diff --git a/cmd/logos/memory.go b/cmd/logos/memory.go
index f25b661..b6579f3 100644
--- a/cmd/logos/memory.go
+++ b/cmd/logos/memory.go
@@ -103,9 +103,14 @@ func memoryCmd(args []string) error {
 		}
 		var local *provider.Provider
 		var embed string
-		if rt == nil {
+		// LOGOS_EMBED=off is asked here as `logos index` and search ask it: the
+		// hook relies on it to keep the work local and fast, and the router's
+		// T0 choice alone embedded the fact anyway whenever a runtime was up.
+		_, embedOn := embedModel()
+		switch {
+		case rt == nil:
 			fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "· no model runtime — storing without embedding; duplicates match by exact text")
-		} else {
+		case embedOn:
 			local = rt.Local()
 			embed, _ = rt.Model(router.T0)
 		}
diff --git a/cmd/logos/memory_test.go b/cmd/logos/memory_test.go
index 4ac32fa..06e0140 100644
--- a/cmd/logos/memory_test.go
+++ b/cmd/logos/memory_test.go
@@ -48,3 +48,21 @@ func TestMemoryAddStoresAFactWithNoModelRuntimeRunning(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("the fact was not stored:\n%s", out)
 	}
 }
+
+// #235: LOGOS_EMBED=off is what the hook relies on to keep its work local and
+// fast, and `logos index` and search honour it. `memory add` took its model
+// from the router and never asked, so with a runtime up the fact was embedded
+// anyway.
+func TestMemoryAddDoesNotEmbedWithEmbeddingsOff(t *testing.T) {
+	rr := newRecordingRuntime(t, "nomic-embed-text", "gemma3:4b")
+	t.Setenv("LOGOS_VAULT", t.TempDir())
+	t.Setenv("LOGOS_RUNTIME", rr.URL)
+	t.Setenv("LOGOS_EMBED", "off")
+
+	if err := memoryCmd([]string{"add", "the release runner keeps its cache on the second disk"}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if got := rr.embedded(); len(got) != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("memory add with LOGOS_EMBED=off sent %d embeddings request(s): %v", len(got), got)
+	}
+}