diff --git a/server/src/__tests__/agent-permissions-routes.test.ts b/server/src/__tests__/agent-permissions-routes.test.ts
index bbb0c2a9da2..eed083b573f 100644
--- a/server/src/__tests__/agent-permissions-routes.test.ts
+++ b/server/src/__tests__/agent-permissions-routes.test.ts
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ const mockAgentService = vi.hoisted(() => ({
   getById: vi.fn(),
   list: vi.fn(),
   create: vi.fn(),
+  activatePendingApproval: vi.fn(),
   updatePermissions: vi.fn(),
   getChainOfCommand: vi.fn(),
   resolveByReference: vi.fn(),
@@ -166,6 +167,7 @@ describe("agent permission routes", () => {
     mockAgentService.getChainOfCommand.mockResolvedValue([]);
     mockAgentService.resolveByReference.mockResolvedValue({ ambiguous: false, agent: baseAgent });
     mockAgentService.create.mockResolvedValue(baseAgent);
+    mockAgentService.activatePendingApproval.mockResolvedValue(baseAgent);
     mockAgentService.updatePermissions.mockResolvedValue(baseAgent);
     mockAccessService.getMembership.mockResolvedValue({
       id: "membership-1",
@@ -523,6 +525,63 @@ describe("agent permission routes", () => {
     );
   });
 
+  it("allows board users to directly approve pending agents", async () => {
+    const pendingAgent = {
+      ...baseAgent,
+      status: "pending_approval",
+    };
+    const approvedAgent = {
+      ...baseAgent,
+      status: "idle",
+    };
+    mockAgentService.getById.mockResolvedValue(pendingAgent);
+    mockAgentService.activatePendingApproval.mockResolvedValue(approvedAgent);
+
+    const app = await createApp({
+      type: "board",
+      userId: "board-user",
+      source: "local_implicit",
+      isInstanceAdmin: true,
+      companyIds: [companyId],
+    });
+
+    const res = await request(app)
+      .post(`/api/agents/${agentId}/approve`)
+      .send({});
+
+    expect(res.status).toBe(200);
+    expect(mockAgentService.activatePendingApproval).toHaveBeenCalledWith(agentId);
+    expect(mockLogActivity).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.anything(), expect.objectContaining({
+      companyId,
+      actorType: "user",
+      actorId: "board-user",
+      action: "agent.approved",
+      entityType: "agent",
+      entityId: agentId,
+      details: { source: "agent_detail" },
+    }));
+  });
+
+  it("rejects direct approval for agents that are not pending approval", async () => {
+    const app = await createApp({
+      type: "board",
+      userId: "board-user",
+      source: "local_implicit",
+      isInstanceAdmin: true,
+      companyIds: [companyId],
+    });
+
+    const res = await request(app)
+      .post(`/api/agents/${agentId}/approve`)
+      .send({});
+
+    expect(res.status).toBe(409);
+    expect(mockAgentService.activatePendingApproval).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(mockLogActivity).not.toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.anything(), expect.objectContaining({
+      action: "agent.approved",
+    }));
+  });
+
   it("exposes explicit task assignment access on agent detail", async () => {
     mockAccessService.listPrincipalGrants.mockResolvedValue([
       {
diff --git a/server/src/__tests__/company-portability.test.ts b/server/src/__tests__/company-portability.test.ts
index f7a6e88be16..d702d469a02 100644
--- a/server/src/__tests__/company-portability.test.ts
+++ b/server/src/__tests__/company-portability.test.ts
@@ -1539,13 +1539,13 @@ describe("company portability", () => {
     expect(routineSvc.create).toHaveBeenCalledWith("company-imported", expect.objectContaining({
       projectId: "project-created",
       title: "Monday Review",
-      assigneeAgentId: null,
+      assigneeAgentId: "agent-created",
       priority: "high",
       status: "paused",
       concurrencyPolicy: "always_enqueue",
       catchUpPolicy: "enqueue_missed_with_cap",
     }), expect.any(Object));
-    expect(result.warnings).toContain(
+    expect(result.warnings).not.toContain(
       "Task monday-review assignee claudecoder is pending_approval; imported work was left unassigned.",
     );
     expect(routineSvc.createTrigger).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
@@ -2489,7 +2489,7 @@ describe("company portability", () => {
     expect(agentSvc.create).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 
-  it("imports new agents through approval and adapter-config normalization", async () => {
+  it("imports new agents as active while preserving future hire approval settings", async () => {
     const portability = companyPortabilityService({} as any);
     const exported = await portability.exportBundle("company-1", {
       include: {
@@ -2549,7 +2549,10 @@ describe("company portability", () => {
       adapterConfig: expect.objectContaining({
         normalized: true,
       }),
-      status: "pending_approval",
+      status: "idle",
+    }));
+    expect(companySvc.create).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.objectContaining({
+      requireBoardApprovalForNewAgents: true,
     }));
   });
 
diff --git a/server/src/routes/agents.ts b/server/src/routes/agents.ts
index f5e06dd62aa..2ef48962e22 100644
--- a/server/src/routes/agents.ts
+++ b/server/src/routes/agents.ts
@@ -2098,6 +2098,37 @@ export function agentRoutes(db: Db) {
     res.json(agent);
   });
 
+  router.post("/agents/:id/approve", async (req, res) => {
+    assertBoard(req);
+    const id = req.params.id as string;
+    const existing = await getAccessibleAgent(req, res, id);
+    if (!existing) {
+      return;
+    }
+    if (existing.status !== "pending_approval") {
+      res.status(409).json({ error: "Only pending approval agents can be approved" });
+      return;
+    }
+
+    const agent = await svc.activatePendingApproval(id);
+    if (!agent) {
+      res.status(404).json({ error: "Agent not found" });
+      return;
+    }
+
+    await logActivity(db, {
+      companyId: agent.companyId,
+      actorType: "user",
+      actorId: req.actor.userId ?? "board",
+      action: "agent.approved",
+      entityType: "agent",
+      entityId: agent.id,
+      details: { source: "agent_detail" },
+    });
+
+    res.json(agent);
+  });
+
   router.post("/agents/:id/terminate", async (req, res) => {
     assertBoard(req);
     const id = req.params.id as string;
diff --git a/server/src/services/company-portability.ts b/server/src/services/company-portability.ts
index 305f6a761b5..26638e757d0 100644
--- a/server/src/services/company-portability.ts
+++ b/server/src/services/company-portability.ts
@@ -4209,13 +4209,7 @@ export function companyPortabilityService(db: Db, storage?: StorageService) {
           continue;
         }
 
-        const requiresApproval =
-          typeof targetCompany.requireBoardApprovalForNewAgents === "boolean"
-            ? targetCompany.requireBoardApprovalForNewAgents
-            : include.company
-              ? (sourceManifest.company?.requireBoardApprovalForNewAgents ?? true)
-              : true;
-        const createdStatus = requiresApproval ? "pending_approval" : "idle";
+        const createdStatus = "idle";
         let created = await agents.create(targetCompany.id, {
           ...patch,
           status: createdStatus,
diff --git a/ui/src/api/agents.ts b/ui/src/api/agents.ts
index fcd38604209..9f7c8ba87f0 100644
--- a/ui/src/api/agents.ts
+++ b/ui/src/api/agents.ts
@@ -146,6 +146,7 @@ export const agentsApi = {
     ),
   pause: (id: string, companyId?: string) => api.post<Agent>(agentPath(id, companyId, "/pause"), {}),
   resume: (id: string, companyId?: string) => api.post<Agent>(agentPath(id, companyId, "/resume"), {}),
+  approve: (id: string, companyId?: string) => api.post<Agent>(agentPath(id, companyId, "/approve"), {}),
   terminate: (id: string, companyId?: string) => api.post<Agent>(agentPath(id, companyId, "/terminate"), {}),
   remove: (id: string, companyId?: string) => api.delete<{ ok: true }>(agentPath(id, companyId)),
   listKeys: (id: string, companyId?: string) => api.get<AgentKey[]>(agentPath(id, companyId, "/keys")),
diff --git a/ui/src/pages/AgentDetail.tsx b/ui/src/pages/AgentDetail.tsx
index 2777cb07626..378636e9949 100644
--- a/ui/src/pages/AgentDetail.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/pages/AgentDetail.tsx
@@ -762,12 +762,13 @@ export function AgentDetail() {
   }, [agent?.companyId, selectedCompanyId, setSelectedCompanyId]);
 
   const agentAction = useMutation({
-    mutationFn: async (action: "invoke" | "pause" | "resume" | "terminate") => {
+    mutationFn: async (action: "invoke" | "pause" | "resume" | "approve" | "terminate") => {
       if (!agentLookupRef) return Promise.reject(new Error("No agent reference"));
       switch (action) {
         case "invoke": return agentsApi.invoke(agentLookupRef, resolvedCompanyId ?? undefined);
         case "pause": return agentsApi.pause(agentLookupRef, resolvedCompanyId ?? undefined);
         case "resume": return agentsApi.resume(agentLookupRef, resolvedCompanyId ?? undefined);
+        case "approve": return agentsApi.approve(agentLookupRef, resolvedCompanyId ?? undefined);
         case "terminate": return agentsApi.terminate(agentLookupRef, resolvedCompanyId ?? undefined);
       }
     },
@@ -1021,9 +1022,18 @@ export function AgentDetail() {
 
       {actionError && <p className="text-sm text-destructive">{actionError}</p>}
       {isPendingApproval && (
-        <p className="text-sm text-amber-500">
-          This agent is pending board approval and cannot be invoked yet.
-        </p>
+        <div className="flex flex-wrap items-center gap-3 rounded-md border border-amber-300/60 bg-amber-50 px-3 py-2 text-sm text-amber-900 dark:border-amber-400/40 dark:bg-amber-950/30 dark:text-amber-200">
+          <span>This agent is pending board approval and cannot be invoked yet.</span>
+          <Button
+            variant="outline"
+            size="sm"
+            onClick={() => agentAction.mutate("approve")}
+            disabled={agentAction.isPending}
+          >
+            <CheckCircle2 className="h-3.5 w-3.5 sm:mr-1" />
+            <span>Approve agent</span>
+          </Button>
+        </div>
       )}
 
       {/* Floating Save/Cancel (desktop) */}