diff --git a/plugins/memory/holographic/__init__.py b/plugins/memory/holographic/__init__.py
index aede5a1323..63f6786735 100644
--- a/plugins/memory/holographic/__init__.py
+++ b/plugins/memory/holographic/__init__.py
@@ -21,6 +21,10 @@ from hermes_cli.config import cfg_get
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
+# Expanded by initialize() against the profile that opens it. A concrete path is copied by a profile clone
+# and outlives a rename, so it keeps naming the old profile's DB.
+_DEFAULT_DB_PATH = "$HERMES_HOME/memory_store.db"
+
 
 FACT_STORE_SCHEMA = {
     "name": "fact_store",
@@ -116,12 +120,17 @@ class HolographicMemoryProvider(MemoryProvider):
         # The canonical writer: config lock, managed-mode refusal, default stripping, atomic replace.
         # ``merge_existing`` keeps every other section; *hermes_home* is the active profile already.
         from hermes_cli.config import save_config
-        save_config({"plugins": {"hermes-memory-store": dict(values)}}, merge_existing=True)
+        values = dict(values)
+        # This profile's own DB spelled out (older setups wrote it; the dashboard form re-submits what it
+        # read) pins every clone and rename of the profile to this file, so it is stored as the placeholder.
+        db_path = values.get("db_path")
+        if isinstance(db_path, str) and Path(db_path).expanduser() == Path(hermes_home) / "memory_store.db":
+            values["db_path"] = _DEFAULT_DB_PATH
+        save_config({"plugins": {"hermes-memory-store": values}}, merge_existing=True)
 
     def get_config_schema(self):
-        from hermes_constants import display_hermes_home
         return [
-            {"key": "db_path", "description": "SQLite database path", "default": f"{display_hermes_home()}/memory_store.db"},
+            {"key": "db_path", "description": "SQLite database path", "default": _DEFAULT_DB_PATH},
             {"key": "auto_extract", "description": "Auto-extract facts at session end", "default": "false", "choices": ["true", "false"]},
             {"key": "default_trust", "description": "Default trust score for new facts", "default": "0.5"},
             {"key": "hrr_dim", "description": "HRR vector dimensions", "default": "1024"},
diff --git a/tests/plugins/memory/test_holographic_profile_db_path.py b/tests/plugins/memory/test_holographic_profile_db_path.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7a73304bcd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/plugins/memory/test_holographic_profile_db_path.py
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+"""The holographic fact DB set up with the default path belongs to whichever profile opens it.
+
+Setup used to offer, and store, the active profile's concrete path (``~/.hermes/memory_store.db``).
+``profile create --clone`` copies config.yaml verbatim, so the clone opened the source profile's
+facts; ``profile rename`` moves the directory, so the renamed profile opened an empty DB in a
+re-created directory under its old name.
+"""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import io
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+from unittest.mock import patch
+
+import pytest
+import yaml
+
+import hermes_cli.memory_setup as memory_setup
+from hermes_cli.profiles import create_profile, rename_profile
+from plugins.memory.holographic import HolographicMemoryProvider, _load_plugin_config
+
+
+@pytest.fixture()
+def root(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    # A ``~/`` path is displayed through Path.home() and expanded through HOME; both name the sandbox.
+    monkeypatch.setenv("HOME", str(tmp_path))
+    monkeypatch.setattr(Path, "home", lambda: tmp_path)
+    home = tmp_path / ".hermes"
+    home.mkdir()
+    monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_HOME", str(home))
+    return home
+
+
+def _setup_with_defaults(monkeypatch, home: Path) -> dict:
+    """``hermes memory setup`` for holographic with Enter on every field, saved as ``cmd_setup`` does."""
+    monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_HOME", str(home))
+    provider = HolographicMemoryProvider(config={"hrr_dim": 64})
+    monkeypatch.setattr(memory_setup, "_curses_select", lambda *_a, default=0, **_k: default)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(sys, "stdin", io.StringIO("\n" * 10))
+    answers: dict = {}
+    assert memory_setup._prompt_schema_fields("holographic", provider.get_config_schema(), answers, {})
+    provider.save_config(answers, str(home))
+    return answers
+
+
+def _opened_db(monkeypatch, home: Path) -> Path:
+    """The DB a session started with ``hermes -p <profile>`` opens."""
+    monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_HOME", str(home))
+    provider = HolographicMemoryProvider(config=_load_plugin_config())
+    provider.initialize("s")
+    try:
+        return provider._store.db_path.resolve()
+    finally:
+        provider.shutdown()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("lifecycle", ["clone", "rename"])
+def test_default_db_path_follows_the_profile_that_opens_it(root, monkeypatch, lifecycle):
+    if lifecycle == "clone":
+        answers = _setup_with_defaults(monkeypatch, root)
+        monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_HOME", str(root))
+        profile = create_profile("work", clone_config=True, no_alias=True)
+    else:
+        source = create_profile("alpha", no_alias=True)
+        answers = _setup_with_defaults(monkeypatch, source)
+        monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_HOME", str(root))
+        with patch("hermes_cli.profiles.check_alias_collision", return_value="skip"):
+            profile = rename_profile("alpha", "beta")
+
+    assert _opened_db(monkeypatch, profile) == (profile / "memory_store.db").resolve()
+    if lifecycle == "rename":
+        assert not (root / "profiles" / "alpha").exists()
+    # The prompt offers the value it stores, so what the user accepted is what config.yaml says.
+    assert answers["db_path"] == "$HERMES_HOME/memory_store.db"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("spelling", ["display", "absolute"])
+def test_save_config_stores_this_profiles_default_path_as_the_placeholder(root, monkeypatch, spelling):
+    # The concrete value an older setup wrote, and the dashboard form re-submits on its next save.
+    profile = create_profile("work", no_alias=True)
+    monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_HOME", str(profile))
+    concrete = "~/.hermes/profiles/work/memory_store.db" if spelling == "display" else str(profile / "memory_store.db")
+
+    HolographicMemoryProvider(config={"hrr_dim": 64}).save_config({"db_path": concrete, "hrr_dim": "64"}, str(profile))
+
+    stored = yaml.safe_load((profile / "config.yaml").read_text(encoding="utf-8"))["plugins"]["hermes-memory-store"]
+    assert stored == {"db_path": "$HERMES_HOME/memory_store.db", "hrr_dim": "64"}
+
+
+def test_save_config_keeps_an_explicit_path(root, monkeypatch):
+    elsewhere = str(root / "shared" / "facts.db")
+
+    HolographicMemoryProvider(config={"hrr_dim": 64}).save_config({"db_path": elsewhere}, str(root))
+
+    stored = yaml.safe_load((root / "config.yaml").read_text(encoding="utf-8"))["plugins"]["hermes-memory-store"]
+    assert stored["db_path"] == elsewhere