diff --git a/packages/workflow-agent-claude-code/__tests__/claude-code.test.ts b/packages/workflow-agent-claude-code/__tests__/claude-code.test.ts
index 952252c..6fffa6c 100644
--- a/packages/workflow-agent-claude-code/__tests__/claude-code.test.ts
+++ b/packages/workflow-agent-claude-code/__tests__/claude-code.test.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ function makeCtx(overrides: Partial<AgentContext> = {}): AgentContext {
   return {
     threadId: "01JTEST0000000000000000000" as ThreadId,
     edgePrompt: "Proceed with the assigned role.",
+    isFirstVisit: true,
     workflow: {
       roles: {
         developer: {
diff --git a/packages/workflow-agent-hermes/__tests__/hermes-prompt.test.ts b/packages/workflow-agent-hermes/__tests__/hermes-prompt.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6bc1d9a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/workflow-agent-hermes/__tests__/hermes-prompt.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+import { describe, expect, test } from "bun:test";
+import type { AgentContext } from "@uncaged/workflow-agent-kit";
+import type { ThreadId } from "@uncaged/workflow-protocol";
+import { buildHermesPrompt } from "../src/hermes.js";
+
+function makeCtx(overrides: Partial<AgentContext> = {}): AgentContext {
+  return {
+    threadId: "01JTEST0000000000000000000" as ThreadId,
+    edgePrompt: "Proceed with the assigned role.",
+    isFirstVisit: true,
+    workflow: {
+      roles: {
+        developer: {
+          description: "TDD implementation per test spec",
+          goal: "Write code",
+          capabilities: ["coding"],
+          procedure: "1. Read spec\n2. Write code",
+          output: "List files changed",
+          frontmatter: "",
+        },
+      },
+      conditions: {},
+      graph: {},
+    },
+    role: "developer",
+    start: { prompt: "Fix the bug", workflowHash: "abc123", threadId: "t1" },
+    steps: [],
+    store: {} as AgentContext["store"],
+    outputFormatInstruction: "Use YAML frontmatter",
+    ...overrides,
+  };
+}
+
+describe("buildHermesPrompt", () => {
+  test("first visit uses full role prompt and includes moderator instruction", () => {
+    const result = buildHermesPrompt(
+      makeCtx({ edgePrompt: "Focus on the failing test.", isFirstVisit: true }),
+    );
+
+    expect(result).toMatch(/^Use YAML frontmatter/);
+    expect(result).toContain("Write code");
+    expect(result).toContain("## Task\nFix the bug");
+    expect(result).toContain("## Moderator Instruction");
+    expect(result).toContain("Focus on the failing test.");
+  });
+
+  test("re-entry uses continuation prompt with edge instruction", () => {
+    const ctx = makeCtx({
+      isFirstVisit: false,
+      edgePrompt: "The reviewer rejected your work. Fix the issues.",
+      steps: [
+        { role: "developer", output: { summary: "Initial fix" }, agent: "uwf-hermes" },
+        { role: "reviewer", output: { approved: false }, agent: "uwf-hermes" },
+      ],
+    });
+
+    const result = buildHermesPrompt(ctx);
+
+    expect(result).not.toContain("## Task");
+    expect(result).toContain("## What Happened Since Your Last Turn");
+    expect(result).toContain("## Moderator Instruction");
+    expect(result).toContain("The reviewer rejected your work.");
+  });
+
+  test("forced first visit via isFirstVisit uses initial prompt even when role appears in history", () => {
+    const result = buildHermesPrompt(
+      makeCtx({
+        isFirstVisit: true,
+        steps: [{ role: "developer", output: { done: true }, agent: "uwf-hermes" }],
+        edgePrompt: "Retry with a fresh approach.",
+      }),
+    );
+
+    expect(result).toContain("## Task");
+    expect(result).toContain("Retry with a fresh approach.");
+    expect(result).not.toContain("## What Happened Since Your Last Turn");
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/workflow-agent-hermes/src/hermes.ts b/packages/workflow-agent-hermes/src/hermes.ts
index f65b777..69ccd56 100644
--- a/packages/workflow-agent-hermes/src/hermes.ts
+++ b/packages/workflow-agent-hermes/src/hermes.ts
@@ -45,12 +45,13 @@ function buildInitialPrompt(ctx: AgentContext): string {
   if (historyBlock !== "") {
     parts.push("", historyBlock);
   }
+  parts.push("", "## Moderator Instruction", "", ctx.edgePrompt);
   return parts.join("\n");
 }
 
 /** Assemble system prompt, task, and prior step outputs for Hermes. */
 export function buildHermesPrompt(ctx: AgentContext): string {
-  if (ctx.edgePrompt !== "") {
+  if (!ctx.isFirstVisit) {
     const parts: string[] = [];
     if (ctx.outputFormatInstruction !== "") {
       parts.push(ctx.outputFormatInstruction, "");
@@ -86,7 +87,7 @@ async function prepareSession(
   ctx: AgentContext,
   cwd: string,
 ): Promise<PromptAttempt> {
-  if (ctx.edgePrompt === "" || isResumeDisabled()) {
+  if (ctx.isFirstVisit || isResumeDisabled()) {
     await client.connect(cwd);
     return { useContinuation: false, resumed: false };
   }
@@ -127,7 +128,7 @@ export function createHermesAgent(): () => Promise<void> {
   });
 
   async function runPrompt(ctx: AgentContext, useContinuation: boolean): Promise<AgentRunResult> {
-    const effectiveCtx = useContinuation ? ctx : { ...ctx, edgePrompt: "" };
+    const effectiveCtx = useContinuation ? ctx : { ...ctx, isFirstVisit: true };
     const fullPrompt = buildHermesPrompt(effectiveCtx);
     const { text, sessionId, messages } = await client.prompt(fullPrompt);
     const { detailHash } = await storePromptResult(ctx.store, sessionId, messages);
diff --git a/packages/workflow-agent-kit/src/context.ts b/packages/workflow-agent-kit/src/context.ts
index 2ea1a02..e9f4050 100644
--- a/packages/workflow-agent-kit/src/context.ts
+++ b/packages/workflow-agent-kit/src/context.ts
@@ -142,6 +142,7 @@ export async function buildContext(threadId: ThreadId, role: string): Promise<Ag
 
   const steps = await buildHistory(store, chain.stepsNewestFirst);
   const edgePrompt = readEdgePrompt();
+  const isFirstVisit = !steps.some((s) => s.role === role);
 
   return {
     threadId,
@@ -152,6 +153,7 @@ export async function buildContext(threadId: ThreadId, role: string): Promise<Ag
     store,
     outputFormatInstruction: "",
     edgePrompt,
+    isFirstVisit,
   };
 }
 
@@ -189,6 +191,7 @@ export async function buildContextWithMeta(
 
   const steps = await buildHistory(store, chain.stepsNewestFirst);
   const edgePrompt = readEdgePrompt();
+  const isFirstVisit = !steps.some((s) => s.role === role);
 
   return {
     threadId,
@@ -199,6 +202,7 @@ export async function buildContextWithMeta(
     store,
     outputFormatInstruction: "",
     edgePrompt,
+    isFirstVisit,
     meta: { storageRoot, store, schemas, headHash, chain },
   };
 }
diff --git a/packages/workflow-agent-kit/src/types.ts b/packages/workflow-agent-kit/src/types.ts
index c68a79f..9a25918 100644
--- a/packages/workflow-agent-kit/src/types.ts
+++ b/packages/workflow-agent-kit/src/types.ts
@@ -14,9 +14,13 @@ export type AgentContext = ModeratorContext & {
   outputFormatInstruction: string;
   /**
    * Edge prompt from the graph transition that led to this role (UWF_EDGE_PROMPT).
-   * Phase 2 will use visit history to choose full role definition vs continuation.
+   * Always the real moderator instruction for this step.
    */
   edgePrompt: string;
+  /**
+   * True when the current role has not appeared in steps history before this invocation.
+   */
+  isFirstVisit: boolean;
 };
 
 export type AgentRunResult = {