diff --git a/services/minecraft/src/cognitive/conscious/context-view.ts b/services/minecraft/src/cognitive/conscious/context-view.ts
index f15b9a544..9a0265db9 100644
--- a/services/minecraft/src/cognitive/conscious/context-view.ts
+++ b/services/minecraft/src/cognitive/conscious/context-view.ts
@@ -8,9 +8,11 @@ export interface ConsciousContextView {
 export function buildConsciousContextView(ctx: ReflexContextState): ConsciousContextView {
   const pos = ctx.self.location
   const roundedPos = `(${Math.round(pos.x)}, ${Math.round(pos.y)}, ${Math.round(pos.z)})`
-  const selfSummary = `Position ${roundedPos} Health ${ctx.self.health}/20 Food ${ctx.self.food}/20 Holding ${ctx.self.holding ?? 'nothing'}`
+  const selfSummary = `Position ${roundedPos} Health ${ctx.self.health}/20 Food ${ctx.self.food}/20 and I'm holding ${ctx.self.holding ?? 'nothing'}`
 
-  const players = ctx.environment.nearbyPlayers.map(p => p.name).join(',')
+  const players = ctx.environment.nearbyPlayers
+    .map(p => (p.holding ? `${p.name} is holding (${p.holding})` : p.name))
+    .join(',')
   const entities = ctx.environment.nearbyEntities.map(e => e.name).join(',')
 
   const gaze = ctx.environment.nearbyPlayersGaze
diff --git a/services/minecraft/src/cognitive/reflex/context.ts b/services/minecraft/src/cognitive/reflex/context.ts
index b0c44f774..59accf79d 100644
--- a/services/minecraft/src/cognitive/reflex/context.ts
+++ b/services/minecraft/src/cognitive/reflex/context.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ export interface ReflexSelfState {
 export interface ReflexEnvironmentState {
   time: 'day' | 'night' | 'sunset' | 'sunrise'
   weather: 'clear' | 'rain' | 'thunder'
-  nearbyPlayers: Array<{ name: string, distance?: number }>
+  nearbyPlayers: Array<{ name: string, distance?: number, holding?: string | null }>
   nearbyPlayersGaze: Array<{
     name: string
     distanceToSelf: number
diff --git a/services/minecraft/src/cognitive/reflex/runtime.ts b/services/minecraft/src/cognitive/reflex/runtime.ts
index ace24a727..8c33b25c4 100644
--- a/services/minecraft/src/cognitive/reflex/runtime.ts
+++ b/services/minecraft/src/cognitive/reflex/runtime.ts
@@ -148,12 +148,35 @@ export class ReflexRuntime {
       holding: bot.bot.heldItem?.name ?? null,
     })
 
+    const selfPos = entity.position
+    const maxNearbyDistance = 32
+    const players = Object.entries(bot.bot.players ?? {})
+      .filter(([name]) => name !== bot.bot.username)
+      .reduce((acc, [name, player]) => {
+        const pos = player?.entity?.position
+        if (!pos)
+          return acc
+        let distance: number | null = null
+        try {
+          distance = selfPos.distanceTo(pos)
+        }
+        catch {
+          distance = null
+        }
+        if (distance === null || distance > maxNearbyDistance)
+          return acc
+        acc.push({
+          name,
+          distance,
+          holding: player?.entity?.heldItem?.name ?? null,
+        })
+        return acc
+      }, [] as Array<{ name: string, distance: number, holding: string | null }>)
+
     this.context.updateEnvironment({
       time: bot.bot.time?.isDay ? 'day' : 'night',
       weather: bot.bot.isRaining ? 'rain' : 'clear',
-      nearbyPlayers: Object.keys(bot.bot.players ?? {})
-        .filter(p => p !== bot.bot.username)
-        .map(name => ({ name })),
+      nearbyPlayers: players,
     })
 
     // Allow explicit modes like 'work' / 'wander' to remain until changed by caller.