diff --git a/server/src/config/mod.rs b/server/src/config/mod.rs
index 18c53879..6fbf209b 100644
--- a/server/src/config/mod.rs
+++ b/server/src/config/mod.rs
@@ -506,7 +506,7 @@ impl ProjectConfig {
             Err(_) => {
                 // New format failed — try legacy
                 let legacy: LegacyProjectConfig =
-                    toml::from_str(content).map_err(|e| format!("Parse config: {e}"))?;
+                    toml::from_str(content).map_err(|e| format_parse_error(&e))?;
                 if let Some(agent) = legacy.agent {
                     slog!(
                         "[config] Warning: [agent] table is deprecated. \
@@ -659,6 +659,26 @@ impl ProjectConfig {
     }
 }
 
+/// Format a `toml::de::Error` for display, appending a hint when the error is
+/// an "unknown field" rejection (raised by `ComponentConfig`'s
+/// `deny_unknown_fields`). Such errors most commonly happen when a top-level
+/// setting is placed after the last `[[component]]` header — TOML attaches
+/// trailing bare keys to the table above them, so the setting silently lands
+/// inside `ComponentConfig` instead of `ProjectConfig`. The same hint is also
+/// shown for a genuine typo'd field inside `[[component]]`, since the error
+/// text can't distinguish the two cases.
+fn format_parse_error(e: &toml::de::Error) -> String {
+    let mut msg = format!("Parse config: {e}");
+    if e.to_string().contains("unknown field") {
+        msg.push_str(
+            "\n\nhint: top-level settings must appear before the first `[[component]]` \
+             section in project.toml — keys placed after a `[[component]]` table are \
+             attached to that component instead of the project.",
+        );
+    }
+    msg
+}
+
 /// Validate agent configs: no duplicate names, no empty names, positive budgets/turns.
 fn validate_agents(agents: &[AgentConfig]) -> Result<(), String> {
     let mut names = HashSet::new();
diff --git a/server/src/config/tests.rs b/server/src/config/tests.rs
index 53d62f5f..e1050ea8 100644
--- a/server/src/config/tests.rs
+++ b/server/src/config/tests.rs
@@ -563,6 +563,86 @@ base_branch = "main"
         err.contains("base_branch"),
         "expected error to mention the unrecognized key, got: {err}"
     );
+    assert!(
+        err.contains("before the first `[[component]]`"),
+        "expected error to include the misplaced-top-level-key hint, got: {err}"
+    );
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn unrecognized_key_error_includes_toml_line_and_column() {
+    // Story 1183: the hinted error must still carry the original toml
+    // parse error, including its line/column location.
+    let toml_str = r#"
+[[component]]
+name = "server"
+path = "."
+base_branch = "main"
+"#;
+
+    let err = ProjectConfig::parse(toml_str).unwrap_err();
+    assert!(
+        err.contains("line") && err.contains("column"),
+        "expected error to retain toml's line/column info, got: {err}"
+    );
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn typo_field_in_component_table_gets_same_hint() {
+    // Story 1183 AC3: a genuine typo'd field (not a misplaced top-level
+    // setting) inside [[component]] still errors, and reusing the same
+    // hint text is acceptable since the error can't tell the two apart.
+    let toml_str = r#"
+[[component]]
+nam = "server"
+path = "."
+"#;
+
+    let err = ProjectConfig::parse(toml_str).unwrap_err();
+    assert!(
+        err.contains("before the first `[[component]]`"),
+        "expected typo'd field error to include the same hint, got: {err}"
+    );
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn valid_config_with_component_still_parses_unchanged() {
+    // Story 1183 AC3: valid configs must keep parsing unchanged.
+    let toml_str = r#"
+base_branch = "main"
+
+[[component]]
+name = "server"
+path = "."
+setup = ["cargo check"]
+
+[[agent]]
+name = "coder"
+"#;
+
+    let config = ProjectConfig::parse(toml_str).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(config.base_branch, Some("main".to_string()));
+    assert_eq!(config.component.len(), 1);
+    assert_eq!(config.component[0].name, "server");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn agent_config_does_not_use_strict_parsing_yet() {
+    // Story 1183 AC4: AgentConfig has no `deny_unknown_fields`, so a
+    // top-level setting placed after the last [[agent]] section is
+    // silently absorbed rather than erroring. Per AC4's own conditional
+    // ("if agents use strict parsing"), no hint is required for this case
+    // today — this test documents the current (non-strict) behavior.
+    let toml_str = r#"
+[[agent]]
+name = "coder"
+
+max_retries = 5
+"#;
+
+    let config = ProjectConfig::parse(toml_str).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(config.agent.len(), 1);
+    assert_eq!(config.agent[0].name, "coder");
 }
 
 // ── base_branch config ──────────────────────────────────────────────────