diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index c379092..42cd84b 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -161,15 +161,19 @@ get wrong.
 ops-warden shares a **phase-memory** store across worker ticks, coding agent
 sessions, and operator CLI use.
 
-**At session start** (Claude Code, Codex, Grok, or future agents):
+**Default:** phase-memory loads automatically on every `warden` command when
+`phase-memory` is available. No separate activation step is required.
+
+**Agent sessions** should set runtime identity once per session:
 
 ```bash
 export WARDEN_AGENT_ID=grok   # or claude, codex
-warden memory activate --json
 ```
 
-**During work:** use normal `warden route` / `warden access` / `warden sign`;
-episodes are recorded automatically unless `WARDEN_MEMORY=0`.
+Then use normal `warden route` / `warden access` / `warden sign` / `warden worker`.
+Episodes are recorded automatically unless `WARDEN_MEMORY=0`.
+
+`warden memory activate` is optional introspection/refresh, not a prerequisite.
 
 **Store:** `~/.local/share/warden/memory/` (override: `WARDEN_MEMORY_STORE`).
 
diff --git a/src/warden/cli.py b/src/warden/cli.py
index db68823..eb1c120 100644
--- a/src/warden/cli.py
+++ b/src/warden/cli.py
@@ -54,6 +54,19 @@ console = Console()
 err = Console(stderr=True)
 
 
+@app.callback()
+def _bootstrap_memory(ctx: typer.Context) -> None:
+    """Implicitly load phase-memory for every warden command (opt-out: WARDEN_MEMORY=0)."""
+    if ctx.invoked_subcommand is None:
+        return
+    try:
+        from warden import memory as warden_memory
+
+        warden_memory.ensure_memory_context(implicit=True)
+    except Exception:  # noqa: BLE001 — memory must never block warden commands
+        return
+
+
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Helpers
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -783,6 +796,12 @@ def route_find(
     limit: Annotated[int, typer.Option("--limit", help="Max matches")] = 5,
 ) -> None:
     """Rank routing scenarios by keyword overlap with the query."""
+    try:
+        from warden import memory as warden_memory
+
+        warden_memory.ensure_memory_context(need=query, implicit=True)
+    except Exception:  # noqa: BLE001
+        pass
     catalog = _load_catalog()
     matches = catalog.find(query, include_draft=all_entries, limit=limit)
 
@@ -1026,6 +1045,12 @@ def access(
     """
     from warden.access import expand_handoff, policy_gate_status
 
+    try:
+        from warden import memory as warden_memory
+
+        warden_memory.ensure_memory_context(need=need, implicit=True)
+    except Exception:  # noqa: BLE001
+        pass
     catalog = _load_catalog()
     matches = catalog.find(need, include_draft=all_entries, limit=1)
     if not matches:
@@ -1408,14 +1433,14 @@ def memory_activate(
     ] = None,
     output_json: Annotated[bool, typer.Option("--json", help="Output JSON")] = False,
 ) -> None:
-    """Activate bounded coordination memory for worker, operator, or agent sessions."""
+    """Inspect or refresh coordination memory (optional — memory loads by default)."""
     from warden import memory as warden_memory
 
     if not warden_memory.memory_available():
         err.print(f"[red]{warden_memory._PHASE_MEMORY_ERROR}[/red]")
         raise typer.Exit(2)
     try:
-        payload = warden_memory.activate(need=need, agent=agent)
+        payload = warden_memory.activate(need=need, agent=agent, implicit=False)
     except RuntimeError as e:
         err.print(f"[red]{e}[/red]")
         raise typer.Exit(2)
diff --git a/src/warden/memory.py b/src/warden/memory.py
index 4f71b34..d8e5cfc 100644
--- a/src/warden/memory.py
+++ b/src/warden/memory.py
@@ -10,6 +10,17 @@ _PHASE_MEMORY_ERROR = (
     "Install with: pip install phase-memory (or set PYTHONPATH to phase-memory/src)."
 )
 
+# In-process cache: implicit activation is default; no separate `warden memory activate`
+# is required for normal route/access/worker/sign use within one CLI invocation tree.
+_CONTEXT_CACHE: dict[str, Any] | None = None
+_CONTEXT_CACHE_KEY: tuple[str, str] = ("", "")
+
+
+def _invalidate_context_cache() -> None:
+    global _CONTEXT_CACHE, _CONTEXT_CACHE_KEY
+    _CONTEXT_CACHE = None
+    _CONTEXT_CACHE_KEY = ("", "")
+
 
 def _phase_memory():
     try:
@@ -46,24 +57,76 @@ def status(environ: Mapping[str, str] | None = None) -> dict[str, Any]:
     return pm.OpsWardenMemoryStore.open(environ=environ).status()
 
 
+def memory_context_summary(activation: dict[str, Any] | None) -> dict[str, Any]:
+    if not activation:
+        return {"enabled": False}
+    return {
+        "enabled": True,
+        "implicit": bool(activation.get("implicit")),
+        "session_kind": activation.get("session_kind", ""),
+        "episode_count": activation.get("episode_count", 0),
+        "stabilized_route_id": (activation.get("stabilized_route") or {}).get("route_id", ""),
+        "llm_calls_avoided": bool(activation.get("llm_calls_avoided")),
+        "selected_episode_count": len(activation.get("selected_episodes") or ()),
+    }
+
+
+def ensure_memory_context(
+    need: str = "",
+    *,
+    agent: Optional[str] = None,
+    session_id: str = "",
+    environ: Mapping[str, str] | None = None,
+    implicit: bool = True,
+) -> dict[str, Any] | None:
+    """Load coordination memory for the current session (default, no extra command)."""
+    global _CONTEXT_CACHE, _CONTEXT_CACHE_KEY
+
+    if not enabled(environ):
+        return None
+    if not memory_available():
+        return None
+    pm = _phase_memory()
+    env = dict(environ or os.environ)
+    if agent:
+        env["WARDEN_AGENT_ID"] = agent
+    kind = pm.resolve_session_kind(env)
+    fingerprint = pm.need_fingerprint(need) if need else ""
+    cache_key = (kind, fingerprint)
+    if _CONTEXT_CACHE is not None and _CONTEXT_CACHE_KEY == cache_key:
+        return _CONTEXT_CACHE
+    try:
+        activation = activate(need=need, agent=agent, session_id=session_id, environ=env)
+    except RuntimeError:
+        return None
+    activation = {**activation, "implicit": implicit}
+    _CONTEXT_CACHE = activation
+    _CONTEXT_CACHE_KEY = cache_key
+    return activation
+
+
 def activate(
     *,
     need: str = "",
     agent: Optional[str] = None,
     session_id: str = "",
     environ: Mapping[str, str] | None = None,
+    implicit: bool = False,
 ) -> dict[str, Any]:
     pm = _phase_memory()
     env = dict(environ or os.environ)
     if agent:
         env["WARDEN_AGENT_ID"] = agent
     kind = pm.resolve_session_kind(env)
-    return pm.activate_ops_warden_memory(
+    activation = pm.activate_ops_warden_memory(
         pm.OpsWardenMemoryStore.open(environ=env),
         session_kind=kind,
         need=need,
         session_id=session_id,
     )
+    if implicit:
+        activation = {**activation, "implicit": True}
+    return activation
 
 
 def record_command_episode(
@@ -91,13 +154,16 @@ def record_command_episode(
         diagnostic_codes=diagnostic_codes,
         metadata=metadata,
     )
-    return pm.record_session_event(pm.OpsWardenMemoryStore.open(environ=env), event)
+    result = pm.record_session_event(pm.OpsWardenMemoryStore.open(environ=env), event)
+    if result.get("valid"):
+        _invalidate_context_cache()
+    return result
 
 
 def worker_activation_context(need: str = "", environ: Mapping[str, str] | None = None) -> dict[str, Any]:
     env = dict(environ or os.environ)
     env["WARDEN_SESSION_KIND"] = "warden.worker"
-    return activate(need=need, environ=env)
+    return ensure_memory_context(need=need, environ=env, implicit=True) or activate(need=need, environ=env, implicit=True)
 
 
 def stabilized_route_for_need(need: str, environ: Mapping[str, str] | None = None) -> Optional[dict[str, Any]]:
diff --git a/src/warden/worker.py b/src/warden/worker.py
index d605e79..e1caf01 100644
--- a/src/warden/worker.py
+++ b/src/warden/worker.py
@@ -602,7 +602,9 @@ def _memory_activation_for_message(message: dict) -> tuple[Optional[dict], str]:
         return None, ""
     query = str(message.get("subject", "") or message.get("body", ""))
     try:
-        activation = warden_memory.worker_activation_context(query)
+        activation = warden_memory.ensure_memory_context(need=query, implicit=True)
+        if activation is None:
+            activation = warden_memory.worker_activation_context(query)
     except RuntimeError:
         return None, ""
     from warden.memory import format_activation_summary
diff --git a/tests/test_memory.py b/tests/test_memory.py
index cedcb08..cb83247 100644
--- a/tests/test_memory.py
+++ b/tests/test_memory.py
@@ -126,4 +126,18 @@ def test_memory_disabled_skips_recording(monkeypatch) -> None:
 
 def test_default_store_path_uses_xdg(monkeypatch) -> None:
     monkeypatch.delenv("WARDEN_MEMORY_STORE", raising=False)
-    assert str(store_path()).endswith("warden/memory")
\ No newline at end of file
+    assert str(store_path()).endswith("warden/memory")
+
+
+def test_route_find_implicitly_activates_memory_without_explicit_command(tmp_path, monkeypatch) -> None:
+    from warden.memory import ensure_memory_context
+
+    monkeypatch.setenv("WARDEN_MEMORY_STORE", str(tmp_path / "memory"))
+    monkeypatch.delenv("WARDEN_AGENT_ID", raising=False)
+    result = runner.invoke(app, ["route", "find", "ssh tunnel", "--json"])
+
+    assert result.exit_code == 0
+    activation = ensure_memory_context(need="ssh tunnel", implicit=True)
+    assert activation is not None
+    assert activation.get("implicit") is True
+    assert status()["episode_count"] >= 1
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/wiki/OpsWardenMemory.md b/wiki/OpsWardenMemory.md
index 89adf62..2e86a16 100644
--- a/wiki/OpsWardenMemory.md
+++ b/wiki/OpsWardenMemory.md
@@ -19,13 +19,18 @@ ticks, coding agent sessions, and operator CLI use.
 | Coding agent | `export WARDEN_AGENT_ID=claude` (or `codex`, `grok`, future ids) |
 | Operator CLI | default `warden.operator` when `WARDEN_AGENT_ID` is unset |
 
+## Default Behavior
+
+phase-memory is **on by default** (`WARDEN_MEMORY=1`). Every `warden` command
+implicitly loads the canonical store before route/access/worker/sign work. You do
+not need a separate activation command for normal use.
+
 ## Agent Session Orientation
 
-At the start of a Claude Code, Codex, or Grok session that will call warden:
+For Claude Code, Codex, Grok, or future agents, set runtime identity once:
 
 ```bash
 export WARDEN_AGENT_ID=grok   # or claude, codex
-warden memory activate --json
 ```
 
 Then use normal `warden route` / `warden access` commands. Episodes are recorded