diff --git a/.aethyme/config.toml b/.aethyme/config.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6881ef3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.aethyme/config.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+# Aethyme broker configuration. `aethyme init` documents every key.
+schema = 1
+
+[promote]
+# Verify submissions but promote nothing: this repository delivers through
+# pull requests, so each session branch is the only copy of its work.
+mode = "verify-only"
+
+[delivery]
+# Agents may push their own session branch and open a draft PR
+# (`aethyme broker push --session <id> [--pr]`). Nothing else.
+push_session_branches = true
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index ce50466..bfdea57 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 .DS_Store
 
 # local tooling
-.aethyme/
+.aethyme/*
+!.aethyme/config.toml
 .chau7/
 .playwright-mcp/