diff --git a/hermes_cli/local_runtime/bootstrap.py b/hermes_cli/local_runtime/bootstrap.py
index fcc2cab169..9b78b7a073 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/local_runtime/bootstrap.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/local_runtime/bootstrap.py
@@ -76,6 +76,50 @@ def staged_in(models_dir: Path, *, require_complete: bool = True) -> "list[Path]
     return out
 
 
+def adopt_legacy_models() -> "list[Path]":
+    """Move GGUFs left in the old per-profile ``<profile home>/models`` layout (and its assets/)
+    into the machine-scoped dirs, so everything downstream keeps reading one directory.
+
+    ``os.rename`` only: within one filesystem it is instant even for a 20 GB model, while
+    ``shutil.move`` silently degrades to a copy across devices. A cross-device profile dir is left
+    in place with a warning rather than copying tens of GB at session start. A name that already
+    exists in the destination is left alone (check-then-rename: the only window is two processes
+    adopting two profiles' same-named file at once, and a same name is the same catalog variant).
+    Two processes racing on one file are harmless: the loser's rename finds the source gone and
+    skips it. Returns the new paths of the moved files."""
+    from hermes_constants import get_default_hermes_root, named_profile_has_identity
+
+    profiles_root = get_default_hermes_root() / "profiles"
+    if not profiles_root.is_dir():
+        return []
+    moved: list[Path] = []
+    for home in sorted(profiles_root.iterdir()):
+        old = home / "models"
+        if home.name.startswith(".") or not old.is_dir() or not named_profile_has_identity(home):
+            continue
+        for src_dir, dest_dir in ((old, models_dir()), (old / "assets", assets_dir())):
+            for src in sorted(src_dir.glob("*.gguf")):
+                dest = dest_dir / src.name
+                if dest.exists():
+                    logger.warning("legacy model %s not moved: %s already exists", src, dest)
+                    continue
+                try:
+                    dest_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+                    os.rename(src, dest)
+                except FileNotFoundError:
+                    continue
+                except OSError as exc:
+                    logger.warning("legacy model %s not moved to %s: %s", src, dest_dir, exc)
+                    continue
+                moved.append(dest)
+        for emptied in (old / "assets", old):
+            with suppress(OSError):
+                emptied.rmdir()
+    if moved:
+        logger.info("moved %d legacy model file(s) into %s", len(moved), models_dir())
+    return moved
+
+
 def staged_models() -> "list[Path]":
     """Servable staged models (continuation parts, incomplete splits and assets/ never count)."""
     return staged_in(models_dir())
@@ -275,6 +319,10 @@ def ensure_local_runtime(config: dict, force: bool = False) -> "object | None":
     if _SUPERVISOR is not None:
         return _SUPERVISOR
 
+    try:
+        adopt_legacy_models()
+    except OSError as exc:  # an unreadable profiles dir must not block serving what's staged
+        logger.warning("legacy model adoption failed: %s", exc)
     # Residency: no staged models means nothing to serve — don't boot an empty server (delete
     # your last model and boots stop). force boots as ever.
     if not force and not staged_models():
diff --git a/hermes_cli/web_routers/local_models.py b/hermes_cli/web_routers/local_models.py
index 1751b40988..b2ac709d4f 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/web_routers/local_models.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/web_routers/local_models.py
@@ -500,6 +500,8 @@ def local_models_status():
     import pm
 
     current = pm.installed_package(binaries.BACKEND_PACKAGES[runtime_backend]) if runtime_backend else None
+    # The pane must list models from the old per-profile layout even while the runtime is off.
+    _quiet(bootstrap.adopt_legacy_models, [], warn="legacy model adoption failed: %r")
     mdir = bootstrap.models_dir()
     running = _state_endpoint()
     # Resident models from the live router ({} when down): Loaded pills + eject. A failed read is never
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_local_legacy_models_dir.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_local_legacy_models_dir.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..825f54a5de
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_local_legacy_models_dir.py
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+"""Models staged under the old per-profile ``<profile home>/models`` layout are moved into the
+machine-scoped ``<root>/models`` so they keep loading."""
+from hermes_cli.local_runtime import bootstrap
+
+
+def _profile(root, name, *, identity=True):
+    home = root / "profiles" / name
+    (home / "models").mkdir(parents=True)
+    if identity:
+        (home / "config.yaml").write_text("{}\n")
+    return home
+
+
+def test_legacy_models_move_into_the_machine_dir_without_clobbering(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_HOME", str(tmp_path))
+    new_dir = bootstrap.models_dir()
+    new_dir.mkdir(parents=True)
+    (new_dir / "shared.gguf").write_text("current")
+    work = _profile(tmp_path, "work")
+    split = ["big-00001-of-00002.gguf", "big-00002-of-00002.gguf"]
+    for name in (*split, "shared.gguf"):
+        (work / "models" / name).write_text(f"legacy {name}")
+    (work / "models" / "assets").mkdir()
+    (work / "models" / "assets" / "mmproj.gguf").write_text("proj")
+    play = _profile(tmp_path, "play")
+    (play / "models" / "small.gguf").write_text("small")
+    ghost = _profile(tmp_path, "ghost", identity=False)  # marker-less shell: not a profile
+    (ghost / "models" / "ghost.gguf").touch()
+
+    bootstrap.adopt_legacy_models()
+
+    assert {p.name for p in bootstrap.staged_models()} == {"shared.gguf", "big-00001-of-00002.gguf", "small.gguf"}
+    assert all((new_dir / name).read_text() == f"legacy {name}" for name in split)
+    assert (bootstrap.assets_dir() / "mmproj.gguf").read_text() == "proj"
+    assert (new_dir / "shared.gguf").read_text() == "current"  # never clobbered...
+    assert (work / "models" / "shared.gguf").read_text() == "legacy shared.gguf"  # ...and not lost
+    assert not (play / "models").exists()  # emptied legacy dir is cleaned up
+    assert (ghost / "models" / "ghost.gguf").exists()
+    assert bootstrap.adopt_legacy_models() == []  # idempotent
+
+
+def test_boot_and_status_both_adopt_legacy_models(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    from hermes_cli.local_runtime import binaries
+    from hermes_cli.web_routers import local_models as lm
+
+    monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_HOME", str(tmp_path))
+    monkeypatch.setattr(binaries, "installed_engine", lambda backend="auto": None)
+    work = _profile(tmp_path, "work")
+
+    (work / "models" / "booted.gguf").touch()
+    bootstrap.ensure_local_runtime({"local_runtime": {"enabled": True}})
+    assert (bootstrap.models_dir() / "booted.gguf").exists()
+
+    (work / "models").mkdir()  # the boot's adoption emptied and removed it
+    (work / "models" / "listed.gguf").touch()
+    monkeypatch.setattr(lm, "_runtime_section", lambda: {"enabled": False})
+    monkeypatch.setattr(lm, "_state_endpoint", lambda: None)
+    assert "listed" in {row["id"] for row in lm.local_models_status()["models"]}