diff --git a/.codegraph/.gitignore b/.codegraph/.gitignore
deleted file mode 100644
index d20c0fe4..00000000
--- a/.codegraph/.gitignore
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
-# CodeGraph data files — local to each machine, not for committing.
-# Ignore everything in .codegraph/ except this file itself, so transient
-# files (the database, daemon.pid, sockets, logs) never show up in git.
-*
-!.gitignore
diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index 48feee7f..8e1bbd6e 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -1,118 +1,49 @@
 # Agent instructions for Hermes WebUI
 
-This file is the shared entry point for AI assistants working in this repository.
-Keep it project-specific and safe to publish. Do not put personal machine setup,
-private network details, credentials, tokens, or local-only workflow notes here.
+This file is the shared entry point for AI assistants working in this
+repository. Keep it project-specific and safe to publish. Do not put personal
+machine setup, private network details, credentials, tokens, or local-only
+workflow notes here.
 
-## What this repo is
+## Read first
 
-Hermes WebUI is a browser frontend for [Hermes Agent](https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/).
-It is deliberately a **Python + vanilla JavaScript** app with no build step, no
-bundler, no frontend framework. The Python server lives in `server.py` + `api/`
-and the frontend is plain `<script>` tags in `static/` plus a single `style.css`.
-Do not add a build pipeline, framework, or bundler without explicit justification
-and a rollback story — this is a hard design constraint, not a preference.
+Before making changes, read:
 
-## First two minutes
+1. `README.md`
+2. `CONTRIBUTING.md`
+3. `docs/CONTRACTS.md`
+4. `CHANGELOG.md`
 
-1. Read `README.md` (quick start, features, env vars, Docker).
-2. Read `CONTRIBUTING.md` (PR shape, what goes in the description, AI disclosure).
-3. Read `docs/CONTRACTS.md` (subsystem routing) and follow links into the area
-   you will touch. Start with `docs/rfcs/README.md` for runtime/streaming work
-   and `docs/UIUX-GUIDE.md` + `DESIGN.md` for UI work.
-4. For install / bootstrap / provider / first-run / Docker / WSL support, read
-   `docs/onboarding-agent-checklist.md` **before** running commands or reading
-   logs. It has hard safety rules and the role split between human and assistant.
-5. `ARCHITECTURE.md` is the deep reference (modules, endpoints, data flow).
-   `TESTING.md` is the manual browser test plan + automated test commands.
+For architecture, testing, or setup work, also read the matching reference:
 
-## Commands an agent actually runs
+- `ARCHITECTURE.md` for design constraints and current module layout
+- `TESTING.md` for local verification commands and manual test guidance
+- `docs/onboarding.md` for first-run onboarding behavior
+- `docs/troubleshooting.md` for diagnostic flows
+- `docs/rfcs/README.md` for larger RFCs and state/durability contracts
 
-| Goal | Command |
-|---|---|
-| Run the full test suite locally | `./scripts/test.sh` |
-| Run a focused test set | `./scripts/test.sh tests/test_regressions.py -v` |
-| Pin a specific Python for tests | `HERMES_WEBUI_TEST_PYTHON=/path/to/python3.12 ./scripts/test.sh` |
-| Launch the server (foreground) | `python3 bootstrap.py` |
-| Launch as a daemon (PID at `~/.hermes/webui.pid`) | `./ctl.sh start` / `status` / `logs --lines 100` / `restart` / `stop` |
-| Ship-style launcher | `./start.sh` |
-| Static-JS runtime guard (`no-const-assign` / `no-import-assign`) | `npm run lint:runtime` (after `npm install --no-save eslint`) |
-| Python forward-only lint gate (curated ruff rules on **changed lines only**) | `python3 scripts/ruff_lint.py --diff origin/master` |
-| Whole-tree ruff backlog (informational, never blocks) | `python3 scripts/ruff_lint.py --all` |
-| Reference undefined-globals gate (#3696 class) | `python3 scripts/scope_undef_gate.py` |
-| Headless browser brick-class smoke | `python tests/browser_smoke.py` (needs `playwright install chromium`) |
+For UI or UX work, read `docs/UIUX-GUIDE.md` and `DESIGN.md` before
+changing layout, interaction flow, themes, chat rendering, or composer chrome.
 
-> **Always use `./scripts/test.sh`, never bare `python3 -m pytest` or `pytest`.**
-> The script creates/uses the repo `.venv`, pins to Python 3.11–3.13, and
-> installs the dev test deps (`requirements-dev.txt`). A direct pytest on an
-> unsupported system interpreter is the #1 way to get a misleading failure
-> during validation. If you see "unsupported interpreter", rerun through
-> `scripts/test.sh` before debugging product code.
+## Onboarding and reinstall support
 
-> The forward-only ruff gate (CI `lint` job + `scripts/ruff_lint.py`) only
-> reports findings on **lines the PR adds or modifies** vs `origin/master`.
-> The existing tree has a cosmetic F401 backlog tracked in #3273; do not
-> reformat it as drive-by cleanup. The cleanest way to silence a real
-> false positive is `# noqa: <CODE>` with a one-line reason.
+If the task involves install, reinstall, bootstrap, first-run onboarding,
+provider setup, local model server setup, Docker onboarding, WSL onboarding, or
+support for a failed first run, read `docs/onboarding-agent-checklist.md`
+before running commands or inspecting logs.
 
-## Architecture in one screen
+Follow that checklist's safety rules:
 
-- **Backend**: `server.py` is a thin routing shell (`BaseHTTPRequestHandler`,
-  `ThreadingHTTPServer`); all GET/POST handlers live in `api/routes.py` (large,
-  if/elif dispatch — no decorator framework). Helpers in `api/helpers.py`
-  (`j`, `bad`, `require`, `safe_resolve`); security headers set in one place.
-- **Auth**: optional password + passkeys in `api/auth.py`. Off by default; set
-  `HERMES_WEBUI_PASSWORD` to enable. Cookie is signed HMAC, HTTP-only, 24h TTL.
-- **SSE streaming**: `api/streaming.py` + `api/streaming.py:_run_agent_streaming`.
-  Watch the `/api/upload` ordering rule in `do_POST` — multipart reads the
-  request body, so the upload check must come **before** any `read_body()`.
-- **Sessions**: `api/models.py` (plain class, JSON-per-file, in-memory LRU with
-  `_index.json` for `all_sessions()`). `INFLIGHT` and the active-sid guard in
-  `static/messages.js` prevent session-switch-mid-flight from clobbering state.
-- **Frontend modules** in `static/`: `ui.js`, `workspace.js`, `sessions.js`,
-  `messages.js`, `panels.js`, `commands.js`, `boot.js`, `onboarding.js`,
-  `i18n.js`, `login.js`, `icons.js`, `sw.js`, `terminal.js`,
-  `assistant_turn_anchors.js`, `outline.js`, `pwa-startup.js`. Loaded as
-  classic `<script>` tags sharing one implicit global scope — see
-  `scripts/scope_undef_gate.py` for the brick class that catches.
-- **State directory** (runtime, **outside the repo**): `~/.hermes/webui/`
-  contains `sessions/`, `workspaces.json`, `last_workspace.txt`, `settings.json`,
-  `projects.json`. Override with `HERMES_WEBUI_STATE_DIR`.
-- **Logs**: `~/.hermes/webui/bootstrap-8787.log` for `start.sh`/`bootstrap.py`,
-  `~/.hermes/webui.log` for `ctl.sh`. Structured JSON per request.
+- use isolated `HERMES_HOME` and `HERMES_WEBUI_STATE_DIR` for trials unless the
+  human explicitly asks to use real state
+- do not delete or overwrite a real `~/.hermes` directory without explicit
+  approval
+- do not print API keys, OAuth tokens, cookies, full `.env` files, full
+  `auth.json` files, or password hashes
+- collect non-secret status and log evidence before recommending a fix
 
-## Repo-specific gotchas agents miss
+## Contribution style
 
-- **No build step.** Editing `static/*.js` or `static/style.css` takes effect
-  on the next browser reload. There is no `npm run build`, no `dist/`, no
-  transpile step.
-- **Process-global env vars for the agent run.** `TERMINAL_CWD`,
-  `HERMES_EXEC_ASK`, `HERMES_SESSION_KEY`, `HERMES_HOME` are set via
-  `os.environ` in `_run_agent_streaming`. Two concurrent chat requests clobber
-  each other; this is single-user/single-concurrent-request safe. Tracked as
-  Architecture Phase B in `ARCHITECTURE.md`. Don't add per-request isolation
-  in your PR — it's a known architecture migration, not a local fix.
-- **State coupling to hermes-agent.** WebUI imports Agent modules directly
-  (`api/config.py`, `api/providers.py`, `api/streaming.py`) and reads Agent
-  state layout directly. The release boundary in `README.md` Compatibility
-  section says: **upgrade WebUI and hermes-agent together**, record both
-  versions in issue reports. This is not a stable API boundary yet (#1925,
-  #2491).
-- **Tooling is dev-only.** `package.json` is *not* a build manifest; its only
-  dependency is `eslint`, used solely as the runtime-error guard. The app
-  itself remains pure Python + vanilla JS.
-- **Auto-discovery, not config files, picks the agent.** `bootstrap.py` and
-  `start.sh` walk `HERMES_WEBUI_AGENT_DIR` env, then `$HERMES_HOME/hermes-agent`,
-  then a sibling `../hermes-agent`, then auto-install via the official Hermes
-  installer. Trust auto-discovery; do not hardcode a path in a script.
-- **Classic-script shared global scope.** A function declared *inside* another
-  function is **not** global. Calling it bare from a sibling top-level scope
-  throws `ReferenceError` at runtime (only). `scripts/scope_undef_gate.py`
-  exists to catch this class — run it after editing any `static/*.js`.
-- **`api/routes.py` is large** (≈770KB, thousands of lines). Prefer the
-  helper functions in `api/helpers.py` (`j`, `bad`, `require`, `safe_resolve`)
-  and the existing per-module separation over weaving new logic into the
-  monolithic dispatch.
 - Keep one logical change per PR; split unrelated refactors or cleanup.
 - Read `docs/CONTRACTS.md` and the linked contract/RFC for the touched
   subsystem before editing.
@@ -138,128 +69,24 @@ and a rollback story — this is a hard design constraint, not a preference.
   the manual verification performed.
 - For runtime, streaming, recovery, replay, compression, or sidebar metadata
   changes, name the state layer being mutated and prove the relevant invariant.
+- For Docker build changes in `docker_init.bash`, mirror directory exclusions
+  in both the `rsync` and `cp -a` paths — `/opt/hermes` may contain subdirectories
+  with restricted permissions (e.g. `.playwright/`).
 
-## Onboarding / install / first-run safety
+## Local state and secrets
 
-The repo reads and writes real agent state, sessions, workspaces, credentials,
-and cron data. **Treat local validation as potentially destructive** unless
-you have confirmed the active state directories.
+Hermes WebUI can read and write real agent state, sessions, workspaces,
+credentials, and cron data. Treat local validation as potentially destructive
+unless you have confirmed the active state directories.
 
-Hard rules (from `docs/onboarding-agent-checklist.md`):
-
-- Use isolated `HERMES_HOME` and `HERMES_WEBUI_STATE_DIR` for trials unless
-  the human explicitly asks to use real state.
-- Never delete or overwrite a real `~/.hermes` directory without explicit
-  approval.
-- Never print API keys, OAuth tokens, cookies, full `.env` files, full
-  `auth.json` files, or password hashes.
-- Collect non-secret status and log evidence before recommending a fix:
-  `/health`, `/api/onboarding/status`, structured log tail, and `find` of
-  the state dir.
-- Do not modify real cron jobs, real sessions, real profiles, or real memory
-  files during an onboarding trial.
-- Do not expose WebUI on a public interface without password protection
-  (`HERMES_WEBUI_PASSWORD`) and explicit human approval.
-- Do not proxy or tunnel `localhost` / `127.0.0.1` / private LAN / Docker
-  container loopback paths through external services.
-
-Isolated trial pattern:
+Prefer isolated trial state for experiments:
 
 ```bash
-mkdir -p ~/hermes-onboarding-test
-HERMES_HOME=~/hermes-onboarding-test/.hermes \
-HERMES_WEBUI_STATE_DIR=~/hermes-onboarding-test/webui \
+HERMES_HOME=/tmp/hermes-webui-agent-home \
+HERMES_WEBUI_STATE_DIR=/tmp/hermes-webui-agent-state \
 HERMES_WEBUI_PORT=8789 \
 python3 bootstrap.py
-# open http://127.0.0.1:8789
-# log at ~/hermes-onboarding-test/webui/bootstrap-8789.log
 ```
 
-## PR / change shape
-
-- One logical change per PR; split unrelated refactors and cleanup.
-- Read `docs/CONTRACTS.md` and the linked contract/RFC for the touched
-  subsystem before editing. Contract-affecting PRs need a `Contract Routing`
-  section in the PR body naming the contract family and evidence used.
-- For runtime/streaming/recovery/replay/compression/sidebar-metadata changes,
-  name the state layer being mutated and prove the invariant (regression test
-  or explicit manual check).
-- For UI/UX changes, include before/after evidence and test relevant desktop,
-  narrow, and mobile states. Mobile breakpoints matter; touch targets ≥44px.
-- Update `CHANGELOG.md` for user-visible behavior, setup, workflow, or doc
-  changes that should be release-note ready. Update the matching
-  `README.md` / `ARCHITECTURE.md` / `TESTING.md` / `docs/CONTRACTS.md` in
-  the same PR.
-- PR body must contain: Thinking Path, What Changed, Why It Matters,
-  Verification, Risks / Follow-ups, Model Used. If AI helped, disclose
-  provider + exact model + notable tool use. If no AI: `None -- human-authored`.
-- Do not silently redefine product behavior by changing tests alone — update
-  the corresponding docs in the same PR.
-
-## Files agents should not reach for first
-
-- `mcp_server.py` — the MCP integration is a separate surface; check whether
-  the task is about WebUI proper or the MCP server before reading.
-- `docs/why-hermes.md` — competitor comparison; only relevant for product
-  positioning / messaging edits, never for code work.
-- `CONTRIBUTORS.md` — auto-generated credit roll; do not hand-edit.
-- `CHANGELOG.md` (full file) — append-only; consult the latest entries for
-  release-note style but do not rewrite history.
-
-## What this file is not
-
-It is not a re-statement of `README.md` / `CONTRIBUTING.md` / `ARCHITECTURE.md`
-/ `TESTING.md` / `docs/CONTRACTS.md`. Read those for the full story. This file
-captures the agent-specific shorthand — commands, gotchas, and safety rules —
-that an agent would otherwise miss or guess wrong.
-
-<!-- gitnexus:start -->
-# GitNexus — Code Intelligence
-
-This project is indexed by GitNexus as **hermes-webui** (26315 symbols, 52973 relationships, 300 execution flows). Use the GitNexus MCP tools to understand code, assess impact, and navigate safely.
-
-> Index stale? Run `node .gitnexus/run.cjs analyze` from the project root — it auto-selects an available runner. No `.gitnexus/run.cjs` yet? `npx gitnexus analyze` (npm 11 crash → `npm i -g gitnexus`; #1939).
-
-## Always Do
-
-- **MUST run impact analysis before editing any symbol.** Before modifying a function, class, or method, run `impact({target: "symbolName", direction: "upstream"})` and report the blast radius (direct callers, affected processes, risk level) to the user.
-- **MUST run `detect_changes()` before committing** to verify your changes only affect expected symbols and execution flows. For regression review, compare against the default branch: `detect_changes({scope: "compare", base_ref: "master"})`.
-- **MUST warn the user** if impact analysis returns HIGH or CRITICAL risk before proceeding with edits.
-- When exploring unfamiliar code, use `query({query: "concept"})` to find execution flows instead of grepping. It returns process-grouped results ranked by relevance.
-- When you need full context on a specific symbol — callers, callees, which execution flows it participates in — use `context({name: "symbolName"})`.
-
-## Never Do
-
-- NEVER edit a function, class, or method without first running `impact` on it.
-- NEVER ignore HIGH or CRITICAL risk warnings from impact analysis.
-- NEVER rename symbols with find-and-replace — use `rename` which understands the call graph.
-- NEVER commit changes without running `detect_changes()` to check affected scope.
-
-## Resources
-
-| Resource | Use for |
-|----------|---------|
-| `gitnexus://repo/hermes-webui/context` | Codebase overview, check index freshness |
-| `gitnexus://repo/hermes-webui/clusters` | All functional areas |
-| `gitnexus://repo/hermes-webui/processes` | All execution flows |
-| `gitnexus://repo/hermes-webui/process/{name}` | Step-by-step execution trace |
-
-## CLI
-
-| Task | Read this skill file |
-|------|---------------------|
-| Understand architecture / "How does X work?" | `.claude/skills/gitnexus/gitnexus-exploring/SKILL.md` |
-| Blast radius / "What breaks if I change X?" | `.claude/skills/gitnexus/gitnexus-impact-analysis/SKILL.md` |
-| Trace bugs / "Why is X failing?" | `.claude/skills/gitnexus/gitnexus-debugging/SKILL.md` |
-| Rename / extract / split / refactor | `.claude/skills/gitnexus/gitnexus-refactoring/SKILL.md` |
-| Tools, resources, schema reference | `.claude/skills/gitnexus/gitnexus-guide/SKILL.md` |
-| Index, status, clean, wiki CLI commands | `.claude/skills/gitnexus/gitnexus-cli/SKILL.md` |
-| Work in the Tests area (3774 symbols) | `.claude/skills/generated/tests/SKILL.md` |
-| Work in the Api area (1214 symbols) | `.claude/skills/generated/api/SKILL.md` |
-| Work in the Static area (934 symbols) | `.claude/skills/generated/static/SKILL.md` |
-| Work in the Scripts area (21 symbols) | `.claude/skills/generated/scripts/SKILL.md` |
-| Work in the Manual area (11 symbols) | `.claude/skills/generated/manual/SKILL.md` |
-| Work in the Cluster_360 area (9 symbols) | `.claude/skills/generated/cluster-360/SKILL.md` |
-| Work in the Cluster_369 area (4 symbols) | `.claude/skills/generated/cluster-369/SKILL.md` |
-
-<!-- gitnexus:end -->
+Do not include private machine instructions in this tracked file. Use a
+git-ignored local note for personal workflow details.
diff --git a/docker_init.bash b/docker_init.bash
index b402ec5a..11af18f9 100644
--- a/docker_init.bash
+++ b/docker_init.bash
@@ -452,6 +452,7 @@ else
       rsync -a \
         --exclude='*.egg-info' --exclude='build' --exclude='dist' \
         --exclude='__pycache__' --exclude='.git' \
+        --exclude='.playwright' \
         "$_agent_src"/ "$_stage_src"/ \
         || error_exit "Failed to stage hermes-agent source to writable build dir"
     else
@@ -460,6 +461,7 @@ else
       cp -a "$_agent_src"/. "$_stage_src"/ \
         || error_exit "Failed to copy hermes-agent source to writable build dir"
       rm -rf "$_stage_src"/*.egg-info "$_stage_src"/build "$_stage_src"/dist 2>/dev/null || true
+      rm -rf "$_stage_src"/.playwright 2>/dev/null || true
       find "$_stage_src" -type d -name __pycache__ -exec rm -rf {} + 2>/dev/null || true
     fi
     chmod -R u+w "$_stage_src" \
diff --git a/tests/test_docker_docs_and_readonly.py b/tests/test_docker_docs_and_readonly.py
index 821118f0..d5428346 100644
--- a/tests/test_docker_docs_and_readonly.py
+++ b/tests/test_docker_docs_and_readonly.py
@@ -253,6 +253,16 @@ def test_docker_init_excludes_egg_info_during_staging():
         "rsync staging must --exclude='__pycache__' to keep the copy minimal."
     )
 
+    assert "--exclude='.playwright'" in stage_block, (
+        "rsync staging must --exclude='.playwright' so unreadable Playwright "
+        "browser dependency files (e.g. deb.deps, rpm.deps) don't cause "
+        "rsync error code 23 and kill container startup."
+    )
+    assert ".playwright" in stage_block, (
+        "Both rsync (--exclude) and cp-fallback (rm -rf) must handle "
+        ".playwright so the build doesn't choke on unreadable browser files."
+    )
+
 
 def test_docker_init_makes_staged_dir_writable_after_ro_mount_copy():
     """Regression test for the docker-init "could not create hermes_agent.egg-info: