diff --git a/flake.nix b/flake.nix
index 5309e657..8aaa2491 100644
--- a/flake.nix
+++ b/flake.nix
@@ -68,16 +68,16 @@
             };
             # Shared between buildDepsOnly + buildPackage + cargoClippy
             # so the three derivations see the same toolchain shape.
-            # librsvg: hive-c0re/build.rs invokes `rsvg-convert` to
-            # render branding/agent-configs.svg → PNG that the daemon
-            # `include_bytes!`s (#424); SVG stays source-of-truth.
             # git: naersk used to auto-include it; crane is more
             # minimal, so we add it explicitly so hive-c0re's
             # `lifecycle::tests::setup_proposed_*` (which shell out to
             # `git init` + commit) pass under `cargo test` in the
             # sandbox.
+            # `librsvg` used to live here for `hive-c0re/build.rs`'s
+            # rsvg-convert call — that whole codepath moved into the
+            # `hyperhive-assets` derivation in #555, so the rust
+            # derivation no longer needs the dependency.
             nativeBuildInputs = [
-              pkgs.librsvg
               pkgs.git
             ];
           }
@@ -181,6 +181,7 @@
         hive-c0re = import ./nix/modules/hive-c0re.nix {
           hyperhivePackage = system: self.packages.${system}.default;
           hyperhiveFrontend = system: self.packages.${system}.frontend;
+          hyperhiveAssets = system: self.packages.${system}.assets;
           hyperhiveFlake = "${self}";
           # Per-container toplevels — wired into `system.extraDependencies`
           # when `services.hive-c0re.preBuildAgentTemplates` is on so the
diff --git a/hive-ag3nt/src/prompt.rs b/hive-ag3nt/src/prompt.rs
index c82b343f..b737a92f 100644
--- a/hive-ag3nt/src/prompt.rs
+++ b/hive-ag3nt/src/prompt.rs
@@ -29,22 +29,24 @@
 
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 
-use anyhow::Result;
+use anyhow::{Context, Result};
 
 use crate::mcp::Flavor;
 
-const TEMPLATE: &str = include_str!("../prompts/system.md");
-
 /// Assemble the system prompt for a given flavor + label + pronouns.
 /// Pure function — no I/O. Splits out from [`write_system_prompt`] so
 /// the marker logic + substitution is unit-testable in isolation.
+/// The caller supplies the template body so tests can pass an inline
+/// fixture and production reads it once at harness startup via
+/// [`hive_sh4re::assets::prompt_template`] (`$HIVE_ASSETS_DIR/prompts/
+/// system.md`).
 #[must_use]
-pub fn render(flavor: Flavor, label: &str, operator_pronouns: &str) -> String {
+pub fn render(template: &str, flavor: Flavor, label: &str, operator_pronouns: &str) -> String {
     let target = match flavor {
         Flavor::Agent => "agent",
         Flavor::Manager => "manager",
     };
-    let body = filter_role_blocks(TEMPLATE, target);
+    let body = filter_role_blocks(template, target);
     body.replace("{label}", label)
         .replace("{operator_pronouns}", operator_pronouns)
 }
@@ -123,7 +125,11 @@ pub async fn write_system_prompt(
     let parent = socket.parent().unwrap_or_else(|| Path::new("/run/hive"));
     tokio::fs::create_dir_all(parent).await.ok();
     let pronouns = std::env::var("HIVE_OPERATOR_PRONOUNS").unwrap_or_else(|_| "she/her".to_owned());
-    let body = render(flavor, label, &pronouns);
+    let template_path = hive_sh4re::assets::prompt_template();
+    let template = tokio::fs::read_to_string(&template_path)
+        .await
+        .with_context(|| format!("read claude system prompt template from {}", template_path.display()))?;
+    let body = render(&template, flavor, label, &pronouns);
     let path = parent.join("claude-system-prompt.md");
     tokio::fs::write(&path, body).await?;
     tracing::info!(path = %path.display(), "wrote claude system prompt");
@@ -134,6 +140,18 @@ pub async fn write_system_prompt(
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
 
+    // #555: production reads the system-prompt template from
+    // `$HIVE_ASSETS_DIR/prompts/system.md` at startup. The test module
+    // still `include_str!`s it directly because:
+    //   1. the "real template still substitutes / still filters" tests
+    //      below need the actual production wording to be honest;
+    //   2. embedding it at compile time keeps `cargo test --workspace`
+    //      runnable without setting `HIVE_ASSETS_DIR`;
+    //   3. this is the ONLY remaining compile-time reference to
+    //      `prompts/system.md` from the rust workspace — production
+    //      code loads it at runtime.
+    const PRODUCTION_TEMPLATE: &str = include_str!("../prompts/system.md");
+
     const SAMPLE: &str = "\
 shared opener
 <!-- role:agent -->
@@ -233,7 +251,7 @@ shared closer
         // Real template's first agent line — keeps the renderer
         // honest about the {label} / {operator_pronouns} pair the
         // harness already relied on.
-        let rendered = render(Flavor::Agent, "alice", "they/them");
+        let rendered = render(PRODUCTION_TEMPLATE, Flavor::Agent, "alice", "they/them");
         assert!(rendered.contains("hyperhive agent `alice`"));
         assert!(rendered.contains("**they/them** pronouns"));
         assert!(!rendered.contains("{label}"));
@@ -246,7 +264,7 @@ shared closer
         // kill, schedule_*) MUST NOT appear in the agent's rendered
         // prompt. Drift between flavor and tool surface bites every
         // time it happens (cf. #511 missing-allow-list bug).
-        let rendered = render(Flavor::Agent, "alice", "she/her");
+        let rendered = render(PRODUCTION_TEMPLATE, Flavor::Agent, "alice", "she/her");
         assert!(!rendered.contains("request_init_config"));
         assert!(!rendered.contains("request_apply_commit"));
         assert!(!rendered.contains("get_logs"));
@@ -257,7 +275,7 @@ shared closer
 
     #[test]
     fn render_manager_includes_manager_only_tools() {
-        let rendered = render(Flavor::Manager, "hm1nd", "she/her");
+        let rendered = render(PRODUCTION_TEMPLATE, Flavor::Manager, "hm1nd", "she/her");
         assert!(rendered.contains("request_init_config"));
         assert!(rendered.contains("request_apply_commit"));
         assert!(rendered.contains("get_logs"));
@@ -269,9 +287,9 @@ shared closer
 
     #[test]
     fn render_uses_correct_role_opener() {
-        let agent = render(Flavor::Agent, "alice", "she/her");
+        let agent = render(PRODUCTION_TEMPLATE, Flavor::Agent, "alice", "she/her");
         assert!(agent.starts_with("You are hyperhive agent"));
-        let manager = render(Flavor::Manager, "hm1nd", "she/her");
+        let manager = render(PRODUCTION_TEMPLATE, Flavor::Manager, "hm1nd", "she/her");
         assert!(manager.starts_with("You are the hyperhive manager"));
     }
 }
diff --git a/hive-ag3nt/src/turn.rs b/hive-ag3nt/src/turn.rs
index 28f56205..d6b88d70 100644
--- a/hive-ag3nt/src/turn.rs
+++ b/hive-ag3nt/src/turn.rs
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, Ordering};
 use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex};
 use std::time::Duration;
 
-use anyhow::{Result, bail};
+use anyhow::{Context, Result, bail};
 use tokio::io::{AsyncBufReadExt, AsyncWriteExt, BufReader};
 use tokio::process::Command;
 
@@ -18,15 +18,14 @@ use crate::events::{Bus, LiveEvent};
 use crate::login::LoginState;
 use crate::mcp;
 
-/// `--settings` JSON applied to every claude invocation. Lives as a
-/// properly-formatted file in `prompts/claude-settings.json` so it's easy
-/// to read and edit; we ship it via `include_str!`. We turn off claude's
-/// in-session auto-compaction and its cross-session auto-memory because
-/// hyperhive owns those concerns (`/compact` on overflow, notes
-/// persistence under `/state`). Unknown keys are silently ignored by
-/// claude-code; if a key gets renamed we'll spot it because the
-/// corresponding behavior will start firing mid-turn again.
-const CLAUDE_SETTINGS: &str = include_str!("../prompts/claude-settings.json");
+// `--settings` JSON is read at runtime from
+// `$HIVE_ASSETS_DIR/prompts/claude-settings.json` via
+// `hive_sh4re::assets::claude_settings()` (#555). We turn off claude's
+// in-session auto-compaction and its cross-session auto-memory because
+// hyperhive owns those concerns (`/compact` on overflow, notes
+// persistence under `/state`). Unknown keys are silently ignored by
+// claude-code; if a key gets renamed we'll spot it because the
+// corresponding behavior will start firing mid-turn again.
 
 /// Regex-ish marker claude-code emits when context overflows. Same string
 /// bitburner-agent watches for. Empirically reliable across claude-code
@@ -159,7 +158,14 @@ pub async fn write_settings(socket: &Path) -> Result<PathBuf> {
     let parent = socket.parent().unwrap_or_else(|| Path::new("/run/hive"));
     tokio::fs::create_dir_all(parent).await.ok();
     let path = parent.join("claude-settings.json");
-    tokio::fs::write(&path, CLAUDE_SETTINGS).await?;
+    // #555: source-of-truth is `$HIVE_ASSETS_DIR/prompts/claude-settings.json`;
+    // copy through the per-agent runtime dir so claude reads it from the
+    // same socket-adjacent location every time and so a future override
+    // (per-agent settings JSON layer) drops in cleanly.
+    let src = hive_sh4re::assets::claude_settings();
+    tokio::fs::copy(&src, &path)
+        .await
+        .with_context(|| format!("copy claude settings from {} to {}", src.display(), path.display()))?;
     tracing::info!(path = %path.display(), "wrote claude settings");
     Ok(path)
 }
@@ -508,10 +514,10 @@ pub async fn wait_for_login(
 /// regular files + newest `mtime` across them. The two axes are both
 /// load-bearing for `wait_for_login`'s refresh check (`session_refreshed`):
 /// mtime catches the common case (re-login overwrites an existing
-/// credentials file in-place), file_count catches the pathological case
+/// credentials file in-place), `file_count` catches the pathological case
 /// where `meta.modified()` errors on every file (exotic fs, NFS quirks)
 /// so the mtime axis stays `None` forever but new files still trigger a
-/// resume. Defaults to `{0, None}` on read_dir failure (missing or
+/// resume. Defaults to `{0, None}` on `read_dir` failure (missing or
 /// unreadable dir) — `wait_for_login` then resumes when files first
 /// appear.
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, Default, PartialEq, Eq)]
@@ -542,9 +548,9 @@ fn snapshot_dir(dir: &Path) -> DirSnapshot {
 /// Has the credentials dir been written since `prev`? Used as the
 /// exit condition for `wait_for_login`:
 ///
-/// - file_count changed → something was added or removed, treat as
+/// - `file_count` changed → something was added or removed, treat as
 ///   refresh (covers the "all files have unreadable mtime" edge case).
-/// - newest_mtime advanced → existing file was rewritten in place
+/// - `newest_mtime` advanced → existing file was rewritten in place
 ///   (the common claude re-login path).
 /// - prev had no mtime (empty or all-unreadable) and now has one →
 ///   first useful signal we've seen, treat as refresh.
diff --git a/hive-ag3nt/src/web_ui.rs b/hive-ag3nt/src/web_ui.rs
index d53c5637..e44124f3 100644
--- a/hive-ag3nt/src/web_ui.rs
+++ b/hive-ag3nt/src/web_ui.rs
@@ -221,9 +221,15 @@ fn try_bind(addr: SocketAddr) -> std::io::Result<tokio::net::TcpListener> {
 /// Always returns an image, so consumers (dashboard, favicon) can hit
 /// `/icon` unconditionally without probing whether one is configured.
 async fn serve_icon() -> impl IntoResponse {
-    const DEFAULT_ICON: &str = include_str!("../../branding/hyperhive.svg");
-    let body = std::fs::read_to_string("/etc/hyperhive/icon.svg")
-        .unwrap_or_else(|_| DEFAULT_ICON.to_string());
+    // Per-agent icon overrides go through `/etc/hyperhive/icon.svg` (set
+    // via the `hyperhive.icon` agent.nix option); the bundled default is
+    // resolved at runtime from
+    // `$HIVE_ASSETS_DIR/branding/hyperhive.svg` (#555). If neither file
+    // can be read we serve an empty body — keeps the response a valid
+    // SVG content-type without a panic on a misconfigured container.
+    let body = std::fs::read_to_string("/etc/hyperhive/icon.svg").unwrap_or_else(|_| {
+        std::fs::read_to_string(hive_sh4re::assets::branding_svg()).unwrap_or_default()
+    });
     ([("content-type", "image/svg+xml")], body)
 }
 
diff --git a/hive-c0re/Cargo.toml b/hive-c0re/Cargo.toml
index a97e91c9..308d0c42 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/Cargo.toml
+++ b/hive-c0re/Cargo.toml
@@ -2,13 +2,6 @@
 name = "hive-c0re"
 edition.workspace = true
 version.workspace = true
-# Render branding/agent-configs.svg → $OUT_DIR/agent-configs.png at
-# compile time (#424). build.rs shells out to `rsvg-convert`
-# (librsvg, pulled in via flake.nix' crane nativeBuildInputs); the
-# baked PNG is included via include_bytes! from forge.rs so no
-# raster gets checked into git.
-build = "build.rs"
-
 [lints]
 workspace = true
 
diff --git a/hive-c0re/build.rs b/hive-c0re/build.rs
deleted file mode 100644
index c8bf3fc4..00000000
--- a/hive-c0re/build.rs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,49 +0,0 @@
-//! Render `branding/agent-configs.svg` → `$OUT_DIR/agent-configs.png`
-//! at compile time so the daemon can `include_bytes!` the PNG without
-//! checking the raster into git (#424 mara: "generate png on the fly
-//! or in build"). The SVG is the source of truth; the PNG is a build
-//! artifact.
-//!
-//! Uses `rsvg-convert` from PATH (librsvg, already available in
-//! nixpkgs and added to the crane derivation's `nativeBuildInputs`
-//! in `flake.nix`). For dev builds outside Nix, install librsvg via
-//! your system package manager (Debian/Ubuntu: `librsvg2-bin`,
-//! macOS: `brew install librsvg`).
-
-use std::env;
-use std::path::PathBuf;
-use std::process::Command;
-
-const SVG_PATH: &str = "../branding/agent-configs.svg";
-const PNG_NAME: &str = "agent-configs.png";
-// 300×300 to match the existing branding/hyperhive.png, which the
-// Forgejo avatar endpoint accepts without resizing on upload.
-const PX: &str = "300";
-
-fn main() {
-    // Re-run the build script when either the SVG itself or this
-    // script change. We deliberately don't watch every file in
-    // `branding/` — only the one PNG we generate.
-    println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed=build.rs");
-    println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed={SVG_PATH}");
-
-    let out_dir = PathBuf::from(env::var("OUT_DIR").expect("OUT_DIR set by cargo"));
-    let png_path = out_dir.join(PNG_NAME);
-
-    let status = Command::new("rsvg-convert")
-        .args(["--width", PX, "--height", PX, "-o"])
-        .arg(&png_path)
-        .arg(SVG_PATH)
-        .status();
-
-    match status {
-        Ok(s) if s.success() => {}
-        Ok(s) => panic!("rsvg-convert exited with {s} rendering {SVG_PATH}"),
-        Err(e) => panic!(
-            "failed to invoke rsvg-convert: {e}\n\
-             install librsvg (Debian/Ubuntu: librsvg2-bin, macOS: brew install librsvg, \
-             NixOS: pkgs.librsvg). The Nix derivation already pulls it in via \
-             flake.nix → craneLib.buildPackage.nativeBuildInputs.",
-        ),
-    }
-}
diff --git a/hive-c0re/src/forge.rs b/hive-c0re/src/forge.rs
index 7eb33c10..96760b87 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/src/forge.rs
+++ b/hive-c0re/src/forge.rs
@@ -41,20 +41,14 @@ const CORE_AVATAR_MARKER: &str = "/var/lib/hyperhive/forge-core-avatar-set";
 /// Sibling marker for the `agent-configs` org avatar (#424). Same one-
 /// shot semantics — delete to force the upload to re-run.
 const CONFIG_ORG_AVATAR_MARKER: &str = "/var/lib/hyperhive/forge-agent-configs-avatar-set";
-/// Hyperhive logo bytes, baked into the daemon. Uploaded once via the
-/// admin avatar API so the `core` Forgejo user shows the project mark
-/// next to commits in `agent-configs/*`, `core/meta`, etc. instead of
-/// the default hash identicon.
-const CORE_AVATAR_PNG: &[u8] = include_bytes!("../../branding/hyperhive.png");
-/// `agent-configs` org logo bytes (#424). Sibling visual to the main
-/// hyperhive mark — same dark base + outer ring + corner brackets,
-/// with a stacked-config-files glyph in the centre so the operator
-/// can distinguish the agent-configs namespace from the main
-/// `hyperhive` org at a glance. Source-of-truth is
-/// `branding/agent-configs.svg`; `hive-c0re/build.rs` renders it
-/// into `$OUT_DIR/agent-configs.png` at compile time via
-/// `rsvg-convert` so the raster never gets checked into git.
-const CONFIG_ORG_AVATAR_PNG: &[u8] = include_bytes!(concat!(env!("OUT_DIR"), "/agent-configs.png"));
+// Avatar PNGs are loaded at runtime from
+// `$HIVE_ASSETS_DIR/branding/{hyperhive,agent-configs}.png` via the
+// helpers in `hive_sh4re::assets` (#555 — was `include_bytes!` of an
+// in-source path and an OUT_DIR-rendered sibling, both of which
+// invalidated the crane src cache on any branding edit). The
+// `agent-configs.png` is rendered from its SVG during the
+// `hyperhive-assets` derivation's build (was `hive-c0re/build.rs`
+// + `rsvg-convert` on PATH; both gone now).
 /// Forgejo org grouping every agent's applied config repo. Core is a
 /// site admin and reads + writes every repo here; agents are NOT
 /// members and the repos are private, so no agent — not even the one
@@ -298,9 +292,13 @@ async fn ensure_core_avatar(token: &str) -> Result<()> {
     if marker.exists() {
         return Ok(());
     }
+    let png_path = hive_sh4re::assets::core_avatar_png();
+    let png_bytes = tokio::fs::read(&png_path)
+        .await
+        .with_context(|| format!("read core avatar PNG from {}", png_path.display()))?;
     let body = format!(
         r#"{{"image":"{}"}}"#,
-        base64::engine::general_purpose::STANDARD.encode(CORE_AVATAR_PNG),
+        base64::engine::general_purpose::STANDARD.encode(&png_bytes),
     );
     let url = format!("{FORGE_HTTP}/api/v1/admin/users/core/avatar");
     let status = forge_http(reqwest::Method::POST, &url, token, &body).await?;
@@ -325,9 +323,13 @@ async fn ensure_config_org_avatar(token: &str) -> Result<()> {
     if marker.exists() {
         return Ok(());
     }
+    let png_path = hive_sh4re::assets::config_org_avatar_png();
+    let png_bytes = tokio::fs::read(&png_path)
+        .await
+        .with_context(|| format!("read {CONFIG_ORG} avatar PNG from {}", png_path.display()))?;
     let body = format!(
         r#"{{"image":"{}"}}"#,
-        base64::engine::general_purpose::STANDARD.encode(CONFIG_ORG_AVATAR_PNG),
+        base64::engine::general_purpose::STANDARD.encode(&png_bytes),
     );
     let url = format!("{FORGE_HTTP}/api/v1/orgs/{CONFIG_ORG}/avatar");
     let status = forge_http(reqwest::Method::POST, &url, token, &body).await?;
diff --git a/hive-sh4re/src/assets.rs b/hive-sh4re/src/assets.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b5fcc0e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hive-sh4re/src/assets.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+//! Resolve the on-disk path to hyperhive's static assets (branding +
+//! claude prompts). Single source of truth for both the host daemon
+//! (`hive-c0re`) and the in-container harness (`hive-ag3nt` /
+//! `hive-m1nd`) so they agree on the lookup contract.
+//!
+//! At runtime, the path is read from `$HIVE_ASSETS_DIR`. In nix
+//! builds that env var is set by the `hive-c0re` / `harness-base` modules
+//! to `${pkgs.hyperhive-assets}/share/hyperhive` (see `nix/assets.nix`).
+//! For `cargo run` outside nix, set it yourself:
+//!
+//! ```sh
+//! HIVE_ASSETS_DIR=$(pwd)/dev-assets cargo run ...
+//! ```
+//!
+//! where `dev-assets/` is laid out the same as the nix output:
+//!
+//! ```text
+//! dev-assets/
+//!   branding/
+//!     hyperhive.{svg,png}
+//!     agent-configs.{svg,png}
+//!   prompts/
+//!     system.md
+//!     claude-settings.json
+//! ```
+//!
+//! A convenience `cargo xtask seed-dev-assets` could materialise this
+//! by copying `branding/` + `hive-ag3nt/prompts/` + rendering
+//! `agent-configs.png` via rsvg-convert, but it's intentionally not
+//! shipped yet — dev setups vary too much for one helper to fit.
+//!
+//! Each crate that wants a specific asset goes through one of the
+//! typed helpers (`branding_svg()`, `prompt_template()`, …) so the
+//! lookup contract is centralised. Missing files panic at first
+//! call with a clear "set `HIVE_ASSETS_DIR` + put the file at …"
+//! message — same failure shape as the old `include_*!` macros
+//! (which would have failed at compile time, not runtime, but the
+//! diagnostic value is identical).
+
+use std::path::PathBuf;
+
+/// Read `$HIVE_ASSETS_DIR`. Panics with a clear remediation message
+/// when unset — every code path that calls into this module is one
+/// the binary cannot run without, so a hard early failure is the
+/// right shape.
+fn dir() -> PathBuf {
+    match std::env::var("HIVE_ASSETS_DIR") {
+        Ok(v) if !v.is_empty() => PathBuf::from(v),
+        _ => panic!(
+            "HIVE_ASSETS_DIR is not set. Inside the nix-built systemd \
+             units this is wired automatically from \
+             `pkgs.hyperhive-assets`; for `cargo run` outside nix, \
+             set it to a directory laid out like \
+             `nix/assets.nix`'s output (branding/ + prompts/ \
+             subdirs). See hive-sh4re/src/assets.rs for the contract.",
+        ),
+    }
+}
+
+/// `$HIVE_ASSETS_DIR/branding/hyperhive.svg` — the project's primary
+/// mark. Loaded by the per-agent web UI as its default icon
+/// (`/agents/<n>/icon.svg` falls through here when the agent didn't
+/// override `hyperhive.icon` in its `agent.nix`).
+#[must_use]
+pub fn branding_svg() -> PathBuf {
+    dir().join("branding/hyperhive.svg")
+}
+
+/// `$HIVE_ASSETS_DIR/branding/hyperhive.png` — the same mark
+/// rasterised, used by `hive-c0re::forge::push_avatar` to upload
+/// the forge org avatar.
+#[must_use]
+pub fn core_avatar_png() -> PathBuf {
+    dir().join("branding/hyperhive.png")
+}
+
+/// `$HIVE_ASSETS_DIR/branding/agent-configs.png` — secondary org
+/// mark for the `agent-configs/` mirror org. Rendered from
+/// `agent-configs.svg` at asset-build time (was rendered in
+/// `hive-c0re/build.rs` before #555).
+#[must_use]
+pub fn config_org_avatar_png() -> PathBuf {
+    dir().join("branding/agent-configs.png")
+}
+
+/// `$HIVE_ASSETS_DIR/prompts/system.md` — the claude system prompt
+/// template. `hive-ag3nt::prompt::render` filters the role markers
+/// inside it per agent / manager flavor.
+#[must_use]
+pub fn prompt_template() -> PathBuf {
+    dir().join("prompts/system.md")
+}
+
+/// `$HIVE_ASSETS_DIR/prompts/claude-settings.json` — the static
+/// `--settings` JSON every claude invocation reads.
+#[must_use]
+pub fn claude_settings() -> PathBuf {
+    dir().join("prompts/claude-settings.json")
+}
diff --git a/hive-sh4re/src/lib.rs b/hive-sh4re/src/lib.rs
index c69ad976..000edcc9 100644
--- a/hive-sh4re/src/lib.rs
+++ b/hive-sh4re/src/lib.rs
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 
+pub mod assets;
+
 // -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Host admin socket — /run/hyperhive/host.sock
 // -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/nix/modules/hive-c0re.nix b/nix/modules/hive-c0re.nix
index 276f7983..20e2e1bd 100644
--- a/nix/modules/hive-c0re.nix
+++ b/nix/modules/hive-c0re.nix
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 {
   hyperhivePackage,
   hyperhiveFrontend,
+  hyperhiveAssets,
   hyperhiveFlake,
   agentBaseToplevel,
   managerToplevel,
@@ -66,6 +67,20 @@ in
         endpoints) is the source of truth for any replacement.
       '';
     };
+    assets = lib.mkOption {
+      type = lib.types.package;
+      default = hyperhiveAssets pkgs.stdenv.hostPlatform.system;
+      defaultText = lib.literalExpression "hyperhive.packages.\${system}.assets";
+      description = ''
+        Bundled static runtime assets (see `./nix/assets.nix`): the
+        project's branding family + the claude system-prompt template +
+        claude-settings JSON. Output has `share/hyperhive/{branding,prompts}/`;
+        passed to hive-c0re's systemd unit via `HIVE_ASSETS_DIR`
+        (`hive_sh4re::assets::*` resolve paths underneath). Override to
+        ship customised branding or prompts without rebuilding the
+        rust derivation.
+      '';
+    };
     hyperhiveFlake = lib.mkOption {
       type = lib.types.str;
       default = hyperhiveFlake;
@@ -196,6 +211,10 @@ in
         # serves this via `tower_http::ServeDir` for any path it doesn't
         # match against an API/action route.
         HIVE_STATIC_DIR = "${cfg.frontend}/dashboard";
+        # Path to the static runtime asset tree (branding + claude
+        # prompts). `hive_sh4re::assets::*` reads paths underneath.
+        # `forge.rs` reads the avatar PNGs from here on startup.
+        HIVE_ASSETS_DIR = "${cfg.assets}/share/hyperhive";
       }
       // lib.optionalAttrs config.hyperhive.forge.enable {
         # Agents poll this URL for Forgejo notifications. Derived from
diff --git a/nix/templates/harness-base.nix b/nix/templates/harness-base.nix
index 1ae8c3fa..f3c718d5 100644
--- a/nix/templates/harness-base.nix
+++ b/nix/templates/harness-base.nix
@@ -531,10 +531,15 @@
     # HIVE_DEFAULT_MODEL seeds the initial model selection when no persisted
     # model choice exists in the state dir. SHELL must be set so claude's
     # Bash tool finds a POSIX shell.
+    # HIVE_ASSETS_DIR points at the project's static runtime assets
+    # (branding + claude prompts; see `nix/assets.nix`). Set here so
+    # both the harness binary and any user-shell `cargo run` inside the
+    # container resolve them from the same path.
     # HIVE_CONTEXT_WINDOW_TOKENS_* are injected by the meta flake from the
     # host-level `services.hive-c0re.contextWindowTokens` option — not set here.
     environment.variables = {
       HIVE_DEFAULT_MODEL = config.hyperhive.model;
+      HIVE_ASSETS_DIR = "${pkgs.hyperhive-assets}/share/hyperhive";
       SHELL = "${pkgs.bashInteractive}/bin/bash";
     } // lib.optionalAttrs (!config.hyperhive.autoCompact) {
       # Zero watermark disables proactive compaction; the reactive path