diff --git a/cli.py b/cli.py
index 89a9af4f022..c61d08d254a 100644
--- a/cli.py
+++ b/cli.py
@@ -415,6 +415,12 @@ def load_cli_config() -> Dict[str, Any]:
         "display": {
             "compact": False,
             "resume_display": "full",
+            # Recap tuning for /resume — see hermes_cli/config.py DEFAULT_CONFIG.
+            "resume_exchanges": 10,
+            "resume_max_user_chars": 300,
+            "resume_max_assistant_chars": 200,
+            "resume_max_assistant_lines": 3,
+            "resume_skip_tool_only": True,
             "show_reasoning": False,
             "streaming": True,
             "busy_input_mode": "interrupt",
diff --git a/hermes_cli/config.py b/hermes_cli/config.py
index f3ee2632b86..9f457d741d0 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/config.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/config.py
@@ -1008,6 +1008,19 @@ DEFAULT_CONFIG = {
         "compact": False,
         "personality": "kawaii",
         "resume_display": "full",
+        # Recap tuning for /resume and startup resume. The defaults match the
+        # historical hardcoded values; expose them as config so power users can
+        # widen or tighten the snapshot to taste.
+        "resume_exchanges": 10,            # max user+assistant pairs to show
+        "resume_max_user_chars": 300,      # truncate user message text
+        "resume_max_assistant_chars": 200, # truncate non-last assistant text
+        "resume_max_assistant_lines": 3,   # truncate non-last assistant lines
+        # When True (default), assistant entries that are *only* tool calls
+        # (no visible text) are skipped in the recap. This prevents the recap
+        # from being dominated by `[2 tool calls: terminal, read_file]` lines
+        # when an exchange was tool-heavy. Set False to restore the legacy
+        # behavior of showing tool-call summaries inline.
+        "resume_skip_tool_only": True,
         "busy_input_mode": "interrupt",  # interrupt | queue | steer
         # When true, `hermes --tui` auto-resumes the most recent human-
         # facing session on launch instead of forging a fresh one.