diff --git a/backend/__tests__/unit/routes/registry.install-hosted-greeting.test.js b/backend/__tests__/unit/routes/registry.install-hosted-greeting.test.js
index f01403094..0012693da 100644
--- a/backend/__tests__/unit/routes/registry.install-hosted-greeting.test.js
+++ b/backend/__tests__/unit/routes/registry.install-hosted-greeting.test.js
@@ -178,4 +178,17 @@ describe('registry install — a hosted agent joins with one post', () => {
     expect(introPosts()).toHaveLength(1);
     expect(introPosts()[0][0].authorKind).toBe('kernel');
   });
+
+  it('in a personal room, the greeting gets no handle, since plain replies are auto-routed there', async () => {
+    Pod.findById.mockImplementation(() => {
+      const doc = { _id: 'pod-1', createdBy: 'user-1', members: ['user-1', 'bot-1'], type: 'agent-room' };
+      return { ...buildLeanChain(doc), select: () => buildLeanChain(doc) };
+    });
+    const res = makeRes();
+    await installHandler(makeReq('hosted'), res);
+
+    expect(res.json).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.objectContaining({ success: true }));
+    expect(mockFireFirstContact).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.not.objectContaining({ mentionHandle: expect.anything() }));
+    expect(mockFireFirstContact).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.objectContaining({ hostedAgentUserId: 'bot-1' }));
+  });
 });
diff --git a/backend/routes/registry/install.ts b/backend/routes/registry/install.ts
index 5c179cbb2..1dbf3f6eb 100644
--- a/backend/routes/registry/install.ts
+++ b/backend/routes/registry/install.ts
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ const HostedRuntime = require('../../services/hostedRuntimeService');
 const HostedEngine = require('../../services/hostedEngine');
 const { reservedAgentNameRefusal } = require('../../services/agentNameReservation');
 const { normalizeAvatarUrl } = require('../../services/avatarService');
+const { isPersonalPodType } = require('../../services/podTypePolicyService');
 const {
   getUserId,
   resolveUsername,
@@ -871,7 +872,10 @@ installRouter.post('/install', logAgentInstallRefusal('/api/registry/install'),
         podId,
         installedByUserId: userId,
         installerIsAgent: installerUser?.isBot === true,
-        ...(greetsItself ? { mentionHandle: handle } : {}),
+        // A personal pod (agent-room, agent-dm, agent-admin) auto-routes every
+        // plain reply to the agent, so the greeting must not tell the person to
+        // @mention it there. Only a team pod needs the handle.
+        ...(greetsItself && !isPersonalPodType(pod?.type) ? { mentionHandle: handle } : {}),
         ...(greetsItself ? { hostedAgentUserId: String(agentUser._id) } : {}),
       });
     } catch (firstContactError: unknown) {