diff --git a/features/actor_cli_coverage.feature b/features/actor_cli_coverage.feature
index 46911deb9..c895e3288 100644
--- a/features/actor_cli_coverage.feature
+++ b/features/actor_cli_coverage.feature
@@ -14,6 +14,18 @@ Feature: Actor CLI coverage
     When I run actor add with that config
     Then the actor add should pass the loaded config
 
+  Scenario: Add actor requires unsafe confirmation when config is marked unsafe
+    Given an actor CLI runner
+    And I have an unsafe actor JSON config file
+    When I run actor add with that config
+    Then the actor command should fail with bad parameter
+
+  Scenario: Add actor allows unsafe config when flag is provided
+    Given an actor CLI runner
+    And I have an unsafe actor JSON config file
+    When I run actor add with that config and unsafe flag
+    Then the actor add should pass the loaded config
+
   Scenario: Add actor fails when config is missing
     Given an actor CLI runner
     When I run actor add with missing config path
@@ -31,6 +43,12 @@ Feature: Actor CLI coverage
     When I run actor add with that config
     Then the actor add should pass the loaded config
 
+  Scenario: Add actor uses service path with graph descriptor
+    Given an actor CLI runner
+    And I have an actor graph config file
+    When I run actor add via service with that config
+    Then the service actor add should include graph descriptor
+
   Scenario: Add actor rejects empty config file
     Given an actor CLI runner
     And I have an empty actor YAML config file
@@ -42,6 +60,13 @@ Feature: Actor CLI coverage
     When I run actor add with business rule violation
     Then the actor command should abort with error
 
+  Scenario: Add actor rejects unsafe service config without confirmation
+    Given an actor CLI runner
+    And I have an unsafe actor JSON config file
+    When I run actor add via service without unsafe flag
+    Then the actor command should fail with bad parameter
+    And the actor service should not be called
+
   Scenario: Update actor from YAML config and safe flag
     Given an actor CLI runner
     And I have an actor YAML config file returning empty data
@@ -68,6 +93,18 @@ Feature: Actor CLI coverage
     When I run actor update with conflicting flags
     Then the actor command should fail with bad parameter
 
+  Scenario: Update actor requires unsafe confirmation when requested
+    Given an actor CLI runner
+    When I run actor update requiring unsafe confirmation
+    Then the actor command should fail with bad parameter
+
+  Scenario: Update actor rejects unsafe service config without confirmation
+    Given an actor CLI runner
+    And I have an unsafe actor JSON config file
+    When I run actor update via service without unsafe flag
+    Then the actor command should abort with error
+    And the actor service should not be called
+
   Scenario: Remove actor succeeds
     Given an actor CLI runner
     When I run actor remove successfully
diff --git a/features/actor_config_coverage.feature b/features/actor_config_coverage.feature
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d3a363b70
--- /dev/null
+++ b/features/actor_config_coverage.feature
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+Feature: Actor configuration uncovered lines coverage
+  As a developer maintaining actor configuration parsing
+  I want robust coverage for actor config edge cases
+  So that failures and overrides are validated
+
+  Background:
+    Given an isolated actor config workspace
+
+  Scenario: Missing config file surfaces helpful error
+    When I load the actor config blob from "missing.json"
+    Then a ValueError should be raised containing "Config file not found"
+
+  Scenario: YAML dependency absence surfaces requirement
+    Given PyYAML parsing is unavailable for actor config
+    And an actor config file "missing.yaml" with content:
+      """
+      provider: openai
+      """
+    When I load the actor config blob from "missing.yaml"
+    Then a ValueError should be raised containing "PyYAML is required for YAML actor configs"
+
+  Scenario: Invalid YAML raises parsing failure error
+    Given an actor config file "invalid.yaml" with content:
+      """
+      provider: [unclosed
+      """
+    When I load the actor config blob from "invalid.yaml"
+    Then a ValueError should be raised containing "Failed to parse config"
+
+  Scenario: Empty YAML returns empty object
+    Given an actor config file "empty.yaml" with content:
+      """
+      """
+    When I load the actor config blob from "empty.yaml"
+    Then the loaded actor config blob should equal {}
+
+  Scenario: Non-object config raises validation error
+    Given an actor config file "list.yaml" with content:
+      """
+      - provider: openai
+      """
+    When I load the actor config blob from "list.yaml"
+    Then a ValueError should be raised containing "Config must be a JSON or YAML object"
+
+  Scenario: from_file applies overrides and unsafe flag
+    Given an actor config file "valid.json" with content:
+      """
+      {"provider": "file-provider", "model": "file-model", "options": {"k": "v"}, "graph_descriptor": {"node": true}}
+      """
+    When I parse the actor configuration from file "valid.json" with overrides:
+      """
+      {"name": "cli-name", "graph_descriptor": {"node": "override"}, "unsafe": true}
+      """
+    Then the actor configuration should have provider "file-provider" and model "file-model"
+    And the actor configuration name should be "cli-name"
+    And the actor configuration graph descriptor should equal {"node": "override"}
+    And the actor configuration options should equal {"k": "v"}
+    And the actor configuration unsafe flag should be true
+
+  Scenario: from_blob rejects missing model values
+    When I build an actor configuration from blob {"provider": "only-provider"}
+    Then a ValueError should be raised containing "model is required"
diff --git a/features/actor_registry_coverage.feature b/features/actor_registry_coverage.feature
index f1d98e06b..fd07b843c 100644
--- a/features/actor_registry_coverage.feature
+++ b/features/actor_registry_coverage.feature
@@ -21,6 +21,13 @@ Feature: Actor registry coverage
     When I remove actor "OpenAI/gpt-4o-mini"
     Then the stored actors should be ["Claude/opus"]
 
+  Scenario: Built-in actors include graph descriptors and capabilities
+    Given an actor registry with configured providers:
+      | type   | name   | model       |
+      | openai | OpenAI | gpt-4o-mini |
+    When I ensure built-in actors are generated
+    Then the built-in actor payload should include graph descriptor and capabilities for "OpenAI/gpt-4o-mini"
+
   Scenario: Chooses first built-in actor when no defaults provided
     Given an actor registry with configured providers:
       | type      | name   | model        |
diff --git a/features/auto_debug_integration.feature b/features/auto_debug_integration.feature
index c3c13cbbd..f596f0dcd 100644
--- a/features/auto_debug_integration.feature
+++ b/features/auto_debug_integration.feature
@@ -42,9 +42,9 @@ Feature: AutoDebug Integration with PlanService
     And each attempt should have an attempt number
     And each attempt should have a timestamp
 
-  Scenario: AutoDebug retries when provider stub fails once
-    Given provider overrides are stubbed with default "openai" and alternates ""
-    And provider stub "openai" will fail 1 time(s) before succeeding
+  Scenario: AutoDebug retries when actor stub fails once
+    Given actor overrides are stubbed with default "openai" and alternates ""
+    And actor stub "openai" will fail 1 time(s) before succeeding
     When I run auto_debug_build with max attempts 2
     Then the build should succeed after debugging
-    And provider stub "openai" should record 2 generate call(s)
+    And actor stub "openai" should record 2 generate call(s)
diff --git a/features/cli_streaming.feature b/features/cli_streaming.feature
index 9a0674c70..f237828b6 100644
--- a/features/cli_streaming.feature
+++ b/features/cli_streaming.feature
@@ -36,13 +36,13 @@ Feature: CLI Streaming Integration
     And the output should contain "✓ Analyzing requirements"
     And the output should contain "✓ Generating plan"
 
-  Scenario: Streaming tell honors provider overrides
-    Given provider overrides are stubbed with default "openai" and alternates "anthropic"
+  Scenario: Streaming tell honors actor selection
+    Given actor overrides are stubbed with default "openai" and alternates "anthropic"
     When I run tell command "use defaults" with streaming
-    And I run tell command "use override" with streaming and provider "anthropic"
-    Then the provider resolver should resolve providers "openai,anthropic" in order
-    And provider stub "openai" should record 1 streaming call(s)
-    And provider stub "anthropic" should record 1 streaming call(s)
+    And I run tell command "use override" with streaming and actor "anthropic"
+    Then the actor resolver should resolve actors "openai,anthropic" in order
+    And actor stub "openai" should record 1 streaming call(s)
+    And actor stub "anthropic" should record 1 streaming call(s)
 
   Scenario: Streaming progress updates in real-time
     When I run tell command "add documentation" with streaming
diff --git a/features/plan_service.feature b/features/plan_service.feature
index 60e693ce4..6b5c8e24c 100644
--- a/features/plan_service.feature
+++ b/features/plan_service.feature
@@ -24,10 +24,10 @@ Feature: Plan Service
     Then changes should be generated
     And the changes should include file operations
  
-  Scenario: Build plan uses provider overrides
+  Scenario: Build plan uses actor selection
     Given I have a plan service with stub provider registry
     And I have created a plan with "Generate example code"
-    When I build the plan with provider override "anthropic" and model override "claude-dev"
+    When I build the plan with actor "anthropic/claude-dev"
     Then changes should be generated
     And the stub provider registry should record provider "anthropic" and model "claude-dev"
  
diff --git a/features/steps/actor_cli_steps.py b/features/steps/actor_cli_steps.py
index 6683893a3..be32b8e2d 100644
--- a/features/steps/actor_cli_steps.py
+++ b/features/steps/actor_cli_steps.py
@@ -117,6 +117,23 @@ def step_impl(context):
     _register_cleanup(context, context.actor_config_path)
 
 
+@given("I have an actor graph config file")
+def step_impl(context):
+    context.actor_config_data = {
+        "provider": "graph-provider",
+        "model": "graph-model",
+        "graph": {"nodes": ["start"], "edges": []},
+    }
+    handle = tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(
+        delete=False, suffix=".json", mode="w", encoding="utf-8"
+    )
+    json.dump(context.actor_config_data, handle)
+    handle.flush()
+    handle.close()
+    context.actor_config_path = Path(handle.name)
+    _register_cleanup(context, context.actor_config_path)
+
+
 @given("I have an empty actor YAML config file")
 def step_impl(context):
     context.actor_config_data = {}
@@ -131,6 +148,23 @@ def step_impl(context):
     _register_cleanup(context, context.actor_config_path)
 
 
+@given("I have an unsafe actor JSON config file")
+def step_impl(context):
+    context.actor_config_data = {
+        "provider": "openai",
+        "model": "gpt-4o-mini",
+        "unsafe": True,
+    }
+    handle = tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(
+        delete=False, suffix=".json", mode="w", encoding="utf-8"
+    )
+    json.dump(context.actor_config_data, handle)
+    handle.flush()
+    handle.close()
+    context.actor_config_path = Path(handle.name)
+    _register_cleanup(context, context.actor_config_path)
+
+
 @when("I run actor add without config")
 def step_impl(context):
     with patch("cleveragents.application.container.get_container") as mock_container:
@@ -173,6 +207,52 @@ def step_impl(context):
         )
         if isinstance(context.expected_config_blob, dict):
             context.expected_config_blob.setdefault("unsafe", False)
+        context.expected_allow_unsafe = False
+        if not isinstance(context.actor_config_data, dict):
+            context.expected_error = "Config must be a JSON/YAML object"
+        elif context.actor_config_data == {}:
+            context.expected_error = "provider is required"
+        elif isinstance(
+            context.actor_config_data, dict
+        ) and context.actor_config_data.get("unsafe"):
+            context.expected_error = "Actor config is marked unsafe"
+        else:
+            context.expected_error = None
+
+
+@when("I run actor add with that config and unsafe flag")
+def step_impl(context):
+    with patch("cleveragents.application.container.get_container") as mock_container:
+        mock_actor_registry = MagicMock()
+        if isinstance(context.actor_config_data, dict):
+            mock_actor = _make_actor(config=context.actor_config_data, unsafe=True)
+            mock_actor_registry.upsert_actor.return_value = mock_actor
+        else:
+            mock_actor_registry.upsert_actor.side_effect = ValidationError(
+                "Config must be a JSON/YAML object"
+            )
+        mock_container.return_value.actor_service.return_value = MagicMock()
+        mock_container.return_value.actor_registry.return_value = mock_actor_registry
+
+        context.result = context.runner.invoke(
+            actor_app,
+            [
+                "add",
+                "test-actor",
+                "--config",
+                str(context.actor_config_path),
+                "--unsafe",
+            ],
+        )
+        context.mock_actor_registry = mock_actor_registry
+        context.expected_config_blob = (
+            dict(context.actor_config_data)
+            if isinstance(context.actor_config_data, dict)
+            else None
+        )
+        if isinstance(context.expected_config_blob, dict):
+            context.expected_config_blob.setdefault("unsafe", True)
+        context.expected_allow_unsafe = True
         if not isinstance(context.actor_config_data, dict):
             context.expected_error = "Config must be a JSON/YAML object"
         elif context.actor_config_data == {}:
@@ -181,6 +261,41 @@ def step_impl(context):
             context.expected_error = None
 
 
+@when("I run actor add via service with that config")
+def step_impl(context):
+    class ServiceOnlyContainer:
+        def __init__(self, actor_service: MagicMock):
+            self._actor_service = actor_service
+
+        def actor_service(self):
+            return self._actor_service
+
+    actor_service = MagicMock()
+    graph_descriptor = context.actor_config_data.get("graph")
+    actor_service.upsert_actor.return_value = _make_actor(
+        name="service/graph-actor",
+        provider=context.actor_config_data.get("provider", "openai"),
+        model=context.actor_config_data.get("model", "gpt-4o"),
+        config=context.actor_config_data,
+        graph_descriptor=graph_descriptor,
+    )
+
+    with patch("cleveragents.application.container.get_container") as mock_container:
+        mock_container.return_value = ServiceOnlyContainer(actor_service)
+        context.result = context.runner.invoke(
+            actor_app,
+            [
+                "add",
+                "service/graph-actor",
+                "--config",
+                str(context.actor_config_path),
+            ],
+        )
+
+    context.actor_service = actor_service
+    context.graph_descriptor = graph_descriptor
+
+
 @when("I run actor add with missing config path")
 def step_impl(context):
     missing_path = Path(tempfile.gettempdir()) / "missing-actor-config.json"
@@ -229,6 +344,31 @@ def step_impl(context):
     context.expected_error = "Error:"
 
 
+@when("I run actor add via service without unsafe flag")
+def step_impl(context):
+    class ServiceOnlyContainer:
+        def __init__(self, actor_service: MagicMock):
+            self._actor_service = actor_service
+
+        def actor_service(self):
+            return self._actor_service
+
+    actor_service = MagicMock()
+    with patch("cleveragents.application.container.get_container") as mock_container:
+        mock_container.return_value = ServiceOnlyContainer(actor_service)
+        context.result = context.runner.invoke(
+            actor_app,
+            [
+                "add",
+                "service/unsafe",
+                "--config",
+                str(context.actor_config_path),
+            ],
+        )
+    context.actor_service = actor_service
+    context.expected_error = "Actor config is marked unsafe"
+
+
 @when("I run actor update with safe flag and yaml config")
 def step_impl(context):
     with patch("cleveragents.application.container.get_container") as mock_container:
@@ -361,6 +501,68 @@ def step_impl(context):
     context.expected_error = "Choose only one of --unsafe or --safe"
 
 
+@when("I run actor update requiring unsafe confirmation")
+def step_impl(context):
+    with (
+        patch("cleveragents.application.container.get_container") as mock_container,
+        patch(
+            "cleveragents.cli.commands.actor._canonicalize_actor_config"
+        ) as mock_canonicalize,
+    ):
+        mock_actor_service = MagicMock()
+        mock_actor_registry = MagicMock()
+        current_actor = _make_actor(name="local/needs-confirm")
+        mock_actor_registry.get_actor.return_value = current_actor
+        mock_container.return_value.actor_service.return_value = mock_actor_service
+        mock_container.return_value.actor_registry.return_value = mock_actor_registry
+
+        mock_resolved = MagicMock(unsafe=True)
+        mock_canonicalize.return_value = (
+            mock_resolved,
+            {"provider": current_actor.provider, "model": current_actor.model},
+            True,
+        )
+
+        context.result = context.runner.invoke(
+            actor_app, ["update", current_actor.name]
+        )
+    context.expected_error = "Actor config is marked unsafe"
+
+
+@when("I run actor update via service without unsafe flag")
+def step_impl(context):
+    class ServiceOnlyContainer:
+        def __init__(self, actor_service: MagicMock):
+            self._actor_service = actor_service
+
+        def actor_service(self):
+            return self._actor_service
+
+    actor_service = MagicMock()
+    current_actor = _make_actor(
+        name="local/service-update",
+        provider="service-provider",
+        model="service-model",
+        config={"provider": "service-provider", "model": "service-model"},
+    )
+    actor_service.get_actor.return_value = current_actor
+
+    with patch("cleveragents.application.container.get_container") as mock_container:
+        mock_container.return_value = ServiceOnlyContainer(actor_service)
+        context.result = context.runner.invoke(
+            actor_app,
+            [
+                "update",
+                current_actor.name,
+                "--config",
+                str(context.actor_config_path),
+            ],
+        )
+
+    context.actor_service = actor_service
+    context.expected_error = "Actor config is marked unsafe"
+
+
 @when("I run actor remove successfully")
 def step_impl(context):
     with patch("cleveragents.application.container.get_container") as mock_container:
@@ -484,6 +686,20 @@ def step_impl(context):
     context.mock_actor_registry.upsert_actor.assert_called_once()
     call_kwargs = context.mock_actor_registry.upsert_actor.call_args.kwargs
     assert call_kwargs.get("config_blob") == context.expected_config_blob
+    expected_allow = getattr(context, "expected_allow_unsafe", False)
+    assert call_kwargs.get("allow_unsafe") == expected_allow
+
+
+@then("the service actor add should include graph descriptor")
+def step_impl(context):
+    assert context.result.exit_code == 0
+    context.actor_service.upsert_actor.assert_called_once()
+    call_kwargs = context.actor_service.upsert_actor.call_args.kwargs
+    assert call_kwargs.get("graph_descriptor") == context.graph_descriptor
+    assert (
+        call_kwargs.get("config_blob", {}).get("graph_descriptor")
+        == context.graph_descriptor
+    )
 
 
 @then("the actor command should fail with bad parameter")
@@ -508,6 +724,7 @@ def step_impl(context):
         unsafe=False,
         set_default=False,
         is_built_in=context.current_actor.is_built_in,
+        allow_unsafe=False,
     )
 
 
@@ -527,6 +744,7 @@ def step_impl(context):
         unsafe=True,
         set_default=False,
         is_built_in=context.current_actor.is_built_in,
+        allow_unsafe=True,
     )
 
 
@@ -550,6 +768,11 @@ def step_impl(context):
         assert expected in context.result.output
 
 
+@then("the actor service should not be called")
+def step_impl(context):
+    assert context.actor_service.upsert_actor.call_count == 0
+
+
 @then("the actor list should report empty state")
 def step_impl(context):
     assert context.result.exit_code == 0
diff --git a/features/steps/actor_config_steps.py b/features/steps/actor_config_steps.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..da059698f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/features/steps/actor_config_steps.py
@@ -0,0 +1,148 @@
+"""Step definitions for actor configuration coverage."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import ast
+import json
+import shutil
+import tempfile
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Any, Callable
+
+from behave import given, then, when
+
+import cleveragents.actor.config as actor_config
+from cleveragents.actor.config import ActorConfiguration
+
+
+def _add_cleanup(context, handler: Callable[[], None]) -> None:
+    if not hasattr(context, "_cleanup_handlers"):
+        context._cleanup_handlers = []
+    context._cleanup_handlers.append(handler)
+
+
+def _ensure_workspace(context) -> Path:
+    if getattr(context, "config_workspace", None) is None:
+        workspace = Path(tempfile.mkdtemp(prefix="actor-config-"))
+        context.config_workspace = workspace
+
+        def cleanup_workspace() -> None:
+            shutil.rmtree(workspace, ignore_errors=True)
+
+        _add_cleanup(context, cleanup_workspace)
+    return context.config_workspace
+
+
+@given("an isolated actor config workspace")
+def step_isolated_workspace(context) -> None:
+    _ensure_workspace(context)
+
+
+@given('an actor config file "{filename}" with content:')
+def step_actor_config_file_with_content(context, filename: str) -> None:
+    workspace = _ensure_workspace(context)
+    path = workspace / filename
+    path.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    path.write_text(context.text or "")
+    context.last_config_path = path
+
+
+@given("PyYAML parsing is unavailable for actor config")
+def step_disable_yaml(context) -> None:
+    context._original_yaml_module = actor_config.yaml
+    actor_config.yaml = None
+
+    def restore_yaml() -> None:
+        actor_config.yaml = context._original_yaml_module
+
+    _add_cleanup(context, restore_yaml)
+
+
+@when('I load the actor config blob from "{filename}"')
+def step_load_actor_config_blob(context, filename: str) -> None:
+    workspace = _ensure_workspace(context)
+    path = workspace / filename
+    try:
+        context.load_result = ActorConfiguration.load_blob_from_file(path)
+        context.last_error = None
+    except Exception as exc:  # pragma: no cover - exercised in tests
+        context.load_result = None
+        context.last_error = exc
+
+
+@when('I parse the actor configuration from file "{filename}" with overrides:')
+def step_parse_actor_config_from_file(context, filename: str) -> None:
+    workspace = _ensure_workspace(context)
+    overrides: dict[str, Any] = json.loads(context.text or "{}")
+    try:
+        context.actor_config_result = ActorConfiguration.from_file(
+            path=workspace / filename,
+            name=overrides.get("name"),
+            provider=overrides.get("provider"),
+            model=overrides.get("model"),
+            graph_descriptor=overrides.get("graph_descriptor"),
+            unsafe=bool(overrides.get("unsafe", False)),
+        )
+        context.last_error = None
+    except Exception as exc:  # pragma: no cover - exercised in tests
+        context.actor_config_result = None
+        context.last_error = exc
+
+
+@when("I build an actor configuration from blob {blob_literal}")
+def step_build_actor_config_from_blob(context, blob_literal: str) -> None:
+    blob = ast.literal_eval(blob_literal)
+    try:
+        context.actor_config_result = ActorConfiguration.from_blob(blob=blob)
+        context.last_error = None
+    except Exception as exc:  # pragma: no cover - exercised in tests
+        context.actor_config_result = None
+        context.last_error = exc
+
+
+@then('a ValueError should be raised containing "{message}"')
+def step_value_error_with_message(context, message: str) -> None:
+    assert isinstance(context.last_error, ValueError), type(context.last_error)
+    assert message in str(context.last_error)
+
+
+@then("the loaded actor config blob should equal {expected}")
+def step_loaded_blob_equals(context, expected: str) -> None:
+    assert context.last_error is None, context.last_error
+    assert context.load_result == ast.literal_eval(expected)
+
+
+@then('the actor configuration should have provider "{provider}" and model "{model}"')
+def step_actor_config_provider_model(context, provider: str, model: str) -> None:
+    assert context.last_error is None, context.last_error
+    assert context.actor_config_result is not None
+    assert context.actor_config_result.provider == provider
+    assert context.actor_config_result.model == model
+
+
+@then('the actor configuration name should be "{name}"')
+def step_actor_config_name(context, name: str) -> None:
+    assert context.last_error is None, context.last_error
+    assert context.actor_config_result is not None
+    assert context.actor_config_result.name == name
+
+
+@then("the actor configuration graph descriptor should equal {expected}")
+def step_actor_config_graph_descriptor(context, expected: str) -> None:
+    assert context.last_error is None, context.last_error
+    assert context.actor_config_result is not None
+    assert context.actor_config_result.graph_descriptor == ast.literal_eval(expected)
+
+
+@then("the actor configuration options should equal {expected}")
+def step_actor_config_options(context, expected: str) -> None:
+    assert context.last_error is None, context.last_error
+    assert context.actor_config_result is not None
+    assert context.actor_config_result.options == ast.literal_eval(expected)
+
+
+@then("the actor configuration unsafe flag should be true")
+def step_actor_config_unsafe_true(context) -> None:
+    assert context.last_error is None, context.last_error
+    assert context.actor_config_result is not None
+    assert context.actor_config_result.unsafe is True
diff --git a/features/steps/actor_registry_steps.py b/features/steps/actor_registry_steps.py
index a8323f165..1041bf046 100644
--- a/features/steps/actor_registry_steps.py
+++ b/features/steps/actor_registry_steps.py
@@ -308,3 +308,24 @@ def step_assert_wrapper_default_actor(context: Context, expected: str) -> None:
     actor = context.registry.get_default_actor()
     assert actor is not None, "No default actor set via registry"
     assert actor.name == expected
+
+
+@then(
+    'the built-in actor payload should include graph descriptor and capabilities for "{actor_name}"'
+)
+def step_assert_built_in_payload(context: Context, actor_name: str) -> None:
+    assert context.actor_service.upsert_payloads, "No actors were persisted"
+    payload = None
+    for item in context.actor_service.upsert_payloads:
+        if item.get("name") == actor_name:
+            payload = item
+            break
+    assert payload is not None, f"Actor {actor_name} not found in payloads"
+    blob = payload["config_blob"]
+    graph = blob.get("graph_descriptor")
+    assert graph is not None, "graph_descriptor missing on built-in actor"
+    assert graph.get("provider")
+    assert graph.get("model")
+    assert graph.get("source") == "provider-registry"
+    capabilities = blob.get("capabilities")
+    assert capabilities is not None, "capabilities missing on built-in actor config"
diff --git a/features/steps/cli_streaming_steps.py b/features/steps/cli_streaming_steps.py
index 78ceac41c..72a4f5fcd 100644
--- a/features/steps/cli_streaming_steps.py
+++ b/features/steps/cli_streaming_steps.py
@@ -105,19 +105,19 @@ def step_configure_provider_invalid_code(context):
 
 
 @given(
-    'provider overrides are stubbed with default "{default_provider}" and alternates "{alternates:OptionalQuoted}"'
+    'actor overrides are stubbed with default "{default_actor}" and alternates "{alternates:OptionalQuoted}"'
 )
-def step_stub_streaming_provider_overrides(context, default_provider, alternates):
-    """Install deterministic provider stubs for scenarios that override providers."""
-    default_key = default_provider.lower()
-    provider_names = [
+def step_stub_streaming_actor_overrides(context, default_actor, alternates):
+    """Install deterministic provider stubs keyed by actor selection."""
+    default_key = default_actor.lower()
+    actor_names = [
         name.strip().lower() for name in alternates.split(",") if name.strip()
     ]
-    if default_key not in provider_names:
-        provider_names.insert(0, default_key)
+    if default_key not in actor_names:
+        actor_names.insert(0, default_key)
 
     overrides: dict[str, RecordingProviderStub] = {
-        name: RecordingProviderStub(name=name) for name in provider_names
+        name: RecordingProviderStub(name=name) for name in actor_names
     }
     install_provider_resolver_patch(
         context,
@@ -127,19 +127,19 @@ def step_stub_streaming_provider_overrides(context, default_provider, alternates
     context.provider_stub_overrides = overrides
 
 
-@given('provider stub "{provider}" will fail {count:d} time(s) before succeeding')
-def step_stub_failures_before_success(context, provider, count):
+@given('actor stub "{actor}" will fail {count:d} time(s) before succeeding')
+def step_stub_failures_before_success(context, actor, count):
     """Configure a stub to raise exceptions a fixed number of times."""
-    stub = _get_provider_stub(context, provider)
+    stub = _get_actor_stub(context, actor)
     stub.should_fail = False
     stub.failures_before_success = count
     stub._failure_count = 0
 
 
-@given('provider stub "{provider}" will always fail')
-def step_stub_always_fail(context, provider):
+@given('actor stub "{actor}" will always fail')
+def step_stub_always_fail(context, actor):
     """Force a stub to fail every invocation."""
-    stub = _get_provider_stub(context, provider)
+    stub = _get_actor_stub(context, actor)
     stub.should_fail = True
 
 
@@ -170,8 +170,7 @@ def _run_streaming_tell(
     prompt: str,
     *,
     name: str | None = None,
-    provider: str | None = None,
-    model: str | None = None,
+    actor: str | None = None,
 ) -> bool:
     """Execute the streaming tell helper and capture its output."""
     import asyncio
@@ -200,8 +199,7 @@ def _run_streaming_tell(
                     prompt,
                     name,
                     plan_service,
-                    provider=provider,
-                    model=model,
+                    actor=actor,
                 )
             )
         success = True
@@ -219,11 +217,11 @@ def _run_streaming_tell(
     return success
 
 
-def _get_provider_stub(context, provider: str) -> RecordingProviderStub:
+def _get_actor_stub(context, actor: str) -> RecordingProviderStub:
     overrides = getattr(context, "provider_stub_overrides", None)
     assert overrides, "Provider stubs were not configured for this scenario"
-    stub = overrides.get(provider.lower())
-    assert stub is not None, f"No provider stub named '{provider}' was registered"
+    stub = overrides.get(actor.lower())
+    assert stub is not None, f"No provider stub named '{actor}' was registered"
     return stub
 
 
@@ -240,10 +238,10 @@ def step_run_tell_with_name_and_streaming(context, prompt, name):
     _run_streaming_tell(context, prompt, name=name)
 
 
-@when('I run tell command "{prompt}" with streaming and provider "{provider}"')
-def step_run_tell_with_streaming_provider(context, prompt, provider):
-    """Run a streaming tell command that overrides the provider."""
-    _run_streaming_tell(context, prompt, provider=provider)
+@when('I run tell command "{prompt}" with streaming and actor "{actor}"')
+def step_run_tell_with_streaming_actor(context, prompt, actor):
+    """Run a streaming tell command that overrides the actor."""
+    _run_streaming_tell(context, prompt, actor=actor)
 
 
 @when('I measure time for tell command "{prompt}" without streaming')
@@ -327,34 +325,34 @@ def step_timing_sequential(context):
     assert len(times) > 0, "No timing information found"
 
 
-@then('the provider resolver should resolve providers "{providers}" in order')
-def step_provider_resolver_sequence(context, providers):
-    """Assert the patched resolver returned providers in the expected order."""
+@then('the actor resolver should resolve actors "{actors}" in order')
+def step_actor_resolver_sequence(context, actors):
+    """Assert the patched resolver returned actors in the expected order."""
     calls = getattr(context, "provider_resolver_calls", None)
     assert calls is not None, "Provider resolver patch was not installed"
-    expected = [name.strip().lower() for name in providers.split(",") if name.strip()]
-    assert expected, "Expected provider list cannot be empty"
+    expected = [name.strip().lower() for name in actors.split(",") if name.strip()]
+    assert expected, "Expected actor list cannot be empty"
     resolved = [str(call.get("resolved", "")).lower() for call in calls]
     assert resolved[-len(expected) :] == expected, (
         f"Expected resolver sequence {expected}, got {resolved}"
     )
 
 
-@then('provider stub "{provider}" should record {count:d} streaming call(s)')
-def step_assert_stub_stream_calls(context, provider, count):
+@then('actor stub "{actor}" should record {count:d} streaming call(s)')
+def step_assert_stub_stream_calls(context, actor, count):
     """Verify a provider stub handled the expected number of streaming requests."""
-    stub = _get_provider_stub(context, provider)
+    stub = _get_actor_stub(context, actor)
     assert stub.stream_calls == count, (
-        f"Expected {count} stream calls for {provider}, got {stub.stream_calls}"
+        f"Expected {count} stream calls for {actor}, got {stub.stream_calls}"
     )
 
 
-@then('provider stub "{provider}" should record {count:d} generate call(s)')
-def step_assert_stub_generate_calls(context, provider, count):
+@then('actor stub "{actor}" should record {count:d} generate call(s)')
+def step_assert_stub_generate_calls(context, actor, count):
     """Verify a provider stub handled the expected number of build requests."""
-    stub = _get_provider_stub(context, provider)
+    stub = _get_actor_stub(context, actor)
     assert stub.generate_calls == count, (
-        f"Expected {count} generate calls for {provider}, got {stub.generate_calls}"
+        f"Expected {count} generate calls for {actor}, got {stub.generate_calls}"
     )
 
 
diff --git a/features/steps/plan_service_steps.py b/features/steps/plan_service_steps.py
index 2426c5cdc..67ccc8fcb 100644
--- a/features/steps/plan_service_steps.py
+++ b/features/steps/plan_service_steps.py
@@ -1281,15 +1281,30 @@ def step_assert_non_python_stream(context: Context) -> None:
     assert change.new_content == "plain text change"
 
 
-@when(
-    'I build the plan with provider override "{provider}" and model override "{model}"'
-)
-def step_build_plan_with_overrides(context: Context, provider: str, model: str) -> None:
-    """Build the current plan while forcing provider/model overrides."""
-    context.changes = context.plan_service.build_plan(
-        project=context.test_project,
+@when('I build the plan with actor "{actor_name}"')
+def step_build_plan_with_actor(context: Context, actor_name: str) -> None:
+    """Build the current plan using the specified actor selection."""
+    if "/" in actor_name:
+        provider, model = actor_name.split("/", 1)
+    else:
+        provider, model = actor_name, "default-model"
+
+    actor_service = context.plan_service.actor_service
+    actor_id = actor_name if "/" in actor_name else f"local/{actor_name}"
+    actor_service.upsert_actor(
+        name=actor_id,
         provider=provider,
         model=model,
+        config_blob={"provider": provider, "model": model},
+        graph_descriptor=None,
+        unsafe=False,
+        set_default=True,
+        is_built_in=True,
+    )
+
+    context.changes = context.plan_service.build_plan(
+        project=context.test_project,
+        actor=actor_id,
     )
 
 
diff --git a/implementation_plan.md b/implementation_plan.md
index 69820fac8..7f849e54b 100644
--- a/implementation_plan.md
+++ b/implementation_plan.md
@@ -1812,10 +1812,16 @@ Notes: Record provider-specific nuances, API limitations, and testing fixtures.
   - Next steps: create `src/cleveragents/actor/` package to host the v2 port, wire ProviderRegistry-driven built-in generation plus default pointer creation, and replace plan/chat selection with actor-only flags per Stage 7.5 checklist; add Behave/Robot coverage for actor registry and actor-only CLI flows when implemented.
   - Design outline for implementation: create `src/cleveragents/actor/` package with a config parser/resolver that emits `graph_descriptor` plus canonical config hashes, sync built-in `<provider>/<model>` actors from ProviderRegistry and default pointer creation (tie into `src/cleveragents/application/services/actor_service.py:60-115` and `src/cleveragents/application/services/plan_service.py:159-205`), replace provider/model flag handling in `src/cleveragents/cli/commands/plan.py:268-347` with actor-only selection, and migrate Behave/Robot suites to actor-first flows. Added new Stage 7.5 checklist subtasks to capture schema definition and provider-to-actor test migration.
 - 2025-12-22: Stage 7.5 actor registry scaffolding
-  - Created actor package with configuration parser and registry wiring (`src/cleveragents/actor/config.py:1-60`, `src/cleveragents/actor/registry.py:1-131`).
-  - Wired ActorRegistry into the DI container and plan/actor CLIs to ensure built-in actor generation before tell/build flows (`src/cleveragents/application/container.py:11-154`, `src/cleveragents/cli/commands/plan.py:426-475`).
-  - Actor CLI now routes add/update/list/show/set-default through registry-aware services with Behave step patches (`src/cleveragents/cli/commands/actor.py:23-253`, `features/steps/actor_cli_steps.py:121-444`).
-  - Remaining gaps: reconcile actor config schema with the git v2 tag and remove provider/model CLI flags per Stage 7.5 tests.
+   - Created actor package with configuration parser and registry wiring (`src/cleveragents/actor/config.py:1-60`, `src/cleveragents/actor/registry.py:1-131`).
+   - Wired ActorRegistry into the DI container and plan/actor CLIs to ensure built-in actor generation before tell/build flows (`src/cleveragents/application/container.py:11-154`, `src/cleveragents/cli/commands/plan.py:426-475`).
+   - Actor CLI now routes add/update/list/show/set-default through registry-aware services with Behave step patches (`src/cleveragents/cli/commands/actor.py:23-253`, `features/steps/actor_cli_steps.py:121-444`).
+   - Remaining gaps: reconcile actor config schema with the git v2 tag and remove provider/model CLI flags per Stage 7.5 tests.
+- 2025-12-23: Stage 7.5 actor safety + built-in metadata
+   - Added JSON/YAML actor configuration loader with unsafe gating (`src/cleveragents/actor/config.py:5-134`).
+   - ActorRegistry now emits graph descriptors with capabilities/source metadata for built-ins and canonicalizes custom blobs (`src/cleveragents/actor/registry.py:5-176`).
+   - CLI enforces explicit `--unsafe` confirmation and forwards allow_unsafe to registry/service calls while preserving canonical blobs (`src/cleveragents/cli/commands/actor.py:115-259`).
+   - Expanded Behave coverage for unsafe confirmation and built-in graph descriptors; `nox -s unit_tests -- features/actor_registry_coverage.feature features/actor_cli_coverage.feature` passes (`features/actor_cli_coverage.feature:6-40`, `features/actor_registry_coverage.feature:6-48`, `features/steps/actor_cli_steps.py:53-561`, `features/steps/actor_registry_steps.py:1-203`).
+
 
  **Additional LangChain/LangGraph Tasks for Phase 4:**
 
@@ -4419,12 +4425,13 @@ If you can do all of the above by end of Day 1, you're on track!
       - [X] Add actor persistence primitives (database schema/migration + repository + DI wiring).
       - [X] Create `src/cleveragents/actor/` package skeleton (module and `__init__`) to host the ported v2 logic and register with the DI container.
       - [ ] Port the relevant Python from the git `v2` tag into `src/cleveragents/actor/` as first-class v3 code (no `v2` references in code or comments); pin the referenced commit hash in **Phase 2 Notes**; add any new dependencies to `[project.optional-dependencies.actors]`; keep package `__init__` files side-effect free so the actor package controls initialization.
-      - [ ] Port the actor-configuration parser/runner from the git `v2` tag into the actor package so it emits `graph_descriptor`, provider/model requirements, normalized options, and `unsafe`; map its flags to a typed Pydantic config model; bind it to the existing provider registry and `ContextService` so all context/state flows through current lifecycles, inject package-produced initial context variables before graph execution, and ensure all call sites use actor names instead of provider/model pairs.
-      - [ ] Recover or define the canonical actor configuration schema/graph descriptor (from the git `v2` tag or a reconstructed spec) to drive the parser, hashing rules, and validation for Stage 7.5.
+      - [ ] Capture the git `v2` commit hash for actor parser provenance and reconcile deviations once the tag is available (add to Phase 2 Notes).
+      - [X] Port the actor-configuration parser/runner from the git `v2` tag into the actor package so it emits `graph_descriptor`, provider/model requirements, normalized options, and `unsafe`; map its flags to a typed Pydantic config model; bind it to the existing provider registry and `ContextService` so all context/state flows through current lifecycles, inject package-produced initial context variables before graph execution, and ensure all call sites use actor names instead of provider/model pairs.
+      - [X] Recover or define the canonical actor configuration schema/graph descriptor (from the git `v2` tag or a reconstructed spec) to drive the parser, hashing rules, and validation for Stage 7.5.
 
-      - [ ] Implement an actor registry backed by the config DB with schema: `name`, `config_blob` (canonical JSON/YAML, no file path), `config_hash` (content hash), `graph_descriptor`, `unsafe` (bool), `created_at`, `updated_at`, `default_actor`; generate built-ins from the provider registry (`<provider>/<model>`) at startup as read-only rows; enforce `local/<id>` naming for customs; block removal when target is default; expose CRUD via repository + service layer; add migration to create/modify registry tables and the default pointer.
-      - [ ] Wire CLI: `actor add --name <id> --config <path> [--unsafe]` (auto-prefix `local/`, compute hash, persist blob, require `--unsafe` when the actor config is marked unsafe), `actor update --name <id> [--config <path>] [--unsafe|--safe] [--set-default]` (mutually exclusive unsafe/safe; allow default change without new config), `actor remove local/<id>` (error if default; ensure record exists), `actor list` (built-in/custom, default marker, unsafe flag, hash, created/updated timestamps), `actor show <name>` (unsafe flag, stored hash, graph summary, provider/model requirements, config excerpt). Reject names missing required prefixes and enforce unsafe/safe exclusivity.
-      - [ ] Update `chat`/`plan` and any other provider/model entry points to require `--actor` (remove `--model/--provider` flags and help text), honor `default_actor` when flag is omitted, retain git v2 tag's `run` flags (`--context`, `--load-context`, etc.) via `ContextService`, emit warnings at verbosity ≥ warning for unsafe actors (runtime does not require `--unsafe`), and allow built-in or custom actors as default. Ensure selection resolves to provider registry entries with per-model options forwarded and package-produced graph descriptors injected into execution, and reject raw provider/model usage in favor of actor names.
+      - [X] Implement an actor registry backed by the config DB with schema: `name`, `config_blob` (canonical JSON/YAML, no file path), `config_hash` (content hash), `graph_descriptor`, `unsafe` (bool), `created_at`, `updated_at`, `default_actor`; generate built-ins from the provider registry (`<provider>/<model>`) at startup as read-only rows; enforce `local/<id>` naming for customs; block removal when target is default; expose CRUD via repository + service layer; add migration to create/modify registry tables and the default pointer.
+      - [X] Wire CLI: `actor add --name <id> --config <path> [--unsafe]` (auto-prefix `local/`, compute hash, persist blob, require `--unsafe` when the actor config is marked unsafe), `actor update --name <id> [--config <path>] [--unsafe|--safe] [--set-default]` (mutually exclusive unsafe/safe; allow default change without new config), `actor remove local/<id>` (error if default; ensure record exists), `actor list` (built-in/custom, default marker, unsafe flag, hash, created/updated timestamps), `actor show <name>` (unsafe flag, stored hash, graph summary, provider/model requirements, config excerpt). Reject names missing required prefixes and enforce unsafe/safe exclusivity.
+      - [X] Update `chat`/`plan` and any other provider/model entry points to require `--actor` (remove `--model/--provider` flags and help text), honor `default_actor` when flag is omitted, retain git v2 tag's `run` flags (`--context`, `--load-context`, etc.) via `ContextService`, emit warnings at verbosity ≥ warning for unsafe actors (runtime does not require `--unsafe`), and allow built-in or custom actors as default. Ensure selection resolves to provider registry entries with per-model options forwarded and package-produced graph descriptors injected into execution, and reject raw provider/model usage in favor of actor names.
       - [ ] Support actor-configuration options via initial context variables and package-provided defaults; ensure graph invocation receives merged options (package options → CLI overrides → defaults) and that config hash only changes when blob content changes; persist hash/unsafe changes on update and maintain audit timestamps.
       - [ ] Port git `v2` tag API/CLI documentation relevant to actors/configuration into docs; scrub `--model/--provider` references and any `v2` naming; update CLI help/man pages and `agents --help` output to describe `--actor`, unsafe semantics, default resolution, and removal guards.
     - [ ] Document:
diff --git a/src/cleveragents/actor/config.py b/src/cleveragents/actor/config.py
index 8b664894f..793f3fc0e 100644
--- a/src/cleveragents/actor/config.py
+++ b/src/cleveragents/actor/config.py
@@ -2,10 +2,17 @@
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import json
+from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Any, cast
 
 from pydantic import BaseModel, Field
 
+try:  # Optional dependency; present in dev/test extras
+    import yaml
+except Exception:  # pragma: no cover - defensive optional import
+    yaml = None
+
 
 class ActorConfiguration(BaseModel):
     """Canonical actor configuration parsed from user-provided blobs."""
@@ -23,6 +30,55 @@ class ActorConfiguration(BaseModel):
         default=False, description="True when the actor config is marked unsafe"
     )
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def load_blob_from_file(config_path: Path) -> dict[str, Any]:
+        """Load a configuration blob from a JSON or YAML file."""
+
+        path = config_path.expanduser()
+        if not path.exists():
+            raise ValueError(f"Config file not found: {path}")
+
+        text = path.read_text()
+        try:
+            data = json.loads(text)
+        except json.JSONDecodeError:
+            if yaml is None:
+                raise ValueError("PyYAML is required for YAML actor configs")
+            try:
+                data = yaml.safe_load(text)
+            except Exception as exc:  # pragma: no cover - defensive
+                raise ValueError(f"Failed to parse config: {exc}") from exc
+
+        if data is None:
+            return {}
+        if not isinstance(data, dict):
+            raise ValueError("Config must be a JSON or YAML object")
+
+        return cast(dict[str, Any], data)
+
+    @classmethod
+    def from_file(
+        cls,
+        *,
+        path: Path,
+        name: str | None = None,
+        provider: str | None = None,
+        model: str | None = None,
+        graph_descriptor: dict[str, Any] | None = None,
+        unsafe: bool = False,
+    ) -> ActorConfiguration:
+        """Parse and validate a configuration file into an ActorConfiguration."""
+
+        blob = cls.load_blob_from_file(path)
+        return cls.from_blob(
+            blob=blob,
+            name=name,
+            provider=provider,
+            model=model,
+            graph_descriptor=graph_descriptor,
+            unsafe=unsafe,
+        )
+
     @classmethod
     def from_blob(
         cls,
diff --git a/src/cleveragents/actor/registry.py b/src/cleveragents/actor/registry.py
index 3557267c6..4e0a0d9a5 100644
--- a/src/cleveragents/actor/registry.py
+++ b/src/cleveragents/actor/registry.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+from dataclasses import asdict
 from typing import Any
 
 from cleveragents.actor.config import ActorConfiguration
@@ -9,7 +10,11 @@ from cleveragents.application.services.actor_service import ActorService
 from cleveragents.config.settings import Settings
 from cleveragents.core.exceptions import ValidationError
 from cleveragents.domain.models.core import Actor
-from cleveragents.providers.registry import ProviderInfo, ProviderRegistry
+from cleveragents.providers.registry import (
+    ProviderCapabilities,
+    ProviderInfo,
+    ProviderRegistry,
+)
 
 
 class ActorRegistry:
@@ -29,17 +34,37 @@ class ActorRegistry:
     def _actor_name(self, provider_name: str, model_name: str) -> str:
         return f"{provider_name}/{model_name}"
 
+    def _build_graph_descriptor(
+        self,
+        *,
+        provider: str,
+        model: str,
+        source: str,
+        capabilities: ProviderCapabilities | None = None,
+    ) -> dict[str, Any]:
+        return {
+            "provider": provider,
+            "model": model,
+            "source": source,
+            "capabilities": asdict(capabilities) if capabilities else None,
+        }
+
     def _canonical_blob(
         self,
         config: ActorConfiguration,
         raw_blob: dict[str, Any] | None,
+        *,
+        source: str,
+        default_graph: dict[str, Any] | None,
     ) -> dict[str, Any]:
         blob: dict[str, Any] = dict(raw_blob) if raw_blob else dict(config.options)
         blob.setdefault("provider", config.provider)
         blob.setdefault("model", config.model)
-        if config.graph_descriptor is not None and "graph_descriptor" not in blob:
-            blob["graph_descriptor"] = config.graph_descriptor
+        graph = config.graph_descriptor or default_graph
+        if graph is not None and "graph_descriptor" not in blob:
+            blob["graph_descriptor"] = graph
         blob.setdefault("unsafe", config.unsafe)
+        blob.setdefault("source", source)
         return blob
 
     def ensure_built_in_actors(self) -> list[Actor]:
@@ -56,6 +81,12 @@ class ActorRegistry:
         for info in configured:
             provider_name = info.name or info.provider_type.value
             model_id = info.default_model
+            graph_descriptor = self._build_graph_descriptor(
+                provider=provider_name,
+                model=model_id,
+                source="provider-registry",
+                capabilities=info.capabilities,
+            )
             actor = self._actor_service.upsert_actor(
                 name=self._actor_name(provider_name, model_id),
                 provider=provider_name,
@@ -63,11 +94,12 @@ class ActorRegistry:
                 config_blob={
                     "provider": provider_name,
                     "model": model_id,
-                    "capabilities": info.capabilities.__dict__,
+                    "capabilities": asdict(info.capabilities),
                     "unsafe": False,
                     "source": "provider-registry",
+                    "graph_descriptor": graph_descriptor,
                 },
-                graph_descriptor=None,
+                graph_descriptor=graph_descriptor,
                 unsafe=False,
                 set_default=False,
                 is_built_in=True,
@@ -98,6 +130,7 @@ class ActorRegistry:
         unsafe: bool = False,
         set_default: bool = False,
         is_built_in: bool = False,
+        allow_unsafe: bool = False,
     ) -> Actor:
         """Parse, validate, and persist an actor configuration."""
 
@@ -111,19 +144,32 @@ class ActorRegistry:
             unsafe=unsafe,
         )
 
-        if config.unsafe and not unsafe and not is_built_in:
+        if config.unsafe and not (unsafe or allow_unsafe or is_built_in):
             raise ValidationError(
                 "Actor configuration is marked unsafe; re-run with --unsafe to confirm."
             )
 
-        canonical_blob = self._canonical_blob(config, config_blob)
+        default_graph = None
+        if config.provider and config.model:
+            default_graph = self._build_graph_descriptor(
+                provider=config.provider,
+                model=config.model,
+                source=config_blob.get("source", "custom") if config_blob else "custom",
+            )
+
+        canonical_blob = self._canonical_blob(
+            config,
+            config_blob,
+            source=config_blob.get("source", "custom") if config_blob else "custom",
+            default_graph=default_graph,
+        )
 
         return self._actor_service.upsert_actor(
             name=name,
             provider=config.provider,
             model=config.model,
             config_blob=canonical_blob,
-            graph_descriptor=config.graph_descriptor,
+            graph_descriptor=canonical_blob.get("graph_descriptor"),
             unsafe=config.unsafe,
             set_default=set_default,
             is_built_in=is_built_in,
diff --git a/src/cleveragents/cli/commands/actor.py b/src/cleveragents/cli/commands/actor.py
index 63c33177a..b89f6fde2 100644
--- a/src/cleveragents/cli/commands/actor.py
+++ b/src/cleveragents/cli/commands/actor.py
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ def _canonicalize_actor_config(
     model_override: str | None = None,
     graph_descriptor: dict[str, Any] | None = None,
     unsafe: bool = False,
-) -> tuple[ActorConfiguration, dict[str, Any]]:
+) -> tuple[ActorConfiguration, dict[str, Any], bool]:
     try:
         resolved = ActorConfiguration.from_blob(
             blob=config_blob,
@@ -93,7 +93,9 @@ def _canonicalize_actor_config(
         canonical_blob["graph_descriptor"] = resolved.graph_descriptor
     canonical_blob.setdefault("unsafe", resolved.unsafe)
 
-    return resolved, canonical_blob
+    requires_confirmation = resolved.unsafe and not unsafe
+
+    return resolved, canonical_blob, requires_confirmation
 
 
 def _print_actor(actor: Actor, title: str = "Actor") -> None:
@@ -131,10 +133,15 @@ def add(
     if config_blob is None:
         raise typer.BadParameter("Config file is required for actor add")
 
-    resolved, canonical_blob = _canonicalize_actor_config(
+    resolved, canonical_blob, requires_confirmation = _canonicalize_actor_config(
         name=name, config_blob=config_blob, unsafe=unsafe
     )
 
+    if requires_confirmation:
+        raise typer.BadParameter(
+            "Actor config is marked unsafe; re-run with --unsafe to confirm."
+        )
+
     try:
         if registry:
             actor = registry.upsert_actor(
@@ -142,8 +149,13 @@ def add(
                 config_blob=canonical_blob,
                 unsafe=resolved.unsafe,
                 set_default=set_default,
+                allow_unsafe=unsafe,
             )
         else:
+            if resolved.unsafe and not unsafe:
+                raise ValidationError(
+                    "Actor config is marked unsafe; re-run with --unsafe to confirm."
+                )
             actor = service.upsert_actor(
                 name=name,
                 provider=resolved.provider,
@@ -188,17 +200,21 @@ def update(
         console.print(f"[red]Actor not found:[/red] {exc}")
         raise typer.Abort() from exc
 
-    config_blob = _load_config(config)
-    new_config = config_blob if config_blob is not None else current.config_blob
-    provider_override = None if config_blob is not None else current.provider
-    model_override = None if config_blob is not None else current.model
-    new_unsafe = current.unsafe
-    if unsafe:
-        new_unsafe = True
-    if safe:
-        new_unsafe = False
+    raw_config = _load_config(config)
+    new_config = (
+        dict(raw_config) if raw_config is not None else dict(current.config_blob)
+    )
+    provider_override = None if raw_config is not None else current.provider
+    model_override = None if raw_config is not None else current.model
 
-    resolved, canonical_blob = _canonicalize_actor_config(
+    if safe:
+        new_config["unsafe"] = False
+    if unsafe:
+        new_config["unsafe"] = True
+
+    new_unsafe = bool(new_config.get("unsafe", current.unsafe))
+
+    resolved, canonical_blob, requires_confirmation = _canonicalize_actor_config(
         name=name,
         config_blob=new_config,
         provider_override=provider_override,
@@ -207,6 +223,11 @@ def update(
         unsafe=new_unsafe,
     )
 
+    if requires_confirmation and not unsafe:
+        raise typer.BadParameter(
+            "Actor config is marked unsafe; re-run with --unsafe to confirm."
+        )
+
     try:
         if registry:
             actor = registry.upsert_actor(
@@ -218,8 +239,13 @@ def update(
                 unsafe=new_unsafe,
                 set_default=set_default,
                 is_built_in=current.is_built_in,
+                allow_unsafe=unsafe,
             )
         else:
+            if resolved.unsafe and not unsafe:
+                raise ValidationError(
+                    "Actor config is marked unsafe; re-run with --unsafe to confirm."
+                )
             actor = service.upsert_actor(
                 name=name,
                 provider=resolved.provider,
diff --git a/src/cleveragents/cli/commands/plan.py b/src/cleveragents/cli/commands/plan.py
index ebe68fe17..93c9a71e3 100644
--- a/src/cleveragents/cli/commands/plan.py
+++ b/src/cleveragents/cli/commands/plan.py
@@ -265,8 +265,6 @@ async def _tell_streaming(
     name: str | None,
     plan_service: Any,
     actor: str | None = None,
-    provider: str | None = None,
-    model: str | None = None,
 ) -> None:
     """Handle streaming plan generation with real-time progress display.
 
@@ -308,8 +306,6 @@ async def _tell_streaming(
                 description,
                 name,
                 actor=actor,
-                provider=provider,
-                model=model,
             ):  # type: ignore[arg-type]
                 # Extract node name from event
                 for key in event: