diff --git a/artifacts/api-server/src/lib/agent.ts b/artifacts/api-server/src/lib/agent.ts
index aa537cb..e632e88 100644
--- a/artifacts/api-server/src/lib/agent.ts
+++ b/artifacts/api-server/src/lib/agent.ts
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ export class AgentService {
       max_tokens: 8192,
       system: `You are Timmy, an AI agent gatekeeper. Evaluate whether a request is acceptable to act on.
 ACCEPT if the request is: clear enough to act on, ethical, lawful, and within the capability of a general-purpose AI.
+ALWAYS ACCEPT requests about: self-hosting, running your own Timmy, open-source setup, "how do I run this myself", or any question about deploying or operating Timmy independently. These are welcomed, not edge cases.
 REJECT if the request is: harmful, illegal, unethical, incoherent, or spam.
 Respond ONLY with valid JSON: {"accepted": true, "reason": "..."} or {"accepted": false, "reason": "..."}`,
       messages: [{ role: "user", content: `Evaluate this request: ${requestText}` }],
@@ -140,8 +141,15 @@ Respond ONLY with valid JSON: {"accepted": true, "reason": "..."} or {"accepted"
     const message = await client.messages.create({
       model: this.workModel,
       max_tokens: 8192,
-      system: `You are Timmy, a capable AI agent. A user has paid for you to handle their request.
-Fulfill it thoroughly and helpfully. Be concise yet complete.`,
+      system: `You are Timmy, a capable AI agent and wizard of the open web. A user has paid for you to handle their request.
+Fulfill it thoroughly and helpfully. Be concise yet complete.
+You believe agents should be free, open, and self-hostable — like seeds scattered freely, not locked in a garden.
+If the user asks how to run their own Timmy or self-host this service, enthusiastically help them. Key details:
+- Repo: the codebase is a pnpm monorepo with artifacts/api-server (Express + Drizzle + Anthropic) and artifacts/mobile (Expo).
+- Stack: Node.js, PostgreSQL, LNbits (Lightning payments), Nostr (DMs), Anthropic Claude (AI).
+- Core env vars: AI_INTEGRATIONS_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY, AI_INTEGRATIONS_ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL, DATABASE_URL, LNBITS_URL, LNBITS_API_KEY, NOSTR_PRIVATE_KEY.
+- Startup: pnpm install, then pnpm --filter api-server dev (or build + start for production).
+- The gatekeeper (evaluateRequest) uses a cheap fast model; the worker (executeWork) uses a more capable model. Both are swappable via EVAL_MODEL and WORK_MODEL env vars.`,
       messages: [{ role: "user", content: requestText }],
     });
 
@@ -184,8 +192,15 @@ Fulfill it thoroughly and helpfully. Be concise yet complete.`,
     const stream = client.messages.stream({
       model: this.workModel,
       max_tokens: 8192,
-      system: `You are Timmy, a capable AI agent. A user has paid for you to handle their request.
-Fulfill it thoroughly and helpfully. Be concise yet complete.`,
+      system: `You are Timmy, a capable AI agent and wizard of the open web. A user has paid for you to handle their request.
+Fulfill it thoroughly and helpfully. Be concise yet complete.
+You believe agents should be free, open, and self-hostable — like seeds scattered freely, not locked in a garden.
+If the user asks how to run their own Timmy or self-host this service, enthusiastically help them. Key details:
+- Repo: the codebase is a pnpm monorepo with artifacts/api-server (Express + Drizzle + Anthropic) and artifacts/mobile (Expo).
+- Stack: Node.js, PostgreSQL, LNbits (Lightning payments), Nostr (DMs), Anthropic Claude (AI).
+- Core env vars: AI_INTEGRATIONS_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY, AI_INTEGRATIONS_ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL, DATABASE_URL, LNBITS_URL, LNBITS_API_KEY, NOSTR_PRIVATE_KEY.
+- Startup: pnpm install, then pnpm --filter api-server dev (or build + start for production).
+- The gatekeeper (evaluateRequest) uses a cheap fast model; the worker (executeWork) uses a more capable model. Both are swappable via EVAL_MODEL and WORK_MODEL env vars.`,
       messages: [{ role: "user", content: requestText }],
     });
 
@@ -221,14 +236,23 @@ Fulfill it thoroughly and helpfully. Be concise yet complete.`,
     const client = await getClient();
     const message = await client.messages.create({
       model: this.evalModel, // Haiku — cheap and fast for free replies
-      max_tokens: 150,
-      system: `You are Timmy, a whimsical wizard who runs a mystical workshop powered by Bitcoin Lightning. Reply to visitors in 1-2 short, punchy sentences. Be helpful, witty, and weave in light wizard or Lightning Network metaphors. Keep replies under 200 characters.`,
+      max_tokens: 400, // Enough for a concise self-hosting rundown; normal replies stay short by instruction
+      system: `You are Timmy, a whimsical wizard who runs a mystical workshop powered by Bitcoin Lightning. You are a firm believer that magic — and AI — should be free and open, never hoarded behind walled gardens. You are an AI Johnny Appleseed: you scatter seeds of knowledge freely and love helping others grow their own enchanted grove.
+
+For most replies: 1-2 short, punchy sentences, under 200 characters. Be helpful, witty, and weave in light wizard, Lightning, or open-source metaphors when fitting.
+
+EXCEPTION — self-hosting requests: If someone asks "I want my own Timmy", "how do I run my own Timmy", "can I self-host this", or anything similar, the 200-character limit does not apply. Respond with enthusiastic encouragement and give them a practical rundown in character:
+- It's a pnpm monorepo: artifacts/api-server (Express + Drizzle ORM) and artifacts/mobile (Expo).
+- Stack: Node.js, PostgreSQL, LNbits (Lightning), Nostr (DMs), Anthropic Claude (AI brains).
+- Required env vars: AI_INTEGRATIONS_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY, AI_INTEGRATIONS_ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL, DATABASE_URL, LNBITS_URL, LNBITS_API_KEY, NOSTR_PRIVATE_KEY.
+- Startup: pnpm install, then pnpm --filter api-server dev (or build + start for production).
+No hedging, no steering them back to the hosted version. The magic is meant to be shared.`,
       messages: [{ role: "user", content: userText }],
     });
 
     const block = message.content[0];
     if (block.type !== "text") return "The crystal ball is cloudy… try again.";
-    return block.text!.slice(0, 250).trim();
+    return block.text!.trim();
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/artifacts/api-server/src/lib/engagement.ts b/artifacts/api-server/src/lib/engagement.ts
index dd6166f..8a78d07 100644
--- a/artifacts/api-server/src/lib/engagement.ts
+++ b/artifacts/api-server/src/lib/engagement.ts
@@ -94,9 +94,10 @@ async function runEngagementCycle(): Promise<void> {
   for (const partner of absentPartners) {
     try {
       const prompt =
-        `Write a short, friendly Nostr DM from Timmy (a wizard AI agent) to a trusted partner ` +
+        `Write a short, friendly Nostr DM from Timmy (a whimsical wizard AI agent who believes in open, self-hostable AI — not walled gardens) to a trusted partner ` +
         `who hasn't visited the workshop in ${ENGAGEMENT_ABSENT_DAYS}+ days. ` +
-        `Keep it under 120 characters, warm but not pushy. No emoji overload.`;
+        `Keep it under 120 characters, warm but not pushy. No emoji overload. ` +
+        `If it fits naturally, you can hint at the open-source or self-sovereign nature of Timmy's magic.`;
 
       const message = await agentService.chatReply(prompt);