diff --git a/src/cli/commands/profile.ts b/src/cli/commands/profile.ts
index d1fc276..0f4089a 100644
--- a/src/cli/commands/profile.ts
+++ b/src/cli/commands/profile.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import type { Command } from "commander";
 import {
-  baseConfig,
   extractProfileSnapshot,
   getProfileSnapshot,
   listProfiles,
@@ -120,11 +119,11 @@ export function applyProfileAction(
   }
 
   if (action === "save") {
-    // Snapshot the explicit target, never the active profile. Resolving
-    // without a name would fall back to activeProfile and stamp the other
-    // profile's agents into this one. A new name starts from the base setup.
+    // Re-save an existing target explicitly. A new name clones the effective
+    // setup currently in use, so saving a profile works as a "save as" action
+    // without changing which profile remains active.
     const existing = getProfileSnapshot(config, name);
-    const source = existing === undefined ? baseConfig(config) : resolveEffectiveConfig(config, name);
+    const source = existing === undefined ? resolveEffectiveConfig(config) : resolveEffectiveConfig(config, name);
     const snapshot = extractProfileSnapshot(source);
     const profiles = { ...(config.profiles ?? {}), [name]: snapshot };
     const next: RunAgentConfig = { ...config, profiles };
@@ -243,7 +242,7 @@ export function registerProfileCommand(program: Command): void {
 
   const named: ReadonlyArray<{ action: Exclude<ProfileAction, "list">; description: string }> = [
     { action: "show", description: "print a saved profile" },
-    { action: "save", description: "snapshot the base setup as a profile (the active profile itself re-saves its own setup)" },
+    { action: "save", description: "snapshot the current setup as a profile (the active profile itself re-saves its own setup)" },
     { action: "use", description: "make a profile the active setup" },
     { action: "delete", description: "delete a saved profile" },
   ];
diff --git a/tests/profiles.test.ts b/tests/profiles.test.ts
index 66bbc5e..2c48663 100644
--- a/tests/profiles.test.ts
+++ b/tests/profiles.test.ts
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ describe("profile actions", () => {
     expect(result.config).not.toHaveProperty("activeProfile");
   });
 
-  it("saves a new profile from the base without active-profile contamination", () => {
+  it("saves a new profile from the active effective setup", () => {
     const config: RunAgentConfig = {
       defaultAgent: "claude",
       agents: { general: { harness: "claude", model: "base-model" } },
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ describe("profile actions", () => {
     };
     const result = applyProfileAction(config, "save", "b");
     expect(result.save).toBe(true);
-    expect(result.config.profiles?.b?.agents?.general?.model).toBe("base-model");
+    expect(result.config.profiles?.b?.agents?.general?.model).toBe("from-a");
     expect(result.config.profiles?.a?.agents?.general?.model).toBe("from-a");
   });
 
@@ -164,6 +164,36 @@ describe("profile actions", () => {
     expect(result.config.profiles?.a?.agents?.general?.model).toBe("from-a");
   });
 
+  it("re-saving an existing profile snapshots the target, not the active one", () => {
+    const config: RunAgentConfig = {
+      defaultAgent: "claude",
+      agents: { general: { harness: "claude", model: "base-model" } },
+      activeProfile: "a",
+      profiles: {
+        a: { agents: { general: { harness: "codex", model: "from-a" } } },
+        b: { agents: { general: { harness: "codex", model: "from-b" } } },
+      },
+    };
+    const result = applyProfileAction(config, "save", "b");
+    expect(result.save).toBe(true);
+    // The named target owns the snapshot: b must keep b's setup even while
+    // a is active, otherwise "profile save b" silently copies a into b.
+    expect(result.config.profiles?.b?.agents?.general?.model).toBe("from-b");
+    expect(result.config.profiles?.a?.agents?.general?.model).toBe("from-a");
+    expect(result.config.activeProfile).toBe("a");
+  });
+
+  it("saving a new profile with no active profile falls back to the base", () => {
+    const config: RunAgentConfig = {
+      defaultAgent: "claude",
+      agents: { general: { harness: "claude", model: "base-model" } },
+      profiles: { a: { agents: { general: { harness: "codex", model: "from-a" } } } },
+    };
+    const result = applyProfileAction(config, "save", "b");
+    expect(result.config.profiles?.b?.agents?.general?.model).toBe("base-model");
+    expect(result.config.profiles?.b?.agents?.general?.harness).toBe("claude");
+  });
+
   it("uses, lists and shows profiles", () => {
     const withProfile = applyProfileAction(saved, "save", "max").config;
     const used = applyProfileAction(withProfile, "use", "max");