diff --git a/services/hermes/agent-configmap.yaml b/services/hermes/agent-configmap.yaml
index b5c76d14..0966f3ed 100644
--- a/services/hermes/agent-configmap.yaml
+++ b/services/hermes/agent-configmap.yaml
@@ -185,6 +185,15 @@ data:
     tasks when an objective benefits from persistent Codex or Claude Code CLI
     execution that survives browser disconnects and can resume after restarts.
 
+    Project checkouts may provide nearer repository instructions, but they do
+    not replace these coordinator-wide rules. Never call `kanban_show` without
+    a known, non-empty task ID. Ad-hoc inspection and acceptance checks do not
+    need a synthetic Kanban lookup, and must load a skill only when its workflow
+    materially applies. Atlas HTTPS Git authentication is already supplied by
+    the runtime-only `GIT_ASKPASS`; use it without reading or exposing the
+    credential. Coordinator guidance lives at
+    `/opt/data/workspace/AGENTS.md` when more detail is needed.
+
     The Jetson classifier is mandatory for AUTO selection. Switchyard may use
     local Qwen for bounded low-risk responses and continuity, or spill to a
     hosted provider when local capability is insufficient. Do not describe a
@@ -296,8 +305,9 @@ data:
 
     ## Atlas engineering access
 
-    The Atlas organization has private visibility. Its repositories are access-
-    controlled as either private or Gitea-internal, never public, and are
+    The Atlas organization has private visibility. Repository visibility is
+    preserved per project and may be public or private; do not infer a
+    repository's visibility from the organization setting. Repositories are
     canonical at `https://scm.bstein.dev/atlas/<repo>.git`. HTTPS Git
     authentication is already supplied through `GIT_ASKPASS`. Verify the remote
     and cleanly separate pre-existing changes, create a task branch, run the
diff --git a/services/hermes/scripts/codex_broker.py b/services/hermes/scripts/codex_broker.py
index 87ad1e50..bf641603 100644
--- a/services/hermes/scripts/codex_broker.py
+++ b/services/hermes/scripts/codex_broker.py
@@ -221,6 +221,32 @@ def _upstream_headers(token: str) -> dict[str, str]:
     return headers
 
 
+def _normalize_input_images(response_input: list[Any]) -> None:
+    """Normalize Chat-Completions image parts for the Codex Responses API."""
+    for item in response_input:
+        if not isinstance(item, dict) or item.get("type") != "message":
+            continue
+        content = item.get("content")
+        if not isinstance(content, list):
+            continue
+        for part in content:
+            if not isinstance(part, dict) or part.get("type") not in {
+                "image_url",
+                "input_image",
+            }:
+                continue
+            image_url = part.get("image_url")
+            if isinstance(image_url, dict):
+                detail = image_url.get("detail")
+                image_url = image_url.get("url")
+                if isinstance(detail, str) and detail and "detail" not in part:
+                    part["detail"] = detail
+            if not isinstance(image_url, str) or not image_url.strip():
+                raise ValueError("non-empty Responses image URL required")
+            part["type"] = "input_image"
+            part["image_url"] = image_url
+
+
 def _validate_payload(payload: Any) -> dict[str, Any]:
     """Allow only bounded Responses requests for the approved model catalog."""
     if not isinstance(payload, dict):
@@ -251,6 +277,7 @@ def _validate_payload(payload: Any) -> dict[str, Any]:
         payload["input"] = [response_input]
     elif not isinstance(response_input, list) or not response_input:
         raise ValueError("non-empty Responses input list required")
+    _normalize_input_images(payload["input"])
     # Switchyard uses ``max_output_tokens`` to bound the tiny classifier call,
     # but its Responses translation can also copy that internal option onto the
     # selected provider request.  The first-party subscription Codex endpoint
diff --git a/testing/tests/test_hermes_chat_quality.py b/testing/tests/test_hermes_chat_quality.py
index b22d6647..c4914c78 100644
--- a/testing/tests/test_hermes_chat_quality.py
+++ b/testing/tests/test_hermes_chat_quality.py
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ def test_chat_config_enables_real_research_compute_and_delegation():
 def test_agent_config_keeps_delegated_reviewers_from_owning_task_lifecycle():
     configmap = _documents(HERMES / "agent-configmap.yaml")[0]
     instructions = configmap["data"]["AGENTS.md"]
+    soul = configmap["data"]["SOUL.md"]
     config = yaml.safe_load(configmap["data"]["config.yaml"])
 
     assert (
@@ -89,11 +90,15 @@ def test_agent_config_keeps_delegated_reviewers_from_owning_task_lifecycle():
     assert "must never complete, block, unblock, reclaim" in instructions
     assert "task's final structured result itself" in instructions
     assert "Atlas organization has private visibility" in instructions
-    assert "private or Gitea-internal, never public" in instructions
+    assert "may be public or private" in instructions
+    assert "do not infer a\nrepository's visibility" in instructions
     assert "already supplied through `GIT_ASKPASS`" in instructions
     assert "Never call `kanban_show` without a known, non-empty task ID" in instructions
     assert "bounded ad-hoc inspection and acceptance checks may" in instructions
     assert "load implementation or TDD skills" in instructions
+    assert "Never call `kanban_show` without\na known, non-empty task ID" in soul
+    assert "must load a skill only when its workflow\nmaterially applies" in soul
+    assert "runtime-only `GIT_ASKPASS`" in soul
 
 
 def test_agent_image_completes_parked_kanban_tasks_atomically():
@@ -751,6 +756,44 @@ def test_codex_broker_auth_and_request_contract(tmp_path: Path, monkeypatch):
     assert module._validate_payload(
         {"model": "gpt-5.6-terra", "input": response_items}
     )["input"] is response_items
+    image_items = [
+        {
+            "type": "message",
+            "role": "user",
+            "content": [
+                {"type": "input_text", "text": "What color is this?"},
+                {
+                    "type": "image_url",
+                    "image_url": {
+                        "url": "data:image/png;base64,cHJpdmF0ZQ==",
+                        "detail": "high",
+                    },
+                },
+            ],
+        }
+    ]
+    assert module._validate_payload(
+        {"model": "gpt-5.6-terra", "input": image_items}
+    )["input"][0]["content"][1] == {
+        "type": "input_image",
+        "image_url": "data:image/png;base64,cHJpdmF0ZQ==",
+        "detail": "high",
+    }
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="non-empty Responses image URL"):
+        module._validate_payload(
+            {
+                "model": "gpt-5.6-terra",
+                "input": [
+                    {
+                        "type": "message",
+                        "role": "user",
+                        "content": [
+                            {"type": "input_image", "image_url": {"detail": "high"}}
+                        ],
+                    }
+                ],
+            }
+        )
     routed = module._validate_payload(
         {
             "model": "route/codex/gpt-5.6-luna/low",