diff --git a/internal/agent/build.go b/internal/agent/build.go
index b06df5c..652cc48 100644
--- a/internal/agent/build.go
+++ b/internal/agent/build.go
@@ -278,6 +278,9 @@ func Resolve(args Args, requireCred bool) (Resolved, error) {
 	summaries := toolSummaries(reg, args)
 
 	append_ := append([]string(nil), args.AppendSystemPrompt...)
+	if agentsAddendum := readAgentsContext(args.CWD, ZotHome()); agentsAddendum != "" {
+		append_ = append(append_, agentsAddendum)
+	}
 	if skillAddendum != "" {
 		append_ = append(append_, skillAddendum)
 	}
@@ -340,6 +343,83 @@ func readUserSystemPrompt(zotHome string) string {
 	return strings.TrimSpace(string(raw))
 }
 
+// readAgentsContext loads optional AGENTS.md instruction files. No
+// default file is created or required: zot only includes files that
+// already exist. Global instructions ($ZOT_HOME/AGENTS.md) come first,
+// followed by project instructions from the top-most parent down to cwd.
+func readAgentsContext(cwd, zotHome string) string {
+	type contextFile struct {
+		path    string
+		content string
+	}
+	var files []contextFile
+	seen := map[string]bool{}
+	add := func(path string) {
+		if path == "" {
+			return
+		}
+		abs, err := filepath.Abs(path)
+		if err == nil {
+			path = abs
+		}
+		if seen[path] {
+			return
+		}
+		raw, err := os.ReadFile(path)
+		if err != nil {
+			return
+		}
+		content := strings.TrimSpace(string(raw))
+		if content == "" {
+			return
+		}
+		seen[path] = true
+		files = append(files, contextFile{path: path, content: content})
+	}
+	addFirstFromDir := func(dir string) {
+		if dir == "" {
+			return
+		}
+		for _, name := range []string{"AGENTS.md", "AGENTS.MD"} {
+			path := filepath.Join(dir, name)
+			if _, err := os.Stat(path); err == nil {
+				add(path)
+				return
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	addFirstFromDir(zotHome)
+
+	if cwd != "" {
+		abs, err := filepath.Abs(cwd)
+		if err == nil {
+			cwd = abs
+		}
+		var dirs []string
+		for dir := filepath.Clean(cwd); ; dir = filepath.Dir(dir) {
+			dirs = append(dirs, dir)
+			parent := filepath.Dir(dir)
+			if parent == dir {
+				break
+			}
+		}
+		for i := len(dirs) - 1; i >= 0; i-- {
+			addFirstFromDir(dirs[i])
+		}
+	}
+
+	if len(files) == 0 {
+		return ""
+	}
+	var sb strings.Builder
+	sb.WriteString("Project context instructions loaded from AGENTS.md files. Follow them when working in this repository. Later files are more specific and may override earlier ones.\n")
+	for _, f := range files {
+		fmt.Fprintf(&sb, "\n## %s\n\n%s\n", f.path, f.content)
+	}
+	return strings.TrimSpace(sb.String())
+}
+
 // descMapFromSummaries indexes the human-readable descriptions for
 // the renderToolsSection rebuild path.
 func descMapFromSummaries(summaries []ToolSummary) map[string]string {
diff --git a/internal/agent/build_test.go b/internal/agent/build_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9358b48
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/agent/build_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+package agent
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestReadAgentsContextLoadsGlobalAndAncestors(t *testing.T) {
+	root := t.TempDir()
+	zotHome := filepath.Join(root, "zot-home")
+	project := filepath.Join(root, "repo")
+	nested := filepath.Join(project, "packages", "app")
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(zotHome, 0o755); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(nested, 0o755); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(zotHome, "AGENTS.md"), []byte("global rule"), 0o644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(project, "AGENTS.md"), []byte("repo rule"), 0o644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(nested, "AGENTS.md"), []byte("app rule"), 0o644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	got := readAgentsContext(nested, zotHome)
+	for _, want := range []string{"global rule", "repo rule", "app rule"} {
+		if !strings.Contains(got, want) {
+			t.Fatalf("readAgentsContext missing %q in:\n%s", want, got)
+		}
+	}
+	if strings.Index(got, "global rule") > strings.Index(got, "repo rule") || strings.Index(got, "repo rule") > strings.Index(got, "app rule") {
+		t.Fatalf("AGENTS.md files loaded in wrong order:\n%s", got)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestReadAgentsContextMissingFilesIsEmpty(t *testing.T) {
+	got := readAgentsContext(t.TempDir(), t.TempDir())
+	if got != "" {
+		t.Fatalf("expected no context, got %q", got)
+	}
+}