diff --git a/nix/assets.nix b/nix/assets.nix
index a623607c..e726c0f3 100644
--- a/nix/assets.nix
+++ b/nix/assets.nix
@@ -12,21 +12,28 @@
 # Output layout:
 #   $out/share/hyperhive/branding/{hyperhive,agent-configs}.{svg,png}
 #   $out/share/hyperhive/prompts/{system.md, claude-settings.json}
+#   $out/share/hyperhive/docs/        — the repo docs/ tree
 
 stdenv.mkDerivation {
   pname = "hyperhive-assets";
   version = "0.1.0";
-  # Narrow `srcs` (branding/ + hive-ag3nt/prompts/) is what decouples
-  # this derivation's input hash from the rest of the tree.
+  # Narrow `srcs` (branding/ + hive-ag3nt/prompts/ + docs/) is what
+  # decouples this derivation's input hash from the rest of the tree.
+  # Including docs/ surfaces the reference docs in-container at
+  # `$HIVE_ASSETS_DIR/docs/` (no host mount, pulled from the nix store);
+  # a docs/ edit re-hashes this asset, the accepted tradeoff for shipping
+  # the docs declaratively.
   srcs = [
     ../branding
     ../hive-ag3nt/prompts
+    ../docs
   ];
   unpackPhase = ''
     runHook preUnpack
     cp -r ${../branding} branding
     cp -r ${../hive-ag3nt/prompts} prompts
-    chmod -R u+w branding prompts
+    cp -r ${../docs} docs
+    chmod -R u+w branding prompts docs
     runHook postUnpack
   '';
 
@@ -47,6 +54,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation {
     mkdir -p $out/share/hyperhive
     cp -r branding $out/share/hyperhive/branding
     cp -r prompts $out/share/hyperhive/prompts
+    cp -r docs $out/share/hyperhive/docs
     runHook postInstall
   '';
 
@@ -54,7 +62,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation {
   dontFixup = true;
 
   meta = {
-    description = "hyperhive static assets (branding + claude prompts)";
+    description = "hyperhive static assets (branding + claude prompts + docs)";
     homepage = "https://forge.darkest.space/hyperhive/hyperhive";
     license = lib.licenses.mit;
   };
diff --git a/nix/templates/harness-base.nix b/nix/templates/harness-base.nix
index 1da1bf1a..f3027205 100644
--- a/nix/templates/harness-base.nix
+++ b/nix/templates/harness-base.nix
@@ -70,6 +70,24 @@ let
   iconPng = pkgs.runCommand "hive-agent-icon.png" { nativeBuildInputs = [ pkgs.librsvg ]; } ''
     rsvg-convert -f png -w 512 -h 512 ${config.hyperhive.icon} -o $out
   '';
+  # Generic, agent-agnostic `~/.claude/CLAUDE.md` installed when
+  # `hyperhive.docs.enable` is on (root/manager default-on; see
+  # `manager.nix`). claude auto-loads this user-global memory file every
+  # session, so it's the discovery hook for the docs asset — no
+  # per-agent prompt injection. It references the STABLE `$HIVE_ASSETS_DIR`
+  # env var (not the hashed nix-store path) which the agent resolves at
+  # read time.
+  docsClaudeMd = pkgs.writeText "hive-docs-claude.md" ''
+    # Hyperhive reference docs
+
+    The hyperhive subsystem docs ship read-only inside this container at
+    `$HIVE_ASSETS_DIR/docs/` (resolve the env var, e.g.
+    `ls "$HIVE_ASSETS_DIR/docs"`).
+
+    On a fresh deploy, read `$HIVE_ASSETS_DIR/docs/setup.md` first for the
+    first-run hive bootstrap commands (forge / gateway / matrix
+    provisioning, spawning the first sub-agents).
+  '';
 in
 {
   # Shared scaffolding for every hyperhive harness container.
@@ -210,6 +228,18 @@ in
     '';
   };
 
+  options.hyperhive.docs.enable = lib.mkEnableOption ''
+    install a generic `~/.claude/CLAUDE.md` pointing this agent at the
+    hyperhive reference docs shipped read-only at `$HIVE_ASSETS_DIR/docs/`
+    (the repo `docs/` tree, packaged into the assets derivation). claude
+    auto-loads the file every session, so the docs are discoverable
+    without any per-agent prompt injection. The docs themselves are
+    always present at `$HIVE_ASSETS_DIR/docs/`; this option only controls
+    the auto-loaded pointer. Default-on for the root/manager agent (see
+    `manager.nix`), off elsewhere; any agent can flip it from its
+    `agent.nix`.
+  '';
+
   options.hyperhive.allowedBashPatterns = lib.mkOption {
     type = lib.types.listOf lib.types.str;
     default = [ ];
@@ -1011,6 +1041,14 @@ in
         [ -d "$configDir" ] || continue
         chown -hR "$userName:$userName" "$configDir" 2>/dev/null || true
       done
+      ${lib.optionalString config.hyperhive.docs.enable ''
+        # hyperhive.docs.enable: point this agent at the hyperhive docs
+        # via a managed `~/.claude/CLAUDE.md` (claude auto-loads it every
+        # session). Symlink → always reflects the current flake; the
+        # chown -h below sets the link's ownership.
+        mkdir -p "$homeDir/.claude"
+        ln -sfn ${docsClaudeMd} "$homeDir/.claude/CLAUDE.md"
+      ''}
       if [ -d "$homeDir/.claude" ]; then
         chown -hR "$userName:$userName" "$homeDir/.claude" 2>/dev/null || true
         # 0755 so hive-core (a different unix user) can list the dir and
diff --git a/nix/templates/manager.nix b/nix/templates/manager.nix
index 370bd9e1..04fee81d 100644
--- a/nix/templates/manager.nix
+++ b/nix/templates/manager.nix
@@ -1,7 +1,13 @@
-{ ... }:
+{ lib, ... }:
 {
   # Entry-point for the privileged root agent (ruth). Referenced from
   # `flake.nix` (`nixosConfigurations.ruth`) and the meta-flake's
   # `applied/ruth/flake.nix`.
   imports = [ ./harness-base.nix ];
+
+  # The root/manager bootstraps a fresh hive, so it gets the hyperhive
+  # reference docs surfaced by default (the `~/.claude/CLAUDE.md` pointer
+  # → `$HIVE_ASSETS_DIR/docs/setup.md`). `mkDefault` so a manager's own
+  # `agent.nix` can still turn it off. Other agents default off.
+  hyperhive.docs.enable = lib.mkDefault true;
 }