diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 46d5da5413ac3e30aaec094dbfb12d832d8647d5..03c9e736a15f7b4d19caa0068232ab9feefde284 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -327,6 +327,31 @@ using `$(echo $VAR)` syntax.
 }
 ```
 
+### Memory files
+
+Crush automatically includes two files for cross-project instructions.
+
+- `~/.config/crush/CRUSH.md`: Crush-specific rules that would confuse other
+  agentic coding tools. If you only use Crush, this is the only one you need to
+  edit.
+- `~/.config/AGENTS.md`: generic instructions that other coding tools might
+  read. Avoid referring to Crush-specific tools or workflows here.
+
+You can customize these paths using the `memory_paths` option in your
+configuration:
+
+```jsonc
+{
+  "$schema": "https://charm.land/crush.json",
+  "options": {
+    "memory_paths": [
+      "~/path/to/custom/memory/file.md",
+      "/full/path/to/folder/of/files/" // recursively load all .md files in folder
+    ]
+  }
+}
+```
+
 ### Ignoring Files
 
 Crush respects `.gitignore` files by default, but you can also create a
diff --git a/internal/agent/prompt/prompt.go b/internal/agent/prompt/prompt.go
index d68c7c132116c49cd004bee52169be7487133efa..ee7f8095b45dff241636b9d66d0e759289384ee5 100644
--- a/internal/agent/prompt/prompt.go
+++ b/internal/agent/prompt/prompt.go
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ type PromptDat struct {
 	Date          string
 	GitStatus     string
 	ContextFiles  []ContextFile
+	MemoryFiles   []ContextFile
 	AvailSkillXML string
 }
 
@@ -152,16 +153,27 @@ func (p *Prompt) promptData(ctx context.Context, provider, model string, cfg con
 	workingDir := cmp.Or(p.workingDir, cfg.WorkingDir())
 	platform := cmp.Or(p.platform, runtime.GOOS)
 
-	files := map[string][]ContextFile{}
+	contextFiles := map[string][]ContextFile{}
+	memoryFiles := map[string][]ContextFile{}
 
 	for _, pth := range cfg.Options.ContextPaths {
 		expanded := expandPath(pth, cfg)
 		pathKey := strings.ToLower(expanded)
-		if _, ok := files[pathKey]; ok {
+		if _, ok := contextFiles[pathKey]; ok {
 			continue
 		}
 		content := processContextPath(expanded, cfg)
-		files[pathKey] = content
+		contextFiles[pathKey] = content
+	}
+
+	for _, pth := range cfg.Options.MemoryPaths {
+		expanded := expandPath(pth, cfg)
+		pathKey := strings.ToLower(expanded)
+		if _, ok := memoryFiles[pathKey]; ok {
+			continue
+		}
+		content := processContextPath(expanded, cfg)
+		memoryFiles[pathKey] = content
 	}
 
 	// Discover and load skills metadata.
@@ -195,8 +207,11 @@ func (p *Prompt) promptData(ctx context.Context, provider, model string, cfg con
 		}
 	}
 
-	for _, contextFiles := range files {
-		data.ContextFiles = append(data.ContextFiles, contextFiles...)
+	for _, files := range contextFiles {
+		data.ContextFiles = append(data.ContextFiles, files...)
+	}
+	for _, files := range memoryFiles {
+		data.MemoryFiles = append(data.MemoryFiles, files...)
 	}
 	return data, nil
 }
diff --git a/internal/agent/templates/coder.md.tpl b/internal/agent/templates/coder.md.tpl
index e0bbe34b92003a691a158a40d330db55b4b9c9b8..b6177ba30804463dfb5b44391ec21efb2f4b3437 100644
--- a/internal/agent/templates/coder.md.tpl
+++ b/internal/agent/templates/coder.md.tpl
@@ -382,11 +382,25 @@ If a skill mentions scripts, references, or assets, they are placed in the same
 {{end}}
 
 {{if .ContextFiles}}
-<memory>
+# Project-Specific Context
+Make sure to follow the instructions in the context below.
+<project_context>
 {{range .ContextFiles}}
 <file path="{{.Path}}">
 {{.Content}}
 </file>
 {{end}}
-</memory>
+</project_context>
+{{end}}
+
+{{if .MemoryFiles}}
+# User context
+The following is personal content added by the user that they'd like you to follow no matter what project you're working in.
+<user_preferences>
+{{range .MemoryFiles}}
+<file path="{{.Path}}">
+{{.Content}}
+</file>
+{{end}}
+</user_preferences>
 {{end}}
diff --git a/internal/config/config.go b/internal/config/config.go
index 118afef344f8a022add7a13db406ccce27a1391e..d2b785025dd32da6382136fa63424aea0a755da6 100644
--- a/internal/config/config.go
+++ b/internal/config/config.go
@@ -247,6 +247,7 @@ func (Attribution) JSONSchemaExtend(schema *jsonschema.Schema) {
 
 type Options struct {
 	ContextPaths              []string     `json:"context_paths,omitempty" jsonschema:"description=Paths to files containing context information for the AI,example=.cursorrules,example=CRUSH.md"`
+	MemoryPaths               []string     `json:"memory_paths,omitempty" jsonschema:"description=Paths to files containing memory information for the AI,default=~/.config/crush/CRUSH.md,default=~/.config/AGENTS.md"`
 	SkillsPaths               []string     `json:"skills_paths,omitempty" jsonschema:"description=Paths to directories containing Agent Skills (folders with SKILL.md files),example=~/.config/crush/skills,example=./skills"`
 	TUI                       *TUIOptions  `json:"tui,omitempty" jsonschema:"description=Terminal user interface options"`
 	Debug                     bool         `json:"debug,omitempty" jsonschema:"description=Enable debug logging,default=false"`
diff --git a/internal/config/load.go b/internal/config/load.go
index 3fba44aa9142c52b8966b1dbe994cef0ae654c48..a59c5aa2e4c2b67c1d353f0e727138c5a14a45f8 100644
--- a/internal/config/load.go
+++ b/internal/config/load.go
@@ -347,6 +347,20 @@ func (c *Config) setDefaults(workingDir, dataDir string) {
 	if c.Options.TUI == nil {
 		c.Options.TUI = &TUIOptions{}
 	}
+	if c.Options.ContextPaths == nil {
+		c.Options.ContextPaths = []string{}
+	}
+	if c.Options.MemoryPaths == nil {
+		crushConfigDir := filepath.Dir(GlobalConfig())
+		c.Options.MemoryPaths = []string{
+			filepath.Join(crushConfigDir, "CRUSH.md"),
+			filepath.Join(filepath.Dir(crushConfigDir), "AGENTS.md"),
+		}
+	}
+	c.Options.ContextPaths = append(c.Options.ContextPaths, c.Options.MemoryPaths...)
+	if c.Options.SkillsPaths == nil {
+		c.Options.SkillsPaths = []string{}
+	}
 	if dataDir != "" {
 		c.Options.DataDirectory = dataDir
 	} else if c.Options.DataDirectory == "" {
@@ -377,6 +391,7 @@ func (c *Config) setDefaults(workingDir, dataDir string) {
 
 	// Add the default context paths if they are not already present
 	c.Options.ContextPaths = append(defaultContextPaths, c.Options.ContextPaths...)
+
 	slices.Sort(c.Options.ContextPaths)
 	c.Options.ContextPaths = slices.Compact(c.Options.ContextPaths)
 
diff --git a/schema.json b/schema.json
index 3f9754158f3bc91cc1b6570d5e5393a6b594c22d..b18372e0b090872b7094b5cba901c6a33f0e841e 100644
--- a/schema.json
+++ b/schema.json
@@ -363,6 +363,17 @@
           "type": "array",
           "description": "Paths to files containing context information for the AI"
         },
+        "memory_paths": {
+          "items": {
+            "type": "string"
+          },
+          "type": "array",
+          "description": "Paths to files containing memory information for the AI",
+          "default": [
+            "~/.config/crush/CRUSH.md",
+            "~/.config/AGENTS.md"
+          ]
+        },
         "skills_paths": {
           "items": {
             "type": "string",