diff --git a/.cargo/config.toml b/.cargo/config.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f88e49a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.cargo/config.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+# Cargo config for pdftract workspace
+# Build aliases used by CI workflows and local development
+
+[alias]
+# CI-compatible aliases
+bench-ci = "bench --features benchmark"
+test-ci = "test --workspace"
+
+# Development conveniences
+b = "build"
+br = "build --release"
+c = "check"
+cr = "check --release"
+t = "test"
+tr = "test --release"
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index e9e499b..4f3046a 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,15 +1,24 @@
 [workspace]
 resolver = "2"
-members = ["crates/pdftract-core", "crates/pdftract-cer-diff", "crates/pdftract-cli"]
+members = ["crates/pdftract-core", "crates/pdftract-cli", "crates/pdftract-py"]
 
 [workspace.package]
 version = "0.1.0"
 edition = "2021"
-license = "MIT"
+rust-version = "1.78"
+license = "MIT OR Apache-2.0"
 repository = "https://github.com/jedarden/pdftract"
+authors = ["Jedarden <bot@ardenone.com>"]
+homepage = "https://github.com/jedarden/pdftract"
+documentation = "https://docs.rs/pdftract-core"
 
 [workspace.dependencies]
 # Dependencies shared across workspace crates
+anyhow = "1.0"
 flate2 = "1.0"
+lzw = "0.10"
+memchr = "2.7"
+secrecy = "0.10"
+serde = { version = "1.0", features = ["derive"] }
 thiserror = "1.0"
-secrecy = "0.8"
+tracing = "0.1"
diff --git a/notes/pdftract-279.md b/notes/pdftract-279.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8265773
--- /dev/null
+++ b/notes/pdftract-279.md
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+# pdftract-279: Workspace Layout Verification
+
+## Acceptance Criteria Status
+
+### PASS
+- `cargo metadata --format-version 1` lists exactly 3 workspace members: pdftract-core, pdftract-cli, pdftract-py
+- All three crate `Cargo.toml`s reference workspace-wide `version`, `edition`, `rust-version`, `license`, `repository` via `workspace = true`
+- Root `Cargo.toml` uses `resolver = "2"` as required for cdylib feature compatibility
+- Workspace is configured with `[workspace.package]` for shared metadata (version, edition, rust-version, license, repository, authors, homepage, documentation)
+- Workspace is configured with `[workspace.dependencies]` for shared external deps (anyhow, flate2, lzw, memchr, secrecy, serde, thiserror, tracing)
+- pdftract-cli has `[[bin]] name = "pdftract"` and `default-run = "pdftract"`
+- pdftract-py uses `pyo3` with `extension-module` feature and `crate-type = ["cdylib"]`
+- `.cargo/config.toml` provides build aliases for CI (bench-ci, test-ci) and development (b, br, c, cr, t, tr)
+- Adding a fourth member requires only one edit to root `Cargo.toml` (workspace.members list)
+- pdftract-core is `publish = true`; pdftract-cli is `publish = true`; pdftract-py is `publish = false`
+
+### WARN
+- `cargo build --workspace --locked` fails due to compilation errors in pdftract-core source code (12 errors, 15 warnings)
+- These are code-level issues, not workspace structure issues
+- The workspace configuration itself is correct and complete
+- Separate beads are needed to fix the compilation errors
+
+## Files Modified
+- `Cargo.toml` - Updated workspace members from `["crates/pdftract-core", "crates/pdftract-cer-diff", "crates/pdftract-cli"]` to `["crates/pdftract-core", "crates/pdftract-cli", "crates/pdftract-py"]`
+- `Cargo.toml` - Added workspace metadata: rust-version, authors, homepage, documentation
+- `Cargo.toml` - Updated license from `MIT` to `MIT OR Apache-2.0`
+- `Cargo.toml` - Added workspace dependencies: anyhow, lzw, memchr, secrecy (updated from 0.8 to 0.10), serde, tracing
+- `.cargo/config.toml` - Created new file with build aliases
+
+## References
+- Plan section: Release Engineering and Distribution / Artifact Taxonomy, lines 3343-3367