diff --git a/hive-matrix-mcp/src/timeline.rs b/hive-matrix-mcp/src/timeline.rs
index 91d10557..6f7894dd 100644
--- a/hive-matrix-mcp/src/timeline.rs
+++ b/hive-matrix-mcp/src/timeline.rs
@@ -76,22 +76,22 @@ pub fn install_message_handler(client: &Client, hyperhive_socket: PathBuf) {
     tracing::info!("matrix message handler installed");
 }
 
-/// Install a handler that auto-accepts room invites as soon as they
-/// arrive during sync. When the daemon receives an `m.room.member`
-/// state event with `membership: invite` for the agent's own user ID,
-/// it calls `join_room_by_id` immediately and fires a hyperhive wake
-/// so the agent learns about the new room on its next turn.
+/// Install a handler that wakes the agent when a room invite arrives.
+/// The agent decides whether to accept by calling `join_room`.
 ///
-/// This closes the gap where agents were provisioned and invited to the
-/// hive Space by hive-c0re but never received the invite notification
-/// because the handler wasn't registered — the invite sat in the
-/// `invited_rooms()` list forever until the agent called `join_room`
-/// manually.
+/// When the daemon receives an `m.room.member` state event with
+/// `membership: invite` for the agent's own user ID during sync, it
+/// fires a hyperhive wake so the agent can inspect the invite via
+/// `list_invites` and act on it with `join_room`.
+///
+/// This closes the gap where invites accumulated in `invited_rooms()`
+/// forever without the agent being notified — the daemon's message
+/// handler only fires for joined rooms.
 pub fn install_invite_handler(client: &Client, hyperhive_socket: PathBuf) {
     let socket = Arc::new(hyperhive_socket);
     let own_user = client.user_id().map(std::borrow::ToOwned::to_owned);
     client.add_event_handler({
-        move |event: StrippedRoomMemberEvent, room: Room, client: Client| {
+        move |event: StrippedRoomMemberEvent, room: Room, _client: Client| {
             let socket = socket.clone();
             let own_user = own_user.clone();
             async move {
@@ -106,24 +106,17 @@ pub fn install_invite_handler(client: &Client, hyperhive_socket: PathBuf) {
                     return;
                 }
                 let room_id = room.room_id().to_owned();
-                match client.join_room_by_id(&room_id).await {
-                    Ok(_) => {
-                        tracing::info!(%room_id, "matrix: auto-accepted invite");
-                        let label = room.name().unwrap_or_else(|| room_id.to_string());
-                        let body = format!(
-                            "[matrix] invited to {label} — auto-accepted; \
-                             use read_room to view messages"
-                        );
-                        if let Err(e) = wake::send_wake(&socket, &body).await {
-                            tracing::warn!(
-                                error = %e,
-                                "matrix: failed to deliver invite-wake to hyperhive"
-                            );
-                        }
-                    }
-                    Err(e) => {
-                        tracing::warn!(error = %e, %room_id, "matrix: auto-accept invite failed");
-                    }
+                let label = room.name().unwrap_or_else(|| room_id.to_string());
+                tracing::info!(%room_id, "matrix: received room invite, waking agent");
+                let body = format!(
+                    "[matrix] invited to {label} ({room_id}) — \
+                     use list_invites to see pending invites, join_room to accept"
+                );
+                if let Err(e) = wake::send_wake(&socket, &body).await {
+                    tracing::warn!(
+                        error = %e,
+                        "matrix: failed to deliver invite-wake to hyperhive"
+                    );
                 }
             }
         }