diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index cb46a24..4c2cc77 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -130,6 +130,35 @@ DCP uses its own config file:
 
 When enabled, turn protection prevents tool outputs from being pruned for a configurable number of message turns. This gives the AI time to reference recent tool outputs before they become prunable. Applies to both `discard` and `extract` tools, as well as automatic strategies.
 
+### Protected File Patterns
+
+`protectedFilePatterns` is a list of glob patterns matched against `tool parameters.filePath` (e.g. `read`/`write`/`edit` calls).
+
+When a tool call matches a protected pattern:
+
+- It will not appear in the `<prunable-tools>` list.
+- `discard` / `extract` will reject attempts to prune it.
+- Automatic strategies (deduplication, supersede-writes, purge-errors) will not prune it.
+
+Supported glob tokens:
+
+- `*` matches any characters except `/`
+- `?` matches a single character except `/`
+- `**` matches across `/` (e.g. `**/*.ts`)
+
+Examples:
+
+- `**/*.env` (protect env files)
+- `**/.opencode/**` (protect project opencode configs)
+- `**/credentials.*` (protect credential files)
+
+### Nudge Reminders
+
+When `tools.settings.nudgeEnabled` is true, DCP injects a short “use prune tools” reminder into the `<prunable-tools>` message:
+
+- Every `tools.settings.nudgeFrequency` tool results.
+- Also after a `todowrite` call transitions an existing todo to `status: "completed"`.
+
 ### Protected Tools
 
 By default, these tools are always protected from pruning across all strategies:
diff --git a/lib/messages/inject.ts b/lib/messages/inject.ts
index 5d9b36f..901d12b 100644
--- a/lib/messages/inject.ts
+++ b/lib/messages/inject.ts
@@ -117,12 +117,18 @@ export const insertPruneToolContext = (
         logger.debug("prunable-tools: \n" + prunableToolsList)
 
         let nudgeString = ""
-        if (
+        const shouldNudge =
             config.tools.settings.nudgeEnabled &&
-            state.nudgeCounter >= config.tools.settings.nudgeFrequency
-        ) {
+            (state.nudgeCounter >= config.tools.settings.nudgeFrequency ||
+                state.todoCompletionNudgePending)
+
+        if (shouldNudge) {
             logger.info("Inserting prune nudge message")
             nudgeString = "\n" + getNudgeString(config)
+
+            if (state.todoCompletionNudgePending) {
+                state.todoCompletionNudgePending = false
+            }
         }
 
         prunableToolsContent = prunableToolsList + nudgeString
diff --git a/lib/prompts/index.ts b/lib/prompts/index.ts
index dbec5dd..3cb29e3 100644
--- a/lib/prompts/index.ts
+++ b/lib/prompts/index.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
 import { readFileSync } from "fs"
-import { join } from "path"
+import { dirname, join } from "path"
+import { fileURLToPath } from "url"
+
+const PROMPTS_DIR = dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url))
 
 export function loadPrompt(name: string, vars?: Record<string, string>): string {
-    const filePath = join(__dirname, `${name}.txt`)
+    const filePath = join(PROMPTS_DIR, `${name}.txt`)
     let content = readFileSync(filePath, "utf8").trim()
     if (vars) {
         for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(vars)) {
diff --git a/lib/state/state.ts b/lib/state/state.ts
index e68ecf8..c61bfc4 100644
--- a/lib/state/state.ts
+++ b/lib/state/state.ts
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ export const checkSession = async (
         state.lastCompaction = lastCompactionTimestamp
         state.toolParameters.clear()
         state.prune.toolIds = []
+        state.todoStatusById.clear()
+        state.todoCompletionNudgePending = false
         logger.info("Detected compaction from messages - cleared tool cache", {
             timestamp: lastCompactionTimestamp,
         })
@@ -56,6 +58,9 @@ export function createSessionState(): SessionState {
         lastCompaction: 0,
         currentTurn: 0,
         variant: undefined,
+
+        todoStatusById: new Map<string, string>(),
+        todoCompletionNudgePending: false,
     }
 }
 
@@ -75,6 +80,9 @@ export function resetSessionState(state: SessionState): void {
     state.lastCompaction = 0
     state.currentTurn = 0
     state.variant = undefined
+
+    state.todoStatusById.clear()
+    state.todoCompletionNudgePending = false
 }
 
 export async function ensureSessionInitialized(
@@ -101,6 +109,8 @@ export async function ensureSessionInitialized(
     state.lastCompaction = findLastCompactionTimestamp(messages)
     state.currentTurn = countTurns(state, messages)
 
+    seedTodoStatusFromMessages(state, messages)
+
     const persisted = await loadSessionState(sessionId, logger)
     if (persisted === null) {
         return
@@ -115,6 +125,28 @@ export async function ensureSessionInitialized(
     }
 }
 
+function seedTodoStatusFromMessages(state: SessionState, messages: WithParts[]): void {
+    for (const msg of messages) {
+        if (isMessageCompacted(state, msg)) {
+            continue
+        }
+        for (const part of msg.parts) {
+            if (part.type !== "tool" || part.tool !== "todowrite") {
+                continue
+            }
+            const todos = (part.state?.input as any)?.todos
+            if (!Array.isArray(todos)) {
+                continue
+            }
+            for (const todo of todos) {
+                if (todo && typeof todo.id === "string" && typeof todo.status === "string") {
+                    state.todoStatusById.set(todo.id, todo.status)
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 function findLastCompactionTimestamp(messages: WithParts[]): number {
     for (let i = messages.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
         const msg = messages[i]
diff --git a/lib/state/tool-cache.ts b/lib/state/tool-cache.ts
index f9d3d3c..f606dbb 100644
--- a/lib/state/tool-cache.ts
+++ b/lib/state/tool-cache.ts
@@ -60,6 +60,30 @@ export async function syncToolCache(
                     continue
                 }
 
+                if (part.tool === "todowrite") {
+                    const todos = (part.state?.input as any)?.todos
+                    if (Array.isArray(todos)) {
+                        for (const todo of todos) {
+                            if (
+                                !todo ||
+                                typeof todo.id !== "string" ||
+                                typeof todo.status !== "string"
+                            ) {
+                                continue
+                            }
+                            const previousStatus = state.todoStatusById.get(todo.id)
+                            if (
+                                previousStatus !== undefined &&
+                                previousStatus !== "completed" &&
+                                todo.status === "completed"
+                            ) {
+                                state.todoCompletionNudgePending = true
+                            }
+                            state.todoStatusById.set(todo.id, todo.status)
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+
                 state.toolParameters.set(part.callID, {
                     tool: part.tool,
                     parameters: part.state?.input ?? {},
diff --git a/lib/state/types.ts b/lib/state/types.ts
index 1e41170..45e86e5 100644
--- a/lib/state/types.ts
+++ b/lib/state/types.ts
@@ -35,4 +35,7 @@ export interface SessionState {
     lastCompaction: number
     currentTurn: number
     variant: string | undefined
+
+    todoStatusById: Map<string, string>
+    todoCompletionNudgePending: boolean
 }