diff --git a/src/features/office/screens/OfficeScreen.tsx b/src/features/office/screens/OfficeScreen.tsx
index 8a941cc..21cf77e 100644
--- a/src/features/office/screens/OfficeScreen.tsx
+++ b/src/features/office/screens/OfficeScreen.tsx
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import {
   useRef,
   useState,
 } from "react";
-import { useRouter, useSearchParams } from "next/navigation";
+import { useRouter } from "next/navigation";
 import { MessageSquare, ChevronDown, ChevronLeft, ChevronRight, Mic } from "lucide-react";
 import { RetroOffice3D } from "@/features/retro-office/RetroOffice3D";
 import type { OfficeAgent } from "@/features/retro-office/core/types";
@@ -953,8 +953,15 @@ type OfficeScreenProps = {
 export function OfficeScreen({
   showOpenClawConsole = true,
 }: OfficeScreenProps) {
-  const searchParams = useSearchParams();
-  const debugEnabled = searchParams.get("officeDebug") === "1";
+  // Patch Hermes Phase 2: avoid useSearchParams() at component root — it
+  // suspends during hydration in Next.js dev mode and keeps the parent
+  // Suspense fallback stuck on "Loading...". Use a sync useMemo so
+  // debugEnabled is stable across renders (state+useEffect caused a
+  // re-render cascade through downstream useCallbacks).
+  const debugEnabled = useMemo(() => {
+    if (typeof window === "undefined") return false;
+    return new URLSearchParams(window.location.search).get("officeDebug") === "1";
+  }, []);
   const [settingsCoordinator] = useState(() =>
     createStudioSettingsCoordinator(),
   );
diff --git a/src/features/office/tasks/useTaskBoardController.ts b/src/features/office/tasks/useTaskBoardController.ts
index 93fe18e..fddfd98 100644
--- a/src/features/office/tasks/useTaskBoardController.ts
+++ b/src/features/office/tasks/useTaskBoardController.ts
@@ -695,6 +695,7 @@ export const useTaskBoardController = ({
     "unknown" | "supported" | "unsupported"
   >("unknown");
   const sharedRefreshInFlightRef = useRef(false);
+  const lastPersistedTaskBoardSnapshotRef = useRef<string | null>(null);
 
   useEffect(() => {
     stateRef.current = state;
@@ -831,6 +832,15 @@ export const useTaskBoardController = ({
 
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!hydratedRef.current || !gatewayUrl.trim()) return;
+    const nextSnapshot = JSON.stringify({
+      gatewayUrl,
+      cards: state.cards,
+      selectedCardId: state.selectedCardId,
+    });
+    if (lastPersistedTaskBoardSnapshotRef.current === nextSnapshot) {
+      return;
+    }
+    lastPersistedTaskBoardSnapshotRef.current = nextSnapshot;
     settingsCoordinator.schedulePatch(
       {
         taskBoard: {
@@ -1141,8 +1151,26 @@ export const useTaskBoardController = ({
     [applySharedTaskRecord],
   );
 
+  const lastDedupeSnapshotRef = useRef<string | null>(null);
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!hydratedRef.current) return;
+    // Patch Hermes Phase 2: snapshot guard prevents re-entering the dedupe
+    // loop when state.cards is replaced by a structurally-identical array
+    // (upstream dispatch churn). Without this, the effect dispatches
+    // `upsert` to mark duplicates archived → state.cards new ref →
+    // effect re-runs → "Maximum update depth exceeded" in dev mode.
+    const snapshot = JSON.stringify(
+      stateRef.current.cards
+        .filter((card) => !card.isArchived && card.source === "openclaw_event")
+        .map((card) => ({
+          id: card.id,
+          title: card.title,
+          assignedAgentId: card.assignedAgentId ?? null,
+          externalThreadId: card.externalThreadId ?? null,
+        })),
+    );
+    if (lastDedupeSnapshotRef.current === snapshot) return;
+    lastDedupeSnapshotRef.current = snapshot;
     const grouped = new Map<string, TaskBoardCard[]>();
     for (const card of stateRef.current.cards) {
       if (card.isArchived || card.source !== "openclaw_event") continue;
diff --git a/src/lib/gateway/GatewayClient.ts b/src/lib/gateway/GatewayClient.ts
index 50b568e..1b643b6 100644
--- a/src/lib/gateway/GatewayClient.ts
+++ b/src/lib/gateway/GatewayClient.ts
@@ -739,6 +739,7 @@ export const useGatewayConnection = (
   const [connectErrorCode, setConnectErrorCode] = useState<string | null>(null);
   const [settingsLoaded, setSettingsLoaded] = useState(false);
   const [hasLastKnownGoodState, setHasLastKnownGoodState] = useState(false);
+  const lastScheduledGatewaySnapshotRef = useRef<string | null>(null);
   const setSelectedAdapterType = useCallback(
     (value: StudioGatewayAdapterType) => {
       setSelectedAdapterTypeState(value);
@@ -795,18 +796,26 @@ export const useGatewayConnection = (
           resolveDefaultStudioGatewayProfile(nextAdapterType, normalizedDefaults);
         const nextGatewayUrl = selectedProfile.url ?? "";
         const nextToken = selectedProfile.token ?? "";
+        // Patch Hermes Phase 2: allow auto-connect for auto-managed adapters
+        // (hermes/openclaw/demo) when a persisted URL exists, even if
+        // gateway.lastKnownGood.adapterType doesn't match the currently
+        // selected adapter. Without this, switching to Hermes never
+        // auto-connects because lastKnownGood is still "openclaw".
+        const hasPersistedProfileForSelected =
+          Boolean(resolvedGatewayProfiles.lastKnownGoodForSelected?.url) ||
+          (isAutoManagedAdapter(nextAdapterType) && nextGatewayUrl.trim().length > 0);
         loadedGatewaySettings.current = {
           gatewayUrl: nextGatewayUrl.trim(),
           token: nextToken,
           adapterType: nextAdapterType,
           profiles: resolvedGatewayProfiles.profiles,
-          hasLastKnownGood: Boolean(resolvedGatewayProfiles.lastKnownGoodForSelected?.url),
+          hasLastKnownGood: hasPersistedProfileForSelected,
         };
         setGatewayUrl(nextGatewayUrl);
         setToken(nextToken);
         setSelectedAdapterTypeState(nextAdapterType);
         setAdapterProfiles(resolvedGatewayProfiles.profiles);
-        setHasLastKnownGoodState(Boolean(resolvedGatewayProfiles.lastKnownGoodForSelected?.url));
+        setHasLastKnownGoodState(hasPersistedProfileForSelected);
       } catch (err) {
         if (!cancelled) {
           const message = err instanceof Error ? err.message : "Failed to load gateway settings.";
@@ -1106,14 +1115,25 @@ export const useGatewayConnection = (
         token: persistToken,
       },
     };
+    const nextSnapshot = JSON.stringify({
+      gatewayUrl: nextGatewayUrl,
+      token,
+      selectedAdapterType,
+      profiles: nextProfiles,
+    });
+    if (lastScheduledGatewaySnapshotRef.current === nextSnapshot) {
+      return;
+    }
     if (
       nextGatewayUrl === baseline.gatewayUrl &&
       token === baseline.token &&
       selectedAdapterType === baseline.adapterType &&
       JSON.stringify(nextProfiles) === JSON.stringify(baseline.profiles ?? {})
     ) {
+      lastScheduledGatewaySnapshotRef.current = nextSnapshot;
       return;
     }
+    lastScheduledGatewaySnapshotRef.current = nextSnapshot;
     settingsCoordinator.schedulePatch(
       {
         gateway: {
@@ -1125,6 +1145,13 @@ export const useGatewayConnection = (
       },
       400
     );
+    loadedGatewaySettings.current = {
+      gatewayUrl: nextGatewayUrl,
+      token,
+      adapterType: selectedAdapterType,
+      profiles: nextProfiles,
+      hasLastKnownGood: baseline.hasLastKnownGood,
+    };
   }, [adapterProfiles, gatewayUrl, selectedAdapterType, settingsCoordinator, settingsLoaded, token]);
 
   const useLocalGatewayDefaults = useCallback(() => {
diff --git a/src/lib/studio/coordinator.ts b/src/lib/studio/coordinator.ts
index 2c3aa24..e492334 100644
--- a/src/lib/studio/coordinator.ts
+++ b/src/lib/studio/coordinator.ts
@@ -353,6 +353,7 @@ const mergeStudioPatch = (
       ...(next.voiceReplies ? { voiceReplies: { ...next.voiceReplies } } : {}),
       ...(next.office ? { office: { ...next.office } } : {}),
       ...(next.standup ? { standup: { ...next.standup } } : {}),
+      ...(next.taskBoard ? { taskBoard: { ...next.taskBoard } } : {}),
       ...(next.officeFloors ? { officeFloors: { ...next.officeFloors } } : {}),
     };
   }