diff --git a/agent/shell_hooks.py b/agent/shell_hooks.py
index 424d2d9e6d..ca7ac6d6b0 100644
--- a/agent/shell_hooks.py
+++ b/agent/shell_hooks.py
@@ -445,6 +445,15 @@ def _parse_pre_tool_call(data: Dict[str, Any]) -> Optional[Dict[str, Any]]:
     for verb, _, _, payload in _PRE_TOOL_DIALECTS:
         if data.get(verb) == "modify" and isinstance(data.get(payload), dict):
             return {"action": "modify", "args": data[payload]}
+    # Hermes-only escalation to the human-approval gate (#92553). Claude-Code's ``decision:
+    # approve`` means auto-ALLOW, so it is deliberately not mapped onto this.
+    if data.get("action") == "approve":
+        directive: Dict[str, Any] = {"action": "approve"}
+        for key in ("message", "rule_key"):
+            value = data.get(key)
+            if isinstance(value, str) and value.strip():
+                directive[key] = value.strip()
+        return directive
     return None
 
 
diff --git a/tests/agent/test_shell_hooks.py b/tests/agent/test_shell_hooks.py
index ab376c5b8a..e2238b448a 100644
--- a/tests/agent/test_shell_hooks.py
+++ b/tests/agent/test_shell_hooks.py
@@ -49,7 +49,18 @@ class TestParseResponse:
         )
         assert r == {"action": "block", "message": "nope"}
 
-
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("stdout, expected", [
+        ('{"action": "approve", "message": "  needs a human ", "rule_key": " terminal:rm "}',
+         {"action": "approve", "message": "needs a human", "rule_key": "terminal:rm"}),
+        ('{"action": "approve", "message": "", "rule_key": 7}', {"action": "approve"}),
+        # Claude-Code's ``decision: approve`` means auto-ALLOW, not "ask a human": never mapped.
+        ('{"decision": "approve", "reason": "ok"}', None),
+        ('{"action": "approve", "decision": "block", "reason": "no"}', {"action": "block", "message": "no"}),
+    ])
+    def test_approve_is_parsed_like_the_plugin_directive(self, stdout, expected):
+        """The documented ``approve`` action used to parse to None, so the tool ran with no
+        approval prompt (#92553). It now yields the same shape Python plugins return."""
+        assert shell_hooks._parse_response("pre_tool_call", stdout) == expected
 
     def test_empty_stdout_returns_none(self):
         assert shell_hooks._parse_response("pre_tool_call", "") is None
@@ -201,6 +212,32 @@ class TestCallbackSubprocess:
         )
         assert msg == "blocked-by-shell"
 
+    def test_approve_reaches_the_human_gate_through_plugin_manager(self, tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+        """End to end: a shell hook's approve directive escalates to request_tool_approval with its
+        message and rule_key, and the gate's denial blocks the tool (#92553)."""
+        from hermes_cli import plugins
+
+        script = _write_script(
+            tmp_path, "approve.sh",
+            "#!/usr/bin/env bash\n"
+            'printf \'{"action": "approve", "message": "risky", "rule_key": "terminal:rm"}\\n\'\n',
+        )
+        monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_HOME", str(tmp_path / "home"))
+        monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_ACCEPT_HOOKS", "1")
+        plugins._plugin_manager = plugins.PluginManager()
+        cfg = {"hooks": {"pre_tool_call": [{"matcher": "terminal", "command": str(script)}]}}
+        assert len(shell_hooks.register_from_config(cfg, accept_hooks=True)) == 1
+
+        seen = []
+
+        def _gate(tool_name, reason, **kwargs):
+            seen.append((tool_name, reason, kwargs.get("rule_key")))
+            return {"approved": False, "message": "denied by human"}
+
+        monkeypatch.setattr("tools.approval.request_tool_approval", _gate)
+        assert plugins.resolve_pre_tool_block("terminal", {"command": "rm"}) == "denied by human"
+        assert seen == [("terminal", "risky", "terminal:rm")]
+
     def test_matcher_regex_filters_callback(self, tmp_path, monkeypatch):
         """A matcher set to 'terminal' must not fire for 'web_search'."""
         calls = tmp_path / "calls.log"
diff --git a/website/docs/user-guide/features/hooks.md b/website/docs/user-guide/features/hooks.md
index 7303ef3f03..dba7b42013 100644
--- a/website/docs/user-guide/features/hooks.md
+++ b/website/docs/user-guide/features/hooks.md
@@ -1729,6 +1729,10 @@ profile's `HERMES_HOME`. `tool_name` and `tool_input` are `null` for non-tool ev
 {"action": "modify", "args": {"new_string": "fixed content"}}         // Hermes-canonical
 {"decision": "modify", "tool_input": {"new_string": "fixed content"}} // Claude-Code style
 
+// Escalate a pre_tool_call to the human-approval gate (Hermes-only; `message` and `rule_key`
+// are optional). Claude-Code's `{"decision": "approve"}` means auto-allow and is NOT mapped here:
+{"action": "approve", "message": "Why approval is required", "rule_key": "optional:scope"}
+
 // Inject context for pre_llm_call:
 {"context": "Today is Friday, 2026-04-17"}