diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index e205a8b..20a4354 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -8,6 +8,13 @@ semantic versioning.
 
 ### Fixed
 
+- `{hops}` and `{hops_label}` in a `[Keywords]` response now report the same hop count
+  a command response would for the same packet. The keyword formatter carried its own
+  implementation that consulted only `message.hops` and the path display string, so it
+  answered `?` whenever the count was known only from `routing_info`, and preferred a
+  stale path string over the packet's own `path_length` when both were present. All
+  three formatters now share `utils.message_hop_count`.
+
 - `pathbytes_min` no longer treats a direct message as a multi-byte path, so
   `{path_distance|pathbytes_min:2|prefix_if_nonempty: | Path Dist: }` stops printing
   `| Path Dist: N/A` on a hopless packet. `bytes_per_hop` describes how a path is
diff --git a/modules/utils.py b/modules/utils.py
index 0deb4cb..1c813ab 100644
--- a/modules/utils.py
+++ b/modules/utils.py
@@ -2455,26 +2455,16 @@ def format_keyword_response_with_placeholders(
             replacements['timestamp'] = time_str
             replacements['packet_hash'] = get_packet_hash_placeholder(message)
 
-            # Total hops: use message.hops when set, else parse from path string (e.g. "01,5f (2 hops)")
-            hops_val = getattr(message, 'hops', None)
-            if hops_val is not None and isinstance(hops_val, int):
-                replacements['hops'] = str(hops_val)
-            else:
-                path_str = message.path or ""
-                hop_match = re.search(r'\((\d+)\s*hops?', path_str, re.IGNORECASE)
-                if hop_match:
-                    replacements['hops'] = hop_match.group(1)
-                elif re.search(r'\bdirect\b|\b0\s*hops?\b', path_str, re.IGNORECASE):
-                    replacements['hops'] = "0"
-                else:
-                    replacements['hops'] = "?"
-            # Pluralized label: "1 hop", "2 hops", or "?" when unknown
-            h = replacements['hops']
-            if h == "?":
+            # Shared with BaseCommand.get_hops_display_values and the hops_min filter, so
+            # a keyword response and a command response report the same hop count for the
+            # same packet. "?" only when the count cannot be determined at all.
+            hops_val = message_hop_count(message)
+            if hops_val is None:
+                replacements['hops'] = "?"
                 replacements['hops_label'] = "?"
             else:
-                n = int(h)
-                replacements['hops_label'] = "1 hop" if n == 1 else f"{n} hops"
+                replacements['hops'] = str(hops_val)
+                replacements['hops_label'] = "1 hop" if hops_val == 1 else f"{hops_val} hops"
         else:
             # No message - use defaults for message-based placeholders
             replacements['sender'] = "Unknown"
diff --git a/tests/test_utils.py b/tests/test_utils.py
index fc0f168..70f0ef6 100644
--- a/tests/test_utils.py
+++ b/tests/test_utils.py
@@ -712,6 +712,54 @@ class TestFormatKeywordResponseWithPlaceholders:
             result = format_keyword_response_with_placeholders("{hops_label}", msg, bot)
         assert result == "3 hops"
 
+    def test_hops_prefers_routing_info_over_the_path_string(self):
+        """The keyword formatter used to parse only the path string, so it reported a
+        different hop count than the command formatter for the same packet."""
+        bot = self._bot()
+        msg = self._msg(hops=None, path="01 (1 hop)", routing_info={"path_length": 2})
+        with patch("modules.utils.calculate_path_distances", return_value=("", "")):
+            result = format_keyword_response_with_placeholders("{hops}|{hops_label}", msg, bot)
+        assert result == "2|2 hops"
+
+    def test_hops_falls_back_to_counting_routing_path_nodes(self):
+        bot = self._bot()
+        msg = self._msg(hops=None, routing_info={"path_nodes": ["01", "02", "03"]})
+        with patch("modules.utils.calculate_path_distances", return_value=("", "")):
+            result = format_keyword_response_with_placeholders("{hops}", msg, bot)
+        assert result == "3"
+
+    def test_hops_still_parses_the_path_string_without_routing_info(self):
+        bot = self._bot()
+        msg = self._msg(hops=None, path="01,5f (2 hops)")
+        with patch("modules.utils.calculate_path_distances", return_value=("", "")):
+            result = format_keyword_response_with_placeholders("{hops}|{hops_label}", msg, bot)
+        assert result == "2|2 hops"
+
+    def test_hops_is_unknown_only_when_nothing_can_be_determined(self):
+        bot = self._bot()
+        msg = self._msg(hops=None, path=None, routing_info=None)
+        with patch("modules.utils.calculate_path_distances", return_value=("", "")):
+            result = format_keyword_response_with_placeholders("{hops}|{hops_label}", msg, bot)
+        assert result == "?|?"
+
+    def test_hops_matches_the_command_formatter_for_the_same_message(self):
+        """One implementation, so a keyword reply and a command reply cannot disagree."""
+        from modules.commands.base_command import BaseCommand
+
+        bot = self._bot()
+        for kwargs in (
+            {"hops": 3},
+            {"hops": None, "routing_info": {"path_length": 2}},
+            {"hops": None, "path": "Direct"},
+            {"hops": None, "path": "01,5f (2 hops)"},
+            {"hops": None},
+        ):
+            msg = self._msg(**kwargs)
+            with patch("modules.utils.calculate_path_distances", return_value=("", "")):
+                keyword_hops = format_keyword_response_with_placeholders("{hops}", msg, bot)
+            command_hops, _ = BaseCommand.get_hops_display_values(Mock(), msg)
+            assert keyword_hops == command_hops, kwargs
+
     def test_connection_info_contains_snr_rssi(self):
         bot = self._bot()
         msg = self._msg(snr=12, rssi=-75)