diff --git a/src/lib/onboard.ts b/src/lib/onboard.ts
index ae68ac6ead1..acd561987d4 100644
--- a/src/lib/onboard.ts
+++ b/src/lib/onboard.ts
@@ -356,8 +356,9 @@ import type {
   ProbeResult,
   ValidationFailureLike,
 } from "./onboard/types";
-import { channelHasStaticToken, getChannelTokenKeys, listChannels } from "./sandbox/channels";
 import { getMessagingToken } from "./onboard/messaging-token";
+import { decidePolicyCarryForward } from "./onboard/policy-carryforward";
+import { channelHasStaticToken, getChannelTokenKeys, listChannels } from "./sandbox/channels";
 import { streamGatewayStart } from "./onboard/gateway";
 import { reportGpuPassthroughRecovery } from "./onboard/gpu-recovery";
 import type { StreamSandboxCreateResult } from "./sandbox/create-stream";
@@ -5446,13 +5447,12 @@ async function createSandbox(
     }
 
     const previousEntry: SandboxEntry | null = registry.getSandbox(sandboxName);
-    const previousPolicies = previousEntry?.policies ?? null;
-    if (previousPolicies && previousPolicies.length > 0) {
-      onboardSession.updateSession((current: Session) => {
-        current.policyPresets = previousPolicies;
-        return current;
-      });
-    }
+    const decision = decidePolicyCarryForward(previousEntry?.policies, process.env, isNonInteractive());
+    onboardSession.updateSession((c: Session) => {
+      c.policyPresets = decision.newPresets;
+      return c;
+    });
+    if (decision.overrideNote !== null) note(decision.overrideNote);
 
     note(`  Deleting and recreating sandbox '${sandboxName}'...`);
 
diff --git a/src/lib/onboard/policy-carryforward.test.ts b/src/lib/onboard/policy-carryforward.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..26216047f99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/onboard/policy-carryforward.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright (c) 2026 NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+
+import { decidePolicyCarryForward, shouldCarryPreviousPolicies } from "./policy-carryforward";
+
+describe("shouldCarryPreviousPolicies (#2675)", () => {
+  it("drops previous policies when NEMOCLAW_POLICY_PRESETS overrides on recreate", () => {
+    expect(shouldCarryPreviousPolicies(["npm"], { NEMOCLAW_POLICY_PRESETS: "pypi" }, true)).toBe(
+      false,
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("ignores env var in interactive mode (previous list still wins)", () => {
+    expect(shouldCarryPreviousPolicies(["npm"], { NEMOCLAW_POLICY_PRESETS: "pypi" }, false)).toBe(
+      true,
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("drops previous policies when NEMOCLAW_POLICY_MODE=skip", () => {
+    expect(shouldCarryPreviousPolicies(["npm"], { NEMOCLAW_POLICY_MODE: "skip" }, true)).toBe(
+      false,
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("drops previous policies when NEMOCLAW_POLICY_MODE=custom forces explicit selection", () => {
+    expect(shouldCarryPreviousPolicies(["npm"], { NEMOCLAW_POLICY_MODE: "custom" }, true)).toBe(
+      false,
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("carries previous policies when NEMOCLAW_POLICY_MODE=suggested (implicit)", () => {
+    expect(shouldCarryPreviousPolicies(["npm"], { NEMOCLAW_POLICY_MODE: "suggested" }, true)).toBe(
+      true,
+    );
+  });
+});
+
+describe("decidePolicyCarryForward (#2675)", () => {
+  it("emits NEMOCLAW_POLICY_PRESETS override note when env clears previous presets", () => {
+    const decision = decidePolicyCarryForward(["npm"], { NEMOCLAW_POLICY_PRESETS: "pypi" }, true);
+    expect(decision.newPresets).toBeNull();
+    expect(decision.overrideNote).toContain("NEMOCLAW_POLICY_PRESETS overrides previous presets");
+    expect(decision.overrideNote).toContain("was: npm");
+  });
+
+  it("emits NEMOCLAW_POLICY_MODE override note when mode forces clearing", () => {
+    const decision = decidePolicyCarryForward(["npm"], { NEMOCLAW_POLICY_MODE: "skip" }, true);
+    expect(decision.newPresets).toBeNull();
+    expect(decision.overrideNote).toContain("NEMOCLAW_POLICY_MODE=skip");
+    expect(decision.overrideNote).toContain("was: npm");
+  });
+
+  it("carries presets forward in interactive mode even when env vars are set", () => {
+    const decision = decidePolicyCarryForward(["npm"], { NEMOCLAW_POLICY_PRESETS: "pypi" }, false);
+    expect(decision.newPresets).toEqual(["npm"]);
+    expect(decision.overrideNote).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it("clears without note when there are no previous policies to override", () => {
+    const decision = decidePolicyCarryForward([], { NEMOCLAW_POLICY_PRESETS: "pypi" }, true);
+    expect(decision.newPresets).toBeNull();
+    expect(decision.overrideNote).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it("carries forward without note when no env override is set", () => {
+    const decision = decidePolicyCarryForward(["npm"], {}, true);
+    expect(decision.newPresets).toEqual(["npm"]);
+    expect(decision.overrideNote).toBeNull();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/lib/onboard/policy-carryforward.ts b/src/lib/onboard/policy-carryforward.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7b6eb558827
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/onboard/policy-carryforward.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright (c) 2026 NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+// Decides whether `nemoclaw onboard --recreate-sandbox` should carry the
+// previous sandbox's policy presets forward into the new session, or honour
+// a `NEMOCLAW_POLICY_PRESETS` / `NEMOCLAW_POLICY_MODE` environment override.
+// See #2675.
+//
+// "suggested"/"default"/"auto" are intentionally absent from EXPLICIT_POLICY_MODES:
+// they map to the implicit carry-forward semantic, equivalent to leaving
+// NEMOCLAW_POLICY_MODE unset.
+export const EXPLICIT_POLICY_MODES = ["skip", "none", "no", "custom", "list"];
+
+export type PolicyEnv = {
+  NEMOCLAW_POLICY_PRESETS?: string;
+  NEMOCLAW_POLICY_MODE?: string;
+};
+
+export function shouldCarryPreviousPolicies(
+  previousPolicies: string[] | null | undefined,
+  env: PolicyEnv,
+  nonInteractive: boolean,
+): boolean {
+  if (!Array.isArray(previousPolicies) || previousPolicies.length === 0) return false;
+  if (!nonInteractive) return true;
+  if ((env.NEMOCLAW_POLICY_PRESETS ?? "").trim().length > 0) return false;
+  const mode = (env.NEMOCLAW_POLICY_MODE ?? "").trim().toLowerCase();
+  if (EXPLICIT_POLICY_MODES.includes(mode)) return false;
+  return true;
+}
+
+export type PolicyCarryForwardDecision = {
+  // The value to assign to session.policyPresets: `previousPolicies` when the
+  // recreate path carries them forward, otherwise `null` to clear the slot.
+  newPresets: string[] | null;
+  // Human-readable note explaining that an env override is replacing the
+  // recorded presets. Null when no note is warranted.
+  overrideNote: string | null;
+};
+
+export function decidePolicyCarryForward(
+  previousPolicies: string[] | null | undefined,
+  env: PolicyEnv,
+  nonInteractive: boolean,
+): PolicyCarryForwardDecision {
+  const prev = Array.isArray(previousPolicies) ? previousPolicies : null;
+  if (shouldCarryPreviousPolicies(prev, env, nonInteractive)) {
+    return { newPresets: prev, overrideNote: null };
+  }
+  if (!prev || prev.length === 0 || !nonInteractive) return { newPresets: null, overrideNote: null };
+  const wasList = prev.join(", ");
+  if ((env.NEMOCLAW_POLICY_PRESETS ?? "").trim().length > 0) {
+    return {
+      newPresets: null,
+      overrideNote: `  [non-interactive] NEMOCLAW_POLICY_PRESETS overrides previous presets on recreate (was: ${wasList}).`,
+    };
+  }
+  const mode = (env.NEMOCLAW_POLICY_MODE ?? "").trim().toLowerCase();
+  if (EXPLICIT_POLICY_MODES.includes(mode)) {
+    return {
+      newPresets: null,
+      overrideNote: `  [non-interactive] NEMOCLAW_POLICY_MODE=${mode} overrides previous presets on recreate (was: ${wasList}).`,
+    };
+  }
+  return { newPresets: null, overrideNote: null };
+}