diff --git a/apps/web/tests/integration/expert-manager.test.mjs b/apps/web/tests/integration/expert-manager.test.mjs
index aa55cd31b1..a57d72e3f5 100644
--- a/apps/web/tests/integration/expert-manager.test.mjs
+++ b/apps/web/tests/integration/expert-manager.test.mjs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { dirname, join } from 'node:path';
 import { createRequire } from 'node:module';
 import { pathToFileURL } from 'node:url';
 import { Context } from '@deepseek-ai/cordis';
+import { createScope } from '@deepseek-ai/dsh-scope';
 import Tools from '@deepseek-ai/dsh-tools';
 import { registerExpertManagementTools } from '../../../../packages/plugins/experts/dist/tools/management-tools.js';
 import { FileSystem, LocalFileSystem, WorkingDirectory, createMessage, Agents, AgentLoop, Sessions, Projections, SystemPrompt, Llm, skillTool, SkillRequestAdapter } from '../helpers/skill-runtime.mjs';
@@ -1031,6 +1032,43 @@ test('expert presets default to the persisted DSH_HOME when DSH_AGENTS_HOME is a
   } finally { await h.cleanup(); }
 });
 
+test('publish and the execution guard read $DSH_HOME/agents when DSH_AGENTS_HOME is unset', async () => {
+  const h = await boot(undefined, { profileAgents: true });
+  try {
+    const a = actor('owner-a');
+    const doc = name => `---\nname: ${name}\ndescription: Team professional\n---\n# ${name}\n\nFull domain reasoning and professional delivery.`;
+    const files = {
+      '.workdsh-expert/plugin.json': JSON.stringify({ name: 'home-team', expertType: 'team', agentName: 'home-team-team-lead', agents: ['./agents/home-team-team-lead.md', './agents/analyst.md', './agents/reviewer.md'], teamInfo: { leadAgent: 'home-team-team-lead', memberAgents: ['analyst', 'reviewer'] }, workflows: [{ id: 'report', title: 'Report', trigger: 'Produce a report', deliverable: 'Verified report', stages: [{ id: 'draft', worker: 'analyst', reviewer: 'reviewer', dependsOn: [] }] }] }),
+      'settings.json': JSON.stringify({ agent: 'home-team-team-lead' }),
+      'agents/home-team-team-lead.md': doc('home-team-team-lead'),
+      'agents/analyst.md': doc('analyst'),
+      'agents/reviewer.md': doc('reviewer'),
+      'README.md': 'Agents home regression.',
+    };
+    const draft = await h.experts.createDraft(a, definitionFromDocuments(files), { operationId: 'home-team-create' });
+    const check = await h.experts.validate(a, draft.expertId, draft.revision);
+    assert.equal(check.publishable, true, JSON.stringify(check.issues));
+    const request = await h.experts.requestPublishConfirmation(a, draft.expertId, draft.revision);
+    const proof = await h.experts.confirmPublish(a, request.confirmationToken);
+    const receipt = await h.experts.publish(a, draft.expertId, draft.revision, check.dependencyLockDigest, proof, { operationId: 'home-team-publish' });
+    const publishedDir = expertPresetDir(receipt.presetRevisionRef, h.agentsHome);
+    assert.equal(expertPresetDir(receipt.presetRevisionRef), publishedDir);
+    assert.equal(await readExpertPreset(receipt.presetRevisionRef), await readFile(join(publishedDir, 'preset.json'), 'utf8'));
+    const plan = await h.experts.prepareExecution(a, draft.expertId);
+    const created = await h.experts.createExecution(a, plan.executionPlanId, { operationId: 'home-team-exec' });
+    h.ctx.workdshIdentity.resolve = async () => a;
+    await h.ctx.plugin(SystemPrompt);
+    const agentScope = createScope(h.ctx, created.sessionId);
+    registerExpertExecutionGuard(h.ctx);
+    const entered = await h.ctx.waterfall('agent/pre-step', {
+      agent: { id: created.sessionId, ctx: agentScope.ctx, session: { id: created.sessionId, header: { agentPreset: created.binding.presetRevisionRef, cwd: h.root } } },
+      messages: [], turn: 1, step: 1, signal: new AbortController().signal,
+    }, async () => ({ kind: 'enter', messages: [] }));
+    assert.equal(entered.kind, 'enter');
+    await agentScope.dispose();
+  } finally { await h.cleanup(); }
+});
+
 test('one missing expert preset does not disable the manager after a cold restart', async () => {
   const root = await mkdtemp(join(tmpdir(), 'workdsh-broken-expert-'));
   let h = await boot(root);
diff --git a/packages/plugins/experts/src/runtime/execution-guard.ts b/packages/plugins/experts/src/runtime/execution-guard.ts
index 17c10a21c1..9227971d16 100644
--- a/packages/plugins/experts/src/runtime/execution-guard.ts
+++ b/packages/plugins/experts/src/runtime/execution-guard.ts
@@ -3,17 +3,16 @@ import type { Agent } from '@deepseek-ai/dsh-agent';
 import type {} from '@deepseek-ai/dsh-experimental-agent-team';
 import * as Persona from '@deepseek-ai/dsh-persona';
 import * as SkillFiles from '@deepseek-ai/dsh-skill-filesystem';
-import { expertPresetDir, readExpertPreset } from './preset-compiler.js';
+import { expertPersonaConfig, expertPresetDir, readExpertPreset, resolveAgentsHome } from './preset-compiler.js';
 import { join } from 'node:path';
 import { ExpertsError } from '../domain/values.js';
-import { expertPersonaConfig } from './preset-compiler.js';
 
 /** Asset admission and role composition only. No child driver, mailbox or Team state. */
 export function registerExpertExecutionGuard(ctx: Context, options: { agentsHome?: string } = {}): void {
+  const agentsHome = resolveAgentsHome(options.agentsHome);
   const installed = new WeakMap<Agent, string>();
 
   async function prepare(agent: Agent, signal: AbortSignal | undefined, creating: boolean): Promise<void> {
-    const agentsHome = options.agentsHome;
     const membership = ctx.agentTeams.tryMembership(agent);
     const root = membership?.root ?? agent;
     const header = agent.session.header;
diff --git a/packages/plugins/experts/src/runtime/preset-compiler.ts b/packages/plugins/experts/src/runtime/preset-compiler.ts
index 577a93a3f3..6e834d0dfc 100644
--- a/packages/plugins/experts/src/runtime/preset-compiler.ts
+++ b/packages/plugins/experts/src/runtime/preset-compiler.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { assetBytes, validateResources, type PackageAssets } from '../authoring/package-resources.js';
 import { mkdir, readFile, writeFile, readdir, lstat, chmod, mkdtemp, rename, rm } from 'node:fs/promises';
-import { join } from 'node:path';
+import { join, resolve } from 'node:path';
 import { Context } from '@deepseek-ai/cordis';
 import type { PresetDefinition } from '@deepseek-ai/dsh-agent-preset-registry';
 import type {} from '@deepseek-ai/cordis-plugin-loader';
@@ -74,13 +74,19 @@ export function presetIdFor(input: CompileInput): string {
   return `wd-exp-${kebab(input.expertId)}-${digest}`;
 }
 
+/** Explicit directory, then DSH_AGENTS_HOME, then $DSH_HOME/agents, then ~/.agents. */
+export function resolveAgentsHome(explicit?: string): string {
+  const selected = explicit ?? process.env.DSH_AGENTS_HOME ?? (process.env.DSH_HOME ? join(process.env.DSH_HOME, 'agents') : join(homedir(), '.agents'));
+  return resolve(selected);
+}
+
 /**
  * Compile (or reuse) the immutable preset directory for one expert revision.
  * Idempotent: an existing directory whose composition digest matches is reused.
  */
 export function expertPresetDir(presetId: string, agentsHome?: string): string {
   if (!/^wd-exp-[a-z0-9-]+$/.test(presetId)) throw new Error('experts/invalid-preset-id');
-  return join(agentsHome ?? process.env.DSH_AGENTS_HOME ?? join(homedir(), '.agents'), '.workdsh-state', 'experts', 'presets', presetId);
+  return join(resolveAgentsHome(agentsHome), '.workdsh-state', 'experts', 'presets', presetId);
 }
 
 const registrations = new WeakMap<Context, Map<string, Promise<void>>>();
diff --git a/packages/plugins/experts/src/services/experts-manager.ts b/packages/plugins/experts/src/services/experts-manager.ts
index e17c573f33..5544175d98 100644
--- a/packages/plugins/experts/src/services/experts-manager.ts
+++ b/packages/plugins/experts/src/services/experts-manager.ts
@@ -1,13 +1,12 @@
 import { definitionFromDocuments, parseExpertDocument } from '../authoring/documents.js';
 import { randomUUID } from 'node:crypto';
-import { homedir } from 'node:os';
-import { join, resolve } from 'node:path';
+import { join } from 'node:path';
 import { mkdir, readFile, rm, writeFile } from 'node:fs/promises';
 import type { ConnectorManagementService } from 'workdsh-contracts';
 import { Context, Service } from '@deepseek-ai/cordis';
 import type { KvTable } from '@deepseek-ai/dsh-storage-domain';
 import type { SessionCreateRequest, SessionCreateValue } from '@deepseek-ai/dsh-api-session-controller';
-import { expertPresetDir, readExpertPreset, registerExpertPreset } from '../runtime/preset-compiler.js';
+import { expertPresetDir, readExpertPreset, registerExpertPreset, resolveAgentsHome } from '../runtime/preset-compiler.js';
 import {
   EXPERT_LIMITS,
   ExpertsError,
@@ -231,7 +230,7 @@ export class ExpertsManager extends Service implements ExpertsService {
 
   constructor(ctx: Context, options: ExpertsManagerOptions = {}) {
     super(ctx, 'workdshExperts');
-    const agentsHome = resolve(options.agentsHome ?? process.env.DSH_AGENTS_HOME ?? (process.env.DSH_HOME ? join(process.env.DSH_HOME, 'agents') : join(homedir(), '.agents')));
+    const agentsHome = resolveAgentsHome(options.agentsHome);
     this.agentsHome = agentsHome;
     this.includeDefaultSkillRoots = options.includeDefaultSkillRoots;
     this.stagingRoot = join(agentsHome, '.workdsh-state', 'experts', 'staging');