diff --git a/ai/Dockerfile b/ai/Dockerfile
index c2a0b08..45806e7 100644
--- a/ai/Dockerfile
+++ b/ai/Dockerfile
@@ -53,6 +53,55 @@ urllib.request.urlretrieve(url, base + '/en_US-ryan-high.onnx')
 urllib.request.urlretrieve(url + '.json', base + '/en_US-ryan-high.onnx.json')
 PYEOF
  
+# ---------- Patch atomic writes to preserve file permissions ----------
+# Fixes https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/issues/14181
+# tempfile.mkstemp() creates files as 0600; os.replace() preserves that mode,
+# so group-readable files silently collapse to owner-private 0600.
+# This affects: skills, sessions, memories, and any file written atomically.
+RUN /opt/hermes/.venv/bin/python3 /dev/stdin << 'PYEOF'
+import os
+
+patches = [
+    ("/opt/hermes/tools/skill_manager_tool.py", [
+        ("# Restore existing file mode if present", True),  # already patched
+    ]),
+    ("/opt/hermes/tools/skills_sync.py", [
+        ("# Restore existing file mode if present", True),  # already patched
+    ]),
+]
+
+for fpath, checks in patches:
+    if not os.path.exists(fpath):
+        print(f"SKIP {fpath} (not found)")
+        continue
+    with open(fpath) as f:
+        code = f.read()
+    all_ok = all(marker in code for marker, _ in checks)
+    if all_ok:
+        print(f"OK {fpath} (already patched)")
+        continue
+    print(f"PATCH {fpath}")
+    # _atomic_write_text in skill_manager_tool.py
+    code = code.replace(
+        "        os.replace(temp_path, file_path)",
+        "        if file_path.exists():\n"
+        "            existing_mode = file_path.stat().st_mode\n"
+        "            os.chmod(temp_path, existing_mode)\n"
+        "        os.replace(temp_path, file_path)",
+    )
+    # _write_manifest in skills_sync.py
+    code = code.replace(
+        "            os.replace(tmp_path, MANIFEST_FILE)",
+        "            if MANIFEST_FILE.exists():\n"
+        "                existing_mode = MANIFEST_FILE.stat().st_mode\n"
+        "                os.chmod(tmp_path, existing_mode)\n"
+        "            os.replace(tmp_path, MANIFEST_FILE)",
+    )
+    with open(fpath, 'w') as f:
+        f.write(code)
+    print(f"DONE {fpath}")
+PYEOF
+
 # ---------- Runtime ----------
 ENV HERMES_HOME=/opt/data
 ENV PATH="/opt/data/.local/bin:${PATH}"