diff --git a/src/config.rs b/src/config.rs
index 7ffea86d..76dffb8b 100644
--- a/src/config.rs
+++ b/src/config.rs
@@ -127,6 +127,34 @@ pub fn limits() -> LimitsConfig {
     Config::load().map(|c| c.limits).unwrap_or_default()
 }
 
+/// Repo-level config — only fields that make sense at repo scope.
+/// Absent sections deserialize as None (not overridden).
+#[derive(Debug, Deserialize, Default)]
+struct RepoConfig {
+    #[serde(default)]
+    hooks: Option<HooksConfig>,
+    #[serde(default)]
+    filters: Option<FilterConfig>,
+}
+
+/// Walk up from `start` to find `.rtk.toml`, stopping at `.git` boundary.
+fn find_repo_config_from(start: &std::path::Path) -> Option<PathBuf> {
+    let mut dir = start.to_path_buf();
+    loop {
+        let candidate = dir.join(".rtk.toml");
+        if candidate.exists() {
+            return Some(candidate);
+        }
+        // Stop at .git boundary (repo root)
+        if dir.join(".git").exists() {
+            return None;
+        }
+        if !dir.pop() {
+            return None;
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 /// Check if telemetry is enabled in config. Returns None if config can't be loaded.
 pub fn telemetry_enabled() -> Option<bool> {
     Config::load().ok().map(|c| c.telemetry.enabled)
@@ -134,14 +162,45 @@ pub fn telemetry_enabled() -> Option<bool> {
 
 impl Config {
     pub fn load() -> Result<Self> {
-        let path = get_config_path()?;
+        let cwd = std::env::current_dir().unwrap_or_default();
+        Self::load_from_dir(&cwd)
+    }
 
-        if path.exists() {
-            let content = std::fs::read_to_string(&path)?;
-            let config: Config = toml::from_str(&content)?;
-            Ok(config)
+    /// Load config: user-level first, then merge repo-level `.rtk.toml` if found.
+    pub fn load_from_dir(cwd: &std::path::Path) -> Result<Self> {
+        let user_path = get_config_path()?;
+        let mut config = if user_path.exists() {
+            let content = std::fs::read_to_string(&user_path)?;
+            toml::from_str(&content)?
         } else {
-            Ok(Config::default())
+            Config::default()
+        };
+
+        if let Some(repo_path) = find_repo_config_from(cwd) {
+            if let Ok(repo_toml) = std::fs::read_to_string(&repo_path) {
+                config.merge_repo(&repo_toml);
+            }
+        }
+
+        Ok(config)
+    }
+
+    /// Merge repo-level config on top of self. Repo wins for present fields.
+    /// Only `[hooks]` and `[filters]` are repo-scoped.
+    fn merge_repo(&mut self, repo_toml: &str) {
+        let repo: RepoConfig = match toml::from_str(repo_toml) {
+            Ok(r) => r,
+            Err(e) => {
+                eprintln!("rtk: invalid .rtk.toml: {}", e);
+                return;
+            }
+        };
+
+        if let Some(hooks) = repo.hooks {
+            self.hooks = hooks;
+        }
+        if let Some(filters) = repo.filters {
+            self.filters = filters;
         }
     }
 
@@ -170,20 +229,27 @@ fn get_config_path() -> Result<PathBuf> {
 }
 
 pub fn show_config() -> Result<()> {
-    let path = get_config_path()?;
-    println!("Config: {}", path.display());
-    println!();
+    let user_path = get_config_path()?;
+    println!("User config: {}", user_path.display());
+    if user_path.exists() {
+        println!("  (found)");
+    } else {
+        println!("  (not found, using defaults)");
+    }
 
-    if path.exists() {
-        let config = Config::load()?;
-        println!("{}", toml::to_string_pretty(&config)?);
+    let cwd = std::env::current_dir().unwrap_or_default();
+    if let Some(repo_path) = find_repo_config_from(&cwd) {
+        println!("Repo config: {}", repo_path.display());
     } else {
-        println!("(default config, file not created)");
-        println!();
-        let config = Config::default();
-        println!("{}", toml::to_string_pretty(&config)?);
+        println!("Repo config: (none)");
     }
 
+    println!();
+    println!("Effective config (merged):");
+    println!();
+    let config = Config::load()?;
+    println!("{}", toml::to_string_pretty(&config)?);
+
     Ok(())
 }
 
@@ -217,4 +283,132 @@ history_days = 90
         let config: Config = toml::from_str(toml).expect("valid toml");
         assert!(config.hooks.exclude_commands.is_empty());
     }
+
+    // --- find_repo_config_from tests ---
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_find_repo_config_returns_none_when_no_rtk_toml() {
+        let tmp = tempfile::tempdir().expect("create temp dir");
+        let result = find_repo_config_from(tmp.path());
+        assert!(result.is_none());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_find_repo_config_finds_rtk_toml_in_current_dir() {
+        let tmp = tempfile::tempdir().expect("create temp dir");
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(tmp.path().join(".git")).unwrap();
+        std::fs::write(
+            tmp.path().join(".rtk.toml"),
+            "[hooks]\nexclude_commands = [\"curl\"]\n",
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+        let result = find_repo_config_from(tmp.path());
+        assert_eq!(result, Some(tmp.path().join(".rtk.toml")));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_find_repo_config_walks_up_to_git_root() {
+        let tmp = tempfile::tempdir().expect("create temp dir");
+        let subdir = tmp.path().join("app").join("billing");
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(&subdir).unwrap();
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(tmp.path().join(".git")).unwrap();
+        std::fs::write(
+            tmp.path().join(".rtk.toml"),
+            "[hooks]\nexclude_commands = [\"curl\"]\n",
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+        let result = find_repo_config_from(&subdir);
+        assert_eq!(result, Some(tmp.path().join(".rtk.toml")));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_find_repo_config_stops_at_git_boundary() {
+        let tmp = tempfile::tempdir().expect("create temp dir");
+        let inner = tmp.path().join("inner_repo");
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(inner.join(".git")).unwrap();
+        std::fs::write(
+            tmp.path().join(".rtk.toml"),
+            "[hooks]\nexclude_commands = [\"curl\"]\n",
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+        let result = find_repo_config_from(&inner);
+        assert!(
+            result.is_none(),
+            ".rtk.toml above .git boundary should not be found"
+        );
+    }
+
+    // --- merge_repo tests ---
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_merge_repo_hooks_overrides_user() {
+        let mut user = Config::default();
+        user.hooks.exclude_commands = vec!["git".to_string()];
+
+        let repo_toml = r#"
+[hooks]
+exclude_commands = ["curl"]
+"#;
+        user.merge_repo(repo_toml);
+        assert_eq!(user.hooks.exclude_commands, vec!["curl"]);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_merge_repo_absent_section_keeps_user() {
+        let mut user = Config::default();
+        user.hooks.exclude_commands = vec!["git".to_string()];
+        user.tracking.history_days = 30;
+
+        let repo_toml = r#"
+[filters]
+ignore_dirs = ["dist"]
+ignore_files = []
+"#;
+        user.merge_repo(repo_toml);
+        assert_eq!(user.hooks.exclude_commands, vec!["git"]);
+        assert_eq!(user.filters.ignore_dirs, vec!["dist"]);
+        assert_eq!(user.tracking.history_days, 30);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_merge_repo_ignores_user_only_sections() {
+        let mut user = Config::default();
+        user.tracking.history_days = 30;
+        user.display.max_width = 80;
+
+        let repo_toml = r#"
+[tracking]
+history_days = 999
+
+[display]
+max_width = 200
+
+[hooks]
+exclude_commands = ["curl"]
+"#;
+        user.merge_repo(repo_toml);
+        assert_eq!(user.tracking.history_days, 30, "tracking is user-only");
+        assert_eq!(user.display.max_width, 80, "display is user-only");
+        assert_eq!(
+            user.hooks.exclude_commands,
+            vec!["curl"],
+            "hooks is repo-scoped"
+        );
+    }
+
+    // --- load_from_dir integration test ---
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_load_with_repo_config_integration() {
+        let tmp = tempfile::tempdir().expect("create temp dir");
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(tmp.path().join(".git")).unwrap();
+        std::fs::write(
+            tmp.path().join(".rtk.toml"),
+            "[hooks]\nexclude_commands = [\"curl\"]\n",
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+
+        let config = Config::load_from_dir(tmp.path()).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(config.hooks.exclude_commands, vec!["curl"]);
+    }
 }