diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 3452581..d354bb0 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ go 1.26.3
 require (
 	github.com/spf13/cobra v1.8.1
 	github.com/stretchr/testify v1.9.0
+	gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.1
 )
 
 require (
@@ -12,5 +13,4 @@ require (
 	github.com/inconshreveable/mousetrap v1.1.0 // indirect
 	github.com/pmezard/go-difflib v1.0.0 // indirect
 	github.com/spf13/pflag v1.0.5 // indirect
-	gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.1 // indirect
 )
diff --git a/internal/canonical/load.go b/internal/canonical/load.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ec596c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/canonical/load.go
@@ -0,0 +1,179 @@
+package canonical
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+
+	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
+)
+
+func Load(root string) (*Bundle, error) {
+	info, err := os.Stat(root)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("canonical root %s: %w", root, err)
+	}
+	if !info.IsDir() {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("canonical root %s is not a directory", root)
+	}
+
+	b := &Bundle{Root: root}
+
+	err = loadYAML(filepath.Join(root, "config.yaml"), &b.Config)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	if b.Config.ActiveProfile == "" {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("config.yaml: active_profile is required")
+	}
+
+	profPath := filepath.Join(root, "profiles", b.Config.ActiveProfile+".yaml")
+	err = loadYAML(profPath, &b.Profile)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	mcpPath := filepath.Join(root, "mcp.yaml")
+	if fileExists(mcpPath) {
+		err = loadYAML(mcpPath, &b.MCP)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+	}
+
+	skills, err := loadMarkdownDir(filepath.Join(root, "skills"), "SKILL.md")
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	for _, m := range skills {
+		b.Skills = append(b.Skills, Skill(m))
+	}
+
+	agents, err := loadMarkdownDir(filepath.Join(root, "agents"), "")
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	for _, m := range agents {
+		b.Agents = append(b.Agents, Agent(m))
+	}
+
+	b.Instructions.PerHarness = map[string]string{}
+	body, err := readFileIfExists(filepath.Join(root, "instructions", "global.md"))
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	b.Instructions.Global = body
+
+	perHarnessDir := filepath.Join(root, "instructions", "per-harness")
+	if entries, err := os.ReadDir(perHarnessDir); err == nil {
+		for _, e := range entries {
+			if e.IsDir() || !strings.HasSuffix(e.Name(), ".md") {
+				continue
+			}
+			body, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(perHarnessDir, e.Name()))
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
+			harness := strings.TrimSuffix(e.Name(), ".md")
+			b.Instructions.PerHarness[harness] = string(body)
+		}
+	}
+
+	return b, nil
+}
+
+type markdownDoc struct {
+	Name        string
+	Description string
+	Body        string
+	Path        string
+}
+
+func loadMarkdownDir(dir, requiredFilename string) ([]markdownDoc, error) {
+	var docs []markdownDoc
+	if !dirExists(dir) {
+		return docs, nil
+	}
+	err := filepath.Walk(dir, func(path string, info os.FileInfo, err error) error {
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		if info.IsDir() {
+			return nil
+		}
+		if requiredFilename != "" && filepath.Base(path) != requiredFilename {
+			return nil
+		}
+		if requiredFilename == "" && !strings.HasSuffix(path, ".md") {
+			return nil
+		}
+		body, err := os.ReadFile(path)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		rel, _ := filepath.Rel(dir, path)
+		name, desc := parseFrontmatter(body)
+		if name == "" {
+			name = strings.TrimSuffix(filepath.Base(path), ".md")
+		}
+		docs = append(docs, markdownDoc{
+			Name:        name,
+			Description: desc,
+			Body:        string(body),
+			Path:        rel,
+		})
+		return nil
+	})
+	return docs, err
+}
+
+func parseFrontmatter(b []byte) (name, description string) {
+	s := string(b)
+	if !strings.HasPrefix(s, "---\n") {
+		return "", ""
+	}
+	end := strings.Index(s[4:], "\n---")
+	if end == -1 {
+		return "", ""
+	}
+	fm := s[4 : 4+end]
+	var meta struct {
+		Name        string `yaml:"name"`
+		Description string `yaml:"description"`
+	}
+	_ = yaml.Unmarshal([]byte(fm), &meta)
+	return meta.Name, meta.Description
+}
+
+func loadYAML(path string, out interface{}) error {
+	b, err := os.ReadFile(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("read %s: %w", path, err)
+	}
+	if err := yaml.Unmarshal(b, out); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("parse %s: %w", path, err)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func readFileIfExists(path string) (string, error) {
+	b, err := os.ReadFile(path)
+	if os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		return "", nil
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	return string(b), nil
+}
+
+func fileExists(path string) bool {
+	info, err := os.Stat(path)
+	return err == nil && !info.IsDir()
+}
+
+func dirExists(path string) bool {
+	info, err := os.Stat(path)
+	return err == nil && info.IsDir()
+}
diff --git a/internal/canonical/load_test.go b/internal/canonical/load_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5ba1ab5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/canonical/load_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+package canonical
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestLoad(t *testing.T) {
+	b, err := Load("testdata/sample")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	assert.Equal(t, "home", b.Config.ActiveProfile)
+	assert.Equal(t, []string{"claude-code", "crush"}, b.Config.EnabledHarnesses)
+
+	assert.Equal(t, "home", b.Profile.Name)
+	assert.Equal(t, "https://gw.lan", b.Profile.Gateway.URL)
+
+	require.Len(t, b.MCP.Servers, 1)
+	assert.Equal(t, "filepuff", b.MCP.Servers[0].Name)
+
+	require.Len(t, b.Skills, 1)
+	assert.Equal(t, "hello", b.Skills[0].Name)
+
+	require.Len(t, b.Agents, 1)
+	assert.Equal(t, "sample", b.Agents[0].Name)
+
+	assert.Contains(t, b.Instructions.Global, "Be helpful.")
+}
+
+func TestLoadMissingProfile(t *testing.T) {
+	_, err := Load("testdata/missing")
+	assert.Error(t, err)
+}
diff --git a/internal/canonical/testdata/sample/agents/sample.md b/internal/canonical/testdata/sample/agents/sample.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7788dae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/canonical/testdata/sample/agents/sample.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+name: sample
+description: sample agent
+---
+sample body
diff --git a/internal/canonical/testdata/sample/config.yaml b/internal/canonical/testdata/sample/config.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0d64042
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/canonical/testdata/sample/config.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+enabled_harnesses: [claude-code, crush]
+active_profile: home
diff --git a/internal/canonical/testdata/sample/instructions/global.md b/internal/canonical/testdata/sample/instructions/global.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d0e0256
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/canonical/testdata/sample/instructions/global.md
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+# Global instructions
+
+Be helpful.
diff --git a/internal/canonical/testdata/sample/mcp.yaml b/internal/canonical/testdata/sample/mcp.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..537d6e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/canonical/testdata/sample/mcp.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+servers:
+  - name: filepuff
+    command: /usr/local/bin/filepuff
+    transport: stdio
diff --git a/internal/canonical/testdata/sample/profiles/home.yaml b/internal/canonical/testdata/sample/profiles/home.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ffdb3ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/canonical/testdata/sample/profiles/home.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+name: home
+gateway:
+  url: https://gw.lan
+  token: dummy
+  default_model: sonnet
+models:
+  - id: claude-sonnet-4-6
+    alias: sonnet
diff --git a/internal/canonical/testdata/sample/skills/hello/SKILL.md b/internal/canonical/testdata/sample/skills/hello/SKILL.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fdde1ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/canonical/testdata/sample/skills/hello/SKILL.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+name: hello
+description: example skill
+---
+hello body