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diff --git a/‎docs/reference/workflows.md‎
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diff --git a/‎src/specify_cli/extensions/__init__.py‎
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diff --git a/‎src/specify_cli/workflows/_commands.py‎
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@@ -91,8 +91,192 @@ specify workflow add <source>
 | `--dev`         | Install from a local workflow YAML file or directory   |
 | `--from <url>`  | Install from a custom URL (`<source>` names the expected workflow ID) |
 
-Installs a workflow from the catalog, a URL (HTTPS required), or a local file path.
+Installs a workflow from the catalog, a URL (HTTPS required), a local YAML file, or a local directory containing `workflow.yml`.
 
+## Workflow Overlays
+
+Workflow overlays let a project extend or override an installed workflow without editing the installed `workflow.yml`.  This keeps local customizations safe across `specify bundle update` or `specify workflow add` upgrades.
+
+When `specify workflow run <workflow-id>` loads a workflow, the engine composes the base workflow with all enabled overlays for that workflow id.  The result is validated like any other workflow definition.
+
+### How Overlays Work
+
+An overlay is a YAML file that declares a set of edit operations against the step list of a base workflow. Overlays use lower-wins precedence: higher priority numbers are applied first and lower numbers last. Equal-priority overlays are applied alphabetically by ID, with the last ID winning conflicts.
+
+Project overlay files live at:
+
+| Location | Purpose |
+| --- | --- |
+| `.specify/workflows/overlays/<id>/*.yml` | Project-local customizations |
+
+### Overlay File Format
+
+The recommended edit format uses the operation name as the key and the anchor step id as the value:
+
+```yaml
+id: "my-overlay"
+extends: "speckit"
+priority: 10
+enabled: true
+edits:
+  - insert_after: implement
+    step:
+      id: run-lint
+      type: shell
+      run: "ruff check src/"
+
+  - replace: review-spec
+    step:
+      id: review-spec
+      type: gate
+      message: "Review the generated spec (overlay override)."
+      options: [approve, reject]
+      on_reject: abort
+```
+
+The explicit form is also supported:
+
+```yaml
+edits:
+  - operation: insert_after
+    anchor: implement
+    step:
+      id: run-lint
+      type: shell
+      run: "ruff check src/"
+```
+
+#### Fields
+
+| Field | Required | Description |
+| --- | --- | --- |
+| `id` | yes | Identifier for this overlay. Used in `specify workflow overlay *` commands. Must be lowercase letters, digits, and hyphens only; no dots, underscores, path separators, or `overlays`. |
+| `extends` | yes | The workflow id this overlay applies to. Uses the same safe-id format as `id`; `overlays`, `runs`, and `steps` are reserved. |
+| `priority` | no | Integer; defaults to `10`. Lower values have higher precedence and win conflicts. Missing or invalid values fall back to `10`. |
+| `enabled` | no | Boolean. Defaults to `true`. Disabled overlays are ignored. |
+| `edits` | yes | Non-empty list of edit operations. |
+
+#### Edit Operations
+
+| Operation | `step` required | Effect |
+| --- | --- | --- |
+| `insert_after` | yes | Insert `step` immediately after the anchor step. |
+| `insert_before` | yes | Insert `step` immediately before the anchor step. |
+| `replace` | yes | Replace the anchor step with `step`. |
+| `remove` | no | Remove the anchor step from the list. |
+
+The `anchor` is the `id` of a step in the base workflow.  Anchors are resolved recursively inside `then`, `else`, `steps`, `cases.*`, and `default` blocks, so nested base steps can also be targeted.  Fan-out templates (`step` inside a `fan-out` step) are **not** valid anchors.
+
+Step ids must not contain `:` — that character is reserved for engine-generated nested ids.
+
+### Overlay CLI Commands
+
+#### Add a Project Overlay
+
+```bash
+specify workflow overlay add <path-to-overlay.yml> --priority <n>
+```
+
+Validates the overlay file and copies it to `.specify/workflows/overlays/<extends>/<id>.yml`. `--priority` defaults to `10` and overrides the `priority` field in the file.
+
+#### List Overlays
+
+```bash
+specify workflow overlay list <workflow-id>
+```
+
+Shows all overlays for the workflow, ordered by resolver precedence. Disabled overlays are marked as disabled in the listing and are ignored during workflow resolution.
+
+#### Change Priority
+
+```bash
+specify workflow overlay set-priority <workflow-id> <overlay-id> <n>
+```
+
+#### Enable or Disable
+
+```bash
+specify workflow overlay disable <workflow-id> <overlay-id>
+specify workflow overlay enable <workflow-id> <overlay-id>
+```
+
+#### Remove
+
+```bash
+specify workflow overlay remove <workflow-id> <overlay-id>
+```
+
+Removes the project overlay file.
+
+#### Inspect the Composed Workflow
+
+```bash
+specify workflow resolve <workflow-id>
+```
+
+Prints the layer stack (base + overlays) and the source attribution for each step after composition.  Useful for debugging which overlay contributed or overrode a step.
+
+### Example: Adding Automated Linting after Implementation
+
+Given the built-in `speckit` workflow, create `project-overlay.yml`:
+
+```yaml
+id: "add-lint"
+extends: "speckit"
+priority: 10
+edits:
+  - insert_after: implement
+    step:
+      id: run-lint
+      type: shell
+      run: "ruff check src/"
+```
+
+Install it:
+
+```bash
+specify workflow overlay add project-overlay.yml --priority 10
+```
+
+Run the workflow:
+
+```bash
+specify workflow run speckit -i spec="Build a kanban board"
+```
+
+The composed workflow will now run the full SDD cycle and execute `ruff check src/` automatically after the `implement` step.
+
+### Example: Replacing a Gate
+
+```yaml
+id: "skip-plan-review"
+extends: "speckit"
+priority: 5
+edits:
+  - replace: review-plan
+    step:
+      id: review-plan
+      type: command
+      command: speckit.plan
+      input:
+        args: "{{ inputs.spec }}"
+```
+
+Lower priority values have higher precedence. Change this overlay to `priority: 5` if it must win a conflict with the `add-lint` overlay above. It replaces the `review-plan` gate with a non-interactive command.
+
+### Interaction with Bundles and Updates
+
+`specify workflow add <local-directory>` installs `workflow.yml` from the local directory into `.specify/workflows/<id>/`.
+
+When an installed workflow is refreshed or reinstalled, project overlays in `.specify/workflows/overlays/<id>/` are preserved because they live outside the installed workflow directory.
+
+### Limitations
+
+- Overlays operate on the step list only.  They cannot change workflow metadata (name, description, inputs, `requires`) or expression logic.
+- Fan-out templates cannot be used as anchors.
+- An overlay that targets a step id that does not exist in the base workflow will raise a validation error when the workflow is resolved.
+- Overlays cannot target steps added by other overlays.
+- Overlays cannot add new inputs or change the input schema of the base workflow.
 ## Update Workflows
 
 ```bash
 
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ def normalize_priority(value: Any, default: int = DEFAULT_HOOK_PRIORITY) -> int:
         return default
     try:
         priority = int(value)
-    except (TypeError, ValueError):
+    except (TypeError, ValueError, OverflowError):
         return default
     return priority if priority >= 1 else default
 
 
@@ -49,6 +49,13 @@
 )
 workflow_step_app.add_typer(workflow_step_catalog_app, name="catalog")
 
+workflow_overlay_app = typer.Typer(
+    name="overlay",
+    help="Manage workflow overlays",
+    add_completion=False,
+)
+workflow_app.add_typer(workflow_overlay_app, name="overlay")
+
 
 def _error_console(json_output: bool):
     """Console for error text: stderr under ``--json`` so the JSON stdout
@@ -192,6 +199,10 @@ def _reject_unsafe_workflow_storage(project_root: Path) -> None:
         project_root / ".specify" / "workflows" / "runs",
         ".specify/workflows/runs",
     )
+    _reject_unsafe_dir(
+        project_root / ".specify" / "workflows" / "overlays",
+        ".specify/workflows/overlays",
+    )
 
 
 def _scan_for_workflow_owner(parts: tuple[str, ...]) -> int | None:
@@ -366,7 +377,7 @@ def ownership_for(candidate: Path) -> tuple[Path, str] | None:
 
 
 _WORKFLOW_ID_PATTERN = re.compile(r"^[a-z0-9](?:[a-z0-9-]*[a-z0-9])?$")
-_RESERVED_WORKFLOW_IDS: frozenset[str] = frozenset({"runs", "steps"})
+_RESERVED_WORKFLOW_IDS: frozenset[str] = frozenset({"overlays", "runs", "steps"})
 
 
 def _reject_insecure_download_redirect(old_url: str, new_url: str) -> None:
@@ -2386,6 +2397,9 @@ def workflow_info(
         # Local workflow definition not found on disk; fall back to
         # catalog/registry lookup below.
         pass
+    except ValueError as exc:
+        console.print(f"[red]Error:[/red] Invalid workflow: {_escape_markup(str(exc))}")
+        raise typer.Exit(1)
 
     if definition:
         console.print(f"\n[bold cyan]{definition.name}[/bold cyan] ({definition.id})")
@@ -3152,6 +3166,102 @@ def workflow_step_catalog_remove(
     console.print(f"[green]✓[/green] Step catalog source '{removed_name}' removed")
 
 
+@workflow_overlay_app.command("add")
+def workflow_overlay_add_cmd(
+    source: Path = typer.Argument(..., help="Path to overlay YAML file"),
+    priority: int = typer.Option(
+        10,
+        "--priority",
+        help="Resolution priority (lower = higher precedence, default 10)",
+    ),
+):
+    """Add a project-local overlay for a workflow."""
+    from .overlays._commands import workflow_overlay_add
+
+    project_root = _require_specify_project()
+    if workflow_overlay_add(project_root, source, priority) is None:
+        raise typer.Exit(1)
+
+
+@workflow_overlay_app.command("set-priority")
+def workflow_overlay_set_priority_cmd(
+    workflow_id: str = typer.Argument(..., help="Workflow ID the overlay extends"),
+    overlay_id: str = typer.Argument(..., help="Overlay ID"),
+    priority: int = typer.Argument(
+        ..., help="New priority (lower = higher precedence)"
+    ),
+):
+    """Set the priority of a project-local overlay."""
+    from .overlays._commands import workflow_overlay_set_priority
+
+    project_root = _require_specify_project()
+    if not workflow_overlay_set_priority(project_root, workflow_id, overlay_id, priority):
+        raise typer.Exit(1)
+
+
+@workflow_overlay_app.command("enable")
+def workflow_overlay_enable_cmd(
+    workflow_id: str = typer.Argument(..., help="Workflow ID the overlay extends"),
+    overlay_id: str = typer.Argument(..., help="Overlay ID"),
+):
+    """Enable a project-local overlay."""
+    from .overlays._commands import workflow_overlay_enable
+
+    project_root = _require_specify_project()
+    if not workflow_overlay_enable(project_root, workflow_id, overlay_id):
+        raise typer.Exit(1)
+
+
+@workflow_overlay_app.command("disable")
+def workflow_overlay_disable_cmd(
+    workflow_id: str = typer.Argument(..., help="Workflow ID the overlay extends"),
+    overlay_id: str = typer.Argument(..., help="Overlay ID"),
+):
+    """Disable a project-local overlay."""
+    from .overlays._commands import workflow_overlay_disable
+
+    project_root = _require_specify_project()
+    if not workflow_overlay_disable(project_root, workflow_id, overlay_id):
+        raise typer.Exit(1)
+
+
+@workflow_overlay_app.command("remove")
+def workflow_overlay_remove_cmd(
+    workflow_id: str = typer.Argument(..., help="Workflow ID the overlay extends"),
+    overlay_id: str = typer.Argument(..., help="Overlay ID"),
+):
+    """Remove a project-local overlay."""
+    from .overlays._commands import workflow_overlay_remove
+
+    project_root = _require_specify_project()
+    if not workflow_overlay_remove(project_root, workflow_id, overlay_id):
+        raise typer.Exit(1)
+
+
+@workflow_overlay_app.command("list")
+def workflow_overlay_list_cmd(
+    workflow_id: str = typer.Argument(..., help="Workflow ID"),
+):
+    """List overlays for a workflow."""
+    from .overlays._commands import workflow_overlay_list
+
+    project_root = _require_specify_project()
+    if workflow_overlay_list(project_root, workflow_id) is None:
+        raise typer.Exit(1)
+
+
+@workflow_app.command("resolve")
+def workflow_resolve_cmd(
+    workflow_id: str = typer.Argument(..., help="Workflow ID to resolve"),
+):
+    """Show layer attribution for a resolved workflow."""
+    from .overlays._commands import workflow_resolve
+
+    project_root = _require_specify_project()
+    if workflow_resolve(project_root, workflow_id) is None:
+        raise typer.Exit(1)
+
+
 def register(app: typer.Typer) -> None:
     """Attach the workflow command group to the root Typer app."""
     app.add_typer(workflow_app, name="workflow")