diff --git a/browser_cli/client.py b/browser_cli/client.py
index bda3a63..2a2d0d4 100644
--- a/browser_cli/client.py
+++ b/browser_cli/client.py
@@ -214,6 +214,22 @@ def active_browser_targets(*, include_remotes: bool = True, key=None) -> list[Br
     return targets
 
 
+def _is_active_local_profile(profile: str | None) -> bool:
+    """Return True when profile names a reachable local browser endpoint."""
+    if not profile:
+        return False
+    if REGISTRY_PATH.exists():
+        reg = load_registry(REGISTRY_PATH)
+        if profile in _active_endpoints(reg):
+            return True
+    if not is_windows():
+        try:
+            return Path(endpoint_for_alias(profile)).exists()
+        except Exception:
+            return False
+    return False
+
+
 def _resolve_socket(profile: str | None = None) -> str:
     """Return the socket path for the given profile (or auto-detect)."""
     target = profile or os.environ.get("BROWSER_CLI_PROFILE")
@@ -387,7 +403,7 @@ def send_command(command: str, args: dict | None = None, profile: str | None = N
     if remote_endpoint:
         remote_endpoint = _normalize_endpoint(remote_endpoint)
     remote_alias_target = None
-    if not remote_endpoint and requested_profile:
+    if not remote_endpoint and requested_profile and not _is_active_local_profile(requested_profile):
         remote_alias_target = remote_target_for_alias(requested_profile)
         if remote_alias_target:
             remote_endpoint = remote_alias_target.remote
diff --git a/extension/manifest.json b/extension/manifest.json
index f273f78..fedc646 100644
--- a/extension/manifest.json
+++ b/extension/manifest.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "manifest_version": 3,
   "name": "browser-cli",
-  "version": "0.10.0",
+  "version": "0.10.1",
   "description": "Control your browser from the terminal or Python SDK",
   "permissions": [
     "tabs",
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index b120ac1..887ea43 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [project]
 name = "browser-cli"
-version = "0.10.0"
+version = "0.10.1"
 description = "Control your real running browser from the terminal or Python SDK"
 requires-python = ">=3.10"
 dependencies = [
diff --git a/tests/test_client.py b/tests/test_client.py
index 23f9041..44211e7 100644
--- a/tests/test_client.py
+++ b/tests/test_client.py
@@ -117,6 +117,50 @@ def test_send_command_auto_routes_single_remote_target(monkeypatch):
     assert "token" not in sent
 
 
+def test_send_command_prefers_active_local_profile_over_saved_remote_alias(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+    monkeypatch.delenv("BROWSER_CLI_REMOTE", raising=False)
+    monkeypatch.delenv("BROWSER_CLI_PROFILE", raising=False)
+    socket_path = tmp_path / "work.sock"
+    socket_path.write_text("")
+    registry_path = tmp_path / "registry.json"
+    registry_path.write_text(json.dumps({"work": str(socket_path)}), encoding="utf-8")
+    monkeypatch.setattr("browser_cli.client.REGISTRY_PATH", registry_path)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        "browser_cli.client.remote_target_for_alias",
+        lambda alias: pytest.fail("active local profile must not trigger remote alias discovery"),
+    )
+
+    payload = json.dumps({"success": True, "data": "local-ok"}).encode("utf-8")
+    framed = len(payload).to_bytes(4, "little") + payload
+
+    class FakeSocket:
+        def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
+            self.sent = b""
+            self._response = bytearray(framed)
+            self.connected_to = None
+
+        def __enter__(self):
+            return self
+
+        def __exit__(self, *exc):
+            return False
+
+        def connect(self, path):
+            self.connected_to = path
+
+        def sendall(self, data):
+            self.sent += data
+
+        def recv(self, n):
+            chunk = bytes(self._response[:n])
+            del self._response[:n]
+            return chunk
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr("browser_cli.client.socket.socket", lambda *args, **kwargs: FakeSocket())
+
+    assert send_command("tabs.list", profile="work") == "local-ok"
+
+
 def test_send_command_resolves_browser_alias_to_remote_target(monkeypatch):
     monkeypatch.delenv("BROWSER_CLI_REMOTE", raising=False)
     monkeypatch.setenv("BROWSER_CLI_PROFILE", "host:work")
diff --git a/uv.lock b/uv.lock
index f8208cf..cc989cc 100644
--- a/uv.lock
+++ b/uv.lock
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ requires-python = ">=3.10"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "browser-cli"
-version = "0.10.0"
+version = "0.10.1"
 source = { editable = "." }
 dependencies = [
     { name = "click" },