diff --git a/src/components.rs b/src/components.rs
index 770458cc..a2633896 100644
--- a/src/components.rs
+++ b/src/components.rs
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ fn write_if_absent(path: &PathBuf, content: &str) -> bool {
 /// get project-local files instead, and only when absent, since a project
 /// file is more sensitive to clobber than a per-user dotfile. Continue has
 /// no dedicated rules convention (per research), so it gets none.
-fn rule_targets(host: &str) -> Vec<(PathBuf, String)> {
+pub(crate) fn rule_targets(host: &str) -> Vec<(PathBuf, String)> {
     let joined = || rule_text::all().join("\n\n");
     match host {
         "claude-code" => {
diff --git a/src/init.rs b/src/init.rs
index fab8dc19..9960e423 100644
--- a/src/init.rs
+++ b/src/init.rs
@@ -5,8 +5,9 @@
 // written without going through a plugin marketplace (Claude Code, Cursor).
 // Codex's hook only activates through its plugin system, so that wiring
 // lives in .codex-plugin/ instead, not here.
-use crate::components::get_components;
+use crate::components::{get_components, rule_targets};
 use crate::paths::home;
+use crate::rule_text;
 use serde_json::{json, Value};
 use std::fs;
 use std::path::PathBuf;
@@ -123,10 +124,70 @@ fn has_ponytail_ref(content: &str) -> bool {
     content.to_lowercase().contains("ponytail")
 }
 
+/// A rule file is stale (safe to offer a refresh) only if its on-disk
+/// content matches a KNOWN old version verbatim — anything else (already
+/// current, or diverging for some other reason) is left untouched, since
+/// that "some other reason" is most likely a user edit.
+fn is_stale_rule(path: &PathBuf, current: &str) -> bool {
+    let Some(filename) = path.file_name().and_then(|f| f.to_str()) else { return false };
+    let superseded = rule_text::superseded(filename);
+    if superseded.is_empty() {
+        return false;
+    }
+    let Ok(existing) = fs::read_to_string(path) else { return false };
+    existing.trim_end() != current.trim_end()
+        && superseded.iter().any(|old| existing.trim_end() == old.trim_end())
+}
+
+fn prompt_yes(message: &str, agent: &str, yes: bool) -> bool {
+    if yes {
+        return true;
+    }
+    print!("{message}");
+    let mut input = String::new();
+    let bytes_read = std::io::stdin().read_line(&mut input).ok();
+    if bytes_read == Some(0) {
+        println!("  Skipped. Re-run: agentflare init --agent {agent}");
+        return false;
+    }
+    match input.trim().to_lowercase().as_str() {
+        "y" | "yes" | "" => true,
+        _ => {
+            println!("  Skipped. Re-run: agentflare init --agent {agent}");
+            false
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// Rule files under `rule_targets` are only ever written when absent (see
+/// components.rs's "rules" component) — safe by default, but it means a rule
+/// whose wording we later fix (e.g. the engram gateway-discovery bug fixed
+/// 2026-07-09) stays stale forever on machines that already have the old
+/// file. Offer to refresh it, same consent pattern as ponytail migration.
+fn confirm_rule_refresh(agent: &str, yes: bool) {
+    for (path, current) in rule_targets(agent) {
+        if !is_stale_rule(&path, &current) {
+            continue;
+        }
+
+        println!();
+        println!("⚠ {} has outdated guidance (from an earlier agentflare version).", path.display());
+        if !prompt_yes("  Refresh to the current version? [Y/n] ", agent, yes) {
+            continue;
+        }
+
+        match fs::write(&path, format!("{current}\n")) {
+            Ok(_) => println!("  ok    {} refreshed", path.display()),
+            Err(e) => println!("  fail  writing {}: {e}", path.display()),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 pub fn run(agent: &str, yes: bool) {
     println!("agentflare init --agent {agent}\n");
 
     check_competing_plugins(agent);
+    confirm_rule_refresh(agent, yes);
 
     for c in get_components(agent) {
         if (c.check)() {
@@ -448,6 +509,74 @@ mod tests {
     use super::*;
     use crate::paths::test_support::{with_temp_cwd, with_temp_home};
 
+    #[test]
+    fn is_stale_rule_true_for_known_superseded_content() {
+        with_temp_home(|| {
+            let path = home().join(".claude").join("rules").join("engram.md");
+            fs::create_dir_all(path.parent().unwrap()).unwrap();
+            fs::write(&path, format!("{}\n", rule_text::ENGRAM_SUPERSEDED[0])).unwrap();
+            assert!(is_stale_rule(&path, rule_text::ENGRAM));
+        });
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn is_stale_rule_false_when_already_current() {
+        with_temp_home(|| {
+            let path = home().join(".claude").join("rules").join("engram.md");
+            fs::create_dir_all(path.parent().unwrap()).unwrap();
+            fs::write(&path, format!("{}\n", rule_text::ENGRAM)).unwrap();
+            assert!(!is_stale_rule(&path, rule_text::ENGRAM));
+        });
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn is_stale_rule_false_for_user_edited_content() {
+        with_temp_home(|| {
+            let path = home().join(".claude").join("rules").join("engram.md");
+            fs::create_dir_all(path.parent().unwrap()).unwrap();
+            fs::write(&path, "my own custom engram notes\n").unwrap();
+            assert!(!is_stale_rule(&path, rule_text::ENGRAM));
+        });
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn is_stale_rule_false_for_rule_with_no_superseded_versions() {
+        with_temp_home(|| {
+            let path = home().join(".claude").join("rules").join("git.md");
+            fs::create_dir_all(path.parent().unwrap()).unwrap();
+            fs::write(&path, "some old git rule text\n").unwrap();
+            assert!(!is_stale_rule(&path, rule_text::GIT));
+        });
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn confirm_rule_refresh_updates_stale_file_when_yes() {
+        with_temp_home(|| {
+            let path = home().join(".claude").join("rules").join("engram.md");
+            fs::create_dir_all(path.parent().unwrap()).unwrap();
+            fs::write(&path, format!("{}\n", rule_text::ENGRAM_SUPERSEDED[0])).unwrap();
+
+            confirm_rule_refresh("claude-code", true);
+
+            let content = fs::read_to_string(&path).unwrap();
+            assert_eq!(content.trim_end(), rule_text::ENGRAM);
+        });
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn confirm_rule_refresh_leaves_user_edited_file_alone() {
+        with_temp_home(|| {
+            let path = home().join(".claude").join("rules").join("engram.md");
+            fs::create_dir_all(path.parent().unwrap()).unwrap();
+            fs::write(&path, "my own custom engram notes\n").unwrap();
+
+            confirm_rule_refresh("claude-code", true);
+
+            let content = fs::read_to_string(&path).unwrap();
+            assert_eq!(content.trim_end(), "my own custom engram notes");
+        });
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn wire_claude_code_writes_hooks_to_fresh_settings() {
         with_temp_home(|| {
diff --git a/src/rule_text.rs b/src/rule_text.rs
index 4396abe3..4b92b2d4 100644
--- a/src/rule_text.rs
+++ b/src/rule_text.rs
@@ -1,16 +1,76 @@
 // Shared rule copy — used by components.rs (per-host rule files) and could be
 // reused by anything else that needs the same wording. One place to edit it.
 
-pub const EXA: &str = "Use Exa MCP tools (web_search_exa, get_code_context_exa, company_research_exa) for internet search. Skip WebFetch/WebSearch/websearch-agent — Exa covers it for every session and subagent.";
+// Tag vocabulary, shared across all rules below — kept small and consistent
+// rather than inventing new tags per rule:
+//   @use   primary tool/resource to reach for
+//   @skip  what NOT to use instead
+//   @when  trigger/timing condition
+//   @how   mechanism, only when it's not obvious from @use
+//   @rule  hard constraint / format requirement
+//   @scope where this applies (session/subagent breadth)
+pub const EXA: &str = r#"@use: Exa MCP tools — web_search_exa, get_code_context_exa, company_research_exa
+@when: internet search
+@skip: WebFetch, WebSearch, websearch-agent
+@scope: every session + subagent"#;
 
-pub const GIT: &str = "Commit messages are the message only: no \"Generated with Claude Code\", no Co-Authored-By trailer. `git commit -m \"...\"` format.";
+pub const EXA_SUPERSEDED: &[&str] = &[
+    "Use Exa MCP tools (web_search_exa, get_code_context_exa, company_research_exa) for internet search. Skip WebFetch/WebSearch/websearch-agent — Exa covers it for every session and subagent.",
+];
 
-pub const LEANCTX: &str = "Prefer lean-ctx over native tools: ctx_read > Read/cat, ctx_shell > Bash, ctx_search > Grep, ctx_glob > Glob. Orient with ctx_compose before exploring unfamiliar code — one call instead of a search-read-search chain. ctx_callgraph answers \"who calls X\", not grep. Same rule for every subagent.";
+pub const GIT: &str = r#"@rule: commit message = message only
+@skip: "Generated with Claude Code" line, Co-Authored-By trailer
+@how: git commit -m "...""#;
+
+pub const GIT_SUPERSEDED: &[&str] = &[
+    "Commit messages are the message only: no \"Generated with Claude Code\", no Co-Authored-By trailer. `git commit -m \"...\"` format.",
+];
+
+pub const LEANCTX: &str = r#"@use: lean-ctx over native tools — ctx_read>Read/cat, ctx_shell>Bash, ctx_search>Grep, ctx_glob>Glob, ctx_callgraph>grep for "who calls X"
+@when: unfamiliar code — ctx_compose FIRST, one call vs search→read→search chain
+@scope: every subagent"#;
+
+pub const LEANCTX_SUPERSEDED: &[&str] = &[
+    "Prefer lean-ctx over native tools: ctx_read > Read/cat, ctx_shell > Bash, ctx_search > Grep, ctx_glob > Glob. Orient with ctx_compose before exploring unfamiliar code — one call instead of a search-read-search chain. ctx_callgraph answers \"who calls X\", not grep. Same rule for every subagent.",
+];
 
 // Workflow-level, not tool-name-level: engram's exposed MCP tool names have
 // shifted across versions, so pin the behavior, not the exact call names.
-pub const ENGRAM: &str = "Use engram MCP tools for persistent cross-session memory: recall relevant prior context at the start of a session, store durable decisions/facts/preferences as you learn them (not every detail — the load-bearing ones), and create a session handoff before a long session ends or context gets tight. This is the single source of truth for cross-session memory — do not duplicate it into lean-ctx's own session/knowledge tools.";
+// Also don't assume a fixed access path: engram may be a native plugin
+// (mcp__engram__*) or, when that's disabled to avoid duplicating agentflare's
+// own gateway-registry, only reachable via gateway_search/gateway_execute.
+// Absence of mcp__engram__* in ToolSearch does NOT mean engram is unavailable.
+pub const ENGRAM: &str = r#"@use: engram for persistent cross-session memory
+@when: session start -> recall prior context; learning -> store durable decisions/facts/prefs (load-bearing only); session end/context-tight -> create handoff
+@how: direct mcp__engram__* or gateway-only — gateway_search(query) -> gateway_execute(server="engram", tool, args) — if native plugin disabled; try gateway_search before assuming unavailable
+@rule: single source of truth for cross-session memory, don't duplicate into lean-ctx's session/knowledge tools
+@rule: intent-first discovery applies to any gateway-fronted tool, not just engram"#;
+
+// Prior wording of ENGRAM, kept so `init` can detect an on-disk rule file
+// that still has old text (vs. one a user hand-edited) and offer to refresh
+// it with consent, the same way `confirm_ponytail_migration` asks before
+// touching an existing install. Two generations: the original (pre-gateway-
+// discovery-fix) wording, and the fixed-but-uncompressed wording that shipped
+// briefly in the same PR before the token-compression pass below.
+pub const ENGRAM_SUPERSEDED: &[&str] = &[
+    "Use engram MCP tools for persistent cross-session memory: recall relevant prior context at the start of a session, store durable decisions/facts/preferences as you learn them (not every detail — the load-bearing ones), and create a session handoff before a long session ends or context gets tight. This is the single source of truth for cross-session memory — do not duplicate it into lean-ctx's own session/knowledge tools.",
+    "Use engram for persistent cross-session memory: recall relevant prior context at the start of a session, store durable decisions/facts/preferences as you learn them (not every detail — the load-bearing ones), and create a session handoff before a long session ends or context gets tight. This is the single source of truth for cross-session memory — do not duplicate it into lean-ctx's own session/knowledge tools. Its tools may be exposed directly as mcp__engram__* or only via the agentflare gateway (gateway_search(query) -> gateway_execute(server=\"engram\", tool, args)) if the native plugin is disabled — try gateway_search before concluding engram isn't available. This intent-first discovery applies to any gateway-fronted tool, not just engram.",
+];
 
 pub fn all() -> Vec<&'static str> {
     vec![EXA, GIT, LEANCTX, ENGRAM]
 }
+
+/// Known-old wording for a rule file, keyed by its filename — empty for rules
+/// that have never changed. Used to tell "this file still has text we shipped
+/// before" (safe to offer a refresh) apart from "the user edited this" (leave
+/// it alone).
+pub fn superseded(filename: &str) -> &'static [&'static str] {
+    match filename {
+        "exa.md" => EXA_SUPERSEDED,
+        "git.md" => GIT_SUPERSEDED,
+        "lean-ctx.md" => LEANCTX_SUPERSEDED,
+        "engram.md" => ENGRAM_SUPERSEDED,
+        _ => &[],
+    }
+}