diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/plugins/hermes-bots/plugin.mentions.test.ts b/apps/desktop/src/plugins/hermes-bots/plugin.mentions.test.ts
index 5ec7976391..de02c50025 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/plugins/hermes-bots/plugin.mentions.test.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/plugins/hermes-bots/plugin.mentions.test.ts
@@ -265,6 +265,25 @@ describe('the mention middleware', () => {
     expect(result.text).toMatch(/on Vera/)
   })
 
+  it('annotates the resolvable handle for a local row whose UI alias differs', async () => {
+    // The reporter's shape (#97678 / Discord video): the LOCAL twin carries
+    // the 'default-this-device' alias when the remote gateway is active.
+    // The local resolver only knows bare profile names / 'hermes'.
+    const { handler } = await contributions({
+      focused: 'ops',
+      profiles: [
+        { connectionId: 'local', connectionKind: 'local', handle: 'default-this-device', name: 'default' },
+        { name: 'ops' }
+      ]
+    })
+
+    const result = await handler({ text: 'ping @default-this-device' })
+
+    expect(result.text).toMatch(/@default-this-device = agent profile "default"/)
+    expect(result.text).toMatch(/message_agent target: "hermes"/)
+    expect(result.text).not.toMatch(/message_agent target: "default-this-device/)
+  })
+
   it('passes a draft with no mention straight through', async () => {
     const { handler } = await contributions()
     const draft = { text: 'no tags here' }
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/plugins/hermes-bots/plugin.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/plugins/hermes-bots/plugin.tsx
index 2b599d5b54..ffdcaeb8fa 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/plugins/hermes-bots/plugin.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/plugins/hermes-bots/plugin.tsx
@@ -742,9 +742,15 @@ export default {
             const target =
               bot.remoteSource && bot.connectionId ? `${bot.name}@${bot.connectionId}` : botHandle(bot.name)
 
+            // Local rows get the same annotation whenever their UI alias
+            // ('default-this-device') differs from the resolvable handle —
+            // otherwise the agent has only the alias to go on and the local
+            // path rejects it the same way (#97678).
             const where = bot.remoteSource
               ? ` — on ${bot.connectionLabel || bot.connectionId} (message_agent target: "${target}")`
-              : ''
+              : handle !== target
+                ? ` (message_agent target: "${target}")`
+                : ''
 
             return `@${handle} = agent profile "${bot.name}"${title ? ` ("${title}")` : ''}${where}`
           })