diff --git a/lib/crates/fabro-config/src/lib.rs b/lib/crates/fabro-config/src/lib.rs
index 3f683b55e..cb1aca8b6 100644
--- a/lib/crates/fabro-config/src/lib.rs
+++ b/lib/crates/fabro-config/src/lib.rs
@@ -36,9 +36,8 @@ pub use load::{
 };
 pub use parse::{ParseError, parse_settings_layer};
 pub use resolve::{
-    ResolveError, dev_token_auth_enabled, resolve_cli, resolve_cli_from_file, resolve_features,
-    resolve_features_from_file, resolve_project, resolve_run, resolve_server,
-    resolve_server_from_file, resolve_workflow,
+    ResolveError, dev_token_auth_enabled, resolve_cli, resolve_features, resolve_project,
+    resolve_run, resolve_server, resolve_server_from_file, resolve_workflow,
 };
 use serde::de::DeserializeOwned;
 pub use storage::{RunScratch, RuntimeDirectory, Storage};
diff --git a/lib/crates/fabro-config/src/resolve/mod.rs b/lib/crates/fabro-config/src/resolve/mod.rs
index ab9af90ae..7f7800613 100644
--- a/lib/crates/fabro-config/src/resolve/mod.rs
+++ b/lib/crates/fabro-config/src/resolve/mod.rs
@@ -8,9 +8,7 @@ mod workflow;
 
 pub use cli::resolve_cli;
 pub use error::ResolveError;
-use fabro_types::settings::{
-    CliNamespace, FeaturesNamespace, InterpString, ServerNamespace, SettingsLayer,
-};
+use fabro_types::settings::{InterpString, ServerNamespace, SettingsLayer};
 pub use features::resolve_features;
 pub use project::resolve_project;
 pub use run::resolve_run;
@@ -19,13 +17,6 @@ pub use workflow::resolve_workflow;
 
 use crate::apply_builtin_defaults;
 
-pub fn resolve_cli_from_file(file: &SettingsLayer) -> Result<CliNamespace, Vec<ResolveError>> {
-    let layer = apply_builtin_defaults(file.clone());
-    let mut errors = Vec::new();
-    let value = resolve_cli(&layer.cli.clone().unwrap_or_default(), &mut errors);
-    finish(value, errors)
-}
-
 pub fn resolve_server_from_file(
     file: &SettingsLayer,
 ) -> Result<ServerNamespace, Vec<ResolveError>> {
@@ -35,15 +26,6 @@ pub fn resolve_server_from_file(
     finish(value, errors)
 }
 
-pub fn resolve_features_from_file(
-    file: &SettingsLayer,
-) -> Result<FeaturesNamespace, Vec<ResolveError>> {
-    let layer = apply_builtin_defaults(file.clone());
-    let mut errors = Vec::new();
-    let value = resolve_features(&layer.features.clone().unwrap_or_default(), &mut errors);
-    finish(value, errors)
-}
-
 pub(crate) fn require_interp(
     value: Option<&InterpString>,
     path: &str,
diff --git a/lib/crates/fabro-config/tests/resolve_cli.rs b/lib/crates/fabro-config/tests/resolve_cli.rs
index a9a54fad6..782505583 100644
--- a/lib/crates/fabro-config/tests/resolve_cli.rs
+++ b/lib/crates/fabro-config/tests/resolve_cli.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
     reason = "sync test fixture setup; not on a Tokio path"
 )]
 
-use fabro_config::{parse_settings_layer, resolve_cli_from_file};
+use fabro_config::{UserSettingsBuilder, parse_settings_layer};
 use fabro_types::settings::cli::{CliTargetSettings, OutputFormat, OutputVerbosity};
 use fabro_types::settings::run::AgentPermissions;
 use fabro_types::settings::{InterpString, SettingsLayer};
@@ -13,7 +13,9 @@ use temp_env::with_var;
 fn resolves_cli_defaults_from_empty_settings() {
     let settings = SettingsLayer::default();
 
-    let cli = resolve_cli_from_file(&settings).expect("empty settings should resolve");
+    let cli = UserSettingsBuilder::from_layer(&settings)
+        .expect("empty settings should resolve")
+        .cli;
 
     assert!(cli.target.is_none());
     assert_eq!(cli.output.format, OutputFormat::Text);
@@ -43,14 +45,12 @@ session_sandboxes = true
         .expect("user settings should resolve");
 
     assert_eq!(
-        user_settings.cli,
-        resolve_cli_from_file(&settings).expect("cli namespace should resolve")
-    );
-    assert_eq!(
-        user_settings.features,
-        fabro_config::resolve_features_from_file(&settings)
-            .expect("features namespace should resolve")
+        user_settings.cli.target,
+        Some(CliTargetSettings::Http {
+            url: InterpString::parse("https://config.example.com"),
+        })
     );
+    assert!(user_settings.features.session_sandboxes);
 }
 
 #[test]
@@ -128,7 +128,9 @@ level = "debug"
     )
     .expect("fixture should parse");
 
-    let cli = resolve_cli_from_file(&settings).expect("cli settings should resolve");
+    let cli = UserSettingsBuilder::from_layer(&settings)
+        .expect("cli settings should resolve")
+        .cli;
 
     let CliTargetSettings::Http { url } = cli.target.expect("target") else {
         panic!("expected http target");
diff --git a/lib/crates/fabro-config/tests/resolve_features.rs b/lib/crates/fabro-config/tests/resolve_features.rs
index 59c6a1740..6d8131707 100644
--- a/lib/crates/fabro-config/tests/resolve_features.rs
+++ b/lib/crates/fabro-config/tests/resolve_features.rs
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
-use fabro_config::{parse_settings_layer, resolve_features_from_file};
+use fabro_config::{UserSettingsBuilder, parse_settings_layer};
 use fabro_types::settings::SettingsLayer;
 
 #[test]
 fn resolves_features_defaults_from_empty_settings() {
     let settings = SettingsLayer::default();
 
-    let features = resolve_features_from_file(&settings).expect("empty settings should resolve");
+    let features = UserSettingsBuilder::from_layer(&settings)
+        .expect("empty settings should resolve")
+        .features;
 
     assert!(!features.session_sandboxes);
 }
@@ -22,7 +24,9 @@ session_sandboxes = true
     )
     .expect("fixture should parse");
 
-    let features = resolve_features_from_file(&settings).expect("features should resolve");
+    let features = UserSettingsBuilder::from_layer(&settings)
+        .expect("features should resolve")
+        .features;
 
     assert!(features.session_sandboxes);
 }
diff --git a/lib/crates/fabro-config/tests/resolve_server.rs b/lib/crates/fabro-config/tests/resolve_server.rs
index c8d172aa5..84a285006 100644
--- a/lib/crates/fabro-config/tests/resolve_server.rs
+++ b/lib/crates/fabro-config/tests/resolve_server.rs
@@ -94,16 +94,12 @@ session_sandboxes = true
 
     let context = fabro_config::ServerSettingsBuilder::from_layer(&settings)
         .expect("settings should resolve");
+    let user_settings = fabro_config::UserSettingsBuilder::from_layer(&settings)
+        .expect("user settings should resolve");
 
-    assert_eq!(
-        context.server,
-        fabro_config::resolve_server_from_file(&settings).expect("server namespace should resolve")
-    );
-    assert_eq!(
-        context.features,
-        fabro_config::resolve_features_from_file(&settings)
-            .expect("features namespace should resolve")
-    );
+    assert_eq!(context.server.storage.root.as_source(), "/srv/fabro");
+    assert!(context.features.session_sandboxes);
+    assert_eq!(context.features, user_settings.features);
 }
 
 #[test]