diff --git a/hindsight-api/hindsight_api/api/http.py b/hindsight-api/hindsight_api/api/http.py
index e128de00..69bd685e 100644
--- a/hindsight-api/hindsight_api/api/http.py
+++ b/hindsight-api/hindsight_api/api/http.py
@@ -2363,6 +2363,23 @@ def _register_routes(app: FastAPI):
     ):
         """Create a mental model (async - returns operation_id)."""
         try:
+            # Pre-operation validation hook
+            validator = app.state.memory._operation_validator
+            if validator:
+                from hindsight_api.extensions.operation_validator import MentalModelRefreshContext
+
+                ctx = MentalModelRefreshContext(
+                    bank_id=bank_id,
+                    mental_model_id=None,  # Not yet created
+                    request_context=request_context,
+                )
+                validation = await validator.validate_mental_model_refresh(ctx)
+                if not validation.allowed:
+                    raise OperationValidationError(
+                        validation.reason or "Operation not allowed",
+                        status_code=validation.status_code,
+                    )
+
             # 1. Create the mental model with placeholder content
             mental_model = await app.state.memory.create_mental_model(
                 bank_id=bank_id,
@@ -2385,6 +2402,8 @@ def _register_routes(app: FastAPI):
             raise HTTPException(status_code=400, detail=str(e))
         except (AuthenticationError, HTTPException):
             raise
+        except OperationValidationError as e:
+            raise HTTPException(status_code=e.status_code, detail=e.reason)
         except Exception as e:
             import traceback
 
@@ -2407,6 +2426,23 @@ def _register_routes(app: FastAPI):
     ):
         """Refresh a mental model by re-running its source query (async)."""
         try:
+            # Pre-operation validation hook
+            validator = app.state.memory._operation_validator
+            if validator:
+                from hindsight_api.extensions.operation_validator import MentalModelRefreshContext
+
+                ctx = MentalModelRefreshContext(
+                    bank_id=bank_id,
+                    mental_model_id=mental_model_id,
+                    request_context=request_context,
+                )
+                validation = await validator.validate_mental_model_refresh(ctx)
+                if not validation.allowed:
+                    raise OperationValidationError(
+                        validation.reason or "Operation not allowed",
+                        status_code=validation.status_code,
+                    )
+
             result = await app.state.memory.submit_async_refresh_mental_model(
                 bank_id=bank_id,
                 mental_model_id=mental_model_id,
@@ -2417,6 +2453,8 @@ def _register_routes(app: FastAPI):
             raise HTTPException(status_code=404, detail=str(e))
         except (AuthenticationError, HTTPException):
             raise
+        except OperationValidationError as e:
+            raise HTTPException(status_code=e.status_code, detail=e.reason)
         except Exception as e:
             import traceback
 
diff --git a/hindsight-api/hindsight_api/extensions/__init__.py b/hindsight-api/hindsight_api/extensions/__init__.py
index 5a7dabeb..c5752831 100644
--- a/hindsight-api/hindsight_api/extensions/__init__.py
+++ b/hindsight-api/hindsight_api/extensions/__init__.py
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ from hindsight_api.extensions.operation_validator import (
     # Mental Model operations
     MentalModelGetContext,
     MentalModelGetResult,
+    MentalModelRefreshContext,
     MentalModelRefreshResult,
     # Core operations
     OperationValidationError,
@@ -72,6 +73,7 @@ __all__ = [
     # Operation Validator - Mental Model
     "MentalModelGetContext",
     "MentalModelGetResult",
+    "MentalModelRefreshContext",
     "MentalModelRefreshResult",
     # Tenant/Auth
     "ApiKeyTenantExtension",
diff --git a/hindsight-api/hindsight_api/extensions/operation_validator.py b/hindsight-api/hindsight_api/extensions/operation_validator.py
index 0b778ca7..e5b34557 100644
--- a/hindsight-api/hindsight_api/extensions/operation_validator.py
+++ b/hindsight-api/hindsight_api/extensions/operation_validator.py
@@ -210,6 +210,15 @@ class MentalModelGetContext:
     request_context: "RequestContext"
 
 
+@dataclass
+class MentalModelRefreshContext:
+    """Context for a mental model refresh/create operation validation (pre-operation)."""
+
+    bank_id: str
+    mental_model_id: str | None  # None for create (not yet assigned)
+    request_context: "RequestContext"
+
+
 @dataclass
 class MentalModelGetResult:
     """Result context for post-mental-model-GET hook."""
@@ -466,6 +475,23 @@ class OperationValidatorExtension(Extension, ABC):
         """
         return ValidationResult.accept()
 
+    async def validate_mental_model_refresh(self, ctx: MentalModelRefreshContext) -> ValidationResult:
+        """
+        Validate a mental model refresh/create operation before execution.
+
+        Override to implement custom validation logic for mental model refresh.
+
+        Args:
+            ctx: Context containing:
+                - bank_id: Bank identifier
+                - mental_model_id: Mental model identifier (None for create)
+                - request_context: Request context with auth info
+
+        Returns:
+            ValidationResult indicating whether the operation is allowed.
+        """
+        return ValidationResult.accept()
+
     # =========================================================================
     # Mental Model - Post-operation hooks (optional - override to implement)
     # =========================================================================