1 files changed, 43 insertions, 18 deletions

diff --git a/packages/exec-backend/src/extension.ts b/packages/exec-backend/src/extension.ts
index c07b7a8..9d6840a 100644
--- a/packages/exec-backend/src/extension.ts
+++ b/packages/exec-backend/src/extension.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
-import type { Extension, Manifest } from "@dispatch/kernel";
+import type { Extension, HostAPI, Manifest } from "@dispatch/kernel";
 import type { ExecBackend } from "./backend.js";
 import { localExecBackend } from "./local.js";
-import type { ExecBackendResolver } from "./service.js";
-import { execBackendHandle } from "./service.js";
+import {
+	type ExecBackendResolver,
+	execBackendHandle,
+	remoteExecBackendFactoryHandle,
+} from "./service.js";
 
 export const manifest: Manifest = {
 	id: "exec-backend",
@@ -15,33 +18,55 @@ export const manifest: Manifest = {
 };
 
 /**
- * The resolver provided by this extension.
+ * Build the `ExecBackendResolver` for a given host.
  *
- * - `computerId` undefined → `LocalExecBackend` (today's local behavior).
- * - `computerId` set → throws. Remote execution is wired by `host-bin` + the
- *   `ssh` package in a later wave (`SshExecBackend` implements the same
- *   `ExecBackend` interface). For now only the local path exists — failing
- *   loudly here is safer than silently running locally when remote was requested.
+ * - `computerId` undefined → `localExecBackend` (byte-identical local path;
+ *   no host lookup, no remote machinery — unchanged from the original behavior).
+ * - `computerId` set → remote: lazily look up the factory the `ssh` extension
+ *   provides via `remoteExecBackendFactoryHandle` and call it with the alias.
+ *   The lookup is deferred to resolve time (tool-EXECUTE time, after every
+ *   extension has activated), so a missing provider (ssh not loaded) degrades
+ *   gracefully into a clear error instead of crashing activation. This mirrors
+ *   the lazy `host.getService(lspServiceHandle)` try/catch pattern `tool-edit-file`
+ *   uses for its diagnostics hook.
+ *
+ * The resolver stays SYNCHRONOUS and side-effect-free with respect to
+ * connections: looking up the factory and calling it returns a backend whose
+ * methods are async, so any remote connection acquisition happens lazily
+ * inside the first backend method call, not at resolve time.
  */
-function resolveBackend(computerId?: string): ExecBackend {
-	if (computerId === undefined) return localExecBackend;
-	throw new Error(
-		`Remote execution (computerId="${computerId}") is not yet configured. ` +
-			"The SSH backend will be wired by the ssh package.",
-	);
+function createResolver(host: HostAPI): ExecBackendResolver {
+	return (computerId?: string): ExecBackend => {
+		if (computerId === undefined) return localExecBackend;
+		// computerId set → remote. Look up the factory the `ssh` extension provides.
+		// `host.getService` throws when nothing provided the handle (ssh not loaded);
+		// convert that into a clear "not configured" error rather than a crash.
+		let factory: (computerId: string) => ExecBackend;
+		try {
+			factory = host.getService(remoteExecBackendFactoryHandle);
+		} catch {
+			throw new Error(
+				`SSH remote execution is not configured: the ssh extension is not loaded ` +
+					`(requested computerId="${computerId}"). Load the ssh package to enable remote execution.`,
+			);
+		}
+		return factory(computerId);
+	};
 }
 
 /**
  * Factory: create the `exec-backend` core extension.
  *
- * `activate` provides the local-only `ExecBackendResolver` via the typed
- * service handle. Remote resolution is added in a later wave.
+ * `activate` captures the host and provides the `ExecBackendResolver` via the
+ * typed service handle. The resolver lazily delegates the remote branch to a
+ * factory the `ssh` extension will provide (see `remoteExecBackendFactoryHandle`);
+ * until `ssh` is loaded, a remote request fails with a clear error.
  */
 export function createExecBackendExtension(): Extension {
 	return {
 		manifest,
 		activate(host) {
-			const resolver: ExecBackendResolver = resolveBackend;
+			const resolver: ExecBackendResolver = createResolver(host);
 			host.provideService(execBackendHandle, resolver);
 		},
 	};