diff --git a/tests/fuzz/fuzz_config_receive.c b/tests/fuzz/fuzz_config_receive.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..082359a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fuzz/fuzz_config_receive.c
@@ -0,0 +1,241 @@
+/*
+ * Fuzz the binary config-frame receive path: Config* config_receive(int fd).
+ *
+ * The frame is a length-prefixed stream of strings/ints/bools, so the receiver
+ * stops at the first malformed field.  Feeding raw fuzz bytes alone therefore
+ * almost never reaches the deep P8 trailing blocks (--super / --copy-as) or the
+ * identity-map block, because every preceding wire bool must be exactly 0 or 1.
+ *
+ * To exercise those paths we first build one canonical, fully-valid frame with
+ * the production sender and then feed the receiver four shapes:
+ *
+ *   1. raw     : the raw fuzz bytes as the whole frame (version gate included).
+ *   2. general : the valid version-string prefix + the raw fuzz bytes, so the
+ *                fuzzer can walk the early/core/selection blocks from arbitrary
+ *                input while staying past the version gate.
+ *   3. tail    : the valid frame up to its last P8_TAIL_BYTES (super_mode +
+ *                copy-as presence/uid/gid) + the raw fuzz bytes, so the fuzzer
+ *                directly mutates super_mode and the copy-as ids and truncates
+ *                the tail at any byte.
+ *   4. map     : the valid frame up to the --usermap count + the raw fuzz bytes,
+ *                so the fuzzer directly drives the map count (huge/extreme) and
+ *                the map entries.
+ *
+ * The canonical frame is captured by running config_send once, writing the
+ * frame into a pipe whose read end is drained afterwards; the STATUS_OK ack is
+ * pre-loaded into a second pipe so a single thread suffices.
+ */
+#include "config.h"
+#include "protocol.h"
+#include "utils.h"
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <fcntl.h>
+#include <stdbool.h>
+#include <stdint.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <sys/socket.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+
+/* super_mode (4) + copy-as presence (4) + uid (4) + gid (4) = the P8 tail. */
+#define P8_TAIL_BYTES 16
+
+/* Distinctive --usermap entry used to locate the map-count field in the
+ * canonical frame without duplicating the wire layout here. */
+#define MAP_FROM 0x11223344
+#define MAP_TO 0x55667788
+
+static unsigned char* g_frame;
+static size_t g_frame_len;
+static size_t g_version_len;       /* length of the leading version-string frame */
+static size_t g_usermap_count_off; /* offset of the usermap count int, 0 = unknown */
+static bool g_frame_ready;
+
+/* Read the canonical frame from the send peer.  The producer shuts down its
+ * write half first, so a blocking read drains the frame and then sees EOF. */
+static unsigned char* drain_frame(int fd, size_t* out_len) {
+  size_t cap = 4096;
+  size_t len = 0;
+  unsigned char* buf = malloc(cap);
+  if (!buf)
+    return NULL;
+  for (;;) {
+    if (len == cap) {
+      size_t grown = cap * 2;
+      unsigned char* bigger = realloc(buf, grown);
+      if (!bigger) {
+        free(buf);
+        return NULL;
+      }
+      buf = bigger;
+      cap = grown;
+    }
+    ssize_t n = read(fd, buf + len, cap - len);
+    if (n > 0) {
+      len += (size_t)n;
+      continue;
+    }
+    if (n < 0 && errno == EINTR)
+      continue;
+    break; /* 0 (EOF) or error */
+  }
+  *out_len = len;
+  return buf;
+}
+
+/* Serialize a valid Config with the real sender.  The frame is written into a
+ * pipe (64 KiB kernel buffer, far larger than one config frame) whose read end
+ * is drained afterwards; the STATUS_OK ack is pre-loaded into a second pipe so
+ * a single thread suffices (config_send writes the whole frame before it reads
+ * the ack). */
+static void build_canonical_frame(void) {
+  g_frame_ready = true;
+
+  Config* cfg = config_create();
+  if (!cfg)
+    return;
+  cfg->send_directory = str_dup("/src");
+  cfg->receive_root_directory = str_dup("/dst");
+  /* Force the three P8 tail fields to be present (copy-as requires metadata). */
+  cfg->copy_as_set = true;
+  cfg->copy_as_uid = 0;
+  cfg->copy_as_gid = 0;
+  cfg->use_metadata = true;
+  /* Force one usermap entry with a locatable sentinel. */
+  cfg->usermap = malloc(sizeof(IdentityMap));
+  if (cfg->usermap) {
+    cfg->usermap_count = 1;
+    cfg->usermap[0].from = MAP_FROM;
+    cfg->usermap[0].to = MAP_TO;
+  }
+  if (!cfg->send_directory || !cfg->receive_root_directory || !cfg->usermap) {
+    config_delete(cfg);
+    return;
+  }
+
+  int frame_pipe[2] = {-1, -1};
+  int status_pipe[2] = {-1, -1};
+  if (pipe(frame_pipe) != 0 || pipe(status_pipe) != 0)
+    goto out;
+
+  int ack = STATUS_OK;
+  if (write(status_pipe[1], &ack, sizeof(ack)) != (ssize_t)sizeof(ack))
+    goto out;
+
+  io_set_fds(status_pipe[0], frame_pipe[1]);
+  io_set_bwlimit(0);
+  bool sent = config_send(frame_pipe[1], cfg);
+  close(frame_pipe[1]);
+  frame_pipe[1] = -1;
+  close(status_pipe[0]);
+  status_pipe[0] = -1;
+  close(status_pipe[1]);
+  status_pipe[1] = -1;
+
+  if (sent)
+    g_frame = drain_frame(frame_pipe[0], &g_frame_len);
+
+out:
+  if (frame_pipe[0] != -1)
+    close(frame_pipe[0]);
+  if (frame_pipe[1] != -1)
+    close(frame_pipe[1]);
+  if (status_pipe[0] != -1)
+    close(status_pipe[0]);
+  if (status_pipe[1] != -1)
+    close(status_pipe[1]);
+  config_delete(cfg);
+  if (!g_frame || g_frame_len == 0) {
+    free(g_frame);
+    g_frame = NULL;
+    g_frame_len = 0;
+    return;
+  }
+
+  g_version_len = sizeof(size_t) + strlen(PROTOCOL_VERSION);
+  if (g_version_len > g_frame_len)
+    g_version_len = g_frame_len;
+
+  /* Locate the usermap entry sentinel; its count int sits 4 bytes before it. */
+  int32_t from = MAP_FROM;
+  int32_t to = MAP_TO;
+  unsigned char pattern[8];
+  memcpy(pattern, &from, sizeof(from));
+  memcpy(pattern + sizeof(from), &to, sizeof(to));
+  if (g_frame_len >= sizeof(pattern)) {
+    for (size_t i = 4; i + sizeof(pattern) <= g_frame_len; i++) {
+      if (memcmp(g_frame + i, pattern, sizeof(pattern)) == 0) {
+        g_usermap_count_off = i - sizeof(int32_t);
+        break;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+/* Best-effort non-blocking write: an oversized fuzz input is truncated rather
+ * than stalling the harness. */
+static void write_best_effort(int fd, const void* data, size_t size) {
+  const unsigned char* p = data;
+  size_t off = 0;
+  while (off < size) {
+    ssize_t n = write(fd, p + off, size - off);
+    if (n > 0) {
+      off += (size_t)n;
+      continue;
+    }
+    if (n < 0 && errno == EINTR)
+      continue;
+    break;
+  }
+}
+
+/* Build prefix ++ data as a stream and drive config_receive over it. */
+static void receive_stream(const unsigned char* prefix, size_t prefix_len, const uint8_t* data,
+                           size_t size) {
+  int sv[2];
+  if (socketpair(AF_UNIX, SOCK_STREAM, 0, sv) != 0)
+    return;
+
+  int flags = fcntl(sv[0], F_GETFL, 0);
+  if (flags != -1)
+    (void)fcntl(sv[0], F_SETFL, flags | O_NONBLOCK);
+
+  if (prefix_len > 0)
+    write_best_effort(sv[0], prefix, prefix_len);
+  if (size > 0)
+    write_best_effort(sv[0], data, size);
+  /* Signal EOF without closing the read half, so the receiver's STATUS_ERROR
+   * replies do not hit EPIPE. */
+  shutdown(sv[0], SHUT_WR);
+
+  io_set_fds(sv[1], sv[1]);
+  io_set_bwlimit(0);
+  Config* cfg = config_receive(sv[1]);
+  config_delete(cfg);
+
+  close(sv[0]);
+  close(sv[1]);
+}
+
+int LLVMFuzzerTestOneInput(const uint8_t* data, size_t size) {
+  if (!g_frame_ready)
+    build_canonical_frame();
+
+  /* Raw bytes as the whole frame (version gate and all). */
+  receive_stream(NULL, 0, data, size);
+
+  if (g_frame) {
+    /* Keep the valid version prefix, fuzz everything after it. */
+    receive_stream(g_frame, g_version_len, data, size);
+
+    /* Keep the valid frame up to the P8 tail, fuzz super_mode + copy-as. */
+    if (g_frame_len > P8_TAIL_BYTES)
+      receive_stream(g_frame, g_frame_len - P8_TAIL_BYTES, data, size);
+
+    /* Keep the valid frame up to the usermap count, fuzz the count + entries. */
+    if (g_usermap_count_off > 0)
+      receive_stream(g_frame, g_usermap_count_off, data, size);
+  }
+  return 0;
+}
diff --git a/tests/fuzz/fuzz_identity_parse.c b/tests/fuzz/fuzz_identity_parse.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0b9f961
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fuzz/fuzz_identity_parse.c
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+/*
+ * Fuzz the CLI-time identity parsers (identity.h):
+ *   - identity_parse_copy_as
+ *   - identity_parse_map (user and group variants)
+ *   - identity_parse_chown
+ *
+ * Each parser mutates a Config, so every input gets a fresh config_create()
+ * (freed afterwards).  After a successful parse the shared wire validator and
+ * the ownership predicate are also exercised on the mutated config.  The input
+ * is NUL-terminated; embedded NULs simply shorten the effective spec, which is
+ * fine for a parser fuzzer.
+ */
+#include "config.h"
+#include "identity.h"
+#include <stdint.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+
+static void exercise(Config* c, const char* spec, int which) {
+  if (!c)
+    return;
+  switch (which) {
+  case 0:
+    (void)identity_parse_copy_as(c, spec);
+    break;
+  case 1:
+    (void)identity_parse_map(c, spec, false);
+    break;
+  case 2:
+    (void)identity_parse_map(c, spec, true);
+    break;
+  default:
+    (void)identity_parse_chown(c, spec);
+    break;
+  }
+  (void)identity_wire_valid(c);
+  (void)identity_ownership_requested(c);
+  config_delete(c);
+}
+
+int LLVMFuzzerTestOneInput(const uint8_t* data, size_t size) {
+  if (size == 0)
+    return 0;
+
+  char* spec = malloc(size + 1);
+  if (!spec)
+    return 0;
+  memcpy(spec, data, size);
+  spec[size] = '\0';
+
+  exercise(config_create(), spec, 0);
+  exercise(config_create(), spec, 1);
+  exercise(config_create(), spec, 2);
+  exercise(config_create(), spec, 3);
+
+  free(spec);
+  return 0;
+}
diff --git a/tests/test_fuzz_smoke.c b/tests/test_fuzz_smoke.c
index 9b2c415..50d6c29 100644
--- a/tests/test_fuzz_smoke.c
+++ b/tests/test_fuzz_smoke.c
@@ -1,16 +1,24 @@
 #include "test_fuzz_smoke.h"
 #include "chunk.h"
 #include "compression.h"
+#include "config.h"
 #include "data.h"
 #include "delta.h"
 #include "metadata.h"
+#include "protocol.h"
 #include "test_utils.h"
 #include "utils.h"
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <limits.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
+#include <sys/socket.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 
+/* P8 config-frame tail: super_mode (4) + copy-as presence (4) + uid (4) + gid (4). */
+#define P8_TAIL_BYTES 16
+
 /* Smoke test for chunk_deserialize fuzz target */
 static void test_fuzz_chunk_deserialize() {
   /* Create a minimal valid chunk to serialize and deserialize */
@@ -170,6 +178,272 @@ static void test_fuzz_glob_match() {
   EXPECT_FALSE(glob_match("*.md", "readme.txt"));
 }
 
+/* ---- Deterministic config-frame receive hardening (P8) ----
+ *
+ * The P8 tail (--super / --copy-as) and the identity-map count only parse after
+ * the entire preceding frame validates, which random bytes almost never reach.
+ * These tests capture one valid frame with the production sender and then
+ * mutate/truncate the exact tail bytes. */
+
+/* Serialize cfg with the production sender into a heap buffer.  The frame is
+ * written into a pipe (64 KiB kernel buffer, far larger than one config frame)
+ * whose read end is drained afterwards; the required STATUS_OK ack is
+ * pre-loaded into a second pipe, so a single thread suffices. */
+static bool capture_config_frame(const Config* cfg, unsigned char** out, size_t* out_len) {
+  *out = NULL;
+  *out_len = 0;
+
+  int frame_pipe[2];
+  int status_pipe[2];
+  if (pipe(frame_pipe) != 0)
+    return false;
+  if (pipe(status_pipe) != 0) {
+    close(frame_pipe[0]);
+    close(frame_pipe[1]);
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  int ack = STATUS_OK;
+  bool ok = write(status_pipe[1], &ack, sizeof(ack)) == (ssize_t)sizeof(ack);
+  if (ok) {
+    io_set_fds(status_pipe[0], frame_pipe[1]);
+    io_set_bwlimit(0);
+    ok = config_send(frame_pipe[1], cfg);
+  }
+  close(frame_pipe[1]);
+  close(status_pipe[0]);
+  close(status_pipe[1]);
+
+  unsigned char* buf = NULL;
+  if (ok) {
+    size_t cap = 4096;
+    size_t len = 0;
+    buf = malloc(cap);
+    if (!buf) {
+      ok = false;
+    }
+    while (ok) {
+      if (len == cap) {
+        size_t grown = cap * 2;
+        unsigned char* bigger = realloc(buf, grown);
+        if (!bigger) {
+          ok = false;
+          break;
+        }
+        buf = bigger;
+        cap = grown;
+      }
+      ssize_t n = read(frame_pipe[0], buf + len, cap - len);
+      if (n > 0) {
+        len += (size_t)n;
+        continue;
+      }
+      if (n < 0 && errno == EINTR)
+        continue;
+      break;
+    }
+    if (ok && len > 0) {
+      *out = buf;
+      *out_len = len;
+      buf = NULL;
+    }
+  }
+  close(frame_pipe[0]);
+  free(buf);
+  return *out != NULL;
+}
+
+/* Feed a raw config frame to config_receive over a socketpair.  The write half
+ * is shut down (not closed) after the data so the receiver sees EOF but its
+ * STATUS_ERROR replies do not hit a closed peer. */
+static bool receive_config_frame(const unsigned char* buf, size_t len) {
+  int sv[2];
+  if (socketpair(AF_UNIX, SOCK_STREAM, 0, sv) != 0)
+    return false;
+
+  size_t off = 0;
+  while (off < len) {
+    ssize_t n = write(sv[0], buf + off, len - off);
+    if (n > 0) {
+      off += (size_t)n;
+      continue;
+    }
+    if (n < 0 && errno == EINTR)
+      continue;
+    break;
+  }
+  shutdown(sv[0], SHUT_WR);
+  io_set_fds(sv[1], sv[1]);
+  io_set_bwlimit(0);
+  Config* cfg = config_receive(sv[1]);
+  bool accepted = cfg != NULL;
+  config_delete(cfg);
+  close(sv[0]);
+  close(sv[1]);
+  return accepted;
+}
+
+static void put_i32(unsigned char* buf, size_t off, int32_t value) {
+  memcpy(buf + off, &value, sizeof(value));
+}
+
+static size_t find_bytes(const unsigned char* haystack, size_t haystack_len,
+                         const unsigned char* needle, size_t needle_len) {
+  if (needle_len == 0 || haystack_len < needle_len)
+    return SIZE_MAX;
+  for (size_t i = 0; i + needle_len <= haystack_len; i++) {
+    if (memcmp(haystack + i, needle, needle_len) == 0)
+      return i;
+  }
+  return SIZE_MAX;
+}
+
+static Config* make_copy_as_config(void) {
+  Config* c = config_create();
+  if (!c)
+    return NULL;
+  c->send_directory = str_dup("/src");
+  c->receive_root_directory = str_dup("/dst");
+  c->copy_as_set = true;
+  c->copy_as_uid = 0;
+  c->copy_as_gid = 0;
+  c->use_metadata = true; /* --copy-as requires the metadata path */
+  return c;
+}
+
+/* The P8 tail must reject an out-of-range super_mode, a negative copy-as id and
+ * any truncation inside the tail, while the untouched frame is accepted. */
+static void test_fuzz_config_receive_p8_tail() {
+  Config* c = make_copy_as_config();
+  EXPECT_NOT_NULL(c);
+
+  unsigned char* frame = NULL;
+  size_t len = 0;
+  bool captured = capture_config_frame(c, &frame, &len);
+  config_delete(c);
+  if (!captured || len <= P8_TAIL_BYTES) {
+    free(frame);
+    EXPECT_TRUE(false);
+    return;
+  }
+
+  /* Baseline: the untouched frame is accepted. */
+  EXPECT_TRUE(receive_config_frame(frame, len));
+
+  unsigned char* mut = malloc(len);
+  EXPECT_NOT_NULL(mut);
+
+  /* super_mode outside the 0..2 tri-state is refused. */
+  memcpy(mut, frame, len);
+  put_i32(mut, len - P8_TAIL_BYTES, 99);
+  EXPECT_FALSE(receive_config_frame(mut, len));
+  put_i32(mut, len - P8_TAIL_BYTES, -1);
+  EXPECT_FALSE(receive_config_frame(mut, len));
+
+  /* A negative (sentinel) and an extreme copy-as uid/gid are refused. */
+  memcpy(mut, frame, len);
+  put_i32(mut, len - P8_TAIL_BYTES, SUPER_MODE_AUTO);
+  put_i32(mut, len - P8_TAIL_BYTES + 4, 1);
+  put_i32(mut, len - P8_TAIL_BYTES + 8, -1);
+  put_i32(mut, len - P8_TAIL_BYTES + 12, 0);
+  EXPECT_FALSE(receive_config_frame(mut, len));
+  put_i32(mut, len - P8_TAIL_BYTES + 8, 0);
+  put_i32(mut, len - P8_TAIL_BYTES + 12, INT32_MIN);
+  EXPECT_FALSE(receive_config_frame(mut, len));
+
+  /* A presence int that is not a wire bool is refused. */
+  memcpy(mut, frame, len);
+  put_i32(mut, len - P8_TAIL_BYTES, SUPER_MODE_AUTO);
+  put_i32(mut, len - P8_TAIL_BYTES + 4, 2);
+  EXPECT_FALSE(receive_config_frame(mut, len));
+
+  /* Truncating anywhere inside the P8 tail is refused. */
+  EXPECT_FALSE(receive_config_frame(frame, len - 2));
+  EXPECT_FALSE(receive_config_frame(frame, len - P8_TAIL_BYTES));
+
+  free(mut);
+  free(frame);
+}
+
+/* A huge or negative --usermap count must be refused up front, never driving a
+ * giant allocation.  The count is located by searching for a sentinel entry. */
+static void test_fuzz_config_receive_huge_map_count() {
+  Config* c = make_copy_as_config();
+  EXPECT_NOT_NULL(c);
+  int32_t sentinel_from = 0x11223344;
+  int32_t sentinel_to = 0x55667788;
+  c->usermap = malloc(sizeof(IdentityMap));
+  if (!c->usermap) {
+    config_delete(c);
+    EXPECT_TRUE(false);
+    return;
+  }
+  c->usermap_count = 1;
+  c->usermap[0].from = sentinel_from;
+  c->usermap[0].to = sentinel_to;
+
+  unsigned char* frame = NULL;
+  size_t len = 0;
+  bool captured = capture_config_frame(c, &frame, &len);
+  config_delete(c);
+  if (!captured) {
+    EXPECT_TRUE(false);
+    return;
+  }
+
+  unsigned char pattern[8];
+  memcpy(pattern, &sentinel_from, sizeof(sentinel_from));
+  memcpy(pattern + sizeof(sentinel_from), &sentinel_to, sizeof(sentinel_to));
+  size_t entry_off = find_bytes(frame, len, pattern, sizeof(pattern));
+  if (entry_off == SIZE_MAX || entry_off < sizeof(int32_t)) {
+    free(frame);
+    EXPECT_TRUE(false);
+    return;
+  }
+  size_t count_off = entry_off - sizeof(int32_t);
+
+  /* Baseline accepted. */
+  EXPECT_TRUE(receive_config_frame(frame, len));
+
+  unsigned char* mut = malloc(len);
+  EXPECT_NOT_NULL(mut);
+  memcpy(mut, frame, len);
+  put_i32(mut, count_off, INT_MAX);
+  EXPECT_FALSE(receive_config_frame(mut, len));
+  put_i32(mut, count_off, -1);
+  EXPECT_FALSE(receive_config_frame(mut, len));
+  put_i32(mut, count_off, MAX_IDENTITY_MAP + 1);
+  EXPECT_FALSE(receive_config_frame(mut, len));
+
+  free(mut);
+  free(frame);
+}
+
+/* A mismatched version and a matching version followed by a wrong-order field
+ * (an int that is not a wire bool) are both refused at/just after the gate. */
+static void test_fuzz_config_receive_version_gate() {
+  unsigned char buf[64];
+
+  size_t off = 0;
+  const char* bad_version = "1.2.3";
+  size_t bad_len = strlen(bad_version);
+  memcpy(buf + off, &bad_len, sizeof(bad_len));
+  off += sizeof(bad_len);
+  memcpy(buf + off, bad_version, bad_len);
+  off += bad_len;
+  EXPECT_FALSE(receive_config_frame(buf, off));
+
+  off = 0;
+  size_t good_len = strlen(PROTOCOL_VERSION);
+  memcpy(buf + off, &good_len, sizeof(good_len));
+  off += sizeof(good_len);
+  memcpy(buf + off, PROTOCOL_VERSION, good_len);
+  off += good_len;
+  put_i32(buf, off, -1);
+  off += sizeof(int32_t);
+  EXPECT_FALSE(receive_config_frame(buf, off));
+}
+
 void test_fuzz_smoke() {
   test_fuzz_chunk_deserialize();
   test_fuzz_compress_decompress();
@@ -177,4 +451,7 @@ void test_fuzz_smoke() {
   test_fuzz_metadata_from_buf();
   test_fuzz_delta_signature_deserialize();
   test_fuzz_glob_match();
+  test_fuzz_config_receive_p8_tail();
+  test_fuzz_config_receive_huge_map_count();
+  test_fuzz_config_receive_version_gate();
 }