diff --git a/.claude/settings.local.json b/.claude/settings.local.json
index 62e16d8..15a824a 100644
--- a/.claude/settings.local.json
+++ b/.claude/settings.local.json
@@ -49,7 +49,18 @@
       "Bash(\"C:\\Users\\stef\\source\\repos\\MvcFrontendKit\\src\\MvcFrontendKit\\runtimes\\win-x64\\native\\sass.bat\" \"C:\\Users\\stef\\source\\repos\\TestKit\\wwwroot\\css\\components\\notification.scss\" \"C:\\Users\\stef\\source\\repos\\TestKit\\wwwroot\\css\\components\\notification.css\" --no-source-map --no-charset)",
       "Bash(\"C:\\Users\\stef\\source\\repos\\MvcFrontendKit\\src\\MvcFrontendKit\\runtimes\\win-x64\\native\\sass.bat\" --help)",
       "Bash(\"C:\\Users\\stef\\source\\repos\\MvcFrontendKit\\src\\MvcFrontendKit\\runtimes\\win-x64\\native\\sass.bat\" \"C:\\Users\\stef\\source\\repos\\TestKit\\wwwroot\\css\\site.scss:C:\\Users\\stef\\source\\repos\\TestKit\\wwwroot\\css\\site.css\" \"C:\\Users\\stef\\source\\repos\\TestKit\\wwwroot\\css\\components\\notification.scss:C:\\Users\\stef\\source\\repos\\TestKit\\wwwroot\\css\\components\\notification.css\" --no-source-map --no-charset)",
-      "Bash(\"C:\\Users\\stef\\source\\repos\\MvcFrontendKit\\src\\MvcFrontendKit\\runtimes\\win-x64\\native\\sass.bat\" \"wwwroot/css/site.scss:wwwroot/css/test1.css\" \"wwwroot/css/Home/Index.scss:wwwroot/css/Home/test2.css\" --no-source-map --no-charset)"
+      "Bash(\"C:\\Users\\stef\\source\\repos\\MvcFrontendKit\\src\\MvcFrontendKit\\runtimes\\win-x64\\native\\sass.bat\" \"wwwroot/css/site.scss:wwwroot/css/test1.css\" \"wwwroot/css/Home/Index.scss:wwwroot/css/Home/test2.css\" --no-source-map --no-charset)",
+      "WebFetch(domain:raw.githubusercontent.com)",
+      "Bash(dotnet publish:*)",
+      "Bash(curl:*)",
+      "Bash(git restore:*)",
+      "Bash(dotnet tool:*)",
+      "Bash(dotnet-frontend build:*)",
+      "Bash(unzip:*)",
+      "Bash(dotnet frontend dev:*)",
+      "Bash(timeout 5 dotnet frontend:*)",
+      "Bash(timeout 8 dotnet frontend dev:*)",
+      "Bash(timeout 5 dotnet run:*)"
     ],
     "deny": [],
     "ask": []
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e54b532..6f4b276 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@ dotnet tool install MvcFrontendKit.Cli
 dotnet frontend init
 ```
 
+This also patches your `.csproj` to include `frontend.config.yaml` in `dotnet publish` output. If the `.csproj` cannot be found or patched automatically, the command prints instructions for adding the entry manually.
+
 If you don't have the CLI installed, you can copy the template from the [SPEC.md](SPEC.md#32-core-schema-overview) or let the MSBuild target auto-generate a default config on first build.
 
 ### 4. Register services in Program.cs
diff --git a/SPEC.md b/SPEC.md
index 1a87b6a..7a0127c 100644
--- a/SPEC.md
+++ b/SPEC.md
@@ -770,9 +770,14 @@ This helper is optional and intended for development troubleshooting. It can saf
 
 - Creates `frontend.config.yaml` if missing, using a template identical in structure and comments to Section 3.2.
 - Does not overwrite existing config unless `--force` is specified.
+- After writing the YAML file, automatically patches the `.csproj` to include `frontend.config.yaml` as a `<Content>` item with `CopyToPublishDirectory="PreserveNewest"`, ensuring it is included in `dotnet publish` output.
+- Finds the `.csproj` by scanning the current directory; skips patching if zero or more than one `.csproj` is found.
+- Checks for an existing Content item (case-insensitive) before adding; running `init --force` twice does not duplicate the item.
+- If `.csproj` patching fails for any reason, prints a warning with manual XML snippet instructions (does not fail the init command).
 
 ### 10.2 `dotnet frontend check [--verbose]`
 
+- Validates `.csproj` includes `frontend.config.yaml` as a Content item for publish output. Reports a warning (not an error) if missing, with fix instructions.
 - Loads YAML config and validates:
   - `global.js` / `global.css` paths.
   - `views.overrides[*].js` / `css` paths.
diff --git a/src/MvcFrontendKit.Cli/Commands/CheckCommand.cs b/src/MvcFrontendKit.Cli/Commands/CheckCommand.cs
index 1f4faed..5458307 100644
--- a/src/MvcFrontendKit.Cli/Commands/CheckCommand.cs
+++ b/src/MvcFrontendKit.Cli/Commands/CheckCommand.cs
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 using System.Text.RegularExpressions;
+using System.Xml.Linq;
+using MvcFrontendKit.Cli.Helpers;
 using MvcFrontendKit.Configuration;
 using YamlDotNet.Serialization;
 using YamlDotNet.Serialization.NamingConventions;
@@ -68,6 +70,7 @@ public static int Execute(bool verbose, string? viewKey = null, bool checkAll =
             }
 
             // Standard check
+            warnings += CheckProjectFile(verbose);
             errors += CheckGlobalAssets(config, verbose, validateImports);
             errors += CheckViewOverrides(config, verbose, validateImports);
             errors += CheckComponents(config, verbose, validateImports);
@@ -101,6 +104,54 @@ public static int Execute(bool verbose, string? viewKey = null, bool checkAll =
         }
     }
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Checks whether the .csproj includes frontend.config.yaml as a Content item for publish output.
+    /// Returns 1 if warning issued, 0 otherwise.
+    /// </summary>
+    private static int CheckProjectFile(bool verbose)
+    {
+        var csprojPath = CsprojHelper.FindCsprojFile(Directory.GetCurrentDirectory());
+
+        if (csprojPath == null)
+        {
+            if (verbose)
+            {
+                Console.WriteLine("Project File:");
+                Console.WriteLine("  ⚠ No .csproj found (skipped)");
+                Console.WriteLine();
+            }
+            return 0;
+        }
+
+        Console.WriteLine("Project File:");
+
+        try
+        {
+            var doc = XDocument.Load(csprojPath);
+
+            if (CsprojHelper.HasConfigContentItem(doc))
+            {
+                Console.WriteLine($"  ✓ {Path.GetFileName(csprojPath)} includes frontend.config.yaml for publish");
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                Console.WriteLine($"  ⚠ {Path.GetFileName(csprojPath)} does not include frontend.config.yaml for publish");
+                Console.WriteLine("    Config file will not be included in 'dotnet publish' output.");
+                Console.WriteLine("    Fix: Run 'dotnet frontend init --force' or add manually:");
+                Console.WriteLine(CsprojHelper.GetManualXmlSnippet());
+                Console.WriteLine();
+                return 1;
+            }
+        }
+        catch (Exception ex)
+        {
+            Console.WriteLine($"  ⚠ Could not read {Path.GetFileName(csprojPath)}: {ex.Message}");
+        }
+
+        Console.WriteLine();
+        return 0;
+    }
+
     /// <summary>
     /// Checks a specific view by key and shows detailed diagnostic information.
     /// </summary>
diff --git a/src/MvcFrontendKit.Cli/Commands/InitCommand.cs b/src/MvcFrontendKit.Cli/Commands/InitCommand.cs
index 10f9802..761e251 100644
--- a/src/MvcFrontendKit.Cli/Commands/InitCommand.cs
+++ b/src/MvcFrontendKit.Cli/Commands/InitCommand.cs
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 using System.Reflection;
+using System.Xml.Linq;
+using MvcFrontendKit.Cli.Helpers;
 
 namespace MvcFrontendKit.Cli.Commands;
 
@@ -28,6 +30,9 @@ public static int Execute(bool force)
             File.WriteAllText(configPath, template);
 
             Console.WriteLine($"✓ Created frontend.config.yaml at: {configPath}");
+
+            PatchCsproj(Directory.GetCurrentDirectory());
+
             Console.WriteLine();
             Console.WriteLine("Next steps:");
             Console.WriteLine("  1. Edit frontend.config.yaml to match your project structure");
@@ -44,6 +49,40 @@ public static int Execute(bool force)
         }
     }
 
+    private static void PatchCsproj(string directory)
+    {
+        try
+        {
+            var csprojPath = CsprojHelper.FindCsprojFile(directory);
+            if (csprojPath == null)
+            {
+                Console.WriteLine();
+                Console.WriteLine("⚠ Could not find a .csproj file to patch.");
+                Console.WriteLine("  Add the following to your .csproj manually to include the config in publish output:");
+                Console.WriteLine(CsprojHelper.GetManualXmlSnippet());
+                return;
+            }
+
+            var doc = XDocument.Load(csprojPath);
+
+            if (!CsprojHelper.AddConfigContentItem(doc))
+            {
+                Console.WriteLine($"✓ {Path.GetFileName(csprojPath)} already includes frontend.config.yaml");
+                return;
+            }
+
+            doc.Save(csprojPath);
+            Console.WriteLine($"✓ Added frontend.config.yaml to {Path.GetFileName(csprojPath)}");
+        }
+        catch (Exception ex)
+        {
+            Console.WriteLine();
+            Console.WriteLine($"⚠ Could not patch .csproj: {ex.Message}");
+            Console.WriteLine("  Add the following to your .csproj manually:");
+            Console.WriteLine(CsprojHelper.GetManualXmlSnippet());
+        }
+    }
+
     private static string? GetEmbeddedTemplate()
     {
         var assembly = Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly();
diff --git a/src/MvcFrontendKit.Cli/Helpers/CsprojHelper.cs b/src/MvcFrontendKit.Cli/Helpers/CsprojHelper.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5626f79
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/MvcFrontendKit.Cli/Helpers/CsprojHelper.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+using System.Xml.Linq;
+
+namespace MvcFrontendKit.Cli.Helpers;
+
+public static class CsprojHelper
+{
+    private const string ConfigFileName = "frontend.config.yaml";
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Finds a single .csproj file in the given directory.
+    /// Returns null if zero or more than one .csproj is found.
+    /// </summary>
+    public static string? FindCsprojFile(string directory)
+    {
+        var csprojFiles = Directory.GetFiles(directory, "*.csproj");
+
+        if (csprojFiles.Length == 0)
+        {
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        if (csprojFiles.Length > 1)
+        {
+            Console.WriteLine($"  Multiple .csproj files found in {directory}. Skipping .csproj patching.");
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        return csprojFiles[0];
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Checks whether the XDocument already contains a Content item for frontend.config.yaml.
+    /// Case-insensitive comparison on the Include attribute.
+    /// </summary>
+    public static bool HasConfigContentItem(XDocument doc)
+    {
+        var ns = doc.Root?.Name.Namespace ?? XNamespace.None;
+
+        return doc.Descendants(ns + "Content")
+            .Any(el => string.Equals(
+                el.Attribute("Include")?.Value,
+                ConfigFileName,
+                StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase));
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Adds a Content item for frontend.config.yaml with CopyToPublishDirectory="PreserveNewest".
+    /// Returns true if the item was added, false if it already exists.
+    /// </summary>
+    public static bool AddConfigContentItem(XDocument doc)
+    {
+        if (HasConfigContentItem(doc))
+        {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        var ns = doc.Root?.Name.Namespace ?? XNamespace.None;
+
+        var itemGroup = new XElement(ns + "ItemGroup",
+            new XElement(ns + "Content",
+                new XAttribute("Include", ConfigFileName),
+                new XAttribute("CopyToPublishDirectory", "PreserveNewest")));
+
+        doc.Root!.Add(itemGroup);
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Returns the XML snippet for manual .csproj patching instructions.
+    /// </summary>
+    public static string GetManualXmlSnippet()
+    {
+        return """
+            <ItemGroup>
+              <Content Include="frontend.config.yaml" CopyToPublishDirectory="PreserveNewest" />
+            </ItemGroup>
+            """;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/MvcFrontendKit.Cli/MvcFrontendKit.Cli.csproj b/src/MvcFrontendKit.Cli/MvcFrontendKit.Cli.csproj
index cedac42..e6c1e2d 100644
--- a/src/MvcFrontendKit.Cli/MvcFrontendKit.Cli.csproj
+++ b/src/MvcFrontendKit.Cli/MvcFrontendKit.Cli.csproj
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
     <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
     <PackAsTool>true</PackAsTool>
     <ToolCommandName>dotnet-frontend</ToolCommandName>
-    <Version>1.0.0</Version>
+    <Version>1.1.0</Version>
     <Authors>stef-k</Authors>
     <Description>CLI tool for MvcFrontendKit - compile TypeScript/SCSS during development, validate config and check assets. Uses esbuild and Dart Sass.</Description>
     <PackageTags>aspnetcore;mvc;razor;bundling;esbuild;sass;scss;typescript;frontend;cli</PackageTags>
diff --git a/src/MvcFrontendKit/MvcFrontendKit.csproj b/src/MvcFrontendKit/MvcFrontendKit.csproj
index 156b7bb..6e087fd 100644
--- a/src/MvcFrontendKit/MvcFrontendKit.csproj
+++ b/src/MvcFrontendKit/MvcFrontendKit.csproj
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
     <TargetFramework>net10.0</TargetFramework>
     <ImplicitUsings>enable</ImplicitUsings>
     <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
-    <Version>1.0.0</Version>
+    <Version>1.1.0</Version>
     <Authors>stef-k</Authors>
     <Description>Node-free frontend bundling toolkit for ASP.NET Core MVC / Razor applications. Uses esbuild for JS/TS bundling and Dart Sass for SCSS compilation.</Description>
     <PackageTags>aspnetcore;mvc;razor;bundling;esbuild;sass;scss;typescript;frontend</PackageTags>
diff --git a/src/MvcFrontendKit/Services/FrontendConfigProvider.cs b/src/MvcFrontendKit/Services/FrontendConfigProvider.cs
index df7672a..6d08be6 100644
--- a/src/MvcFrontendKit/Services/FrontendConfigProvider.cs
+++ b/src/MvcFrontendKit/Services/FrontendConfigProvider.cs
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ private FrontendConfig LoadConfig()
 
         if (!File.Exists(configPath))
         {
-            _logger.LogWarning(
+            _logger.LogDebug(
                 "Frontend config file not found at {ConfigPath}. Using default configuration. " +
                 "Run 'dotnet frontend init' to generate a config file.",
                 configPath);
diff --git a/tests/MvcFrontendKit.Tests/CsprojHelperTests.cs b/tests/MvcFrontendKit.Tests/CsprojHelperTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..201b7a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/MvcFrontendKit.Tests/CsprojHelperTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,249 @@
+using System.Xml.Linq;
+using MvcFrontendKit.Cli.Helpers;
+
+namespace MvcFrontendKit.Tests;
+
+public class CsprojHelperTests : IDisposable
+{
+    private readonly string _tempDir;
+
+    public CsprojHelperTests()
+    {
+        _tempDir = Path.Combine(Path.GetTempPath(), $"MvcFrontendKit_CsprojHelper_{Guid.NewGuid()}");
+        Directory.CreateDirectory(_tempDir);
+    }
+
+    public void Dispose()
+    {
+        if (Directory.Exists(_tempDir))
+        {
+            Directory.Delete(_tempDir, true);
+        }
+    }
+
+    #region FindCsprojFile Tests
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void FindCsprojFile_NoCsproj_ReturnsNull()
+    {
+        var result = CsprojHelper.FindCsprojFile(_tempDir);
+
+        Assert.Null(result);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void FindCsprojFile_SingleCsproj_ReturnsPath()
+    {
+        var csprojPath = Path.Combine(_tempDir, "MyApp.csproj");
+        File.WriteAllText(csprojPath, "<Project />");
+
+        var result = CsprojHelper.FindCsprojFile(_tempDir);
+
+        Assert.Equal(csprojPath, result);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void FindCsprojFile_MultipleCsproj_ReturnsNull()
+    {
+        File.WriteAllText(Path.Combine(_tempDir, "App1.csproj"), "<Project />");
+        File.WriteAllText(Path.Combine(_tempDir, "App2.csproj"), "<Project />");
+
+        var result = CsprojHelper.FindCsprojFile(_tempDir);
+
+        Assert.Null(result);
+    }
+
+    #endregion
+
+    #region HasConfigContentItem Tests
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void HasConfigContentItem_NotPresent_ReturnsFalse()
+    {
+        var doc = XDocument.Parse("""
+            <Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
+              <PropertyGroup>
+                <TargetFramework>net10.0</TargetFramework>
+              </PropertyGroup>
+            </Project>
+            """);
+
+        Assert.False(CsprojHelper.HasConfigContentItem(doc));
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void HasConfigContentItem_Present_ReturnsTrue()
+    {
+        var doc = XDocument.Parse("""
+            <Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
+              <ItemGroup>
+                <Content Include="frontend.config.yaml" CopyToPublishDirectory="PreserveNewest" />
+              </ItemGroup>
+            </Project>
+            """);
+
+        Assert.True(CsprojHelper.HasConfigContentItem(doc));
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void HasConfigContentItem_CaseInsensitive_ReturnsTrue()
+    {
+        var doc = XDocument.Parse("""
+            <Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
+              <ItemGroup>
+                <Content Include="Frontend.Config.Yaml" CopyToPublishDirectory="PreserveNewest" />
+              </ItemGroup>
+            </Project>
+            """);
+
+        Assert.True(CsprojHelper.HasConfigContentItem(doc));
+    }
+
+    #endregion
+
+    #region AddConfigContentItem Tests
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void AddConfigContentItem_AddsNewItemGroup()
+    {
+        var doc = XDocument.Parse("""
+            <Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
+              <PropertyGroup>
+                <TargetFramework>net10.0</TargetFramework>
+              </PropertyGroup>
+            </Project>
+            """);
+
+        var result = CsprojHelper.AddConfigContentItem(doc);
+
+        Assert.True(result);
+        Assert.True(CsprojHelper.HasConfigContentItem(doc));
+
+        var contentEl = doc.Descendants("Content").First();
+        Assert.Equal("frontend.config.yaml", contentEl.Attribute("Include")?.Value);
+        Assert.Equal("PreserveNewest", contentEl.Attribute("CopyToPublishDirectory")?.Value);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void AddConfigContentItem_AlreadyExists_ReturnsFalse()
+    {
+        var doc = XDocument.Parse("""
+            <Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
+              <ItemGroup>
+                <Content Include="frontend.config.yaml" CopyToPublishDirectory="PreserveNewest" />
+              </ItemGroup>
+            </Project>
+            """);
+
+        var result = CsprojHelper.AddConfigContentItem(doc);
+
+        Assert.False(result);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void AddConfigContentItem_Idempotent_NoDuplicates()
+    {
+        var doc = XDocument.Parse("""
+            <Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
+              <PropertyGroup>
+                <TargetFramework>net10.0</TargetFramework>
+              </PropertyGroup>
+            </Project>
+            """);
+
+        CsprojHelper.AddConfigContentItem(doc);
+        CsprojHelper.AddConfigContentItem(doc);
+
+        var contentElements = doc.Descendants("Content")
+            .Where(el => string.Equals(
+                el.Attribute("Include")?.Value,
+                "frontend.config.yaml",
+                StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
+            .ToList();
+
+        Assert.Single(contentElements);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void AddConfigContentItem_PreservesExistingElements()
+    {
+        var doc = XDocument.Parse("""
+            <Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
+              <PropertyGroup>
+                <TargetFramework>net10.0</TargetFramework>
+              </PropertyGroup>
+              <ItemGroup>
+                <PackageReference Include="SomePackage" Version="1.0.0" />
+              </ItemGroup>
+            </Project>
+            """);
+
+        CsprojHelper.AddConfigContentItem(doc);
+
+        // Original elements still present
+        Assert.Single(doc.Descendants("PackageReference"));
+        Assert.Single(doc.Descendants("PropertyGroup"));
+
+        // New Content item added
+        Assert.True(CsprojHelper.HasConfigContentItem(doc));
+    }
+
+    #endregion
+
+    #region GetManualXmlSnippet Tests
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void GetManualXmlSnippet_ContainsRequiredElements()
+    {
+        var snippet = CsprojHelper.GetManualXmlSnippet();
+
+        Assert.Contains("frontend.config.yaml", snippet);
+        Assert.Contains("CopyToPublishDirectory", snippet);
+        Assert.Contains("PreserveNewest", snippet);
+        Assert.Contains("<Content", snippet);
+        Assert.Contains("<ItemGroup>", snippet);
+    }
+
+    #endregion
+
+    #region End-to-End Tests
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void EndToEnd_FindParsePatchSaveReload()
+    {
+        // Arrange: write a realistic .csproj
+        var csprojPath = Path.Combine(_tempDir, "MyWebApp.csproj");
+        File.WriteAllText(csprojPath, """
+            <Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Web">
+              <PropertyGroup>
+                <TargetFramework>net10.0</TargetFramework>
+                <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
+              </PropertyGroup>
+              <ItemGroup>
+                <PackageReference Include="MvcFrontendKit" Version="1.1.0" />
+              </ItemGroup>
+            </Project>
+            """);
+
+        // Act: find, parse, patch, save
+        var foundPath = CsprojHelper.FindCsprojFile(_tempDir);
+        Assert.NotNull(foundPath);
+
+        var doc = XDocument.Load(foundPath);
+        Assert.False(CsprojHelper.HasConfigContentItem(doc));
+
+        var added = CsprojHelper.AddConfigContentItem(doc);
+        Assert.True(added);
+
+        doc.Save(foundPath);
+
+        // Verify: reload and check
+        var reloaded = XDocument.Load(foundPath);
+        Assert.True(CsprojHelper.HasConfigContentItem(reloaded));
+
+        // Verify idempotent on reload
+        Assert.False(CsprojHelper.AddConfigContentItem(reloaded));
+    }
+
+    #endregion
+}