diff --git a/cardano-config.cabal b/cardano-config.cabal
index d5407da..a5c8fd6 100644
--- a/cardano-config.cabal
+++ b/cardano-config.cabal
@@ -31,10 +31,10 @@ common warnings
     -Wall
     -Wunused-packages
 
--- Deliberately small.
 library
   reexported-modules:
-    Cardano.Configuration
+    Cardano.Configuration,
+    Cardano.Configuration.CliArgs,
 
   build-depends:
     cardano-config:internal
diff --git a/src/Cardano/Configuration.hs b/src/Cardano/Configuration.hs
index 79f765b..6891bb9 100644
--- a/src/Cardano/Configuration.hs
+++ b/src/Cardano/Configuration.hs
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ module Cardano.Configuration
     NodeConfiguration (..)
   , resolveConfiguration
   , resolveConfigurationWith
+  , resolveConfigurationFromFile
 
     -- ** Consistency checks
   , ConfigCheck (..)
@@ -36,6 +37,7 @@ module Cardano.Configuration
   , File.RequiresNetworkMagic (..)
   , File.Hashed (..)
   , CLI.Credentials (..)
+  , CLI.emptyCredentials
   , CLI.KESSource (..)
 
     -- ** Network
@@ -43,6 +45,8 @@ module Cardano.Configuration
   , File.DiffusionMode (..)
   , File.AcceptedConnectionsLimit (..)
   , File.LocalConnectionsConfig (..)
+  , File.ResponderCoreAffinityPolicy (..)
+  , File.TxSubmissionLogicVersion (..)
 
     -- ** Testing
   , File.TestingConfiguration (..)
@@ -62,8 +66,15 @@ module Cardano.Configuration
   , CLI.ShutdownOn (..)
 
     -- * CLI
+
+    -- | The 'CLI.CliArgs' type is exported here, but its constructor and field
+    -- selectors are not (they would clash with the same-named 'NodeConfiguration'
+    -- fields). Consumers that build or override a 'CLI.CliArgs' directly should
+    -- import "Cardano.Configuration.CliArgs", which the public library also
+    -- re-exposes; 'CLI.defaultCliArgs' is a convenient starting point.
   , CLI.CliArgs
   , CLI.parseCliArgs
+  , CLI.defaultCliArgs
 
     -- ** Reusable option parsers
   , CLI.parseConfigFile
@@ -99,6 +110,7 @@ import qualified Cardano.Configuration.Common as File
 import qualified Cardano.Configuration.File as File
 import Cardano.Configuration.File.Consensus
 import qualified Cardano.Configuration.File.Consensus as File
+import qualified Cardano.Configuration.File.Network as File
 import qualified Cardano.Configuration.File.Protocol as File
 import qualified Cardano.Configuration.File.Storage as File
 import Cardano.Configuration.Genesis.Byron (ByronGenesisConfig)
@@ -112,6 +124,7 @@ import Control.Exception (Exception)
 import Data.Functor.Identity
 import Data.IP
 import Data.List.NonEmpty (NonEmpty (..))
+import GHC.Stack (HasCallStack)
 import Network.Socket
 import System.Posix.Types
 
@@ -249,6 +262,29 @@ resolveConfiguration ::
   Either ConfigResolutionError (NodeConfiguration, [File.ConfigWarning])
 resolveConfiguration = resolveConfigurationWith defaultConfigChecks
 
+-- | Resolve a full 'NodeConfiguration' from a configuration file alone, with no
+-- command-line overrides. This is the common case for tools that consume a node
+-- configuration file but have no node command line of their own (eg db-analyser,
+-- db-immutaliser): the file is parsed with 'File.parseConfigurationFiles' and
+-- resolved against 'CLI.defaultCliArgs', so every value comes from the file (and
+-- the always-applied defaults layer). The returned warnings combine those raised
+-- while parsing the files with those from the consistency checks.
+--
+-- File-level parse failures are thrown as a 'File.ConfigurationParsingError' (as
+-- in 'File.parseConfigurationFiles'); a well-formed file that fails a consistency
+-- check is returned as a 'Left'. Consumers that need to supply command-line
+-- overrides should instead build a 'CLI.CliArgs' (starting, if convenient, from
+-- 'CLI.defaultCliArgs') and call 'resolveConfiguration' directly.
+resolveConfigurationFromFile ::
+  HasCallStack =>
+  FilePath ->
+  IO (Either ConfigResolutionError (NodeConfiguration, [File.ConfigWarning]))
+resolveConfigurationFromFile configFile = do
+  (fileCfg, fileWarnings) <- File.parseConfigurationFiles configFile
+  pure $ case resolveConfiguration (CLI.defaultCliArgs configFile) fileCfg of
+    Left err -> Left err
+    Right (nc, checkWarnings) -> Right (nc, fileWarnings <> checkWarnings)
+
 -- | As 'resolveConfiguration', but with an explicit set of consistency checks,
 -- so consumers can add their own (typically @'defaultConfigChecks' <> myChecks@).
 -- On success returns the resolved configuration together with any non-fatal
diff --git a/src/Cardano/Configuration/CliArgs.hs b/src/Cardano/Configuration/CliArgs.hs
index f882702..265756e 100644
--- a/src/Cardano/Configuration/CliArgs.hs
+++ b/src/Cardano/Configuration/CliArgs.hs
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ module Cardano.Configuration.CliArgs
   ( -- * CLI Arguments
     CliArgs (..)
   , parseCliArgs
+  , defaultCliArgs
   , ShutdownOn (..)
 
     -- * Tracing
@@ -10,6 +11,7 @@ module Cardano.Configuration.CliArgs
 
     -- * Credentials
   , Credentials (..)
+  , emptyCredentials
   , KESSource (..)
 
     -- * Individual option parsers
@@ -39,7 +41,7 @@ module Cardano.Configuration.CliArgs
   ) where
 
 import Cardano.Configuration.Common
-import Cardano.Ledger.BaseTypes (StrictMaybe, maybeToStrictMaybe)
+import Cardano.Ledger.BaseTypes (StrictMaybe (..), maybeToStrictMaybe)
 import Control.Monad (when)
 import Data.Bifunctor (second)
 import Data.IP (IPv4, IPv6)
@@ -98,6 +100,20 @@ data Credentials = Credentials
   }
   deriving Show
 
+-- | The block-forging credentials with nothing supplied: the value
+-- 'parseCredentials' yields when no credential flag is given. A node with these
+-- credentials is not a block producer.
+emptyCredentials :: Credentials
+emptyCredentials =
+  Credentials
+    { byronDelegationCertificate = SNothing
+    , byronSigningKey = SNothing
+    , shelleyKES = SNothing
+    , shelleyVRFKey = SNothing
+    , shelleyOperationalCertificate = SNothing
+    , bulkCredentialsFile = SNothing
+    }
+
 -- | The CLI arguments, parsed with 'parseCliArgs'
 data CliArgs = CliArgs
   { configFilePath :: FilePath
@@ -152,6 +168,38 @@ parseCliArgs =
     <*> optionalStrict parseEnableGrpc
     <*> optionalStrict parseGrpcSocketPath
 
+-- | The 'CliArgs' for resolving a configuration from its file alone, with no
+-- command-line overrides: every field takes the value 'parseCliArgs' would
+-- produce were the command line to carry nothing but @--config CONFIGFILE@.
+-- Intended for tools that consume a node configuration file but expose no node
+-- command line of their own (see
+-- 'Cardano.Configuration.resolveConfigurationFromFile'). Consumers that do need
+-- to override some fields can start from this value and update the ones they
+-- care about, rather than spelling out every default.
+defaultCliArgs :: FilePath -> CliArgs
+defaultCliArgs configFile =
+  CliArgs
+    { configFilePath = configFile
+    , topologyFile = defaultTopologyFile
+    , databasePathCLI = SNothing
+    , validateDatabase = False
+    , socketPath = SNothing
+    , credentials = emptyCredentials
+    , startAsNonProducingNode = SNothing
+    , hostAddr = SNothing
+    , hostIPv6Addr = SNothing
+    , port = SNothing
+    , tracerSocket = SNothing
+    , shutdownIPC = SNothing
+    , shutdownOnTarget = SNothing
+    , enableGrpcCLI = SNothing
+    , grpcSocketPathCLI = SNothing
+    }
+
+-- | The topology file path used when @--topology@ is not given.
+defaultTopologyFile :: FilePath
+defaultTopologyFile = "configuration/cardano/mainnet-topology.json"
+
 parseTopologyFile :: Parser FilePath
 parseTopologyFile =
   strOption $
@@ -160,7 +208,7 @@ parseTopologyFile =
       , metavar "FILEPATH"
       , help "The path to a file describing the topology"
       , completer (bashCompleter "file")
-      , value "configuration/cardano/mainnet-topology.json"
+      , value defaultTopologyFile
       , showDefault
       ]