diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 910ef733b4..7b269715bd 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -37,13 +37,16 @@ in the `AGENTS` env var.
 
 | Var              | Required | Purpose                                                            |
 |------------------|----------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
-| `AGENTS`         | seed     | JSON map of `model -> n8n chat webhook URL` used to seed the store on first boot. e.g. `{"scholar-agent":"https://..."}` |
 | `ADAPTER_API_KEY`| yes      | Bearer key that OpenAI clients send.                                |
-| `ADMIN_API_KEY`  | yes      | Bearer key for the admin API (manage agents at runtime).            |
+| `ADMIN_API_KEY`  | yes      | Bearer key for the admin API / web admin page.                      |
 | `AGENTS_FILE`    | no       | Path to the JSON store (default `/var/lib/n8n-openai/agents.json`). |
 | `PORT`           | no       | HTTP port (default `8000`).                                         |
 | `CHAT_WEBHOOK_BASIC` | no   | `"user:password"` if your n8n Chat Trigger is Basic-auth protected. |
 
+Agents are **not** configured via env — they're managed at runtime through the
+web admin page / admin API and persisted to `AGENTS_FILE`. The store starts
+empty; add agents after boot.
+
 ## Admin API (manage agents at runtime)
 
 Agents are persisted to `AGENTS_FILE` and can be added/removed without a
@@ -63,8 +66,7 @@ curl -X DELETE -H "Authorization: Bearer $ADMIN_API_KEY" \
   https://openai.bueso.eu/admin/agents/media-agent
 ```
 
-The `AGENTS` env var only seeds the store on first boot; after that the file is
-authoritative.
+The store is authoritative and persists across restarts; no env config needed.
 
 ## Building & running
 
diff --git a/config/test.exs b/config/test.exs
index 8e170f44bb..2cff8bd6e4 100644
--- a/config/test.exs
+++ b/config/test.exs
@@ -1,13 +1,7 @@
 import Config
 
-# Test environment: seed agents via application env (AgentRegistry falls back to
-# this when the AGENTS_FILE doesn't exist yet). ADAPTER_API_KEY / ADMIN_API_KEY
-# are set in test/test_helper.exs. AGENTS_FILE must be set HERE (config loads
-# before the app boots) to a writable tmp path.
-config :n8n_openai_adapter,
-  agents: %{
-    "scholar-agent" => "https://n8n.bueso.eu/webhook/scholar-id/chat",
-    "media-agent" => "https://n8n.bueso.eu/webhook/media-id/chat"
-  }
-
+# Test environment: the app starts with an empty agent store (no AGENTS env
+# seeding — agents are managed via the admin API). ADAPTER_API_KEY /
+# ADMIN_API_KEY are set in test/test_helper.exs. AGENTS_FILE must be set HERE
+# (config loads before the app boots) to a writable tmp path.
 System.put_env("AGENTS_FILE", Path.join(System.tmp_dir!(), "n8n-openai-test-agents.json"))
diff --git a/lib/n8n_openai_adapter/application.ex b/lib/n8n_openai_adapter/application.ex
index f6c105acb6..9a6868ee3c 100644
--- a/lib/n8n_openai_adapter/application.ex
+++ b/lib/n8n_openai_adapter/application.ex
@@ -18,28 +18,8 @@ defmodule N8nOpenaiAdapter.Application do
 
   defp port, do: String.to_integer(System.get_env("PORT", "8000"))
 
-  defp configured_agents do
-    # Prefer application env (:agents) — settable from config/*.exs, which loads
-    # before the app boots. Falls back to the AGENTS env var (JSON map of
-    # model -> n8n chat webhook URL).
-    case Application.fetch_env(:n8n_openai_adapter, :agents) do
-      {:ok, agents} when is_map(agents) ->
-        agents
-
-      _ ->
-        case System.get_env("AGENTS") do
-          nil ->
-            # single agent from old N8N_WEBHOOK_URL / MODEL_NAME env
-            model = System.get_env("MODEL_NAME", "default-agent")
-
-            case System.get_env("N8N_WEBHOOK_URL") do
-              nil -> %{}
-              webhook -> %{model => webhook}
-            end
-
-          json ->
-            Jason.decode!(json)
-        end
-    end
-  end
+  # Agents are managed at runtime via the admin API and persisted to AGENTS_FILE.
+  # We start with an empty store (no AGENTS env seeding) — the web admin is the
+  # single source of truth for which agents are exposed.
+  defp configured_agents, do: %{}
 end
diff --git a/test/router_test.exs b/test/router_test.exs
index 69da3162a0..10659b873d 100644
--- a/test/router_test.exs
+++ b/test/router_test.exs
@@ -3,8 +3,17 @@ defmodule N8nOpenaiAdapter.RouterTest do
   import Plug.Test
   import Plug.Conn
 
+  alias N8nOpenaiAdapter.AgentRegistry
   alias N8nOpenaiAdapter.Router
 
+  setup do
+    # The app starts with an empty store (no AGENTS env seeding). Seed the two
+    # test agents via the registry so the base tests have something to list.
+    AgentRegistry.put("scholar-agent", "https://n8n.bueso.eu/webhook/scholar-id/chat")
+    AgentRegistry.put("media-agent", "https://n8n.bueso.eu/webhook/media-id/chat")
+    :ok
+  end
+
   test "GET /v1/models lists configured agents" do
     conn =
       conn(:get, "/v1/models")