diff --git a/examples/overlay/example.yaml b/examples/overlay/example.yaml
index 14300c9..a121d37 100644
--- a/examples/overlay/example.yaml
+++ b/examples/overlay/example.yaml
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 #     -sources specs/sources.yaml \
 #     -overlay internal/overlay
 #
-# The overlay layer rewrites help text and aliases for commands synthesized
+# The overlay layer rewrites command names, help text, and aliases for commands synthesized
 # from the upstream spec. The command's Use string matches CommandSpec.Use
 # emitted by codegen (typically the lowercased operationId / rpc name).
 # Overrides are baked into the generated CommandSpec at codegen time; the
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ commands: {}
 #       pageSize: "20"
 # commands:
 #   create-user:
+#     use: create
 #     aliases: [adduser]
 #     short: "Create a user in the IAM service"
 #     long: |
diff --git a/internal/codegen/render/render.go b/internal/codegen/render/render.go
index 87c1b5b..cd180ec 100644
--- a/internal/codegen/render/render.go
+++ b/internal/codegen/render/render.go
@@ -53,6 +53,9 @@ func RenderModule(name, cliName string, specs []runtime.CommandSpec, overrides m
 }
 
 func ResolveFlatCommandPath(policy string, moduleCount int, specs []runtime.CommandSpec) (bool, error) {
+	if err := validateCommandPaths(specs); err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
 	if policy == "" {
 		policy = config.CommandPathAuto
 	}
@@ -111,6 +114,41 @@ func flatPathConflict(specs []runtime.CommandSpec) (string, bool) {
 	return "", false
 }
 
+func validateCommandPaths(specs []runtime.CommandSpec) error {
+	seen := map[string]runtime.CommandSpec{}
+	for _, spec := range specs {
+		group := rootCommandName(spec.Group)
+		use := commandUseName(spec.Use)
+		if group == "" || use == "" {
+			return fmt.Errorf("command %q has empty generated path", commandIdentity(spec))
+		}
+		cmdPath := group + " " + use
+		if prev, ok := seen[cmdPath]; ok {
+			return fmt.Errorf("command path %q conflicts between %q and %q", cmdPath, commandIdentity(prev), commandIdentity(spec))
+		}
+		seen[cmdPath] = spec
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func commandUseName(use string) string {
+	fields := strings.Fields(use)
+	if len(fields) == 0 {
+		return ""
+	}
+	return fields[0]
+}
+
+func commandIdentity(spec runtime.CommandSpec) string {
+	if spec.OperationID != "" {
+		return spec.OperationID
+	}
+	if spec.Group != "" || spec.Use != "" {
+		return strings.TrimSpace(spec.Group + " " + spec.Use)
+	}
+	return spec.PathTpl
+}
+
 func rootCommandName(use string) string {
 	fields := strings.Fields(strings.ToLower(use))
 	if len(fields) == 0 {
@@ -192,6 +230,9 @@ func matchesAny(patterns []string, value string) bool {
 }
 
 func applyCommandOverride(spec *runtime.CommandSpec, override overlay.Override) {
+	if override.Use != "" {
+		spec.Use = override.Use
+	}
 	if override.Short != "" {
 		spec.Short = override.Short
 	}
diff --git a/internal/codegen/render/render_test.go b/internal/codegen/render/render_test.go
index 46a5749..089ab7e 100644
--- a/internal/codegen/render/render_test.go
+++ b/internal/codegen/render/render_test.go
@@ -250,6 +250,24 @@ func TestMergeOverlay_ParamRequiredOverride(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestMergeOverlay_UseRename(t *testing.T) {
+	specs := []runtime.CommandSpec{{
+		Group:   "Repos",
+		Use:     "create-repo",
+		Aliases: []string{"new-repo"},
+	}}
+	merged := MergeOverlay(specs, map[string]overlay.Override{
+		"create-repo": {Use: "create", Aliases: []string{"new"}},
+	})
+
+	if got := merged[0].Use; got != "create" {
+		t.Fatalf("Use = %q, want create", got)
+	}
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(merged[0].Aliases, []string{"new-repo", "new"}) {
+		t.Fatalf("aliases = %#v", merged[0].Aliases)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestMergeOverlayModule_BulkPaginationDefaults(t *testing.T) {
 	specs := []runtime.CommandSpec{
 		{
@@ -488,6 +506,17 @@ func TestResolveFlatCommandPath(t *testing.T) {
 	if err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "conflicts") {
 		t.Fatalf("expected duplicate group flat conflict error, got %v", err)
 	}
+
+	renamed := MergeOverlay([]runtime.CommandSpec{
+		{Group: "Repos", Use: "create-repo", OperationID: "Repos_CreateRepo"},
+		{Group: "Repos", Use: "create", OperationID: "Repos_Create"},
+	}, map[string]overlay.Override{
+		"create-repo": {Use: "create"},
+	})
+	_, err = ResolveFlatCommandPath("namespaced", 1, renamed)
+	if err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), `command path "repos create" conflicts`) {
+		t.Fatalf("expected renamed command conflict error, got %v", err)
+	}
 }
 
 func TestRewriteCommandExamples_NormalizesMultiWordGroupPaths(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/internal/overlay/overlay.go b/internal/overlay/overlay.go
index ea75c25..03cec43 100644
--- a/internal/overlay/overlay.go
+++ b/internal/overlay/overlay.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 type Override struct {
+	Use           string                   `yaml:"use"`
 	Aliases       []string                 `yaml:"aliases"`
 	Short         string                   `yaml:"short"`
 	Long          string                   `yaml:"long"`
diff --git a/internal/overlay/overlay_test.go b/internal/overlay/overlay_test.go
index b067163..c2e6789 100644
--- a/internal/overlay/overlay_test.go
+++ b/internal/overlay/overlay_test.go
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ func TestLoadDir_ParsesMultipleModules(t *testing.T) {
 	dir := t.TempDir()
 	writeFile(t, filepath.Join(dir, "iam.yaml"), `commands:
   create-user:
+    use: create
     aliases: [adduser, new-user]
     short: "Create a user"
     long: "Long description for create-user."
@@ -49,6 +50,9 @@ func TestLoadDir_ParsesMultipleModules(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("want 2 modules, got %d: %v", len(got), got)
 	}
 	u := got["iam"].Commands["create-user"]
+	if u.Use != "create" {
+		t.Errorf("iam create-user use: %q", u.Use)
+	}
 	if u.Short != "Create a user" || u.Long == "" || u.Example == "" {
 		t.Errorf("iam create-user override incomplete: %+v", u)
 	}