diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index e798d2d..590b5f3 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -2,6 +2,11 @@
 members = ["crates/deepclean-core", "crates/deepclean-app"]
 resolver = "2"
 
+[workspace.package]
+# Minimum supported Rust version. The binding constraint is sysinfo 0.39,
+# which requires 1.95; our own code compiles on older toolchains.
+rust-version = "1.95"
+
 [workspace.dependencies]
 serde = { version = "1", features = ["derive"] }
 serde_json = "1"
diff --git a/crates/deepclean-app/Cargo.toml b/crates/deepclean-app/Cargo.toml
index f4ce94a..3a0eddb 100644
--- a/crates/deepclean-app/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/deepclean-app/Cargo.toml
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 name = "deepclean-app"
 version = "0.1.0"
 edition = "2021"
+rust-version.workspace = true
 
 [dependencies]
 deepclean-core = { workspace = true }
diff --git a/crates/deepclean-core/Cargo.toml b/crates/deepclean-core/Cargo.toml
index 73b0e73..8221e14 100644
--- a/crates/deepclean-core/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/deepclean-core/Cargo.toml
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 name = "deepclean-core"
 version = "0.1.0"
 edition = "2021"
+rust-version.workspace = true
 
 [dependencies]
 serde = { workspace = true }
diff --git a/crates/deepclean-core/src/action/mod.rs b/crates/deepclean-core/src/action/mod.rs
index fe1760d..ca9a238 100644
--- a/crates/deepclean-core/src/action/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/deepclean-core/src/action/mod.rs
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ impl ActionExecutor {
             }
             ActionMethod::Command { working_dir, .. } => {
                 if let Some(dir) = working_dir {
-                    if !self.safety.is_path_allowed(dir) {
+                    if !self.safety.is_workdir_allowed(dir) {
                         return Err(ActionError::PathBlocked(dir.display().to_string()));
                     }
                 }
@@ -354,6 +354,35 @@ mod tests {
         );
     }
 
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn allows_command_in_project_root_holding_secrets() {
+        // `cargo clean` runs in the project root; a `.env` sitting there means
+        // "don't delete this directory", not "don't run in it".
+        let tmp = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        let project = tmp.path().join("trading");
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(project.join("target")).unwrap();
+        std::fs::write(project.join(".env"), "SECRET=x").unwrap();
+
+        let executor = ActionExecutor::new(SafetyChecker::new(vec![]));
+        let item = test_item(project.join("target"));
+        let action = test_action(ActionMethod::Command {
+            program: "true".into(),
+            args: vec![],
+            working_dir: Some(project),
+        });
+
+        let mut rx = executor.execute_batch(vec![(item, action)]);
+
+        let event = rx.recv().await.unwrap();
+        assert!(matches!(event, ActionEvent::Started { .. }));
+
+        let event = rx.recv().await.unwrap();
+        assert!(
+            matches!(event, ActionEvent::Completed { .. }),
+            "Expected Completed event, got: {event:?}"
+        );
+    }
+
     #[tokio::test]
     async fn batch_processes_multiple_items() {
         let tmp = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
diff --git a/crates/deepclean-core/src/safety.rs b/crates/deepclean-core/src/safety.rs
index 32de1e2..2f33f52 100644
--- a/crates/deepclean-core/src/safety.rs
+++ b/crates/deepclean-core/src/safety.rs
@@ -47,8 +47,21 @@ impl SafetyChecker {
         ]
     }
 
-    /// Returns `true` if the path is safe to operate on.
+    /// Returns `true` if the path is safe to delete.
     pub fn is_path_allowed(&self, path: &Path) -> bool {
+        self.check_path(path, true)
+    }
+
+    /// Returns `true` if the path is safe to use as a command's working directory.
+    ///
+    /// Commands like `cargo clean` run *inside* a project root but never delete
+    /// it, so sentinel files there ("don't delete this directory") must not
+    /// block them.
+    pub fn is_workdir_allowed(&self, path: &Path) -> bool {
+        self.check_path(path, false)
+    }
+
+    fn check_path(&self, path: &Path, check_sentinels: bool) -> bool {
         let canonical = match path.canonicalize() {
             Ok(p) => p,
             Err(_) => path.to_path_buf(),
@@ -78,7 +91,7 @@ impl SafetyChecker {
         }
 
         // Check for sentinel files inside the target directory
-        if canonical.is_dir() && self.contains_sentinel(&canonical) {
+        if check_sentinels && canonical.is_dir() && self.contains_sentinel(&canonical) {
             return false;
         }
 
@@ -162,6 +175,32 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(!checker.is_path_allowed(&blocked.join("target")));
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn sentinel_does_not_block_command_working_dir() {
+        // A project root holding a `.env` must still be usable as the working
+        // dir for `cargo clean` — the command never deletes that directory.
+        let tmp = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        let project = tmp.path().join("trading");
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(project.join("target")).unwrap();
+        std::fs::write(project.join("Cargo.toml"), "[package]").unwrap();
+        std::fs::write(project.join(".env"), "SECRET=x").unwrap();
+
+        let checker = SafetyChecker::new(vec![]);
+        assert!(checker.is_workdir_allowed(&project));
+        // ...but deleting that same directory is still refused.
+        assert!(!checker.is_path_allowed(&project));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn blocked_paths_still_block_command_working_dir() {
+        let home = dirs::home_dir().unwrap();
+        let blocked = home.join("important-project");
+        let checker = SafetyChecker::new(vec![blocked.clone()]);
+        assert!(!checker.is_workdir_allowed(&blocked));
+        assert!(!checker.is_workdir_allowed(&home.join(".ssh")));
+        assert!(!checker.is_workdir_allowed(&home.join("Documents")));
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn sentinel_detection() {
         let tmp = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();