@@ -19,6 +19,10 @@
   applications now persist cross-turn state explicitly with
   `FoundryStateStore`.
 
+### Bugs Fixed
+
+- Restored JSON-string encoding for response-level `internal_metadata` so resilient response checkpoints round-trip through Foundry storage.
+
 ### Other Changes
 
 - Updated the resilient Responses samples to use conversation-scoped
 
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 )
 from ._state_machine import EventStreamValidator
 from ._checkpoint import ResponseCheckpointEvent
+from ._internal_metadata import _ResponseInternalMetadataView
 
 # Event types whose payload is a full Response snapshot.
 # Lifecycle events nest under a "response" key on the wire.
@@ -176,6 +177,7 @@ def __init__(
         if agent_reference is not None:
             self._response["agent_reference"] = deepcopy(agent_reference)
 
+        _ResponseInternalMetadataView(self._response)
         self._agent_reference, self._model = _internals.extract_response_fields(
             cast(response_models.ResponseObject, self._response)
         )
@@ -198,23 +200,16 @@ def internal_metadata(self) -> "MutableMapping[str, Any]":
         """Live, mutable response-level framework-internal metadata.
 
         A convenience proxy backed by a reserved ``_internal_metadata`` key
-        inside the response's public ``metadata`` map — read / write / delete in
-        place (``stream.internal_metadata["phase"] = 3``). Stripped from every
-        client-facing payload and persisted at the next ``yield
-        stream.checkpoint()`` (and at terminal). Values may be any
-        JSON-serialisable type.
+        inside the response's public ``metadata`` map. The private bag is
+        JSON-encoded into the string-valued metadata slot required by Foundry
+        storage. Read / write / delete in place
+        (``stream.internal_metadata["phase"] = 3``). Stripped from every
+        client-facing payload and persisted at the next
+        ``yield stream.checkpoint()`` (and at terminal).
 
         :rtype: ~collections.abc.MutableMapping[str, ~typing.Any]
         """
-        metadata = self._response.get("metadata")
-        if not isinstance(metadata, dict):
-            metadata = {}
-            self._response["metadata"] = metadata
-        bag = metadata.get("_internal_metadata")
-        if not isinstance(bag, dict):
-            bag = {}
-            metadata["_internal_metadata"] = bag
-        return bag
+        return _ResponseInternalMetadataView(self._response)
 
     def checkpoint(self) -> "ResponseCheckpointEvent":
         """Return a checkpoint event to ``yield`` for persistence.
 
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+# Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation.
+# Licensed under the MIT license.
+"""Response-level internal metadata backed by the public metadata map."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import json
+from collections.abc import Iterator, MutableMapping
+from typing import Any
+
+_RESERVED_KEY = "_internal_metadata"
+_MAX_METADATA_KEYS = 16
+_MAX_VALUE_LEN = 512
+
+
+class _ResponseInternalMetadataView(MutableMapping[str, Any]):
+    """Live view over JSON-encoded response-level internal metadata."""
+
+    __slots__ = ("_response",)
+
+    def __init__(self, response: dict[str, Any]) -> None:
+        self._response = response
+        metadata = response.get("metadata")
+        if isinstance(metadata, dict) and isinstance(metadata.get(_RESERVED_KEY), dict):
+            self._store(dict(metadata[_RESERVED_KEY]))
+
+    def _decode(self) -> dict[str, Any]:
+        metadata = self._response.get("metadata")
+        if not isinstance(metadata, dict):
+            return {}
+        raw = metadata.get(_RESERVED_KEY)
+        if isinstance(raw, dict):
+            return dict(raw)
+        if not isinstance(raw, str) or not raw:
+            return {}
+        try:
+            decoded = json.loads(raw)
+        except (TypeError, ValueError):
+            return {}
+        return decoded if isinstance(decoded, dict) else {}
+
+    def _store(self, value: dict[str, Any]) -> None:
+        metadata = self._response.get("metadata")
+        if not value:
+            if isinstance(metadata, dict):
+                metadata.pop(_RESERVED_KEY, None)
+            return
+
+        encoded = json.dumps(
+            value,
+            ensure_ascii=False,
+            separators=(",", ":"),
+            sort_keys=True,
+        )
+        if len(encoded) > _MAX_VALUE_LEN:
+            raise ValueError(
+                f"internal_metadata encodes to {len(encoded)} chars, exceeding the "
+                f"{_MAX_VALUE_LEN}-char limit of the response metadata value"
+            )
+
+        if not isinstance(metadata, dict):
+            metadata = {}
+            self._response["metadata"] = metadata
+        projected_key_count = len(metadata) + (0 if _RESERVED_KEY in metadata else 1)
+        if projected_key_count > _MAX_METADATA_KEYS:
+            raise ValueError(
+                f"cannot add internal_metadata: response metadata already has "
+                f"{len(metadata)} keys (limit {_MAX_METADATA_KEYS})"
+            )
+        metadata[_RESERVED_KEY] = encoded
+
+    def __getitem__(self, key: str) -> Any:
+        return self._decode()[key]
+
+    def __setitem__(self, key: str, value: Any) -> None:
+        if not isinstance(key, str):
+            raise TypeError(f"internal_metadata keys must be str, got {type(key).__name__}")
+        metadata = self._decode()
+        metadata[key] = value
+        self._store(metadata)
+
+    def __delitem__(self, key: str) -> None:
+        metadata = self._decode()
+        del metadata[key]
+        self._store(metadata)
+
+    def __iter__(self) -> Iterator[str]:
+        return iter(self._decode())
+
+    def __len__(self) -> int:
+        return len(self._decode())
@@ -1529,13 +1529,21 @@ stream.internal_metadata["resume_phase"] = 3
 del stream.internal_metadata["scratch"]
 ```
 
+Response-level values may be any JSON-serializable type, but the complete bag
+is encoded into one string-valued reserved metadata entry. Its compact JSON
+representation must fit the Foundry metadata value limit of 512 characters,
+and the reserved entry consumes one of the response metadata map's 16 keys.
+Item-level internal metadata is stored directly on the output item and does not
+use those response metadata limits.
+
 Use it for lightweight per-turn watermarks, id mappings (e.g. an upstream
 framework's message id ↔ the emitted item), or stale-message / crash-recovery
 detection within the turn. It is persisted whenever the response is persisted —
 at `response.created`, at each `yield stream.checkpoint()`, and at terminal — so
-on recovery you read it back from `context.persisted_response`. It is distinct
-from the *public* `ResponseObject.metadata` dict (the client's own metadata,
-which is NOT stripped).
+on recovery, seed `ResponseEventStream(response=context.persisted_response, ...)`
+and read it through `stream.internal_metadata`. It is distinct from the *public*
+`ResponseObject.metadata` dict (the client's own metadata, which is NOT
+stripped).
 
 ### Which state facility?
 
 
@@ -755,7 +755,10 @@ client-facing HTTP/SSE payload** — and symmetrically stripped on ingress, so
 clients can neither read nor inject it. Use it for lightweight per-turn
 watermarks, id mappings (upstream message id ↔ emitted item), or in-turn
 stale-message detection; read it back on recovery via
-`context.persisted_response`. It is distinct from the *public*
+`ResponseEventStream(response=context.persisted_response, ...)`. Response-level
+internal metadata is compact-JSON encoded into one string-valued reserved
+metadata entry and must fit that entry's 512-character limit. It is distinct
+from the *public*
 `ResponseObject.metadata` (the client's own metadata, never stripped) and
 from `FoundryStateStore` (cross-turn application state — §8.1).
 Rule of thumb: cross-turn state → `FoundryStateStore`; reconstruct
 
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import asyncio
+import json
 import time
 from typing import Any
 
@@ -42,8 +43,8 @@ async def update_response(self, response, *, context=None):  # noqa: ANN001
 
 def _event(**md) -> ResponseCheckpointEvent:
     resp: ResponseObject = {"id": "r1", "object": "response", "status": "in_progress", "output": [], "model": "m"}
-    for k, v in md.items():
-        resp.setdefault("metadata", {}).setdefault("_internal_metadata", {})[k] = v
+    if md:
+        resp["metadata"] = {"_internal_metadata": json.dumps(md, separators=(",", ":"), sort_keys=True)}
     return ResponseCheckpointEvent(resp)
 
 
@@ -165,7 +166,7 @@ async def test_t21_status_as_is_in_snapshot():
     )
     assert p.updates[0]["status"] == "in_progress"
     # Reserved internal_metadata is in the persisted snapshot (storage retains it).
-    assert p.updates[0]["metadata"]["_internal_metadata"] == {"cp": 1}
+    assert p.updates[0]["metadata"]["_internal_metadata"] == '{"cp":1}'
 
 
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 )
 
 from azure.ai.agentserver.responses._response_context import PlatformContext
+from azure.ai.agentserver.responses import ResponseEventStream
 from azure.ai.agentserver.responses.store._foundry_errors import (
     FoundryApiError,
     FoundryBadRequestError,
@@ -167,12 +168,16 @@ async def test_get_response__gets_correct_url(credential: Any, settings: Foundry
 
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_get_response__returns_deserialized_response(credential: Any, settings: FoundryStorageSettings) -> None:
-    provider = _make_provider(credential, settings, _make_response(200, _RESPONSE_DICT))
+    response = dict(_RESPONSE_DICT)
+    response["metadata"] = {"_internal_metadata": '{"checkpoint_marker":"written-before-checkpoint"}'}
+    provider = _make_provider(credential, settings, _make_response(200, response))
 
     result = await provider.get_response("resp_abc123")
 
     assert result["id"] == "resp_abc123"
     assert result["status"] == "completed"
+    stream = ResponseEventStream(response_id="resp_abc123", response=result)
+    assert dict(stream.internal_metadata) == {"checkpoint_marker": "written-before-checkpoint"}
 
 
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
@@ -218,11 +223,13 @@ async def test_update_response__sends_serialized_response_body(
 ) -> None:
     provider = _make_provider(credential, settings, _make_response(200, {}))
     response = _response_object()
+    response["metadata"] = {"_internal_metadata": '{"checkpoint_marker":"written-before-checkpoint"}'}
     await provider.update_response(response)
 
     request = provider._client.send_request.call_args[0][0]
     payload = json.loads(request.content.decode("utf-8"))
     assert payload["id"] == "resp_abc123"
+    assert payload["metadata"]["_internal_metadata"] == '{"checkpoint_marker":"written-before-checkpoint"}'
 
 
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+from collections.abc import MutableMapping
 from copy import deepcopy
 from typing import Any, cast
 
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@
 from azure.ai.agentserver.responses._egress import strip_internal_metadata
 from azure.ai.agentserver.responses import CreateResponse, ResponseEventStream
 from azure.ai.agentserver.responses.models._generated import ResponseObject
+from azure.ai.agentserver.responses.streaming._internal_metadata import _ResponseInternalMetadataView
 
 
 def _item() -> dict[str, Any]:
@@ -34,9 +36,8 @@ def _item_internal_metadata(item: dict[str, Any]) -> dict[str, Any]:
     return item.setdefault("internal_metadata", {})
 
 
-def _response_internal_metadata(response: ResponseObject) -> dict[str, Any]:
-    metadata = response.setdefault("metadata", {})
-    return metadata.setdefault("_internal_metadata", {})
+def _response_internal_metadata(response: ResponseObject) -> MutableMapping[str, Any]:
+    return _ResponseInternalMetadataView(cast(dict[str, Any], response))
 
 
 # --------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -150,8 +151,8 @@ def test_t1r_response_empty_view_when_unset():
 def test_t2r_response_stores_under_reserved_key():
     resp = _response()
     _response_internal_metadata(resp)["phase"] = 3
-    assert resp["metadata"]["_internal_metadata"] == {"phase": 3}
-    assert dict(resp["metadata"]["_internal_metadata"]) == {"phase": 3}
+    assert resp["metadata"]["_internal_metadata"] == '{"phase":3}'
+    assert dict(_response_internal_metadata(resp)) == {"phase": 3}
 
 
 def test_t3r_in_place_mutation_writes_through():
@@ -173,15 +174,25 @@ def test_t4r_does_not_clobber_client_metadata():
 def test_t5r_clear_removes_only_reserved_key():
     resp = _response()
     resp["metadata"] = {"user": "x"}
-    _response_internal_metadata(resp)["phase"] = 3
-    resp["metadata"].pop("_internal_metadata")
+    metadata = _response_internal_metadata(resp)
+    metadata["phase"] = 3
+    metadata.clear()
     assert dict(resp["metadata"]) == {"user": "x"}
 
 
 def test_t6r_512_char_guard():
     resp = _response()
-    _response_internal_metadata(resp)["big"] = "x" * 600
-    assert resp["metadata"]["_internal_metadata"]["big"] == "x" * 600
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="512-char limit"):
+        _response_internal_metadata(resp)["big"] = "x" * 600
+    assert "_internal_metadata" not in resp.get("metadata", {})
+
+
+def test_t6r_unicode_uses_character_limit_not_ascii_escape_length():
+    resp = _response()
+    value = "\N{SNOWMAN}" * 100
+    _response_internal_metadata(resp)["unicode"] = value
+    assert len(resp["metadata"]["_internal_metadata"]) < 512
+    assert dict(_response_internal_metadata(resp)) == {"unicode": value}
 
 
 def test_t6r2_16_key_guard():
@@ -192,8 +203,9 @@ def test_t6r2_16_key_guard():
 
     resp16 = _response()
     resp16["metadata"] = {f"k{i}": "v" for i in range(16)}
-    _response_internal_metadata(resp16)["p"] = 1
-    assert resp16["metadata"]["_internal_metadata"] == {"p": 1}
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="already has 16 keys"):
+        _response_internal_metadata(resp16)["p"] = 1
+    assert "_internal_metadata" not in resp16["metadata"]
 
 
 def test_t7r_v_shaped_response_empty_view():
@@ -207,23 +219,43 @@ def test_t10r_stream_proxy_is_response_view():
     req = CreateResponse({"model": "m", "input": "hi"})
     stream = ResponseEventStream(response_id="resp_1", request=req)
     stream.internal_metadata["phase"] = 3
-    assert dict(stream.response["metadata"]["_internal_metadata"]) == {"phase": 3}
-    stream.response["metadata"]["_internal_metadata"]["x"] = 1
+    assert stream.response["metadata"]["_internal_metadata"] == '{"phase":3}'
+    second_view = _ResponseInternalMetadataView(stream.response)
+    second_view["x"] = 1
     assert stream.internal_metadata["x"] == 1
 
 
 def test_t28d_response_reserved_key_roundtrips():
     resp = _response()
     _response_internal_metadata(resp)["phase"] = 3
     reloaded = dict(resp)
-    assert dict(reloaded["metadata"]["_internal_metadata"]) == {"phase": 3}
-    assert reloaded["metadata"]["_internal_metadata"] == {"phase": 3}
+    assert reloaded["metadata"]["_internal_metadata"] == '{"phase":3}'
+    assert dict(ResponseEventStream(response_id="resp_1", response=reloaded).internal_metadata) == {"phase": 3}
 
 
 def test_t7a_compact_deterministic_encoding():
     # Deterministic so checkpoint idempotency byte-compare is stable.
     resp = _response()
     _response_internal_metadata(resp)["b"] = 2
-    resp["metadata"]["_internal_metadata"]["a"] = 1
+    _response_internal_metadata(resp)["a"] = 1
+    assert resp["metadata"]["_internal_metadata"] == '{"a":1,"b":2}'
     stripped = strip_internal_metadata(deepcopy(resp))
     assert stripped["metadata"] is None
+
+
+def test_nested_dict_snapshot_is_normalized_without_property_access():
+    resp = _response()
+    resp["metadata"] = {"user": "x", "_internal_metadata": {"phase": 3}}
+
+    stream = ResponseEventStream(response_id="resp_1", response=resp)
+
+    assert stream.response["metadata"] == {"user": "x", "_internal_metadata": '{"phase":3}'}
+
+
+def test_nested_dict_snapshot_respects_total_metadata_key_limit():
+    resp = _response()
+    resp["metadata"] = {f"k{i}": "v" for i in range(16)}
+    resp["metadata"]["_internal_metadata"] = {"phase": 3}
+
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="already has 17 keys"):
+        ResponseEventStream(response_id="resp_1", response=resp)
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ def test_t17a_t17r_live_objects_untouched_after_sse_encode():
     # Encode a terminal carrying the full envelope.
     encode_sse_event(stream.emit_completed())
     # T17r: live response still carries the reserved key.
-    assert dict(stream.response["metadata"]["_internal_metadata"]) == {"cp": 3}
+    assert stream.response["metadata"]["_internal_metadata"] == '{"cp":3}'
     # T17a: live output item still carries its bag.
     assert dict(stream.response["output"][0]["internal_metadata"]) == {"phase": "gather"}