diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 88f6248..a661c93 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -205,12 +205,25 @@ RUN set -eux; \
     op --version
 
 # Per-agent CLI install. Both are npm packages; the global install puts
-# `codex` or `claude` on PATH for the non-root user.
+# `codex` or `claude` on PATH for the non-root user. Versions are pinned
+# so a rebuild from the same commit produces the same agent CLI behavior.
+# Bump these in lockstep with intentional CLI upgrades.
+ARG CODEX_CLI_VERSION=0.129.0
+ARG CLAUDE_CLI_VERSION=2.1.132
 RUN case "$AGENT" in \
-      codex)  npm install -g @openai/codex ;; \
-      claude) npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code ;; \
+      codex)  npm install -g "@openai/codex@${CODEX_CLI_VERSION}" ;; \
+      claude) npm install -g "@anthropic-ai/claude-code@${CLAUDE_CLI_VERSION}" ;; \
     esac && npm cache clean --force
 
+# Record the resolved CLI versions in image metadata so a built image
+# advertises which agent CLI it shipped with — visible via
+# `docker inspect` and surfaced in the entrypoint startup banner.
+LABEL org.opencontainers.image.title="codex-shell-${AGENT}" \
+      com.prodromou.codex-shell.codex-cli-version="${CODEX_CLI_VERSION}" \
+      com.prodromou.codex-shell.claude-cli-version="${CLAUDE_CLI_VERSION}"
+ENV CODEX_CLI_VERSION=${CODEX_CLI_VERSION} \
+    CLAUDE_CLI_VERSION=${CLAUDE_CLI_VERSION}
+
 # Non-root user. uid/gid 1000, name = AGENT. Matching the AGENT name to
 # the user keeps PVC ownership obvious and avoids shell prompts that
 # lie about which agent is running.
diff --git a/bin/entrypoint.sh b/bin/entrypoint.sh
index eef43ac..7b0f35c 100644
--- a/bin/entrypoint.sh
+++ b/bin/entrypoint.sh
@@ -101,10 +101,25 @@ esac
 # The ConfigMap (apk8s repo) is the source of truth for model/MCP config;
 # in-pod edits get blown away on restart. Stakater Reloader restarts the
 # pod when the ConfigMap changes.
+#
+# cp -afL: -a recurses + preserves attributes, -L dereferences the
+# symlink farm that ConfigMap mounts use. The previous `cp -fL` skipped
+# subdirectories entirely and silently dropped managed config.
 if [ -d "${AGENT_CONFIG_SOURCE}" ]; then
-    # cp -L follows symlinks (configmap mounts are symlink farms).
-    cp -fL "${AGENT_CONFIG_SOURCE}/." "${AGENT_CONFIG_DIR}/" 2>/dev/null || true
+    if ! cp -afL "${AGENT_CONFIG_SOURCE}/." "${AGENT_CONFIG_DIR}/"; then
+        echo "FATAL: failed to sync managed config from ${AGENT_CONFIG_SOURCE} to ${AGENT_CONFIG_DIR}" >&2
+        exit 1
+    fi
     chmod -R u+w "${AGENT_CONFIG_DIR}" 2>/dev/null || true
+
+    # Smoke check: if the ConfigMap mount has any files, at least one
+    # must have landed in the destination. Catches silent
+    # permission/path failures that previously masked stale config.
+    if [ -n "$(find "${AGENT_CONFIG_SOURCE}" -mindepth 1 -print -quit 2>/dev/null)" ] \
+        && [ -z "$(find "${AGENT_CONFIG_DIR}" -mindepth 1 -print -quit 2>/dev/null)" ]; then
+        echo "FATAL: managed config sync ran but ${AGENT_CONFIG_DIR} is empty" >&2
+        exit 1
+    fi
 fi
 
 # Pull nprodromou/agent-config for the canonical Nate-org instructions