diff --git a/internal/cli/profile_precedence_test.go b/internal/cli/profile_precedence_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..459f98c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/cli/profile_precedence_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+package cli_test
+
+import (
+	"encoding/json"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestProfilesRespectProfileFlag(t *testing.T) {
+	cases := []struct {
+		name     string
+		args     []string
+		expected string
+		field    string
+	}{
+		{"show_flag", []string{"profiles", "show", "--profile", "qa-chosen", "--json"}, "qa-chosen", "profile"},
+		{"list_flag", []string{"profiles", "list", "--profile", "qa-chosen", "--json"}, "qa-chosen", "active"},
+		{"show_positional_control", []string{"profiles", "show", "qa-chosen", "--json"}, "qa-chosen", "profile"},
+		{"show_active_control", []string{"profiles", "show", "--json"}, "qa-base", "profile"},
+		{"list_active_control", []string{"profiles", "list", "--json"}, "qa-base", "active"},
+		{"positional_overrides_flag_control", []string{"profiles", "show", "qa-base", "--profile", "qa-chosen", "--json"}, "qa-base", "profile"},
+	}
+	for _, tc := range cases {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			dir := t.TempDir()
+			for name, project := range map[string]string{"qa-base": "proj_local_base", "qa-chosen": "proj_local_chosen"} {
+				raw, _ := json.Marshal(map[string]string{"project_id": project})
+				if err := os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(dir, name+".json"), raw, 0600); err != nil {
+					t.Fatal(err)
+				}
+			}
+			if err := os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(dir, ".active"), []byte("qa-base\n"), 0600); err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			out, stderr, err := runCmdInConfigDir(t, dir, tc.args...)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("command failed: %v; %s", err, stderr)
+			}
+			var response struct {
+				Data map[string]any `json:"data"`
+			}
+			if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(out), &response); err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			if got := response.Data[tc.field]; got != tc.expected {
+				t.Errorf("%s = %v, want %s; output: %s", tc.field, got, tc.expected, out)
+			}
+			if tc.field == "profile" {
+				expectedProject := "proj_local_base"
+				if tc.expected == "qa-chosen" {
+					expectedProject = "proj_local_chosen"
+				}
+				if got := response.Data["project_id"]; got != expectedProject {
+					t.Errorf("project_id = %v, want %s", got, expectedProject)
+				}
+			}
+			active, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(dir, ".active"))
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			if string(active) != "qa-base\n" {
+				t.Errorf("transient flag changed persisted active profile: %q", active)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/cli/profiles.go b/internal/cli/profiles.go
index c360a51b..a5a261eb 100644
--- a/internal/cli/profiles.go
+++ b/internal/cli/profiles.go
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ func newProfilesListCmd() *cobra.Command {
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
-			active := config.ProfileName("")
+			active := config.ProfileName(rt.Globals.Profile)
 			rows := make([][]string, 0, len(names))
 			for _, n := range names {
 				marker := " "
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ func newProfilesShowCmd() *cobra.Command {
 		Args:    cobra.MaximumNArgs(1),
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			rt := RuntimeFrom(cmd.Context())
-			name := ""
+			name := rt.Globals.Profile
 			if len(args) == 1 {
 				name = args[0]
 			}