diff --git a/hive-c0re/src/auto_update.rs b/hive-c0re/src/auto_update.rs
index af2cb95f..db81b452 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/src/auto_update.rs
+++ b/hive-c0re/src/auto_update.rs
@@ -164,16 +164,17 @@ pub async fn rebuild_agent(
     result
 }
 
-/// Whether hive-c0re auto-manages the root/manager agent — creating it on
-/// startup and restarting it when present-but-stopped. Controlled by the
-/// host option `services.hyperhive.manageRootAgent`, threaded in via the
-/// `HYPERHIVE_MANAGE_ROOT_AGENT` env var. Defaults to enabled when the
-/// var is unset (back-compat: the root agent was always managed before
-/// this opt-out existed); only an explicit `false` / `0` / `no` disables.
-fn manage_root_agent() -> bool {
-    match std::env::var("HYPERHIVE_MANAGE_ROOT_AGENT") {
-        Ok(v) => !matches!(v.trim().to_ascii_lowercase().as_str(), "false" | "0" | "no"),
-        Err(_) => true,
+/// Whether this hive is "ruthless" — running with no root/manager agent at
+/// all (no ruth). When true, hive-c0re skips the root-agent create/start
+/// sweep entirely. Controlled by the host option
+/// `services.hyperhive.ruthless`, threaded in via the `HYPERHIVE_RUTHLESS`
+/// env var. Defaults to `false` when the var is unset (back-compat: the
+/// root agent was always auto-managed before this opt-out existed); only
+/// an explicit `true` / `1` / `yes` enables ruthless mode.
+fn ruthless() -> bool {
+    match std::env::var("HYPERHIVE_RUTHLESS") {
+        Ok(v) => matches!(v.trim().to_ascii_lowercase().as_str(), "true" | "1" | "yes"),
+        Err(_) => false,
     }
 }
 
@@ -181,13 +182,12 @@ fn manage_root_agent() -> bool {
 /// hive-c0re manages the manager end-to-end: operators no longer declare
 /// `containers.h-ruth` in their host NixOS config. Bypasses the approval
 /// queue — the root/manager is auto-managed by default. Operators who
-/// don't want a root agent at all set `services.hyperhive.manageRootAgent
-/// = false`, which short-circuits this whole function. Idempotent.
+/// don't want a root agent at all set `services.hyperhive.ruthless = true`,
+/// which short-circuits this whole function. Idempotent.
 pub async fn ensure_root_agent(coord: &Arc<Coordinator>) -> Result<()> {
-    if !manage_root_agent() {
+    if ruthless() {
         tracing::info!(
-            "root-agent auto-management disabled (services.hyperhive.manageRootAgent = false) - \
-             skipping root agent create/start"
+            "ruthless mode (services.hyperhive.ruthless = true) - skipping root agent create/start"
         );
         return Ok(());
     }
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ pub async fn ensure_root_agent(coord: &Arc<Coordinator>) -> Result<()> {
         // stays down until a manual `nixos-container start`. The sub-agent
         // `was_running` guard is intentionally left untouched. (Operators
         // opt out of this whole auto-management with
-        // `services.hyperhive.manageRootAgent = false`, gated at the top of
+        // `services.hyperhive.ruthless = true`, gated at the top of
         // this function.)
         if !lifecycle::is_running(MANAGER_NAME).await {
             tracing::info!("manager container present but not running — starting");
diff --git a/nix/modules/hive-c0re.nix b/nix/modules/hive-c0re.nix
index 2791d7a6..5bf0af7c 100644
--- a/nix/modules/hive-c0re.nix
+++ b/nix/modules/hive-c0re.nix
@@ -187,22 +187,22 @@ in
     '';
   };
 
-  # Whether hive-c0re auto-manages the root/manager agent on startup
-  # (create it if missing, restart it if present-but-stopped). Some hives
-  # don't want a root agent auto-managed at all — see issue tracker
-  # "scope concept: special agents".
-  options.services.hyperhive.manageRootAgent = lib.mkOption {
+  # Whether this hive runs "ruthless" — with no root/manager agent at all.
+  # When true, hive-c0re skips the root-agent auto-management sweep (create
+  # if missing, restart if present-but-stopped). Some hives don't want a
+  # root agent at all — see issue tracker "scope concept: special agents".
+  options.services.hyperhive.ruthless = lib.mkOption {
     type = lib.types.bool;
-    default = true;
-    example = false;
+    default = false;
+    example = true;
     description = ''
-      Whether hive-c0re auto-manages the root (manager) agent on
-      startup: creating its container when missing and restarting it
-      when it's present but stopped. Defaults to `true` (the historical
-      behaviour — the root agent was treated as required infrastructure).
-      Set to `false` on hives that don't want a root agent at all;
-      hive-c0re then skips the root-agent create/start sweep entirely.
-      Exposed to hive-c0re as `HYPERHIVE_MANAGE_ROOT_AGENT`.
+      Run this hive "ruthless" — with no root (manager) agent at all (no
+      ruth). When `true`, hive-c0re skips the root-agent auto-management
+      sweep entirely (it otherwise creates the root agent's container when
+      missing and restarts it when present but stopped). Defaults to
+      `false` (the historical behaviour — the root agent is auto-managed
+      as required infrastructure). Exposed to hive-c0re as
+      `HYPERHIVE_RUTHLESS`.
     '';
   };
 
@@ -892,10 +892,10 @@ in
         # prompts). `hive_sh4re::assets::*` reads paths underneath.
         # `forge.rs` reads the avatar PNGs from here on startup.
         HIVE_ASSETS_DIR = "${cfg.assets}/share/hyperhive";
-        # Whether hive-c0re auto-manages the root/manager agent on
-        # startup (`auto_update::ensure_root_agent`). Default true =
-        # historical behaviour; false makes the root-agent sweep a no-op.
-        HYPERHIVE_MANAGE_ROOT_AGENT = lib.boolToString config.services.hyperhive.manageRootAgent;
+        # Whether this hive runs ruthless — no root/manager agent at all
+        # (`auto_update::ensure_root_agent`). Default false = historical
+        # behaviour (root auto-managed); true makes the sweep a no-op.
+        HYPERHIVE_RUTHLESS = lib.boolToString config.services.hyperhive.ruthless;
       }
       // lib.optionalAttrs (config.services.hyperhive.domain != null) {
         # Identity env vars threaded into c0re's own service env and