diff --git a/hermes_cli/main.py b/hermes_cli/main.py
index e10af44cd9..1bca6f0e5f 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/main.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/main.py
@@ -5956,6 +5956,88 @@ def _cmd_update_check():
         print(f"  Run '{recommended_update_command()}' to install.")
 
 
+def _ensure_fhs_path_guard() -> None:
+    """Ensure /usr/local/bin is on PATH for RHEL-family root non-login shells.
+
+    Mirrors the post-symlink probe added to ``scripts/install.sh`` so that
+    existing FHS-layout root installs on RHEL/CentOS/Rocky/Alma 8+ get
+    repaired on ``hermes update`` without requiring a reinstall.  The
+    installer's assumption that ``/usr/local/bin`` is on PATH for every
+    standard shell breaks on those distros in non-login interactive shells
+    (su, sudo -s, tmux panes, some web terminals): /etc/bashrc doesn't
+    add /usr/local/bin and /root/.bash_profile doesn't either.  Symptom:
+    ``hermes`` prints ``command not found`` even though the symlink lives
+    at /usr/local/bin/hermes.
+
+    Silent no-op on: non-Linux, non-root, non-FHS installs, and any system
+    where ``bash -i -c 'command -v hermes'`` already resolves.  Idempotent.
+    """
+    if sys.platform != "linux":
+        return
+    try:
+        if os.geteuid() != 0:
+            return
+    except AttributeError:
+        return
+    # Only act when this is actually an FHS-layout install (command link at
+    # /usr/local/bin/hermes, code at /usr/local/lib/hermes-agent).
+    fhs_link = Path("/usr/local/bin/hermes")
+    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"
+    try:
+        probe = subprocess.run(
+            ["env", "-i",
+             f"HOME={home}",
+             f"TERM={os.environ.get('TERM', 'dumb')}",
+             "bash", "-i", "-c", "command -v hermes"],
+            capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=10,
+        )
+    except (FileNotFoundError, subprocess.TimeoutExpired):
+        return  # no bash or probe hung — don't block update on this
+    if probe.returncode == 0:
+        return  # already on PATH, nothing to do
+
+    path_line = 'export PATH="/usr/local/bin:$PATH"'
+    path_comment = (
+        "# Hermes Agent — ensure /usr/local/bin is on PATH "
+        "(RHEL non-login shells)"
+    )
+    wrote_any = False
+    for candidate in (".bashrc", ".bash_profile"):
+        cfg = Path(home) / candidate
+        if not cfg.is_file():
+            continue
+        try:
+            existing = cfg.read_text(errors="replace")
+        except OSError:
+            continue
+        # Idempotency: skip if any uncommented PATH= line already references
+        # /usr/local/bin.  Mirrors the grep pattern used by install.sh.
+        already_guarded = any(
+            "/usr/local/bin" in line
+            and "PATH" in line
+            and not line.lstrip().startswith("#")
+            for line in existing.splitlines()
+        )
+        if already_guarded:
+            continue
+        try:
+            with cfg.open("a", encoding="utf-8") as f:
+                f.write("\n" + path_comment + "\n" + path_line + "\n")
+        except OSError as e:
+            print(f"  ⚠ Could not update {cfg}: {e}")
+            continue
+        print(f"  ✓ Added /usr/local/bin to PATH in {cfg}")
+        wrote_any = True
+    if wrote_any:
+        print("    (reload your shell or run 'source ~/.bashrc' to pick it up)")
+
+
 def cmd_update(args):
     """Update Hermes Agent to the latest version.
 
@@ -6399,6 +6481,13 @@ def _cmd_update_impl(args, gateway_mode: bool):
         print()
         print("✓ Update complete!")
 
+        # Repair RHEL-family root installs where /usr/local/bin isn't on PATH
+        # for non-login interactive shells.  No-op on every other platform.
+        try:
+            _ensure_fhs_path_guard()
+        except Exception as e:
+            logger.debug("FHS PATH guard check failed: %s", e)
+
         # Write exit code *before* the gateway restart attempt.
         # When running as ``hermes update --gateway`` (spawned by the gateway's
         # /update command), this process lives inside the gateway's systemd
diff --git a/scripts/install.sh b/scripts/install.sh
index e9a6aae992..8e8b4d9a13 100755
--- a/scripts/install.sh
+++ b/scripts/install.sh
@@ -1055,10 +1055,37 @@ setup_path() {
         return 0
     fi
 
-    # FHS layout: /usr/local/bin is on PATH for every standard shell, nothing to inject.
+    # FHS layout: /usr/local/bin is normally on PATH for login shells (via
+    # /etc/profile pathmunge), but on RHEL/CentOS/Rocky/Alma 8+ non-login
+    # interactive root shells (su, sudo -s, tmux panes, some web terminals)
+    # only source /etc/bashrc, which does NOT add /usr/local/bin — and
+    # /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 [ "$ROOT_FHS_LAYOUT" = true ]; then
         export PATH="$command_link_dir:$PATH"
-        log_info "/usr/local/bin is already on PATH for all shells"
+        # Probe a fresh non-login interactive bash the way the user will use it.
+        # `bash -i -c` sources ~/.bashrc but NOT ~/.bash_profile or /etc/profile,
+        # which is the exact scenario where RHEL root loses /usr/local/bin.
+        if env -i HOME="$HOME" TERM="${TERM:-dumb}" bash -i -c 'command -v hermes' \
+                >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+            log_info "/usr/local/bin is already on PATH for all shells"
+            log_success "hermes command ready"
+            return 0
+        fi
+
+        log_info "hermes not on PATH in non-login shells (common on RHEL-family)"
+        PATH_LINE='export PATH="/usr/local/bin:$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
+            [ -f "$SHELL_CONFIG" ] || continue
+            if ! grep -v '^[[:space:]]*#' "$SHELL_CONFIG" 2>/dev/null \
+                    | grep -qE 'PATH=.*(/usr/local/bin|\$command_link_dir)'; then
+                echo "" >> "$SHELL_CONFIG"
+                echo "$PATH_COMMENT" >> "$SHELL_CONFIG"
+                echo "$PATH_LINE" >> "$SHELL_CONFIG"
+                log_success "Added /usr/local/bin to PATH in $SHELL_CONFIG"
+            fi
+        done
         log_success "hermes command ready"
         return 0
     fi