-jobs.ts b/apps/api/src/media-jobs.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4a289e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/api/src/media-jobs.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+import { ORPCError } from "@orpc/server";
+import type { MediaRuntime } from "@rakazo/adapter-kit";
+import {
+  type EncryptedSecretStore,
+  loadMediaSettings,
+  MediaJobRejectedError,
+  MediaSettingsInvalidError,
+  mediaSettingsView,
+  saveMediaSettings,
+} from "@rakazo/adapters";
+import type { Actor, MediaJobStartInput, MediaSettingsUpdate } from "@rakazo/contracts";
+import type { PrismaClient } from "@rakazo/db";
+import { resolveThreadTarget } from "./thread-target.js";
+
+export interface MediaRouteDeps {
+  prisma: PrismaClient;
+  secrets: EncryptedSecretStore;
+  media?: MediaRuntime;
+}
+
+/** Media backends run on the deployment owner's own server, so only they configure them. */
+function requireDeploymentOwner(actor: Actor) {
+  if (!actor.isDeploymentOwner) throw new ORPCError("FORBIDDEN");
+}
+
+function requireMedia(deps: MediaRouteDeps): MediaRuntime {
+  if (!deps.media) throw new ORPCError("NOT_IMPLEMENTED");
+  return deps.media;
+}
+
+export async function getMediaSettings(deps: MediaRouteDeps, actor: Actor) {
+  requireDeploymentOwner(actor);
+  return mediaSettingsView(await loadMediaSettings(deps));
+}
+
+export async function updateMediaSettings(
+  deps: MediaRouteDeps,
+  actor: Actor,
+  input: MediaSettingsUpdate,
+) {
+  requireDeploymentOwner(actor);
+  try {
+    return await saveMediaSettings(deps, input);
+  } catch (error) {
+    if (error instanceof MediaSettingsInvalidError) {
+      throw new ORPCError("BAD_REQUEST", { message: error.message });
+    }
+    throw error;
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Starts an operation a user picked on a card (export, transcribe, edit) in the same conversation.
+ * The thread is authorized like every thread procedure; the runtime checks that the operation's
+ * source artifacts belong to the actor, and the job can only ever read the actor's artifacts.
+ */
+export async function startMediaJob(deps: MediaRouteDeps, actor: Actor, input: MediaJobStartInput) {
+  const media = requireMedia(deps);
+  const target = await resolveThreadTarget(deps.prisma, actor, input);
+  const source = await deps.prisma.message.findFirst({
+    where: { id: input.messageId, threadId: target.threadId },
+    select: { botId: true },
+  });
+  if (!source) throw new ORPCError("NOT_FOUND");
+  const bots =
+    target.kind === "bot"
+      ? [target.botId]
+      : [
+          ...(target.leadBotId && target.memberBotIds.includes(target.leadBotId)
+            ? [target.leadBotId]
+            : []),
+          ...target.memberBotIds,
+        ];
+  const botId = source.botId && bots.includes(source.botId) ? source.botId : bots[0];
+  if (!botId) throw new ORPCError("NOT_FOUND");
+  try {
+    return await media.start({
+      operation: input.operation,
+      input: input.input,
+      spaceId: actor.spaceId,
+      userId: actor.userId,
+      botId,
+      groupId: target.kind === "group" ? target.groupId : null,
+      threadId: target.threadId,
+      runId: null,
+    });
+  } catch (error) {
+    if (error instanceof MediaJobRejectedError) {
+      throw new ORPCError("BAD_REQUEST", { message: error.message });
+    }
+    throw error;
+  }
+}
+
+async function ownedJobId(deps: MediaRouteDeps, actor: Actor, jobId: string): Promise<string> {
+  const job = await deps.prisma.mediaJob.findFirst({
+    where: { id: jobId, spaceId: actor.spaceId, userId: actor.userId },
+    select: { id: true },
+  });
+  if (!job) throw new ORPCError("NOT_FOUND");
+  return job.id;
+}
+
+export async function getMediaJob(deps: MediaRouteDeps, actor: Actor, jobId: string) {
+  const media = requireMedia(deps);
+  const snapshot = await media.get(await ownedJobId(deps, actor, jobId));
+  if (!snapshot) throw new ORPCError("NOT_FOUND");
+  return snapshot;
+}
+
+export async function cancelMediaJob(deps: MediaRouteDeps, actor: Actor, jobId: string) {
+  const media = requireMedia(deps);
+  const id = await ownedJobId(deps, actor, jobId);
+  await media.cancel(id);
+  const snapshot = await media.get(id);
+  if (!snapshot) throw new ORPCError("NOT_FOUND");
+  return snapshot;
+}
diff --git a/apps/api/src/router.ts b/apps/api/src/router.ts
index 2baf21e..4255c3d 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/router.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/router.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import type {
   ArtifactStore,
   ConnectorCatalogItem,
   JobPublisher,
+  MediaRuntime,
   MemoryStore,
   SandboxProvider,
 } from "@rakazo/adapter-kit";
@@ -166,6 +167,13 @@ import {
   renameMainConversation,
 } from "./main-conversation.js";
 import { buildMcpUpdateMaterial } from "./mcp-material.js";
+import {
+  cancelMediaJob,
+  getMediaJob,
+  getMediaSettings,
+  startMediaJob,
+  updateMediaSettings,
+} from "./media-jobs.js";
 import {
   disconnectMemoryProvider,
   getMemoryProviderConfig,
@@ -446,6 +454,7 @@ function mcpAssignmentDto(row: {
 
 export interface RouterDeps {
   cloudAgent?: CloudAgentConnection | null;
+  media?: MediaRuntime;
   prisma: PrismaClient;
   events: ThreadEvents;
   auth: Auth;
@@ -3481,6 +3490,27 @@ export function createRouter(deps: RouterDeps) {
         return { ok: true as const };
       }),
     },
+    media: {
+      settings: {
+        get: authed.media.settings.get.handler(({ context }) =>
+          getMediaSettings(deps, context.actor),
+        ),
+        update: authed.media.settings.update.handler(({ context, input }) =>
+          updateMediaSettings(deps, context.actor, input),
+        ),
+      },
+      jobs: {
+        start: authed.media.jobs.start.handler(({ context, input }) =>
+          startMediaJob(deps, context.actor, input),
+        ),
+        get: authed.media.jobs.get.handler(({ context, input }) =>
+          getMediaJob(deps, context.actor, input.jobId),
+        ),
+        cancel: authed.media.jobs.cancel.handler(({ context, input }) =>
+          cancelMediaJob(deps, context.actor, input.jobId),
+        ),
+      },
+    },
     connections: {
       catalog: authed.connections.catalog.handler(async ({ context, input }) => {
         const adapterContext = connectionContext(
diff --git a/packages/adapters/src/executor-tools.ts b/packages/adapters/src/executor-tools.ts
index 2e819b8..1045aa2 100644
--- a/packages/adapters/src/executor-tools.ts
+++ b/packages/adapters/src/executor-tools.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
-import type { ConnectorTool } from "@rakazo/adapter-kit";
+import type { ConnectorTool, MediaCapabilities } from "@rakazo/adapter-kit";
 import { agentConnectionTools, builtinAgentTools } from "./builtin-tools.js";
 import { selectCloudAgentTools } from "./cloud-agent-tools-select.js";
+import { selectMediaTools } from "./media-tools.js";
 import { selectMemoryTools } from "./memory-tools.js";
 import { filterImageReturningComputerTools } from "./model-vision.js";
 import {
@@ -81,6 +82,8 @@ export function selectBuiltinToolsForRun(options: {
   trigger: string;
   semanticMemoryEnabled: boolean;
   cloudAgentEnabled?: boolean;
+  /** Media tools appear only for operations the space can run. */
+  mediaCapabilities?: MediaCapabilities;
   messagingChannelRun: boolean;
   /** Cross-owner agent connections only exist for chat-linked bots. */
   agentConnectionsEnabled?: boolean;
@@ -88,21 +91,24 @@ export function selectBuiltinToolsForRun(options: {
   foreignAgentRun?: boolean;
   bot: BuiltinToolPolicy;
 }) {
-  const selected = selectCloudAgentTools(
-    selectMemoryTools(
-      filterBuiltinToolsForRun(
-        filterBuiltinToolsForThread(
-          filterPageBrowserTools(
-            filterImageReturningComputerTools(builtinAgentTools, options.graphicalToolsAllowed),
-            options.pageBrowserAllowed ?? options.graphicalToolsAllowed,
+  const selected = selectMediaTools(
+    selectCloudAgentTools(
+      selectMemoryTools(
+        filterBuiltinToolsForRun(
+          filterBuiltinToolsForThread(
+            filterPageBrowserTools(
+              filterImageReturningComputerTools(builtinAgentTools, options.graphicalToolsAllowed),
+              options.pageBrowserAllowed ?? options.graphicalToolsAllowed,
+            ),
+            options.groupId,
           ),
-          options.groupId,
+          options.trigger,
         ),
-        options.trigger,
+        options.semanticMemoryEnabled,
       ),
-      options.semanticMemoryEnabled,
+      Boolean(options.cloudAgentEnabled),
     ),
-    Boolean(options.cloudAgentEnabled),
+    options.mediaCapabilities,
   ).filter(
     (tool) =>
       !(options.foreignAgentRun && tool.name === "update_user_profile") &&
diff --git a/packages/adapters/src/executor.ts b/packages/adapters/src/executor.ts
index 5cb9181..31b094d 100644
--- a/packages/adapters/src/executor.ts
+++ b/packages/adapters/src/executor.ts
@@ -283,6 +283,7 @@ import {
   needsOAuthProbe,
   parseMcpServerToolArgs,
 } from "./mcp-server-tool.js";
+import { executeMediaTool, isMediaToolName } from "./media-tools.js";
 import { loadAgentMemoryContext } from "./memory-context.js";
 import type { MemoryProviderResolver } from "./memory-provider-factory.js";
 import { selectMemoryTools } from "./memory-tools.js";
@@ -1477,6 +1478,7 @@ export function createRunExecutor(deps: ExecutorDeps) {
           trigger: run.trigger,
           semanticMemoryEnabled,
           cloudAgentEnabled: cloudAgentsEnabled(cloudAgent, run.spaceId),
+          mediaCapabilities: await deps.media?.capabilities(run.spaceId).catch(() => undefined),
           messagingChannelRun,
           agentConnectionsEnabled: hasMessagingIdentity,
           foreignAgentRun,
@@ -2598,6 +2600,24 @@ export function createRunExecutor(deps: ExecutorDeps) {
             return computerScreenToolResult(() => tool(browser, computer, context, args), finish);
           }
 
+          if (isMediaToolName(name)) {
+            return finish(
+              await executeMediaTool(
+                deps.media,
+                {
+                  spaceId: run.spaceId,
+                  userId: run.userId,
+                  botId: bot.id,
+                  groupId: thread.groupId,
+                  threadId: run.threadId,
+                  runId: run.id,
+                  operationKey: effectKey,
+                },
+                name,
+                args,
+              ),
+            );
+          }
           if (name.startsWith("cloud_agent_")) {
             return finish(
               await executeCloudAgentTool(
diff --git a/packages/adapters/src/media-runtime.postgres.test.ts b/packages/adapters/src/media-runtime.postgres.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8fdf406
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/adapters/src/media-runtime.postgres.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,615 @@
+import { randomUUID } from "node:crypto";
+import { existsSync } from "node:fs";
+import { mkdtemp, readdir, rm, writeFile } from "node:fs/promises";
+import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
+import path from "node:path";
+import type {
+  BackgroundJob,
+  JobPublisher,
+  MediaJobContext,
+  MediaOperationResult,
+} from "@rakazo/adapter-kit";
+import { MediaJobDeferredError, mediaRunJobKey } from "@rakazo/adapter-kit";
+import type { MediaJobBlock, MessageBlock } from "@rakazo/contracts";
+import { clearThread, createDb, type PrismaClient } from "@rakazo/db";
+import { afterAll, beforeAll, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { z } from "zod";
+import { storeArtifactFromFile } from "./artifact-files.js";
+import { LocalArtifactStore } from "./artifacts.js";
+import {
+  createMediaRuntime,
+  MEDIA_WAKE_TRIGGER,
+  MediaJobRejectedError,
+  type MediaOperationRegistration,
+  type MediaRuntimeOptions,
+} from "./media-runtime.js";
+
+const describePostgres =
+  process.env.VERIFY_DATABASE && process.env.DATABASE_URL ? describe.sequential : describe.skip;
+
+const PNG = new Uint8Array([0x89, 0x50, 0x4e, 0x47, 0x0d, 0x0a, 0x1a, 0x0a, 1, 2, 3, 4]);
+
+type FakeInput = { prompt: string; source?: string };
+type Run = (context: MediaJobContext) => Promise<MediaOperationResult>;
+
+function deferred<T = void>() {
+  let resolve!: (value: T) => void;
+  const promise = new Promise<T>((done) => {
+    resolve = done;
+  });
+  return { promise, resolve };
+}
+
+describePostgres("media job runtime (PostgreSQL, fake operations)", () => {
+  let prisma: PrismaClient;
+  let db: ReturnType<typeof createDb>;
+  let root: string;
+  const users: string[] = [];
+
+  beforeAll(async () => {
+    db = createDb(process.env.DATABASE_URL!);
+    prisma = db.prisma;
+    root = await mkdtemp(path.join(tmpdir(), "media-runtime-test-"));
+  });
+  afterAll(async () => {
+    if (!db) return;
+    await prisma.organization.deleteMany({ where: { id: { in: users } } });
+    await prisma.user.deleteMany({ where: { id: { in: users } } });
+    await prisma.$disconnect();
+    await db.pool.end();
+    await rm(root, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  });
+
+  async function setup(
+    options: {
+      run?: Run;
+      available?: () => Promise<boolean>;
+      gpu?: MediaOperationRegistration["gpu"];
+      runtime?: MediaRuntimeOptions;
+    } = {},
+  ) {
+    const id = randomUUID();
+    users.push(id);
+    await prisma.user.create({
+      data: { id, name: "Media test", email: `${id}@example.test`, emailVerified: true },
+    });
+    await prisma.organization.create({
+      data: { id, name: "Media test", slug: id, createdAt: new Date() },
+    });
+    await prisma.space.create({
+      data: { id, organizationId: id, name: "Media test", isDefault: true },
+    });
+    await prisma.member.create({
+      data: { id, organizationId: id, userId: id, role: "owner", createdAt: new Date() },
+    });
+    const bot = await prisma.bot.create({
+      data: { spaceId: id, userId: id, name: "Studio", color: "test-color" },
+    });
+    const thread = await prisma.thread.create({ data: { spaceId: id, userId: id, botId: bot.id } });
+    const task = await prisma.task.create({
+      data: {
+        spaceId: id,
+        userId: id,
+        botId: bot.id,
+        threadId: thread.id,
+        prompt: "Make a picture",
+        status: "running",
+      },
+    });
+    const run = await prisma.run.create({
+      data: {
+        spaceId: id,
+        userId: id,
+        botId: bot.id,
+        threadId: thread.id,
+        taskId: task.id,
+        status: "running",
+        trigger: "user",
+      },
+    });
+    const artifacts = new LocalArtifactStore(path.join(root, id));
+    const enqueued: BackgroundJob[] = [];
+    const cancelled: string[] = [];
+    const jobs: JobPublisher = {
+      enqueue: async (job) => {
+        enqueued.push(job);
+      },
+      cancel: async (key) => {
+        cancelled.push(key);
+      },
+      close: async () => undefined,
+    };
+    const notify = vi.fn(async () => undefined);
+    const handlerCalls: string[] = [];
+    const defaultRun: Run = async (context) => {
+      const input = context.input as FakeInput;
+      if (input.source) await context.fetchArtifact(input.source);
+      await context.progress(0.5);
+      const file = path.join(context.tempDir, "out.png");
+      const poster = path.join(context.tempDir, "poster.jpg");
+      await writeFile(file, PNG);
+      await writeFile(poster, PNG);
+      await context.addOutput({
+        path: file,
+        name: "picture.png",
+        mimeType: "image/png",
+        width: 64,
+        height: 32,
+        posterPath: poster,
+        parentArtifactId: input.source,
+      });
+      return { summary: `Drew ${input.prompt}.` };
+    };
+    const registration: MediaOperationRegistration<FakeInput> = {
+      operation: "generate_image",
+      inputSchema: z.object({ prompt: z.string().min(1), source: z.string().optional() }),
+      title: (input) => input.prompt,
+      available: options.available ?? (async () => true),
+      artifactIds: (input) => (input.source ? [input.source] : []),
+      handler: {
+        operation: "generate_image",
+        run: async (context) => {
+          handlerCalls.push(context.jobId);
+          return (options.run ?? defaultRun)(context);
+        },
+      },
+      ...(options.gpu ? { gpu: options.gpu } : {}),
+    };
+    const tempRoot = path.join(root, id, "tmp");
+    const runtimeDeps = {
+      prisma,
+      events: { notify },
+      jobs,
+      artifacts,
+      registrations: [registration as MediaOperationRegistration],
+    };
+    const runtimeOptions: MediaRuntimeOptions = {
+      tempRoot,
+      heartbeatMs: 50,
+      progressIntervalMs: 0,
+      ...options.runtime,
+    };
+    const runtime = createMediaRuntime(runtimeDeps, runtimeOptions);
+    const start = (input: Record<string, unknown>, extra: Record<string, unknown> = {}) =>
+      runtime.start({
+        operation: "generate_image",
+        input,
+        spaceId: id,
+        userId: id,
+        botId: bot.id,
+        groupId: null,
+        threadId: thread.id,
+        runId: run.id,
+        ...extra,
+      });
+    const job = (jobId: string) => prisma.mediaJob.findUniqueOrThrow({ where: { id: jobId } });
+    const card = async (jobId: string): Promise<MediaJobBlock> => {
+      const row = await job(jobId);
+      const message = await prisma.message.findUniqueOrThrow({ where: { id: row.messageId! } });
+      const block = (message.blocks as MessageBlock[]).find(
+        (entry): entry is MediaJobBlock => entry.kind === "media",
+      );
+      if (!block) throw new Error("media card missing");
+      return block;
+    };
+    const sourceArtifact = async () => {
+      const file = path.join(root, `${randomUUID()}.png`);
+      await writeFile(file, PNG);
+      return storeArtifactFromFile(
+        { prisma, artifacts },
+        {
+          path: file,
+          name: "source.png",
+          mimeType: "image/png",
+          spaceId: id,
+          userId: id,
+          botId: bot.id,
+          groupId: null,
+          runId: null,
+        },
+      );
+    };
+    return {
+      id,
+      bot,
+      thread,
+      run,
+      runtime,
+      runtimeDeps,
+      runtimeOptions,
+      enqueued,
+      cancelled,
+      notify,
+      handlerCalls,
+      tempRoot,
+      start,
+      job,
+      card,
+      sourceArtifact,
+    };
+  }
+
+  it("runs a job to done, stores outputs with posters and versions, and cleans its temp dir", async () => {
+    const ctx = await setup();
+    const source = await ctx.sourceArtifact();
+    const started = await ctx.start({ prompt: "a red fox", source: source.id });
+
+    const queued = await ctx.card(started.jobId);
+    expect(queued).toMatchObject({ status: "queued", title: "a red fox", outputs: [] });
+    expect(ctx.enqueued.map((job) => job.name)).toEqual(["media.run"]);
+    expect(ctx.enqueued[0]).toMatchObject({ payload: { jobId: started.jobId }, queue: "media" });
+    const message = await prisma.message.findUniqueOrThrow({ where: { id: started.messageId } });
+    expect(message).toMatchObject({ role: "bot", botId: ctx.bot.id, runId: ctx.run.id });
+
+    await ctx.runtime.runJob(started.jobId);
+
+    const done = await ctx.job(started.jobId);
+    expect(done).toMatchObject({ status: "done", progress: 1, attempts: 1, leaseToken: null });
+    expect(done.finishedAt).toBeInstanceOf(Date);
+    const block = await ctx.card(started.jobId);
+    expect(block.status).toBe("done");
+    expect(block.outputs).toHaveLength(1);
+    const [output] = block.outputs;
+    expect(output).toMatchObject({
+      kind: "image",
+      mimeType: "image/png",
+      name: "picture.png",
+      size: PNG.byteLength,
+      width: 64,
+      height: 32,
+      parentArtifactId: source.id,
+    });
+    expect(done.outputArtifactIds).toEqual([output!.posterArtifactId, output!.artifactId]);
+    const stored = await prisma.artifact.findUniqueOrThrow({ where: { id: output!.artifactId } });
+    expect(stored).toMatchObject({
+      spaceId: ctx.id,
+      userId: ctx.id,
+      botId: ctx.bot.id,
+      runId: ctx.run.id,
+      parentArtifactId: source.id,
+      width: 64,
+      height: 32,
+    });
+    const events = await prisma.event.findMany({
+      where: { threadId: ctx.thread.id, type: "thread.message.updated" },
+      orderBy: { seq: "asc" },
+    });
+    const statuses = events.map(
+      (event) => ((event.payload as { blocks: MessageBlock[] }).blocks[0] as MediaJobBlock).status,
+    );
+    expect(statuses[0]).toBe("running");
+    expect(statuses.at(-1)).toBe("done");
+    expect(ctx.notify).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(existsSync(path.join(ctx.tempRoot, started.jobId))).toBe(false);
+    // No wake without continue_after.
+    expect(
+      await prisma.run.count({ where: { trigger: MEDIA_WAKE_TRIGGER, spaceId: ctx.id } }),
+    ).toBe(0);
+    expect(await ctx.runtime.get(started.jobId)).toMatchObject({
+      id: started.jobId,
+      status: "done",
+      outputs: block.outputs,
+    });
+  });
+
+  it("validates input, availability and readable artifacts before creating a job", async () => {
+    const ctx = await setup();
+    await expect(ctx.start({ prompt: "" })).rejects.toBeInstanceOf(MediaJobRejectedError);
+    await expect(ctx.start({ prompt: "x", source: "not-an-artifact" })).rejects.toThrow(
+      "Unknown artifact.",
+    );
+    const other = await setup();
+    const foreign = await other.sourceArtifact();
+    await expect(ctx.start({ prompt: "x", source: foreign.id })).rejects.toThrow(
+      "Unknown artifact.",
+    );
+    await expect(ctx.start({ prompt: "x" }, { threadId: other.thread.id })).rejects.toThrow(
+      "This conversation is no longer available.",
+    );
+    const unavailable = await setup({ available: async () => false });
+    await expect(unavailable.start({ prompt: "x" })).rejects.toThrow("not available");
+    expect(
+      await prisma.mediaJob.count({ where: { spaceId: { in: [ctx.id, unavailable.id] } } }),
+    ).toBe(0);
+  });
+
+  it("returns the first job for a replayed tool call", async () => {
+    const ctx = await setup();
+    const first = await ctx.start({ prompt: "fox" }, { operationKey: `effect:${ctx.id}` });
+    const replay = await ctx.start({ prompt: "fox" }, { operationKey: `effect:${ctx.id}` });
+    expect(replay).toEqual(first);
+    expect(await prisma.mediaJob.count({ where: { spaceId: ctx.id } })).toBe(1);
+  });
+
+  it("fails a job with the operation's error and still cleans up", async () => {
+    let tempDir = "";
+    const ctx = await setup({
+      run: async (context) => {
+        tempDir = context.tempDir;
+        await writeFile(path.join(context.tempDir, "partial.bin"), PNG);
+        throw new Error(`ComfyUI rejected the workflow (${context.tempDir}/x)`);
+      },
+    });
+    const { jobId } = await ctx.start({ prompt: "fox" });
+    await ctx.runtime.runJob(jobId);
+    const failed = await ctx.job(jobId);
+    expect(failed.status).toBe("failed");
+    expect(failed.error).toBe("ComfyUI rejected the workflow (/x)");
+    expect((await ctx.card(jobId)).error).toBe(failed.error);
+    expect(existsSync(tempDir)).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("refuses outputs outside the temp dir and sources of another user", async () => {
+    const other = await setup();
+    const foreign = await other.sourceArtifact();
+    const ctx = await setup({
+      run: async (context) => {
+        await context.fetchArtifact(foreign.id);
+        return { summary: "" };
+      },
+    });
+    const { jobId } = await ctx.start({ prompt: "fox" });
+    await ctx.runtime.runJob(jobId);
+    expect(await ctx.job(jobId)).toMatchObject({
+      status: "failed",
+      error: "A source file is no longer available.",
+    });
+
+    const outside = await setup({
+      run: async (context) => {
+        await context.addOutput({ path: "/etc/hostname", name: "x.png", mimeType: "image/png" });
+        return { summary: "" };
+      },
+    });
+    const escaped = await outside.start({ prompt: "fox" });
+    await outside.runtime.runJob(escaped.jobId);
+    expect((await outside.job(escaped.jobId)).status).toBe("failed");
+    expect(await prisma.artifact.count({ where: { spaceId: outside.id } })).toBe(0);
+  });
+
+  it("defers with backoff, then fails once the deferral budget is spent", async () => {
+    const ctx = await setup({
+      run: async () => {
+        throw new MediaJobDeferredError("ComfyUI queue is full", 2_000);
+      },
+      runtime: { maxDeferrals: 2 },
+    });
+    const { jobId } = await ctx.start({ prompt: "fox" });
+    const before = Date.now();
+    await ctx.runtime.runJob(jobId);
+    const waiting = await ctx.job(jobId);
+    expect(waiting).toMatchObject({ status: "waiting", deferrals: 1, leaseToken: null });
+    expect(waiting.nextAttemptAt!.getTime()).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(before + 2_000);
+    expect((await ctx.card(jobId)).status).toBe("waiting");
+    const retry = ctx.enqueued.at(-1)!;
+    expect(retry).toMatchObject({ name: "media.run", payload: { jobId }, queue: "media" });
+    expect(retry.availableAt?.getTime()).toBe(waiting.nextAttemptAt!.getTime());
+
+    // Too early: the delayed job owns the next attempt.
+    await ctx.runtime.runJob(jobId);
+    expect(ctx.handlerCalls).toHaveLength(1);
+
+    await prisma.mediaJob.update({ where: { id: jobId }, data: { nextAttemptAt: new Date() } });
+    await ctx.runtime.runJob(jobId);
+    const second = await ctx.job(jobId);
+    expect(second).toMatchObject({ status: "waiting", deferrals: 2 });
+    // Backoff doubles.
+    expect(second.nextAttemptAt!.getTime() - Date.now()).toBeGreaterThan(3_000);
+
+    await prisma.mediaJob.update({ where: { id: jobId }, data: { nextAttemptAt: new Date() } });
+    await ctx.runtime.runJob(jobId);
+    expect(await ctx.job(jobId)).toMatchObject({
+      status: "failed",
+      error: "The media server stayed busy. Try again later.",
+    });
+  });
+
+  it("waits for free GPU memory before running the handler", async () => {
+    let free = 1_000;
+    const ctx = await setup({
+      gpu: {
+        minVramMb: 6_000,
+        status: async () => ({ vramFreeMb: free, vramTotalMb: 24_000 }),
+      },
+    });
+    const { jobId } = await ctx.start({ prompt: "fox" });
+    await ctx.runtime.runJob(jobId);
+    expect(ctx.handlerCalls).toHaveLength(0);
+    expect(await ctx.job(jobId)).toMatchObject({ status: "waiting", deferrals: 1 });
+
+    free = 20_000;
+    await prisma.mediaJob.update({ where: { id: jobId }, data: { nextAttemptAt: new Date() } });
+    await ctx.runtime.runJob(jobId);
+    expect(ctx.handlerCalls).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect((await ctx.job(jobId)).status).toBe("done");
+  });
+
+  it("cancels a queued job at once and a running job through the lease heartbeat", async () => {
+    const ctx = await setup({
+      run: async (context) => {
+        await new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+          context.signal.addEventListener("abort", () => resolve(), { once: true });
+        });
+        context.signal.throwIfAborted();
+        return { summary: "" };
+      },
+    });
+    const queued = await ctx.start({ prompt: "queued" });
+    await ctx.runtime.cancel(queued.jobId);
+    expect(await ctx.job(queued.jobId)).toMatchObject({ status: "cancelled" });
+    expect((await ctx.card(queued.jobId)).status).toBe("cancelled");
+    expect(ctx.cancelled).toEqual([mediaRunJobKey(queued.jobId)]);
+    await ctx.runtime.runJob(queued.jobId);
+    expect(ctx.handlerCalls).toHaveLength(0);
+
+    // Another process (a second runtime) asks to cancel a job this one runs.
+    const running = await ctx.start({ prompt: "running" });
+    const runningJob = ctx.runtime.runJob(running.jobId);
+    await vi.waitFor(() => expect(ctx.handlerCalls).toEqual([running.jobId]));
+    const otherProcess = createMediaRuntime(ctx.runtimeDeps, ctx.runtimeOptions);
+    await otherProcess.cancel(running.jobId);
+    expect((await ctx.job(running.jobId)).status).toBe("running");
+    await runningJob;
+    expect(await ctx.job(running.jobId)).toMatchObject({ status: "cancelled", leaseToken: null });
+    expect((await ctx.card(running.jobId)).status).toBe("cancelled");
+  });
+
+  it("never runs one job twice and keeps one job on the GPU at a time", async () => {
+    const release = deferred();
+    const entered = deferred();
+    const ctx = await setup({
+      run: async () => {
+        entered.resolve();
+        await release.promise;
+        return { summary: "ok" };
+      },
+    });
+    const otherProcess = createMediaRuntime(ctx.runtimeDeps, ctx.runtimeOptions);
+    const first = await ctx.start({ prompt: "one" });
+    const second = await ctx.start({ prompt: "two" });
+
+    const a = ctx.runtime.runJob(first.jobId);
+    await entered.promise;
+    await otherProcess.runJob(first.jobId);
+    await otherProcess.runJob(second.jobId);
+    expect(ctx.handlerCalls).toEqual([first.jobId]);
+    expect(await ctx.job(second.jobId)).toMatchObject({ status: "waiting", attempts: 0 });
+
+    release.resolve();
+    await a;
+    await prisma.mediaJob.update({
+      where: { id: second.jobId },
+      data: { nextAttemptAt: new Date() },
+    });
+    await otherProcess.runJob(second.jobId);
+    expect(ctx.handlerCalls).toEqual([first.jobId, second.jobId]);
+    expect((await ctx.job(second.jobId)).status).toBe("done");
+  });
+
+  it("recovers a job whose runner died and fails it after too many restarts", async () => {
+    const ctx = await setup();
+    const { jobId } = await ctx.start({ prompt: "fox" });
+    const crashedAt = new Date(Date.now() - 1_000);
+    await prisma.mediaJob.update({
+      where: { id: jobId },
+      data: {
+        status: "running",
+        attempts: 1,
+        leaseToken: "dead-runner",
+        leaseExpiresAt: crashedAt,
+        updatedAt: crashedAt,
+      },
+    });
+    ctx.enqueued.length = 0;
+    await ctx.runtime.reconcile();
+    expect(ctx.enqueued).toEqual([
+      expect.objectContaining({ name: "media.run", payload: { jobId } }),
+    ]);
+    await ctx.runtime.runJob(jobId);
+    expect(await ctx.job(jobId)).toMatchObject({ status: "done", attempts: 2 });
+
+    const doomed = await ctx.start({ prompt: "crashes" });
+    await prisma.mediaJob.update({
+      where: { id: doomed.jobId },
+      data: {
+        status: "running",
+        attempts: 3,
+        leaseToken: "dead-runner",
+        leaseExpiresAt: crashedAt,
+      },
+    });
+    await ctx.runtime.runJob(doomed.jobId);
+    expect(await ctx.job(doomed.jobId)).toMatchObject({
+      status: "failed",
+      error: "The job was interrupted. Try again.",
+    });
+    expect(ctx.handlerCalls).toEqual([jobId]);
+  });
+
+  it("re-enqueues lost and overdue jobs, outside the queue once they look stuck", async () => {
+    const ctx = await setup();
+    const fresh = await ctx.start({ prompt: "fresh" });
+    const lost = await ctx.start({ prompt: "lost" });
+    const stuck = await ctx.start({ prompt: "stuck" });
+    const minuteAgo = new Date(Date.now() - 60_000);
+    const hourAgo = new Date(Date.now() - 3_600_000);
+    await prisma.mediaJob.update({
+      where: { id: lost.jobId },
+      data: { updatedAt: minuteAgo, createdAt: minuteAgo },
+    });
+    await prisma.mediaJob.update({
+      where: { id: stuck.jobId },
+      data: { updatedAt: hourAgo, createdAt: hourAgo },
+    });
+    ctx.enqueued.length = 0;
+    await ctx.runtime.reconcile();
+    const byJob = new Map(
+      ctx.enqueued.map((job) => [(job.payload as { jobId: string }).jobId, job]),
+    );
+    expect(byJob.has(fresh.jobId)).toBe(false);
+    expect(byJob.get(lost.jobId)).toMatchObject({ queue: "media", availableAt: minuteAgo });
+    expect(byJob.get(stuck.jobId)?.queue).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+  it("wakes the starting bot with the result when continue_after is set", async () => {
+    const ctx = await setup();
+    const { jobId } = await ctx.start({ prompt: "fox" }, { continueAfter: true });
+    ctx.enqueued.length = 0;
+    await ctx.runtime.runJob(jobId);
+    const wake = await prisma.run.findFirstOrThrow({
+      where: { spaceId: ctx.id, trigger: MEDIA_WAKE_TRIGGER },
+      include: { task: true },
+    });
+    expect(wake).toMatchObject({ botId: ctx.bot.id, threadId: ctx.thread.id, status: "queued" });
+    expect(wake.task.prompt).toContain(`Media job ${jobId}`);
+    expect(wake.task.prompt).toContain("Drew fox.");
+    expect(wake.task.prompt).toContain("picture.png");
+    expect(ctx.enqueued).toEqual([
+      expect.objectContaining({ name: "run.continue", payload: { runId: wake.id } }),
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it("cancels a job whose conversation was cleared without running it", async () => {
+    const ctx = await setup();
+    const { jobId } = await ctx.start({ prompt: "fox" }, { continueAfter: true });
+    await prisma.run.update({ where: { id: ctx.run.id }, data: { status: "completed" } });
+    await clearThread(prisma, { spaceId: ctx.id, botId: ctx.bot.id, threadId: ctx.thread.id });
+    await ctx.runtime.runJob(jobId);
+    expect(ctx.handlerCalls).toHaveLength(0);
+    expect(await ctx.job(jobId)).toMatchObject({ status: "cancelled" });
+    expect(
+      await prisma.run.count({ where: { spaceId: ctx.id, trigger: MEDIA_WAKE_TRIGGER } }),
+    ).toBe(0);
+  });
+
+  it("fails a job that outlives its run limit", async () => {
+    const ctx = await setup({
+      run: async (context) => {
+        await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 5_000));
+        context.signal.throwIfAborted();
+        return { summary: "" };
+      },
+      runtime: { maxRunMs: 50, abortGraceMs: 20 },
+    });
+    const { jobId } = await ctx.start({ prompt: "slow" });
+    await ctx.runtime.runJob(jobId);
+    expect(await ctx.job(jobId)).toMatchObject({
+      status: "failed",
+      error: "The job took too long.",
+    });
+    expect(await readdir(ctx.tempRoot)).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  it("reports which operations a space can run", async () => {
+    const ctx = await setup();
+    const capabilities = await ctx.runtime.capabilities(ctx.id);
+    expect(capabilities.generate_image).toBe(true);
+    expect(capabilities.transcribe).toBe(false);
+    const broken = await setup({
+      available: async () => {
+        throw new Error("probe failed");
+      },
+    });
+    expect((await broken.runtime.capabilities(broken.id)).generate_image).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/adapters/src/media-runtime.ts b/packages/adapters/src/media-runtime.ts
index 681f2e9..928f08f 100644
--- a/packages/adapters/src/media-runtime.ts
+++ b/packages/adapters/src/media-runtime.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,11 @@
-import { createHash, randomUUID } from "node:crypto";
-import { mkdir, readFile, rm, stat, writeFile } from "node:fs/promises";
+import { randomUUID } from "node:crypto";
+import { constants, createWriteStream } from "node:fs";
+import { copyFile, mkdir, rm } from "node:fs/promises";
 import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
 import path from "node:path";
+import { Readable } from "node:stream";
+import { pipeline } from "node:stream/promises";
+import type { ReadableStream as NodeReadableStream } from "node:stream/web";
 import type {
   AdapterContext,
   ArtifactStore,
@@ -17,13 +21,13 @@ import type {
   StartMediaJobInput,
 } from "@rakazo/adapter-kit";
 import {
+  ArtifactTooLargeError,
   MediaJobDeferredError,
   mediaRunJob,
   mediaRunJobKey,
   runContinueJob,
 } from "@rakazo/adapter-kit";
 import {
-  ARTIFACT_MAX_BYTES_BY_KIND,
   attachmentKindOf,
   MEDIA_JOB_ACTIVE_STATUSES,
   type MediaJobBlock,
@@ -33,11 +37,7 @@ import {
   type MediaOutput,
   type MessageBlock,
 } from "@rakazo/contracts";
-import {
-  attachmentExtensionForMimeType,
-  inferAttachmentMimeType,
-  validateAttachmentMimeType,
-} from "@rakazo/core";
+import { attachmentExtensionForMimeType, inferAttachmentMimeType } from "@rakazo/core";
 import {
   appendEventInTransaction,
   createThreadMessageInTransaction,
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ import {
 } from "@rakazo/db";
 import { getLogger } from "@rakazo/logging";
 import type { z } from "zod";
+import { storeArtifactFromFile } from "./artifact-files.js";
 
 /** Run trigger of the turn that wakes a bot when its media job ends (`continue_after`). */
 export const MEDIA_WAKE_TRIGGER = "media";
@@ -505,6 +506,7 @@ export function createMediaRuntime(
 
   const storeArtifactFile = async (
     job: MediaJob,
+    signal: AbortSignal,
     file: {
       path: string;
       name: string;
@@ -515,38 +517,37 @@ export function createMediaRuntime(
       parentArtifactId?: string;
     },
   ) => {
-    // Swap point for the streaming artifact store: until it lands, files go through put().
-    const bytes = new Uint8Array(await readFile(file.path));
-    const context = artifactContext(job, `media-output:${job.id}`);
-    const stored = await deps.artifacts.put(
-      { name: file.name, mimeType: file.mimeType, bytes },
-      context,
-    );
     try {
-      return await deps.prisma.artifact.create({
-        data: {
-          spaceId: job.spaceId,
-          userId: job.userId,
-          botId: job.botId,
-          groupId: job.groupId,
-          runId: job.runId,
-          name: file.name,
-          mimeType: file.mimeType,
-          size: bytes.byteLength,
-          hash: createHash("sha256").update(bytes).digest("hex"),
-          storageKey: stored.id,
-          width: file.width,
-          height: file.height,
-          durationMs: file.durationMs,
-          parentArtifactId: file.parentArtifactId,
-        },
+      return await storeArtifactFromFile(deps, {
+        ...file,
+        spaceId: job.spaceId,
+        userId: job.userId,
+        botId: job.botId,
+        groupId: job.groupId,
+        runId: job.runId,
+        signal,
       });
     } catch (error) {
-      await deps.artifacts.remove(stored.id, context).catch(() => undefined);
+      if (error instanceof ArtifactTooLargeError) throw new MediaJobRejectedError(TOO_LARGE_ERROR);
       throw error;
     }
   };
 
+  /** Copies a stored artifact to `file`: a clone of the local file when possible, else a stream. */
+  const copyArtifact = async (job: MediaJob, storageKey: string, file: string) => {
+    const context = artifactContext(job, `media-input:${job.id}`);
+    const local = await deps.artifacts.localPath?.(storageKey, context).catch(() => undefined);
+    if (local) {
+      await copyFile(local, file, constants.COPYFILE_EXCL | constants.COPYFILE_FICLONE);
+      return;
+    }
+    const stream = await deps.artifacts.createReadStream(storageKey, context);
+    await pipeline(
+      Readable.fromWeb(stream as NodeReadableStream<Uint8Array>),
+      createWriteStream(file, { flags: "wx", mode: 0o600 }),
+    );
+  };
+
   const removeArtifacts = async (job: MediaJob, ids: string[]) => {
     const rows = await deps.prisma.artifact.findMany({
       where: { id: { in: ids }, spaceId: job.spaceId },
@@ -657,12 +658,7 @@ export function createMediaRuntime(
           attachmentExtensionForMimeType(row.mimeType) ||
           (/^\.[a-z0-9]{1,8}$/i.test(path.extname(row.name)) ? path.extname(row.name) : "");
         const file = path.join(tempDir, `input-${row.id}${extension.toLowerCase()}`);
-        // Swap point for the streaming artifact store (localPath / createReadStream).
-        const bytes = await deps.artifacts.get(
-          row.storageKey,
-          artifactContext(job, `media-input:${job.id}`),
-        );
-        await writeFile(file, bytes, { mode: 0o600, flag: "wx" });
+        await copyArtifact(job, row.storageKey, file);
         const input: MediaJobInputFile = {
           artifactId: row.id,
           path: file,
@@ -679,12 +675,8 @@ export function createMediaRuntime(
       },
       addOutput: async (file: MediaJobOutputFile) => {
         signal.throwIfAborted();
-        validateAttachmentMimeType(file.mimeType);
         const kind = attachmentKindOf(file.mimeType);
         const filePath = insideDir(tempDir, file.path);
-        const size = (await stat(filePath)).size;
-        if (size > ARTIFACT_MAX_BYTES_BY_KIND[kind])
-          throw new MediaJobRejectedError(TOO_LARGE_ERROR);
         const parent = file.parentArtifactId
           ? await deps.prisma.artifact.findFirst({
               where: { id: file.parentArtifactId, spaceId: job.spaceId, userId: job.userId },
@@ -702,7 +694,7 @@ export function createMediaRuntime(
             const posterName = `${path.parse(name).name}-poster${path.extname(posterPath).toLowerCase()}`;
             const posterMime = inferAttachmentMimeType(posterName);
             if (posterMime && attachmentKindOf(posterMime) === "image") {
-              const poster = await storeArtifactFile(job, {
+              const poster = await storeArtifactFile(job, signal, {
                 path: posterPath,
                 name: posterName,
                 mimeType: posterMime,
@@ -716,7 +708,7 @@ export function createMediaRuntime(
           const width = positiveInt(file.width);
           const height = positiveInt(file.height);
           const durationMs = nonNegativeInt(file.durationMs);
-          const artifact = await storeArtifactFile(job, {
+          const artifact = await storeArtifactFile(job, signal, {
             path: filePath,
             name,
             mimeType: file.mimeType,
diff --git a/packages/adapters/src/media-settings.ts b/packages/adapters/src/media-settings.ts
index b82134d..c241c47 100644
--- a/packages/adapters/src/media-settings.ts
+++ b/packages/adapters/src/media-settings.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,5 @@
-import {
-  type MediaSettings,
-  MediaSettingsSchema,
-  type MediaSettingsUpdate,
-  MediaSettingsUpdateSchema,
-  type MediaSettingsView,
-} from "@rakazo/contracts";
+import type { MediaSettings, MediaSettingsUpdate, MediaSettingsView } from "@rakazo/contracts";
+import { MediaSettingsSchema, MediaSettingsUpdateSchema } from "@rakazo/contracts";
 import { parseWorkflowTemplate } from "@rakazo/core/media/workflows";
 import type { PrismaClient } from "@rakazo/db";
 import {
@@ -83,6 +78,14 @@ function keptKey(
   return new URL(previous.baseUrl).origin === new URL(baseUrl).origin ? previous.apiKey : undefined;
 }
 
+/** A media setting the deployment owner has to correct; the message says what is wrong. */
+export class MediaSettingsInvalidError extends Error {
+  constructor(message: string) {
+    super(message);
+    this.name = "MediaSettingsInvalidError";
+  }
+}
+
 function assertValidWorkflow(label: string, workflow: string | undefined): void {
   if (!workflow) return;
   try {
@@ -92,33 +95,42 @@ function assertValidWorkflow(label: string, workflow: string | undefined): void
   }
 }
 
+function resolveSettings(previous: MediaSettings, update: MediaSettingsUpdate): MediaSettings {
+  const parsed = MediaSettingsUpdateSchema.parse(update);
+  try {
+    assertValidWorkflow("Image workflow", parsed.comfyui?.imageWorkflow);
+    assertValidWorkflow("Video workflow", parsed.comfyui?.videoWorkflow);
+    let comfyui: MediaSettings["comfyui"] = null;
+    if (parsed.comfyui) {
+      const baseUrl = normalizeComfyUiBaseUrl(parsed.comfyui.baseUrl);
+      const apiKey = keptKey(parsed.comfyui.apiKey, previous.comfyui, baseUrl);
+      assertHttpsForKeyedOpenAiCompatibleUrl(new URL(baseUrl), apiKey);
+      comfyui = { ...parsed.comfyui, baseUrl, apiKey };
+    }
+    let transcription: MediaSettings["transcription"] = null;
+    if (parsed.transcription) {
+      const baseUrl = normalizeTranscriptionBaseUrl(parsed.transcription.baseUrl);
+      const apiKey = keptKey(parsed.transcription.apiKey, previous.transcription, baseUrl);
+      assertHttpsForKeyedOpenAiCompatibleUrl(new URL(baseUrl), apiKey);
+      transcription = { ...parsed.transcription, baseUrl, apiKey };
+    }
+    return MediaSettingsSchema.parse({ comfyui, transcription });
+  } catch (error) {
+    throw new MediaSettingsInvalidError(
+      error instanceof Error ? error.message : "These media settings are not valid",
+    );
+  }
+}
+
 /**
  * Validates and stores the media backends (deployment owner only; the caller authorizes).
- * Throws an Error with a user-facing message when a URL is not allowed.
+ * Throws MediaSettingsInvalidError when a URL is not allowed.
  */
 export async function saveMediaSettings(
   deps: MediaSettingsDeps,
   update: MediaSettingsUpdate,
 ): Promise<MediaSettingsView> {
-  const parsed = MediaSettingsUpdateSchema.parse(update);
-  assertValidWorkflow("Image workflow", parsed.comfyui?.imageWorkflow);
-  assertValidWorkflow("Video workflow", parsed.comfyui?.videoWorkflow);
-  const previous = await loadMediaSettings(deps);
-  let comfyui: MediaSettings["comfyui"] = null;
-  if (parsed.comfyui) {
-    const baseUrl = normalizeComfyUiBaseUrl(parsed.comfyui.baseUrl);
-    const apiKey = keptKey(parsed.comfyui.apiKey, previous.comfyui, baseUrl);
-    assertHttpsForKeyedOpenAiCompatibleUrl(new URL(baseUrl), apiKey);
-    comfyui = { ...parsed.comfyui, baseUrl, apiKey };
-  }
-  let transcription: MediaSettings["transcription"] = null;
-  if (parsed.transcription) {
-    const baseUrl = normalizeTranscriptionBaseUrl(parsed.transcription.baseUrl);
-    const apiKey = keptKey(parsed.transcription.apiKey, previous.transcription, baseUrl);
-    assertHttpsForKeyedOpenAiCompatibleUrl(new URL(baseUrl), apiKey);
-    transcription = { ...parsed.transcription, baseUrl, apiKey };
-  }
-  const settings = MediaSettingsSchema.parse({ comfyui, transcription });
+  const settings = resolveSettings(await loadMediaSettings(deps), update);
   if (!settings.comfyui && !settings.transcription) {
     await deps.prisma.integrationProviderConfig.deleteMany({ where: { id: MEDIA_SETTINGS_ID } });
     return mediaSettingsView(settings);
diff --git a/packages/adapters/src/media-tools.test.ts b/packages/adapters/src/media-tools.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9af7370
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/adapters/src/media-tools.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,125 @@
+import type { MediaCapabilities, MediaRuntime, StartMediaJobInput } from "@rakazo/adapter-kit";
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { selectBuiltinToolsForRun } from "./executor-tools.js";
+import { MediaJobRejectedError } from "./media-runtime.js";
+import {
+  executeMediaTool,
+  isMediaToolName,
+  MEDIA_CONTINUE_AFTER_PROPERTY,
+  mediaToolInputSchema,
+  selectMediaTools,
+} from "./media-tools.js";
+
+const none: MediaCapabilities = {
+  generate_image: false,
+  generate_video: false,
+  edit_image: false,
+  edit_video: false,
+  export_video: false,
+  transcribe: false,
+};
+
+const scope = {
+  spaceId: "space-1",
+  userId: "user-1",
+  botId: "bot-1",
+  groupId: null,
+  threadId: "thread-1",
+  runId: "run-1",
+  operationKey: "effect-1",
+};
+
+function runtime(start: MediaRuntime["start"]): MediaRuntime {
+  return {
+    capabilities: async () => none,
+    start,
+    get: async () => null,
+    cancel: async () => undefined,
+  };
+}
+
+describe("media tools", () => {
+  it("names tools after their operations", () => {
+    expect(isMediaToolName("generate_image")).toBe(true);
+    expect(isMediaToolName("transcribe")).toBe(true);
+    expect(isMediaToolName("render_plot")).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("shows a media tool only when the space can run its operation", () => {
+    const tools = [{ name: "generate_image" }, { name: "transcribe" }, { name: "web_search" }];
+    expect(selectMediaTools(tools, undefined).map((tool) => tool.name)).toEqual(["web_search"]);
+    expect(selectMediaTools(tools, { ...none, transcribe: true }).map((tool) => tool.name)).toEqual(
+      ["transcribe", "web_search"],
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("leaves non-media tools of a run untouched", () => {
+    const base = {
+      graphicalToolsAllowed: true,
+      groupId: null,
+      trigger: "user",
+      semanticMemoryEnabled: false,
+      messagingChannelRun: false,
+      bot: { kind: "specialist", restrictBuiltinTools: false, allowedBuiltinTools: [] },
+    };
+    const names = (mediaCapabilities?: MediaCapabilities) =>
+      selectBuiltinToolsForRun({ ...base, mediaCapabilities })
+        .map((tool) => tool.name)
+        .filter((name) => !isMediaToolName(name));
+    expect(names({ ...none, generate_image: true, transcribe: true })).toEqual(names(undefined));
+    expect(selectBuiltinToolsForRun(base).some((tool) => isMediaToolName(tool.name))).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("adds continue_after to every media tool schema", () => {
+    expect(
+      mediaToolInputSchema({
+        properties: { prompt: { type: "string" } },
+        required: ["prompt"],
+      }),
+    ).toEqual({
+      type: "object",
+      properties: { prompt: { type: "string" }, ...MEDIA_CONTINUE_AFTER_PROPERTY },
+      required: ["prompt"],
+    });
+  });
+
+  it("starts the job with the tool scope and returns at once", async () => {
+    const start = vi.fn(async (_input: StartMediaJobInput) => ({
+      jobId: "job-1",
+      messageId: "message-1",
+    }));
+    const result = await executeMediaTool(runtime(start), scope, "generate_image", {
+      prompt: "a fox",
+      continue_after: true,
+    });
+    expect(start).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+      operation: "generate_image",
+      input: { prompt: "a fox" },
+      ...scope,
+      continueAfter: true,
+    });
+    expect(result).toMatchObject({ jobId: "job-1", status: "queued" });
+    expect((result as { note: string }).note).toContain("woken");
+
+    await executeMediaTool(runtime(start), scope, "generate_image", { prompt: "a fox" });
+    expect(start.mock.calls[1]?.[0]).toMatchObject({ continueAfter: false });
+  });
+
+  it("returns refusals to the model and rethrows other failures", async () => {
+    const refused = runtime(async () => {
+      throw new MediaJobRejectedError("Invalid generate_image input: prompt: Required");
+    });
+    expect(await executeMediaTool(refused, scope, "generate_image", {})).toEqual({
+      error: "Invalid generate_image input: prompt: Required",
+    });
+    expect(await executeMediaTool(undefined, scope, "transcribe", {})).toEqual({
+      error: "transcribe is not available.",
+    });
+    const broken = runtime(async () => {
+      throw new Error("database down");
+    });
+    await expect(executeMediaTool(broken, scope, "transcribe", {})).rejects.toThrow(
+      "database down",
+    );
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/contracts/src/index.ts b/packages/contracts/src/index.ts
index 365b97e..e1982e1 100644
--- a/packages/contracts/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/contracts/src/index.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ export * from "./local-settings.js";
 export * from "./mcp.js";
 export * from "./media.js";
 export * from "./media-generation.js";
+export * from "./media-jobs.js";
 export * from "./media-settings.js";
 export * from "./model-tiers.js";
 export * from "./openai-compatible-ui.js";
diff --git a/packages/contracts/src/media-jobs.ts b/packages/contracts/src/media-jobs.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..477a6fe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/contracts/src/media-jobs.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+import * as z from "zod";
+import { Id } from "./ids.js";
+import { MediaJobStatusSchema, MediaOperationSchema, MediaOutputSchema } from "./media.js";
+
+/** Operations a user starts from a media card (export, transcribe, edit); generation goes through a bot. */
+export const MediaCardOperationSchema = z.enum(["edit_image", "export_video", "transcribe"]);
+export type MediaCardOperation = z.infer<typeof MediaCardOperationSchema>;
+
+export const MediaJobStartInputSchema = z
+  .object({
+    /** The conversation, like other thread procedures: a bot chat or a group. */
+    botId: Id.optional(),
+    groupId: Id.optional(),
+    /** The message the action came from; its bot posts the new card. */
+    messageId: Id,
+    operation: MediaCardOperationSchema,
+    /** The operation's input; validated by the operation. */
+    input: z.record(z.string(), z.unknown()),
+  })
+  .refine((input) => Boolean(input.botId) !== Boolean(input.groupId), {
+    message: "Pass botId or groupId",
+  });
+export type MediaJobStartInput = z.infer<typeof MediaJobStartInputSchema>;
+
+export const MediaJobSnapshotSchema = z.object({
+  id: Id,
+  operation: MediaOperationSchema,
+  status: MediaJobStatusSchema,
+  title: z.string(),
+  progress: z.number().min(0).max(1).nullable(),
+  error: z.string().nullable(),
+  outputs: z.array(MediaOutputSchema),
+});
+export type MediaJobSnapshotDto = z.infer<typeof MediaJobSnapshotSchema>;
+
+export const MediaJobStartOutputSchema = z.object({ jobId: Id, messageId: Id });
diff --git a/packages/contracts/src/rpc.ts b/packages/contracts/src/rpc.ts
index 6640d4c..30de55a 100644
--- a/packages/contracts/src/rpc.ts
+++ b/packages/contracts/src/rpc.ts
@@ -82,6 +82,12 @@ import {
   IntegrationProviderConfigSchema,
   IntegrationSetupStateSchema,
 } from "./integration-settings.js";
+import {
+  MediaJobSnapshotSchema,
+  MediaJobStartInputSchema,
+  MediaJobStartOutputSchema,
+} from "./media-jobs.js";
+import { MediaSettingsUpdateSchema, MediaSettingsViewSchema } from "./media-settings.js";
 import { ModelTierMappingSchema, SetModelTierInput } from "./model-tiers.js";
 import {
   CreateProjectGoalInput,
@@ -690,6 +696,18 @@ export const appContract = {
     get: oc.output(IntegrationSetupStateSchema),
     save: oc.input(IntegrationProviderConfigSchema).output(z.object({ ok: z.literal(true) })),
   },
+  media: {
+    /** Deployment-wide media backends; deployment owner only. */
+    settings: {
+      get: oc.output(MediaSettingsViewSchema),
+      update: oc.input(MediaSettingsUpdateSchema).output(MediaSettingsViewSchema),
+    },
+    jobs: {
+      start: oc.input(MediaJobStartInputSchema).output(MediaJobStartOutputSchema),
+      get: oc.input(z.object({ jobId: Id })).output(MediaJobSnapshotSchema),
+      cancel: oc.input(z.object({ jobId: Id })).output(MediaJobSnapshotSchema),
+    },
+  },
   connections: {
     catalog: oc
       .input(z.object({ query: z.string().optional(), connectorId: z.string().optional() }))
diff --git a/packages/core/src/attachments.ts b/packages/core/src/attachments.ts
index b4a6759..cace390 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/attachments.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/attachments.ts
@@ -1,12 +1,10 @@
+import type { AttachmentKind, AttachmentMimeType, MessageBlock } from "@rakazo/contracts";
 import {
   ATTACHMENT_MAX_BASE64_LENGTH,
   ATTACHMENT_MAX_BYTES,
-  type AttachmentKind,
-  type AttachmentMimeType,
   attachmentKindOf,
   isAllowedAttachmentMimeType,
   isAttachmentImageMimeType,
-  type MessageBlock,
 } from "@rakazo/contracts";
 
 export class AttachmentValidationError extends Error {
diff --git a/packages/testkit/src/cli/harness.ts b/packages/testkit/src/cli/harness.ts
index 5d565e9..fc38326 100644
--- a/packages/testkit/src/cli/harness.ts
+++ b/packages/testkit/src/cli/harness.ts
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ async function main() {
         "packages/testkit/src/connections.test.ts",
         "packages/testkit/src/bot-secrets.test.ts",
         "packages/testkit/src/delegation.postgres.test.ts",
+        "packages/testkit/src/media.postgres.test.ts",
         "packages/testkit/src/user-profile.postgres.test.ts",
         "packages/db/src/space-membership.postgres.test.ts",
         "packages/db/src/main-agent.postgres.test.ts",
@@ -117,6 +118,7 @@ async function main() {
         "packages/adapters/src/job-reconciler.postgres.test.ts",
         "packages/adapters/src/cloud-agent.postgres.test.ts",
         "packages/adapters/src/media/image-operations.postgres.test.ts",
+        "packages/adapters/src/media-runtime.postgres.test.ts",
         "packages/adapters/src/builtin-memory-provider.postgres.test.ts",
         "packages/adapters/src/profile-consolidation.postgres.test.ts",
       ];
diff --git a/packages/testkit/src/media.postgres.test.ts b/packages/testkit/src/media.postgres.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f5de0c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/testkit/src/media.postgres.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,378 @@
+import { mkdtempSync, rmSync } from "node:fs";
+import { writeFile } from "node:fs/promises";
+import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
+import path from "node:path";
+import { ComposioEmulator, type MediaOperationRegistration } from "@rakazo/adapters";
+import {
+  type MediaJobBlock,
+  MediaOutputSchema,
+  type MediaSettingsView,
+  type MessageBlock,
+} from "@rakazo/contracts";
+import { createThreadMessage } from "@rakazo/db";
+import { afterAll, beforeAll, describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import type { createApp } from "../../../apps/api/src/app.ts";
+import { sessionCookieHeader } from "./index.js";
+
+type App = { request: (input: string, init?: RequestInit) => Response | Promise<Response> };
+type AppHandles = Awaited<ReturnType<typeof createApp>>;
+
+process.env.WAKEUP_DRIVER = "memory";
+process.env.SANDBOX_PROVIDER = "fake";
+process.env.AGENT_RUNTIME = "scripted";
+
+const hasDb = process.env.VERIFY_DATABASE === "1" && Boolean(process.env.DATABASE_URL);
+const describeWithDatabase = hasDb ? describe.sequential : describe.skip;
+
+const PNG_BASE64 = Buffer.from([0x89, 0x50, 0x4e, 0x47, 0x0d, 0x0a, 0x1a, 0x0a, 1, 2, 3]).toString(
+  "base64",
+);
+
+// testkit has no zod of its own; the contracts' schemas carry it.
+const SourceInputSchema = MediaOutputSchema.pick({ artifactId: true });
+
+/** Fake card operations: an export that copies its source, and a transcription that waits. */
+function fakeOperations(): MediaOperationRegistration[] {
+  const exportVideo: MediaOperationRegistration<{ artifactId: string }> = {
+    operation: "export_video",
+    inputSchema: SourceInputSchema,
+    title: () => "Export",
+    available: async () => true,
+    artifactIds: (input) => [input.artifactId],
+    handler: {
+      operation: "export_video",
+      run: async (context) => {
+        const { artifactId } = context.input as { artifactId: string };
+        const source = await context.fetchArtifact(artifactId);
+        const out = path.join(context.tempDir, "export.png");
+        await writeFile(out, Buffer.from(PNG_BASE64, "base64"));
+        await context.addOutput({
+          path: out,
+          name: "export.png",
+          mimeType: "image/png",
+          parentArtifactId: source.artifactId,
+          preset: "square",
+        });
+        return { summary: "Exported." };
+      },
+    },
+  };
+  const transcribe: MediaOperationRegistration<{ artifactId: string }> = {
+    operation: "transcribe",
+    inputSchema: SourceInputSchema,
+    title: () => "Transcript",
+    available: async () => true,
+    artifactIds: (input) => [input.artifactId],
+    handler: {
+      operation: "transcribe",
+      run: async (context) => {
+        await new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+          context.signal.addEventListener("abort", () => resolve(), { once: true });
+        });
+        context.signal.throwIfAborted();
+        return { summary: "" };
+      },
+    },
+  };
+  return [exportVideo, transcribe] as MediaOperationRegistration[];
+}
+
+describeWithDatabase("media RPCs (PostgreSQL)", () => {
+  let handles: AppHandles;
+  let app: App;
+  const stamp = `${Date.now()}-${Math.random().toString(36).slice(2)}`;
+  const dataDir = mkdtempSync(path.join(tmpdir(), "rakazo-media-"));
+
+  beforeAll(async () => {
+    const { createApp } = await import("../../../apps/api/src/app.ts");
+    handles = await createApp({
+      databaseUrl: process.env.DATABASE_URL!,
+      dataDir,
+      sandboxProvider: "fake",
+      agentRuntime: "scripted",
+      wakeupDriver: "memory",
+      signupsEnabled: "true",
+      composio: new ComposioEmulator(),
+      mediaOperations: fakeOperations(),
+    });
+    app = handles.app;
+  });
+
+  afterAll(async () => {
+    await handles?.prisma.integrationProviderConfig.deleteMany({ where: { id: "media" } });
+    await handles?.stop();
+    rmSync(dataDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  });
+
+  async function user(label: string) {
+    const cookie = await signup(app, `${label}-${stamp}@rakazo.test`, label);
+    const me = await rpc<{ userId: string; spaceId: string }>(app, cookie, "me");
+    const bot = await rpc<{ id: string }>(app, cookie, "bots/create", {
+      name: `${label} bot`,
+      title: "",
+      description: "",
+      instructions: "",
+      notifyOnFinish: false,
+    });
+    const thread = await handles.prisma.thread.findUniqueOrThrow({ where: { botId: bot.id } });
+    const card = await createThreadMessage(handles.prisma, {
+      threadId: thread.id,
+      role: "bot",
+      botId: bot.id,
+      blocks: [{ kind: "text", text: "Here is your clip." }],
+    });
+    const artifact = await rpc<{ id: string }>(app, cookie, "artifacts/create", {
+      botId: bot.id,
+      name: "clip.png",
+      mimeType: "image/png",
+      contentBase64: PNG_BASE64,
+    });
+    return { cookie, me, bot, thread, card, artifact };
+  }
+
+  async function waitForStatus(jobId: string, status: string) {
+    const start = Date.now();
+    while (Date.now() - start < 20_000) {
+      const job = await handles.prisma.mediaJob.findUnique({ where: { id: jobId } });
+      if (job?.status === status) return job;
+      await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 50));
+    }
+    throw new Error(`media job ${jobId} never reached ${status}`);
+  }
+
+  it("lets only the deployment owner read and change media settings, and never returns keys", async () => {
+    const owner = await user("media-owner");
+    const other = await user("media-other");
+    await handles.prisma.deploymentSettings.upsert({
+      where: { id: "default" },
+      create: { id: "default", ownerUserId: owner.me.userId },
+      update: { ownerUserId: owner.me.userId },
+    });
+
+    const update = {
+      comfyui: {
+        baseUrl: "http://127.0.0.1:8188/",
+        apiKey: "comfy-test-key",
+        imageModel: "sd_xl_base_1.0.safetensors",
+        imageWorkflow: '{"3":{"class_type":"KSampler","inputs":{}}}',
+        videoWorkflow: "",
+      },
+      transcription: { baseUrl: "http://127.0.0.1:8080", model: "whisper-1", apiKey: "" },
+    };
+    expect((await raw(app, other.cookie, "media/settings/get", {})).status).toBe(403);
+    expect((await raw(app, other.cookie, "media/settings/update", update)).status).toBe(403);
+    expect(await handles.prisma.integrationProviderConfig.count({ where: { id: "media" } })).toBe(
+      0,
+    );
+
+    const saved = await rpc<MediaSettingsView>(app, owner.cookie, "media/settings/update", update);
+    expect(saved).toEqual({
+      comfyui: {
+        baseUrl: "http://127.0.0.1:8188",
+        hasApiKey: true,
+        imageModel: "sd_xl_base_1.0.safetensors",
+        imageWorkflow: update.comfyui.imageWorkflow,
+      },
+      transcription: { baseUrl: "http://127.0.0.1:8080/v1", model: "whisper-1", hasApiKey: false },
+    });
+    expect(JSON.stringify(saved)).not.toContain("comfy-test-key");
+    expect(await rpc(app, owner.cookie, "media/settings/get")).toEqual(saved);
+    const row = await handles.prisma.integrationProviderConfig.findUniqueOrThrow({
+      where: { id: "media" },
+    });
+    expect(row.ciphertext).not.toContain("comfy-test-key");
+    expect(row.ciphertext).not.toContain("127.0.0.1");
+
+    // An omitted key stays with the same server, never follows the settings elsewhere.
+    const { apiKey: _key, ...withoutKey } = update.comfyui;
+    const kept = await rpc<MediaSettingsView>(app, owner.cookie, "media/settings/update", {
+      ...update,
+      comfyui: withoutKey,
+    });
+    expect(kept.comfyui?.hasApiKey).toBe(true);
+    const moved = await rpc<MediaSettingsView>(app, owner.cookie, "media/settings/update", {
+      ...update,
+      comfyui: { ...withoutKey, baseUrl: "http://127.0.0.1:8189" },
+    });
+    expect(moved.comfyui?.hasApiKey).toBe(false);
+
+    for (const baseUrl of ["http://169.254.169.254", "http://user:pass@127.0.0.1:8188"]) {
+      const refused = await raw(app, owner.cookie, "media/settings/update", {
+        ...update,
+        comfyui: { ...update.comfyui, baseUrl },
+      });
+      expect(refused.status, baseUrl).toBe(400);
+    }
+    const badWorkflow = await raw(app, owner.cookie, "media/settings/update", {
+      ...update,
+      comfyui: { ...update.comfyui, imageWorkflow: "[1, 2" },
+    });
+    expect(badWorkflow.status).toBe(400);
+
+    const previous = process.env.RAKAZO_OPENAI_COMPAT_ALLOW_PUBLIC;
+    try {
+      delete process.env.RAKAZO_OPENAI_COMPAT_ALLOW_PUBLIC;
+      expect(
+        (
+          await raw(app, owner.cookie, "media/settings/update", {
+            comfyui: null,
+            transcription: { baseUrl: "http://transcribe.example.com" },
+          })
+        ).status,
+      ).toBe(400);
+      process.env.RAKAZO_OPENAI_COMPAT_ALLOW_PUBLIC = "1";
+      // A key is never sent in cleartext to a public host.
+      expect(
+        (
+          await raw(app, owner.cookie, "media/settings/update", {
+            comfyui: null,
+            transcription: { baseUrl: "http://transcribe.example.com", apiKey: "secret" },
+          })
+        ).status,
+      ).toBe(400);
+      const https = await rpc<MediaSettingsView>(app, owner.cookie, "media/settings/update", {
+        comfyui: null,
+        transcription: { baseUrl: "https://transcribe.example.com", apiKey: "secret" },
+      });
+      expect(https.transcription).toMatchObject({
+        baseUrl: "https://transcribe.example.com/v1",
+        hasApiKey: true,
+      });
+    } finally {
+      if (previous === undefined) delete process.env.RAKAZO_OPENAI_COMPAT_ALLOW_PUBLIC;
+      else process.env.RAKAZO_OPENAI_COMPAT_ALLOW_PUBLIC = previous;
+    }
+
+    expect(
+      await rpc(app, owner.cookie, "media/settings/update", { comfyui: null, transcription: null }),
+    ).toEqual({ comfyui: null, transcription: null });
+    expect(await handles.prisma.integrationProviderConfig.count({ where: { id: "media" } })).toBe(
+      0,
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("starts, reads and cancels card jobs only for the actor's own threads and files", async () => {
+    const alice = await user("media-alice");
+    const mallory = await user("media-mallory");
+
+    const started = await rpc<{ jobId: string; messageId: string }>(
+      app,
+      alice.cookie,
+      "media/jobs/start",
+      {
+        botId: alice.bot.id,
+        messageId: alice.card.id,
+        operation: "export_video",
+        input: { artifactId: alice.artifact.id },
+      },
+    );
+    const job = await waitForStatus(started.jobId, "done");
+    expect(job).toMatchObject({
+      spaceId: alice.me.spaceId,
+      userId: alice.me.userId,
+      botId: alice.bot.id,
+      threadId: alice.thread.id,
+      runId: null,
+      continueAfter: false,
+    });
+    const snapshot = await rpc<{ status: string; outputs: MediaJobBlock["outputs"] }>(
+      app,
+      alice.cookie,
+      "media/jobs/get",
+      { jobId: started.jobId },
+    );
+    expect(snapshot.status).toBe("done");
+    expect(snapshot.outputs).toEqual([
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        name: "export.png",
+        parentArtifactId: alice.artifact.id,
+        preset: "square",
+      }),
+    ]);
+    const card = await handles.prisma.message.findUniqueOrThrow({
+      where: { id: started.messageId },
+    });
+    expect(card).toMatchObject({ threadId: alice.thread.id, botId: alice.bot.id, role: "bot" });
+    expect((card.blocks as MessageBlock[])[0]).toMatchObject({ kind: "media", status: "done" });
+
+    // Another user can neither read nor cancel the job, nor start one in Alice's conversation
+    // or on her files.
+    expect(
+      (await raw(app, mallory.cookie, "media/jobs/get", { jobId: started.jobId })).status,
+    ).toBe(404);
+    expect(
+      (await raw(app, mallory.cookie, "media/jobs/cancel", { jobId: started.jobId })).status,
+    ).toBe(404);
+    for (const body of [
+      {
+        botId: alice.bot.id,
+        messageId: alice.card.id,
+        operation: "export_video",
+        input: { artifactId: mallory.artifact.id },
+      },
+      {
+        botId: mallory.bot.id,
+        messageId: alice.card.id,
+        operation: "export_video",
+        input: { artifactId: mallory.artifact.id },
+      },
+      {
+        botId: mallory.bot.id,
+        messageId: mallory.card.id,
+        operation: "export_video",
+        input: { artifactId: alice.artifact.id },
+      },
+      {
+        botId: mallory.bot.id,
+        messageId: mallory.card.id,
+        operation: "generate_image",
+        input: { prompt: "anything" },
+      },
+    ]) {
+      const response = await raw(app, mallory.cookie, "media/jobs/start", body);
+      expect(response.status, JSON.stringify(body)).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(400);
+    }
+    expect(await handles.prisma.mediaJob.count({ where: { userId: mallory.me.userId } })).toBe(0);
+
+    const slow = await rpc<{ jobId: string }>(app, alice.cookie, "media/jobs/start", {
+      botId: alice.bot.id,
+      messageId: alice.card.id,
+      operation: "transcribe",
+      input: { artifactId: alice.artifact.id },
+    });
+    await waitForStatus(slow.jobId, "running");
+    const cancelled = await rpc<{ status: string }>(app, alice.cookie, "media/jobs/cancel", {
+      jobId: slow.jobId,
+    });
+    expect(["running", "cancelled"]).toContain(cancelled.status);
+    await waitForStatus(slow.jobId, "cancelled");
+  });
+});
+
+async function signup(app: App, email: string, name: string) {
+  const res = await app.request("/api/auth/sign-up/email", {
+    method: "POST",
+    headers: { "content-type": "application/json", origin: "http://127.0.0.1:5173" },
+    body: JSON.stringify({ email, password: "password12", name }),
+  });
+  if (res.status >= 400) throw new Error(`signup failed ${res.status}: ${await res.text()}`);
+  return sessionCookieHeader(res);
+}
+
+function raw(app: App, cookie: string, proc: string, body: unknown = {}) {
+  return app.request(`/rpc/${proc}`, {
+    method: "POST",
+    headers: { "content-type": "application/json", cookie, origin: "http://127.0.0.1:5173" },
+    body: JSON.stringify({ json: body }),
+  });
+}
+
+async function rpc<T>(app: App, cookie: string, proc: string, body: unknown = {}): Promise<T> {
+  const res = await raw(app, cookie, proc, body);
+  const text = await res.text();
+  const parsed = JSON.parse(text) as { json?: T; error?: { message?: string } };
+  if (res.status >= 400 || parsed.error) {
+    throw new Error(`${proc} ${res.status}: ${parsed.error?.message ?? text}`);
+  }
+  return parsed.json as T;
+}