diff --git a/src/commands/config/create.rs b/src/commands/config/create.rs
index 3b511d18c3..69ce50398b 100644
--- a/src/commands/config/create.rs
+++ b/src/commands/config/create.rs
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 use anyhow::Context;
 use color_print::cformat;
 use std::path::PathBuf;
-use worktrunk::config::require_config_path;
+use worktrunk::config::{ConfigFileKind, require_config_path};
 use worktrunk::git::Repository;
 use worktrunk::path::format_path_for_display;
 use worktrunk::styling::{eprintln, hint_message, info_message, success_message};
@@ -57,13 +57,12 @@ pub fn handle_config_create(project: bool) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
         create_config_file(
             config_path,
             PROJECT_CONFIG_EXAMPLE,
-            "Project config",
+            ConfigFileKind::Project,
             &[
                 "Edit this file to configure hooks for this repository",
                 "See https://worktrunk.dev/hook/ for hook documentation",
             ],
             user_config_exists,
-            true, // is_project
         )
     } else {
         let project_config_exists = Repository::current()
@@ -75,10 +74,9 @@ pub fn handle_config_create(project: bool) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
         create_config_file(
             require_config_path()?,
             USER_CONFIG_EXAMPLE,
-            "User config",
+            ConfigFileKind::User,
             &["Edit this file to customize worktree paths and LLM settings"],
             project_config_exists,
-            false, // is_project
         )
     }
 }
@@ -87,17 +85,17 @@ pub fn handle_config_create(project: bool) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
 fn create_config_file(
     path: PathBuf,
     content: &str,
-    config_type: &str,
+    kind: ConfigFileKind,
     success_hints: &[&str],
     other_config_exists: bool,
-    is_project: bool,
 ) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     // Check if file already exists
     if path.exists() {
         eprintln!(
             "{}",
             info_message(cformat!(
-                "{config_type} already exists: <bold>{}</>",
+                "{} already exists: <bold>{}</>",
+                kind.label(),
                 format_path_for_display(&path)
             ))
         );
@@ -106,7 +104,7 @@ fn create_config_file(
         let hint = if other_config_exists {
             // Both configs exist
             cformat!("To view both user and project configs, run <underline>wt config show</>")
-        } else if is_project {
+        } else if kind == ConfigFileKind::Project {
             // Project config exists, no user config
             cformat!(
                 "To view, run <underline>wt config show</>. To create a user config, run <underline>wt config create</>"
@@ -135,7 +133,7 @@ fn create_config_file(
         "{}",
         success_message(cformat!(
             "Created {}: <bold>{}</>",
-            config_type.to_lowercase(),
+            kind.label().to_lowercase(),
             format_path_for_display(&path)
         ))
     );
diff --git a/src/config/project.rs b/src/config/project.rs
index df3d31d61c..3f377a975f 100644
--- a/src/config/project.rs
+++ b/src/config/project.rs
@@ -298,7 +298,8 @@ impl ProjectConfig {
         // (e.g. `pre-start`/`post-start`) still load into their canonical fields.
         let config: ProjectConfig = toml::from_str(&migrated).map_err(|e| {
             ConfigError(format!(
-                "Project config at {} failed to parse:\n{e}",
+                "{} at {} failed to parse:\n{e}",
+                super::ConfigFileKind::Project.label(),
                 crate::path::format_path_for_display(&config_path),
             ))
         })?;
diff --git a/src/config/user/mod.rs b/src/config/user/mod.rs
index 04e5c6f89f..10fe4cbf91 100644
--- a/src/config/user/mod.rs
+++ b/src/config/user/mod.rs
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ mod tests;
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 use std::sync::OnceLock;
 
-use super::ConfigError;
+use super::{ConfigError, ConfigFileKind};
 use schemars::JsonSchema;
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ pub enum LoadError {
     /// line/column info and a source-snippet pointer.
     File {
         path: PathBuf,
-        label: &'static str,
+        kind: ConfigFileKind,
         err: Box<toml::de::Error>,
     },
     /// Config files parsed cleanly; applying env-var overrides failed.
@@ -89,10 +89,11 @@ pub enum LoadError {
 impl std::fmt::Display for LoadError {
     fn fmt(&self, f: &mut std::fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> std::fmt::Result {
         match self {
-            LoadError::File { path, label, err } => {
+            LoadError::File { path, kind, err } => {
                 write!(
                     f,
-                    "{label} at {} failed to parse:\n{err}",
+                    "{} at {} failed to parse:\n{err}",
+                    kind.label(),
                     crate::path::format_path_for_display(path)
                 )
             }
@@ -285,13 +286,13 @@ fn deep_merge_table(base: &mut toml::Table, overlay: toml::Table) {
 fn load_config_file(
     path: &Path,
     migrated: &str,
-    label: &'static str,
+    kind: ConfigFileKind,
 ) -> Result<toml::Table, LoadError> {
     // Validate by deserializing — gives rich line/col errors.
     if let Err(err) = toml::from_str::<UserConfig>(migrated) {
         return Err(LoadError::File {
             path: path.to_path_buf(),
-            label,
+            kind,
             err: Box::new(err),
         });
     }
@@ -450,7 +451,7 @@ impl UserConfig {
                 &system_path,
                 &content,
                 true,
-                super::ConfigFileKind::System,
+                ConfigFileKind::System,
                 None,
                 true,
             ) {
@@ -458,11 +459,14 @@ impl UserConfig {
                     super::deprecation::warn_unknown_fields::<UserConfig>(
                         &content,
                         &system_path,
-                        super::ConfigFileKind::System,
+                        ConfigFileKind::System,
                     );
 
-                    match load_config_file(&system_path, &result.migrated_content, "System config")
-                    {
+                    match load_config_file(
+                        &system_path,
+                        &result.migrated_content,
+                        ConfigFileKind::System,
+                    ) {
                         Ok(table) => deep_merge_table(&mut merged_table, table),
                         Err(e) => warnings.push(e),
                     }
@@ -483,7 +487,7 @@ impl UserConfig {
                     config_path,
                     &content,
                     true,
-                    super::ConfigFileKind::User,
+                    ConfigFileKind::User,
                     None,
                     true,
                 ) {
@@ -491,11 +495,14 @@ impl UserConfig {
                         super::deprecation::warn_unknown_fields::<UserConfig>(
                             &content,
                             config_path,
-                            super::ConfigFileKind::User,
+                            ConfigFileKind::User,
                         );
 
-                        match load_config_file(config_path, &result.migrated_content, "User config")
-                        {
+                        match load_config_file(
+                            config_path,
+                            &result.migrated_content,
+                            ConfigFileKind::User,
+                        ) {
                             Ok(table) => deep_merge_table(&mut merged_table, table),
                             Err(e) => warnings.push(e),
                         }
diff --git a/src/config/user/tests.rs b/src/config/user/tests.rs
index 07ee6e7f6a..8a58c59fa3 100644
--- a/src/config/user/tests.rs
+++ b/src/config/user/tests.rs
@@ -2474,7 +2474,7 @@ fn test_load_error_display_file() {
     let toml_err = toml::from_str::<UserConfig>("[list]\nbranches = \"bad\"\n").unwrap_err();
     let err = LoadError::File {
         path: std::path::PathBuf::from("/tmp/config.toml"),
-        label: "User config",
+        kind: ConfigFileKind::User,
         err: Box::new(toml_err),
     };
     let msg = err.to_string();
diff --git a/src/diagnostic.rs b/src/diagnostic.rs
index ef3e437e8a..23ffc07317 100644
--- a/src/diagnostic.rs
+++ b/src/diagnostic.rs
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ use ansi_str::AnsiStr;
 use anyhow::Context;
 use color_print::cformat;
 use minijinja::{Environment, context};
+use worktrunk::config::ConfigFileKind;
 use worktrunk::git::Repository;
 use worktrunk::path::format_path_for_display;
 use worktrunk::shell_exec::Cmd;
@@ -496,14 +497,17 @@ fn config_show_output(repo: &Repository) -> Option<String> {
 
     // User config
     if let Some(user_config_path) = worktrunk::config::config_path() {
-        output.push_str(&format_config_section(&user_config_path, "User config"));
+        output.push_str(&format_config_section(
+            &user_config_path,
+            ConfigFileKind::User,
+        ));
     }
 
     // Project config
     if let Ok(Some(project_config_path)) = repo.project_config_path() {
         output.push_str(&format!(
             "\n{}",
-            format_config_section(&project_config_path, "Project config")
+            format_config_section(&project_config_path, ConfigFileKind::Project)
         ));
     }
 
@@ -515,8 +519,8 @@ fn config_show_output(repo: &Repository) -> Option<String> {
 }
 
 /// Format a config file section for diagnostic output.
-fn format_config_section(path: &std::path::Path, label: &str) -> String {
-    let mut output = format!("{}: {}\n", label, path.display());
+fn format_config_section(path: &std::path::Path, kind: ConfigFileKind) -> String {
+    let mut output = format!("{}: {}\n", kind.label(), path.display());
     if path.exists() {
         match std::fs::read_to_string(path) {
             Ok(content) if content.trim().is_empty() => output.push_str("(empty file)\n"),
@@ -547,9 +551,12 @@ mod tests {
 
     #[test]
     fn test_format_config_section_file_not_found() {
-        let result = format_config_section(std::path::Path::new("/nonexistent/path.toml"), "Test");
+        let result = format_config_section(
+            std::path::Path::new("/nonexistent/path.toml"),
+            ConfigFileKind::User,
+        );
         insta::assert_snapshot!(result, @"
-        Test: /nonexistent/path.toml
+        User config: /nonexistent/path.toml
         (file not found)
         ");
     }
@@ -560,7 +567,7 @@ mod tests {
         let path = tmp.path().join("empty.toml");
         std::fs::write(&path, "").unwrap();
 
-        let result = format_config_section(&path, "Test");
+        let result = format_config_section(&path, ConfigFileKind::User);
         assert!(result.contains("(empty file)"));
     }
 
@@ -570,7 +577,7 @@ mod tests {
         let path = tmp.path().join("config.toml");
         std::fs::write(&path, "key = \"value\"\n").unwrap();
 
-        let result = format_config_section(&path, "Test");
+        let result = format_config_section(&path, ConfigFileKind::User);
         assert!(result.contains("key = \"value\""));
     }
 
@@ -580,7 +587,7 @@ mod tests {
         let path = tmp.path().join("config.toml");
         std::fs::write(&path, "no-newline").unwrap();
 
-        let result = format_config_section(&path, "Test");
+        let result = format_config_section(&path, ConfigFileKind::User);
         assert!(result.ends_with('\n'));
     }
 
@@ -591,7 +598,7 @@ mod tests {
         let content = "x".repeat(5000);
         std::fs::write(&path, &content).unwrap();
 
-        let result = format_config_section(&path, "Test");
+        let result = format_config_section(&path, ConfigFileKind::User);
         assert!(result.contains("(truncated)"));
         assert!(result.len() < 5000);
     }
diff --git a/src/git/repository/mod.rs b/src/git/repository/mod.rs
index 128ae687c9..43d5d713fe 100644
--- a/src/git/repository/mod.rs
+++ b/src/git/repository/mod.rs
@@ -1631,7 +1631,8 @@ fn parse_config_list_z(stdout: &[u8]) -> indexmap::IndexMap<String, Vec<String>>
 fn emit_user_config_warnings(warnings: &[LoadError]) {
     for warning in warnings {
         match warning {
-            LoadError::File { path, label, err } => {
+            LoadError::File { path, kind, err } => {
+                let label = kind.label();
                 let path_display = crate::path::format_path_for_display(path);
                 crate::styling::eprintln!(
                     "{}",