google-gemini/gemini-cli · critical · FatalConfigError

YOLO mode is disabled by your administrator. To enable it…

Error message

YOLO mode is disabled by your administrator. To enable it, please request an update to the settings at: https://goo.gle/manage-gemini-cli

What it means

Thrown as a `FatalConfigError` when the resolved approval mode is `YOLO` but an administrator has locked it down via either `settings.security.disableYoloMode` or `settings.admin.secureModeEnabled`. The error message is built by `getAdminErrorMessage` and points users at the admin manage URL. Because YOLO auto-approves every tool call, admin policy treats it as a security boundary and refuses to start the session.

Solutions

Drop the `--yolo` flag and the `yolo` setting; use `default` or `auto_edit` instead.
Request an administrator update the managed settings (URL in the error message).
In scripts, detect `disableYoloMode`/`secureModeEnabled` before passing `--yolo`.

Example fix

// before
gemini --yolo -p "refactor this"
// after
gemini --approval-mode default -p "refactor this"

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

function canUseYolo(settings: MergedSettings): boolean {
  return !settings.security?.disableYoloMode && !settings.admin?.secureModeEnabled;
}
if (!canUseYolo(settings) && approvalMode === 'yolo') {
  throw new Error('YOLO disabled by admin policy; use default or auto_edit.');
}

Type guard

function yoloAllowed(settings: unknown): boolean {
  const s = (settings ?? {}) as { security?: { disableYoloMode?: boolean }, admin?: { secureModeEnabled?: boolean } };
  return !s.security?.disableYoloMode && !s.admin?.secureModeEnabled;
}

Prevention

Detect admin lockdown before passing `--yolo` in scripts.
Treat `secureModeEnabled` as authoritative; it can't be overridden by a flag.
Document the admin URL so end users know where to request changes.

When it happens

Trigger: User passes `--yolo` or sets `defaultApprovalMode: yolo` while the org/admin config sets `disableYoloMode: true` or `secureModeEnabled: true`; a managed enterprise install with secure mode enforced; CI scripts that hard-code `--yolo` against a locked-down deployment.

Common situations: Enterprise / managed Gemini CLI installations; shared machines with secure mode; users unaware their settings file was centrally provisioned; scripts ported from a personal machine where YOLO was allowed.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of google-gemini/gemini-cli@5411f113ca (2026-08-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/9c71be8046ae88ea. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at packages/cli/src/config/config.ts:748

        );
    }
  } else {
    approvalMode = ApprovalMode.DEFAULT;
  }

  // Override approval mode if disableYoloMode is set.
  if (settings.security?.disableYoloMode || settings.admin?.secureModeEnabled) {
    if (approvalMode === ApprovalMode.YOLO) {
      if (settings.admin?.secureModeEnabled) {
        debugLogger.error(
          'YOLO mode is disabled by "secureModeEnabled" setting.',
        );
      } else {
        debugLogger.error(
          'YOLO mode is disabled by the "disableYolo" setting.',
        );
      }
      throw new FatalConfigError(
        getAdminErrorMessage('YOLO mode', undefined /* config */),
      );
    }
  } else if (approvalMode === ApprovalMode.YOLO) {
    debugLogger.warn(
      'YOLO mode is enabled. All tool calls will be automatically approved.',
    );
  }

  // Force approval mode to default if the folder is not trusted.
  if (!trustedFolder && approvalMode !== ApprovalMode.DEFAULT) {
    debugLogger.warn(
      `Approval mode overridden to "default" because the current folder is not trusted.`,
    );
    approvalMode = ApprovalMode.DEFAULT;
  }

  let telemetrySettings;

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