diff --git a/api/app/clients/tools/util/handleTools.js b/api/app/clients/tools/util/handleTools.js
index 96bef6d683..fd90f3f505 100644
--- a/api/app/clients/tools/util/handleTools.js
+++ b/api/app/clients/tools/util/handleTools.js
@@ -59,11 +59,13 @@ const { getRoleByName, setMemory, deleteMemory, getFormattedMemories } = require
  * Re-checks the full memory gate before constructing inline memory tools.
  * The event-driven executor loads tools by name, so an unsolicited
  * `set_memory`/`delete_memory` call must not bypass the config, opt-out, and
- * permission checks enforced when the tools were registered.
+ * permission checks enforced when the tools were registered. `writePermissions`
+ * mirror the REST memory routes: writes require CREATE/UPDATE, not just USE.
  * @param {ServerRequest} [req]
+ * @param {string[]} [writePermissions]
  * @returns {Promise<boolean>}
  */
-async function isMemoryToolUsable(req) {
+async function isMemoryToolUsable(req, writePermissions = []) {
   if (!isMemoryEnabled(req?.config?.memory)) {
     return false;
   }
@@ -74,7 +76,7 @@ async function isMemoryToolUsable(req) {
     return await checkAccess({
       user: req.user,
       permissionType: PermissionTypes.MEMORIES,
-      permissions: [Permissions.USE],
+      permissions: [Permissions.USE, ...writePermissions],
       getRoleByName,
     });
   } catch (error) {
@@ -395,7 +397,7 @@ const loadTools = async ({
       const validKeys = memoryConfig?.validKeys;
       const tokenLimit = memoryConfig?.tokenLimit;
       requestedTools[tool] = async () => {
-        if (!(await isMemoryToolUsable(options.req))) {
+        if (!(await isMemoryToolUsable(options.req, [Permissions.CREATE, Permissions.UPDATE]))) {
           return null;
         }
         let totalTokens = 0;
@@ -413,7 +415,7 @@ const loadTools = async ({
     } else if (tool === DELETE_MEMORY_TOOL_NAME) {
       const memoryConfig = options.req?.config?.memory;
       requestedTools[tool] = async () => {
-        if (!(await isMemoryToolUsable(options.req))) {
+        if (!(await isMemoryToolUsable(options.req, [Permissions.UPDATE]))) {
           return null;
         }
         return createDeleteMemoryTool({
diff --git a/api/server/controllers/agents/client.js b/api/server/controllers/agents/client.js
index 8615d65fab..056bb969d8 100644
--- a/api/server/controllers/agents/client.js
+++ b/api/server/controllers/agents/client.js
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ const {
   omitTitleOptions,
   getProviderConfig,
   memoryInstructions,
+  SET_MEMORY_TOOL_NAME,
+  DELETE_MEMORY_TOOL_NAME,
   createTokenCounter,
   applyContextToAgent,
   isMemoryAgentEnabled,
@@ -84,6 +86,31 @@ const loadAgent = (params) => loadAgentFn(params, { getAgent: db.getAgent, getMC
 
 const MEMORY_INPUT_CHARS_PER_TOKEN = 8;
 
+/** Names that mark inline memory tooling on an initialized agent. After
+ *  `initializeAgent` the `memory` capability marker is expanded into the
+ *  `set_memory`/`delete_memory` definitions, so a string `includes('memory')`
+ *  on `agent.tools` (now loaded instances/definitions) no longer matches. */
+const INLINE_MEMORY_TOOL_NAMES = new Set([
+  AgentCapabilities.memory,
+  SET_MEMORY_TOOL_NAME,
+  DELETE_MEMORY_TOOL_NAME,
+]);
+
+/**
+ * Whether an initialized agent carries the inline memory tools, checked across
+ * both its loaded tool instances and its serializable tool definitions.
+ * @param {Agent & { toolDefinitions?: Array<{ name?: string }> }} [agent]
+ * @returns {boolean}
+ */
+function agentHasInlineMemoryTools(agent) {
+  if (!agent) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  const matches = (entry) =>
+    INLINE_MEMORY_TOOL_NAMES.has(typeof entry === 'string' ? entry : entry?.name);
+  return (agent.toolDefinitions ?? []).some(matches) || (agent.tools ?? []).some(matches);
+}
+
 class AgentClient extends BaseClient {
   constructor(options = {}) {
     super(null, options);
@@ -514,7 +541,12 @@ class AgentClient extends BaseClient {
     await Promise.all(
       allAgents.map(({ agent, agentId }) => {
         const agentRunContextParts = [sharedRunContext];
-        if (memoryContext && (agentId === this.options.agent.id || memoryAgentEnabled)) {
+        if (
+          memoryContext &&
+          (agentId === this.options.agent.id ||
+            memoryAgentEnabled ||
+            agentHasInlineMemoryTools(agent))
+        ) {
           agentRunContextParts.push(memoryContext);
         }
         const scopedContext = agentScopedContext.get(agentId);
@@ -595,11 +627,14 @@ class AgentClient extends BaseClient {
     const userId = this.options.req.user.id + '';
     this.processMemory = undefined;
 
-    /** Inline memory tools (the `memory` capability on this agent) let the main
-     *  agent read/write memory itself, so it needs the keyed memory context —
-     *  otherwise `delete_memory` has no visible key to target. */
-    const agentHasMemoryTools =
-      this.options.agent?.tools?.includes(AgentCapabilities.memory) === true;
+    /** Inline memory tools (the `memory` capability) let an agent read/write
+     *  memory itself, so the run needs the keyed memory context — otherwise
+     *  `delete_memory` has no visible key to target. Checked across the primary
+     *  and every sub-agent, since a handoff agent may carry memory alone. */
+    const agentHasMemoryTools = [
+      this.options.agent,
+      ...(this.agentConfigs ? Array.from(this.agentConfigs.values()) : []),
+    ].some(agentHasInlineMemoryTools);
 
     if (!isMemoryAgentEnabled(memoryConfig)) {
       try {