diff --git a/lib/minga_editor/frontend/frame_transaction.ex b/lib/minga_editor/frontend/frame_transaction.ex
index 39235d0b3..ab4414ab0 100644
--- a/lib/minga_editor/frontend/frame_transaction.ex
+++ b/lib/minga_editor/frontend/frame_transaction.ex
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ defmodule MingaEditor.Frontend.FrameTransaction do
     Opcodes.set_font(),
     Opcodes.set_font_fallback(),
     Opcodes.register_font(),
-    Opcodes.gui_config_state(),
     Opcodes.clipboard_write(),
     Opcodes.presentation_operation()
   ]
diff --git a/macos/Sources/Renderer/CommandDispatcher.swift b/macos/Sources/Renderer/CommandDispatcher.swift
index 5e3a8d4bc..3070abc05 100644
--- a/macos/Sources/Renderer/CommandDispatcher.swift
+++ b/macos/Sources/Renderer/CommandDispatcher.swift
@@ -471,13 +471,9 @@ final class CommandDispatcher {
         // setTitle / setWindowBg / setLinkCursor / clipboardWrite: post-commit
         //   side-channels.
         // protocolError: handshake rejection, always pre-transaction.
-        // setFont / setFontFallback / registerFont / guiConfigState: startup
+        // setFont / setFontFallback / registerFont: startup
         //   config emitted before the first frame (equivalent to Go's CommandNoop
         //   for font commands, but Swift actually applies them).
-        case .guiConfigState:
-            // Settings is an independently interactive scene and has no frame consumer.
-            applyImmediately(command)
-
         case .setTitle, .setWindowBg, .setLinkCursor, .protocolError,
              .setFont, .setFontFallback, .registerFont, .clipboardWrite:
             if openFrameSeq != nil {
diff --git a/macos/Tests/MingaTests/CommandDispatcherTests.swift b/macos/Tests/MingaTests/CommandDispatcherTests.swift
index 6cfeeb394..cf2567e6c 100644
--- a/macos/Tests/MingaTests/CommandDispatcherTests.swift
+++ b/macos/Tests/MingaTests/CommandDispatcherTests.swift
@@ -2007,6 +2007,17 @@ struct CommandDispatcherStagingTests {
         )
     }
 
+    private func config(cursorBlink: Bool, fontSize: Int = 13) -> Wire.ConfigState {
+        Wire.ConfigState(
+            options: [
+                "cursor_blink": .bool(cursorBlink),
+                "font_size": .int(fontSize),
+            ],
+            themePreviews: [],
+            keybindings: []
+        )
+    }
+
     private func decodedFrame(_ commands: [RenderCommand]) throws -> DecodedFrame {
         let decoded = try commands.map { command in
             DecodedCommand(
@@ -3394,6 +3405,147 @@ struct CommandDispatcherStagingTests {
         #expect(effectCount == 0)
     }
 
+    @Test("settings from a frame missing its required theme remain unpublished")
+    @MainActor func rejectedConfigStatePreservesLastGoodSettings() throws {
+        let (dispatcher, gui) = makeDispatcher()
+        var cursorBlinkChanges: [Bool] = []
+        var results: [FrameTransactionResult] = []
+        gui.settingsState.onCursorBlinkChanged = { cursorBlinkChanges.append($0) }
+        dispatcher.onTransactionResult = { results.append($0) }
+
+        dispatcher.dispatch(.beginFrame(frameSeq: 1, baseFrameSeq: 0, generation: 1))
+        dispatcher.dispatch(.guiTheme(slots: completeThemeSlots()))
+        dispatcher.dispatch(.guiConfigState(config(cursorBlink: false, fontSize: 14)))
+        dispatcher.dispatch(.commitFrame(frameSeq: 1, seq: 0))
+
+        dispatcher.dispatch(.beginFrame(frameSeq: 2, baseFrameSeq: 0, generation: 1))
+        dispatcher.dispatch(.guiConfigState(config(cursorBlink: true, fontSize: 18)))
+
+        #expect(gui.settingsState.cursorBlink == false)
+        #expect(gui.settingsState.fontSize == 14)
+        #expect(cursorBlinkChanges == [false])
+
+        dispatcher.dispatch(.commitFrame(frameSeq: 2, seq: 0))
+
+        #expect(gui.settingsState.cursorBlink == false)
+        #expect(gui.settingsState.fontSize == 14)
+        #expect(cursorBlinkChanges == [false])
+        #expect(results.last == .rejected(
+            generation: 1, frameSeq: 2, lastAppliedFrameSeq: 1,
+            reason: .missingTheme
+        ))
+    }
+
+    @Test("settings from an abandoned frame never publish")
+    @MainActor func abandonedConfigStatePreservesLastGoodSettings() throws {
+        let (dispatcher, gui) = makeDispatcher()
+        var cursorBlinkChanges: [Bool] = []
+        gui.settingsState.onCursorBlinkChanged = { cursorBlinkChanges.append($0) }
+
+        dispatcher.dispatch(.beginFrame(frameSeq: 1, baseFrameSeq: 0, generation: 1))
+        dispatcher.dispatch(.guiTheme(slots: completeThemeSlots()))
+        dispatcher.dispatch(.guiConfigState(config(cursorBlink: false, fontSize: 14)))
+        dispatcher.dispatch(.commitFrame(frameSeq: 1, seq: 0))
+
+        dispatcher.dispatch(.beginFrame(frameSeq: 2, baseFrameSeq: 1, generation: 1))
+        dispatcher.dispatch(.guiConfigState(config(cursorBlink: true, fontSize: 18)))
+        dispatcher.dispatch(.beginFrame(frameSeq: 3, baseFrameSeq: 0, generation: 1))
+        dispatcher.dispatch(.guiTheme(slots: completeThemeSlots()))
+        dispatcher.dispatch(.commitFrame(frameSeq: 3, seq: 0))
+
+        #expect(gui.settingsState.cursorBlink == false)
+        #expect(gui.settingsState.fontSize == 14)
+        #expect(cursorBlinkChanges == [false])
+    }
+
+    @Test("settings publish once when their complete frame commits")
+    @MainActor func committedConfigStatePublishesOnce() throws {
+        let (dispatcher, gui) = makeDispatcher()
+        var cursorBlinkChanges: [Bool] = []
+        gui.settingsState.onCursorBlinkChanged = { cursorBlinkChanges.append($0) }
+
+        dispatcher.dispatch(.beginFrame(frameSeq: 1, baseFrameSeq: 0, generation: 1))
+        dispatcher.dispatch(.guiTheme(slots: completeThemeSlots()))
+        dispatcher.dispatch(.guiConfigState(config(cursorBlink: false, fontSize: 18)))
+
+        #expect(gui.settingsState.isLoading)
+        #expect(gui.settingsState.cursorBlink)
+        #expect(cursorBlinkChanges.isEmpty)
+
+        dispatcher.dispatch(.commitFrame(frameSeq: 1, seq: 0))
+
+        #expect(gui.settingsState.isLoading == false)
+        #expect(gui.settingsState.cursorBlink == false)
+        #expect(gui.settingsState.fontSize == 18)
+        #expect(cursorBlinkChanges == [false])
+    }
+
+    @Test("repeated settings replace in place under the staging resource limit")
+    @MainActor func repeatedConfigStateUsesLastUpdateAndReplacementWeight() throws {
+        let staging = FrameResourceWeight(
+            commands: 2, ownedUTF8Bytes: .max, arrayEntries: .max,
+            rows: .max, spans: .max, overlays: .max,
+            spliceEntries: .max, locatorEntries: .max
+        )
+        let gui = GUIState()
+        let dispatcher = CommandDispatcher(
+            cols: 80, rows: 24, guiState: gui,
+            resourcePolicy: policy(stagingWeight: staging)
+        )
+        var cursorBlinkChanges: [Bool] = []
+        var results: [FrameTransactionResult] = []
+        gui.settingsState.onCursorBlinkChanged = { cursorBlinkChanges.append($0) }
+        dispatcher.onTransactionResult = { results.append($0) }
+
+        dispatcher.dispatch(.beginFrame(frameSeq: 1, baseFrameSeq: 0, generation: 1))
+        dispatcher.dispatch(.guiTheme(slots: completeThemeSlots()))
+        dispatcher.dispatch(.guiConfigState(config(cursorBlink: true, fontSize: 14)))
+        dispatcher.dispatch(.guiConfigState(config(cursorBlink: false, fontSize: 18)))
+        dispatcher.dispatch(.commitFrame(frameSeq: 1, seq: 0))
+
+        #expect(gui.settingsState.cursorBlink == false)
+        #expect(gui.settingsState.fontSize == 18)
+        #expect(cursorBlinkChanges == [false])
+        #expect(results == [.applied(generation: 1, frameSeq: 1)])
+    }
+
+    @Test("settings remain last-good when another staged command exceeds the resource limit")
+    @MainActor func resourceRejectedConfigStatePreservesLastGoodSettings() throws {
+        let staging = FrameResourceWeight(
+            commands: 2, ownedUTF8Bytes: .max, arrayEntries: .max,
+            rows: .max, spans: .max, overlays: .max,
+            spliceEntries: .max, locatorEntries: .max
+        )
+        let gui = GUIState()
+        let dispatcher = CommandDispatcher(
+            cols: 80, rows: 24, guiState: gui,
+            resourcePolicy: policy(stagingWeight: staging)
+        )
+        var cursorBlinkChanges: [Bool] = []
+        var results: [FrameTransactionResult] = []
+        gui.settingsState.onCursorBlinkChanged = { cursorBlinkChanges.append($0) }
+        dispatcher.onTransactionResult = { results.append($0) }
+
+        dispatcher.dispatch(.beginFrame(frameSeq: 1, baseFrameSeq: 0, generation: 1))
+        dispatcher.dispatch(.guiTheme(slots: completeThemeSlots()))
+        dispatcher.dispatch(.guiConfigState(config(cursorBlink: false, fontSize: 14)))
+        dispatcher.dispatch(.commitFrame(frameSeq: 1, seq: 0))
+
+        dispatcher.dispatch(.beginFrame(frameSeq: 2, baseFrameSeq: 1, generation: 1))
+        dispatcher.dispatch(.guiConfigState(config(cursorBlink: true, fontSize: 18)))
+        dispatcher.dispatch(.setTitle("staged"))
+        dispatcher.dispatch(.setWindowBg(r: 0x22, g: 0x33, b: 0x44))
+        dispatcher.dispatch(.commitFrame(frameSeq: 2, seq: 0))
+
+        #expect(gui.settingsState.cursorBlink == false)
+        #expect(gui.settingsState.fontSize == 14)
+        #expect(cursorBlinkChanges == [false])
+        #expect(results.last == .rejected(
+            generation: 1, frameSeq: 2, lastAppliedFrameSeq: 1,
+            reason: .resourcePolicy
+        ))
+    }
+
     @Test("invalid transcript operations reject without publishing sibling state")
     @MainActor func invalidTranscriptRejectsWholeTransaction() throws {
         let invalidCommands: [(RenderCommand, PreparedFrameRejection)] = [
@@ -3718,16 +3870,26 @@ struct CommandDispatcherStagingTests {
         #expect(requested.isEmpty)
     }
 
-    @Test("gui_config_state applies immediately with no open transaction")
-    @MainActor func guiConfigStateAppliesOutOfBand() throws {
-        let (dispatcher, _) = makeDispatcher()
+    @Test("gui_config_state outside a transaction rejects without mutating settings")
+    @MainActor func guiConfigStateOutOfBandRejects() throws {
+        let (dispatcher, gui) = makeDispatcher()
         var requested: [UInt32] = []
+        var cursorBlinkChanges: [Bool] = []
         dispatcher.onRequestKeyframe = { requested.append($0) }
+        gui.settingsState.onCursorBlinkChanged = { cursorBlinkChanges.append($0) }
 
-        let configState = Wire.ConfigState(options: [:], themePreviews: [], keybindings: [])
+        let configState = Wire.ConfigState(
+            options: ["cursor_blink": .bool(false)],
+            themePreviews: [],
+            keybindings: []
+        )
         dispatcher.dispatch(.guiConfigState(configState))
 
-        #expect(requested.isEmpty)
+        #expect(gui.settingsState.isLoading)
+        #expect(gui.settingsState.cursorBlink)
+        #expect(cursorBlinkChanges.isEmpty)
+        #expect(requested == [0])
+        #expect(gui.resyncState.pending)
     }
 
     @Test("clipboard_write applies immediately with no open transaction")
diff --git a/macos/Tests/MingaTests/SettingsStateTests.swift b/macos/Tests/MingaTests/SettingsStateTests.swift
index 468d1442d..1d8710f1a 100644
--- a/macos/Tests/MingaTests/SettingsStateTests.swift
+++ b/macos/Tests/MingaTests/SettingsStateTests.swift
@@ -61,4 +61,29 @@ struct SettingsStateTests {
         #expect(state.keybindings.count == 1)
         #expect(cursorBlinkChanges == [false])
     }
+
+    @Test("cursor blink callback reports each committed value transition once")
+    func cursorBlinkCallbackTracksCommittedTransitions() {
+        let state = SettingsState()
+        var cursorBlinkChanges: [Bool] = []
+        state.onCursorBlinkChanged = { cursorBlinkChanges.append($0) }
+
+        let disabled = Wire.ConfigState(
+            options: ["cursor_blink": .bool(false)],
+            themePreviews: [],
+            keybindings: []
+        )
+        let enabled = Wire.ConfigState(
+            options: ["cursor_blink": .bool(true)],
+            themePreviews: [],
+            keybindings: []
+        )
+
+        state.apply(configState: disabled)
+        state.apply(configState: disabled)
+        state.apply(configState: enabled)
+        state.apply(configState: enabled)
+
+        #expect(cursorBlinkChanges == [false, true])
+    }
 }
diff --git a/test/minga_editor/frontend/emit_test.exs b/test/minga_editor/frontend/emit_test.exs
index 183b1cf38..dff7dd7c4 100644
--- a/test/minga_editor/frontend/emit_test.exs
+++ b/test/minga_editor/frontend/emit_test.exs
@@ -10,10 +10,12 @@ defmodule MingaEditor.Frontend.EmitTest do
   alias Minga.Buffer.Process, as: BufferProcess
   alias Minga.Editing.Completion
   alias Minga.RenderModel.Cursor
+  alias Minga.RenderModel.UI.ConfigState
   alias MingaEditor.RenderPipeline.ComposedFrame
   alias MingaEditor.Frontend.Capabilities
   alias MingaEditor.Frontend.Emit
   alias MingaEditor.Frontend.Emit.Context
+  alias MingaEditor.Frontend.FrameTransaction
   alias Minga.Core.Face
   alias Minga.Protocol.Opcodes
   alias Minga.RenderModel.Window, as: RenderWindow
@@ -25,6 +27,7 @@ defmodule MingaEditor.Frontend.EmitTest do
   alias MingaEditor.Session.State, as: SessionState
   alias MingaEditor.Shell.Traditional.ModalWorkflow
   alias MingaEditor.State.ModalOverlay.Completion, as: CompletionPayload
+  alias MingaEditor.State.Appearance
   alias MingaEditor.State.Windows
   alias MingaEditor.UI.FontRegistry
 
@@ -98,6 +101,25 @@ defmodule MingaEditor.Frontend.EmitTest do
       assert Enum.all?(commands, &is_binary/1)
     end
 
+    test "GUI config state is emitted inside the frame transaction" do
+      frame = ComposedFrame.new([], Cursor.new(0, 0, :block))
+      config_state = %ConfigState{options: [{"cursor_blink", false}]}
+      state = gui_state(port_manager: Process.get(:emit_test_frontend))
+      appearance = Appearance.cache_gui_config(state.appearance, config_state)
+      state = %{state | appearance: appearance}
+      ctx = Context.from_editor_state(state)
+
+      Emit.emit(frame, ctx)
+
+      commands = assert_receive_frame_commands()
+      config_index = Enum.find_index(commands, &match?(<<0x97, _::binary>>, &1))
+
+      assert config_index != nil
+      assert config_index > 0
+      assert config_index < Enum.count(commands) - 1
+      assert FrameTransaction.validate(commands) == :ok
+    end
+
     test "semantic TUI path emits semantic window commands instead of cell-grid clear" do
       frame = build_frame_with_window(emit_state(), viewport_top: 0)
 
diff --git a/test/minga_editor/frontend/frame_transaction_test.exs b/test/minga_editor/frontend/frame_transaction_test.exs
index c19940975..d8cccc955 100644
--- a/test/minga_editor/frontend/frame_transaction_test.exs
+++ b/test/minga_editor/frontend/frame_transaction_test.exs
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ defmodule MingaEditor.Frontend.FrameTransactionTest do
   use ExUnit.Case, async: true
 
   alias Minga.Protocol.Opcodes
+  alias Minga.Frontend.Adapter.GUI.ConfigStateEncoder
+  alias Minga.RenderModel.UI.ConfigState
   alias MingaEditor.Frontend.FrameTransaction
   alias MingaEditor.Frontend.Protocol
 
@@ -29,6 +31,15 @@ defmodule MingaEditor.Frontend.FrameTransactionTest do
              "opcode 0x71 outside a frame"
   end
 
+  test "rejects GUI config state outside a frame" do
+    command = ConfigStateEncoder.encode_command(%ConfigState{options: []})
+
+    assert {:error, {:out_of_transaction_command, opcode}} =
+             FrameTransaction.validate([command])
+
+    assert opcode == Opcodes.gui_config_state()
+  end
+
   test "rejects retired cell-grid clear inside a frame" do
     assert {:error, {:retired_render_command, 0x12}} =
              FrameTransaction.validate([
diff --git a/test/minga_editor/handlers/gui_action_handler_test.exs b/test/minga_editor/handlers/gui_action_handler_test.exs
index 18156c729..e9c3b817f 100644
--- a/test/minga_editor/handlers/gui_action_handler_test.exs
+++ b/test/minga_editor/handlers/gui_action_handler_test.exs
@@ -81,6 +81,38 @@ defmodule MingaEditor.Handlers.GuiActionHandlerTest do
     refute_receive {:"$gen_cast", {:render, _, _, _}}, 0
   end
 
+  test "config_query refreshes settings and submits a framed keyframe response", %{
+    sidebar_registry: table
+  } do
+    capabilities = %Capabilities{frontend_type: :native_gui, semantic_ui: true}
+    owner = self()
+    renderer = spawn(fn -> renderer_probe(owner) end)
+    on_exit(fn -> Process.exit(renderer, :kill) end)
+    state = base_state(table, backend: :gui, capabilities: capabilities)
+    state = %{state | render: MingaEditor.State.Render.connect_renderer(state.render, renderer)}
+    snapshot = MingaEditor.Input.Router.capture_snapshot(state)
+    revision = state.render.render_correlation.latest_intent_revision
+
+    handled = GuiActionHandler.dispatch(state, :config_query)
+
+    assert handled.appearance.gui_config_state != nil
+    assert handled.render.render_correlation.keyframe_pending?
+
+    rendered = MingaEditor.Input.Router.post_action_housekeeping(handled, snapshot)
+
+    assert rendered.render.render_correlation.latest_intent_revision == revision + 1
+
+    assert_receive {:renderer_reset,
+                    %MingaEditor.RenderPipeline.Intent{
+                      frame: %MingaEditor.RenderPipeline.FrameIntent{
+                        force_keyframe?: false,
+                        gui_config_state: config_state
+                      }
+                    }}
+
+    assert config_state == handled.appearance.gui_config_state
+  end
+
   test "space leader replay is key-local and outer housekeeping submits exactly one render", %{
     sidebar_registry: table
   } do
@@ -850,6 +882,15 @@ defmodule MingaEditor.Handlers.GuiActionHandlerTest do
 
   defp clear_window_reset_pending(state), do: state
 
+  defp renderer_probe(owner) do
+    receive do
+      {:"$gen_call", from, {:reset_connection, intent, _seq, _pushed_at}} ->
+        GenServer.reply(from, :ok)
+        send(owner, {:renderer_reset, intent})
+        renderer_probe(owner)
+    end
+  end
+
   defp power_thermal_events_registry do
     :"power_thermal_events_#{System.unique_integer([:positive])}"
   end