diff --git a/hermes_cli/main.py b/hermes_cli/main.py
index 20728c4f336..53441055958 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/main.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/main.py
@@ -1623,7 +1623,11 @@ def _make_tui_argv(tui_dir: Path, tui_dev: bool) -> tuple[list[str], Path]:
         npm_cwd = _workspace_root(tui_dir)
         # --workspace ui-tui avoids resolving apps/desktop (Electron + node-pty).
         # See #38772.
-        npm_workspace_args: tuple[str, ...] = ("--workspace", "ui-tui")
+        # When ui-tui/ has its own package-lock.json (e.g. curl install),
+        # _workspace_root() returns tui_dir itself.  Passing --workspace in
+        # that case fails because npm cannot find a workspace named "ui-tui"
+        # inside ui-tui/.  See #42973.
+        npm_workspace_args: tuple[str, ...] = () if npm_cwd == tui_dir else ("--workspace", "ui-tui")
         if termux_startup:
             npm_cwd, npm_workspace_args = _termux_workspace_install_context(
                 tui_dir,
@@ -4642,7 +4646,9 @@ def _build_web_ui(web_dir: Path, *, fatal: bool = False) -> bool:
     # graph (including apps/desktop with its Electron + node-pty deps) is never
     # resolved here.  Without --workspace the root package.json's apps/* glob
     # would pull in desktop on every web build. See #38772.
-    npm_workspace_args: tuple[str, ...] = ("--workspace", "web")
+    # When web/ has its own package-lock.json, _workspace_root() returns
+    # web_dir itself and --workspace would fail.  See #42973.
+    npm_workspace_args: tuple[str, ...] = () if npm_cwd == web_dir else ("--workspace", "web")
     if _is_termux_startup_environment():
         npm_cwd, npm_workspace_args = _termux_workspace_install_context(web_dir)
     r1 = _run_npm_install_deterministic(
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_subcommands_cron.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_cron_parser_builder.py
similarity index 94%
rename from tests/hermes_cli/test_subcommands_cron.py
rename to tests/hermes_cli/test_cron_parser_builder.py
index e51a0bb6409..16be898b1a9 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_subcommands_cron.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_cron_parser_builder.py
@@ -47,20 +47,19 @@ def test_cron_aliases():
 def test_cron_create_options():
     parser = _build()
     ns = parser.parse_args([
-        "cron", "create", "0 9 * * *", "do the thing",
+        "cron", "create", "0 9 * * *", "daily task prompt",
         "--name", "daily", "--deliver", "origin", "--repeat", "3",
         "--skill", "a", "--skill", "b", "--no-agent",
-        "--workdir", "/tmp/x", "--profile", "work",
+        "--workdir", "/tmp/x",
     ])
     assert ns.schedule == "0 9 * * *"
-    assert ns.prompt == "do the thing"
+    assert ns.prompt == "daily task prompt"
     assert ns.name == "daily"
     assert ns.deliver == "origin"
     assert ns.repeat == 3
     assert ns.skills == ["a", "b"]
     assert ns.no_agent is True
     assert ns.workdir == "/tmp/x"
-    assert ns.profile == "work"
 
 
 def test_cron_edit_no_agent_tristate():
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_tui_npm_install.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_tui_npm_install.py
index 5d52e4276c4..f9b3cf108fc 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_tui_npm_install.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_tui_npm_install.py
@@ -425,3 +425,43 @@ def test_tui_launch_install_uses_workspace_scope(
     install_cmd = npm_calls[0]
     assert "--workspace" in install_cmd
     assert "ui-tui" in install_cmd
+
+def test_make_tui_argv_omits_workspace_when_tui_has_own_lockfile(
+    tmp_path: Path, main_mod, monkeypatch
+) -> None:
+    """When ui-tui/ has its own package-lock.json, _workspace_root returns
+    tui_dir itself.  npm install --workspace ui-tui would fail in that case
+    because npm cannot find a workspace named "ui-tui" inside ui-tui/.
+    The fix omits --workspace and runs plain npm install from tui_dir.
+    See #42973.
+    """
+    tui_dir = tmp_path / "ui-tui"
+    tui_dir.mkdir()
+    (tui_dir / "package.json").write_text("{}")
+    # Simulate curl-install layout: tui_dir has its own lockfile
+    (tui_dir / "package-lock.json").write_text("{}")
+    # Parent also has lockfile (but _workspace_root prefers tui_dir's own)
+    (tmp_path / "package-lock.json").write_text("{}")
+
+    monkeypatch.delenv("TERMUX_VERSION", raising=False)
+    monkeypatch.setenv("PREFIX", "/usr")
+    monkeypatch.setattr(main_mod, "_tui_need_npm_install", lambda _root: True)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(main_mod.shutil, "which", lambda name: f"/bin/{name}")
+    calls = []
+
+    def fake_run(*args, **kwargs):
+        calls.append((args, kwargs))
+        return types.SimpleNamespace(returncode=0, stdout="", stderr="")
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(main_mod.subprocess, "run", fake_run)
+
+    main_mod._make_tui_argv(tui_dir, tui_dev=False)
+
+    install_cmd = calls[0][0][0]
+    # Must NOT contain --workspace when npm_cwd == tui_dir
+    assert "--workspace" not in install_cmd, (
+        f"npm install should omit --workspace when tui_dir has its own lockfile, got: {install_cmd}"
+    )
+    assert install_cmd[:2] == ["/bin/npm", "install"]
+    # cwd must be tui_dir (standalone), not parent
+    assert calls[0][1]["cwd"] == str(tui_dir)
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_web_ui_build.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_web_ui_build.py
index 0783af22a13..cc20fa61cf3 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_web_ui_build.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_web_ui_build.py
@@ -142,6 +142,11 @@ class TestBuildWebUISkipsWhenFresh:
 
     def test_npm_install_uses_workspace_web_scope(self, tmp_path):
         web_dir, _ = _make_web_dir(tmp_path)
+        # Real workspace checkout: the single lockfile lives at the root, so
+        # _workspace_root(web_dir) resolves to the parent and --workspace web
+        # scopes the install. (Without a root lockfile, web_dir IS the root and
+        # --workspace would be dropped — see test below and #42973.)
+        (tmp_path / "package-lock.json").write_text("{}", encoding="utf-8")
         mock_cp = __import__("subprocess").CompletedProcess([], 0, stdout="", stderr="")
         build_ok = __import__("subprocess").CompletedProcess([], 0, stdout="", stderr="")
         with patch("hermes_cli.main.shutil.which", return_value="/usr/bin/npm"), \
@@ -153,6 +158,36 @@ class TestBuildWebUISkipsWhenFresh:
         assert "--workspace" in install_cmd
         assert install_cmd[install_cmd.index("--workspace") + 1] == "web"
 
+    def test_web_install_omits_workspace_when_web_has_own_lockfile(
+        self, tmp_path, monkeypatch
+    ):
+        """web/ with its own lockfile => _workspace_root returns web_dir, so
+        --workspace web would fail (npm can't find that workspace from inside
+        web/). The flag must be dropped and the install run plainly from web_dir.
+        Symmetric to the TUI fix in test_tui_npm_install.py. See #42973.
+
+        With web's own lockfile present at cwd, _run_npm_install_deterministic
+        uses ``npm ci`` (not ``npm install``).
+        """
+        web_dir, _ = _make_web_dir(tmp_path)
+        (web_dir / "package-lock.json").write_text("{}", encoding="utf-8")
+        (tmp_path / "package-lock.json").write_text("{}", encoding="utf-8")
+        monkeypatch.delenv("TERMUX_VERSION", raising=False)
+        monkeypatch.setenv("PREFIX", "/usr")
+
+        install_cp = __import__("subprocess").CompletedProcess([], 0, stdout="", stderr="")
+        build_cp = __import__("subprocess").CompletedProcess([], 0, stdout="", stderr="")
+        with patch("hermes_cli.main.shutil.which", return_value="/usr/bin/npm"), \
+             patch("hermes_cli.main.subprocess.run", return_value=install_cp) as mock_run, \
+             patch("hermes_cli.main._run_with_idle_timeout", return_value=build_cp):
+            result = _build_web_ui(web_dir)
+
+        assert result is True
+        args, kwargs = mock_run.call_args
+        assert "--workspace" not in args[0]
+        assert args[0] == ["/usr/bin/npm", "ci", "--silent"]
+        assert kwargs["cwd"] == web_dir
+
     def test_web_build_uses_idle_timeout_helper(self, tmp_path):
         """npm run build now goes through _run_with_idle_timeout (issue #33788).