diff --git a/src/config/schema/start-work.test.ts b/src/config/schema/start-work.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6b0f6cb2f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/config/schema/start-work.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+import { describe, expect, test } from "bun:test"
+import { ZodError } from "zod"
+import { StartWorkConfigSchema } from "./start-work"
+
+describe("StartWorkConfigSchema", () => {
+  describe("worktree", () => {
+    describe("#given worktree set to false", () => {
+      test("#when parsed #then returns worktree: false", () => {
+        const result = StartWorkConfigSchema.parse({ worktree: false })
+
+        expect(result.worktree).toBe(false)
+      })
+    })
+
+    describe("#given worktree not provided", () => {
+      test("#when parsed #then defaults to true", () => {
+        const result = StartWorkConfigSchema.parse({})
+
+        expect(result.worktree).toBe(true)
+      })
+    })
+
+    describe("#given auto_commit and worktree together", () => {
+      test("#when parsed #then accepts both fields", () => {
+        const result = StartWorkConfigSchema.parse({
+          auto_commit: true,
+          worktree: false,
+        })
+
+        expect(result.auto_commit).toBe(true)
+        expect(result.worktree).toBe(false)
+      })
+    })
+
+    describe("#given worktree is non-boolean", () => {
+      test("#when parsed #then throws ZodError", () => {
+        let thrownError: unknown
+
+        try {
+          StartWorkConfigSchema.parse({ worktree: "true" })
+        } catch (error) {
+          thrownError = error
+        }
+
+        expect(thrownError).toBeInstanceOf(ZodError)
+      })
+    })
+  })
+
+  describe("auto_commit", () => {
+    describe("#given auto_commit set to false", () => {
+      test("#when parsed #then returns auto_commit: false", () => {
+        const result = StartWorkConfigSchema.parse({ auto_commit: false })
+
+        expect(result.auto_commit).toBe(false)
+      })
+    })
+
+    describe("#given auto_commit not provided", () => {
+      test("#when parsed #then defaults to true", () => {
+        const result = StartWorkConfigSchema.parse({})
+
+        expect(result.auto_commit).toBe(true)
+      })
+    })
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/config/schema/start-work.ts b/src/config/schema/start-work.ts
index 7daae0c3d..d440af08e 100644
--- a/src/config/schema/start-work.ts
+++ b/src/config/schema/start-work.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ import { z } from "zod"
 export const StartWorkConfigSchema = z.object({
   /** Enable auto-commit after each atomic task completion (default: true) */
   auto_commit: z.boolean().default(true),
+  /** Enable worktree enforcement for /start-work command (default: true) */
+  worktree: z.boolean().default(true),
 })
 
 export type StartWorkConfig = z.infer<typeof StartWorkConfigSchema>