diff --git a/src/commands/root.ts b/src/commands/root.ts
index 0e01a18..d1a9054 100644
--- a/src/commands/root.ts
+++ b/src/commands/root.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import { createNewCommand } from './new.js';
 import { createTestCommand } from './test.js';
 
 export function createRootCommand(version = resolveCliVersion()): Command {
-  return new Command()
+  const program = new Command()
     .name('stellarforge')
     .description(
       'Open infrastructure for building production-ready Stellar applications.',
@@ -23,4 +23,12 @@ export function createRootCommand(version = resolveCliVersion()): Command {
     .addCommand(createDevCommand())
     .addCommand(createTestCommand())
     .addCommand(createDeployCommand());
+
+  for (const command of program.commands) {
+    command.exitOverride();
+    command.showHelpAfterError();
+    command.showSuggestionAfterError(true);
+  }
+
+  return program;
 }
diff --git a/tests/unknown-option-remediation.test.ts b/tests/unknown-option-remediation.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..57f763e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unknown-option-remediation.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,275 @@
+import { CommanderError } from 'commander';
+import { beforeAll, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+import { createRootCommand } from '../src/commands/root.js';
+import { EXIT_CODES } from '../src/errors/errors.js';
+import { buildCli, runBuiltCli } from './helpers/cli-process.js';
+
+interface CapturedCommandRun {
+  readonly exitCode: number;
+  readonly stdout: string;
+  readonly stderr: string;
+  readonly error: CommanderError | null;
+}
+
+function executeProgram(args: string[]): CapturedCommandRun {
+  let stdout = '';
+  let stderr = '';
+  let error: CommanderError | null = null;
+  let exitCode = 0;
+
+  const program = createRootCommand('1.0.0');
+  const applyOutputCapture = (cmd: typeof program) => {
+    cmd.configureOutput({
+      writeOut: (str) => {
+        stdout += str;
+      },
+      writeErr: (str) => {
+        stderr += str;
+      },
+    });
+    for (const sub of cmd.commands) {
+      applyOutputCapture(sub);
+    }
+  };
+  applyOutputCapture(program);
+
+  try {
+    program.parse(['node', 'stellarforge', ...args]);
+  } catch (err) {
+    if (err instanceof CommanderError) {
+      error = err;
+      exitCode = err.exitCode;
+    } else {
+      throw err;
+    }
+  }
+
+  return { exitCode, stdout, stderr, error };
+}
+
+describe('SW-095: Unknown-option remediation copy tests', () => {
+  beforeAll(() => {
+    buildCli();
+  });
+
+  describe('root command unknown options', () => {
+    it('fails on long-form unknown option with concise remediation guidance', () => {
+      const result = executeProgram(['--definitely-unsupported-option']);
+
+      expect(result.exitCode).toBe(1);
+      expect(result.error?.code).toBe('commander.unknownOption');
+      expect(result.stderr).toContain(
+        "error: unknown option '--definitely-unsupported-option'",
+      );
+      expect(result.stderr).toContain(
+        'Usage: stellarforge [options] [command]',
+      );
+      expect(result.stderr).toContain('-V, --version');
+      expect(result.stderr).toContain('-h, --help');
+      expect(result.stderr).toContain('doctor');
+      expect(result.stderr).toContain('new');
+      expect(result.stderr).toContain('dev');
+      expect(result.stderr).toContain('test');
+      expect(result.stderr).toContain('deploy');
+      expect(result.stdout).toBe('');
+    });
+
+    it('fails on short-form unknown option with usage copy', () => {
+      const result = executeProgram(['-z']);
+
+      expect(result.exitCode).toBe(1);
+      expect(result.error?.code).toBe('commander.unknownOption');
+      expect(result.stderr).toContain("error: unknown option '-z'");
+      expect(result.stderr).toContain(
+        'Usage: stellarforge [options] [command]',
+      );
+      expect(result.stdout).toBe('');
+    });
+
+    it('suggests closest match for option typos at root level', () => {
+      const result = executeProgram(['--verison']);
+
+      expect(result.exitCode).toBe(1);
+      expect(result.error?.code).toBe('commander.unknownOption');
+      expect(result.stderr).toContain("error: unknown option '--verison'");
+      expect(result.stderr).toContain('(Did you mean --version?)');
+      expect(result.stderr).toContain(
+        'Usage: stellarforge [options] [command]',
+      );
+    });
+
+    it('handles value-bearing unknown options consistently', () => {
+      const result = executeProgram(['--custom-arg=unexpected-value']);
+
+      expect(result.exitCode).toBe(1);
+      expect(result.error?.code).toBe('commander.unknownOption');
+      expect(result.stderr).toContain(
+        "error: unknown option '--custom-arg=unexpected-value'",
+      );
+      expect(result.stderr).toContain(
+        'Usage: stellarforge [options] [command]',
+      );
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('subcommand unknown options fail consistently', () => {
+    const representativeSubcommands = [
+      {
+        command: 'doctor',
+        args: ['doctor', '--invalid-doctor-flag'],
+        expectedOption: '--invalid-doctor-flag',
+        expectedUsage: 'Usage: stellarforge doctor [options]',
+      },
+      {
+        command: 'new',
+        args: ['new', 'my-project', '--invalid-new-flag'],
+        expectedOption: '--invalid-new-flag',
+        expectedUsage: 'Usage: stellarforge new [options] <project-name>',
+      },
+      {
+        command: 'dev',
+        args: ['dev', '--invalid-dev-flag'],
+        expectedOption: '--invalid-dev-flag',
+        expectedUsage: 'Usage: stellarforge dev [options]',
+      },
+      {
+        command: 'test',
+        args: ['test', '--invalid-test-flag'],
+        expectedOption: '--invalid-test-flag',
+        expectedUsage: 'Usage: stellarforge test [options]',
+      },
+      {
+        command: 'deploy',
+        args: ['deploy', '--invalid-deploy-flag'],
+        expectedOption: '--invalid-deploy-flag',
+        expectedUsage: 'Usage: stellarforge deploy [options]',
+      },
+    ];
+
+    it.each(representativeSubcommands)(
+      'rejects unknown option on $command subcommand with focused usage copy',
+      ({ args, expectedOption, expectedUsage }) => {
+        const result = executeProgram(args);
+
+        expect(result.exitCode).toBe(1);
+        expect(result.error?.code).toBe('commander.unknownOption');
+        expect(result.stderr).toContain(
+          `error: unknown option '${expectedOption}'`,
+        );
+        expect(result.stderr).toContain(expectedUsage);
+        expect(result.stdout).toBe('');
+      },
+    );
+
+    it.each(representativeSubcommands)(
+      'rejects single-character short unknown option on $command subcommand',
+      ({ command, expectedUsage }) => {
+        const result = executeProgram([command, '-x']);
+
+        expect(result.exitCode).toBe(1);
+        expect(result.error?.code).toBe('commander.unknownOption');
+        expect(result.stderr).toContain("error: unknown option '-x'");
+        expect(result.stderr).toContain(expectedUsage);
+      },
+    );
+
+    it('suggests closest match for template option typo on new subcommand', () => {
+      const result = executeProgram([
+        'new',
+        'sample-project',
+        '--temlate',
+        'basic-app',
+      ]);
+
+      expect(result.exitCode).toBe(1);
+      expect(result.error?.code).toBe('commander.unknownOption');
+      expect(result.stderr).toContain("error: unknown option '--temlate'");
+      expect(result.stderr).toContain('(Did you mean --template?)');
+      expect(result.stderr).toContain(
+        'Usage: stellarforge new [options] <project-name>',
+      );
+    });
+
+    it('suggests closest match for network option typo on deploy subcommand', () => {
+      const result = executeProgram(['deploy', '--netwrk', 'testnet']);
+
+      expect(result.exitCode).toBe(1);
+      expect(result.error?.code).toBe('commander.unknownOption');
+      expect(result.stderr).toContain("error: unknown option '--netwrk'");
+      expect(result.stderr).toContain('(Did you mean --network?)');
+      expect(result.stderr).toContain('Usage: stellarforge deploy [options]');
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('executable process exit code conformance', () => {
+    it('maps root unknown option to validation exit code 2 via built CLI', () => {
+      const result = runBuiltCli(['--unknown-cli-option']);
+
+      expect(result.status).toBe(EXIT_CODES.validation);
+      expect(result.stderr).toContain(
+        "error: unknown option '--unknown-cli-option'",
+      );
+      expect(result.stderr).toContain(
+        'Usage: stellarforge [options] [command]',
+      );
+      expect(result.stderr).not.toContain(
+        'StellarForge encountered an unexpected error.',
+      );
+    });
+
+    it('maps subcommand unknown option to validation exit code 2 via built CLI', () => {
+      const result = runBuiltCli(['doctor', '--unknown-doctor-option']);
+
+      expect(result.status).toBe(EXIT_CODES.validation);
+      expect(result.stderr).toContain(
+        "error: unknown option '--unknown-doctor-option'",
+      );
+      expect(result.stderr).toContain('Usage: stellarforge doctor [options]');
+      expect(result.stderr).not.toContain(
+        'StellarForge encountered an unexpected error.',
+      );
+    });
+
+    it('maps short unknown option on deploy subcommand to validation exit code 2', () => {
+      const result = runBuiltCli(['deploy', '-u']);
+
+      expect(result.status).toBe(EXIT_CODES.validation);
+      expect(result.stderr).toContain("error: unknown option '-u'");
+      expect(result.stderr).toContain('Usage: stellarforge deploy [options]');
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('preserves valid command semantics', () => {
+    it('preserves root --help without error', () => {
+      const result = executeProgram(['--help']);
+
+      expect(result.exitCode).toBe(0);
+      expect(result.error?.code).toBe('commander.helpDisplayed');
+      expect(result.stdout).toContain(
+        'Usage: stellarforge [options] [command]',
+      );
+      expect(result.stderr).toBe('');
+    });
+
+    it('preserves root -V / --version without error', () => {
+      const result = executeProgram(['-V']);
+
+      expect(result.exitCode).toBe(0);
+      expect(result.error?.code).toBe('commander.version');
+      expect(result.stdout.trim()).toBe('1.0.0');
+      expect(result.stderr).toBe('');
+    });
+
+    it('preserves subcommand help displays', () => {
+      const result = executeProgram(['doctor', '--help']);
+
+      expect(result.exitCode).toBe(0);
+      expect(result.error?.code).toBe('commander.helpDisplayed');
+      expect(result.stdout).toContain('Usage: stellarforge doctor [options]');
+      expect(result.stdout).toContain(
+        'Check the local StellarForge development environment.',
+      );
+      expect(result.stderr).toBe('');
+    });
+  });
+});