diff --git a/gateway/run.py b/gateway/run.py
index 8c884307c1f4..3f4205769e16 100644
--- a/gateway/run.py
+++ b/gateway/run.py
@@ -5371,6 +5371,7 @@ def _is_user_authorized(self, source: SessionSource) -> bool:
         user_id = source.user_id
         if not user_id:
             return False
+        team_id = (source.guild_id or "").strip()
 
         platform_env_map = {
             Platform.TELEGRAM: "TELEGRAM_ALLOWED_USERS",
diff --git a/hermes_cli/main.py b/hermes_cli/main.py
index ee01e81cbbb9..74e4e7e36722 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/main.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/main.py
@@ -7189,19 +7189,22 @@ def _ensure_fhs_path_guard() -> None:
     if not fhs_link.is_symlink() and not fhs_link.exists():
         return
 
-    # Probe a fresh non-login interactive bash the way the user will use it.
-    # ``bash -i -c`` sources ~/.bashrc but NOT ~/.bash_profile or /etc/profile,
-    # which is the exact scenario where RHEL root loses /usr/local/bin.
-    home = os.environ.get("HOME") or "/root"
+    # Resolve root's real home from passwd instead of trusting HOME.
+    try:
+        import pwd
+
+        home = pwd.getpwuid(0).pw_dir or "/root"
+    except Exception:
+        home = "/root"
     try:
         probe = subprocess.run(
             [
                 "env",
                 "-i",
                 f"HOME={home}",
+                "PATH=/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin",
                 f"TERM={os.environ.get('TERM', 'dumb')}",
                 "bash",
-                "-i",
                 "-c",
                 "command -v hermes",
             ],
@@ -7221,7 +7224,14 @@ def _ensure_fhs_path_guard() -> None:
     wrote_any = False
     for candidate in (".bashrc", ".bash_profile"):
         cfg = Path(home) / candidate
-        if not cfg.is_file():
+        if not cfg.is_file() or cfg.is_symlink():
+            continue
+        try:
+            st = cfg.stat()
+        except OSError:
+            continue
+        # Root-only: refuse files not owned by root or writable by group/world.
+        if st.st_uid != 0 or (st.st_mode & 0o022):
             continue
         try:
             existing = cfg.read_text(errors="replace")
diff --git a/scripts/install.sh b/scripts/install.sh
index bc391eee43c7..d0e99d71f996 100755
--- a/scripts/install.sh
+++ b/scripts/install.sh
@@ -1145,11 +1145,15 @@ EOF
     # /root/.bash_profile doesn't either.  So verify with `command -v` and
     # fall back to writing a PATH guard into /root/.bashrc when needed.
     if [ "$ROOT_FHS_LAYOUT" = true ]; then
+        ROOT_HOME="$(getent passwd root 2>/dev/null | cut -d: -f6)"
+        [ -n "$ROOT_HOME" ] || ROOT_HOME="/root"
+        if [ ! -d "$ROOT_HOME" ]; then
+            ROOT_HOME="/root"
+        fi
         export PATH="$command_link_dir:$PATH"
-        # Probe a fresh non-login interactive bash the way the user will use it.
-        # `bash -i -c` sources ~/.bashrc but NOT ~/.bash_profile or /etc/profile,
-        # which is the exact scenario where RHEL root loses /usr/local/bin.
-        if env -i HOME="$HOME" TERM="${TERM:-dumb}" bash -i -c 'command -v hermes' \
+        # Probe a minimal shell environment without sourcing user startup files.
+        if env -i PATH="/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin" HOME="$ROOT_HOME" TERM="${TERM:-dumb}" \
+                bash -c 'command -v hermes' \
                 >/dev/null 2>&1; then
             log_info "/usr/local/bin is already on PATH for all shells"
             log_success "hermes command ready"
@@ -1159,8 +1163,17 @@ EOF
         log_info "hermes not on PATH in non-login shells (common on RHEL-family)"
         PATH_LINE='export PATH="/usr/local/bin:$PATH"'
         PATH_COMMENT='# Hermes Agent — ensure /usr/local/bin is on PATH (RHEL non-login shells)'
-        for SHELL_CONFIG in "$HOME/.bashrc" "$HOME/.bash_profile"; do
+        for SHELL_CONFIG in "$ROOT_HOME/.bashrc" "$ROOT_HOME/.bash_profile"; do
             [ -f "$SHELL_CONFIG" ] || continue
+            [ ! -L "$SHELL_CONFIG" ] || continue
+            if ! stat_out="$(stat -Lc '%u %a' "$SHELL_CONFIG" 2>/dev/null)"; then
+                continue
+            fi
+            shell_uid="${stat_out% *}"
+            shell_mode="${stat_out#* }"
+            # Must be root-owned and not group/world writable.
+            [ "$shell_uid" = "0" ] || continue
+            [ $((8#$shell_mode & 022)) -eq 0 ] || continue
             if ! grep -v '^[[:space:]]*#' "$SHELL_CONFIG" 2>/dev/null \
                     | grep -qE 'PATH=.*(/usr/local/bin|\$command_link_dir)'; then
                 echo "" >> "$SHELL_CONFIG"