diff --git a/secrets b/secrets
index 02a3415..a2f5209 100755
--- a/secrets
+++ b/secrets
@@ -17,7 +17,9 @@ set -euo pipefail
 # while letting .secrets-store files take precedence per project.
 _USER_SECRETS_DIR="${SECRETS_DIR:-}"
 SECRETS_DIR="${SECRETS_DIR:-$HOME/.secrets}"
+RECIPIENTS_FILE_NAME="recipients.txt"
 KEY_FILE="$SECRETS_DIR/key.txt"
+RECIPIENTS_FILE="$SECRETS_DIR/$RECIPIENTS_FILE_NAME"
 SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
 
 # Set by resolve_store(). Reports which rule chose SECRETS_DIR.
@@ -98,6 +100,56 @@ get_pubkey() {
   age-keygen -y "$KEY_FILE" 2>/dev/null || die "Failed to derive public key from $KEY_FILE"
 }
 
+# A native age X25519 recipient: "age1" + exactly 58 chars of [0-9a-z].
+# This is also the injection rail — it cannot hold shell metacharacters,
+# whitespace, control chars, or extra flags. SSH recipients are intentionally
+# unsupported (EGB-283 scope cut).
+_validate_age_recipient() {
+  case "$1" in
+    age1*) : ;;
+    *) return 1 ;;
+  esac
+  local body="${1#age1}"
+  [ "${#body}" -eq 58 ] || return 1
+  case "$body" in
+    *[!0-9a-z]*) return 1 ;;
+  esac
+  return 0
+}
+
+# Populate the global RECIPIENT_ARGS array with one "-r <key>" per store
+# recipient. recipients.txt present -> validated keys from the file (the store
+# is multi-recipient). Absent -> the single pubkey derived from key.txt (legacy
+# single-key store, exactly today's behavior). We parse the file ourselves
+# (never `age -R <path>`) because it is committed = an injection surface; every
+# line is validated and the file is refused if symlinked. Dies on any problem.
+RECIPIENT_ARGS=()
+_load_recipients() {
+  RECIPIENT_ARGS=()
+  if [ ! -e "$RECIPIENTS_FILE" ]; then
+    RECIPIENT_ARGS=(-r "$(get_pubkey)")
+    return 0
+  fi
+  if [ -L "$RECIPIENTS_FILE" ]; then
+    die "Refusing to read symlinked $RECIPIENTS_FILE_NAME (security)."
+  fi
+  local line trimmed n=0
+  while IFS= read -r line || [ -n "$line" ]; do
+    trimmed="${line#"${line%%[![:space:]]*}"}"     # lstrip
+    trimmed="${trimmed%"${trimmed##*[![:space:]]}"}" # rstrip
+    [ -z "$trimmed" ] && continue
+    case "$trimmed" in '#'*) continue ;; esac
+    if ! _validate_age_recipient "$trimmed"; then
+      die "Invalid recipient in $RECIPIENTS_FILE_NAME: '$trimmed' (expected a native age key: age1...)."
+    fi
+    RECIPIENT_ARGS+=(-r "$trimmed")
+    n=$((n + 1))
+  done < "$RECIPIENTS_FILE"
+  if [ "$n" -eq 0 ]; then
+    die "$RECIPIENTS_FILE_NAME has no recipients — a store must have at least one. Run 'secrets recipients add <age1...>'."
+  fi
+}
+
 derive_project_name() {
   local explicit="${1:-}"
   if [ -n "$explicit" ]; then
@@ -299,6 +351,7 @@ resolve_store() {
 
   SECRETS_DIR="$resolved"
   KEY_FILE="$SECRETS_DIR/key.txt"
+  RECIPIENTS_FILE="$SECRETS_DIR/$RECIPIENTS_FILE_NAME"
   STORE_SOURCE="$source"
 }
 
@@ -630,7 +683,7 @@ merge_gradle_keys() {
 # <project>/external/. Returns 0 if at least one entry was pushed, 1 if
 # there is no usable manifest. Dies on unsafe targets or all-missing keys.
 push_external_files() {
-  local root="$1" project="$2" pubkey="$3"
+  local root="$1" project="$2"
   # Entries come from .secrets.json (EGB-677) plus any legacy
   # .secrets-files entries the manifest doesn't cover yet.
   local entries
@@ -652,7 +705,7 @@ push_external_files() {
       # EGB-652: whole-file sync — encrypt the file verbatim (binary-safe).
       mkdir -p "$SECRETS_DIR/$project/external"
       local fslug; fslug=$(_secrets_files_slug "$mpath")
-      age -r "$pubkey" -o "$SECRETS_DIR/$project/external/$fslug.$(_external_blob_suffix file).age" "$expanded"
+      age "${RECIPIENT_ARGS[@]}" -o "$SECRETS_DIR/$project/external/$fslug.$(_external_blob_suffix file).age" "$expanded"
       info "Encrypted file $mpath"
       pushed=$((pushed + 1))
       continue
@@ -681,7 +734,7 @@ push_external_files() {
     fi
     mkdir -p "$SECRETS_DIR/$project/external"
     local slug; slug=$(_secrets_files_slug "$mpath")
-    age -r "$pubkey" -o "$SECRETS_DIR/$project/external/$slug.$(_external_blob_suffix "$mtype").age" "$tmp"
+    age "${RECIPIENT_ARGS[@]}" -o "$SECRETS_DIR/$project/external/$slug.$(_external_blob_suffix "$mtype").age" "$tmp"
     rm -f "$tmp"
     info "Extracted $found key(s) from $mpath"
     pushed=$((pushed + 1))
@@ -1189,7 +1242,6 @@ Your key file has been left untouched."
 push_dir_to_project() {
   local source_dir="$1"
   local project="$2"
-  local pubkey="$3"
 
   if ! collect_env_files "$source_dir"; then
     return 1
@@ -1204,7 +1256,7 @@ push_dir_to_project() {
   for f in "${COLLECTED_FILES[@]}"; do
     local name
     name=$(basename "$f")
-    age -r "$pubkey" -o "$SECRETS_DIR/$project/${name}.age" "$f"
+    age "${RECIPIENT_ARGS[@]}" -o "$SECRETS_DIR/$project/${name}.age" "$f"
   done
   return 0
 }
@@ -1265,8 +1317,7 @@ cmd_push() {
   info "Pushing secrets for project: $project"
   echo_store_if_non_default
 
-  local pubkey
-  pubkey=$(get_pubkey)
+  _load_recipients
 
   # ── Manifest read (validated; absence = bootstrap) ──
   # jq is required only when a manifest exists (authoritative, can't be
@@ -1354,7 +1405,7 @@ cmd_push() {
       */*) mkdir -p "$SECRETS_DIR/$project/$(dirname "$rel")" ;;
       *)   mkdir -p "$SECRETS_DIR/$project" ;;
     esac
-    age -r "$pubkey" -o "$SECRETS_DIR/$project/${rel}.age" "$PWD/$rel"
+    age "${RECIPIENT_ARGS[@]}" -o "$SECRETS_DIR/$project/${rel}.age" "$PWD/$rel"
     echo "  $rel"
     count=$((count + 1))
   done <<< "$sync_list"
@@ -1362,7 +1413,7 @@ cmd_push() {
 
   local did=0
   [ "$count" -gt 0 ] && did=1
-  if push_external_files "$PWD" "$project" "$pubkey"; then did=1; fi
+  if push_external_files "$PWD" "$project"; then did=1; fi
   if [ "$did" -eq 0 ]; then
     die "No secret files (.env, .env.*, .dev.vars) or $SECRETS_FILES_NAME entries found in $PWD"
   fi
@@ -1424,12 +1475,11 @@ cmd_push_workspaces() {
   info "Pushing workspaces for monorepo: $monorepo_name"
   echo_store_if_non_default
 
-  local pubkey
-  pubkey=$(get_pubkey)
+  _load_recipients
   local total=0
 
   # Push root env files (if any)
-  if push_dir_to_project "$root" "$monorepo_name" "$pubkey"; then
+  if push_dir_to_project "$root" "$monorepo_name"; then
     total=$((total + ${#COLLECTED_FILES[@]}))
   fi
 
@@ -1440,14 +1490,14 @@ cmd_push_workspaces() {
     [ -n "$ws" ] || continue
     local ws_dir="$root/$ws"
     local ws_project="$monorepo_name/$ws"
-    if push_dir_to_project "$ws_dir" "$ws_project" "$pubkey"; then
+    if push_dir_to_project "$ws_dir" "$ws_project"; then
       total=$((total + ${#COLLECTED_FILES[@]}))
     fi
   done <<< "$workspaces"
 
   # External files (.secrets-files) are monorepo-root-scoped, like
   # .secrets-store — handle once, not per-workspace.
-  if push_external_files "$root" "$monorepo_name" "$pubkey"; then
+  if push_external_files "$root" "$monorepo_name"; then
     total=$((total + 1))
   fi
 
diff --git a/test/recipients.bats b/test/recipients.bats
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a8ae7c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/recipients.bats
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bats
+load test_helper
+
+# A throwaway second identity for "another teammate".
+make_second_identity() {
+  age-keygen -o "$TEST_TMPDIR/bob.txt" 2>/dev/null
+  BOB_PUB=$(age-keygen -y "$TEST_TMPDIR/bob.txt")
+}
+
+@test "push without recipients.txt stays single-key (legacy behavior)" {
+  init_with_remote
+  create_project_dir myproj
+  run "$SECRETS_BIN" push
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+  # No recipients.txt was created by push.
+  [ ! -e "$SECRETS_DIR/recipients.txt" ]
+  # Blob decrypts with the store's own key.
+  run age -d -i "$SECRETS_DIR/key.txt" "$SECRETS_DIR/myproj/.env.age"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+@test "push with a hand-written recipients.txt encrypts to every listed key" {
+  init_with_remote
+  make_second_identity
+  STORE_PUB=$(age-keygen -y "$SECRETS_DIR/key.txt")
+  printf '# self\n%s\n# bob\n%s\n' "$STORE_PUB" "$BOB_PUB" > "$SECRETS_DIR/recipients.txt"
+  create_project_dir myproj
+  run "$SECRETS_BIN" push
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+  # Bob (a recipient) can decrypt the pushed blob with HIS key.
+  run age -d -i "$TEST_TMPDIR/bob.txt" "$SECRETS_DIR/myproj/.env.age"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+  # And the store key still can too.
+  run age -d -i "$SECRETS_DIR/key.txt" "$SECRETS_DIR/myproj/.env.age"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+@test "push refuses a recipients.txt with an invalid key" {
+  init_with_remote
+  STORE_PUB=$(age-keygen -y "$SECRETS_DIR/key.txt")
+  printf '%s\nnot-an-age-key\n' "$STORE_PUB" > "$SECRETS_DIR/recipients.txt"
+  create_project_dir myproj
+  run "$SECRETS_BIN" push
+  [ "$status" -ne 0 ]
+  [[ "$output" == *"Invalid recipient"* ]] || false
+}
+
+@test "push refuses a symlinked recipients.txt" {
+  init_with_remote
+  STORE_PUB=$(age-keygen -y "$SECRETS_DIR/key.txt")
+  printf '%s\n' "$STORE_PUB" > "$TEST_TMPDIR/elsewhere.txt"
+  ln -s "$TEST_TMPDIR/elsewhere.txt" "$SECRETS_DIR/recipients.txt"
+  create_project_dir myproj
+  run "$SECRETS_BIN" push
+  [ "$status" -ne 0 ]
+  [[ "$output" == *"symlink"* ]] || false
+}
diff --git a/test/test_helper.bash b/test/test_helper.bash
index 1470caf..d9846af 100644
--- a/test/test_helper.bash
+++ b/test/test_helper.bash
@@ -19,6 +19,14 @@ setup() {
   # not be a real ancestor of /tmp). EGB-281 F9.
   export HOME="$TEST_TMPDIR"
 
+  # Provide git author identity so `git commit` works with the fresh temp HOME
+  # (no ~/.gitconfig is present in the isolated dir). GIT_* env vars override
+  # any global config and survive the HOME redirect.
+  export GIT_AUTHOR_NAME="Test User"
+  export GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL="test@example.com"
+  export GIT_COMMITTER_NAME="Test User"
+  export GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL="test@example.com"
+
   # Secrets repo lives in temp
   export SECRETS_DIR="$TEST_TMPDIR/secrets-repo"