diff --git a/internal/agent/component/agent.go b/internal/agent/component/agent.go
index 233d9e07e8..3a3a4e3d8d 100644
--- a/internal/agent/component/agent.go
+++ b/internal/agent/component/agent.go
@@ -538,7 +538,8 @@ func buildAgentTools(p AgentParam) ([]einotool.BaseTool, error) {
 // NewAgentComponent builds an AgentComponent from raw params.
 func NewAgentComponent(p AgentParam) *AgentComponent {
 	if p.MaxRounds <= 0 {
-		p.MaxRounds = 3
+		// Keep the Python Agent default (AgentParam.max_rounds = 5).
+		p.MaxRounds = 5
 	}
 	return &AgentComponent{param: p}
 }
@@ -627,7 +628,15 @@ func (c *AgentComponent) Invoke(ctx context.Context, inputs map[string]any) (map
 		}
 	}
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("component: Agent.Invoke: %w", err)
+		// Python's LLM layer turns model/tool execution failures into an
+		// ``**ERROR**`` response, which Agent exposes as the `_ERROR`
+		// component output.  Preserve cancellation as a real graph error,
+		// but keep ordinary ReAct failures in the component data flow so
+		// Canvas exception branches can handle them.
+		if errors.Is(err, context.Canceled) || errors.Is(err, context.DeadlineExceeded) || !isAgentGraphRunError(err) {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("component: Agent.Invoke: %w", err)
+		}
+		return map[string]any{"_ERROR": "**ERROR**: " + err.Error()}, nil
 	}
 	// Post-stream citation grounding. When Cite is enabled and
 	// the canvas state has recorded retrieval chunks (populated
@@ -686,6 +695,18 @@ func (c *AgentComponent) Invoke(ctx context.Context, inputs map[string]any) (map
 	return out, nil
 }
 
+// isAgentGraphRunError identifies ReAct graph failures that Python exposes
+// through the Agent component's _ERROR output. Construction/configuration
+// errors must remain real component errors so invalid canvases still fail
+// fast; only the graph execution limit/error is routed to exception branches.
+func isAgentGraphRunError(err error) bool {
+	if err == nil {
+		return false
+	}
+	msg := strings.ToLower(err.Error())
+	return strings.Contains(msg, "[graphrunerror]") || strings.Contains(msg, "exceeds max steps")
+}
+
 // Stream implements Component.Stream. Mirrors Invoke then pushes the
 // single payload through the channel.
 func (c *AgentComponent) Stream(ctx context.Context, inputs map[string]any) (<-chan map[string]any, error) {
diff --git a/internal/agent/component/agent_test.go b/internal/agent/component/agent_test.go
index cdde193e36..5f66b6cc5e 100644
--- a/internal/agent/component/agent_test.go
+++ b/internal/agent/component/agent_test.go
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 //  2. ToolCallRound: the runner returns a message with ToolCalls →
 //     component extracts them into the tool_calls output.
 //  3. ExhaustRoundsError: the runner returns an error → component
-//     propagates it.
+//     exposes it through the Python-compatible _ERROR output.
 //  4. MissingModelID: the component rejects before calling the runner.
 package component
 
@@ -324,15 +324,18 @@ func TestAgent_ToolCallRound(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestAgent_ExhaustRoundsError(t *testing.T) {
 	withAgentRunner(t, func(_ context.Context, _ AgentParam) (*schema.Message, error) {
-		return nil, errors.New("agent: exhausted rounds without final answer")
+		return nil, errors.New("[GraphRunError] exceeds max steps")
 	})
 
 	c := NewAgentComponent(AgentParam{ModelID: "stub", MaxRounds: 2})
-	_, err := c.Invoke(context.Background(), map[string]any{
+	out, err := c.Invoke(context.Background(), map[string]any{
 		"user_prompt": "x",
 	})
-	if err == nil {
-		t.Fatal("expected error when loop exhausts without a final answer")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Invoke: %v", err)
+	}
+	if got := out["_ERROR"]; got != "**ERROR**: [GraphRunError] exceeds max steps" {
+		t.Fatalf("_ERROR = %v, want Python-compatible error envelope", got)
 	}
 }