diff --git a/lib/crates/fabro-workflows/src/cli/run.rs b/lib/crates/fabro-workflows/src/cli/run.rs
index 2af8a063d..19a7007a5 100644
--- a/lib/crates/fabro-workflows/src/cli/run.rs
+++ b/lib/crates/fabro-workflows/src/cli/run.rs
@@ -367,7 +367,8 @@ pub async fn run_command(
 
     // Inline @file references in the (possibly overridden) goal
     if let Some(crate::graph::types::AttrValue::String(goal)) = graph.attrs.get("goal") {
-        let resolved = crate::transform::resolve_file_ref(goal, dot_dir);
+        let fallback = dirs::home_dir().map(|h| h.join(".fabro"));
+        let resolved = crate::transform::resolve_file_ref(goal, dot_dir, fallback.as_deref());
         if resolved != *goal {
             graph.attrs.insert(
                 "goal".to_string(),
diff --git a/lib/crates/fabro-workflows/src/transform.rs b/lib/crates/fabro-workflows/src/transform.rs
index edda439ef..0b906da40 100644
--- a/lib/crates/fabro-workflows/src/transform.rs
+++ b/lib/crates/fabro-workflows/src/transform.rs
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ impl Transform for ProviderInferenceTransform {
 /// If `value` starts with `@` and the referenced file exists locally, the file
 /// contents are returned (inlined). Otherwise the original value is returned
 /// unchanged.
-pub fn resolve_file_ref(value: &str, base_dir: &Path) -> String {
+pub fn resolve_file_ref(value: &str, base_dir: &Path, fallback_dir: Option<&Path>) -> String {
     let path_str = match value.strip_prefix('@') {
         Some(p) => p,
         None => return value.to_string(),
@@ -148,7 +148,8 @@ pub fn resolve_file_ref(value: &str, base_dir: &Path) -> String {
 
     // Build the raw path: expand ~ then resolve relative to base_dir
     let raw = Path::new(path_str);
-    let expanded = if raw.starts_with("~") {
+    let is_tilde = raw.starts_with("~");
+    let expanded = if is_tilde {
         match dirs::home_dir() {
             Some(home) => home.join(raw.strip_prefix("~").unwrap()),
             None => base_dir.join(path_str),
@@ -159,8 +160,22 @@ pub fn resolve_file_ref(value: &str, base_dir: &Path) -> String {
 
     // Canonicalize resolves `.`, `..`, symlinks, and checks existence
     let file_path = match expanded.canonicalize() {
-        Ok(p) if p.is_file() => p,
-        _ => return value.to_string(),
+        Ok(p) if p.is_file() => Some(p),
+        _ if !is_tilde => {
+            // Try fallback_dir for relative (non-tilde) paths
+            fallback_dir.and_then(|fb| {
+                let fallback_path = fb.join(path_str);
+                match fallback_path.canonicalize() {
+                    Ok(p) if p.is_file() => Some(p),
+                    _ => None,
+                }
+            })
+        }
+        _ => None,
+    };
+
+    let Some(file_path) = file_path else {
+        return value.to_string();
     };
 
     match std::fs::read_to_string(&file_path) {
@@ -175,21 +190,27 @@ pub fn resolve_file_ref(value: &str, base_dir: &Path) -> String {
 /// Inlines `@file` references in node prompts and the graph-level goal.
 pub struct FileInliningTransform {
     base_dir: PathBuf,
+    fallback_dir: Option<PathBuf>,
 }
 
 impl FileInliningTransform {
     #[must_use]
-    pub fn new(base_dir: PathBuf) -> Self {
-        Self { base_dir }
+    pub fn new(base_dir: PathBuf, fallback_dir: Option<PathBuf>) -> Self {
+        Self {
+            base_dir,
+            fallback_dir,
+        }
     }
 }
 
 impl Transform for FileInliningTransform {
     fn apply(&self, graph: &mut Graph) {
+        let fallback = self.fallback_dir.as_deref();
+
         // Inline @file refs in node prompts
         for node in graph.nodes.values_mut() {
             if let Some(AttrValue::String(prompt)) = node.attrs.get("prompt") {
-                let resolved = resolve_file_ref(prompt, &self.base_dir);
+                let resolved = resolve_file_ref(prompt, &self.base_dir, fallback);
                 if resolved != *prompt {
                     node.attrs
                         .insert("prompt".to_string(), AttrValue::String(resolved));
@@ -199,7 +220,7 @@ impl Transform for FileInliningTransform {
 
         // Inline @file refs in graph-level goal
         if let Some(AttrValue::String(goal)) = graph.attrs.get("goal") {
-            let resolved = resolve_file_ref(goal, &self.base_dir);
+            let resolved = resolve_file_ref(goal, &self.base_dir, fallback);
             if resolved != *goal {
                 graph
                     .attrs
@@ -698,14 +719,17 @@ mod tests {
     #[test]
     fn resolve_file_ref_passthrough_non_at() {
         let dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
-        assert_eq!(resolve_file_ref("hello world", dir.path()), "hello world");
+        assert_eq!(
+            resolve_file_ref("hello world", dir.path(), None),
+            "hello world"
+        );
     }
 
     #[test]
     fn resolve_file_ref_passthrough_missing_file() {
         let dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
         assert_eq!(
-            resolve_file_ref("@nonexistent.md", dir.path()),
+            resolve_file_ref("@nonexistent.md", dir.path(), None),
             "@nonexistent.md"
         );
     }
@@ -716,7 +740,7 @@ mod tests {
         std::fs::write(dir.path().join("prompt.md"), "inlined content").unwrap();
 
         assert_eq!(
-            resolve_file_ref("@prompt.md", dir.path()),
+            resolve_file_ref("@prompt.md", dir.path(), None),
             "inlined content"
         );
     }
@@ -764,7 +788,7 @@ mod tests {
         );
         graph.nodes.insert("work".to_string(), node);
 
-        let transform = FileInliningTransform::new(dir.path().to_path_buf());
+        let transform = FileInliningTransform::new(dir.path().to_path_buf(), None);
         transform.apply(&mut graph);
 
         assert_eq!(
@@ -792,7 +816,7 @@ mod tests {
         let dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
 
         assert_eq!(
-            resolve_file_ref("@~/.fabro_test_tilde_tmp", dir.path()),
+            resolve_file_ref("@~/.fabro_test_tilde_tmp", dir.path(), None),
             "tilde content"
         );
     }
@@ -804,8 +828,86 @@ mod tests {
         std::fs::create_dir(dir.path().join("subdir")).unwrap();
 
         assert_eq!(
-            resolve_file_ref("@subdir/../file.md", dir.path()),
+            resolve_file_ref("@subdir/../file.md", dir.path(), None),
             "dotdot content"
         );
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn resolve_file_ref_falls_back_to_fallback_dir() {
+        let base = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        let fallback = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        std::fs::write(fallback.path().join("shared.md"), "shared content").unwrap();
+
+        assert_eq!(
+            resolve_file_ref("@shared.md", base.path(), Some(fallback.path())),
+            "shared content"
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn resolve_file_ref_base_dir_takes_precedence_over_fallback() {
+        let base = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        let fallback = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        std::fs::write(base.path().join("prompt.md"), "base content").unwrap();
+        std::fs::write(fallback.path().join("prompt.md"), "fallback content").unwrap();
+
+        assert_eq!(
+            resolve_file_ref("@prompt.md", base.path(), Some(fallback.path())),
+            "base content"
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn resolve_file_ref_no_fallback_for_tilde_path() {
+        let base = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        let fallback = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        std::fs::write(fallback.path().join("file.md"), "fallback").unwrap();
+
+        // Tilde path to nonexistent file should return original value, not try fallback
+        let result = resolve_file_ref(
+            "@~/nonexistent_fabro_test.md",
+            base.path(),
+            Some(fallback.path()),
+        );
+        assert_eq!(result, "@~/nonexistent_fabro_test.md");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn resolve_file_ref_fallback_none_behaves_as_before() {
+        let base = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(
+            resolve_file_ref("@missing.md", base.path(), None),
+            "@missing.md"
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn file_inlining_transform_falls_back_to_fallback_dir() {
+        let base = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        let fallback = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        std::fs::write(fallback.path().join("shared.md"), "shared prompt").unwrap();
+
+        let mut graph = Graph::new("test");
+        let mut node = Node::new("work");
+        node.attrs.insert(
+            "prompt".to_string(),
+            AttrValue::String("@shared.md".to_string()),
+        );
+        graph.nodes.insert("work".to_string(), node);
+
+        let transform = FileInliningTransform::new(
+            base.path().to_path_buf(),
+            Some(fallback.path().to_path_buf()),
+        );
+        transform.apply(&mut graph);
+
+        assert_eq!(
+            graph.nodes["work"]
+                .attrs
+                .get("prompt")
+                .and_then(AttrValue::as_str),
+            Some("shared prompt")
+        );
+    }
 }
diff --git a/lib/crates/fabro-workflows/src/workflow.rs b/lib/crates/fabro-workflows/src/workflow.rs
index bfd9d85d9..256fa4c2f 100644
--- a/lib/crates/fabro-workflows/src/workflow.rs
+++ b/lib/crates/fabro-workflows/src/workflow.rs
@@ -65,7 +65,8 @@ impl WorkflowBuilder {
 
         // File inlining when base_dir is provided
         if let Some(dir) = base_dir {
-            FileInliningTransform::new(dir.to_path_buf()).apply(&mut graph);
+            let fallback = dirs::home_dir().map(|h| h.join(".fabro"));
+            FileInliningTransform::new(dir.to_path_buf(), fallback).apply(&mut graph);
         }
 
         // Custom transforms