diff --git a/internal/agent/prompt/prompt.go b/internal/agent/prompt/prompt.go
index d10fbcae3c3a37f295ec9f9de637cb130d9b6abc..216e7d32c0aebd4415b75885bb5bc523dae499db 100644
--- a/internal/agent/prompt/prompt.go
+++ b/internal/agent/prompt/prompt.go
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ type PromptDat struct {
 	Date         string
 	GitStatus    string
 	ContextFiles []ContextFile
+	MemoryFiles  []ContextFile
 }
 
 type ContextFile struct {
@@ -150,16 +151,27 @@ 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
 	}
 
 	isGit := isGitRepo(cfg.WorkingDir())
@@ -180,8 +192,11 @@ 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 ca204d7205c150e5faac9c1b7c9f02427d278906..5cc2acc41764a3f759ca4cbc6bcaaf524726b324 100644
--- a/internal/agent/templates/coder.md.tpl
+++ b/internal/agent/templates/coder.md.tpl
@@ -339,11 +339,25 @@ Diagnostics (lint/typecheck) included in tool output.
 {{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/load.go b/internal/config/load.go
index 91f6a3554cf442c2edb8336def936237cf54cc35..6356dad371d0cab57df81c30adc785289bb3d530 100644
--- a/internal/config/load.go
+++ b/internal/config/load.go
@@ -321,7 +321,8 @@ func (c *Config) setDefaults(workingDir, dataDir string) {
 			filepath.Join(filepath.Dir(crushConfigDir), "AGENTS.md"),
 		}
 	}
-	c.Options.ContextPaths = append(c.Options.ContextPaths, c.Options.MemoryPaths...)
+	slices.Sort(c.Options.MemoryPaths)
+	c.Options.MemoryPaths = slices.Compact(c.Options.MemoryPaths)
 
 	if dataDir != "" {
 		c.Options.DataDirectory = dataDir
@@ -353,9 +354,6 @@ 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...)
-
-	// The ordering of contexts can be important; maybe the user's stuff should
-	// go at the bottom? Or top?
 	slices.Sort(c.Options.ContextPaths)
 	c.Options.ContextPaths = slices.Compact(c.Options.ContextPaths)