diff --git a/packages/core/src/question.ts b/packages/core/src/question.ts
index 79e0ea5e0384..14900791c2ff 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/question.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/question.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ import { Question } from "@opencode-ai/schema/question"
 import { EventV2 } from "./event"
 import { SessionSchema } from "./session/schema"
 
+const EMPTY_QUESTIONS_ERROR = "QuestionV2.ask requires at least one question"
+
 export const ID = Question.ID
 export type ID = typeof ID.Type
 
@@ -91,22 +93,26 @@ const layer = Layer.effect(
     )
 
     const ask = Effect.fn("QuestionV2.ask")((input: AskInput) =>
-      Effect.uninterruptibleMask((restore) =>
-        Effect.gen(function* () {
-          const id = ID.ascending()
-          const deferred = yield* Deferred.make<ReadonlyArray<Answer>, RejectedError>()
-          const request: Request = { id, ...input }
-          pending.set(id, { request, deferred })
-          return yield* events.publish(Event.Asked, request).pipe(
-            Effect.andThen(restore(Deferred.await(deferred))),
-            Effect.ensuring(
-              Effect.sync(() => {
-                pending.delete(id)
-              }),
-            ),
-          )
-        }),
-      ),
+      // An empty questions array has nothing to render or answer; registering a
+      // pending request for it would wait forever. Reject it up front instead.
+      input.questions.length === 0
+        ? Effect.die(new Error(EMPTY_QUESTIONS_ERROR))
+        : Effect.uninterruptibleMask((restore) =>
+            Effect.gen(function* () {
+              const id = ID.ascending()
+              const deferred = yield* Deferred.make<ReadonlyArray<Answer>, RejectedError>()
+              const request: Request = { id, ...input }
+              pending.set(id, { request, deferred })
+              return yield* events.publish(Event.Asked, request).pipe(
+                Effect.andThen(restore(Deferred.await(deferred))),
+                Effect.ensuring(
+                  Effect.sync(() => {
+                    pending.delete(id)
+                  }),
+                ),
+              )
+            }),
+          ),
     )
 
     const reply = Effect.fn("QuestionV2.reply")((input: ReplyInput) =>
diff --git a/packages/core/test/question.test.ts b/packages/core/test/question.test.ts
index 03d61a956507..ec4fa4a114c4 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/question.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/question.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { describe, expect } from "bun:test"
-import { Context, Deferred, Effect, Exit, Fiber, Layer, Scope } from "effect"
+import { Cause, Context, Deferred, Effect, Exit, Fiber, Layer, Scope } from "effect"
 import { LayerNode } from "@opencode-ai/core/effect/layer-node"
 import { AppNodeBuilder } from "@opencode-ai/core/effect/app-node-builder"
 import { EventV2 } from "@opencode-ai/core/event"
@@ -111,4 +111,14 @@ describe("QuestionV2", () => {
       yield* Scope.close(secondScope, Exit.void)
     }),
   )
+
+  it.effect("fails fast when asked with no questions instead of registering a dead request", () =>
+    Effect.gen(function* () {
+      const service = yield* QuestionV2.Service
+      const exit = yield* service.ask({ sessionID, questions: [] }).pipe(Effect.timeout("1 second"), Effect.exit)
+      expect(Exit.isFailure(exit)).toBe(true)
+      if (Exit.isFailure(exit)) expect(Cause.pretty(exit.cause)).toContain("at least one question")
+      expect(yield* service.list()).toEqual([])
+    }),
+  )
 })
diff --git a/packages/opencode/src/question/index.ts b/packages/opencode/src/question/index.ts
index 8afc141072d5..b9d387241786 100644
--- a/packages/opencode/src/question/index.ts
+++ b/packages/opencode/src/question/index.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ export const Replied = QuestionV1.Replied
 export const Rejected = QuestionV1.Rejected
 export const Event = QuestionV1.Event
 
+const EMPTY_QUESTIONS_ERROR = "Question.ask requires at least one question"
+
 export class RejectedError extends Schema.TaggedErrorClass<RejectedError>()("QuestionRejectedError", {}) {
   override get message() {
     return "The user dismissed this question"
@@ -89,6 +91,9 @@ const layer = Layer.effect(
       questions: ReadonlyArray<Info>
       tool?: Tool
     }) {
+      // An empty questions array has nothing to render or answer; registering a
+      // pending request for it would wait forever. Reject it up front instead.
+      if (input.questions.length === 0) return yield* Effect.die(new Error(EMPTY_QUESTIONS_ERROR))
       const pending = (yield* InstanceState.get(state)).pending
       const id = QuestionID.ascending()
       yield* Effect.logInfo("asking", { id, questions: input.questions.length })
diff --git a/packages/opencode/test/question/question.test.ts b/packages/opencode/test/question/question.test.ts
index 9adb1e0c9ff7..cd9fc7d76ede 100644
--- a/packages/opencode/test/question/question.test.ts
+++ b/packages/opencode/test/question/question.test.ts
@@ -119,6 +119,22 @@ it.instance(
   { git: true },
 )
 
+it.instance(
+  "ask - fails fast when questions is empty",
+  () =>
+    Effect.gen(function* () {
+      const exit = yield* askEffect({
+        sessionID: SessionID.make("ses_test"),
+        questions: [],
+      }).pipe(Effect.timeout("1 second"), Effect.exit)
+      expect(Exit.isFailure(exit)).toBe(true)
+      if (Exit.isFailure(exit)) expect(Cause.pretty(exit.cause)).toContain("at least one question")
+      // An empty ask must not register a never-resolving pending request.
+      expect(yield* listEffect).toHaveLength(0)
+    }),
+  { git: true },
+)
+
 // reply tests
 
 it.instance(