diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 02d92d7c..a73fed47 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ Full release notes with details on each version: [GitHub Releases](https://githu
 
 ## 0.9.44 (unreleased)
 
+- Feature: `graphify hook install` reads a committed `.graphifyrc` (`viz_node_limit=<int>`) and bakes the visualization node limit into the generated git hooks, so a project-wide limit is shared via version control and survives hook regeneration; `hook status` reports it (#2760, thanks @hopstreax). The baked value uses a `${GRAPHIFY_VIZ_NODE_LIMIT:-<n>}` default so an explicit per-run env var still wins, and `hook status` degrades gracefully on a malformed `.graphifyrc`.
 - Fix: `graphify install` (Claude always-on) now writes the CLAUDE.md registration into `$CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR` when that env var relocates the Claude profile, instead of always mutating the default `~/.claude/CLAUDE.md` (part of #2694, thanks @AromalBiju1).
 - Fix: a JS/TS inline or nested function expression — including a generator function expression (`function*(k){…}`) — no longer fabricates an INFERRED `indirect_call` when one of its parameters/locals shares a name with an unrelated callable; the expression's own bindings now shadow the name (#2752, thanks @imagineers-tyler), completing the shadow family alongside catch/arrow/loop/external-import (#2757).
 - Fix: a git-tracked file that also matches a `.gitignore` pattern (a committed file later added to `.gitignore`, or a force-added one) is no longer dropped from the corpus, matching git's own behavior of never un-tracking such a file; `.graphifyignore`/`--exclude` stay authoritative and a non-git corpus is unaffected (#2759, thanks @NithishKumar04). The `git ls-files` probe is skipped entirely when no `.gitignore` is in play, so ordinary corpora pay nothing for it.
diff --git a/graphify/hooks.py b/graphify/hooks.py
index 47c34530..5be58d12 100644
--- a/graphify/hooks.py
+++ b/graphify/hooks.py
@@ -721,7 +721,11 @@ def install(path: Path = Path(".")) -> str:
     cfg = _load_graphifyrc(root)
     viz_limit = cfg.get("viz_node_limit")
     if viz_limit is not None:
-        viz_export = f'export GRAPHIFY_VIZ_NODE_LIMIT="{viz_limit}"\n'
+        # Use the `:-` default form (like GRAPHIFY_MAX_WORKERS below) so an
+        # explicit `GRAPHIFY_VIZ_NODE_LIMIT=... git commit` still wins over the
+        # baked project default — persisting config must not clobber a per-run
+        # override.
+        viz_export = f'export GRAPHIFY_VIZ_NODE_LIMIT="${{GRAPHIFY_VIZ_NODE_LIMIT:-{viz_limit}}}"\n'
     else:
         viz_export = ""
 
@@ -756,7 +760,13 @@ def status(path: Path = Path(".")) -> str:
     if root is None:
         return "Not in a git repository."
     hooks_dir = _user_hooks_dir(_hooks_dir(root))
-    cfg = _load_graphifyrc(root)
+    # status is a read-only diagnostic: a malformed .graphifyrc must not turn it
+    # into a traceback. Report the config problem and continue with no limit.
+    try:
+        cfg = _load_graphifyrc(root)
+    except ValueError as exc:
+        cfg = {}
+        print(f"  warning: {exc}")
     cfg_limit = cfg.get("viz_node_limit")
 
     def _check(name: str, marker: str) -> str:
@@ -767,8 +777,14 @@ def status(path: Path = Path(".")) -> str:
         if marker not in text:
             return "not installed (hook exists but graphify not found)"
         if cfg_limit is not None:
-            m = re.search(r'export GRAPHIFY_VIZ_NODE_LIMIT="(\d+)"', text)
-            installed_limit = int(m.group(1)) if m else None
+            # Baked as `"${GRAPHIFY_VIZ_NODE_LIMIT:-<n>}"` so a per-run override
+            # wins; match the default <n>, and still accept the older bare
+            # `"<n>"` form from hooks installed before that change.
+            m = re.search(
+                r'export GRAPHIFY_VIZ_NODE_LIMIT="(?:\$\{GRAPHIFY_VIZ_NODE_LIMIT:-(\d+)\}|(\d+))"',
+                text,
+            )
+            installed_limit = int(m.group(1) or m.group(2)) if m else None
             if installed_limit != cfg_limit:
                 return (
                     f"installed (out of date: hook has limit "
diff --git a/tests/test_hooks.py b/tests/test_hooks.py
index 4bcf1cd8..9fffb32b 100644
--- a/tests/test_hooks.py
+++ b/tests/test_hooks.py
@@ -874,8 +874,40 @@ def test_config_baked_into_generated_hook(tmp_path):
     commit_hook = (repo / ".git" / "hooks" / "post-commit").read_text()
     checkout_hook = (repo / ".git" / "hooks" / "post-checkout").read_text()
 
-    assert 'export GRAPHIFY_VIZ_NODE_LIMIT="0"' in commit_hook
-    assert 'export GRAPHIFY_VIZ_NODE_LIMIT="0"' in checkout_hook
+    assert 'export GRAPHIFY_VIZ_NODE_LIMIT="${GRAPHIFY_VIZ_NODE_LIMIT:-0}"' in commit_hook
+    assert 'export GRAPHIFY_VIZ_NODE_LIMIT="${GRAPHIFY_VIZ_NODE_LIMIT:-0}"' in checkout_hook
+
+
+def test_baked_viz_limit_yields_to_an_explicit_per_run_override(tmp_path):
+    """Persisting the project default must not clobber an explicit per-run
+    GRAPHIFY_VIZ_NODE_LIMIT: the baked line uses the `${VAR:-<n>}` default form,
+    so an already-set env value wins (mirrors GRAPHIFY_MAX_WORKERS)."""
+    repo = _make_git_repo(tmp_path)
+    (repo / ".graphifyrc").write_text("viz_node_limit=100\n", encoding="utf-8")
+    install(repo)
+    commit_hook = (repo / ".git" / "hooks" / "post-commit").read_text()
+
+    # default form, not an unconditional assignment that would override the env
+    assert 'export GRAPHIFY_VIZ_NODE_LIMIT="${GRAPHIFY_VIZ_NODE_LIMIT:-100}"' in commit_hook
+    assert 'export GRAPHIFY_VIZ_NODE_LIMIT="100"' not in commit_hook
+    # prove the shell semantics: an explicit env value survives the export line
+    line = 'export GRAPHIFY_VIZ_NODE_LIMIT="${GRAPHIFY_VIZ_NODE_LIMIT:-100}"'
+    out = subprocess.run(
+        ["sh", "-c", f'GRAPHIFY_VIZ_NODE_LIMIT=7; {line}; echo "$GRAPHIFY_VIZ_NODE_LIMIT"'],
+        capture_output=True, text=True, check=True,
+    )
+    assert out.stdout.strip() == "7"
+
+
+def test_status_survives_a_malformed_graphifyrc(tmp_path):
+    """A typo in the committed .graphifyrc must not turn the read-only `status`
+    diagnostic into a traceback; it reports the problem and continues."""
+    repo = _make_git_repo(tmp_path)
+    install(repo)
+    (repo / ".graphifyrc").write_text("viz_node_limit=not-an-int\n", encoding="utf-8")
+
+    result = status(repo)  # must not raise
+    assert "installed" in result
 
 
 def test_changing_config_updates_existing_hook(tmp_path):
@@ -890,8 +922,8 @@ def test_changing_config_updates_existing_hook(tmp_path):
 
     assert "updated existing" in result
     commit_hook = (repo / ".git" / "hooks" / "post-commit").read_text()
-    assert 'export GRAPHIFY_VIZ_NODE_LIMIT="0"' in commit_hook
-    assert 'export GRAPHIFY_VIZ_NODE_LIMIT="5000"' not in commit_hook
+    assert 'export GRAPHIFY_VIZ_NODE_LIMIT="${GRAPHIFY_VIZ_NODE_LIMIT:-0}"' in commit_hook
+    assert 'export GRAPHIFY_VIZ_NODE_LIMIT="${GRAPHIFY_VIZ_NODE_LIMIT:-5000}"' not in commit_hook
     assert commit_hook.count("# graphify-hook-start") == 1
 
 
@@ -914,7 +946,7 @@ def test_user_hook_content_survives_update(tmp_path):
     content = post_commit.read_text()
     assert "echo 'user content before'" in content
     assert "echo 'user content after'" in content
-    assert 'export GRAPHIFY_VIZ_NODE_LIMIT="0"' in content
+    assert 'export GRAPHIFY_VIZ_NODE_LIMIT="${GRAPHIFY_VIZ_NODE_LIMIT:-0}"' in content
     assert "old block" not in content
 
 
@@ -943,4 +975,4 @@ def test_both_hooks_configured(tmp_path):
 
     for name in ("post-commit", "post-checkout"):
         hook_text = (repo / ".git" / "hooks" / name).read_text()
-        assert 'export GRAPHIFY_VIZ_NODE_LIMIT="42"' in hook_text
+        assert 'export GRAPHIFY_VIZ_NODE_LIMIT="${GRAPHIFY_VIZ_NODE_LIMIT:-42}"' in hook_text