diff --git a/crates/spacesh-proto/src/config_view.rs b/crates/spacesh-proto/src/config_view.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c41713a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/spacesh-proto/src/config_view.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
+
+/// Effective (resolved) daemon configuration sent to clients.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Serialize, Deserialize)]
+pub struct ConfigView {
+    pub default_shell: String,
+    pub font_family: String,
+    pub font_size: u16,
+    pub theme: String,
+    pub accent: String,
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    #[test]
+    fn config_view_round_trips() {
+        let c = ConfigView {
+            default_shell: "/bin/zsh".into(), font_family: "JetBrains Mono".into(),
+            font_size: 13, theme: "dark".into(), accent: "blue".into(),
+        };
+        let back: ConfigView = serde_json::from_str(&serde_json::to_string(&c).unwrap()).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(back, c);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/spacesh-proto/src/lib.rs b/crates/spacesh-proto/src/lib.rs
index addc79f..76d414f 100644
--- a/crates/spacesh-proto/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/spacesh-proto/src/lib.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 pub mod codec;
+pub mod config_view;
 pub mod event;
 pub mod ids;
 pub mod layout;
@@ -6,6 +7,7 @@ pub mod message;
 pub mod status;
 pub mod workspace;
 
+pub use config_view::ConfigView;
 pub use event::{EventKind, EventRecord, MarkReadTarget};
 pub use ids::{GroupId, SurfaceId, WorkspaceId};
 pub use layout::{LayoutNode, Orient};