diff --git a/pkg/agent/loop.go b/pkg/agent/loop.go
index 3bab6ca..3d2e9fb 100644
--- a/pkg/agent/loop.go
+++ b/pkg/agent/loop.go
@@ -157,9 +157,9 @@ func NewAgentLoop(cfg *config.Config, msgBus *bus.MessageBus, provider providers
 	})
 
 	toolsRegistry := tools.NewToolRegistry()
-	toolsRegistry.Register(tools.NewReadFileTool(""))
-	toolsRegistry.Register(tools.NewWriteFileTool(""))
-	toolsRegistry.Register(tools.NewListDirTool(""))
+	toolsRegistry.Register(tools.NewReadFileTool(workspace))
+	toolsRegistry.Register(tools.NewWriteFileTool(workspace))
+	toolsRegistry.Register(tools.NewListDirTool(workspace))
 	toolsRegistry.Register(tools.NewExecTool(cfg.Tools.Shell, workspace))
 
 	if cs != nil {
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ func NewAgentLoop(cfg *config.Config, msgBus *bus.MessageBus, provider providers
 	toolsRegistry.Register(tools.NewPipelineDispatchTool(orchestrator, subagentManager))
 
 	// Register edit file tool
-	editFileTool := tools.NewEditFileTool("")
+	editFileTool := tools.NewEditFileTool(workspace)
 	toolsRegistry.Register(editFileTool)
 
 	// Register memory search tool
diff --git a/pkg/tools/filesystem.go b/pkg/tools/filesystem.go
index 39560be..674f566 100644
--- a/pkg/tools/filesystem.go
+++ b/pkg/tools/filesystem.go
@@ -8,6 +8,20 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 )
 
+func resolveToolPath(baseDir, path string) (string, error) {
+	if filepath.IsAbs(path) {
+		return filepath.Clean(path), nil
+	}
+	if baseDir != "" {
+		return filepath.Clean(filepath.Join(baseDir, path)), nil
+	}
+	abs, err := filepath.Abs(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to resolve path: %w", err)
+	}
+	return abs, nil
+}
+
 // ReadFileTool reads the contents of a file.
 type ReadFileTool struct {
 	allowedDir string
@@ -52,22 +66,9 @@ func (t *ReadFileTool) Execute(ctx context.Context, args map[string]interface{})
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("path is required")
 	}
 
-	resolvedPath := path
-	if filepath.IsAbs(path) {
-		resolvedPath = filepath.Clean(path)
-	} else {
-		abs, err := filepath.Abs(path)
-		if err != nil {
-			return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to resolve path: %w", err)
-		}
-		resolvedPath = abs
-	}
-
-	if t.allowedDir != "" {
-		allowedAbs, _ := filepath.Abs(t.allowedDir)
-		if !strings.HasPrefix(resolvedPath, allowedAbs) {
-			return "", fmt.Errorf("path %s is outside allowed directory", path)
-		}
+	resolvedPath, err := resolveToolPath(t.allowedDir, path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
 	}
 
 	f, err := os.Open(resolvedPath)
@@ -149,22 +150,9 @@ func (t *WriteFileTool) Execute(ctx context.Context, args map[string]interface{}
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("content is required")
 	}
 
-	resolvedPath := path
-	if filepath.IsAbs(path) {
-		resolvedPath = filepath.Clean(path)
-	} else {
-		abs, err := filepath.Abs(path)
-		if err != nil {
-			return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to resolve path: %w", err)
-		}
-		resolvedPath = abs
-	}
-
-	if t.allowedDir != "" {
-		allowedAbs, _ := filepath.Abs(t.allowedDir)
-		if !strings.HasPrefix(resolvedPath, allowedAbs) {
-			return "", fmt.Errorf("path %s is outside allowed directory", path)
-		}
+	resolvedPath, err := resolveToolPath(t.allowedDir, path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
 	}
 
 	if err := os.WriteFile(resolvedPath, []byte(content), 0644); err != nil {
@@ -216,22 +204,9 @@ func (t *ListDirTool) Execute(ctx context.Context, args map[string]interface{})
 
 	recursive, _ := args["recursive"].(bool)
 
-	resolvedPath := path
-	if filepath.IsAbs(path) {
-		resolvedPath = filepath.Clean(path)
-	} else {
-		abs, err := filepath.Abs(path)
-		if err != nil {
-			return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to resolve path: %w", err)
-		}
-		resolvedPath = abs
-	}
-
-	if t.allowedDir != "" {
-		allowedAbs, _ := filepath.Abs(t.allowedDir)
-		if !strings.HasPrefix(resolvedPath, allowedAbs) {
-			return "", fmt.Errorf("path %s is outside allowed directory", path)
-		}
+	resolvedPath, err := resolveToolPath(t.allowedDir, path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
 	}
 
 	var results []string
@@ -330,22 +305,9 @@ func (t *EditFileTool) Execute(ctx context.Context, args map[string]interface{})
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("new_text is required")
 	}
 
-	resolvedPath := path
-	if filepath.IsAbs(path) {
-		resolvedPath = filepath.Clean(path)
-	} else {
-		abs, err := filepath.Abs(path)
-		if err != nil {
-			return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to resolve path: %w", err)
-		}
-		resolvedPath = abs
-	}
-
-	if t.allowedDir != "" {
-		allowedAbs, _ := filepath.Abs(t.allowedDir)
-		if !strings.HasPrefix(resolvedPath, allowedAbs) {
-			return "", fmt.Errorf("path %s is outside allowed directory", path)
-		}
+	resolvedPath, err := resolveToolPath(t.allowedDir, path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
 	}
 
 	content, err := os.ReadFile(resolvedPath)
diff --git a/pkg/tools/filesystem_test.go b/pkg/tools/filesystem_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1198c20
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/tools/filesystem_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+package tools
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestReadFileToolResolvesRelativePathFromAllowedDir(t *testing.T) {
+	workspace := t.TempDir()
+	targetPath := filepath.Join(workspace, "cmd", "clawgo", "main.go")
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(targetPath), 0755); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("mkdir failed: %v", err)
+	}
+	if err := os.WriteFile(targetPath, []byte("package main"), 0644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("write failed: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	tool := NewReadFileTool(workspace)
+	out, err := tool.Execute(context.Background(), map[string]interface{}{
+		"path": "cmd/clawgo/main.go",
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+	}
+	if out != "package main" {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected output: %q", out)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestReadFileToolAllowsParentTraversalWhenPermitted(t *testing.T) {
+	workspace := t.TempDir()
+	parentFile := filepath.Join(filepath.Dir(workspace), "outside.txt")
+	if err := os.WriteFile(parentFile, []byte("outside"), 0644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("write failed: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	tool := NewReadFileTool(workspace)
+	relPath, err := filepath.Rel(workspace, parentFile)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("rel failed: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	out, err := tool.Execute(context.Background(), map[string]interface{}{
+		"path": relPath,
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+	}
+	if out != "outside" {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected output: %q", out)
+	}
+}