diff --git a/bin/omarchy-apply-pacman b/bin/omarchy-apply-pacman
index 0af0fb0c..e004637d 100755
--- a/bin/omarchy-apply-pacman
+++ b/bin/omarchy-apply-pacman
@@ -1,18 +1,33 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
 # omarchy:summary=Restore channel and regional pacman defaults in an installed target
-# omarchy:args=<stable|rc|edge> [target-root]
+# omarchy:args=<stable|rc|edge> [target-root] | --render <stable|rc|edge> <output-dir> [target-root]
 # omarchy:requires-sudo=true
 # omarchy:hidden=true
 
 set -euo pipefail
 
-if (( $# < 1 || $# > 2 )); then
+usage() {
   echo "Usage: omarchy-apply-pacman <stable|rc|edge> [target-root]" >&2
+  echo "       omarchy-apply-pacman --render <stable|rc|edge> <output-dir> [target-root]" >&2
   exit 1
+}
+
+# --render only builds the two files, so an unprivileged caller can hand root
+# nothing but plain copies of the finished result.
+render_dir=""
+if [[ ${1:-} == "--render" ]]; then
+  (( $# == 3 || $# == 4 )) || usage
+  channel="$2"
+  render_dir="$3"
+  [[ -d $render_dir ]] || { echo "Render directory not found: $render_dir" >&2; exit 1; }
+  etc="${4:-/}/etc"
+else
+  (( $# >= 1 && $# <= 2 )) || usage
+  channel="$1"
+  etc="${2:-/}/etc"
 fi
 
-channel="$1"
 case "$channel" in
   stable|rc|edge) ;;
   *) echo "Invalid pacman channel: $channel" >&2; exit 1 ;;
@@ -20,7 +35,6 @@ esac
 
 # The ISO writes this plain-text marker before target finalization. Missing
 # markers keep existing installations global; never source it as shell code.
-etc="${2:-/}/etc"
 region=global
 if [[ -e $etc/omarchy/region ]]; then
   region=$(<"$etc/omarchy/region")
@@ -32,8 +46,12 @@ esac
 
 # Build both files before replacing either. Explicit refreshes retain backups;
 # ordinary updates do not call this command or enforce regional defaults.
-staging=$(mktemp -d)
-trap 'rm -rf "$staging"' EXIT
+if [[ -n $render_dir ]]; then
+  staging="$render_dir"
+else
+  staging=$(mktemp -d)
+  trap 'rm -rf "$staging"' EXIT
+fi
 cp "$OMARCHY_PATH/default/pacman/pacman-$channel.conf" "$staging/pacman.conf"
 cp "$OMARCHY_PATH/default/pacman/mirrorlist-$channel" "$staging/mirrorlist"
 if [[ $region != "global" ]]; then
@@ -42,6 +60,7 @@ if [[ $region != "global" ]]; then
   cat "$profile/pacman.conf.append" >> "$staging/pacman.conf"
   cat "$profile/mirrorlist.append" >> "$staging/mirrorlist"
 fi
+[[ -z $render_dir ]] || exit 0
 
 mkdir -p "$etc/pacman.d"
 for file in pacman.conf pacman.d/mirrorlist; do
diff --git a/bin/omarchy-refresh-pacman b/bin/omarchy-refresh-pacman
index be2a256d..80f3c356 100755
--- a/bin/omarchy-refresh-pacman
+++ b/bin/omarchy-refresh-pacman
@@ -30,10 +30,17 @@ if [[ $channel != "stable" && $channel != "rc" && $channel != "edge" ]]; then
   exit 2
 fi
 
+# Render the channel templates plus this machine's regional additions as the
+# caller, so root only copies finished files.
+rendered=$(mktemp -d)
+"$OMARCHY_PATH/bin/omarchy-apply-pacman" --render "$channel" "$rendered"
+
+sudo cp -f /etc/pacman.conf /etc/pacman.conf.bak
+sudo cp -f /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist.bak
 echo "Setting channel to $channel"
-# Restores the channel templates plus this machine's regional additions, and
-# backs up both files first. OMARCHY_PATH was verified as this command's root.
-sudo env "OMARCHY_PATH=$OMARCHY_PATH" "$OMARCHY_PATH/bin/omarchy-apply-pacman" "$channel"
+sudo cp -f "$rendered/pacman.conf" /etc/pacman.conf
+sudo cp -f "$rendered/mirrorlist" /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist
+rm -rf "$rendered"
 
 # Allow user customization of /etc/pacman.conf before the upgrade runs, so
 # custom repositories and IgnorePkg entries shape the downgrade-capable
diff --git a/test/shell.d/channel-sudo-boundary-test.sh b/test/shell.d/channel-sudo-boundary-test.sh
index f98934c2..7fe15ded 100755
--- a/test/shell.d/channel-sudo-boundary-test.sh
+++ b/test/shell.d/channel-sudo-boundary-test.sh
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ source "$(cd -- "$(dirname -- "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)/base-test.sh"
 source "$SHELL_TEST_DIR/fixtures/sudo-boundary-test.sh"
 copy_boundary_file bin/omarchy-channel-set
 copy_boundary_file bin/omarchy-refresh-pacman
+copy_boundary_file bin/omarchy-apply-pacman
 copy_boundary_file bin/omarchy-update
 export OMARCHY_UPDATE_LOGGED=1
 
diff --git a/test/shell.d/region-pacman-test.sh b/test/shell.d/region-pacman-test.sh
index 2d0eb25a..c15d6d63 100644
--- a/test/shell.d/region-pacman-test.sh
+++ b/test/shell.d/region-pacman-test.sh
@@ -68,35 +68,22 @@ cmp "$scratch/before.conf" "$TARGET_ROOT/etc/pacman.conf"
 cmp "$scratch/before.mirrors" "$TARGET_ROOT/etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist"
 pass "missing fragment cannot leave a half-generated config"
 
-# Execute the real refresh and apply commands against the same disposable root.
-mkdir -p "$scratch/bin"
-cat > "$scratch/bin/sudo" <<'SH'
-#!/bin/bash
-exec "$@" "$TARGET_ROOT"
-SH
-cat > "$scratch/bin/omarchy-hook" <<'SH'
-#!/bin/bash
-[[ $1 == "pre-refresh-pacman" ]] || exit 1
-printf '# user customization\n' >> "$TARGET_ROOT/etc/pacman.conf"
-SH
-cat > "$scratch/bin/omarchy-update-pacman" <<'SH'
-#!/bin/bash
-[[ $* == "-Syyuu --noconfirm" ]] || exit 1
-tail -n 1 "$TARGET_ROOT/etc/pacman.conf" > "$TARGET_ROOT/update-observed"
-SH
-chmod +x "$scratch/bin/"*
-PATH="$scratch/bin:$PATH" "$ROOT/bin/omarchy-refresh-pacman" rc
-[[ $(<"$TARGET_ROOT/update-observed") == '# user customization' ]] || fail "hook runs before update"
-rg -qxF 'Server = https://pkgs.omarchy.org/rc/$arch' "$TARGET_ROOT/etc/pacman.conf"
-rg -qxF '[archlinuxcn]' "$TARGET_ROOT/etc/pacman.conf"
-pass "channel refresh retains region and applies user customization before updating"
+# Refresh renders these files unprivileged and hands root plain copies; its
+# privileged path is covered in the sudo-boundary sandbox, never on the host.
+cp "$TARGET_ROOT/etc/pacman.conf" "$scratch/before.conf"
+mkdir -p "$scratch/rendered"
+"$ROOT/bin/omarchy-apply-pacman" --render rc "$scratch/rendered" "$TARGET_ROOT"
+rg -qxF 'Server = https://pkgs.omarchy.org/rc/$arch' "$scratch/rendered/pacman.conf"
+rg -qxF '[archlinuxcn]' "$scratch/rendered/pacman.conf"
+[[ $(<"$scratch/rendered/mirrorlist") == $'Server = https://rc-mirror.omarchy.org/$repo/os/$arch\nServer = https://mirrors.ustc.edu.cn/archlinux/$repo/os/$arch' ]] ||
+  fail "render keeps the channel mirror first"
+cmp "$scratch/before.conf" "$TARGET_ROOT/etc/pacman.conf"
+pass "render builds the regional channel files without touching the target"
 
-printf 'not-updated\n' > "$TARGET_ROOT/update-observed"
-if PATH="$scratch/bin:$PATH" "$ROOT/bin/omarchy-refresh-pacman" dev > "$scratch/error" 2>&1; then
-  fail "refresh accepts a nonexistent dev pacman template"
+if "$ROOT/bin/omarchy-apply-pacman" --render dev "$scratch/rendered" "$TARGET_ROOT" > "$scratch/error" 2>&1; then
+  fail "render accepts a nonexistent dev pacman template"
 fi
-[[ $(<"$TARGET_ROOT/update-observed") == 'not-updated' ]] || fail "failed generation still updates packages"
-pass "failed refresh does not proceed to a package update"
+pass "render rejects channels without pacman templates"
 
 printf 'global\n' > "$TARGET_ROOT/etc/omarchy/region"
 apply stable
diff --git a/test/shell.d/region-refresh-boundary-test.sh b/test/shell.d/region-refresh-boundary-test.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..b3b2f346
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/shell.d/region-refresh-boundary-test.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+source "$(cd -- "$(dirname -- "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)/base-test.sh"
+source "$SHELL_TEST_DIR/fixtures/sudo-boundary-test.sh"
+copy_boundary_file bin/omarchy-refresh-pacman
+copy_boundary_file bin/omarchy-apply-pacman
+
+# Regional rendering must stay unprivileged: root only copies finished files,
+# exactly as the channel refresh did before regions existed.
+reset_boundary
+"$SUDO_TEST_ROOT/bin/omarchy-refresh-pacman" rc >"$boundary_tmp/output" 2>&1 || fail "refresh failed" "$(<"$boundary_tmp/output")"
+assert_boundary_cold "regional refresh"
+python3 - "$SUDO_TEST_LOG" "$SUDO_TEST_ROOT" <<'PY'
+import re
+import sys
+events = open(sys.argv[1]).read().splitlines()
+root = sys.argv[2]
+render = [i for i, e in enumerate(events) if e.startswith('step:cp ' + root + '/default/pacman/pacman-rc.conf ')]
+assert len(render) == 1, events
+rendered = events[render[0]].split()[-1].rsplit('/', 1)[0]
+copies = [i for i, e in enumerate(events) if e.startswith('sudo -N cp ')]
+assert [events[i] for i in copies[2:]] == [
+    f'sudo -N cp -f {rendered}/pacman.conf /etc/pacman.conf',
+    f'sudo -N cp -f {rendered}/mirrorlist /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist',
+], events
+assert not any(e.startswith('sudo ') and 'omarchy-apply-pacman' in e for e in events), events
+assert render[0] < copies[0], events
+transaction = next(i for i, e in enumerate(events) if e.startswith('step:pacman '))
+assert max(copies) < transaction, events
+PY
+pass "refresh renders regional config unprivileged and gives root only plain copies"
+
+reset_boundary
+if "$SUDO_TEST_ROOT/bin/omarchy-refresh-pacman" dev >"$boundary_tmp/output" 2>&1; then
+  fail "refresh accepts an invalid channel"
+fi
+if grep -Eq '^(sudo -N cp |step:pacman )' "$SUDO_TEST_LOG"; then
+  fail "invalid channel reached privileged work" "$(<"$SUDO_TEST_LOG")"
+fi
+pass "failed refresh does not proceed to privileged copies or a package update"
diff --git a/test/shell.d/update-hook-security-test.sh b/test/shell.d/update-hook-security-test.sh
index af7ec70a..243254cf 100755
--- a/test/shell.d/update-hook-security-test.sh
+++ b/test/shell.d/update-hook-security-test.sh
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ source "$(cd -- "$(dirname -- "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)/base-test.sh"
 source "$SHELL_TEST_DIR/fixtures/sudo-boundary-test.sh"
 copy_boundary_file bin/omarchy-update
 copy_boundary_file bin/omarchy-refresh-pacman
+copy_boundary_file bin/omarchy-apply-pacman
 # Replace the step symlink, preserving the real fixture dispatcher.
 rm "$SUDO_TEST_ROOT/bin/omarchy-update-aur-pkgs"
 copy_boundary_file bin/omarchy-update-aur-pkgs