fix: harden workflow config rpc target routing

src/wf_cli/commands/artifacts.py

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ from typing import Annotated, Literal
 
 import typer
 
-from wf_cli.context import config_path_from_context, load_cli_context
+from wf_cli.context import load_local_cli_context_from_typer as load_cli_context
 from wf_cli.formats import ListOutputFormat, emit_list_payload
 from wf_cli.io import emit_json
 
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ def list_artifacts(
     ] = ListOutputFormat.JSON,
 ) -> None:
     """List compact saved artifact summaries."""
-    context = load_cli_context(config_path_from_context(ctx))
+    context = load_cli_context(ctx)
     payload = asyncio.run(
         context.handlers.list_artifacts(
             query=query,
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ def inspect_artifact(
     version: Annotated[int, typer.Argument(min=1, help="Artifact version.")],
 ) -> None:
     """Inspect one saved artifact version."""
-    context = load_cli_context(config_path_from_context(ctx))
+    context = load_cli_context(ctx)
     emit_json(
         asyncio.run(
             context.handlers.inspect_artifact(artifact_id=artifact_id, version=version)

src/wf_cli/commands/deployments.py

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ from typing import Annotated
 
 import typer
 
-from wf_cli.context import config_path_from_context, load_cli_context
+from wf_cli.context import load_local_cli_context_from_typer as load_cli_context
 from wf_cli.formats import ListOutputFormat, emit_list_payload
 from wf_cli.io import CliInputError, emit_json, parse_bindings, parse_json_input
 
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ def validate_deployment(
     ] = False,
 ) -> None:
     """Validate one saved workflow deployment."""
-    context = load_cli_context(config_path_from_context(ctx))
+    context = load_cli_context(ctx)
     payload = asyncio.run(
         context.handlers.validate_deployment(
             deployment_id=deployment_id,
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ def list_deployments(
     ] = ListOutputFormat.JSON,
 ) -> None:
     """List saved workflow deployments."""
-    context = load_cli_context(config_path_from_context(ctx))
+    context = load_cli_context(ctx)
     payload = asyncio.run(context.handlers.list_deployments())
     emit_list_payload(
         payload,
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ def inspect_deployment(
     deployment_id: Annotated[str, typer.Argument(help="Deployment id.")],
 ) -> None:
     """Inspect one saved deployment."""
-    context = load_cli_context(config_path_from_context(ctx))
+    context = load_cli_context(ctx)
     emit_json(
         asyncio.run(context.handlers.inspect_deployment(deployment_id=deployment_id))
     )
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ def save_deployment(
             )
     except CliInputError as exc:
         raise typer.BadParameter(str(exc)) from exc
-    context = load_cli_context(config_path_from_context(ctx))
+    context = load_cli_context(ctx)
     emit_json(asyncio.run(context.handlers.save_deployment(payload)))
 
 
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ def delete_deployment(
     deployment_id: Annotated[str, typer.Argument(help="Deployment id.")],
 ) -> None:
     """Delete one saved deployment."""
-    context = load_cli_context(config_path_from_context(ctx))
+    context = load_cli_context(ctx)
     emit_json(
         asyncio.run(context.handlers.delete_deployment(deployment_id=deployment_id))
     )

src/wf_cli/commands/drafts.py

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ from typing import Annotated, Literal
 
 import typer
 
-from wf_cli.context import config_path_from_context, load_cli_context
+from wf_cli.context import load_local_cli_context_from_typer as load_cli_context
 from wf_cli.formats import ListOutputFormat, emit_list_payload
 from wf_cli.io import CliInputError, emit_json, parse_bindings, parse_json_value
 
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ def list_drafts(
     ] = ListOutputFormat.JSON,
 ) -> None:
     """List stored draft workspaces."""
-    context = load_cli_context(config_path_from_context(ctx))
+    context = load_cli_context(ctx)
     payload = asyncio.run(context.handlers.list_draft_workspaces())
     emit_list_payload(
         payload,
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ def inspect_draft(
     ] = False,
 ) -> None:
     """Inspect one draft workspace."""
-    context = load_cli_context(config_path_from_context(ctx))
+    context = load_cli_context(ctx)
     emit_json(
         asyncio.run(
             context.handlers.get_draft_workspace(
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ def create_from_capability(
     ] = None,
 ) -> None:
     """Bootstrap a draft workspace from inspect_capability wrapper hints."""
-    context = load_cli_context(config_path_from_context(ctx))
+    context = load_cli_context(ctx)
     emit_json(
         asyncio.run(
             context.handlers.create_draft_workspace_from_capability(
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ def patch_draft(
         raise typer.BadParameter(str(exc)) from exc
     if not isinstance(patch, list):
         raise typer.BadParameter("draft patch input must be a JSON array")
-    context = load_cli_context(config_path_from_context(ctx))
+    context = load_cli_context(ctx)
     emit_json(
         asyncio.run(
             context.handlers.patch_draft_workspace(
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ def validate_draft(
     workspace_id: Annotated[str, typer.Argument(help="Draft workspace id.")],
 ) -> None:
     """Validate one stored draft workspace."""
-    context = load_cli_context(config_path_from_context(ctx))
+    context = load_cli_context(ctx)
     emit_json(
         asyncio.run(
             context.handlers.validate_draft_workspace(workspace_id=workspace_id)
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ def save_draft(
         source_bindings = parse_bindings(binding or [])
     except CliInputError as exc:
         raise typer.BadParameter(str(exc)) from exc
-    context = load_cli_context(config_path_from_context(ctx))
+    context = load_cli_context(ctx)
     if kind == "wrapper":
         payload = asyncio.run(
             context.handlers.create_wrapper_from_workspace(

src/wf_cli/context.py

@@ -2,19 +2,21 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 from pathlib import Path
+import json
 
 import typer
+from pydantic import ValidationError
 
 from wf_api import WorkflowApi
-from wf_mcp.broker import build_service_from_config, load_broker_config
-from wf_mcp.broker.service import WfMcpService
-from wf_mcp.broker.service.workflow_operation_context import context_from_service
 from wf_config import (
     FilesystemStoreConfig,
     LocalTargetConfig,
     RpcHttpTargetConfig,
     load_workflow_config,
 )
+from wf_mcp.broker import build_service_from_config, load_broker_config
+from wf_mcp.broker.service import WfMcpService
+from wf_mcp.broker.service.workflow_operation_context import context_from_service
 from wf_server import build_local_static_workflow_server
 from wf_transport_rpc_http import RpcWorkflowApiClient
 
@@ -28,6 +30,15 @@ class CliContext:
     handlers: "WorkflowApi | RpcWorkflowApiClient"
 
 
+@dataclass(frozen=True)
+class LocalCliContext:
+    """CLI context for commands that still require same-process WorkflowApi."""
+
+    config_path: Path
+    service: WfMcpService | None
+    handlers: WorkflowApi
+
+
 def config_path_from_context(ctx: typer.Context) -> str:
     """Return the root --config path captured by the Typer callback."""
     obj = ctx.obj if isinstance(ctx.obj, dict) else {}
@@ -44,7 +55,24 @@ def load_cli_context(
 ) -> CliContext:
     """Load config and build workflow-surface handlers for CLI commands."""
     resolved_config_path = Path(config_path)
-    if resolved_config_path.name == "wf_mcp.config.json":
+    if force_local and rpc_url is not None:
+        raise ValueError("--local and --url are mutually exclusive")
+
+    if rpc_url is not None:
+        _validate_rpc_url(rpc_url)
+        return CliContext(
+            config_path=resolved_config_path,
+            service=None,
+            handlers=RpcWorkflowApiClient(
+                url=rpc_url,
+                timeout_seconds=_rpc_timeout_from_optional_config(
+                    resolved_config_path,
+                    override=rpc_timeout_seconds,
+                ),
+            ),
+        )
+
+    if _is_legacy_mcp_config(resolved_config_path):
         config = load_broker_config(resolved_config_path)
         service = build_service_from_config(config)
         return CliContext(
@@ -55,13 +83,6 @@ def load_cli_context(
 
     config = load_workflow_config(resolved_config_path)
     target = config.client.target
-    if rpc_url is not None:
-        timeout = rpc_timeout_seconds if rpc_timeout_seconds is not None else 30.0
-        return CliContext(
-            config_path=resolved_config_path,
-            service=None,
-            handlers=RpcWorkflowApiClient(url=rpc_url, timeout_seconds=timeout),
-        )
     if force_local or isinstance(target, LocalTargetConfig):
         store = config.server.store
         if not isinstance(store, FilesystemStoreConfig):
@@ -88,6 +109,32 @@ def load_cli_context(
     raise ValueError(f"unsupported workflow target {target!r}")
 
 
+def load_local_cli_context(
+    config_path: str | Path,
+    *,
+    force_local: bool = False,
+    rpc_url: str | None = None,
+    rpc_timeout_seconds: float | None = None,
+) -> LocalCliContext:
+    """Load a local WorkflowApi context for commands not remote-enabled yet."""
+    context = load_cli_context(
+        config_path,
+        force_local=force_local,
+        rpc_url=rpc_url,
+        rpc_timeout_seconds=rpc_timeout_seconds,
+    )
+    if not isinstance(context.handlers, WorkflowApi):
+        raise ValueError(
+            "this CLI command is not available for rpc_http targets yet; "
+            "use --local or run a cap/run command"
+        )
+    return LocalCliContext(
+        config_path=context.config_path,
+        service=context.service,
+        handlers=context.handlers,
+    )
+
+
 def force_local_from_context(ctx: typer.Context) -> bool:
     obj = ctx.obj if isinstance(ctx.obj, dict) else {}
     return bool(obj.get("force_local", False))
@@ -106,9 +153,60 @@ def rpc_timeout_from_context(ctx: typer.Context) -> float | None:
 
 
 def load_cli_context_from_typer(ctx: typer.Context) -> CliContext:
-    return load_cli_context(
-        config_path_from_context(ctx),
-        force_local=force_local_from_context(ctx),
-        rpc_url=rpc_url_from_context(ctx),
-        rpc_timeout_seconds=rpc_timeout_from_context(ctx),
-    )
+    try:
+        return load_cli_context(
+            config_path_from_context(ctx),
+            force_local=force_local_from_context(ctx),
+            rpc_url=rpc_url_from_context(ctx),
+            rpc_timeout_seconds=rpc_timeout_from_context(ctx),
+        )
+    except ValueError as exc:
+        raise typer.BadParameter(str(exc)) from exc
+
+
+def load_local_cli_context_from_typer(ctx: typer.Context) -> LocalCliContext:
+    try:
+        return load_local_cli_context(
+            config_path_from_context(ctx),
+            force_local=force_local_from_context(ctx),
+            rpc_url=rpc_url_from_context(ctx),
+            rpc_timeout_seconds=rpc_timeout_from_context(ctx),
+        )
+    except ValueError as exc:
+        raise typer.BadParameter(str(exc)) from exc
+
+
+def _is_legacy_mcp_config(path: Path) -> bool:
+    """Detect legacy broker config by content, not filename.
+
+    This keeps `wf_mcp.config.json` compatibility without making the filename a
+    load-bearing part of the neutral workflow config migration.
+    """
+    data = json.loads(path.read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
+    if not isinstance(data, dict):
+        return False
+    if any(key in data for key in ("version", "client", "server")):
+        return False
+    return any(key in data for key in ("store_root", "connections"))
+
+
+def _rpc_timeout_from_optional_config(
+    path: Path,
+    *,
+    override: float | None,
+) -> float:
+    if override is not None:
+        return override
+    try:
+        config = load_workflow_config(path)
+    except FileNotFoundError, json.JSONDecodeError, ValidationError:
+        return 30.0
+    target = config.client.target
+    if isinstance(target, RpcHttpTargetConfig):
+        return target.timeout_seconds
+    return 30.0
+
+
+def _validate_rpc_url(url: str) -> None:
+    if not url.startswith(("http://", "https://")):
+        raise ValueError("rpc url must start with http:// or https://")