diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index c6451c30..943dedc9 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -15,7 +15,8 @@
     "db:migrate": "pnpm --filter @paperclip/db migrate",
     "secrets:migrate-inline-env": "tsx scripts/migrate-inline-env-secrets.ts",
     "db:backup": "./scripts/backup-db.sh",
-    "paperclip": "node cli/node_modules/tsx/dist/cli.mjs cli/src/index.ts"
+    "paperclip": "node cli/node_modules/tsx/dist/cli.mjs cli/src/index.ts",
+    "docs:dev": "cd docs && npx mintlify dev"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "typescript": "^5.7.3",
diff --git a/packages/adapters/claude-local/src/server/execute.ts b/packages/adapters/claude-local/src/server/execute.ts
index d260018a..52f907f9 100644
--- a/packages/adapters/claude-local/src/server/execute.ts
+++ b/packages/adapters/claude-local/src/server/execute.ts
@@ -267,6 +267,8 @@ export async function execute(ctx: AdapterExecutionContext): Promise<AdapterExec
   const chrome = asBoolean(config.chrome, false);
   const maxTurns = asNumber(config.maxTurnsPerRun, 0);
   const dangerouslySkipPermissions = asBoolean(config.dangerouslySkipPermissions, false);
+  const instructionsFilePath = asString(config.instructionsFilePath, "").trim();
+  const instructionsFileDir = instructionsFilePath ? `${path.dirname(instructionsFilePath)}/` : "";
 
   const runtimeConfig = await buildClaudeRuntimeConfig({
     runId,
@@ -321,6 +323,13 @@ export async function execute(ctx: AdapterExecutionContext): Promise<AdapterExec
     if (model) args.push("--model", model);
     if (effort) args.push("--effort", effort);
     if (maxTurns > 0) args.push("--max-turns", String(maxTurns));
+    if (instructionsFilePath) {
+      args.push("--append-system-prompt-file", instructionsFilePath);
+      args.push(
+        "--append-system-prompt",
+        `The above agent instructions were loaded from ${instructionsFilePath}. Resolve any relative file references from ${instructionsFileDir}.`,
+      );
+    }
     args.push("--add-dir", skillsDir);
     if (extraArgs.length > 0) args.push(...extraArgs);
     return args;
diff --git a/packages/adapters/codex-local/src/server/execute.ts b/packages/adapters/codex-local/src/server/execute.ts
index 4547a5cb..bc1f263b 100644
--- a/packages/adapters/codex-local/src/server/execute.ts
+++ b/packages/adapters/codex-local/src/server/execute.ts
@@ -230,8 +230,30 @@ export async function execute(ctx: AdapterExecutionContext): Promise<AdapterExec
       `[paperclip] Codex session "${runtimeSessionId}" was saved for cwd "${runtimeSessionCwd}" and will not be resumed in "${cwd}".\n`,
     );
   }
+  const instructionsFilePath = asString(config.instructionsFilePath, "").trim();
+  let instructionsPrefix = "";
+  if (instructionsFilePath) {
+    try {
+      const instructionsContents = await fs.readFile(instructionsFilePath, "utf8");
+      const instructionsDir = `${path.dirname(instructionsFilePath)}/`;
+      instructionsPrefix =
+        `${instructionsContents}\n\n` +
+        `The above agent instructions were loaded from ${instructionsFilePath}. ` +
+        `Resolve any relative file references from ${instructionsDir}.\n\n`;
+      await onLog(
+        "stderr",
+        `[paperclip] Loaded agent instructions file: ${instructionsFilePath}\n`,
+      );
+    } catch (err) {
+      const reason = err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err);
+      await onLog(
+        "stderr",
+        `[paperclip] Warning: could not read agent instructions file "${instructionsFilePath}": ${reason}\n`,
+      );
+    }
+  }
   const template = sessionId ? promptTemplate : bootstrapTemplate;
-  const prompt = renderTemplate(template, {
+  const renderedPrompt = renderTemplate(template, {
     agentId: agent.id,
     companyId: agent.companyId,
     runId,
@@ -240,6 +262,7 @@ export async function execute(ctx: AdapterExecutionContext): Promise<AdapterExec
     run: { id: runId, source: "on_demand" },
     context,
   });
+  const prompt = `${instructionsPrefix}${renderedPrompt}`;
 
   const buildArgs = (resumeSessionId: string | null) => {
     const args = ["exec", "--json"];