diff --git a/ddapm_test_agent/claude_hooks.py b/ddapm_test_agent/claude_hooks.py
index d6c9f77e..c064a0e6 100644
--- a/ddapm_test_agent/claude_hooks.py
+++ b/ddapm_test_agent/claude_hooks.py
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 
 _HOSTNAME = socket.gethostname()
 _USERNAME = os.environ.get("HOST_USER") or getpass.getuser()
+_USER_HANDLE = os.environ.get("DD_USER_HANDLE", "")
 
 MODEL_CONTEXT_LIMITS: Dict[str, int] = {}  # empty; default fallback handles all models
 
@@ -409,7 +410,9 @@ def _handle_user_prompt_submit(self, session_id: str, body: Dict[str, Any]) -> N
             session.pending_tools = {}
             session.deferred_agent_spans = {}
             session.claimed_task_tools = set()
-            session.conversation_title = ""
+            # Don't reset conversation_title — it persists across turns so
+            # subsequent interactions on the same topic reuse the title.
+            # The haiku summarization call will update it when the topic changes.
             session.root_span_emitted = False
 
         prompt = body.get("user_prompt", body.get("prompt", ""))
@@ -437,7 +440,9 @@ def _handle_user_prompt_submit(self, session_id: str, body: Dict[str, Any]) -> N
                 "source:claude-code-hooks",
                 "language:python",
                 f"hostname:{_HOSTNAME}",
-            ],
+            ]
+            + ([f"user_handle:{_USER_HANDLE}"] if _USER_HANDLE else [])
+            + ([f"topic:{session.conversation_title}"] if session.conversation_title else []),
             "meta": {
                 "span": {"kind": "agent"},
                 "input": {"value": prompt},
@@ -896,12 +901,16 @@ def _handle_stop(self, session_id: str, body: Dict[str, Any]) -> None:
         if context_delta:
             session.last_known_input_tokens = context_delta["last_input_tokens"]
 
-        root_span_name = session.conversation_title or "claude-code-request"
+        root_span_name = "claude-code-request"
 
         estimated_permission_wait_ms = self._sum_estimated_permission_wait_ms(trace_id=session.trace_id)
 
         if root_span:
             root_span["name"] = root_span_name
+            if session.conversation_title:
+                topic_tag = f"topic:{session.conversation_title}"
+                # Replace existing topic tag (set from preliminary span) or append
+                root_span["tags"] = [t for t in root_span["tags"] if not t.startswith("topic:")] + [topic_tag]
             root_span["duration"] = duration
             root_span["meta"]["input"]["value"] = input_value
             root_span["meta"]["output"]["value"] = output_value
@@ -944,7 +953,9 @@ def _handle_stop(self, session_id: str, body: Dict[str, Any]) -> None:
                     "language:python",
                     f"hostname:{_HOSTNAME}",
                     f"user_name:{_USERNAME}",
-                ],
+                ]
+                + ([f"user_handle:{_USER_HANDLE}"] if _USER_HANDLE else [])
+                + ([f"topic:{session.conversation_title}"] if session.conversation_title else []),
                 "meta": {
                     "span": {"kind": "agent"},
                     "input": {"value": input_value},