diff --git a/packages/contracts/src/workflows.ts b/packages/contracts/src/workflows.ts
index 2e6ba8686..0ac459145 100644
--- a/packages/contracts/src/workflows.ts
+++ b/packages/contracts/src/workflows.ts
@@ -1396,6 +1396,8 @@ export interface ChannelWorkflowStepMutationResponse {
 }
 
 export interface ChannelWorkflowStepStartResponse {
+  readonly status: "started" | "blocked";
+  readonly mode: ChannelWorkflowStepStartMode;
   readonly workflowStep: ChannelWorkflowStep;
   readonly workflow?: ChannelWorkflow;
   readonly task?: Task;
diff --git a/packages/daemon/src/features/channels/workflows.ts b/packages/daemon/src/features/channels/workflows.ts
index d6a13bdd2..ed8ccd747 100644
--- a/packages/daemon/src/features/channels/workflows.ts
+++ b/packages/daemon/src/features/channels/workflows.ts
@@ -629,6 +629,8 @@ async function handleChannelWorkflowStepStart(
   const started = await prepareWorkflowStepStart(store, workflowStepId, input, cwd, validateRunRequest, secretResolver);
   if (started.kind === "blocked") {
     writeJson(response, 200, {
+      status: "blocked",
+      mode: input.mode,
       workflow: store.getChannelWorkflow(started.workflowId),
       workflowStep: store.getChannelWorkflowStep(workflowStepId),
       blocker: started.blocker,
@@ -651,6 +653,8 @@ async function handleChannelWorkflowStepStart(
     }
     completeWorkflowIfStepsFinished(store, started.workflowId, finishedAt);
     writeJson(response, 200, {
+      status: "started",
+      mode: "create_task",
       workflow: store.getChannelWorkflow(started.workflowId),
       workflowStep: store.getChannelWorkflowStep(workflowStepId),
       task: started.task,
diff --git a/packages/daemon/test/channel-workspace.test.mjs b/packages/daemon/test/channel-workspace.test.mjs
index c829e50da..ddc421a42 100644
--- a/packages/daemon/test/channel-workspace.test.mjs
+++ b/packages/daemon/test/channel-workspace.test.mjs
@@ -9351,6 +9351,8 @@ test("channel handoff workflows start steps, create tasks, and expose blockers",
       mode: "create_task",
       taskTitle: "Workflow generated task",
     });
+    assert.equal(started.status, "started");
+    assert.equal(started.mode, "create_task");
     assert.equal(started.workflow.status, "succeeded");
     assert.equal(started.workflowStep.status, "succeeded");
     assert.equal(started.task.title, "Workflow generated task");
@@ -9379,6 +9381,8 @@ test("channel handoff workflows start steps, create tasks, and expose blockers",
     const blocked = await postJson(`${daemon.url}/workflow-steps/${encodeURIComponent(blockedWorkflow.workflowStep.id)}/start?cwd=${encodeURIComponent(cwd)}`, {
       mode: "create_and_run_task",
     });
+    assert.equal(blocked.status, "blocked");
+    assert.equal(blocked.mode, "create_and_run_task");
     assert.equal(blocked.workflowStep.status, "blocked");
     assert.match(blocked.blocker, /provider preset/i);