diff --git a/codeagent-wrapper/parser.go b/codeagent-wrapper/parser.go
index 79388f9..5f186ca 100644
--- a/codeagent-wrapper/parser.go
+++ b/codeagent-wrapper/parser.go
@@ -67,6 +67,34 @@ type codexHeader struct {
 	} `json:"item,omitempty"`
 }
 
+// UnifiedEvent combines all backend event formats into a single structure
+// to avoid multiple JSON unmarshal operations per event
+type UnifiedEvent struct {
+	// Common fields
+	Type string `json:"type"`
+
+	// Codex-specific fields
+	ThreadID string          `json:"thread_id,omitempty"`
+	Item     json.RawMessage `json:"item,omitempty"` // Lazy parse
+
+	// Claude-specific fields
+	Subtype   string `json:"subtype,omitempty"`
+	SessionID string `json:"session_id,omitempty"`
+	Result    string `json:"result,omitempty"`
+
+	// Gemini-specific fields
+	Role    string `json:"role,omitempty"`
+	Content string `json:"content,omitempty"`
+	Delta   bool   `json:"delta,omitempty"`
+	Status  string `json:"status,omitempty"`
+}
+
+// ItemContent represents the parsed item.text field for Codex events
+type ItemContent struct {
+	Type string      `json:"type"`
+	Text interface{} `json:"text"`
+}
+
 func parseJSONStreamInternal(r io.Reader, warnFn func(string), infoFn func(string), onMessage func()) (message, threadID string) {
 	reader := bufio.NewReaderSize(r, jsonLineReaderSize)
 
@@ -112,71 +140,71 @@ func parseJSONStreamInternal(r io.Reader, warnFn func(string), infoFn func(strin
 			continue
 		}
 
-		var codex codexHeader
-		if err := json.Unmarshal(line, &codex); err == nil {
-			isCodex := codex.ThreadID != "" || (codex.Item != nil && codex.Item.Type != "")
-			if isCodex {
-				var details []string
-				if codex.ThreadID != "" {
-					details = append(details, fmt.Sprintf("thread_id=%s", codex.ThreadID))
-				}
-				if codex.Item != nil && codex.Item.Type != "" {
-					details = append(details, fmt.Sprintf("item_type=%s", codex.Item.Type))
-				}
-				if len(details) > 0 {
-					infoFn(fmt.Sprintf("Parsed event #%d type=%s (%s)", totalEvents, codex.Type, strings.Join(details, ", ")))
-				} else {
-					infoFn(fmt.Sprintf("Parsed event #%d type=%s", totalEvents, codex.Type))
-				}
+		// Single unmarshal for all backend types
+		var event UnifiedEvent
+		if err := json.Unmarshal(line, &event); err != nil {
+			warnFn(fmt.Sprintf("Failed to parse event: %s", truncateBytes(line, 100)))
+			continue
+		}
 
-				switch codex.Type {
-				case "thread.started":
-					threadID = codex.ThreadID
-					infoFn(fmt.Sprintf("thread.started event thread_id=%s", threadID))
-				case "item.completed":
-					itemType := ""
-					if codex.Item != nil {
-						itemType = codex.Item.Type
-					}
+		// Detect backend type by field presence
+		isCodex := event.ThreadID != "" || len(event.Item) > 0
+		isClaude := event.Subtype != "" || event.Result != ""
+		isGemini := event.Role != "" || event.Delta
 
-					if itemType == "agent_message" {
-						var event JSONEvent
-						if err := json.Unmarshal(line, &event); err != nil {
-							warnFn(fmt.Sprintf("Failed to parse Codex event: %s", truncateBytes(line, 100)))
-							continue
-						}
+		// Handle Codex events
+		if isCodex {
+			var details []string
+			if event.ThreadID != "" {
+				details = append(details, fmt.Sprintf("thread_id=%s", event.ThreadID))
+			}
 
-						normalized := ""
-						if event.Item != nil {
-							normalized = normalizeText(event.Item.Text)
-						}
+			// Parse item type if present
+			var itemType string
+			if len(event.Item) > 0 {
+				var itemHeader struct {
+					Type string `json:"type"`
+				}
+				if err := json.Unmarshal(event.Item, &itemHeader); err == nil {
+					itemType = itemHeader.Type
+					details = append(details, fmt.Sprintf("item_type=%s", itemType))
+				}
+			}
+
+			if len(details) > 0 {
+				infoFn(fmt.Sprintf("Parsed event #%d type=%s (%s)", totalEvents, event.Type, strings.Join(details, ", ")))
+			} else {
+				infoFn(fmt.Sprintf("Parsed event #%d type=%s", totalEvents, event.Type))
+			}
+
+			switch event.Type {
+			case "thread.started":
+				threadID = event.ThreadID
+				infoFn(fmt.Sprintf("thread.started event thread_id=%s", threadID))
+
+			case "item.completed":
+				if itemType == "agent_message" && len(event.Item) > 0 {
+					// Lazy parse: only parse item content when needed
+					var item ItemContent
+					if err := json.Unmarshal(event.Item, &item); err == nil {
+						normalized := normalizeText(item.Text)
 						infoFn(fmt.Sprintf("item.completed event item_type=%s message_len=%d", itemType, len(normalized)))
 						if normalized != "" {
 							codexMessage = normalized
 							notifyMessage()
 						}
 					} else {
-						infoFn(fmt.Sprintf("item.completed event item_type=%s", itemType))
+						warnFn(fmt.Sprintf("Failed to parse item content: %s", err.Error()))
 					}
+				} else {
+					infoFn(fmt.Sprintf("item.completed event item_type=%s", itemType))
 				}
-				continue
 			}
-		}
-
-		var raw map[string]json.RawMessage
-		if err := json.Unmarshal(line, &raw); err != nil {
-			warnFn(fmt.Sprintf("Failed to parse line: %s", truncateBytes(line, 100)))
 			continue
 		}
 
-		switch {
-		case hasKey(raw, "subtype") || hasKey(raw, "result"):
-			var event ClaudeEvent
-			if err := json.Unmarshal(line, &event); err != nil {
-				warnFn(fmt.Sprintf("Failed to parse Claude event: %s", truncateBytes(line, 100)))
-				continue
-			}
-
+		// Handle Claude events
+		if isClaude {
 			if event.SessionID != "" && threadID == "" {
 				threadID = event.SessionID
 			}
@@ -187,14 +215,11 @@ func parseJSONStreamInternal(r io.Reader, warnFn func(string), infoFn func(strin
 				claudeMessage = event.Result
 				notifyMessage()
 			}
+			continue
+		}
 
-		case hasKey(raw, "role") || hasKey(raw, "delta"):
-			var event GeminiEvent
-			if err := json.Unmarshal(line, &event); err != nil {
-				warnFn(fmt.Sprintf("Failed to parse Gemini event: %s", truncateBytes(line, 100)))
-				continue
-			}
-
+		// Handle Gemini events
+		if isGemini {
 			if event.SessionID != "" && threadID == "" {
 				threadID = event.SessionID
 			}
@@ -205,10 +230,11 @@ func parseJSONStreamInternal(r io.Reader, warnFn func(string), infoFn func(strin
 			}
 
 			infoFn(fmt.Sprintf("Parsed Gemini event #%d type=%s role=%s delta=%t status=%s content_len=%d", totalEvents, event.Type, event.Role, event.Delta, event.Status, len(event.Content)))
-
-		default:
-			warnFn(fmt.Sprintf("Unknown event format: %s", truncateBytes(line, 100)))
+			continue
 		}
+
+		// Unknown event format
+		warnFn(fmt.Sprintf("Unknown event format: %s", truncateBytes(line, 100)))
 	}
 
 	switch {