diff --git a/docs/swarm/ui.md b/docs/swarm/ui.md
index bce82c8d..0bf00d7d 100644
--- a/docs/swarm/ui.md
+++ b/docs/swarm/ui.md
@@ -386,20 +386,6 @@ controller puts back what it replaced. Each agent name keys its settings and
 destroying an agent doesn't clear them, so a name set up before keeps its
 stored settings when you leave the fields empty.
 
-### Initial AGENTS.md at creation
-
-A third collapsed section, **instructions**, holds a plain text box for the
-text the new agent's `AGENTS.md` starts with. Left empty, or holding only
-whitespace, it sends nothing and the agent starts without the file. Otherwise
-the text goes as typed in the optional `agents_md` field of `POST /api/agents`.
-The agent writes it on its first start, and only when it has no `AGENTS.md`
-yet, so creating an agent again under a name that has one never replaces it.
-The controller refuses a text over 64 KiB. Its reason shows under the
-section, open or not, and the swarm creates no agent. After a successful
-create the box empties. The
-[instructions editor](#editing-an-agents-instructions) changes the file later.
-The [swarm README](README.md#an-agents-agentsmd) has the wire details.
-
 ### Linking external accounts
 
 Each agent on `/agents` opens three dialogs that write a credential for it
diff --git a/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/pages/CreateAgentAgentsMd.ts b/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/pages/CreateAgentAgentsMd.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 94c4c04e..00000000
--- a/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/pages/CreateAgentAgentsMd.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,23 +0,0 @@
-// The create-agent form's initial `AGENTS.md` field, kept out of the
-// component so `npm test` can run it.
-import type { ProblemDetails } from "@hive/shared/api-error.js";
-
-/**
- * The `agents_md` to send with a create: nothing while the box is empty or
- * holds only whitespace, so the agent starts without the file; otherwise the
- * text as typed.
- */
-export function agentsMdBody(text: string): { agents_md?: string } {
-  return text.trim() === "" ? {} : { agents_md: text };
-}
-
-/**
- * The controller's refusal of the text, when `problem` is one: a 400 whose
- * detail starts with the field's name. It shows beside the box, so any other
- * failure stays with the form's general error.
- */
-export function agentsMdRefusal(problem: ProblemDetails): string | null {
-  return problem.status === 400 && problem.detail?.startsWith("agents_md ")
-    ? problem.detail
-    : null;
-}
diff --git a/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/pages/CreateAgentForm.css b/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/pages/CreateAgentForm.css
index a1960f15..e6e2ac3a 100644
--- a/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/pages/CreateAgentForm.css
+++ b/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/pages/CreateAgentForm.css
@@ -69,11 +69,6 @@
 .create-agent-result-ok {
   color: var(--green);
 }
-/* The controller's refusal of the AGENTS.md text, under its section. */
-.create-agent-field-error {
-  margin: 0;
-  color: var(--red);
-}
 /* The picked archetype's description, under its select. */
 .create-agent-archetype-description {
   margin: 0;
diff --git a/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/pages/CreateAgentForm.tsx b/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/pages/CreateAgentForm.tsx
index cb3c1f18..3074c765 100644
--- a/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/pages/CreateAgentForm.tsx
+++ b/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/pages/CreateAgentForm.tsx
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@ import {
   SelectField,
   type SelectOption,
 } from "../ui/select-field/SelectField.js";
-import { TextAreaField } from "../ui/text-area-field/TextAreaField.js";
 import { Button } from "../ui/button/Button.js";
 import { capsBody, LimitsFields } from "../agent/detail/AgentLimits.js";
 import {
@@ -61,7 +60,6 @@ import {
   requestArchetype,
   type ArchetypeList,
 } from "./CreateAgentArchetype.js";
-import { agentsMdBody, agentsMdRefusal } from "./CreateAgentAgentsMd.js";
 import "./CreateAgentForm.css";
 
 // Mirrors swarm-controller's `HiveEntry` — same shape `HivesPage`
@@ -146,8 +144,6 @@ export function CreateAgentForm({
     null,
   );
   const [archetype, setArchetype] = useState("");
-  // The text the agent's `AGENTS.md` starts with; empty sends none.
-  const [agentsMd, setAgentsMd] = useState("");
   const picked = archetypes?.archetypes.find(
     (a) => archetypeKey(a) === archetype,
   );
@@ -215,10 +211,6 @@ export function CreateAgentForm({
     label: h.name,
   }));
   const hivesReady = hives !== null && hives.length > 0;
-  // The controller's size refusal of the AGENTS.md text, shown under its
-  // section so a collapsed section still shows it.
-  const refusal =
-    result.status === "error" ? agentsMdRefusal(result.problem) : null;
 
   async function submit(e: Event) {
     e.preventDefault();
@@ -240,7 +232,6 @@ export function CreateAgentForm({
             ? requestPermissions(selected, catalogue.default)
             : undefined,
           archetype: requestArchetype(picked),
-          ...agentsMdBody(agentsMd),
         }),
       });
       if (!r.ok) {
@@ -250,7 +241,6 @@ export function CreateAgentForm({
       const data = (await r.json()) as CreateAgentResponse;
       setResult({ status: "done", nodeId: data.node_id });
       setName("");
-      setAgentsMd("");
       pickArchetype("");
       if (catalogue)
         setSelected(
@@ -268,8 +258,8 @@ export function CreateAgentForm({
           <p class="create-agent-intro">
             Create a new agent's swarm-level identity. This only queues the job
             — check <Link href="/jobs">jobs</Link> to watch it settle. Resource
-            caps, inference and instructions are optional; leave them empty to
-            set nothing. A name set up before keeps the settings stored for it.
+            caps and inference are optional; leave them empty to set nothing. A
+            name set up before keeps the settings stored for it.
           </p>
           {hivesError && (
             <ApiErrorPanel
@@ -375,22 +365,6 @@ export function CreateAgentForm({
                 />
               </div>
             </details>
-            <details class="create-agent-section">
-              <summary>instructions</summary>
-              <div class="create-agent-section-body">
-                <TextAreaField
-                  id="agent-agents-md"
-                  label="AGENTS.md"
-                  value={agentsMd}
-                  rows={8}
-                  placeholder="the text the agent's AGENTS.md starts with; leave empty for none"
-                  onInput={setAgentsMd}
-                />
-              </div>
-            </details>
-            {refusal !== null && (
-              <p class="create-agent-field-error">{refusal}</p>
-            )}
             <Button
               variant="primary"
               type="submit"
@@ -410,7 +384,7 @@ export function CreateAgentForm({
               <Link href="/jobs">watch it in jobs</Link>
             </p>
           )}
-          {result.status === "error" && refusal === null && (
+          {result.status === "error" && (
             <ApiErrorPanel context="failed to queue" problem={result.problem} />
           )}
         </Panel>
diff --git a/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/test/create-agents-md.test.mjs b/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/test/create-agents-md.test.mjs
deleted file mode 100644
index 1edc8218..00000000
--- a/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/test/create-agents-md.test.mjs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,43 +0,0 @@
-// What the create-agent form sends for the initial AGENTS.md, and which error
-// it shows beside the box. Run by `npm test`, which Node runs with its
-// built-in test runner and type stripping, so the `.ts` module is imported as
-// it is.
-import assert from "node:assert/strict";
-import { test } from "node:test";
-import {
-  agentsMdBody,
-  agentsMdRefusal,
-} from "../src/pages/CreateAgentAgentsMd.ts";
-
-test("an empty or whitespace-only box sends no agents_md", () => {
-  assert.deepEqual(agentsMdBody(""), {});
-  assert.deepEqual(agentsMdBody("  \n\t \n"), {});
-});
-
-test("text is sent as typed, whitespace and all", () => {
-  assert.deepEqual(agentsMdBody("# me\n\nDo the thing.\n"), {
-    agents_md: "# me\n\nDo the thing.\n",
-  });
-  assert.deepEqual(agentsMdBody("  indented"), { agents_md: "  indented" });
-});
-
-test("the size refusal shows beside the box", () => {
-  const detail = "agents_md is 70000 bytes; the limit is 65536";
-  assert.equal(agentsMdRefusal({ status: 400, detail }), detail);
-});
-
-test("other failures stay with the general error", () => {
-  assert.equal(
-    agentsMdRefusal({ status: 400, detail: "name is not a valid identifier" }),
-    null,
-  );
-  assert.equal(
-    agentsMdRefusal({
-      status: 500,
-      detail: "agents_md is 70000 bytes; the limit is 65536",
-    }),
-    null,
-  );
-  assert.equal(agentsMdRefusal({ status: 400 }), null);
-  assert.equal(agentsMdRefusal({ detail: "agents_md is too long" }), null);
-});