diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index a76639b..7b98855 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -481,7 +481,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "mt5-quant"
-version = "1.32.3"
+version = "1.32.4"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "base64",
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 9490c1c..c9b641f 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "mt5-quant"
-version = "1.32.3"
+version = "1.32.4"
 edition = "2021"
 description = "MCP server for MT5 strategy development on macOS/Linux"
 authors = ["masdevid <masdevid@example.com>"]
diff --git a/src/analytics/extract.rs b/src/analytics/extract.rs
index df30c5c..7bd68a2 100644
--- a/src/analytics/extract.rs
+++ b/src/analytics/extract.rs
@@ -77,59 +77,96 @@ impl ReportExtractor {
     fn parse_deals_html(&self, text: &str) -> Result<Vec<Deal>> {
         let mut deals = Vec::new();
 
-        let re = regex::Regex::new(r"<tr[^>]*>.*?Deal.*?Time.*?Type.*?Direction.*?</tr>(.*)")
-            .map_err(|e| anyhow!("Regex error: {}", e))?;
+        // (?s) = dotall: makes '.' match '\n' so the regex works on multiline HTML.
+        // MT5 HTML column order: Time | Deal | Symbol | Type | Direction |
+        //                        Volume | Price | Order | Commission | Swap | Profit | Balance | Comment
+        //
+        // Strategy: locate the deals table by finding the header <tr> that contains
+        // the column names, then parse every subsequent <tr> as a data row.
+        // We try two header patterns to handle different MT5 versions/locales.
 
-        if let Some(captures) = re.captures(text) {
-            let section = captures.get(1).map(|m| m.as_str()).unwrap_or("");
+        let row_re = regex::Regex::new(r"(?s)<tr[^>]*>(.*?)</tr>")
+            .map_err(|e| anyhow!("Row regex error: {}", e))?;
+        let cell_re = regex::Regex::new(r"(?s)<td[^>]*>(.*?)</td>")
+            .map_err(|e| anyhow!("Cell regex error: {}", e))?;
 
-            let row_re = regex::Regex::new(r"<tr[^>]*>(.*?)</tr>")
-                .map_err(|e| anyhow!("Regex error: {}", e))?;
+        // Collect all <tr> blocks once, then find the deals header and parse from there.
+        let rows: Vec<&str> = row_re.captures_iter(text)
+            .filter_map(|cap| cap.get(0).map(|m| m.as_str()))
+            .collect();
 
-            for row_caps in row_re.captures_iter(section) {
-                let row = row_caps.get(1).map(|m| m.as_str()).unwrap_or("");
-                
-                let cell_re = regex::Regex::new(r"<td[^>]*>(.*?)</td>")
-                    .map_err(|e| anyhow!("Regex error: {}", e))?;
-                
-                let cells: Vec<String> = cell_re.captures_iter(row)
-                    .filter_map(|cap| cap.get(1))
-                    .map(|m| Self::strip_tags(m.as_str()))
-                    .map(|s| s.replace(',', ""))
-                    .collect();
+        // Find the header row index: it must contain both "Deal" and "Symbol" (case-insensitive).
+        let header_idx = rows.iter().position(|row| {
+            let lower = row.to_lowercase();
+            (lower.contains(">deal<") || lower.contains(">deal </")) &&
+            (lower.contains(">symbol<") || lower.contains(">symbol </"))
+        });
 
-                if cells.len() < 3 || cells[0].is_empty() {
-                    continue;
+        let start_idx = match header_idx {
+            Some(i) => i + 1,
+            None => {
+                // Fallback: look for any row containing Time+Volume+Profit headers
+                let alt = rows.iter().position(|row| {
+                    let lower = row.to_lowercase();
+                    lower.contains(">time<") && lower.contains(">volume<") && lower.contains(">profit<")
+                });
+                match alt {
+                    Some(i) => i + 1,
+                    None => {
+                        tracing::warn!("parse_deals_html: no deals table header found");
+                        return Ok(deals);
+                    }
                 }
-
-                if cells.iter().take(5).any(|c| {
-                    let c_lower = c.trim().to_lowercase();
-                    c_lower == "balance" || c_lower == "credit"
-                }) {
-                    continue;
-                }
-
-                let deal = Deal {
-                    time: cells.get(0).cloned().unwrap_or_default(),
-                    deal: cells.get(1).cloned().unwrap_or_default(),
-                    symbol: cells.get(2).cloned().unwrap_or_default(),
-                    deal_type: cells.get(3).cloned().unwrap_or_default(),
-                    entry: cells.get(4).cloned().unwrap_or_default(),
-                    volume: cells.get(5).and_then(|s| s.parse().ok()).unwrap_or(0.0),
-                    price: cells.get(6).and_then(|s| s.parse().ok()).unwrap_or(0.0),
-                    order: cells.get(7).cloned().unwrap_or_default(),
-                    commission: cells.get(8).and_then(|s| s.parse().ok()).unwrap_or(0.0),
-                    swap: cells.get(9).and_then(|s| s.parse().ok()).unwrap_or(0.0),
-                    profit: cells.get(10).and_then(|s| s.parse().ok()).unwrap_or(0.0),
-                    balance: cells.get(11).and_then(|s| s.parse().ok()).unwrap_or(0.0),
-                    comment: cells.get(12).cloned().unwrap_or_default(),
-                    magic: cells.get(13).cloned(),
-                };
-
-                deals.push(deal);
             }
+        };
+
+        for row in &rows[start_idx..] {
+            let cells: Vec<String> = cell_re.captures_iter(row)
+                .filter_map(|cap| cap.get(1))
+                .map(|m| Self::strip_tags(m.as_str()))
+                .map(|s| s.replace(',', ""))
+                .collect();
+
+            if cells.len() < 3 || cells[0].trim().is_empty() {
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            // Skip balance/credit operation rows (Type column is index 3 in MT5 HTML)
+            let type_cell = cells.get(3).map(|s| s.trim().to_lowercase()).unwrap_or_default();
+            if type_cell == "balance" || type_cell == "credit" {
+                continue;
+            }
+            // Also skip sub-header rows that repeat column names
+            if type_cell == "type" || cells.get(1).map(|s| s.trim().to_lowercase()).as_deref() == Some("deal") {
+                continue;
+            }
+            // Skip rows with no deal number (e.g. totals row)
+            let deal_num = cells.get(1).map(|s| s.trim().to_string()).unwrap_or_default();
+            if deal_num.is_empty() {
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            let deal = Deal {
+                time:       cells.get(0).cloned().unwrap_or_default(),
+                deal:       deal_num,
+                symbol:     cells.get(2).cloned().unwrap_or_default(),
+                deal_type:  cells.get(3).cloned().unwrap_or_default(),
+                entry:      cells.get(4).cloned().unwrap_or_default(),
+                volume:     cells.get(5).and_then(|s| s.parse().ok()).unwrap_or(0.0),
+                price:      cells.get(6).and_then(|s| s.parse().ok()).unwrap_or(0.0),
+                order:      cells.get(7).cloned().unwrap_or_default(),
+                commission: cells.get(8).and_then(|s| s.parse().ok()).unwrap_or(0.0),
+                swap:       cells.get(9).and_then(|s| s.parse().ok()).unwrap_or(0.0),
+                profit:     cells.get(10).and_then(|s| s.parse().ok()).unwrap_or(0.0),
+                balance:    cells.get(11).and_then(|s| s.parse().ok()).unwrap_or(0.0),
+                comment:    cells.get(12).cloned().unwrap_or_default(),
+                magic:      cells.get(13).cloned(),
+            };
+
+            deals.push(deal);
         }
 
+        tracing::info!("parse_deals_html: extracted {} deals", deals.len());
         Ok(deals)
     }
 
diff --git a/src/compile/mql_compiler.rs b/src/compile/mql_compiler.rs
index 1980d9b..9be6db4 100644
--- a/src/compile/mql_compiler.rs
+++ b/src/compile/mql_compiler.rs
@@ -90,8 +90,8 @@ impl MqlCompiler {
             .map(|s| s.to_string())
             .collect();
 
-        let ex5_path = staged_mq5.with_extension("ex5");
-        if !ex5_path.exists() {
+        let staged_ex5 = staged_mq5.with_extension("ex5");
+        if !staged_ex5.exists() {
             let final_errors = if errors.is_empty() {
                 vec![format!("Compilation failed. Log:\n{}", &log_text[log_text.len().saturating_sub(500)..])]
             } else {
@@ -107,11 +107,37 @@ impl MqlCompiler {
             });
         }
 
-        let binary_size = fs::metadata(&ex5_path)?.len();
+        let binary_size = fs::metadata(&staged_ex5)?.len();
+
+        // Deploy compiled output to the real MQL5/Experts/{ea_name}/ directory so
+        // MT5 can actually load it. The temp dir is only needed to avoid Wine path
+        // issues with spaces; the real experts dir is the authoritative location.
+        let final_ex5_path = if let Some(experts_dir) = self.config.experts_dir.as_ref() {
+            let real_experts = PathBuf::from(experts_dir);
+            let real_ea_dir = real_experts.join(ea_name);
+            fs::create_dir_all(&real_ea_dir)?;
+
+            // Sync source files (.mq5 + .mqh) into the real experts dir so that
+            // future compiles from the experts dir also work correctly.
+            if let Err(e) = self.sync_project_to_experts(source_path, &real_experts) {
+                tracing::warn!("Could not sync source to experts dir: {}", e);
+            }
+
+            // Copy the compiled .ex5 to the real experts dir.
+            let dest_ex5 = real_ea_dir.join(format!("{}.ex5", ea_name));
+            fs::copy(&staged_ex5, &dest_ex5)?;
+            tracing::info!("Deployed {} → {}", staged_ex5.display(), dest_ex5.display());
+            dest_ex5
+        } else {
+            // No experts_dir configured — fall back to the staged path so callers
+            // still get a valid path even if MT5 won't find it automatically.
+            tracing::warn!("experts_dir not configured; .ex5 left in staging dir");
+            staged_ex5
+        };
 
         Ok(CompileResult {
             success: errors.is_empty(),
-            ex5_path: Some(ex5_path),
+            ex5_path: Some(final_ex5_path),
             errors,
             warnings,
             binary_size,
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 28033b7..ee6944e 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -148,6 +148,7 @@ async fn run_test_launch(ea: Option<String>, startup_delay: Option<u64>) -> Resu
         timeout: 900,
         gui: false,
         startup_delay_secs: delay,
+        inactivity_kill_secs: None,
     };
     
     let pipeline = BacktestPipeline::new(config);
diff --git a/src/models/config.rs b/src/models/config.rs
index 2a844c0..f1d751c 100644
--- a/src/models/config.rs
+++ b/src/models/config.rs
@@ -508,29 +508,50 @@ impl Config {
         self.terminal_dir.as_ref().map(|d| Path::new(d).to_path_buf())
     }
 
-    /// Scan Bases/*/history/ for symbol directories that contain at least one .hcc file.
-    /// Returns deduplicated, sorted list of symbol names available for backtesting.
-    /// If server_filter is provided, only scans that specific server's directory.
+    /// Scan the tester's own history store for symbols with downloaded data.
+    ///
+    /// MT5 maintains two separate history trees:
+    ///   • `Bases/{server}/history/`  — live-trading tick/bar data (NOT usable by tester)
+    ///   • `Tester/bases/{server}/history/` — data the Strategy Tester actually reads
+    ///
+    /// Scanning `Bases/` (the old approach) returned symbols that exist for live trading
+    /// but may have no tester data, causing the tester to fail with "symbol does not exist".
+    /// This function scans `Tester/bases/` instead, which is the authoritative source.
+    ///
+    /// Falls back to `Bases/` only when `Tester/bases/` is absent (first-run / no backtests yet).
+    ///
+    /// If `server_filter` is provided only that server's directory is scanned.
     pub fn discover_symbols(&self, server_filter: Option<&str>) -> Vec<String> {
         let mt5_dir = match self.mt5_dir() {
             Some(d) => d,
             None => return Vec::new(),
         };
 
-        let bases_dir = mt5_dir.join("Bases");
-        if !bases_dir.is_dir() {
-            return Vec::new();
-        }
+        // Prefer the tester's own data store; fall back to live-trading Bases/ when absent.
+        let tester_bases = mt5_dir.join("Tester").join("bases");
+        let bases_dir = if tester_bases.is_dir() {
+            tester_bases
+        } else {
+            let fallback = mt5_dir.join("Bases");
+            if !fallback.is_dir() {
+                return Vec::new();
+            }
+            tracing::warn!(
+                "Tester/bases/ not found — falling back to Bases/ for symbol discovery. \
+                 Run at least one backtest to populate tester data."
+            );
+            fallback
+        };
 
         let mut symbols = std::collections::HashSet::new();
 
-        // Bases/{server}/history/{symbol}/{year}.hcc
+        // {bases_dir}/{server}/history/{symbol}/   — directory presence = data available
+        // (the tester uses .hst/.hcc files; existence of the directory is sufficient)
         if let Ok(servers) = fs::read_dir(&bases_dir) {
             for server in servers.filter_map(|e| e.ok()) {
                 let server_name_os = server.file_name();
                 let server_name = server_name_os.to_str().unwrap_or("");
-                
-                // Skip non-directory entries and filter by server if specified
+
                 if server_name.is_empty() {
                     continue;
                 }
@@ -539,7 +560,7 @@ impl Config {
                         continue;
                     }
                 }
-                
+
                 let history_dir = server.path().join("history");
                 if !history_dir.is_dir() {
                     continue;
@@ -550,23 +571,8 @@ impl Config {
                         if !sym_path.is_dir() {
                             continue;
                         }
-                        // Only include if at least one .hcc file exists (has downloaded data)
-                        let has_data = fs::read_dir(&sym_path)
-                            .ok()
-                            .map(|entries| {
-                                entries.filter_map(|e| e.ok()).any(|e| {
-                                    e.path().extension()
-                                        .and_then(|x| x.to_str())
-                                        .map(|x| x == "hcc")
-                                        .unwrap_or(false)
-                                })
-                            })
-                            .unwrap_or(false);
-
-                        if has_data {
-                            if let Some(name) = sym_path.file_name().and_then(|n| n.to_str()) {
-                                symbols.insert(name.to_string());
-                            }
+                        if let Some(name) = sym_path.file_name().and_then(|n| n.to_str()) {
+                            symbols.insert(name.to_string());
                         }
                     }
                 }
@@ -578,6 +584,59 @@ impl Config {
         sorted
     }
 
+    /// Find the closest available tester symbol to the one requested.
+    ///
+    /// Matching priority (first hit wins):
+    ///   1. Exact match                           → `XAUUSD.cent` == `XAUUSD.cent`
+    ///   2. Case-insensitive exact match          → `xauusd.cent` → `XAUUSD.cent`
+    ///   3. Strip/add common cent suffixes        → `XAUUSDc` ↔ `XAUUSD.cent`
+    ///   4. Prefix match on the base ticker       → `XAUUSD` matches `XAUUSD.cent`
+    pub fn resolve_symbol<'a>(requested: &str, available: &'a [String]) -> Option<&'a str> {
+        if available.is_empty() {
+            return None;
+        }
+
+        // 1. Exact
+        if let Some(s) = available.iter().find(|s| s.as_str() == requested) {
+            return Some(s.as_str());
+        }
+
+        // 2. Case-insensitive exact
+        let req_lower = requested.to_lowercase();
+        if let Some(s) = available.iter().find(|s| s.to_lowercase() == req_lower) {
+            return Some(s.as_str());
+        }
+
+        // 3. Cent-suffix normalisation: build a normalised "base" for both sides
+        //    Strip known cent suffixes: `.cent`, `c` (trailing, uppercase only), `.c`
+        fn base_ticker(sym: &str) -> &str {
+            let s = sym.trim_end_matches(".cent")
+                       .trim_end_matches(".c");
+            // Strip trailing lowercase 'c' only when the rest is all-uppercase
+            // (so "XAUUSDc" → "XAUUSD", but "Misc" stays "Misc")
+            if s.ends_with('c') && s[..s.len()-1].chars().all(|c| c.is_ascii_uppercase() || c.is_ascii_digit()) {
+                &s[..s.len()-1]
+            } else {
+                s
+            }
+        }
+
+        let req_base = base_ticker(requested).to_lowercase();
+        if let Some(s) = available.iter().find(|s| base_ticker(s).to_lowercase() == req_base) {
+            return Some(s.as_str());
+        }
+
+        // 4. Prefix match: available symbol starts with the requested string (or vice-versa)
+        if let Some(s) = available.iter().find(|s| {
+            let sl = s.to_lowercase();
+            sl.starts_with(&req_lower) || req_lower.starts_with(sl.as_str())
+        }) {
+            return Some(s.as_str());
+        }
+
+        None
+    }
+
     /// Get the currently active MT5 account from common.ini
     pub fn current_account(&self) -> Option<CurrentAccount> {
         self.mt5_dir().and_then(|d| CurrentAccount::from_common_ini(&d))
diff --git a/src/models/report.rs b/src/models/report.rs
index 669533b..3ef9f50 100644
--- a/src/models/report.rs
+++ b/src/models/report.rs
@@ -79,6 +79,9 @@ pub struct BacktestJob {
     pub mt5_pid: Option<u32>,
     pub expected_report_path: String,
     pub timeout_seconds: u64,
+    /// Set by background monitor: "running"|"completed"|"completed_no_html"|"failed"|"timeout"
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub status: Option<String>,
 }
 
 impl BacktestJob {
@@ -101,6 +104,7 @@ impl BacktestJob {
             mt5_pid: None,
             expected_report_path,
             timeout_seconds,
+            status: Some("running".to_string()),
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/pipeline/backtest.rs b/src/pipeline/backtest.rs
index 39f3561..52a25d5 100644
--- a/src/pipeline/backtest.rs
+++ b/src/pipeline/backtest.rs
@@ -44,6 +44,9 @@ pub struct BacktestParams {
     pub timeout: u64,
     pub gui: bool,
     pub startup_delay_secs: u64,
+    /// Kill MT5 if tester agent log hasn't grown for this many seconds.
+    /// 0 = disabled. Useful to abort EAs that stop trading mid-backtest.
+    pub inactivity_kill_secs: Option<u64>,
 }
 
 pub struct PipelineResult {
@@ -193,7 +196,7 @@ impl BacktestPipeline {
         }
 
         self.log_progress(&progress_log, "BACKTEST").await;
-        
+
         // Get MT5 paths
         let mt5_dir = self.config.mt5_dir()
             .ok_or_else(|| anyhow!("MT5 directory not configured"))?;
@@ -208,15 +211,16 @@ impl BacktestPipeline {
         let reports_dir = mt5_dir.join("reports");
         fs::create_dir_all(&reports_dir)?;
 
-        // Write params via /config: (triggers tester) and terminal.ini (redundancy).
+        // Kill first — MT5 writes terminal.ini on exit, which would clobber
+        // the backtest params we're about to write.
+        self.kill_mt5().await?;
+
+        // Write params *after* MT5 is dead so nothing can overwrite them.
         let ini_content = self.build_backtest_ini(&params, &report_id)?;
         let config_host = wine_prefix.join("drive_c").join("backtest_config.ini");
         fs::write(&config_host, ini_content.as_bytes())?;
         self.update_terminal_ini(&params, &report_id)?;
 
-        // Kill any running MT5
-        self.kill_mt5().await?;
-
         // Launch MT5 (fire and forget)
         let mut cmd = self.build_wine_launch(wine_exe, &wine_prefix)?;
         let child = cmd.stdin(std::process::Stdio::null())
@@ -278,6 +282,7 @@ impl BacktestPipeline {
             timeout: params.timeout,
             gui: params.gui,
             startup_delay_secs: params.startup_delay_secs,
+            inactivity_kill_secs: params.inactivity_kill_secs,
         };
         tokio::spawn(async move {
             Self::monitor_backtest_completion(
@@ -376,12 +381,29 @@ impl BacktestPipeline {
         let grace_period = Duration::from_secs(30);
         let poll_start = std::time::SystemTime::now();
 
+        // Inactivity watchdog: kill MT5 if tester agent log hasn't grown for this long.
+        // Catches EAs that stall (no ticks processed) or flat periods with zero trades.
+        let inactivity_threshold = Duration::from_secs(
+            params.inactivity_kill_secs.unwrap_or(0)
+        );
+        let mut last_log_size: u64 = 0;
+        let mut last_log_activity = tokio::time::Instant::now();
+        let inactivity_enabled = inactivity_threshold.as_secs() > 0;
+
         loop {
             let _elapsed = start.elapsed().as_secs();
 
-            // Check for report file
-            for ext in &[".htm", ".htm.xml", ".html"] {
-                let candidate = expected_report.with_extension(ext.trim_start_matches('.'));
+            // Check for report file (exact name first)
+            for ext in &["htm", "htm.xml", "html"] {
+                let candidate = if *ext == "htm" {
+                    expected_report.clone()
+                } else {
+                    // Build alternate extension path without touching expected_report extension
+                    let stem = expected_report.file_stem()
+                        .map(|s| s.to_string_lossy().to_string())
+                        .unwrap_or_default();
+                    expected_report.with_file_name(format!("{}.{}", stem, ext))
+                };
                 if candidate.exists() {
                     tracing::info!("Backtest {} completed: report found at {}", report_id, candidate.display());
                     let extracted = Self::extract_and_store(&candidate, &report_dir, &report_id, &config, &params).await;
@@ -390,6 +412,15 @@ impl BacktestPipeline {
                     } else {
                         tracing::warn!("Backtest {}: extraction failed, keeping report file at {}", report_id, candidate.display());
                     }
+                    // When ShutdownTerminal=0 (shutdown=false), MT5 stays running after the
+                    // test so the report can be written reliably. Kill it ourselves now that
+                    // extraction is done so we don't leave zombie Wine processes.
+                    if !params.shutdown && Self::is_mt5_running() {
+                        tracing::info!("Backtest {}: killing MT5 after report extraction (shutdown=false)", report_id);
+                        let _ = std::process::Command::new("pkill")
+                            .args(["-TERM", "-f", "terminal64\\.exe"])
+                            .output();
+                    }
                     Self::update_job_status(&report_dir, "completed", Some(candidate.to_string_lossy().to_string())).await;
                     if let Some(ref callback) = notification_callback {
                         callback("backtest_completed", json!({
@@ -402,12 +433,113 @@ impl BacktestPipeline {
                 }
             }
 
+            // Inactivity watchdog: check if tester agent log is growing.
+            // The agent log is written incrementally as the tester processes ticks.
+            // If it stops growing for `inactivity_threshold` seconds → the test is done
+            // (or EA is stuck). Either way, we wait 30 s for MT5 to write the HTML
+            // report, then kill it unconditionally.
+            //
+            // NOTE: ShutdownTerminal=1 is supposed to make MT5 exit after the test,
+            // but on Wine/macOS this is unreliable — terminal64.exe often stays alive
+            // indefinitely. So we always kill after the HTML-wait window rather than
+            // depending on natural exit. The 30 s window is long enough for MT5 to flush
+            // the report file; if it isn't there by then, it won't appear.
+            if inactivity_enabled && Self::is_mt5_running() {
+                if let Some(log_path) = Self::find_active_tester_agent_log(&config) {
+                    let current_size = fs::metadata(&log_path)
+                        .map(|m| m.len())
+                        .unwrap_or(0);
+                    if current_size > last_log_size {
+                        last_log_size = current_size;
+                        last_log_activity = tokio::time::Instant::now();
+                    } else if last_log_activity.elapsed() >= inactivity_threshold && last_log_size > 0 {
+                        tracing::info!(
+                            "Backtest {}: tester log inactive for {}s — waiting 30s for HTML report, then killing MT5",
+                            report_id, inactivity_threshold.as_secs()
+                        );
+                        // Poll for the HTML during the grace window (30 s, 1 s intervals).
+                        let reports_parent = expected_report.parent();
+                        let mut html_found: Option<std::path::PathBuf> = None;
+                        for _wait in 0u32..30 {
+                            // Check exact expected path first.
+                            for ext in &["htm", "htm.xml", "html"] {
+                                let candidate = if *ext == "htm" {
+                                    expected_report.clone()
+                                } else {
+                                    let stem = expected_report.file_stem()
+                                        .map(|s| s.to_string_lossy().to_string())
+                                        .unwrap_or_default();
+                                    expected_report.with_file_name(format!("{}.{}", stem, ext))
+                                };
+                                if candidate.exists() {
+                                    html_found = Some(candidate);
+                                    break;
+                                }
+                            }
+                            if html_found.is_some() { break; }
+                            // Also scan for any newly created report.
+                            if let Some(parent) = reports_parent {
+                                if let Some(path) = Self::find_newest_report(parent, poll_start) {
+                                    html_found = Some(path);
+                                    break;
+                                }
+                            }
+                            sleep(Duration::from_secs(1)).await;
+                        }
+
+                        // Kill MT5 now — it either wrote the report or it won't.
+                        tracing::info!("Backtest {}: killing MT5 after inactivity+HTML-wait window", report_id);
+                        let _ = std::process::Command::new("pkill")
+                            .args(["-TERM", "-f", "terminal64\\.exe"])
+                            .output();
+                        sleep(Duration::from_secs(2)).await;
+                        let _ = std::process::Command::new("pkill")
+                            .args(["-KILL", "-f", "terminal64\\.exe"])
+                            .output();
+
+                        if let Some(path) = html_found {
+                            tracing::info!("Backtest {}: HTML report found during wait: {}", report_id, path.display());
+                            let extracted = Self::extract_and_store(&path, &report_dir, &report_id, &config, &params).await;
+                            if extracted { let _ = fs::remove_file(&path); }
+                            Self::update_job_status(&report_dir, "completed", Some(path.to_string_lossy().to_string())).await;
+                            if let Some(ref callback) = notification_callback {
+                                callback("backtest_completed", json!({
+                                    "report_id": report_id,
+                                    "status": "completed"
+                                }));
+                            }
+                            return;
+                        }
+
+                        // No HTML — fall back to journal extraction.
+                        sleep(Duration::from_secs(1)).await;
+                        if let Some(log) = Self::find_active_tester_agent_log(&config) {
+                            if Self::extract_from_journal(&log, &report_dir, &report_id, &config, &params).await {
+                                Self::update_job_status(&report_dir, "completed_no_html", None).await;
+                                if let Some(ref callback) = notification_callback {
+                                    callback("backtest_completed", json!({
+                                        "report_id": report_id,
+                                        "status": "completed_no_html",
+                                        "reason": "extracted from journal after inactivity kill (no HTML produced)"
+                                    }));
+                                }
+                                return;
+                            }
+                        }
+                        Self::update_job_status(&report_dir, "timeout_inactive", None).await;
+                        return;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+
             // Check process liveness after grace period
             let in_grace = start.elapsed() <= grace_period;
             let mt5_alive = Self::is_mt5_running();
 
             if !in_grace && !mt5_alive {
-                // MT5 exited without report - check for any newer report
+                // MT5 exited. Poll for the .htm report for up to 10 s (check every 1 s).
+                // Wine on macOS can take several seconds to flush the file after the
+                // process exits — a single fixed wait often misses the window.
                 let reports_parent = match expected_report.parent() {
                     Some(p) => p,
                     None => {
@@ -416,13 +548,26 @@ impl BacktestPipeline {
                         return;
                     }
                 };
-                if let Some(path) = Self::find_newest_report(reports_parent, poll_start) {
-                    tracing::info!("Backtest {} completed: found fallback report {}", report_id, path.display());
+                let mut found_report: Option<std::path::PathBuf> = None;
+                for attempt in 1u32..=10 {
+                    sleep(Duration::from_secs(1)).await;
+                    if let Some(path) = Self::find_newest_report(reports_parent, poll_start) {
+                        tracing::info!(
+                            "Backtest {}: found report after {}s — {}",
+                            report_id, attempt, path.display()
+                        );
+                        found_report = Some(path);
+                        break;
+                    }
+                    tracing::debug!("Backtest {}: no report yet ({}s elapsed after MT5 exit)", report_id, attempt);
+                }
+                if let Some(path) = found_report {
+                    tracing::info!("Backtest {} completed: found report {}", report_id, path.display());
                     let extracted = Self::extract_and_store(&path, &report_dir, &report_id, &config, &params).await;
                     if extracted {
                         let _ = fs::remove_file(&path);
                     } else {
-                        tracing::warn!("Backtest {}: extraction failed, keeping fallback report at {}", report_id, path.display());
+                        tracing::warn!("Backtest {}: extraction failed, keeping report at {}", report_id, path.display());
                     }
                     Self::update_job_status(&report_dir, "completed", Some(path.to_string_lossy().to_string())).await;
                     if let Some(ref callback) = notification_callback {
@@ -432,22 +577,46 @@ impl BacktestPipeline {
                             "status": "completed"
                         }));
                     }
-                } else {
-                    tracing::warn!("Backtest {} failed: MT5 exited without producing a report", report_id);
-                    Self::update_job_status(&report_dir, "failed", None).await;
-                    if let Some(ref callback) = notification_callback {
-                        callback("backtest_failed", json!({
-                            "report_id": report_id,
-                            "status": "failed",
-                            "reason": "MT5 exited without producing a report"
-                        }));
+                    return;
+                }
+
+                // No HTML report found — fallback to journal extraction.
+                tracing::warn!("Backtest {}: no HTML report found, trying journal extraction", report_id);
+                if let Some(log) = Self::find_active_tester_agent_log(&config) {
+                    if Self::extract_from_journal(&log, &report_dir, &report_id, &config, &params).await {
+                        Self::update_job_status(&report_dir, "completed_no_html", None).await;
+                        if let Some(ref callback) = notification_callback {
+                            callback("backtest_completed", json!({
+                                "report_id": report_id,
+                                "status": "completed_no_html",
+                                "reason": "extracted from tester journal (HTML report not produced)"
+                            }));
+                        }
+                        return;
                     }
                 }
+
+                tracing::warn!("Backtest {} failed: MT5 exited without producing a report", report_id);
+                Self::update_job_status(&report_dir, "failed", None).await;
+                if let Some(ref callback) = notification_callback {
+                    callback("backtest_failed", json!({
+                        "report_id": report_id,
+                        "status": "failed",
+                        "reason": "MT5 exited without producing a report or recoverable journal"
+                    }));
+                }
                 return;
             }
 
             if tokio::time::Instant::now() > deadline {
                 tracing::warn!("Backtest {} timed out after {} seconds", report_id, timeout_secs);
+                // Last-chance journal extraction on timeout
+                if let Some(log) = Self::find_active_tester_agent_log(&config) {
+                    if Self::extract_from_journal(&log, &report_dir, &report_id, &config, &params).await {
+                        Self::update_job_status(&report_dir, "completed_no_html", None).await;
+                        return;
+                    }
+                }
                 Self::update_job_status(&report_dir, "timeout", None).await;
                 if let Some(ref callback) = notification_callback {
                     callback("backtest_timeout", json!({
@@ -463,6 +632,251 @@ impl BacktestPipeline {
         }
     }
 
+    /// Find the best tester agent log file for today.
+    ///
+    /// Selection priority:
+    /// 1. Local agents (127.0.0.1) preferred over external/cloud agents (0.0.0.0)
+    ///    — 0.0.0.0 logs only contain startup info, never actual deal lines.
+    /// 2. Among equal-priority agents, pick the **largest** file (most content).
+    pub fn find_active_tester_agent_log(config: &Config) -> Option<PathBuf> {
+        let mt5_dir = config.mt5_dir()?;
+        let tester_dir = mt5_dir.join("Tester");
+        let today = chrono::Utc::now().format("%Y%m%d").to_string();
+
+        // (priority, size, path)  — higher priority = more preferred
+        // priority 1 = local (127.0.0.1), priority 0 = other (0.0.0.0 / any)
+        let mut best: Option<(u8, u64, PathBuf)> = None;
+
+        if let Ok(agents) = fs::read_dir(&tester_dir) {
+            for agent in agents.filter_map(|e| e.ok()) {
+                let agent_name = agent.file_name();
+                let agent_str = agent_name.to_string_lossy();
+
+                // Only consider Agent-* directories
+                if !agent_str.starts_with("Agent-") {
+                    continue;
+                }
+
+                let logs_dir = agent.path().join("logs");
+                let candidate = logs_dir.join(format!("{}.log", today));
+                if !candidate.exists() {
+                    continue;
+                }
+
+                let meta = match fs::metadata(&candidate) {
+                    Ok(m) => m,
+                    Err(_) => continue,
+                };
+                let size = meta.len();
+
+                // Prefer local agents (127.0.0.1) — they log actual deal execution
+                let priority: u8 = if agent_str.contains("127.0.0.1") { 1 } else { 0 };
+
+                let is_better = match &best {
+                    None => true,
+                    Some((bp, bs, _)) => priority > *bp || (priority == *bp && size > *bs),
+                };
+
+                if is_better {
+                    best = Some((priority, size, candidate));
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        best.map(|(_, _, p)| p)
+    }
+
+    /// Read the most recent tester agent log and return its lines (UTF-16 or UTF-8).
+    pub fn read_tester_agent_log(log_path: &Path) -> Option<Vec<String>> {
+        let bytes = fs::read(log_path).ok()?;
+        let text = if bytes.len() >= 2 && bytes[0] == 0xFF && bytes[1] == 0xFE {
+            // UTF-16 LE with BOM
+            let words: Vec<u16> = bytes[2..].chunks_exact(2)
+                .map(|c| u16::from_le_bytes([c[0], c[1]]))
+                .collect();
+            String::from_utf16_lossy(&words).to_string()
+        } else {
+            String::from_utf8_lossy(&bytes).to_string()
+        };
+        Some(text.lines().map(|l| l.to_string()).collect())
+    }
+
+    /// Parse deal entries from a tester agent log.
+    /// Returns (deals_parsed, final_balance_pips, sim_progress_line).
+    ///
+    /// Entry direction (in/out) is inferred via a per-symbol position tracker:
+    ///   - No open position → "in"
+    ///   - Same direction as existing position → "in" (grid/martingale add)
+    ///   - Opposite direction → "out" (closing)
+    /// Profit/balance are unavailable in the journal; they remain 0.0.
+    pub fn parse_journal_deals(lines: &[String]) -> (Vec<crate::models::deals::Deal>, f64, String) {
+        use regex::Regex;
+        use std::collections::HashMap;
+
+        // Format: "...  YYYY.MM.DD HH:MM:SS   deal #N buy/sell VOLUME SYM at PRICE done ..."
+        let deal_re = Regex::new(
+            r"(\d{4}\.\d{2}\.\d{2} \d{2}:\d{2}:\d{2})\s+deal #(\d+) (buy|sell) ([\d.]+) (\S+) at ([\d.]+) done"
+        ).unwrap();
+        let balance_re = Regex::new(r"final balance ([\d.]+) pips").unwrap();
+        let progress_re = Regex::new(r"Test passed in (.+)").unwrap();
+
+        let mut deals = Vec::new();
+        let mut final_balance = 0.0f64;
+        let mut progress_str = String::new();
+
+        // signed lots per symbol: positive = net long, negative = net short
+        let mut position: HashMap<String, f64> = HashMap::new();
+        // MT5 tester logs each deal TWICE (dual-agent logging) — deduplicate by deal number
+        let mut seen_deals: std::collections::HashSet<String> = std::collections::HashSet::new();
+
+        for line in lines {
+            if let Some(cap) = deal_re.captures(line) {
+                let sim_time  = cap[1].to_string();
+                let deal_num  = cap[2].to_string();
+                let direction = cap[3].to_string(); // "buy" | "sell"
+                let volume: f64 = cap[4].parse().unwrap_or(0.0);
+                let symbol    = cap[5].to_string();
+                let price: f64 = cap[6].parse().unwrap_or(0.0);
+
+                // Skip duplicate deal entries (MT5 writes each deal twice)
+                if !seen_deals.insert(deal_num.clone()) {
+                    continue;
+                }
+
+                let signed = if direction == "buy" { volume } else { -volume };
+                let current = position.get(&symbol).copied().unwrap_or(0.0);
+
+                // Determine entry type by comparing new direction against open position
+                let entry_type = if current.abs() < 1e-9 {
+                    // flat → opening a new position
+                    "in"
+                } else if (current > 0.0 && direction == "buy")
+                       || (current < 0.0 && direction == "sell")
+                {
+                    // same direction as existing → adding (grid/martingale)
+                    "in"
+                } else {
+                    // opposite direction → closing / partial close
+                    "out"
+                };
+
+                // Update tracked position
+                let new_pos = current + signed;
+                if new_pos.abs() < 1e-9 {
+                    position.remove(&symbol);
+                } else {
+                    position.insert(symbol.clone(), new_pos);
+                }
+
+                deals.push(crate::models::deals::Deal {
+                    time:       sim_time,
+                    deal:       deal_num,
+                    symbol,
+                    deal_type:  direction,
+                    entry:      entry_type.to_string(),
+                    volume,
+                    price,
+                    order:      String::new(),
+                    commission: 0.0,
+                    swap:       0.0,
+                    profit:     0.0,  // not available in journal
+                    balance:    0.0,  // not available in journal
+                    comment:    String::new(),
+                    magic:      None,
+                });
+            }
+            if let Some(cap) = balance_re.captures(line) {
+                final_balance = cap[1].parse().unwrap_or(0.0);
+            }
+            if let Some(cap) = progress_re.captures(line) {
+                progress_str = cap[1].to_string();
+            }
+        }
+
+        (deals, final_balance, progress_str)
+    }
+
+    /// Fallback: extract deals from the tester agent journal log when no HTML report exists.
+    /// Stores partial deal data (no per-deal P&L) and records the final balance only.
+    async fn extract_from_journal(
+        log_path: &Path,
+        report_dir: &Path,
+        report_id: &str,
+        config: &Config,
+        params: &BacktestParams,
+    ) -> bool {
+        let lines = match Self::read_tester_agent_log(log_path) {
+            Some(l) => l,
+            None => {
+                tracing::warn!("Journal extraction: could not read log {}", log_path.display());
+                return false;
+            }
+        };
+
+        let (deals, final_balance_pips, progress) = Self::parse_journal_deals(&lines);
+        if deals.is_empty() {
+            tracing::warn!("Journal extraction: no deals found in {}", log_path.display());
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        tracing::info!(
+            "Journal extraction: {} deals, final balance {} pips, {}",
+            deals.len(), final_balance_pips, progress
+        );
+
+        // Save journal summary to report_dir
+        let summary_path = report_dir.join("journal_extraction.json");
+        let summary = json!({
+            "source": "tester_agent_log",
+            "log_path": log_path.to_string_lossy(),
+            "total_deals": deals.len(),
+            "final_balance_pips": final_balance_pips,
+            "progress": progress,
+            "note": "No HTML report was produced. Deals extracted from tester agent log. profit/balance fields are 0 (not available in log format)."
+        });
+        let _ = fs::write(&summary_path, serde_json::to_string_pretty(&summary).unwrap_or_default());
+
+        // Register in DB with partial metrics
+        let db = crate::storage::ReportDb::new(&Config::db_path());
+        if db.init().is_err() {
+            return false;
+        }
+        let entry = crate::storage::ReportEntry {
+            id: report_id.to_string(),
+            expert: params.expert.clone(),
+            symbol: params.symbol.clone(),
+            timeframe: params.timeframe.clone(),
+            model: params.model as i64,
+            from_date: params.from_date.clone(),
+            to_date: params.to_date.clone(),
+            created_at: chrono::Utc::now().to_rfc3339(),
+            set_file_original: params.set_file.clone(),
+            set_snapshot_path: None,
+            report_dir: report_dir.to_string_lossy().to_string(),
+            charts_dir: None,
+            net_profit: Some(final_balance_pips - params.deposit as f64),
+            profit_factor: None,
+            max_dd_pct: None,
+            sharpe_ratio: None,
+            total_trades: Some(deals.len() as i64 / 2), // open+close pairs
+            win_rate_pct: None,
+            recovery_factor: None,
+            deposit: Some(params.deposit as f64),
+            currency: config.backtest_currency.clone(),
+            leverage: Some(params.leverage as i64),
+            duration_seconds: None,
+            tags: vec!["journal-only".to_string()],
+            notes: Some(format!("Extracted from journal: {} deals, final balance {} pips. No HTML report.", deals.len(), final_balance_pips)),
+            verdict: None,
+        };
+        if db.insert(&entry).is_err() {
+            return false;
+        }
+        if let Err(e) = db.insert_deals(report_id, &deals) {
+            tracing::warn!("Journal extraction: failed to store deals: {}", e);
+        }
+        true
+    }
+
     /// Update job status in job.json file.
     async fn update_job_status(report_dir: &Path, status: &str, report_path: Option<String>) {
         let job_path = report_dir.join("job.json");
@@ -706,15 +1120,16 @@ impl BacktestPipeline {
         let reports_dir = mt5_dir.join("reports");
         fs::create_dir_all(&reports_dir)?;
 
-        // Write params via /config: (triggers tester auto-start) and terminal.ini (redundancy).
+        // Kill first — MT5 writes terminal.ini on exit, which would clobber
+        // the backtest params we're about to write.
+        self.kill_mt5().await?;
+
+        // Write params *after* MT5 is dead so nothing can overwrite them.
         let ini_content = self.build_backtest_ini(params, report_id)?;
         let config_host = wine_prefix.join("drive_c").join("backtest_config.ini");
         fs::write(&config_host, ini_content.as_bytes())?;
         self.update_terminal_ini(params, report_id)?;
 
-        // Always kill any running MT5 — Wine allows only one instance per prefix.
-        self.kill_mt5().await?;
-
         // Record launch time before sleeping so find_newest_report doesn't miss
         // reports written during the startup wait.
         let poll_start = std::time::SystemTime::now();
@@ -759,8 +1174,13 @@ impl BacktestPipeline {
             tracing::info!("poll t+{}s: in_grace={} mt5_alive={}", elapsed, in_grace, mt5_alive);
 
             if !in_grace && !mt5_alive {
+                // MT5 writes the .htm report file right before exiting. There is a
+                // short window where the process is gone but the file hasn't been
+                // flushed to the directory. Wait 3 s to let Wine/macOS finish the
+                // write before we scan — this prevents false "no report" failures.
+                sleep(Duration::from_secs(3)).await;
                 if let Some(path) = Self::find_newest_report(&reports_dir, poll_start) {
-                    tracing::info!("poll: MT5 exited, found fallback report {}", path.display());
+                    tracing::info!("poll: MT5 exited, found report {}", path.display());
                     return Ok(path);
                 }
                 return Err(anyhow!(
@@ -963,23 +1383,16 @@ impl BacktestPipeline {
             );
 
             let script_path = std::env::temp_dir().join("mt5_backtest_launch.sh");
-            
-            // Only rewrite script if it doesn't exist or content differs (optimization)
-            let needs_write = !script_path.exists() || fs::read_to_string(&script_path).map(|existing| existing != script).unwrap_or(true);
-            
-            if needs_write {
-                fs::write(&script_path, &script)?;
-                // chmod +x
-                #[cfg(unix)]
-                {
-                    use std::os::unix::fs::PermissionsExt;
-                    fs::set_permissions(&script_path,
-                        fs::Permissions::from_mode(0o755))?;
-                }
-                tracing::debug!("Created/updated launch script: {}", script_path.display());
-            } else {
-                tracing::debug!("Reusing existing launch script: {}", script_path.display());
+
+            // Always rewrite: script content changes per backtest (DYLD paths are
+            // dynamic) and we must ensure +x permissions are set every time.
+            fs::write(&script_path, &script)?;
+            #[cfg(unix)]
+            {
+                use std::os::unix::fs::PermissionsExt;
+                fs::set_permissions(&script_path, fs::Permissions::from_mode(0o755))?;
             }
+            tracing::debug!("Wrote launch script: {}", script_path.display());
 
             tracing::info!("Launching MT5 via shell script (terminal.ini mode): {}", script_path.display());
             let mut cmd = Command::new("/bin/sh");
@@ -1072,22 +1485,42 @@ impl BacktestPipeline {
 
         tracing::info!("Stopping existing MT5 instance...");
         // SIGKILL immediately — MT5 holds no state we care about preserving.
-        let mut killed_any = false;
         for pat in &patterns {
-            let result = Command::new("pkill").args(["-KILL", "-f", pat.as_str()]).output();
-            if result.map(|o| o.status.success()).unwrap_or(false) {
-                killed_any = true;
+            let _ = Command::new("pkill").args(["-KILL", "-f", pat.as_str()]).output();
+        }
+        // Also kill wineserver so the Wine prefix is fully reset before relaunch.
+        // If wineserver is still alive when the new MT5 spawns, the new Wine
+        // instance may attach to the dying server and never enter tester mode.
+        let _ = Command::new("pkill").args(["-KILL", "-f", "wineserver"]).output();
+
+        // Poll until wineserver is actually gone (max 10 s) rather than sleeping
+        // a fixed amount. On macOS wineserver cleanup varies from 1 s to 6+ s.
+        let deadline = tokio::time::Instant::now() + Duration::from_secs(10);
+        loop {
+            sleep(Duration::from_millis(500)).await;
+            let ws_alive = Command::new("pgrep")
+                .args(["-f", "wineserver"])
+                .output()
+                .map(|o| o.status.success())
+                .unwrap_or(false);
+            let mt5_alive = patterns.iter().any(|pat| {
+                Command::new("pgrep")
+                    .args(["-f", pat.as_str()])
+                    .output()
+                    .map(|o| o.status.success())
+                    .unwrap_or(false)
+            });
+            if !ws_alive && !mt5_alive {
+                tracing::info!("MT5 and wineserver fully exited");
+                break;
+            }
+            if tokio::time::Instant::now() >= deadline {
+                tracing::warn!("wineserver still alive after 10 s — proceeding anyway");
+                break;
             }
         }
-        let wineserver_result = Command::new("pkill").args(["-KILL", "-f", "wineserver"]).output();
-        if wineserver_result.map(|o| o.status.success()).unwrap_or(false) {
-            killed_any = true;
-        }
-        
-        // Only sleep if we actually killed something - skip if no processes were running
-        if killed_any {
-            sleep(Duration::from_secs(2)).await; // Reduced from 3s to 2s
-        }
+        // Brief extra pause to let the kernel release sockets and shared memory.
+        sleep(Duration::from_millis(500)).await;
 
         Ok(())
     }
diff --git a/src/tools/definitions/backtest.rs b/src/tools/definitions/backtest.rs
index e7997db..3116bfe 100644
--- a/src/tools/definitions/backtest.rs
+++ b/src/tools/definitions/backtest.rs
@@ -99,8 +99,10 @@ pub fn tool_launch_backtest() -> Value {
                 "skip_compile": { "type": "boolean" },
                 "skip_clean": { "type": "boolean" },
                 "timeout": { "type": "integer", "description": "Max time in seconds to wait for backtest (default: 900)" },
+                "shutdown": { "type": "boolean", "description": "Shut down MT5 after test (default: true — required for HTML report to be written)" },
                 "gui": { "type": "boolean", "description": "Enable visualization during backtest" },
-                "startup_delay_secs": { "type": "integer", "description": "Seconds to wait for MT5 initialization (default: 10)" }
+                "startup_delay_secs": { "type": "integer", "description": "Seconds to wait for MT5 initialization (default: 10)" },
+                "inactivity_kill_secs": { "type": "integer", "description": "Kill MT5 if tester log hasn't grown for this many seconds (0 = disabled). Use to abort EAs that stop trading mid-test." }
             }
         }
     })
@@ -119,6 +121,22 @@ pub fn tool_get_backtest_status() -> Value {
     })
 }
 
+pub fn tool_get_tester_log() -> Value {
+    json!({
+        "name": "get_tester_log",
+        "description": "Read the active MT5 tester agent journal log. Returns parsed deals, final balance, test progress, and raw log tail. Works during a backtest (if the log is being written) or after completion. Use this to inspect what trades occurred, check for EA activity, or debug issues when the HTML report wasn't produced.",
+        "inputSchema": {
+            "type": "object",
+            "properties": {
+                "tail_lines": {
+                    "type": "integer",
+                    "description": "Number of log tail lines to return (default: 100)"
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    })
+}
+
 pub fn tool_cache_status() -> Value {
     json!({
         "name": "cache_status",
diff --git a/src/tools/definitions/mod.rs b/src/tools/definitions/mod.rs
index 7b1196c..8f35578 100644
--- a/src/tools/definitions/mod.rs
+++ b/src/tools/definitions/mod.rs
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ pub fn get_tools_list() -> Value {
         backtest::tool_run_backtest_only(),      // Minimal: skip compile, do clean + backtest + extract only
         backtest::tool_launch_backtest(),        // Fire-and-forget: compile + clean + launch MT5
         backtest::tool_get_backtest_status(),    // Poll for completion
+        backtest::tool_get_tester_log(),         // Live journal reading mid-backtest or after
         backtest::tool_cache_status(),
         backtest::tool_clean_cache(),
         // Optimization
diff --git a/src/tools/handlers/analysis.rs b/src/tools/handlers/analysis.rs
index 1d9e4b5..0345639 100644
--- a/src/tools/handlers/analysis.rs
+++ b/src/tools/handlers/analysis.rs
@@ -225,7 +225,9 @@ fn deal_to_json(d: &Deal) -> Value {
 }
 
 fn is_closed_trade(d: &Deal) -> bool {
-    d.entry.to_lowercase().contains("out") && d.profit != 0.0
+    // Accept any "out" entry. Profit may legitimately be 0.0 for journal-extracted
+    // deals (where per-deal P&L is unavailable), so we don't gate on profit != 0.0.
+    d.entry.to_lowercase().contains("out")
 }
 
 pub async fn handle_list_deals(_config: &Config, args: &Value) -> Result<Value> {
diff --git a/src/tools/handlers/backtest.rs b/src/tools/handlers/backtest.rs
index e4390bb..ddc4368 100644
--- a/src/tools/handlers/backtest.rs
+++ b/src/tools/handlers/backtest.rs
@@ -74,66 +74,87 @@ pub async fn handle_run_backtest(config: &Config, args: &Value) -> Result<Value>
         .and_then(|v| v.as_str())
         .unwrap_or("");
 
-    let symbol = if requested_symbol.is_empty() {
-        // Use config default or first available symbol
-        if let Some(default) = config.backtest_symbol.clone() {
-            if preflight.available_symbols.contains(&default) {
-                default
-            } else if let Some(first) = preflight.available_symbols.first() {
-                tracing::warn!("Default symbol {} not found for server {}; using {}", default, active_server, first);
-                first.clone()
-            } else {
+    // No tester data at all → hard fail with helpful context
+    let no_symbols_error = || json!({
+        "content": [{ "type": "text", "text": json!({
+            "error": format!("No symbols available for backtesting on server '{}'.", active_server),
+            "account": { "login": active_login, "server": active_server },
+            "hint": "Open MT5 → View → Strategy Tester → download history for at least one symbol.",
+            "pre_check": "no_symbols"
+        }).to_string() }],
+        "isError": true
+    });
+
+    let symbol: String = if requested_symbol.is_empty() {
+        // No symbol requested — use config default or first available tester symbol.
+        let candidate = config.backtest_symbol.as_deref().unwrap_or("");
+        if candidate.is_empty() {
+            preflight.available_symbols.first()
+                .cloned()
+                .ok_or(()
+                ).unwrap_or_else(|_| return String::new())
+        } else {
+            match Config::resolve_symbol(candidate, &preflight.available_symbols) {
+                Some(resolved) => {
+                    if resolved != candidate {
+                        tracing::warn!(
+                            "Config symbol '{}' not in tester data for '{}'; using '{}' instead",
+                            candidate, active_server, resolved
+                        );
+                    }
+                    resolved.to_string()
+                }
+                None => {
+                    // Config default has no tester data — pick first available
+                    preflight.available_symbols.first()
+                        .cloned()
+                        .unwrap_or_default()
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    } else {
+        // Caller specified a symbol — resolve it against actual tester data.
+        if preflight.available_symbols.is_empty() {
+            return Ok(no_symbols_error());
+        }
+        match Config::resolve_symbol(requested_symbol, &preflight.available_symbols) {
+            Some(resolved) if resolved == requested_symbol => {
+                // Exact match — use as-is
+                resolved.to_string()
+            }
+            Some(resolved) => {
+                // Fuzzy match — proceed with the corrected symbol, surface the substitution
+                tracing::warn!(
+                    "Symbol '{}' not in tester data for '{}'; substituting '{}'",
+                    requested_symbol, active_server, resolved
+                );
+                resolved.to_string()
+            }
+            None => {
+                // No match at all — fail with full context so the caller can act
                 return Ok(json!({
                     "content": [{ "type": "text", "text": json!({
-                        "error": format!("No symbols available for backtesting on server '{}'.", active_server),
-                        "account": {
-                            "login": active_login,
-                            "server": active_server
-                        },
-                        "hint": "Download historical data in MT5 Strategy Tester for this server.",
-                        "pre_check": "no_symbols",
-                        "suggestion": "Use get_active_account to see available symbols."
+                        "error": format!(
+                            "Symbol '{}' has no tester data on server '{}' and no close match was found.",
+                            requested_symbol, active_server
+                        ),
+                        "account": { "login": active_login, "server": active_server },
+                        "requested_symbol": requested_symbol,
+                        "available_symbols": preflight.available_symbols,
+                        "hint": "The tester data for this symbol hasn't been downloaded yet. \
+                                 Open MT5 → Strategy Tester → select the symbol and click Download.",
+                        "pre_check": "symbol_not_available"
                     }).to_string() }],
                     "isError": true
                 }));
             }
-        } else if let Some(first) = preflight.available_symbols.first() {
-            first.clone()
-        } else {
-            return Ok(json!({
-                "content": [{ "type": "text", "text": json!({
-                    "error": format!("No symbols available for backtesting on server '{}'.", active_server),
-                    "account": {
-                        "login": active_login,
-                        "server": active_server
-                    },
-                    "hint": "Download historical data in MT5 Strategy Tester for this server.",
-                    "pre_check": "no_symbols",
-                    "suggestion": "Use get_active_account to see available symbols."
-                }).to_string() }],
-                "isError": true
-            }));
         }
-    } else {
-        if !preflight.available_symbols.is_empty() && !preflight.available_symbols.contains(&requested_symbol.to_string()) {
-            return Ok(json!({
-                "content": [{ "type": "text", "text": json!({
-                    "error": format!("Symbol '{}' is not available for server '{}'.", requested_symbol, active_server),
-                    "account": {
-                        "login": active_login,
-                        "server": active_server
-                    },
-                    "requested_symbol": requested_symbol,
-                    "available_symbols": preflight.available_symbols,
-                    "hint": "The symbol may not have history data for this account's server. Use list_symbols to see available symbols.",
-                    "pre_check": "symbol_not_available",
-                    "suggestion": "Either switch to a different MT5 account with this symbol's data, or download history for this symbol on the current server."
-                }).to_string() }],
-                "isError": true
-            }));
-        }
-        requested_symbol.to_string()
     };
+
+    // Guard against the empty-string edge case (no symbols at all)
+    if symbol.is_empty() {
+        return Ok(no_symbols_error());
+    }
     
     // EA existence check with context
     if !preflight.ea_exists {
@@ -172,11 +193,12 @@ pub async fn handle_run_backtest(config: &Config, args: &Value) -> Result<Value>
         skip_clean: args.get("skip_clean").and_then(|v| v.as_bool()).unwrap_or(false),
         skip_analyze: args.get("skip_analyze").and_then(|v| v.as_bool()).unwrap_or(false),
         deep_analyze: args.get("deep").and_then(|v| v.as_bool()).unwrap_or(false),
-        shutdown: args.get("shutdown").and_then(|v| v.as_bool()).unwrap_or(false),
+        shutdown: args.get("shutdown").and_then(|v| v.as_bool()).unwrap_or(true),
         kill_existing: args.get("kill_existing").and_then(|v| v.as_bool()).unwrap_or(false),
         timeout: args.get("timeout").and_then(|v| v.as_u64()).unwrap_or(900),
         gui: args.get("gui").and_then(|v| v.as_bool()).unwrap_or(false),
         startup_delay_secs: args.get("startup_delay_secs").and_then(|v| v.as_u64()).unwrap_or(0),
+        inactivity_kill_secs: args.get("inactivity_kill_secs").and_then(|v| v.as_u64()),
     };
 
     let pipeline = BacktestPipeline::new(config.clone());
@@ -193,24 +215,26 @@ pub async fn handle_run_backtest(config: &Config, args: &Value) -> Result<Value>
     }))
 }
 
-pub async fn handle_run_backtest_quick(config: &Config, args: &Value) -> Result<Value> {
-    // Quick backtest: skip compile, do clean → backtest → extract → analyze
+pub async fn handle_run_backtest_quick(handler: &crate::tools::handlers::ToolHandler, args: &Value) -> Result<Value> {
+    // Quick backtest: skip compile, clean → launch → background monitor → return job.
+    // Uses the fire-and-forget launch path so the MCP response is returned immediately
+    // and the result is available via get_backtest_status / get_latest_report once done.
+    // (The synchronous blocking path exceeds MCP request timeouts for any backtest >2 min.)
     let mut args = args.clone();
     if let Some(obj) = args.as_object_mut() {
         obj.insert("skip_compile".to_string(), json!(true));
-        // keep skip_analyze as false (default) to run analysis
     }
-    handle_run_backtest(config, &args).await
+    handle_launch_backtest(handler, &args).await
 }
 
-pub async fn handle_run_backtest_only(config: &Config, args: &Value) -> Result<Value> {
-    // Backtest only: skip compile, skip analyze - just backtest and extract
+pub async fn handle_run_backtest_only(handler: &crate::tools::handlers::ToolHandler, args: &Value) -> Result<Value> {
+    // Backtest only: skip compile and analyze — launch and return job immediately.
     let mut args = args.clone();
     if let Some(obj) = args.as_object_mut() {
         obj.insert("skip_compile".to_string(), json!(true));
         obj.insert("skip_analyze".to_string(), json!(true));
     }
-    handle_run_backtest(config, &args).await
+    handle_launch_backtest(handler, &args).await
 }
 
 pub async fn handle_launch_backtest(handler: &crate::tools::handlers::ToolHandler, args: &Value) -> Result<Value> {
@@ -232,17 +256,50 @@ pub async fn handle_launch_backtest(handler: &crate::tools::handlers::ToolHandle
         }));
     }
     
-    // Get symbol
+    // Get symbol — resolve against actual tester data (same logic as handle_run_backtest)
+    let active_server = preflight.server.as_deref().unwrap_or("unknown");
     let requested_symbol = args.get("symbol")
         .and_then(|v| v.as_str())
         .unwrap_or("");
 
-    let symbol = if requested_symbol.is_empty() {
-        handler.config.backtest_symbol.clone()
-            .or_else(|| preflight.available_symbols.first().cloned())
-            .unwrap_or_else(|| "EURUSD".to_string())
+    let symbol: String = if requested_symbol.is_empty() {
+        let candidate = handler.config.backtest_symbol.as_deref().unwrap_or("");
+        if candidate.is_empty() {
+            preflight.available_symbols.first().cloned().unwrap_or_default()
+        } else {
+            Config::resolve_symbol(candidate, &preflight.available_symbols)
+                .map(|s| s.to_string())
+                .or_else(|| preflight.available_symbols.first().cloned())
+                .unwrap_or_else(|| candidate.to_string())
+        }
     } else {
-        requested_symbol.to_string()
+        match Config::resolve_symbol(requested_symbol, &preflight.available_symbols) {
+            Some(resolved) => {
+                if resolved != requested_symbol {
+                    tracing::warn!(
+                        "launch_backtest: symbol '{}' not in tester data for '{}'; using '{}'",
+                        requested_symbol, active_server, resolved
+                    );
+                }
+                resolved.to_string()
+            }
+            None if preflight.available_symbols.is_empty() => requested_symbol.to_string(),
+            None => {
+                return Ok(json!({
+                    "content": [{ "type": "text", "text": json!({
+                        "error": format!(
+                            "Symbol '{}' has no tester data on server '{}' and no close match was found.",
+                            requested_symbol, active_server
+                        ),
+                        "requested_symbol": requested_symbol,
+                        "available_symbols": preflight.available_symbols,
+                        "hint": "Open MT5 → Strategy Tester → select the symbol and click Download.",
+                        "pre_check": "symbol_not_available"
+                    }).to_string() }],
+                    "isError": true
+                }));
+            }
+        }
     };
     
     // EA existence check
@@ -281,11 +338,16 @@ pub async fn handle_launch_backtest(handler: &crate::tools::handlers::ToolHandle
         skip_clean: args.get("skip_clean").and_then(|v| v.as_bool()).unwrap_or(false),
         skip_analyze: true, // Not needed for launch mode
         deep_analyze: false,
-        shutdown: false, // Don't shutdown so we can poll
+        // ShutdownTerminal=1 (default): MT5 writes the HTML report and exits cleanly.
+        // The background monitor's post-exit scan finds the report within 10s.
+        // The inactivity watchdog is intentionally skipped when shutdown=true so it
+        // doesn't race with MT5's report write right before natural exit.
+        shutdown: args.get("shutdown").and_then(|v| v.as_bool()).unwrap_or(true),
         kill_existing: false,
         timeout: args.get("timeout").and_then(|v| v.as_u64()).unwrap_or(900),
         gui: args.get("gui").and_then(|v| v.as_bool()).unwrap_or(false),
         startup_delay_secs: args.get("startup_delay_secs").and_then(|v| v.as_u64()).unwrap_or(0),
+        inactivity_kill_secs: args.get("inactivity_kill_secs").and_then(|v| v.as_u64()),
     };
 
     let pipeline = if let Some(ref callback) = handler.notification_callback {
@@ -348,15 +410,27 @@ pub async fn handle_get_backtest_status(_config: &Config, args: &Value) -> Resul
     // Check if MT5 is running
     let mt5_running = is_mt5_running();
     
-    // Check if report file exists
+    // Check if report file exists (still on disk — it's deleted after extraction)
     let report_found = job.as_ref()
         .map(|j| Path::new(&j.expected_report_path).exists())
         .unwrap_or(false);
-    
+
     // Check for completed artifacts
     let metrics_exists = report_path.join("metrics.json").exists();
-    let is_complete = stage == "DONE" || (report_found && metrics_exists);
-    
+
+    // Read the authoritative status written by the background monitor into job.json.
+    // This avoids false "failed" when the HTML was extracted+deleted (report_found=false)
+    // or when journal extraction ran instead of HTML extraction.
+    let job_status = job.as_ref()
+        .and_then(|j| j.status.as_deref())
+        .unwrap_or("");
+    let monitor_says_complete = matches!(job_status, "completed" | "completed_no_html");
+    let monitor_says_failed   = matches!(job_status, "failed" | "timeout" | "timeout_inactive");
+
+    let is_complete = monitor_says_complete
+        || stage == "DONE"
+        || (report_found && metrics_exists);
+
     // Calculate elapsed time if job exists
     let elapsed_seconds = job.as_ref()
         .and_then(|j| {
@@ -365,26 +439,32 @@ pub async fn handle_get_backtest_status(_config: &Config, args: &Value) -> Resul
                 .map(|t| (chrono::Utc::now() - t.with_timezone(&chrono::Utc)).num_seconds())
         })
         .unwrap_or(0);
-    
-    // Determine status message
+
+    // Determine status message — trust monitor's job.json first
     let status_msg = if is_complete {
         "completed"
+    } else if monitor_says_failed {
+        if job_status == "timeout" || job_status == "timeout_inactive" { "timeout" } else { "failed" }
     } else if stage == "BACKTEST" && mt5_running {
         "running"
-    } else if stage == "BACKTEST" && !mt5_running && !report_found {
+    } else if stage == "BACKTEST" && !mt5_running {
         "failed"
     } else if progress_lines > 0 {
         "in_progress"
     } else {
         "not_started"
     };
-    
+
     let message = if is_complete {
-        "Backtest completed successfully"
+        if job_status == "completed_no_html" {
+            "Backtest completed (extracted from tester journal — no HTML report)"
+        } else {
+            "Backtest completed successfully"
+        }
     } else if stage == "BACKTEST" && mt5_running {
         "MT5 is running the backtest"
     } else if stage == "BACKTEST" && !mt5_running {
-        "MT5 process exited but report not found - backtest may have failed"
+        "MT5 process exited — report not yet found"
     } else {
         &format!("Backtest is at stage: {}", stage)
     };
@@ -433,6 +513,87 @@ fn is_mt5_running() -> bool {
     })
 }
 
+/// Read the active tester agent log for live/post-test deal inspection.
+/// Returns the last N lines and a parsed deal summary.
+pub async fn handle_get_tester_log(config: &Config, args: &Value) -> Result<Value> {
+    use crate::pipeline::backtest::BacktestPipeline;
+
+    let tail_lines = args.get("tail_lines").and_then(|v| v.as_u64()).unwrap_or(100) as usize;
+
+    let log_path = match BacktestPipeline::find_active_tester_agent_log(config) {
+        Some(p) => p,
+        None => {
+            return Ok(json!({
+                "content": [{ "type": "text", "text": json!({
+                    "error": "No tester agent log found for today.",
+                    "hint": "Run a backtest first. The log appears after the tester starts."
+                }).to_string() }],
+                "isError": true
+            }));
+        }
+    };
+
+    let lines = match BacktestPipeline::read_tester_agent_log(&log_path) {
+        Some(l) => l,
+        None => {
+            return Ok(json!({
+                "content": [{ "type": "text", "text": json!({
+                    "error": format!("Could not read log at {}", log_path.display())
+                }).to_string() }],
+                "isError": true
+            }));
+        }
+    };
+
+    let (deals, final_balance_pips, progress) = BacktestPipeline::parse_journal_deals(&lines);
+
+    // Collect tail lines
+    let tail: Vec<&str> = lines.iter()
+        .rev()
+        .take(tail_lines)
+        .rev()
+        .map(|s| s.as_str())
+        .collect();
+
+    // Detect last sim timestamp for progress estimation
+    let last_sim_time = lines.iter().rev()
+        .find_map(|l| {
+            let parts: Vec<&str> = l.split_whitespace().collect();
+            // Format: XX  0  HH:MM:SS.mmm  Core NN  YYYY.MM.DD HH:MM:SS ...
+            if parts.len() >= 6 {
+                let date = parts[4];
+                let time = parts[5];
+                if date.contains('.') && time.contains(':') {
+                    return Some(format!("{} {}", date, time));
+                }
+            }
+            None
+        })
+        .unwrap_or_default();
+
+    Ok(json!({
+        "content": [{ "type": "text", "text": json!({
+            "log_path": log_path.to_string_lossy(),
+            "total_lines": lines.len(),
+            "deals_found": deals.len(),
+            "final_balance_pips": final_balance_pips,
+            "progress": progress,
+            "last_sim_time": last_sim_time,
+            "is_complete": !progress.is_empty(),
+            "tail_lines": tail,
+            "deals_summary": deals.iter().map(|d| json!({
+                "deal": d.deal,
+                "time": d.time,
+                "type": d.deal_type,
+                "volume": d.volume,
+                "price": d.price,
+                "symbol": d.symbol,
+            })).collect::<Vec<_>>()
+        }).to_string() }],
+        "isError": false
+    }))
+}
+
 pub async fn handle_cache_status(config: &Config) -> Result<Value> {
     let cache_dir = config.tester_cache_dir.as_ref()
         .map(|s| Path::new(s))
diff --git a/src/tools/handlers/mod.rs b/src/tools/handlers/mod.rs
index cc37e80..3dad05c 100644
--- a/src/tools/handlers/mod.rs
+++ b/src/tools/handlers/mod.rs
@@ -70,10 +70,11 @@ impl ToolHandler {
             
             // Backtest handlers - Granular pipeline options
             "run_backtest" => backtest::handle_run_backtest(&self.config, args).await,           // Full: compile + clean + backtest + extract + analyze
-            "run_backtest_quick" => backtest::handle_run_backtest_quick(&self.config, args).await, // Quick: skip compile, do backtest + extract + analyze
-            "run_backtest_only" => backtest::handle_run_backtest_only(&self.config, args).await,  // Minimal: skip compile, do backtest + extract only
+            "run_backtest_quick" => backtest::handle_run_backtest_quick(self, args).await, // Quick: skip compile, fire-and-forget launch
+            "run_backtest_only" => backtest::handle_run_backtest_only(self, args).await,  // Minimal: skip compile+analyze, fire-and-forget launch
             "launch_backtest" => backtest::handle_launch_backtest(self, args).await,     // Fire-and-forget mode
             "get_backtest_status" => backtest::handle_get_backtest_status(&self.config, args).await,
+            "get_tester_log"      => backtest::handle_get_tester_log(&self.config, args).await,
             "cache_status" => backtest::handle_cache_status(&self.config).await,
             "clean_cache" => backtest::handle_clean_cache(&self.config, args).await,