diff --git a/app/library/Utils.py b/app/library/Utils.py
index 74c3d613..ce8c412e 100644
--- a/app/library/Utils.py
+++ b/app/library/Utils.py
@@ -388,6 +388,10 @@ def arg_converter(
 
     default_opts = _default_opts([]).ydl_opts
 
+    if args:
+        # important to ignore external config files.
+        args = "--ignore-config " + args
+
     opts = yt_dlp.parse_options(shlex.split(args)).ydl_opts
     diff = {k: v for k, v in opts.items() if default_opts[k] != v} if not keep_defaults else opts.items()
     if "postprocessors" in diff:
diff --git a/app/library/config.py b/app/library/config.py
index fcbf77bb..cb803331 100644
--- a/app/library/config.py
+++ b/app/library/config.py
@@ -384,23 +384,16 @@ class Config:
             except Exception as e:
                 LOG.error(f"Error starting debugpy server at '0.0.0.0:{self.debugpy_port}'. {e}")
 
-        ytdl_options = {}
         opts_file: Path = Path(self.config_path) / "ytdlp.cli"
         if opts_file.exists() and opts_file.stat().st_size > 2:
-            LOG.info(f"Loading yt-dlp custom options from '{opts_file}'.")
+            LOG.error("The global config file 'ytdlp.cli' file is deprecated and will be removed in future releases.")
             with open(opts_file) as f:
                 self.ytdlp_cli = f.read().strip()
                 if self.ytdlp_cli:
                     self._ytdlp_cli_mutable = self.ytdlp_cli
                     try:
-                        removed_options = []
-                        ytdl_options = arg_converter(args=self.ytdlp_cli, level=True, removed_options=removed_options)
-
-                        try:
-                            LOG.debug("Parsed yt-dlp cli options '%s'.", ytdl_options)
-                        except Exception:
-                            pass
-
+                        removed_options: list = []
+                        arg_converter(args=self.ytdlp_cli, level=True, removed_options=removed_options)
                         if len(removed_options) > 0:
                             LOG.warning(
                                 "Removed the following options: '%s' from '%s'", ", ".join(removed_options), opts_file
@@ -410,8 +403,6 @@ class Config:
                         raise ValueError(msg) from e
                 else:
                     LOG.warning(f"Empty yt-dlp custom options file '{opts_file}'.")
-        else:
-            LOG.info(f"No yt-dlp custom options found at '{opts_file}'.")
 
         self._ytdlp_cli_mutable += f"\n--socket-timeout {self.socket_timeout}"
 
diff --git a/ui/app/components/DeprecatedNotice.vue b/ui/app/components/DeprecatedNotice.vue
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4dc045be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/app/components/DeprecatedNotice.vue
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+<template>
+  <div v-if="isLoaded && !isDismissed">
+    <Message :message_class="messageClass" :title="title" :icon="icon" :useClose="true" @close="dismiss">
+      <slot />
+    </Message>
+  </div>
+</template>
+
+<script setup lang="ts">
+import { computed, ref, watchEffect } from 'vue'
+import { useStorage, type RemovableRef } from '@vueuse/core'
+import Message from "~/components/Message.vue";
+
+const props = withDefaults(defineProps<{
+  version: string
+  storageKey?: string
+  title?: string
+  icon?: string
+  tone?: 'warning' | 'danger' | 'info' | 'success'
+}>(), {
+  storageKey: 'deprecated-notice',
+  title: 'Deprecated Feature',
+  icon: 'fas fa-exclamation-triangle',
+  tone: 'warning',
+})
+
+const config = useConfigStore()
+const isDev = computed(() => 'development' === config.app?.app_env)
+const isLoaded = computed(() => config.is_loaded)
+
+const storageKeyComputed = computed<string>(() => `${props.storageKey}:${props.version}`)
+
+const dismissedDev = ref<boolean>(false)
+let dismissedProd: RemovableRef<boolean> | null = null
+
+watchEffect(() => {
+  if (!isLoaded.value || isDev.value) {
+    return
+  }
+  dismissedProd = useStorage<boolean>(storageKeyComputed, false)
+})
+
+const isDismissed = computed(() => {
+  // include dependencies so recompute on env/load/version changes
+  void isLoaded.value; void isDev.value; void storageKeyComputed.value
+  return isDev.value ? dismissedDev.value : (dismissedProd?.value ?? false)
+})
+
+const dismiss = () => {
+  if (isDev.value) dismissedDev.value = true
+  else if (dismissedProd) dismissedProd.value = true
+}
+
+const messageClass = computed(() => {
+  switch (props.tone) {
+    case 'danger':
+      return 'is-danger has-background-danger-90 has-text-dark'
+    case 'info':
+      return 'is-info has-background-info-90 has-text-dark'
+    case 'success':
+      return 'is-success has-background-success-90 has-text-dark'
+    case 'warning':
+    default:
+      return 'is-warning has-background-warning-90 has-text-dark'
+  }
+})
+</script>
diff --git a/ui/app/pages/index.vue b/ui/app/pages/index.vue
index 771625c3..aa4854c9 100644
--- a/ui/app/pages/index.vue
+++ b/ui/app/pages/index.vue
@@ -63,6 +63,38 @@
       </div>
     </div>
 
+    <div v-if="config.is_loaded" class="columns is-multiline">
+      <div class="column is-12">
+        <DeprecatedNotice :version="config.app.app_version" title="Deprecation Notice" tone="warning"
+          icon="fas fa-exclamation-triangle fa-fade fa-spin-10">
+          <p>
+            The following environment variables and features are deprecated and will be removed in future releases:
+          </p>
+          <ul>
+            <li>
+              The environment variables <code>YTP_KEEP_ARCHIVE</code> and <code>YTP_SOCKET_TIMEOUT</code> will no
+              longer be user-configurable. Their behavior will be part of the <strong>default presets</strong>. To keep
+              your current behavior <strong>and avoid re-downloading</strong>, please add the following <strong>Command
+                options for yt-dlp</strong> to your presets:
+              <code>--socket-timeout 30 --download-archive /config/archive.log</code>
+            </li>
+            <li>
+              The global yt-dlp config file <code>/config/ytdlp.cli</code> is deprecated and will be removed. Please
+              migrate any global options into your presets.
+            </li>
+            <li>
+              The <strong>Basic mode</strong> (which limited the interface to the new download form) is being removed.
+              Everything except what is available behind configurable flag will become part of the standard interface.
+            </li>
+          </ul>
+          <p>
+            These changes help reduce confusion from multiple sources of truth. Going forward, <strong>presets</strong>
+            and the <strong>Command options for yt-dlp</strong> will be the single source of truth.
+          </p>
+        </DeprecatedNotice>
+      </div>
+    </div>
+
     <NewDownload v-if="config.showForm || config.app.basic_mode"
       @getInfo="(url: string, preset: string = '') => view_info(url, false, preset)" :item="item_form"
       @clear_form="item_form = {}" @remove_archive="" />
@@ -81,6 +113,7 @@
 
 <script setup lang="ts">
 import { useStorage } from '@vueuse/core'
+import DeprecatedNotice from '~/components/DeprecatedNotice.vue'
 import type { item_request } from '~/types/item'
 import type { StoreItem } from '~/types/store'
 
diff --git a/ui/app/types/config.d.ts b/ui/app/types/config.d.ts
index c658f025..85161d6b 100644
--- a/ui/app/types/config.d.ts
+++ b/ui/app/types/config.d.ts
@@ -45,7 +45,9 @@ type AppConfig = {
   /** App branch name, e.g. "main" or "develop" */
   app_branch: string
   /** When the app started */
-  started: number
+  started: number,
+  /** Application environment, e.g. "production", "development" */
+  app_env: string
 }
 
 type Preset = {