diff --git a/platform/hermes/install-hermes.sh b/platform/hermes/install-hermes.sh
index 2ca2fbb..25a0949 100755
--- a/platform/hermes/install-hermes.sh
+++ b/platform/hermes/install-hermes.sh
@@ -57,6 +57,21 @@ if [[ -s $HERMES_DATA_DIR/config.yaml ]] && \
     "$HERMES_DATA_DIR/config.yaml.before-managed-update-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)"
 fi
 install -m 0600 "$STACK_DIR/platform/hermes/config.yaml" "$HERMES_DATA_DIR/config.yaml"
+# Hermes expands environment variables in some runtime paths, but model.api_key
+# is persisted and reloaded literally when a client changes the model. Render
+# this one managed placeholder before the configuration becomes live.
+ROUTER_API_KEY="$router_key" python3 - "$HERMES_DATA_DIR/config.yaml" <<'PY'
+import os
+import pathlib
+import sys
+
+path = pathlib.Path(sys.argv[1])
+text = path.read_text()
+placeholder = "${ROUTER_API_KEY}"
+if placeholder not in text:
+    raise SystemExit("ROUTER_API_KEY placeholder missing from managed Hermes config")
+path.write_text(text.replace(placeholder, os.environ["ROUTER_API_KEY"], 1))
+PY
 install -m 0600 "$STACK_DIR/platform/hermes/SOUL.md" "$HERMES_DATA_DIR/SOUL.md"
 chown -R 10000:10000 "$HERMES_DATA_DIR"
 "$STACK_DIR/platform/hermes/install-skills.sh"
diff --git a/platform/hermes/install-profiles.sh b/platform/hermes/install-profiles.sh
index 88085ba..2fb6620 100755
--- a/platform/hermes/install-profiles.sh
+++ b/platform/hermes/install-profiles.sh
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 set -Eeuo pipefail
 
 HERMES_CONTAINER=${HERMES_CONTAINER:-mike-ai-hermes}
+SECRETS_DIR=${SECRETS_DIR:-/etc/mike-ai}
+HERMES_DATA_DIR=${HERMES_DATA_DIR:-/data/hermes}
 
 die() { printf 'FEHLER: %s\n' "$*" >&2; exit 1; }
 docker inspect "$HERMES_CONTAINER" >/dev/null 2>&1 || \
@@ -39,6 +41,23 @@ create_profile ultra qwen-ultra 262144 \
 create_profile uncensored qwen-uncensored 80000 \
   "Unzensiertes Qwen3.8-27B-Profil mit 80K Kontext fuer spezielle Anfragen."
 
+# Existing profiles may predate managed secret rendering and therefore contain
+# the literal ${ROUTER_API_KEY}. Repair only that exact placeholder; never log
+# or commit the secret itself.
+[[ -s $SECRETS_DIR/router-api-key ]] || die "Router-API-Key fehlt."
+router_key=$(<"$SECRETS_DIR/router-api-key")
+ROUTER_API_KEY="$router_key" HERMES_DATA_DIR="$HERMES_DATA_DIR" python3 <<'PY'
+import os
+import pathlib
+
+root = pathlib.Path(os.environ["HERMES_DATA_DIR"]) / "profiles"
+placeholder = "${ROUTER_API_KEY}"
+for path in sorted(root.glob("*/config.yaml")):
+    text = path.read_text()
+    if placeholder in text:
+        path.write_text(text.replace(placeholder, os.environ["ROUTER_API_KEY"], 1))
+PY
+
 "${STACK_DIR:-/opt/mike-ai/stack}/platform/hermes/install-skills.sh"
 docker exec "$HERMES_CONTAINER" hermes profile list
 printf 'HERMES_PROFILES_OK\n'