diff --git a/ZB.MOM.WW.Secrets/Directory.Build.props b/ZB.MOM.WW.Secrets/Directory.Build.props
index 456ba04..974d6cf 100644
--- a/ZB.MOM.WW.Secrets/Directory.Build.props
+++ b/ZB.MOM.WW.Secrets/Directory.Build.props
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
     <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
     <ImplicitUsings>enable</ImplicitUsings>
     <LangVersion>latest</LangVersion>
-    <Version>0.1.1</Version>
+    <Version>0.1.2</Version>
     <ManagePackageVersionsCentrally>true</ManagePackageVersionsCentrally>
     <PackageReadmeFile>README.md</PackageReadmeFile>
   </PropertyGroup>
diff --git a/ZB.MOM.WW.Secrets/src/ZB.MOM.WW.Secrets/Configuration/SecretReferenceExpander.cs b/ZB.MOM.WW.Secrets/src/ZB.MOM.WW.Secrets/Configuration/SecretReferenceExpander.cs
index 2edf0ac..acecf37 100644
--- a/ZB.MOM.WW.Secrets/src/ZB.MOM.WW.Secrets/Configuration/SecretReferenceExpander.cs
+++ b/ZB.MOM.WW.Secrets/src/ZB.MOM.WW.Secrets/Configuration/SecretReferenceExpander.cs
@@ -83,6 +83,13 @@ public sealed class SecretReferenceExpander
     /// or <c>ValidateOnStart</c> executes; otherwise validators may see the unexpanded placeholder.
     /// Fail-closed: a missing referenced secret propagates <see cref="SecretNotFoundException"/> out
     /// of startup.
+    /// <para>
+    /// Documentation/comment keys are skipped: any entry whose leaf key segment (the part after the
+    /// last <c>:</c>) begins with an underscore — the widely-used <c>"_comment"</c> JSON convention —
+    /// is left untouched. This lets an appsettings file document the <c>${secret:...}</c> syntax in a
+    /// <c>_comment</c> value (even with a literal example token) without that example being treated as
+    /// a real reference to resolve. Functional keys are never named with a leading underscore.
+    /// </para>
     /// </remarks>
     /// <param name="config">The loaded configuration root to mutate.</param>
     /// <param name="ct">A token to cancel the operation.</param>
@@ -95,7 +102,9 @@ public sealed class SecretReferenceExpander
         var pending = new List<KeyValuePair<string, string>>();
         foreach (KeyValuePair<string, string?> entry in config.AsEnumerable())
         {
-            if (entry.Value is { } value && value.Contains(TokenMarker, StringComparison.Ordinal))
+            if (entry.Value is { } value
+                && value.Contains(TokenMarker, StringComparison.Ordinal)
+                && !IsCommentKey(entry.Key))
             {
                 pending.Add(new KeyValuePair<string, string>(entry.Key, value));
             }
@@ -106,4 +115,14 @@ public sealed class SecretReferenceExpander
             config[entry.Key] = await ExpandAsync(entry.Value, ct).ConfigureAwait(false);
         }
     }
+
+    // A configuration key is a comment/documentation key when its leaf segment (after the last ':')
+    // starts with '_' — the conventional "_comment" marker. Such values may legitimately contain a
+    // literal ${secret:...} example and must not be resolved.
+    private static bool IsCommentKey(string key)
+    {
+        int lastSeparator = key.LastIndexOf(':');
+        string leaf = lastSeparator >= 0 ? key[(lastSeparator + 1)..] : key;
+        return leaf.StartsWith('_');
+    }
 }
diff --git a/ZB.MOM.WW.Secrets/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.Secrets.Tests/Configuration/SecretReferenceExpanderTests.cs b/ZB.MOM.WW.Secrets/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.Secrets.Tests/Configuration/SecretReferenceExpanderTests.cs
index dd868f8..bcc2eb8 100644
--- a/ZB.MOM.WW.Secrets/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.Secrets.Tests/Configuration/SecretReferenceExpanderTests.cs
+++ b/ZB.MOM.WW.Secrets/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.Secrets.Tests/Configuration/SecretReferenceExpanderTests.cs
@@ -103,4 +103,30 @@ public sealed class SecretReferenceExpanderTests
         await Assert.ThrowsAsync<SecretNotFoundException>(
             () => expander.ExpandConfigurationAsync(config, CancellationToken.None));
     }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task ExpandConfigurationAsync_SkipsCommentKeys()
+    {
+        // A "_comment" key may document the ${secret:...} syntax with a literal (even malformed or
+        // not-yet-seeded) example token; it must be left untouched — never resolved, never throwing —
+        // while a real sibling key still expands. Regression: an unseeded/ellipsis example in a comment
+        // previously crashed boot (SecretName rejects '...').
+        SecretReferenceExpander expander = Expander(("sql/foo", "hunter2"));
+        IConfigurationRoot config = new ConfigurationBuilder()
+            .AddInMemoryCollection(new Dictionary<string, string?>
+            {
+                ["_secretsComment"] = "e.g. Password=${secret:...} or ${secret:sql/not-seeded}",
+                ["Nested:_comment"] = "also skipped: ${secret:sql/also-absent}",
+                ["ConnectionStrings:Db"] = "Server=.;Password=${secret:sql/foo}",
+            })
+            .Build();
+
+        await expander.ExpandConfigurationAsync(config, CancellationToken.None);
+
+        // Comment keys untouched (literal token preserved, no throw despite absent/malformed names).
+        Assert.Equal("e.g. Password=${secret:...} or ${secret:sql/not-seeded}", config["_secretsComment"]);
+        Assert.Contains("${secret:sql/also-absent}", config["Nested:_comment"]);
+        // Real key still expanded.
+        Assert.Equal("Server=.;Password=hunter2", config["ConnectionStrings:Db"]);
+    }
 }