diff --git a/src/commands/config.ts b/src/commands/config.ts
index 711ec5f9c3..2e78ce5767 100644
--- a/src/commands/config.ts
+++ b/src/commands/config.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { Command } from 'commander';
-import { spawn, execSync } from 'node:child_process';
+import { spawn } from 'node:child_process';
 import * as fs from 'node:fs';
 import * as path from 'node:path';
 import {
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ import {
 import { CORE_WORKFLOWS, ALL_WORKFLOWS, getProfileWorkflows } from '../core/profiles.js';
 import { OPENSPEC_DIR_NAME } from '../core/config.js';
 import { hasProjectConfigDrift } from '../core/profile-sync-drift.js';
-import { isPromptCancellationError } from './shared-output.js';
+import { UpdateCommand } from '../core/update.js';
+import { asErrorMessage, isPromptCancellationError } from './shared-output.js';
 
 type ProfileAction = 'both' | 'delivery' | 'workflows' | 'keep';
 
@@ -621,10 +622,11 @@ export function registerConfigCommand(program: Command): void {
 
           if (applyNow) {
             try {
-              execSync('npx openspec update', { stdio: 'inherit', cwd: projectDir });
+              await new UpdateCommand().execute(projectDir);
               console.log('Run `openspec update` in your other projects to apply.');
-            } catch {
-              console.error('`openspec update` failed. Please run it manually to apply the profile changes.');
+            } catch (error) {
+              console.error(`\`openspec update\` failed: ${asErrorMessage(error)}`);
+              console.error('Please run it manually to apply the profile changes.');
               process.exitCode = 1;
             }
             return;
diff --git a/test/commands/config-profile.test.ts b/test/commands/config-profile.test.ts
index 679e89a547..ab18e4e6b7 100644
--- a/test/commands/config-profile.test.ts
+++ b/test/commands/config-profile.test.ts
@@ -3,15 +3,6 @@ import { Command } from 'commander';
 import * as fs from 'node:fs';
 import * as path from 'node:path';
 import * as os from 'node:os';
-import { execSync } from 'node:child_process';
-
-vi.mock('node:child_process', async () => {
-  const actual = await vi.importActual<typeof import('node:child_process')>('node:child_process');
-  return {
-    ...actual,
-    execSync: vi.fn(),
-  };
-});
 
 vi.mock('@inquirer/prompts', () => ({
   select: vi.fn(),
@@ -150,10 +141,10 @@ describe('config profile interactive flow', () => {
 
     consoleLogSpy = vi.spyOn(console, 'log').mockImplementation(() => {});
     consoleErrorSpy = vi.spyOn(console, 'error').mockImplementation(() => {});
-    vi.mocked(execSync).mockReset();
   });
 
   afterEach(() => {
+    vi.unstubAllEnvs();
     process.env = originalEnv;
     process.chdir(originalCwd);
     (process.stdout as NodeJS.WriteStream & { isTTY?: boolean }).isTTY = originalTTY;
@@ -377,12 +368,15 @@ describe('config profile interactive flow', () => {
     });
   });
 
-  it('confirmed project apply should run openspec update in the project', async () => {
+  it('confirmed project apply should update in process without resolving openspec from PATH', async () => {
     const { saveGlobalConfig, getGlobalConfig } = await import('../../src/core/global-config.js');
     const { select, confirm } = await getPromptMocks();
 
     saveGlobalConfig({ featureFlags: {}, profile: 'core', delivery: 'both', workflows: ['propose', 'explore', 'apply', 'update', 'sync', 'archive'] });
     fs.mkdirSync(path.join(tempDir, 'openspec'), { recursive: true });
+    const emptyBinDir = path.join(tempDir, 'empty-bin');
+    fs.mkdirSync(emptyBinDir);
+    vi.stubEnv('PATH', emptyBinDir);
 
     select.mockResolvedValueOnce('delivery');
     select.mockResolvedValueOnce('skills');
@@ -391,10 +385,35 @@ describe('config profile interactive flow', () => {
     await runConfigCommand(['profile']);
 
     expect(getGlobalConfig().delivery).toBe('skills');
-    expect(execSync).toHaveBeenCalledWith('npx openspec update', {
-      stdio: 'inherit',
-      cwd: fs.realpathSync(tempDir),
-    });
+    expect(process.exitCode).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(consoleErrorSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(consoleLogSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith('No configured tools found.');
+    expect(consoleLogSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith('Run `openspec update` in your other projects to apply.');
+  });
+
+  it('confirmed project apply should report the update failure reason', async () => {
+    const { saveGlobalConfig } = await import('../../src/core/global-config.js');
+    const { UpdateCommand } = await import('../../src/core/update.js');
+    const { select, confirm } = await getPromptMocks();
+
+    saveGlobalConfig({ featureFlags: {}, profile: 'core', delivery: 'both', workflows: ['propose', 'explore', 'apply', 'update', 'sync', 'archive'] });
+    fs.mkdirSync(path.join(tempDir, 'openspec'), { recursive: true });
+    const executeSpy = vi.spyOn(UpdateCommand.prototype, 'execute')
+      .mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error('permission denied'));
+
+    select.mockResolvedValueOnce('delivery');
+    select.mockResolvedValueOnce('skills');
+    confirm.mockResolvedValueOnce(true);
+
+    try {
+      await runConfigCommand(['profile']);
+    } finally {
+      executeSpy.mockRestore();
+    }
+
+    expect(consoleErrorSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith('`openspec update` failed: permission denied');
+    expect(consoleErrorSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith('Please run it manually to apply the profile changes.');
+    expect(process.exitCode).toBe(1);
   });
 
   it('core preset should preserve delivery setting', async () => {