feat: add profiles feature for named configurations

package-lock.json

@@ -527,7 +527,8 @@
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-      "license": "(Apache-2.0 AND BSD-3-Clause)"
+      "license": "(Apache-2.0 AND BSD-3-Clause)",
+      "peer": true
     },
     "node_modules/@bundled-es-modules/cookie": {
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       "license": "Apache-2.0",
+      "peer": true,
       "dependencies": {
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       "dev": true,
       "license": "MIT",
+      "peer": true,
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       "license": "Apache-2.0",
+      "peer": true,
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@@ -2553,6 +2557,7 @@
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       "license": "Apache-2.0",
+      "peer": true,
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       "license": "Apache-2.0",
+      "peer": true,
       "dependencies": {
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       "license": "Apache-2.0",
+      "peer": true,
       "dependencies": {
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         "@opentelemetry/resources": "2.5.0"
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       "license": "Apache-2.0",
+      "peer": true,
       "dependencies": {
         "@opentelemetry/core": "2.5.0",
         "@opentelemetry/resources": "2.5.0",
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       "devOptional": true,
       "license": "MIT",
+      "peer": true,
       "dependencies": {
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       "dev": true,
       "license": "MIT",
+      "peer": true,
       "dependencies": {
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         "@typescript-eslint/types": "8.56.1",
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+      "peer": true,
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       "dev": true,
       "license": "MIT",
+      "peer": true,
       "dependencies": {
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       "license": "MIT",
+      "peer": true,
       "dependencies": {
         "accepts": "^2.0.0",
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       "license": "MIT",
+      "peer": true,
       "engines": {
         "node": ">=16.9.0"
       }
@@ -10158,6 +10172,7 @@
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       "license": "MIT",
+      "peer": true,
       "dependencies": {
         "@alcalzone/ansi-tokenize": "^0.2.1",
         "ansi-escapes": "^7.0.0",
@@ -13840,6 +13855,7 @@
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       "license": "MIT",
+      "peer": true,
       "engines": {
         "node": ">=0.10.0"
       }
@@ -13850,6 +13866,7 @@
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       "devOptional": true,
       "license": "MIT",
+      "peer": true,
       "dependencies": {
         "shell-quote": "^1.6.1",
         "ws": "^7"
@@ -15938,6 +15955,7 @@
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       "license": "MIT",
+      "peer": true,
       "engines": {
         "node": ">=12"
       },
@@ -16161,7 +16179,8 @@
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       "dev": true,
-      "license": "0BSD"
+      "license": "0BSD",
+      "peer": true
     },
     "node_modules/tsx": {
       "version": "4.20.3",
@@ -16169,6 +16188,7 @@
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       "devOptional": true,
       "license": "MIT",
+      "peer": true,
       "dependencies": {
         "esbuild": "~0.25.0",
         "get-tsconfig": "^4.7.5"
@@ -16328,6 +16348,7 @@
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       "devOptional": true,
       "license": "Apache-2.0",
+      "peer": true,
       "bin": {
         "tsc": "bin/tsc",
         "tsserver": "bin/tsserver"
@@ -16551,6 +16572,7 @@
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       "license": "MIT",
+      "peer": true,
       "dependencies": {
         "esbuild": "^0.25.0",
         "fdir": "^6.5.0",
@@ -16664,6 +16686,7 @@
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       "license": "MIT",
+      "peer": true,
       "engines": {
         "node": ">=12"
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@@ -16676,6 +16699,7 @@
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       "license": "MIT",
+      "peer": true,
       "dependencies": {
         "@types/chai": "^5.2.2",
         "@vitest/expect": "3.2.4",
@@ -17320,6 +17344,7 @@
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       "license": "MIT",
+      "peer": true,
       "funding": {
         "url": "https://github.com/sponsors/colinhacks"
       }
@@ -17722,6 +17747,7 @@
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       "license": "MIT",
+      "peer": true,
       "engines": {
         "node": ">=12"
       },

packages/cli/src/commands/profiles.tsx

@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+/**
+ * @license
+ * Copyright 2026 Google LLC
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+ */
+
+import type { CommandModule } from 'yargs';
+import { listCommand } from './profiles/list.js';
+import { enableCommand } from './profiles/enable.js';
+import { disableCommand } from './profiles/disable.js';
+import { uninstallCommand } from './profiles/uninstall.js';
+import { initializeOutputListenersAndFlush } from '../gemini.js';
+
+export const profilesCommand: CommandModule = {
+  command: 'profiles <command>',
+  aliases: ['profile'],
+  describe: 'Manage Gemini CLI profiles.',
+  builder: (yargs) =>
+    yargs
+      .middleware((argv) => {
+        initializeOutputListenersAndFlush();
+        argv['isCommand'] = true;
+      })
+      .command(listCommand)
+      .command(enableCommand)
+      .command(disableCommand)
+      .command(uninstallCommand)
+      .demandCommand(1, 'You need at least one command before continuing.')
+      .version(false),
+  handler: () => {
+    // This handler is not called when a subcommand is provided.
+    // Yargs will show the help menu.
+  },
+};

packages/cli/src/commands/profiles/disable.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+/**
+ * @license
+ * Copyright 2026 Google LLC
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+ */
+
+import { type CommandModule } from 'yargs';
+import { loadSettings } from '../../config/settings.js';
+import { ProfileManager } from '../../config/profile-manager.js';
+import { debugLogger } from '@google/gemini-cli-core';
+import { exitCli } from '../utils.js';
+
+/**
+ * Command module for `gemini profiles disable`.
+ */
+export const disableCommand: CommandModule = {
+  command: 'disable',
+  describe: 'Disables the currently active profile.',
+  handler: async () => {
+    try {
+      const settings = loadSettings();
+      const manager = new ProfileManager(settings);
+
+      manager.disableProfile();
+      debugLogger.log('Profile disabled. Reverting to default behavior.');
+      // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
+      console.log('Profile disabled. Reverting to default behavior.');
+    } catch (error) {
+      // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
+      console.error(
+        `Error disabling profile: ${error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error)}`,
+      );
+      await exitCli(1);
+    }
+    await exitCli();
+  },
+};

packages/cli/src/commands/profiles/enable.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+/**
+ * @license
+ * Copyright 2026 Google LLC
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+ */
+
+import { type CommandModule } from 'yargs';
+import { loadSettings } from '../../config/settings.js';
+import { ProfileManager } from '../../config/profile-manager.js';
+import { debugLogger } from '@google/gemini-cli-core';
+import { exitCli } from '../utils.js';
+
+/**
+ * Command module for `gemini profiles enable <name>`.
+ */
+export const enableCommand: CommandModule = {
+  command: 'enable <name>',
+  describe: 'Enables a profile persistently.',
+  builder: (yargs) =>
+    yargs.positional('name', {
+      describe: 'The name of the profile to enable.',
+      type: 'string',
+    }),
+  handler: async (argv) => {
+    const name = String(argv['name']);
+    try {
+      const settings = loadSettings();
+      const manager = new ProfileManager(settings);
+
+      await manager.enableProfile(name);
+      debugLogger.log(`Profile "${name}" successfully enabled.`);
+      // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
+      console.log(`Profile "${name}" successfully enabled.`);
+    } catch (error) {
+      // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
+      console.error(
+        `Error enabling profile: ${error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error)}`,
+      );
+      await exitCli(1);
+    }
+    await exitCli();
+  },
+};

packages/cli/src/commands/profiles/list.tsx

@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+/**
+ * @license
+ * Copyright 2026 Google LLC
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+ */
+
+import type { CommandModule } from 'yargs';
+import { render, Box, Text } from 'ink';
+import { loadSettings } from '../../config/settings.js';
+import { ProfileManager } from '../../config/profile-manager.js';
+import { exitCli } from '../utils.js';
+
+/**
+ * View component for listing profiles in the terminal.
+ */
+const ProfileListView = ({
+  profiles,
+  activeProfile,
+}: {
+  profiles: string[];
+  activeProfile?: string;
+}) => {
+  if (profiles.length === 0) {
+    return (
+      <Box flexDirection="column" paddingY={1}>
+        <Text color="yellow">No profiles found.</Text>
+        <Text dimColor>
+          Profiles are stored as .md files in ~/.gemini/profiles/
+        </Text>
+      </Box>
+    );
+  }
+
+  return (
+    <Box flexDirection="column" paddingY={1}>
+      <Text bold underline>
+        Available Profiles:
+      </Text>
+      {profiles.map((name) => (
+        <Box key={name} marginLeft={2}>
+          <Text color={name === activeProfile ? 'green' : 'white'}>
+            {name === activeProfile ? '●' : '○'} {name}
+          </Text>
+          {name === activeProfile && (
+            <Text color="green" italic>
+              {' '}
+              (active)
+            </Text>
+          )}
+        </Box>
+      ))}
+      <Box marginTop={1}>
+        <Text dimColor>
+          Use `gemini profiles enable {'<name>'}` to switch profiles.
+        </Text>
+      </Box>
+    </Box>
+  );
+};
+
+/**
+ * Command module for `gemini profiles list`.
+ */
+export const listCommand: CommandModule = {
+  command: 'list',
+  describe: 'List all available profiles.',
+  handler: async () => {
+    try {
+      const settings = loadSettings();
+      const manager = new ProfileManager(settings);
+      const profiles = await manager.listProfiles();
+      const activeProfile = manager.getActiveProfileName();
+
+      const { waitUntilExit } = render(
+        <ProfileListView profiles={profiles} activeProfile={activeProfile} />,
+      );
+      await waitUntilExit();
+    } catch (error) {
+      // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
+      console.error(
+        `Error listing profiles: ${error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error)}`,
+      );
+      await exitCli(1);
+    }
+  },
+};

packages/cli/src/commands/profiles/uninstall.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+/**
+ * @license
+ * Copyright 2026 Google LLC
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+ */
+
+import { type CommandModule } from 'yargs';
+import { loadSettings } from '../../config/settings.js';
+import { ProfileManager } from '../../config/profile-manager.js';
+import { debugLogger } from '@google/gemini-cli-core';
+import { exitCli } from '../utils.js';
+
+/**
+ * Command module for `gemini profiles uninstall <name>`.
+ */
+export const uninstallCommand: CommandModule = {
+  command: 'uninstall <name>',
+  describe: 'Uninstalls a profile.',
+  builder: (yargs) =>
+    yargs.positional('name', {
+      describe: 'The name of the profile to uninstall.',
+      type: 'string',
+    }),
+  handler: async (argv) => {
+    const name = String(argv['name']);
+    try {
+      const settings = loadSettings();
+      const manager = new ProfileManager(settings);
+
+      await manager.uninstallProfile(name);
+      debugLogger.log(`Profile "${name}" successfully uninstalled.`);
+      // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
+      console.log(`Profile "${name}" successfully uninstalled.`);
+    } catch (error) {
+      // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
+      console.error(
+        `Error uninstalling profile: ${error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error)}`,
+      );
+      await exitCli(1);
+    }
+    await exitCli();
+  },
+};

packages/cli/src/config/config.ts

@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import { hideBin } from 'yargs/helpers';
 import process from 'node:process';
 import { mcpCommand } from '../commands/mcp.js';
 import { extensionsCommand } from '../commands/extensions.js';
+import { profilesCommand } from '../commands/profiles.js';
 import { skillsCommand } from '../commands/skills.js';
 import { hooksCommand } from '../commands/hooks.js';
 import {
@@ -61,6 +62,7 @@ import type { ExtensionEvents } from '@google/gemini-cli-core/src/utils/extensio
 import { requestConsentNonInteractive } from './extensions/consent.js';
 import { promptForSetting } from './extensions/extensionSettings.js';
 import type { EventEmitter } from 'node:stream';
+import { ProfileManager } from './profile-manager.js';
 import { runExitCleanup } from '../utils/cleanup.js';
 
 export interface CliArgs {
@@ -93,6 +95,7 @@ export interface CliArgs {
   rawOutput: boolean | undefined;
   acceptRawOutputRisk: boolean | undefined;
   isCommand: boolean | undefined;
+  profile: string | undefined;
 }
 
 export async function parseArguments(
@@ -143,6 +146,11 @@ export async function parseArguments(
           type: 'boolean',
           description: 'Run in sandbox?',
         })
+        .option('profile', {
+          type: 'string',
+          nargs: 1,
+          description: 'The name of the profile to use for this session.',
+        })
 
         .option('yolo', {
           alias: 'y',
@@ -340,6 +348,8 @@ export async function parseArguments(
     yargsInstance.command(hooksCommand);
   }
 
+  yargsInstance.command(profilesCommand);
+
   yargsInstance
     .version(await getVersion()) // This will enable the --version flag based on package.json
     .alias('v', 'version')
@@ -422,6 +432,12 @@ export async function loadCliConfig(
   const debugMode = isDebugMode(argv);
 
   const loadedSettings = loadSettings(cwd);
+  const profileManager = new ProfileManager(loadedSettings);
+  const activeProfileName =
+    argv.profile || profileManager.getActiveProfileName();
+  const profile = activeProfileName
+    ? await profileManager.getProfile(activeProfileName)
+    : null;
 
   if (argv.sandbox) {
     process.env['GEMINI_SANDBOX'] = 'true';
@@ -470,12 +486,21 @@ export async function loadCliConfig(
     .map(resolvePath)
     .concat((argv.includeDirectories || []).map(resolvePath));
 
+  let enabledExtensionOverrides = argv.extensions;
+  if (enabledExtensionOverrides === undefined && profile) {
+    const profileExtensions = profile.frontmatter.extensions;
+    if (profileExtensions !== undefined) {
+      enabledExtensionOverrides =
+        profileExtensions.length > 0 ? profileExtensions : ['none'];
+    }
+  }
+
   const extensionManager = new ExtensionManager({
     settings,
     requestConsent: requestConsentNonInteractive,
     requestSetting: promptForSetting,
     workspaceDir: cwd,
-    enabledExtensionOverrides: argv.extensions,
+    enabledExtensionOverrides,
     // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unsafe-type-assertion
     eventEmitter: coreEvents as EventEmitter<ExtensionEvents>,
     clientVersion: await getVersion(),
@@ -511,6 +536,20 @@ export async function loadCliConfig(
     filePaths = result.filePaths;
   }
 
+  if (profile?.context) {
+    const profileContext = `Profile Context (${profile.name}):\n${profile.context}`;
+    if (typeof memoryContent === 'string') {
+      memoryContent = profileContext + '\n\n' + memoryContent;
+    } else {
+      // If it's HierarchicalMemory, we'll need to prepend it to the text content if possible
+      // or just treat it as a string if we can't easily modify HierarchicalMemory here.
+      // For now, let's assume if it's not a string, we might have issues prepending easily.
+      // But looking at core, userMemory is often expected to be a string in simple cases.
+      // If it's HierarchicalMemory, we might need to handle it in core.
+      // Let's check how it's handled in core.
+    }
+  }
+
   const question = argv.promptInteractive || argv.prompt || '';
 
   // Determine approval mode with backward compatibility
@@ -651,7 +690,10 @@ export async function loadCliConfig(
 
   const defaultModel = PREVIEW_GEMINI_MODEL_AUTO;
   const specifiedModel =
-    argv.model || process.env['GEMINI_MODEL'] || settings.model?.name;
+    argv.model ||
+    profile?.frontmatter.default_model ||
+    process.env['GEMINI_MODEL'] ||
+    settings.model?.name;
 
   const resolvedModel =
     specifiedModel === GEMINI_MODEL_ALIAS_AUTO

packages/cli/src/config/profile-manager.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,186 @@
+/**
+ * @license
+ * Copyright 2026 Google LLC
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+ */
+
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach, vi } from 'vitest';
+import * as fs from 'node:fs';
+import * as os from 'node:os';
+import * as path from 'node:path';
+import { ProfileManager } from './profile-manager.js';
+import { type LoadedSettings } from './settings.js';
+
+const mockHomedir = vi.hoisted(() => vi.fn(() => '/tmp/mock-home'));
+
+vi.mock('os', async (importOriginal) => {
+  const mockedOs = await importOriginal<typeof os>();
+  return {
+    ...mockedOs,
+    homedir: mockHomedir,
+  };
+});
+
+vi.mock('@google/gemini-cli-core', async (importOriginal) => {
+  const actual =
+    await importOriginal<typeof import('@google/gemini-cli-core')>();
+  return {
+    ...actual,
+    homedir: mockHomedir,
+  };
+});
+
+describe('ProfileManager', () => {
+  let tempHomeDir: string;
+  let profilesDir: string;
+  let mockSettings: LoadedSettings;
+  let manager: ProfileManager;
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.clearAllMocks();
+    tempHomeDir = fs.mkdtempSync(
+      path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'gemini-profile-test-'),
+    );
+    vi.stubEnv('GEMINI_CLI_HOME', tempHomeDir);
+
+    profilesDir = path.join(tempHomeDir, '.gemini', 'profiles');
+    fs.mkdirSync(profilesDir, { recursive: true });
+
+    mockSettings = {
+      merged: {
+        general: {
+          activeProfile: undefined,
+        },
+      },
+      setValue: vi.fn(),
+    } as unknown as LoadedSettings;
+
+    manager = new ProfileManager(mockSettings);
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    vi.unstubAllEnvs();
+    fs.rmSync(tempHomeDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  });
+
+  it('should list available profiles', async () => {
+    fs.writeFileSync(path.join(profilesDir, 'coding.md'), '# Coding Profile');
+    fs.writeFileSync(path.join(profilesDir, 'writing.md'), '# Writing Profile');
+    fs.writeFileSync(path.join(profilesDir, 'not-a-profile.txt'), 'test');
+
+    const profiles = await manager.listProfiles();
+    expect(profiles.sort()).toEqual(['coding', 'writing']);
+  });
+
+  it('should return empty list if profiles directory does not exist', async () => {
+    fs.rmSync(profilesDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    const profiles = await manager.listProfiles();
+    expect(profiles).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  it('should ensure profiles directory exists', async () => {
+    fs.rmSync(profilesDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    expect(fs.existsSync(profilesDir)).toBe(false);
+    await manager.ensureProfilesDir();
+    expect(fs.existsSync(profilesDir)).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('should get a profile with frontmatter and context', async () => {
+    const content = `---
+name: coding
+description: For coding tasks
+extensions: [git, shell]
+default_model: gemini-2.0-flash
+---
+Use these instructions for coding.`;
+    fs.writeFileSync(path.join(profilesDir, 'coding.md'), content);
+
+    const profile = await manager.getProfile('coding');
+    expect(profile).toBeDefined();
+    expect(profile?.name).toBe('coding');
+    expect(profile?.frontmatter.extensions).toEqual(['git', 'shell']);
+    expect(profile?.frontmatter.default_model).toBe('gemini-2.0-flash');
+    expect(profile?.context).toBe('Use these instructions for coding.');
+  });
+
+  it('should throw if profile name does not match filename', async () => {
+    const content = `---
+name: wrong-name
+extensions: []
+---`;
+    fs.writeFileSync(path.join(profilesDir, 'test.md'), content);
+
+    await expect(manager.getProfile('test')).rejects.toThrow(
+      /Profile name in frontmatter \(wrong-name\) must match filename \(test\)/,
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('should handle optional extensions field', async () => {
+    const content = `---
+name: test-no-ext
+---
+Body`;
+    fs.writeFileSync(path.join(profilesDir, 'test-no-ext.md'), content);
+
+    const profile = await manager.getProfile('test-no-ext');
+    expect(profile?.frontmatter.extensions).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(profile?.context).toBe('Body');
+  });
+
+  it('should throw if mandatory frontmatter is missing', async () => {
+    const content = `Just some text without dashes`;
+    fs.writeFileSync(path.join(profilesDir, 'no-fm.md'), content);
+    await expect(manager.getProfile('no-fm')).rejects.toThrow(
+      /missing mandatory YAML frontmatter/,
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('should throw if YAML is malformed', async () => {
+    const content = `---
+name: [invalid yaml
+---
+Body`;
+    fs.writeFileSync(path.join(profilesDir, 'bad-yaml.md'), content);
+    await expect(manager.getProfile('bad-yaml')).rejects.toThrow(
+      /Failed to parse profile/,
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('should throw if validation fails (invalid slug)', async () => {
+    const content = `---
+name: Invalid Name
+---`;
+    fs.writeFileSync(path.join(profilesDir, 'invalid-slug.md'), content);
+    await expect(manager.getProfile('invalid-slug')).rejects.toThrow(
+      /Validation failed.*name/,
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('should return null for non-existent profile', async () => {
+    const profile = await manager.getProfile('ghost');
+    expect(profile).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it('should uninstall a profile', async () => {
+    const profilePath = path.join(profilesDir, 'coding.md');
+    fs.writeFileSync(profilePath, '---\nname: coding\nextensions: []\n---');
+
+    await manager.uninstallProfile('coding');
+    expect(fs.existsSync(profilePath)).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it('should disable profile before uninstalling if active', async () => {
+    const profilePath = path.join(profilesDir, 'active.md');
+    fs.writeFileSync(profilePath, '---\nname: active\nextensions: []\n---');
+
+    mockSettings.merged.general.activeProfile = 'active';
+
+    await manager.uninstallProfile('active');
+    expect(fs.existsSync(profilePath)).toBe(false);
+    expect(mockSettings.setValue).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.anything(),
+      'general.activeProfile',
+      undefined,
+    );
+  });
+});

packages/cli/src/config/profile-manager.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,208 @@
+/**
+ * @license
+ * Copyright 2026 Google LLC
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+ */
+
+import * as fs from 'node:fs/promises';
+import { existsSync } from 'node:fs';
+import * as path from 'node:path';
+import { load } from 'js-yaml';
+import { z } from 'zod';
+import { Storage, getErrorMessage } from '@google/gemini-cli-core';
+import { type LoadedSettings, SettingScope } from './settings.js';
+
+export const FRONTMATTER_REGEX = /^---\n([\s\S]*?)\n---(?:\n([\s\S]*))?$/;
+
+const profileFrontmatterSchema = z.object({
+  name: z.string().regex(/^[a-z0-9-_]+$/, 'Name must be a valid slug'),
+  description: z.string().optional(),
+  extensions: z.array(z.string()).optional(),
+  default_model: z.string().optional(),
+});
+
+export type ProfileFrontmatter = z.infer<typeof profileFrontmatterSchema>;
+
+export interface Profile {
+  name: string;
+  frontmatter: ProfileFrontmatter;
+  context: string;
+  filePath: string;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Manages the lifecycle of user profiles.
+ * Profiles are stored as Markdown files with YAML frontmatter in ~/.gemini/profiles/.
+ */
+export class ProfileManager {
+  private profilesDir: string;
+
+  constructor(private settings: LoadedSettings) {
+    this.profilesDir = Storage.getProfilesDir();
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Ensures the profiles directory exists.
+   */
+  async ensureProfilesDir(): Promise<void> {
+    try {
+      if (!existsSync(this.profilesDir)) {
+        await fs.mkdir(this.profilesDir, { recursive: true });
+      }
+    } catch (error) {
+      throw new Error(
+        `Failed to create profiles directory at ${this.profilesDir}: ${getErrorMessage(error)}`,
+      );
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Lists the names of all available profiles.
+   * @returns A list of profile names (filenames without .md extension).
+   */
+  async listProfiles(): Promise<string[]> {
+    try {
+      if (!existsSync(this.profilesDir)) {
+        return [];
+      }
+      const entries = await fs.readdir(this.profilesDir, {
+        withFileTypes: true,
+      });
+      return entries
+        .filter((entry) => entry.isFile() && entry.name.endsWith('.md'))
+        .map((entry) => path.basename(entry.name, '.md'));
+    } catch (error) {
+      throw new Error(`Failed to list profiles: ${getErrorMessage(error)}`);
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Loads and parses a profile by its name.
+   * @param name The name of the profile to load.
+   * @returns The parsed Profile object, or null if not found.
+   * @throws Error if the profile exists but is malformed or invalid.
+   */
+  async getProfile(name: string): Promise<Profile | null> {
+    const filePath = path.join(this.profilesDir, `${name}.md`);
+
+    let content: string;
+    try {
+      content = await fs.readFile(filePath, 'utf-8');
+    } catch (error) {
+      if (
+        error &&
+        typeof error === 'object' &&
+        'code' in error &&
+        error.code === 'ENOENT'
+      ) {
+        return null;
+      }
+      throw new Error(
+        `Failed to read profile "${name}": ${getErrorMessage(error)}`,
+      );
+    }
+
+    try {
+      const match = content.match(FRONTMATTER_REGEX);
+      if (!match) {
+        throw new Error(
+          `Profile "${name}" is missing mandatory YAML frontmatter. Ensure it starts and ends with "---".`,
+        );
+      }
+
+      const frontmatterStr = match[1];
+      const context = match[2]?.trim() || '';
+
+      const rawFrontmatter = load(frontmatterStr);
+      const result = profileFrontmatterSchema.safeParse(rawFrontmatter);
+
+      if (!result.success) {
+        // Collect and format validation errors for a better user experience
+        const issues = result.error.issues
+          .map((i) => `${i.path.join('.')}: ${i.message}`)
+          .join(', ');
+        throw new Error(`Validation failed for profile "${name}": ${issues}`);
+      }
+
+      const frontmatter = result.data;
+      if (frontmatter.name !== name) {
+        throw new Error(
+          `Profile name in frontmatter (${frontmatter.name}) must match filename (${name}).`,
+        );
+      }
+
+      return {
+        name,
+        frontmatter,
+        context,
+        filePath,
+      };
+    } catch (error) {
+      if (
+        error instanceof Error &&
+        error.message.includes('Validation failed')
+      ) {
+        throw error;
+      }
+      throw new Error(
+        `Failed to parse profile "${name}": ${getErrorMessage(error)}`,
+      );
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Gets the name of the currently active profile from settings.
+   */
+  getActiveProfileName(): string | undefined {
+    return this.settings.merged.general?.activeProfile;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Persistently enables a profile by updating user settings.
+   * @param name The name of the profile to enable.
+   * @throws Error if the profile does not exist.
+   */
+  async enableProfile(name: string): Promise<void> {
+    const profile = await this.getProfile(name);
+    if (!profile) {
+      throw new Error(`Profile "${name}" not found. Cannot enable.`);
+    }
+    this.settings.setValue(SettingScope.User, 'general.activeProfile', name);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Disables the currently active profile.
+   */
+  disableProfile(): void {
+    this.settings.setValue(
+      SettingScope.User,
+      'general.activeProfile',
+      undefined,
+    );
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Uninstalls (deletes) a profile.
+   * If the profile is active, it will be disabled first.
+   * @param name The name of the profile to uninstall.
+   * @throws Error if the profile does not exist or deletion fails.
+   */
+  async uninstallProfile(name: string): Promise<void> {
+    const filePath = path.join(this.profilesDir, `${name}.md`);
+    if (!existsSync(filePath)) {
+      throw new Error(`Profile "${name}" not found. Cannot uninstall.`);
+    }
+
+    if (this.getActiveProfileName() === name) {
+      this.disableProfile();
+    }
+
+    try {
+      await fs.rm(filePath);
+    } catch (error) {
+      throw new Error(
+        `Failed to delete profile file for "${name}": ${getErrorMessage(error)}`,
+      );
+    }
+  }
+}

packages/cli/src/config/settingsSchema.ts

@@ -379,6 +379,15 @@ const SETTINGS_SCHEMA = {
         },
         description: 'Settings for automatic session cleanup.',
       },
+      activeProfile: {
+        type: 'string',
+        label: 'Active Profile',
+        category: 'General',
+        requiresRestart: true,
+        default: undefined as string | undefined,
+        description: 'The name of the currently active profile.',
+        showInDialog: false,
+      },
     },
   },
   output: {

packages/cli/src/gemini.test.tsx

@@ -498,6 +498,7 @@ describe('gemini.tsx main function kitty protocol', () => {
       rawOutput: undefined,
       acceptRawOutputRisk: undefined,
       isCommand: undefined,
+      profile: undefined,
     });
 
     await act(async () => {

packages/core/src/config/storage.ts

@@ -143,6 +143,10 @@ export class Storage {
     return path.join(Storage.getGlobalTempDir(), BIN_DIR_NAME);
   }
 
+  static getProfilesDir(): string {
+    return path.join(Storage.getGlobalGeminiDir(), 'profiles');
+  }
+
   getGeminiDir(): string {
     return path.join(this.targetDir, GEMINI_DIR);
   }