diff --git a/cli.py b/cli.py
index f426fab2bd..e8c804a9e8 100644
--- a/cli.py
+++ b/cli.py
@@ -4988,14 +4988,27 @@ class HermesCLI:
                 except Exception:
                     pass
                 if title and self._session_db:
+                    from hermes_state import SessionDB
                     try:
-                        from hermes_state import SessionDB
                         sanitized = SessionDB.sanitize_title(title)
-                        if sanitized:
+                    except ValueError as e:
+                        _cprint(f"  Title rejected: {e}")
+                        sanitized = None
+                        title = None
+                    if sanitized:
+                        try:
                             self._session_db.set_session_title(self.session_id, sanitized)
                             self._pending_title = None
-                    except Exception:
-                        pass
+                            title = sanitized
+                        except ValueError as e:
+                            _cprint(f"  {e} — session started untitled.")
+                            title = None
+                        except Exception:
+                            title = None
+                    elif title is not None:
+                        # sanitize_title returned empty (whitespace-only / unprintable)
+                        _cprint("  Title is empty after cleanup — session started untitled.")
+                        title = None
             # Notify memory providers that session_id rotated to a fresh
             # conversation. reset=True signals providers to flush accumulated
             # per-session state (_session_turns, _turn_counter, _document_id).
diff --git a/gateway/run.py b/gateway/run.py
index 8c7863c07a..4ca4711cdd 100644
--- a/gateway/run.py
+++ b/gateway/run.py
@@ -6898,14 +6898,26 @@ class GatewayRunner:
 
         # Set session title if provided with /new <title>
         _title_arg = event.get_command_args().strip()
+        _title_note = ""
         if _title_arg and self._session_db and new_entry:
+            from hermes_state import SessionDB
             try:
-                from hermes_state import SessionDB
                 sanitized = SessionDB.sanitize_title(_title_arg)
-                if sanitized:
+            except ValueError as e:
+                sanitized = None
+                _title_note = f"\n⚠️ Title rejected: {e}"
+            if sanitized:
+                try:
                     self._session_db.set_session_title(new_entry.session_id, sanitized)
-            except Exception:
-                pass
+                    header = f"✨ New session started: {sanitized}"
+                except ValueError as e:
+                    _title_note = f"\n⚠️ {e} — session started untitled."
+                except Exception:
+                    pass
+            elif not _title_note:
+                # sanitize_title returned empty (whitespace-only / unprintable)
+                _title_note = "\n⚠️ Title is empty after cleanup — session started untitled."
+        header = header + _title_note
 
         # Fire plugin on_session_reset hook (new session guaranteed to exist)
         try:
diff --git a/scripts/release.py b/scripts/release.py
index 245badbe6c..2a4965f023 100755
--- a/scripts/release.py
+++ b/scripts/release.py
@@ -513,6 +513,7 @@ AUTHOR_MAP = {
     "nftpoetrist@gmail.com": "nftpoetrist",  # PR #18982
     "millerc79@users.noreply.github.com": "millerc79",  # PR #19033
     "hermes@example.com": "shellybotmoyer",  # PR #18915 (bot-committed)
+    "exx@example.com": "exxmen",  # PR #19555
     "hypnosis.mda@gmail.com": "Hypn0sis",
     "ywt000818@gmail.com": "OwenYWT",
     "dhandhalyabhavik@gmail.com": "v1k22",
diff --git a/tests/cli/test_cli_new_session.py b/tests/cli/test_cli_new_session.py
index b2763d9b4f..4f453fea32 100644
--- a/tests/cli/test_cli_new_session.py
+++ b/tests/cli/test_cli_new_session.py
@@ -238,3 +238,40 @@ def test_new_session_with_title(capsys):
 
     captured = capsys.readouterr()
     assert "My Test Session" in captured.out
+
+
+def test_new_session_with_duplicate_title_surfaces_error(capsys):
+    """new_session(title=...) handles ValueError from a duplicate-title conflict.
+
+    The session is still created; the title assignment fails; the success banner
+    must not claim the rejected title as the session name.
+    """
+    cli = _make_cli()
+    cli._session_db = MagicMock()
+    cli._session_db.set_session_title.side_effect = ValueError(
+        "Title 'Dup' is already in use by session abc-123"
+    )
+    cli.agent = _FakeAgent("old_session_id", datetime.now())
+    cli.conversation_history = []
+
+    # Capture warnings printed via cli._cprint. After importlib.reload(),
+    # the method's __globals__ dict is the one from the live module — patch
+    # the exact dict the method will read.
+    warnings: list[str] = []
+    method_globals = cli.new_session.__globals__
+    original = method_globals["_cprint"]
+    method_globals["_cprint"] = lambda msg: warnings.append(msg)
+    try:
+        cli.new_session(title="Dup")
+    finally:
+        method_globals["_cprint"] = original
+
+    cli._session_db.set_session_title.assert_called_once()
+    joined = "\n".join(warnings)
+    assert "already in use" in joined
+    assert "session started untitled" in joined
+
+    # The success banner must NOT claim the rejected title as the session name.
+    captured = capsys.readouterr()
+    assert "New session started: Dup" not in captured.out
+    assert "New session started!" in captured.out
diff --git a/tests/gateway/test_title_command.py b/tests/gateway/test_title_command.py
index 4a57771e7d..c09a2202f4 100644
--- a/tests/gateway/test_title_command.py
+++ b/tests/gateway/test_title_command.py
@@ -274,6 +274,71 @@ class TestResetCommandWithTitle:
         runner._session_db.set_session_title.assert_called_once_with(
             "sess-new", "Custom Name"
         )
+        # Header reflects the applied title
+        assert "Custom Name" in str(result)
+
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_reset_command_duplicate_title_surfaces_warning(self):
+        """/new <title> with an already-in-use title returns a warning in the reply."""
+        from datetime import datetime
+
+        from gateway.run import GatewayRunner
+        from gateway.session import SessionEntry, SessionSource, build_session_key
+
+        runner = object.__new__(GatewayRunner)
+        runner.config = GatewayConfig(
+            platforms={Platform.TELEGRAM: PlatformConfig(enabled=True, token="***")}
+        )
+        adapter = MagicMock()
+        adapter.send = AsyncMock()
+        runner.adapters = {Platform.TELEGRAM: adapter}
+        runner._voice_mode = {}
+        runner.hooks = SimpleNamespace(emit=AsyncMock(), loaded_hooks=False)
+        runner._session_model_overrides = {}
+        runner._pending_model_notes = {}
+        runner._background_tasks = set()
+
+        source = SessionSource(
+            platform=Platform.TELEGRAM,
+            user_id="12345",
+            chat_id="67890",
+            user_name="testuser",
+        )
+        session_key = build_session_key(source)
+        new_session_entry = SessionEntry(
+            session_key=session_key,
+            session_id="sess-new",
+            created_at=datetime.now(),
+            updated_at=datetime.now(),
+            platform=Platform.TELEGRAM,
+            chat_type="dm",
+        )
+        runner.session_store = MagicMock()
+        runner.session_store.get_or_create_session.return_value = new_session_entry
+        runner.session_store.reset_session.return_value = new_session_entry
+        runner.session_store._entries = {session_key: new_session_entry}
+        runner.session_store._generate_session_key.return_value = session_key
+        runner._running_agents = {}
+        runner._pending_messages = {}
+        runner._pending_approvals = {}
+        runner._session_db = MagicMock()
+        runner._session_db.set_session_title.side_effect = ValueError(
+            "Title 'Dup' is already in use by session abc-123"
+        )
+        runner._agent_cache = {}
+        runner._agent_cache_lock = None
+        runner._is_user_authorized = lambda _source: True
+        runner._format_session_info = lambda: ""
+
+        event = _make_event(text="/new Dup")
+        result = await runner._handle_reset_command(event)
+
+        runner._session_db.set_session_title.assert_called_once()
+        reply = str(result)
+        assert "already in use" in reply
+        assert "session started untitled" in reply
+        # Header must NOT claim the rejected title as the session name
+        assert "New session started: Dup" not in reply
 
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------