diff --git a/api/state_sync.py b/api/state_sync.py
index 5a240031..caf03da0 100644
--- a/api/state_sync.py
+++ b/api/state_sync.py
@@ -198,12 +198,18 @@ def sync_session_usage(session_id: str, input_tokens: int=0, output_tokens: int=
 
 
 def sync_session_title(session_id: str, title: str, profile: Optional[str] = None) -> None:
-    """Sync a generated title to state.db unconditionally (not gated by sync_to_insights).
+    """Sync an auto-generated title to state.db (not gated by sync_to_insights).
 
     Background title generation writes the title to the WebUI sidecar JSON but
     not to hermes-agent's state.db, so ``hermes sessions list`` shows blank
     titles for WebUI sessions.  This function bridges that gap and is called
     from the background title update/refresh paths after a title is persisted.
+
+    Uses ``set_auto_title_if_empty`` so it will only populate a NULL title and
+    never overwrite a manual rename made via CLI/Gateway/TUI.  This means
+    title refreshes (where state.db already holds the initial auto-title) are
+    effectively no-ops at the state.db layer -- acceptable because the primary
+    goal is ensuring ``hermes sessions list`` is not blank.
     """
     if not title:
         return
@@ -213,7 +219,7 @@ def sync_session_title(session_id: str, title: str, profile: Optional[str] = Non
     try:
         # Ensure the session row exists (idempotent) so the UPDATE has a target.
         db.ensure_session(session_id=session_id, source='webui')
-        db.set_session_title(session_id, title)
+        db.set_auto_title_if_empty(session_id, title)
     except Exception:
         logger.debug("Failed to sync session title to state.db for %s", session_id)
     finally:
diff --git a/api/streaming.py b/api/streaming.py
index 1943f857..ff72cc4b 100644
--- a/api/streaming.py
+++ b/api/streaming.py
@@ -4469,7 +4469,7 @@ def _run_background_title_update(session_id: str, user_text: str, assistant_text
             # Sync the generated title to state.db so `hermes sessions list` shows it.
             try:
                 from api.state_sync import sync_session_title
-                sync_session_title(session_id, effective_title, profile=getattr(s, 'profile', None))
+                sync_session_title(session_id, effective_title, profile=getattr(s, 'profile', None) or 'default')
             except Exception:
                 logger.debug("Failed to sync title to state.db after generation for %s", session_id)
         else:
@@ -4547,7 +4547,7 @@ def _run_background_title_refresh(session_id: str, user_text: str, assistant_tex
         # Sync the refreshed title to state.db so `hermes sessions list` stays current.
         try:
             from api.state_sync import sync_session_title
-            sync_session_title(session_id, effective_title, profile=getattr(s, 'profile', None))
+            sync_session_title(session_id, effective_title, profile=getattr(s, 'profile', None) or 'default')
         except Exception:
             logger.debug("Failed to sync refreshed title to state.db for %s", session_id)
         logger.info("Adaptive title refresh: session=%s new_title=%r", session_id, effective_title)