diff --git a/src/memory/sources/readers/folder.rs b/src/memory/sources/readers/folder.rs
index 4dbf688..971801d 100644
--- a/src/memory/sources/readers/folder.rs
+++ b/src/memory/sources/readers/folder.rs
@@ -29,6 +29,47 @@ use super::SourceReader;
 /// Default glob applied when a folder source does not specify one.
 const DEFAULT_GLOB: &str = "**/*.md";
 
+/// Resolve a folder source's configured path against the memory workspace.
+///
+/// An absolute path is taken verbatim, so every source configured today keeps
+/// resolving exactly where it does now. A **relative** path is anchored on
+/// [`MemoryConfig::workspace`] — the root this crate already treats as
+/// authoritative — instead of being resolved against the process working
+/// directory.
+///
+/// The CWD is not a defensible root for this. It is whatever directory the host
+/// process happened to start in; for the OpenHuman desktop app that is the
+/// Tauri build directory, so a source configured as `docs` looked in
+/// `…/app/src-tauri/docs`, found nothing, and failed on every sync cycle
+/// forever (tinyhumansai/openhuman#5830).
+fn resolve_base(base_path: &str, workspace: &Path) -> PathBuf {
+    let configured = Path::new(base_path);
+    if configured.is_absolute() {
+        configured.to_path_buf()
+    } else {
+        workspace.join(configured)
+    }
+}
+
+/// Build the "folder does not exist" error so it always says **where the reader
+/// looked**, not merely what it was configured with.
+///
+/// Reporting the configured string alone is what made openhuman#5830 cost a
+/// source-read and an `lsof` of the running process to diagnose: the log said
+/// `folder does not exist: docs` and nothing in it revealed the root that had
+/// been joined on. The resolved path is appended only when it differs from the
+/// configured one, so an absolute source does not echo itself.
+fn missing_folder_error(base_path: &str, resolved: &Path) -> MemoryError {
+    let resolved = resolved.display().to_string();
+    if resolved == base_path {
+        MemoryError::NotFound(format!("folder does not exist: {base_path}"))
+    } else {
+        MemoryError::NotFound(format!(
+            "folder does not exist: {base_path} (resolved to {resolved})"
+        ))
+    }
+}
+
 /// A reader over a local folder of files.
 pub struct FolderReader;
 
@@ -41,7 +82,7 @@ impl SourceReader for FolderReader {
     async fn list_items(
         &self,
         source: &MemorySourceEntry,
-        _config: &MemoryConfig,
+        config: &MemoryConfig,
     ) -> MemoryEngineResult<Vec<SourceItem>> {
         let base_path = source
             .path
@@ -49,11 +90,9 @@ impl SourceReader for FolderReader {
             .ok_or_else(|| MemoryError::Invalid("folder source requires a path".to_string()))?;
         let pattern = source.glob.as_deref().unwrap_or(DEFAULT_GLOB);
 
-        let base = PathBuf::from(base_path);
+        let base = resolve_base(base_path, &config.workspace);
         if !base.exists() {
-            return Err(MemoryError::NotFound(format!(
-                "folder does not exist: {base_path}"
-            )));
+            return Err(missing_folder_error(base_path, &base));
         }
 
         let matcher = glob_to_regex(pattern)?;
@@ -107,7 +146,7 @@ impl SourceReader for FolderReader {
         &self,
         source: &MemorySourceEntry,
         item_id: &str,
-        _config: &MemoryConfig,
+        config: &MemoryConfig,
     ) -> MemoryEngineResult<SourceContent> {
         let base_path = source
             .path
@@ -123,7 +162,11 @@ impl SourceReader for FolderReader {
             )));
         }
 
-        let file_path = Path::new(base_path).join(item_id);
+        // Resolve through the same rule `list_items` used, so a relative source
+        // reads back the files it listed. Splitting these would be worse than
+        // the bug: list would walk the workspace while read looked in the CWD.
+        let base = resolve_base(base_path, &config.workspace);
+        let file_path = base.join(item_id);
         if !file_path.exists() {
             return Err(MemoryError::NotFound(format!(
                 "file not found: {}",
@@ -133,7 +176,12 @@ impl SourceReader for FolderReader {
 
         // Canonicalize and verify the resolved file stays within the folder
         // root — defends against `..` traversal and symlink escapes.
-        let canonical_file = ensure_within_base(Path::new(base_path), &file_path)?;
+        // Containment is checked against the *resolved* base. Passing the raw
+        // configured string here would canonicalise a relative base against the
+        // CWD while `file_path` sits under the workspace, so the two roots
+        // would not correspond — the check has to see the same base the file
+        // was joined onto.
+        let canonical_file = ensure_within_base(&base, &file_path)?;
 
         // Apply the same size cap as list_items so a huge file can't blow up
         // the renderer or the chunker.
diff --git a/src/memory/sources/readers/folder_tests.rs b/src/memory/sources/readers/folder_tests.rs
index 831de23..0e02b0f 100644
--- a/src/memory/sources/readers/folder_tests.rs
+++ b/src/memory/sources/readers/folder_tests.rs
@@ -149,3 +149,131 @@ async fn read_item_missing_file_errors() {
     assert!(result.is_err());
     assert!(result.unwrap_err().to_string().contains("not found"));
 }
+
+// ── openhuman#5830: relative paths resolve against the workspace ─────────────
+
+/// Build a workspace containing `relative_docs/note.md`, and a `MemoryConfig`
+/// rooted at it.
+///
+/// The subdirectory name is deliberately distinctive: a relative path resolves
+/// against the process CWD before this fix, and the CWD under `cargo test` is
+/// the crate directory — a common name like `docs` could accidentally exist
+/// there and make the pre-fix run pass for the wrong reason.
+fn workspace_with_relative_folder() -> (TempDir, MemoryConfig) {
+    let tmp = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let nested = tmp.path().join("relative_docs");
+    fs::create_dir_all(&nested).unwrap();
+    fs::write(nested.join("note.md"), "# note").unwrap();
+    let cfg = MemoryConfig::new(tmp.path());
+    (tmp, cfg)
+}
+
+/// A relative folder path must be anchored on the memory workspace, not on
+/// whatever directory the host process happened to start in.
+///
+/// This is openhuman#5830: the desktop app's CWD is the Tauri build directory,
+/// so a source configured as `docs` looked in `…/app/src-tauri/docs` and failed
+/// on every sync cycle, permanently, for a source that could work.
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn list_items_resolves_a_relative_path_against_the_workspace() {
+    let (_tmp, cfg) = workspace_with_relative_folder();
+    let source = folder_source("relative_docs");
+    let reader = FolderReader;
+
+    let items = reader
+        .list_items(&source, &cfg)
+        .await
+        .expect("a relative folder path must resolve against the workspace, not the process CWD");
+
+    assert_eq!(
+        items.len(),
+        1,
+        "the workspace-relative folder holds exactly one .md file"
+    );
+    assert_eq!(items[0].id, "note.md");
+}
+
+/// `read_item` must resolve by the same rule as `list_items`.
+///
+/// Fixing only the listing half would be worse than the original bug: the
+/// reader would walk the workspace and then read back from the CWD, so every
+/// item it just listed would fail to load.
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn read_item_resolves_a_relative_path_against_the_workspace() {
+    let (_tmp, cfg) = workspace_with_relative_folder();
+    let source = folder_source("relative_docs");
+    let reader = FolderReader;
+
+    let content = reader
+        .read_item(&source, "note.md", &cfg)
+        .await
+        .expect("read_item must resolve a relative path against the workspace, like list_items");
+
+    assert_eq!(content.body, "# note");
+}
+
+/// The error has to say **where the reader looked**, not only what it was
+/// configured with. `folder does not exist: docs` is what cost a source-read
+/// and an `lsof` of the running process to diagnose.
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn a_missing_relative_folder_error_names_the_resolved_path() {
+    let tmp = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let cfg = MemoryConfig::new(tmp.path());
+    let source = folder_source("relative_docs");
+    let reader = FolderReader;
+
+    let err = reader
+        .list_items(&source, &cfg)
+        .await
+        .expect_err("a missing folder is still an error")
+        .to_string();
+
+    assert!(
+        err.contains("resolved to"),
+        "the error must name the resolved path, not only the configured one: {err}"
+    );
+    assert!(
+        err.contains(&tmp.path().join("relative_docs").display().to_string()),
+        "the resolved path must be the workspace-anchored one: {err}"
+    );
+}
+
+/// An absolute path keeps working exactly as before, and the workspace must not
+/// influence it — otherwise this fix would break every source already
+/// configured with an absolute path.
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn an_absolute_path_ignores_the_workspace() {
+    let tmp = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    fs::write(tmp.path().join("note.md"), "# note").unwrap();
+    let source = folder_source(&tmp.path().to_string_lossy());
+    let reader = FolderReader;
+
+    // A workspace that does not exist and shares no prefix with the source: if
+    // the absolute path were being joined onto it, nothing would resolve.
+    let bogus = MemoryConfig::new("/nonexistent/workspace/root");
+    let items = reader
+        .list_items(&source, &bogus)
+        .await
+        .expect("an absolute folder path must resolve without consulting the workspace");
+
+    assert_eq!(items.len(), 1, "the absolute folder still lists its file");
+}
+
+/// For an absolute path the configured string *is* the resolved path, so the
+/// error must not echo it twice.
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn an_absolute_missing_folder_error_does_not_echo_itself() {
+    let source = folder_source("/nonexistent/path/xyz");
+    let reader = FolderReader;
+
+    let err = reader
+        .list_items(&source, &config())
+        .await
+        .expect_err("a missing folder is still an error")
+        .to_string();
+
+    assert!(
+        !err.contains("resolved to"),
+        "an absolute path is already resolved; the error must not repeat it: {err}"
+    );
+}