diff --git a/internal/cli/config.go b/internal/cli/config.go
index 078ac55..8592dfa 100644
--- a/internal/cli/config.go
+++ b/internal/cli/config.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/CoreyRDean/intent/internal/config"
 	"github.com/CoreyRDean/intent/internal/state"
@@ -107,6 +108,12 @@ func lookupKnown(c *config.Config, key string) string {
 		return c.UpdateChannel
 	case "auto_update":
 		return fmt.Sprintf("%t", c.AutoUpdate)
+	case "daemon.enabled", "daemon_enabled":
+		return fmt.Sprintf("%t", c.DaemonEnabled)
+	case "daemon.idle_unload_after", "daemon_idle_unload_after":
+		return c.DaemonIdleUnloadAfter.String()
+	case "cache.enabled", "cache_enabled":
+		return fmt.Sprintf("%t", c.CacheEnabled)
 	}
 	return ""
 }
@@ -123,5 +130,13 @@ func setKnown(c *config.Config, key, value string) {
 		c.UpdateChannel = value
 	case "auto_update":
 		c.AutoUpdate = value == "true" || value == "yes"
+	case "daemon.enabled", "daemon_enabled":
+		c.DaemonEnabled = value == "true" || value == "yes"
+	case "daemon.idle_unload_after", "daemon_idle_unload_after":
+		if d, err := time.ParseDuration(value); err == nil {
+			c.DaemonIdleUnloadAfter = d
+		}
+	case "cache.enabled", "cache_enabled":
+		c.CacheEnabled = value == "true" || value == "yes"
 	}
 }
diff --git a/internal/cli/smoke_test.go b/internal/cli/smoke_test.go
index 51313f6..739017e 100644
--- a/internal/cli/smoke_test.go
+++ b/internal/cli/smoke_test.go
@@ -306,6 +306,41 @@ func TestConfigRoundTrip(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestConfigRoundTripSectionedKnownKey(t *testing.T) {
+	stateDir := t.TempDir()
+	cacheDir := t.TempDir()
+	baseEnv := []string{
+		"HOME=" + os.Getenv("HOME"),
+		"PATH=" + os.Getenv("PATH"),
+		"INTENT_STATE_DIR=" + stateDir,
+		"INTENT_CACHE_DIR=" + cacheDir,
+	}
+
+	cmd1 := exec.Command(testBinary, "config", "set", "daemon.enabled", "false")
+	cmd1.Env = baseEnv
+	if out, err := cmd1.CombinedOutput(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("config set daemon.enabled: %v\n%s", err, out)
+	}
+
+	cmd2 := exec.Command(testBinary, "config", "get", "daemon.enabled")
+	cmd2.Env = baseEnv
+	out, err := cmd2.Output()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("config get daemon.enabled: %v", err)
+	}
+	if got := strings.TrimSpace(string(out)); got != "false" {
+		t.Fatalf("config get daemon.enabled: got %q, want %q", got, "false")
+	}
+
+	cfgBody, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(stateDir, "intent", "config.toml"))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("read config file: %v", err)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(string(cfgBody), "daemon.enabled = false") {
+		t.Fatalf("config file missing spec-style daemon.enabled key:\n%s", string(cfgBody))
+	}
+}
+
 func TestConfigSetRejectsRemoteDaemonHost(t *testing.T) {
 	stateDir := t.TempDir()
 	cacheDir := t.TempDir()
diff --git a/internal/config/config.go b/internal/config/config.go
index 63b8ed5..216f1c1 100644
--- a/internal/config/config.go
+++ b/internal/config/config.go
@@ -124,13 +124,13 @@ func read(path string) (*Config, error) {
 			c.UpdateChannel = v
 		case "auto_update":
 			c.AutoUpdate = parseBool(v)
-		case "daemon_enabled":
+		case "daemon_enabled", "daemon.enabled":
 			c.DaemonEnabled = parseBool(v)
-		case "daemon_idle_unload_after":
+		case "daemon_idle_unload_after", "daemon.idle_unload_after":
 			if d, err := time.ParseDuration(v); err == nil {
 				c.DaemonIdleUnloadAfter = d
 			}
-		case "cache_enabled":
+		case "cache_enabled", "cache.enabled":
 			c.CacheEnabled = parseBool(v)
 		}
 	}
@@ -165,15 +165,17 @@ func Write(path string, c *Config) error {
 	fmt.Fprintf(w, "timeout = %q\n", c.Timeout.String())
 	fmt.Fprintf(w, "update_channel = %q\n", c.UpdateChannel)
 	fmt.Fprintf(w, "auto_update = %t\n", c.AutoUpdate)
-	fmt.Fprintf(w, "daemon_enabled = %t\n", c.DaemonEnabled)
-	fmt.Fprintf(w, "daemon_idle_unload_after = %q\n", c.DaemonIdleUnloadAfter.String())
-	fmt.Fprintf(w, "cache_enabled = %t\n", c.CacheEnabled)
+	fmt.Fprintf(w, "daemon.enabled = %t\n", c.DaemonEnabled)
+	fmt.Fprintf(w, "daemon.idle_unload_after = %q\n", c.DaemonIdleUnloadAfter.String())
+	fmt.Fprintf(w, "cache.enabled = %t\n", c.CacheEnabled)
 	// Persist unknown raw keys that are not covered by the known struct fields.
 	knownFields := map[string]bool{
 		"backend": true, "model": true, "auto_run": true, "sandbox": true,
 		"max_tool_steps": true, "timeout": true, "update_channel": true,
-		"auto_update": true, "daemon_enabled": true,
-		"daemon_idle_unload_after": true, "cache_enabled": true,
+		"auto_update":    true,
+		"daemon_enabled": true, "daemon.enabled": true,
+		"daemon_idle_unload_after": true, "daemon.idle_unload_after": true,
+		"cache_enabled": true, "cache.enabled": true,
 	}
 	for k, v := range c.Raw {
 		if !knownFields[k] {
diff --git a/internal/config/config_test.go b/internal/config/config_test.go
index 0811757..9426d4b 100644
--- a/internal/config/config_test.go
+++ b/internal/config/config_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package config
 import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 )
@@ -19,6 +20,8 @@ base_url = "https://example.test/v1"
 model = "gpt-4.1-mini"
 
 [daemon]
+enabled = false
+idle_unload_after = "45m"
 host = "127.0.0.1"
 port = "18080"
 
@@ -53,4 +56,78 @@ enabled = true
 	if got := cfg.Raw["daemon.port"]; got != "18080" {
 		t.Fatalf("daemon.port=%q want %q", got, "18080")
 	}
+	if cfg.DaemonEnabled {
+		t.Fatalf("daemon enabled=%t want false", cfg.DaemonEnabled)
+	}
+	if cfg.DaemonIdleUnloadAfter != 45*time.Minute {
+		t.Fatalf("daemon idle unload after=%s want %s", cfg.DaemonIdleUnloadAfter, 45*time.Minute)
+	}
+	if !cfg.CacheEnabled {
+		t.Fatal("cache enabled=false want true")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestReadSupportsLegacyFlatAliases(t *testing.T) {
+	path := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "config.toml")
+	if err := os.WriteFile(path, []byte(`
+daemon_enabled = false
+daemon_idle_unload_after = "15m"
+cache_enabled = false
+`), 0o600); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("write config: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	cfg, err := read(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("read config: %v", err)
+	}
+	if cfg.DaemonEnabled {
+		t.Fatalf("daemon enabled=%t want false", cfg.DaemonEnabled)
+	}
+	if cfg.DaemonIdleUnloadAfter != 15*time.Minute {
+		t.Fatalf("daemon idle unload after=%s want %s", cfg.DaemonIdleUnloadAfter, 15*time.Minute)
+	}
+	if cfg.CacheEnabled {
+		t.Fatal("cache enabled=true want false")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestWriteUsesSpecStyleDaemonAndCacheKeys(t *testing.T) {
+	path := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "config.toml")
+	cfg := Defaults()
+	cfg.DaemonEnabled = false
+	cfg.DaemonIdleUnloadAfter = 45 * time.Minute
+	cfg.CacheEnabled = false
+	cfg.Raw["daemon.host"] = "127.0.0.1"
+	cfg.Raw["backends.openai.base_url"] = "https://example.test/v1"
+
+	if err := Write(path, cfg); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("write config: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	body, err := os.ReadFile(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("read config: %v", err)
+	}
+	got := string(body)
+	for _, want := range []string{
+		`daemon.enabled = false`,
+		`daemon.idle_unload_after = "45m0s"`,
+		`cache.enabled = false`,
+		`daemon.host = "127.0.0.1"`,
+		`backends.openai.base_url = "https://example.test/v1"`,
+	} {
+		if !strings.Contains(got, want) {
+			t.Fatalf("config missing %q:\n%s", want, got)
+		}
+	}
+	for _, unwanted := range []string{
+		"daemon_enabled =",
+		"daemon_idle_unload_after =",
+		"cache_enabled =",
+	} {
+		if strings.Contains(got, unwanted) {
+			t.Fatalf("config unexpectedly contained legacy key %q:\n%s", unwanted, got)
+		}
+	}
 }