diff --git a/src/policyengine_api/api/agent.py b/src/policyengine_api/api/agent.py
index c53e17c..03c060a 100644
--- a/src/policyengine_api/api/agent.py
+++ b/src/policyengine_api/api/agent.py
@@ -154,15 +154,13 @@ def _parse_claude_stream_event(line: str) -> dict | None:
 
 async def _stream_modal_sandbox(question: str, api_base_url: str):
     """Stream output from Claude Code running in Modal Sandbox."""
-    import queue
-    import threading
     from concurrent.futures import ThreadPoolExecutor
 
     with logfire.span(
         "agent_stream", question=question[:100], api_base_url=api_base_url
     ):
         sb = None
-        executor = ThreadPoolExecutor(max_workers=1)
+        executor = ThreadPoolExecutor(max_workers=2)
         try:
             from policyengine_api.agent_sandbox import run_claude_code_in_sandbox
 
@@ -174,91 +172,47 @@ async def _stream_modal_sandbox(question: str, api_base_url: str):
             )
             logfire.info("sandbox_created")
 
-            line_queue = queue.Queue()
-            lines_received = 0
-
-            def stream_reader():
-                nonlocal lines_received
+            # Read stdout synchronously in executor, yield lines as we get them
+            def read_next_line(stdout_iter):
                 try:
-                    logfire.info("reader_started")
-                    for line in process.stdout:
-                        lines_received += 1
-                        # Log line length and first 500 chars (avoid scrubbing)
-                        line_preview = (
-                            line[:500].replace("session", "sess1on") if line else None
-                        )
-                        # Check if multiple JSON objects concatenated (embedded newlines)
-                        newline_count = line.count("\n") if line else 0
-                        logfire.info(
-                            "raw_line",
-                            line_num=lines_received,
-                            line_len=len(line) if line else 0,
-                            newline_count=newline_count,
-                            line_preview=line_preview,
-                        )
-                        line_queue.put(("line", line))
-                    logfire.info("stdout_exhausted", total_lines=lines_received)
-                    process.wait()
-                    logfire.info("process_exited", returncode=process.returncode)
-                    if process.returncode != 0:
-                        stderr = process.stderr.read()
-                        logfire.error(
-                            "process_failed",
-                            returncode=process.returncode,
-                            stderr=stderr[:500] if stderr else None,
-                        )
-                        line_queue.put(("error", (process.returncode, stderr)))
-                    else:
-                        line_queue.put(("done", process.returncode))
-                except Exception as e:
-                    logfire.exception("reader_error", error=str(e))
-                    line_queue.put(("exception", str(e)))
-
-            reader_thread = threading.Thread(target=stream_reader, daemon=True)
-            reader_thread.start()
+                    return next(stdout_iter)
+                except StopIteration:
+                    return None
 
+            stdout_iter = iter(process.stdout)
+            lines_received = 0
             events_sent = 0
+
             while True:
-                try:
-                    item = await loop.run_in_executor(
-                        executor, lambda: line_queue.get(timeout=0.1)
-                    )
-                    event_type, data = item
-
-                    if event_type == "line":
-                        parsed = _parse_claude_stream_event(data)
-                        if parsed:
-                            events_sent += 1
-                            logfire.info(
-                                "event",
-                                num=events_sent,
-                                type=parsed["type"],
-                                content=parsed["content"][:200]
-                                if parsed["content"]
-                                else None,
-                            )
-                            yield f"data: {json.dumps(parsed)}\n\n"
-                    elif event_type == "error":
-                        returncode, stderr = data
-                        yield f"data: {json.dumps({'type': 'error', 'content': stderr})}\n\n"
-                        yield f"data: {json.dumps({'type': 'done', 'returncode': returncode})}\n\n"
-                        break
-                    elif event_type == "done":
-                        logfire.info(
-                            "complete",
-                            returncode=data,
-                            events_sent=events_sent,
-                            lines_received=lines_received,
-                        )
-                        yield f"data: {json.dumps({'type': 'done', 'returncode': data})}\n\n"
-                        break
-                    elif event_type == "exception":
-                        raise Exception(data)
-                except Exception as e:
-                    if "Empty" in type(e).__name__:
-                        await asyncio.sleep(0)
-                        continue
-                    raise
+                line = await loop.run_in_executor(executor, read_next_line, stdout_iter)
+
+                if line is None:
+                    # stdout exhausted
+                    logfire.info("stdout_exhausted", total_lines=lines_received)
+                    break
+
+                lines_received += 1
+                logfire.info(
+                    "raw_line",
+                    line_num=lines_received,
+                    line_len=len(line),
+                    line_preview=line[:300].replace("session", "sess1on"),
+                )
+
+                parsed = _parse_claude_stream_event(line)
+                if parsed:
+                    events_sent += 1
+                    yield f"data: {json.dumps(parsed)}\n\n"
+
+            # Wait for process to finish
+            returncode = await loop.run_in_executor(executor, process.wait)
+            logfire.info(
+                "complete",
+                returncode=returncode,
+                events_sent=events_sent,
+                lines_received=lines_received,
+            )
+            yield f"data: {json.dumps({'type': 'done', 'returncode': returncode})}\n\n"
 
         except Exception as e:
             logfire.exception("failed", error=str(e))