diff --git a/hermes_cli/plugins.py b/hermes_cli/plugins.py
index 8dd02a1bdf5e..bdaabf281fbd 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/plugins.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/plugins.py
@@ -1785,10 +1785,18 @@ def _load_plugin(self, manifest: PluginManifest) -> None:
             else:
                 module = self._load_entrypoint_module(manifest)
 
+            register_fn = None
+            if not isinstance(module, types.ModuleType) and callable(module):
+                # Entry points declared as ``module:function`` resolve to the
+                # function object itself via ``ep.load()``, not its module.
+                register_fn = module
+                module = sys.modules.get(getattr(register_fn, "__module__", ""))
+
             loaded.module = module
 
             # Call register()
-            register_fn = getattr(module, "register", None)
+            if register_fn is None:
+                register_fn = getattr(module, "register", None)
             if register_fn is None:
                 loaded.error = "no register() function"
                 logger.warning("Plugin '%s' has no register() function", manifest.name)
@@ -1886,8 +1894,15 @@ def _load_directory_module(self, manifest: PluginManifest) -> types.ModuleType:
         spec.loader.exec_module(module)
         return module
 
-    def _load_entrypoint_module(self, manifest: PluginManifest) -> types.ModuleType:
-        """Load a pip-installed plugin via its entry-point reference."""
+    def _load_entrypoint_module(
+        self, manifest: PluginManifest
+    ) -> Union[types.ModuleType, Callable[..., Any]]:
+        """Load a pip-installed plugin via its entry-point reference.
+
+        Returns whatever ``ep.load()`` resolves to: the module for a bare
+        ``module`` entry point, or the referenced attribute (typically the
+        ``register`` callable) for the ``module:function`` form.
+        """
         eps = importlib.metadata.entry_points()
         if hasattr(eps, "select"):
             group_eps = eps.select(group=ENTRY_POINTS_GROUP)
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_plugins.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_plugins.py
index 4d604ef8995c..481e10adde96 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_plugins.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_plugins.py
@@ -187,6 +187,54 @@ def _boom(self_inner):
 
 
 
+    def test_entry_point_function_form_registers(self, tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+        """Entry points declared as ``module:function`` register via the callable.
+
+        Regression for #72052: real ``EntryPoint.load()`` returns the referenced
+        attribute for the ``module:function`` form, not the module. The loader
+        used to look for ``.register`` on that function object, find nothing,
+        and warn "no register() function" on every discovery pass.
+        """
+        hermes_home = tmp_path / "hermes_test"
+        hermes_home.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+        monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_HOME", str(hermes_home))
+        # Entry-point plugins load only when opted into plugins.enabled.
+        (hermes_home / "config.yaml").write_text(
+            yaml.safe_dump({"plugins": {"enabled": ["fn_plugin"]}})
+        )
+
+        fake_module = types.ModuleType("fake_fn_plugin")
+        register_calls = []
+
+        def register(ctx):
+            register_calls.append(ctx)
+
+        register.__module__ = "fake_fn_plugin"
+        fake_module.register = register  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
+        monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "fake_fn_plugin", fake_module)
+
+        fake_ep = MagicMock()
+        fake_ep.name = "fn_plugin"
+        fake_ep.value = "fake_fn_plugin:register"
+        fake_ep.group = ENTRY_POINTS_GROUP
+        # Mirror real importlib behavior: load() resolves to the attribute.
+        fake_ep.load.return_value = register
+
+        def fake_entry_points():
+            result = MagicMock()
+            result.select = MagicMock(return_value=[fake_ep])
+            return result
+
+        with patch("importlib.metadata.entry_points", fake_entry_points):
+            mgr = PluginManager()
+            mgr.discover_and_load()
+
+        entry = mgr._plugins["fn_plugin"]
+        assert entry.error is None, entry.error
+        assert entry.enabled
+        assert len(register_calls) == 1
+        assert entry.module is fake_module
+
     def test_force_rediscover_clears_all_plugin_registries(self, monkeypatch):
         """force=True must clear every plugin-populated registry.