diff --git a/Taskfile.yml b/Taskfile.yml
index 6f7df418..6b5b06e5 100644
--- a/Taskfile.yml
+++ b/Taskfile.yml
@@ -120,16 +120,21 @@ tasks:
     cmds:
       - |
         echo "APP_NAME: {{.APP_NAME}}"
+        echo "DEVCELL_DIR: {{.DEVCELL_DIR}}"
 
       - vagrant destroy -f
 
   macos:claude:
     desc: Run Claude CLI in dev vagrant
-    silent: false
+    silent: true
+    var:
+      TMUX_PANE: ""
     cmds:
       - |
         echo "APP_NAME: {{.APP_NAME}}"
         echo "GUEST_DIR: {{.GUEST_DIR}}"
+        echo "CELL_HOME: {{.CELL_HOME}}"
+        
         # Copy Vagrantfile.local from example if it doesn't exist
         if [ ! -f "{{.DEVCELL_DIR}}/Vagrantfile.local" ]; then
           cp "{{.DEVCELL_DIR}}/Vagrantfile.local-example" "{{.DEVCELL_DIR}}/Vagrantfile.local"
@@ -140,6 +145,8 @@ tasks:
   macos:shell:
     desc: Run shell in dev vagrant
     silent: true
+    var:
+      TMUX_PANE: ""
     cmds:
       - |
         echo "APP_NAME: {{.APP_NAME}}"
@@ -149,6 +156,8 @@ tasks:
   macos:stop:
     desc: Stop dev vagrant VM
     silent: true
+    var:
+      TMUX_PANE: ""
     cmds:
       - |
         echo "APP_NAME: {{.APP_NAME}}"
@@ -161,3 +170,75 @@ tasks:
       - |
         echo "APP_NAME: {{.APP_NAME}}"
       - vagrant {{.CLI_ARGS}}
+
+  vagrant:box:export:
+    desc: "Export UTM VM as Vagrant box (usage: task vagrant:box:export -- <boxname> <vm-name>)"
+    silent: false
+    cmds:
+      - |
+        set -e
+        if [ -z "{{.CLI_ARGS}}" ]; then
+          echo "Usage: task vagrant:box:export -- <boxname> <vm-name>"
+          echo "Example: task vagrant:box:export -- devcell-macOS26 callnut-60"
+          exit 1
+        fi
+
+        BOX_NAME=$(echo "{{.CLI_ARGS}}" | awk '{print $1}')
+        VM_NAME=$(echo "{{.CLI_ARGS}}" | awk '{print $2}')
+        UTM_DIR="$HOME/Library/Containers/com.utmapp.UTM/Data/Documents"
+
+        if [ -z "$BOX_NAME" ] || [ -z "$VM_NAME" ]; then
+          echo "Error: Both boxname and vm-name are required"
+          echo "Usage: task vagrant:box:export -- <boxname> <vm-name>"
+          exit 1
+        fi
+
+        if [ ! -d "$UTM_DIR/$VM_NAME.utm" ]; then
+          echo "Error: VM not found at $UTM_DIR/$VM_NAME.utm"
+          echo "Available VMs:"
+          ls -1 "$UTM_DIR"/*.utm 2>/dev/null | xargs -I {} basename {} .utm
+          exit 1
+        fi
+
+        echo "Exporting VM '$VM_NAME' as box '$BOX_NAME'..."
+
+        # Create temp directory with correct structure
+        TEMP_DIR=$(mktemp -d)
+
+        # Create metadata.json
+        echo '{"provider":"utm"}' > "$TEMP_DIR/metadata.json"
+
+        # Create embedded Vagrantfile with box defaults
+        cat > "$TEMP_DIR/Vagrantfile" <<'VAGRANTFILE'
+        Vagrant.configure("2") do |config|
+          config.ssh.username = "vagrant"
+          config.ssh.host = "vagrant-macos.local"
+          config.ssh.port = 22
+          config.ssh.insert_key = false
+
+          config.vm.provider :utm do |utm|
+            utm.check_guest_additions = false
+            utm.skip_directory_share_mode = true
+          end
+        end
+        VAGRANTFILE
+
+        # Copy VM as box.utm (required name for vagrant_utm)
+        echo "Copying VM (this may take a while)..."
+        cp -R "$UTM_DIR/$VM_NAME.utm" "$TEMP_DIR/box.utm"
+
+        # Create box archive (no utm/ wrapper - vagrant creates the provider folder)
+        echo "Creating box archive..."
+        tar cvzf ~/$BOX_NAME.box -C "$TEMP_DIR" metadata.json Vagrantfile box.utm
+
+        # Cleanup temp dir
+        rm -rf "$TEMP_DIR"
+
+        echo "Adding box to Vagrant..."
+        vagrant box add ~/$BOX_NAME.box --name $BOX_NAME --force
+
+        echo ""
+        echo "Box exported successfully!"
+        echo "Use with: MACOS_BOX=$BOX_NAME task macos:claude"
+        echo ""
+        vagrant box list
diff --git a/Vagrantfile b/Vagrantfile
index 78838c00..3362b083 100644
--- a/Vagrantfile
+++ b/Vagrantfile
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 # Derive paths from synced folder source (BASE_DIR from Taskfile, or current dir)
 HOST_PATH = ENV["BASE_DIR"] || File.expand_path(".")
-DEVCELL_DIR = File.expand_path(".")  # Where this Vagrantfile lives
+DEVCELL_DIR = File.dirname(File.expand_path(__FILE__))  # Where this Vagrantfile lives
 FOLDER_NAME = File.basename(HOST_PATH)
 DEVCELL_FOLDER = File.basename(DEVCELL_DIR)
 
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ Vagrant.configure("2") do |config|
   config.vm.define VM_NAME
   config.vm.hostname = VM_NAME
 
-  config.vm.box = ENV["MACOS_BOX"] || "macOS26"
+  config.vm.box = ENV["MACOS_BOX"] || "devcell-macOS26"
   config.vm.box_url = ENV["MACOS_BOX_URL"] if ENV["MACOS_BOX_URL"]
 
   # Direct SSH to VM (no port forwarding for Apple Virtualization)
@@ -47,14 +47,13 @@ Vagrant.configure("2") do |config|
   if HOST_PATH != DEVCELL_DIR
     config.vm.synced_folder DEVCELL_DIR, "/devcell", type: :utm
   end
-  # Claude/Codex config directories (shared between host and guest)
-  config.vm.synced_folder "#{CELL_HOME}/.claude", "/Users/vagrant/.claude", type: :utm, create: true
-  config.vm.synced_folder "#{CELL_HOME}/.codex", "/Users/vagrant/.codex", type: :utm, create: true
+  # Claude/Codex config home (CELL_HOME contains .claude/, .claude.json, .codex/)
+  config.vm.synced_folder CELL_HOME, "/cell-home", type: :utm, create: true
 
   config.vm.provider :utm do |utm|
     utm.name = VM_NAME
-    utm.memory = 4096
-    utm.cpus = 2
+    utm.memory = 8192
+    utm.cpus = 4
     utm.check_guest_additions = false
     # Apple Virtualization: skip QEMU directory_share_mode (uses VirtioFS instead)
     utm.skip_directory_share_mode = true
@@ -74,9 +73,13 @@ Vagrant.configure("2") do |config|
       ln -sfn "#{DEVCELL_VIRTFS_MOUNT}" "#{DEVCELL_GUEST_PATH}"
     fi
 
-    # Claude/Codex config symlinks (VirtioFS mounts to ~/.claude and ~/.codex)
-    [ -d "/Volumes/My Shared Files/.claude" ] && ln -sfn "/Volumes/My Shared Files/.claude" ~/.claude
-    [ -d "/Volumes/My Shared Files/.codex" ] && ln -sfn "/Volumes/My Shared Files/.codex" ~/.codex
+    # Claude/Codex config symlinks from CELL_HOME mount
+    CELL_MOUNT="/Volumes/My Shared Files/#{File.basename(CELL_HOME)}"
+    if [ -d "$CELL_MOUNT" ]; then
+      [ -d "$CELL_MOUNT/.claude" ] && ln -sfn "$CELL_MOUNT/.claude" ~/.claude
+      [ -f "$CELL_MOUNT/.claude.json" ] && ln -sfn "$CELL_MOUNT/.claude.json" ~/.claude.json
+      [ -d "$CELL_MOUNT/.codex" ] && ln -sfn "$CELL_MOUNT/.codex" ~/.codex
+    fi
   SHELL
 
   # # Fix home directory permissions (in case previous provisioning created files as root)
@@ -87,8 +90,14 @@ Vagrant.configure("2") do |config|
   #   done
   # FIX_PERMS
 
+  # =============================================================================
+  # BASE PROVISIONERS (already done in devcell-macOS26 box, kept for reference)
+  # To re-run: vagrant provision --provision-with asdf
+  # To rebuild base box: MACOS_BOX=macOS26 vagrant up --provision
+  # =============================================================================
+
   # Install asdf via Homebrew (run as vagrant user, not root)
-  config.vm.provision "shell", name: "asdf", privileged: false, inline: <<~ASDF_BREW
+  config.vm.provision "shell", name: "asdf", run: "never", privileged: false, inline: <<~ASDF_BREW
     if ! command -v brew >/dev/null 2>&1; then
       echo "Homebrew not found. Installing..."
       /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)" < /dev/null
@@ -108,7 +117,7 @@ Vagrant.configure("2") do |config|
   ASDF_BREW
 
   # Install asdf plugins (mirrors Dockerfile)
-  config.vm.provision "shell", name: "asdf-plugins", privileged: false, inline: <<~ASDF_PLUGINS
+  config.vm.provision "shell", name: "asdf-plugins", run: "never", privileged: false, inline: <<~ASDF_PLUGINS
     export PATH="${ASDF_DATA_DIR:-$HOME/.asdf}/shims:$(brew --prefix asdf)/libexec:$PATH"
 
     asdf plugin add nodejs https://github.com/asdf-vm/asdf-nodejs.git || true
@@ -126,10 +135,8 @@ end
 # Load secondary Vagrantfile from HOST_PATH (user's project directory) if it exists
 # This allows projects to extend the base configuration (similar to Dockerfile-local)
 # Must be outside the configure block so both configure blocks are at the same level
-user_vagrantfile = File.join(HOST_PATH, "Vagrantfile.local")
+user_vagrantfile = File.join(DEVCELL_DIR, "Vagrantfile.local")
 if File.exist?(user_vagrantfile)
   puts "Loading Vagrantfile.local from: #{user_vagrantfile}"
   load user_vagrantfile
-else
-  puts "Vagrantfile.local not found at: #{user_vagrantfile}"
 end
diff --git a/Vagrantfile.local-example b/Vagrantfile.local-example
index 78357aaa..b6c75d48 100644
--- a/Vagrantfile.local-example
+++ b/Vagrantfile.local-example
@@ -9,23 +9,24 @@
 
 Vagrant.configure("2") do |config|
   # Install runtimes from .tool-versions via asdf
-  # Check project first, fallback to devcell
+  # Always install devcell's tools first (nodejs, uv, etc.), then project's
   config.vm.provision "shell", name: "asdf-install", privileged: false, inline: <<~ASDF_INSTALL
     export PATH="${ASDF_DATA_DIR:-$HOME/.asdf}/shims:$(brew --prefix asdf)/libexec:$PATH"
 
-    TOOL_VERSIONS=""
-    if [ -f "#{GUEST_PATH}/.tool-versions" ]; then
-      TOOL_VERSIONS="#{GUEST_PATH}/.tool-versions"
-    elif [ -f "#{DEVCELL_GUEST_PATH}/.tool-versions" ]; then
-      TOOL_VERSIONS="#{DEVCELL_GUEST_PATH}/.tool-versions"
+    # First install devcell's .tool-versions (base tooling: nodejs, uv, etc.)
+    if [ -f "#{DEVCELL_GUEST_PATH}/.tool-versions" ]; then
+      echo "Installing base tools from #{DEVCELL_GUEST_PATH}/.tool-versions"
+      cp "#{DEVCELL_GUEST_PATH}/.tool-versions" ~/.tool-versions
+      asdf install
     fi
 
-    if [ -n "$TOOL_VERSIONS" ]; then
-      echo "Using $TOOL_VERSIONS"
-      cp "$TOOL_VERSIONS" ~/.tool-versions
+    # Then install project's .tool-versions (may override or add versions)
+    if [ -f "#{GUEST_PATH}/.tool-versions" ] && [ "#{GUEST_PATH}" != "#{DEVCELL_GUEST_PATH}" ]; then
+      echo "Installing project tools from #{GUEST_PATH}/.tool-versions"
+      # Merge: project versions take precedence
+      cat "#{GUEST_PATH}/.tool-versions" >> ~/.tool-versions
+      sort -u -k1,1 ~/.tool-versions -o ~/.tool-versions
       asdf install
-    else
-      echo ".tool-versions not found; skipping asdf install."
     fi
   ASDF_INSTALL