diff --git a/cmd/secubox/internal/profile/merger.go b/cmd/secubox/internal/profile/merger.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ffc90a6e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/secubox/internal/profile/merger.go
@@ -0,0 +1,143 @@
+// cmd/secubox/internal/profile/merger.go
+package profile
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"path/filepath"
+)
+
+// Merger resolves profile inheritance
+type Merger struct {
+	profilesDir string
+	cache       map[string]*Profile
+}
+
+// NewMerger creates a new profile merger
+func NewMerger(profilesDir string) *Merger {
+	return &Merger{
+		profilesDir: profilesDir,
+		cache:       make(map[string]*Profile),
+	}
+}
+
+// Resolve loads a profile and merges all inherited profiles
+func (m *Merger) Resolve(name string) (*Profile, error) {
+	// Check cache
+	if p, ok := m.cache[name]; ok {
+		return p, nil
+	}
+
+	// Load profile
+	path := filepath.Join(m.profilesDir, name+".yaml")
+	p, err := Load(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("load profile %s: %w", name, err)
+	}
+
+	// If no inheritance, return as-is
+	if p.Inherits == "" {
+		m.cache[name] = p
+		return p, nil
+	}
+
+	// Resolve parent first
+	parent, err := m.Resolve(p.Inherits)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("resolve parent %s: %w", p.Inherits, err)
+	}
+
+	// Merge parent into child
+	merged := m.merge(parent, p)
+	m.cache[name] = merged
+	return merged, nil
+}
+
+// merge combines parent and child profiles (child overrides parent)
+func (m *Merger) merge(parent, child *Profile) *Profile {
+	result := &Profile{
+		Name:        child.Name,
+		Description: child.Description,
+	}
+
+	// Merge packages (combine required, child excluded wins)
+	result.Packages.Required = append([]string{}, parent.Packages.Required...)
+	result.Packages.Required = append(result.Packages.Required, child.Packages.Required...)
+	result.Packages.Required = unique(result.Packages.Required)
+	result.Packages.Excluded = child.Packages.Excluded
+
+	// Remove excluded packages from required
+	result.Packages.Required = subtract(result.Packages.Required, result.Packages.Excluded)
+
+	// Kernel: child overrides or inherits
+	result.Kernel = parent.Kernel
+	if child.Kernel.Version != "" {
+		result.Kernel.Version = child.Kernel.Version
+	}
+	if len(child.Kernel.Modules.Enable) > 0 {
+		result.Kernel.Modules.Enable = append(result.Kernel.Modules.Enable, child.Kernel.Modules.Enable...)
+	}
+	if len(child.Kernel.Modules.Blacklist) > 0 {
+		result.Kernel.Modules.Blacklist = child.Kernel.Modules.Blacklist
+	}
+
+	// Services: merge
+	result.Services.Enable = append(parent.Services.Enable, child.Services.Enable...)
+	result.Services.Enable = unique(result.Services.Enable)
+	result.Services.Disable = child.Services.Disable
+
+	// Sysctl: merge maps
+	result.Sysctl = make(map[string]interface{})
+	for k, v := range parent.Sysctl {
+		result.Sysctl[k] = v
+	}
+	for k, v := range child.Sysctl {
+		result.Sysctl[k] = v
+	}
+
+	// Features: child overrides
+	result.Features = parent.Features
+	if child.Features.DPI != nil {
+		result.Features.DPI = child.Features.DPI
+	}
+	if child.Features.Swap != "" {
+		result.Features.Swap = child.Features.Swap
+	}
+	// LXC: explicit check since false is valid
+	result.Features.LXC = child.Features.LXC || parent.Features.LXC
+
+	// Constraints: child overrides
+	result.Constraints = child.Constraints
+	if result.Constraints.MinRAM == "" {
+		result.Constraints.MinRAM = parent.Constraints.MinRAM
+	}
+
+	return result
+}
+
+// unique removes duplicates from a slice
+func unique(s []string) []string {
+	seen := make(map[string]bool)
+	result := []string{}
+	for _, v := range s {
+		if !seen[v] {
+			seen[v] = true
+			result = append(result, v)
+		}
+	}
+	return result
+}
+
+// subtract removes items in b from a
+func subtract(a, b []string) []string {
+	exclude := make(map[string]bool)
+	for _, v := range b {
+		exclude[v] = true
+	}
+	result := []string{}
+	for _, v := range a {
+		if !exclude[v] {
+			result = append(result, v)
+		}
+	}
+	return result
+}
diff --git a/cmd/secubox/internal/profile/profile_test.go b/cmd/secubox/internal/profile/profile_test.go
index 4f2ae149..10a98156 100644
--- a/cmd/secubox/internal/profile/profile_test.go
+++ b/cmd/secubox/internal/profile/profile_test.go
@@ -34,3 +34,48 @@ packages:
 		t.Errorf("Packages.Required = %d, want 2", len(p.Packages.Required))
 	}
 }
+
+func TestMergeProfiles(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+
+	// Create base profile
+	base := `
+name: base
+packages:
+  required:
+    - secubox-core
+kernel:
+  version: "6.6"
+`
+	basePath := filepath.Join(dir, "base.yaml")
+	os.WriteFile(basePath, []byte(base), 0644)
+
+	// Create child profile
+	child := `
+name: child
+inherits: base
+packages:
+  required:
+    - secubox-crowdsec
+  excluded:
+    - secubox-dpi
+`
+	childPath := filepath.Join(dir, "child.yaml")
+	os.WriteFile(childPath, []byte(child), 0644)
+
+	merger := NewMerger(dir)
+	result, err := merger.Resolve("child")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Resolve() error = %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Should have both base and child packages
+	if len(result.Packages.Required) != 2 {
+		t.Errorf("Packages.Required = %v, want 2 items", result.Packages.Required)
+	}
+
+	// Should inherit kernel version
+	if result.Kernel.Version != "6.6" {
+		t.Errorf("Kernel.Version = %q, want %q", result.Kernel.Version, "6.6")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/profiles/tier-lite.yaml b/profiles/tier-lite.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a45b42a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/profiles/tier-lite.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+# profiles/tier-lite.yaml
+name: tier-lite
+inherits: base
+description: For 1-2GB RAM devices (ESPRESSObin)
+
+constraints:
+  min_ram: 1G
+  max_ram: 2G
+
+packages:
+  required:
+    - secubox-crowdsec
+    - secubox-wireguard
+    - secubox-netmodes
+    - secubox-nac
+  excluded:
+    - secubox-dpi
+    - secubox-ollama
+    - secubox-jellyfin
+    - secubox-matrix
+    - secubox-nextcloud
+    - secubox-gitea
+
+features:
+  dpi: false
+  lxc: false
+  swap: 512M
diff --git a/profiles/tier-pro.yaml b/profiles/tier-pro.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d45124c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/profiles/tier-pro.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+# profiles/tier-pro.yaml
+name: tier-pro
+inherits: base
+description: For 8GB+ RAM devices (MOCHAbin)
+
+constraints:
+  min_ram: 8G
+
+packages:
+  required:
+    - secubox-full
+
+features:
+  dpi: inline
+  lxc: true
+  swap: "0"
diff --git a/profiles/tier-standard.yaml b/profiles/tier-standard.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c0f65d4c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/profiles/tier-standard.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+# profiles/tier-standard.yaml
+name: tier-standard
+inherits: base
+description: For 4GB RAM devices
+
+constraints:
+  min_ram: 4G
+  max_ram: 8G
+
+packages:
+  required:
+    - secubox-crowdsec
+    - secubox-wireguard
+    - secubox-netmodes
+    - secubox-nac
+    - secubox-dpi
+    - secubox-qos
+    - secubox-waf
+    - secubox-haproxy
+    - secubox-vhost
+
+features:
+  dpi: mirror
+  lxc: true
+  swap: "0"