diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c6e165a..cb695fe 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -43,12 +43,16 @@ webapp-scaffold-postprocess-openapi && \
 orval
 ```
 
-## `createCoreFetch` (v0.2)
+## `createCoreFetch` (v0.4 — default flipped to `'body'`)
 
-Orval's `client: 'fetch'` calls a mutator `coreFetch<T>(url, init)` and
-expects `{data, status, headers}` back. `createCoreFetch(opts)` returns
-such a function, with credentials/CSRF headers / 204 / content-type
-handling already wired, and hooks for project-specific concerns:
+Orval's `client: 'fetch'` calls a mutator `coreFetch<T>(url, init)`. The
+return shape is configurable; **the default is `'body'`** (returns the
+parsed JSON body directly, matching Orval's
+`includeHttpResponseReturnType: false`). Pass `responseShape: 'wrapped'`
+to opt back into `{data, status, headers}` when callers need the
+Response metadata. `createCoreFetch(opts)` returns such a function, with
+credentials/CSRF headers / 204 / content-type handling already wired,
+and hooks for project-specific concerns:
 
 ```ts
 import { createCoreFetch } from '@uschuster/webapp-scaffold/core-fetch';
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index e9c21d8..564f14c 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@uschuster/webapp-scaffold",
-  "version": "0.3.7",
+  "version": "0.4.0",
   "description": "Shared build scripts + Vite config factories for webapp-template-derived projects.",
   "type": "module",
   "bin": {
diff --git a/src/core-fetch.test.ts b/src/core-fetch.test.ts
index 1bd87ce..0b6890b 100644
--- a/src/core-fetch.test.ts
+++ b/src/core-fetch.test.ts
@@ -17,22 +17,22 @@ function jsonResponse(body: unknown, init: ResponseInit = {}): Response {
 }
 
 describe('createCoreFetch — response shapes', () => {
-    it("'wrapped' default returns { data, status, headers }", async () => {
+    it("'body' default returns the parsed body directly", async () => {
         const cf = createCoreFetch({ fetchImpl: () => Promise.resolve(jsonResponse({ ok: 1 })) });
+        const r = await cf<{ ok: number }>('/x');
+        expect(r).toEqual({ ok: 1 });
+    });
+
+    it("'wrapped' opt-in returns { data, status, headers }", async () => {
+        const cf = createCoreFetch({
+            responseShape: 'wrapped',
+            fetchImpl: () => Promise.resolve(jsonResponse({ ok: 1 })),
+        });
         const r = await cf<{ data: { ok: number }; status: number }>('/x');
         expect(r.data).toEqual({ ok: 1 });
         expect(r.status).toBe(200);
     });
 
-    it("'body' returns the parsed body directly", async () => {
-        const cf = createCoreFetch({
-            responseShape: 'body',
-            fetchImpl: () => Promise.resolve(jsonResponse({ ok: 1 })),
-        });
-        const r = await cf<{ ok: number }>('/x');
-        expect(r).toEqual({ ok: 1 });
-    });
-
     it('non-JSON 2xx returns the body as plain text', async () => {
         const cf = createCoreFetch({
             responseShape: 'body',
diff --git a/src/core-fetch.ts b/src/core-fetch.ts
index f7c9da8..3dc5afc 100644
--- a/src/core-fetch.ts
+++ b/src/core-fetch.ts
@@ -3,10 +3,12 @@
 // Orval's `client: 'fetch'` emits functions that call
 //     coreFetch<T>(url, init)
 // and expect one of:
-//   • { data, status, headers } back (responseShape: 'wrapped', default —
-//     matches orval's default `includeHttpResponseReturnType: true`)
-//   • the parsed body directly (responseShape: 'body' — matches orval's
-//     `includeHttpResponseReturnType: false`, fewo's convention)
+//   • the parsed body directly (responseShape: 'body', DEFAULT — matches
+//     orval's `includeHttpResponseReturnType: false`, the Orval-driven
+//     "no extra ceremony" path)
+//   • { data, status, headers } back (responseShape: 'wrapped' — matches
+//     orval's `includeHttpResponseReturnType: true`; opt in when callers
+//     need the Response metadata)
 //
 // Baseline wired in:
 //   • credentials: 'include'                     — cookies always sent
@@ -29,7 +31,7 @@ export interface CoreFetchOptions {
     /** Prefix for every request; strip trailing slash. */
     baseUrl?: string;
 
-    /** `'wrapped'` returns { data, status, headers } (default); `'body'` returns the parsed body. */
+    /** `'body'` returns the parsed body (default); `'wrapped'` returns { data, status, headers }. */
     responseShape?: ResponseShape;
 
     /**
@@ -101,7 +103,7 @@ export function createCoreFetch(opts: CoreFetchOptions = {}): CoreFetch {
     const callFetch: typeof fetch = opts.fetchImpl
         ? opts.fetchImpl
         : ((...args) => fetch(...(args as Parameters<typeof fetch>))) as typeof fetch;
-    const shape: ResponseShape = opts.responseShape ?? 'wrapped';
+    const shape: ResponseShape = opts.responseShape ?? 'body';
 
     function wrap(data: unknown, status: number, headers: Headers): unknown {
         return shape === 'body' ? data : { data, status, headers };