diff --git a/api/v1/handlers_impl.go b/api/v1/handlers_impl.go
index d772f5f..98c42c9 100644
--- a/api/v1/handlers_impl.go
+++ b/api/v1/handlers_impl.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package v1
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 	"html/template"
 	"io"
 	"net/http"
@@ -259,9 +260,9 @@ func (mlh *MindloopHandler) HandleHabitView(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Reque
 	momentum, _ := mlh.habit.CalculateMomentum(h)
 
 	mlh.renderTemplate(w, "habit_view.html", map[string]interface{}{
-		"Title":   "Habit: " + h.Title,
-		"Habit":   h,
-		"Heatmap": heatmap,
+		"Title":    "Habit: " + h.Title,
+		"Habit":    h,
+		"Heatmap":  heatmap,
 		"Momentum": momentum,
 	})
 }
@@ -820,16 +821,16 @@ func (mlh *MindloopHandler) HandleCleanSlate(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Requ
 			log.Error().Msg("Error in clean slate all")
 		} else {
 			// Also reset user config (Name and FeatureFlags), but keep DB config
-			uc := config.UserConfig{}
-			if readErr := uc.ReadFromYAML(); readErr == nil {
+			if configErr := config.UpdateUserConfig(func(uc *config.UserConfig) error {
 				uc.Name = ""
 				uc.FeatureFlags = config.FeatureFlags{} // Reset all flags to false
-				uc.WriteToYAML()
-
+				return nil
+			}); configErr != nil {
+				err = fmt.Errorf("failed to reset user config: %w", configErr)
+				log.Error().Err(configErr).Msg("Error resetting user config")
+			} else if mlh.config != nil {
 				// Update in-memory config
-				if mlh.config != nil {
-					mlh.config.UserName = ""
-				}
+				mlh.config.UserName = ""
 			}
 		}
 	case "journal":
@@ -1148,19 +1149,20 @@ func (mlh *MindloopHandler) HandleSettingsUpdate(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.
 	ptsSubTask, _ := strconv.Atoi(r.FormValue("pts_subtask"))
 	ptsMilestoneInterval, _ := strconv.Atoi(r.FormValue("pts_milestone_interval"))
 
-	uc := config.UserConfig{
-		Name:            name,
-		Mode:            mode,
-		EditorWideWidth: r.FormValue("editor_wide_width") == "on",
-		FeatureFlags: config.FeatureFlags{
+	if err := config.UpdateUserConfig(func(uc *config.UserConfig) error {
+		uc.Name = name
+		uc.Mode = mode
+		// EditorWideWidth is intentionally preserved: it is updated by its own
+		// endpoint and is not part of this form.
+		uc.FeatureFlags = config.FeatureFlags{
 			FocusCloud:   r.FormValue("focus_cloud") == "on",
 			HabitCloud:   r.FormValue("habit_cloud") == "on",
 			IntentCloud:  r.FormValue("intent_cloud") == "on",
 			JournalCloud: r.FormValue("journal_cloud") == "on",
 			NoteCloud:    r.FormValue("note_cloud") == "on",
 			Gamification: r.FormValue("gamification") == "on",
-		},
-		PointsConfig: config.PointsConfig{
+		}
+		uc.PointsConfig = config.PointsConfig{
 			Focus:             ptsFocus,
 			Habit:             ptsHabit,
 			Intent:            ptsIntent,
@@ -1169,23 +1171,24 @@ func (mlh *MindloopHandler) HandleSettingsUpdate(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.
 			Task:              ptsTask,
 			SubTask:           ptsSubTask,
 			MilestoneInterval: ptsMilestoneInterval,
-		},
-	}
-
-	if mode == "byodb" {
-		uc.DbConfig = config.DBConfig{
-			Host:     r.FormValue("db_host"),
-			Port:     r.FormValue("db_port"),
-			User:     r.FormValue("db_user"),
-			Password: r.FormValue("db_pass"),
-			Name:     r.FormValue("db_name"),
 		}
+		if mode == "byodb" {
+			uc.DbConfig = config.DBConfig{
+				Host:     r.FormValue("db_host"),
+				Port:     r.FormValue("db_port"),
+				User:     r.FormValue("db_user"),
+				Password: r.FormValue("db_pass"),
+				Name:     r.FormValue("db_name"),
+			}
+		}
+		uc.PointsConfig.MilestoneInterval = points.NormalizeMilestoneInterval(uc.PointsConfig.MilestoneInterval)
+		points.SetMilestoneInterval(uc.PointsConfig.MilestoneInterval)
+		return nil
+	}); err != nil {
+		log.Error().Err(err).Msg("Error writing user settings")
+		http.Error(w, "failed to write user settings", http.StatusInternalServerError)
+		return
 	}
-
-	uc.PointsConfig.MilestoneInterval = points.NormalizeMilestoneInterval(uc.PointsConfig.MilestoneInterval)
-	uc.WriteToYAML()
-	points.SetMilestoneInterval(uc.PointsConfig.MilestoneInterval)
-
 	// Update in-memory config to reflect changes immediately
 	if mlh.config != nil {
 		mlh.config.UserName = name
@@ -1203,10 +1206,14 @@ func (mlh *MindloopHandler) HandleSettingsUpdateWidth(w http.ResponseWriter, r *
 
 	isWide := r.FormValue("wide") == "true"
 
-	uc := config.UserConfig{}
-	_ = uc.ReadFromYAML()
-	uc.EditorWideWidth = isWide
-	uc.WriteToYAML()
+	if err := config.UpdateUserConfig(func(uc *config.UserConfig) error {
+		uc.EditorWideWidth = isWide
+		return nil
+	}); err != nil {
+		log.Error().Err(err).Msg("Error writing editor width setting")
+		http.Error(w, "failed to write editor width setting", http.StatusInternalServerError)
+		return
+	}
 
 	w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
 	if err := json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(map[string]string{"status": "success"}); err != nil {
diff --git a/cmd/cli/configure.go b/cmd/cli/configure.go
index fab3e6d..88a5b53 100644
--- a/cmd/cli/configure.go
+++ b/cmd/cli/configure.go
@@ -179,7 +179,10 @@ func CreateUserConfigYAML(username, mode string, dbConfig *config.DBConfig, mile
 	}
 
 	uc.SetDefaults()
-	uc.WriteToYAML()
+	if err := uc.WriteToYAMLError(); err != nil {
+		utils.PrintErrorln("Error writing user config to YAML")
+		return
+	}
 	utils.PrintSuccessln("User config created successfully!")
 	utils.PrintInfof("You can find your config at: %s\n", config.GetUserConfigPath())
 }
diff --git a/internal/config/config.go b/internal/config/config.go
index f854e55..3f5b75e 100644
--- a/internal/config/config.go
+++ b/internal/config/config.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ package config
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"sync"
 
 	"github.com/joho/godotenv"
@@ -73,6 +74,7 @@ type DBConfig struct {
 
 var once sync.Once
 var cfg *Config
+var userConfigMu sync.Mutex
 
 // InitConfig initializes the global application configuration
 func InitConfig(name, mode, port string) {
@@ -206,17 +208,63 @@ func ValidateUserConfig(cmd *cobra.Command) {
 
 // WriteToYAML persists the current UserConfig to a YAML file
 func (uc UserConfig) WriteToYAML() {
+	if err := uc.WriteToYAMLError(); err != nil {
+		utils.PrintErrorln("Error writing user config to YAML")
+		return
+	}
+	utils.PrintSuccessln("User config written to YAML successfully")
+}
+
+// WriteToYAMLError persists the current UserConfig with an atomic replacement.
+func (uc UserConfig) WriteToYAMLError() error {
 	marshalled, err := yaml.Marshal(uc)
 	if err != nil {
-		utils.PrintErrorln("Error marshalling user config to YAML")
-		return
+		return fmt.Errorf("marshal user config: %w", err)
 	}
-	err = os.WriteFile(GetUserConfigPath(), marshalled, 0644)
+
+	path := GetUserConfigPath()
+	dir := filepath.Dir(path)
+	tmp, err := os.CreateTemp(dir, ".user_config.yaml.tmp-*")
 	if err != nil {
-		utils.PrintErrorln("Error writing user config to file")
-		return
+		return fmt.Errorf("create temporary user config: %w", err)
 	}
-	utils.PrintSuccessln("User config written to YAML successfully")
+	tmpPath := tmp.Name()
+	defer func() { _ = os.Remove(tmpPath) }()
+
+	if err := tmp.Chmod(0644); err != nil {
+		_ = tmp.Close()
+		return fmt.Errorf("set temporary user config permissions: %w", err)
+	}
+	if _, err := tmp.Write(marshalled); err != nil {
+		_ = tmp.Close()
+		return fmt.Errorf("write temporary user config: %w", err)
+	}
+	if err := tmp.Sync(); err != nil {
+		_ = tmp.Close()
+		return fmt.Errorf("sync temporary user config: %w", err)
+	}
+	if err := tmp.Close(); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("close temporary user config: %w", err)
+	}
+	if err := os.Rename(tmpPath, path); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("replace user config: %w", err)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// UpdateUserConfig serializes read-modify-write updates to the user config.
+func UpdateUserConfig(mutate func(*UserConfig) error) error {
+	userConfigMu.Lock()
+	defer userConfigMu.Unlock()
+
+	uc := UserConfig{}
+	if err := uc.ReadFromYAML(); err != nil && !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		return err
+	}
+	if err := mutate(&uc); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return uc.WriteToYAMLError()
 }
 
 // ReadFromYAML loads the UserConfig from a YAML file
diff --git a/internal/config/config_test.go b/internal/config/config_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8a4d510
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/config/config_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+package config
+
+import (
+	"path/filepath"
+	"sync"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestWriteToYAMLErrorRoundTripIsAtomic(t *testing.T) {
+	home := t.TempDir()
+	t.Setenv("HOME", home)
+	t.Chdir(t.TempDir())
+
+	want := UserConfig{
+		Name:            "atomic-user",
+		Mode:            "local",
+		EditorWideWidth: true,
+		PointsConfig:    PointsConfig{Task: 7},
+	}
+	if err := want.WriteToYAMLError(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("write user config: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	var got UserConfig
+	if err := got.ReadFromYAML(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("read user config: %v", err)
+	}
+	if got.Name != want.Name || got.Mode != want.Mode || !got.EditorWideWidth || got.PointsConfig.Task != want.PointsConfig.Task {
+		t.Fatalf("round trip mismatch: got %+v, want %+v", got, want)
+	}
+	if matches, err := filepath.Glob(".user_config.yaml.tmp-*"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("find temporary files: %v", err)
+	} else if len(matches) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("temporary files remain after atomic write: %v", matches)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestUpdateUserConfigSerializesReadModifyWrite(t *testing.T) {
+	home := t.TempDir()
+	t.Setenv("HOME", home)
+	t.Chdir(t.TempDir())
+	if err := (UserConfig{Mode: "local"}).WriteToYAMLError(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("seed user config: %v", err)
+	}
+	var baseline UserConfig
+	if err := baseline.ReadFromYAML(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("read seeded user config: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	const updates = 32
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+	errs := make(chan error, updates)
+	for range updates {
+		wg.Add(1)
+		go func() {
+			defer wg.Done()
+			errs <- UpdateUserConfig(func(uc *UserConfig) error {
+				uc.PointsConfig.Task++
+				return nil
+			})
+		}()
+	}
+	wg.Wait()
+	close(errs)
+	for err := range errs {
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("update user config: %v", err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	var got UserConfig
+	if err := got.ReadFromYAML(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("read final user config: %v", err)
+	}
+	wantTaskPoints := baseline.PointsConfig.Task + updates
+	if got.PointsConfig.Task != wantTaskPoints {
+		t.Fatalf("lost concurrent updates: got task points %d, want %d", got.PointsConfig.Task, wantTaskPoints)
+	}
+}