diff --git a/services/hermes/agent-deployment.yaml b/services/hermes/agent-deployment.yaml
index 822cf8b9..3b135325 100644
--- a/services/hermes/agent-deployment.yaml
+++ b/services/hermes/agent-deployment.yaml
@@ -156,6 +156,14 @@ spec:
           operator: Equal
           value: "true"
           effect: NoSchedule
+        # titan-22 still carries the soft media-primary taint until the accelerator
+        # classification replaces it; tolerate it so the strong titan-22 preference
+        # is not penalised while both taints coexist. Harmless once media-primary
+        # is gone.
+        - key: atlas.bstein.dev/media-primary
+          operator: Equal
+          value: "true"
+          effect: PreferNoSchedule
       initContainers:
         - name: init-config
           image: busybox:1.37