diff --git a/agent/turn_explainers.py b/agent/turn_explainers.py
index 945b7e7660..4e66025ffa 100644
--- a/agent/turn_explainers.py
+++ b/agent/turn_explainers.py
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ _PERSISTENCE_CAUSE_EXPLANATIONS: Dict[str, str] = {
         "run `sqlite3 ... \".recover\"` against the live "
         "state.db, a vulnerable sqlite3 CLI can corrupt it "
         "further\n"
-        "3. Restore from a backup in ~/.hermes/backups/\n"
+        "3. Restore from a backup in {backups_dir}/\n"
         "Then send your message again."
     ),
     "disk": (
@@ -295,7 +295,11 @@ class TurnExplainersMixin:
             )
             if persistence_cause == "corrupt":
                 # Copy-pasteable, so name the real store (profiles / HERMES_HOME do not live under ~/.hermes).
+                from hermes_constants import get_default_hermes_root
                 from hermes_state import _default_db_path
 
                 body = body.replace("{db_path}", str(_default_db_path()))
+                body = body.replace(
+                    "{backups_dir}", str(get_default_hermes_root() / "backups")
+                )
         return _NO_REPLY + body if body else ""
diff --git a/gateway/run_notifications.py b/gateway/run_notifications.py
index c5ce3cb4b2..194dcd4718 100644
--- a/gateway/run_notifications.py
+++ b/gateway/run_notifications.py
@@ -722,10 +722,12 @@ class GatewayNotificationsMixin:
         error = getattr(self, "_session_db_init_error", None)
         if not error:
             return
+        from hermes_constants import get_default_hermes_root
         from hermes_state import _default_db_path, classify_persistence_error, format_session_db_unavailable
         if classify_persistence_error(error) == "corrupt":
             # Copy-pasteable, so name the real store (profiles / HERMES_HOME do not live under ~/.hermes).
             db_path = _default_db_path()
+            backups_dir = get_default_hermes_root() / "backups"
             message = (
                 "⚠️ Session database corruption detected. Messages may not be "
                 "persisted. Recovery options:\n"
@@ -738,7 +740,7 @@ class GatewayNotificationsMixin:
                 "   — recovery snapshots the damaged file first; do NOT run "
                 "`sqlite3 ... \".recover\"` against the live state.db, a "
                 "vulnerable sqlite3 CLI can corrupt it further\n"
-                "3. Restore from a backup in ~/.hermes/backups/\n"
+                f"3. Restore from a backup in {backups_dir}/\n"
                 "Run `hermes doctor` for sanitized diagnostics."
             )
         else:
diff --git a/tests/run_agent/test_corruption_recovery_guidance.py b/tests/run_agent/test_corruption_recovery_guidance.py
index 155d326e20..a583544fa8 100644
--- a/tests/run_agent/test_corruption_recovery_guidance.py
+++ b/tests/run_agent/test_corruption_recovery_guidance.py
@@ -31,6 +31,38 @@ def test_format_turn_completion_corrupt_includes_recovery_options():
     assert "Freeing disk space will not help" in explanation
 
 
+def test_gateway_corruption_banner_backups_dir_follows_hermes_home(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+    """The gateway broadcast's step 3 must name the live backups dir, not ~/.hermes (#104250).
+
+    Pre-update backups live at ``<hermes_root>/backups`` (``hermes_cli/backup.py``); a
+    custom-HERMES_HOME gateway must not be told to restore from a directory that never
+    held its backups.
+    """
+    import asyncio
+
+    import gateway.run as gateway_run
+
+    custom_home = tmp_path / "custom-hermes-home"
+    monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_HOME", str(custom_home))
+
+    runner = object.__new__(gateway_run.GatewayRunner)
+    runner._session_db_init_error = "database disk image is malformed"
+    sent = []
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        runner, "_home_channel_transports", lambda: [("telegram", {}, "home-chat", object())]
+    )
+
+    async def _capture_send(_platform, _home, _transport, message, _log_fmt):
+        sent.append(message)
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(runner, "_send_home_channel_message", _capture_send)
+    asyncio.run(runner._send_session_db_warning_notifications())
+
+    assert sent, "warning must be broadcast to home channels"
+    assert f"{custom_home / 'backups'}" in sent[0]
+    assert "~/.hermes/backups" not in sent[0]
+
+
 def test_format_turn_completion_corrupt_never_names_the_live_db():
     """The 'corrupt' cause must not direct a raw sqlite3 shell at the live DB.
 
diff --git a/tests/run_agent/test_turn_completion_explainer.py b/tests/run_agent/test_turn_completion_explainer.py
index 70ffca0bf7..36ba698b31 100644
--- a/tests/run_agent/test_turn_completion_explainer.py
+++ b/tests/run_agent/test_turn_completion_explainer.py
@@ -155,6 +155,24 @@ def test_explanation_persistence_corrupt_cause_never_says_free_space():
     assert "full disk" not in lower
 
 
+def test_explanation_persistence_corrupt_backups_dir_follows_hermes_home(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+    """Step 3 must name the backups dir under the ACTIVE home, not ~/.hermes (#104250).
+
+    Pre-update backups live at ``<hermes_root>/backups`` (``hermes_cli/backup.py``), so a
+    custom-HERMES_HOME deployment told to restore from ``~/.hermes/backups/`` is misdirected
+    mid data-loss incident: that directory may not exist at all, or may hold an unrelated
+    install's backups.
+    """
+    custom_home = tmp_path / "custom-hermes-home"
+    monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_HOME", str(custom_home))
+    out = AIAgent._format_turn_completion_explanation(
+        "session_persistence_failed", "corrupt"
+    )
+    assert f"{custom_home / 'backups'}" in out
+    assert "~/.hermes/backups" not in out
+    assert "{backups_dir}" not in out
+
+
 def test_explanation_persistence_replaced_cause_forbids_inplace_repair():
     out = AIAgent._format_turn_completion_explanation(
         "session_persistence_failed", "replaced"