diff --git a/hermes_cli/gateway.py b/hermes_cli/gateway.py
index fc6819ab44..351d03b86e 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/gateway.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/gateway.py
@@ -4073,6 +4073,7 @@ Environment="LOGNAME={username}"
 Environment="PATH={sane_path}"
 Environment="VIRTUAL_ENV={venv_dir}"
 Environment="HERMES_HOME={hermes_home}"
+Environment="HERMES_SUPERVISED_CHILD=1"
 Restart=always
 RestartSec=5
 RestartForceExitStatus={GATEWAY_SERVICE_RESTART_EXIT_CODE}
@@ -4111,6 +4112,7 @@ WorkingDirectory={working_dir}
 Environment="PATH={sane_path}"
 Environment="VIRTUAL_ENV={venv_dir}"
 Environment="HERMES_HOME={hermes_home}"
+Environment="HERMES_SUPERVISED_CHILD=1"
 Restart=always
 RestartSec=5
 RestartForceExitStatus={GATEWAY_SERVICE_RESTART_EXIT_CODE}
@@ -5397,6 +5399,8 @@ def generate_launchd_plist() -> str:
         <string>{venv_dir}</string>
         <key>HERMES_HOME</key>
         <string>{hermes_home}</string>
+        <key>HERMES_SUPERVISED_CHILD</key>
+        <string>1</string>
     </dict>
 
     <key>LimitLoadToSessionType</key>
diff --git a/hermes_cli/gateway_windows.py b/hermes_cli/gateway_windows.py
index de394d39ee..e9ca230f7b 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/gateway_windows.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/gateway_windows.py
@@ -415,6 +415,7 @@ def _build_gateway_cmd_script(
     lines.append(f'set "HERMES_HOME={hermes_home}"')
     lines.append('set "PYTHONIOENCODING=utf-8"')
     lines.append('set "HERMES_GATEWAY_DETACHED=1"')
+    lines.append('set "HERMES_SUPERVISED_CHILD=1"')
     python_exe_path, venv_dir, extra_pythonpath = _resolve_detached_python(python_path)
     # VIRTUAL_ENV lets the gateway's own python detection find the venv
     # if someone imports hermes_constants-based logic during startup.
@@ -500,6 +501,7 @@ def _build_gateway_vbs_script(
         f"env.Item({_quote_vbs_string('HERMES_HOME')}) = {_quote_vbs_string(hermes_home)}",
         f"env.Item({_quote_vbs_string('PYTHONIOENCODING')}) = {_quote_vbs_string('utf-8')}",
         f"env.Item({_quote_vbs_string('HERMES_GATEWAY_DETACHED')}) = {_quote_vbs_string('1')}",
+        f"env.Item({_quote_vbs_string('HERMES_SUPERVISED_CHILD')}) = {_quote_vbs_string('1')}",
         f"env.Item({_quote_vbs_string('VIRTUAL_ENV')}) = {_quote_vbs_string(_preserve_hermes_home_path(venv_dir))}",
         # Mirror the cmd wrapper's ``PYTHONPATH=<static>;%PYTHONPATH%``: chain onto
         # whatever PYTHONPATH the task environment already carries, at runtime.
@@ -814,6 +816,7 @@ def _build_gateway_argv() -> tuple[list[str], str, dict[str, str]]:
         "HERMES_HOME": hermes_home,
         "PYTHONIOENCODING": "utf-8",
         "HERMES_GATEWAY_DETACHED": "1",
+        "HERMES_SUPERVISED_CHILD": "1",
         "VIRTUAL_ENV": _preserve_hermes_home_path(venv_dir),
     }
     _prepend_pythonpath(
diff --git a/hermes_cli/main.py b/hermes_cli/main.py
index c84c38a7c9..bab6cf6f7e 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/main.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/main.py
@@ -633,17 +633,55 @@ def _apply_profile_override() -> None:
 
     # 2. If no flag, check active_profile in the hermes root.
     #
-    # EXCEPTION: a supervised s6 gateway child (exported by the container
-    # run-script as HERMES_S6_SUPERVISED_CHILD=1) must NOT follow the sticky
-    # active_profile. Each supervised slot has a fixed profile identity: named
-    # slots pass ``-p <name>`` explicitly (handled in step 1 above), and the
-    # reserved ``gateway-default`` slot runs bare ``hermes gateway run`` to mean
-    # "the root HERMES_HOME profile". If the reserved default child read
-    # active_profile here, switching the active profile (e.g. via the dashboard)
-    # would silently redirect the default gateway into that profile — yielding a
-    # duplicate gateway for the active profile and no real default gateway. See
-    # the "Docker & Profiles & Dashboard" report.
-    if profile_name is None and not os.environ.get("HERMES_S6_SUPERVISED_CHILD"):
+    # EXCEPTION: a supervisor-launched gateway child must NOT follow the
+    # sticky active_profile. Each supervised slot has a fixed profile
+    # identity: named slots pass ``-p <name>`` explicitly (handled in step 1
+    # above) or pin ``HERMES_HOME`` to the profile directory (step 1.5), and
+    # a bare invocation means "the root HERMES_HOME profile". If a supervised
+    # default-profile child read active_profile here, switching the active
+    # profile (e.g. via the dashboard or ``hermes profile use``) would
+    # silently redirect the default gateway into that profile — the default
+    # gateway then assumes the other profile's identity/credentials (logs
+    # under the other profile's tree, connects with its Telegram bot token)
+    # and double-polls a token already owned by that profile's own gateway.
+    # See issue #74872 and the "Docker & Profiles & Dashboard" report.
+    #
+    # Supervisor markers honored (see gateway/restart.py
+    # ``is_gateway_supervisor_process`` for the sibling detection used by
+    # restart routing):
+    #   - HERMES_SUPERVISED_CHILD: generalized marker exported by the
+    #     generated systemd unit, launchd plist, and Windows Scheduled-Task
+    #     launchers (#74872).
+    #   - HERMES_S6_SUPERVISED_CHILD: legacy s6 container marker (back-compat;
+    #     exported by S6ServiceManager's run-script).
+    #   - INVOCATION_ID: set by systemd for service children only (never in
+    #     interactive shells) — covers already-installed gateway units that
+    #     predate the HERMES_SUPERVISED_CHILD marker. Consulted ONLY for
+    #     gateway commands: INVOCATION_ID is inherited by every descendant of
+    #     a systemd-launched process (self-hosted CI runners, user services
+    #     running unrelated hermes commands), so honoring it globally would
+    #     silently disable the sticky active_profile for those.
+    #   - HERMES_GATEWAY_EXTERNAL_SUPERVISOR: explicit external-supervisor
+    #     opt-in (``hermes gateway run --external-supervisor``).
+    #
+    # XPC_SERVICE_NAME is deliberately NOT consulted here: interactive macOS
+    # terminals set it too, and a false positive would silently break the
+    # sticky active_profile for every interactive command.
+    def _under_gateway_supervisor() -> bool:
+        if os.environ.get("HERMES_SUPERVISED_CHILD"):
+            return True
+        if os.environ.get("HERMES_S6_SUPERVISED_CHILD"):
+            return True
+        is_gateway_cmd = next(
+            (a for a in argv if not a.startswith("-")), None
+        ) == "gateway"
+        if is_gateway_cmd and os.environ.get("INVOCATION_ID"):
+            return True
+        return os.environ.get(
+            "HERMES_GATEWAY_EXTERNAL_SUPERVISOR", ""
+        ).strip().lower() in {"1", "true", "yes", "on"}
+
+    if profile_name is None and not _under_gateway_supervisor():
         try:
             from hermes_constants import get_default_hermes_root
 
diff --git a/hermes_cli/service_manager.py b/hermes_cli/service_manager.py
index 03ed06dfbb..a7194d99c6 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/service_manager.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/service_manager.py
@@ -684,6 +684,10 @@ class S6ServiceManager:
         # start`, etc. See `_gateway_command_inner` for the matching
         # guard.
         lines.append("export HERMES_S6_SUPERVISED_CHILD=1")
+        # Generalized supervisor marker (#74872) — same meaning for the
+        # profile-redirect guard in hermes_cli.main._apply_profile_override,
+        # kept alongside the s6-specific sentinel for back-compat.
+        lines.append("export HERMES_SUPERVISED_CHILD=1")
         # ``--replace`` makes the supervised gateway authoritative for its
         # profile's HERMES_HOME. Without it, a gateway started OUTSIDE s6
         # (a stray ``hermes gateway run`` from a shell, an agent action, or
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_apply_profile_override.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_apply_profile_override.py
index 0eb6fc7a39..90837cf940 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_apply_profile_override.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_apply_profile_override.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ from types import SimpleNamespace
 
 def _run_apply_profile_override(
     tmp_path, monkeypatch, *, hermes_home: str | None, active_profile: str | None,
-    argv: list[str] | None = None,
+    argv: list[str] | None = None, extra_env: dict[str, str] | None = None,
 ):
     """Run _apply_profile_override in isolation.
 
@@ -43,6 +43,19 @@ def _run_apply_profile_override(
 
     monkeypatch.setattr(sys, "argv", argv or ["hermes", "gateway", "start"])
 
+    # Scrub supervisor markers the host environment may carry (systemd-run
+    # CI runners export INVOCATION_ID) so each test controls them explicitly.
+    for var in (
+        "HERMES_SUPERVISED_CHILD",
+        "HERMES_S6_SUPERVISED_CHILD",
+        "INVOCATION_ID",
+        "HERMES_GATEWAY_EXTERNAL_SUPERVISOR",
+    ):
+        monkeypatch.delenv(var, raising=False)
+
+    for key, value in (extra_env or {}).items():
+        monkeypatch.setenv(key, value)
+
     from hermes_cli.main import _apply_profile_override
     _apply_profile_override()
 
@@ -164,3 +177,112 @@ class TestSupervisedChildIgnoresStickyProfile:
         assert result is not None
         assert result.endswith("coder")
 
+
+
+class TestGeneralizedSupervisorMarkers:
+    """Regression tests for issue #74872.
+
+    A systemd/launchd/Scheduled-Task supervised gateway launch pins its
+    profile identity via the unit's HERMES_HOME (root home for the default
+    profile). It must NEVER follow the sticky ``active_profile`` file —
+    otherwise the default-profile gateway silently assumes another profile's
+    identity (logs + Telegram bot token) and double-polls that profile's
+    token. Markers: HERMES_SUPERVISED_CHILD (generalized, exported by
+    generated units), INVOCATION_ID (systemd, gateway commands only), and
+    HERMES_GATEWAY_EXTERNAL_SUPERVISOR (explicit opt-in).
+    """
+
+    def _root_home(self, tmp_path):
+        hermes_root = tmp_path / ".hermes"
+        hermes_root.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+        return hermes_root
+
+    def test_supervised_child_marker_skips_active_profile(
+        self, tmp_path, monkeypatch
+    ):
+        """HERMES_SUPERVISED_CHILD=1 + root HERMES_HOME must keep the
+        default profile's home even when active_profile names another
+        profile (the #74872 identity-assumption vector)."""
+        hermes_root = self._root_home(tmp_path)
+        result = _run_apply_profile_override(
+            tmp_path,
+            monkeypatch,
+            hermes_home=str(hermes_root),
+            active_profile="telegram_nick",
+            argv=["hermes", "gateway", "run"],
+            extra_env={"HERMES_SUPERVISED_CHILD": "1"},
+        )
+        assert result == str(hermes_root), (
+            f"supervised default gateway was redirected to {result!r}"
+        )
+
+    def test_systemd_invocation_id_skips_active_profile_for_gateway(
+        self, tmp_path, monkeypatch
+    ):
+        """INVOCATION_ID (systemd service child) must suppress the sticky
+        redirect for gateway commands — covers units installed before the
+        HERMES_SUPERVISED_CHILD marker existed."""
+        hermes_root = self._root_home(tmp_path)
+        result = _run_apply_profile_override(
+            tmp_path,
+            monkeypatch,
+            hermes_home=str(hermes_root),
+            active_profile="telegram_nick",
+            argv=["hermes", "gateway", "run"],
+            extra_env={"INVOCATION_ID": "deadbeef" * 4},
+        )
+        assert result == str(hermes_root)
+
+    def test_invocation_id_does_not_affect_non_gateway_commands(
+        self, tmp_path, monkeypatch
+    ):
+        """INVOCATION_ID leaks into every descendant of a systemd-launched
+        process (CI runners, user services). Non-gateway commands must keep
+        honoring the sticky active_profile."""
+        hermes_root = self._root_home(tmp_path)
+        result = _run_apply_profile_override(
+            tmp_path,
+            monkeypatch,
+            hermes_home=str(hermes_root),
+            active_profile="coder",
+            argv=["hermes", "chat"],
+            extra_env={"INVOCATION_ID": "deadbeef" * 4},
+        )
+        assert result is not None
+        assert result.endswith("coder")
+
+    def test_external_supervisor_marker_skips_active_profile(
+        self, tmp_path, monkeypatch
+    ):
+        hermes_root = self._root_home(tmp_path)
+        result = _run_apply_profile_override(
+            tmp_path,
+            monkeypatch,
+            hermes_home=str(hermes_root),
+            active_profile="telegram_nick",
+            argv=["hermes", "gateway", "run"],
+            extra_env={"HERMES_GATEWAY_EXTERNAL_SUPERVISOR": "1"},
+        )
+        assert result == str(hermes_root)
+
+    def test_generated_systemd_unit_exports_supervised_marker(
+        self, tmp_path, monkeypatch
+    ):
+        """The generated systemd unit must carry the marker so fresh installs
+        are protected without relying on the INVOCATION_ID heuristic."""
+        monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_HOME", str(tmp_path / "home"))
+        (tmp_path / "home").mkdir()
+        from hermes_cli.gateway import generate_systemd_unit
+
+        unit = generate_systemd_unit()
+        assert 'Environment="HERMES_SUPERVISED_CHILD=1"' in unit
+
+    def test_generated_launchd_plist_exports_supervised_marker(
+        self, tmp_path, monkeypatch
+    ):
+        monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_HOME", str(tmp_path / "home"))
+        (tmp_path / "home").mkdir()
+        from hermes_cli.gateway import generate_launchd_plist
+
+        plist = generate_launchd_plist()
+        assert "<key>HERMES_SUPERVISED_CHILD</key>" in plist