diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 84d747f9b..a65455277 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -602,7 +602,7 @@ mcp_servers:
 memory:
   provider: agentmemory
 
-Verify with `curl http://localhost:3111/agentmemory/health`. Open http://localhost:3113 for the real-time viewer. For deeper 6-hook memory provider integration (pre-LLM context injection, turn capture, MEMORY.md mirroring, system prompt block), copy integrations/hermes from the agentmemory repo to ~/.hermes/plugins/agentmemory.
+Verify with `curl http://localhost:3111/agentmemory/health`. Open http://localhost:3113 for the real-time viewer. For deeper 6-hook memory provider integration (pre-LLM context injection, turn capture, MEMORY.md mirroring, system prompt block), copy integrations/hermes from the agentmemory repo to ~/.hermes/plugins/agentmemory, then run `hermes plugins enable agentmemory --no-allow-tool-override`. The hooks take effect on the next session.
 ```
 
 Full guide: [`integrations/hermes/`](integrations/hermes/)
diff --git a/integrations/hermes/README.md b/integrations/hermes/README.md
index ba06c105c..8c4fc36cd 100644
--- a/integrations/hermes/README.md
+++ b/integrations/hermes/README.md
@@ -49,7 +49,9 @@ If I want deeper integration — pre-LLM context injection, turn-level
 capture, memory-write mirroring to MEMORY.md, and system prompt block
 injection — copy `integrations/hermes` from the agentmemory repo to
 `~/.hermes/plugins/agentmemory` instead. That gives me the
-6-hook memory provider plugin on top of the MCP server.
+6-hook memory provider plugin on top of the MCP server. After copying
+it, run `hermes plugins enable agentmemory --no-allow-tool-override`;
+the hooks take effect on the next session.
 ```
 
 That's it. Hermes handles the rest.
@@ -82,8 +84,12 @@ Copy this folder to your Hermes plugins directory:
 
 ```bash
 cp -r integrations/hermes ~/.hermes/plugins/agentmemory
+hermes plugins enable agentmemory --no-allow-tool-override
 ```
 
+Hermes user plugins are opt-in. Copying the directory alone leaves the
+plugin installed but disabled, so its lifecycle hooks will not load.
+
 Start the agentmemory server:
 
 ```bash