diff --git a/src/rai_hmi/rai_hmi/text_hmi.py b/src/rai_hmi/rai_hmi/text_hmi.py
index bad973f8..0c799184 100644
--- a/src/rai_hmi/rai_hmi/text_hmi.py
+++ b/src/rai_hmi/rai_hmi/text_hmi.py
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
     AIMessage,
     BaseMessage,
     HumanMessage,
+    SystemMessage,
     ToolCall,
     ToolMessage,
 )
@@ -84,9 +85,9 @@ def initialize_agent(_node: BaseHMINode):
     return agent
 
 
-def initialize_session_memory():
+def initialize_session_memory(system_prompt: str = ""):
     if "memory" not in st.session_state:
-        st.session_state.memory = []
+        st.session_state.memory = [SystemMessage(content=system_prompt)]
     if "tool_calls" not in st.session_state:
         st.session_state.tool_calls = {}
 
@@ -134,6 +135,8 @@ def handle_history_message(message: BaseMessage):
                     base_64_image = artifact["images"][0]
                     image = decode_base64_into_image(base_64_image)
                     st.image(image)
+    elif isinstance(message, SystemMessage):
+        return  # we do not handle system messages
     else:
         raise ValueError("Unknown message type")
 
@@ -142,7 +145,7 @@ def handle_history_message(message: BaseMessage):
     with st.spinner("Initializing ROS 2 node..."):
         node = initialize_ros_node(robot_description_package)
     agent = initialize_agent(_node=node)
-    initialize_session_memory()
+    initialize_session_memory(system_prompt=node.system_prompt)
 
     status = {
         "robot_database": node.faiss_index is not None,