diff --git a/workers/api/migrations/0050_repo_chat_declared_tools.sql b/workers/api/migrations/0050_repo_chat_declared_tools.sql
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2f7cf67e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/workers/api/migrations/0050_repo_chat_declared_tools.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+-- Repo Chat: declare its tool allowlist as DATA (capabilities.tools) instead of
+-- relying on the hardcoded `repo`-surface special-case in toolNamesFor.
+--
+-- This is the first agent to use the declarative tool catalog (#51 / PR #59) — the
+-- "creator way" — so it doubles as the reference example a future creator copies.
+-- Behavior-preserving: BASE + read-only KB is exactly what the `repo` surface already
+-- resolved to; this only makes that choice explicit + data-driven. The surface stays
+-- ["repo"] so the Repo tab and technical response-style are unchanged.
+--
+-- Idempotent: re-running re-sets the same JSON; a no-op on databases without the agent.
+
+UPDATE agents
+SET config = json_set(
+  COALESCE(NULLIF(config, ''), '{}'),
+  '$.capabilities.tools',
+  json('["search_knowledge","list_knowledge","read_knowledge"]')
+)
+WHERE slug = 'repo-chat';
diff --git a/workers/api/src/agent-do-tools.test.ts b/workers/api/src/agent-do-tools.test.ts
index 44e7af93..053db90f 100644
--- a/workers/api/src/agent-do-tools.test.ts
+++ b/workers/api/src/agent-do-tools.test.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import {
 	TOOL_CATALOG,
 	toolNamesFor,
 } from "./agent-do-tools.js";
-import type { AgentCapabilities } from "./lib/agent-capabilities.js";
+import { agentCapabilities, type AgentCapabilities } from "./lib/agent-capabilities.js";
 
 const caps = (surfaces: AgentCapabilities["surfaces"]): AgentCapabilities => ({
 	surfaces,
@@ -149,6 +149,23 @@ describe("agent tool definition helpers", () => {
 		expect(CREATOR_SELECTABLE_TOOLS.has("submit_job_application")).toBe(false); // legacy
 	});
 
+	it("repo-chat declaring its tools as data resolves identically to the repo-surface default (migration 0050 dogfood)", () => {
+		// The config shape migration 0050 produces: surface stays "repo", tools now
+		// declared explicitly. The whole point of the dogfood is that this changes NO
+		// behavior — it just moves the choice from a hardcoded special-case to data.
+		const config = JSON.stringify({
+			capabilities: {
+				surfaces: ["repo"],
+				runtime: null,
+				workflow: null,
+				tools: ["search_knowledge", "list_knowledge", "read_knowledge"],
+			},
+		});
+		const declared = [...toolNamesFor(agentCapabilities({ slug: "repo-chat", config }))].sort();
+		const surfaceDefault = [...toolNamesFor(caps(["repo"]))].sort();
+		expect(declared).toEqual(surfaceDefault);
+	});
+
 	it("returns the complete storage tool name set", () => {
 		const names = storageToolNameSet();