diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_config_drift.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_config_drift.py
index 4b49c58b19..deabb813e7 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_config_drift.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_config_drift.py
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ documented or declared at some point but never actually wired up to read code.
 Future dead-config regressions can accumulate here.
 """
 
+import inspect
+
 
 def test_delegation_default_toolsets_removed_from_cli_config():
     """delegation.default_toolsets was dead config — never read by
@@ -13,13 +15,22 @@ def test_delegation_default_toolsets_removed_from_cli_config():
     Guards against accidental re-introduction in cli.py's CLI_CONFIG default
     dict. If this test fails, someone re-added the key without wiring it up
     to _load_config() in tools/delegate_tool.py.
-    """
-    from cli import CLI_CONFIG
 
-    delegation_cfg = CLI_CONFIG.get("delegation", {})
-    assert "default_toolsets" not in delegation_cfg, (
-        "delegation.default_toolsets was removed in M0.5 because it was "
-        "never read. Do not re-add it; use tools/delegate_tool.py's "
-        "DEFAULT_TOOLSETS module constant or wire a new config key through "
-        "_load_config()."
+    We inspect the source of load_cli_config() instead of asserting on the
+    runtime CLI_CONFIG dict because CLI_CONFIG is populated by deep-merging
+    the user's ~/.hermes/config.yaml over the defaults (cli.py:359-366).
+    A contributor who still has the legacy key set in their own config
+    would cause a false failure, and HERMES_HOME patching via conftest
+    doesn't help because cli._hermes_home is frozen at module import time
+    (cli.py:76) — before any autouse fixture can fire. Source inspection
+    sidesteps all of that: it tests the defaults literal directly.
+    """
+    from cli import load_cli_config
+
+    source = inspect.getsource(load_cli_config)
+    assert '"default_toolsets"' not in source, (
+        "delegation.default_toolsets was removed because it was never read. "
+        "Do not re-add it to cli.py's CLI_CONFIG default dict; "
+        "use tools/delegate_tool.py's DEFAULT_TOOLSETS module constant or "
+        "wire a new config key through _load_config()."
     )