diff --git a/server/src/__tests__/built-in-agents.test.ts b/server/src/__tests__/built-in-agents.test.ts
index 0ddbe27a3f6..b42ef25822c 100644
--- a/server/src/__tests__/built-in-agents.test.ts
+++ b/server/src/__tests__/built-in-agents.test.ts
@@ -556,7 +556,7 @@ describeEmbeddedPostgres("built-in agents", () => {
 
   it("preserves new-agent approval gates during automatic Reflection Coach provisioning", async () => {
     const companyId = await seedCompany({ requireApproval: true });
-    await agentService(db).create(companyId, {
+    const root = await agentService(db).create(companyId, {
       name: "CEO",
       role: "ceo",
       status: "idle",
@@ -584,6 +584,7 @@ describeEmbeddedPostgres("built-in agents", () => {
         companyId,
         name: "Reflection Coach",
         status: "pending_approval",
+        reportsTo: root.id,
         budgetMonthlyCents: 0,
         permissions: {
           builtInMutationPolicy: mutationPolicy,
@@ -600,6 +601,7 @@ describeEmbeddedPostgres("built-in agents", () => {
         agentId: state.agentId,
         sourceBuiltInAgentKey: "reflection-coach",
         featureKeys: ["reflection-coach"],
+        reportsTo: root.id,
         permissions: expect.objectContaining({
           builtInMutationPolicy: mutationPolicy,
         }),
@@ -613,6 +615,7 @@ describeEmbeddedPostgres("built-in agents", () => {
       status: "pending_approval",
       agent: {
         adapterConfig: {},
+        reportsTo: root.id,
         status: "pending_approval",
       },
     });
@@ -626,6 +629,7 @@ describeEmbeddedPostgres("built-in agents", () => {
     const approvedState = await builtInAgentService(db).get(companyId, "reflection-coach");
     expect(approvedState).toMatchObject({
       agent: {
+        reportsTo: root.id,
         permissions: {
           builtInMutationPolicy: mutationPolicy,
         },
diff --git a/server/src/services/built-in-agents.ts b/server/src/services/built-in-agents.ts
index 243db39ff0e..e7191f3817a 100644
--- a/server/src/services/built-in-agents.ts
+++ b/server/src/services/built-in-agents.ts
@@ -1335,6 +1335,14 @@ export function builtInAgentService(db: Db) {
       if (!existingPendingApproval && resolvedInput.budgetMonthlyCents !== undefined) {
         patch.budgetMonthlyCents = resolvedInput.budgetMonthlyCents;
       }
+      if (
+        !existingPendingApproval
+        && definition.defaultManager === "single_root_agent"
+        && !existing.reportsTo
+      ) {
+        const reportsTo = await findSingleRootManager(companyId);
+        if (reportsTo) patch.reportsTo = reportsTo;
+      }
       const updated = await agentSvc.update(existing.id, patch, {
         allowBuiltInAgentMetadata: true,
         recordRevision: { source: "built-in-agent:ensure" },
@@ -1423,9 +1431,13 @@ export function builtInAgentService(db: Db) {
       return { state: await state(definition, existing), approval: null };
     }
 
+    const reportsTo = definition.defaultManager === "single_root_agent"
+      ? await findSingleRootManager(companyId)
+      : null;
     const pending = await agentSvc.create(companyId, {
       ...definitionPatch(definition, input),
       status: "pending_approval",
+      reportsTo,
       metadata: builtInMetadata(definition),
       runtimeConfig: {},
       permissions: definition.defaultPermissions ?? {},