diff --git a/core/wren/src/wren/cli.py b/core/wren/src/wren/cli.py
index 1e1cfa006..27ffd58a7 100644
--- a/core/wren/src/wren/cli.py
+++ b/core/wren/src/wren/cli.py
@@ -127,6 +127,55 @@ def _load_conn(
     return {}
 
 
+def _resolve_engine_profile(mdl: str | None) -> tuple[str | None, dict]:
+    """Resolve the connection profile for project-context CLI commands.
+
+    Project detection is decoupled from ``--mdl`` shape: ``--mdl`` is a pure
+    "which MDL artifact to load" override, project context is determined
+    independently by walking up from the MDL path (when it's a real file)
+    AND from cwd. Active profile is reserved for the case where neither
+    discovery finds a project — preventing ``--mdl <base64>`` or
+    ``--mdl /external.json`` from silently bypassing cwd's pin.
+    """
+    from wren.profile import (  # noqa: PLC0415
+        get_active_profile,
+        resolve_profile_for_project,
+    )
+
+    project_path = _discover_project_for_engine(mdl)
+    if project_path is None:
+        return get_active_profile()
+    return resolve_profile_for_project(project_path)
+
+
+def _discover_project_for_engine(mdl: str | None) -> Path | None:
+    """Find the project root for engine commands. Returns ``None`` if no
+    project context exists anywhere (caller should fall back to active).
+
+    Resolution order:
+      1. If ``--mdl`` is a real file, walk up its directory tree looking
+         for ``wren_project.yml``. ``<project>/target/mdl.json`` is a build
+         default, not a contract — users may keep MDL elsewhere.
+      2. Otherwise (``--mdl`` is base64, points outside a project, or is
+         absent), discover from cwd.
+    """
+    if mdl is not None:
+        mdl_path = Path(mdl).expanduser()
+        if mdl_path.exists() and mdl_path.is_file():
+            for parent in mdl_path.resolve().parents:
+                if (parent / "wren_project.yml").exists():
+                    return parent
+                if parent == Path.home() or parent == parent.parent:
+                    break
+
+    try:
+        from wren.context import discover_project_path  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+        return discover_project_path()
+    except SystemExit:
+        return None
+
+
 def _resolve_datasource(conn_dict: dict, explicit: str | None = None) -> str:
     """Return datasource from explicit arg or connection dict.
 
@@ -160,15 +209,15 @@ def _build_engine(
 
     manifest_str = _load_manifest(_require_mdl(mdl))
 
-    # Try active profile when no explicit connection flags given
+    # Try project-pinned profile (or fall back to active) when no explicit
+    # connection flags given.
     if not connection_info and not connection_file:
         from wren.profile import (  # noqa: PLC0415
             MissingSecretError,
             expand_profile_secrets,
-            get_active_profile,
         )
 
-        prof_name, prof_dict = get_active_profile()
+        prof_name, prof_dict = _resolve_engine_profile(mdl)
         if prof_dict:
             prof_ds = prof_dict.pop("datasource", None)
             ds_str = datasource or prof_ds
@@ -419,15 +468,18 @@ def dry_plan(
 
     manifest_str = _load_manifest(_require_mdl(mdl))
 
-    # Try active profile when no explicit flags given
+    # Try project-pinned profile (or fall back to active) when no explicit
+    # connection flags given.
     if datasource is None and connection_file is None:
-        from wren.profile import get_active_profile  # noqa: PLC0415
-
-        _prof_name, prof_dict = get_active_profile()
+        _prof_name, prof_dict = _resolve_engine_profile(mdl)
         if prof_dict:
             prof_ds = prof_dict.pop("datasource", None)
             if prof_ds is None:
-                typer.echo("Error: no datasource in active profile.", err=True)
+                typer.echo(
+                    "Error: no datasource in resolved profile "
+                    "(project-pinned or active).",
+                    err=True,
+                )
                 raise typer.Exit(1)
             try:
                 ds = DataSource(prof_ds.lower())
diff --git a/core/wren/src/wren/context.py b/core/wren/src/wren/context.py
index d5df83b9f..1706cb875 100644
--- a/core/wren/src/wren/context.py
+++ b/core/wren/src/wren/context.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import yaml
 
 _WREN_HOME = Path(os.environ.get("WREN_HOME", Path.home() / ".wren"))
 _DEFAULT_PROJECT = _WREN_HOME / "project"
-_PROJECT_FILE = "wren_project.yml"
+PROJECT_FILE = "wren_project.yml"
 _TARGET_DIR = "target"
 _TARGET_FILE = "mdl.json"
 
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ def discover_project_path(explicit: str | None = None) -> Path:
     # 3. Walk up from cwd looking for wren_project.yml
     current = Path.cwd()
     for parent in [current, *current.parents]:
-        if (parent / _PROJECT_FILE).exists():
+        if (parent / PROJECT_FILE).exists():
             return parent
         # Stop at home or root
         if parent == Path.home() or parent == parent.parent:
@@ -375,12 +375,46 @@ def discover_project_path(explicit: str | None = None) -> Path:
 
 def load_project_config(project_path: Path) -> dict:
     """Load wren_project.yml and return as dict."""
-    config_file = project_path / _PROJECT_FILE
+    config_file = project_path / PROJECT_FILE
     if not config_file.exists():
         return {}
     return yaml.safe_load(config_file.read_text()) or {}
 
 
+# Field order preferred when writing wren_project.yml back from a dict —
+# keeps the file readable for humans even after CLI commands rewrite it.
+# Anything not in this list is appended in dict-iteration order at the end.
+_PROJECT_FIELD_ORDER = (
+    "schema_version",
+    "name",
+    "version",
+    "catalog",
+    "schema",
+    "data_source",
+    "profile",
+)
+
+
+def save_project_config(project_path: Path, config: dict) -> None:
+    """Write ``wren_project.yml`` with a stable field ordering.
+
+    Drops YAML comments — round-tripping with comments would require
+    ``ruamel.yaml`` which isn't a dependency. The file is rewritten by
+    set-profile / upgrade-style commands; comments are init-template only.
+    """
+    ordered: dict = {}
+    for key in _PROJECT_FIELD_ORDER:
+        if key in config:
+            ordered[key] = config[key]
+    for key, value in config.items():
+        if key not in ordered:
+            ordered[key] = value
+
+    (project_path / PROJECT_FILE).write_text(
+        yaml.safe_dump(ordered, default_flow_style=False, sort_keys=False)
+    )
+
+
 _SUPPORTED_SCHEMA_VERSIONS = {1, 2, 3}
 
 # schema_version → layoutVersion mapping for the engine
@@ -419,7 +453,7 @@ def get_schema_version(project_path: Path) -> int:
         return int(raw)
     except (TypeError, ValueError):
         raise SystemExit(
-            f"Error: invalid schema_version {raw!r} in {_PROJECT_FILE}. Expected an integer."
+            f"Error: invalid schema_version {raw!r} in {PROJECT_FILE}. Expected an integer."
         )
 
 
@@ -428,7 +462,7 @@ def require_schema_version(project_path: Path) -> int:
     sv = get_schema_version(project_path)
     if sv not in _SUPPORTED_SCHEMA_VERSIONS:
         raise SystemExit(
-            f"Error: unsupported schema_version {sv} in {_PROJECT_FILE}. "
+            f"Error: unsupported schema_version {sv} in {PROJECT_FILE}. "
             "Please upgrade wren CLI."
         )
     return sv
@@ -658,7 +692,7 @@ def validate_project(project_path: Path) -> list[ValidationError]:
     if not config:
         errors.append(
             ValidationError(
-                "error", _PROJECT_FILE, f"'{_PROJECT_FILE}' not found or empty"
+                "error", PROJECT_FILE, f"'{PROJECT_FILE}' not found or empty"
             )
         )
     else:
@@ -666,7 +700,7 @@ def validate_project(project_path: Path) -> list[ValidationError]:
             if not config.get(required):
                 errors.append(
                     ValidationError(
-                        "error", _PROJECT_FILE, f"missing required field '{required}'"
+                        "error", PROJECT_FILE, f"missing required field '{required}'"
                     )
                 )
         raw_sv = config.get("schema_version", 1)
@@ -676,7 +710,7 @@ def validate_project(project_path: Path) -> list[ValidationError]:
             errors.append(
                 ValidationError(
                     "error",
-                    _PROJECT_FILE,
+                    PROJECT_FILE,
                     f"schema_version must be an integer, got {raw_sv!r}",
                 )
             )
@@ -685,12 +719,12 @@ def validate_project(project_path: Path) -> list[ValidationError]:
             errors.append(
                 ValidationError(
                     "error",
-                    _PROJECT_FILE,
+                    PROJECT_FILE,
                     f"unsupported schema_version {sv} — please upgrade wren CLI",
                 )
             )
 
-    if any(e.path == _PROJECT_FILE and "schema_version" in e.message for e in errors):
+    if any(e.path == PROJECT_FILE and "schema_version" in e.message for e in errors):
         return errors
 
     # Load data (snake_case)
@@ -979,7 +1013,7 @@ def plan_upgrade(
         to_version=target,
         files_created=files_created,
         files_deleted=files_deleted,
-        files_modified=[_PROJECT_FILE],
+        files_modified=[PROJECT_FILE],
     )
 
 
@@ -1036,7 +1070,7 @@ def apply_upgrade(project_path: Path, result: UpgradeResult) -> None:
     # Update wren_project.yml
     config = load_project_config(project_path)
     config["schema_version"] = result.to_version
-    config_file = project_path / _PROJECT_FILE
+    config_file = project_path / PROJECT_FILE
     config_file.write_text(yaml.dump(config, default_flow_style=False, sort_keys=False))
 
 
diff --git a/core/wren/src/wren/context_cli.py b/core/wren/src/wren/context_cli.py
index d6339f394..3f2b73869 100644
--- a/core/wren/src/wren/context_cli.py
+++ b/core/wren/src/wren/context_cli.py
@@ -90,7 +90,9 @@ def init(
         return
 
     # ── Scaffold empty project (existing behavior) ────────────
-    project_file = project_path / "wren_project.yml"
+    from wren.context import PROJECT_FILE  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+    project_file = project_path / PROJECT_FILE
     agents_file = project_path / "AGENTS.md"
     queries_file = project_path / "queries.yml"
     conflicts = [f for f in (project_file, agents_file, queries_file) if f.exists()]
@@ -288,6 +290,7 @@ def validate(
     # ── Semantic validation (dry-plan + description checks) ──────────────
     sem_errors: list[str] = []
     sem_warnings: list[str] = []
+    config: dict = {}
     try:
         config = load_project_config(project_path)
         ds_str = config.get("data_source", "")
@@ -301,6 +304,30 @@ def validate(
     except Exception as e:
         sem_errors = [f"Semantic validation failed: {e}"]
 
+    # ── Profile binding check ─────────────────────────────────────────────
+    # Pinned profile that no longer exists → warning (or error in --strict).
+    # No pin at all → friendly info hint pointing to `set-profile`.
+    profile_pin = config.get("profile") if isinstance(config, dict) else None
+    if isinstance(profile_pin, str) and profile_pin.strip():
+        # Guard the lookup: if profiles.yml itself is unreadable / malformed,
+        # the user shouldn't see a raw traceback — surface it as a warning so
+        # validate can still report the rest.
+        try:
+            from wren.profile import list_profiles  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+            registered = list_profiles()
+        except Exception as profile_exc:
+            sem_warnings.append(
+                f"could not check pinned profile '{profile_pin}': {profile_exc}"
+            )
+        else:
+            if profile_pin.strip() not in registered:
+                sem_warnings.append(
+                    f"project pins profile '{profile_pin}' but it doesn't "
+                    "exist in ~/.wren/profiles.yml. "
+                    "Run `wren context set-profile <name>` to rebind."
+                )
+
     if sem_errors:
         typer.echo("\nSemantic errors:")
         for msg in sem_errors:
@@ -313,6 +340,21 @@ def validate(
     has_hard_error = bool(struct_hard or sem_errors)
     has_warning = bool(all_warnings)
 
+    # No-pin info hint — surface whenever validation has no hard errors,
+    # regardless of warning count. Gating it on a pristine project (the old
+    # behavior) hid the nudge from the users most likely to need it: anyone
+    # actively working through warnings. Placed BEFORE the exit raise so the
+    # hint is still visible under --strict (where warnings become exit 1).
+    # Hard errors still suppress so error output stays focused on the blocker.
+    no_pin = not (isinstance(profile_pin, str) and profile_pin.strip())
+    if no_pin and not has_hard_error:
+        typer.echo(
+            "\nNote: no profile bound to this project. Connection will fall "
+            "back to the\n"
+            "  globally active profile in ~/.wren/profiles.yml.\n"
+            "  Run `wren context set-profile <name>` to pin one explicitly."
+        )
+
     if has_hard_error or (strict and has_warning):
         raise typer.Exit(1)
 
@@ -521,6 +563,101 @@ def instructions(
         typer.echo(content)
 
 
+@context_app.command(name="set-profile")
+def set_profile(
+    name: Annotated[str, typer.Argument(help="Profile name to bind to this project.")],
+    path: ProjectPathOpt = None,
+) -> None:
+    """Bind a connection profile to this project.
+
+    Writes ``profile: <name>`` and ``data_source: <profile.datasource>`` into
+    ``wren_project.yml``. Future CLI commands and the SDK use the bound
+    profile regardless of which profile is globally active.
+    """
+    from wren.context import (  # noqa: PLC0415
+        discover_project_path,
+        load_project_config,
+        save_project_config,
+    )
+    from wren.profile import list_profiles  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+    try:
+        project_path = discover_project_path(path)
+    except SystemExit as e:
+        typer.echo(str(e), err=True)
+        raise typer.Exit(1)
+
+    # discover_project_path() with explicit --path returns it un-checked, so
+    # confirm the project actually exists before binding a profile to nothing.
+    from wren.context import PROJECT_FILE  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+    if not (project_path / PROJECT_FILE).exists():
+        typer.echo(
+            f"Error: no {PROJECT_FILE} found at {project_path}.\n"
+            "  Run `wren context init` to scaffold a project first.",
+            err=True,
+        )
+        raise typer.Exit(1)
+
+    try:
+        profiles = list_profiles()
+    except Exception as exc:
+        typer.echo(
+            f"Error: could not read ~/.wren/profiles.yml: {exc}",
+            err=True,
+        )
+        raise typer.Exit(1)
+
+    if name not in profiles:
+        avail = ", ".join(sorted(profiles)) or "(none)"
+        typer.echo(
+            f"Error: profile '{name}' not found in ~/.wren/profiles.yml.\n"
+            f"  Available profiles: {avail}\n"
+            f"  Run `wren profile add {name} --datasource <ds>` to create it.",
+            err=True,
+        )
+        raise typer.Exit(1)
+
+    new_ds = profiles[name].get("datasource")
+    if not new_ds:
+        typer.echo(
+            f"Error: profile '{name}' has no datasource field. "
+            "Edit ~/.wren/profiles.yml or recreate it via `wren profile add`.",
+            err=True,
+        )
+        raise typer.Exit(1)
+
+    config = load_project_config(project_path)
+    old_ds = config.get("data_source")
+    config["profile"] = name
+    config["data_source"] = new_ds
+    try:
+        save_project_config(project_path, config)
+    except OSError as exc:
+        typer.echo(
+            f"Error: could not write {project_path / PROJECT_FILE}: {exc}",
+            err=True,
+        )
+        raise typer.Exit(1)
+
+    project_name = config.get("name") or "<unnamed>"
+    typer.echo(f"✓ Bound profile '{name}' to project {project_name}")
+    typer.echo(f"  profile:     {name}")
+    if old_ds and old_ds != new_ds:
+        typer.echo(f"  data_source: {old_ds} -> {new_ds}")
+    else:
+        typer.echo(f"  data_source: {new_ds}")
+
+    # Stale-MDL warning: if datasource changed AND a built manifest already
+    # exists, it was emitted for the previous dialect and queries will break
+    # against the new connection until the user rebuilds.
+    if old_ds and old_ds != new_ds and (project_path / "target" / "mdl.json").exists():
+        typer.echo(
+            f"\n⚠ MDL was built for {old_ds}. Run `wren context build` "
+            "to regenerate before querying."
+        )
+
+
 @context_app.command()
 def upgrade(
     path: ProjectPathOpt = None,
diff --git a/core/wren/src/wren/profile.py b/core/wren/src/wren/profile.py
index 0a94cb8f5..948a21196 100644
--- a/core/wren/src/wren/profile.py
+++ b/core/wren/src/wren/profile.py
@@ -214,6 +214,56 @@ def get_active_profile() -> tuple[str | None, dict]:
     return name, dict(profiles.get(name, {}))
 
 
+def resolve_profile_for_project(project_path: Path) -> tuple[str | None, dict]:
+    """Resolve the connection profile for a given project.
+
+    Resolution order:
+      1. ``profile:`` field in ``<project>/wren_project.yml`` (if non-empty)
+      2. Global active profile in ``~/.wren/profiles.yml``
+
+    Returns ``(name, profile_dict)``. Returns ``(None, {})`` if neither a
+    project pin nor a global active profile is set.
+
+    Raises ``SystemExit`` when the project pins a profile name that does not
+    exist in profiles.yml — fail loudly because the user explicitly bound
+    a profile that's no longer there.
+    """
+    project_yml = project_path / "wren_project.yml"
+    pinned_name: str | None = None
+    if project_yml.exists():
+        try:
+            config = yaml.safe_load(project_yml.read_text()) or {}
+        except yaml.YAMLError as exc:
+            # Fail loudly: a malformed project file shouldn't silently fall
+            # back to the global active profile — that risks running against
+            # the wrong database.
+            raise SystemExit(
+                f"Error: invalid YAML in {project_yml}: {exc}\n"
+                "  Fix the file or run `wren context init --force` to "
+                "rescaffold."
+            ) from exc
+        if isinstance(config, dict):
+            value = config.get("profile")
+            if isinstance(value, str) and value.strip():
+                pinned_name = value.strip()
+
+    if pinned_name is None:
+        return get_active_profile()
+
+    data = _load_raw()
+    profiles = data.get("profiles", {})
+    if pinned_name not in profiles:
+        available = ", ".join(sorted(profiles)) or "(none)"
+        raise SystemExit(
+            f"Error: project pins profile '{pinned_name}' but it doesn't exist "
+            f"in {_PROFILES_FILE}.\n"
+            f"Available profiles: {available}.\n"
+            "Run `wren context set-profile <name>` to rebind, or "
+            f"`wren profile add {pinned_name}` to recreate the missing profile."
+        )
+    return pinned_name, dict(profiles[pinned_name])
+
+
 def add_profile(name: str, profile: dict, *, activate: bool = False) -> None:
     """Add or overwrite a named profile."""
     data = _load_raw()
diff --git a/core/wren/tests/test_profile.py b/core/wren/tests/test_profile.py
index dd9ece1c0..830e95757 100644
--- a/core/wren/tests/test_profile.py
+++ b/core/wren/tests/test_profile.py
@@ -145,6 +145,94 @@ def test_resolve_no_profile():
     assert conn == {}
 
 
+# ── resolve_profile_for_project ───────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+
+def _write_project(project_path: Path, **fields) -> None:
+    """Write a minimal wren_project.yml with the given fields."""
+    project_path.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    config = {
+        "schema_version": 3,
+        "name": "test_proj",
+        "version": "1.0",
+        "catalog": "wren",
+        "schema": "public",
+        "data_source": "duckdb",
+    }
+    config.update(fields)
+    (project_path / "wren_project.yml").write_text(yaml.safe_dump(config))
+
+
+def test_resolve_profile_for_project_uses_pinned_profile(tmp_path: Path):
+    profile_mod.add_profile("project_a", {"datasource": "duckdb", "path": "/a"})
+    profile_mod.add_profile("project_b", {"datasource": "postgres", "host": "x"})
+    profile_mod.switch_profile("project_a")  # active != pinned
+
+    proj = tmp_path / "myproj"
+    _write_project(proj, profile="project_b")
+
+    name, prof = profile_mod.resolve_profile_for_project(proj)
+    assert name == "project_b"
+    assert prof["datasource"] == "postgres"
+    assert prof["host"] == "x"
+
+
+def test_resolve_profile_for_project_falls_back_to_active(tmp_path: Path):
+    profile_mod.add_profile("active_one", {"datasource": "duckdb", "path": "/x"})
+    proj = tmp_path / "myproj"
+    _write_project(proj)  # no `profile:` field
+
+    name, prof = profile_mod.resolve_profile_for_project(proj)
+    assert name == "active_one"
+    assert prof["datasource"] == "duckdb"
+
+
+def test_resolve_profile_for_project_raises_when_pinned_missing(tmp_path: Path):
+    profile_mod.add_profile("real", {"datasource": "duckdb"})
+    proj = tmp_path / "myproj"
+    _write_project(proj, profile="ghost")  # ghost doesn't exist
+
+    with pytest.raises(SystemExit) as exc:
+        profile_mod.resolve_profile_for_project(proj)
+    assert "ghost" in str(exc.value)
+    assert "real" in str(exc.value)  # available profiles listed
+
+
+def test_resolve_profile_for_project_returns_empty_when_no_pin_no_active(
+    tmp_path: Path,
+):
+    proj = tmp_path / "myproj"
+    _write_project(proj)  # no profile field, no profiles.yml setup
+    name, prof = profile_mod.resolve_profile_for_project(proj)
+    assert name is None
+    assert prof == {}
+
+
+def test_resolve_profile_for_project_raises_on_malformed_yaml(tmp_path: Path):
+    """A broken wren_project.yml should fail loudly, not silently fall back to
+    the global active profile — the latter risks targeting the wrong DB."""
+    proj = tmp_path / "myproj"
+    proj.mkdir()
+    (proj / "wren_project.yml").write_text("schema_version: 3\nname: [unclosed\n")
+
+    with pytest.raises(SystemExit) as exc:
+        profile_mod.resolve_profile_for_project(proj)
+    msg = str(exc.value).lower()
+    assert "wren_project.yml" in msg or "yaml" in msg
+
+
+def test_resolve_profile_for_project_treats_empty_profile_field_as_unset(
+    tmp_path: Path,
+):
+    profile_mod.add_profile("active_one", {"datasource": "duckdb"})
+    proj = tmp_path / "myproj"
+    _write_project(proj, profile="")  # explicitly empty
+
+    name, prof = profile_mod.resolve_profile_for_project(proj)
+    # Should fall back to active, not error on empty pin
+    assert name == "active_one"
+
+
 # ── Round-trip persistence ────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 
diff --git a/core/wren/tests/unit/test_cli_profile_resolve.py b/core/wren/tests/unit/test_cli_profile_resolve.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c2ade91ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/wren/tests/unit/test_cli_profile_resolve.py
@@ -0,0 +1,196 @@
+"""Unit tests for cli._resolve_engine_profile — the project-aware profile lookup
+used by dry-plan and dry-run. Behavior is backward-compatible when a project
+has no `profile:` field (falls back to global active)."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from pathlib import Path
+
+import pytest
+import yaml
+
+import wren.profile as profile_mod
+from wren.cli import _resolve_engine_profile
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
+def isolated_profiles(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    """Redirect all profile I/O to a temp directory."""
+    profiles_file = tmp_path / "profiles.yml"
+    monkeypatch.setattr(profile_mod, "_WREN_HOME", tmp_path)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(profile_mod, "_PROFILES_FILE", profiles_file)
+    return profiles_file
+
+
+def _write_project(project_dir: Path, **fields) -> Path:
+    project_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    config = {
+        "schema_version": 3,
+        "name": "test_proj",
+        "version": "1.0",
+        "catalog": "wren",
+        "schema": "public",
+        "data_source": "duckdb",
+    }
+    config.update(fields)
+    (project_dir / "wren_project.yml").write_text(yaml.safe_dump(config))
+    target = project_dir / "target"
+    target.mkdir(exist_ok=True)
+    mdl = target / "mdl.json"
+    mdl.write_text("{}")
+    return mdl
+
+
+def test_resolve_engine_profile_prefers_project_pin_when_mdl_given(
+    tmp_path, monkeypatch
+):
+    """--mdl <project>/target/mdl.json + project pins profile B → returns B."""
+    profile_mod.add_profile("active_a", {"datasource": "duckdb", "path": "/a"})
+    profile_mod.add_profile("pinned_b", {"datasource": "postgres", "host": "b"})
+    # active is A but project pins B
+    profile_mod.switch_profile("active_a")
+
+    mdl = _write_project(tmp_path / "myproj", profile="pinned_b")
+
+    name, prof = _resolve_engine_profile(str(mdl))
+    assert name == "pinned_b"
+    assert prof["datasource"] == "postgres"
+
+
+def test_resolve_engine_profile_falls_back_to_active_when_no_pin(
+    tmp_path, monkeypatch
+):
+    """No `profile:` field → falls back to global active."""
+    profile_mod.add_profile("active_only", {"datasource": "duckdb"})
+    mdl = _write_project(tmp_path / "myproj")  # no profile field
+
+    name, prof = _resolve_engine_profile(str(mdl))
+    assert name == "active_only"
+    assert prof["datasource"] == "duckdb"
+
+
+def test_resolve_engine_profile_uses_cwd_when_mdl_none(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    """No --mdl → discover from cwd."""
+    profile_mod.add_profile("via_cwd", {"datasource": "mysql", "host": "y"})
+    profile_mod.add_profile("global_active", {"datasource": "postgres"})
+    profile_mod.switch_profile("global_active")
+
+    proj = tmp_path / "myproj"
+    _write_project(proj, profile="via_cwd")
+    monkeypatch.chdir(proj)
+
+    name, prof = _resolve_engine_profile(None)
+    assert name == "via_cwd"
+    assert prof["datasource"] == "mysql"
+
+
+def test_resolve_engine_profile_falls_back_when_no_project_at_cwd(
+    tmp_path, monkeypatch
+):
+    """No --mdl and cwd not in any project → global active."""
+    profile_mod.add_profile("only", {"datasource": "duckdb"})
+    monkeypatch.chdir(tmp_path)  # tmp_path has no wren_project.yml
+
+    name, prof = _resolve_engine_profile(None)
+    assert name == "only"
+
+
+def test_resolve_engine_profile_falls_back_when_mdl_not_a_file(tmp_path):
+    """--mdl is a base64 string (not a file path) → cannot resolve project,
+    falls back to global active without crashing."""
+    profile_mod.add_profile("only", {"datasource": "duckdb"})
+
+    name, prof = _resolve_engine_profile("base64stringthatisnotapath==")
+    assert name == "only"
+
+
+def test_resolve_engine_profile_raises_when_pinned_profile_missing(
+    tmp_path, monkeypatch
+):
+    """Project pins a profile that doesn't exist → SystemExit (loud failure)."""
+    profile_mod.add_profile("real", {"datasource": "duckdb"})
+    mdl = _write_project(tmp_path / "myproj", profile="ghost")
+
+    with pytest.raises(SystemExit):
+        _resolve_engine_profile(str(mdl))
+
+
+def test_resolve_engine_profile_uses_cwd_pin_when_mdl_is_base64(
+    tmp_path, monkeypatch
+):
+    """--mdl as a base64 string must NOT silently bypass cwd's project pin —
+    that would re-introduce the silent-mismatch problem this PR is closing."""
+    profile_mod.add_profile("active_one", {"datasource": "postgres"})
+    profile_mod.add_profile("cwd_pin", {"datasource": "duckdb"})
+    profile_mod.switch_profile("active_one")
+
+    proj = tmp_path / "myproj"
+    _write_project(proj, profile="cwd_pin")
+    monkeypatch.chdir(proj)
+
+    name, prof = _resolve_engine_profile("base64stringthatisnotapath==")
+    assert name == "cwd_pin"
+    assert prof["datasource"] == "duckdb"
+
+
+def test_resolve_engine_profile_uses_cwd_pin_when_mdl_outside_project(
+    tmp_path, monkeypatch
+):
+    """--mdl pointing to a file outside any project must still let cwd's
+    pin win, so users can test external MDL artifacts against the bound DB."""
+    profile_mod.add_profile("active_one", {"datasource": "postgres"})
+    profile_mod.add_profile("cwd_pin", {"datasource": "duckdb"})
+    profile_mod.switch_profile("active_one")
+
+    proj = tmp_path / "myproj"
+    _write_project(proj, profile="cwd_pin")
+    monkeypatch.chdir(proj)
+
+    external = tmp_path / "external.json"
+    external.write_text("{}")
+
+    name, prof = _resolve_engine_profile(str(external))
+    assert name == "cwd_pin"
+
+
+def test_resolve_engine_profile_walks_up_from_nonstandard_mdl_layout(
+    tmp_path, monkeypatch
+):
+    """--mdl doesn't have to sit at <project>/target/mdl.json. Anywhere
+    inside the project tree should resolve via walk-up — the current
+    parent.parent shortcut hard-codes a layout that's just a build default."""
+    # Use distinct active vs pinned profiles so the test actually exercises
+    # walk-up rather than vacuously matching whatever active happens to be.
+    profile_mod.add_profile("not_this_one", {"datasource": "postgres"})
+    profile_mod.add_profile("via_walk_up", {"datasource": "duckdb"})
+    profile_mod.switch_profile("not_this_one")
+
+    proj = tmp_path / "myproj"
+    proj.mkdir()
+    import yaml as _yaml  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+    (proj / "wren_project.yml").write_text(
+        _yaml.safe_dump(
+            {
+                "schema_version": 3,
+                "name": "test_proj",
+                "version": "1.0",
+                "catalog": "wren",
+                "schema": "public",
+                "data_source": "duckdb",
+                "profile": "via_walk_up",
+            }
+        )
+    )
+
+    # MDL several levels deep, not at <proj>/target/mdl.json
+    deep = proj / "build" / "dist" / "artifacts"
+    deep.mkdir(parents=True)
+    mdl = deep / "manifest.json"
+    mdl.write_text("{}")
+
+    name, prof = _resolve_engine_profile(str(mdl))
+    assert name == "via_walk_up", (
+        "Walk-up didn't find wren_project.yml; resolver still relies on the "
+        "parent.parent shortcut."
+    )
diff --git a/core/wren/tests/unit/test_context_cli.py b/core/wren/tests/unit/test_context_cli.py
index 437b6884e..86d95860e 100644
--- a/core/wren/tests/unit/test_context_cli.py
+++ b/core/wren/tests/unit/test_context_cli.py
@@ -347,3 +347,491 @@ def test_upgrade_cli_explicit_to_version(tmp_path):
 
     config = yaml.safe_load((tmp_path / "wren_project.yml").read_text())
     assert config["schema_version"] == 2
+
+
+# ── wren context set-profile ──────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+
+def _isolate_profiles(home_dir: Path, monkeypatch) -> None:
+    """Redirect ~/.wren profile I/O to ``home_dir`` for the duration of a test."""
+    import wren.profile as profile_mod  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+    home_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(profile_mod, "_WREN_HOME", home_dir)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(profile_mod, "_PROFILES_FILE", home_dir / "profiles.yml")
+
+
+def _invoke_ok(args):
+    """Run the CLI and assert exit_code 0. Use for setup invocations so a
+    failed scaffold/init is surfaced immediately instead of masking the
+    real assertion failure later in the test."""
+    result = runner.invoke(app, args)
+    assert result.exit_code == 0, result.output
+    return result
+
+
+def test_set_profile_writes_profile_field(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    import wren.profile as profile_mod  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+    _isolate_profiles(tmp_path / "wren-home", monkeypatch)
+    profile_mod.add_profile("loans_local", {"datasource": "duckdb"})
+
+    proj = tmp_path / "myproj"
+    _invoke_ok(["context", "init", "--empty", "--path", str(proj)])
+
+    result = runner.invoke(
+        app, ["context", "set-profile", "loans_local", "--path", str(proj)]
+    )
+    assert result.exit_code == 0, result.output
+
+    import yaml  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+    config = yaml.safe_load((proj / "wren_project.yml").read_text())
+    assert config["profile"] == "loans_local"
+    assert config["data_source"] == "duckdb"
+
+
+def test_set_profile_overwrites_placeholder_data_source(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    """init writes `data_source: postgres` placeholder; set-profile overwrites it
+    with the bound profile's datasource (no --force needed for first bind)."""
+    import wren.profile as profile_mod  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+    _isolate_profiles(tmp_path / "wren-home", monkeypatch)
+    profile_mod.add_profile("duck_one", {"datasource": "duckdb"})
+
+    proj = tmp_path / "myproj"
+    _invoke_ok(["context", "init", "--empty", "--path", str(proj)])
+
+    result = runner.invoke(
+        app, ["context", "set-profile", "duck_one", "--path", str(proj)]
+    )
+    assert result.exit_code == 0, result.output
+
+    import yaml  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+    config = yaml.safe_load((proj / "wren_project.yml").read_text())
+    assert config["data_source"] == "duckdb"
+
+
+def test_set_profile_rebind_overwrites(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    """Re-binding from X to Y: both profile and data_source update."""
+    import wren.profile as profile_mod  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+    _isolate_profiles(tmp_path / "wren-home", monkeypatch)
+    profile_mod.add_profile("X", {"datasource": "postgres"})
+    profile_mod.add_profile("Y", {"datasource": "duckdb"})
+
+    proj = tmp_path / "myproj"
+    _invoke_ok(["context", "init", "--empty", "--path", str(proj)])
+    _invoke_ok(["context", "set-profile", "X", "--path", str(proj)])
+
+    result = runner.invoke(
+        app, ["context", "set-profile", "Y", "--path", str(proj)]
+    )
+    assert result.exit_code == 0, result.output
+
+    import yaml  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+    config = yaml.safe_load((proj / "wren_project.yml").read_text())
+    assert config["profile"] == "Y"
+    assert config["data_source"] == "duckdb"
+
+
+def test_set_profile_errors_when_profile_not_found(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    import wren.profile as profile_mod  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+    _isolate_profiles(tmp_path / "wren-home", monkeypatch)
+    profile_mod.add_profile("real", {"datasource": "duckdb"})
+
+    proj = tmp_path / "myproj"
+    _invoke_ok(["context", "init", "--empty", "--path", str(proj)])
+
+    result = runner.invoke(
+        app, ["context", "set-profile", "ghost", "--path", str(proj)]
+    )
+    assert result.exit_code != 0
+    assert "ghost" in result.output
+    assert "real" in result.output  # available profiles listed in error
+
+
+def test_set_profile_errors_cleanly_when_list_profiles_fails(
+    tmp_path, monkeypatch
+):
+    """If list_profiles() raises (e.g. malformed profiles.yml), set-profile
+    should exit cleanly with an error message — not crash with a traceback."""
+    proj = tmp_path / "myproj"
+    _invoke_ok(["context", "init", "--empty", "--path", str(proj)])
+
+    import wren.profile as profile_mod  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+    def _broken(*_args, **_kwargs):
+        raise OSError("simulated permission denied")
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(profile_mod, "list_profiles", _broken)
+
+    result = runner.invoke(
+        app, ["context", "set-profile", "anything", "--path", str(proj)]
+    )
+    assert result.exit_code != 0
+    assert not isinstance(result.exception, OSError), (
+        f"OSError leaked from list_profiles(): {result.exception!r}"
+    )
+
+
+def test_set_profile_errors_cleanly_when_save_fails(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    """If save_project_config() fails (disk full / permission denied),
+    set-profile should exit with a clean error rather than a traceback."""
+    import wren.profile as profile_mod  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+    _isolate_profiles(tmp_path / "wren-home", monkeypatch)
+    profile_mod.add_profile("real", {"datasource": "duckdb"})
+
+    proj = tmp_path / "myproj"
+    _invoke_ok(["context", "init", "--empty", "--path", str(proj)])
+
+    import wren.context as context_mod  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+    def _broken_save(*_args, **_kwargs):
+        raise OSError("disk full")
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(context_mod, "save_project_config", _broken_save)
+
+    result = runner.invoke(
+        app, ["context", "set-profile", "real", "--path", str(proj)]
+    )
+    assert result.exit_code != 0
+    assert not isinstance(result.exception, OSError), (
+        f"OSError leaked from save_project_config(): {result.exception!r}"
+    )
+
+
+def test_set_profile_errors_when_profile_has_no_datasource(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    """The third validation gate in set_profile — profile exists but has
+    no datasource field — exits non-zero with a helpful message."""
+    import wren.profile as profile_mod  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+    _isolate_profiles(tmp_path / "wren-home", monkeypatch)
+    profile_mod.add_profile("incomplete", {})  # no datasource key
+
+    proj = tmp_path / "myproj"
+    _invoke_ok(["context", "init", "--empty", "--path", str(proj)])
+
+    result = runner.invoke(
+        app, ["context", "set-profile", "incomplete", "--path", str(proj)]
+    )
+    assert result.exit_code != 0
+    assert "datasource" in result.output.lower()
+
+
+def test_set_profile_errors_when_no_project(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    import wren.profile as profile_mod  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+    _isolate_profiles(tmp_path / "wren-home", monkeypatch)
+    profile_mod.add_profile("real", {"datasource": "duckdb"})
+
+    empty_dir = tmp_path / "no-project"
+    empty_dir.mkdir()
+
+    result = runner.invoke(
+        app, ["context", "set-profile", "real", "--path", str(empty_dir)]
+    )
+    assert result.exit_code != 0
+    assert "wren_project.yml" in result.output
+
+
+def test_set_profile_preserves_other_fields(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    """Binding doesn't touch unrelated fields (name, catalog, schema, schema_version)."""
+    import wren.profile as profile_mod  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+    _isolate_profiles(tmp_path / "wren-home", monkeypatch)
+    profile_mod.add_profile("duck", {"datasource": "duckdb"})
+
+    proj = tmp_path / "myproj"
+    _invoke_ok(["context", "init", "--empty", "--path", str(proj)])
+
+    result = runner.invoke(
+        app, ["context", "set-profile", "duck", "--path", str(proj)]
+    )
+    assert result.exit_code == 0, result.output
+
+    import yaml  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+    config = yaml.safe_load((proj / "wren_project.yml").read_text())
+    assert config["name"] == "my_project"
+    assert config["catalog"] == "wren"
+    assert config["schema"] == "public"
+    assert config["schema_version"] == 3
+
+
+def test_set_profile_preserves_custom_fields(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    """Unknown / custom fields in wren_project.yml must survive set-profile.
+    save_project_config appends out-of-order keys at the end; this test
+    locks that contract so a future shuffle of _PROJECT_FIELD_ORDER can't
+    silently drop user-added metadata."""
+    import wren.profile as profile_mod  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+    _isolate_profiles(tmp_path / "wren-home", monkeypatch)
+    profile_mod.add_profile("duck", {"datasource": "duckdb"})
+
+    proj = tmp_path / "myproj"
+    _invoke_ok(["context", "init", "--empty", "--path", str(proj)])
+
+    # Inject a custom field the CLI doesn't know about
+    import yaml  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+    config = yaml.safe_load((proj / "wren_project.yml").read_text())
+    config["tags"] = ["analytics", "experimental"]
+    config["owner"] = "data-platform"
+    (proj / "wren_project.yml").write_text(yaml.safe_dump(config))
+
+    result = runner.invoke(
+        app, ["context", "set-profile", "duck", "--path", str(proj)]
+    )
+    assert result.exit_code == 0, result.output
+
+    # Round-trip: custom keys survive the rewrite
+    config_after = yaml.safe_load((proj / "wren_project.yml").read_text())
+    assert config_after["tags"] == ["analytics", "experimental"]
+    assert config_after["owner"] == "data-platform"
+    # And the binding fields landed correctly
+    assert config_after["profile"] == "duck"
+    assert config_after["data_source"] == "duckdb"
+
+
+def test_set_profile_warns_about_stale_mdl_when_datasource_changes(
+    tmp_path, monkeypatch
+):
+    """Re-binding to a profile with a different datasource leaves
+    target/mdl.json built for the old dialect. Surface that risk so the
+    user knows to rebuild before querying."""
+    import wren.profile as profile_mod  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+    _isolate_profiles(tmp_path / "wren-home", monkeypatch)
+    profile_mod.add_profile("ds_pg", {"datasource": "postgres"})
+    profile_mod.add_profile("ds_duck", {"datasource": "duckdb"})
+
+    proj = tmp_path / "myproj"
+    _invoke_ok(["context", "init", "--empty", "--path", str(proj)])
+    _invoke_ok(["context", "set-profile", "ds_pg", "--path", str(proj)])
+
+    # Simulate that the user has built MDL against the previous dialect.
+    target = proj / "target"
+    target.mkdir(exist_ok=True)
+    (target / "mdl.json").write_text("{}")
+
+    result = runner.invoke(
+        app, ["context", "set-profile", "ds_duck", "--path", str(proj)]
+    )
+    assert result.exit_code == 0, result.output
+    assert "wren context build" in result.output
+    # Mention either the old dialect or the word 'rebuild'/'regenerate' so
+    # the warning context is clear.
+    msg = result.output.lower()
+    assert "postgres" in msg or "rebuild" in msg or "regenerate" in msg
+
+
+def test_set_profile_no_stale_mdl_warning_when_datasource_unchanged(
+    tmp_path, monkeypatch
+):
+    """If datasource doesn't change on rebind, the stale-MDL warning
+    shouldn't appear — there's no actual stale state."""
+    import wren.profile as profile_mod  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+    _isolate_profiles(tmp_path / "wren-home", monkeypatch)
+    profile_mod.add_profile("a", {"datasource": "duckdb"})
+    profile_mod.add_profile("b", {"datasource": "duckdb"})
+
+    proj = tmp_path / "myproj"
+    _invoke_ok(["context", "init", "--empty", "--path", str(proj)])
+    _invoke_ok(["context", "set-profile", "a", "--path", str(proj)])
+
+    target = proj / "target"
+    target.mkdir(exist_ok=True)
+    (target / "mdl.json").write_text("{}")
+
+    result = runner.invoke(
+        app, ["context", "set-profile", "b", "--path", str(proj)]
+    )
+    assert result.exit_code == 0, result.output
+    assert "wren context build" not in result.output
+
+
+def test_set_profile_prints_summary_with_arrow_when_data_source_changes(
+    tmp_path, monkeypatch
+):
+    """When binding overwrites data_source, summary shows the transition."""
+    import wren.profile as profile_mod  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+    _isolate_profiles(tmp_path / "wren-home", monkeypatch)
+    profile_mod.add_profile("duck", {"datasource": "duckdb"})
+
+    proj = tmp_path / "myproj"
+    _invoke_ok(["context", "init", "--empty", "--path", str(proj)])
+
+    result = runner.invoke(
+        app, ["context", "set-profile", "duck", "--path", str(proj)]
+    )
+    assert result.exit_code == 0, result.output
+    # init wrote postgres placeholder; we're binding duck (duckdb)
+    assert "postgres" in result.output
+    assert "duckdb" in result.output
+
+
+# ── wren context validate — profile binding hint ──────────────────────────
+
+
+def test_validate_hints_when_no_profile_bound(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    """No `profile:` field → friendly info pointing to set-profile."""
+    _isolate_profiles(tmp_path / "wren-home", monkeypatch)
+    _make_valid_project(tmp_path)  # no profile field
+
+    result = runner.invoke(app, ["context", "validate", "--path", str(tmp_path)])
+    assert result.exit_code == 0, result.output
+    assert "set-profile" in result.output
+    # Wording should make it clear it's a hint, not an error.
+    assert "fall back" in result.output.lower() or "fallback" in result.output.lower()
+
+
+def test_validate_warns_when_pinned_profile_missing(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    """`profile: ghost` but ghost doesn't exist → warning, exit 0 without --strict."""
+    import wren.profile as profile_mod  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+    _isolate_profiles(tmp_path / "wren-home", monkeypatch)
+    profile_mod.add_profile("real", {"datasource": "postgres"})
+    _make_valid_project(tmp_path)
+    import yaml  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+    config = yaml.safe_load((tmp_path / "wren_project.yml").read_text())
+    config["profile"] = "ghost"
+    (tmp_path / "wren_project.yml").write_text(yaml.safe_dump(config))
+
+    result = runner.invoke(app, ["context", "validate", "--path", str(tmp_path)])
+    assert result.exit_code == 0, result.output
+    assert "ghost" in result.output
+
+
+def test_validate_no_profile_hint_when_correctly_bound(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    """`profile: real` + real exists → no profile hint noise in output."""
+    import wren.profile as profile_mod  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+    _isolate_profiles(tmp_path / "wren-home", monkeypatch)
+    profile_mod.add_profile("real", {"datasource": "postgres"})
+    _make_valid_project(tmp_path)
+    import yaml  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+    config = yaml.safe_load((tmp_path / "wren_project.yml").read_text())
+    config["profile"] = "real"
+    (tmp_path / "wren_project.yml").write_text(yaml.safe_dump(config))
+
+    result = runner.invoke(app, ["context", "validate", "--path", str(tmp_path)])
+    assert result.exit_code == 0, result.output
+    # No hint text triggered when binding is correct.
+    assert "set-profile" not in result.output
+
+
+def test_validate_handles_list_profiles_exception(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    """If list_profiles() raises (e.g. permission denied on profiles.yml),
+    validate must surface it as a warning, not crash with a raw traceback."""
+    _make_valid_project(tmp_path)
+    import yaml  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+    config = yaml.safe_load((tmp_path / "wren_project.yml").read_text())
+    config["profile"] = "anything"  # triggers the binding check
+    (tmp_path / "wren_project.yml").write_text(yaml.safe_dump(config))
+
+    import wren.profile as profile_mod  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+    def _broken(*_args, **_kwargs):
+        raise OSError("simulated permission denied")
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(profile_mod, "list_profiles", _broken)
+
+    result = runner.invoke(app, ["context", "validate", "--path", str(tmp_path)])
+    # The binding check must catch the exception internally — letting the
+    # OSError propagate would crash the CLI with a Python traceback in real
+    # use (CliRunner swallows it into result.exception, but real users see
+    # the traceback on stderr).
+    assert not isinstance(result.exception, OSError), (
+        f"OSError leaked from list_profiles(): {result.exception!r}\n"
+        "Wrap the binding check in try/except so validate degrades gracefully."
+    )
+    # Lock the contract: warning-only path exits 0 so users can pipe / script
+    # validate without a probe-failure becoming a hard failure.
+    assert result.exit_code == 0, result.output
+    # Validate should still surface the failure to the user somewhere visible.
+    assert "permission denied" in result.output.lower() or "anything" in result.output
+
+    # And under --strict the same warning becomes a hard error (exit 1) — keep
+    # both ends of the contract pinned so neither direction silently flips.
+    strict_result = runner.invoke(
+        app, ["context", "validate", "--path", str(tmp_path), "--strict"]
+    )
+    assert strict_result.exit_code == 1, strict_result.output
+
+
+def test_validate_hint_shown_even_when_warnings_present(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    """The no-pin hint should fire whenever the project lacks a binding,
+    not only on perfectly clean projects. A project with warnings still
+    benefits from the nudge — arguably more, since it's actively being
+    worked on."""
+    _isolate_profiles(tmp_path / "wren-home", monkeypatch)
+    _make_valid_project(tmp_path)
+
+    # Inject a synthetic semantic warning without breaking the manifest.
+    # Using a real warning trigger (e.g. broken relationship) inevitably
+    # also surfaces a hard error, which would mask what we're testing.
+    from wren import context as context_mod  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+    original = context_mod.validate_manifest
+
+    def _with_warning(*args, **kwargs):
+        result = original(*args, **kwargs)
+        result["warnings"] = list(result.get("warnings", [])) + [
+            "synthetic warning for hint test"
+        ]
+        return result
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(context_mod, "validate_manifest", _with_warning)
+
+    result = runner.invoke(app, ["context", "validate", "--path", str(tmp_path)])
+    # The hint must appear regardless of warning count — gating it on a
+    # pristine project hides it from the people who most need to see it.
+    assert "set-profile" in result.output
+    # And the warning we injected should still be visible (sanity check
+    # that we actually got into the warning-bearing code path).
+    assert "synthetic warning" in result.output
+
+
+def test_validate_hint_suppressed_when_hard_errors(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    """When validation has hard errors, the no-pin hint must not pile on
+    extra noise — the user should fix the real problem first."""
+    _isolate_profiles(tmp_path / "wren-home", monkeypatch)
+    # Project missing data_source → hard error
+    (tmp_path / "wren_project.yml").write_text(
+        "schema_version: 2\nname: broken\n"
+    )
+
+    result = runner.invoke(app, ["context", "validate", "--path", str(tmp_path)])
+    assert result.exit_code == 1
+    # hint must not appear when there are hard errors
+    assert "set-profile" not in result.output
+
+
+def test_validate_strict_fails_on_missing_pinned_profile(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    """--strict treats the missing-pin warning as an error."""
+    import wren.profile as profile_mod  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+    _isolate_profiles(tmp_path / "wren-home", monkeypatch)
+    profile_mod.add_profile("real", {"datasource": "postgres"})
+    _make_valid_project(tmp_path)
+    import yaml  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+    config = yaml.safe_load((tmp_path / "wren_project.yml").read_text())
+    config["profile"] = "ghost"
+    (tmp_path / "wren_project.yml").write_text(yaml.safe_dump(config))
+
+    result = runner.invoke(
+        app, ["context", "validate", "--path", str(tmp_path), "--strict"]
+    )
+    assert result.exit_code == 1
+    assert "ghost" in result.output
diff --git a/docs/core/get_started/connect.md b/docs/core/get_started/connect.md
index c747d3034..39ad63231 100644
--- a/docs/core/get_started/connect.md
+++ b/docs/core/get_started/connect.md
@@ -153,7 +153,51 @@ rm -rf models/example_model views/example_view
 
 ---
 
-## Step 5 — Generate MDL from your database
+## Step 5 — Bind the profile to your project
+
+```bash
+wren context set-profile <profile-name>
+```
+
+Writes both `profile: <name>` and `data_source: <ds>` (taken from the profile)
+into `wren_project.yml`. Once bound, every CLI command and the SDK use this
+profile for the project — independent of which profile is **globally active**
+(`wren profile switch` elsewhere on the same machine never affects this
+project's queries).
+
+### Why bind explicitly
+
+Without a binding, the CLI falls back to the globally active profile from
+`~/.wren/profiles.yml`. That works for a single-project setup, but breaks the
+moment you have two projects pointing at different databases — the active
+profile inevitably becomes wrong for one of them. Binding closes that gap.
+
+### When the binding mismatches
+
+`set-profile` always overwrites the project's `data_source` from the profile,
+so first-bind and rebind both work the same way:
+
+```bash
+$ wren context set-profile loans_local
+✓ Bound profile 'loans_local' to project loans_proj
+  profile:     loans_local
+  data_source: postgres -> duckdb   # overwritten from profile
+```
+
+Re-binding to a profile with a different datasource than the project's
+current MDL was built against will succeed, but the next `wren context build`
+or query will fail with a dialect mismatch — that's the right time to
+regenerate models with `wren-generate-mdl`.
+
+### Inspecting and validating
+
+`wren context validate` prints a friendly hint when no profile is bound, and
+warns when the bound profile no longer exists in `~/.wren/profiles.yml`. The
+hint disappears once a valid binding is in place.
+
+---
+
+## Step 6 — Generate MDL from your database
 
 ### With an AI agent (recommended)
 
@@ -231,7 +275,7 @@ wren context build
 
 ---
 
-## Step 6 — Index memory and start querying
+## Step 7 — Index memory and start querying
 
 ```bash
 wren memory index
diff --git a/docs/core/get_started/installation.md b/docs/core/get_started/installation.md
index 7fee529f4..0f631e365 100644
--- a/docs/core/get_started/installation.md
+++ b/docs/core/get_started/installation.md
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ This installs all four skills into your agent's skill directory:
 
 | Skill | Purpose |
 |-------|---------|
-| **wren-onboarding** | Entry point — handles install, project scaffolding, profile setup, first query |
+| **wren-onboarding** | Entry point — handles install, `.env` setup, profile creation, project scaffolding, profile binding, first query |
 | **wren-generate-mdl** | Schema discovery and MDL project generation from a connected database |
 | **wren-usage** | Day-to-day query workflow — context, recall, SQL, store results |
 | **wren-dlt-connector** | Connect SaaS APIs (HubSpot, Stripe, Salesforce, GitHub, Slack, …) into DuckDB via dlt |
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ Then **start a new agent session** (skills are loaded at session start) and ask:
 
 > Use the `wren-onboarding` skill to install and set up Wren AI Core.
 
-The `wren-onboarding` skill drives the rest of the setup — environment checks, project scaffolding, data source connection via `.env`, and a first query — and dispatches to the other skills as needed. Skill source: [github.com/Canner/WrenAI/tree/main/skills](https://github.com/Canner/WrenAI/tree/main/skills)
+The `wren-onboarding` skill drives the rest of the setup — environment checks, `.env` configuration, connection profile creation, project scaffolding, binding the profile to the project, and a first query — and dispatches to the other skills as needed. Skill source: [github.com/Canner/WrenAI/tree/main/skills](https://github.com/Canner/WrenAI/tree/main/skills)
 
 See the [Skills reference](../reference/skills.md) for what each skill does in detail.
 
diff --git a/docs/core/get_started/quickstart.md b/docs/core/get_started/quickstart.md
index 87c47601e..af1e3ce65 100644
--- a/docs/core/get_started/quickstart.md
+++ b/docs/core/get_started/quickstart.md
@@ -180,6 +180,14 @@ The generated `wren_project.yml` contains default values for `catalog` and `sche
 
 > **Note:** `catalog` and `schema` in `wren_project.yml` define the **Wren AI Core namespace** — they have nothing to do with your database's catalog or schema. Keep the defaults (`wren` / `public`). The actual database location of each table is specified per-model in the `table_reference` section.
 
+Bind the profile you just created to this project:
+
+```bash
+wren context set-profile jaffle-shop
+```
+
+This writes `profile: jaffle-shop` and `data_source: duckdb` into `wren_project.yml`, locking this project to its connection. Future commands (and the SDK) use the bound profile regardless of which profile is globally active — so `wren profile switch` elsewhere can't accidentally redirect this project's queries.
+
 ---
 
 ## Step 6 — Generate MDL with Claude Code
diff --git a/skills/index.json b/skills/index.json
index fe754ad07..5654b9c55 100644
--- a/skills/index.json
+++ b/skills/index.json
@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@
   "skills": [
     {
       "name": "wren-onboarding",
-      "version": "2.0",
-      "description": "Onboard a user to Wren Engine end-to-end. Walks the user through environment checks, project scaffolding, connection configuration via .env, and first query. Defers procedural details, per-datasource notes, and the troubleshooting playbook to docs/get_started/connect.md so the skill stays focused on agent-side rules and routing. Use when the user wants to install Wren Engine, set up a new data source connection, or bootstrap a new project from scratch.",
+      "version": "2.1",
+      "description": "Onboard a user to Wren Engine end-to-end. Walks the user through environment checks, .env configuration, connection profile creation, project scaffolding, binding the profile to the project, and first query. Defers procedural details, per-datasource notes, and the troubleshooting playbook to docs/core/get_started/connect.md so the skill stays focused on agent-side rules and routing. Use when the user wants to install Wren Engine, set up a new data source connection, or bootstrap a new project from scratch.",
       "tags": [
         "wren",
         "onboarding",
diff --git a/skills/versions.json b/skills/versions.json
index 3decc8cff..df6251edb 100644
--- a/skills/versions.json
+++ b/skills/versions.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "wren-dlt-connector": "1.0",
   "wren-generate-mdl": "2.2",
-  "wren-onboarding": "2.0",
+  "wren-onboarding": "2.1",
   "wren-usage": "2.2"
 }
diff --git a/skills/wren-onboarding/SKILL.md b/skills/wren-onboarding/SKILL.md
index 344d5a48f..0a1ce2463 100644
--- a/skills/wren-onboarding/SKILL.md
+++ b/skills/wren-onboarding/SKILL.md
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ description: "Onboard a user to Wren Engine end-to-end. Walks through environmen
 license: Apache-2.0
 metadata:
   author: wren-engine
-  version: "2.0"
+  version: "2.1"
 ---
 
 # Wren Onboarding — Agent Workflow
@@ -67,16 +67,15 @@ These two are the only thing Step 2 needs; ask both together so the user has a c
 
 Wait for both. Don't ask for credentials.
 
-## Step 2 — Project setup (batch)
+## Step 2 — Workspace + .env setup (batch)
 
-Side effects: creates `~/<project>/`, installs `wren-engine[<ds>,main]`, scaffolds project files, writes an empty `.env` template.
+Side effects: creates `~/<project>/`, installs `wren-engine[<ds>,main]`, generates an empty `.env` template. The project files (`wren_project.yml` etc.) come later in Step 3.5 — at this point we only have a directory with credentials waiting to be filled.
 
 Run as a batch — report each command briefly, then end with one "please fill `.env`" ask:
 
-1. `mkdir -p ~/<project> && cd ~/<project>`. Refuse to overwrite an existing `wren_project.yml`.
+1. `mkdir -p ~/<project> && cd ~/<project>`.
 2. `pip install "wren-engine[<ds>,main]"`. For datasource-specific install gotchas (macOS mysql, etc.), see [`connect.md#per-datasource-setup-notes`](https://github.com/Canner/wren-engine/blob/main/docs/get_started/connect.md).
-3. `wren context init --empty` to scaffold without placeholder examples. Edit `wren_project.yml` to set `data_source: <ds>`.
-4. **Generate the `.env` template by introspecting the connector**:
+3. **Generate the `.env` template by introspecting the connector**:
 
    ```bash
    wren docs connection-info <ds> --format md
@@ -94,8 +93,8 @@ Run as a batch — report each command briefly, then end with one "please fill `
 
    Special encodings (BigQuery base64, Snowflake account format, Athena AWS creds, etc.) are documented in [`connect.md#per-datasource-setup-notes`](https://github.com/Canner/wren-engine/blob/main/docs/get_started/connect.md). Surface the relevant section to the user verbatim — don't paraphrase.
 
-5. Add `.env` to `.gitignore` if the project is a git repo. Suggest `chmod 600 .env`.
-6. Tell the user: project is ready, `.env` is at `<path>`, please fill every value and reply **"done"**.
+4. Add `.env` to `.gitignore` if the project is a git repo. Suggest `chmod 600 .env`.
+5. Tell the user: `.env` is at `<path>`, please fill every value and reply **"done"**.
 
 ## Step 3 — Create the connection profile
 
@@ -118,9 +117,27 @@ wren profile add <project> --from-file /tmp/conn.yml
 
 Validation runs automatically. The CLI overwrites profiles silently — there is no `--force` flag.
 
-- ✓ **Success** → continue to Step 4.
+- ✓ **Success** → continue to Step 3.5.
 - ⚠ **Any warning** → consult [`connect.md#troubleshooting`](https://github.com/Canner/wren-engine/blob/main/docs/get_started/connect.md) for the exact symptom (missing secret, driver auth failure, ValidationError, unreachable host, …) and tell the user what to fix.
 
+## Step 3.5 — Scaffold the project
+
+```bash
+wren context init --empty
+```
+
+Refuses to overwrite an existing `wren_project.yml`. Creates the project directory layout (`models/`, `views/`, `relationships.yml`, `instructions.md`, `AGENTS.md`, `queries.yml`).
+
+## Step 3.6 — Bind the profile to the project
+
+```bash
+wren context set-profile <project>
+```
+
+Writes both `profile: <project>` and `data_source: <ds>` into `wren_project.yml` (data_source is taken from the profile we just validated, so it's guaranteed correct). Future CLI commands and the SDK resolve the connection deterministically — independent of which profile is globally active.
+
+This step also future-proofs the project for multi-project setups: once the binding is recorded, switching `wren profile switch` elsewhere never breaks this project's queries.
+
 ## Step 4 — Generate MDL (hand off)
 
 > ⚠️ The agent **must** build MDL before any data query. Queries against tables not in MDL will fail.