diff --git a/.changeset/rich-numbers-try.md b/.changeset/rich-numbers-try.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a845151c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/rich-numbers-try.md
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+---
+---
diff --git a/e2e/create-expert/create-expert.test.ts b/e2e/create-expert/create-expert.test.ts
index 3a6f0e23..47c499c4 100644
--- a/e2e/create-expert/create-expert.test.ts
+++ b/e2e/create-expert/create-expert.test.ts
@@ -21,8 +21,10 @@ import { type CommandResult, type RunResult, withEventParsing } from "../lib/run
 
 const PROJECT_ROOT = path.resolve(process.cwd())
 const CLI_PATH = path.join(PROJECT_ROOT, "apps/create-expert/dist/bin/cli.js")
-// LLM API calls require extended timeout; delegation adds extra LLM round-trips
-const LLM_TIMEOUT = 180_000
+// LLM API calls require extended timeout; delegation adds extra LLM round-trips.
+// The create-expert workflow involves multiple delegation round-trips which can
+// take over 2 minutes when the LLM needs to iterate on expert definitions.
+const LLM_TIMEOUT = 300_000
 
 function runCreateExpert(query: string, cwd: string, timeout = LLM_TIMEOUT): Promise<RunResult> {
   const args = injectProviderArgs(["--headless", query])
diff --git a/packages/runtime/src/orchestration/delegation-executor.test.ts b/packages/runtime/src/orchestration/delegation-executor.test.ts
index 5672ebdd..3b1fbe4f 100644
--- a/packages/runtime/src/orchestration/delegation-executor.test.ts
+++ b/packages/runtime/src/orchestration/delegation-executor.test.ts
@@ -305,7 +305,43 @@ describe("@perstack/runtime: delegation-executor", () => {
       expect(result.nextCheckpoint.usage.reasoningTokens).toBe(10) // 0 + 0 + 10
     })
 
-    it("throws error if delegation result has no expertMessage", async () => {
+    it("returns error result when child run returns stoppedByError", async () => {
+      const executor = new DelegationExecutor()
+      const setting = createMockSetting()
+      const delegations = [createMockDelegation({ toolCallId: "tc-1" })]
+      const context = createMockContext()
+      const parentExpert = { key: "parent", name: "Parent", version: "1.0" }
+
+      const runFn = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({
+        ...createMockCheckpoint(),
+        status: "stoppedByError",
+        messages: [],
+      })
+
+      const result = await executor.execute(delegations, setting, context, parentExpert, runFn)
+
+      expect(result.nextSetting.input.interactiveToolCallResult?.text).toContain(
+        "ended with status: stoppedByError",
+      )
+    })
+
+    it("returns error result when child run throws an exception", async () => {
+      const executor = new DelegationExecutor()
+      const setting = createMockSetting()
+      const delegations = [createMockDelegation({ toolCallId: "tc-1" })]
+      const context = createMockContext()
+      const parentExpert = { key: "parent", name: "Parent", version: "1.0" }
+
+      const runFn = vi.fn().mockRejectedValue(new Error("MCP connection failed"))
+
+      const result = await executor.execute(delegations, setting, context, parentExpert, runFn)
+
+      expect(result.nextSetting.input.interactiveToolCallResult?.text).toContain(
+        "failed: MCP connection failed",
+      )
+    })
+
+    it("throws error if completed delegation result has no expertMessage", async () => {
       const executor = new DelegationExecutor()
       const setting = createMockSetting()
       const delegations = [
@@ -317,6 +353,7 @@ describe("@perstack/runtime: delegation-executor", () => {
 
       const runFn = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({
         ...createMockCheckpoint(),
+        status: "completed",
         messages: [{ id: "msg-1", type: "userMessage", contents: [] }],
       })
 
@@ -338,6 +375,7 @@ describe("@perstack/runtime: delegation-executor", () => {
 
       const runFn = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({
         ...createMockCheckpoint(),
+        status: "completed",
         messages: [
           { id: "msg-1", type: "expertMessage", contents: [{ type: "imagePart", id: "img-1" }] },
         ],
diff --git a/packages/runtime/src/orchestration/delegation-executor.ts b/packages/runtime/src/orchestration/delegation-executor.ts
index 1f8eb3c6..1db42722 100644
--- a/packages/runtime/src/orchestration/delegation-executor.ts
+++ b/packages/runtime/src/orchestration/delegation-executor.ts
@@ -223,10 +223,35 @@ export class DelegationExecutor {
 
     // Merge parent options with returnOnDelegationComplete to ensure child runs
     // inherit callbacks for checkpoint persistence and event emission
-    const resultCheckpoint = await runFn(
-      { setting: delegateSetting, checkpoint: delegateCheckpoint },
-      { ...parentOptions, returnOnDelegationComplete: true },
-    )
+    let resultCheckpoint: Checkpoint
+    try {
+      resultCheckpoint = await runFn(
+        { setting: delegateSetting, checkpoint: delegateCheckpoint },
+        { ...parentOptions, returnOnDelegationComplete: true },
+      )
+    } catch (error) {
+      // Child run crashed (e.g., MCP connection failure) - return error to parent
+      return {
+        toolCallId,
+        toolName,
+        expertKey: expert.key,
+        text: `Delegation to ${expert.key} failed: ${error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error)}`,
+        stepNumber: parentContext.stepNumber,
+        deltaUsage: createEmptyUsage(),
+      }
+    }
+
+    // Handle non-completed delegation (stoppedByError, stoppedByExceededMaxSteps, etc.)
+    if (resultCheckpoint.status !== "completed") {
+      return {
+        toolCallId,
+        toolName,
+        expertKey: expert.key,
+        text: `Delegation to ${expert.key} ended with status: ${resultCheckpoint.status}`,
+        stepNumber: resultCheckpoint.stepNumber,
+        deltaUsage: resultCheckpoint.usage,
+      }
+    }
 
     return this.extractDelegationResult(resultCheckpoint, toolCallId, toolName, expert.key)
   }
diff --git a/packages/skill-manager/src/skill-manager.ts b/packages/skill-manager/src/skill-manager.ts
index d215a0a4..1353d271 100644
--- a/packages/skill-manager/src/skill-manager.ts
+++ b/packages/skill-manager/src/skill-manager.ts
@@ -255,13 +255,25 @@ export class SkillManager {
           },
           removeDelegate: (name) => sm.removeDelegate(name),
           createExpert: async (input) => {
+            // Ensure @perstack/base is always included in skills
+            const skills = input.skills
+              ? {
+                  "@perstack/base": input.skills["@perstack/base"] ?? {
+                    type: "mcpStdioSkill" as const,
+                    command: "npx",
+                    packageName: "@perstack/base",
+                    pick: ["attemptCompletion"],
+                  },
+                  ...input.skills,
+                }
+              : undefined
             const expert = expertSchema.parse({
               key: input.key,
               name: input.key,
               version: input.version ?? "1.0.0",
               description: input.description,
               instruction: input.instruction,
-              skills: input.skills,
+              skills,
               delegates: input.delegates,
               tags: input.tags,
               providerTools: input.providerTools,