diff --git a/hermes_cli/main.py b/hermes_cli/main.py
index 9ad4d0142..1e0400884 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/main.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/main.py
@@ -4243,18 +4243,24 @@ def cmd_profile(args):
                             print(f'  Add to your shell config (~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc):')
                             print(f'    export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"')
 
+            # Profile dir for display
+            try:
+                profile_dir_display = "~/" + str(profile_dir.relative_to(Path.home()))
+            except ValueError:
+                profile_dir_display = str(profile_dir)
+
             # Next steps
             print(f"\nNext steps:")
             print(f"  {name} setup              Configure API keys and model")
             print(f"  {name} chat               Start chatting")
             print(f"  {name} gateway start      Start the messaging gateway")
             if clone or clone_all:
-                try:
-                    profile_dir_display = "~/" + str(profile_dir.relative_to(Path.home()))
-                except ValueError:
-                    profile_dir_display = str(profile_dir)
                 print(f"\n  Edit {profile_dir_display}/.env for different API keys")
                 print(f"  Edit {profile_dir_display}/SOUL.md for different personality")
+            else:
+                print(f"\n  ⚠ This profile has no API keys yet. Run '{name} setup' first,")
+                print(f"    or it will inherit keys from your shell environment.")
+                print(f"  Edit {profile_dir_display}/SOUL.md to customize personality")
             print()
 
         except (ValueError, FileExistsError, FileNotFoundError) as e:
diff --git a/hermes_cli/profiles.py b/hermes_cli/profiles.py
index 6735ff0f0..1e9fcae00 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/profiles.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/profiles.py
@@ -459,6 +459,16 @@ def create_profile(
                     dst.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
                     shutil.copy2(src, dst)
 
+    # Seed a default SOUL.md so the user has a file to customize immediately.
+    # Skipped when the profile already has one (from --clone / --clone-all).
+    soul_path = profile_dir / "SOUL.md"
+    if not soul_path.exists():
+        try:
+            from hermes_cli.default_soul import DEFAULT_SOUL_MD
+            soul_path.write_text(DEFAULT_SOUL_MD, encoding="utf-8")
+        except Exception:
+            pass  # best-effort — don't fail profile creation over this
+
     return profile_dir
 
 
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_profiles.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_profiles.py
index c970cb6c5..e6de2f67f 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_profiles.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_profiles.py
@@ -177,7 +177,8 @@ class TestCreateProfile:
         # No error; optional files just not copied
         assert not (profile_dir / "config.yaml").exists()
         assert not (profile_dir / ".env").exists()
-        assert not (profile_dir / "SOUL.md").exists()
+        # SOUL.md is always seeded with the default even when clone source lacks it
+        assert (profile_dir / "SOUL.md").exists()
 
 
 # ===================================================================