diff --git a/extensions/rules-guard/README.md b/extensions/rules-guard/README.md
index eac2e72..4892fb8 100644
--- a/extensions/rules-guard/README.md
+++ b/extensions/rules-guard/README.md
@@ -13,17 +13,21 @@ which closes that gap.
 
 ## Policy sources
 
-At startup the extension reads both Claude settings files, pulls their `permissions.deny`
+At startup the extension reads the Claude settings files, pulls their `permissions.deny`
 and `permissions.allow` arrays, and merges them with the opinionated defaults:
 
 | Source | What it contributes |
 | --- | --- |
 | `~/.claude/settings.json` | Your personal `permissions.deny` and `permissions.allow`. |
 | `~/.claude/remote-settings.json` | Organization policy. On Team and Enterprise plans this file is managed by org admins, so central rules apply automatically with no local opt-in. |
+| `.claude/settings.json` | Project-shared rules, committed to source control so the whole team inherits them. Resolved under the working directory. |
+| `.claude/settings.local.json` | Project-scoped personal rules, resolved under the working directory. Git-ignored by convention, so it carries machine-local rules that are not shared with the team. |
 | Opinionated defaults (`index.ts`) | An opinionated default deny/allow list baked into the source, so the guard still works standalone when a file is missing or invalid. |
 
-All three merge into one policy. A missing or unparseable file is skipped without error,
-and the guard falls back to the remaining file plus the opinionated defaults. Rules compile
+They all merge into one policy — the project-scoped files add rules, they do not take
+precedence by being project-level; conflicts resolve by specificity like every other source
+(see below). A missing or unparseable file is skipped without error, and the guard falls
+back to the remaining files plus the opinionated defaults. Rules compile
 once when the extension loads. The active counts appear in a `session_start` notification,
 for example `20 deny / 2 allow rules across all tools`.
 
diff --git a/extensions/rules-guard/index.test.ts b/extensions/rules-guard/index.test.ts
index 302445d..284b620 100644
--- a/extensions/rules-guard/index.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/rules-guard/index.test.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import rulesGuard, {
   bashMatcher,
   buildPolicy,
   candidateAbsPaths,
+  claudeFiles,
   compileGlob,
   decide,
   EMBEDDED_ALLOW,
@@ -566,6 +567,48 @@ describe("loadPolicyEntries (settings file merge)", () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe("claudeFiles (default settings file locations)", () => {
+  test("resolves user + org files under home and both project files under cwd", () => {
+    expect(claudeFiles("/home/test", "/proj")).toEqual([
+      nodePath.join("/home/test", ".claude", "settings.json"),
+      nodePath.join("/home/test", ".claude", "remote-settings.json"),
+      nodePath.join("/proj", ".claude", "settings.json"),
+      nodePath.join("/proj", ".claude", "settings.local.json"),
+    ]);
+  });
+  test("project-scoped settings.json + settings.local.json load and merge via claudeFiles", () => {
+    inTempDir((dir) => {
+      const home = nodePath.join(dir, "home");
+      const proj = nodePath.join(dir, "proj");
+      const projClaude = nodePath.join(proj, ".claude");
+      fs.mkdirSync(home, { recursive: true });
+      fs.mkdirSync(projClaude, { recursive: true });
+      fs.writeFileSync(
+        nodePath.join(projClaude, "settings.json"),
+        JSON.stringify({
+          permissions: { deny: ["Read(/proj/shared-secret)"] },
+        }),
+      );
+      fs.writeFileSync(
+        nodePath.join(projClaude, "settings.local.json"),
+        JSON.stringify({
+          permissions: {
+            deny: ["Read(/proj/secret)"],
+            allow: ["Write(/proj/tmp/**)"],
+          },
+        }),
+      );
+      // home has no .claude files, so only the project sources contribute.
+      const { deny, allow } = loadPolicyEntries(claudeFiles(home, proj));
+      expect(deny).toContain("Read(/proj/shared-secret)"); // project settings.json
+      expect(deny).toContain("Read(/proj/secret)"); // project settings.local.json
+      expect(deny).toContain("Read(**/.env*)"); // defaults still present
+      expect(allow).toContain("Write(/proj/tmp/**)");
+      expect(allow).toEqual(expect.arrayContaining(EMBEDDED_ALLOW));
+    });
+  });
+});
+
 describe("rulesGuard wiring — registration & session_start", () => {
   test("sets a label of the expected shape and registers three hooks", () => {
     const { pi, handlers, state } = makeMockPi();
diff --git a/extensions/rules-guard/index.ts b/extensions/rules-guard/index.ts
index e9f371a..c84c81a 100644
--- a/extensions/rules-guard/index.ts
+++ b/extensions/rules-guard/index.ts
@@ -8,10 +8,12 @@
  *   denied path, and enforces the denied bash command patterns too. A `tool_result`
  *   pass redacts secret-shaped output as defense in depth.
  *
- * Policy source (read at load from BOTH Claude settings files):
- *   - ~/.claude/settings.json        → permissions.deny + permissions.allow
- *   - ~/.claude/remote-settings.json → permissions.deny + permissions.allow
- *   Both files plus the opinionated defaults below are merged, so the guard still
+ * Policy source (read at load from ALL Claude settings files):
+ *   - ~/.claude/settings.json           → permissions.deny + permissions.allow
+ *   - ~/.claude/remote-settings.json    → permissions.deny + permissions.allow
+ *   - <cwd>/.claude/settings.json       → permissions.deny + permissions.allow
+ *   - <cwd>/.claude/settings.local.json → permissions.deny + permissions.allow
+ *   All files plus the opinionated defaults below are merged, so the guard still
  *   works standalone when a file is missing/invalid.
  *
  * Precedence (unlike Claude, where deny always wins): the MORE SPECIFIC rule
@@ -71,11 +73,25 @@ export const EMBEDDED_ALLOW: string[] = [
   "Read(**/.env.default)",
 ];
 
-// Import `~/.claude/settings.json` and `~/.claude/remote-settings.json` to
-// construct additional rules
-const CLAUDE_FILES = ["settings.json", "remote-settings.json"].map((f) =>
-  nodePath.join(os.homedir(), ".claude", f),
-);
+// Default Claude settings files that contribute policy rules: the user + org
+// files under `~/.claude`, plus the project-scoped `.claude/settings.json`
+// (shared, committed) and `.claude/settings.local.json` (local, git-ignored)
+// under `cwd`. Order is irrelevant to the final policy (precedence is by
+// specificity, not position); a missing file is skipped. Pure + injectable for
+// tests, matching `compileGlob`/`globSpecificity`.
+export function claudeFiles(
+  home: string = os.homedir(),
+  cwd: string = process.cwd(),
+): string[] {
+  return [
+    nodePath.join(home, ".claude", "settings.json"),
+    nodePath.join(home, ".claude", "remote-settings.json"),
+    nodePath.join(cwd, ".claude", "settings.json"),
+    nodePath.join(cwd, ".claude", "settings.local.json"),
+  ];
+}
+
+const CLAUDE_FILES = claudeFiles();
 
 // Claude permission "tool" names mapped onto omp tool classes.
 const CLAUDE_READ_TOOLS: Record<string, true> = {