diff --git a/agent/tool_guardrails.py b/agent/tool_guardrails.py
index 4a57e96446..777cb9775d 100644
--- a/agent/tool_guardrails.py
+++ b/agent/tool_guardrails.py
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ class ToolCallGuardrailConfig:
     """Thresholds for per-turn tool-call loop detection.
 
     Warnings are enabled by default and never prevent tool execution. Hard stops
-    stay opt-in for interactive CLI/TUI sessions, but default on for
+    stay opt-in for interactive CLI/TUI/Desktop/ACP sessions, but default on for
     non-interactive gateway/cron platforms where nobody is present to interrupt
     a model that ignores loop warnings.
     """
@@ -129,7 +129,12 @@ class ToolCallGuardrailConfig:
     loop_caps: "LoopCapConfig" = field(default_factory=lambda: LoopCapConfig())
 
     @classmethod
-    def from_mapping(cls, data: Mapping[str, Any] | None, *, platform: str | None = None) -> "ToolCallGuardrailConfig":
+    def from_mapping(
+        cls,
+        data: Mapping[str, Any] | None,
+        *,
+        platform: str | None = None,
+    ) -> "ToolCallGuardrailConfig":
         """Build config from the `tool_loop_guardrails` config.yaml section."""
         if not isinstance(data, Mapping):
             data = {}
@@ -229,11 +234,14 @@ class LoopCapConfig:
         )
 
 
+_INTERACTIVE_PLATFORMS = frozenset({"cli", "tui", "desktop", "acp"})
+
+
 def _is_non_interactive_platform(platform: str | None) -> bool:
     """Return true for gateway/cron sessions where tool loops are unattended."""
     if not isinstance(platform, str) or not platform.strip():
         return False
-    return platform.strip().lower() not in {"cli", "tui"}
+    return platform.strip().lower() not in _INTERACTIVE_PLATFORMS
 
 
 @dataclass(frozen=True)
diff --git a/cli-config.yaml.example b/cli-config.yaml.example
index a564f19524..24991f6eaf 100644
--- a/cli-config.yaml.example
+++ b/cli-config.yaml.example
@@ -534,7 +534,7 @@ browser:
 # =============================================================================
 # Soft warnings are enabled by default. They append guidance to repeated failed
 # or non-progressing tool results but still let the tool execute. Hard stops stay
-# opt-in for interactive CLI/TUI sessions, but default on for non-interactive
+# opt-in for interactive CLI/TUI/Desktop/ACP sessions, but default on for unattended
 # gateway/cron sessions where nobody is present to interrupt a model that
 # ignores loop warnings.
 tool_loop_guardrails:
diff --git a/hermes_cli/config.py b/hermes_cli/config.py
index 36c40573d3..09fb268c52 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/config.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/config.py
@@ -1100,7 +1100,6 @@ def _ensure_hermes_home_managed(home: Path):
 
 from hermes_cli.config_defaults import DEFAULT_CONFIG, OPTIONAL_ENV_VARS  # noqa: F401
 
-
 # =============================================================================
 # Config Migration System
 # =============================================================================
diff --git a/scripts/release.py b/scripts/release.py
index a6fa757ae1..b906fdd4fb 100755
--- a/scripts/release.py
+++ b/scripts/release.py
@@ -320,7 +320,6 @@ LEGACY_AUTHOR_MAP = {
     "pinkiilqwq@users.noreply.github.com": "PINKIIILQWQ",  # PR #45035 salvage (resume-to-tip; #38763)
     "pink@PinkdeMacBook-Air.local": "PINKIIILQWQ",  # PR #45035 local git identity (resume-to-tip; #38763)
     "ailang323@163.com": "ailang323",  # PR #48682 salvage (compression-tip predicate; #38763)
-
     "59806492+sitkarev@users.noreply.github.com": "sitkarev",
     "zheng@omegasys.eu": "omegazheng",
     "220877172+james47kjv@users.noreply.github.com": "james47kjv",
diff --git a/tests/agent/test_tool_guardrails.py b/tests/agent/test_tool_guardrails.py
index d8d5b4f8f5..05c2560261 100644
--- a/tests/agent/test_tool_guardrails.py
+++ b/tests/agent/test_tool_guardrails.py
@@ -75,12 +75,15 @@ def test_config_parses_nested_warn_and_hard_stop_thresholds():
     assert cfg.no_progress_block_after == 8
 
 
-def test_gateway_platform_defaults_to_hard_stop_without_changing_cli_default():
-    cli_cfg = ToolCallGuardrailConfig.from_mapping({}, platform="cli")
+def test_gateway_platform_defaults_to_hard_stop_without_changing_interactive_defaults():
+    interactive_configs = [
+        ToolCallGuardrailConfig.from_mapping({}, platform=platform)
+        for platform in ("cli", "tui", "desktop", "acp")
+    ]
     telegram_cfg = ToolCallGuardrailConfig.from_mapping({}, platform="telegram")
     cron_cfg = ToolCallGuardrailConfig.from_mapping({}, platform="cron")
 
-    assert cli_cfg.hard_stop_enabled is False
+    assert all(cfg.hard_stop_enabled is False for cfg in interactive_configs)
     assert telegram_cfg.hard_stop_enabled is True
     assert cron_cfg.hard_stop_enabled is True
 
diff --git a/tests/run_agent/test_tool_call_guardrail_runtime.py b/tests/run_agent/test_tool_call_guardrail_runtime.py
index 5ef47efc72..fbc0a51460 100644
--- a/tests/run_agent/test_tool_call_guardrail_runtime.py
+++ b/tests/run_agent/test_tool_call_guardrail_runtime.py
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ import uuid
 from types import SimpleNamespace
 from unittest.mock import MagicMock, patch
 
+import pytest
+
 from run_agent import AIAgent
 
 
@@ -103,6 +105,18 @@ def test_gateway_platform_uses_hard_stop_default_without_cli_opt_in():
     assert decision.code == "repeated_exact_failure_block"
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("platform", ["desktop", "acp"])
+def test_interactive_platforms_keep_warning_only_default(platform):
+    agent = _make_agent("web_search", platform=platform)
+    args = {"query": "same"}
+
+    _seed_exact_failures(agent, "web_search", args, count=5)
+
+    decision = getattr(agent, "_tool_guardrails").before_call("web_search", args)
+    assert decision.action == "allow"
+    assert decision.code == "allow"
+
+
 def test_default_sequential_path_warns_repeated_exact_failure_without_blocking_execution():
     agent = _make_agent("web_search")
     args = {"query": "same"}
diff --git a/website/docs/user-guide/configuration.md b/website/docs/user-guide/configuration.md
index b1d5570576..2a0e1619ec 100644
--- a/website/docs/user-guide/configuration.md
+++ b/website/docs/user-guide/configuration.md
@@ -1765,14 +1765,15 @@ The gate is independent of `tool_use_enforcement` — either can be on without t
 
 ## Tool-Loop Guardrails
 
-Hermes detects when the agent is stuck in an unproductive tool-calling loop — the same tool call failing repeatedly, the same tool failing over and over, or an idempotent call returning the same result with no progress. By default it injects a **warning** into the tool result so the model self-corrects; it does not hard-stop, since a person watching the CLI/TUI can intervene.
+Hermes detects when the agent is stuck in an unproductive tool-calling loop — the same tool call failing repeatedly, the same tool failing over and over, or an idempotent call returning the same result with no progress. By default it injects a **warning** into the tool result so the model self-corrects. Interactive CLI, TUI, Desktop, and ACP sessions remain warning-only because a person can intervene; unattended gateway and cron sessions enable hard stops by default.
 
-For unattended gateway / server deployments, enable hard stops so a stuck agent is circuit-broken instead of burning the iteration budget:
+The platform-aware default can be disabled for an unattended deployment, or hard stops can be explicitly enabled on every platform:
 
 ```yaml
 tool_loop_guardrails:
   warnings_enabled: true       # inject warnings into tool results (default: true)
   hard_stop_enabled: false     # also BLOCK the call past the hard-stop threshold (default: false)
+  non_interactive_hard_stop_enabled: true  # default hard stops for gateway/cron
   warn_after:
     exact_failure: 2           # identical failing call repeated N times
     same_tool_failure: 3       # same tool failing N times (different args)
@@ -1786,7 +1787,7 @@ tool_loop_guardrails:
     max_subagents: 50          # max subagents spawned per turn (0 = unlimited)
 ```
 
-`hard_stop_enabled` defaults to `false` because interactive sessions have a human in the loop. In unattended deployments (gateway, cron, kanban workers) set it to `true` so repeated failures are blocked rather than only warned. See also [Docker / unattended deployments](docker.md).
+`hard_stop_enabled` explicitly enables hard stops on every platform. When it remains `false`, `non_interactive_hard_stop_enabled` still enables them for unattended gateway/cron-style platforms while preserving warning-only behavior for CLI, TUI, Desktop, and ACP. Set `non_interactive_hard_stop_enabled: false` to opt an unattended deployment out. See also [Docker / unattended deployments](docker.md).
 
 ### Per-turn runaway-loop caps
 
diff --git a/website/docs/user-guide/docker.md b/website/docs/user-guide/docker.md
index da737a4b17..dbdb77cb21 100644
--- a/website/docs/user-guide/docker.md
+++ b/website/docs/user-guide/docker.md
@@ -71,14 +71,11 @@ See the [Where the logs go](#where-the-logs-go) section below for the full routi
 :::
 
 :::note Tool-loop hard stops for unattended gateways
-The `tool_loop_guardrails.hard_stop_enabled` setting defaults to `false`, which is reasonable for interactive CLI and TUI sessions where a person can see repeated tool-call warnings. In unattended gateway or server deployments, warnings alone may not stop an agent that gets stuck in a repeated tool-call loop. Operators who want circuit-breaker behavior should explicitly enable hard stops in the profile's `config.yaml`:
+Unattended gateway and cron sessions enable tool-loop hard stops by default through `non_interactive_hard_stop_enabled`. Interactive CLI, TUI, Desktop, and ACP sessions remain warning-only. To opt an unattended deployment out in the profile's `config.yaml`:
 
 ```yaml
 tool_loop_guardrails:
-  hard_stop_enabled: true
-  hard_stop_after:
-    exact_failure: 5
-    idempotent_no_progress: 5
+  non_interactive_hard_stop_enabled: false
 ```
 :::