diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 70e075c2..1fc61be9 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -3,6 +3,12 @@
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+## [v0.51.532] — 2026-06-20 — Release SQ (built-in personalities on non-default profiles)
+
+### Fixed
+
+- **Non-default profiles now see the built-in personalities too (follow-up to #4465, closes the #4513 gap).** v0.51.525 hydrated the 14 built-in personalities for the default profile, but `get_config_for_profile_home()` — used by the streaming worker to resolve a non-default profile's config — was a pure file read with no defaults applied, so a fresh non-default profile still resolved `personalities: []`. It now applies the documented config defaults (including the built-ins) to the per-profile read, matching the ambient `get_config()` shape, without mutating any global cache. A non-existent profile home returns an empty dict. Thanks @franksong2702.
+
 ## [v0.51.531] — 2026-06-20 — Release SP (plugins panel: correct active-provider badge)
 
 ### Fixed
diff --git a/api/config.py b/api/config.py
index 46860e5e..2704d066 100644
--- a/api/config.py
+++ b/api/config.py
@@ -511,13 +511,23 @@ def get_config_for_profile_home(profile_home: "Path | str | None") -> dict:
     except Exception:
         return get_config()
     # If the ambient resolver already points at this profile home, defer to
-    # get_config() so in-memory overrides (monkeypatched cfg) are honored.
+    # get_config() so in-memory overrides (monkeypatched cfg) are honored. This
+    # MUST run before the nonexistent-home guard below: a matching ambient home
+    # whose directory doesn't physically exist yet (fresh install, monkeypatched
+    # cfg) must still resolve through get_config(), not return {} (#4516 gate).
     try:
         if _get_config_path().parent == target:
             return get_config()
     except Exception:
         pass
-    return _load_yaml_config_file(target / "config.yaml")
+    if not target.exists():
+        return {}
+    # Read the profile file directly and apply documented defaults locally so the
+    # returned dict matches ambient get_config() shape (including built-in
+    # personalities) without mutating any global cache state.
+    profile_cfg = _load_yaml_config_file(target / "config.yaml")
+    _apply_config_defaults(profile_cfg)
+    return profile_cfg
 
 
 def _config_for_yaml_save(config_data: dict) -> dict:
diff --git a/tests/test_issue3294_profile_toolset_scoping.py b/tests/test_issue3294_profile_toolset_scoping.py
index 7799f53b..d3e4b40d 100644
--- a/tests/test_issue3294_profile_toolset_scoping.py
+++ b/tests/test_issue3294_profile_toolset_scoping.py
@@ -108,6 +108,22 @@ def test_matching_home_defers_to_get_config(_two_profiles):
     ]
 
 
+def test_matching_ambient_home_that_does_not_exist_still_defers_to_get_config(_two_profiles, monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+    """Regression (#4516 gate): the nonexistent-home guard must run AFTER the
+    ambient-resolver short-circuit. A home that matches the ambient config path
+    but whose directory doesn't physically exist (fresh install / monkeypatched
+    cfg with no dir on disk) must still defer to get_config() — NOT return {}."""
+    cfg, default_home, profile_b_home = _two_profiles
+    ghost_ambient = tmp_path / "ghost-ambient"
+    monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_CONFIG_PATH", str(ghost_ambient / "config.yaml"))
+    cfg.reload_config()
+    assert not ghost_ambient.exists()
+    # The requested home matches the (nonexistent) ambient home → must defer to
+    # get_config(), honoring the in-memory cfg, not short-circuit to {}.
+    result = cfg.get_config_for_profile_home(ghost_ambient)
+    assert result == cfg.get_config()
+
+
 def test_empty_or_none_home_falls_back_to_get_config(_two_profiles):
     """A missing/empty profile home (ImportError fallback path in the worker)
     must not crash — it falls back to the ambient get_config()."""
diff --git a/tests/test_issue4465_builtin_personalities.py b/tests/test_issue4465_builtin_personalities.py
index 37c512f6..7e6ab148 100644
--- a/tests/test_issue4465_builtin_personalities.py
+++ b/tests/test_issue4465_builtin_personalities.py
@@ -69,6 +69,42 @@ def test_config_defaults_replace_non_dict_personality_section_with_builtins():
     assert set(cfg["agent"]["personalities"]) == BUILTIN_NAMES
 
 
+def test_profile_home_config_read_hydrates_builtin_personalities_without_writing(tmp_path):
+    profile_home = tmp_path / "profiles" / "research"
+    profile_home.mkdir(parents=True)
+
+    cfg = config.get_config_for_profile_home(profile_home)
+
+    personalities = cfg["agent"]["personalities"]
+    assert set(personalities) == BUILTIN_NAMES
+    assert personalities["helpful"] == "You are a helpful, friendly AI assistant."
+    assert not (profile_home / "config.yaml").exists()
+
+
+def test_profile_home_config_read_merges_custom_personalities(tmp_path):
+    profile_home = tmp_path / "profiles" / "research"
+    profile_home.mkdir(parents=True)
+    (profile_home / "config.yaml").write_text(
+        "\n".join(
+            [
+                "agent:",
+                "  personalities:",
+                "    helpful: Custom helpful prompt.",
+                "    analyst:",
+                "      system_prompt: Use careful evidence.",
+            ]
+        ),
+        encoding="utf-8",
+    )
+
+    cfg = config.get_config_for_profile_home(profile_home)
+
+    personalities = cfg["agent"]["personalities"]
+    assert set(BUILTIN_NAMES).issubset(personalities)
+    assert personalities["helpful"] == "Custom helpful prompt."
+    assert personalities["analyst"]["system_prompt"] == "Use careful evidence."
+
+
 def test_config_save_strips_generated_builtin_personalities(tmp_path):
     cfg = {}
     config._apply_config_defaults(cfg)