diff --git a/doc-onevcat/contracts/cli/read.md b/doc-onevcat/contracts/cli/read.md
index 2324de95..0832a86a 100644
--- a/doc-onevcat/contracts/cli/read.md
+++ b/doc-onevcat/contracts/cli/read.md
@@ -101,7 +101,15 @@ This file defines the **JSON output contract** for:
   - `"scrollback"`: satisfied from scrollback/history
   - `"mixed"`: combined view when the runtime had to stitch sources together
 - `truncated`: boolean
-  - `true` when the runtime could not return the full requested text volume
+  - `true` only when the returned `text` may be **incomplete** — i.e. the runtime could not
+    retrieve the pane's full screen+scrollback buffer and the visible viewport alone held fewer
+    lines than requested, so older content may exist beyond reach.
+  - `false` when `text` holds every line the pane retains for the request. In particular,
+    receiving fewer lines than `--last N` because the pane simply has less history than `N` is
+    **not** truncation — you still got everything available.
+  - This matches the meaning of `truncated` in the `send --capture` response (`prowl.cli.send`):
+    in both, `true` signals "the captured text may be missing content", never "you got less than
+    you asked for but it is all there is".
 - `line_count`: integer
   - number of newline-delimited lines present in `text`
 - `text`: string
diff --git a/supacode/CLIService/ReadCommandHandler.swift b/supacode/CLIService/ReadCommandHandler.swift
index 6ed91363..3fdc7d8a 100644
--- a/supacode/CLIService/ReadCommandHandler.swift
+++ b/supacode/CLIService/ReadCommandHandler.swift
@@ -227,6 +227,9 @@ final class ReadCommandHandler: CommandHandler {
     }
 
     guard let screenText else {
+      // The full screen+scrollback buffer could not be read, so we only have the visible
+      // viewport. If it holds fewer lines than requested, older history may exist beyond our
+      // reach — the result may be incomplete, which is exactly what `truncated` should signal.
       return ReadCapture(
         text: joinLines(viewportLines.suffix(min(requestedLineCount, viewportLines.count))),
         source: .mixed,
@@ -236,6 +239,9 @@ final class ReadCommandHandler: CommandHandler {
 
     let screenLines = splitLines(screenText)
     if screenLines.count < viewportLines.count {
+      // The full-buffer read returned fewer lines than the viewport itself — an unreliable
+      // capture. We fall back to the viewport and, as above, cannot vouch for completeness
+      // when it is shorter than requested.
       return ReadCapture(
         text: joinLines(viewportLines.suffix(min(requestedLineCount, viewportLines.count))),
         source: .mixed,
@@ -246,10 +252,15 @@ final class ReadCommandHandler: CommandHandler {
     let source: ReadSource = screenLines.count > viewportLines.count ? .scrollback : .screen
     let text = joinLines(screenLines.suffix(min(requestedLineCount, screenLines.count)))
 
+    // The full screen+scrollback buffer was retrievable, so `text` already holds every line
+    // the pane retains. Returning fewer lines than `--last` requested here only means the
+    // pane has less history than asked for — not that content was lost — so it is complete,
+    // not truncated. `truncated` stays reserved for cases where content may be unreachable
+    // (see the viewport-only fallbacks above).
     return ReadCapture(
       text: text,
       source: source,
-      truncated: screenLines.count < requestedLineCount
+      truncated: false
     )
   }
 
diff --git a/supacodeTests/CLIReadCommandHandlerTests.swift b/supacodeTests/CLIReadCommandHandlerTests.swift
index aa53089b..431ceeed 100644
--- a/supacodeTests/CLIReadCommandHandlerTests.swift
+++ b/supacodeTests/CLIReadCommandHandlerTests.swift
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ struct CLIReadCommandHandlerTests {
     #expect(payload.text == "b\nc\nd")
   }
 
-  @Test func lastMarksTruncatedWhenScreenInsufficient() async throws {
+  @Test func lastReturnsFullBufferWithoutTruncationWhenHistoryShorterThanRequest() async throws {
     let handler = ReadCommandHandler(
       resolveProvider: { _ in .success(Self.makeTarget()) },
       captureProvider: { _ in
@@ -140,7 +140,10 @@ struct CLIReadCommandHandlerTests {
     #expect(response.ok)
     let payload = try #require(try response.data?.decode(as: ReadCommandPayload.self))
     #expect(payload.source == .scrollback)
-    #expect(payload.truncated == true)
+    // The full screen+scrollback buffer was retrievable and holds only 4 lines, so the
+    // response contains everything the pane retains. Fewer lines than `--last 10` requested
+    // does not mean content was lost, so it must not be flagged truncated.
+    #expect(payload.truncated == false)
     #expect(payload.lineCount == 4)
     #expect(payload.text == "one\ntwo\nthree\nfour")
   }