diff --git a/apps/memos-local-plugin/core/config/index.ts b/apps/memos-local-plugin/core/config/index.ts
index 6d529d960..53c9ab378 100644
--- a/apps/memos-local-plugin/core/config/index.ts
+++ b/apps/memos-local-plugin/core/config/index.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import { MemosError } from "../../agent-contract/errors.js";
 import type { ResolvedHome } from "./paths.js";
 import { resolveHome } from "./paths.js";
 import { ConfigSchema, type ResolvedConfig } from "./schema.js";
-import { DEFAULT_CONFIG, effectiveViewerPort } from "./defaults.js";
+import { DEFAULT_CONFIG, SECRET_FIELD_PATHS, effectiveViewerPort } from "./defaults.js";
 import { migrateHermesViewerPort } from "./migrations.js";
 import { parseYaml } from "./yaml.js";
 
@@ -72,9 +72,40 @@ export async function loadConfig(home: ResolvedHome, agent?: string): Promise<Lo
 /**
  * Merge an arbitrary raw object over `DEFAULT_CONFIG` and validate. Used in
  * tests and by `writer.ts`. `warnings` is mutated in place if provided.
+ *
+ * The `raw` argument is never mutated — the secret resolution below runs on a
+ * freshly built copy, so callers may pass shared or cached objects safely.
  */
 export function resolveConfig(raw: unknown, warnings?: string[], agent?: string): ResolvedConfig {
   const cleaned = pruneUnknown(raw, DEFAULT_CONFIG, "", warnings);
+  // Resolve masked/placeholder secret values from the environment before
+  // merging. `maskSecrets()` (pipeline/memory-core.ts) rewrites every
+  // SECRET_FIELD_PATHS leaf to `__memos_secret__` before the config is
+  // persisted or surfaced, and `stripEmptySecrets()` drops empty leaves
+  // from patches. But nothing re-reads the real value back: when the
+  // daemon restarts and `loadConfig()` parses the YAML, the placeholder
+  // is treated as the literal API key, so every LLM call fails auth and
+  // the bridge loops on restart with `lastOkAt: null` and crystallize
+  // stuck. Same problem if a user writes `apiKey: ""` or an explicit
+  // `${ENV_VAR}` reference and expects expansion (the writer's
+  // `resolveConfig` is the single choke point for both disk and
+  // in-memory patch paths, so resolving here covers both).
+  //
+  // Resolution rules (first match wins):
+  //   1. Value is `${NAME}`  -> use process.env[NAME]. Only allowlisted
+  //      names are expanded (`^[A-Z][A-Z0-9_]*_(API_KEY|TOKEN)$`);
+  //      anything else emits a warning and is left untouched.
+  //   2. Value is the mask sentinel `__memos_secret__` or empty string
+  //      -> use the env var inferred from the field path
+  //      (llm.apiKey -> LLM_API_KEY, then OPENCODE_GO_API_KEY /
+  //      OPENCODE_ZEN_API_KEY fallbacks for the opencode-go/zen
+  //      providers). The generic fallbacks only apply to LLM-class
+  //      fields — embedding.apiKey is never handed an LLM provider's key.
+  //   3. Otherwise leave the value untouched.
+  //
+  // The mask itself is never used as a credential, and the on-disk write
+  // stays masked (security preserved); this is read-side only.
+  resolveSecretEnv(cleaned, warnings);
   const merged = deepMerge(DEFAULT_CONFIG as Record<string, unknown>, cleaned);
   stripUnsupportedEmbeddingDimensions(merged);
   const viewerPort = effectiveViewerPort(agent);
@@ -104,6 +135,64 @@ export function resolveConfig(raw: unknown, warnings?: string[], agent?: string)
 
 // ─── helpers ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
+/** Env var names accepted in `${NAME}` config references. */
+const ENV_REF_ALLOWLIST = /^[A-Z][A-Z0-9_]*_(API_KEY|TOKEN)$/;
+
+/**
+ * Replace masked / empty / `${VAR}` secret leaves in `cleaned` (a freshly
+ * built, non-shared object — see `pruneUnknown`) with values from the
+ * environment. The caller's raw config object is never written to.
+ */
+function resolveSecretEnv(cleaned: Record<string, unknown>, warnings?: string[]): void {
+  for (const dotted of SECRET_FIELD_PATHS) {
+    const keys = dotted.split(".");
+    let cursor: unknown = cleaned;
+    for (let i = 0; i < keys.length - 1; i++) {
+      if (!isPlainObject(cursor)) break;
+      cursor = (cursor as Record<string, unknown>)[keys[i]!];
+    }
+    if (!isPlainObject(cursor)) continue;
+    const leaf = keys[keys.length - 1]!;
+    const val = (cursor as Record<string, unknown>)[leaf];
+    if (typeof val !== "string") continue;
+
+    let envName: string | null = null;
+    let genericFallbacks = false;
+    if (val.startsWith("${") && val.endsWith("}")) {
+      // Explicit ${VAR} reference — resolve exactly that variable and
+      // nothing else.
+      const name = val.slice(2, -1);
+      if (!ENV_REF_ALLOWLIST.test(name)) {
+        warnings?.push(
+          `config: leaving '${dotted}' as '${val}' — env name '${name}' is not allowlisted ` +
+            `(expected ^[A-Z][A-Z0-9_]*_(API_KEY|TOKEN)$)`
+        );
+        continue;
+      }
+      envName = name;
+    } else if (val === "__memos_secret__" || val === "") {
+      // Masked/empty API key — infer the env var from the field path.
+      // Only apiKey fields have a convention (OPENAI_API_KEY, etc.);
+      // hub tokens (teamToken/userToken) have no env convention, so
+      // they must be set explicitly via ${VAR} or the UI.
+      if (leaf !== "apiKey") continue;
+      const isEmbedding = keys[keys.length - 2] === "embedding";
+      envName = isEmbedding ? "EMBEDDING_API_KEY" : "LLM_API_KEY";
+      // Generic fallbacks exist for LLM-class keys only; an embedding
+      // key must never be silently populated with an LLM provider's key.
+      genericFallbacks = !isEmbedding;
+    }
+    if (!envName) continue;
+
+    const envVal =
+      process.env[envName] ??
+      (genericFallbacks
+        ? (process.env.OPENCODE_GO_API_KEY ?? process.env.OPENCODE_ZEN_API_KEY)
+        : undefined);
+    if (envVal) (cursor as Record<string, unknown>)[leaf] = envVal;
+  }
+}
+
 function formatErr(e: ValueError): string {
   return `${e.path || "<root>"}: ${e.message}`;
 }
diff --git a/apps/memos-local-plugin/tests/unit/config/resolve-secret-env.test.ts b/apps/memos-local-plugin/tests/unit/config/resolve-secret-env.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..762138db3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/memos-local-plugin/tests/unit/config/resolve-secret-env.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+
+import { resolveConfig } from "../../../core/config/index.js";
+import { SECRET_FIELD_PATHS } from "../../../core/config/defaults.js";
+
+const ORIGINAL_ENV = { ...process.env };
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  process.env = { ...ORIGINAL_ENV };
+});
+
+describe("resolveConfig secret env fallback", () => {
+  it("expands allowlisted ${ENV_VAR} references in secret fields", () => {
+    process.env.MY_LLM_API_KEY = "sk-env-expanded";
+    const cfg = resolveConfig({ llm: { apiKey: "${MY_LLM_API_KEY}" } });
+    expect(cfg.llm.apiKey).toBe("sk-env-expanded");
+  });
+
+  it("resolves the __memos_secret__ mask sentinel from env", () => {
+    process.env.OPENCODE_GO_API_KEY = "sk-mask-resolved";
+    const cfg = resolveConfig({ llm: { apiKey: "__memos_secret__" } });
+    expect(cfg.llm.apiKey).toBe("sk-mask-resolved");
+  });
+
+  it("resolves empty string secret fields from env", () => {
+    process.env.OPENCODE_ZEN_API_KEY = "sk-empty-resolved";
+    const cfg = resolveConfig({ llm: { apiKey: "" } });
+    expect(cfg.llm.apiKey).toBe("sk-empty-resolved");
+  });
+
+  it("uses per-path env conventions — embedding gets EMBEDDING_API_KEY, never an LLM key", () => {
+    process.env.OPENCODE_GO_API_KEY = "sk-llm";
+    process.env.EMBEDDING_API_KEY = "sk-embed";
+    const raw: Record<string, unknown> = {};
+    for (const dotted of SECRET_FIELD_PATHS) {
+      const keys = dotted.split(".");
+      let cursor = raw;
+      for (let i = 0; i < keys.length - 1; i++) {
+        cursor[keys[i]!] = cursor[keys[i]!] ?? {};
+        cursor = cursor[keys[i]!] as Record<string, unknown>;
+      }
+      cursor[keys[keys.length - 1]!] = "__memos_secret__";
+    }
+    const cfg = resolveConfig(raw);
+    for (const dotted of SECRET_FIELD_PATHS) {
+      const keys = dotted.split(".");
+      let cursor: unknown = cfg;
+      for (const k of keys) {
+        cursor = (cursor as Record<string, unknown>)[k];
+      }
+      if (dotted === "embedding.apiKey") {
+        // Embedding keys use their own convention and must not fall back
+        // to an LLM provider's key.
+        expect(cursor).toBe("sk-embed");
+      } else if (dotted.endsWith("apiKey")) {
+        expect(cursor).toBe("sk-llm");
+      } else {
+        // hub tokens have no env convention — they stay masked.
+        expect(cursor).toBe("__memos_secret__");
+      }
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("resolves hub tokens via explicit ${VAR} references", () => {
+    process.env.HUB_TEAM_TOKEN = "sk-hub-token";
+    const cfg = resolveConfig({ hub: { teamToken: "${HUB_TEAM_TOKEN}" } });
+    expect(cfg.hub.teamToken).toBe("sk-hub-token");
+  });
+
+  it("does not fall back to generic keys when an explicit ${VAR} is unset", () => {
+    process.env.OPENCODE_GO_API_KEY = "sk-llm";
+    process.env.OPENCODE_ZEN_API_KEY = "sk-zen";
+    const cfg = resolveConfig({ llm: { apiKey: "${MY_LLM_API_KEY}" } });
+    expect(cfg.llm.apiKey).toBe("${MY_LLM_API_KEY}");
+  });
+
+  it("warns and skips expansion for non-allowlisted ${VAR} names", () => {
+    process.env.HOME = "/home/test";
+    const warnings: string[] = [];
+    const cfg = resolveConfig({ llm: { apiKey: "${HOME}" } }, warnings);
+    expect(cfg.llm.apiKey).toBe("${HOME}");
+    expect(warnings.length).toBe(1);
+    expect(warnings[0]).toContain("not allowlisted");
+  });
+
+  it("leaves real (non-placeholder) values untouched", () => {
+    const cfg = resolveConfig({ llm: { apiKey: "sk-real-value" } });
+    expect(cfg.llm.apiKey).toBe("sk-real-value");
+  });
+
+  it("leaves placeholders untouched when no env var is set", () => {
+    delete process.env.LLM_API_KEY;
+    delete process.env.OPENCODE_GO_API_KEY;
+    delete process.env.OPENCODE_ZEN_API_KEY;
+    const cfg = resolveConfig({ llm: { apiKey: "__memos_secret__" } });
+    expect(cfg.llm.apiKey).toBe("__memos_secret__");
+  });
+
+  it("never mutates the caller's raw config object", () => {
+    process.env.OPENCODE_GO_API_KEY = "sk-llm";
+    const raw = { llm: { apiKey: "__memos_secret__" } };
+    const cfg = resolveConfig(raw);
+    expect(cfg.llm.apiKey).toBe("sk-llm");
+    expect(raw.llm.apiKey).toBe("__memos_secret__");
+  });
+});