diff --git a/gateway/run_profile_reconcile.py b/gateway/run_profile_reconcile.py
index e0f32bd5e1..473d217dc5 100644
--- a/gateway/run_profile_reconcile.py
+++ b/gateway/run_profile_reconcile.py
@@ -305,8 +305,15 @@ def _for_each_served_profile(runner, body) -> None:
             body("default")
         return
     for profile_name, profile_home in _multiplex_profile_homes(config):
-        with _profile_runtime_scope(Path(profile_home)):
-            body(str(profile_name))
+        # One boundary per profile: callers (``_housekeeping_chore``) catch only at the tick level,
+        # so one profile's unreadable store or broken .env abandoned every profile after it, on
+        # every tick. The launch store failing is reachable (``_init_session_db`` tolerates it and
+        # keeps running), and serve defers every served profile's sweep to this loop.
+        try:
+            with _profile_runtime_scope(Path(profile_home)):
+                body(str(profile_name))
+        except Exception as exc:
+            logger.debug("Housekeeping for profile %s skipped: %s", profile_name, exc)
 
 
 def profile_scoped_chore(runner, chore):
diff --git a/tests/gateway/test_housekeeping_profile_scope.py b/tests/gateway/test_housekeeping_profile_scope.py
index 603218f796..9bdbf68ebf 100644
--- a/tests/gateway/test_housekeeping_profile_scope.py
+++ b/tests/gateway/test_housekeeping_profile_scope.py
@@ -178,6 +178,71 @@ def test_multiplexed_maintenance_tick_prunes_every_served_profile_store(two_home
             db.close()
 
 
+def test_a_failing_profile_does_not_strand_the_profiles_after_it(two_homes, monkeypatch):
+    """One served profile's broken store must not cost every profile after it its maintenance.
+
+    ``_housekeeping_chore`` catches at the tick level only, so the launch store raising in
+    ``acquire()`` (reachable: ``_init_session_db`` tolerates a failed primary store and keeps
+    running) ended the per-profile loop before B, on every tick. Serve defers each served
+    profile's sweep to this loop, so B had no archiver at all.
+    """
+    import hermes_state_registry as registry
+    from agent.secret_scope import set_multiplex_active
+    from hermes_constants import get_hermes_home
+    from hermes_state import SessionDB
+
+    a, b = two_homes
+    swept: list = []
+    real_acquire = registry.acquire
+
+    def _acquire(*args, **kwargs):
+        if get_hermes_home() == a:
+            raise OSError("launch store unavailable")
+        return real_acquire(*args, **kwargs)
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(registry, "acquire", _acquire)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        SessionDB, "maybe_auto_archive", lambda self, **kw: swept.append(Path(self.db_path)))
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        "hermes_cli.config.load_config",
+        lambda *args, **kwargs: {"sessions": {"auto_archive": True, "min_interval_hours": 0}})
+
+    set_multiplex_active(True)
+    try:
+        _run_60_ticks(SimpleNamespace(config=SimpleNamespace(multiplex_profiles=True)))
+    finally:
+        set_multiplex_active(False)
+
+    assert swept == [b / "state.db"]
+    assert get_hermes_home() == a
+
+
+def test_profile_scope_setup_failure_restores_the_callers_home(two_homes, monkeypatch):
+    """A profile scope whose secret hydration raises must not leave its home installed.
+
+    The home override was set before hydration and only reset in the ``finally`` around the
+    ``yield``, so a raising ``.env`` load left the housekeeping thread (or a turn's context)
+    resolving ``get_hermes_home()`` to the failed profile for every later unscoped read.
+    """
+    from agent.secret_scope import current_secret_scope
+    from hermes_constants import get_hermes_home
+
+    a, b = two_homes
+    scope_before = current_secret_scope()
+
+    def _boom(home):
+        raise OSError(f"cannot read {home}/.env")
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(gateway_run, "_load_profile_secret_scope", _boom)
+
+    with pytest.raises(OSError):
+        with gateway_run._profile_runtime_scope(b):
+            pass
+
+    assert get_hermes_home() == a
+    assert current_secret_scope() == scope_before
+
+
 def test_prune_unlinks_transcripts_under_the_configured_sessions_dir(two_homes, tmp_path):
     """``gateway.sessions_dir`` governs the LAUNCH profile's transcripts; others use their own home.