diff --git a/packages/server/src/utils/worktree.test.ts b/packages/server/src/utils/worktree.test.ts
index ac0146c5e..a8264b362 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/utils/worktree.test.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/utils/worktree.test.ts
@@ -779,6 +779,66 @@ describe.skipIf(process.platform === "win32")("createWorktree", () => {
       ]),
     );
   });
+
+  it("seeds an uncommitted paseo.json from the main repo into a new worktree", async () => {
+    writeFileSync(
+      join(repoDir, "paseo.json"),
+      JSON.stringify({ scripts: { dev: { command: "echo hi" } } }),
+    );
+
+    const result = await createLegacyWorktreeForTest({
+      cwd: repoDir,
+      worktreeSlug: "seed-uncommitted",
+      source: { kind: "branch-off", baseBranch: "main", newBranchName: "feature/seed" },
+      runSetup: false,
+      paseoHome,
+    });
+
+    const worktreeConfigPath = join(result.worktreePath, "paseo.json");
+    expect(existsSync(worktreeConfigPath)).toBe(true);
+    expect(JSON.parse(readFileSync(worktreeConfigPath, "utf8"))).toEqual({
+      scripts: { dev: { command: "echo hi" } },
+    });
+  });
+
+  it("does not overwrite a committed paseo.json with uncommitted edits in the main repo", async () => {
+    writeFileSync(
+      join(repoDir, "paseo.json"),
+      JSON.stringify({ scripts: { dev: { command: "committed" } } }),
+    );
+    execSync("git add paseo.json", { cwd: repoDir });
+    execSync('git -c commit.gpgsign=false commit -m "add paseo.json"', { cwd: repoDir });
+
+    writeFileSync(
+      join(repoDir, "paseo.json"),
+      JSON.stringify({ scripts: { dev: { command: "uncommitted" } } }),
+    );
+
+    const result = await createLegacyWorktreeForTest({
+      cwd: repoDir,
+      worktreeSlug: "preserve-committed",
+      source: { kind: "branch-off", baseBranch: "main", newBranchName: "feature/preserve" },
+      runSetup: false,
+      paseoHome,
+    });
+
+    const worktreeConfigPath = join(result.worktreePath, "paseo.json");
+    expect(JSON.parse(readFileSync(worktreeConfigPath, "utf8"))).toEqual({
+      scripts: { dev: { command: "committed" } },
+    });
+  });
+
+  it("creates a worktree without error when no paseo.json exists in the main repo", async () => {
+    const result = await createLegacyWorktreeForTest({
+      cwd: repoDir,
+      worktreeSlug: "no-config",
+      source: { kind: "branch-off", baseBranch: "main", newBranchName: "feature/no-config" },
+      runSetup: false,
+      paseoHome,
+    });
+
+    expect(existsSync(join(result.worktreePath, "paseo.json"))).toBe(false);
+  });
 });
 
 describe("paseo worktree manager", () => {
diff --git a/packages/server/src/utils/worktree.ts b/packages/server/src/utils/worktree.ts
index 767f51be4..ea9ab8b02 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/utils/worktree.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/utils/worktree.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { execFile } from "child_process";
 import { promisify } from "util";
 import { existsSync, mkdirSync, realpathSync, rmSync, statSync } from "fs";
-import { rm, stat } from "fs/promises";
+import { copyFile, rm, stat } from "fs/promises";
 import { join, basename, dirname, resolve, sep } from "path";
 import net from "node:net";
 import { createHash } from "node:crypto";
@@ -1226,6 +1226,19 @@ export const createWorktree = async ({
 
   writePaseoWorktreeMetadata(worktreePath, { baseRefName: sourcePlan.metadataBaseRefName });
 
+  // If paseo.json exists in the main repo but wasn't checked into the worktree
+  // (e.g. uncommitted on first-time setup), seed the worktree with it so setup
+  // commands and scripts pick up the user's intended config.
+  const mainConfigPath = join(cwd, "paseo.json");
+  const worktreeConfigPath = join(worktreePath, "paseo.json");
+  try {
+    await stat(worktreeConfigPath);
+  } catch {
+    await copyFile(mainConfigPath, worktreeConfigPath).catch((err) => {
+      if ((err as NodeJS.ErrnoException).code !== "ENOENT") throw err;
+    });
+  }
+
   if (runSetup) {
     await runWorktreeSetupCommands({
       worktreePath,