diff --git a/cmd/email-agent/main.go b/cmd/email-agent/main.go
index 6ac4695..cc6909d 100644
--- a/cmd/email-agent/main.go
+++ b/cmd/email-agent/main.go
@@ -346,9 +346,7 @@ func runRetain(cfg *config.Config, logger *slog.Logger) error {
 	}
 	// The audit row is written inside the same transaction, before the cap, so
 	// the cap counts it. This is what keeps actions_log bounded across runs.
-	detail := fmt.Sprintf("bodies_cleared=%%d retention_days=%d max_rows=%d",
-		cfg.RetentionDays, cfg.ActionsLogMaxRows)
-	res, err := st.RetainWithAudit(ctx, policy, "scheduler", detail)
+	res, err := st.RetainWithAudit(ctx, policy, "scheduler")
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/internal/store/retention.go b/internal/store/retention.go
index 706a983..f47b2fd 100644
--- a/internal/store/retention.go
+++ b/internal/store/retention.go
@@ -49,14 +49,19 @@ type RetentionResult struct {
 // pass never leaves the database in a mixed state. It is safe to run on a
 // schedule: every statement is idempotent.
 func (s *Store) Retain(ctx context.Context, p RetentionPolicy) (RetentionResult, error) {
-	return s.RetainWithAudit(ctx, p, "", "")
+	return s.retain(ctx, p, false, "")
 }
 
-// RetainWithAudit is Retain plus one actions_log row (FR-13), appended inside
-// the same transaction before the cap is applied so the audit row is itself
-// counted by the cap. An empty detail writes no audit row. This keeps the
-// action log bounded even though every run records that it ran.
-func (s *Store) RetainWithAudit(ctx context.Context, p RetentionPolicy, actor, detail string) (RetentionResult, error) {
+// RetainWithAudit is Retain plus one 'retain' row appended to actions_log
+// (FR-13). The row is written inside the same transaction before the cap is
+// applied, so the cap counts it and the log stays bounded even though every
+// run records that it ran.
+func (s *Store) RetainWithAudit(ctx context.Context, p RetentionPolicy, actor string) (RetentionResult, error) {
+	return s.retain(ctx, p, true, actor)
+}
+
+// retain is the shared implementation. audit=false writes no audit row.
+func (s *Store) retain(ctx context.Context, p RetentionPolicy, audit bool, actor string) (RetentionResult, error) {
 	var res RetentionResult
 
 	tx, err := s.db.BeginTx(ctx, nil)
@@ -82,7 +87,9 @@ WHERE body_text IS NOT NULL AND body_text <> '' AND received_at < ?`,
 		}
 	}
 
-	if detail != "" {
+	if audit {
+		detail := fmt.Sprintf("retention_days=%d max_rows=%d bodies_cleared=%d",
+			int(p.BodyMaxAge.Hours()/24), p.ActionsLogMaxRows, res.BodiesCleared)
 		if _, err := tx.ExecContext(ctx, `
 INSERT INTO actions_log (message_id, action, actor, detail)
 VALUES (NULL, 'retain', ?, ?)`, nullString(actor), detail); err != nil {
diff --git a/internal/store/retention_test.go b/internal/store/retention_test.go
index 50a08dd..c6846ba 100644
--- a/internal/store/retention_test.go
+++ b/internal/store/retention_test.go
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ func TestRetainWithAuditCountsItsOwnRow(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	res, err := s.RetainWithAudit(ctx, RetentionPolicy{ActionsLogMaxRows: 3}, "scheduler", "bodies_cleared=0")
+	res, err := s.RetainWithAudit(ctx, RetentionPolicy{ActionsLogMaxRows: 3}, "scheduler")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("RetainWithAudit() error = %v", err)
 	}