diff --git a/tests/gateway/test_api_server.py b/tests/gateway/test_api_server.py
index 95d49d8b4f1..ac5e29c4d3c 100644
--- a/tests/gateway/test_api_server.py
+++ b/tests/gateway/test_api_server.py
@@ -337,6 +337,40 @@ class TestAdapterInit:
         assert isinstance(agent, FakeAgent)
         assert captured["reasoning_config"] == {"enabled": True, "effort": "xhigh"}
 
+    def test_create_agent_refreshes_max_iterations_from_runtime_config(self, monkeypatch):
+        captured = {}
+
+        class FakeAgent:
+            def __init__(self, **kwargs):
+                captured.update(kwargs)
+
+        monkeypatch.setattr("run_agent.AIAgent", FakeAgent)
+        monkeypatch.setattr(
+            "gateway.run._resolve_runtime_agent_kwargs",
+            lambda: {
+                "provider": "openai",
+                "base_url": "https://example.test/v1",
+                "api_mode": "chat_completions",
+            },
+        )
+        monkeypatch.setattr("gateway.run._resolve_gateway_model", lambda: "gpt-5")
+        monkeypatch.setattr("gateway.run._load_gateway_config", lambda: {"agent": {"max_turns": 200}})
+        monkeypatch.setattr(
+            "gateway.run.GatewayRunner._load_reasoning_config",
+            staticmethod(lambda: {}),
+        )
+        monkeypatch.setattr("gateway.run.GatewayRunner._load_fallback_model", staticmethod(lambda: None))
+        monkeypatch.setattr("gateway.run._current_max_iterations", lambda: 200)
+        monkeypatch.setattr("hermes_cli.tools_config._get_platform_tools", lambda *_: set())
+
+        adapter = APIServerAdapter(PlatformConfig(enabled=True))
+        monkeypatch.setattr(adapter, "_ensure_session_db", lambda: None)
+
+        agent = adapter._create_agent(session_id="api-session")
+
+        assert isinstance(agent, FakeAgent)
+        assert captured["max_iterations"] == 200
+
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Auth checking
diff --git a/tests/gateway/test_runtime_env_reload_config_authority.py b/tests/gateway/test_runtime_env_reload_config_authority.py
index 92d54b8863c..d90b58297e8 100644
--- a/tests/gateway/test_runtime_env_reload_config_authority.py
+++ b/tests/gateway/test_runtime_env_reload_config_authority.py
@@ -51,3 +51,18 @@ def test_reload_runtime_env_keeps_env_max_iterations_when_config_omits_key(
     gateway_run._reload_runtime_env_preserving_config_authority()
 
     assert os.environ["HERMES_MAX_ITERATIONS"] == "123"
+
+
+def test_current_max_iterations_reloads_before_reading(monkeypatch) -> None:
+    monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_MAX_ITERATIONS", "90")
+
+    def _fake_reload() -> None:
+        os.environ["HERMES_MAX_ITERATIONS"] = "200"
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        gateway_run,
+        "_reload_runtime_env_preserving_config_authority",
+        _fake_reload,
+    )
+
+    assert gateway_run._current_max_iterations() == 200