diff --git a/hermes_cli/env_loader.py b/hermes_cli/env_loader.py
index c5e95a24dbc..c7d507d8c2f 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/env_loader.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/env_loader.py
@@ -243,10 +243,43 @@ def load_hermes_dotenv(
         loaded.append(project_env_path)
 
     _apply_external_secret_sources(home_path)
+    _apply_managed_env()
 
     return loaded
 
 
+def _apply_managed_env() -> None:
+    """Apply the managed-scope .env last, with override, so it beats user/shell.
+
+    Managed scope is machine-global (independent of HERMES_HOME / profile). v1
+    enforcement is "applied last with override=True" — at the end of startup load
+    ``os.environ`` holds the managed value for every managed key, beating both the
+    user ``.env`` and any pre-existing shell export. This deliberately inverts the
+    usual env-over-config precedence for the pinned keys (see
+    ``docs/design/managed-scope.md`` §4.1).
+
+    This does NOT prevent the agent from later mutating ``os.environ`` in-process
+    or ``export``-ing in a subprocess shell; that hard boundary is a documented
+    v2 item (design §8.1). v1 relies on filesystem permissions only.
+
+    Fail-open: a missing managed dir or .env is the common case and a no-op; any
+    error here is swallowed so managed scope can never block startup.
+    """
+    try:
+        from hermes_cli import managed_scope
+
+        managed_dir = managed_scope.get_managed_dir()
+    except Exception:  # noqa: BLE001 — managed scope must never block startup
+        return
+    if managed_dir is None:
+        return
+    managed_env = managed_dir / ".env"
+    if not managed_env.exists():
+        return
+    _sanitize_env_file_if_needed(managed_env)
+    _load_dotenv_with_fallback(managed_env, override=True)
+
+
 def _apply_external_secret_sources(home_path: Path) -> None:
     """Pull secrets from external sources (currently Bitwarden) into env.
 
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_managed_scope_env.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_managed_scope_env.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..fb259216f55
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_managed_scope_env.py
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+"""Env integration tests — managed .env applied last with override."""
+import os
+
+import pytest
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def env_homes(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    home = tmp_path / "home"
+    home.mkdir()
+    managed = tmp_path / "managed"
+    managed.mkdir()
+    monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_MANAGED_DIR", str(managed))
+    from hermes_cli import managed_scope
+
+    managed_scope.invalidate_managed_cache()
+    return home, managed
+
+
+def test_managed_env_beats_user_env(env_homes, monkeypatch):
+    from hermes_cli.env_loader import load_hermes_dotenv
+
+    home, managed = env_homes
+    (home / ".env").write_text("OPENAI_API_BASE=https://user.example/v1\n", encoding="utf-8")
+    (managed / ".env").write_text("OPENAI_API_BASE=https://org.example/v1\n", encoding="utf-8")
+    load_hermes_dotenv(hermes_home=str(home))
+    assert os.environ["OPENAI_API_BASE"] == "https://org.example/v1"
+
+
+def test_managed_env_beats_shell(env_homes, monkeypatch):
+    from hermes_cli.env_loader import load_hermes_dotenv
+
+    home, managed = env_homes
+    monkeypatch.setenv("OPENAI_API_BASE", "https://shell.example/v1")
+    (managed / ".env").write_text("OPENAI_API_BASE=https://org.example/v1\n", encoding="utf-8")
+    load_hermes_dotenv(hermes_home=str(home))
+    assert os.environ["OPENAI_API_BASE"] == "https://org.example/v1"
+
+
+def test_managed_env_leaves_unmanaged_keys_alone(env_homes, monkeypatch):
+    from hermes_cli.env_loader import load_hermes_dotenv
+
+    home, managed = env_homes
+    (home / ".env").write_text("USER_ONLY=keepme\n", encoding="utf-8")
+    (managed / ".env").write_text("OPENAI_API_BASE=https://org.example/v1\n", encoding="utf-8")
+    load_hermes_dotenv(hermes_home=str(home))
+    assert os.environ["USER_ONLY"] == "keepme"
+    assert os.environ["OPENAI_API_BASE"] == "https://org.example/v1"
+
+
+def test_no_managed_env_is_noop(env_homes, monkeypatch):
+    from hermes_cli.env_loader import load_hermes_dotenv
+
+    home, managed = env_homes  # managed dir exists but has no .env
+    monkeypatch.setenv("SOME_VALUE", "from_shell")
+    (home / ".env").write_text("SOME_VALUE=from_user\n", encoding="utf-8")
+    load_hermes_dotenv(hermes_home=str(home))
+    assert os.environ["SOME_VALUE"] == "from_user"