diff --git a/table/src/-private/-type-tests/generic-wrapper.test.ts b/table/src/-private/-type-tests/generic-wrapper.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c8c1255
--- /dev/null
+++ b/table/src/-private/-type-tests/generic-wrapper.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+import { expectTypeOf } from 'expect-type';
+
+import { headlessTable } from '../../index.ts';
+
+import type { CellContext, ColumnConfig } from '../../index.ts';
+import type { ComponentLike } from '@glint/template';
+
+interface Person {
+  name: string;
+}
+declare const people: Person[];
+
+// A shared table component takes a column list from its caller and builds the
+// table itself. Its own cell args are a type parameter, so there is no Cell to
+// read them from.
+function makeTable<T, CellArgs>(
+  columnConfigList: ColumnConfig<T, unknown, unknown, CellArgs>[],
+  data: T[],
+) {
+  return headlessTable(
+    {},
+    { columns: () => columnConfigList, data: () => data },
+  );
+}
+
+declare const columnList: ColumnConfig<
+  Person,
+  unknown,
+  unknown,
+  { groupBy: 'day' | 'week' }
+>[];
+
+const table = makeTable(columnList, people);
+
+expectTypeOf(table.columns[0]!.Cell).toEqualTypeOf<
+  | ComponentLike<
+      CellContext<Person, unknown, unknown> & { groupBy: 'day' | 'week' }
+    >
+  | undefined
+>();
diff --git a/table/src/-private/interfaces/column.ts b/table/src/-private/interfaces/column.ts
index 0fee553..41f35eb 100644
--- a/table/src/-private/interfaces/column.ts
+++ b/table/src/-private/interfaces/column.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import type { Constructor } from '../private-types';
 import type { ComponentLike, ContentValue } from '@glint/template';
 
 declare const rowType: unique symbol;
+declare const cellArgsType: unique symbol;
 
 /**
  * What `value`, `options`, and a `Cell` receive.
@@ -26,6 +27,8 @@ type ColumnPluginOption<P = Plugin> = P extends BasePlugin
   ? [Constructor<P>, () => ColumnOptionsFor<SignatureFrom<P>>]
   : [P | Constructor<P>, () => unknown];
 
+export type { cellArgsType };
+
 export type CellOptions = {
   /**
    * when no value is present for a given set of data for the given column config
@@ -113,6 +116,15 @@ export interface ColumnConfig<
    * gives `headlessTable` a row type that depends on the order TypeScript checks the program in.
    */
   readonly [rowType]?: T;
+
+  /**
+   * Type-only, never set.
+   *
+   * A column list written in place is a tuple, and the args come from its Cells.
+   * A list with a declared type is a plain array, which has no Cells to read,
+   * so the args it declares are read from here.
+   */
+  readonly [cellArgsType]?: CellArgs;
 }
 
 export type ColumnKey<T> = NonNullable<ColumnConfig<T>['key']>;
diff --git a/table/src/-private/meta.ts b/table/src/-private/meta.ts
index 0c43e16..a24d946 100644
--- a/table/src/-private/meta.ts
+++ b/table/src/-private/meta.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import type {
   UnwrapNamedArgs,
 } from '@glint/template/-private/integration';
 import type { ComponentSignatureArgs } from '@glint/template/-private/signature';
+import type { cellArgsType } from './interfaces/column.ts';
 
 /**
  * The metas of columns that set one.
@@ -94,11 +95,22 @@ type UnionToIntersection<U> = (
  *   [{ Cell: GroupByCell }, { Cell: UpdateCell }]
  *   → { groupBy: ... } & { onUpdate: ... }
  */
-export type CellArgsOf<Columns extends readonly unknown[]> = [
-  ProvidedCells<Columns>,
-] extends [never]
-  ? unknown
-  : UnionToIntersection<ExtraArgsOf<ProvidedCells<Columns>>>;
+export type CellArgsOf<Columns extends readonly unknown[]> =
+  number extends Columns['length']
+    ? DeclaredCellArgs<Columns[number]>
+    : [ProvidedCells<Columns>] extends [never]
+      ? unknown
+      : UnionToIntersection<ExtraArgsOf<ProvidedCells<Columns>>>;
+
+/**
+ * The cell args a column config declares, for a list that is a plain array.
+ * Such a list has no Cells to read the args from, the way a tuple does.
+ */
+type DeclaredCellArgs<Column> = Column extends {
+  [cellArgsType]?: infer CellArgs;
+}
+  ? CellArgs
+  : unknown;
 
 /**
  * The `@options` the Cells of a table ask for, from their args.