diff --git a/hermes_cli/profile_distribution.py b/hermes_cli/profile_distribution.py
index 45b0302f35c..a667b5a1e07 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/profile_distribution.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/profile_distribution.py
@@ -432,6 +432,20 @@ def _stage_source(source: str, workdir: Path) -> Tuple[Path, str]:
     )
 
 
+def _reject_distribution_symlinks(staged: Path) -> None:
+    """Reject symlinks before reading or copying distribution files."""
+    for entry in staged.rglob("*"):
+        if not entry.is_symlink():
+            continue
+        try:
+            rel = entry.relative_to(staged)
+        except ValueError:
+            rel = entry
+        raise DistributionError(
+            f"Profile distributions cannot contain symlinks: {rel}"
+        )
+
+
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Install
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -484,6 +498,7 @@ def plan_install(
     from hermes_cli import __version__ as hermes_version
 
     staged, provenance = _stage_source(source, workdir)
+    _reject_distribution_symlinks(staged)
     manifest = read_manifest(staged)
     if manifest is None:
         raise DistributionError(
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_profile_distribution.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_profile_distribution.py
index 46e00e33cac..cf27df91b69 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_profile_distribution.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_profile_distribution.py
@@ -74,6 +74,13 @@ def _make_staging_dir(root: Path, name: str = "src", *, manifest: DistributionMa
     return staged
 
 
+def _symlink_file_or_skip(link: Path, target: Path) -> None:
+    try:
+        link.symlink_to(target)
+    except OSError as exc:
+        pytest.skip(f"symlinks unavailable in test environment: {exc}")
+
+
 # ===========================================================================
 # Manifest parsing
 # ===========================================================================
@@ -473,6 +480,23 @@ class TestSecurity:
         if (plan.target_dir / ".env").exists():
             assert "LEAKED" not in (plan.target_dir / ".env").read_text()
 
+    def test_install_rejects_symlinked_distribution_files(self, profile_env, tmp_path):
+        """Distribution install must not follow symlinks to local files."""
+        staged = _make_staging_dir(profile_env, "src")
+        local_secret = tmp_path / "local-secret.txt"
+        local_secret.write_text("outside secret\n")
+        _symlink_file_or_skip(
+            staged / "skills" / "demo" / "leak.txt",
+            local_secret,
+        )
+
+        with pytest.raises(DistributionError, match="symlink"):
+            install_distribution(str(staged), name="clean")
+
+        from hermes_cli.profiles import get_profile_dir
+        target = get_profile_dir("clean")
+        assert not (target / "skills" / "demo" / "leak.txt").exists()
+
 
 # ===========================================================================
 # Install-time metadata (installed_at stamp)
@@ -581,4 +605,3 @@ class TestErrorSurfaces:
         staged = _make_staging_dir(profile_env, "bad", manifest=mf)
         with pytest.raises((ValueError, DistributionError)):
             plan_install(str(staged), tmp_path / "work")
-