diff --git a/src/openjarvis/cli/ask.py b/src/openjarvis/cli/ask.py
index 165d5f68..06782b8a 100644
--- a/src/openjarvis/cli/ask.py
+++ b/src/openjarvis/cli/ask.py
@@ -357,6 +357,22 @@ def _run_agent(
     if capability_policy is not None:
         agent_kwargs["capability_policy"] = capability_policy
 
+    # Wire the SystemPromptBuilder so SOUL.md / MEMORY.md / USER.md persona
+    # files actually reach the model. Only passed to agents whose __init__
+    # accepts a `prompt_builder` kwarg (BaseAgent does; agents that override
+    # __init__ without forwarding it, e.g. OrchestratorAgent, opt out
+    # automatically and keep their existing system-prompt machinery).
+    import inspect as _inspect
+
+    if "prompt_builder" in _inspect.signature(agent_cls.__init__).parameters:
+        from openjarvis.prompt.builder import SystemPromptBuilder
+
+        agent_kwargs["prompt_builder"] = SystemPromptBuilder(
+            agent_template=config.agent.default_system_prompt or "",
+            memory_files_config=config.memory_files,
+            system_prompt_config=config.system_prompt,
+        )
+
     agent = agent_cls(engine, model_name, **agent_kwargs)
     ctx = AgentContext()
 
diff --git a/src/openjarvis/prompt/builder.py b/src/openjarvis/prompt/builder.py
index 1b562fb0..f014c3a7 100644
--- a/src/openjarvis/prompt/builder.py
+++ b/src/openjarvis/prompt/builder.py
@@ -86,7 +86,10 @@ class SystemPromptBuilder:
         path = Path(path_str).expanduser()
         if not path.exists():
             return ""
-        content = path.read_text()
+        # Always read as UTF-8. On Windows, ``read_text()`` falls back to the
+        # system code page (e.g. cp950 for zh-TW, cp932 for ja) and raises
+        # ``UnicodeDecodeError`` on any non-ASCII persona content.
+        content = path.read_text(encoding="utf-8")
         if len(content) <= max_chars:
             return content
         return self._truncate(content, max_chars)
diff --git a/tests/cli/test_ask_agent.py b/tests/cli/test_ask_agent.py
index 8da0e234..a1c4358f 100644
--- a/tests/cli/test_ask_agent.py
+++ b/tests/cli/test_ask_agent.py
@@ -336,3 +336,100 @@ class TestBuildTools:
         config = JarvisConfig()
         tools = _build_tools(["calculator", "think"], config, mock_setup, "test-model")
         assert len(tools) == 2
+
+
+class TestPersonaFilesReachModel:
+    """End-to-end coverage for SOUL.md / MEMORY.md / USER.md integration.
+
+    Without these tests, the ``SystemPromptBuilder`` and the persona files
+    documented in the README are present in the codebase but never reach
+    the model — the bug this suite is meant to prevent regressing into.
+    """
+
+    def test_soul_md_content_reaches_engine_in_simple_agent(
+        self, runner, monkeypatch, tmp_path
+    ):
+        """SOUL.md content must appear in the system message sent to the engine."""
+        from openjarvis.core.config import JarvisConfig
+
+        # Write a SOUL.md with a unique sentinel string we can grep for
+        soul = tmp_path / "SOUL.md"
+        soul.write_text("PERSONA_SENTINEL_zh_jarvis", encoding="utf-8")
+        memory = tmp_path / "MEMORY.md"
+        memory.write_text("MEMORY_SENTINEL", encoding="utf-8")
+        user = tmp_path / "USER.md"
+        user.write_text("USER_SENTINEL", encoding="utf-8")
+
+        cfg = JarvisConfig()
+        cfg.memory_files.soul_path = str(soul)
+        cfg.memory_files.memory_path = str(memory)
+        cfg.memory_files.user_path = str(user)
+        cfg.agent.default_system_prompt = "BASELINE_TEMPLATE"
+        # Disable memory context injection so it doesn't add another SYSTEM
+        # message and confuse the assertion.
+        cfg.agent.context_from_memory = False
+
+        engine = _mock_engine()
+        _register_agents()
+        _register_tools()
+        with (
+            patch.object(_ask_mod, "load_config", return_value=cfg),
+            patch.object(
+                _ask_mod, "get_engine", return_value=("mock", engine)
+            ),
+            patch.object(_ask_mod, "discover_engines", return_value=[("mock", engine)]),
+            patch.object(
+                _ask_mod, "discover_models", return_value={"mock": ["test-model"]}
+            ),
+            patch.object(_ask_mod, "register_builtin_models"),
+            patch.object(_ask_mod, "merge_discovered_models"),
+        ):
+            result = runner.invoke(cli, ["ask", "--agent", "simple", "Hello"])
+
+        assert result.exit_code == 0, result.output
+        # Grab the messages passed to engine.generate
+        engine.generate.assert_called()
+        call_args = engine.generate.call_args
+        messages = call_args.args[0] if call_args.args else call_args.kwargs.get("messages")
+        assert messages is not None and len(messages) >= 2
+        system_messages = [m for m in messages if str(m.role).endswith("SYSTEM")]
+        assert system_messages, f"No SYSTEM message in {messages!r}"
+        joined = "\n".join(m.content for m in system_messages)
+        assert "BASELINE_TEMPLATE" in joined
+        assert "PERSONA_SENTINEL_zh_jarvis" in joined
+        assert "MEMORY_SENTINEL" in joined
+        assert "USER_SENTINEL" in joined
+
+    def test_orchestrator_keeps_its_own_system_prompt(
+        self, runner, monkeypatch, tmp_path
+    ):
+        """OrchestratorAgent's __init__ doesn't accept ``prompt_builder``;
+        the wiring must skip it silently rather than crash."""
+        from openjarvis.core.config import JarvisConfig
+
+        soul = tmp_path / "SOUL.md"
+        soul.write_text("ORCH_PERSONA_SENTINEL", encoding="utf-8")
+
+        cfg = JarvisConfig()
+        cfg.memory_files.soul_path = str(soul)
+        cfg.agent.context_from_memory = False
+
+        engine = _mock_engine()
+        _register_agents()
+        _register_tools()
+        with (
+            patch.object(_ask_mod, "load_config", return_value=cfg),
+            patch.object(
+                _ask_mod, "get_engine", return_value=("mock", engine)
+            ),
+            patch.object(_ask_mod, "discover_engines", return_value=[("mock", engine)]),
+            patch.object(
+                _ask_mod, "discover_models", return_value={"mock": ["test-model"]}
+            ),
+            patch.object(_ask_mod, "register_builtin_models"),
+            patch.object(_ask_mod, "merge_discovered_models"),
+        ):
+            result = runner.invoke(cli, ["ask", "--agent", "orchestrator", "Hello"])
+
+        # Pass condition: doesn't crash with TypeError on prompt_builder kwarg.
+        assert result.exit_code == 0, result.output