diff --git a/backend/src/agents/character.py b/backend/src/agents/character.py
index 6f9e417..8f73181 100644
--- a/backend/src/agents/character.py
+++ b/backend/src/agents/character.py
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ class CharacterAgent(Agent):
         memories = []
 
         if thread_context and thread_context['thread_id'] == message.thread_id:
-            memories = retrieve_topic_memories(thread_context['topic'])
+            memories = await self.retrieve_topic_memories(thread_context['topic'])
         else:
             thread_context = {'thread_id': message.thread_id}
 
@@ -179,24 +179,29 @@ class CharacterAgent(Agent):
                 sender=self.id,
                 content=controller_response,
                 thread_id=current_thread.id,
-                kind='debug',
+                kind='log',
+                subkind='debug',
             )
 
         sections = parse_sections(controller_response)
-        self.app.send_chat_message(
-            chat_id=message.chat_id,
-            sender=self.id,
-            content=sections['response'],
-            thread_id=current_thread.id,
-        )
 
-        topic_focus = parse_json_object(sections['topic_focus'])
+        if 'response' in sections:
+            self.app.send_chat_message(
+                chat_id=message.chat_id,
+                sender=self.id,
+                content=sections['response'],
+                thread_id=current_thread.id,
+            )
 
-        thread_context['topic'] = topic_focus['topic']
-        thread_context['focus'] = topic_focus['focus']
-        self.app.save_agent_resource(self.id, 'last-thread-context', message.chat_id, thread_context)
+        if 'topic_focus' in sections:
+            topic_focus = parse_json_object(sections['topic_focus'])
 
-        new_memories = parse_json_array(sections['new_memories'])
+            thread_context['topic'] = topic_focus['topic']
+            thread_context['focus'] = topic_focus['focus']
+            self.app.save_agent_resource(self.id, 'last-thread-context', message.chat_id, thread_context)
+
+        if 'new_memories' in sections:
+            new_memories = parse_json_array(sections['new_memories'])
 
     # Encode a thread's messages as a string to pass to the agent
     def serialize_thread_history(self, thread, ignore_message_ids=[]):
@@ -209,13 +214,13 @@ class CharacterAgent(Agent):
             is_self = is_digit and str(sender) == str(self.id)
             return self.name if is_self else sender
         
-        return "\n".join(f"[{sender_name(message)}]: {message.content}" for message in messages)
+        return "\n".join(f"{sender_name(message)}: {message.content}" for message in messages if message.kind == 'message')
     
     def get_memory_collection(self):
         collection_name = f"agent_{self.id}_memory"
         return collection_name
     
-    async def retrieve_topic_memories(self, topic):
+    async def retrieve_topic_memories(self, topic, focus=None):
         client = self.app.qdrant_client
         collection = self.get_memory_collection()
 
@@ -227,9 +232,14 @@ class CharacterAgent(Agent):
             query_text=topic,
             limit=20
         )
+        if focus:
+            # TODO: deduplicate
+            query_result += client.query(
+                collection,
+                query_text=topic,
+                limit=20
+            )
         # TODO:
-        # query_result += query(focus)
-        # deduplicate results
         # initial importance-based ranking
         memories = [it.document for it in query_result]
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/views/Chat.vue b/frontend/src/views/Chat.vue
index d6fd74b..aa6e617 100644
--- a/frontend/src/views/Chat.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/views/Chat.vue
@@ -372,6 +372,8 @@
       return ['note'];
     } else if (msg.type == 'message') {
       return ['message', msg.sender == 'user' ? 'sent' : 'received'];
+    } else if (msg.type == 'log') {
+      return ['message', 'log'];
     } else {
       return ['info'];
     }
@@ -402,6 +404,11 @@
           <div class="content">{{msg.content}}</div>
         </template>
 
+        <template v-if="msg.type == 'log'">
+          <div class="sender">Log ({{msg.sender}})</div>
+          <div class="content">{{msg.content}}</div>
+        </template>
+
         <template v-if="msg.type == 'thread-header'">
           <div class="content">
             Thread {{msg.threadId}} ({{msg.messageCount}} messages)
@@ -497,6 +504,11 @@
     margin-top: -5px; /* half message padding */
   }
 
+  .message.log .content {
+    font-family: monospace;
+    font-size: 80%;
+  }
+
   .input-container {
     padding: 10px;
     background-color: var(--color-background-soft);