diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c74d779
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+# ====================================
+# 🌌 GLOBAL LYRA CONFIG
+# ====================================
+LOCAL_TZ_LABEL=America/New_York
+DEFAULT_SESSION_ID=default
+
+
+# ====================================
+# 🤖 LLM BACKEND OPTIONS
+# ====================================
+# Services choose which backend to use from these options
+# Primary: vLLM on MI50 GPU
+LLM_PRIMARY_PROVIDER=vllm
+LLM_PRIMARY_URL=http://10.0.0.43:8000
+LLM_PRIMARY_MODEL=/model
+
+# Secondary: Ollama on 3090 GPU
+LLM_SECONDARY_PROVIDER=ollama
+LLM_SECONDARY_URL=http://10.0.0.3:11434
+LLM_SECONDARY_MODEL=qwen2.5:7b-instruct-q4_K_M
+
+# Cloud: OpenAI
+LLM_CLOUD_PROVIDER=openai_chat
+LLM_CLOUD_URL=https://api.openai.com/v1
+LLM_CLOUD_MODEL=gpt-4o-mini
+OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-proj-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
+
+# Local Fallback: llama.cpp or LM Studio
+LLM_FALLBACK_PROVIDER=openai_completions
+LLM_FALLBACK_URL=http://10.0.0.41:11435
+LLM_FALLBACK_MODEL=llama-3.2-8b-instruct
+
+# Global LLM controls
+LLM_TEMPERATURE=0.7
+
+
+# ====================================
+# 🗄️ DATABASE CONFIGURATION
+# ====================================
+# Postgres (pgvector for NeoMem)
+POSTGRES_USER=neomem
+POSTGRES_PASSWORD=change_me_in_production
+POSTGRES_DB=neomem
+POSTGRES_HOST=neomem-postgres
+POSTGRES_PORT=5432
+
+# Neo4j Graph Database
+NEO4J_URI=bolt://neomem-neo4j:7687
+NEO4J_USERNAME=neo4j
+NEO4J_PASSWORD=change_me_in_production
+NEO4J_AUTH=neo4j/change_me_in_production
+
+
+# ====================================
+# 🧠 MEMORY SERVICES (NEOMEM)
+# ====================================
+NEOMEM_API=http://neomem-api:7077
+NEOMEM_API_KEY=generate_secure_random_token_here
+NEOMEM_HISTORY_DB=postgresql://neomem:change_me_in_production@neomem-postgres:5432/neomem
+
+# Embeddings configuration (used by NeoMem)
+EMBEDDER_PROVIDER=openai
+EMBEDDER_MODEL=text-embedding-3-small
+
+
+# ====================================
+# 🔌 INTERNAL SERVICE URLS
+# ====================================
+# Using container names for Docker network communication
+INTAKE_API_URL=http://intake:7080
+CORTEX_API=http://cortex:7081
+CORTEX_URL=http://cortex:7081/reflect
+CORTEX_URL_INGEST=http://cortex:7081/ingest
+RAG_API_URL=http://rag:7090
+RELAY_URL=http://relay:7078
+
+# Persona service (optional)
+PERSONA_URL=http://persona-sidecar:7080/current
+
+
+# ====================================
+# 🔧 FEATURE FLAGS
+# ====================================
+CORTEX_ENABLED=true
+MEMORY_ENABLED=true
+PERSONA_ENABLED=false
+DEBUG_PROMPT=true
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index b07b74f..96b1d40 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -5,8 +5,22 @@ __pycache__/
 *.pyc
 *.log
 
-# Env files (store secrets locally)
+# =============================
+# 🔐 Environment files (NEVER commit secrets!)
+# =============================
+# Ignore all .env files
 .env
+.env.local
+.env.*.local
+**/.env
+**/.env.local
+
+# BUT track .env.example templates (safe to commit)
+!.env.example
+!**/.env.example
+
+# Ignore backup directory
+.env-backups/
 
 # =============================
 # 🐳 Docker volumes (HUGE)
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index ce887d0..4625397 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,12 +1,79 @@
 # Project Lyra — Modular Changelog
-All notable changes to Project Lyra are organized by component.  
-The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.1.0/)  
+All notable changes to Project Lyra are organized by component.
+The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.1.0/)
 and adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/).
-# Last Updated: 11-13-25
+# Last Updated: 11-26-25
 ---
 
 ## 🧠 Lyra-Core ##############################################################################
 
+## [Infrastructure v1.0.0] - 2025-11-26
+
+### Changed
+- **Environment Variable Consolidation** - Major reorganization to eliminate duplication and improve maintainability
+  - Consolidated 9 scattered `.env` files into single source of truth architecture
+  - Root `.env` now contains all shared infrastructure (LLM backends, databases, API keys, service URLs)
+  - Service-specific `.env` files minimized to only essential overrides:
+    - `cortex/.env`: Reduced from 42 to 22 lines (operational parameters only)
+    - `neomem/.env`: Reduced from 26 to 14 lines (LLM naming conventions only)
+    - `intake/.env`: Kept at 8 lines (already minimal)
+  - **Result**: ~24% reduction in total configuration lines (197 → ~150)
+
+- **Docker Compose Consolidation**
+  - All services now defined in single root `docker-compose.yml`
+  - Relay service updated with complete configuration (env_file, volumes)
+  - Removed redundant `core/docker-compose.yml` (marked as DEPRECATED)
+  - Standardized network communication to use Docker container names
+
+- **Service URL Standardization**
+  - Internal services use container names: `http://neomem-api:7077`, `http://cortex:7081`
+  - External services use IP addresses: `http://10.0.0.43:8000` (vLLM), `http://10.0.0.3:11434` (Ollama)
+  - Removed IP/container name inconsistencies across files
+
+### Added
+- **Security Templates** - Created `.env.example` files for all services
+  - Root `.env.example` with sanitized credentials
+  - Service-specific templates: `cortex/.env.example`, `neomem/.env.example`, `intake/.env.example`, `rag/.env.example`
+  - All `.env.example` files safe to commit to version control
+
+- **Documentation**
+  - `ENVIRONMENT_VARIABLES.md`: Comprehensive reference for all environment variables
+    - Variable descriptions, defaults, and usage examples
+    - Multi-backend LLM strategy documentation
+    - Troubleshooting guide
+    - Security best practices
+  - `DEPRECATED_FILES.md`: Deletion guide for deprecated files with verification steps
+
+- **Enhanced .gitignore**
+  - Ignores all `.env` files (including subdirectories)
+  - Tracks `.env.example` templates for documentation
+  - Ignores `.env-backups/` directory
+
+### Removed
+- `core/.env` - Redundant with root `.env`, now deleted
+- `core/docker-compose.yml` - Consolidated into main compose file (marked DEPRECATED)
+
+### Fixed
+- Eliminated duplicate `OPENAI_API_KEY` across 5+ files
+- Eliminated duplicate LLM backend URLs across 4+ files
+- Eliminated duplicate database credentials across 3+ files
+- Resolved Cortex `environment:` section override in docker-compose (now uses env_file)
+
+### Architecture
+- **Multi-Backend LLM Strategy**: Root `.env` provides all backend OPTIONS (PRIMARY, SECONDARY, CLOUD, FALLBACK), services choose which to USE
+  - Cortex → vLLM (PRIMARY) for autonomous reasoning
+  - NeoMem → Ollama (SECONDARY) + OpenAI embeddings
+  - Intake → vLLM (PRIMARY) for summarization
+  - Relay → Fallback chain with user preference
+- Preserves per-service flexibility while eliminating URL duplication
+
+### Migration
+- All original `.env` files backed up to `.env-backups/` with timestamp `20251126_025334`
+- Rollback plan documented in `ENVIRONMENT_VARIABLES.md`
+- Verification steps provided in `DEPRECATED_FILES.md`
+
+---
+
 ## [Lyra_RAG v0.1.0] 2025-11-07
 ### Added
 - Initial standalone RAG module for Project Lyra.
diff --git a/DEPRECATED_FILES.md b/DEPRECATED_FILES.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..830c417
--- /dev/null
+++ b/DEPRECATED_FILES.md
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+# Deprecated Files - Safe to Delete
+
+This file lists all deprecated files that can be safely deleted after verification.
+
+## Files Marked for Deletion
+
+### Docker Compose Files
+
+#### `/core/docker-compose.yml.DEPRECATED`
+- **Status**: DEPRECATED
+- **Reason**: All services consolidated into main `/docker-compose.yml`
+- **Replaced by**: `/docker-compose.yml` (relay service now has complete config)
+- **Safe to delete**: Yes, after verifying main docker-compose works
+
+### Environment Files
+
+All original `.env` files have been consolidated. Backups exist in `.env-backups/` directory.
+
+#### Previously Deleted (Already Done)
+- ✅ `/core/.env` - Deleted (redundant with root .env)
+
+### Experimental/Orphaned Files
+
+#### `/core/env experiments/` (entire directory)
+- **Status**: User will handle separately
+- **Contains**: `.env`, `.env.local`, `.env.openai`
+- **Action**: User to review and clean up
+
+## Verification Steps Before Deleting
+
+Before deleting the deprecated files, verify:
+
+1. **Test main docker-compose.yml works:**
+   ```bash
+   cd /home/serversdown/project-lyra
+   docker-compose down
+   docker-compose up -d
+   docker-compose ps  # All services should be running
+   ```
+
+2. **Verify relay service has correct config:**
+   ```bash
+   docker exec relay env | grep -E "LLM_|NEOMEM_|OPENAI"
+   docker exec relay ls -la /app/sessions  # Sessions volume mounted
+   ```
+
+3. **Test relay functionality:**
+   - Send a test message through relay
+   - Verify memory storage works
+   - Confirm LLM backend connections work
+
+## Deletion Commands
+
+After successful verification, run:
+
+```bash
+cd /home/serversdown/project-lyra
+
+# Delete deprecated docker-compose file
+rm core/docker-compose.yml.DEPRECATED
+
+# Optionally clean up backup directory after confirming everything works
+# (Keep backups for at least a few days/weeks)
+# rm -rf .env-backups/
+```
+
+## Files to Keep
+
+These files should **NOT** be deleted:
+
+- ✅ `.env` (root) - Single source of truth
+- ✅ `.env.example` (root) - Security template (commit to git)
+- ✅ `cortex/.env` - Service-specific config
+- ✅ `cortex/.env.example` - Security template (commit to git)
+- ✅ `neomem/.env` - Service-specific config
+- ✅ `neomem/.env.example` - Security template (commit to git)
+- ✅ `intake/.env` - Service-specific config
+- ✅ `intake/.env.example` - Security template (commit to git)
+- ✅ `rag/.env.example` - Security template (commit to git)
+- ✅ `docker-compose.yml` - Main orchestration file
+- ✅ `ENVIRONMENT_VARIABLES.md` - Documentation
+- ✅ `.gitignore` - Git configuration
+
+## Backup Information
+
+All original `.env` files backed up to:
+- Location: `/home/serversdown/project-lyra/.env-backups/`
+- Timestamp: `20251126_025334`
+- Files: 6 original .env files
+
+Keep backups until you're confident the new setup is stable (recommended: 2-4 weeks).
diff --git a/ENVIRONMENT_VARIABLES.md b/ENVIRONMENT_VARIABLES.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..84e33a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ENVIRONMENT_VARIABLES.md
@@ -0,0 +1,250 @@
+# Environment Variables Reference
+
+This document describes all environment variables used across Project Lyra services.
+
+## Quick Start
+
+1. Copy environment templates:
+   ```bash
+   cp .env.example .env
+   cp cortex/.env.example cortex/.env
+   cp neomem/.env.example neomem/.env
+   cp intake/.env.example intake/.env
+   ```
+
+2. Edit `.env` and add your credentials:
+   - `OPENAI_API_KEY`: Your OpenAI API key
+   - `POSTGRES_PASSWORD`: Database password
+   - `NEO4J_PASSWORD`: Graph database password
+   - `NEOMEM_API_KEY`: Generate a secure token
+
+3. Update service URLs if your infrastructure differs from defaults
+
+## File Structure
+
+### Root `.env` - Shared Infrastructure
+Contains all shared configuration used by multiple services:
+- LLM backend options (PRIMARY, SECONDARY, CLOUD, FALLBACK)
+- Database credentials (Postgres, Neo4j)
+- API keys (OpenAI)
+- Internal service URLs
+- Feature flags
+
+### Service-Specific `.env` Files
+Each service has minimal overrides for service-specific parameters:
+- **`cortex/.env`**: Cortex operational parameters
+- **`neomem/.env`**: NeoMem LLM naming convention mappings
+- **`intake/.env`**: Intake summarization parameters
+
+## Environment Loading Order
+
+Docker Compose loads environment files in this order (later overrides earlier):
+1. Service-specific `.env` (e.g., `cortex/.env`)
+2. Root `.env`
+
+This means service-specific files can override root values when needed.
+
+## Global Variables (Root `.env`)
+
+### Global Configuration
+| Variable | Default | Description |
+|----------|---------|-------------|
+| `LOCAL_TZ_LABEL` | `America/New_York` | Timezone for logs and timestamps |
+| `DEFAULT_SESSION_ID` | `default` | Default chat session identifier |
+
+### LLM Backend Options
+Each service chooses which backend to use from these available options.
+
+#### Primary Backend (vLLM on MI50 GPU)
+| Variable | Default | Description |
+|----------|---------|-------------|
+| `LLM_PRIMARY_PROVIDER` | `vllm` | Provider type |
+| `LLM_PRIMARY_URL` | `http://10.0.0.43:8000` | vLLM server endpoint |
+| `LLM_PRIMARY_MODEL` | `/model` | Model path for vLLM |
+
+#### Secondary Backend (Ollama on 3090 GPU)
+| Variable | Default | Description |
+|----------|---------|-------------|
+| `LLM_SECONDARY_PROVIDER` | `ollama` | Provider type |
+| `LLM_SECONDARY_URL` | `http://10.0.0.3:11434` | Ollama server endpoint |
+| `LLM_SECONDARY_MODEL` | `qwen2.5:7b-instruct-q4_K_M` | Ollama model name |
+
+#### Cloud Backend (OpenAI)
+| Variable | Default | Description |
+|----------|---------|-------------|
+| `LLM_CLOUD_PROVIDER` | `openai_chat` | Provider type |
+| `LLM_CLOUD_URL` | `https://api.openai.com/v1` | OpenAI API endpoint |
+| `LLM_CLOUD_MODEL` | `gpt-4o-mini` | OpenAI model to use |
+| `OPENAI_API_KEY` | *required* | OpenAI API authentication key |
+
+#### Fallback Backend (llama.cpp/LM Studio)
+| Variable | Default | Description |
+|----------|---------|-------------|
+| `LLM_FALLBACK_PROVIDER` | `openai_completions` | Provider type (llama.cpp mimics OpenAI) |
+| `LLM_FALLBACK_URL` | `http://10.0.0.41:11435` | Fallback server endpoint |
+| `LLM_FALLBACK_MODEL` | `llama-3.2-8b-instruct` | Fallback model name |
+
+#### LLM Global Settings
+| Variable | Default | Description |
+|----------|---------|-------------|
+| `LLM_TEMPERATURE` | `0.7` | Sampling temperature (0.0-2.0) |
+
+### Database Configuration
+
+#### PostgreSQL (with pgvector)
+| Variable | Default | Description |
+|----------|---------|-------------|
+| `POSTGRES_USER` | `neomem` | PostgreSQL username |
+| `POSTGRES_PASSWORD` | *required* | PostgreSQL password |
+| `POSTGRES_DB` | `neomem` | Database name |
+| `POSTGRES_HOST` | `neomem-postgres` | Container name/hostname |
+| `POSTGRES_PORT` | `5432` | PostgreSQL port |
+
+#### Neo4j Graph Database
+| Variable | Default | Description |
+|----------|---------|-------------|
+| `NEO4J_URI` | `bolt://neomem-neo4j:7687` | Neo4j connection URI |
+| `NEO4J_USERNAME` | `neo4j` | Neo4j username |
+| `NEO4J_PASSWORD` | *required* | Neo4j password |
+| `NEO4J_AUTH` | `neo4j/<password>` | Neo4j auth string |
+
+### Memory Services (NeoMem)
+| Variable | Default | Description |
+|----------|---------|-------------|
+| `NEOMEM_API` | `http://neomem-api:7077` | NeoMem API endpoint |
+| `NEOMEM_API_KEY` | *required* | NeoMem API authentication token |
+| `NEOMEM_HISTORY_DB` | `postgresql://...` | PostgreSQL connection string for history |
+| `EMBEDDER_PROVIDER` | `openai` | Embedding provider (used by NeoMem) |
+| `EMBEDDER_MODEL` | `text-embedding-3-small` | Embedding model name |
+
+### Internal Service URLs
+All using Docker container names for network communication:
+
+| Variable | Default | Description |
+|----------|---------|-------------|
+| `INTAKE_API_URL` | `http://intake:7080` | Intake summarizer service |
+| `CORTEX_API` | `http://cortex:7081` | Cortex reasoning service |
+| `CORTEX_URL` | `http://cortex:7081/reflect` | Cortex reflection endpoint |
+| `CORTEX_URL_INGEST` | `http://cortex:7081/ingest` | Cortex ingest endpoint |
+| `RAG_API_URL` | `http://rag:7090` | RAG service (if enabled) |
+| `RELAY_URL` | `http://relay:7078` | Relay orchestration service |
+| `PERSONA_URL` | `http://persona-sidecar:7080/current` | Persona service (optional) |
+
+### Feature Flags
+| Variable | Default | Description |
+|----------|---------|-------------|
+| `CORTEX_ENABLED` | `true` | Enable Cortex autonomous reflection |
+| `MEMORY_ENABLED` | `true` | Enable NeoMem long-term memory |
+| `PERSONA_ENABLED` | `false` | Enable persona sidecar |
+| `DEBUG_PROMPT` | `true` | Enable debug logging for prompts |
+
+## Service-Specific Variables
+
+### Cortex (`cortex/.env`)
+Cortex operational parameters:
+
+| Variable | Default | Description |
+|----------|---------|-------------|
+| `CORTEX_MODE` | `autonomous` | Operation mode (autonomous/manual) |
+| `CORTEX_LOOP_INTERVAL` | `300` | Seconds between reflection loops |
+| `CORTEX_REFLECTION_INTERVAL` | `86400` | Seconds between deep reflections (24h) |
+| `CORTEX_LOG_LEVEL` | `debug` | Logging verbosity |
+| `NEOMEM_HEALTH_CHECK_INTERVAL` | `300` | NeoMem health check frequency |
+| `REFLECTION_NOTE_TARGET` | `trilium` | Where to store reflection notes |
+| `REFLECTION_NOTE_PATH` | `/app/logs/reflections.log` | Reflection output path |
+| `RELEVANCE_THRESHOLD` | `0.78` | Memory retrieval relevance threshold |
+
+**Note**: Cortex uses `LLM_PRIMARY` (vLLM on MI50) by default from root `.env`.
+
+### NeoMem (`neomem/.env`)
+NeoMem uses different variable naming conventions:
+
+| Variable | Default | Description |
+|----------|---------|-------------|
+| `LLM_PROVIDER` | `ollama` | NeoMem's LLM provider name |
+| `LLM_MODEL` | `qwen2.5:7b-instruct-q4_K_M` | NeoMem's LLM model |
+| `LLM_API_BASE` | `http://10.0.0.3:11434` | NeoMem's LLM endpoint (Ollama) |
+
+**Note**: NeoMem uses Ollama (SECONDARY) for reasoning and OpenAI for embeddings. Database credentials and `OPENAI_API_KEY` inherited from root `.env`.
+
+### Intake (`intake/.env`)
+Intake summarization parameters:
+
+| Variable | Default | Description |
+|----------|---------|-------------|
+| `SUMMARY_MODEL_NAME` | `/model` | Model path for summarization |
+| `SUMMARY_API_URL` | `http://10.0.0.43:8000` | LLM endpoint for summaries |
+| `SUMMARY_MAX_TOKENS` | `400` | Max tokens for summary generation |
+| `SUMMARY_TEMPERATURE` | `0.4` | Temperature for summaries (lower = more focused) |
+| `SUMMARY_INTERVAL` | `300` | Seconds between summary checks |
+| `INTAKE_LOG_PATH` | `/app/logs/intake.log` | Log file location |
+| `INTAKE_LOG_LEVEL` | `info` | Logging verbosity |
+
+**Note**: Intake uses `LLM_PRIMARY` (vLLM) by default.
+
+## Multi-Backend LLM Strategy
+
+Project Lyra supports flexible backend selection per service:
+
+**Root `.env` provides backend OPTIONS**:
+- PRIMARY: vLLM on MI50 GPU (high performance)
+- SECONDARY: Ollama on 3090 GPU (local inference)
+- CLOUD: OpenAI API (cloud fallback)
+- FALLBACK: llama.cpp/LM Studio (CPU-only)
+
+**Services choose which backend to USE**:
+- **Cortex** → vLLM (PRIMARY) for autonomous reasoning
+- **NeoMem** → Ollama (SECONDARY) + OpenAI embeddings
+- **Intake** → vLLM (PRIMARY) for summarization
+- **Relay** → Implements fallback cascade with user preference
+
+This design eliminates URL duplication while preserving per-service flexibility.
+
+## Security Best Practices
+
+1. **Never commit `.env` files to git** - they contain secrets
+2. **Use `.env.example` templates** for documentation and onboarding
+3. **Rotate credentials regularly**, especially:
+   - `OPENAI_API_KEY`
+   - `NEOMEM_API_KEY`
+   - Database passwords
+4. **Use strong passwords** for production databases
+5. **Restrict network access** to LLM backends and databases
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+### Services can't connect to each other
+- Verify container names match in service URLs
+- Check all services are on the `lyra_net` Docker network
+- Use `docker-compose ps` to verify all services are running
+
+### LLM calls failing
+- Verify backend URLs are correct for your infrastructure
+- Check if LLM servers are running and accessible
+- Test with `curl <LLM_URL>/v1/models` (OpenAI-compatible APIs)
+
+### Database connection errors
+- Verify database credentials match in all locations
+- Check if database containers are healthy: `docker-compose ps`
+- Review database logs: `docker-compose logs neomem-postgres`
+
+### Environment variables not loading
+- Verify env_file paths in docker-compose.yml
+- Check file permissions: `.env` files must be readable
+- Remember loading order: service `.env` overrides root `.env`
+
+## Migration from Old Setup
+
+If you have the old multi-file setup with duplicated variables:
+
+1. **Backup existing files**: All original `.env` files are in `.env-backups/`
+2. **Copy new templates**: Use `.env.example` files as base
+3. **Merge credentials**: Transfer your actual keys/passwords to new root `.env`
+4. **Test thoroughly**: Verify all services start and communicate correctly
+
+## Support
+
+For issues or questions:
+- Check logs: `docker-compose logs <service>`
+- Verify configuration: `docker exec <container> env | grep <VAR>`
+- Review this documentation for variable descriptions
diff --git a/core/docker-compose.yml b/core/docker-compose.yml.DEPRECATED
similarity index 72%
rename from core/docker-compose.yml
rename to core/docker-compose.yml.DEPRECATED
index 67321b7..415fc25 100644
--- a/core/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/core/docker-compose.yml.DEPRECATED
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+# DEPRECATED - USE /home/serversdown/project-lyra/docker-compose.yml instead
+# This file is no longer needed. All services are now in the main docker-compose.yml
+# Safe to delete after verifying main compose file works correctly.
+#
 services:
   relay:
     build:
@@ -7,7 +11,7 @@ services:
     ports:
       - "7078:7078"
     env_file:
-      - .env
+      - ../.env  # Use root .env (core/.env is now redundant)
     volumes:
       - ./relay/sessions:/app/sessions
     networks:
diff --git a/cortex/.env.example b/cortex/.env.example
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fa2c73b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cortex/.env.example
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+# ====================================
+# 🧠 CORTEX OPERATIONAL CONFIG
+# ====================================
+# Cortex-specific parameters (all other config inherited from root .env)
+
+CORTEX_MODE=autonomous
+CORTEX_LOOP_INTERVAL=300
+CORTEX_REFLECTION_INTERVAL=86400
+CORTEX_LOG_LEVEL=debug
+NEOMEM_HEALTH_CHECK_INTERVAL=300
+
+# Reflection output configuration
+REFLECTION_NOTE_TARGET=trilium
+REFLECTION_NOTE_PATH=/app/logs/reflections.log
+
+# Memory retrieval tuning
+RELEVANCE_THRESHOLD=0.78
+
+# NOTE: LLM backend URLs, OPENAI_API_KEY, database credentials,
+# and service URLs are all inherited from root .env
+# Cortex uses LLM_PRIMARY (vLLM on MI50) by default
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index b2bf05e..d66af6e 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -87,6 +87,10 @@ services:
       context: ./core/relay
     container_name: relay
     restart: unless-stopped
+    env_file:
+      - ./.env
+    volumes:
+      - ./core/relay/sessions:/app/sessions
     ports:
       - "7078:7078"
     networks:
@@ -107,11 +111,6 @@ services:
       - ./cortex:/app
     ports:
       - "7081:7081"
-    environment:
-      LLM_PRIMARY_URL: http://10.0.0.43:8000/
-      NEOMEM_URL: http://neomem-api:7077
-      RAG_URL: http://rag:7090
-      RELAY_URL: http://relay:7078
     networks:
       - lyra_net
 
diff --git a/intake/.env.example b/intake/.env.example
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8ba6823
--- /dev/null
+++ b/intake/.env.example
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+# ====================================
+# 📥 INTAKE SUMMARIZATION CONFIG
+# ====================================
+# Intake service parameters for summarizing chat exchanges
+# LLM backend URLs and OPENAI_API_KEY inherited from root .env
+
+SUMMARY_MODEL_NAME=/model
+SUMMARY_API_URL=http://10.0.0.43:8000
+SUMMARY_MAX_TOKENS=400
+SUMMARY_TEMPERATURE=0.4
+SUMMARY_INTERVAL=300
+INTAKE_LOG_PATH=/app/logs/intake.log
+INTAKE_LOG_LEVEL=info
diff --git a/rag/.env.example b/rag/.env.example
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..21bc0e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rag/.env.example
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+# ====================================
+# 📚 RAG SERVICE CONFIG
+# ====================================
+# Retrieval-Augmented Generation service (Beta Lyrae)
+# Currently not wired into the system - for future activation
+# OPENAI_API_KEY and other shared config inherited from root .env
+
+# RAG-specific configuration will go here when service is activated
+# ChromaDB configuration
+# Vector store settings
+# Retrieval parameters