diff --git a/documentation/ARCH__PERSONA.md b/documentation/ARCH__PERSONA.md
index ec47744..b2a4107 100644
--- a/documentation/ARCH__PERSONA.md
+++ b/documentation/ARCH__PERSONA.md
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # Architecture: Persona System & Memory
 
 > How Inara (and other personas) know who they are and what they remember.
-> Last updated: 2026-04-03
+> Last updated: 2026-05-09
 
 ---
 
@@ -44,6 +44,19 @@ Each chat request specifies a tier (default: 2). Higher tiers load more context
 
 `context_loader.py` assembles the system prompt from these files in order. The resulting prompt is passed to whichever LLM backend handles the request.
 
+### System Block
+
+Before any persona files, `context_loader.py` prepends a `--- System ---` block with per-request metadata:
+
+```
+--- System ---
+Current date and time: Friday, 2026-05-09 at 02:34 PM EDT
+Current mode: Off The Record — this conversation is private and will not be logged or included in memory distillation
+```
+
+The **date/time line** is always present (unless the role has `inject_datetime: false`).
+The **mode line** is only added when the session is Off The Record — normal Chat mode adds nothing, so the block stays minimal. This mirrors the same principle as the mode indicator in the UI: only signal when something non-default is in effect.
+
 ---
 
 ## Memory Distillation