diff --git a/src/node/services/aiService.ts b/src/node/services/aiService.ts
index 879aaceb09..bfd6283c72 100644
--- a/src/node/services/aiService.ts
+++ b/src/node/services/aiService.ts
@@ -1335,6 +1335,21 @@ export class AIService extends EventEmitter {
         this.experimentsService?.isExperimentEnabled(EXPERIMENT_IDS.MEMORY) === true;
       const memoryHotSetExperimentEnabled =
         this.experimentsService?.isExperimentEnabled(EXPERIMENT_IDS.MEMORY_HOT_SET) === true;
+      // Once final tool policy keeps the memory tool, upgrade the index-only
+      // memory context (resolved pre-policy with includeHotMemories: false) to
+      // the token-budgeted hot block for the model that will actually stream.
+      // Returns the unchanged pre-policy `memoryContext` reference when hot
+      // preloading is off or the memory tool was stripped, so callers can use
+      // identity comparison to decide whether the system prompt must be rebuilt.
+      const upgradeMemoryContextForModel = async (
+        memoryToolAvailableForModel: boolean,
+        modelStringForContext: string
+      ): Promise<MemorySessionContext | undefined> =>
+        memoryToolAvailableForModel &&
+        memoryHotSetExperimentEnabled &&
+        resolveMemoryContext !== undefined
+          ? await resolveMemoryContext(modelStringForContext, { includeHotMemories: true })
+          : memoryContext;
       emitStartupBreadcrumb("loading_workspace_context");
       const resolveAgentForStreamStartedAt = Date.now();
       const agentResult = await resolveAgentForStream({
@@ -2089,11 +2104,10 @@ export class AIService extends EventEmitter {
 
       const advisorToolAvailable = tools.advisor !== undefined;
       const memoryToolAvailable = tools.memory !== undefined;
-      const shouldUpgradeMemoryContext =
-        memoryToolAvailable && memoryHotSetExperimentEnabled && resolveMemoryContext !== undefined;
-      const finalMemoryContext = shouldUpgradeMemoryContext
-        ? await resolveMemoryContext(modelString, { includeHotMemories: true })
-        : memoryContext;
+      const finalMemoryContext = await upgradeMemoryContextForModel(
+        memoryToolAvailable,
+        modelString
+      );
       const finalStreamSystemContext =
         advisorToolAvailable === advisorToolEligible &&
         memoryToolAvailable === memoryToolEligible &&
@@ -2473,15 +2487,10 @@ export class AIService extends EventEmitter {
                   });
                   const nextToolNamesForSentinel = Object.keys(nextTools).sort();
                   const nextMemoryToolAvailable = nextTools.memory !== undefined;
-                  const shouldUpgradeNextMemoryContext =
-                    nextMemoryToolAvailable &&
-                    memoryHotSetExperimentEnabled &&
-                    resolveMemoryContext !== undefined;
-                  const nextMemoryContext = shouldUpgradeNextMemoryContext
-                    ? await resolveMemoryContext(next.canonicalModelString, {
-                        includeHotMemories: true,
-                      })
-                    : memoryContext;
+                  const nextMemoryContext = await upgradeMemoryContextForModel(
+                    nextMemoryToolAvailable,
+                    next.canonicalModelString
+                  );
 
                   // Rebuild the system prompt for the fallback model (tool
                   // instructions and "Model:" sections are model-keyed), keeping
diff --git a/src/node/services/memoryConsolidationService.ts b/src/node/services/memoryConsolidationService.ts
index 1e0460880d..a43a91a3da 100644
--- a/src/node/services/memoryConsolidationService.ts
+++ b/src/node/services/memoryConsolidationService.ts
@@ -157,6 +157,20 @@ export function resolveConsolidationProjectPath(workspace: {
   );
 }
 
+/**
+ * Newest completed run across all workspaces, or null when none have run.
+ * Every run consolidates global scope, so the newest run anywhere doubles as
+ * the last time global memory was covered.
+ */
+function findNewestWorkspaceRecord(
+  workspaces: Record<string, MemoryConsolidationRecord>
+): MemoryConsolidationRecord | null {
+  return Object.values(workspaces).reduce<MemoryConsolidationRecord | null>(
+    (latest, record) => (latest === null || record.lastRunAt > latest.lastRunAt ? record : latest),
+    null
+  );
+}
+
 export class MemoryConsolidationService extends EventEmitter {
   private readonly sidecarPath: string;
   /** Serializes sidecar read-modify-write cycles (journal persistence only). */
@@ -209,11 +223,7 @@ export class MemoryConsolidationService extends EventEmitter {
     const file = await this.load();
     const workspace = this.config.findWorkspace(workspaceId);
     const projectPath = workspace == null ? "" : resolveConsolidationProjectPath(workspace);
-    const globalRecord = Object.values(file.workspaces).reduce<MemoryConsolidationRecord | null>(
-      (latest, record) =>
-        latest === null || record.lastRunAt > latest.lastRunAt ? record : latest,
-      null
-    );
+    const globalRecord = findNewestWorkspaceRecord(file.workspaces);
     return {
       workspaceRecord: file.workspaces[workspaceId] ?? null,
       projectRecord: projectPath === "" ? null : (file.projects[projectPath] ?? null),
@@ -409,10 +419,7 @@ export class MemoryConsolidationService extends EventEmitter {
     // (every run consolidates global). Derived, so no sidecar schema change.
     // Advanced after each successful run below: a global-only write needs ONE
     // covering pass, not one per idle workspace in the same sweep.
-    let globalLastRunAt = Math.max(
-      0,
-      ...Object.values(sidecar.workspaces).map((record) => record.lastRunAt)
-    );
+    let globalLastRunAt = findNewestWorkspaceRecord(sidecar.workspaces)?.lastRunAt ?? 0;
     const archivedById = new Map<string, boolean>();
     const projectPathByWorkspace = new Map<string, string>();
     for (const [configProjectPath, project] of this.config.loadConfigOrDefault().projects) {
diff --git a/src/node/services/tools/memory.ts b/src/node/services/tools/memory.ts
index 635a9e5310..cbf44f6921 100644
--- a/src/node/services/tools/memory.ts
+++ b/src/node/services/tools/memory.ts
@@ -20,31 +20,27 @@ const READ_ONLY_ACCESS: MemoryScopeAccess = {
   workspace: "read",
 };
 
+/** Full write access to every scope, shared by plan-like and exec-like agents. */
+const READ_WRITE_ACCESS: MemoryScopeAccess = {
+  global: "readwrite",
+  project: "readwrite",
+  workspace: "readwrite",
+};
+
 /**
  * Map an agent class onto the per-scope memory write matrix
  * (see MemoryScopeAccess in src/common/constants/memory.ts):
- * - Plan-like agents get read-write memory access; project memory is host-local
- *   and never mutates the repo checkout.
- * - Editing-capable (exec-like) agents get read-write everywhere.
+ * - Plan-like and editing-capable (exec-like) agents get read-write everywhere;
+ *   project memory is host-local and never mutates the repo checkout, so even
+ *   plan agents may write it.
  * - Everything else (explore/read-only agents) is view-only.
  */
 export function resolveMemoryAccessPolicy(options: {
   planLike: boolean;
   editingCapable: boolean;
 }): MemoryScopeAccess {
-  if (options.planLike) {
-    return {
-      global: "readwrite",
-      project: "readwrite",
-      workspace: "readwrite",
-    };
-  }
-  if (options.editingCapable) {
-    return {
-      global: "readwrite",
-      project: "readwrite",
-      workspace: "readwrite",
-    };
+  if (options.planLike || options.editingCapable) {
+    return READ_WRITE_ACCESS;
   }
   return READ_ONLY_ACCESS;
 }