diff -r cadaf4872eb3 -r 222e47738402 src/setup.reef
--- a/src/setup.reef	Sat May 09 00:39:50 2026 +0000
+++ b/src/setup.reef	Sat May 09 02:54:05 2026 +0000
@@ -3,11 +3,13 @@
 import core.str
 import core.result_generic as rg
 import io.console as console
+import io.dir as iodir
 import sys.env
 import sys.flag as flag
 import sys.process as p
 import incus
 import config
+import profile
 
 export
     type Environment
@@ -118,7 +120,6 @@
     end if
 
     if stage.id == "registry_defaults"
-        // Update [host].lan_ip from detected env
         let new_host = config.Host {
             lan_ip: env.host_lan_ip
         }
@@ -129,6 +130,10 @@
             defaults: reg.defaults,
             projects: reg.projects
         }
+        // Ensure the user-profile-shadow dir exists so users can drop overrides
+        // there without mkdir ceremony. iodir.create_dir_all is idempotent.
+        let profiles_d: string = profile.user_dir(env.home_dir)
+        let _md: bool = iodir.create_dir_all(profiles_d)
         return @Result[config.Registry, string].Ok(new_reg)
     end if