diff --git a/hermes_state.py b/hermes_state.py
index 87b143017c..21a39dae61 100644
--- a/hermes_state.py
+++ b/hermes_state.py
@@ -298,14 +298,20 @@ def _strip_background_review_harness(messages: List[Dict[str, Any]]) -> List[Dic
         return messages
     out: List[Dict[str, Any]] = []
     skip_next_assistant = False
+    previous_was_harness = False
     for msg in messages:
         if _is_background_review_harness_message(msg):
-            skip_next_assistant = True
+            # A consecutive harness prompt occupies the preceding prompt's
+            # immediate reply slot, so it must not arm another assistant skip.
+            skip_next_assistant = not previous_was_harness
+            previous_was_harness = True
             continue
         if skip_next_assistant:
             skip_next_assistant = False
             if isinstance(msg, dict) and msg.get("role") == "assistant":
+                previous_was_harness = False
                 continue  # the curator-mode reply to the harness prompt
+        previous_was_harness = False
         out.append(msg)
     return out
 
diff --git a/tests/hermes_state/test_background_review_session_isolation.py b/tests/hermes_state/test_background_review_session_isolation.py
index fb560d7e4e..57dcbfb209 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_state/test_background_review_session_isolation.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_state/test_background_review_session_isolation.py
@@ -53,6 +53,15 @@ class TestStripBackgroundReviewHarness:
         contents = [m["content"] for m in out]
         assert contents == ["What's the weather?", "It's sunny.", "Thanks, now book a flight."]
 
+    def test_preserves_assistant_after_consecutive_harness_prompts(self):
+        messages = [
+            {"role": "user", "content": "Review the conversation above and update the skill library."},
+            {"role": "user", "content": "Review the conversation above and consider saving to memory."},
+            {"role": "assistant", "content": "The user's real reply."},
+        ]
+
+        assert _strip_background_review_harness(messages) == [messages[-1]]
+