diff --git a/server/src/__tests__/agent-skills-routes.test.ts b/server/src/__tests__/agent-skills-routes.test.ts
index f0b6c499..8c9101ae 100644
--- a/server/src/__tests__/agent-skills-routes.test.ts
+++ b/server/src/__tests__/agent-skills-routes.test.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,9 @@ const mockAccessService = vi.hoisted(() => ({
   hasPermission: vi.fn(),
 }));
 
-const mockApprovalService = vi.hoisted(() => ({}));
+const mockApprovalService = vi.hoisted(() => ({
+  create: vi.fn(),
+}));
 const mockBudgetService = vi.hoisted(() => ({}));
 const mockHeartbeatService = vi.hoisted(() => ({}));
 const mockIssueApprovalService = vi.hoisted(() => ({
@@ -176,13 +178,26 @@ describe("agent skill routes", () => {
       budgetMonthlyCents: Number(input.budgetMonthlyCents ?? 0),
       permissions: null,
     }));
-    mockApprovalService.create = vi.fn(async (_companyId: string, input: Record<string, unknown>) => ({
+    mockApprovalService.create.mockImplementation(async (_companyId: string, input: Record<string, unknown>) => ({
       id: "approval-1",
       companyId: "company-1",
       type: "hire_agent",
       status: "pending",
       payload: input.payload ?? {},
     }));
+    mockAgentInstructionsService.materializeManagedBundle.mockImplementation(
+      async (agent: Record<string, unknown>, files: Record<string, string>) => ({
+        bundle: null,
+        adapterConfig: {
+          ...((agent.adapterConfig as Record<string, unknown> | undefined) ?? {}),
+          instructionsBundleMode: "managed",
+          instructionsRootPath: `/tmp/${String(agent.id)}/instructions`,
+          instructionsEntryFile: "AGENTS.md",
+          instructionsFilePath: `/tmp/${String(agent.id)}/instructions/AGENTS.md`,
+          promptTemplate: files["AGENTS.md"] ?? "",
+        },
+      }),
+    );
     mockLogActivity.mockResolvedValue(undefined);
     mockAccessService.canUser.mockResolvedValue(true);
     mockAccessService.hasPermission.mockResolvedValue(true);
@@ -289,6 +304,44 @@ describe("agent skill routes", () => {
     );
   });
 
+  it("materializes a managed AGENTS.md for directly created local agents", async () => {
+    const res = await request(createApp())
+      .post("/api/companies/company-1/agents")
+      .send({
+        name: "QA Agent",
+        role: "engineer",
+        adapterType: "claude_local",
+        adapterConfig: {
+          promptTemplate: "You are QA.",
+        },
+      });
+
+    expect(res.status, JSON.stringify(res.body)).toBe(201);
+    expect(mockAgentInstructionsService.materializeManagedBundle).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        id: "11111111-1111-4111-8111-111111111111",
+        adapterType: "claude_local",
+      }),
+      { "AGENTS.md": "You are QA." },
+      { entryFile: "AGENTS.md", replaceExisting: false },
+    );
+    expect(mockAgentService.update).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      "11111111-1111-4111-8111-111111111111",
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        adapterConfig: expect.objectContaining({
+          instructionsBundleMode: "managed",
+          instructionsEntryFile: "AGENTS.md",
+          instructionsFilePath: "/tmp/11111111-1111-4111-8111-111111111111/instructions/AGENTS.md",
+        }),
+      }),
+    );
+    expect(mockAgentService.update.mock.calls.at(-1)?.[1]).not.toMatchObject({
+      adapterConfig: expect.objectContaining({
+        promptTemplate: expect.anything(),
+      }),
+    });
+  });
+
   it("includes canonical desired skills in hire approvals", async () => {
     const db = createDb(true);
 
@@ -316,4 +369,35 @@ describe("agent skill routes", () => {
       }),
     );
   });
+
+  it("uses managed AGENTS config in hire approval payloads", async () => {
+    const res = await request(createApp(createDb(true)))
+      .post("/api/companies/company-1/agent-hires")
+      .send({
+        name: "QA Agent",
+        role: "engineer",
+        adapterType: "claude_local",
+        adapterConfig: {
+          promptTemplate: "You are QA.",
+        },
+      });
+
+    expect(res.status, JSON.stringify(res.body)).toBe(201);
+    expect(mockApprovalService.create).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      "company-1",
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        payload: expect.objectContaining({
+          adapterConfig: expect.objectContaining({
+            instructionsBundleMode: "managed",
+            instructionsEntryFile: "AGENTS.md",
+            instructionsFilePath: "/tmp/11111111-1111-4111-8111-111111111111/instructions/AGENTS.md",
+          }),
+        }),
+      }),
+    );
+    const approvalInput = mockApprovalService.create.mock.calls.at(-1)?.[1] as
+      | { payload?: { adapterConfig?: Record<string, unknown> } }
+      | undefined;
+    expect(approvalInput?.payload?.adapterConfig?.promptTemplate).toBeUndefined();
+  });
 });
diff --git a/server/src/routes/agents.ts b/server/src/routes/agents.ts
index 80bebc2d..9481840b 100644
--- a/server/src/routes/agents.ts
+++ b/server/src/routes/agents.ts
@@ -63,7 +63,9 @@ export function agentRoutes(db: Db) {
     gemini_local: "instructionsFilePath",
     opencode_local: "instructionsFilePath",
     cursor: "instructionsFilePath",
+    pi_local: "instructionsFilePath",
   };
+  const DEFAULT_MANAGED_INSTRUCTIONS_ADAPTER_TYPES = new Set(Object.keys(DEFAULT_INSTRUCTIONS_PATH_KEYS));
   const KNOWN_INSTRUCTIONS_PATH_KEYS = new Set(["instructionsFilePath", "agentsMdPath"]);
 
   const router = Router();
@@ -328,6 +330,43 @@ export function agentRoutes(db: Db) {
     return path.resolve(cwd, trimmed);
   }
 
+  async function materializeDefaultInstructionsBundleForNewAgent<T extends {
+    id: string;
+    companyId: string;
+    name: string;
+    adapterType: string;
+    adapterConfig: unknown;
+  }>(agent: T): Promise<T> {
+    if (!DEFAULT_MANAGED_INSTRUCTIONS_ADAPTER_TYPES.has(agent.adapterType)) {
+      return agent;
+    }
+
+    const adapterConfig = asRecord(agent.adapterConfig) ?? {};
+    const hasExplicitInstructionsBundle =
+      Boolean(asNonEmptyString(adapterConfig.instructionsBundleMode))
+      || Boolean(asNonEmptyString(adapterConfig.instructionsRootPath))
+      || Boolean(asNonEmptyString(adapterConfig.instructionsEntryFile))
+      || Boolean(asNonEmptyString(adapterConfig.instructionsFilePath))
+      || Boolean(asNonEmptyString(adapterConfig.agentsMdPath));
+    if (hasExplicitInstructionsBundle) {
+      return agent;
+    }
+
+    const promptTemplate = typeof adapterConfig.promptTemplate === "string"
+      ? adapterConfig.promptTemplate
+      : "";
+    const materialized = await instructions.materializeManagedBundle(
+      agent,
+      { "AGENTS.md": promptTemplate },
+      { entryFile: "AGENTS.md", replaceExisting: false },
+    );
+    const nextAdapterConfig = { ...materialized.adapterConfig };
+    delete nextAdapterConfig.promptTemplate;
+
+    const updated = await svc.update(agent.id, { adapterConfig: nextAdapterConfig });
+    return (updated as T | null) ?? { ...agent, adapterConfig: nextAdapterConfig };
+  }
+
   async function assertCanManageInstructionsPath(req: Request, targetAgent: { id: string; companyId: string }) {
     assertCompanyAccess(req, targetAgent.companyId);
     if (req.actor.type === "board") return;
@@ -1035,12 +1074,13 @@ export function agentRoutes(db: Db) {
 
     const requiresApproval = company.requireBoardApprovalForNewAgents;
     const status = requiresApproval ? "pending_approval" : "idle";
-    const agent = await svc.create(companyId, {
+    const createdAgent = await svc.create(companyId, {
       ...normalizedHireInput,
       status,
       spentMonthlyCents: 0,
       lastHeartbeatAt: null,
     });
+    const agent = await materializeDefaultInstructionsBundleForNewAgent(createdAgent);
 
     let approval: Awaited<ReturnType<typeof approvalsSvc.getById>> | null = null;
     const actor = getActorInfo(req);
@@ -1049,7 +1089,7 @@ export function agentRoutes(db: Db) {
       const requestedAdapterType = normalizedHireInput.adapterType ?? agent.adapterType;
       const requestedAdapterConfig =
         redactEventPayload(
-          (normalizedHireInput.adapterConfig ?? agent.adapterConfig) as Record<string, unknown>,
+          (agent.adapterConfig ?? normalizedHireInput.adapterConfig) as Record<string, unknown>,
         ) ?? {};
       const requestedRuntimeConfig =
         redactEventPayload(
@@ -1172,13 +1212,14 @@ export function agentRoutes(db: Db) {
       normalizedAdapterConfig,
     );
 
-    const agent = await svc.create(companyId, {
+    const createdAgent = await svc.create(companyId, {
       ...createInput,
       adapterConfig: normalizedAdapterConfig,
       status: "idle",
       spentMonthlyCents: 0,
       lastHeartbeatAt: null,
     });
+    const agent = await materializeDefaultInstructionsBundleForNewAgent(createdAgent);
 
     const actor = getActorInfo(req);
     await logActivity(db, {