diff --git a/crates/supermath-mcp/src/cli/hive/mod.rs b/crates/supermath-mcp/src/cli/hive/mod.rs
index 933fbec..d5912db 100644
--- a/crates/supermath-mcp/src/cli/hive/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/supermath-mcp/src/cli/hive/mod.rs
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 //! `supermath-mcp hive-tools`: the toolkit as tinyhivemind executable tools.
 //!
 //! An `rsi-ralph` hive package declares the programs its seats may call in
-//! the `tools` array of `hive.json` (tinyhivemind's
-//! `docs/specs/executable-tools.md`). This module writes one declaration per
+//! the `tools` array of its manifest, kept in `tools.json` in the loops
+//! `loop new` writes (tinyhivemind's `docs/specs/executable-tools.md`). This module writes one declaration per
 //! registered tool, straight from the tool's own name, description, schema,
 //! and permission, so the package cannot drift from the code:
 //!
diff --git a/crates/supermath-mcp/src/cli/scaffold/mod.rs b/crates/supermath-mcp/src/cli/scaffold/mod.rs
index 61969f9..4792ee9 100644
--- a/crates/supermath-mcp/src/cli/scaffold/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/supermath-mcp/src/cli/scaffold/mod.rs
@@ -8,14 +8,19 @@
 //! ```text
 //! <loop>/rsi.json                       the subject, hive, scorer, models, budget
 //! <loop>/brief.md                       the conjecture and the epoch's task
-//! <loop>/hive/                          lead, prover, refuter; the toolkit as tools
+//! <loop>/hive/hive.json                 identity, context, policies, coordinator
+//! <loop>/hive/agents.json               roles and seats: lead, prover, refuter
+//! <loop>/hive/desks.json                the desk the seats share
+//! <loop>/hive/tools.json                the toolkit as tools and toolpacks
 //! <loop>/subject/lean/Supermath/Statement.lean   the conjecture, frozen
 //! <loop>/subject/lean/Supermath/Prove.lean       `theorem proof : Conjecture`
 //! <loop>/subject/lean/Supermath/Refute.lean      `theorem refute : ¬ Conjecture`
 //! ```
 //!
 //! The statement file must declare `Supermath.Conjecture : Prop`; it is
-//! copied in verbatim. `hive.json` gets one executable tool per toolkit tool
+//! copied in verbatim. The hive's manifest is split the way tinyhivemind
+//! allows, so no one file grows large. `tools.json` gets one executable tool
+//! per toolkit tool
 //! (see [`declarations`]), less the `file_*` tools,
 //! whose work the seats' own file tools do in their checkout, and
 //! `web_search`, whose name `OpenHuman`'s own search tool has; and one toolpack per
@@ -32,13 +37,21 @@ use super::hive::{Program, declarations};
 use crate::error::{Error, Result};
 
 /// The template, as (path in the loop folder, text) pairs.
-const TEMPLATE: [(&str, &str); 17] = [
+const TEMPLATE: [(&str, &str); 19] = [
     ("rsi.json", include_str!("../../../template/rsi.json")),
     ("brief.md", include_str!("../../../template/brief.md")),
     (
         "hive/hive.json",
         include_str!("../../../template/hive/hive.json"),
     ),
+    (
+        "hive/agents.json",
+        include_str!("../../../template/hive/agents.json"),
+    ),
+    (
+        "hive/desks.json",
+        include_str!("../../../template/hive/desks.json"),
+    ),
     (
         "hive/constitution.json",
         include_str!("../../../template/hive/constitution.json"),
@@ -97,6 +110,10 @@ const TEMPLATE: [(&str, &str); 17] = [
     ),
 ];
 
+/// Where the hive's tools and toolpacks go in the loop folder: written from
+/// the toolkit, not the template.
+const TOOLS_PATH: &str = "hive/tools.json";
+
 /// Where the conjecture goes in the loop folder.
 pub const STATEMENT_PATH: &str = "subject/lean/Supermath/Statement.lean";
 
@@ -157,13 +174,9 @@ pub fn create(
             .replace("{{statement}}", statement.trim_end())
     };
     for (path, text) in TEMPLATE {
-        let text = if path == "hive/hive.json" {
-            hive_manifest(&render(text), program, registry)?
-        } else {
-            render(text)
-        };
-        write(&dir.join(path), &text)?;
+        write(&dir.join(path), &render(text))?;
     }
+    write(&dir.join(TOOLS_PATH), &tool_manifest(program, registry)?)?;
     write(&dir.join(STATEMENT_PATH), statement)
 }
 
@@ -175,10 +188,9 @@ fn declares_conjecture(statement: &str) -> bool {
             .any(|line| line.trim_start().starts_with("def Conjecture"))
 }
 
-/// The template's `hive.json` with the toolkit's tools and toolpacks added.
-fn hive_manifest(text: &str, program: &Program, registry: &ToolRegistry) -> Result<String> {
-    let mut manifest: Map<String, Value> =
-        serde_json::from_str(text).map_err(|error| Error::Template(error.to_string()))?;
+/// The hive's `tools.json`: the toolkit's tools and its domain toolpacks.
+fn tool_manifest(program: &Program, registry: &ToolRegistry) -> Result<String> {
+    let mut manifest = Map::new();
     let tools: Vec<Value> = match declarations(registry, program) {
         Value::Array(tools) => tools
             .into_iter()
diff --git a/crates/supermath-mcp/src/cli/scaffold/test.rs b/crates/supermath-mcp/src/cli/scaffold/test.rs
index 085913f..cda3c7d 100644
--- a/crates/supermath-mcp/src/cli/scaffold/test.rs
+++ b/crates/supermath-mcp/src/cli/scaffold/test.rs
@@ -79,10 +79,40 @@ fn the_manifest_runs_this_binary_as_its_scorer_and_freezes_the_statement() {
 }
 
 #[test]
-fn the_hive_holds_the_toolkit_less_the_file_tools_in_domain_toolpacks() {
+fn the_hive_manifest_is_split_into_agents_desks_and_tools() {
     let (_root, dir) = scaffold();
+    let section = |file: &str| -> Vec<String> {
+        let mut keys: Vec<String> = json(&dir, file)
+            .as_object()
+            .unwrap()
+            .keys()
+            .cloned()
+            .collect();
+        keys.sort();
+        keys
+    };
     let hive = json(&dir, "hive/hive.json");
     assert_eq!(hive["id"], "demo");
+    for moved in ["roles", "seats", "desks", "tools", "toolpacks"] {
+        assert!(hive.get(moved).is_none(), "hive.json still holds {moved}");
+    }
+    assert_eq!(section("hive/agents.json"), ["roles", "seats"]);
+    assert_eq!(section("hive/desks.json"), ["desks"]);
+    assert_eq!(section("hive/tools.json"), ["toolpacks", "tools"]);
+    let seats = json(&dir, "hive/agents.json")["seats"].clone();
+    let ids: Vec<&str> = seats
+        .as_array()
+        .unwrap()
+        .iter()
+        .map(|seat| seat["id"].as_str().unwrap())
+        .collect();
+    assert_eq!(ids, ["lead", "prover", "refuter"]);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn the_hive_holds_the_toolkit_less_the_file_tools_in_domain_toolpacks() {
+    let (_root, dir) = scaffold();
+    let hive = json(&dir, "hive/tools.json");
     let ids: Vec<&str> = hive["tools"]
         .as_array()
         .unwrap()
@@ -110,7 +140,7 @@ fn the_hive_holds_the_toolkit_less_the_file_tools_in_domain_toolpacks() {
     assert!(pack("ledger").contains(&"recall_memory".to_owned()));
     assert_eq!(pack("ledger-read"), ["ledger_claims", "recall_memory"]);
     // Every toolpack a seat names exists.
-    for seat in hive["seats"].as_array().unwrap() {
+    for seat in json(&dir, "hive/agents.json")["seats"].as_array().unwrap() {
         for name in seat["toolpacks"].as_array().unwrap() {
             pack(name.as_str().unwrap());
         }
diff --git a/crates/supermath-mcp/template/hive/agents.json b/crates/supermath-mcp/template/hive/agents.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..56d6d11
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/supermath-mcp/template/hive/agents.json
@@ -0,0 +1,123 @@
+{
+  "roles": [
+    {
+      "id": "lead",
+      "charter": "roles/lead.md"
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "prover",
+      "charter": "roles/prover.md"
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "refuter",
+      "charter": "roles/refuter.md"
+    }
+  ],
+  "seats": [
+    {
+      "id": "lead",
+      "role": "lead",
+      "prompt": "seats/lead.md",
+      "template": "openhuman",
+      "config": {
+        "action_dir": "{incumbent}",
+        "max_iterations": 30
+      },
+      "tools": {
+        "allow": [
+          "file_read",
+          "grep",
+          "glob",
+          "list",
+          "read_diff"
+        ],
+        "deny": [
+          "wait",
+          "wait_loop",
+          "spawn_subagent",
+          "spawn_async_subagent",
+          "spawn_parallel_agents",
+          "web_fetch",
+          "shell"
+        ]
+      },
+      "toolpacks": [
+        "literature",
+        "ledger-read"
+      ]
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "prover",
+      "role": "prover",
+      "prompt": "seats/prover.md",
+      "template": "openhuman",
+      "config": {
+        "action_dir": "{candidate}",
+        "max_iterations": 60
+      },
+      "tools": {
+        "allow": [
+          "file_read",
+          "grep",
+          "glob",
+          "list",
+          "read_diff",
+          "file_write",
+          "edit",
+          "apply_patch"
+        ],
+        "deny": [
+          "wait",
+          "wait_loop",
+          "spawn_subagent",
+          "spawn_async_subagent",
+          "spawn_parallel_agents",
+          "web_fetch",
+          "shell"
+        ]
+      },
+      "toolpacks": [
+        "lean",
+        "literature",
+        "ledger"
+      ]
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "refuter",
+      "role": "refuter",
+      "prompt": "seats/refuter.md",
+      "template": "openhuman",
+      "config": {
+        "action_dir": "{candidate}",
+        "max_iterations": 60
+      },
+      "tools": {
+        "allow": [
+          "file_read",
+          "grep",
+          "glob",
+          "list",
+          "read_diff",
+          "file_write",
+          "edit",
+          "apply_patch"
+        ],
+        "deny": [
+          "wait",
+          "wait_loop",
+          "spawn_subagent",
+          "spawn_async_subagent",
+          "spawn_parallel_agents",
+          "web_fetch",
+          "shell"
+        ]
+      },
+      "toolpacks": [
+        "lean",
+        "python",
+        "literature",
+        "ledger"
+      ]
+    }
+  ]
+}
diff --git a/crates/supermath-mcp/template/hive/desks.json b/crates/supermath-mcp/template/hive/desks.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..91003f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/supermath-mcp/template/hive/desks.json
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+{
+  "desks": [
+    {
+      "id": "lab",
+      "name": "Settling lab",
+      "description": "settle one pinned conjecture in Lean",
+      "members": [
+        "lead",
+        "prover",
+        "refuter"
+      ],
+      "responder_mode": "auto"
+    }
+  ]
+}
diff --git a/crates/supermath-mcp/template/hive/hive.json b/crates/supermath-mcp/template/hive/hive.json
index 57ed872..1850205 100644
--- a/crates/supermath-mcp/template/hive/hive.json
+++ b/crates/supermath-mcp/template/hive/hive.json
@@ -3,140 +3,6 @@
   "version": 1,
   "id": "{{slug}}",
   "name": "{{slug}}",
-  "roles": [
-    {
-      "id": "lead",
-      "charter": "roles/lead.md"
-    },
-    {
-      "id": "prover",
-      "charter": "roles/prover.md"
-    },
-    {
-      "id": "refuter",
-      "charter": "roles/refuter.md"
-    }
-  ],
-  "seats": [
-    {
-      "id": "lead",
-      "role": "lead",
-      "prompt": "seats/lead.md",
-      "template": "openhuman",
-      "config": {
-        "action_dir": "{incumbent}",
-        "max_iterations": 30
-      },
-      "tools": {
-        "allow": [
-          "file_read",
-          "grep",
-          "glob",
-          "list",
-          "read_diff"
-        ],
-        "deny": [
-          "wait",
-          "wait_loop",
-          "spawn_subagent",
-          "spawn_async_subagent",
-          "spawn_parallel_agents",
-          "web_fetch",
-          "shell"
-        ]
-      },
-      "toolpacks": [
-        "literature",
-        "ledger-read"
-      ]
-    },
-    {
-      "id": "prover",
-      "role": "prover",
-      "prompt": "seats/prover.md",
-      "template": "openhuman",
-      "config": {
-        "action_dir": "{candidate}",
-        "max_iterations": 60
-      },
-      "tools": {
-        "allow": [
-          "file_read",
-          "grep",
-          "glob",
-          "list",
-          "read_diff",
-          "file_write",
-          "edit",
-          "apply_patch"
-        ],
-        "deny": [
-          "wait",
-          "wait_loop",
-          "spawn_subagent",
-          "spawn_async_subagent",
-          "spawn_parallel_agents",
-          "web_fetch",
-          "shell"
-        ]
-      },
-      "toolpacks": [
-        "lean",
-        "literature",
-        "ledger"
-      ]
-    },
-    {
-      "id": "refuter",
-      "role": "refuter",
-      "prompt": "seats/refuter.md",
-      "template": "openhuman",
-      "config": {
-        "action_dir": "{candidate}",
-        "max_iterations": 60
-      },
-      "tools": {
-        "allow": [
-          "file_read",
-          "grep",
-          "glob",
-          "list",
-          "read_diff",
-          "file_write",
-          "edit",
-          "apply_patch"
-        ],
-        "deny": [
-          "wait",
-          "wait_loop",
-          "spawn_subagent",
-          "spawn_async_subagent",
-          "spawn_parallel_agents",
-          "web_fetch",
-          "shell"
-        ]
-      },
-      "toolpacks": [
-        "lean",
-        "python",
-        "literature",
-        "ledger"
-      ]
-    }
-  ],
-  "desks": [
-    {
-      "id": "lab",
-      "name": "Settling lab",
-      "description": "settle one pinned conjecture in Lean",
-      "members": [
-        "lead",
-        "prover",
-        "refuter"
-      ],
-      "responder_mode": "auto"
-    }
-  ],
   "context": [
     "context/rules.md"
   ],
diff --git a/docs/specs/loops.md b/docs/specs/loops.md
index 216d281..00001b1 100644
--- a/docs/specs/loops.md
+++ b/docs/specs/loops.md
@@ -54,9 +54,11 @@ rsi.json        dir subject; editable lean/Supermath/, python/work/, notes/, .lo
                 decided by seeds [1, 2], maximize, target 1.0;
                 models on Surplus (keys.openrouter = SURPLUS_API_KEY, provider "*")
 brief.md        the statement, and rsi-ralph's {{incumbent}} {{history}} {{failures}}
-hive/           seats lead (incumbent, read-only), prover and refuter (each
-                its own candidate); `tools` = every toolkit tool but file_*
-                and web_search, as
+hive/           the manifest split four ways: hive.json (identity, context,
+                policies, coordinator), agents.json (roles and seats),
+                desks.json, tools.json; seats lead (incumbent, read-only),
+                prover and refuter (each its own candidate); tools.json
+                `tools` = every toolkit tool but file_* and web_search, as
                 `supermath-mcp call <tool> <slug> --project-dir . [--env-file F]`;
                 toolpacks lean, python, literature, ledger, ledger-read
 subject/lean/Supermath/{Statement,Prove,Refute}.lean, lakefile.toml, lean-toolchain
@@ -100,9 +102,11 @@ run without them.
 
 ### Running a loop
 
-A loop needs an `rsi-ralph` built from `e40c7e3` (tinyhumansai/rsi-ralph#75,
-which attaches a hive's executable tools to its seats) or later; there is no
-tagged release yet.
+A loop needs an `rsi-ralph` that reads a split hive manifest:
+tinyhumansai/rsi-ralph#82, which pins tinyhivemind `a5ed63fc`
+(tinyhumansai/tinyhivemind#134), or later. An older binary refuses the
+folder with `missing field seats` in `hive.json`. There is no tagged release
+yet.
 
 ```sh
 docker compose -f compose.yaml -f compose.rsi.yaml --profile host up -d lean python cortexdb