diff --git a/src/commands/config/update.rs b/src/commands/config/update.rs
index 2da0d7d8c..9b5696eb7 100644
--- a/src/commands/config/update.rs
+++ b/src/commands/config/update.rs
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ pub fn handle_config_update(yes: bool, print: bool) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     if let Some(candidate) = check_user_config()? {
         candidates.push(candidate);
     }
-    if let Some(candidate) = check_project_config()? {
+    if let Some(candidate) = check_project_config(print)? {
         candidates.push(candidate);
     }
 
@@ -177,7 +177,9 @@ fn check_user_config() -> anyhow::Result<Option<UpdateCandidate>> {
     }))
 }
 
-fn check_project_config() -> anyhow::Result<Option<UpdateCandidate>> {
+/// `print` is `--print`, which renders the migrated content to stdout and
+/// writes nothing.
+fn check_project_config(print: bool) -> anyhow::Result<Option<UpdateCandidate>> {
     let repo = match Repository::current() {
         Ok(repo) => repo,
         Err(_) => return Ok(None),
@@ -192,6 +194,14 @@ fn check_project_config() -> anyhow::Result<Option<UpdateCandidate>> {
     }
 
     let is_linked = repo.current_worktree().is_linked().unwrap_or(true);
+    // The main-worktree requirement exists to keep the *rewrite* off a linked
+    // checkout, so `--print` — which writes nothing — is actionable from
+    // anywhere. Gating it too made `wt config update --print` emit an empty
+    // stdout plus a stderr hint from a linked worktree, which is where a
+    // worktree tool's users mostly stand: the pipe silently lost the project
+    // config, and the hint named `wt -C <main> config update`, a command that
+    // writes, in answer to a request that only reads.
+    let actionable = print || !is_linked;
 
     let original =
         std::fs::read_to_string(&config_path).context("Failed to read project config")?;
@@ -199,7 +209,7 @@ fn check_project_config() -> anyhow::Result<Option<UpdateCandidate>> {
     let result = worktrunk::config::check_and_migrate(
         &config_path,
         &original,
-        !is_linked, // only actionable from main worktree
+        actionable,
         ConfigFileKind::Project,
         Some(&repo),
         false,
@@ -209,7 +219,7 @@ fn check_project_config() -> anyhow::Result<Option<UpdateCandidate>> {
         return Ok(None);
     };
 
-    if is_linked {
+    if !actionable {
         let cmd = suggest_command_in_dir(repo.repo_path()?, "config", &["update"], &[]);
         eprintln!("{}", hint_message("To update project config:"));
         eprintln!("{}", format_bash_with_gutter(&cmd));
diff --git a/tests/integration_tests/config_show.rs b/tests/integration_tests/config_show.rs
index f3e49bffd..5cc54dc5c 100644
--- a/tests/integration_tests/config_show.rs
+++ b/tests/integration_tests/config_show.rs
@@ -5286,3 +5286,62 @@ fn test_project_config_path_env_var_half_anchored_errors(repo: TestRepo) {
         );
     }
 }
+
+/// `wt config update --print` writes nothing, so the main-worktree
+/// requirement that guards the *rewrite* must not gate it. Before the fix,
+/// running it from a linked worktree emitted an empty stdout — silently
+/// dropping the project config from the pipe — plus a stderr hint naming
+/// `wt -C <main> config update`, a writing command, in answer to a read.
+#[rstest]
+fn test_config_update_print_emits_project_config_from_linked_worktree(repo: TestRepo) {
+    repo.write_project_config(
+        r#"pre-start = "ln -sf {{ main_worktree }}/node_modules"
+"#,
+    );
+    repo.commit("Add deprecated project config");
+    let project_config_path = repo.root_path().join(".config").join("wt.toml");
+    let before = fs::read_to_string(&project_config_path).unwrap();
+
+    let feature_path = repo.root_path().parent().unwrap().join("feature-print");
+    repo.run_git(&[
+        "worktree",
+        "add",
+        feature_path.to_str().unwrap(),
+        "-b",
+        "feature-print",
+    ]);
+
+    let output = repo
+        .wt_command()
+        .args(["config", "update", "--print"])
+        .current_dir(&feature_path)
+        .output()
+        .unwrap();
+
+    assert!(
+        output.status.success(),
+        "config update --print should succeed: {}",
+        String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stderr)
+    );
+    let stdout = String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stdout);
+    assert!(
+        stdout.contains("{{ repo }}") && !stdout.contains("{{ main_worktree }}"),
+        "--print from a linked worktree should emit the migrated project config, got: {stdout}"
+    );
+    assert!(
+        output.stderr.is_empty(),
+        "--print must keep stderr empty for pipe-friendliness, got: {}",
+        String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stderr)
+    );
+    assert!(
+        fs::read_to_string(feature_path.join(".config").join("wt.toml"))
+            .unwrap()
+            .contains("{{ main_worktree }}"),
+        "--print must leave the linked worktree's config — the file it actually read — unmigrated"
+    );
+    assert_eq!(
+        fs::read_to_string(&project_config_path).unwrap(),
+        before,
+        "--print must not modify the project config file"
+    );
+}