@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 if not any(isinstance(_h, _logging.NullHandler) for _h in _sagemaker_root_logger.handlers):
     _sagemaker_root_logger.addHandler(_logging.NullHandler())
 
-enable_textual_rich_console_and_traceback()
+enable_textual_rich_console_and_traceback()  # opt-in; no-op unless SAGEMAKER_ENABLE_RICH_LOGGING is set
 
 # Install the meta-path finder that gives actionable migration guidance for v2
 # modules removed in v3. sagemaker-core is the universal dependency of every v3
 
@@ -137,12 +137,47 @@ def get_textual_rich_theme() -> Theme:
     )
 
 
+RICH_LOGGING_OPT_IN_ENV_VAR = "SAGEMAKER_ENABLE_RICH_LOGGING"
+
+_TRUTHY_ENV_VALUES = frozenset({"1", "true", "yes", "on"})
+
+
+def is_rich_logging_enabled() -> bool:
+    """Whether the user opted in to sagemaker-core's rich console and tracebacks.
+
+    Reconfiguring the global rich console and calling ``rich.traceback.install()``
+    override ``sys.excepthook`` and restyle the process-global console, so they are
+    opt-in: merely importing the SDK must not change tracebacks or console styling.
+    Enable by setting the ``SAGEMAKER_ENABLE_RICH_LOGGING`` environment variable to
+    one of ``1``/``true``/``yes``/``on`` (case-insensitive).
+
+    Returns:
+        bool: True if rich console/traceback output has been opted into.
+    """
+    return os.environ.get(RICH_LOGGING_OPT_IN_ENV_VAR, "").strip().lower() in _TRUTHY_ENV_VALUES
+
+
 textual_rich_console_and_traceback_enabled = False
 
 
-def enable_textual_rich_console_and_traceback():
-    """Reconfigure the global textual rich console with the customized theme and enable textual rich error traceback"""
+def enable_textual_rich_console_and_traceback(force: bool = False):
+    """Reconfigure the global rich console and install rich error tracebacks.
+
+    This overrides ``sys.excepthook`` (via ``rich.traceback.install``) and restyles
+    the process-global rich console. Because those are process-wide side effects, it
+    is opt-in and a no-op unless the user opts in via the
+    ``SAGEMAKER_ENABLE_RICH_LOGGING`` environment variable
+    (see :func:`is_rich_logging_enabled`) or the caller passes ``force=True``. This
+    keeps ``import sagemaker`` free of global traceback/console side effects by
+    default.
+
+    Args:
+        force (bool): Enable regardless of the environment variable, for callers
+            that explicitly want rich output. Defaults to False.
+    """
     global textual_rich_console_and_traceback_enabled
+    if not (force or is_rich_logging_enabled()):
+        return
     if not textual_rich_console_and_traceback_enabled:
         theme = get_textual_rich_theme()
         reconfigure(theme=theme)
@@ -159,23 +194,28 @@ def get_rich_handler():
 
 
 def get_textual_rich_logger(name: str, log_level: str = "INFO") -> logging.Logger:
-    """Get a logger with textual rich handler.
+    """Get a logger, attaching a rich handler only when rich logging is opted in.
+
+    Rich logging (a ``RichHandler`` on the root logger via ``logging.basicConfig``,
+    plus the themed console/traceback) is opt-in, so that importing the SDK does not
+    reconfigure the root logger or change process-wide log formatting/level. When the
+    user has not opted in (see :func:`is_rich_logging_enabled`), this returns the named
+    logger without configuring handlers or levels, leaving logging to the application.
 
     Args:
         name (str): The name of the logger
-        log_level (str): The log level to set.
+        log_level (str): The log level to set when rich logging is enabled.
             Accepted values are: "DEBUG", "INFO", "WARNING", "ERROR", "CRITICAL".
             Defaults to the value of "INFO".
 
     Return:
-        logging.Logger: A textial rich logger.
+        logging.Logger: The requested logger.
     """
     enable_textual_rich_console_and_traceback()
-    handler = get_rich_handler()
-    logging.basicConfig(level=getattr(logging, log_level), handlers=[handler])
-    logger = logging.getLogger(name)
-
-    return logger
+    if is_rich_logging_enabled():
+        handler = get_rich_handler()
+        logging.basicConfig(level=getattr(logging, log_level), handlers=[handler])
+    return logging.getLogger(name)
 
 
 logger = get_textual_rich_logger(__name__)
 
@@ -0,0 +1,114 @@
+"""Unit tests for opt-in rich console/traceback behavior in sagemaker.core.utils.utils.
+
+These lock in that importing the SDK does not override sys.excepthook or restyle the
+process-global rich console unless the user explicitly opts in via
+SAGEMAKER_ENABLE_RICH_LOGGING (or a force=True call).
+"""
+
+import os
+from unittest.mock import patch
+
+import pytest
+
+from sagemaker.core.utils import utils
+from sagemaker.core.utils.utils import (
+    RICH_LOGGING_OPT_IN_ENV_VAR,
+    enable_textual_rich_console_and_traceback,
+    is_rich_logging_enabled,
+)
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
+def _reset_latch():
+    """Reset the one-shot 'already enabled' latch around every test."""
+    saved = utils.textual_rich_console_and_traceback_enabled
+    utils.textual_rich_console_and_traceback_enabled = False
+    try:
+        yield
+    finally:
+        utils.textual_rich_console_and_traceback_enabled = saved
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("value", ["1", "true", "TRUE", "Yes", "on", " on "])
+def test_is_rich_logging_enabled_truthy(value):
+    with patch.dict(os.environ, {RICH_LOGGING_OPT_IN_ENV_VAR: value}):
+        assert is_rich_logging_enabled() is True
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("value", ["", "0", "false", "no", "off", "nope"])
+def test_is_rich_logging_enabled_falsey(value):
+    with patch.dict(os.environ, {RICH_LOGGING_OPT_IN_ENV_VAR: value}):
+        assert is_rich_logging_enabled() is False
+
+
+def test_disabled_by_default_is_noop():
+    # Env var absent -> importing/using the SDK must not touch the global console
+    # or install rich tracebacks (no sys.excepthook override).
+    with patch.dict(os.environ, {}, clear=False):
+        os.environ.pop(RICH_LOGGING_OPT_IN_ENV_VAR, None)
+        with (
+            patch.object(utils, "reconfigure") as mock_reconfigure,
+            patch.object(utils, "install") as mock_install,
+        ):
+            enable_textual_rich_console_and_traceback()
+            mock_reconfigure.assert_not_called()
+            mock_install.assert_not_called()
+            assert utils.textual_rich_console_and_traceback_enabled is False
+
+
+def test_enabled_when_opted_in_via_env():
+    with patch.dict(os.environ, {RICH_LOGGING_OPT_IN_ENV_VAR: "true"}):
+        with (
+            patch.object(utils, "reconfigure") as mock_reconfigure,
+            patch.object(utils, "install") as mock_install,
+        ):
+            enable_textual_rich_console_and_traceback()
+            mock_reconfigure.assert_called_once()
+            mock_install.assert_called_once()
+            assert utils.textual_rich_console_and_traceback_enabled is True
+
+
+def test_force_enables_regardless_of_env():
+    with patch.dict(os.environ, {}, clear=False):
+        os.environ.pop(RICH_LOGGING_OPT_IN_ENV_VAR, None)
+        with (
+            patch.object(utils, "reconfigure") as mock_reconfigure,
+            patch.object(utils, "install") as mock_install,
+        ):
+            enable_textual_rich_console_and_traceback(force=True)
+            mock_reconfigure.assert_called_once()
+            mock_install.assert_called_once()
+
+
+def test_enable_is_idempotent_when_opted_in():
+    with patch.dict(os.environ, {RICH_LOGGING_OPT_IN_ENV_VAR: "1"}):
+        with (
+            patch.object(utils, "reconfigure") as mock_reconfigure,
+            patch.object(utils, "install") as mock_install,
+        ):
+            enable_textual_rich_console_and_traceback()
+            enable_textual_rich_console_and_traceback()
+            # The one-shot latch prevents re-installing on the second call.
+            mock_reconfigure.assert_called_once()
+            mock_install.assert_called_once()
+
+
+def test_get_logger_does_not_call_basicconfig_when_opted_out():
+    # Getting a module logger must not reconfigure the root logger by default.
+    with patch.dict(os.environ, {}, clear=False):
+        os.environ.pop(RICH_LOGGING_OPT_IN_ENV_VAR, None)
+        with patch.object(utils.logging, "basicConfig") as mock_basic_config:
+            returned = utils.get_textual_rich_logger("sagemaker.core.test.optout")
+            mock_basic_config.assert_not_called()
+            assert returned is utils.logging.getLogger("sagemaker.core.test.optout")
+
+
+def test_get_logger_calls_basicconfig_when_opted_in():
+    with patch.dict(os.environ, {RICH_LOGGING_OPT_IN_ENV_VAR: "1"}):
+        with (
+            patch.object(utils, "reconfigure"),
+            patch.object(utils, "install"),
+            patch.object(utils.logging, "basicConfig") as mock_basic_config,
+        ):
+            utils.get_textual_rich_logger("sagemaker.core.test.optin")
+            mock_basic_config.assert_called_once()