diff --git a/cmd/audita/main_integration_test.go b/cmd/audita/main_integration_test.go
index 3d32018..246aa2d 100644
--- a/cmd/audita/main_integration_test.go
+++ b/cmd/audita/main_integration_test.go
@@ -805,9 +805,14 @@ func TestSubprocessReportingAndDebugSelections(t *testing.T) {
 		{false, false}, {false, true}, {true, false}, {true, true},
 	} {
 		f := newProcessFixture(t, "normal", "[grammar]")
-		extra := []string{"--reporting=false", "--report-dir", filepath.Join(f.dir, "missing")}
+		reportDir := filepath.Join(f.dir, "missing")
+		extra := []string{"--reporting=false", "--report-dir", reportDir}
 		if selection.reporting {
-			extra = []string{"--reporting=true", "--report-dir", filepath.Join(f.dir, "missing")}
+			reportDir = filepath.Join(f.dir, "selected-reports")
+			if err := os.Mkdir(reportDir, 0700); err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			extra = []string{"--reporting=true", "--report-dir", reportDir}
 		}
 		if selection.debug {
 			extra = append(extra, "--debug")
@@ -827,7 +832,7 @@ func TestSubprocessReportingAndDebugSelections(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Fatalf("selection changed processing: %+v summary=%q output=%s", selection, summary, output)
 		}
 		for _, name := range []string{"errors.yml", "recoveries.yml", "report.md"} {
-			_, err := os.Stat(filepath.Join(f.dir, name))
+			_, err := os.Stat(filepath.Join(reportDir, name))
 			if selection.reporting && err != nil || !selection.reporting && !os.IsNotExist(err) {
 				t.Fatalf("selection=%+v report %s: %v", selection, name, err)
 			}
diff --git a/docs/roadmap/implementation.md b/docs/roadmap/implementation.md
index c5a5948..706fd68 100644
--- a/docs/roadmap/implementation.md
+++ b/docs/roadmap/implementation.md
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # Implementation Plan: Independent Output Destinations
 
 **Last updated:** 2026-10-03
-**Status:** Ready for implementation.
+**Status:** Stage 1 complete; Stage 2 pending.
 **Audience:** gpt-5.6-terra coding agent.
 
 ## Scope and Execution
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ before report initialization remain outside that guarantee.
 
 ## Stage 1 — Implement Explicit Report-Destination Selection
 
+**Completion:** Complete — targeted CLI and subprocess tests pass; reviewed diff and whitespace checks.
+
 **Files:** `internal/cli/config_input.go`, `internal/cli/process.go`,
 `internal/cli/run.go`, `internal/cli/config_input_test.go`, and the existing
 affected subprocess test in `cmd/audita/main_integration_test.go`.
diff --git a/internal/cli/config_input.go b/internal/cli/config_input.go
index 65ea32a..e46c255 100644
--- a/internal/cli/config_input.go
+++ b/internal/cli/config_input.go
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ type configInput struct {
 	TranscriptPath string
 	GlossaryPath   string
 	OutputPath     string
+	ReportDirSet   bool
 	Overrides      []ck.Override
 }
 
@@ -124,6 +125,9 @@ func parseConfigInput(command string, args []string, output io.Writer) (configIn
 		if f.Name == "config" {
 			input.ConfigPathSet = true
 		}
+		if f.Name == "report-dir" {
+			input.ReportDirSet = true
+		}
 		path, ok := settingPaths[f.Name]
 		if !ok {
 			return
@@ -208,15 +212,22 @@ func configInputError(err error) string {
 	return strings.Join(messages, "; ")
 }
 
-func selectedReportDir(cfg config.Config, outputPath string) (string, error) {
+func selectedReportDir(cfg config.Config, outputPath string, reportDirSet bool) (string, error) {
 	if !cfg.Reporting.Enabled {
 		return "", nil
 	}
+	var reportDir string
 	if outputPath != "" {
-		return filepath.Dir(outputPath), nil
+		if reportDirSet {
+			reportDir = cfg.Reporting.StdoutDir
+		} else {
+			reportDir = filepath.Dir(outputPath)
+		}
+	} else {
+		reportDir = cfg.Reporting.StdoutDir
 	}
-	if strings.TrimSpace(cfg.Reporting.StdoutDir) == "" {
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("report directory is required when reporting is enabled and transcript output is stdout")
+	if strings.TrimSpace(reportDir) == "" {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("report directory is required when reporting is enabled for the selected destination")
 	}
-	return cfg.Reporting.StdoutDir, nil
+	return reportDir, nil
 }
diff --git a/internal/cli/config_input_test.go b/internal/cli/config_input_test.go
index 5843aa0..fba092a 100644
--- a/internal/cli/config_input_test.go
+++ b/internal/cli/config_input_test.go
@@ -219,18 +219,27 @@ func TestReportingAndDebugOverridesRemainIndependent(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestReportDirectorySelectionOnlyUsesActiveDestination(t *testing.T) {
 	cfg := config.Config{Reporting: config.Reporting{Enabled: true, StdoutDir: "reports"}}
-	if got, err := selectedReportDir(cfg, ""); err != nil || got != "reports" {
+	if got, err := selectedReportDir(cfg, "", false); err != nil || got != "reports" {
 		t.Fatalf("stdout destination: %q %v", got, err)
 	}
-	cfg.Reporting.StdoutDir = ""
-	if got, err := selectedReportDir(cfg, filepath.Join("out", "corrected.json")); err != nil || got != "out" {
+	if got, err := selectedReportDir(cfg, filepath.Join("out", "corrected.json"), false); err != nil || got != "out" {
 		t.Fatalf("file destination ignored stdout setting: %q %v", got, err)
 	}
-	if _, err := selectedReportDir(cfg, ""); err == nil {
+	if got, err := selectedReportDir(cfg, filepath.Join("out", "corrected.json"), true); err != nil || got != "reports" {
+		t.Fatalf("explicit file report directory: %q %v", got, err)
+	}
+	cfg.Reporting.StdoutDir = ""
+	if got, err := selectedReportDir(cfg, filepath.Join("out", "corrected.json"), false); err != nil || got != "out" {
+		t.Fatalf("inactive blank configured report directory rejected for file output: %q %v", got, err)
+	}
+	if _, err := selectedReportDir(cfg, filepath.Join("out", "corrected.json"), true); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("active explicit blank report directory accepted for file output")
+	}
+	if _, err := selectedReportDir(cfg, "", false); err == nil {
 		t.Fatal("enabled stdout reporting accepted blank destination")
 	}
 	cfg.Reporting.Enabled = false
-	if got, err := selectedReportDir(cfg, ""); err != nil || got != "" {
+	if got, err := selectedReportDir(cfg, filepath.Join("out", "corrected.json"), true); err != nil || got != "" {
 		t.Fatalf("disabled reporting probed destination: %q %v", got, err)
 	}
 }
@@ -247,4 +256,14 @@ func TestBareBooleanFlagsAndReportDirectoryOverride(t *testing.T) {
 	if values[ck.Keys("reporting", "enabled").String()] != true || values[ck.Keys("diagnostics", "debug").String()] != true || values[ck.Keys("reporting", "stdout_dir").String()] != "reports" {
 		t.Fatalf("incorrect visited overrides: %+v", values)
 	}
+	if !input.ReportDirSet {
+		t.Fatal("explicit --report-dir presence was not recorded")
+	}
+	withoutReportDir, _, err := parseConfigInput("process", []string{"input.json", "--glossary", "glossary.yml"}, io.Discard)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if withoutReportDir.ReportDirSet {
+		t.Fatal("absent --report-dir was recorded as explicit")
+	}
 }
diff --git a/internal/cli/process.go b/internal/cli/process.go
index 2a247ee..57b1c0a 100644
--- a/internal/cli/process.go
+++ b/internal/cli/process.go
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ func runProcess(ctx context.Context, args []string, stdout, stderr io.Writer) in
 		return 2
 	}
 	cfg := selected.Result.Config
-	reportDir, err := selectedReportDir(cfg, input.OutputPath)
+	reportDir, err := selectedReportDir(cfg, input.OutputPath, input.ReportDirSet)
 	if err != nil {
 		fmt.Fprintf(stderr, "audita process: %s\n", llm.RedactError(err, cfg))
 		return 2
diff --git a/internal/cli/run.go b/internal/cli/run.go
index a665fda..c2cff64 100644
--- a/internal/cli/run.go
+++ b/internal/cli/run.go
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ func writeProcessUsage(w io.Writer) {
 		fmt.Fprintf(w, "  --%s\n", name)
 	}
 	fmt.Fprintln(w, "  --reporting[=true|false]  Write the three-file report bundle (default true)")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "  --report-dir DIR         Report directory for stdout output only; ignored with --output or --reporting=false")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "  --report-dir DIR         Select the report directory (stdout setting for stdout; output parent by default for files)")
 	fmt.Fprintln(w, "  --debug[=true|false]      Persist detailed diagnostics (default false)")
 	fmt.Fprintln(w)
 	fmt.Fprintln(w, "Example:")