diff --git a/apps/desktop/e2e/live-reginald.spec.ts b/apps/desktop/e2e/live-reginald.spec.ts
index a26b757..2a90f30 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/e2e/live-reginald.spec.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/e2e/live-reginald.spec.ts
@@ -30,4 +30,27 @@ test.describe('live Reginald', () => {
 
     await app.close()
   })
+
+  test('proposes an estimate change for inline approval (writes via chat)', async () => {
+    test.skip(!process.env.GITEA_LIVE || !process.env.COMMITEA_MODEL_LIVE, 'live model test — opt-in')
+    test.setTimeout(300_000)
+    const app = await electron.launch({ args: [MAIN], env: { ...process.env } })
+    const win = await app.firstWindow()
+    await win.waitForLoadState('domcontentloaded')
+    await expect(win.getByText(/· local$/)).toBeVisible({ timeout: 20000 })
+
+    const composer = win.getByPlaceholder(/Tell me what to do/)
+    await composer.fill('Set the estimate on issue #3 to est/5d.')
+    await composer.press('Enter')
+
+    // propose_change → an inline propose-approve card (never an auto-write)
+    await expect(win.getByText('Proposed · #3')).toBeVisible({ timeout: 240_000 })
+    await expect(win.getByText(/→ est\/5d/)).toBeVisible()
+    await win.screenshot({ path: join(here, '.artifacts', 'screens', 'live-reginald-propose.png'), fullPage: true, animations: 'disabled' })
+    // Dismiss so the live run never mutates the repo (the write path itself is #41-tested)
+    await win.getByRole('button', { name: 'Dismiss' }).click()
+    await expect(win.getByText(/Left #3 as it was/)).toBeVisible()
+
+    await app.close()
+  })
 })
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/main/model.ts b/apps/desktop/src/main/model.ts
index 18f8208..0c2016f 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/main/model.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/main/model.ts
@@ -9,10 +9,14 @@
 
 import {
   buildProjectView,
+  type ChangeProposal,
   type ChatMessage,
   createChatClient,
+  describeChange,
   type ModelRouter,
   type ProjectView,
+  proposalsFor,
+  type ProposeChangeArgs,
   type QueryFilters,
   REGINALD_SYSTEM,
   REGINALD_TOOLS,
@@ -80,12 +84,28 @@ export function registerModelIpc(): void {
     const model = await resolveLoadedModel(router.small.baseUrl, router.small.model)
     const chat = createChatClient({ ...router.small, model }, fetch)
 
+    // Proposals the model formulates this turn; the renderer approves them (the
+    // write happens through gitea:applyChange, never inside the loop).
+    const proposals: ChangeProposal[] = []
+
     const execute = async (name: string, args: unknown) => {
-      if (name !== 'query_project') return { error: `unknown tool: ${name}` }
       if (!client) return { error: 'gitea is not configured' }
-      const snap = await reconcileSnapshot(client)
-      const a = (args ?? {}) as { view: ProjectView; filters?: QueryFilters }
-      return buildProjectView(a.view, a.filters, snap, new Date())
+      if (name === 'query_project') {
+        const snap = await reconcileSnapshot(client)
+        const a = (args ?? {}) as { view: ProjectView; filters?: QueryFilters }
+        return buildProjectView(a.view, a.filters, snap, new Date())
+      }
+      if (name === 'propose_change') {
+        const a = (args ?? {}) as ProposeChangeArgs
+        const issue = await client.getIssue(a.issue).catch(() => null)
+        if (!issue) return { error: `issue #${a.issue} not found` }
+        const built = proposalsFor(a, issue.labels, issue.title)
+        proposals.push(...built)
+        return built.length
+          ? { proposed: built.map((p) => ({ issue: a.issue, diff: describeChange(p.plan) })) }
+          : { proposed: [], note: 'no change — already at that value' }
+      }
+      return { error: `unknown tool: ${name}` }
     }
 
     try {
@@ -95,7 +115,7 @@ export function registerModelIpc(): void {
         tools: REGINALD_TOOLS,
         execute,
       })
-      return { ok: true as const, content: turn.content, steps: turn.steps }
+      return { ok: true as const, content: turn.content, steps: turn.steps, proposals }
     } catch (e) {
       return { ok: false as const, reason: 'error' as const, message: e instanceof Error ? e.message : String(e) }
     }
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/shell/app-shell.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/shell/app-shell.tsx
index 7b64514..2603cab 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/shell/app-shell.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/shell/app-shell.tsx
@@ -337,7 +337,7 @@ export function AppShell() {
         </div>
       </main>
 
-      <ChatPanel onOpenDirectives={() => setView('directives')} offline={offline} />
+      <ChatPanel onOpenDirectives={() => setView('directives')} offline={offline} onApplyChange={applyChange} />
     </div>
   )
 }
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/shell/chat-panel.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/shell/chat-panel.tsx
index 081dbf7..f50737f 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/shell/chat-panel.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/components/shell/chat-panel.tsx
@@ -1,21 +1,25 @@
 import React, { useEffect, useRef, useState } from 'react'
 
+import { describeChange, type IssueChange } from '@commitea/core'
+
 import { useChat } from '../../lib/use-chat.js'
-import { Icon, IconButton } from '../ui/index.js'
+import { Button, Icon, IconButton } from '../ui/index.js'
 
 /**
  * Reginald's panel — chat is the write-path (decisions.md D1). Wired to the
- * model bridge via `useChat`: when a model is configured, sending drives a real
- * agent turn (query_project + prose); otherwise it echoes the scripted fixture
- * reply so the layout stays real. Writes still go through propose-approve.
+ * model bridge via `useChat`: a configured model drives a real agent turn
+ * (query_project + prose, propose_change for edits); otherwise it echoes the
+ * scripted fixture reply. Proposed changes are approved inline here — the write
+ * runs through `onApplyChange`, the same guarded handler the Issue screen uses.
  */
 export interface ChatPanelProps {
   onOpenDirectives?: () => void
   offline?: boolean
+  onApplyChange?: (change: IssueChange) => Promise<{ ok: boolean }>
 }
 
-export function ChatPanel({ onOpenDirectives, offline }: ChatPanelProps) {
-  const { msgs, thinking, live, model, steps, send: sendChat } = useChat()
+export function ChatPanel({ onOpenDirectives, offline, onApplyChange }: ChatPanelProps) {
+  const { msgs, thinking, live, model, steps, proposals, send: sendChat, approve, dismiss } = useChat(onApplyChange)
   // shorten "google/gemma-4-26b-a4b-qat" → "gemma-4-26b" for the header chip
   const modelLabel = model ? (model.split('/').pop() ?? model).replace(/-(qat|instruct|it|gguf)$/i, '') : 'gemma-4'
   const [text, setText] = useState('')
@@ -97,9 +101,36 @@ export function ChatPanel({ onOpenDirectives, offline }: ChatPanelProps) {
         {thinking ? <div style={{ font: 'var(--text-agent)', color: 'var(--ink-3)' }}>considering…</div> : null}
         {!thinking && steps.length ? (
           <div style={{ font: 'var(--text-caption)', color: 'var(--ink-3)', display: 'flex', alignItems: 'center', gap: 5 }}>
-            <Icon name="eye" size={11} /> consulted {Array.from(new Set(steps.map((s) => s.replace('query_project', 'the project')))).join(', ')}
+            <Icon name="eye" size={11} /> consulted {Array.from(new Set(steps.map((s) => s.replace('query_project', 'the project').replace('propose_change', 'the labels')))).join(', ')}
           </div>
         ) : null}
+        {proposals.map((p) => (
+          <div
+            key={`${p.change.issue}:${p.change.kind}`}
+            style={{
+              border: '1px solid var(--line-2)',
+              borderRadius: 'var(--radius-2)',
+              background: 'var(--paper-0)',
+              padding: '10px 12px',
+              display: 'flex',
+              flexDirection: 'column',
+              gap: 8,
+            }}
+          >
+            <div style={{ font: 'var(--text-caption)', color: 'var(--ink-3)', textTransform: 'uppercase', letterSpacing: 'var(--letter-spacing-wide)' }}>
+              Proposed · #{p.change.issue}
+            </div>
+            <div style={{ font: '500 13px var(--font-mono)', color: 'var(--ink-1)' }}>{describeChange(p.plan)}</div>
+            <div style={{ display: 'flex', gap: 8 }}>
+              <Button size="sm" onClick={() => approve(p)} disabled={offline}>
+                Approve
+              </Button>
+              <Button size="sm" variant="ghost" onClick={() => dismiss(p)}>
+                Dismiss
+              </Button>
+            </div>
+          </div>
+        ))}
       </div>
 
       <div style={{ padding: 14, borderTop: '1px solid var(--line-1)', flexShrink: 0 }}>
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/global.d.ts b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/global.d.ts
index 75428b2..835eb4e 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/global.d.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/global.d.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import type {
   AgentStep,
+  ChangeProposal,
   ChatMessage,
   DependencyEdge,
   GiteaIssue,
@@ -32,7 +33,7 @@ export interface GiteaBridge {
 /** One agent turn's result. */
 export type ChatResult =
   | { ok: false; reason: 'unconfigured' | 'error'; message?: string }
-  | { ok: true; content: string; steps: AgentStep[] }
+  | { ok: true; content: string; steps: AgentStep[]; proposals: ChangeProposal[] }
 
 /** The model bridge (Reginald) exposed by the preload over IPC. */
 export interface ModelBridge {
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/lib/use-chat.ts b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/lib/use-chat.ts
index 934970f..ae12830 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/lib/use-chat.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/src/lib/use-chat.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { useCallback, useEffect, useRef, useState } from 'react'
 
-import type { ChatMessage as WireMessage } from '@commitea/core'
+import type { ChangeProposal, ChatMessage as WireMessage, IssueChange } from '@commitea/core'
 
 import { CANNED_REPLY, CHAT, type ChatMessage } from '../data/fixtures.js'
 
@@ -18,7 +18,11 @@ export interface ChatState {
   model: string | null
   /** Tools Reginald consulted on the last turn (for a subtle activity line). */
   steps: string[]
+  /** Changes Reginald has proposed and is awaiting approval on. */
+  proposals: ChangeProposal[]
   send: (text: string) => void
+  approve: (p: ChangeProposal) => void
+  dismiss: (p: ChangeProposal) => void
 }
 
 /**
@@ -26,18 +30,23 @@ export interface ChatState {
  * turn through the main-process bridge (which runs the tool loop). Otherwise it
  * echoes the scripted fixture reply, so the layout stays real with no model and
  * fixture e2e is unaffected. The fixture greeting is display-only — only real
- * turns (`convo`) are sent to the model as history.
+ * turns (`convo`) are sent to the model as history. `onApplyChange` performs an
+ * approved write (the same handler the Issue screen uses — it refetches).
  */
-export function useChat(): ChatState {
+export function useChat(onApplyChange?: (change: IssueChange) => Promise<{ ok: boolean }>): ChatState {
   const [seed, setSeed] = useState<ChatMessage[]>(CHAT)
   const [convo, setConvo] = useState<ChatMessage[]>([])
   const [thinking, setThinking] = useState(false)
   const [live, setLive] = useState(false)
   const [model, setModel] = useState<string | null>(null)
   const [steps, setSteps] = useState<string[]>([])
+  const [proposals, setProposals] = useState<ChangeProposal[]>([])
   const convoRef = useRef(convo)
   convoRef.current = convo
 
+  const proposalKey = (p: ChangeProposal) => `${p.change.issue}:${p.change.kind}`
+  const drop = (p: ChangeProposal) => setProposals((ps) => ps.filter((x) => proposalKey(x) !== proposalKey(p)))
+
   useEffect(() => {
     let alive = true
     window.commitea.model
@@ -63,6 +72,7 @@ export function useChat(): ChatState {
       setConvo(nextConvo)
       setThinking(true)
       setSteps([])
+      setProposals([])
 
       if (!live) {
         window.setTimeout(() => {
@@ -82,6 +92,7 @@ export function useChat(): ChatState {
           setThinking(false)
           if (res.ok) {
             setSteps(res.steps.map((s) => s.tool))
+            setProposals(res.proposals)
             setConvo((c) => [...c, { from: 'agent', text: res.content || '…' }])
           } else {
             setConvo((c) => [
@@ -101,5 +112,30 @@ export function useChat(): ChatState {
     [live],
   )
 
-  return { msgs: [...seed, ...convo], thinking, live, model, steps, send }
+  const approve = useCallback(
+    (p: ChangeProposal) => {
+      if (!onApplyChange) return
+      drop(p)
+      const label = p.plan.added[0] ?? p.plan.removed[0] ?? 'change'
+      void onApplyChange(p.change).then((res) => {
+        setConvo((c) => [
+          ...c,
+          {
+            from: 'agent',
+            text: res.ok
+              ? `Done — #${p.change.issue} is now ${label}. The plan's been re-run.`
+              : `That didn't take — #${p.change.issue} is unchanged.`,
+          },
+        ])
+      })
+    },
+    [onApplyChange],
+  )
+
+  const dismiss = useCallback((p: ChangeProposal) => {
+    drop(p)
+    setConvo((c) => [...c, { from: 'agent', text: `Left #${p.change.issue} as it was.` }])
+  }, [])
+
+  return { msgs: [...seed, ...convo], thinking, live, model, steps, proposals, send, approve, dismiss }
 }
diff --git a/packages/core/src/agent/agent-tools.ts b/packages/core/src/agent/agent-tools.ts
index 909f618..2acff52 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/agent/agent-tools.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/agent/agent-tools.ts
@@ -35,12 +35,30 @@ export const QUERY_PROJECT_TOOL: ToolDecl = {
   },
 }
 
-export const REGINALD_TOOLS: ToolDecl[] = [QUERY_PROJECT_TOOL]
+export const PROPOSE_CHANGE_TOOL: ToolDecl = {
+  name: 'propose_change',
+  description:
+    "Propose an estimate and/or priority change to an issue. This does NOT apply anything — it shows the " +
+    'human a diff to approve. Use it whenever the user asks to re-estimate or reprioritize. After calling it, ' +
+    "tell the user you've *proposed* the change for approval — never say it is done.",
+  parameters: {
+    type: 'object',
+    properties: {
+      issue: { type: 'number', description: 'the issue number to change' },
+      estimate: { type: 'string', enum: ['est/1d', 'est/2d', 'est/3d', 'est/5d', 'est/8d'] },
+      priority: { type: 'string', enum: ['p/1', 'p/2', 'p/3', 'p/4'] },
+    },
+    required: ['issue'],
+  },
+}
+
+export const REGINALD_TOOLS: ToolDecl[] = [QUERY_PROJECT_TOOL, PROPOSE_CHANGE_TOOL]
 
 export const REGINALD_SYSTEM = [
   'You are Reginald, the calm, dry project manager inside CommiTea — a tool that runs projects on Gitea.',
   'Call query_project to ground every answer in the real project; never invent issues, numbers, or dates.',
   'The scheduler and forecasts are deterministic code — report their output, do not recompute it.',
-  'Forecasts are ranges, never single dates. Refer to issues as #<number>.',
-  'Be brief and plain. A sentence or two is usually enough. No preamble, no bullet-point dumps.',
+  'To change an estimate or priority, call propose_change — it shows the human a diff to approve.',
+  'Never claim a change is applied; you propose, the human approves. Forecasts are ranges, never single dates.',
+  'Refer to issues as #<number>. Be brief and plain — a sentence or two. No preamble, no bullet dumps.',
 ].join(' ')
diff --git a/packages/core/src/changes/apply-changes-v0.test.ts b/packages/core/src/changes/apply-changes-v0.test.ts
index 72b97b2..e1cea9e 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/changes/apply-changes-v0.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/changes/apply-changes-v0.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
 
-import { describeChange, type IssueChange, planIssueChange } from './apply-changes-v0.js'
+import { describeChange, type IssueChange, planIssueChange, proposalsFor } from './apply-changes-v0.js'
 
 describe('planIssueChange', () => {
   it('swaps the estimate label, keeping non-axis labels', () => {
@@ -52,3 +52,28 @@ describe('planIssueChange', () => {
     expect(describeChange(planIssueChange(['est/5d'], change))).toBe('no change')
   })
 })
+
+describe('proposalsFor', () => {
+  it('builds one proposal per changed axis, carrying the concrete change + diff', () => {
+    const props = proposalsFor({ issue: 2, estimate: 'est/5d', priority: 'p/1' }, ['est/2d', 'p/3'], 'ChangeSource')
+    expect(props).toHaveLength(2)
+    expect(props[0].change).toEqual({ kind: 'reestimate', issue: 2, estimate: 'est/5d' })
+    expect(describeChange(props[0].plan)).toBe('est/2d → est/5d')
+    expect(props[1].change).toEqual({ kind: 'reprioritize', issue: 2, priority: 'p/1' })
+    expect(props[0].issueTitle).toBe('ChangeSource')
+  })
+
+  it('drops a noop axis (already at the requested value)', () => {
+    const props = proposalsFor({ issue: 2, estimate: 'est/2d', priority: 'p/1' }, ['est/2d', 'p/3'])
+    expect(props.map((p) => p.change.kind)).toEqual(['reprioritize']) // estimate unchanged
+  })
+
+  it('ignores invalid label values from the model', () => {
+    const props = proposalsFor({ issue: 2, estimate: 'est/4d' as never, priority: 'high' as never }, [])
+    expect(props).toEqual([])
+  })
+
+  it('returns nothing when no axis is provided', () => {
+    expect(proposalsFor({ issue: 2 }, ['est/2d'])).toEqual([])
+  })
+})
diff --git a/packages/core/src/changes/apply-changes-v0.ts b/packages/core/src/changes/apply-changes-v0.ts
index f2ae8ac..ccd529e 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/changes/apply-changes-v0.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/changes/apply-changes-v0.ts
@@ -57,3 +57,48 @@ export function describeChange(plan: LabelPlan): string {
   const to = plan.added.length ? plan.added.join(', ') : '∅'
   return `${from} → ${to}`
 }
+
+/** A change the agent proposes: the concrete op + its diff, ready for approve-then-apply. */
+export interface ChangeProposal {
+  change: IssueChange
+  plan: LabelPlan
+  issueTitle?: string
+}
+
+/** What the `propose_change` tool accepts — a target issue and the axes to set. */
+export interface ProposeChangeArgs {
+  issue: number
+  estimate?: EstimateLabel
+  priority?: PriorityLabel
+}
+
+function isEstimate(v: unknown): v is EstimateLabel {
+  return typeof v === 'string' && (ESTIMATE_LABELS as readonly string[]).includes(v)
+}
+function isPriority(v: unknown): v is PriorityLabel {
+  return typeof v === 'string' && (PRIORITY_LABELS as readonly string[]).includes(v)
+}
+
+/**
+ * Build the concrete, non-noop proposals for a `propose_change` request against
+ * an issue's current labels. Invalid or unchanged axes are dropped — the agent
+ * proposes only real changes, and never a label outside the est/* · p/* axes.
+ */
+export function proposalsFor(
+  args: ProposeChangeArgs,
+  currentLabels: string[],
+  issueTitle?: string,
+): ChangeProposal[] {
+  const out: ChangeProposal[] = []
+  if (isEstimate(args.estimate)) {
+    const change: IssueChange = { kind: 'reestimate', issue: args.issue, estimate: args.estimate }
+    const plan = planIssueChange(currentLabels, change)
+    if (!plan.noop) out.push({ change, plan, issueTitle })
+  }
+  if (isPriority(args.priority)) {
+    const change: IssueChange = { kind: 'reprioritize', issue: args.issue, priority: args.priority }
+    const plan = planIssueChange(currentLabels, change)
+    if (!plan.noop) out.push({ change, plan, issueTitle })
+  }
+  return out
+}
diff --git a/packages/core/src/index.ts b/packages/core/src/index.ts
index 554c3ae..9881069 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/index.ts
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@ export type {
   GiteaRequestInit,
 } from './gitea/types.js'
 
-export { describeChange, planIssueChange } from './changes/apply-changes-v0.js'
-export type { IssueChange, LabelPlan } from './changes/apply-changes-v0.js'
+export { describeChange, planIssueChange, proposalsFor } from './changes/apply-changes-v0.js'
+export type { ChangeProposal, IssueChange, LabelPlan, ProposeChangeArgs } from './changes/apply-changes-v0.js'
 
 export {
   inferColumnV0,
@@ -85,6 +85,6 @@ export { pickModel } from './agent/model-router.js'
 export type { ModelRouter, TaskKind } from './agent/model-router.js'
 export { runAgentTurn } from './agent/agent-loop.js'
 export type { AgentStep, AgentTurn, ToolExecutor } from './agent/agent-loop.js'
-export { QUERY_PROJECT_TOOL, REGINALD_SYSTEM, REGINALD_TOOLS } from './agent/agent-tools.js'
+export { PROPOSE_CHANGE_TOOL, QUERY_PROJECT_TOOL, REGINALD_SYSTEM, REGINALD_TOOLS } from './agent/agent-tools.js'
 export { buildProjectView } from './agent/query-project.js'
 export type { ProjectSnapshot, ProjectView, QueryFilters } from './agent/query-project.js'