diff --git a/codex-rs/Cargo.lock b/codex-rs/Cargo.lock
index 189d9468d..4e3ec84e8 100644
--- a/codex-rs/Cargo.lock
+++ b/codex-rs/Cargo.lock
@@ -458,58 +458,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "term",
 ]
 
-[[package]]
-name = "askama"
-version = "0.15.4"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "08e1676b346cadfec169374f949d7490fd80a24193d37d2afce0c047cf695e57"
-dependencies = [
- "askama_macros",
- "itoa",
- "percent-encoding",
- "serde",
- "serde_json",
-]
-
-[[package]]
-name = "askama_derive"
-version = "0.15.4"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "7661ff56517787343f376f75db037426facd7c8d3049cef8911f1e75016f3a37"
-dependencies = [
- "askama_parser",
- "basic-toml",
- "memchr",
- "proc-macro2",
- "quote",
- "rustc-hash 2.1.1",
- "serde",
- "serde_derive",
- "syn 2.0.114",
-]
-
-[[package]]
-name = "askama_macros"
-version = "0.15.4"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "713ee4dbfd1eb719c2dab859465b01fa1d21cb566684614a713a6b7a99a4e47b"
-dependencies = [
- "askama_derive",
-]
-
-[[package]]
-name = "askama_parser"
-version = "0.15.4"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "1d62d674238a526418b30c0def480d5beadb9d8964e7f38d635b03bf639c704c"
-dependencies = [
- "rustc-hash 2.1.1",
- "serde",
- "serde_derive",
- "unicode-ident",
- "winnow",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "asn1-rs"
 version = "0.7.1"
@@ -1662,7 +1610,6 @@ version = "0.0.0"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "arc-swap",
- "askama",
  "assert_cmd",
  "assert_matches",
  "async-channel",
diff --git a/codex-rs/Cargo.toml b/codex-rs/Cargo.toml
index 7ad0566ef..e27b08b7f 100644
--- a/codex-rs/Cargo.toml
+++ b/codex-rs/Cargo.toml
@@ -145,7 +145,6 @@ allocative = "0.3.3"
 ansi-to-tui = "7.0.0"
 anyhow = "1"
 arboard = { version = "3", features = ["wayland-data-control"] }
-askama = "0.15.4"
 assert_cmd = "2"
 assert_matches = "1.5.0"
 async-channel = "2.3.1"
diff --git a/codex-rs/core/Cargo.toml b/codex-rs/core/Cargo.toml
index 64b7330c3..fe7c2b5aa 100644
--- a/codex-rs/core/Cargo.toml
+++ b/codex-rs/core/Cargo.toml
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ anyhow = { workspace = true }
 arc-swap = "1.8.2"
 async-channel = { workspace = true }
 async-trait = { workspace = true }
-askama = { workspace = true }
 base64 = { workspace = true }
 bm25 = { workspace = true }
 chardetng = { workspace = true }
diff --git a/codex-rs/core/src/memories/prompts.rs b/codex-rs/core/src/memories/prompts.rs
index 9b341c1ff..9a3ea6a92 100644
--- a/codex-rs/core/src/memories/prompts.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/core/src/memories/prompts.rs
@@ -2,43 +2,18 @@ use crate::memories::memory_root;
 use crate::memories::phase_one;
 use crate::truncate::TruncationPolicy;
 use crate::truncate::truncate_text;
-use askama::Template;
 use codex_protocol::openai_models::ModelInfo;
 use std::path::Path;
 use tokio::fs;
-use tracing::warn;
 
-#[derive(Template)]
-#[template(path = "memories/consolidation.md", escape = "none")]
-struct ConsolidationPromptTemplate<'a> {
-    memory_root: &'a str,
-}
-
-#[derive(Template)]
-#[template(path = "memories/stage_one_input.md", escape = "none")]
-struct StageOneInputTemplate<'a> {
-    rollout_path: &'a str,
-    rollout_cwd: &'a str,
-    rollout_contents: &'a str,
-}
-
-#[derive(Template)]
-#[template(path = "memories/read_path.md", escape = "none")]
-struct MemoryToolDeveloperInstructionsTemplate<'a> {
-    base_path: &'a str,
-    memory_summary: &'a str,
-}
+const CONSOLIDATION_TEMPLATE: &str = include_str!("../../templates/memories/consolidation.md");
+const STAGE_ONE_INPUT_TEMPLATE: &str = include_str!("../../templates/memories/stage_one_input.md");
+const READ_PATH_TEMPLATE: &str = include_str!("../../templates/memories/read_path.md");
 
 /// Builds the consolidation subagent prompt for a specific memory root.
 pub(super) fn build_consolidation_prompt(memory_root: &Path) -> String {
     let memory_root = memory_root.display().to_string();
-    let template = ConsolidationPromptTemplate {
-        memory_root: &memory_root,
-    };
-    template.render().unwrap_or_else(|err| {
-        warn!("failed to render memories consolidation prompt template: {err}");
-        format!("## Memory Phase 2 (Consolidation)\nConsolidate Codex memories in: {memory_root}")
-    })
+    CONSOLIDATION_TEMPLATE.replace("{{ memory_root }}", &memory_root)
 }
 
 /// Builds the stage-1 user message containing rollout metadata and content.
@@ -65,12 +40,10 @@ pub(super) fn build_stage_one_input_message(
 
     let rollout_path = rollout_path.display().to_string();
     let rollout_cwd = rollout_cwd.display().to_string();
-    Ok(StageOneInputTemplate {
-        rollout_path: &rollout_path,
-        rollout_cwd: &rollout_cwd,
-        rollout_contents: &truncated_rollout_contents,
-    }
-    .render()?)
+    Ok(STAGE_ONE_INPUT_TEMPLATE
+        .replace("{{ rollout_path }}", &rollout_path)
+        .replace("{{ rollout_cwd }}", &rollout_cwd)
+        .replace("{{ rollout_contents }}", &truncated_rollout_contents))
 }
 
 /// Build prompt used for read path. This prompt must be added to the developer instructions. In
@@ -92,11 +65,11 @@ pub(crate) async fn build_memory_tool_developer_instructions(codex_home: &Path)
         return None;
     }
     let base_path = base_path.display().to_string();
-    let template = MemoryToolDeveloperInstructionsTemplate {
-        base_path: &base_path,
-        memory_summary: &memory_summary,
-    };
-    template.render().ok()
+    Some(
+        READ_PATH_TEMPLATE
+            .replace("{{ base_path }}", &base_path)
+            .replace("{{ memory_summary }}", &memory_summary),
+    )
 }
 
 #[cfg(test)]