diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 9cafb35..fd551bc 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -62,10 +62,10 @@ profile: ## Run profile.sh (usage: make profile cmd="set design")
 profile-list: ## List skill profiles (design, dev, qa, audit, minimal)
 	@bash lib/profile.sh list
 
-profile-current: ## Detect which skill profile is currently active
+profile-current: ## Show the active profile (label + match)
 	@bash lib/profile.sh current
 
-profile-reset: ## Re-enable all gstack skills (undo any profile set)
+profile-reset: ## Go to the default profile (full)
 	@bash lib/profile.sh reset
 
 new-skill: ## Create a new skill scaffold (usage: make new-skill name=myskill)
diff --git a/agents/plugin-advisor.md b/agents/plugin-advisor.md
index 5ff0df1..02df5d6 100644
--- a/agents/plugin-advisor.md
+++ b/agents/plugin-advisor.md
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ Output: `COMPLEXITY: <score>% — <label>` with one-line justification.
 ```
 PLUGIN CHECK
 ACTIVE: [plugin — status, one line each]
-PROFILE: [active skill profile — name + match%, or "custom"]
+PROFILE: [active skill profile — name + match%, or "<name> (default — not applied yet …)"]
 SIGNALS: [detected signals]
 COMPLEXITY: <score>% — <simple|moderate|complex|enterprise>
 PLAN: <Max|Pro|Free (echoed from REQUEST) | unknown (not provided)> (budget: ~<N>t | n/a)
@@ -313,10 +313,9 @@ matching `profile set` command:
 | comprehensive audit (security + SEO + perf) | `audit` | `bash $HOME/.claude/lib/profile.sh set audit` |
 | narrow session, minimal noise | `minimal` | `bash $HOME/.claude/lib/profile.sh set minimal` |
 
-To restore the full skill set: `bash $HOME/.claude/lib/profile.sh reset`.
-Plugin state is NOT touched by reset — re-enable a managed plugin manually
-or by applying a profile that lists it (e.g. `apply web` to restore
-`ui-ux-pro-max`).
+To go back to the default profile: `bash $HOME/.claude/lib/profile.sh reset`
+(= `set full`: enables full's list, parks non-listed gstack/managed items,
+toggles the managed plugins like any `set`).
 
 ## BLOCK if
 
diff --git a/hooks/statusline.sh b/hooks/statusline.sh
index 8428a7b..5e76c84 100755
--- a/hooks/statusline.sh
+++ b/hooks/statusline.sh
@@ -20,12 +20,17 @@ BRANCH_STR="${BRANCH:+ ($BRANCH)}"
 
 REPO="$(cd -P "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/.." && pwd)"
 
+# Default profile — same constant as lib/profile.sh's active_profile(),
+# read without sourcing the lib (speed). Unreadable lib → literal fallback.
+DEFAULT_PROFILE=$(sed -n 's/^DEFAULT_PROFILE="\([^"]*\)".*/\1/p' "$REPO/lib/profile.sh" 2>/dev/null)
+[ -n "$DEFAULT_PROFILE" ] || DEFAULT_PROFILE=full
+
 # Active profile (written by lib/profile.sh set|apply|reset to <repo>/.active-profile).
 # Read directly — `profile.sh current` is 12s+ and unusable in a statusline.
-PROFILE="?"
-if [ -f "$REPO/.active-profile" ]; then
-  PROFILE=$(head -n1 "$REPO/.active-profile" | tr -d '[:space:]')
-  [ -z "$PROFILE" ] && PROFILE="?"
+# Cache absent/empty/legacy "none" (same rule as active_profile()) → default.
+PROFILE=$(head -n1 "$REPO/.active-profile" 2>/dev/null | tr -d '[:space:]')
+if [ -z "$PROFILE" ] || [ "$PROFILE" = "none" ]; then
+  PROFILE="$DEFAULT_PROFILE"
 fi
 
 # Effort level from settings.json (.effortLevel — set by /effort or manual edit).
diff --git a/lib/profile.sh b/lib/profile.sh
index 0e1f73b..dd831ca 100755
--- a/lib/profile.sh
+++ b/lib/profile.sh
@@ -26,10 +26,11 @@
 #   profile.sh list                  list available profiles
 #   profile.sh show <name>           show contents of a profile (grouped by type)
 #   profile.sh show <name> --plain   parsable type+name list (no status, no claude)
-#   profile.sh current               detect which profile is active
+#   profile.sh current               report the active profile (label + match)
 #   profile.sh apply <name>          enable items in profile (additive)
 #   profile.sh set <name>            enable only profile (disables rest)
-#   profile.sh reset                 re-enable all gstack skills + managed plugins
+#   profile.sh reset                 go to the default profile (full): enable its
+#                                    list, park non-listed gstack/managed items
 #   profile.sh gstack on|off         toggle gstack, keeping active-profile label
 #   profile.sh diff <a> <b>          compare two profiles
 #
@@ -52,6 +53,7 @@ DISABLED_DIR="$REPO/skills-disabled"
 GSTACK_SRC="$REPO/skills-external/gstack"  # gstack submodule — source of truth for gstack skills
 PROFILES_DIR="$REPO/lib/profiles"
 ACTIVE_CACHE="$REPO/.active-profile"  # statusline reads this — keep fast (single-line file, profile name only)
+DEFAULT_PROFILE="full"  # profile in force when none is selected (cache absent, empty, or legacy "none")
 
 # Plugins that are toggle-managed by `set`. Anything NOT in this list is
 # never auto-disabled — protects always-on plugins (security-guidance,
@@ -108,6 +110,26 @@ write_active() {
   printf '%s\n' "$name" > "$ACTIVE_CACHE" 2>/dev/null || true
 }
 
+# First line of the cache, all whitespace stripped (tr -d, CRLF-proof).
+# Empty string when the cache is missing or empty. Never trips
+# `set -euo pipefail` (head's failure on a missing file is absorbed).
+read_cache() {
+  head -n1 "$ACTIVE_CACHE" 2>/dev/null | tr -d '[:space:]' || true
+}
+
+# The profile actually in force: the cached label, or DEFAULT_PROFILE when
+# the cache is absent, empty, or the legacy "none" sentinel. The ONE place
+# that resolves "no profile selected" — every reader of the cache goes
+# through this (or read_cache() when it needs the raw value).
+active_profile() {
+  local cached; cached="$(read_cache)"
+  if [ -z "$cached" ] || [ "$cached" = "none" ]; then
+    printf '%s' "$DEFAULT_PROFILE"
+  else
+    printf '%s' "$cached"
+  fi
+}
+
 # ── Profile parsing ────────────────────────────────────────
 
 # Read a profile file. Output one line per entry: "<skill>\t<type>"
@@ -258,6 +280,25 @@ skill_status() {
   esac
 }
 
+# How much of one profile is actually available right now. An item counts
+# as available when its status is "enabled" (skills, plugins, MCPs) or
+# "installed" (CLIs). Echo: "<available> <total>" — total 0 for an empty
+# profile. Used by cmd_current to score the ACTIVE label only (BDR-030:
+# scanning every profile for a best guess doesn't apply — gstack is off by
+# default, so a parked count says nothing about which profile is on).
+profile_match() {
+  local prof="$1" skill type status
+  local total=0 available=0
+  while IFS=$'\t' read -r skill type; do
+    total=$((total + 1))
+    status="$(skill_status "$skill" "$type")"
+    case "$status" in
+      enabled|installed) available=$((available + 1)) ;;
+    esac
+  done < <(read_profile "$prof")
+  printf '%d %d\n' "$available" "$total"
+}
+
 # ── Enable / disable ──────────────────────────────────────
 
 enable_skill() {
@@ -585,39 +626,37 @@ cmd_set() {
 }
 
 cmd_reset() {
-  info "Re-enabling all gstack skills (move skills-disabled/gstack__* back)"
-  enable_all_gstack
-  info "Plugin state NOT touched. To re-enable a managed plugin disabled by 'set',"
-  info "run: claude plugin enable <name>@<marketplace>  (or: profile apply <profile>)"
-  write_active "none"
+  info "Resetting to the default profile: $DEFAULT_PROFILE (exclusive — enables its list, parks any non-listed gstack or managed item currently on)"
+  cmd_set "$DEFAULT_PROFILE"
 }
 
 # gstack on|off — focused gstack-only toggle that keeps the active-profile
-# label intact (unlike reset, which clears it to "none"). Lets the user
-# layer all gstack on top of their current profile, or trim it back down
-# to just what the active profile needs.
+# label intact (unlike reset, which switches to the default profile). Lets
+# the user layer all gstack on top of their current profile, or trim it
+# back down to just what the active profile needs.
 cmd_gstack() {
   local action="${1:-}"
   case "$action" in
     on)
-      # Re-enable ALL gstack skills, but DON'T touch active-profile — the
+      # Restore whatever is parked, but DON'T touch active-profile — the
       # user is adding gstack on top of their current profile, not clearing it.
       local parked
       parked="$(parked_gstack_count)"
       if [ "$parked" -eq 0 ]; then
-        info "all gstack skills already enabled"
+        info "nothing parked — gstack skills are linked per profile (set/apply/reset)"
       else
         enable_all_gstack
-        ok "all gstack enabled ($parked skills restored)"
+        ok "$parked parked gstack skills restored"
       fi
       ;;
     off)
-      # Disable gstack skills not needed by the active profile. Needs a real
-      # active profile to know what to keep.
+      # Disable gstack skills not needed by the active profile. A cache
+      # naming a profile with no lib/profiles/<name>.profile still errors;
+      # absent/empty/"none" resolve to the default profile via
+      # active_profile() and no longer hit that error.
       local active
-      active="$(head -n1 "$ACTIVE_CACHE" 2>/dev/null || echo none)"
-      [ -z "$active" ] && active="none"
-      if [ "$active" = "none" ] || [ ! -f "$PROFILES_DIR/$active.profile" ]; then
+      active="$(active_profile)"
+      if [ ! -f "$PROFILES_DIR/$active.profile" ]; then
         err "no active profile — 'gstack off' needs one to know what to keep"
         info "run: bash lib/profile.sh set <name>   then: gstack off"
         return 1
@@ -640,48 +679,27 @@ EOF
 }
 
 cmd_current() {
-  # A profile is "active" only if (a) most of its skills are enabled AND
-  # (b) at least one non-listed gstack skill is currently disabled (i.e. a
-  # `set` has actually been applied). Without (b), every profile reports
-  # 100% trivially because the full gstack is on.
-  local disabled_count=0
-  if [ -d "$DISABLED_DIR" ]; then
-    disabled_count=$(find "$DISABLED_DIR" -maxdepth 1 -name 'gstack__*' 2>/dev/null | wc -l | tr -d ' ')
-  fi
-  if [ "$disabled_count" -eq 0 ]; then
-    echo "none (all gstack skills enabled — no profile set)"
+  # Label-driven (BDR-030): name active_profile() and score ONLY that
+  # profile — no cross-profile best-guess scan, no fast path keyed on the
+  # parked-gstack count (that count says nothing about which profile is on
+  # when gstack starts off, as it does on a real tree).
+  local label; label="$(active_profile)"
+  if [ ! -f "$PROFILES_DIR/$label.profile" ]; then
+    echo "$label (unknown profile — no lib/profiles/$label.profile; run: profile reset)"
     return 0
   fi
-  # Pick the profile with the highest "available" ratio. An item counts as
-  # available when its status is "enabled" (skills, plugins, MCPs) or
-  # "installed" (CLIs). On ties, the profile with the larger total wins
-  # — superset profiles describe state more completely than subsets.
-  local f name total available score skill type status
-  local best="" best_score=0 best_total=0
-  for f in "$PROFILES_DIR"/*.profile; do
-    [ -f "$f" ] || continue
-    name="$(basename "$f" .profile)"
-    total=0; available=0
-    while IFS=$'\t' read -r skill type; do
-      total=$((total + 1))
-      status="$(skill_status "$skill" "$type")"
-      case "$status" in
-        enabled|installed) available=$((available + 1)) ;;
-      esac
-    done < <(read_profile "$name")
-    [ "$total" -eq 0 ] && continue
-    score=$((available * 100 / total))
-    if [ "$score" -gt "$best_score" ] || \
-       { [ "$score" -eq "$best_score" ] && [ "$total" -gt "$best_total" ]; }; then
-      best_score="$score"
-      best_total="$total"
-      best="$name"
-    fi
-  done
-  if [ -n "$best" ] && [ "$best_score" -ge 80 ]; then
-    echo "$best (${best_score}% match, $disabled_count gstack skills disabled)"
+
+  local available total pct
+  read -r available total <<<"$(profile_match "$label")"
+  pct=0
+  [ "$total" -gt 0 ] && pct=$((available * 100 / total))
+  local parked; parked="$(parked_gstack_count)"
+
+  local cached; cached="$(read_cache)"
+  if [ -z "$cached" ] || [ "$cached" = "none" ]; then
+    echo "$label (default — not applied yet, ${pct}% of its items enabled; run: profile reset)"
   else
-    echo "custom (best guess: ${best:-none} ${best_score}%, $disabled_count gstack skills disabled)"
+    echo "$label (${pct}% match, $parked gstack skills disabled)"
   fi
 }
 
@@ -708,10 +726,11 @@ USAGE:
   profile list              list all available profiles
   profile show <name>       show profile contents grouped by type + status
   profile show <name> --plain  parsable type+name list (no status, no claude)
-  profile current           detect which profile is currently active
+  profile current           report the active profile (label + match)
   profile apply <name>      enable skills in profile (additive)
   profile set <name>        enable only listed skills (disables rest of gstack)
-  profile reset             re-enable all gstack skills
+  profile reset             go to the default profile (full): enable its list,
+                            park non-listed gstack/managed items
   profile gstack on|off     toggle gstack only, keep active-profile label
   profile diff <a> <b>      compare two profiles
 
@@ -731,7 +750,7 @@ EXAMPLES:
   bash lib/profile.sh show design
   bash lib/profile.sh set design       # only design skills active
   bash lib/profile.sh apply qa         # add QA skills on top
-  bash lib/profile.sh reset            # restore everything
+  bash lib/profile.sh reset            # back to the default profile (full)
 
 NOTE:
   "set" toggles the MANAGED items automatically, both ways: plugins
diff --git a/lib/tests/profile-default.test.sh b/lib/tests/profile-default.test.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ffeae75
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/tests/profile-default.test.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,131 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# lib/tests/profile-default.test.sh — default profile (full) when nothing is
+# selected: `current` is label-driven (BDR-030 — gstack starts off, so a
+# parked count says nothing about which profile is on), `reset` lands on
+# DEFAULT_PROFILE, `gstack off` resolves the default through active_profile(),
+# and hooks/statusline.sh falls back to the same constant. Covers contract
+# criteria 2/3/4/5. Hermetic: fixture repo via *_REPO_OVERRIDE + fake `claude`
+# on PATH — same harness as profile-set-managed.test.sh.
+set -u
+ROOT="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")/../.." && pwd)"
+pass=0; fail=0
+check() { if [ "$2" = "$3" ]; then pass=$((pass+1)); else fail=$((fail+1));
+  printf 'FAIL %s: got[%s] want[%s]\n' "$1" "$2" "$3"; fi; }
+check_has() { case "$2" in *"$3"*) pass=$((pass+1));; *) fail=$((fail+1));
+  printf 'FAIL %s: [%s] does not contain [%s]\n' "$1" "$2" "$3";; esac; }
+check_not() { case "$2" in *"$3"*) fail=$((fail+1));
+  printf 'FAIL %s: [%s] unexpectedly contains [%s]\n' "$1" "$2" "$3";; *) pass=$((pass+1));; esac; }
+
+FX="$(mktemp -d)"; trap 'rm -rf "$FX"' EXIT
+mkdir -p "$FX/skills" "$FX/skills-disabled" "$FX/lib/profiles" "$FX/bin" \
+  "$FX/hooks" "$FX/skills-external/emil-design-eng"
+for g in gs-a gs-b gs-c; do
+  mkdir -p "$FX/skills-external/gstack/$g"
+  touch "$FX/skills-external/gstack/$g/SKILL.md"
+done
+cp "$ROOT/lib/profile.sh" "$ROOT/lib/toggle-external.sh" "$FX/lib/"
+cp "$ROOT/hooks/statusline.sh" "$FX/hooks/"
+
+cat > "$FX/lib/profiles/full.profile" <<'EOF'
+gs-a
+gs-b
+emil-design-eng   external
+EOF
+cat > "$FX/lib/profiles/otherish.profile" <<'EOF'
+gs-c
+EOF
+
+# Fake claude: logs every call, prints nothing — skill_status greps for
+# "✔ enabled" and finds nothing, so every managed plugin reads back
+# "disabled" and set/reset never touch real plugin state.
+cat > "$FX/bin/claude" <<EOF
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+FX="$FX"
+echo "\$*" >> "\$FX/claude-calls.log"
+exit 0
+EOF
+chmod +x "$FX/bin/claude"
+
+run() { PATH="$FX/bin:$PATH" PROFILE_REPO_OVERRIDE="$FX" \
+  TOGGLE_EXTERNAL_REPO_OVERRIDE="$FX" bash "$FX/lib/profile.sh" "$@"; }
+statusline() { echo '{}' | bash "$FX/hooks/statusline.sh"; }
+first_word() { printf '%s' "${1%% *}"; }
+
+# --- T1: clean seed, no cache — current names the default, "not applied" ---
+out="$(run current)"
+check     T1-first-word     "$(first_word "$out")" full
+check_has T1-not-applied    "$out" "default — not applied yet"
+check_not T1-no-all-gstack  "$out" "all gstack"
+
+# --- T2: clean seed, no cache — gstack off is a clean no-op (rc 0) ---
+run gstack off >/dev/null 2>&1; rc=$?
+check T2-rc "$rc" 0
+
+# --- T2b: one gstack skill manually linked, no cache — off parks just it ---
+ln -s "$FX/skills-external/gstack/gs-c" "$FX/skills/gs-c"
+run gstack off >/dev/null 2>&1; rc=$?
+check T2b-rc         "$rc" 0
+check T2b-gsc-parked "$([ -e "$FX/skills-disabled/gstack__gs-c" ] && echo p || echo n)" p
+check T2b-gsa-absent "$([ -e "$FX/skills/gs-a" ] && echo on || echo off)" off
+rm -rf "$FX/skills-disabled/gstack__gs-c"   # back to the clean seed
+
+# --- T3: cache "none" (CRLF) — off is still a clean no-op ---
+printf 'none\r\n' > "$FX/.active-profile"
+run gstack off >/dev/null 2>&1; rc=$?
+check T3-rc "$rc" 0
+
+# --- T4: cache names an unknown profile — off errors, current says so ---
+printf 'ghost\n' > "$FX/.active-profile"
+run gstack off >/dev/null 2>&1; rc=$?
+check T4-rc "$rc" 1
+out="$(run current)"
+check     T4-first-word "$(first_word "$out")" ghost
+check_has T4-unknown     "$out" "unknown profile"
+
+# --- T5: reset lands on the default profile, exclusively ---
+run reset >/dev/null 2>&1
+check T5-cache   "$(cat "$FX/.active-profile" 2>/dev/null)" full
+check T5-gsa-on  "$([ -e "$FX/skills/gs-a" ] && echo on || echo off)" on
+check T5-gsb-on  "$([ -e "$FX/skills/gs-b" ] && echo on || echo off)" on
+check T5-gsc-off "$([ -e "$FX/skills/gs-c" ] && echo on || echo off)" off
+check T5-emil-on "$([ -e "$FX/skills/emil-design-eng" ] && echo on || echo off)" on
+out="$(run current)"
+check     T5-first-word  "$(first_word "$out")" full
+check_has T5-match        "$out" "100% match"
+check_not T5-not-applied  "$out" "not applied"
+
+# --- T6: current is label-driven even for a gstack-only profile ---
+run set otherish >/dev/null 2>&1
+out="$(run current)"
+check T6-first-word "$(first_word "$out")" otherish
+run reset >/dev/null 2>&1
+check T6-gsc-parked "$([ -e "$FX/skills-disabled/gstack__gs-c" ] && echo p || echo n)" p
+check T6-gsa-on     "$([ -e "$FX/skills/gs-a" ] && echo on || echo off)" on
+check T6-cache      "$(cat "$FX/.active-profile" 2>/dev/null)" full
+
+# --- T7: gstack on restores parked skills, keeps the profile label ---
+run set otherish >/dev/null 2>&1
+run gstack on >/dev/null 2>&1
+out="$(run current)"
+check     T7-first-word "$(first_word "$out")" otherish
+check_not T7-no-default "$out" "default"
+
+# --- T8-T11: statusline fallback + constant read ---
+rm -f "$FX/.active-profile"
+out="$(statusline)"
+check_has T8-full "$out" "profile: full"
+
+printf 'otherish\n' > "$FX/.active-profile"
+out="$(statusline)"
+check_has T9-otherish "$out" "profile: otherish"
+
+printf '  none \r' > "$FX/.active-profile"
+out="$(statusline)"
+check_has T10-full "$out" "profile: full"
+
+sed -i 's/^DEFAULT_PROFILE="full"/DEFAULT_PROFILE="otherish"/' "$FX/lib/profile.sh"
+rm -f "$FX/.active-profile"
+out="$(statusline)"
+check_has T11-otherish "$out" "profile: otherish"
+
+printf 'PASS=%s FAIL=%s\n' "$pass" "$fail"; [ "$fail" -eq 0 ]
diff --git a/lib/toggle-external.sh b/lib/toggle-external.sh
index a18774a..f51be4b 100755
--- a/lib/toggle-external.sh
+++ b/lib/toggle-external.sh
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 # audit skills, etc.) instead of all-or-nothing gstack toggling, use:
 #   bash lib/profile.sh list
 #   bash lib/profile.sh set <design|dev|qa|audit|minimal>
-#   bash lib/profile.sh reset
+#   bash lib/profile.sh reset       # back to the default profile (full)
 # ============================================================
 set -euo pipefail
 
diff --git a/skills/profile/SKILL.md b/skills/profile/SKILL.md
index fbc0c16..582a34e 100644
--- a/skills/profile/SKILL.md
+++ b/skills/profile/SKILL.md
@@ -72,6 +72,12 @@ auto-touched. gstack works the same
 all the way down: a profile listing gstack skills while the whole pack is
 off (via `toggle-external.sh`) re-enables JUST those skills on demand.
 
+**Default profile**: `full` is in force whenever `.active-profile` is
+absent, empty, or the legacy `none` (statusline, `current`, `gstack off`,
+`reset` all resolve it the same way). `reset` applies it (`set full`,
+exclusive); a fresh `make plugin` applies it too when nothing has ever
+been selected.
+
 ## Commands
 
 ```bash
@@ -81,7 +87,7 @@ bash "$HOME/.claude/lib/profile.sh" list
 # Show profile contents + per-skill status
 bash "$HOME/.claude/lib/profile.sh" show <name>
 
-# Detect which profile is currently active
+# Report the active profile (label + match %)
 bash "$HOME/.claude/lib/profile.sh" current
 
 # Enable skills in profile (additive — keeps others enabled)
@@ -90,11 +96,11 @@ bash "$HOME/.claude/lib/profile.sh" apply <name>
 # Enable only skills in profile (disables non-listed gstack skills)
 bash "$HOME/.claude/lib/profile.sh" set <name>
 
-# Re-enable every gstack skill (undo any set/apply) — resets active label to "none"
+# Go to the default profile (full) — exclusive, same as `set full`
 bash "$HOME/.claude/lib/profile.sh" reset
 
 # Toggle gstack only, keeping the active-profile label intact
-bash "$HOME/.claude/lib/profile.sh" gstack on    # re-enable ALL gstack on top of current profile
+bash "$HOME/.claude/lib/profile.sh" gstack on    # restore parked gstack skills on top of the current profile
 bash "$HOME/.claude/lib/profile.sh" gstack off   # disable gstack skills not in the active profile
 
 # Compare two profiles
@@ -119,16 +125,18 @@ bash "$HOME/.claude/lib/profile.sh" $ARGUMENTS
 | `lib/profile.sh` absent (foreign machine, links broken) | `test -f "$HOME/.claude/lib/profile.sh"` before any verb; missing → propose `bash link.sh` from the config repo | STOP — never hand-move symlinks to emulate the script |
 | Unknown profile name (rc=1, `✗ Profile not found`) | Show `list` output + the closest existing name ("`desing` → did you mean `design`?") | Let the user pick — never guess-and-`set` |
 | Unknown verb (rc=1 + usage) | Re-map the request to the argument-hint verbs, retry once | Show usage, ask |
-| `set`/`apply` exits nonzero MID-TOGGLE (permission, plugin CLI failure) | State may be PARTIAL. Run `current` to show what actually took; name the failed item from the script's output | Offer `reset` as recovery to a known state; never blind-rerun `set` on top of partial state |
+| `set`/`apply` exits nonzero MID-TOGGLE (permission, plugin CLI failure) | State may be PARTIAL. Run `current` to show what actually took; name the failed item from the script's output | run `current`, then re-run `set <name>` or `reset` (both are full exclusive applies, not an always-safe undo) |
 | Plugin/MCP leg fails (marketplace/network) while symlink leg succeeded | Report the split state explicitly + print the manual `claude plugin`/`claude mcp` command for the failed leg | — |
-| `current` says `none` right after a successful `set <name>` | Contradiction — do not trust either; show the raw script output to the user | Known failure family (BLK: symlink resolution in `cmd_current`) — report, don't hand-patch |
+| `current` names a profile other than the one just set | Cache (`.active-profile`) was written by another tool or hand-edited — show the raw script output to the user | Never hand-patch `.active-profile` — re-run `set <name>` (or `reset`) to force it back |
 
 ## Output policy
 
 - After `set` / `apply` / `reset` / `gstack on|off`: show the count of skills
   moved + tell the user to start a new Claude session to pick up the changes
   (Claude scans `skills/` at session start).
-- After `current`: report the active profile + match percentage.
+- After `current`: report the active profile + match %; `default — not
+  applied yet` means the default profile is in force but not yet applied —
+  point the user at `reset`.
 - After `show`: render the grouped output directly — no extra commentary unless
   the user asks.