diff --git a/hermes_cli/managed_uv.py b/hermes_cli/managed_uv.py
index b23cd90f3b..29eb244434 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/managed_uv.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/managed_uv.py
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 _PROJECT_ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1]
 _RUNTIME_DIR_NAME = ".hermes-runtime"
 _VENV_NAME = "venv"
+_ALT_VENV_NAME = ".venv"
 _REPAIR_LOCK_NAME = "runtime-repair.lock"
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -986,6 +987,31 @@ def _refresh_managed_uv_catalog(uv_bin: str) -> bool:
     return after != before
 
 
+def _default_live_venv(root: Path) -> Path:
+    """Return the venv that runtime repair should target for *root*.
+
+    Managed installs create ``<checkout>/venv``, but uv-default and dev
+    checkouts use ``<checkout>/.venv``.  Historically only ``venv`` was
+    probed, so a ``.venv`` install linking a vulnerable SQLite returned
+    ``not-applicable`` on every ``hermes update`` and stayed on
+    journal_mode=DELETE forever — even though the WAL fallback warning
+    promises that ``hermes update`` repairs the runtime (issue class:
+    2,600x slower ``state.db`` appends under DELETE).
+
+    ``venv`` wins when it holds an interpreter (managed layout takes
+    precedence); otherwise fall back to ``.venv`` when that one does.
+    When neither has an interpreter, return the ``venv`` path so the
+    caller's existing ``not-applicable`` handling fires unchanged.
+    """
+    primary = root / _VENV_NAME
+    if _venv_python(primary).is_file():
+        return primary
+    fallback = root / _ALT_VENV_NAME
+    if _venv_python(fallback).is_file():
+        return fallback
+    return primary
+
+
 def repair_vulnerable_runtime(
     uv_bin: str,
     *,
@@ -998,7 +1024,7 @@ def repair_vulnerable_runtime(
     post-cutover smoke failures restore the parked venv synchronously.
     """
     root = Path(project_root) if project_root is not None else _PROJECT_ROOT
-    live = Path(venv_dir) if venv_dir is not None else root / _VENV_NAME
+    live = Path(venv_dir) if venv_dir is not None else _default_live_venv(root)
     live_python = _venv_python(live)
     if not (root / "pyproject.toml").is_file() or not live_python.is_file():
         return RuntimeRepairResult("not-applicable")
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_managed_uv.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_managed_uv.py
index 5c12f1f756..74046914c9 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_managed_uv.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_managed_uv.py
@@ -39,6 +39,18 @@ def _runtime_info(
     )
 
 
+def _RRR(status):
+    """not-applicable RuntimeRepairResult for tests that neutralize the
+    repair hook. ensure_uv()/update_managed_uv() invoke runtime repair as a
+    side effect; unmocked, it probes the REAL checkout's venv/.venv — on CI
+    the repo .venv links vulnerable SQLite, so repair fires for real and
+    re-invokes _install_uv (uv-refresh retry), breaking call-count asserts.
+    """
+    from hermes_cli.managed_uv import RuntimeRepairResult
+
+    return RuntimeRepairResult(status)
+
+
 def _make_runtime_install(
     tmp_path: Path,
     *,
@@ -101,6 +113,7 @@ class TestEnsureUv:
 
     def test_installs_if_missing(self, tmp_path):
         with patch("hermes_cli.managed_uv.get_hermes_home", return_value=tmp_path), \
+             patch("hermes_cli.managed_uv.repair_vulnerable_runtime", return_value=_RRR("not-applicable")), \
              patch("hermes_cli.managed_uv._install_uv") as mock_install:
             # Simulate the installer creating the binary
             def fake_install(target):
@@ -166,6 +179,7 @@ class TestEnsureUvUpdateBoundary:
     def test_success_usable_as_single_value(self, tmp_path):
         _make_executable(tmp_path / "bin" / "uv")
         with patch("hermes_cli.managed_uv.get_hermes_home", return_value=tmp_path), \
+             patch("hermes_cli.managed_uv.repair_vulnerable_runtime", return_value=_RRR("not-applicable")), \
              patch("hermes_cli.managed_uv.platform.system", return_value="Linux"):
             from hermes_cli.managed_uv import ensure_uv
             uv_bin = ensure_uv()
@@ -175,6 +189,7 @@ class TestEnsureUvUpdateBoundary:
     def test_success_unpacks_as_legacy_two_tuple(self, tmp_path):
         _make_executable(tmp_path / "bin" / "uv")
         with patch("hermes_cli.managed_uv.get_hermes_home", return_value=tmp_path), \
+             patch("hermes_cli.managed_uv.repair_vulnerable_runtime", return_value=_RRR("not-applicable")), \
              patch("hermes_cli.managed_uv.platform.system", return_value="Linux"):
             from hermes_cli.managed_uv import ensure_uv
             uv_bin, fresh = ensure_uv()  # old: uv_bin, fresh_bootstrap = ensure_uv()
@@ -183,6 +198,7 @@ class TestEnsureUvUpdateBoundary:
 
     def test_failure_unpacks_without_raising(self, tmp_path):
         with patch("hermes_cli.managed_uv.get_hermes_home", return_value=tmp_path), \
+             patch("hermes_cli.managed_uv.repair_vulnerable_runtime", return_value=_RRR("not-applicable")), \
              patch("hermes_cli.managed_uv.platform.system", return_value="Linux"), \
              patch("hermes_cli.managed_uv._install_uv", side_effect=RuntimeError("network down")):
             from hermes_cli.managed_uv import ensure_uv
@@ -221,6 +237,7 @@ class TestEnsureUvWindowsSafe:
         # On (mocked) Windows the managed binary is uv.exe.
         _make_executable(tmp_path / "bin" / "uv.exe")
         with patch("hermes_cli.managed_uv.get_hermes_home", return_value=tmp_path), \
+             patch("hermes_cli.managed_uv.repair_vulnerable_runtime", return_value=_RRR("not-applicable")), \
              patch("hermes_cli.managed_uv.platform.system", return_value="Windows"):
             from hermes_cli.managed_uv import _UvResult, ensure_uv
             uv_bin = ensure_uv()
@@ -280,6 +297,7 @@ class TestUpdateManagedUv:
         _os.utime(stamp, (old, old))
 
         with patch("hermes_cli.managed_uv.get_hermes_home", return_value=tmp_path), \
+             patch("hermes_cli.managed_uv.repair_vulnerable_runtime", return_value=_RRR("not-applicable")), \
              patch("hermes_cli.managed_uv.subprocess.run") as mock_run:
             mock_run.return_value = MagicMock(returncode=0, stdout="uv 0.2.0")
             update_managed_uv()
@@ -847,3 +865,46 @@ class TestRepairRetriesAfterUvRefresh:
         assert "replacement environment" in result.detail
         assert len(attempts) == 2
         assert sentinel.read_text(encoding="utf-8") == "live"
+
+class TestDefaultLiveVenv:
+    """_default_live_venv() must cover BOTH install layouts (venv/ and .venv/).
+
+    Historically repair hardcoded venv/, so uv-default/.venv checkouts got
+    'not-applicable' on every hermes update and stayed on journal_mode=DELETE
+    (2,600x slower state.db appends) while the WAL warning promised repair.
+    """
+
+    def _checkout(self, tmp_path, *dirs):
+        root = tmp_path / "checkout"
+        root.mkdir()
+        (root / "pyproject.toml").write_text("[project]\n", encoding="utf-8")
+        for d in dirs:
+            bin_dir = root / d / "bin"
+            bin_dir.mkdir(parents=True)
+            (bin_dir / "python").write_text("py", encoding="utf-8")
+        return root
+
+    def test_dot_venv_only_is_targeted(self, tmp_path):
+        from hermes_cli.managed_uv import _default_live_venv
+
+        root = self._checkout(tmp_path, ".venv")
+        assert _default_live_venv(root) == root / ".venv"
+
+    def test_managed_venv_takes_precedence(self, tmp_path):
+        from hermes_cli.managed_uv import _default_live_venv
+
+        root = self._checkout(tmp_path, "venv", ".venv")
+        assert _default_live_venv(root) == root / "venv"
+
+    def test_neither_layout_keeps_not_applicable(self, tmp_path):
+        from hermes_cli.managed_uv import (
+            _default_live_venv,
+            repair_vulnerable_runtime,
+        )
+
+        root = self._checkout(tmp_path)
+        # Neither venv nor .venv has an interpreter -> repair is not applicable.
+        assert _default_live_venv(root) == root / "venv"
+        result = repair_vulnerable_runtime("uv", project_root=root)
+        assert result.status == "not-applicable"
+