diff --git a/src/system/user/server/modules/cognitive/memory/Hippocampus.ts b/src/system/user/server/modules/cognitive/memory/Hippocampus.ts
index 85b20d3ed..74a5793f0 100644
--- a/src/system/user/server/modules/cognitive/memory/Hippocampus.ts
+++ b/src/system/user/server/modules/cognitive/memory/Hippocampus.ts
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ import { AdaptiveConsolidationThreshold } from './AdaptiveConsolidationThreshold
 import { MemoryConsolidationAdapter } from './adapters/MemoryConsolidationAdapter';
 import { SemanticCompressionAdapter } from './adapters/SemanticCompressionAdapter';
 import { RawMemoryAdapter } from './adapters/RawMemoryAdapter';
+import { getDefaultConsolidationMode } from './HippocampusConsolidationPolicy';
 import type { WorkingMemoryEntry } from '../../cognition/memory/InMemoryCognitionStorage';
 import { DataDaemon } from '../../../../../../daemons/data-daemon/shared/DataDaemon';
 import type { UniversalFilter } from '../../../../../../daemons/data-daemon/shared/DataStorageAdapter';
@@ -45,6 +46,7 @@ import type { VectorSearchParams, VectorSearchResult_CLI } from '../../../../../
 import { BackpressureService } from '../../../../../core/services/BackpressureService';
 import { CognitionLogger } from '../../cognition/CognitionLogger';
 import { TieredMemoryCache } from '../../../../../rag/cache/TieredMemoryCache';
+import { StartupAutonomousWorkGate } from '../../StartupAutonomousWorkGate';
 
 import { DataOpen } from '../../../../../../commands/data/open/shared/DataOpenTypes';
 import { VectorSearch } from '../../../../../../commands/data/vector-search/shared/VectorSearchCommandTypes';
@@ -52,6 +54,20 @@ import { DataList } from '../../../../../../commands/data/list/shared/DataListTy
 import { DataCreate } from '../../../../../../commands/data/create/shared/DataCreateTypes';
 import type { CorpusMemory } from '../../../../../../workers/continuum-core/bindings/CorpusMemory';
 
+function selectDefaultConsolidationAdapter(
+  persona: PersonaUser,
+  logger: NonNullable<ConstructorParameters<typeof SemanticCompressionAdapter>[1]>['logger']
+): MemoryConsolidationAdapter {
+  if (getDefaultConsolidationMode() === 'raw') {
+    return new RawMemoryAdapter();
+  }
+
+  return new SemanticCompressionAdapter(
+    persona,
+    { maxThoughtsPerGroup: 10, logger }
+  );
+}
+
 /**
  * Snapshot of persona state at tick time
  * Used for logging and consolidation decisions
@@ -123,7 +139,7 @@ export class Hippocampus extends PersonaContinuousSubprocess {
 
   constructor(persona: PersonaUser, adapter?: MemoryConsolidationAdapter) {
     super(persona, {
-      priority: 'low', // Low priority - don't interfere with response times
+      priority: 'lowest', // Background memory must not compete with visible chat turns.
       name: 'Hippocampus'
     });
 
@@ -137,15 +153,10 @@ export class Hippocampus extends PersonaContinuousSubprocess {
     // Initialize adaptive threshold (sigmoid-based, activity-responsive)
     this.adaptiveThreshold = new AdaptiveConsolidationThreshold();
 
-    // Initialize consolidation adapter (default: semantic compression)
-    // Pass persona directly - adapter uses persona.generateText() for synthesis (same code path as chat)
     const hippocampusLogger = (message: string) => {
       this.persona.logger.enqueueLog('hippocampus.log', message);
     };
-    this.consolidationAdapter = adapter || new SemanticCompressionAdapter(
-      persona,
-      { maxThoughtsPerGroup: 10, logger: hippocampusLogger }
-    );
+    this.consolidationAdapter = adapter || selectDefaultConsolidationAdapter(persona, hippocampusLogger);
 
     this.log(`Initialized with ${this.consolidationAdapter.getName()} adapter`);
 
@@ -405,6 +416,10 @@ export class Hippocampus extends PersonaContinuousSubprocess {
       tickCount: this.metrics.tickCount + 1
     };
 
+    if (StartupAutonomousWorkGate.isPaused()) {
+      return;
+    }
+
     // BACKPRESSURE: Skip consolidation entirely when system is under high load
     // Consolidation involves LLM calls (expensive) - wait until load drops
     if (BackpressureService.isHighLoad()) {
diff --git a/src/system/user/server/modules/cognitive/memory/HippocampusConsolidationPolicy.ts b/src/system/user/server/modules/cognitive/memory/HippocampusConsolidationPolicy.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..da715ad63
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/system/user/server/modules/cognitive/memory/HippocampusConsolidationPolicy.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+const ENABLE_LLM_MEMORY_SYNTHESIS_ENV = 'CONTINUUM_ENABLE_LLM_MEMORY_SYNTHESIS';
+type Env = Readonly<Record<string, string | undefined>>;
+export type MemoryConsolidationMode = 'raw' | 'semantic';
+
+export function getDefaultConsolidationMode(env: Env = process.env): MemoryConsolidationMode {
+  const value = env[ENABLE_LLM_MEMORY_SYNTHESIS_ENV]?.toLowerCase();
+  const enabled = value === '1' || value === 'true' || value === 'yes';
+  return enabled ? 'semantic' : 'raw';
+}
+
+export function isLlmMemorySynthesisEnabled(env: Env = process.env): boolean {
+  const value = env[ENABLE_LLM_MEMORY_SYNTHESIS_ENV]?.toLowerCase();
+  return value === '1' || value === 'true' || value === 'yes';
+}
diff --git a/src/system/user/server/modules/cognitive/memory/adapters/SemanticCompressionAdapter.ts b/src/system/user/server/modules/cognitive/memory/adapters/SemanticCompressionAdapter.ts
index be981b4d6..cd3401463 100644
--- a/src/system/user/server/modules/cognitive/memory/adapters/SemanticCompressionAdapter.ts
+++ b/src/system/user/server/modules/cognitive/memory/adapters/SemanticCompressionAdapter.ts
@@ -64,9 +64,10 @@ export class SemanticCompressionAdapter extends MemoryConsolidationAdapter {
     const errors: Array<{ domain: string; error: string }> = [];
 
     for (const group of groups) {
-      // BACKPRESSURE: Check system load before expensive LLM synthesis
-      // Memory synthesis is low priority - defer when system is loaded
-      if (!BackpressureService.shouldProceed('low')) {
+      // BACKPRESSURE: Check system load before expensive LLM synthesis.
+      // This uses the strict background lane because it shares the visible chat
+      // inference path until a dedicated memory-synthesis engine exists.
+      if (!BackpressureService.shouldProceed('background')) {
         skippedDueToLoad++;
         // Use fallback (no LLM call) when under load
         const fallback = this.createFallbackMemory(group, context);
diff --git a/src/tests/unit/memory/HippocampusConsolidationPolicy.test.ts b/src/tests/unit/memory/HippocampusConsolidationPolicy.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1f67660f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tests/unit/memory/HippocampusConsolidationPolicy.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+import { describe, it, expect, afterEach } from 'vitest';
+import { getDefaultConsolidationMode, isLlmMemorySynthesisEnabled } from '../../../system/user/server/modules/cognitive/memory/HippocampusConsolidationPolicy';
+
+const ENV_NAME = 'CONTINUUM_ENABLE_LLM_MEMORY_SYNTHESIS';
+const originalValue = process.env[ENV_NAME];
+
+describe('Hippocampus consolidation policy', () => {
+  afterEach(() => {
+    if (originalValue === undefined) {
+      delete process.env[ENV_NAME];
+    } else {
+      process.env[ENV_NAME] = originalValue;
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('uses raw consolidation by default so background memory cannot steal chat inference', () => {
+    delete process.env[ENV_NAME];
+
+    expect(getDefaultConsolidationMode()).toBe('raw');
+    expect(isLlmMemorySynthesisEnabled()).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it('uses semantic compression only when explicitly enabled', () => {
+    process.env[ENV_NAME] = '1';
+
+    expect(getDefaultConsolidationMode()).toBe('semantic');
+    expect(isLlmMemorySynthesisEnabled()).toBe(true);
+  });
+});