diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..eda4d0c36f33
--- /dev/null
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+# Agent Guidelines for Godot Automation Fork
+
+Guidelines to avoid common mistakes when working on this codebase.
+
+## C++ Include Requirements
+
+**Always explicitly include headers for any types or functions you use.** Do not rely on transitive includes - they vary by platform and can cause CI failures on some builds but not others.
+
+**Includes must be alphabetically sorted.** The project uses clang-format which enforces include ordering. Run `clang-format -style=file -i <file>` before committing to fix formatting.
+
+Common includes that must be explicit:
+
+| Function/Type | Required Include |
+|---------------|------------------|
+| `callable_mp_static` | `#include "core/object/callable_method_pointer.h"` |
+| `callable_mp` | `#include "core/object/callable_method_pointer.h"` |
+| `Object::CONNECT_ONE_SHOT` | `#include "core/object/object.h"` (use `Object::` qualifier) |
+| `Ref<T>` | `#include "core/object/ref_counted.h"` |
+| `Vector`, `List`, `HashMap` | `#include "core/templates/<container>.h"` |
+
+**`callable_mp_static` syntax differs by function type:**
+```cpp
+// File-scope static functions: NO '&'
+static void my_callback() { ... }
+obj->connect("signal", callable_mp_static(my_callback));
+
+// Class static methods: USE '&'
+obj->connect("signal", callable_mp_static(&ClassName::static_method));
+```
+
+## Automation Protocol (remote_debugger.cpp)
+
+When modifying automation commands in `core/debugger/remote_debugger.cpp`:
+
+1. **Add `is_inside_tree()` guards** - Always check if the scene tree is initialized before accessing nodes:
+   ```cpp
+   Node *root = tree->get_root();
+   ERR_FAIL_NULL(root);
+   if (!root->is_inside_tree()) {
+       // Send empty/error response
+       return;
+   }
+   ```
+
+2. **Scene changes are deferred** - `change_scene_to_file()` returns immediately but the scene isn't loaded yet. Connect to `scene_changed` signal if you need to respond after the scene is ready.
+
+3. **Flush input events** - After injecting input events, call `DisplayServer::get_singleton()->process_events()` to ensure they reach the GUI system in headless mode.
+
+## Testing Changes
+
+The CI builds for multiple platforms (Linux, macOS, Windows). A local build passing does not guarantee CI will pass due to:
+- Different include resolution
+- Platform-specific code paths
+- Compiler differences (GCC vs Clang vs MSVC)
diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..43c994c2d361
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+@AGENTS.md
diff --git a/core/debugger/remote_debugger.cpp b/core/debugger/remote_debugger.cpp
index b852c4affb0a..005ec7c33c58 100644
--- a/core/debugger/remote_debugger.cpp
+++ b/core/debugger/remote_debugger.cpp
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 #include "core/input/input_event.h"
 #include "core/io/resource_loader.h"
 #include "core/math/expression.h"
+#include "core/object/callable_method_pointer.h"
 #include "core/object/script_language.h"
 #include "core/os/os.h"
 #include "scene/main/node.h"
@@ -1243,26 +1244,71 @@ void RemoteDebugger::_send_current_scene() {
 	EngineDebugger::get_singleton()->send_message("automation:current_scene", msg);
 }
 
+// Static callback for scene_changed signal - sends automation result after scene is fully loaded
+static void _on_scene_changed_send_result() {
+	Array msg;
+	msg.push_back(true);
+	EngineDebugger::get_singleton()->send_message("automation:scene_result", msg);
+}
+
 void RemoteDebugger::_change_scene(const String &p_scene_path) {
 	SceneTree *tree = SceneTree::get_singleton();
 	ERR_FAIL_NULL(tree);
 
+	Node *root = tree->get_root();
+	ERR_FAIL_NULL(root);
+
+	// Guard: tree must be initialized before we can change scenes
+	if (!root->is_inside_tree()) {
+		Array msg;
+		msg.push_back(false);
+		EngineDebugger::get_singleton()->send_message("automation:scene_result", msg);
+		return;
+	}
+
 	Error err = tree->change_scene_to_file(p_scene_path);
 
-	Array msg;
-	msg.push_back(err == OK);
-	EngineDebugger::get_singleton()->send_message("automation:scene_result", msg);
+	if (err != OK) {
+		// Immediate failure (e.g., file not found) - send error response now
+		Array msg;
+		msg.push_back(false);
+		EngineDebugger::get_singleton()->send_message("automation:scene_result", msg);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	// Scene change is deferred - connect to scene_changed signal to send response
+	// when the scene is actually loaded and ready
+	tree->connect("scene_changed", callable_mp_static(_on_scene_changed_send_result), Object::CONNECT_ONE_SHOT);
 }
 
 void RemoteDebugger::_reload_scene() {
 	SceneTree *tree = SceneTree::get_singleton();
 	ERR_FAIL_NULL(tree);
 
+	Node *root = tree->get_root();
+	ERR_FAIL_NULL(root);
+
+	// Guard: tree must be initialized before we can reload scenes
+	if (!root->is_inside_tree()) {
+		Array msg;
+		msg.push_back(false);
+		EngineDebugger::get_singleton()->send_message("automation:scene_result", msg);
+		return;
+	}
+
 	Error err = tree->reload_current_scene();
 
-	Array msg;
-	msg.push_back(err == OK);
-	EngineDebugger::get_singleton()->send_message("automation:scene_result", msg);
+	if (err != OK) {
+		// Immediate failure (e.g., no current scene) - send error response now
+		Array msg;
+		msg.push_back(false);
+		EngineDebugger::get_singleton()->send_message("automation:scene_result", msg);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	// Scene reload is deferred - connect to scene_changed signal to send response
+	// when the scene is actually loaded and ready
+	tree->connect("scene_changed", callable_mp_static(_on_scene_changed_send_result), Object::CONNECT_ONE_SHOT);
 }
 
 void RemoteDebugger::_set_pause(const Variant &p_paused) {