diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index dc84684..a5b52b4 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -11,6 +11,11 @@ and versions are tracked in the repo-root `VERSION` file.
 
 - Continue compatibility hardening and adoption work for the next release.
 
+### Fixed
+
+- Keep plain consumer configuration mappings opaque so only validated
+  `ConfigSnapshot.framework` values control lifecycle behavior.
+
 ## [0.4.3] - 2026-08-29
 
 This is a compatible pre-1.0 patch release. It contains lifecycle hardening,
diff --git a/docs/consumer-profiles.md b/docs/consumer-profiles.md
index 4ebe28f..983ef4b 100644
--- a/docs/consumer-profiles.md
+++ b/docs/consumer-profiles.md
@@ -149,6 +149,12 @@ validated into `Context.framework_config` and are excluded from the consumer
 configuration dictionary. All other keys remain consumer-owned and are exposed
 through `Context.config`.
 
+Custom `ConfigLoader` callbacks that return a plain mapping do not opt into
+those lifecycle settings: every mapping key, including names that resemble
+framework keys, remains consumer data. Return a `ConfigSnapshot` to supply
+validated framework settings. This prevents strings such as `"false"` or
+`"debug"` from changing lifecycle behavior through an unvalidated mapping.
+
 ## Safe profile errors
 
 Plain exceptions from profile callbacks are treated as unexpected internal
diff --git a/lib/python/base_cli/_app_core.py b/lib/python/base_cli/_app_core.py
index 507c9d6..a15b00e 100644
--- a/lib/python/base_cli/_app_core.py
+++ b/lib/python/base_cli/_app_core.py
@@ -1136,18 +1136,13 @@ def _create_context(
         environment = (
             standard.get("environment")
             or (framework_config.environment if framework_config is not None else None)
-            or config.get("environment")
             or "dev"
         )
-        log_level = (
-            framework_config.log_level if framework_config is not None else str(config.get("log_level", "")).lower()
-        )
+        log_level = framework_config.log_level if framework_config is not None else None
         debug = bool(standard.get("debug") or log_level == "debug")
         quiet = bool(standard.get("quiet"))
         keep_temp = bool(
-            standard.get("keep_temp")
-            or (framework_config.keep_temp if framework_config is not None else None)
-            or config.get("keep_temp")
+            standard.get("keep_temp") or (framework_config.keep_temp if framework_config is not None else None)
         )
         _capture_effective_output_options(
             owner_app=self,
diff --git a/lib/python/base_cli/_private_files.py b/lib/python/base_cli/_private_files.py
index 76fe76f..787c6fd 100644
--- a/lib/python/base_cli/_private_files.py
+++ b/lib/python/base_cli/_private_files.py
@@ -182,7 +182,11 @@ def _sync_directory(parent_fd: int) -> None:
 def _replace_with_retry(source: Path, destination: Path) -> None:
     """Replace a private file, tolerating transient Windows sharing races."""
 
-    attempts = 1 if os.name != "nt" else 10
+    # Antivirus/indexer handles and concurrent writers can hold the destination
+    # briefly on Windows. Use a bounded, linear backoff long enough for those
+    # transient sharing violations without making a persistent permission error
+    # unbounded.
+    attempts = 1 if os.name != "nt" else 50
     for attempt in range(attempts):
         try:
             os.replace(source, destination)
@@ -190,4 +194,4 @@ def _replace_with_retry(source: Path, destination: Path) -> None:
         except PermissionError:
             if attempt == attempts - 1:
                 raise
-            time.sleep(0.001 * (attempt + 1))
+            time.sleep(0.005 * (attempt + 1))
diff --git a/tests/test_app_run_metadata.py b/tests/test_app_run_metadata.py
index 11ee234..bd4c860 100644
--- a/tests/test_app_run_metadata.py
+++ b/tests/test_app_run_metadata.py
@@ -429,7 +429,11 @@ def fail_runtime(_cli_name: str, _project: base_cli.ProjectInfo | None) -> base_
 
         profile = replace(
             base_cli.CliProfile.generic(
-                load_config=lambda _project, _explicit: {"log_level": "debug"},
+                load_config=lambda _project, _explicit: base_cli.ConfigSnapshot(
+                    config={},
+                    framework=base_cli.FrameworkConfig(log_level="debug"),
+                    provenance={},
+                ),
             ),
             resolve_runtime=fail_runtime,
         )
@@ -450,7 +454,11 @@ def main(ctx: base_cli.Context) -> None:
 
     def test_config_debug_with_quiet_keeps_traceback_out_of_stderr_and_shows_hint(self) -> None:
         profile = base_cli.CliProfile.generic(
-            load_config=lambda _project, _explicit: {"log_level": "debug"},
+            load_config=lambda _project, _explicit: base_cli.ConfigSnapshot(
+                config={},
+                framework=base_cli.FrameworkConfig(log_level="debug"),
+                provenance={},
+            ),
         )
         app = base_cli.App(name="metadata-config-debug-quiet", profile=profile)
 
@@ -472,6 +480,39 @@ def main(ctx: base_cli.Context) -> None:
         self.assertIn("RuntimeError: quiet private detail", log_text)
         _assert_terminal_metadata(self, metadata, status="error", outcome="unexpected_error", exit_code=1)
 
+    def test_plain_consumer_lifecycle_keys_do_not_change_framework_state(self) -> None:
+        profile = base_cli.CliProfile.generic(
+            load_config=lambda _project, _explicit: {
+                "environment": "production",
+                "log_level": "debug",
+                "keep_temp": "false",
+                "answer": 42,
+            }
+        )
+        app = base_cli.App(name="opaque-config", profile=profile, log_to_file=False)
+        seen: dict[str, object] = {}
+
+        @app.command()
+        def main(ctx: base_cli.Context) -> None:
+            seen.update(
+                environment=ctx.environment,
+                debug=ctx.debug,
+                keep_temp=ctx.keep_temp,
+                config=ctx.config,
+            )
+
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmpdir:
+            status, _stderr = _run(app, Path(tmpdir))
+
+        self.assertEqual(status, 0)
+        self.assertEqual(seen["environment"], "dev")
+        self.assertFalse(seen["debug"])
+        self.assertFalse(seen["keep_temp"])
+        self.assertEqual(
+            seen["config"],
+            {"environment": "production", "log_level": "debug", "keep_temp": "false", "answer": 42},
+        )
+
     def test_traceback_logging_interruption_cannot_replace_primary_exception(self) -> None:
         app = base_cli.App(name="metadata-traceback-interrupt")
 
diff --git a/tests/test_explicit_config_validation.py b/tests/test_explicit_config_validation.py
index a2cc054..c4efc43 100644
--- a/tests/test_explicit_config_validation.py
+++ b/tests/test_explicit_config_validation.py
@@ -317,7 +317,7 @@ def main(ctx: base_cli.Context) -> None:
             result = invoke(app, ["--config", "~/explicit-config.yml"], home=home)
 
             self.assertEqual(result.exit_code, 0, _combined_output(result))
-            self.assertEqual(seen, {"environment": "tilde"})
+            self.assertEqual(seen, {"environment": "dev"})
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":