diff --git a/agents/hermes/Dockerfile b/agents/hermes/Dockerfile
index 8f871ad3775..6a4f90d13eb 100644
--- a/agents/hermes/Dockerfile
+++ b/agents/hermes/Dockerfile
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ ARG NEMOCLAW_MESSAGING_ALLOWED_IDS_B64=e30=
 ARG NEMOCLAW_DISCORD_GUILDS_B64=e30=
 ARG NEMOCLAW_TELEGRAM_CONFIG_B64=e30=
 ARG NEMOCLAW_BUILD_ID=default
+ARG NEMOCLAW_DARWIN_VM_COMPAT=0
 
 # Promote build-args to env vars for the config generation script.
 ENV NEMOCLAW_MODEL=${NEMOCLAW_MODEL} \
@@ -253,6 +254,16 @@ RUN sha256sum /sandbox/.hermes/config.yaml /sandbox/.hermes/.env \
     && chmod 600 /sandbox/.hermes/.config-hash \
     && chown sandbox:sandbox /sandbox/.hermes/.config-hash
 
+# OpenShell's macOS VM backend currently remaps extracted rootfs ownership to
+# the host uid/gid before startup. Hermes uses /sandbox as a read_write path, so
+# that repair walks the trusted rc files too; keep this Darwin-only so Linux
+# Docker-driver sandboxes retain the tighter default permissions.
+RUN if [ "$NEMOCLAW_DARWIN_VM_COMPAT" = "1" ]; then \
+        chmod -R a+rwX /sandbox/.hermes; \
+        find /sandbox/.hermes -type d -exec chmod a+rwx {} +; \
+        chmod a+rw /sandbox/.bashrc /sandbox/.profile; \
+    fi
+
 # start.sh handles privilege separation: runs as root initially, then drops
 # to 'gateway' user via gosu for the agent process. See start.sh.
 ENTRYPOINT ["/usr/local/bin/nemoclaw-start"]
diff --git a/test/e2e/test-openshell-gateway-upgrade.sh b/test/e2e/test-openshell-gateway-upgrade.sh
index 49b9d1f9fe3..70287505702 100755
--- a/test/e2e/test-openshell-gateway-upgrade.sh
+++ b/test/e2e/test-openshell-gateway-upgrade.sh
@@ -307,7 +307,13 @@ exercise_macos_vm_rootfs_permission_regression() {
     || fail "onboard does not enable macOS VM rootfs compatibility for Darwin sandbox builds"
   grep -q "chmod -R a+rwX /sandbox/.openclaw" Dockerfile \
     || fail "Dockerfile does not relax OpenClaw state permissions for macOS VM rootfs remapping"
-  pass "macOS VM sandbox builds enable rootfs ownership compatibility"
+  grep -q "ARG NEMOCLAW_DARWIN_VM_COMPAT=0" agents/hermes/Dockerfile \
+    || fail "Hermes Dockerfile is missing the macOS VM rootfs compatibility ARG"
+  grep -q "chmod -R a+rwX /sandbox/.hermes" agents/hermes/Dockerfile \
+    || fail "Hermes Dockerfile does not relax Hermes state permissions for macOS VM rootfs remapping"
+  grep -q "chmod a+rw /sandbox/.bashrc /sandbox/.profile" agents/hermes/Dockerfile \
+    || fail "Hermes Dockerfile does not relax trusted rc files for macOS VM ownership repair"
+  pass "macOS VM sandbox builds enable OpenClaw and Hermes rootfs ownership compatibility"
 }
 
 wait_for_survivor_ready() {