diff --git a/bundle/regal/config/config.rego b/bundle/regal/config/config.rego
index 7b8d0dcc..277e24fc 100644
--- a/bundle/regal/config/config.rego
+++ b/bundle/regal/config/config.rego
@@ -28,6 +28,10 @@ docs["resolve_url"](url, category) := replace(
 # description: the default configuration with user config merged on top (if provided)
 merged_config := data.internal.combined_config
 
+# METADATA
+# description: the config the user manually configured without defaults
+user_config := data.internal.user_config
+
 # ensure that config.rules can be referenced in tests even without mocking
 default rules := {}
 
diff --git a/bundle/regal/main/main.rego b/bundle/regal/main/main.rego
index f5defc97..8137397e 100644
--- a/bundle/regal/main/main.rego
+++ b/bundle/regal/main/main.rego
@@ -10,11 +10,20 @@ package regal.main
 
 import data.regal.ast
 import data.regal.config
+import data.regal.notices
 import data.regal.util
 
 # METADATA
 # description: set of all notices returned from linter rules
-lint.notices contains _grouped_notices[_][_][_] if "lint" in input.regal.operations
+lint.notices contains notice if {
+	"lint" in input.regal.operations
+
+	some category, title
+	_rules_to_run[category][title]
+
+	rule_notices := notices.promoted_notices[category][title]
+	some notice in rule_notices
+}
 
 # METADATA
 # description: map of all ignore directives encountered when linting
@@ -57,13 +66,6 @@ _rules_to_run[category] contains title if {
 	not config.excluded_file(category, title, relative_filename)
 }
 
-_grouped_notices[category][title] contains notice if {
-	some category, title
-	_rules_to_run[category][title]
-
-	some notice in data.regal.rules[category][title].notices
-}
-
 # METADATA
 # title: report
 # description: |
@@ -94,7 +96,7 @@ report contains violation if {
 	some category, title
 	_rules_to_run[category][title]
 
-	count(object.get(_grouped_notices, [category, title], [])) == 0
+	count(object.get(notices.promoted_notices, [category, title], [])) == 0
 
 	some violation in data.regal.rules[category][title].report
 
diff --git a/bundle/regal/main/main_test.rego b/bundle/regal/main/main_test.rego
index b28c7d7e..0f1e1eed 100644
--- a/bundle/regal/main/main_test.rego
+++ b/bundle/regal/main/main_test.rego
@@ -358,22 +358,6 @@ test_rules_to_run_not_excluded if {
 	rules_to_run == {"testing": {"test"}}
 }
 
-test_notices if {
-	notice := {
-		"category": "idiomatic",
-		"description": "here's a notice",
-		"level": "notice",
-		"title": "testme notice",
-		"severity": "none",
-	}
-
-	notices := main.lint.notices with main._rules_to_run as {"idiomatic": {"testme"}}
-		with data.regal.rules.idiomatic.testme.notices as {notice} # regal ignore:unresolved-reference
-		with input.regal.operations as ["lint"]
-
-	notices == {notice}
-}
-
 test_main_fail_when_input_not_object if {
 	violation := {
 		"category": "error",
diff --git a/bundle/regal/notices/notices.rego b/bundle/regal/notices/notices.rego
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bc332432
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bundle/regal/notices/notices.rego
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+# METADATA
+# description: |
+#   package with functionality for post-processing notices
+#   to ensure they are presented correctly as errors when relevant.
+package regal.notices
+
+import data.regal.config
+
+# METADATA
+# scope: rule
+# description: |
+#   promoted_notices maps notices from rules, potentially changing their severity
+#   based on user configuration
+promoted_notices[category][title] contains original_notice if {
+	some category, title
+	notices := data.regal.rules[category][title].notices
+
+	some original_notice in notices
+
+	not config.user_config.rules[category][title]
+}
+
+promoted_notices[category][title] contains notice if {
+	some category, title
+	notices := data.regal.rules[category][title].notices
+
+	some notice in notices
+
+	rule_config := config.user_config.rules[category][title]
+	object.get(rule_config, "level", "") == "ignore"
+}
+
+promoted_notices[category][title] contains notice if {
+	some category, title
+	notices := data.regal.rules[category][title].notices
+
+	some original_notice in notices
+
+	rule_config := config.user_config.rules[category][title]
+	object.get(rule_config, "level", "") != "ignore"
+
+	# Use configured level as severity, or default to "error"
+	new_severity := object.get(rule_config, "level", "error")
+
+	notice := object.union(original_notice, {"severity": new_severity})
+}
diff --git a/bundle/regal/notices/notices_test.rego b/bundle/regal/notices/notices_test.rego
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e473c47b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bundle/regal/notices/notices_test.rego
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+package regal.notices_test
+
+import data.regal.notices
+
+test_promoted_notices_with_level_error if {
+	result := notices.promoted_notices with data.regal.rules.imports["use-rego-v1"].notices as {_example_notice}
+		with data.internal.user_config as {"rules": {"imports": {"use-rego-v1": {"level": "error"}}}}
+
+	# With user config level set to error, the severity should be promoted to error
+	result.imports["use-rego-v1"] == {object.union(_example_notice, {"severity": "error"})}
+}
+
+test_promoted_notices_with_level_ignore if {
+	result := notices.promoted_notices with data.regal.rules.imports["use-rego-v1"].notices as {_example_notice}
+		with data.internal.user_config as {"rules": {"imports": {"use-rego-v1": {"level": "ignore"}}}}
+
+	# With user config level set to ignore, the severity should stay none
+	result.imports["use-rego-v1"] == {_example_notice}
+}
+
+test_promoted_notices_with_level_warning if {
+	result := notices.promoted_notices with data.regal.rules.imports["use-rego-v1"].notices as {_example_notice}
+		with data.internal.user_config as {"rules": {"imports": {"use-rego-v1": {"level": "warning"}}}}
+
+	# With user config level set to warning, the severity should be promoted to warning
+	result.imports["use-rego-v1"] == {object.union(_example_notice, {"severity": "warning"})}
+}
+
+test_promoted_notices_configured_without_level if {
+	# Rule is configured but level field is not present
+	result := notices.promoted_notices with data.regal.rules.imports["use-rego-v1"].notices as {_example_notice}
+		with data.internal.user_config as {"rules": {"imports": {"use-rego-v1": {}}}}
+
+	# When configured without level, should default to error
+	result.imports["use-rego-v1"] == {object.union(_example_notice, {"severity": "error"})}
+}
+
+test_promoted_notices_mixed_configured_and_unconfigured if {
+	notice_configured_rule := {
+		"category": "imports",
+		"description": "Configured rule",
+		"level": "notice",
+		"title": "use-rego-v1",
+		"severity": "none",
+	}
+
+	notice_unconfigured_rule := {
+		"category": "bugs",
+		"description": "Unconfigured rule",
+		"level": "notice",
+		"title": "deprecated-builtin",
+		"severity": "none",
+	}
+
+	result := notices.promoted_notices with data.regal.rules.imports["use-rego-v1"].notices as {notice_configured_rule}
+		with data.regal.rules.bugs["deprecated-builtin"].notices as {notice_unconfigured_rule}
+		with data.internal.user_config as {"rules": {"imports": {"use-rego-v1": {"level": "error"}}}}
+
+	# Configured rule should have severity promoted to error
+	result.imports["use-rego-v1"] == {object.union(notice_configured_rule, {"severity": "error"})}
+
+	# Unconfigured rule should keep original severity: none
+	result.bugs["deprecated-builtin"] == {notice_unconfigured_rule}
+}
+
+_example_notice := {
+	"category": "imports",
+	"description": "Test rule description",
+	"level": "notice",
+	"title": "use-rego-v1",
+	"severity": "none",
+}
diff --git a/internal/lsp/eval.go b/internal/lsp/eval.go
index 37ad9107..dbdfa3b5 100644
--- a/internal/lsp/eval.go
+++ b/internal/lsp/eval.go
@@ -119,6 +119,11 @@ func prepareRegoArgs(
 		evalConfig = *cfg
 	}
 
+	userConfigMap := map[string]any{}
+	if cfg != nil {
+		userConfigMap = config.ToMap(*cfg)
+	}
+
 	internalBundle := &bundle.Bundle{
 		Manifest: bundle.Manifest{
 			Roots:    &[]string{"internal"},
@@ -127,6 +132,7 @@ func prepareRegoArgs(
 		Data: map[string]any{
 			"internal": map[string]any{
 				"combined_config": config.ToMap(evalConfig),
+				"user_config":     userConfigMap,
 				"capabilities":    caps,
 			},
 		},
diff --git a/internal/lsp/eval_test.go b/internal/lsp/eval_test.go
index bb2d6ba5..528664ba 100644
--- a/internal/lsp/eval_test.go
+++ b/internal/lsp/eval_test.go
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ func TestEvalWorkspacePathInternalData(t *testing.T) {
 	val := testutil.MustBe[[]any](t, res.Value)
 	act := util.Sorted(testutil.Must(util.AnySliceTo[string](val))(t))
 
-	if exp := []string{"capabilities", "combined_config"}; !slices.Equal(exp, act) {
+	if exp := []string{"capabilities", "combined_config", "user_config"}; !slices.Equal(exp, act) {
 		t.Fatalf("expected %v, got %v", exp, act)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/pkg/linter/linter.go b/pkg/linter/linter.go
index 6ad960cf..26f1a34c 100644
--- a/pkg/linter/linter.go
+++ b/pkg/linter/linter.go
@@ -648,6 +648,11 @@ func (l Linter) createDataBundle(conf config.Config) *bundle.Bundle {
 		"ignore_files":     util.NilSliceToEmpty(l.ignoreFiles),
 	}
 
+	userConfigMap := map[string]any{}
+	if l.userConfig != nil {
+		userConfigMap = config.ToMap(*l.userConfig)
+	}
+
 	return &bundle.Bundle{
 		Manifest: bundle.Manifest{
 			Roots:    &[]string{"internal", "eval"},
@@ -659,6 +664,7 @@ func (l Linter) createDataBundle(conf config.Config) *bundle.Bundle {
 			},
 			"internal": map[string]any{
 				"combined_config": config.ToMap(conf),
+				"user_config":     userConfigMap,
 				"capabilities":    rio.ToMap(config.CapabilitiesForThisVersion()),
 				"path_prefix":     l.pathPrefix,
 			},