diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index e77cadb..c086b2d 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -299,3 +299,4 @@ AGENTS/
 docs/devlogs
 #   ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 /.cache_ggshield
+user-dots
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a73e2e2..beaa023 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -248,6 +248,8 @@ test -f "$__fish_user_dots_path/local.fish"
     and source "$__fish_user_dots_path/local.fish"
 ```
 
+For convenience, a git-ignored `user-dots` symlink in the fish config directory is pointed at `$__fish_user_dots_path` on startup, so the overlay can be browsed from `~/.config/fish/`. It is recreated if missing and repointed if the path variable changes. This is a C2 startup side-effect (`__fish_config_op_autoexec`); it only ever manages a symlink and never clobbers a real file or directory at that path.
+
 `fish_variables` (which fish auto-manages and may contain universal variable state) is excluded from this repo via `.gitignore`.
 
 ---
diff --git a/config.fish b/config.fish
index 058e85c..e260113 100644
--- a/config.fish
+++ b/config.fish
@@ -226,6 +226,22 @@ if status is-interactive
     # Resolve user-dots path. Customize via: set -U __fish_user_dots_path /your/path
     set -q __fish_user_dots_path
         or set -l __fish_user_dots_path "$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/.user-dots/fish"
+    #   ────────────────────── user-dots convenience symlink ───────────────────
+    #   Keep $__fish_config_dir/user-dots pointing at the resolved path so it can
+    #   be browsed from the fish config dir. Git-ignored; a C2 startup side-effect.
+    #   Only ever manages a symlink — never clobbers a real file/dir placed there.
+    if __fish_config_op_enabled __fish_config_op_autoexec
+        set -l __udots_link "$__fish_config_dir/user-dots"
+        if test -d "$__fish_user_dots_path"
+            if test -L "$__udots_link"
+                test (readlink "$__udots_link") != "$__fish_user_dots_path"
+                    and ln -sfn "$__fish_user_dots_path" "$__udots_link"
+            else if not test -e "$__udots_link"
+                ln -s "$__fish_user_dots_path" "$__udots_link"
+            end
+        end
+    end
+
     #   ─────────────────────── Source machine-local config ────────────────────
     #   Sources local.fish if it exists. That file handles sourcing its own
     #   secrets.fish companion when needed.
diff --git a/docs/fish-config.md b/docs/fish-config.md
index 16619aa..264657a 100644
--- a/docs/fish-config.md
+++ b/docs/fish-config.md
@@ -1823,10 +1823,14 @@ __fish_config_op_autoexec prevents all of them.
     Python venv activation     On every cd          Sources .venv/bin/activate.fish
     WakaTime command hook      On every command     Reports to WakaTime API
     Auto-pull fast-forward     On entering a repo   Background ff-only git pull
+    user-dots symlink          Every startup        Links $__fish_config_dir/user-dots
+                                                    to $__fish_user_dots_path
 
 When C2 is disabled: no Fisher install, no theme application, no paru/yay
-wrapper generation, no automatic venv activation, no WakaTime reporting, and
-no auto-pull (the PWD handler is never registered).
+wrapper generation, no automatic venv activation, no WakaTime reporting,
+no auto-pull (the PWD handler is never registered), and the user-dots
+convenience symlink is not created. The symlink is git-ignored and only ever
+managed as a symlink — a real file or directory at that path is left untouched.
 The first-run completion marker (__fish_config_first_run_complete) is still
 set so the init does not re-run on subsequent shells.