diff --git a/plugins/memory/honcho/client.py b/plugins/memory/honcho/client.py
index 2a7b07ca1b3..3d31bd7a1fb 100644
--- a/plugins/memory/honcho/client.py
+++ b/plugins/memory/honcho/client.py
@@ -91,12 +91,17 @@ def _normalize_recall_mode(val: str) -> str:
     return val if val in _VALID_RECALL_MODES else "hybrid"
 
 
-def _resolve_bool(host_val, root_val, *, default: bool) -> bool:
-    """Resolve a bool config field: host wins, then root, then default."""
-    if host_val is not None:
-        return bool(host_val)
-    if root_val is not None:
-        return bool(root_val)
+def _resolve_bool(*vals, default: bool) -> bool:
+    """Resolve a bool config field: first non-None wins, else default.
+
+    Variadic to support aliased keys (e.g. ``pinUserPeer`` shadowing
+    ``pinPeerName`` for backwards compatibility).  Pass values in
+    precedence order: caller's preferred alias first, then fallback
+    aliases, in (host, root) interleaving as needed.
+    """
+    for val in vals:
+        if val is not None:
+            return bool(val)
     return default
 
 
@@ -488,7 +493,15 @@ class HonchoClientConfig:
             peer_name=host_block.get("peerName") or raw.get("peerName"),
             ai_peer=ai_peer,
             pin_peer_name=_resolve_bool(
+                # ``pinUserPeer`` is the clearer name (the resolver pins
+                # the user-side peer to ``peerName``, ignoring runtime
+                # identity).  ``pinPeerName`` is the original key from
+                # #14984 and stays accepted for backward compatibility.
+                # Host-level keys win over root-level; among same-level
+                # keys, ``pinUserPeer`` wins over ``pinPeerName``.
+                host_block.get("pinUserPeer"),
                 host_block.get("pinPeerName"),
+                raw.get("pinUserPeer"),
                 raw.get("pinPeerName"),
                 default=False,
             ),
diff --git a/tests/honcho_plugin/test_pin_peer_name.py b/tests/honcho_plugin/test_pin_peer_name.py
index 2cfdfc6cdf6..e1ef5fda082 100644
--- a/tests/honcho_plugin/test_pin_peer_name.py
+++ b/tests/honcho_plugin/test_pin_peer_name.py
@@ -614,3 +614,70 @@ class TestCrossPlatformMemoryUnification:
             "multi-user default MUST keep users separate — a regression "
             "here would silently merge unrelated users' memory"
         )
+
+
+class TestPinUserPeerAlias:
+    """``pinUserPeer`` is the canonical name; ``pinPeerName`` is the
+    backwards-compatible alias.
+
+    Both keys land on the same internal ``pin_peer_name`` field.  When
+    both appear, the precedence is: host pinUserPeer → host pinPeerName
+    → root pinUserPeer → root pinPeerName → default.  This matches the
+    rule for every other host/root override in the plugin and lets a
+    host block explicitly disable a root-level pin even via the legacy
+    key.
+    """
+
+    def test_root_pinUserPeer_true_pins(self, tmp_path):
+        from plugins.memory.honcho.client import HonchoClientConfig
+        import json
+        config_file = tmp_path / "honcho.json"
+        config_file.write_text(json.dumps({
+            "apiKey": "***",
+            "peerName": "eri",
+            "pinUserPeer": True,
+        }))
+        config = HonchoClientConfig.from_global_config(config_path=config_file)
+        assert config.pin_peer_name is True
+
+    def test_host_pinUserPeer_wins_over_root_pinPeerName(self, tmp_path):
+        from plugins.memory.honcho.client import HonchoClientConfig
+        import json
+        config_file = tmp_path / "honcho.json"
+        config_file.write_text(json.dumps({
+            "apiKey": "***",
+            "peerName": "eri",
+            "pinPeerName": False,
+            "hosts": {"hermes": {"pinUserPeer": True}},
+        }))
+        config = HonchoClientConfig.from_global_config(config_path=config_file)
+        assert config.pin_peer_name is True
+
+    def test_host_pinUserPeer_false_disables_root_pinPeerName(self, tmp_path):
+        from plugins.memory.honcho.client import HonchoClientConfig
+        import json
+        config_file = tmp_path / "honcho.json"
+        config_file.write_text(json.dumps({
+            "apiKey": "***",
+            "peerName": "eri",
+            "pinPeerName": True,
+            "hosts": {"hermes": {"pinUserPeer": False}},
+        }))
+        config = HonchoClientConfig.from_global_config(config_path=config_file)
+        assert config.pin_peer_name is False, (
+            "Host-level pinUserPeer=false must override the legacy "
+            "root-level pinPeerName=true, otherwise a host can never "
+            "unpin a globally-pinned profile via the new alias."
+        )
+
+    def test_pinPeerName_still_works_unchanged(self, tmp_path):
+        from plugins.memory.honcho.client import HonchoClientConfig
+        import json
+        config_file = tmp_path / "honcho.json"
+        config_file.write_text(json.dumps({
+            "apiKey": "***",
+            "peerName": "eri",
+            "hosts": {"hermes": {"pinPeerName": True}},
+        }))
+        config = HonchoClientConfig.from_global_config(config_path=config_file)
+        assert config.pin_peer_name is True