diff --git a/internal/adapter/openai/tool_sieve_core.go b/internal/adapter/openai/tool_sieve_core.go
index bc81882..9cacea9 100644
--- a/internal/adapter/openai/tool_sieve_core.go
+++ b/internal/adapter/openai/tool_sieve_core.go
@@ -130,8 +130,14 @@ func flushToolSieve(state *toolStreamSieveState, toolNames []string) []toolStrea
 	}
 	if state.pending.Len() > 0 {
 		content := state.pending.String()
-		state.noteText(content)
-		events = append(events, toolStreamEvent{Content: content})
+		// Safety: if pending contains XML tool tag fragments (e.g. "tool_calls>"
+		// from a split closing tag), swallow them instead of leaking.
+		if hasOpenXMLToolTag(content) || looksLikeXMLToolTagFragment(content) {
+			// Drop it — likely an incomplete tool call fragment.
+		} else {
+			state.noteText(content)
+			events = append(events, toolStreamEvent{Content: content})
+		}
 		state.pending.Reset()
 	}
 	return events
diff --git a/internal/adapter/openai/tool_sieve_xml.go b/internal/adapter/openai/tool_sieve_xml.go
index c4474af..aa97b5e 100644
--- a/internal/adapter/openai/tool_sieve_xml.go
+++ b/internal/adapter/openai/tool_sieve_xml.go
@@ -104,3 +104,27 @@ func findPartialXMLToolTagStart(s string) int {
 	}
 	return -1
 }
+
+// looksLikeXMLToolTagFragment returns true if s looks like a fragment from a
+// split XML tool call tag — for example "tool_calls>" or "/tool_call>\n".
+// These fragments arise when '<' was consumed separately and the tail remains.
+func looksLikeXMLToolTagFragment(s string) bool {
+	trimmed := strings.TrimSpace(s)
+	if trimmed == "" {
+		return false
+	}
+	lower := strings.ToLower(trimmed)
+	// Check for closing tag tails like "tool_calls>" or "/tool_calls>"
+	fragments := []string{
+		"tool_calls>", "tool_call>", "/tool_calls>", "/tool_call>",
+		"function_calls>", "function_call>", "/function_calls>", "/function_call>",
+		"invoke>", "/invoke>", "tool_use>", "/tool_use>",
+		"tool_name>", "/tool_name>", "parameters>", "/parameters>",
+	}
+	for _, f := range fragments {
+		if strings.Contains(lower, f) {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
diff --git a/internal/js/helpers/stream-tool-sieve/sieve-xml.js b/internal/js/helpers/stream-tool-sieve/sieve-xml.js
index e286b92..7e61b24 100644
--- a/internal/js/helpers/stream-tool-sieve/sieve-xml.js
+++ b/internal/js/helpers/stream-tool-sieve/sieve-xml.js
@@ -79,8 +79,22 @@ function findPartialXMLToolTagStart(s) {
   return -1;
 }
 
+function looksLikeXMLToolTagFragment(s) {
+  const trimmed = (s || '').trim();
+  if (!trimmed) return false;
+  const lower = trimmed.toLowerCase();
+  const fragments = [
+    'tool_calls>', 'tool_call>', '/tool_calls>', '/tool_call>',
+    'function_calls>', 'function_call>', '/function_calls>', '/function_call>',
+    'invoke>', '/invoke>', 'tool_use>', '/tool_use>',
+    'tool_name>', '/tool_name>', 'parameters>', '/parameters>',
+  ];
+  return fragments.some(f => lower.includes(f));
+}
+
 module.exports = {
   consumeXMLToolCapture,
   hasOpenXMLToolTag,
   findPartialXMLToolTagStart,
+  looksLikeXMLToolTagFragment,
 };
diff --git a/internal/js/helpers/stream-tool-sieve/sieve.js b/internal/js/helpers/stream-tool-sieve/sieve.js
index 43c9224..fca7683 100644
--- a/internal/js/helpers/stream-tool-sieve/sieve.js
+++ b/internal/js/helpers/stream-tool-sieve/sieve.js
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ const {
   consumeXMLToolCapture: consumeXMLToolCaptureImpl,
   hasOpenXMLToolTag,
   findPartialXMLToolTagStart,
+  looksLikeXMLToolTagFragment,
 } = require('./sieve-xml');
 function processToolSieveChunk(state, chunk, toolNames) {
   if (!state) {
@@ -123,8 +124,10 @@ function flushToolSieve(state, toolNames) {
     resetIncrementalToolState(state);
   }
   if (state.pending) {
-    noteText(state, state.pending);
-    events.push({ type: 'text', text: state.pending });
+    if (!hasOpenXMLToolTag(state.pending) && !looksLikeXMLToolTagFragment(state.pending)) {
+      noteText(state, state.pending);
+      events.push({ type: 'text', text: state.pending });
+    }
     state.pending = '';
   }
   return events;