diff --git a/docs/agent-lifecycle/config-changes.md b/docs/agent-lifecycle/config-changes.md
index a85ad59f..37814b49 100644
--- a/docs/agent-lifecycle/config-changes.md
+++ b/docs/agent-lifecycle/config-changes.md
@@ -338,6 +338,10 @@ once already applied:
   repo, and refreshes the files that follow the agent set
   (`agent_set::refresh`) from the current agent list. Set
   `HIVE_SKIP_META_MIGRATION=1` on the service to defer this phase.
+- **Legacy meta repo**: deletes the leftover `.git` in
+  `/var/lib/hyperhive/meta/` and the `meta` remote in each proposed repo.
+  The files beside the `.git` stay. The `core/meta` repo on the forge is
+  not touched.
 
 No state loss in either migration: claude creds, `/state/` notes, the
 events DB, and both proposed + applied history all survive. The root
diff --git a/docs/agent-lifecycle/persistence.md b/docs/agent-lifecycle/persistence.md
index ecb27ad1..c42e2453 100644
--- a/docs/agent-lifecycle/persistence.md
+++ b/docs/agent-lifecycle/persistence.md
@@ -388,8 +388,9 @@ here from merged config PRs) + any other files those PRs commit.
 denied tag history.
 
 Under `/var/lib/hyperhive/meta/` — system-level config files, plain state
-with no git history that anything reads. The flake agents build from is the
-swarm's `internal/meta`, not here. Contents:
+with no git history. The flake agents build from is the
+swarm's `internal/meta`, not here. A hive that predates this finds a
+leftover `.git` here; `migrate::run` deletes it at startup. Contents:
 
 - `topology.json` — the agent roster (`["alice", "bob", "ruth"]`).
   Written by `topology::reconcile` from `agent_set::refresh`; read by
diff --git a/docs/scheduler/coordinator.md b/docs/scheduler/coordinator.md
index eb7f5f6b..fb780775 100644
--- a/docs/scheduler/coordinator.md
+++ b/docs/scheduler/coordinator.md
@@ -320,8 +320,8 @@ The hive keeps no flake of its own. `meta_rev.rs` picks the `internal/meta`
 commit an agent builds from and records it; `agent_set.rs` keeps the
 host-side files that follow the agent set (`topology.json`, the gateway's
 agent-socket map and nginx include) in line with the live agents, and
-`meta.rs` keeps the one remaining commit to the legacy `meta/` git repo, the
-removal of the permission seed files.
+`meta.rs` removes the permission seed files once the swarm has them, and
+`migrate.rs` deletes the legacy `meta/` repo's leftover `.git`.
 
 ---
 
diff --git a/hive-c0re/src/migrate.rs b/hive-c0re/src/migrate.rs
index 3beb067c..7c889216 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/src/migrate.rs
+++ b/hive-c0re/src/migrate.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 //! Startup convergence. Three phases, all idempotent and unguarded:
-//! harness files, applied + proposed repos, the agent-set files. They re-run every
+//! harness files, applied + proposed repos, the agent-set files, plus the
+//! removal of the legacy meta repo's leftovers. They re-run every
 //! boot on purpose — each one is a no-op once its state is already
 //! correct.
 //!
@@ -68,6 +69,12 @@ pub async fn run() -> Result<()> {
         migrate_harness_files(name);
     }
 
+    match remove_legacy_meta_git(&crate::paths::meta_root()) {
+        Ok(true) => tracing::info!("migration: removed the legacy meta repo's .git"),
+        Ok(false) => {}
+        Err(e) => tracing::warn!(error = ?e, "migration: removing the legacy meta .git failed"),
+    }
+
     // Phase 1 + 2: per-agent applied + proposed.
     tracing::debug!("migration: phase 1+2 (applied + proposed repos)");
     // An archetype agent has neither repo, and seeding one here would hand it
@@ -85,6 +92,13 @@ pub async fn run() -> Result<()> {
             tracing::warn!(%name, error = ?e, "migration: applied repo rewrite failed");
         }
         let proposed_dir = Coordinator::agent_proposed_dir(name);
+        match remove_meta_remote(&proposed_dir).await {
+            Ok(true) => tracing::info!(%name, "migration: removed the legacy meta remote"),
+            Ok(false) => {}
+            Err(e) => {
+                tracing::warn!(%name, error = ?e, "migration: removing the meta remote failed");
+            }
+        }
         let proposed = lifecycle::setup_proposed(&proposed_dir, name.as_str());
         match tokio::time::timeout(GIT_TIMEOUT, proposed).await {
             Ok(Err(e)) => tracing::warn!(%name, error = ?e, "migration: setup_proposed failed"),
@@ -148,6 +162,31 @@ fn migrate_harness_files(name: &hive_types::Ident) {
     }
 }
 
+/// Remove the `.git` of the legacy per-hive meta repo from `meta`, leaving
+/// the plain state beside it (`topology.json`, the swarm limits, any
+/// permission seed file not yet imported). `true` when it was there.
+fn remove_legacy_meta_git(meta: &Path) -> Result<bool> {
+    let git_dir = meta.join(".git");
+    match std::fs::remove_dir_all(&git_dir) {
+        Ok(()) => Ok(true),
+        Err(e) if e.kind() == std::io::ErrorKind::NotFound => Ok(false),
+        Err(e) => Err(e).with_context(|| format!("removing {}", git_dir.display())),
+    }
+}
+
+/// Remove the `meta` remote from the proposed repo at `dir`. `true` when it
+/// was there; a missing remote, or a `dir` that is no repo, is `false`.
+async fn remove_meta_remote(dir: &Path) -> Result<bool> {
+    let mut cmd = lifecycle::git_command();
+    cmd.current_dir(dir).args(["remote", "get-url", "meta"]);
+    let probe = output_with_timeout(cmd, GIT_TIMEOUT, "git remote get-url meta").await?;
+    if !probe.status.success() {
+        return Ok(false);
+    }
+    raw_git(dir, &["remote", "remove", "meta"]).await?;
+    Ok(true)
+}
+
 async fn enumerate_agents() -> Result<Vec<hive_types::Ident>> {
     let containers = lifecycle::list().await?;
     Ok(containers
@@ -248,6 +287,67 @@ async fn raw_git(dir: &Path, args: &[&str]) -> Result<()> {
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
 
+    const STATE_FILES: [&str; 3] = [
+        "topology.json",
+        "swarm-resource-limits.json",
+        "capabilities.json",
+    ];
+
+    #[test]
+    fn legacy_meta_git_goes_and_the_state_beside_it_stays() {
+        let dir = tempfile::tempdir().expect("tempdir");
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(dir.path().join(".git/objects")).expect("mkdir .git");
+        for name in STATE_FILES {
+            std::fs::write(dir.path().join(name), "{}").expect("write state");
+        }
+
+        assert!(remove_legacy_meta_git(dir.path()).expect("first"));
+        assert!(!dir.path().join(".git").exists());
+        for name in STATE_FILES {
+            assert!(dir.path().join(name).exists(), "{name} stays");
+        }
+        assert!(
+            !remove_legacy_meta_git(dir.path()).expect("second"),
+            "no-op"
+        );
+        assert!(dir.path().join("topology.json").exists());
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn meta_remote_goes_and_the_others_stay() {
+        let dir = tempfile::tempdir().expect("tempdir");
+        raw_git(dir.path(), &["init", "-q", "--initial-branch=main"])
+            .await
+            .expect("init");
+        for (name, url) in [
+            ("meta", "http://forge/core/meta.git"),
+            ("applied", "/applied/x/.git"),
+        ] {
+            raw_git(dir.path(), &["remote", "add", name, url])
+                .await
+                .expect("add remote");
+        }
+
+        assert!(remove_meta_remote(dir.path()).await.expect("first"));
+        let remotes = lifecycle::git_command()
+            .current_dir(dir.path())
+            .arg("remote")
+            .output()
+            .await
+            .expect("list");
+        assert_eq!(String::from_utf8_lossy(&remotes.stdout).trim(), "applied");
+        assert!(
+            !remove_meta_remote(dir.path()).await.expect("second"),
+            "no-op"
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn a_dir_that_is_no_repo_has_no_meta_remote() {
+        let dir = tempfile::tempdir().expect("tempdir");
+        assert!(!remove_meta_remote(dir.path()).await.expect("probe"));
+    }
+
     #[tokio::test]
     async fn unreadable_flake_is_left_untouched() {
         let dir = tempfile::tempdir().expect("tempdir");