diff --git a/gateway/slash_commands.py b/gateway/slash_commands.py
index f35682f8603..ab9ea9759bd 100644
--- a/gateway/slash_commands.py
+++ b/gateway/slash_commands.py
@@ -2343,7 +2343,7 @@ class GatewaySlashCommandsMixin:
         from gateway.run import _hermes_home
         from hermes_cli.write_approval_commands import handle_pending_subcommand
         from tools import write_approval as wa
-        from tools.memory_tool import MemoryStore
+        from tools.memory_tool import load_on_disk_store
 
         raw_args = event.get_command_args().strip()
         args = raw_args.split() if raw_args else []
@@ -2363,8 +2363,8 @@ class GatewaySlashCommandsMixin:
 
         # Apply approved writes against a fresh on-disk store (the gateway has
         # no long-lived agent; the store persists to the same MEMORY/USER.md).
-        store = MemoryStore()
-        store.load_from_disk()
+        # load_on_disk_store() honors the user's configured char limits.
+        store = load_on_disk_store()
 
         out = handle_pending_subcommand(
             wa.MEMORY, args, memory_store=store, set_mode_fn=_set_approval,
diff --git a/hermes_cli/cli_commands_mixin.py b/hermes_cli/cli_commands_mixin.py
index b645900d4f9..95292314c5a 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/cli_commands_mixin.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/cli_commands_mixin.py
@@ -1368,9 +1368,10 @@ class CLICommandsMixin:
             # (gateway/slash_commands.py): it persists to the same MEMORY/USER.md
             # and creates MEMORY.md on the first approved write. Without this the
             # shared handler returns "memory store unavailable". See #46783.
-            from tools.memory_tool import MemoryStore
-            store = MemoryStore()
-            store.load_from_disk()
+            # load_on_disk_store() honors the user's configured char limits, so
+            # an approval here enforces the same caps as the live agent would.
+            from tools.memory_tool import load_on_disk_store
+            store = load_on_disk_store()
         out = handle_pending_subcommand(
             wa.MEMORY, args,
             memory_store=store,
diff --git a/tests/tools/test_write_approval.py b/tests/tools/test_write_approval.py
index 7b65978f0ac..73ea119e0e5 100644
--- a/tests/tools/test_write_approval.py
+++ b/tests/tools/test_write_approval.py
@@ -137,6 +137,33 @@ def test_cli_memory_approve_without_live_agent_uses_fresh_store(hermes_home, cap
     assert any("remember the launch date" in e for e in reloaded.memory_entries)
 
 
+def test_load_on_disk_store_honors_configured_char_limits(hermes_home, monkeypatch):
+    """load_on_disk_store() must read memory.memory_char_limit /
+    user_char_limit from config so approvals applied without a live agent
+    enforce the SAME caps as the live agent (agent_init.py). Falls back to
+    defaults when config can't be loaded.
+    """
+    from tools.memory_tool import load_on_disk_store
+
+    # Config override path: helper picks up the configured limits.
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        "hermes_cli.config.load_config",
+        lambda: {"memory": {"memory_char_limit": 999, "user_char_limit": 444}},
+    )
+    store = load_on_disk_store()
+    assert store.memory_char_limit == 999
+    assert store.user_char_limit == 444
+
+    # Failure path: config raises → defaults, never blows up.
+    def _boom():
+        raise RuntimeError("no config")
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr("hermes_cli.config.load_config", _boom)
+    fallback = load_on_disk_store()
+    assert fallback.memory_char_limit == 2200
+    assert fallback.user_char_limit == 1375
+
+
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Skill gate
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/tools/memory_tool.py b/tools/memory_tool.py
index 33d6ffff5e5..47d9d2c9922 100644
--- a/tools/memory_tool.py
+++ b/tools/memory_tool.py
@@ -731,6 +731,38 @@ class MemoryStore:
             raise RuntimeError(f"Failed to write memory file {path}: {e}")
 
 
+def load_on_disk_store() -> "MemoryStore":
+    """Build a fresh on-disk :class:`MemoryStore`, honoring configured char limits.
+
+    Use this from any context that has no live agent (the messaging gateway, the
+    Desktop GUI, the bare CLI ``/memory`` handler) but still needs to read or
+    apply approved memory writes. Mirrors how the live agent constructs its store
+    in ``agent/agent_init.py`` — including the user's ``memory.memory_char_limit``
+    / ``memory.user_char_limit`` overrides — so an approval applied without a live
+    agent enforces the SAME caps as one applied with one.
+
+    Falls back to the built-in defaults if config can't be loaded, so this can
+    never raise on a missing/unreadable config.
+    """
+    memory_char_limit = 2200
+    user_char_limit = 1375
+    try:
+        from hermes_cli.config import load_config
+
+        mem_cfg = (load_config() or {}).get("memory", {}) or {}
+        memory_char_limit = int(mem_cfg.get("memory_char_limit", memory_char_limit))
+        user_char_limit = int(mem_cfg.get("user_char_limit", user_char_limit))
+    except Exception:
+        pass  # config optional — fall back to defaults rather than break /memory
+
+    store = MemoryStore(
+        memory_char_limit=memory_char_limit,
+        user_char_limit=user_char_limit,
+    )
+    store.load_from_disk()
+    return store
+
+
 def _apply_write_gate(action: str, target: str, content: Optional[str],
                       old_text: Optional[str]) -> Optional[str]:
     """Evaluate the memory write gate. Returns a JSON tool-result string when