diff --git a/.changeset/large-windows-move.md b/.changeset/large-windows-move.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..86b540b9e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/large-windows-move.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@openfn/cli': patch
+---
+
+Fix loading of workflow.yaml files
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/util/load-plan.ts b/packages/cli/src/util/load-plan.ts
index 00dba22db..93cc92002 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/util/load-plan.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/util/load-plan.ts
@@ -35,8 +35,12 @@ const loadPlan = async (
   if (options.path && /ya?ml$/.test(options.path)) {
     const content = await fs.readFile(path.resolve(options.path), 'utf-8');
     const workflow = yamlToJson(content);
+    // Temporarily support workflow.yaml files without a top workflow key
+    // This was released in july 2025 but it's actually wrong!
+    // we'll support it for a while for back-compat, but this need removing in 2027
+    const plan = workflow.workflow ? workflow : { workflow };
     options.baseDir = dirname(options.path);
-    return loadXPlan({ workflow }, options, logger);
+    return loadXPlan(plan, options, logger);
   }
 
   // Run a workflow from a project, with a path and workflow name
diff --git a/packages/cli/test/util/load-plan.test.ts b/packages/cli/test/util/load-plan.test.ts
index 6e50dde63..c6e3486dd 100644
--- a/packages/cli/test/util/load-plan.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/test/util/load-plan.test.ts
@@ -4,11 +4,7 @@ import { createMockLogger } from '@openfn/logger';
 import type { Job } from '@openfn/lexicon';
 
 import loadPlan from '../../src/util/load-plan';
-import {
-  collectionsEndpoint,
-  collectionsVersion,
-  Opts,
-} from '../../src/options';
+import { Opts } from '../../src/options';
 
 const logger = createMockLogger(undefined, { level: 'debug' });
 
@@ -47,8 +43,6 @@ test.afterEach(() => {
   mock.restore();
 });
 
-// TODO: add some tests for handling yaml stuff
-
 test.serial('expression: load a plan from an expression.js', async (t) => {
   const opts = {
     expressionPath: 'test/job.js',
@@ -429,3 +423,57 @@ test.serial('xplan: append collections', async (t) => {
     collections_token: opts.apiKey,
   });
 });
+
+// This is basically an invalid workflow yaml that was accidentally supported
+// Preserving for back compat for now
+test.serial(
+  'xplan: load a workflow.yaml (without top workflow key)',
+  async (t) => {
+    mock({
+      'test/wf.yaml': `
+name: wf
+steps:
+  - id: a
+    adaptors: []
+    expression: x()
+`,
+    });
+    const opts = {
+      path: 'test/wf.yaml', // TODO should this work with workflow path as well?
+      expandAdaptors: true,
+      plan: {},
+    };
+
+    const plan = await loadPlan(opts, logger);
+
+    t.truthy(plan);
+    // Note that options are lost in this design!
+    t.deepEqual(plan, { workflow: sampleXPlan.workflow, options: {} });
+  }
+);
+
+test.serial('xplan: load a proper workflow.yaml', async (t) => {
+  mock({
+    'test/wf.yaml': `
+workflow:
+  name: wf
+  steps:
+    - id: a
+      adaptors: []
+      expression: x()
+options:
+  start: a
+`,
+  });
+  const opts = {
+    path: 'test/wf.yaml', // TODO should this work with workflow path as well?
+    expandAdaptors: true,
+    plan: {},
+  };
+
+  const plan = await loadPlan(opts, logger);
+
+  t.truthy(plan);
+  // Note that options are lost in this design!
+  t.deepEqual(plan, sampleXPlan);
+});
diff --git a/packages/project/src/Workflow.ts b/packages/project/src/Workflow.ts
index 2a5e3c98b..45a90c275 100644
--- a/packages/project/src/Workflow.ts
+++ b/packages/project/src/Workflow.ts
@@ -13,11 +13,12 @@ class Workflow {
   index: any;
 
   name?: string;
+  start?: string;
   id: string;
   openfn?: l.WorkflowMeta;
-  options: any; // TODO
+  options: l.WorkflowOptions;
 
-  constructor(workflow: l.Workflow) {
+  constructor(workflow: l.Workflow, options: l.WorkflowOptions = {}) {
     this.index = {
       steps: {}, // steps by id
       edges: {}, // edges by from-id id
@@ -30,7 +31,7 @@ class Workflow {
     // history needs to be on workflow object.
     this.workflow.history = workflow.history?.length ? workflow.history : [];
 
-    const { id, name, openfn, steps, history, ...options } = workflow;
+    const { id, name, openfn } = workflow;
     if (!(id || name)) {
       throw new Error('A Workflow MUST have a name or id');
     }
@@ -159,7 +160,10 @@ class Workflow {
   }
 
   toJSON(): Object {
-    return clone(this.workflow);
+    return {
+      ...clone(this.workflow),
+      options: this.options,
+    };
   }
 
   getUUIDMap(): Record<string, string> {
diff --git a/packages/project/src/parse/from-app-state.ts b/packages/project/src/parse/from-app-state.ts
index 5224d6fc3..7db607944 100644
--- a/packages/project/src/parse/from-app-state.ts
+++ b/packages/project/src/parse/from-app-state.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import { Project } from '../Project';
 import renameKeys from '../util/rename-keys';
 import slugify from '../util/slugify';
 import ensureJson from '../util/ensure-json';
+import Workflow from '../Workflow';
 
 export type fromAppStateConfig = Partial<l.WorkspaceConfig> & {
   format?: 'yaml' | 'json';
@@ -96,6 +97,7 @@ export const mapWorkflow = (workflow: Provisioner.Workflow) => {
     name: workflow.name,
     steps: [],
     history: workflow.version_history ?? [],
+
     openfn: renameKeys(remoteProps, { id: 'uuid' }),
   };
   if (workflow.name) {
@@ -161,5 +163,10 @@ export const mapWorkflow = (workflow: Provisioner.Workflow) => {
     mapped.steps.push(s);
   });
 
-  return mapped;
+  // TODO do we need to load other options from the state file?
+  const options = {
+    start: 'trigger',
+  };
+
+  return new Workflow(mapped, options);
 };
diff --git a/packages/project/src/serialize/to-fs.ts b/packages/project/src/serialize/to-fs.ts
index ca9f59956..0e5284366 100644
--- a/packages/project/src/serialize/to-fs.ts
+++ b/packages/project/src/serialize/to-fs.ts
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@ export const extractWorkflow = (project: Project, workflowId: string) => {
     name: workflow.name,
     // Note: if no options are defined, options will serialize to an empty object
     // Not crazy about this - maybe we should do something better? Or do we like the consistency?
-    options: workflow.options,
     steps: workflow.steps.map((step) => {
       const { openfn, expression, next, ...mapped } = step;
       if (expression) {
@@ -65,7 +64,11 @@ export const extractWorkflow = (project: Project, workflowId: string) => {
       return mapped;
     }),
   };
-  return handleOutput(wf, path, format!);
+  return handleOutput(
+    { workflow: wf, options: workflow.options },
+    path,
+    format!
+  );
 };
 
 // extracts an expression.js from a workflow in project
diff --git a/packages/project/test/fixtures/sample-v2-project.ts b/packages/project/test/fixtures/sample-v2-project.ts
index 049ccb27e..fffb95932 100644
--- a/packages/project/test/fixtures/sample-v2-project.ts
+++ b/packages/project/test/fixtures/sample-v2-project.ts
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ export const json: SerializedProject = {
       ],
       name: 'Workflow',
       id: 'workflow',
+      options: { start: 'trigger' },
       openfn: { uuid: 1 },
       history: [],
     },
@@ -65,6 +66,7 @@ workflows:
     name: Workflow
     id: workflow
     openfn:
-      uuid: 1
+    uuid: 1
     history: []
+    start: trigger
 `;
diff --git a/packages/project/test/parse/from-app-state.test.ts b/packages/project/test/parse/from-app-state.test.ts
index 6f509bc04..913e517fe 100644
--- a/packages/project/test/parse/from-app-state.test.ts
+++ b/packages/project/test/parse/from-app-state.test.ts
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ test('should create a Project from prov state with a workflow', (t) => {
     id: 'my-workflow',
     name: 'My Workflow',
     history: [],
+    start: 'trigger',
     steps: [
       {
         id: 'trigger',
diff --git a/packages/project/test/parse/from-project.test.ts b/packages/project/test/parse/from-project.test.ts
index d6c57644d..c86b0cf1d 100644
--- a/packages/project/test/parse/from-project.test.ts
+++ b/packages/project/test/parse/from-project.test.ts
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ test('import from a v2 project as JSON', async (t) => {
       uuid: 1,
     },
     history: [],
+    start: 'trigger',
     steps: [
       {
         name: 'b',
@@ -141,6 +142,7 @@ test('import from a v2 project as YAML', async (t) => {
       uuid: 1,
     },
     history: [],
+    start: 'trigger',
     steps: [
       {
         name: 'b',
diff --git a/packages/project/test/serialize/to-fs.test.ts b/packages/project/test/serialize/to-fs.test.ts
index 6f558ae20..44761d3ee 100644
--- a/packages/project/test/serialize/to-fs.test.ts
+++ b/packages/project/test/serialize/to-fs.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import test from 'ava';
 import { Project } from '../../src/Project';
 import toFs, { extractWorkflow } from '../../src/serialize/to-fs';
+import Workflow from '../../src/Workflow';
 
 const step = {
   id: 'step',
@@ -31,16 +32,54 @@ test('extractWorkflow: single simple workflow (yaml by default)', (t) => {
   const { path, content } = extractWorkflow(project, 'my-workflow');
   t.is(path, 'workflows/my-workflow/my-workflow.yaml');
 
-  // TODO is the empty options object correct here??
   t.deepEqual(
     content,
-    `id: my-workflow
-name: My Workflow
+    `workflow:
+  id: my-workflow
+  name: My Workflow
+  steps:
+    - id: step
+      adaptor: "@openfn/language-common@latest"
+      expression: ./step.js
 options: {}
-steps:
-  - id: step
-    adaptor: "@openfn/language-common@latest"
-    expression: ./step.js
+`
+  );
+});
+
+test('extractWorkflow: workflow with options', (t) => {
+  const project = new Project({
+    workflows: [
+      new Workflow(
+        {
+          // TODO I need to fix  this name/id conflict
+          // the local workflow id is a slugified form of the name
+          id: 'my-workflow',
+          name: 'My Workflow',
+          steps: [step],
+          // should be ignored because this lives in the project file
+          openfn: {
+            id: '72ca3eb0-042c-47a0-a2a1-a545ed4a8406',
+          },
+        },
+        { start: 'step' }
+      ),
+    ],
+  });
+
+  const { path, content } = extractWorkflow(project, 'my-workflow');
+  t.is(path, 'workflows/my-workflow/my-workflow.yaml');
+
+  t.deepEqual(
+    content,
+    `workflow:
+  id: my-workflow
+  name: My Workflow
+  steps:
+    - id: step
+      adaptor: "@openfn/language-common@latest"
+      expression: ./step.js
+options:
+  start: step
 `
   );
 });
@@ -58,7 +97,7 @@ test('extractWorkflow: single simple workflow with an edge', (t) => {
               id: 'step1',
               next: {
                 step2: {
-                  condition: true,
+                  condition: 'always',
                   openfn: {
                     // should be excluded!
                     uuid: 1,
@@ -88,26 +127,28 @@ test('extractWorkflow: single simple workflow with an edge', (t) => {
 
   t.is(path, 'workflows/my-workflow/my-workflow.json');
   t.deepEqual(JSON.parse(content), {
-    id: 'my-workflow',
-    name: 'My Workflow',
-    options: {},
-    steps: [
-      {
-        id: 'step1',
-        expression: './step1.js',
-        adaptor: '@openfn/language-common@latest',
-        next: {
-          step2: {
-            condition: true,
+    workflow: {
+      id: 'my-workflow',
+      name: 'My Workflow',
+      steps: [
+        {
+          id: 'step1',
+          expression: './step1.js',
+          adaptor: '@openfn/language-common@latest',
+          next: {
+            step2: {
+              condition: 'always',
+            },
           },
         },
-      },
-      {
-        id: 'step2',
-        expression: './step2.js',
-        adaptor: '@openfn/language-common@latest',
-      },
-    ],
+        {
+          id: 'step2',
+          expression: './step2.js',
+          adaptor: '@openfn/language-common@latest',
+        },
+      ],
+    },
+    options: {},
   });
 });
 
@@ -142,17 +183,19 @@ test('extractWorkflow: single simple workflow with random edge property', (t) =>
 
   t.is(path, 'workflows/my-workflow/my-workflow.json');
   t.deepEqual(JSON.parse(content), {
-    id: 'my-workflow',
-    name: 'My Workflow',
+    workflow: {
+      id: 'my-workflow',
+      name: 'My Workflow',
+      steps: [
+        {
+          id: 'step',
+          expression: './step.js',
+          adaptor: '@openfn/language-common@latest',
+          foo: 'bar',
+        },
+      ],
+    },
     options: {},
-    steps: [
-      {
-        id: 'step',
-        expression: './step.js',
-        adaptor: '@openfn/language-common@latest',
-        foo: 'bar',
-      },
-    ],
   });
 });
 
@@ -177,7 +220,7 @@ test('extractWorkflow: single simple workflow with custom root', (t) => {
     config
   );
 
-  const { path, content } = extractWorkflow(project, 'my-workflow');
+  const { path } = extractWorkflow(project, 'my-workflow');
 
   t.is(path, 'openfn/wfs/my-workflow/my-workflow.json');
 });
@@ -223,7 +266,9 @@ test('toFs: extract a project with 1 workflow and 1 step', (t) => {
     },
   });
 
-  const workflow = JSON.parse(files['workflows/my-workflow/my-workflow.json']);
+  const { workflow } = JSON.parse(
+    files['workflows/my-workflow/my-workflow.json']
+  );
   t.is(workflow.id, 'my-workflow');
   t.is(workflow.steps.length, 1);
 
diff --git a/packages/project/test/serialize/to-project.test.ts b/packages/project/test/serialize/to-project.test.ts
index 533350059..fec0b6052 100644
--- a/packages/project/test/serialize/to-project.test.ts
+++ b/packages/project/test/serialize/to-project.test.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 import test from 'ava';
 import { Project } from '../../src/Project';
-import generateWorkflow, { generateProject } from '../../src/gen/generator';
+import generateWorkflow from '../../src/gen/generator';
 
 import * as v2 from '../fixtures/sample-v2-project';
+import Workflow from '../../src/Workflow';
 
 const createProject = () => {
   const proj = new Project({
@@ -20,12 +21,15 @@ const createProject = () => {
       allow_support_access: false,
     },
     workflows: [
-      generateWorkflow(
-        'trigger(type=webhook)-b(expression="fn()",adaptor=common,project_credential_id=x)',
-        {
-          uuidSeed: 1,
-          openfnUuid: true,
-        }
+      new Workflow(
+        generateWorkflow(
+          'trigger(type=webhook)-b(expression="fn()",adaptor=common,project_credential_id=x)',
+          {
+            uuidSeed: 1,
+            openfnUuid: true,
+          }
+        ),
+        { start: 'trigger' }
       ),
     ],
   });
@@ -34,7 +38,7 @@ const createProject = () => {
   return proj;
 };
 
-test('should serialize to YAML format v2 project by default', (t) => {
+test.only('should serialize to YAML format v2 project by default', (t) => {
   const proj = createProject();
   const yaml = proj.serialize('project');