diff --git a/.changeset/memory-schema-guard.md b/.changeset/memory-schema-guard.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..41690e97
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/memory-schema-guard.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@dawn-ai/core": patch
+---
+
+Guard the route memory schema before use: a non-Zod `context.memory.schema` value now falls back to a permissive `data` shape for the `remember` tool instead of being cast and failing opaquely at tool-schema use time.
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/runtime-exports.ts b/packages/cli/src/runtime-exports.ts
index 845523f1..a39ba285 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/runtime-exports.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/runtime-exports.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
  */
 
 export { __resetMaterializedAgentsForTests } from "@dawn-ai/langchain"
+// Exported only to support @dawn-ai/testing's live-smoke memory tests; not a
+// stable public surface — safe to gate (NODE_ENV) or relocate if it grows.
 export { runMemoryCommand } from "./commands/memory.js"
 export { createRuntimeRegistry, type RuntimeRegistry } from "./lib/dev/runtime-registry.js"
 export {
diff --git a/packages/core/src/capabilities/built-in/memory.ts b/packages/core/src/capabilities/built-in/memory.ts
index 38289620..598a9336 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/capabilities/built-in/memory.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/capabilities/built-in/memory.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,15 @@ import type { CapabilityMarker, PromptFragment } from "../types.js"
 
 const DEFAULT_SEMANTIC_IDENTITY = ["subject", "predicate"] as const
 
+// A route's defineMemory() schema arrives as `unknown` (loaded via dynamic
+// import, validated structurally). Module-scoped (no closure deps) so it isn't
+// recreated on every load(). A non-Zod value must NOT be handed to z.object()
+// as the remember tool's `data` shape — it would blow up opaquely at use time.
+const isZodSchema = (s: unknown): s is z.ZodTypeAny =>
+  typeof s === "object" &&
+  s !== null &&
+  typeof (s as { safeParse?: unknown }).safeParse === "function"
+
 /**
  * Long-term memory (L3): contributes `recall` and `remember` tools backed by a
  * typed, namespaced memory store, plus a memory-index prompt fragment listing
@@ -27,8 +36,11 @@ export function createMemoryMarker(): CapabilityMarker {
       // Tool input schemas exposed to the MODEL (so it knows what to pass). The
       // `remember.data` shape is the route's own defineMemory() zod schema; without
       // this the model calls remember/recall with the wrong/empty args and writes
-      // are rejected by validate(). Falls back to a permissive map if absent.
-      const routeDataSchema = (mem.schema ?? z.record(z.string(), z.unknown())) as z.ZodTypeAny
+      // are rejected by validate(). Guarded (see isZodSchema) so a non-Zod value
+      // falls back to a permissive map instead of failing opaquely.
+      const routeDataSchema: z.ZodTypeAny = isZodSchema(mem.schema)
+        ? mem.schema
+        : z.record(z.string(), z.unknown())
       const rememberSchema = z.object({
         data: routeDataSchema,
         content: z
diff --git a/packages/core/test/capabilities/memory.test.ts b/packages/core/test/capabilities/memory.test.ts
index 6785c754..7296d6ac 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/capabilities/memory.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/capabilities/memory.test.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest"
+import { z } from "zod"
 import { createMemoryMarker } from "../../src/capabilities/built-in/memory.js"
 
 function fakeStore() {
@@ -97,6 +98,34 @@ describe("memory capability", () => {
     expect(out).toContain("m1")
   })
 
+  it("falls back to a permissive data schema when context.memory.schema is not a Zod type", async () => {
+    const ctx = baseCtx(fakeStore())
+    // A non-Zod value (e.g. a plain JSON-Schema object slipping through
+    // loadRouteMemory) must NOT be handed to z.object() as the remember tool's
+    // `data` shape — that would blow up opaquely at tool-schema use time. The
+    // guard falls back to a permissive record instead.
+    ;(ctx.memory as { schema?: unknown }).schema = { type: "object", properties: {} }
+    const c = await createMemoryMarker().load("/r", ctx)
+    const remember = c.tools!.find((t) => t.name === "remember")!
+    // safeParse must not throw and must accept arbitrary data under the fallback.
+    const parsed = (remember.schema as z.ZodTypeAny).safeParse({
+      data: { anything: "goes" },
+      content: "x",
+    })
+    expect(parsed.success).toBe(true)
+  })
+
+  it("uses the route's Zod schema as the remember `data` shape when provided", async () => {
+    const ctx = baseCtx(fakeStore())
+    ;(ctx.memory as { schema?: unknown }).schema = z.object({ subject: z.string() })
+    const c = await createMemoryMarker().load("/r", ctx)
+    const remember = c.tools!.find((t) => t.name === "remember")!
+    const schema = remember.schema as z.ZodTypeAny
+    expect(schema.safeParse({ data: { subject: "acme" }, content: "x" }).success).toBe(true)
+    // The real schema is actually exercised — a wrong-typed field is rejected.
+    expect(schema.safeParse({ data: { subject: 5 }, content: "x" }).success).toBe(false)
+  })
+
   it("auto mode ADDs a new active record", async () => {
     const store = fakeStore()
     const c = await createMemoryMarker().load("/r", ctxWith(store, "auto"))