diff --git a/tests/tools/test_delegate_composite_toolsets.py b/tests/tools/test_delegate_composite_toolsets.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8546023994
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/tools/test_delegate_composite_toolsets.py
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+"""Tests for composite toolset expansion in delegate_task intersection."""
+
+import unittest
+from unittest.mock import patch
+
+from tools.delegate_tool import _expand_parent_toolsets
+
+
+class TestExpandParentToolsets(unittest.TestCase):
+    """Verify _expand_parent_toolsets recognises individual toolsets within composites."""
+
+    def test_composite_hermes_cli_expands_web(self):
+        """hermes-cli includes web_search/web_extract → 'web' should be in expansion."""
+        expanded = _expand_parent_toolsets({"hermes-cli"})
+        self.assertIn("web", expanded)
+        self.assertIn("terminal", expanded)
+        self.assertIn("browser", expanded)
+        # Original composite is preserved
+        self.assertIn("hermes-cli", expanded)
+
+    def test_individual_toolset_unchanged(self):
+        """When parent already uses individual toolsets, expansion keeps them."""
+        expanded = _expand_parent_toolsets({"web", "terminal"})
+        self.assertIn("web", expanded)
+        self.assertIn("terminal", expanded)
+
+    def test_empty_parent_toolsets(self):
+        expanded = _expand_parent_toolsets(set())
+        self.assertEqual(expanded, set())
+
+    def test_unknown_toolset_passthrough(self):
+        """Unknown toolset names pass through without error."""
+        expanded = _expand_parent_toolsets({"nonexistent-toolset-xyz"})
+        self.assertIn("nonexistent-toolset-xyz", expanded)
+
+    def test_intersection_with_expanded_composite(self):
+        """End-to-end: requesting ['web'] from parent with ['hermes-cli'] yields ['web']."""
+        parent_toolsets = {"hermes-cli"}
+        expanded = _expand_parent_toolsets(parent_toolsets)
+        toolsets = ["web"]
+        child_toolsets = [t for t in toolsets if t in expanded]
+        self.assertEqual(child_toolsets, ["web"])
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    unittest.main()
diff --git a/tools/delegate_tool.py b/tools/delegate_tool.py
index 7b4595cb71..5a1ec534f8 100644
--- a/tools/delegate_tool.py
+++ b/tools/delegate_tool.py
@@ -462,6 +462,37 @@ def _is_mcp_toolset_name(name: str) -> bool:
     return bool(target and str(target).startswith("mcp-"))
 
 
+def _expand_parent_toolsets(parent_toolsets: set) -> set:
+    """Expand composite toolsets so individual toolset names are recognized.
+
+    When a parent uses a composite toolset like ``hermes-cli`` (which bundles
+    all core tools), the child may request individual toolsets such as ``web``
+    or ``terminal``.  A simple name-based intersection would reject them
+    because ``"web" != "hermes-cli"``.
+
+    This helper collects the tool names from each parent toolset, then adds
+    the names of any individual toolsets whose tools are a *subset* of the
+    parent's available tools.  The original parent toolset names are preserved.
+    """
+    parent_tool_names: set = set()
+    for ts_name in parent_toolsets:
+        ts_def = TOOLSETS.get(ts_name)
+        if ts_def:
+            parent_tool_names.update(ts_def.get("tools", []))
+
+    if not parent_tool_names:
+        return set(parent_toolsets)
+
+    expanded = set(parent_toolsets)
+    for ts_name, ts_def in TOOLSETS.items():
+        if ts_name in expanded:
+            continue
+        ts_tools = ts_def.get("tools", [])
+        if ts_tools and set(ts_tools).issubset(parent_tool_names):
+            expanded.add(ts_name)
+    return expanded
+
+
 def _preserve_parent_mcp_toolsets(
     child_toolsets: List[str], parent_toolsets: set[str]
 ) -> List[str]:
@@ -907,8 +938,11 @@ def _build_child_agent(
         parent_toolsets = set(DEFAULT_TOOLSETS)
 
     if toolsets:
-        # Intersect with parent — subagent must not gain tools the parent lacks
-        child_toolsets = [t for t in toolsets if t in parent_toolsets]
+        # Intersect with parent — subagent must not gain tools the parent lacks.
+        # Expand composite toolsets (e.g. hermes-cli) so that individual
+        # toolset names (e.g. web, terminal) are recognised during intersection.
+        expanded_parent = _expand_parent_toolsets(parent_toolsets)
+        child_toolsets = [t for t in toolsets if t in expanded_parent]
         if _get_inherit_mcp_toolsets():
             child_toolsets = _preserve_parent_mcp_toolsets(
                 child_toolsets, parent_toolsets