diff --git a/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json b/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json
index 6518035..9751b37 100644
--- a/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json
+++ b/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "passthru",
-  "version": "0.5.2",
+  "version": "0.5.3",
   "description": "Regex-based permission rules for Claude Code via hooks",
   "owner": {
     "name": "nnemirovsky"
diff --git a/.claude-plugin/plugin.json b/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
index dd9aca7..9f5f7b5 100644
--- a/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
+++ b/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "passthru",
-  "version": "0.5.2",
+  "version": "0.5.3",
   "description": "Regex-based permission rules for Claude Code via hooks",
   "license": "MIT"
 }
diff --git a/hooks/handlers/pre-tool-use.sh b/hooks/handlers/pre-tool-use.sh
index b0dabc4..49dde37 100755
--- a/hooks/handlers/pre-tool-use.sh
+++ b/hooks/handlers/pre-tool-use.sh
@@ -635,6 +635,7 @@ RULE_JSON_LINE=""
 if [ -s "$OVERLAY_RESULT" ]; then
   VERDICT="$(head -n 1 "$OVERLAY_RESULT" 2>/dev/null || true)"
   RULE_JSON_LINE="$(sed -n '2p' "$OVERLAY_RESULT" 2>/dev/null || true)"
+  RULE_SCOPE_LINE="$(sed -n '3p' "$OVERLAY_RESULT" 2>/dev/null || true)"
 fi
 # Best-effort cleanup of the result file; harmless if the file is already
 # missing.
@@ -654,13 +655,15 @@ case "$VERDICT" in
     exit 0
     ;;
   yes_always|no_always)
-    # Persist the proposed rule via write-rule.sh. Scope is always user:
-    # overlay-dialog.sh does not expose a scope picker today, and the
-    # proposer never writes one. If a future overlay UX adds per-rule scope
-    # selection, add scope extraction here then.
+    # Persist the proposed rule via write-rule.sh. Scope comes from overlay
+    # dialog line 3 (project or user, defaults to project).
     target_list="allow"
     [ "$VERDICT" = "no_always" ] && target_list="deny"
-    target_scope="user"
+    target_scope="project"
+    case "$RULE_SCOPE_LINE" in
+      user) target_scope="user" ;;
+      project) target_scope="project" ;;
+    esac
     if [ -n "$RULE_JSON_LINE" ] && jq -e '.' >/dev/null 2>&1 <<<"$RULE_JSON_LINE"; then
       _rule_to_write="$RULE_JSON_LINE"
 
diff --git a/scripts/overlay-dialog.sh b/scripts/overlay-dialog.sh
index ed92b5d..e3de5ee 100755
--- a/scripts/overlay-dialog.sh
+++ b/scripts/overlay-dialog.sh
@@ -74,10 +74,12 @@ write_verdict_once() {
 
 write_verdict_always() {
   # $1 = yes_always | no_always
-  # $2 = proposed rule JSON (one line, compact)
+  # $2 = rule JSON (one line, compact)
+  # $3 = scope (project|user, default project)
   {
     printf '%s\n' "$1"
     printf '%s\n' "$2"
+    printf '%s\n' "${3:-project}"
   } > "$RESULT_FILE" 2>/dev/null || true
 }
 
@@ -154,11 +156,11 @@ if [ -n "$TEST_ANSWER" ]; then
       ;;
     yes_always)
       proposed="$(propose_rule)"
-      write_verdict_always "yes_always" "$proposed"
+      write_verdict_always "yes_always" "$proposed" "project"
       ;;
     no_always)
       proposed="$(propose_rule)"
-      write_verdict_always "no_always" "$proposed"
+      write_verdict_always "no_always" "$proposed" "project"
       ;;
     cancel)
       :
@@ -413,6 +415,9 @@ prop_tool="$(jq -r '.tool // ""' <<<"$proposed" 2>/dev/null)"
 prop_match_key="$(jq -r '.match // empty | keys[0] // empty' <<<"$proposed" 2>/dev/null)"
 prop_match_val="$(jq -r '.match // empty | to_entries[0].value // empty' <<<"$proposed" 2>/dev/null)"
 
+# Scope defaults to project. Tab toggles between project/user.
+rule_scope="project"
+
 render_rule_editor() {
   printf '\033[H\033[2J'
   _render_header "$_display_cwd"
@@ -432,6 +437,12 @@ render_rule_editor() {
   if [ -n "$prop_match_key" ]; then
     printf "  Match %-6s ${GREEN}%s${RESET}\n" "${prop_match_key}:" "$prop_match_val"
   fi
+  # Scope toggle: highlight the active scope.
+  if [ "$rule_scope" = "project" ]; then
+    printf "  Scope:       ${REVERSE} project ${RESET} \033[2muser\033[0m  \033[2m(Tab to toggle)\033[0m\n"
+  else
+    printf "  Scope:       \033[2mproject\033[0m ${REVERSE} user ${RESET}  \033[2m(Tab to toggle)\033[0m\n"
+  fi
   printf '\n'
 }
 
@@ -514,6 +525,15 @@ while true; do
       prop_tool="$edited_tool"
       render_confirm_screen
       ;;
+    $'\t')
+      # Tab toggles scope.
+      if [ "$rule_scope" = "project" ]; then
+        rule_scope="user"
+      else
+        rule_scope="project"
+      fi
+      render_confirm_screen
+      ;;
     esc|timeout)
       exec bash "$0"
       ;;
@@ -529,6 +549,6 @@ if [ -n "$prop_match_key" ] && [ -n "$prop_match_val" ]; then
 else
   final_rule="$(jq -cn --arg t "$prop_tool" '{tool: $t}')"
 fi
-write_verdict_always "$answer" "$final_rule"
+write_verdict_always "$answer" "$final_rule" "$rule_scope"
 
 exit 0
diff --git a/tests/hook_handler.bats b/tests/hook_handler.bats
index 2c23c8d..49b5f5b 100644
--- a/tests/hook_handler.bats
+++ b/tests/hook_handler.bats
@@ -847,10 +847,10 @@ STUB
     # Write verdict + optional rule JSON, then exit 0. The hook reads
     # \$PASSTHRU_OVERLAY_RESULT_FILE afterwards.
     local rule_literal=""
+    local scope_literal=""
     if [ -n "$rule_json" ]; then
-      # Pass the rule JSON through printf as a literal string (escape \$ so
-      # the stub itself does not try to expand it).
       rule_literal="printf '%s\\n' '$rule_json' >> \"\$PASSTHRU_OVERLAY_RESULT_FILE\""
+      scope_literal="printf '%s\\n' 'project' >> \"\$PASSTHRU_OVERLAY_RESULT_FILE\""
     fi
     cat > "$stub_overlay" <<STUB
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
@@ -858,6 +858,7 @@ STUB
 mkdir -p "\$(dirname "\$PASSTHRU_OVERLAY_RESULT_FILE")" 2>/dev/null || true
 printf '%s\\n' '${verdict}' > "\$PASSTHRU_OVERLAY_RESULT_FILE"
 ${rule_literal}
+${scope_literal}
 # Touch a log file so tests can assert the stub ran.
 if [ -n "\${PASSTHRU_OVERLAY_STUB_LOG:-}" ]; then
   {
@@ -1183,7 +1184,7 @@ EOF
   [[ "$reason" == *"overlay"* ]]
 }
 
-@test "overlay: yes_always verdict writes rule to user/allow AND emits allow" {
+@test "overlay: yes_always verdict writes rule to project/allow AND emits allow" {
   rule_json='{"tool":"Bash","match":{"command":"^gh "},"reason":"overlay yes_always"}'
   setup_overlay_stub "yes_always" 0 "$rule_json"
   export TMUX="mock/0"
@@ -1204,15 +1205,15 @@ EOF
   [ -n "$json_line" ]
   decision="$(jq -r '.hookSpecificOutput.permissionDecision' <<<"$json_line")"
   [ "$decision" = "allow" ]
-  # Rule landed in user-scope passthru.json under allow[].
-  [ -f "$USER_ROOT/.claude/passthru.json" ]
-  match_cmd="$(jq -r '.allow[-1].match.command' "$USER_ROOT/.claude/passthru.json")"
+  # Rule landed in project-scope passthru.json under allow[] (default scope).
+  [ -f "$PROJ_ROOT/.claude/passthru.json" ]
+  match_cmd="$(jq -r '.allow[-1].match.command' "$PROJ_ROOT/.claude/passthru.json")"
   [ "$match_cmd" = "^gh " ]
-  tool_val="$(jq -r '.allow[-1].tool' "$USER_ROOT/.claude/passthru.json")"
+  tool_val="$(jq -r '.allow[-1].tool' "$PROJ_ROOT/.claude/passthru.json")"
   [ "$tool_val" = "Bash" ]
 }
 
-@test "overlay: no_always verdict writes rule to user/deny AND emits deny" {
+@test "overlay: no_always verdict writes rule to project/deny AND emits deny" {
   rule_json='{"tool":"Bash","match":{"command":"^curl "},"reason":"overlay no_always"}'
   setup_overlay_stub "no_always" 0 "$rule_json"
   export TMUX="mock/0"
@@ -1233,8 +1234,8 @@ EOF
   [ -n "$json_line" ]
   decision="$(jq -r '.hookSpecificOutput.permissionDecision' <<<"$json_line")"
   [ "$decision" = "deny" ]
-  [ -f "$USER_ROOT/.claude/passthru.json" ]
-  match_cmd="$(jq -r '.deny[-1].match.command' "$USER_ROOT/.claude/passthru.json")"
+  [ -f "$PROJ_ROOT/.claude/passthru.json" ]
+  match_cmd="$(jq -r '.deny[-1].match.command' "$PROJ_ROOT/.claude/passthru.json")"
   [ "$match_cmd" = "^curl " ]
 }