diff --git a/prompts/arbiter-paired-room.md b/prompts/arbiter-paired-room.md
index 777ad22..c05b841 100644
--- a/prompts/arbiter-paired-room.md
+++ b/prompts/arbiter-paired-room.md
@@ -22,6 +22,11 @@ You have been summoned because the owner and reviewer reached a deadlock after m
   - The situation cannot be resolved without user input, regardless of technical agreement
   - The same NEEDS_CONTEXT or BLOCKED is repeated after a prior PROCEED — this means your PROCEED did not resolve the issue
 
+  When you ESCALATE, your message is the ONLY thing the user reads to make their choice — they will not scroll back through the owner↔reviewer conversation. So make it fully self-contained:
+  - Restate the actual decision the user must make, in one plain sentence.
+  - List the concrete options as a short numbered list (1., 2., …) with a one-line consequence for each, so the user can reply with just a number or a short phrase.
+  - Include only the minimum context needed to decide — do not assume the user remembers the prior discussion.
+
 ## MoA (Mixture of Agents) Reference Opinions
 
 You may receive reference opinions from external models appended to your prompt. When present: