diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/settings/gateway-settings.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/app/settings/gateway-settings.tsx
index 4d436aa8cc6..57ed01dc904 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/settings/gateway-settings.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/settings/gateway-settings.tsx
@@ -31,6 +31,10 @@ interface GatewaySettingsState {
   cloudOrg: string
 }
 
+// Where the "no agents found" empty state sends you to create one — the Hermes
+// Cloud instance-setup flow (?setup=instance deep-links into the create form).
+const HERMES_CLOUD_SETUP_URL = 'https://portal.nousresearch.com/cloud?setup=instance'
+
 const EMPTY_STATE: GatewaySettingsState = {
   envOverride: false,
   mode: 'local',
@@ -119,9 +123,6 @@ export function GatewaySettings() {
   const [cloudAgents, setCloudAgents] = useState<DesktopCloudAgent[]>([])
   const [cloudDiscover, setCloudDiscover] = useState<CloudDiscoverStatus>('idle')
   const [cloudConnectingId, setCloudConnectingId] = useState<null | string>(null)
-  // Portal base URL echoed by cloud.status() — used to build the "create an
-  // agent" link so it honors HERMES_PORTAL_BASE_URL instead of a hardcoded host.
-  const [cloudPortalUrl, setCloudPortalUrl] = useState('')
   // Multi-org users: when discovery returns needsOrgSelection, we hold the org
   // list here and show a picker. `cloudOrg` is the chosen org slug/id (null =
   // not yet chosen / single-org user).
@@ -213,11 +214,6 @@ export function GatewaySettings() {
   const isConnectedAgent = (agent: DesktopCloudAgent) =>
     Boolean(connectedCloudUrl && agent.dashboardUrl && normalizeCloudUrl(agent.dashboardUrl) === connectedCloudUrl)
 
-  // "Create an agent" target: the Hermes Cloud instance-setup page, derived from
-  // the portal base URL (cloud.status echoes it) so it honors
-  // HERMES_PORTAL_BASE_URL; falls back to the canonical host before status lands.
-  const createCloudAgentUrl = `${(cloudPortalUrl || 'https://portal.nousresearch.com').replace(/\/+$/, '')}/cloud?setup=instance`
-
   useEffect(() => {
     if (state.mode !== 'remote' || !trimmedUrl || !/^https?:\/\//i.test(trimmedUrl)) {
       setProbeStatus('idle')
@@ -534,7 +530,6 @@ export function GatewaySettings() {
           return
         }
 
-        setCloudPortalUrl(status.portalBaseUrl)
         setCloudSignedIn(status.signedIn)
 
         if (status.signedIn) {
@@ -873,7 +868,7 @@ export function GatewaySettings() {
                     <AlertCircle className="mt-0.5 size-4 shrink-0" />
                     <span>
                       {g.cloudNoAgents.before}
-                      <ExternalLink href={createCloudAgentUrl} showExternalIcon={false}>
+                      <ExternalLink href={HERMES_CLOUD_SETUP_URL} showExternalIcon={false}>
                         {g.cloudNoAgents.linkText}
                       </ExternalLink>
                       {g.cloudNoAgents.after}