diff --git a/src/agent/message.ts b/src/agent/message.ts
index a67a821..24b9ce7 100644
--- a/src/agent/message.ts
+++ b/src/agent/message.ts
@@ -19,13 +19,20 @@ export async function sendMessageStream(
     background?: boolean;
     // add more later: includePings, request timeouts, etc.
   } = { streamTokens: true, background: true },
+  // Disable SDK retries by default - state management happens outside the stream,
+  // so retries would violate idempotency and create race conditions
+  requestOptions: { maxRetries?: number } = { maxRetries: 0 },
 ): Promise<Stream<LettaStreamingResponse>> {
   const client = await getClient();
-  return client.agents.messages.create(agentId, {
-    messages: messages,
-    streaming: true,
-    stream_tokens: opts.streamTokens ?? true,
-    background: opts.background ?? true,
-    client_tools: getClientToolsFromRegistry(),
-  });
+  return client.agents.messages.create(
+    agentId,
+    {
+      messages: messages,
+      streaming: true,
+      stream_tokens: opts.streamTokens ?? true,
+      background: opts.background ?? true,
+      client_tools: getClientToolsFromRegistry(),
+    },
+    requestOptions,
+  );
 }
diff --git a/src/cli/helpers/stream.ts b/src/cli/helpers/stream.ts
index e48a244..d4c447a 100644
--- a/src/cli/helpers/stream.ts
+++ b/src/cli/helpers/stream.ts
@@ -376,10 +376,15 @@ export async function drainStreamWithResume(
       buffers.interrupted = false;
 
       // Resume from Redis where we left off
-      const resumeStream = await client.runs.messages.stream(result.lastRunId, {
-        starting_after: result.lastSeqId,
-        batch_size: 1000, // Fetch buffered chunks quickly
-      });
+      // Disable SDK retries - state management happens outside, retries would create race conditions
+      const resumeStream = await client.runs.messages.stream(
+        result.lastRunId,
+        {
+          starting_after: result.lastSeqId,
+          batch_size: 1000, // Fetch buffered chunks quickly
+        },
+        { maxRetries: 0 },
+      );
 
       // Continue draining from where we left off
       // Note: Don't pass onFirstMessage again - already called in initial drain