diff --git a/src/domain/drivers/driver_resolution.ts b/src/domain/drivers/driver_resolution.ts
index 0fbf17cb..808809c1 100644
--- a/src/domain/drivers/driver_resolution.ts
+++ b/src/domain/drivers/driver_resolution.ts
@@ -35,18 +35,20 @@ export interface ResolvedDriverConfig {
 
 /**
  * Resolves the effective driver and config using precedence:
- *   step > job > workflow > definition > "raw"
+ *   cli > step > job > workflow > definition > "raw"
  *
  * The first non-undefined `driver` value wins. Its corresponding
  * `driverConfig` is used as-is (no merging across levels).
  */
 export function resolveDriverConfig(
+  cli?: DriverSource,
   step?: DriverSource,
   job?: DriverSource,
   workflow?: DriverSource,
   definition?: DriverSource,
 ): ResolvedDriverConfig {
   const sources: (DriverSource | undefined)[] = [
+    cli,
     step,
     job,
     workflow,
diff --git a/src/domain/drivers/driver_resolution_test.ts b/src/domain/drivers/driver_resolution_test.ts
index 0aa9ae49..1ea9c44b 100644
--- a/src/domain/drivers/driver_resolution_test.ts
+++ b/src/domain/drivers/driver_resolution_test.ts
@@ -20,35 +20,38 @@
 import { assertEquals } from "@std/assert";
 import { resolveDriverConfig } from "./driver_resolution.ts";
 
-Deno.test("resolveDriverConfig - defaults to raw when no sources", () => {
+Deno.test("resolveDriverConfig: defaults to raw when no sources", () => {
   const result = resolveDriverConfig();
   assertEquals(result.driver, "raw");
   assertEquals(result.driverConfig, undefined);
 });
 
-Deno.test("resolveDriverConfig - defaults to raw when all sources undefined", () => {
+Deno.test("resolveDriverConfig: defaults to raw when all sources undefined", () => {
   const result = resolveDriverConfig(
     undefined,
     undefined,
     undefined,
     undefined,
+    undefined,
   );
   assertEquals(result.driver, "raw");
 });
 
-Deno.test("resolveDriverConfig - definition driver wins over default", () => {
+Deno.test("resolveDriverConfig: definition driver wins over default", () => {
   const result = resolveDriverConfig(
     undefined,
     undefined,
     undefined,
+    undefined,
     { driver: "docker", driverConfig: { image: "node:18" } },
   );
   assertEquals(result.driver, "docker");
   assertEquals(result.driverConfig, { image: "node:18" });
 });
 
-Deno.test("resolveDriverConfig - workflow driver wins over definition", () => {
+Deno.test("resolveDriverConfig: workflow driver wins over definition", () => {
   const result = resolveDriverConfig(
+    undefined,
     undefined,
     undefined,
     { driver: "docker", driverConfig: { image: "deno:latest" } },
@@ -58,8 +61,9 @@ Deno.test("resolveDriverConfig - workflow driver wins over definition", () => {
   assertEquals(result.driverConfig, { image: "deno:latest" });
 });
 
-Deno.test("resolveDriverConfig - job driver wins over workflow", () => {
+Deno.test("resolveDriverConfig: job driver wins over workflow", () => {
   const result = resolveDriverConfig(
+    undefined,
     undefined,
     { driver: "raw" },
     { driver: "docker" },
@@ -68,8 +72,9 @@ Deno.test("resolveDriverConfig - job driver wins over workflow", () => {
   assertEquals(result.driver, "raw");
 });
 
-Deno.test("resolveDriverConfig - step driver wins over all", () => {
+Deno.test("resolveDriverConfig: step driver wins over job", () => {
   const result = resolveDriverConfig(
+    undefined,
     { driver: "docker", driverConfig: { image: "step-image" } },
     { driver: "raw" },
     { driver: "raw" },
@@ -79,8 +84,45 @@ Deno.test("resolveDriverConfig - step driver wins over all", () => {
   assertEquals(result.driverConfig, { image: "step-image" });
 });
 
-Deno.test("resolveDriverConfig - skips sources without driver field", () => {
+Deno.test("resolveDriverConfig: cli driver wins over all others", () => {
+  const result = resolveDriverConfig(
+    { driver: "raw" },
+    { driver: "docker", driverConfig: { image: "step-image" } },
+    { driver: "docker", driverConfig: { image: "job-image" } },
+    { driver: "docker", driverConfig: { image: "wf-image" } },
+    { driver: "docker", driverConfig: { image: "def-image" } },
+  );
+  assertEquals(result.driver, "raw");
+  assertEquals(result.driverConfig, undefined);
+});
+
+Deno.test("resolveDriverConfig: cli driver config is used when cli wins", () => {
   const result = resolveDriverConfig(
+    { driver: "docker", driverConfig: { image: "cli-image" } },
+    { driver: "raw" },
+    { driver: "raw" },
+    { driver: "raw" },
+    { driver: "raw" },
+  );
+  assertEquals(result.driver, "docker");
+  assertEquals(result.driverConfig, { image: "cli-image" });
+});
+
+Deno.test("resolveDriverConfig: step wins when cli is undefined", () => {
+  const result = resolveDriverConfig(
+    undefined,
+    { driver: "docker", driverConfig: { image: "step-image" } },
+    { driver: "raw" },
+    { driver: "raw" },
+    { driver: "raw" },
+  );
+  assertEquals(result.driver, "docker");
+  assertEquals(result.driverConfig, { image: "step-image" });
+});
+
+Deno.test("resolveDriverConfig: skips sources without driver field", () => {
+  const result = resolveDriverConfig(
+    undefined,
     { driverConfig: { ignore: true } },
     undefined,
     { driver: "docker" },
@@ -89,8 +131,9 @@ Deno.test("resolveDriverConfig - skips sources without driver field", () => {
   assertEquals(result.driver, "docker");
 });
 
-Deno.test("resolveDriverConfig - uses driverConfig from winning level only", () => {
+Deno.test("resolveDriverConfig: uses driverConfig from winning level only", () => {
   const result = resolveDriverConfig(
+    undefined,
     undefined,
     { driver: "docker", driverConfig: { timeout: 30 } },
     { driver: "raw", driverConfig: { verbose: true } },
diff --git a/src/domain/workflows/execution_service.ts b/src/domain/workflows/execution_service.ts
index d67b1c68..7bdcd8d3 100644
--- a/src/domain/workflows/execution_service.ts
+++ b/src/domain/workflows/execution_service.ts
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ import { reportRegistry } from "../reports/report_registry.ts";
 import type { MethodReportContext } from "../reports/report_context.ts";
 import { modelRegistry } from "../models/model.ts";
 import { getTracer, SpanStatusCode } from "../../infrastructure/tracing/mod.ts";
+import { resolveDriverConfig } from "../drivers/driver_resolution.ts";
 /**
  * Context for step execution.
  */
@@ -1460,10 +1461,12 @@ export class WorkflowExecutionService {
           workflowTags: options.workflowTags,
           runtimeTags: options.runtimeTags,
           secretRedactor: options.secretRedactor,
-          driver: step.driver ?? job.driver ?? workflow.driver ??
-            options.driver,
-          driverConfig: step.driverConfig ?? job.driverConfig ??
-            workflow.driverConfig,
+          ...resolveDriverConfig(
+            { driver: options.driver },
+            { driver: step.driver, driverConfig: step.driverConfig },
+            { driver: job.driver, driverConfig: job.driverConfig },
+            { driver: workflow.driver, driverConfig: workflow.driverConfig },
+          ),
           emitEvent: push,
           reportFilterOptions: options.reportFilterOptions,
         };