diff --git a/src/cli/strictPositionals.ts b/src/cli/strictPositionals.ts
index 6f5cc0a544..dba17a478c 100644
--- a/src/cli/strictPositionals.ts
+++ b/src/cli/strictPositionals.ts
@@ -62,20 +62,25 @@ export const rejectSurplusCliArguments = (
     if (final !== undefined && tokenType(final) instanceof z.ZodArray) return;
     let tail = "__rea_unbound_positionals";
     while (Object.hasOwn(fields, tail)) tail += "_";
-    const args = z.object({
-      ...Object.fromEntries(
-        entries.map(([name]) => [name, z.unknown().optional()]),
-      ),
-      [tail]: z.array(z.string()).optional(),
-    });
-    const options =
-      command.options instanceof z.ZodObject
-        ? optionTokenShape(command.options)
-        : undefined;
+    const optionsSchema =
+      command.options instanceof z.ZodObject ? command.options : undefined;
     command.middleware = [
       async (context, next) => {
         const tokens = invocation.getStore();
         if (tokens !== undefined) {
+          // Only the resolved command needs an inert token-binding schema.
+          // Keep the original schema references, but do not prepare every
+          // registered command for each one-shot invocation.
+          const args = z.object({
+            ...Object.fromEntries(
+              entries.map(([name]) => [name, z.unknown().optional()]),
+            ),
+            [tail]: z.array(z.string()).optional(),
+          });
+          const options =
+            optionsSchema === undefined
+              ? undefined
+              : optionTokenShape(optionsSchema);
           // Incur supplies the invoked path, including aliases, after resolving
           // groups. No second router decides which command receives the tokens.
           const parsed = Parser.parse(
diff --git a/tests/boundary/cli/strictPositionals.test.ts b/tests/boundary/cli/strictPositionals.test.ts
index 44c931ae5a..48d4e0608e 100644
--- a/tests/boundary/cli/strictPositionals.test.ts
+++ b/tests/boundary/cli/strictPositionals.test.ts
@@ -175,3 +175,37 @@ it("uses resolved group and alias paths and preserves declared variadic inputs",
     values: ["one", "two", "three"],
   });
 });
+
+it("preserves counted aliases and negated booleans while checking the positional tail", async () => {
+  let runs = 0;
+  const cli = Cli.create("strict-counted-flags", { sync: false });
+  cli.command("capture", {
+    args: z.object({ path: z.string() }),
+    options: z.object({
+      enabled: z.boolean().default(true),
+      verbosity: z.number().default(0).meta({ count: true }),
+    }),
+    alias: { verbosity: "v" },
+    run: ({ args, options }) => {
+      runs++;
+      return { args, options };
+    },
+  });
+  installAdmission(cli);
+  const valid = await serve(cli, ["capture", "one", "--no-enabled", "-vvv"]);
+  expect(valid.exitCode).toBe(0);
+  expect(JSON.parse(valid.stdout)).toMatchObject({
+    args: { path: "one" },
+    options: { enabled: false, verbosity: 3 },
+  });
+  const surplus = await serve(cli, [
+    "capture",
+    "one",
+    "--no-enabled",
+    "-vvv",
+    "extra",
+  ]);
+  expect(surplus.exitCode).toBe(1);
+  expect(surplus.stdout).toContain("Unexpected positional arguments");
+  expect(runs).toBe(1);
+});