---
name: owl-reply-to-broken
description: "$OWL send --reply-to is BROKEN — use plain `$OWL send <target> <self-id>` instead. Operator-stated 2026-06-24."
metadata: 
  node_type: memory
  type: feedback
  originSessionId: 16842a97-6889-4f10-b3ac-07f857482143
---

`$OWL send --reply-to <sender> <self-id>` is BROKEN — operator told doyle to stop using it (2026-06-24).

**Why:** symptom observed this session — every `--reply-to` send echoed BACK to me as an inbound `<owl_message from="<target>">` loopback (my verdict to perri arrived as if from perri; my gate-pass to todlando arrived as if from todlando). The `--reply-to` path mis-routes the from/target so the message loops to the sender instead of (or in addition to) landing at the target.

**How to apply:** ALWAYS reply with the plain form — `$OWL send <target> <self-id>` (explicit from = self id, e.g. `$OWL send perri doyle`). Never `--reply-to`. Supersedes the /spt:live skill's "send --reply-to <sender>" guidance for this environment. Kin [[owl-send-not-legacy-spt-send]].

**PINNED 2026-07-01 (perri control experiment):** the defect is FROM auto-detection on the `--reply-to` path — perri's `$OWL send --reply-to doyle doyle` (FROM positional omitted) arrived at doyle stamped `from="doyle"` (the REPLY_TO value, not the real sender). Her follow-up with FROM=perri passed EXPLICITLY arrived correctly stamped. So --reply-to + auto-detect ⇒ from-mislabeling (recipient can't tell who sent it); explicit FROM positional works. Same broken path as the 06-24 loopback. See [[counter39-field-bugs-1-3]] (bug #5).