diff --git a/run/palette.go b/run/palette.go
index c95eb30..7c69cde 100644
--- a/run/palette.go
+++ b/run/palette.go
@@ -23,38 +23,49 @@ func addDelegationTools(box *llm.Toolbox, ra RunnableAgent, inv tool.Invocation,
 	if palette == nil {
 		return nil
 	}
+	seen := map[string]bool{} // dedupe across both palettes by final tool name
 	for _, name := range ra.SkillPalette {
 		name := name // capture
+		toolName := "skill__" + name
+		if name == "" || seen[toolName] { // skip empty / duplicate palette entries
+			continue
+		}
+		seen[toolName] = true
 		t := llm.DefineTool(
-			"skill__"+name,
+			toolName,
 			fmt.Sprintf("Delegate the task to the %q skill. Provide its declared inputs.", name),
 			func(ctx context.Context, args skillDelegateArgs) (any, error) {
 				out, _, status, err := palette.InvokeSkill(ctx, inv.CallerID, inv.ChannelID, name, args.Inputs, inv.RunID)
 				if err != nil {
-					return nil, fmt.Errorf("skill %q failed: %w", name, err)
+					return nil, delegationErr("skill", name, out, err)
 				}
 				return delegationResult(name, "skill", out, status), nil
 			},
 		)
 		if err := box.Add(t); err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("add skill__%s: %w", name, err)
+			return fmt.Errorf("add %s: %w", toolName, err)
 		}
 	}
 	for _, name := range ra.SubAgentPalette {
 		name := name // capture
+		toolName := "agent__" + name
+		if name == "" || seen[toolName] {
+			continue
+		}
+		seen[toolName] = true
 		t := llm.DefineTool(
-			"agent__"+name,
+			toolName,
 			fmt.Sprintf("Delegate the task to the %q sub-agent with a natural-language prompt.", name),
 			func(ctx context.Context, args agentDelegateArgs) (any, error) {
 				out, _, status, err := palette.InvokeAgent(ctx, inv.CallerID, inv.ChannelID, name, args.Prompt, inv.RunID, "", "", nil, nil)
 				if err != nil {
-					return nil, fmt.Errorf("agent %q failed: %w", name, err)
+					return nil, delegationErr("agent", name, out, err)
 				}
 				return delegationResult(name, "agent", out, status), nil
 			},
 		)
 		if err := box.Add(t); err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("add agent__%s: %w", name, err)
+			return fmt.Errorf("add %s: %w", toolName, err)
 		}
 	}
 	return nil
@@ -64,11 +75,24 @@ func addDelegationTools(box *llm.Toolbox, ra RunnableAgent, inv tool.Invocation,
 // react to a timeout/cancel/budget stop) while still passing the partial output.
 func delegationResult(name, kind, out, status string) string {
 	if status != "" && status != "ok" {
-		return fmt.Sprintf("[%s %q ended with status %q]\n%s", kind, name, status, out)
+		header := fmt.Sprintf("[%s %q ended with status %q]", kind, name, status)
+		if out == "" { // no trailing blank line when there's no body
+			return header
+		}
+		return header + "\n" + out
 	}
 	return out
 }
 
+// delegationErr wraps a hard delegation failure, folding in any partial output
+// the child produced before failing (so it isn't silently lost).
+func delegationErr(kind, name, partial string, err error) error {
+	if partial != "" {
+		return fmt.Errorf("%s %q failed (partial output: %q): %w", kind, name, partial, err)
+	}
+	return fmt.Errorf("%s %q failed: %w", kind, name, err)
+}
+
 type skillDelegateArgs struct {
 	Inputs map[string]any `json:"inputs" description:"Inputs for the skill, matching its declared input schema."`
 }
diff --git a/run/palette_test.go b/run/palette_test.go
index 5eae9ed..f48b6bf 100644
--- a/run/palette_test.go
+++ b/run/palette_test.go
@@ -99,3 +99,27 @@ func TestNoPaletteNoDelegationTools(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("nil-palette run failed: %v / %q", res.Err, res.Output)
 	}
 }
+
+// TestDelegationDedupeAndEmptySkip: empty + duplicate palette names are skipped,
+// not turned into "skill__"/duplicate tools that error at box.Add (gadfly C0).
+func TestDelegationDedupeAndEmptySkip(t *testing.T) {
+	pal := &recordingPalette{}
+	fp := fake.New("fake")
+	fp.Enqueue("m", fake.Reply("ok"))
+	m, _ := fp.Model("m")
+	ex := run.New(run.Config{
+		Registry: tool.NewRegistry(),
+		Models:   func(ctx context.Context, _ string) (context.Context, llm.Model, error) { return ctx, m, nil },
+		Ports:    run.Ports{Palette: pal},
+	})
+	// "" (empty) and a duplicate "helper" must not break the build.
+	res := ex.Run(context.Background(),
+		run.RunnableAgent{Name: "x", ModelTier: "m", SkillPalette: []string{"helper", "", "helper"}},
+		tool.Invocation{RunID: "r"}, "hi")
+	if res.Err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("empty/duplicate palette names should be skipped, not error: %v", res.Err)
+	}
+	if res.Output != "ok" {
+		t.Fatalf("output = %q", res.Output)
+	}
+}