diff --git a/tests/tools/test_lazy_deps.py b/tests/tools/test_lazy_deps.py
index 195095543303..0063e7680603 100644
--- a/tests/tools/test_lazy_deps.py
+++ b/tests/tools/test_lazy_deps.py
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ class TestActiveFeatures:
         monkeypatch.setattr(ld, "_is_present", lambda spec: False)
         assert ld.active_features() == []
 
-    def test_finds_features_with_at_least_one_package_installed(self, monkeypatch):
+    def test_finds_features_with_anchor_package_installed(self, monkeypatch):
         # Pretend only honcho-ai is installed; nothing else.
         monkeypatch.setattr(
             ld, "_is_present",
@@ -332,16 +332,24 @@ class TestActiveFeatures:
         assert "memory.hindsight" not in active
         assert "platform.slack" not in active
 
-    def test_multi_package_feature_active_if_any_present(self, monkeypatch):
-        # platform.slack has 3 packages; only one needs to be present
-        # for the feature to count as active (user activated it before,
-        # one transitive may have been uninstalled separately).
+    def test_multi_package_feature_active_if_anchor_present(self, monkeypatch):
+        # platform.slack has multiple packages; the first spec is its anchor.
         monkeypatch.setattr(
             ld, "_is_present",
             lambda spec: ld._pkg_name_from_spec(spec) == "slack-bolt",
         )
         assert "platform.slack" in ld.active_features()
 
+    def test_shared_dependency_does_not_activate_feature(self, monkeypatch):
+        # asyncpg is a generic dependency that may be installed for unrelated
+        # reasons. It must not make hermes update try to refresh Matrix unless
+        # the Matrix anchor package (mautrix) is present.
+        monkeypatch.setattr(
+            ld, "_is_present",
+            lambda spec: ld._pkg_name_from_spec(spec) == "asyncpg",
+        )
+        assert "platform.matrix" not in ld.active_features()
+
 
 class TestRefreshActiveFeatures:
     def test_no_active_features_returns_empty(self, monkeypatch):
diff --git a/tools/lazy_deps.py b/tools/lazy_deps.py
index 3d59ba84f925..c22d870ec04e 100644
--- a/tools/lazy_deps.py
+++ b/tools/lazy_deps.py
@@ -877,8 +877,12 @@ def feature_install_command(feature: str) -> Optional[str]:
 def active_features() -> list[str]:
     """Return the list of features the user has ever lazy-installed.
 
-    A feature counts as "active" if at least one of its declared packages
-    is currently installed in the venv (presence check, ignoring version).
+    A feature counts as "active" if its anchor package (the first declared
+    spec) is currently installed in the venv (presence check, ignoring
+    version). We intentionally do NOT treat shared helper packages as proof
+    that a backend was enabled: for example ``platform.matrix`` depends on
+    generic packages like ``asyncpg``/``aiosqlite`` that can be installed for
+    unrelated reasons, while the actual Matrix adapter anchor is ``mautrix``.
     Features the user has never enabled stay quiet.
 
     Used by ``hermes update`` to figure out which lazy backends need a
@@ -886,7 +890,7 @@ def active_features() -> list[str]:
     """
     active = []
     for feature, specs in LAZY_DEPS.items():
-        if any(_is_present(s) for s in specs):
+        if specs and _is_present(specs[0]):
             active.append(feature)
     return active