diff --git a/lua/99/providers.lua b/lua/99/providers.lua
index 2fa2f83..f9527db 100644
--- a/lua/99/providers.lua
+++ b/lua/99/providers.lua
@@ -231,23 +231,105 @@ end
 --- @class CursorAgentProvider : _99.Providers.BaseProvider
 local CursorAgentProvider = setmetatable({}, { __index = BaseProvider })
 
+--- @param context _99.Prompt
+--- @return string
+local function cursor_agent_workspace(_context)
+  return vim.fn.getcwd()
+end
+
+--- @param relative string
+--- @param ws string
+--- @return string[]
+local function cursor_agent_tmp_paths(relative, ws)
+  local seen, out = {}, {}
+
+  local function add(path)
+    path = vim.fs.normalize(vim.fn.fnamemodify(path, ":p"))
+    if not seen[path] then
+      seen[path] = true
+      out[#out + 1] = path
+    end
+  end
+
+  if relative:match("^[%a]:[/\\]") or relative:match("^/") then
+    add(relative)
+    return out
+  end
+
+  local rel = relative:gsub("^%.[\\/]", "")
+  for _, base in ipairs({ ws, vim.fn.getcwd() }) do
+    add(vim.fs.joinpath(base, rel))
+  end
+  return out
+end
+
+--- @param paths string[]
+--- @return string, string|nil
+local function cursor_agent_read_first(paths)
+  for _, path in ipairs(paths) do
+    local ok, lines = pcall(vim.fn.readfile, path)
+    if ok and #lines > 0 then
+      return table.concat(lines, "\n"), path
+    end
+  end
+  return "", nil
+end
+
+--- @param context _99.Prompt
+--- @param ws string|nil
+--- @return string
+local function cursor_agent_prompt_file(context, ws)
+  ws = ws or cursor_agent_workspace(context)
+  for _, path in ipairs(cursor_agent_tmp_paths(context.tmp_file .. "-prompt", ws)) do
+    if vim.fn.filereadable(path) == 1 then
+      return path
+    end
+  end
+  return cursor_agent_tmp_paths(context.tmp_file .. "-prompt", ws)[1]
+end
+
+--- @param context _99.Prompt
+--- @param ws string|nil
+--- @return string
+local function cursor_agent_print_prompt(context, ws)
+  local prompt_file = cursor_agent_prompt_file(context, ws)
+  return string.format(
+    "Read and follow every instruction in @%s using your file tools, then complete the task exactly as specified in that file.",
+    prompt_file
+  )
+end
+
 --- @param query string
 --- @param context _99.Prompt
 --- @return string[]
-function CursorAgentProvider._build_command(_, query, context)
+function CursorAgentProvider._build_command(_, _query, context)
   -- TODO: trust is sort of a hack and should probably be removed in favor of having a
   -- trust flag from the setup call
+  local ws = cursor_agent_workspace(context)
   return {
     "cursor-agent",
+    "--workspace",
+    ws,
     "--trust", -- directories are always trusted and can be ran in
     "--force", -- allows for commands to run
     "--model",
     context.model,
     "--print",
-    query,
+    cursor_agent_print_prompt(context, ws),
   }
 end
 
+--- @param context _99.Prompt
+--- @return boolean, string
+function CursorAgentProvider:_retrieve_response(context)
+  local ws = cursor_agent_workspace(context)
+  local tmp = cursor_agent_read_first(cursor_agent_tmp_paths(context.tmp_file, ws))
+  if tmp:match("%S") then
+    return true, tmp
+  end
+  return BaseProvider._retrieve_response(self, context)
+end
+
 --- @return string
 function CursorAgentProvider._get_provider_name()
   return "CursorAgentProvider"
diff --git a/lua/99/test/providers_spec.lua b/lua/99/test/providers_spec.lua
index 803cd05..5022c84 100644
--- a/lua/99/test/providers_spec.lua
+++ b/lua/99/test/providers_spec.lua
@@ -48,17 +48,26 @@ describe("providers", function()
   end)
 
   describe("CursorAgentProvider", function()
-    it("builds correct command with model", function()
-      local request = { model = "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-5" }
-      local cmd =
-        Providers.CursorAgentProvider._build_command(nil, "test query", request)
-      eq({
-        "cursor-agent",
-        "--model",
-        "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-5",
-        "--print",
-        "test query",
-      }, cmd)
+    it("uses @ prompt file instead of XML on argv", function()
+      local request = { model = "sonnet-4.5", tmp_file = "tmp/99-1234" }
+      local cmd = Providers.CursorAgentProvider._build_command(
+        nil,
+        "<Context>ignored</Context>",
+        request
+      )
+      local print_arg = cmd[#cmd]
+      eq("cursor-agent", cmd[1])
+      eq("--workspace", cmd[2])
+      eq(vim.fn.getcwd(), cmd[3])
+      eq("--trust", cmd[4])
+      eq("--force", cmd[5])
+      eq("--model", cmd[6])
+      eq("sonnet-4.5", cmd[7])
+      eq("--print", cmd[8])
+      assert(print_arg:match("@"))
+      assert(print_arg:match("99%-1234%-prompt"))
+      assert(not print_arg:match("<Context>"))
+      assert(not print_arg:match("\n"))
     end)
 
     it("has correct default model", function()