omnibase_infra 0.2.6__py3-none-any.whl

omnibase_infra/runtime/binding_config_resolver.py

@@ -0,0 +1,2771 @@
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+# Copyright (c) 2025 OmniNode Team
+"""Binding configuration resolver for ONEX infrastructure.
+
+BindingConfigResolver provides a unified interface for resolving handler configurations
+from multiple sources with proper priority ordering (highest to lowest):
+
+    1. Environment variables (HANDLER_{TYPE}_{FIELD}) - **highest priority**, always wins
+    2. Inline config (passed directly to resolve()) - overrides config_ref values
+    3. Config reference (file:, env:, vault:) - **base configuration** (lowest priority)
+
+Resolution Process:
+    The resolver builds the final configuration by layering sources from lowest to highest
+    priority. Later sources override earlier ones for overlapping keys:
+
+    1. Load base config from config_ref (if provided)
+    2. Merge inline_config on top (inline values override config_ref values)
+    3. Apply environment variable overrides on top (env values override everything)
+
+    This means: config_ref provides defaults, inline_config can override those defaults,
+    and environment variables can override both for operational flexibility.
+
+Important: config_ref Schemes are Mutually Exclusive
+    The config_ref schemes (file:, env:, vault:) are **mutually exclusive** - only ONE
+    config_ref can be provided per resolution call. The scheme determines WHERE to load
+    the base configuration from, not a priority ordering between schemes.
+
+    Correct usage::
+
+        # Load from file
+        resolver.resolve(handler_type="db", config_ref="file:configs/db.yaml")
+
+        # OR load from environment variable
+        resolver.resolve(handler_type="db", config_ref="env:DB_CONFIG_JSON")
+
+        # OR load from Vault
+        resolver.resolve(handler_type="db", config_ref="vault:secret/data/db")
+
+    Invalid usage (would use only ONE, ignoring others)::
+
+        # WRONG: Cannot combine multiple config_ref schemes in a single call
+        # config_ref="file:..." AND config_ref="env:..." is NOT supported
+        # Pass only ONE config_ref string per resolve() call
+
+Design Philosophy:
+    - Dumb and deterministic: resolves and caches, does not discover or mutate
+    - Environment overrides always take precedence for operational flexibility
+    - Caching is optional and TTL-controlled for performance vs freshness tradeoff
+
+Example:
+    Basic usage with container-based dependency injection::
+
+        from omnibase_core.container import ModelONEXContainer
+        from omnibase_infra.runtime.util_container_wiring import wire_infrastructure_services
+
+        # Bootstrap container and register config
+        container = ModelONEXContainer()
+        config = ModelBindingConfigResolverConfig(env_prefix="HANDLER")
+        from omnibase_core.enums import EnumInjectionScope
+
+        await container.service_registry.register_instance(
+            interface=ModelBindingConfigResolverConfig,
+            instance=config,
+            scope=EnumInjectionScope.GLOBAL,
+        )
+
+        # Create resolver with container injection
+        resolver = BindingConfigResolver(container)
+
+        # Resolve from inline config
+        binding = resolver.resolve(
+            handler_type="db",
+            inline_config={"pool_size": 10, "timeout_ms": 5000}
+        )
+
+        # Resolve from file reference
+        binding = resolver.resolve(
+            handler_type="vault",
+            config_ref="file:configs/vault.yaml"
+        )
+
+    With environment overrides::
+
+        # Set HANDLER_DB_TIMEOUT_MS=10000 in environment
+        binding = resolver.resolve(
+            handler_type="db",
+            inline_config={"timeout_ms": 5000}  # Will be overridden to 10000
+        )
+
+Security Considerations:
+    - File paths are validated to prevent path traversal attacks
+    - Error messages are sanitized to exclude configuration values
+    - Vault secrets are resolved through SecretResolver (not accessed directly)
+    - File size limits prevent memory exhaustion attacks
+
+Thread Safety:
+    This class supports concurrent access from both sync and async contexts
+    using a two-level locking strategy:
+
+    1. ``threading.Lock`` (``_lock``): Protects all cache reads/writes and
+       stats updates. This lock is held briefly for in-memory operations.
+
+    2. Per-key ``asyncio.Lock`` (``_async_key_locks``): Prevents duplicate
+       async fetches for the SAME handler type. When multiple async callers
+       request the same config simultaneously, only one performs the fetch
+       while others wait and reuse the cached result.
+
+.. versionadded:: 0.8.0
+    Initial implementation for OMN-765.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import asyncio
+import json
+import logging
+import os
+import threading
+import time
+from collections import OrderedDict
+from datetime import UTC, datetime, timedelta
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Final
+from uuid import UUID, uuid4
+
+import yaml
+from pydantic import ValidationError
+
+from omnibase_core.types import JsonType
+from omnibase_infra.enums import EnumInfraTransportType
+from omnibase_infra.errors import (
+    ModelInfraErrorContext,
+    ProtocolConfigurationError,
+    SecretResolutionError,
+)
+from omnibase_infra.runtime.models.model_binding_config import ModelBindingConfig
+from omnibase_infra.runtime.models.model_binding_config_cache_stats import (
+    ModelBindingConfigCacheStats,
+)
+from omnibase_infra.runtime.models.model_binding_config_resolver_config import (
+    ModelBindingConfigResolverConfig,
+)
+from omnibase_infra.runtime.models.model_config_cache_entry import ModelConfigCacheEntry
+from omnibase_infra.runtime.models.model_config_ref import (
+    EnumConfigRefScheme,
+    ModelConfigRef,
+)
+from omnibase_infra.runtime.models.model_retry_policy import ModelRetryPolicy
+
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from omnibase_core.container import ModelONEXContainer
+    from omnibase_infra.runtime.secret_resolver import SecretResolver
+
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+# Maximum file size for config files (1MB)
+# Prevents memory exhaustion from accidentally pointing at large files
+MAX_CONFIG_FILE_SIZE: Final[int] = 1024 * 1024
+
+# Maximum recursion depth for nested config resolution
+# Prevents stack overflow on deeply nested or circular configs
+_MAX_NESTED_CONFIG_DEPTH: Final[int] = 20
+
+# Fields that can be overridden via environment variables
+# Maps from environment variable field name (uppercase) to model field name
+_ENV_OVERRIDE_FIELDS: Final[dict[str, str]] = {
+    "ENABLED": "enabled",
+    "PRIORITY": "priority",
+    "TIMEOUT_MS": "timeout_ms",
+    "RATE_LIMIT_PER_SECOND": "rate_limit_per_second",
+    "MAX_RETRIES": "max_retries",
+    "BACKOFF_STRATEGY": "backoff_strategy",
+    "BASE_DELAY_MS": "base_delay_ms",
+    "MAX_DELAY_MS": "max_delay_ms",
+    "NAME": "name",
+}
+
+# Retry policy fields (nested under retry_policy)
+_RETRY_POLICY_FIELDS: Final[frozenset[str]] = frozenset(
+    {"MAX_RETRIES", "BACKOFF_STRATEGY", "BASE_DELAY_MS", "MAX_DELAY_MS"}
+)
+
+# Async key lock cleanup configuration (default values)
+# These values are now configurable via ModelBindingConfigResolverConfig.
+# These constants are kept as fallbacks and for backward compatibility with tests
+# that directly manipulate internal state without going through config.
+# Prevents unbounded growth of _async_key_locks dict in long-running processes.
+_ASYNC_KEY_LOCK_CLEANUP_THRESHOLD: Final[int] = (
+    1000  # Trigger cleanup when > 1000 locks (default, can be overridden via config)
+)
+_ASYNC_KEY_LOCK_MAX_AGE_SECONDS: Final[float] = (
+    3600.0  # Clean locks older than 1 hour (default, can be overridden via config)
+)
+
+
+def _split_path_and_fragment(path: str) -> tuple[str, str | None]:
+    """Split a path into path and optional fragment at '#'.
+
+    This is a common helper used by both BindingConfigResolver and SecretResolver
+    to parse vault paths that may contain a fragment identifier (e.g., "path#field").
+
+    Args:
+        path: The path string, optionally containing a '#' separator.
+
+    Returns:
+        Tuple of (path, fragment) where fragment may be None if no '#' present.
+
+    Example:
+        >>> _split_path_and_fragment("secret/data/db#password")
+        ("secret/data/db", "password")
+        >>> _split_path_and_fragment("secret/data/config")
+        ("secret/data/config", None)
+    """
+    if "#" in path:
+        path_part, fragment = path.rsplit("#", 1)
+        return path_part, fragment
+    return path, None
+
+
+class BindingConfigResolver:  # ONEX_EXCLUDE: method_count - follows SecretResolver pattern
+    """Resolver that normalizes handler configs from multiple sources.
+
+    The BindingConfigResolver provides a unified interface for resolving handler
+    configurations with proper priority ordering and caching support.
+
+    Resolution Order:
+        1. Check cache (if enabled and not expired)
+        2. Parse config_ref if present (file:, env:, vault:)
+        3. Load base config from ref, then merge inline_config (inline takes precedence)
+        4. Apply environment variable overrides (highest priority)
+        5. Resolve any vault: references in config values
+        6. Validate and construct ModelBindingConfig
+
+    Thread Safety:
+        This class is thread-safe for concurrent access from both sync and
+        async contexts. See module docstring for details on the locking strategy.
+
+    Example:
+        >>> # Container setup (async context required)
+        >>> from omnibase_core.enums import EnumInjectionScope
+        >>> container = ModelONEXContainer()
+        >>> config = ModelBindingConfigResolverConfig(env_prefix="HANDLER")
+        >>> await container.service_registry.register_instance(
+        ...     interface=ModelBindingConfigResolverConfig,
+        ...     instance=config,
+        ...     scope=EnumInjectionScope.GLOBAL,
+        ... )
+        >>> resolver = await BindingConfigResolver.create(container)
+        >>> binding = resolver.resolve(
+        ...     handler_type="db",
+        ...     inline_config={"pool_size": 10}
+        ... )
+    """
+
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        container: ModelONEXContainer,
+        *,
+        _config: ModelBindingConfigResolverConfig | None = None,
+        _secret_resolver: SecretResolver | None = None,
+    ) -> None:
+        """Initialize BindingConfigResolver with container-based dependency injection.
+
+        Follows ONEX mandatory container injection pattern per CLAUDE.md.
+        Config is resolved from container's service registry, and SecretResolver
+        is resolved as an optional dependency.
+
+        Note:
+            Prefer using the async factory method ``create()`` for initialization,
+            which properly resolves dependencies from the container's service registry.
+            Direct ``__init__`` usage requires pre-resolved config and secret_resolver.
+
+        Args:
+            container: ONEX container for dependency resolution.
+            _config: Pre-resolved config (used by create() factory). If None, raises error.
+            _secret_resolver: Pre-resolved secret resolver (optional, used by create() factory).
+
+        Raises:
+            ProtocolConfigurationError: If _config is not provided (use create() instead).
+        """
+        self._container = container
+
+        # Validate that config was provided (either via create() or directly)
+        if _config is None:
+            context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                operation="init",
+                target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+            )
+            raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                "BindingConfigResolver requires config to be provided. "
+                "Use the async factory method BindingConfigResolver.create(container) "
+                "for proper initialization with dependency resolution.",
+                context=context,
+            )
+
+        self._config: ModelBindingConfigResolverConfig = _config
+        self._secret_resolver: SecretResolver | None = _secret_resolver
+
+        # Use OrderedDict for LRU eviction support - entries are moved to end on access
+        self._cache: OrderedDict[str, ModelConfigCacheEntry] = OrderedDict()
+        # Track mutable stats internally since ModelBindingConfigCacheStats is frozen
+        self._hits = 0
+        self._misses = 0
+        self._expired_evictions = 0
+        self._lru_evictions = 0
+        self._refreshes = 0
+        self._file_loads = 0
+        self._env_loads = 0
+        self._vault_loads = 0
+        self._async_key_lock_cleanups = 0  # Track cleanup events for observability
+
+        # RLock (Reentrant Lock) is REQUIRED - DO NOT CHANGE TO REGULAR LOCK.
+        #
+        # Why RLock is necessary:
+        # -----------------------
+        # The sync path (resolve()) holds the lock while calling internal methods
+        # that also need to update counters protected by the same lock:
+        #
+        #   resolve() [holds _lock]
+        #     -> _get_from_cache() [updates _hits, _expired_evictions]
+        #     -> _resolve_config() [no lock needed directly]
+        #       -> _load_from_file() [updates _file_loads]
+        #       -> _load_from_env() [updates _env_loads]
+        #       -> _resolve_vault_refs() [updates _vault_loads]
+        #     -> _cache_config() [updates _misses, _lru_evictions]
+        #
+        # With a regular threading.Lock, this would cause DEADLOCK because:
+        # - Thread A calls resolve() and acquires _lock
+        # - Thread A calls _get_from_cache() which tries to update _hits
+        # - Since Thread A already holds _lock, a regular Lock would block forever
+        #
+        # RLock allows the same thread to acquire the lock multiple times,
+        # with a release count that must match the acquisition count.
+        #
+        # Alternative considered: Move counter updates outside the critical section.
+        # This was rejected because:
+        # 1. Counters must be updated atomically with cache operations for consistency
+        # 2. Would require significant refactoring with subtle race condition risks
+        # 3. RLock performance overhead is minimal for in-memory operations
+        #
+        # See PR #168 review for detailed analysis of this design decision.
+        self._lock = threading.RLock()
+
+        # Per-key async locks to allow parallel fetches for different handler types
+        # while preventing duplicate fetches for the same handler type.
+        # Timestamps track when each lock was created for periodic cleanup.
+        self._async_key_locks: dict[str, asyncio.Lock] = {}
+        self._async_key_lock_timestamps: dict[str, float] = {}
+
+    @classmethod
+    async def create(
+        cls,
+        container: ModelONEXContainer,
+    ) -> BindingConfigResolver:
+        """Async factory method for creating BindingConfigResolver with proper DI.
+
+        This is the preferred method for creating BindingConfigResolver instances.
+        It properly resolves dependencies from the container's async service registry.
+
+        Args:
+            container: ONEX container for dependency resolution.
+
+        Returns:
+            Fully initialized BindingConfigResolver instance.
+
+        Raises:
+            ProtocolConfigurationError: If ModelBindingConfigResolverConfig is not registered
+                in the container's service registry.
+
+        Example:
+            >>> from omnibase_core.enums import EnumInjectionScope
+            >>> container = ModelONEXContainer()
+            >>> config = ModelBindingConfigResolverConfig(env_prefix="HANDLER")
+            >>> await container.service_registry.register_instance(
+            ...     interface=ModelBindingConfigResolverConfig,
+            ...     instance=config,
+            ...     scope=EnumInjectionScope.GLOBAL,
+            ... )
+            >>> resolver = await BindingConfigResolver.create(container)
+        """
+        # Resolve config from container's service registry
+        try:
+            config: ModelBindingConfigResolverConfig = (
+                await container.service_registry.resolve_service(
+                    ModelBindingConfigResolverConfig
+                )
+            )
+        except (LookupError, KeyError, TypeError, AttributeError) as e:
+            # LookupError/KeyError: service not registered
+            # TypeError: invalid interface specification
+            # AttributeError: container/registry missing expected methods
+            context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                operation="create",
+                target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+            )
+            raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                "Failed to resolve ModelBindingConfigResolverConfig from container. "
+                "Ensure config is registered via container.service_registry.register_instance().",
+                context=context,
+            ) from e
+
+        # Resolve SecretResolver from container (optional dependency)
+        secret_resolver: SecretResolver | None = None
+        try:
+            from omnibase_infra.runtime.secret_resolver import SecretResolver
+
+            secret_resolver = await container.service_registry.resolve_service(
+                SecretResolver
+            )
+        except (ImportError, KeyError, AttributeError):
+            # SecretResolver is optional - if not registered, vault: schemes won't work
+            # ImportError: SecretResolver module not available
+            # KeyError: SecretResolver not registered in service registry
+            # AttributeError: service_registry missing resolve_service method (test mocks)
+            pass
+
+        return cls(
+            container,
+            _config=config,
+            _secret_resolver=secret_resolver,
+        )
+
+    # === Primary API (Sync) ===
+
+    def resolve(
+        self,
+        handler_type: str,
+        config_ref: str | None = None,
+        inline_config: dict[str, JsonType] | None = None,
+        correlation_id: UUID | None = None,
+    ) -> ModelBindingConfig:
+        """Resolve handler configuration synchronously.
+
+        Resolution order:
+            1. Check cache (if enabled and not expired)
+            2. Load from config_ref (if provided)
+            3. Merge with inline_config (inline takes precedence)
+            4. Apply environment variable overrides (highest priority)
+            5. Validate and construct ModelBindingConfig
+
+        Args:
+            handler_type: Handler type identifier (e.g., "db", "vault", "consul").
+            config_ref: Optional reference to external configuration.
+                Supported schemes: file:, env:, vault: (mutually exclusive - use only ONE)
+                Examples: file:configs/db.yaml, env:DB_CONFIG, vault:secret/data/db#password
+            inline_config: Optional inline configuration dictionary.
+                Takes precedence over config_ref for overlapping keys.
+            correlation_id: Optional correlation ID for error tracking.
+
+        Returns:
+            Resolved and validated ModelBindingConfig.
+
+        Raises:
+            ProtocolConfigurationError: If configuration is invalid or cannot be loaded.
+        """
+        correlation_id = correlation_id or uuid4()
+
+        with self._lock:
+            # Check cache first
+            cached = self._get_from_cache(handler_type)
+            if cached is not None:
+                return cached
+
+            # Resolve from sources
+            result = self._resolve_config(
+                handler_type=handler_type,
+                config_ref=config_ref,
+                inline_config=inline_config,
+                correlation_id=correlation_id,
+            )
+
+            # Cache the result if caching is enabled
+            if self._config.enable_caching:
+                source = self._describe_source(config_ref, inline_config)
+                self._cache_config(handler_type, result, source)
+            else:
+                # Count miss when caching is disabled since _cache_config won't be called
+                self._misses += 1
+
+            return result
+
+    def resolve_many(
+        self,
+        bindings: list[dict[str, JsonType]],
+        correlation_id: UUID | None = None,
+    ) -> list[ModelBindingConfig]:
+        """Resolve multiple handler configurations.
+
+        Each binding dict must contain at least "handler_type" key.
+        Optionally can include "config_ref" and "config" (inline_config).
+
+        Args:
+            bindings: List of binding specifications. Each dict should contain:
+                - handler_type (required): Handler type identifier
+                - config_ref (optional): Reference to external configuration
+                - config (optional): Inline configuration dictionary
+            correlation_id: Optional correlation ID for error tracking.
+
+        Returns:
+            List of resolved ModelBindingConfig instances.
+
+        Raises:
+            ProtocolConfigurationError: If any configuration is invalid.
+
+        Note:
+            This sync method resolves configurations sequentially. For better
+            latency when resolving multiple configurations that involve I/O
+            (file or Vault), prefer using ``resolve_many_async()``.
+        """
+        correlation_id = correlation_id or uuid4()
+        results: list[ModelBindingConfig] = []
+
+        for binding in bindings:
+            handler_type = binding.get("handler_type")
+            if not isinstance(handler_type, str):
+                context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                    correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                    transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                    operation="resolve_many",
+                    target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+                )
+                raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                    "Each binding must have a 'handler_type' string field",
+                    context=context,
+                )
+
+            config_ref = binding.get("config_ref")
+            if config_ref is not None and not isinstance(config_ref, str):
+                config_ref = None
+
+            inline_config = binding.get("config")
+            if inline_config is not None and not isinstance(inline_config, dict):
+                inline_config = None
+
+            result = self.resolve(
+                handler_type=handler_type,
+                config_ref=config_ref,
+                inline_config=inline_config,
+                correlation_id=correlation_id,
+            )
+            results.append(result)
+
+        return results
+
+    # === Primary API (Async) ===
+
+    async def resolve_async(
+        self,
+        handler_type: str,
+        config_ref: str | None = None,
+        inline_config: dict[str, JsonType] | None = None,
+        correlation_id: UUID | None = None,
+    ) -> ModelBindingConfig:
+        """Resolve handler configuration asynchronously.
+
+        For file-based configs, this uses async file I/O. For Vault secrets,
+        this uses the SecretResolver's async interface.
+
+        Thread Safety:
+            Uses threading.Lock for cache access to prevent race conditions
+            with sync callers. Per-key async locks serialize resolution for the
+            same handler type while allowing parallel fetches for different types.
+
+        Args:
+            handler_type: Handler type identifier (e.g., "db", "vault", "consul").
+            config_ref: Optional reference to external configuration.
+                Supported schemes: file:, env:, vault: (mutually exclusive - use only ONE)
+            inline_config: Optional inline configuration dictionary.
+            correlation_id: Optional correlation ID for error tracking.
+
+        Returns:
+            Resolved and validated ModelBindingConfig.
+
+        Raises:
+            ProtocolConfigurationError: If configuration is invalid or cannot be loaded.
+        """
+        correlation_id = correlation_id or uuid4()
+
+        # Use threading lock for cache check (fast operation, prevents race with sync)
+        with self._lock:
+            cached = self._get_from_cache(handler_type)
+            if cached is not None:
+                return cached
+
+        # Get or create per-key async lock for this handler_type
+        key_lock = self._get_async_key_lock(handler_type)
+
+        async with key_lock:
+            # Double-check cache after acquiring async lock
+            with self._lock:
+                cached = self._get_from_cache(handler_type)
+                if cached is not None:
+                    return cached
+
+            # Resolve from sources asynchronously
+            result = await self._resolve_config_async(
+                handler_type=handler_type,
+                config_ref=config_ref,
+                inline_config=inline_config,  # type: ignore[arg-type]
+                correlation_id=correlation_id,
+            )
+
+            # Cache the result if caching is enabled
+            if self._config.enable_caching:
+                with self._lock:
+                    if handler_type not in self._cache:
+                        source = self._describe_source(config_ref, inline_config)
+                        self._cache_config(handler_type, result, source)
+            else:
+                # Count miss when caching is disabled since _cache_config won't be called
+                with self._lock:
+                    self._misses += 1
+
+            return result
+
+    async def resolve_many_async(
+        self,
+        bindings: list[dict[str, JsonType]],
+        correlation_id: UUID | None = None,
+    ) -> list[ModelBindingConfig]:
+        """Resolve multiple configurations asynchronously in parallel.
+
+        Uses asyncio.gather() to fetch multiple configurations concurrently,
+        improving performance when resolving multiple configs that may involve
+        I/O (e.g., file or Vault-based secrets).
+
+        Thread Safety:
+            Each configuration resolution uses per-key async locks, so fetches
+            for different handler types proceed in parallel while fetches for
+            the same handler type are serialized.
+
+        Args:
+            bindings: List of binding specifications.
+            correlation_id: Optional correlation ID for error tracking.
+
+        Returns:
+            List of resolved ModelBindingConfig instances.
+
+        Raises:
+            ProtocolConfigurationError: If any configuration is invalid.
+        """
+        correlation_id = correlation_id or uuid4()
+
+        if not bindings:
+            return []
+
+        # Build tasks for parallel resolution
+        tasks: list[asyncio.Task[ModelBindingConfig]] = []
+
+        for binding in bindings:
+            handler_type = binding.get("handler_type")
+            if not isinstance(handler_type, str):
+                context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                    correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                    transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                    operation="resolve_many_async",
+                    target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+                )
+                raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                    "Each binding must have a 'handler_type' string field",
+                    context=context,
+                )
+
+            config_ref = binding.get("config_ref")
+            if config_ref is not None and not isinstance(config_ref, str):
+                config_ref = None
+
+            inline_config = binding.get("config")
+            if inline_config is not None and not isinstance(inline_config, dict):
+                inline_config = None
+
+            task = asyncio.create_task(
+                self.resolve_async(
+                    handler_type=handler_type,
+                    config_ref=config_ref,
+                    inline_config=inline_config,
+                    correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                )
+            )
+            tasks.append(task)
+
+        # Gather results - collect all exceptions for better error reporting
+        results = await asyncio.gather(*tasks, return_exceptions=True)
+
+        # Check for exceptions and aggregate them
+        failed_handler_types: list[str] = []
+        configs: list[ModelBindingConfig] = []
+
+        for i, result in enumerate(results):
+            if isinstance(result, BaseException):
+                handler_type = bindings[i].get("handler_type", f"binding[{i}]")
+                failed_handler_types.append(str(handler_type))
+                # Log the detailed error for debugging, but don't expose in exception
+                # (exception message could contain sensitive config values)
+                logger.debug(
+                    "Configuration resolution failed for handler '%s': %s",
+                    handler_type,
+                    result,
+                    extra={"correlation_id": str(correlation_id)},
+                )
+            else:
+                # Type narrowing: result is ModelBindingConfig after BaseException check
+                configs.append(result)
+
+        if failed_handler_types:
+            context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                operation="resolve_many_async",
+                target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+            )
+            raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                f"Failed to resolve {len(failed_handler_types)} configuration(s) "
+                f"for handlers: {', '.join(failed_handler_types)}",
+                context=context,
+            )
+
+        return configs
+
+    # === Cache Management ===
+
+    def refresh(self, handler_type: str) -> None:
+        """Invalidate cached config for a handler type.
+
+        Args:
+            handler_type: The handler type to refresh.
+        """
+        with self._lock:
+            if handler_type in self._cache:
+                del self._cache[handler_type]
+                self._refreshes += 1
+
+    def refresh_all(self) -> None:
+        """Invalidate all cached configs."""
+        with self._lock:
+            count = len(self._cache)
+            self._cache.clear()
+            self._refreshes += count
+
+    def get_cache_stats(self) -> ModelBindingConfigCacheStats:
+        """Get cache statistics.
+
+        Returns:
+            ModelBindingConfigCacheStats with hit/miss/load counts and lock stats.
+        """
+        with self._lock:
+            return ModelBindingConfigCacheStats(
+                total_entries=len(self._cache),
+                hits=self._hits,
+                misses=self._misses,
+                refreshes=self._refreshes,
+                expired_evictions=self._expired_evictions,
+                lru_evictions=self._lru_evictions,
+                file_loads=self._file_loads,
+                env_loads=self._env_loads,
+                vault_loads=self._vault_loads,
+                async_key_lock_count=len(self._async_key_locks),
+                async_key_lock_cleanups=self._async_key_lock_cleanups,
+            )
+
+    # === Internal Methods ===
+
+    def _get_async_key_lock(self, handler_type: str) -> asyncio.Lock:
+        """Get or create an async lock for a specific handler_type.
+
+        Includes periodic cleanup of stale locks to prevent unbounded memory
+        growth in long-running processes. Cleanup is triggered when the number
+        of locks exceeds the configured threshold (async_lock_cleanup_threshold).
+
+        Thread Safety:
+            Uses threading.Lock to safely access the key locks dictionary,
+            ensuring thread-safe creation of new locks. Cleanup only removes
+            locks that are not currently held.
+
+        Args:
+            handler_type: The handler type to get a lock for.
+
+        Returns:
+            asyncio.Lock for the given handler_type.
+
+        Note:
+            The cleanup threshold is configurable via
+            ModelBindingConfigResolverConfig.async_lock_cleanup_threshold.
+            Default is 1000 locks.
+        """
+        with self._lock:
+            # Periodic cleanup when threshold exceeded (uses config value)
+            threshold = self._config.async_lock_cleanup_threshold
+            if len(self._async_key_locks) > threshold:
+                self._cleanup_stale_async_key_locks()
+
+            if handler_type not in self._async_key_locks:
+                self._async_key_locks[handler_type] = asyncio.Lock()
+                self._async_key_lock_timestamps[handler_type] = time.monotonic()
+            return self._async_key_locks[handler_type]
+
+    def _cleanup_stale_async_key_locks(self) -> None:
+        """Remove async key locks that have not been used recently.
+
+        Only removes locks that are:
+        1. Older than the configured max age (async_lock_max_age_seconds)
+        2. Not currently held (not locked)
+
+        Thread Safety:
+            Must be called while holding self._lock. Safe to call from
+            any thread as it only modifies internal state.
+
+        Note:
+            This method is called periodically from _get_async_key_lock()
+            when the lock count exceeds the threshold. It does not require
+            external scheduling.
+
+            The max age is configurable via
+            ModelBindingConfigResolverConfig.async_lock_max_age_seconds.
+            Default is 3600 seconds (1 hour).
+        """
+        current_time = time.monotonic()
+        stale_keys: list[str] = []
+        max_age = self._config.async_lock_max_age_seconds
+
+        for key, timestamp in self._async_key_lock_timestamps.items():
+            age = current_time - timestamp
+            if age > max_age:
+                lock = self._async_key_locks.get(key)
+                # Only remove locks that are not currently held
+                if lock is not None and not lock.locked():
+                    stale_keys.append(key)
+
+        for key in stale_keys:
+            del self._async_key_locks[key]
+            del self._async_key_lock_timestamps[key]
+
+        if stale_keys:
+            self._async_key_lock_cleanups += 1
+            logger.debug(
+                "Cleaned up stale async key locks",
+                extra={
+                    "cleaned_count": len(stale_keys),
+                    "remaining_count": len(self._async_key_locks),
+                    "max_age_seconds": max_age,
+                },
+            )
+
+    def _cleanup_async_key_lock_for_eviction(self, key: str) -> None:
+        """Clean up async key lock when its associated cache entry is evicted.
+
+        This method is called during LRU eviction or TTL expiration to ensure
+        async locks don't leak when their corresponding cache entries are removed.
+
+        Thread Safety:
+            Must be called while holding self._lock. Only removes locks that
+            are not currently held to prevent race conditions with concurrent
+            async operations.
+
+        Args:
+            key: The handler_type key whose async lock should be cleaned up.
+
+        Note:
+            If the lock is currently held (e.g., an async operation is in progress),
+            it will NOT be removed. The lock will be cleaned up later during
+            periodic cleanup or when the operation completes.
+        """
+        if key in self._async_key_locks:
+            lock = self._async_key_locks[key]
+            # Only remove locks that are not currently held
+            # If locked, an async operation is in progress and will need the lock
+            if not lock.locked():
+                del self._async_key_locks[key]
+                if key in self._async_key_lock_timestamps:
+                    del self._async_key_lock_timestamps[key]
+                logger.debug(
+                    "Cleaned up async key lock for evicted cache entry",
+                    extra={"handler_type": key},
+                )
+
+    def _get_from_cache(self, handler_type: str) -> ModelBindingConfig | None:
+        """Get config from cache if present and not expired.
+
+        Args:
+            handler_type: The handler type to look up.
+
+        Returns:
+            ModelBindingConfig if cached and valid, None otherwise.
+
+        Note:
+            This method does NOT increment the miss counter. Misses are counted
+            at the point where resolution from sources occurs (either in
+            _cache_config when caching is enabled, or in resolve/resolve_async
+            when caching is disabled). This ensures accurate miss counting in
+            the async path which uses a double-check locking pattern.
+
+            When max_cache_entries is configured, this method moves accessed entries
+            to the end of the OrderedDict to maintain LRU ordering. This ensures
+            the least recently used entry is at the front for eviction.
+
+            When a cache entry is evicted due to TTL expiration, this method also
+            cleans up the associated async key lock to prevent memory leaks.
+        """
+        if not self._config.enable_caching:
+            return None
+
+        cached = self._cache.get(handler_type)
+        if cached is None:
+            return None
+
+        if cached.is_expired():
+            del self._cache[handler_type]
+            self._expired_evictions += 1
+            # Clean up the async lock for this evicted entry
+            self._cleanup_async_key_lock_for_eviction(handler_type)
+            return None
+
+        # Move to end for LRU tracking (most recently used)
+        # This is a no-op if max_cache_entries is None, but we do it anyway
+        # for consistency since OrderedDict.move_to_end() is O(1)
+        self._cache.move_to_end(handler_type)
+        self._hits += 1
+        return cached.config
+
+    def _cache_config(
+        self,
+        handler_type: str,
+        config: ModelBindingConfig,
+        source: str,
+    ) -> None:
+        """Cache a resolved configuration with TTL.
+
+        Args:
+            handler_type: The handler type being cached.
+            config: The configuration to cache.
+            source: Description of the configuration source.
+
+        Note:
+            When max_cache_entries is configured and the cache is at capacity,
+            this method evicts the least recently used (LRU) entry before adding
+            the new one. The LRU entry is the first entry in the OrderedDict
+            since entries are moved to the end on access.
+
+            When a cache entry is evicted via LRU, this method also cleans up
+            the associated async key lock to prevent memory leaks. The lock is
+            only removed if it is not currently held by an async operation.
+
+        Thread Safety:
+            This method is ALWAYS called while holding self._lock (from resolve()
+            or resolve_async()), ensuring that LRU eviction and cache write are
+            atomic. There is no race window where another thread could observe
+            an inconsistent cache state. See PR #168 review for analysis.
+        """
+        # Evict LRU entry if cache is at capacity (before adding new entry)
+        # NOTE: This entire operation is atomic because the caller holds self._lock
+        max_entries = self._config.max_cache_entries
+        if max_entries is not None and handler_type not in self._cache:
+            # Only evict if adding a NEW entry (not updating existing)
+            while len(self._cache) >= max_entries:
+                # popitem(last=False) removes the first (oldest/LRU) entry
+                evicted_key, _ = self._cache.popitem(last=False)
+                self._lru_evictions += 1
+                # Clean up the async lock for this evicted entry
+                self._cleanup_async_key_lock_for_eviction(evicted_key)
+                logger.debug(
+                    "LRU eviction: removed cache entry",
+                    extra={
+                        "evicted_handler_type": evicted_key,
+                        "new_handler_type": handler_type,
+                        "max_cache_entries": max_entries,
+                    },
+                )
+
+        now = datetime.now(UTC)
+        ttl_seconds = self._config.cache_ttl_seconds
+        expires_at = now + timedelta(seconds=ttl_seconds)
+
+        self._cache[handler_type] = ModelConfigCacheEntry(
+            config=config,
+            expires_at=expires_at,
+            source=source,
+        )
+        self._misses += 1
+
+    def _describe_source(
+        self,
+        config_ref: str | None,
+        inline_config: dict[str, JsonType] | None,
+    ) -> str:
+        """Create a description of the configuration source for debugging.
+
+        Args:
+            config_ref: The config reference, if any.
+            inline_config: The inline config, if any.
+
+        Returns:
+            Human-readable source description.
+        """
+        sources: list[str] = []
+        if config_ref:
+            # Don't expose full path - just scheme
+            if ":" in config_ref:
+                scheme = config_ref.split(":")[0]
+                sources.append(f"{scheme}:...")
+            else:
+                sources.append("unknown")
+        if inline_config:
+            sources.append("inline")
+        sources.append("env_overrides")
+        return "+".join(sources) if sources else "default"
+
+    def _resolve_config(
+        self,
+        handler_type: str,
+        config_ref: str | None,
+        inline_config: dict[str, JsonType] | None,
+        correlation_id: UUID,
+    ) -> ModelBindingConfig:
+        """Resolve configuration from sources synchronously.
+
+        Args:
+            handler_type: Handler type identifier.
+            config_ref: Optional external configuration reference.
+            inline_config: Optional inline configuration.
+            correlation_id: Correlation ID for error tracking.
+
+        Returns:
+            Resolved ModelBindingConfig.
+
+        Raises:
+            ProtocolConfigurationError: If configuration is invalid.
+        """
+        # Start with empty config
+        merged_config: dict[str, object] = {}
+
+        # Load from config_ref if provided
+        if config_ref:
+            ref_config = self._load_from_ref(config_ref, correlation_id)
+            merged_config.update(ref_config)
+
+        # Merge inline config (takes precedence over ref)
+        if inline_config:
+            merged_config.update(inline_config)
+
+        # Ensure handler_type is set
+        merged_config["handler_type"] = handler_type
+
+        # Apply environment variable overrides (highest priority)
+        merged_config = self._apply_env_overrides(
+            merged_config, handler_type, correlation_id
+        )
+
+        # Resolve any vault: references in the config
+        merged_config = self._resolve_vault_refs(merged_config, correlation_id)
+
+        # Validate and construct the final config
+        return self._validate_config(merged_config, handler_type, correlation_id)
+
+    async def _resolve_config_async(
+        self,
+        handler_type: str,
+        config_ref: str | None,
+        inline_config: dict[str, object] | None,
+        correlation_id: UUID,
+    ) -> ModelBindingConfig:
+        """Resolve configuration from sources asynchronously.
+
+        Args:
+            handler_type: Handler type identifier.
+            config_ref: Optional external configuration reference.
+            inline_config: Optional inline configuration.
+            correlation_id: Correlation ID for error tracking.
+
+        Returns:
+            Resolved ModelBindingConfig.
+
+        Raises:
+            ProtocolConfigurationError: If configuration is invalid.
+        """
+        # Start with empty config
+        merged_config: dict[str, object] = {}
+
+        # Load from config_ref if provided
+        if config_ref:
+            ref_config = await self._load_from_ref_async(config_ref, correlation_id)
+            merged_config.update(ref_config)
+
+        # Merge inline config (takes precedence over ref)
+        if inline_config:
+            merged_config.update(inline_config)
+
+        # Ensure handler_type is set
+        merged_config["handler_type"] = handler_type
+
+        # Apply environment variable overrides (highest priority)
+        merged_config = self._apply_env_overrides(
+            merged_config, handler_type, correlation_id
+        )
+
+        # Resolve any vault: references in the config (async)
+        merged_config = await self._resolve_vault_refs_async(
+            merged_config, correlation_id
+        )
+
+        # Validate and construct the final config
+        return self._validate_config(merged_config, handler_type, correlation_id)
+
+    def _load_from_ref(
+        self,
+        config_ref: str,
+        correlation_id: UUID,
+    ) -> dict[str, object]:
+        """Load configuration from a config_ref.
+
+        Args:
+            config_ref: Configuration reference using scheme format (file:, env:, vault:).
+                Examples: file:configs/db.yaml, env:DB_CONFIG, vault:secret/data/db#password
+            correlation_id: Correlation ID for error tracking.
+
+        Returns:
+            Loaded configuration dictionary.
+
+        Raises:
+            ProtocolConfigurationError: If reference is invalid or cannot be loaded.
+        """
+        # Parse the config reference
+        parse_result = ModelConfigRef.parse(config_ref)
+        if not parse_result:
+            context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                operation="load_from_ref",
+                target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+            )
+            # Log the detailed error for debugging, but don't expose parse details
+            # in the exception message (config_ref could contain sensitive paths)
+            logger.debug(
+                "Config reference parsing failed: %s",
+                parse_result.error_message,
+                extra={"correlation_id": str(correlation_id)},
+            )
+            raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                "Invalid config reference format",
+                context=context,
+            )
+
+        ref = parse_result.config_ref
+        if ref is None:
+            context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                operation="load_from_ref",
+                target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+            )
+            raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                "Config reference parse result has no config_ref",
+                context=context,
+            )
+
+        # Check scheme is allowed
+        if ref.scheme.value not in self._config.allowed_schemes:
+            context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                operation="load_from_ref",
+                target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+            )
+            raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                f"Scheme '{ref.scheme.value}' is not in allowed schemes",
+                context=context,
+            )
+
+        # Load based on scheme
+        if ref.scheme == EnumConfigRefScheme.FILE:
+            return self._load_from_file(Path(ref.path), correlation_id)
+        elif ref.scheme == EnumConfigRefScheme.ENV:
+            return self._load_from_env(ref.path, correlation_id)
+        elif ref.scheme == EnumConfigRefScheme.VAULT:
+            return self._load_from_vault(ref.path, ref.fragment, correlation_id)
+        else:
+            context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                operation="load_from_ref",
+                target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+            )
+            raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                f"Unsupported scheme: {ref.scheme.value}",
+                context=context,
+            )
+
+    async def _load_from_ref_async(
+        self,
+        config_ref: str,
+        correlation_id: UUID,
+    ) -> dict[str, object]:
+        """Load configuration from a config_ref asynchronously.
+
+        Args:
+            config_ref: Configuration reference using scheme format (file:, env:, vault:).
+                Examples: file:configs/db.yaml, env:DB_CONFIG, vault:secret/data/db#password
+            correlation_id: Correlation ID for error tracking.
+
+        Returns:
+            Loaded configuration dictionary.
+
+        Raises:
+            ProtocolConfigurationError: If reference is invalid or cannot be loaded.
+        """
+        # Parse the config reference
+        parse_result = ModelConfigRef.parse(config_ref)
+        if not parse_result:
+            context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                operation="load_from_ref_async",
+                target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+            )
+            # Log the detailed error for debugging, but don't expose parse details
+            # in the exception message (config_ref could contain sensitive paths)
+            logger.debug(
+                "Config reference parsing failed: %s",
+                parse_result.error_message,
+                extra={"correlation_id": str(correlation_id)},
+            )
+            raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                "Invalid config reference format",
+                context=context,
+            )
+
+        ref = parse_result.config_ref
+        if ref is None:
+            context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                operation="load_from_ref_async",
+                target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+            )
+            raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                "Config reference parse result has no config_ref",
+                context=context,
+            )
+
+        # Check scheme is allowed
+        if ref.scheme.value not in self._config.allowed_schemes:
+            context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                operation="load_from_ref_async",
+                target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+            )
+            raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                f"Scheme '{ref.scheme.value}' is not in allowed schemes",
+                context=context,
+            )
+
+        # Load based on scheme
+        if ref.scheme == EnumConfigRefScheme.FILE:
+            return await asyncio.to_thread(
+                self._load_from_file, Path(ref.path), correlation_id
+            )
+        elif ref.scheme == EnumConfigRefScheme.ENV:
+            # Env var access is fast, no need for thread
+            return self._load_from_env(ref.path, correlation_id)
+        elif ref.scheme == EnumConfigRefScheme.VAULT:
+            return await self._load_from_vault_async(
+                ref.path, ref.fragment, correlation_id
+            )
+        else:
+            context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                operation="load_from_ref_async",
+                target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+            )
+            raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                f"Unsupported scheme: {ref.scheme.value}",
+                context=context,
+            )
+
+    def _load_from_file(
+        self,
+        path: Path,
+        correlation_id: UUID,
+    ) -> dict[str, object]:
+        """Load config from YAML or JSON file.
+
+        Args:
+            path: Path to the configuration file.
+            correlation_id: Correlation ID for error tracking.
+
+        Returns:
+            Loaded configuration dictionary.
+
+        Raises:
+            ProtocolConfigurationError: If file cannot be read or parsed.
+        """
+        # Resolve relative paths against config_dir
+        if not path.is_absolute():
+            if self._config.config_dir is not None:
+                # Validate config_dir at use-time (deferred from model construction)
+                try:
+                    config_dir_exists = self._config.config_dir.exists()
+                    config_dir_is_dir = self._config.config_dir.is_dir()
+                except ValueError:
+                    # config_dir contains null bytes (defense-in-depth)
+                    context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                        correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                        transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                        operation="load_from_file",
+                        target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+                    )
+                    raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                        "Invalid config_dir path: contains invalid characters",
+                        context=context,
+                    )
+                if not config_dir_exists:
+                    context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                        correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                        transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                        operation="load_from_file",
+                        target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+                    )
+                    raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                        f"config_dir does not exist: path='{self._config.config_dir}'",
+                        context=context,
+                    )
+                if not config_dir_is_dir:
+                    context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                        correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                        transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                        operation="load_from_file",
+                        target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+                    )
+                    raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                        f"config_dir exists but is not a directory: path='{self._config.config_dir}'",
+                        context=context,
+                    )
+                path = self._config.config_dir / path
+            else:
+                context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                    correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                    transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                    operation="load_from_file",
+                    target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+                )
+                raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                    "Relative path provided but no config_dir configured",
+                    context=context,
+                )
+
+        # Security: Check for symlinks if not allowed
+        # Check before resolve() to detect symlinks in the original path
+        try:
+            is_symlink = not self._config.allow_symlinks and path.is_symlink()
+        except ValueError:
+            # Path contains null bytes or other invalid characters
+            context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                operation="load_from_file",
+                target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+            )
+            raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                "Invalid configuration file path: contains invalid characters",
+                context=context,
+            )
+        if is_symlink:
+            logger.warning(
+                "Symlink rejected in config file path",
+                extra={"correlation_id": str(correlation_id)},
+            )
+            context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                operation="load_from_file",
+                target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+            )
+            raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                "Configuration file symlinks not allowed",
+                context=context,
+            )
+
+        # Resolve to absolute path for security validation
+        try:
+            resolved_path = path.resolve()
+        except (OSError, RuntimeError, ValueError):
+            # ValueError: path contains null bytes or other invalid characters
+            # OSError/RuntimeError: filesystem/symlink resolution errors
+            context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                operation="load_from_file",
+                target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+            )
+            raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                "Invalid configuration file path",
+                context=context,
+            )
+
+        # Security: Check if any path component is a symlink (when symlinks disallowed)
+        # This catches symlinks in parent directories (e.g., /etc/configs -> /tmp/evil)
+        if not self._config.allow_symlinks:
+            current = path
+            while current != current.parent:
+                try:
+                    is_current_symlink = current.is_symlink()
+                except ValueError:
+                    # Path contains null bytes or other invalid characters
+                    context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                        correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                        transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                        operation="load_from_file",
+                        target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+                    )
+                    raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                        "Invalid configuration file path: contains invalid characters",
+                        context=context,
+                    )
+                if is_current_symlink:
+                    logger.warning(
+                        "Symlink detected in path hierarchy",
+                        extra={"correlation_id": str(correlation_id)},
+                    )
+                    context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                        correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                        transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                        operation="load_from_file",
+                        target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+                    )
+                    raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                        "Configuration file path contains symlink",
+                        context=context,
+                    )
+                current = current.parent
+
+        # Security: Validate path is within config_dir if configured
+        if self._config.config_dir is not None:
+            try:
+                config_dir_resolved = self._config.config_dir.resolve()
+            except (OSError, RuntimeError, ValueError):
+                # ValueError: config_dir contains null bytes (defense-in-depth)
+                # OSError/RuntimeError: filesystem/symlink resolution errors
+                context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                    correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                    transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                    operation="load_from_file",
+                    target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+                )
+                raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                    "Invalid config_dir path",
+                    context=context,
+                )
+            try:
+                resolved_path.relative_to(config_dir_resolved)
+            except ValueError:
+                # Path escapes config_dir - this is a path traversal attempt
+                logger.warning(
+                    "Path traversal detected in config file path",
+                    extra={"correlation_id": str(correlation_id)},
+                )
+                context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                    correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                    transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                    operation="load_from_file",
+                    target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+                )
+                raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                    "Configuration file path traversal not allowed",
+                    context=context,
+                )
+
+        # Read file with size limit
+        try:
+            with resolved_path.open("r") as f:
+                content = f.read(MAX_CONFIG_FILE_SIZE + 1)
+                if len(content) > MAX_CONFIG_FILE_SIZE:
+                    context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                        correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                        transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                        operation="load_from_file",
+                        target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+                    )
+                    raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                        "Configuration file exceeds size limit",
+                        context=context,
+                    )
+        except FileNotFoundError:
+            context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                operation="load_from_file",
+                target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+            )
+            raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                "Configuration file not found",
+                context=context,
+            )
+        except IsADirectoryError:
+            context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                operation="load_from_file",
+                target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+            )
+            raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                "Configuration path is a directory, not a file",
+                context=context,
+            )
+        except PermissionError:
+            context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                operation="load_from_file",
+                target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+            )
+            raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                "Permission denied reading configuration file",
+                context=context,
+            )
+        except OSError:
+            context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                operation="load_from_file",
+                target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+            )
+            raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                "OS error reading configuration file",
+                context=context,
+            )
+
+        # Parse based on extension
+        suffix = resolved_path.suffix.lower()
+        try:
+            if suffix in {".yaml", ".yml"}:
+                data = yaml.safe_load(content)
+            elif suffix == ".json":
+                data = json.loads(content)
+            else:
+                context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                    correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                    transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                    operation="load_from_file",
+                    target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+                )
+                raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                    f"Unsupported configuration file format: {suffix}",
+                    context=context,
+                )
+        except yaml.YAMLError:
+            context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                operation="load_from_file",
+                target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+            )
+            raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                "Invalid YAML in configuration file",
+                context=context,
+            )
+        except json.JSONDecodeError:
+            context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                operation="load_from_file",
+                target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+            )
+            raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                "Invalid JSON in configuration file",
+                context=context,
+            )
+
+        if not isinstance(data, dict):
+            context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                operation="load_from_file",
+                target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+            )
+            raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                "Configuration file must contain a dictionary",
+                context=context,
+            )
+
+        with self._lock:
+            self._file_loads += 1
+
+        return data
+
+    def _load_from_env(
+        self,
+        env_var: str,
+        correlation_id: UUID,
+    ) -> dict[str, object]:
+        """Load config from environment variable (JSON or YAML).
+
+        Args:
+            env_var: Environment variable name containing configuration.
+            correlation_id: Correlation ID for error tracking.
+
+        Returns:
+            Loaded configuration dictionary.
+
+        Raises:
+            ProtocolConfigurationError: If env var is missing or contains invalid data.
+        """
+        value = os.environ.get(env_var)
+        if value is None:
+            context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                operation="load_from_env",
+                target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+            )
+            raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                f"Environment variable not set: {env_var}",
+                context=context,
+            )
+
+        # Try JSON first, then YAML
+        data: object = None
+        try:
+            data = json.loads(value)
+        except json.JSONDecodeError:
+            try:
+                data = yaml.safe_load(value)
+            except yaml.YAMLError:
+                context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                    correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                    transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                    operation="load_from_env",
+                    target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+                )
+                raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                    f"Environment variable {env_var} contains invalid JSON/YAML",
+                    context=context,
+                )
+
+        if not isinstance(data, dict):
+            context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                operation="load_from_env",
+                target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+            )
+            raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                f"Environment variable {env_var} must contain a dictionary",
+                context=context,
+            )
+
+        with self._lock:
+            self._env_loads += 1
+
+        return data
+
+    def _load_from_vault(
+        self,
+        vault_path: str,
+        fragment: str | None,
+        correlation_id: UUID,
+    ) -> dict[str, object]:
+        """Load config from Vault secret.
+
+        Args:
+            vault_path: Vault secret path.
+            fragment: Optional field within the secret.
+            correlation_id: Correlation ID for error tracking.
+
+        Returns:
+            Loaded configuration dictionary.
+
+        Raises:
+            ProtocolConfigurationError: If Vault is not configured or secret cannot be read.
+        """
+        secret_resolver = self._get_secret_resolver()
+        if secret_resolver is None:
+            context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                operation="load_from_vault",
+                target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+            )
+            raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                "Vault scheme used but no SecretResolver configured",
+                context=context,
+            )
+
+        # Build logical name for secret resolver
+        logical_name = vault_path
+        if fragment:
+            logical_name = f"{vault_path}#{fragment}"
+
+        try:
+            secret = secret_resolver.get_secret(logical_name, required=True)
+        except (SecretResolutionError, NotImplementedError) as e:
+            # SecretResolutionError: secret not found or resolution failed
+            # NotImplementedError: Vault integration not yet implemented
+            # SECURITY: Log at DEBUG level only - exception may contain vault paths
+            logger.debug(
+                "Vault configuration retrieval failed (correlation_id=%s): %s",
+                correlation_id,
+                e,
+                extra={"correlation_id": str(correlation_id)},
+            )
+            context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.VAULT,
+                operation="load_from_vault",
+                target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+            )
+            # SECURITY: Do NOT chain original exception (from e) - it may
+            # contain vault paths in its message.
+            raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                f"Failed to retrieve configuration from Vault. "
+                f"correlation_id={correlation_id}",
+                context=context,
+            )
+
+        if secret is None:
+            context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.VAULT,
+                operation="load_from_vault",
+                target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+            )
+            raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                "Vault secret not found",
+                context=context,
+            )
+
+        # Parse secret value as JSON or YAML
+        secret_value = secret.get_secret_value()
+        data: object = None
+        try:
+            data = json.loads(secret_value)
+        except json.JSONDecodeError:
+            try:
+                data = yaml.safe_load(secret_value)
+            except yaml.YAMLError:
+                context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                    correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                    transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.VAULT,
+                    operation="load_from_vault",
+                    target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+                )
+                raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                    "Vault secret contains invalid JSON/YAML",
+                    context=context,
+                )
+
+        if not isinstance(data, dict):
+            context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.VAULT,
+                operation="load_from_vault",
+                target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+            )
+            raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                "Vault secret must contain a dictionary",
+                context=context,
+            )
+
+        with self._lock:
+            self._vault_loads += 1
+
+        return data
+
+    async def _load_from_vault_async(
+        self,
+        vault_path: str,
+        fragment: str | None,
+        correlation_id: UUID,
+    ) -> dict[str, object]:
+        """Load config from Vault secret asynchronously.
+
+        Args:
+            vault_path: Vault secret path.
+            fragment: Optional field within the secret.
+            correlation_id: Correlation ID for error tracking.
+
+        Returns:
+            Loaded configuration dictionary.
+
+        Raises:
+            ProtocolConfigurationError: If Vault is not configured or secret cannot be read.
+        """
+        secret_resolver = self._get_secret_resolver()
+        if secret_resolver is None:
+            context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                operation="load_from_vault_async",
+                target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+            )
+            raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                "Vault scheme used but no SecretResolver configured",
+                context=context,
+            )
+
+        # Build logical name for secret resolver
+        logical_name = vault_path
+        if fragment:
+            logical_name = f"{vault_path}#{fragment}"
+
+        try:
+            secret = await secret_resolver.get_secret_async(logical_name, required=True)
+        except (SecretResolutionError, NotImplementedError) as e:
+            # SecretResolutionError: secret not found or resolution failed
+            # NotImplementedError: Vault integration not yet implemented
+            # SECURITY: Log at DEBUG level only - exception may contain vault paths
+            logger.debug(
+                "Vault configuration retrieval failed async (correlation_id=%s): %s",
+                correlation_id,
+                e,
+                extra={"correlation_id": str(correlation_id)},
+            )
+            context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.VAULT,
+                operation="load_from_vault_async",
+                target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+            )
+            # SECURITY: Do NOT chain original exception (from e) - it may
+            # contain vault paths in its message.
+            raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                f"Failed to retrieve configuration from Vault. "
+                f"correlation_id={correlation_id}",
+                context=context,
+            )
+
+        if secret is None:
+            context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.VAULT,
+                operation="load_from_vault_async",
+                target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+            )
+            raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                "Vault secret not found",
+                context=context,
+            )
+
+        # Parse secret value as JSON or YAML
+        secret_value = secret.get_secret_value()
+        data: object = None
+        try:
+            data = json.loads(secret_value)
+        except json.JSONDecodeError:
+            try:
+                data = yaml.safe_load(secret_value)
+            except yaml.YAMLError:
+                context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                    correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                    transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.VAULT,
+                    operation="load_from_vault_async",
+                    target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+                )
+                raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                    "Vault secret contains invalid JSON/YAML",
+                    context=context,
+                )
+
+        if not isinstance(data, dict):
+            context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.VAULT,
+                operation="load_from_vault_async",
+                target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+            )
+            raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                "Vault secret must contain a dictionary",
+                context=context,
+            )
+
+        with self._lock:
+            self._vault_loads += 1
+
+        return data
+
+    def _get_secret_resolver(self) -> SecretResolver | None:
+        """Get the container-resolved SecretResolver instance.
+
+        The SecretResolver is resolved from the container during __init__.
+        This method provides access to the cached instance.
+
+        Returns:
+            SecretResolver if registered in container, None otherwise.
+        """
+        return self._secret_resolver
+
+    def _parse_vault_reference(self, value: str) -> tuple[str, str | None]:
+        """Parse a vault: reference string into path and optional fragment.
+
+        Extracts the vault path and optional fragment from a vault reference.
+        The fragment is specified after a '#' character in the reference.
+
+        Args:
+            value: The vault reference string (e.g., "vault:secret/path#field").
+
+        Returns:
+            Tuple of (vault_path, fragment) where fragment may be None.
+            The vault_path has the "vault:" prefix removed.
+
+        Example:
+            >>> self._parse_vault_reference("vault:secret/data/db#password")
+            ("secret/data/db", "password")
+            >>> self._parse_vault_reference("vault:secret/data/config")
+            ("secret/data/config", None)
+        """
+        vault_path = value[6:]  # Remove "vault:" prefix
+        return _split_path_and_fragment(vault_path)
+
+    def _has_vault_references(self, config: dict[str, object]) -> bool:
+        """Check if config contains any vault: references (including nested dicts and lists).
+
+        Recursively scans the configuration dictionary to detect any string
+        values that start with "vault:".
+
+        Args:
+            config: Configuration dictionary to check.
+
+        Returns:
+            True if any vault: references are found, False otherwise.
+        """
+        for value in config.values():
+            if isinstance(value, str) and value.startswith("vault:"):
+                return True
+            if isinstance(value, dict):
+                if self._has_vault_references(value):
+                    return True
+            if isinstance(value, list):
+                if self._has_vault_references_in_list(value):
+                    return True
+        return False
+
+    def _has_vault_references_in_list(self, items: list[object]) -> bool:
+        """Check if a list contains any vault: references (including nested structures).
+
+        Args:
+            items: List to check for vault references.
+
+        Returns:
+            True if any vault: references are found, False otherwise.
+        """
+        for item in items:
+            if isinstance(item, str) and item.startswith("vault:"):
+                return True
+            if isinstance(item, dict):
+                if self._has_vault_references(item):
+                    return True
+            if isinstance(item, list):
+                if self._has_vault_references_in_list(item):
+                    return True
+        return False
+
+    def _apply_env_overrides(
+        self,
+        config: dict[str, object],
+        handler_type: str,
+        correlation_id: UUID,
+    ) -> dict[str, object]:
+        """Apply environment variable overrides.
+
+        Environment variables follow the pattern:
+        {env_prefix}_{HANDLER_TYPE}_{FIELD}
+
+        For example: HANDLER_DB_TIMEOUT_MS=10000
+
+        Args:
+            config: Base configuration dictionary.
+            handler_type: Handler type for env var name construction.
+            correlation_id: Correlation ID for error tracking.
+
+        Returns:
+            Configuration with environment overrides applied.
+        """
+        result = dict(config)
+        prefix = self._config.env_prefix
+        handler_upper = handler_type.upper()
+
+        # Track retry policy overrides separately
+        retry_overrides: dict[str, object] = {}
+
+        for env_field, model_field in _ENV_OVERRIDE_FIELDS.items():
+            env_name = f"{prefix}_{handler_upper}_{env_field}"
+            env_value = os.environ.get(env_name)
+
+            if env_value is not None:
+                # Convert value based on expected type
+                converted = self._convert_env_value(
+                    env_value, model_field, env_name, correlation_id
+                )
+                if converted is not None:
+                    if env_field in _RETRY_POLICY_FIELDS:
+                        retry_overrides[model_field] = converted
+                    else:
+                        result[model_field] = converted
+
+        # Merge retry policy overrides if any
+        if retry_overrides:
+            existing_retry = result.get("retry_policy")
+            if isinstance(existing_retry, dict):
+                merged_retry = dict(existing_retry)
+                merged_retry.update(retry_overrides)
+                result["retry_policy"] = merged_retry
+            elif isinstance(existing_retry, ModelRetryPolicy):
+                # Convert to dict, update, leave as dict for later construction
+                merged_retry = existing_retry.model_dump()
+                merged_retry.update(retry_overrides)
+                result["retry_policy"] = merged_retry
+            else:
+                result["retry_policy"] = retry_overrides
+
+        return result
+
+    def _convert_env_value(
+        self,
+        value: str,
+        field: str,
+        env_name: str,
+        correlation_id: UUID,
+    ) -> object | None:
+        """Convert environment variable string to appropriate type.
+
+        This method handles type coercion for environment variable overrides.
+        The behavior on invalid values depends on the ``strict_env_coercion``
+        configuration setting:
+
+        **Strict mode** (``strict_env_coercion=True``):
+            Raises ``ProtocolConfigurationError`` immediately when a value
+            cannot be converted to the expected type. This is appropriate
+            for production environments where configuration errors should
+            fail fast.
+
+        **Non-strict mode** (``strict_env_coercion=False``, default):
+            Logs a warning and returns ``None``. When ``None`` is returned,
+            the calling code skips the override entirely, leaving the
+            original configuration value unchanged. This is intentional
+            conservative behavior: rather than applying a potentially
+            incorrect default, the system preserves the existing
+            configuration when an environment variable contains an
+            invalid value.
+
+        Args:
+            value: String value from environment.
+            field: Field name to determine type.
+            env_name: Full environment variable name for error messages.
+            correlation_id: Correlation ID for error tracking.
+
+        Returns:
+            The converted value if conversion succeeds, or ``None`` if
+            conversion fails in non-strict mode. When ``None`` is returned,
+            the override is skipped and the original configuration value
+            is preserved (the invalid environment variable is not applied).
+
+        Raises:
+            ProtocolConfigurationError: If ``strict_env_coercion`` is enabled
+                and the value cannot be converted to the expected type.
+
+        Example:
+            Boolean coercion accepts case-insensitive values::
+
+                # All these evaluate to True:
+                # HANDLER_DB_ENABLED=true, HANDLER_DB_ENABLED=1
+                # HANDLER_DB_ENABLED=yes, HANDLER_DB_ENABLED=on
+
+                # All these evaluate to False:
+                # HANDLER_DB_ENABLED=false, HANDLER_DB_ENABLED=0
+                # HANDLER_DB_ENABLED=no, HANDLER_DB_ENABLED=off
+
+            Integer and float fields accept standard numeric strings::
+
+                # Integer: HANDLER_DB_TIMEOUT_MS=5000
+                # Float: HANDLER_DB_RATE_LIMIT_PER_SECOND=100.5
+
+            Invalid values in non-strict mode are skipped (original preserved)::
+
+                # HANDLER_DB_ENABLED=invalid -> warning logged, original kept
+                # HANDLER_DB_TIMEOUT_MS=not_a_number -> warning logged, original kept
+        """
+        # Boolean fields
+        if field == "enabled":
+            valid_true = {"true", "1", "yes", "on"}
+            valid_false = {"false", "0", "no", "off"}
+            value_lower = value.lower()
+
+            if value_lower in valid_true:
+                return True
+            if value_lower in valid_false:
+                return False
+
+            # Invalid boolean value - handle based on strict mode
+            self._handle_conversion_error(
+                env_name=env_name,
+                field=field,
+                expected_type="boolean (true/false/1/0/yes/no/on/off)",
+                correlation_id=correlation_id,
+            )
+            # In non-strict mode, skip override (return None) to match other types
+            return None
+
+        # Integer fields
+        if field in {
+            "priority",
+            "timeout_ms",
+            "max_retries",
+            "base_delay_ms",
+            "max_delay_ms",
+        }:
+            try:
+                return int(value)
+            except ValueError:
+                self._handle_conversion_error(
+                    env_name=env_name,
+                    field=field,
+                    expected_type="integer",
+                    correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                )
+                return None
+
+        # Float fields
+        if field == "rate_limit_per_second":
+            try:
+                return float(value)
+            except ValueError:
+                self._handle_conversion_error(
+                    env_name=env_name,
+                    field=field,
+                    expected_type="float",
+                    correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                )
+                return None
+
+        # String fields
+        if field in {"name", "backoff_strategy"}:
+            return value
+
+        return value
+
+    def _handle_conversion_error(
+        self,
+        env_name: str,
+        field: str,
+        expected_type: str,
+        correlation_id: UUID,
+    ) -> None:
+        """Handle type conversion error based on strict_env_coercion setting.
+
+        In strict mode, raises ProtocolConfigurationError.
+        In lenient mode, logs a warning with structured context.
+
+        Args:
+            env_name: Full environment variable name.
+            field: Field name that was being set.
+            expected_type: Expected type name (e.g., "integer", "float").
+            correlation_id: Correlation ID for error tracking.
+
+        Raises:
+            ProtocolConfigurationError: If strict_env_coercion is enabled.
+        """
+        if self._config.strict_env_coercion:
+            context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                operation="convert_env_value",
+                target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+            )
+            raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                f"Invalid {expected_type} value in environment variable "
+                f"'{env_name}' for field '{field}'",
+                context=context,
+            )
+
+        logger.warning(
+            "Invalid %s value in environment variable '%s' for field '%s'; "
+            "override will be skipped",
+            expected_type,
+            env_name,
+            field,
+            extra={
+                "correlation_id": str(correlation_id),
+                "env_var": env_name,
+                "field": field,
+                "expected_type": expected_type,
+            },
+        )
+
+    def _resolve_vault_refs(
+        self,
+        config: dict[str, object],
+        correlation_id: UUID,
+        depth: int = 0,
+    ) -> dict[str, object]:
+        """Resolve any vault: references in config values.
+
+        Scans all string values for vault: prefix and resolves them
+        using the SecretResolver.
+
+        Args:
+            config: Configuration dictionary.
+            correlation_id: Correlation ID for error tracking.
+            depth: Current recursion depth (default 0).
+
+        Returns:
+            Configuration with vault references resolved.
+
+        Raises:
+            ProtocolConfigurationError: If recursion depth exceeds maximum,
+                or if fail_on_vault_error is True and a vault reference fails.
+        """
+        if depth > _MAX_NESTED_CONFIG_DEPTH:
+            context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                operation="resolve_vault_refs",
+                target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+            )
+            raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                f"Configuration nesting exceeds maximum depth of {_MAX_NESTED_CONFIG_DEPTH}",
+                context=context,
+            )
+
+        secret_resolver = self._get_secret_resolver()
+        if secret_resolver is None:
+            # Check if there are vault references that need resolution
+            # If fail_on_vault_error is True and vault refs exist, this is a security issue
+            if self._config.fail_on_vault_error and self._has_vault_references(config):
+                context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                    correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                    transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                    operation="resolve_vault_refs",
+                    target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+                )
+                raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                    "Config contains vault: references but no SecretResolver is configured",
+                    context=context,
+                )
+            return config
+
+        result: dict[str, object] = {}
+        for key, value in config.items():
+            if isinstance(value, str) and value.startswith("vault:"):
+                # Parse vault reference using helper method
+                vault_path, fragment = self._parse_vault_reference(value)
+                logical_name = f"{vault_path}#{fragment}" if fragment else vault_path
+
+                try:
+                    secret = secret_resolver.get_secret(logical_name, required=False)
+                    if secret is not None:
+                        result[key] = secret.get_secret_value()
+                    else:
+                        # Secret not found - check fail_on_vault_error
+                        if self._config.fail_on_vault_error:
+                            logger.error(
+                                "Vault secret not found for config key '%s'",
+                                key,
+                                extra={
+                                    "correlation_id": str(correlation_id),
+                                    "config_key": key,
+                                },
+                            )
+                            context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                                correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                                transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.VAULT,
+                                operation="resolve_vault_refs",
+                                target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+                            )
+                            raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                                f"Vault secret not found for config key '{key}'",
+                                context=context,
+                            )
+                        result[key] = value  # Keep original if not found
+                except (SecretResolutionError, NotImplementedError) as e:
+                    # SecretResolutionError: secret not found or resolution failed
+                    # NotImplementedError: Vault integration not yet implemented
+                    # SECURITY: Log at DEBUG level only - exception may contain vault paths
+                    # Use DEBUG to capture details for troubleshooting without exposing
+                    # sensitive paths in production logs
+                    logger.debug(
+                        "Vault resolution failed for config key '%s' "
+                        "(correlation_id=%s): %s",
+                        key,
+                        correlation_id,
+                        e,
+                        extra={
+                            "correlation_id": str(correlation_id),
+                            "config_key": key,
+                        },
+                    )
+                    # Respect fail_on_vault_error config option
+                    if self._config.fail_on_vault_error:
+                        context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                            correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                            transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.VAULT,
+                            operation="resolve_vault_refs",
+                            target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+                        )
+                        # SECURITY: Do NOT chain original exception (from e) - it may
+                        # contain vault paths in its message. Original error is logged
+                        # at DEBUG level above for troubleshooting.
+                        raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                            f"Failed to resolve Vault secret reference for config key "
+                            f"'{key}'. correlation_id={correlation_id}",
+                            context=context,
+                        )
+                    # Keep original on error (may be insecure - logged above)
+                    result[key] = value
+            elif isinstance(value, dict):
+                # Recursively resolve nested dicts
+                result[key] = self._resolve_vault_refs(value, correlation_id, depth + 1)
+            elif isinstance(value, list):
+                # Recursively resolve vault references in list items
+                result[key] = self._resolve_vault_refs_in_list(
+                    value, secret_resolver, correlation_id, depth + 1
+                )
+            else:
+                result[key] = value
+
+        return result
+
+    def _resolve_vault_refs_in_list(
+        self,
+        items: list[object],
+        secret_resolver: SecretResolver,
+        correlation_id: UUID,
+        depth: int,
+    ) -> list[object]:
+        """Resolve vault: references within a list.
+
+        Processes each item in the list, resolving any vault: references found
+        in strings, nested dicts, or nested lists.
+
+        Args:
+            items: List of items to process.
+            secret_resolver: SecretResolver instance for vault lookups.
+            correlation_id: Correlation ID for error tracking.
+            depth: Current recursion depth.
+
+        Returns:
+            List with vault references resolved.
+
+        Raises:
+            ProtocolConfigurationError: If recursion depth exceeds maximum,
+                or if fail_on_vault_error is True and a vault reference fails.
+        """
+        if depth > _MAX_NESTED_CONFIG_DEPTH:
+            context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                operation="resolve_vault_refs_in_list",
+                target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+            )
+            raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                f"Configuration nesting exceeds maximum depth of {_MAX_NESTED_CONFIG_DEPTH}",
+                context=context,
+            )
+
+        result: list[object] = []
+        for i, item in enumerate(items):
+            if isinstance(item, str) and item.startswith("vault:"):
+                # Parse vault reference using helper method
+                vault_path, fragment = self._parse_vault_reference(item)
+                logical_name = f"{vault_path}#{fragment}" if fragment else vault_path
+
+                try:
+                    secret = secret_resolver.get_secret(logical_name, required=False)
+                    if secret is not None:
+                        result.append(secret.get_secret_value())
+                    else:
+                        # Secret not found - check fail_on_vault_error
+                        if self._config.fail_on_vault_error:
+                            logger.error(
+                                "Vault secret not found at list index %d",
+                                i,
+                                extra={
+                                    "correlation_id": str(correlation_id),
+                                    "list_index": i,
+                                },
+                            )
+                            context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                                correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                                transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.VAULT,
+                                operation="resolve_vault_refs_in_list",
+                                target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+                            )
+                            raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                                f"Vault secret not found at list index {i}",
+                                context=context,
+                            )
+                        result.append(item)  # Keep original if not found
+                except (SecretResolutionError, NotImplementedError) as e:
+                    # SecretResolutionError: secret not found or resolution failed
+                    # NotImplementedError: Vault integration not yet implemented
+                    # SECURITY: Log at DEBUG level only - exception may contain vault paths
+                    # Do not log vault_path - reveals secret structure
+                    logger.debug(
+                        "Vault resolution failed at list index %d "
+                        "(correlation_id=%s): %s",
+                        i,
+                        correlation_id,
+                        e,
+                        extra={
+                            "correlation_id": str(correlation_id),
+                            "list_index": i,
+                        },
+                    )
+                    if self._config.fail_on_vault_error:
+                        context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                            correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                            transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.VAULT,
+                            operation="resolve_vault_refs_in_list",
+                            target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+                        )
+                        # SECURITY: Do NOT chain original exception (from e) - it may
+                        # contain vault paths in its message.
+                        raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                            f"Failed to resolve Vault secret reference at list index {i}. "
+                            f"correlation_id={correlation_id}",
+                            context=context,
+                        )
+                    result.append(item)
+            elif isinstance(item, dict):
+                result.append(self._resolve_vault_refs(item, correlation_id, depth + 1))
+            elif isinstance(item, list):
+                result.append(
+                    self._resolve_vault_refs_in_list(
+                        item, secret_resolver, correlation_id, depth + 1
+                    )
+                )
+            else:
+                result.append(item)
+
+        return result
+
+    async def _resolve_vault_refs_async(
+        self,
+        config: dict[str, object],
+        correlation_id: UUID,
+        depth: int = 0,
+    ) -> dict[str, object]:
+        """Resolve any vault: references in config values asynchronously.
+
+        Args:
+            config: Configuration dictionary.
+            correlation_id: Correlation ID for error tracking.
+            depth: Current recursion depth (default 0).
+
+        Returns:
+            Configuration with vault references resolved.
+
+        Raises:
+            ProtocolConfigurationError: If recursion depth exceeds maximum,
+                or if fail_on_vault_error is True and a vault reference fails.
+        """
+        if depth > _MAX_NESTED_CONFIG_DEPTH:
+            context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                operation="resolve_vault_refs_async",
+                target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+            )
+            raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                f"Configuration nesting exceeds maximum depth of {_MAX_NESTED_CONFIG_DEPTH}",
+                context=context,
+            )
+
+        secret_resolver = self._get_secret_resolver()
+        if secret_resolver is None:
+            # Check if there are vault references that need resolution
+            # If fail_on_vault_error is True and vault refs exist, this is a security issue
+            if self._config.fail_on_vault_error and self._has_vault_references(config):
+                context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                    correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                    transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                    operation="resolve_vault_refs_async",
+                    target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+                )
+                raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                    "Config contains vault: references but no SecretResolver is configured",
+                    context=context,
+                )
+            return config
+
+        result: dict[str, object] = {}
+        for key, value in config.items():
+            if isinstance(value, str) and value.startswith("vault:"):
+                # Parse vault reference using helper method
+                vault_path, fragment = self._parse_vault_reference(value)
+                logical_name = f"{vault_path}#{fragment}" if fragment else vault_path
+
+                try:
+                    secret = await secret_resolver.get_secret_async(
+                        logical_name, required=False
+                    )
+                    if secret is not None:
+                        result[key] = secret.get_secret_value()
+                    else:
+                        # Secret not found - check fail_on_vault_error
+                        if self._config.fail_on_vault_error:
+                            logger.error(
+                                "Vault secret not found for config key '%s'",
+                                key,
+                                extra={
+                                    "correlation_id": str(correlation_id),
+                                    "config_key": key,
+                                },
+                            )
+                            context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                                correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                                transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.VAULT,
+                                operation="resolve_vault_refs_async",
+                                target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+                            )
+                            raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                                f"Vault secret not found for config key '{key}'",
+                                context=context,
+                            )
+                        result[key] = value  # Keep original if not found
+                except (SecretResolutionError, NotImplementedError) as e:
+                    # SecretResolutionError: secret not found or resolution failed
+                    # NotImplementedError: Vault integration not yet implemented
+                    # SECURITY: Log at DEBUG level only - exception may contain vault paths
+                    # Use DEBUG to capture details for troubleshooting without exposing
+                    # sensitive paths in production logs
+                    logger.debug(
+                        "Vault resolution failed for config key '%s' "
+                        "(correlation_id=%s): %s",
+                        key,
+                        correlation_id,
+                        e,
+                        extra={
+                            "correlation_id": str(correlation_id),
+                            "config_key": key,
+                        },
+                    )
+                    # Respect fail_on_vault_error config option
+                    if self._config.fail_on_vault_error:
+                        context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                            correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                            transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.VAULT,
+                            operation="resolve_vault_refs_async",
+                            target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+                        )
+                        # SECURITY: Do NOT chain original exception (from e) - it may
+                        # contain vault paths in its message. Original error is logged
+                        # at DEBUG level above for troubleshooting.
+                        raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                            f"Failed to resolve Vault secret reference for config key "
+                            f"'{key}'. correlation_id={correlation_id}",
+                            context=context,
+                        )
+                    # Keep original on error (may be insecure - logged above)
+                    result[key] = value
+            elif isinstance(value, dict):
+                # Recursively resolve nested dicts
+                result[key] = await self._resolve_vault_refs_async(
+                    value, correlation_id, depth + 1
+                )
+            elif isinstance(value, list):
+                # Recursively resolve vault references in list items
+                result[key] = await self._resolve_vault_refs_in_list_async(
+                    value, secret_resolver, correlation_id, depth + 1
+                )
+            else:
+                result[key] = value
+
+        return result
+
+    async def _resolve_vault_refs_in_list_async(
+        self,
+        items: list[object],
+        secret_resolver: SecretResolver,
+        correlation_id: UUID,
+        depth: int,
+    ) -> list[object]:
+        """Resolve vault: references within a list asynchronously.
+
+        Processes each item in the list, resolving any vault: references found
+        in strings, nested dicts, or nested lists.
+
+        Args:
+            items: List of items to process.
+            secret_resolver: SecretResolver instance for vault lookups.
+            correlation_id: Correlation ID for error tracking.
+            depth: Current recursion depth.
+
+        Returns:
+            List with vault references resolved.
+
+        Raises:
+            ProtocolConfigurationError: If recursion depth exceeds maximum,
+                or if fail_on_vault_error is True and a vault reference fails.
+        """
+        if depth > _MAX_NESTED_CONFIG_DEPTH:
+            context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                operation="resolve_vault_refs_in_list_async",
+                target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+            )
+            raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                f"Configuration nesting exceeds maximum depth of {_MAX_NESTED_CONFIG_DEPTH}",
+                context=context,
+            )
+
+        result: list[object] = []
+        for i, item in enumerate(items):
+            if isinstance(item, str) and item.startswith("vault:"):
+                # Parse vault reference using helper method
+                vault_path, fragment = self._parse_vault_reference(item)
+                logical_name = f"{vault_path}#{fragment}" if fragment else vault_path
+
+                try:
+                    secret = await secret_resolver.get_secret_async(
+                        logical_name, required=False
+                    )
+                    if secret is not None:
+                        result.append(secret.get_secret_value())
+                    else:
+                        # Secret not found - check fail_on_vault_error
+                        if self._config.fail_on_vault_error:
+                            logger.error(
+                                "Vault secret not found at list index %d",
+                                i,
+                                extra={
+                                    "correlation_id": str(correlation_id),
+                                    "list_index": i,
+                                },
+                            )
+                            context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                                correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                                transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.VAULT,
+                                operation="resolve_vault_refs_in_list_async",
+                                target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+                            )
+                            raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                                f"Vault secret not found at list index {i}",
+                                context=context,
+                            )
+                        result.append(item)  # Keep original if not found
+                except (SecretResolutionError, NotImplementedError) as e:
+                    # SecretResolutionError: secret not found or resolution failed
+                    # NotImplementedError: Vault integration not yet implemented
+                    # SECURITY: Log at DEBUG level only - exception may contain vault paths
+                    # Do not log vault_path - reveals secret structure
+                    logger.debug(
+                        "Vault resolution failed at list index %d "
+                        "(correlation_id=%s): %s",
+                        i,
+                        correlation_id,
+                        e,
+                        extra={
+                            "correlation_id": str(correlation_id),
+                            "list_index": i,
+                        },
+                    )
+                    if self._config.fail_on_vault_error:
+                        context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                            correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                            transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.VAULT,
+                            operation="resolve_vault_refs_in_list_async",
+                            target_name="binding_config_resolver",
+                        )
+                        # SECURITY: Do NOT chain original exception (from e) - it may
+                        # contain vault paths in its message.
+                        raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                            f"Failed to resolve Vault secret reference at list index {i}. "
+                            f"correlation_id={correlation_id}",
+                            context=context,
+                        )
+                    result.append(item)
+            elif isinstance(item, dict):
+                result.append(
+                    await self._resolve_vault_refs_async(
+                        item, correlation_id, depth + 1
+                    )
+                )
+            elif isinstance(item, list):
+                result.append(
+                    await self._resolve_vault_refs_in_list_async(
+                        item, secret_resolver, correlation_id, depth + 1
+                    )
+                )
+            else:
+                result.append(item)
+
+        return result
+
+    def _validate_config(
+        self,
+        config: dict[str, object],
+        handler_type: str,
+        correlation_id: UUID,
+    ) -> ModelBindingConfig:
+        """Validate and construct the final config model.
+
+        Args:
+            config: Merged configuration dictionary.
+            handler_type: Handler type identifier.
+            correlation_id: Correlation ID for error tracking.
+
+        Returns:
+            Validated ModelBindingConfig.
+
+        Raises:
+            ProtocolConfigurationError: If configuration is invalid.
+        """
+        # Handle retry_policy construction if it's a dict
+        retry_policy = config.get("retry_policy")
+        if isinstance(retry_policy, dict):
+            try:
+                config["retry_policy"] = ModelRetryPolicy.model_validate(retry_policy)
+            except ValidationError as e:
+                # ValidationError: Pydantic model validation failed
+                context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                    correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                    transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                    operation="validate_config",
+                    target_name=f"handler:{handler_type}",
+                )
+                # SECURITY: Log at DEBUG level only - validation error may contain
+                # config values which could include secrets
+                logger.debug(
+                    "Retry policy validation failed for handler '%s' "
+                    "(correlation_id=%s): %s",
+                    handler_type,
+                    correlation_id,
+                    e,
+                    extra={"correlation_id": str(correlation_id)},
+                )
+                # SECURITY: Do NOT chain original exception (from e) - Pydantic
+                # validation errors may contain config values in their message.
+                raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                    f"Invalid retry policy configuration for handler '{handler_type}'. "
+                    f"correlation_id={correlation_id}",
+                    context=context,
+                )
+
+        # Filter to only known fields if strict validation is disabled
+        if not self._config.strict_validation:
+            known_fields = set(ModelBindingConfig.model_fields.keys())
+            config = {k: v for k, v in config.items() if k in known_fields}
+
+        try:
+            return ModelBindingConfig.model_validate(config)
+        except ValidationError as e:
+            # ValidationError: Pydantic model validation failed
+            context = ModelInfraErrorContext.with_correlation(
+                correlation_id=correlation_id,
+                transport_type=EnumInfraTransportType.RUNTIME,
+                operation="validate_config",
+                target_name=f"handler:{handler_type}",
+            )
+            # SECURITY: Log at DEBUG level only - validation error may contain
+            # config values which could include secrets or sensitive data
+            logger.debug(
+                "Handler configuration validation failed for '%s' "
+                "(correlation_id=%s): %s",
+                handler_type,
+                correlation_id,
+                e,
+                extra={"correlation_id": str(correlation_id)},
+            )
+            # SECURITY: Do NOT chain original exception (from e) - Pydantic
+            # validation errors may contain config values in their message.
+            raise ProtocolConfigurationError(
+                f"Invalid handler configuration for type '{handler_type}'. "
+                f"correlation_id={correlation_id}",
+                context=context,
+            )
+
+
+__all__: Final[list[str]] = ["BindingConfigResolver"]