diff --git a/native/computer-use-macos/Sources/OrcaComputerUseMacOS/main.swift b/native/computer-use-macos/Sources/OrcaComputerUseMacOS/main.swift
index 8c7d6a4a4..256c71733 100644
--- a/native/computer-use-macos/Sources/OrcaComputerUseMacOS/main.swift
+++ b/native/computer-use-macos/Sources/OrcaComputerUseMacOS/main.swift
@@ -157,7 +157,6 @@ enum ScreenshotStatus {
 
 final class Provider {
     private var snapshots: [String: Snapshot] = [:]
-    private var hasPromptedForAccessibility = false
 
     func handle(method: String, params: [String: JSONValue]) throws -> Any {
         switch method {
@@ -301,14 +300,6 @@ final class Provider {
         }
     }
 
-    private func promptForAccessibilityOnce() {
-        guard !hasPromptedForAccessibility else {
-            return
-        }
-        hasPromptedForAccessibility = true
-        _ = promptForAccessibility()
-    }
-
     private func listApps() -> [AppDescriptor] {
         var seen = Set<String>()
         return NSWorkspace.shared.runningApplications
@@ -467,8 +458,12 @@ final class Provider {
         restoreWindow: Bool
     ) throws -> Snapshot {
         guard accessibilityTrusted() else {
-            promptForAccessibilityOnce()
-            throw ProviderError.coded("permission_denied", "Accessibility permission is required for Orca Computer Use.")
+            // Why: agents retry failed observations. Only the explicit setup flow
+            // should open macOS privacy prompts/settings; runtime calls stay quiet.
+            throw ProviderError.coded(
+                "permission_denied",
+                "Accessibility permission is required for Orca Computer Use. Run `orca computer permissions` or open Settings > Computer Use, grant Accessibility to Orca Computer Use, then retry."
+            )
         }
         let appElement = AXUIElementCreateApplication(app.pid)
         enableManualAccessibilityIfNeeded(appElement, app: app)
@@ -480,7 +475,14 @@ final class Provider {
             allowRecovery: restoreWindow
         )
         let focusedTitle = stringAttribute(focused, kAXTitleAttribute as String) ?? app.name
-        guard let capture = WindowCapture.resolve(candidates: windowCandidates, titleHint: focusedTitle, windowId: windowId, windowIndex: windowIndex) else {
+        let canCaptureScreenshot = includeScreenshot && screenCaptureTrusted()
+        guard let capture = WindowCapture.resolve(
+            candidates: windowCandidates,
+            titleHint: focusedTitle,
+            windowId: windowId,
+            windowIndex: windowIndex,
+            captureImage: canCaptureScreenshot
+        ) else {
             throw ProviderError.coded("window_not_found", "app '\(app.name)' has no on-screen window")
         }
         guard let window = matchingWindow(appElement: appElement, capture: capture, focused: focused, explicitTarget: windowId != nil || windowIndex != nil) else {
@@ -492,7 +494,7 @@ final class Provider {
         let screenshot = includeScreenshot ? capture.screenshotPayload() : nil
         let screenshotStatus: ScreenshotStatus = if screenshot != nil {
             .captured
-        } else if includeScreenshot && !screenCaptureTrusted() {
+        } else if includeScreenshot && !canCaptureScreenshot {
             .failed("Screen Recording permission is required for Orca Computer Use; grant permission or pass --no-screenshot to inspect accessibility state only.")
         } else if includeScreenshot {
             .failed("window screenshot capture returned no image; retry with --no-screenshot if accessibility state is sufficient.")
@@ -817,11 +819,6 @@ private func accessibilityTrusted() -> Bool {
     AXIsProcessTrusted()
 }
 
-private func promptForAccessibility() -> Bool {
-    let options = ["AXTrustedCheckOptionPrompt": true] as CFDictionary
-    return AXIsProcessTrustedWithOptions(options)
-}
-
 private func screenCaptureTrusted() -> Bool {
     CGPreflightScreenCaptureAccess()
 }
@@ -1628,19 +1625,37 @@ private struct WindowCapture {
     let title: String?
     let image: CapturedImage?
 
-    static func resolve(pid: pid_t, titleHint: String?, windowId: CGWindowID?, windowIndex: Int?) -> WindowCapture? {
-        resolve(candidates: candidates(pid: pid), titleHint: titleHint, windowId: windowId, windowIndex: windowIndex)
+    static func resolve(
+        pid: pid_t,
+        titleHint: String?,
+        windowId: CGWindowID?,
+        windowIndex: Int?,
+        captureImage: Bool
+    ) -> WindowCapture? {
+        resolve(
+            candidates: candidates(pid: pid),
+            titleHint: titleHint,
+            windowId: windowId,
+            windowIndex: windowIndex,
+            captureImage: captureImage
+        )
     }
 
-    static func resolve(candidates: [WindowCandidate], titleHint: String?, windowId: CGWindowID?, windowIndex: Int?) -> WindowCapture? {
+    static func resolve(
+        candidates: [WindowCandidate],
+        titleHint: String?,
+        windowId: CGWindowID?,
+        windowIndex: Int?,
+        captureImage: Bool
+    ) -> WindowCapture? {
         if let windowId {
             guard let candidate = candidates.first(where: { $0.windowId == windowId }) else { return nil }
-            return WindowCapture(candidate: candidate)
+            return WindowCapture(candidate: candidate, captureImage: captureImage)
         }
         if let windowIndex {
             let visibleWindows = candidates.filter { $0.layer == 0 }
             guard visibleWindows.indices.contains(windowIndex) else { return nil }
-            return WindowCapture(candidate: visibleWindows[windowIndex])
+            return WindowCapture(candidate: visibleWindows[windowIndex], captureImage: captureImage)
         }
         guard let best = candidates.sorted(by: { lhs, rhs in
             if let titleHint, lhs.title == titleHint, rhs.title != titleHint { return true }
@@ -1649,15 +1664,21 @@ private struct WindowCapture {
         }).first else {
             return nil
         }
-        return WindowCapture(candidate: best)
+        return WindowCapture(candidate: best, captureImage: captureImage)
     }
 
-    private init(candidate: WindowCandidate) {
+    private init(candidate: WindowCandidate, captureImage: Bool) {
         self.windowId = candidate.windowId
         self.layer = candidate.layer
         self.bounds = candidate.bounds
         self.title = candidate.title
-        self.image = Self.captureImage(windowId: candidate.windowId, bounds: candidate.bounds)
+        // Why: probing image APIs before TCC preflight can raise Screen
+        // Recording prompts, even for --no-screenshot calls.
+        if captureImage {
+            self.image = Self.captureImage(windowId: candidate.windowId, bounds: candidate.bounds)
+        } else {
+            self.image = nil
+        }
     }
 
     static func candidates(pid: pid_t) -> [WindowCandidate] {