diff --git a/src/core/auto-approval/__tests__/checkAutoApproval.spec.ts b/src/core/auto-approval/__tests__/checkAutoApproval.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..87eba71872
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/core/auto-approval/__tests__/checkAutoApproval.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,165 @@
+import { describe, it, expect } from "vitest"
+import { checkAutoApproval } from "../index"
+
+describe("checkAutoApproval", () => {
+	describe("command auto-approval", () => {
+		it("should ask user when autoApprovalEnabled is false, even if alwaysAllowExecute is true", async () => {
+			const state = {
+				autoApprovalEnabled: false,
+				alwaysAllowExecute: true,
+				allowedCommands: ["*"],
+				deniedCommands: [],
+			}
+
+			const result = await checkAutoApproval({
+				state,
+				ask: "command",
+				text: "echo hello",
+			})
+
+			expect(result.decision).toBe("ask")
+		})
+
+		it("should ask user when alwaysAllowExecute is false, even if autoApprovalEnabled is true", async () => {
+			const state = {
+				autoApprovalEnabled: true,
+				alwaysAllowExecute: false,
+				allowedCommands: ["*"],
+				deniedCommands: [],
+			}
+
+			const result = await checkAutoApproval({
+				state,
+				ask: "command",
+				text: "echo hello",
+			})
+
+			expect(result.decision).toBe("ask")
+		})
+
+		it("should auto-approve when both autoApprovalEnabled and alwaysAllowExecute are true and command is allowed", async () => {
+			const state = {
+				autoApprovalEnabled: true,
+				alwaysAllowExecute: true,
+				allowedCommands: ["echo"],
+				deniedCommands: [],
+			}
+
+			const result = await checkAutoApproval({
+				state,
+				ask: "command",
+				text: "echo hello",
+			})
+
+			expect(result.decision).toBe("approve")
+		})
+
+		it("should auto-deny when both autoApprovalEnabled and alwaysAllowExecute are true but command is denied", async () => {
+			const state = {
+				autoApprovalEnabled: true,
+				alwaysAllowExecute: true,
+				allowedCommands: ["*"],
+				deniedCommands: ["rm"],
+			}
+
+			const result = await checkAutoApproval({
+				state,
+				ask: "command",
+				text: "rm -rf /",
+			})
+
+			expect(result.decision).toBe("deny")
+		})
+
+		it("should ask user when both autoApprovalEnabled and alwaysAllowExecute are true but command is not in allowlist", async () => {
+			const state = {
+				autoApprovalEnabled: true,
+				alwaysAllowExecute: true,
+				allowedCommands: ["echo", "ls"],
+				deniedCommands: [],
+			}
+
+			const result = await checkAutoApproval({
+				state,
+				ask: "command",
+				text: "cat /etc/passwd",
+			})
+
+			expect(result.decision).toBe("ask")
+		})
+
+		it("should ask user when no text is provided", async () => {
+			const state = {
+				autoApprovalEnabled: true,
+				alwaysAllowExecute: true,
+				allowedCommands: ["*"],
+				deniedCommands: [],
+			}
+
+			const result = await checkAutoApproval({
+				state,
+				ask: "command",
+				text: undefined,
+			})
+
+			expect(result.decision).toBe("ask")
+		})
+
+		it("should ask user when both flags are undefined", async () => {
+			const state = {
+				allowedCommands: ["*"],
+				deniedCommands: [],
+			}
+
+			const result = await checkAutoApproval({
+				state,
+				ask: "command",
+				text: "echo hello",
+			})
+
+			expect(result.decision).toBe("ask")
+		})
+
+		it("should ask user when state is undefined", async () => {
+			const result = await checkAutoApproval({
+				state: undefined,
+				ask: "command",
+				text: "echo hello",
+			})
+
+			expect(result.decision).toBe("ask")
+		})
+	})
+
+	describe("other ask types", () => {
+		it("should handle non-command asks normally when autoApprovalEnabled is true", async () => {
+			const state = {
+				autoApprovalEnabled: true,
+				alwaysAllowReadOnly: true,
+			}
+
+			const result = await checkAutoApproval({
+				state,
+				ask: "tool",
+				text: JSON.stringify({ tool: "readFile", path: "test.txt" }),
+			})
+
+			expect(result.decision).toBe("approve")
+		})
+
+		it("should ask for non-command asks when autoApprovalEnabled is false", async () => {
+			const state = {
+				autoApprovalEnabled: false,
+				alwaysAllowReadOnly: true,
+			}
+
+			const result = await checkAutoApproval({
+				state,
+				ask: "tool",
+				text: JSON.stringify({ tool: "readFile", path: "test.txt" }),
+			})
+
+			expect(result.decision).toBe("ask")
+		})
+	})
+})
diff --git a/src/core/auto-approval/index.ts b/src/core/auto-approval/index.ts
index 52677932ce..8b78e5d556 100644
--- a/src/core/auto-approval/index.ts
+++ b/src/core/auto-approval/index.ts
@@ -117,7 +117,9 @@ export async function checkAutoApproval({
 			return { decision: "ask" }
 		}
 
-		if (state.alwaysAllowExecute === true) {
+		// Only auto-approve commands if both autoApprovalEnabled AND alwaysAllowExecute are true
+		// This prevents commands from being executed without user consent when auto-approval is disabled
+		if (state.autoApprovalEnabled === true && state.alwaysAllowExecute === true) {
 			const decision = getCommandDecision(text, state.allowedCommands || [], state.deniedCommands || [])
 
 			if (decision === "auto_approve") {
@@ -128,6 +130,9 @@ export async function checkAutoApproval({
 				return { decision: "ask" }
 			}
 		}
+
+		// If auto-approval is disabled or alwaysAllowExecute is false, always ask the user
+		return { decision: "ask" }
 	}
 
 	if (ask === "tool") {