diff --git a/cycode/cli/utils/yaml_utils.py b/cycode/cli/utils/yaml_utils.py
index c92acdc8..dba4719e 100644
--- a/cycode/cli/utils/yaml_utils.py
+++ b/cycode/cli/utils/yaml_utils.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import os
+import tempfile
 from collections.abc import Hashable
 from typing import Any, TextIO
 
@@ -34,22 +35,48 @@ def _yaml_object_safe_load(file: TextIO) -> dict[Hashable, Any]:
     return loaded_file
 
 
+def _quarantine_corrupt_file(filename: str) -> None:
+    # Renamed rather than deleted: the file may hold the only copy of the user's credentials,
+    # and keeping it around leaves something to look at in the next bug report.
+    try:
+        os.replace(filename, f'{filename}.corrupt')
+    except OSError as e:
+        logger.warning('Failed to quarantine corrupt file, %s', {'filename': filename}, exc_info=e)
+
+
 def read_yaml_file(filename: str) -> dict[Hashable, Any]:
     if not os.access(filename, os.R_OK) or not os.path.exists(filename):
         logger.debug('Config file is not accessible or does not exist: %s', {'filename': filename})
         return {}
 
-    with open(filename, encoding='UTF-8') as file:
-        return _yaml_object_safe_load(file)
+    try:
+        with open(filename, encoding='UTF-8') as file:
+            return _yaml_object_safe_load(file)
+    except yaml.YAMLError as e:
+        logger.warning('Config file is corrupt and will be moved aside, %s', {'filename': filename}, exc_info=e)
+        _quarantine_corrupt_file(filename)
+        return {}
 
 
 def write_yaml_file(filename: str, content: dict[Hashable, Any]) -> None:
-    if not os.access(filename, os.W_OK) and os.path.exists(filename):
+    directory = os.path.dirname(filename)
+    if not os.access(directory, os.W_OK) or (os.path.exists(filename) and not os.access(filename, os.W_OK)):
         logger.warning('No write permission for file. Cannot save config, %s', {'filename': filename})
         return
 
-    with open(filename, 'w', encoding='UTF-8') as file:
-        yaml.safe_dump(content, file)
+    # Atomic write to avoid race conditions between concurrent CLI processes
+    file_descriptor, temp_filename = tempfile.mkstemp(dir=directory, prefix=f'.{os.path.basename(filename)}.')
+    try:
+        with os.fdopen(file_descriptor, 'w', encoding='UTF-8') as file:
+            yaml.safe_dump(content, file)
+            file.flush()
+            os.fsync(file.fileno())
+
+        os.replace(temp_filename, filename)
+    except Exception:
+        if os.path.exists(temp_filename):
+            os.remove(temp_filename)
+        raise
 
 
 def update_yaml_file(filename: str, content: dict[Hashable, Any]) -> None:
diff --git a/tests/utils/test_yaml_utils.py b/tests/utils/test_yaml_utils.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b6541c21
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/utils/test_yaml_utils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+import os
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
+
+import pytest
+from pyfakefs.fake_filesystem import FakeFilesystem
+
+from cycode.cli.utils.yaml_utils import read_yaml_file, update_yaml_file, write_yaml_file
+
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from pytest_mock import MockerFixture
+
+_CLIENT_ID = 'b3a1f2c4-1111-2222-3333-444455556666'
+_CORRUPT_CONTENT = 'cycode_client_id: valid\nycode_client_id\nleftover tail\n'
+
+_DIRECTORY = '/home/user/.cycode'
+_FILENAME = f'{_DIRECTORY}/credentials.yaml'
+
+
+def test_reading_a_corrupt_file_quarantines_it_and_returns_empty(fs: FakeFilesystem) -> None:
+    fs.create_dir(_DIRECTORY)
+
+    for marker in ('first', 'second'):
+        contents = f'{marker}\n{_CORRUPT_CONTENT}'
+        with open(_FILENAME, 'w', encoding='UTF-8') as file:
+            file.write(contents)
+
+        assert read_yaml_file(_FILENAME) == {}
+        assert not os.path.exists(_FILENAME)
+        # only the most recent corrupt file is kept, so repeated failures cannot pile up
+        assert [path.name for path in Path(_DIRECTORY).iterdir()] == ['credentials.yaml.corrupt']
+        assert Path(f'{_FILENAME}.corrupt').read_text(encoding='UTF-8') == contents
+
+
+def test_updating_a_corrupt_file_recovers_instead_of_raising(fs: FakeFilesystem) -> None:
+    fs.create_file(_FILENAME, contents=_CORRUPT_CONTENT)
+
+    update_yaml_file(_FILENAME, {'cycode_client_id': 'recovered'})
+
+    assert read_yaml_file(_FILENAME) == {'cycode_client_id': 'recovered'}
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('read_only_path', [_DIRECTORY, _FILENAME])
+def test_write_is_skipped_on_a_read_only_filesystem(
+    fs: FakeFilesystem, mocker: 'MockerFixture', read_only_path: str
+) -> None:
+    fs.create_dir(_DIRECTORY)
+    write_yaml_file(_FILENAME, {'cycode_client_id': 'original'})
+
+    real_access = os.access
+    mocker.patch(
+        'os.access',
+        side_effect=lambda path, mode: (
+            False if mode == os.W_OK and str(path) == read_only_path else real_access(path, mode)
+        ),
+    )
+
+    write_yaml_file(_FILENAME, {'cycode_client_id': 'updated'})
+
+    assert read_yaml_file(_FILENAME) == {'cycode_client_id': 'original'}
+
+
+def test_write_leaves_no_temporary_files_behind(fs: FakeFilesystem) -> None:
+    fs.create_dir(_DIRECTORY)
+    write_yaml_file(_FILENAME, {'cycode_client_id': _CLIENT_ID})
+
+    assert [path.name for path in Path(_DIRECTORY).iterdir()] == ['credentials.yaml']
+
+
+# Stands in for a concurrent writer stopping partway through: the existing file must survive untouched,
+# which is what truncating it up front could never guarantee.
+def test_a_failed_write_leaves_the_existing_file_untouched(fs: FakeFilesystem, mocker: 'MockerFixture') -> None:
+    fs.create_dir(_DIRECTORY)
+    write_yaml_file(_FILENAME, {'cycode_client_id': 'original'})
+    mocker.patch('yaml.safe_dump', side_effect=OSError('no space left on device'))
+
+    with pytest.raises(OSError, match='no space left on device'):
+        write_yaml_file(_FILENAME, {'cycode_client_id': 'updated'})
+
+    mocker.stopall()
+    assert read_yaml_file(_FILENAME) == {'cycode_client_id': 'original'}
+    assert [path.name for path in Path(_DIRECTORY).iterdir()] == ['credentials.yaml']