diff --git a/scripts/release.py b/scripts/release.py
index 557149cdf05..f20efa90bcf 100755
--- a/scripts/release.py
+++ b/scripts/release.py
@@ -919,6 +919,7 @@ LEGACY_AUTHOR_MAP = {
     "thomasjhon6666@gmail.com": "ThomassJonax",
     "focusflow.app.help@gmail.com": "yes999zc",
     "rob@atlas.lan": "rmoen",
+    "huajiang@tubi.tv": "thirstycrow",  # PR #23630 salvage (config-aware memory status labels)
     # Slack ephemeral slash-ack salvage (May 2026)
     "probepark@users.noreply.github.com": "probepark",
     # Slack batch salvage (May 2026)
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_memory_status.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_memory_status.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ba42f237654
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_memory_status.py
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+"""Tests for `hermes memory status` CLI command.
+
+Covers:
+- Status output shows config-aware indicators instead of hardcoded 'always active'
+- memory_enabled, user_profile_enabled, and memory toolset are each reflected
+- Original issue: 'Built-in: always active' was misleading when features were disabled
+"""
+
+import pytest
+from unittest.mock import patch
+
+
+def _run_cmd_status(capfd, mem_config=None, platform_toolsets=None):
+    """Run cmd_status with a mocked config and return captured stdout."""
+    from hermes_cli.memory_setup import cmd_status
+
+    config = {"memory": mem_config or {}}
+    if platform_toolsets is not None:
+        config["platform_toolsets"] = platform_toolsets
+
+    with patch("hermes_cli.config.load_config", return_value=config):
+        with patch("hermes_cli.memory_setup._get_available_providers", return_value=[]):
+            cmd_status(args=None)
+
+    captured = capfd.readouterr()
+    return captured.out
+
+
+class TestMemoryStatusLabels:
+    """Status output should reflect actual config, not a hardcoded string."""
+
+    def test_no_hardcoded_always_active(self, capfd):
+        """The old 'always active' label must not appear."""
+        out = _run_cmd_status(capfd)
+        assert "always active" not in out
+
+    def test_shows_memory_injection_enabled_by_default(self, capfd):
+        """Memory injection defaults to enabled."""
+        out = _run_cmd_status(capfd)
+        assert "Memory injection:" in out
+        assert "enabled ✓" in out
+
+    def test_shows_memory_injection_disabled(self, capfd):
+        """When memory_enabled is false, status reflects it."""
+        out = _run_cmd_status(capfd, mem_config={"memory_enabled": False})
+        assert "Memory injection:" in out
+        assert "disabled ✗" in out
+
+    def test_shows_user_profile_disabled(self, capfd):
+        """When user_profile_enabled is false, status reflects it."""
+        out = _run_cmd_status(
+            capfd, mem_config={"user_profile_enabled": False}
+        )
+        assert "User profile:" in out
+        assert "disabled ✗" in out
+
+    def test_shows_user_profile_enabled(self, capfd):
+        """When user_profile_enabled is true, status reflects it."""
+        out = _run_cmd_status(
+            capfd, mem_config={"user_profile_enabled": True}
+        )
+        assert "User profile:" in out
+        assert "enabled ✓" in out
+
+    def test_memory_tool_enabled_by_default(self, capfd):
+        """Memory tool is enabled by default (no platform_toolsets = all enabled)."""
+        out = _run_cmd_status(capfd)
+        assert "Memory tool:" in out
+        assert "enabled ✓" in out
+
+    def test_memory_tool_disabled_via_toolset(self, capfd):
+        """When CLI toolset excludes 'memory', the tool shows disabled."""
+        out = _run_cmd_status(
+            capfd,
+            platform_toolsets={"cli": ["terminal", "file"]},
+        )
+        assert "Memory tool:" in out
+        assert "disabled ✗" in out
+
+    def test_memory_tool_enabled_via_toolset(self, capfd):
+        """When CLI toolset includes 'memory', the tool shows enabled."""
+        out = _run_cmd_status(
+            capfd,
+            platform_toolsets={"cli": ["terminal", "file", "memory"]},
+        )
+        assert "Memory tool:" in out
+        assert "enabled ✓" in out
+
+    def test_provider_still_shown(self, capfd):
+        """Provider line still appears alongside the config indicators."""
+        out = _run_cmd_status(
+            capfd, mem_config={"provider": "honcho", "memory_enabled": True}
+        )
+        assert "honcho" in out
+        assert "Memory injection:" in out
+
+    def test_all_disabled(self, capfd):
+        """All three indicators show disabled when everything is off."""
+        out = _run_cmd_status(
+            capfd,
+            mem_config={"memory_enabled": False, "user_profile_enabled": False},
+            platform_toolsets={"cli": ["terminal"]},
+        )
+        assert out.count("disabled ✗") == 3
+        assert "always active" not in out