diff --git a/hermes_cli/env_loader.py b/hermes_cli/env_loader.py
index ce64064b56..6cb02dfe99 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/env_loader.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/env_loader.py
@@ -142,8 +142,7 @@ def _hydrate_profile_secret_sources(home: Path) -> dict[str, str]:
             continue
         _SECRET_SOURCES[name] = applied.source
         values[name] = value
-    if values:
-        _SECRET_SOURCE_VALUES_BY_HOME[home_key] = values
+    _SECRET_SOURCE_VALUES_BY_HOME[home_key] = values
     return dict(values)
 
 
diff --git a/tests/agent/test_env_loader_secret_sources.py b/tests/agent/test_env_loader_secret_sources.py
index 4fc47bc115..b21ed48e53 100644
--- a/tests/agent/test_env_loader_secret_sources.py
+++ b/tests/agent/test_env_loader_secret_sources.py
@@ -377,6 +377,64 @@ def test_cold_profile_hydration_retries_failed_source(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
     assert attempts == 2
 
 
+def test_cold_profile_hydration_replaces_partial_snapshot_after_failed_retry(
+    tmp_path, monkeypatch
+):
+    """Each retry replaces the prior profile snapshot, including with an empty result."""
+    from agent.secret_sources.base import ErrorKind, FetchResult
+    from agent.secret_sources.registry import AppliedVar, ApplyReport, SourceReport
+    from agent.secret_sources import registry as reg_module
+
+    (tmp_path / "config.yaml").write_text(
+        "secrets:\n  command:\n    enabled: true\n", encoding="utf-8"
+    )
+    attempts = 0
+
+    def _apply_with_stale_partial_value(_cfg, _home_path, environ=None):
+        nonlocal attempts
+        attempts += 1
+        failed = FetchResult().fail("helper exited 1", ErrorKind.AUTH_FAILED)
+        if attempts == 1:
+            environ["OPENAI_API_KEY"] = "first-value"
+            return ApplyReport(
+                sources=[
+                    SourceReport(
+                        name="onepassword",
+                        label="1Password",
+                        result=FetchResult(secrets={"OPENAI_API_KEY": "first-value"}),
+                        applied=["OPENAI_API_KEY"],
+                    ),
+                    SourceReport(name="command", label="command", result=failed),
+                ],
+                provenance={
+                    "OPENAI_API_KEY": AppliedVar(
+                        name="OPENAI_API_KEY",
+                        source="onepassword",
+                        shape="bulk",
+                        overrode_env=False,
+                    )
+                },
+            )
+        return ApplyReport(
+            sources=[
+                SourceReport(name="onepassword", label="1Password", result=failed),
+                SourceReport(name="command", label="command", result=failed),
+            ]
+        )
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(reg_module, "apply_all", _apply_with_stale_partial_value)
+
+    assert env_loader.hydrate_profile_secret_sources(tmp_path) == {
+        "OPENAI_API_KEY": "first-value"
+    }
+    assert env_loader.get_secret_source_values(tmp_path) == {
+        "OPENAI_API_KEY": "first-value"
+    }
+    assert env_loader.hydrate_profile_secret_sources(tmp_path) == {}
+    assert env_loader.get_secret_source_values(tmp_path) == {}
+    assert attempts == 2
+
+
 def test_apply_external_secret_sources_noop_when_disabled(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
     """Disabled Bitwarden config must not touch the source map."""