diff --git a/crates/manifest/src/profile.rs b/crates/manifest/src/profile.rs
index 28d97b11..716641a9 100644
--- a/crates/manifest/src/profile.rs
+++ b/crates/manifest/src/profile.rs
@@ -248,11 +248,13 @@ impl ProfileRegistry {
         let Some(default) = self.default.clone() else {
             return;
         };
-        let Some(source) = default.source else {
+        let Ok(default_entry) = self.select_named(default.source, &default.name) else {
             return;
         };
+        let source = default_entry.source;
+        let name = default_entry.name.clone();
         for entry in &mut self.entries {
-            entry.is_default = entry.source == source && entry.name == default.name;
+            entry.is_default = entry.source == source && entry.name == name;
         }
     }
 }
@@ -1005,6 +1007,42 @@ default-coder = "coder"
         assert!(selected.path.ends_with("profiles/project-coder.nix"));
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn config_default_alias_marks_resolved_default_entry() {
+        let tmp = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+        let project_dir = tmp.path().join("project/.insomnia");
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(&project_dir).unwrap();
+        let project_manifest = project_dir.join("manifest.toml");
+        std::fs::write(
+            &project_manifest,
+            r#"
+[profiles]
+default = "work"
+[profiles.profile]
+coder = "profiles/coder.nix"
+[profiles.alias]
+work = "coder"
+"#,
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+
+        let registry = ProfileDiscovery::with_sources(None, None, Some(project_manifest))
+            .discover()
+            .unwrap();
+        let default = registry.default_entry().unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(default.source, ProfileRegistrySource::Project);
+        assert_eq!(default.name, "coder");
+        assert!(default.is_default);
+        assert_eq!(
+            registry
+                .entries()
+                .iter()
+                .filter(|entry| entry.is_default)
+                .count(),
+            1
+        );
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn unqualified_ambiguous_names_fail_closed() {
         let mut registry = ProfileRegistry::default();
diff --git a/crates/tui/src/spawn.rs b/crates/tui/src/spawn.rs
index ec6f3f38..01e927dc 100644
--- a/crates/tui/src/spawn.rs
+++ b/crates/tui/src/spawn.rs
@@ -342,14 +342,6 @@ fn initial_profile_index(
     choices.len() - 1
 }
 
-fn default_profile_selection(cwd: &Path) -> Option<ProfileChoice> {
-    let (choices, default_index) = profile_choices_for_cwd(cwd);
-    choices
-        .get(default_index)
-        .filter(|choice| choice.selector.is_some())
-        .cloned()
-}
-
 fn user_manifest_path_for_spawn(
     env_value: Option<OsString>,
     default_user_manifest: Option<PathBuf>,
@@ -908,7 +900,7 @@ permission = "write"
     }
 
     #[test]
-    fn default_profile_selection_uses_project_registry_default() {
+    fn profile_choices_use_project_registry_default_alias() {
         let temp = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
         let project = temp.path().join("project");
         let insomnia = project.join(".insomnia");
@@ -917,14 +909,18 @@ permission = "write"
             insomnia.join("manifest.toml"),
             r#"
 [profiles]
-default = "coder"
+default = "work"
 [profiles.profile]
 coder = "profiles/coder.nix"
+[profiles.alias]
+work = "coder"
 "#,
         )
         .unwrap();
 
-        let selected = default_profile_selection(&project).unwrap();
+        let (choices, default_index) = profile_choices_for_cwd(&project);
+        assert_eq!(default_index, 1);
+        let selected = &choices[default_index];
         assert_eq!(selected.selector.as_deref(), Some("project:coder"));
         assert_eq!(selected.label, "project:coder (default)");
         assert!(selected.is_default);