diff --git a/.claude/settings.global.json b/.claude/settings.global.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6e7e16a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.claude/settings.global.json
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+{
+  "permissions": {
+    "allow": [
+      "mcp__atlassian__getJiraIssue"
+    ],
+    "defaultMode": "auto"
+  },
+  "worktree": {
+    "baseRef": "head"
+  },
+  "statusLine": {
+    "type": "command",
+    "command": "bash ~/.claude/statusline-command.sh"
+  },
+  "editorMode": "vim"
+}
diff --git a/.claude/settings.json b/.claude/settings.json
index e4c7604..e06b033 100644
--- a/.claude/settings.json
+++ b/.claude/settings.json
@@ -1,19 +1,4 @@
 {
-  "permissions": {
-    "allow": [
-      "mcp__atlassian__getJiraIssue"
-    ],
-    "defaultMode": "auto"
-  },
-  "worktree": {
-    "baseRef": "head"
-  },
-  "statusLine": {
-    "type": "command",
-    "command": "bash ~/.claude/statusline-command.sh"
-  },
-  "editorMode": "vim",
-  "model": "opus",
   "hooks": {
     "SessionStart": [
       {
diff --git a/link-agents.sh b/link-agents.sh
index 7c6ad22..5a49bf9 100755
--- a/link-agents.sh
+++ b/link-agents.sh
@@ -33,7 +33,11 @@ link_skills_into() {
 
 # --- Claude Code -----------------------------------------------------------
 mkdir -p "$HOME/.claude"
-ln $LN_OPTS "$SCRIPT_DIR/.claude/settings.json"        "$HOME/.claude/settings.json"
+# User-scope settings come from settings.global.json. The sibling
+# settings.json holds the dotfiles repo's SessionStart bootstrap hook and
+# is read only as *project* settings when working in this repo -- linking
+# it at user scope would fire that project-relative hook in every project.
+ln $LN_OPTS "$SCRIPT_DIR/.claude/settings.global.json"  "$HOME/.claude/settings.json"
 ln $LN_OPTS "$SCRIPT_DIR/.claude/statusline-command.sh" "$HOME/.claude/statusline-command.sh"
 ln $LN_OPTS "$SCRIPT_DIR/.claude/CLAUDE.md"             "$HOME/.claude/CLAUDE.md"
 link_skills_into "$HOME/.claude/skills"
diff --git a/tests/link-agents.bats b/tests/link-agents.bats
index de4c65c..e65c869 100644
--- a/tests/link-agents.bats
+++ b/tests/link-agents.bats
@@ -19,11 +19,21 @@ teardown() {
   [ -L "$HOME/.claude/statusline-command.sh" ]
   [ -L "$HOME/.claude/CLAUDE.md" ]
 
-  # Each link should resolve to a real file inside the repo copy.
-  [ "$(readlink "$HOME/.claude/settings.json")" = "$SANDBOX_REPO/.claude/settings.json" ]
+  # Each link should resolve to a real file inside the repo copy. The
+  # user-scope settings come from settings.global.json, NOT the dotfiles
+  # project settings.json (which carries the repo-only bootstrap hook).
+  [ "$(readlink "$HOME/.claude/settings.json")" = "$SANDBOX_REPO/.claude/settings.global.json" ]
   [ "$(readlink "$HOME/.claude/CLAUDE.md")"      = "$SANDBOX_REPO/.claude/CLAUDE.md" ]
 }
 
+@test "global settings carry no project-relative hook; project settings do" {
+  # The user-scope file must not reference \$CLAUDE_PROJECT_DIR, or its
+  # hooks would fire (and error) in every project. The project file is
+  # where the SessionStart bootstrap hook belongs.
+  ! grep -q 'CLAUDE_PROJECT_DIR' "$PROJECT_ROOT/.claude/settings.global.json"
+  grep -q 'session-start.sh' "$PROJECT_ROOT/.claude/settings.json"
+}
+
 @test "links every skill folder under .agent/skills/" {
   # Add a synthetic skill alongside whatever real skills exist.
   mkdir -p "$SANDBOX_REPO/.agent/skills/synthetic-skill"