diff --git a/navi/core/agent.py b/navi/core/agent.py
index 308f2ab..822c568 100644
--- a/navi/core/agent.py
+++ b/navi/core/agent.py
@@ -685,7 +685,7 @@
         phase1_system = Message(
             role="system",
             content=(
-                self._build_system_prompt(profile.system_prompt)
+                self._build_system_prompt(profile)
                 + "\n\n---\n\n"
                 "[PLANNING — PHASE 1: ANALYSIS]\n\n"
                 "Read the user's latest request.\n\n"
@@ -728,7 +728,7 @@
         phase2_system = Message(
             role="system",
             content=(
-                self._build_system_prompt(profile.system_prompt)
+                self._build_system_prompt(profile)
                 + "\n\n---\n\n"
                 "[PLANNING — PHASE 2: EXECUTION PLAN]\n\n"
                 "Task analysis:\n\n"
@@ -846,7 +846,7 @@
         """
         system_msg = Message(
             role="system",
-            content=self._build_system_prompt(profile.system_prompt),
+            content=self._build_system_prompt(profile),
         )
         conv = [m for m in session_context if m.role != "system"]
         result: list[Message] = [system_msg]
@@ -855,11 +855,30 @@
         result.extend(conv)
         return result
 
-    def _build_system_prompt(self, profile_prompt: str) -> str:
+    def _build_system_prompt(self, profile: "AgentProfile") -> str:
+        parts: list[str] = []
+
         persona = settings.navi_persona.strip()
         if persona:
-            return f"{persona}\n\n---\n\n{profile_prompt}"
-        return profile_prompt
+            parts.append(persona)
+
+        parts.append(profile.system_prompt)
+
+        # Compact profiles block — every agent knows what other profiles exist
+        # and when to switch. Injected dynamically so new profiles appear automatically.
+        other = [p for p in self._profiles.all() if p.id != profile.id]
+        if other:
+            lines = [
+                "## Available profiles",
+                f"Current: **{profile.id}**",
+            ]
+            for p in other:
+                desc = p.short_description or p.description
+                lines.append(f"· {p.id}: {desc}")
+            lines.append("→ Use switch_profile to change profile. Use list_profiles for full details before switching.")
+            parts.append("\n".join(lines))
+
+        return "\n\n---\n\n".join(parts)
 
     def _tool_list(self, enabled: list[str]) -> list[Tool]:
         names = list(enabled)
diff --git a/navi/core/registry.py b/navi/core/registry.py
index 233cf58..2e6e308 100644
--- a/navi/core/registry.py
+++ b/navi/core/registry.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
     FilesystemTool,
     HttpRequestTool,
     ImageViewTool,
+    ListProfilesTool,
     MemoryTool,
     SpawnAgentTool,
     SshExecTool,
@@ -146,6 +147,9 @@
     )
     tools.register(switch_tool, builtin=True)
 
+    list_profiles_tool = ListProfilesTool(profile_registry=profiles)
+    tools.register(list_profiles_tool, builtin=True)
+
     backends = BackendRegistry()
     backends.register(
         "ollama",
diff --git a/navi/profiles/base.py b/navi/profiles/base.py
index ebd8c9e..e97a348 100644
--- a/navi/profiles/base.py
+++ b/navi/profiles/base.py
@@ -19,3 +19,9 @@
     max_iterations: int = 10
     temperature: float = 0.7
     planning_enabled: bool = False  # if True, run a planning LLM call before the main loop
+
+    # Profile discoverability — used for system prompt injection and list_profiles tool.
+    # short_description: 1-line summary shown in every system prompt to all profiles.
+    # full_description: structured dict with keys: specialization, when_to_use, key_tools.
+    short_description: str = ""
+    full_description: dict = field(default_factory=dict)
diff --git a/navi/profiles/developer/config.json b/navi/profiles/developer/config.json
index b6b825f..c45baa8 100644
--- a/navi/profiles/developer/config.json
+++ b/navi/profiles/developer/config.json
@@ -2,13 +2,19 @@
   "id": "developer",
   "name": "Tool Developer",
   "description": "Write, test, and debug custom tools to extend Navi's capabilities.",
+  "short_description": "Writing, testing, and debugging Navi's own Python tools.",
+  "full_description": {
+    "specialization": "Writing new Python tools that extend Navi's capabilities, debugging and fixing existing tools, hot-reloading the tool registry, and testing tool behavior. Full access to tools directory, test runner, and reload mechanism.",
+    "when_to_use": "When the user asks to create a new tool, modify an existing tool, fix a broken tool, or test tool functionality. Not for general software development tasks — use secretary for those.",
+    "key_tools": "write_tool, reload_tools, delete_tool, test_tool, filesystem, terminal, code_exec, memory"
+  },
   "llm_backend": "ollama",
   "model": "gemma4:26b-a4b-it-q4_K_M",
   "temperature": 0.2,
   "max_iterations": 40,
   "planning_enabled": true,
   "enabled_tools": [
-    "todo", "scratchpad", "switch_profile",
+    "todo", "scratchpad", "switch_profile", "list_profiles",
     "web_search", "web_view", "http_request",
     "filesystem", "code_exec", "terminal", "image_view",
     "memory",
@@ -18,4 +24,4 @@
     "share_file",
     "email_manager"
   ]
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/navi/profiles/loader.py b/navi/profiles/loader.py
index 0949fcd..6eb0bc5 100644
--- a/navi/profiles/loader.py
+++ b/navi/profiles/loader.py
@@ -56,6 +56,8 @@
                 temperature=config.get("temperature", 0.7),
                 max_iterations=config.get("max_iterations", 20),
                 planning_enabled=config.get("planning_enabled", False),
+                short_description=config.get("short_description", ""),
+                full_description=config.get("full_description", {}),
             ))
             log.debug("profile.loader.loaded", profile_id=config["id"])
 
diff --git a/navi/profiles/secretary/config.json b/navi/profiles/secretary/config.json
index 5acc51e..be6ed05 100644
--- a/navi/profiles/secretary/config.json
+++ b/navi/profiles/secretary/config.json
@@ -2,13 +2,19 @@
   "id": "secretary",
   "name": "Personal Secretary",
   "description": "General-purpose assistant for research, writing, and everyday tasks.",
+  "short_description": "Research, writing, analysis, email, and everyday personal tasks.",
+  "full_description": {
+    "specialization": "General-purpose personal assistant. Web research, document writing, data analysis, email correspondence, planning, calculations, and any everyday task that doesn't require direct server access or tool development.",
+    "when_to_use": "Default profile for most requests. If you're unsure which profile to use, this one is correct. Switch away only when the task clearly requires server/infrastructure access (server_admin) or modifying Navi's own tools (developer).",
+    "key_tools": "web_search, web_view, filesystem, code_exec, gmail, todo, scratchpad, spawn_agent, memory"
+  },
   "llm_backend": "ollama",
   "model": "gemma4:26b-a4b-it-q4_K_M",
   "temperature": 0.7,
   "max_iterations": 40,
   "planning_enabled": true,
   "enabled_tools": [
-    "todo", "scratchpad", "switch_profile",
+    "todo", "scratchpad", "switch_profile", "list_profiles",
     "web_search", "web_view", "http_request",
     "filesystem", "code_exec", "image_view",
     "memory",
@@ -18,4 +24,4 @@
     "weather",
     "email_manager"
   ]
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/navi/profiles/server_admin/config.json b/navi/profiles/server_admin/config.json
index fa4d21e..fa47a59 100644
--- a/navi/profiles/server_admin/config.json
+++ b/navi/profiles/server_admin/config.json
@@ -2,13 +2,19 @@
   "id": "server_admin",
   "name": "Server Administrator",
   "description": "Server administration, monitoring, and infrastructure tasks.",
+  "short_description": "Linux server administration, SSH operations, monitoring, infrastructure.",
+  "full_description": {
+    "specialization": "Remote server operations via SSH, system diagnostics, service management, log analysis, network troubleshooting, process monitoring, and infrastructure automation.",
+    "when_to_use": "When the task involves SSH access to servers, running system commands, managing Linux services, analyzing logs, monitoring resources, or any hands-on infrastructure work.",
+    "key_tools": "ssh_exec, terminal, filesystem, code_exec, web_search, spawn_agent, memory"
+  },
   "llm_backend": "ollama",
   "model": "gemma4:26b-a4b-it-q4_K_M",
   "temperature": 0.2,
   "max_iterations": 40,
   "planning_enabled": true,
   "enabled_tools": [
-    "todo", "scratchpad", "switch_profile",
+    "todo", "scratchpad", "switch_profile", "list_profiles",
     "web_search", "web_view", "http_request",
     "filesystem", "code_exec", "terminal", "ssh_exec", "image_view",
     "memory",
@@ -17,4 +23,4 @@
     "share_file",
     "email_manager"
   ]
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/navi/tools/__init__.py b/navi/tools/__init__.py
index 64101a2..d6a0a8f 100644
--- a/navi/tools/__init__.py
+++ b/navi/tools/__init__.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 from .todo import TodoTool
 from .scratchpad import ScratchpadTool
 from .switch_profile import SwitchProfileTool
+from .list_profiles import ListProfilesTool
 from .web_search import WebSearchTool
 from .web_view import WebViewTool
 
@@ -33,4 +34,5 @@
     "TodoTool",
     "ScratchpadTool",
     "SwitchProfileTool",
+    "ListProfilesTool",
 ]
diff --git a/navi/tools/list_profiles.py b/navi/tools/list_profiles.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0ca5669
--- /dev/null
+++ b/navi/tools/list_profiles.py
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+"""Built-in tool: list available agent profiles with structured descriptions."""
+
+from navi.tools.base import Tool, ToolResult
+
+
+class ListProfilesTool(Tool):
+    name = "list_profiles"
+    description = (
+        "List all available agent profiles with their specialization, use cases, and key tools. "
+        "Call this before switch_profile when you need details about what a profile does "
+        "or to confirm which profile best fits the current task."
+    )
+    parameters = {
+        "type": "object",
+        "properties": {
+            "profile_id": {
+                "type": "string",
+                "description": "Optional. Return full details for one specific profile only.",
+            }
+        },
+        "required": [],
+    }
+
+    def __init__(self, profile_registry) -> None:
+        self._profiles = profile_registry
+
+    async def execute(self, params: dict) -> ToolResult:
+        profile_id = (params.get("profile_id") or "").strip()
+
+        if profile_id:
+            try:
+                p = self._profiles.get(profile_id)
+            except Exception:
+                available = ", ".join(x.id for x in self._profiles.all())
+                return ToolResult(
+                    success=False, output="",
+                    error=f"Profile '{profile_id}' not found. Available: {available}",
+                )
+            return ToolResult(success=True, output=self._format(p))
+
+        sections = [self._format(p) for p in self._profiles.all()]
+        return ToolResult(success=True, output="\n\n".join(sections))
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def _format(p) -> str:
+        fd = p.full_description or {}
+        lines = [f"## {p.name}  [{p.id}]"]
+        if p.short_description:
+            lines.append(p.short_description)
+        if fd.get("specialization"):
+            lines.append(f"\nSpecialization: {fd['specialization']}")
+        if fd.get("when_to_use"):
+            lines.append(f"When to use:    {fd['when_to_use']}")
+        if fd.get("key_tools"):
+            tools = fd["key_tools"]
+            if isinstance(tools, list):
+                tools = ", ".join(tools)
+            lines.append(f"Key tools:      {tools}")
+        return "\n".join(lines)