diff --git a/tests/agents/test_orchestrator_chain_regressions.py b/tests/agents/test_orchestrator_chain_regressions.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d2d5958b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/agents/test_orchestrator_chain_regressions.py
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+import os
+
+os.environ.setdefault("UTU_LLM_TYPE", "openai")
+os.environ.setdefault("UTU_LLM_MODEL", "gpt-4o-mini")
+
+import pytest
+
+from utu.agents.common import TaskRecorder
+from utu.agents.orchestrator.chain import ChainPlanner
+from utu.agents.orchestrator.common import Recorder
+
+
+def test_chain_planner_parse_missing_plan_block_raises_clear_assertion() -> None:
+    planner = ChainPlanner.__new__(ChainPlanner)
+    recorder = Recorder(input="question")
+
+    with pytest.raises(AssertionError, match="No tasks parsed from plan"):
+        planner._parse("<analysis>ok</analysis>", recorder)
+
+
+def test_chain_planner_parse_still_extracts_tasks_from_valid_plan() -> None:
+    planner = ChainPlanner.__new__(ChainPlanner)
+    recorder = Recorder(input="question")
+
+    plan = planner._parse(
+        '<analysis>ok</analysis><plan>[{"name": "agent-a", "task": "do work"}]</plan>',
+        recorder,
+    )
+
+    assert plan.analysis == "ok"
+    assert len(plan.tasks) == 1
+    assert plan.tasks[0].agent_name == "agent-a"
+    assert plan.tasks[0].task == "do work"
+    assert plan.tasks[0].is_last_task is True
+
+
+def test_task_recorder_input_defaults_to_list() -> None:
+    recorder = TaskRecorder()
+
+    assert recorder.input == []
+    assert isinstance(recorder.input, list)
diff --git a/utu/agents/common.py b/utu/agents/common.py
index 9f816729..33e04e33 100644
--- a/utu/agents/common.py
+++ b/utu/agents/common.py
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ def to_dict(self):
 class TaskRecorder(DataClassWithStreamEvents):
     task: str = ""
     trace_id: str = ""
-    input: str | list[TResponseInputItem] = field(default_factory=dict)
+    input: str | list[TResponseInputItem] = field(default_factory=list)
 
     # from RunResultStreaming
     final_output: str = ""
diff --git a/utu/agents/orchestrator/chain.py b/utu/agents/orchestrator/chain.py
index c8236ceb..b91888b6 100644
--- a/utu/agents/orchestrator/chain.py
+++ b/utu/agents/orchestrator/chain.py
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ def _parse(self, text: str, recorder: Recorder) -> Plan:
         analysis = match.group(1).strip() if match else ""
 
         match = re.search(r"<plan>\s*\[(.*?)\]\s*</plan>", text, re.DOTALL)
-        plan_content = match.group(1).strip()
+        plan_content = match.group(1).strip() if match else ""
         tasks: list[Task] = []
         task_pattern = r'\{"name":\s*"([^"]+)",\s*"task":\s*"([^"]+)"\s*\}'
         task_matches = re.findall(task_pattern, plan_content, re.IGNORECASE)