diff --git a/agent/context_engine.py b/agent/context_engine.py
index 8cc9d512788e..91c055383b76 100644
--- a/agent/context_engine.py
+++ b/agent/context_engine.py
@@ -250,6 +250,21 @@ class ContextEngine(ABC):
         message and intentionally never rewrites the list, to preserve the
         cache prefix), ``select_context()`` may *replace* the message list.
 
+        Ordering / cache contract: the host runs this hook **before** prompt
+        cache-control and **before** every request sanitizer (orphaned-tool
+        cleanup, thinking-only/role normalization, whitespace/JSON
+        normalization). So (a) whatever the hook returns still passes through
+        the same validation as any request — a malformed replacement cannot
+        reach the provider — and (b) prompt-cache stability (an AGENTS.md
+        invariant) is preserved: the default no-op leaves the request
+        byte-identical, so cache behaviour is unchanged for the built-in
+        compressor and any non-implementing engine. An engine that *does*
+        replace the list changes its own cache prefix by definition; that is
+        the engine's concern, and cache-control breakpoints are re-derived on
+        the selected list. The hook is evaluated per provider request (so it
+        re-runs on retries within a turn), consistent with "select the context
+        for THIS request".
+
         Args:
             request_messages: The assembled request message list (system
                 prompt + history + any ephemeral prefill), in OpenAI format.
diff --git a/tests/agent/test_context_engine_select_context.py b/tests/agent/test_context_engine_select_context.py
index 55319d2f33d5..3927ef9aa54f 100644
--- a/tests/agent/test_context_engine_select_context.py
+++ b/tests/agent/test_context_engine_select_context.py
@@ -192,6 +192,53 @@ def test_persisted_history_not_mutated():
     assert HISTORY == history_snapshot
 
 
+# -- cache-stability + downstream-sanitizer contract -----------------------
+
+def test_noop_preserves_request_byte_stable_for_cache():
+    """No-op default must leave the request byte-identical.
+
+    Prompt-cache stability is a host invariant (AGENTS.md): the hook runs
+    before cache-control, so a no-op engine must not perturb the list —
+    otherwise cache breakpoints would shift for every existing engine. The
+    host returns the *same object*, so cache-control sees identical input.
+    """
+    snapshot = [dict(m) for m in REQUEST]
+    agent = _agent_with(_MinimalEngine())  # default select_context -> None
+    out = _apply_context_engine_selection(
+        agent, REQUEST, HISTORY, HISTORY[-1], logger=MagicMock()
+    )
+    assert out is REQUEST          # same object -> byte-stable for cache-control
+    assert REQUEST == snapshot     # unperturbed
+
+
+def test_role_unusual_replacement_passed_through_for_downstream_sanitizers():
+    """The hook does structural validation only; role/tool normalization is
+    deferred to the existing downstream sanitizers.
+
+    A `system -> user -> user` replacement (the exact shape flagged as a
+    role-alternation risk on sibling PRs) is well-formed structurally, so the
+    host returns it verbatim. Role-pairing/orphaned-tool cleanup runs *after*
+    this hook in the request pipeline (`_sanitize_api_messages`,
+    `_drop_thinking_only_and_merge_users`), so select_context cannot emit a
+    malformed request that bypasses validation.
+    """
+    role_unusual = [
+        {"role": "system", "content": "sys"},
+        {"role": "user", "content": "a"},
+        {"role": "user", "content": "b"},
+    ]
+
+    class _Engine(_MinimalEngine):
+        def select_context(self, request_messages, **kwargs):
+            return role_unusual
+
+    agent = _agent_with(_Engine())
+    out = _apply_context_engine_selection(
+        agent, REQUEST, HISTORY, HISTORY[-1], logger=MagicMock()
+    )
+    assert out is role_unusual  # accepted structurally; downstream sanitizers normalize
+
+
 # -- on_turn_complete (post-turn observation) ------------------------------
 
 def test_default_on_turn_complete_is_noop():