diff --git a/bin/disinto b/bin/disinto
index 69ac40a..a38c9ca 100755
--- a/bin/disinto
+++ b/bin/disinto
@@ -2711,21 +2711,24 @@ disinto_hire_an_agent() {
     echo "  Repo '${agent_name}/.profile' already exists"
   else
     # Get user token for creating repo
-    # Always try to get token using user_pass (set in Step 1 for new users, reset for existing)
     local user_token=""
-    user_token=$(curl -sf -X POST \
-      -u "${agent_name}:${user_pass}" \
-      -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-      "${forge_url}/api/v1/users/${agent_name}/tokens" \
-      -d "{\"name\":\".profile-repo-token\",\"scopes\":[\"repository\"]}" 2>/dev/null \
-      | jq -r '.sha1 // empty') || user_token=""
-
-    if [ -z "$user_token" ]; then
-      # Try listing existing tokens
-      user_token=$(curl -sf \
+    if [ "$user_exists" = true ]; then
+      # Try to get token for the new user
+      # Note: user_pass was set in Step 1; for existing users this will fail (unknown password)
+      user_token=$(curl -sf -X POST \
         -u "${agent_name}:${user_pass}" \
-        "${forge_url}/api/v1/users/${agent_name}/tokens" 2>/dev/null \
-        | jq -r '.[0].sha1 // empty') || user_token=""
+        -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
+        "${forge_url}/api/v1/users/${agent_name}/tokens" \
+        -d "{\"name\":\".profile-repo-token\",\"scopes\":[\"repository\"]}" 2>/dev/null \
+        | jq -r '.sha1 // empty') || user_token=""
+
+      if [ -z "$user_token" ]; then
+        # Try listing existing tokens
+        user_token=$(curl -sf \
+          -u "${agent_name}:${user_pass}" \
+          "${forge_url}/api/v1/users/${agent_name}/tokens" 2>/dev/null \
+          | jq -r '.[0].sha1 // empty') || user_token=""
+      fi
     fi
 
     # Fall back to admin token if user token not available
@@ -2759,8 +2762,8 @@ disinto_hire_an_agent() {
       create_output=$(curl -sf -X POST \
         -H "Authorization: token ${user_token}" \
         -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-        "${forge_url}/api/v1/admin/users/${agent_name}/repos" \
-        -d "{\"name\":\".profile\",\"description\":\"${agent_name}'s .profile repo\",\"private\":true,\"auto_init\":false}" 2>&1) || true
+        "${forge_url}/api/v1/admin/repos" \
+        -d "{\"owner\":\"${agent_name}\",\"name\":\".profile\",\"description\":\"${agent_name}'s .profile repo\",\"private\":true,\"auto_init\":false}" 2>&1) || true
 
       if echo "$create_output" | grep -q '"id":\|[0-9]'; then
         repo_created=true