diff --git a/hermes_cli/config.py b/hermes_cli/config.py
index f374055eace..f2ee3ea48af 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/config.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/config.py
@@ -1428,6 +1428,12 @@ DEFAULT_CONFIG = {
         "tui_agents_nudge": True,
         "bell_on_complete": False,
         "show_reasoning": False,
+        # Background self-improvement review notifications surfaced in chat.
+        #   "off"     — no chat notification (the review still runs and writes)
+        #   "on"      — generic "💾 Memory updated" line (default)
+        #   "verbose" — include a compact content preview of what changed
+        # Per-platform overrides via display.platforms.<platform>.memory_notifications.
+        "memory_notifications": "on",
         "streaming": False,
         "timestamps": False,      # Show [HH:MM] on user and assistant labels
         "final_response_markdown": "strip",  # render | strip | raw
diff --git a/tests/run_agent/test_background_review.py b/tests/run_agent/test_background_review.py
index b512497c1cf..8bce7e1507b 100644
--- a/tests/run_agent/test_background_review.py
+++ b/tests/run_agent/test_background_review.py
@@ -315,3 +315,117 @@ def test_background_review_fork_skips_external_memory_plugins(monkeypatch):
         "the fork leaks harness prompts into the user's real memory "
         "namespace via on_turn_start / prefetch_all / sync_all."
     )
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# memory_notifications mode: off | on | verbose
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+import json as _json
+
+from agent.background_review import summarize_background_review_actions
+
+
+def _memory_add_review():
+    """A minimal review transcript: one memory add (assistant call + tool result)."""
+    return [
+        {
+            "role": "assistant",
+            "tool_calls": [
+                {
+                    "id": "call_mem1",
+                    "function": {
+                        "name": "memory",
+                        "arguments": _json.dumps(
+                            {
+                                "action": "add",
+                                "target": "memory",
+                                "content": "User prefers terse replies",
+                            }
+                        ),
+                    },
+                }
+            ],
+        },
+        {
+            "role": "tool",
+            "tool_call_id": "call_mem1",
+            "content": _json.dumps(
+                {"success": True, "message": "Entry added.", "target": "memory"}
+            ),
+        },
+    ]
+
+
+def _skill_patch_review():
+    return [
+        {
+            "role": "assistant",
+            "tool_calls": [
+                {
+                    "id": "call_skill1",
+                    "function": {
+                        "name": "skill_manage",
+                        "arguments": _json.dumps(
+                            {"action": "patch", "name": "demo", "old_string": "a", "new_string": "b"}
+                        ),
+                    },
+                }
+            ],
+        },
+        {
+            "role": "tool",
+            "tool_call_id": "call_skill1",
+            "content": _json.dumps(
+                {
+                    "success": True,
+                    "message": "Patched SKILL.md in skill 'demo' (1 replacement).",
+                    "_change": {"old": "a", "new": "b"},
+                }
+            ),
+        },
+    ]
+
+
+def test_memory_notifications_off_returns_nothing():
+    actions = summarize_background_review_actions(
+        _memory_add_review(), [], notification_mode="off"
+    )
+    assert actions == []
+
+
+def test_memory_notifications_on_returns_generic_line():
+    actions = summarize_background_review_actions(
+        _memory_add_review(), [], notification_mode="on"
+    )
+    assert actions == ["Memory updated"]
+
+
+def test_memory_notifications_verbose_includes_content_preview():
+    actions = summarize_background_review_actions(
+        _memory_add_review(), [], notification_mode="verbose"
+    )
+    assert len(actions) == 1
+    # Verbose surfaces the actual content that was saved.
+    assert "User prefers terse replies" in actions[0]
+    assert actions[0] != "Memory updated"
+
+
+def test_memory_notifications_default_is_on():
+    """No mode passed → behaves like 'on' (generic line, not empty/verbose)."""
+    actions = summarize_background_review_actions(_memory_add_review(), [])
+    assert actions == ["Memory updated"]
+
+
+def test_skill_patch_off_silent_verbose_shows_diff():
+    assert (
+        summarize_background_review_actions(
+            _skill_patch_review(), [], notification_mode="off"
+        )
+        == []
+    )
+    verbose = summarize_background_review_actions(
+        _skill_patch_review(), [], notification_mode="verbose"
+    )
+    assert len(verbose) == 1
+    assert "demo" in verbose[0] and "→" in verbose[0]
diff --git a/website/docs/user-guide/features/memory.md b/website/docs/user-guide/features/memory.md
index 1f0ee16942f..91874c73e01 100644
--- a/website/docs/user-guide/features/memory.md
+++ b/website/docs/user-guide/features/memory.md
@@ -245,6 +245,27 @@ This is the answer to "the agent saved a wrong assumption about me": set
 `write_approval: true`, and every save — especially the unprompted background
 ones — waits for your yes/no before it ever enters your profile.
 
+## Background review notifications (`display.memory_notifications`)
+
+After a turn, the background self-improvement review may quietly save a memory
+or update a skill. By default it surfaces a short `💾 Memory updated` line in
+chat so you know it happened. Control how chatty that is:
+
+```yaml
+display:
+  memory_notifications: on    # off | on (default) | verbose
+```
+
+| Value | Behaviour |
+|-------|-----------|
+| `off` | No chat notification. The review still runs and still writes — you just don't see a line for it. |
+| `on` (default) | Generic line, e.g. `💾 Memory updated`, `💾 Skill 'foo' patched`. |
+| `verbose` | Includes a compact preview of what changed, e.g. `💾 Memory ➕ User prefers terse replies` or a `"old" → "new"` skill diff snippet. |
+
+> This only governs the **gateway** chat notification. The review itself, and
+> writes to your memory/skill stores, are unaffected by this setting. Set it
+> per-platform via `display.platforms.<platform>.memory_notifications`.
+
 ## Controlling skill writes (`skills.write_approval`)
 
 Skills use the same on/off gate, but the review UX differs because a