diff --git a/hermes_cli/profile_memory_config.py b/hermes_cli/profile_memory_config.py
index c9f87d8a9e..9725cc056d 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/profile_memory_config.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/profile_memory_config.py
@@ -67,7 +67,9 @@ def _load_config_dict(profile_dir: Path) -> Optional[dict]:
     from hermes_cli.config_backend import read_config_doc
     try:
         data = read_config_doc(profile_dir / "config.yaml") or {}
-    except (YAMLError, OSError, UnicodeError):  # FileNotFoundError included: no config
+    # FileNotFoundError included (no config). ValueError: the YAML constructors raise it bare for
+    # values like ``2024-02-30`` / ``!!int abc``; this read is a best-effort notice and never fails a clone.
+    except (YAMLError, OSError, ValueError):
         return None
     return data if isinstance(data, dict) else None
 
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_profile_memory_config.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_profile_memory_config.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ba515b6de6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_profile_memory_config.py
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+"""cloned_memory_provider: a best-effort post-clone notice that never fails ``hermes profile create``."""
+
+import pytest
+
+from hermes_cli.profile_memory_config import cloned_memory_provider
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("body", [
+    "memory:\n  provider: honcho\nwhen: 2024-02-30\n",  # YAML constructor raises a bare ValueError
+    "memory: [unclosed\n",                              # YAMLError
+    b"memory:\n  provider: \xff\n",                     # UnicodeDecodeError
+])
+def test_unreadable_config_means_no_notice(tmp_path, body):
+    (tmp_path / "honcho").mkdir()
+    path = tmp_path / "config.yaml"
+    if isinstance(body, bytes):
+        path.write_bytes(body)
+    else:
+        path.write_text(body, encoding="utf-8")
+    assert cloned_memory_provider(tmp_path) is None
+
+
+def test_missing_config_means_no_notice(tmp_path):
+    assert cloned_memory_provider(tmp_path) is None
+
+
+def test_configured_provider_with_copied_state_is_named(tmp_path):
+    (tmp_path / "honcho").mkdir()
+    (tmp_path / "config.yaml").write_text("memory:\n  provider: honcho\n", encoding="utf-8")
+    assert cloned_memory_provider(tmp_path) == "honcho"