diff --git a/proto/agynio/api/agents/v1/agents.proto b/proto/agynio/api/agents/v1/agents.proto
index fbc59c0..b0d414e 100644
--- a/proto/agynio/api/agents/v1/agents.proto
+++ b/proto/agynio/api/agents/v1/agents.proto
@@ -248,7 +248,10 @@ message Agent {
   // definition instead of each carrying its own copy.
   string image = 7 [deprecated = true];
   ComputeResources resources = 8 [deprecated = true];
-  string init_image = 9;
+  // Superseded by the environment's agent_runtime_image_id. Nothing reads this:
+  // the orchestrator refuses a workload whose environment names no runtime
+  // rather than substituting an agent-supplied image.
+  string init_image = 9 [deprecated = true];
   string organization_id = 10;
   string nickname = 11;
   optional string idle_timeout = 12; // Go duration string (e.g., "30s", "5m", "1h").
@@ -281,7 +284,7 @@ message CreateAgentRequest {
   string image = 6 [deprecated = true];
   ComputeResources resources = 7 [deprecated = true];
   string organization_id = 8;
-  string init_image = 9;
+  string init_image = 9 [deprecated = true];
   string nickname = 10;
   optional string idle_timeout = 11; // Go duration string (e.g., "30s", "5m", "1h").
   // Capabilities supported by this agent. Free-form strings (e.g., "privileged", "dind").
@@ -329,7 +332,7 @@ message UpdateAgentRequest {
   optional string configuration = 6;
   optional string image = 7 [deprecated = true];
   optional ComputeResources resources = 8 [deprecated = true];
-  optional string init_image = 9;
+  optional string init_image = 9 [deprecated = true];
   optional string nickname = 10;
   optional string idle_timeout = 11; // Go duration string (e.g., "30s", "5m", "1h").
   // Capabilities replace the existing list; an empty list clears all capabilities.