diff --git a/crates/arc-agent/src/cli.rs b/crates/arc-agent/src/cli.rs
index 9e0b77799..5a75235e2 100644
--- a/crates/arc-agent/src/cli.rs
+++ b/crates/arc-agent/src/cli.rs
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ fn format_tool_args(args: &serde_json::Value, cwd: &str) -> String {
             serde_json::Value::String(s) => {
                 let s = s.strip_prefix(&cwd_prefix).unwrap_or(s);
                 let display = if s.len() > 80 {
-                    format!("{}...", &s[..77])
+                    format!("{}...", &s[..crate::truncation::floor_char_boundary(s, 77)])
                 } else {
                     s.to_string()
                 };
@@ -506,7 +506,7 @@ pub async fn run_with_args(args: AgentArgs) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
                             ..
                         } => {
                             let short_id = &agent_id[..8.min(agent_id.len())];
-                            let task_preview = if task.len() > 60 { &task[..60] } else { task };
+                            let task_preview = if task.len() > 60 { &task[..crate::truncation::floor_char_boundary(task, 60)] } else { task };
                             eprintln!(
                                 "  {}",
                                 s.dim.apply_to(format!(
diff --git a/crates/arc-agent/src/compaction.rs b/crates/arc-agent/src/compaction.rs
index 2a476ef65..9e69ec9ee 100644
--- a/crates/arc-agent/src/compaction.rs
+++ b/crates/arc-agent/src/compaction.rs
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ pub fn render_turns_for_summary(turns: &[Turn]) -> String {
                 for tc in tool_calls {
                     let args_str = tc.arguments.to_string();
                     let truncated = if args_str.len() > 500 {
-                        format!("{}...", &args_str[..500])
+                        format!("{}...", &args_str[..crate::truncation::floor_char_boundary(&args_str, 500)])
                     } else {
                         args_str
                     };
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ pub fn render_turns_for_summary(turns: &[Turn]) -> String {
                 for r in results {
                     let content_str = r.content.to_string();
                     let truncated = if content_str.len() > 500 {
-                        format!("{}...", &content_str[..500])
+                        format!("{}...", &content_str[..crate::truncation::floor_char_boundary(&content_str, 500)])
                     } else {
                         content_str
                     };
diff --git a/crates/arc-agent/src/lib.rs b/crates/arc-agent/src/lib.rs
index 3b1b2014d..e6d5f5cdf 100644
--- a/crates/arc-agent/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/arc-agent/src/lib.rs
@@ -51,7 +51,9 @@ pub use tools::{
     make_edit_file_tool, make_glob_tool, make_grep_tool, make_read_file_tool, make_shell_tool,
     make_shell_tool_with_config, make_write_file_tool, register_core_tools, WebFetchSummarizer,
 };
-pub use truncation::{truncate_lines, truncate_output, truncate_tool_output, TruncationMode};
+pub use truncation::{
+    floor_char_boundary, truncate_lines, truncate_output, truncate_tool_output, TruncationMode,
+};
 pub use types::{AgentEvent, SessionEvent, SessionState, Turn};
 
 #[cfg(test)]
diff --git a/crates/arc-agent/src/truncation.rs b/crates/arc-agent/src/truncation.rs
index 06d7d7c23..f0e1ec67c 100644
--- a/crates/arc-agent/src/truncation.rs
+++ b/crates/arc-agent/src/truncation.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,19 @@
 use crate::config::SessionConfig;
 
+/// Round a byte index down to the nearest UTF-8 char boundary.
+/// Stable equivalent of `str::floor_char_boundary` (nightly-only).
+#[must_use]
+pub fn floor_char_boundary(s: &str, index: usize) -> usize {
+    if index >= s.len() {
+        return s.len();
+    }
+    let mut i = index;
+    while i > 0 && !s.is_char_boundary(i) {
+        i -= 1;
+    }
+    i
+}
+
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq)]
 pub enum TruncationMode {
     HeadTail,
@@ -47,8 +61,10 @@ pub fn truncate_output(output: &str, max_chars: usize, mode: TruncationMode) ->
     match mode {
         TruncationMode::HeadTail => {
             let half = max_chars / 2;
-            let head = &output[..half];
-            let tail = &output[output.len() - half..];
+            let head_end = floor_char_boundary(output, half);
+            let tail_start = floor_char_boundary(output, output.len() - half);
+            let head = &output[..head_end];
+            let tail = &output[tail_start..];
             format!(
                 "{head}\n\n[WARNING: Tool output was truncated. {removed} characters were removed from the middle. \
                  The full output is available in the event stream. \
@@ -56,7 +72,8 @@ pub fn truncate_output(output: &str, max_chars: usize, mode: TruncationMode) ->
             )
         }
         TruncationMode::Tail => {
-            let tail = &output[output.len() - max_chars..];
+            let tail_start = floor_char_boundary(output, output.len() - max_chars);
+            let tail = &output[tail_start..];
             format!(
                 "[WARNING: Tool output was truncated. First {removed} characters were removed. \
                  The full output is available in the event stream.]\n\n{tail}"
@@ -235,4 +252,28 @@ mod tests {
         let result = truncate_lines(&output, 10);
         assert_eq!(result, output);
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn floor_char_boundary_ascii() {
+        assert_eq!(floor_char_boundary("hello", 3), 3);
+        assert_eq!(floor_char_boundary("hello", 10), 5);
+        assert_eq!(floor_char_boundary("hello", 0), 0);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn floor_char_boundary_multibyte() {
+        // ✅ is 3 bytes (E2 9C 85)
+        let s = "a✅b";
+        assert_eq!(floor_char_boundary(s, 1), 1); // just past 'a'
+        assert_eq!(floor_char_boundary(s, 2), 1); // inside ✅, rounds down to 'a'
+        assert_eq!(floor_char_boundary(s, 3), 1); // still inside ✅
+        assert_eq!(floor_char_boundary(s, 4), 4); // at 'b'
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn truncate_output_multibyte_no_panic() {
+        let output = "✅".repeat(100); // 300 bytes
+        let result = truncate_output(&output, 10, TruncationMode::HeadTail);
+        assert!(result.contains("Tool output was truncated"));
+    }
 }
diff --git a/crates/arc-workflows/src/cli/mod.rs b/crates/arc-workflows/src/cli/mod.rs
index 441d3437c..51c67d233 100644
--- a/crates/arc-workflows/src/cli/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/arc-workflows/src/cli/mod.rs
@@ -365,7 +365,7 @@ pub fn format_event_summary(event: &WorkflowRunEvent, styles: &Styles) -> String
             format!("[LOOP_RESTART] from={from_node} to={to_node}")
         }
         WorkflowRunEvent::Prompt { stage, text } => {
-            let truncated = if text.len() > 80 { &text[..80] } else { text };
+            let truncated = if text.len() > 80 { &text[..arc_agent::floor_char_boundary(text, 80)] } else { text };
             format!("[PROMPT] stage={stage} text=\"{truncated}\"")
         }
         WorkflowRunEvent::Agent { stage, event } => match event {
@@ -436,7 +436,7 @@ pub fn format_event_summary(event: &WorkflowRunEvent, styles: &Styles) -> String
                 task,
             } => {
                 let short_id = &agent_id[..8.min(agent_id.len())];
-                let task_preview = if task.len() > 60 { &task[..60] } else { task };
+                let task_preview = if task.len() > 60 { &task[..arc_agent::floor_char_boundary(task, 60)] } else { task };
                 format!("[SUBAGENT_SPAWNED] stage={stage} agent_id={short_id} depth={depth} task=\"{task_preview}\"")
             }
             AgentEvent::SubAgentCompleted {
@@ -538,7 +538,7 @@ pub fn format_event_summary(event: &WorkflowRunEvent, styles: &Styles) -> String
             stderr,
         } => {
             let truncated = if stderr.len() > 80 {
-                &stderr[..80]
+                &stderr[..arc_agent::floor_char_boundary(stderr, 80)]
             } else {
                 stderr
             };
diff --git a/crates/arc-workflows/src/handler/codergen.rs b/crates/arc-workflows/src/handler/codergen.rs
index 65f054fee..e8b8d697a 100644
--- a/crates/arc-workflows/src/handler/codergen.rs
+++ b/crates/arc-workflows/src/handler/codergen.rs
@@ -157,12 +157,12 @@ fn extract_status_fields(text: &str, outcome: &mut Outcome) {
     }
 }
 
-/// Truncate a string to at most `max_chars` characters.
+/// Truncate a string to at most `max_chars` characters (char-boundary safe).
 fn truncate(s: &str, max_chars: usize) -> &str {
     if s.len() <= max_chars {
         s
     } else {
-        &s[..max_chars]
+        &s[..arc_agent::floor_char_boundary(s, max_chars)]
     }
 }