diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index 92824fb..e941490 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -81,6 +81,32 @@ For ad-hoc queries from skills or scripts, use the in-tree wrapper rather than t
 | `scripts/init-first-agent.ts` | Bootstrap the first DM-wired agent (used by `/init-first-agent` skill) |
 | `migrate-v2.sh` + `setup/migrate-v2/` | v1→v2 migration. Standalone script: `bash migrate-v2.sh`. Seeds DB, copies groups/sessions, installs channels, builds container, offers service switchover, then hands off to `/migrate-from-v1` skill for owner setup and CLAUDE.md cleanup. See [docs/migration-dev.md](docs/migration-dev.md). |
 
+## Admin CLI (`ncl`)
+
+`ncl` queries and modifies the central DB — agent groups, messaging groups, wirings, users, roles, and more. On the host it connects via Unix socket (`src/cli/socket-server.ts`); inside containers it uses the session DB transport (`container/agent-runner/src/cli/ncl.ts`).
+
+```
+ncl <resource> <verb> [<id>] [--flags]
+ncl <resource> help
+ncl help
+```
+
+| Resource | Verbs | What it is |
+|----------|-------|------------|
+| groups | list, get, create, update, delete | Agent groups (workspace, personality, container config) |
+| messaging-groups | list, get, create, update, delete | A single chat/channel on one platform |
+| wirings | list, get, create, update, delete | Links a messaging group to an agent group (session mode, triggers) |
+| users | list, get, create, update | Platform identities (`<channel>:<handle>`) |
+| roles | list, grant, revoke | Owner / admin privileges (global or scoped to an agent group) |
+| members | list, add, remove | Unprivileged access gate for an agent group |
+| destinations | list, add, remove | Where an agent group can send messages |
+| sessions | list, get | Active sessions (read-only) |
+| user-dms | list | Cold-DM cache (read-only) |
+| dropped-messages | list | Messages from unregistered senders (read-only) |
+| approvals | list, get | Pending approval requests (read-only) |
+
+Key files: `src/cli/dispatch.ts` (dispatcher + approval handler), `src/cli/crud.ts` (generic CRUD registration), `src/cli/resources/` (per-resource definitions).
+
 ## Channels and Providers (skill-installed)
 
 Trunk does not ship any specific channel adapter or non-default agent provider. The codebase is the registry/infra; the actual adapters and providers live on long-lived sibling branches and get copied in by skills:
diff --git a/bin/ncl b/bin/ncl
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..27cc09a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/ncl
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+#
+# ncl — NanoClaw CLI launcher.
+#
+# Resolves the project root from this script's location, cd's there so the
+# host-resolved DATA_DIR matches the running host, and execs the TS entry
+# via tsx. Symlink this file into a directory on your PATH (or alias `ncl`
+# to its full path) to invoke from anywhere:
+#
+#   ln -s "$(pwd)/bin/ncl" /usr/local/bin/ncl
+#   # or
+#   alias ncl="$(pwd)/bin/ncl"
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+SCRIPT="${BASH_SOURCE[0]}"
+# Resolve symlinks so PROJECT_ROOT points at the real checkout.
+while [ -h "$SCRIPT" ]; do
+  DIR="$(cd -P "$(dirname "$SCRIPT")" && pwd)"
+  SCRIPT="$(readlink "$SCRIPT")"
+  [[ "$SCRIPT" != /* ]] && SCRIPT="$DIR/$SCRIPT"
+done
+SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd -P "$(dirname "$SCRIPT")" && pwd)"
+PROJECT_ROOT="$(dirname "$SCRIPT_DIR")"
+
+cd "$PROJECT_ROOT"
+exec pnpm exec tsx src/cli/client.ts "$@"
diff --git a/container/Dockerfile b/container/Dockerfile
index bc7a6be..89f834a 100644
--- a/container/Dockerfile
+++ b/container/Dockerfile
@@ -110,6 +110,11 @@ RUN --mount=type=cache,target=/root/.cache/pnpm \
 RUN --mount=type=cache,target=/root/.cache/pnpm \
     pnpm install -g "@anthropic-ai/claude-code@${CLAUDE_CODE_VERSION}"
 
+# ---- ncl CLI wrapper ----------------------------------------------------------
+# Actual script lives in the mounted source at /app/src/cli/ncl.ts.
+RUN printf '#!/bin/sh\nexec bun /app/src/cli/ncl.ts "$@"\n' > /usr/local/bin/ncl && \
+    chmod +x /usr/local/bin/ncl
+
 # ---- Entrypoint --------------------------------------------------------------
 COPY entrypoint.sh /app/entrypoint.sh
 RUN chmod +x /app/entrypoint.sh
diff --git a/container/agent-runner/src/cli/ncl.ts b/container/agent-runner/src/cli/ncl.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d86c601
--- /dev/null
+++ b/container/agent-runner/src/cli/ncl.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,257 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bun
+/**
+ * ncl — NanoClaw CLI client (container edition).
+ *
+ * Same interface as the host-side `bin/ncl`. Detects that it's inside a
+ * container (the session DBs exist at /workspace/) and uses a DB transport
+ * instead of the Unix socket transport.
+ *
+ * Writes a cli_request system message to outbound.db, polls inbound.db
+ * for the response. Self-contained — no imports from agent-runner.
+ */
+import { Database } from 'bun:sqlite';
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Frame types (mirrors src/cli/frame.ts on the host)
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+type RequestFrame = {
+  id: string;
+  command: string;
+  args: Record<string, unknown>;
+};
+
+type ResponseFrame =
+  | { id: string; ok: true; data: unknown }
+  | { id: string; ok: false; error: { code: string; message: string } };
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Paths
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+const INBOUND_DB = '/workspace/inbound.db';
+const OUTBOUND_DB = '/workspace/outbound.db';
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// DB transport
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+function generateId(): string {
+  return `cli-${Date.now()}-${Math.random().toString(36).slice(2, 8)}`;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Write a cli_request to outbound.db.
+ *
+ * Uses BEGIN IMMEDIATE to acquire a write lock before reading max(seq),
+ * preventing seq collisions with concurrent agent-runner writes.
+ */
+function writeRequest(req: RequestFrame): void {
+  const db = new Database(OUTBOUND_DB);
+  db.exec('PRAGMA journal_mode = DELETE');
+  db.exec('PRAGMA busy_timeout = 5000');
+
+  const inDb = new Database(INBOUND_DB, { readonly: true });
+  inDb.exec('PRAGMA busy_timeout = 5000');
+
+  try {
+    db.exec('BEGIN IMMEDIATE');
+    const maxOut = (db.prepare('SELECT COALESCE(MAX(seq), 0) AS m FROM messages_out').get() as { m: number }).m;
+    const maxIn = (inDb.prepare('SELECT COALESCE(MAX(seq), 0) AS m FROM messages_in').get() as { m: number }).m;
+    const max = Math.max(maxOut, maxIn);
+    const nextSeq = max % 2 === 0 ? max + 1 : max + 2;
+
+    db.prepare(
+      `INSERT INTO messages_out (id, seq, timestamp, kind, content)
+       VALUES ($id, $seq, datetime('now'), 'system', $content)`,
+    ).run({
+      $id: req.id,
+      $seq: nextSeq,
+      $content: JSON.stringify({
+        action: 'cli_request',
+        requestId: req.id,
+        command: req.command,
+        args: req.args,
+      }),
+    });
+    db.exec('COMMIT');
+  } catch (e) {
+    db.exec('ROLLBACK');
+    throw e;
+  } finally {
+    inDb.close();
+    db.close();
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Poll inbound.db for a cli_response matching our requestId.
+ * Opens a fresh connection each poll (mmap_size=0) for cross-mount visibility.
+ */
+function pollResponse(requestId: string, timeoutMs: number): ResponseFrame | null {
+  const deadline = Date.now() + timeoutMs;
+
+  while (Date.now() < deadline) {
+    const inDb = new Database(INBOUND_DB, { readonly: true });
+    inDb.exec('PRAGMA busy_timeout = 5000');
+    inDb.exec('PRAGMA mmap_size = 0');
+
+    try {
+      const row = inDb
+        .prepare("SELECT id, content FROM messages_in WHERE status = 'pending' AND content LIKE ?")
+        .get(`%"requestId":"${requestId}"%`) as { id: string; content: string } | null;
+
+      if (row) {
+        // Mark as completed via processing_ack so agent-runner skips it
+        const outDb = new Database(OUTBOUND_DB);
+        outDb.exec('PRAGMA journal_mode = DELETE');
+        outDb.exec('PRAGMA busy_timeout = 5000');
+        outDb
+          .prepare(
+            "INSERT OR REPLACE INTO processing_ack (message_id, status, status_changed) VALUES (?, 'completed', datetime('now'))",
+          )
+          .run(row.id);
+        outDb.close();
+
+        const parsed = JSON.parse(row.content);
+        return parsed.frame as ResponseFrame;
+      }
+    } finally {
+      inDb.close();
+    }
+
+    Bun.sleepSync(500);
+  }
+
+  return null;
+}
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Arg parsing (mirrors host-side client.ts)
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+function parseArgv(argv: string[]): {
+  command: string;
+  args: Record<string, unknown>;
+  json: boolean;
+} {
+  const positional: string[] = [];
+  const args: Record<string, unknown> = {};
+  let json = false;
+
+  for (let i = 0; i < argv.length; i++) {
+    const a = argv[i];
+    if (a === '--json') {
+      json = true;
+      continue;
+    }
+    if (a.startsWith('--')) {
+      const key = a.slice(2);
+      const next = argv[i + 1];
+      if (next === undefined || next.startsWith('--')) {
+        args[key] = true;
+      } else {
+        args[key] = next;
+        i++;
+      }
+      continue;
+    }
+    positional.push(a);
+  }
+
+  if (positional.length === 0) {
+    process.stderr.write('ncl: missing command\n');
+    printUsage();
+    process.exit(2);
+  }
+
+  const command = positional.length >= 2 ? `${positional[0]}-${positional[1]}` : positional[0];
+
+  // Third positional is the target ID
+  if (positional.length >= 3) {
+    args.id = positional[2];
+  }
+
+  return { command, args, json };
+}
+
+function printUsage(): void {
+  process.stdout.write(
+    ['Usage: ncl <command> [--key value ...] [--json]', '', 'Run `ncl help` to list available commands.', ''].join('\n'),
+  );
+}
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Formatting (mirrors src/cli/format.ts on the host)
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+function formatHuman(resp: ResponseFrame): string {
+  if (!resp.ok) {
+    return `error (${resp.error.code}): ${resp.error.message}\n`;
+  }
+
+  const data = resp.data;
+  if (!Array.isArray(data) || data.length === 0) {
+    return JSON.stringify(data, null, 2) + '\n';
+  }
+
+  const isFlat = data.every(
+    (r) =>
+      typeof r === 'object' &&
+      r !== null &&
+      !Array.isArray(r) &&
+      Object.values(r as Record<string, unknown>).every((v) => typeof v !== 'object' || v === null),
+  );
+
+  if (!isFlat) return JSON.stringify(data, null, 2) + '\n';
+
+  const keys = Object.keys(data[0] as Record<string, unknown>);
+  const widths = keys.map((k) =>
+    Math.max(k.length, ...data.map((r) => String((r as Record<string, unknown>)[k] ?? '').length)),
+  );
+
+  const header = keys.map((k, i) => k.padEnd(widths[i])).join('  ');
+  const sep = widths.map((w) => '-'.repeat(w)).join('  ');
+  const rows = data.map((r) =>
+    keys
+      .map((k, i) => String((r as Record<string, unknown>)[k] ?? '').padEnd(widths[i]))
+      .join('  '),
+  );
+
+  return [header, sep, ...rows, ''].join('\n');
+}
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Main
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+const argv = process.argv.slice(2);
+
+if (argv.length === 0 || argv[0] === '--help' || argv[0] === '-h') {
+  printUsage();
+  process.exit(0);
+}
+
+const { command, args, json } = parseArgv(argv);
+const requestId = generateId();
+const req: RequestFrame = { id: requestId, command, args };
+
+writeRequest(req);
+
+const resp = pollResponse(requestId, 30_000);
+
+if (!resp) {
+  process.stderr.write('ncl: command timed out after 30s\n');
+  process.exit(2);
+}
+
+if (json) {
+  process.stdout.write(JSON.stringify(resp, null, 2) + '\n');
+} else {
+  const output = formatHuman(resp);
+  if (!resp.ok) {
+    process.stderr.write(output);
+    process.exit(1);
+  }
+  process.stdout.write(output);
+}
diff --git a/container/agent-runner/src/mcp-tools/cli.instructions.md b/container/agent-runner/src/mcp-tools/cli.instructions.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9dee60f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/container/agent-runner/src/mcp-tools/cli.instructions.md
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+## Admin CLI (`ncl`)
+
+The `ncl` command is available at `/usr/local/bin/ncl`. It lets you query and modify NanoClaw's central configuration — agent groups, messaging groups, wirings, users, roles, and more.
+
+### Usage
+
+```
+ncl <resource> <verb> [<id>] [--flags]
+ncl <resource> help
+ncl help
+```
+
+### Resources
+
+| Resource | Verbs | What it is |
+|----------|-------|------------|
+| groups | list, get, create, update, delete | Agent groups (workspace, personality, container config) |
+| messaging-groups | list, get, create, update, delete | A single chat/channel on one platform |
+| wirings | list, get, create, update, delete | Links a messaging group to an agent group (session mode, triggers) |
+| users | list, get, create, update | Platform identities (`<channel>:<handle>`) |
+| roles | list, grant, revoke | Owner / admin privileges (global or scoped to an agent group) |
+| members | list, add, remove | Unprivileged access gate for an agent group |
+| destinations | list, add, remove | Where an agent group can send messages |
+| sessions | list, get | Active sessions (read-only) |
+| user-dms | list | Cold-DM cache (read-only) |
+| dropped-messages | list | Messages from unregistered senders (read-only) |
+| approvals | list, get | Pending approval requests (read-only) |
+
+### When to use
+
+- **Looking up your own config** — `ncl groups get <your-group-id>` to see your agent group settings.
+- **Finding who you're wired to** — `ncl wirings list` to see which messaging groups route to which agent groups.
+- **Checking user roles** — `ncl roles list` to see who is an owner/admin.
+- **Answering questions about the system** — when the user asks about groups, channels, users, or configuration, query `ncl` rather than guessing.
+
+### Access rules
+
+Read commands (list, get) are open. Write commands (create, update, delete, grant, revoke, add, remove) require admin approval — the request is held until an admin approves it.
+
+### Approval flow
+
+Write commands (create, update, delete, grant, revoke, add, remove) require admin approval. Here's what happens:
+
+1. You run the command (e.g. `ncl groups create --name "Research" --folder research`).
+2. The command returns immediately with an `approval-pending` response — it has **not** been executed yet.
+3. An admin or owner gets a notification (on the same channel when possible) showing exactly what you requested, with approve/reject options.
+4. Once the admin responds:
+   - **Approved:** the command executes and the result is delivered back to you as a system message in this conversation.
+   - **Rejected:** you get a system message saying the request was rejected.
+
+You don't need to poll or retry — the result arrives automatically.
+
+### Examples
+
+```bash
+# Read commands (no approval needed)
+ncl groups list
+ncl groups get abc123
+ncl wirings list --messaging-group-id mg_xyz
+ncl roles list
+ncl wirings help
+
+# Write commands (approval required)
+ncl groups create --name "Research" --folder research
+ncl groups update abc123 --name "Research v2"
+ncl roles grant --user telegram:jane --role admin
+ncl roles grant --user discord:bob --role admin --group abc123
+ncl members add --user-id telegram:jane --agent-group-id abc123
+ncl destinations add --agent-group-id abc123 --messaging-group-id mg_xyz
+```
+
+### Tips
+
+- Use `ncl <resource> help` to see all available fields, types, enums, and which fields are required or updatable.
+- Flags use `--hyphen-case` (e.g. `--agent-group-id`), mapped to `underscore_case` DB columns automatically.
+- `list` supports filtering by any non-auto column (e.g. `ncl wirings list --messaging-group-id mg_xyz`). Default limit is 200 rows; override with `--limit N`.
+- For composite-key resources (roles, members, destinations), use the custom verbs (grant/revoke, add/remove) instead of create/delete.
+- Write commands return `approval-pending` immediately — don't treat this as an error. Wait for the system message with the result.
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 77afaaf..6bddd32 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@
   "type": "module",
   "packageManager": "pnpm@10.33.0",
   "main": "dist/index.js",
+  "bin": {
+    "ncl": "bin/ncl"
+  },
   "scripts": {
     "build": "tsc",
     "start": "node dist/index.js",
@@ -16,6 +19,7 @@
     "prepare": "husky",
     "setup": "tsx setup/index.ts",
     "setup:auto": "tsx setup/auto.ts",
+    "ncl": "tsx src/cli/client.ts",
     "chat": "tsx scripts/chat.ts",
     "auth": "tsx src/whatsapp-auth.ts",
     "lint": "eslint src/",
diff --git a/scripts/chat.ts b/scripts/chat.ts
index 20194fb..e32fcee 100644
--- a/scripts/chat.ts
+++ b/scripts/chat.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /**
- * nc — chat with your NanoClaw agent from the terminal.
+ * ncl — chat with your NanoClaw agent from the terminal.
  *
  * Usage:
  *   pnpm run chat <message...>
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ function main(): void {
     const e = err as NodeJS.ErrnoException;
     if (e.code === 'ENOENT' || e.code === 'ECONNREFUSED') {
       console.error(`NanoClaw daemon not reachable at ${socketPath()}.`);
-      console.error('Start the service (launchctl/systemd) before running nc.');
+      console.error('Start the service (launchctl/systemd) before running ncl.');
     } else {
       console.error('CLI socket error:', err);
     }
diff --git a/setup/service.ts b/setup/service.ts
index 777c0c5..a866a92 100644
--- a/setup/service.ts
+++ b/setup/service.ts
@@ -82,6 +82,41 @@ export async function run(_args: string[]): Promise<void> {
     });
     process.exit(1);
   }
+
+  installCliSymlink(projectRoot, homeDir);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Symlink bin/ncl into ~/.local/bin so `ncl` is available from anywhere.
+ * Idempotent — overwrites an existing symlink but won't clobber a real file.
+ */
+function installCliSymlink(projectRoot: string, homeDir: string): void {
+  const source = path.join(projectRoot, 'bin', 'ncl');
+  const targetDir = path.join(homeDir, '.local', 'bin');
+  const target = path.join(targetDir, 'ncl');
+
+  try {
+    fs.mkdirSync(targetDir, { recursive: true });
+
+    // Remove existing symlink (but not a real file)
+    try {
+      const stat = fs.lstatSync(target);
+      if (stat.isSymbolicLink()) {
+        fs.unlinkSync(target);
+      } else {
+        log.warn('~/.local/bin/ncl exists and is not a symlink — skipping', { target });
+        return;
+      }
+    } catch (e) {
+      const err = e as NodeJS.ErrnoException;
+      if (err.code !== 'ENOENT') throw err;
+    }
+
+    fs.symlinkSync(source, target);
+    log.info('Installed ncl CLI symlink', { target, source });
+  } catch (err) {
+    log.warn('Could not install ncl CLI symlink (non-fatal)', { err });
+  }
 }
 
 function setupLaunchd(
diff --git a/src/cli/client.ts b/src/cli/client.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..98527ed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli/client.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,135 @@
+/**
+ * `ncl` binary entry point.
+ *
+ * Parses argv, builds a request frame, sends it via the picked transport,
+ * formats the response, exits non-zero on error.
+ *
+ * Usage:
+ *   ncl <resource> <verb> [target] [--key value ...] [--json]
+ *
+ * Examples:
+ *   ncl groups list
+ *   ncl groups get abc123
+ *   ncl groups create --name foo --folder bar
+ *   ncl groups update abc123 --name baz
+ *   ncl help
+ *   ncl groups help
+ */
+import { randomUUID } from 'crypto';
+
+import { formatResponse } from './format.js';
+import type { RequestFrame } from './frame.js';
+import { SocketTransport } from './socket-client.js';
+import type { Transport } from './transport.js';
+
+async function main(): Promise<void> {
+  const argv = process.argv.slice(2);
+
+  if (argv.length === 0 || argv[0] === '--help' || argv[0] === '-h') {
+    printUsage();
+    process.exit(0);
+  }
+
+  const { command, args, json } = parseArgv(argv);
+  const req: RequestFrame = { id: randomUUID(), command, args };
+  const transport: Transport = pickTransport();
+
+  let res;
+  try {
+    res = await transport.sendFrame(req);
+  } catch (e) {
+    process.stderr.write(formatTransportError(e));
+    process.exit(2);
+  }
+
+  process.stdout.write(formatResponse(res, json ? 'json' : 'human'));
+  process.exit(res.ok ? 0 : 1);
+}
+
+function pickTransport(): Transport {
+  return new SocketTransport();
+}
+
+function parseArgv(argv: string[]): {
+  command: string;
+  args: Record<string, unknown>;
+  json: boolean;
+} {
+  const positional: string[] = [];
+  const args: Record<string, unknown> = {};
+  let json = false;
+
+  for (let i = 0; i < argv.length; i++) {
+    const a = argv[i];
+    if (a === '--json') {
+      json = true;
+      continue;
+    }
+    if (a.startsWith('--')) {
+      const key = a.slice(2);
+      const next = argv[i + 1];
+      if (next === undefined || next.startsWith('--')) {
+        args[key] = true;
+      } else {
+        args[key] = next;
+        i++;
+      }
+      continue;
+    }
+    positional.push(a);
+  }
+
+  if (positional.length === 0) {
+    process.stderr.write('ncl: missing command\n');
+    printUsage();
+    process.exit(2);
+  }
+
+  // Single word: `ncl help`
+  // Two words: `ncl groups list`, `ncl groups help`
+  // Three words: `ncl groups get abc123`
+  let command: string;
+  if (positional.length === 1) {
+    command = positional[0];
+  } else {
+    command = `${positional[0]}-${positional[1]}`;
+  }
+
+  // Third positional is the target ID
+  if (positional.length >= 3) {
+    args.id = positional[2];
+  }
+
+  return { command, args, json };
+}
+
+function printUsage(): void {
+  process.stdout.write(
+    [
+      'Usage: ncl <resource> <verb> [target] [--key value ...] [--json]',
+      '',
+      'Run `ncl help` to list available resources and commands.',
+      '',
+    ].join('\n'),
+  );
+}
+
+function formatTransportError(e: unknown): string {
+  const msg = e instanceof Error ? e.message : String(e);
+  if (msg.includes('ENOENT') || msg.includes('ECONNREFUSED')) {
+    return [
+      `ncl: cannot reach NanoClaw host (${msg}).`,
+      `Is the host running? Start it with: pnpm run dev`,
+      `Or, if installed as a service:`,
+      `  macOS:  launchctl kickstart -k gui/$(id -u)/com.nanoclaw`,
+      `  Linux:  systemctl --user restart nanoclaw`,
+      ``,
+    ].join('\n');
+  }
+  return `ncl: transport error: ${msg}\n`;
+}
+
+main().catch((err) => {
+  process.stderr.write(`ncl: unexpected error: ${err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err)}\n`);
+  process.exit(2);
+});
diff --git a/src/cli/commands/help.ts b/src/cli/commands/help.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d50eaef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli/commands/help.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+/**
+ * Built-in help command. Introspects the resource and command registries.
+ *
+ *   ncl help               — list all resources and commands
+ *   ncl groups help         — show group resource details (verbs, columns, enums)
+ */
+import { getResource, getResources } from '../crud.js';
+import { listCommands, register } from '../registry.js';
+
+register({
+  name: 'help',
+  description: 'List available resources and commands.',
+  access: 'open',
+  parseArgs: () => ({}),
+  handler: async () => {
+    const resources = getResources();
+    const commands = listCommands().filter((c) => c.access !== 'hidden' && !c.resource);
+
+    const lines: string[] = [];
+    if (resources.length > 0) {
+      lines.push('Resources:');
+      for (const r of resources) {
+        const ops: string[] = [];
+        if (r.operations.list) ops.push('list');
+        if (r.operations.get) ops.push('get');
+        if (r.operations.create) ops.push('create');
+        if (r.operations.update) ops.push('update');
+        if (r.operations.delete) ops.push('delete');
+        if (r.customOperations) ops.push(...Object.keys(r.customOperations));
+        lines.push(`  ${r.plural.padEnd(20)} ${r.description}`);
+        lines.push(`  ${''.padEnd(20)} verbs: ${ops.join(', ')}`);
+      }
+    }
+
+    if (commands.length > 0) {
+      if (lines.length > 0) lines.push('');
+      lines.push('Commands:');
+      for (const c of commands) {
+        lines.push(`  ${c.name.padEnd(20)} ${c.description}`);
+      }
+    }
+
+    lines.push('');
+    lines.push('Run `ncl <resource> help` for detailed field information.');
+    return lines.join('\n');
+  },
+});
+
+// Register per-resource help commands. These are registered dynamically
+// after the resources barrel has been imported.
+// We use a lazy approach: register a catch-all pattern isn't possible with
+// the flat registry, so we register `<plural>-help` for each resource
+// in a post-import hook.
+export function registerResourceHelpCommands(): void {
+  for (const res of getResources()) {
+    // Skip if already registered (e.g. from a previous call)
+    try {
+      register({
+        name: `${res.plural}-help`,
+        description: `Show ${res.name} resource details.`,
+        access: 'open',
+        resource: res.plural,
+        parseArgs: () => ({}),
+        handler: async () => {
+          const lines: string[] = [];
+          lines.push(`${res.plural}: ${res.description}`);
+          lines.push('');
+
+          // Verbs
+          const verbs: string[] = [];
+          if (res.operations.list) verbs.push(`list [open]`);
+          if (res.operations.get) verbs.push(`get <id> [open]`);
+          if (res.operations.create) verbs.push(`create [approval]`);
+          if (res.operations.update) verbs.push(`update <id> [approval]`);
+          if (res.operations.delete) verbs.push(`delete <id> [approval]`);
+          if (res.customOperations) {
+            for (const [verb, op] of Object.entries(res.customOperations)) {
+              verbs.push(`${verb} [${op.access}] — ${op.description}`);
+            }
+          }
+          lines.push('Verbs:');
+          for (const v of verbs) lines.push(`  ${v}`);
+          lines.push('');
+
+          // Columns
+          lines.push('Fields:');
+          for (const col of res.columns) {
+            const tags: string[] = [];
+            if (col.generated) tags.push('auto');
+            if (col.required) tags.push('required');
+            if (col.updatable) tags.push('updatable');
+            if (col.default !== undefined && col.default !== null) tags.push(`default: ${col.default}`);
+            if (col.enum) tags.push(`values: ${col.enum.join(' | ')}`);
+
+            const flag = `--${col.name.replace(/_/g, '-')}`;
+            const tagStr = tags.length > 0 ? ` (${tags.join(', ')})` : '';
+            lines.push(`  ${flag.padEnd(28)} ${col.description}${tagStr}`);
+          }
+          return lines.join('\n');
+        },
+      });
+    } catch {
+      // Already registered — skip
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/cli/commands/index.ts b/src/cli/commands/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5b05345
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli/commands/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+/**
+ * Command barrel — populates the registry before the CLI server starts.
+ *
+ * Resource definitions register their CRUD commands on import.
+ * Help commands are registered after resources are loaded.
+ */
+import '../resources/index.js';
+import { registerResourceHelpCommands } from './help.js';
+
+registerResourceHelpCommands();
diff --git a/src/cli/crud.ts b/src/cli/crud.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..928aeed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli/crud.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,291 @@
+/**
+ * CRUD registration helper.
+ *
+ * Takes a declarative resource definition (table, columns, access levels)
+ * and auto-registers list/get/create/update/delete commands in the CLI
+ * registry. Column metadata doubles as documentation — `ncl <resource> help`
+ * is generated from the same definitions.
+ */
+import { randomUUID } from 'crypto';
+
+import { getDb } from '../db/connection.js';
+import { register } from './registry.js';
+import type { CallerContext } from './frame.js';
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Types
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+export type Access = 'open' | 'approval' | 'hidden';
+
+export interface ColumnDef {
+  name: string;
+  type: 'string' | 'number' | 'boolean' | 'json';
+  description: string;
+  /** Auto-set on create — not user-provided. */
+  generated?: boolean;
+  /** Must be provided on create (ignored if generated). */
+  required?: boolean;
+  /** Can be changed via update. */
+  updatable?: boolean;
+  /** Default value on create when not provided. */
+  default?: unknown;
+  /** Allowed values (shown in help). */
+  enum?: string[];
+}
+
+export interface CustomOperation {
+  access: Access;
+  description: string;
+  args?: ColumnDef[];
+  handler: (args: Record<string, unknown>, ctx: CallerContext) => Promise<unknown>;
+}
+
+export interface ResourceDef {
+  /** Singular name: 'group'. */
+  name: string;
+  /** Plural name: 'groups'. Used in command names. */
+  plural: string;
+  /** DB table name. */
+  table: string;
+  /** One-line description shown in help. */
+  description: string;
+  /** Primary key column name. */
+  idColumn: string;
+  columns: ColumnDef[];
+  /** Which standard CRUD operations are enabled. */
+  operations: {
+    list?: Access;
+    get?: Access;
+    create?: Access;
+    update?: Access;
+    delete?: Access;
+  };
+  /** Non-standard verbs (grant, revoke, add, remove, restart, etc.). */
+  customOperations?: Record<string, CustomOperation>;
+}
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Resource registry (for help introspection)
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+const resources = new Map<string, ResourceDef>();
+
+export function getResources(): ResourceDef[] {
+  return [...resources.values()].sort((a, b) => a.plural.localeCompare(b.plural));
+}
+
+export function getResource(plural: string): ResourceDef | undefined {
+  return resources.get(plural);
+}
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Generic SQL handlers
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+function visibleColumns(def: ResourceDef): string[] {
+  return def.columns.map((c) => c.name);
+}
+
+function genericList(def: ResourceDef) {
+  const cols = visibleColumns(def).join(', ');
+  const filterableNames = new Set(def.columns.filter((c) => !c.generated).map((c) => c.name));
+  return async (args: Record<string, unknown>) => {
+    const limit = args.limit !== undefined ? Math.max(1, Number(args.limit)) : 200;
+    const filters: string[] = [];
+    const params: unknown[] = [];
+    for (const [k, v] of Object.entries(args)) {
+      if (k === 'id' || k === 'limit') continue;
+      if (filterableNames.has(k)) {
+        filters.push(`${k} = ?`);
+        params.push(v);
+      }
+    }
+    const where = filters.length > 0 ? ` WHERE ${filters.join(' AND ')}` : '';
+    params.push(limit);
+    return getDb()
+      .prepare(`SELECT ${cols} FROM ${def.table}${where} LIMIT ?`)
+      .all(...params);
+  };
+}
+
+function genericGet(def: ResourceDef) {
+  const cols = visibleColumns(def).join(', ');
+  return async (args: Record<string, unknown>) => {
+    const id = args.id as string;
+    if (!id) throw new Error(`${def.name} id is required`);
+    const row = getDb().prepare(`SELECT ${cols} FROM ${def.table} WHERE ${def.idColumn} = ?`).get(id);
+    if (!row) throw new Error(`${def.name} not found: ${id}`);
+    return row;
+  };
+}
+
+function genericCreate(def: ResourceDef) {
+  return async (args: Record<string, unknown>) => {
+    const values: Record<string, unknown> = {};
+
+    for (const col of def.columns) {
+      if (col.generated) {
+        if (col.name === def.idColumn) {
+          values[col.name] = randomUUID();
+        } else if (col.name.endsWith('_at')) {
+          values[col.name] = new Date().toISOString();
+        }
+        continue;
+      }
+
+      const v = args[col.name];
+      if (v !== undefined) {
+        if (col.enum && !col.enum.includes(String(v))) {
+          throw new Error(`${col.name} must be one of: ${col.enum.join(', ')}`);
+        }
+        values[col.name] = col.type === 'number' ? Number(v) : v;
+      } else if (col.required) {
+        throw new Error(`--${col.name.replace(/_/g, '-')} is required`);
+      } else if (col.default !== undefined) {
+        values[col.name] = col.default;
+      }
+    }
+
+    const colNames = Object.keys(values);
+    const placeholders = colNames.map((c) => `@${c}`);
+    getDb()
+      .prepare(`INSERT INTO ${def.table} (${colNames.join(', ')}) VALUES (${placeholders.join(', ')})`)
+      .run(values);
+    return values;
+  };
+}
+
+function genericUpdate(def: ResourceDef) {
+  const updatableCols = def.columns.filter((c) => c.updatable);
+  return async (args: Record<string, unknown>) => {
+    const id = args.id as string;
+    if (!id) throw new Error(`${def.name} id is required`);
+
+    const updates: Record<string, unknown> = {};
+    for (const col of updatableCols) {
+      const v = args[col.name];
+      if (v !== undefined) {
+        if (col.enum && !col.enum.includes(String(v))) {
+          throw new Error(`${col.name} must be one of: ${col.enum.join(', ')}`);
+        }
+        updates[col.name] = col.type === 'number' ? Number(v) : v;
+      }
+    }
+    if (Object.keys(updates).length === 0) {
+      throw new Error(
+        `nothing to update — provide at least one of: ${updatableCols.map((c) => '--' + c.name.replace(/_/g, '-')).join(', ')}`,
+      );
+    }
+
+    const setClause = Object.keys(updates)
+      .map((k) => `${k} = @${k}`)
+      .join(', ');
+    const result = getDb()
+      .prepare(`UPDATE ${def.table} SET ${setClause} WHERE ${def.idColumn} = @_id`)
+      .run({ ...updates, _id: id });
+    if (result.changes === 0) throw new Error(`${def.name} not found: ${id}`);
+
+    const cols = visibleColumns(def).join(', ');
+    return getDb().prepare(`SELECT ${cols} FROM ${def.table} WHERE ${def.idColumn} = ?`).get(id);
+  };
+}
+
+function genericDelete(def: ResourceDef) {
+  return async (args: Record<string, unknown>) => {
+    const id = args.id as string;
+    if (!id) throw new Error(`${def.name} id is required`);
+    const result = getDb().prepare(`DELETE FROM ${def.table} WHERE ${def.idColumn} = ?`).run(id);
+    if (result.changes === 0) throw new Error(`${def.name} not found: ${id}`);
+    return { deleted: id };
+  };
+}
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// parseArgs helper: normalizes --hyphen-keys to underscore_keys
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+function normalizeArgs(raw: Record<string, unknown>): Record<string, unknown> {
+  const out: Record<string, unknown> = {};
+  for (const [k, v] of Object.entries(raw)) {
+    out[k.replace(/-/g, '_')] = v;
+  }
+  return out;
+}
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// registerResource
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+export function registerResource(def: ResourceDef): void {
+  resources.set(def.plural, def);
+
+  if (def.operations.list) {
+    register({
+      name: `${def.plural}-list`,
+      description: `List all ${def.plural}.`,
+      access: def.operations.list,
+      resource: def.plural,
+      parseArgs: (raw) => normalizeArgs(raw),
+      handler: genericList(def),
+    });
+  }
+
+  if (def.operations.get) {
+    register({
+      name: `${def.plural}-get`,
+      description: `Get a ${def.name} by ID.`,
+      access: def.operations.get,
+      resource: def.plural,
+      parseArgs: (raw) => normalizeArgs(raw),
+      handler: genericGet(def),
+    });
+  }
+
+  if (def.operations.create) {
+    register({
+      name: `${def.plural}-create`,
+      description: `Create a new ${def.name}.`,
+      access: def.operations.create,
+      resource: def.plural,
+      parseArgs: (raw) => normalizeArgs(raw),
+      handler: genericCreate(def),
+    });
+  }
+
+  if (def.operations.update) {
+    register({
+      name: `${def.plural}-update`,
+      description: `Update a ${def.name}.`,
+      access: def.operations.update,
+      resource: def.plural,
+      parseArgs: (raw) => normalizeArgs(raw),
+      handler: genericUpdate(def),
+    });
+  }
+
+  if (def.operations.delete) {
+    register({
+      name: `${def.plural}-delete`,
+      description: `Delete a ${def.name}.`,
+      access: def.operations.delete,
+      resource: def.plural,
+      parseArgs: (raw) => normalizeArgs(raw),
+      handler: genericDelete(def),
+    });
+  }
+
+  // Custom operations
+  if (def.customOperations) {
+    for (const [verb, op] of Object.entries(def.customOperations)) {
+      register({
+        name: `${def.plural}-${verb}`,
+        description: op.description,
+        access: op.access,
+        resource: def.plural,
+        parseArgs: (raw) => normalizeArgs(raw),
+        handler: async (args, ctx) => op.handler(args as Record<string, unknown>, ctx),
+      });
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/cli/delivery-action.ts b/src/cli/delivery-action.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5c693be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli/delivery-action.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+/**
+ * Delivery action handler for CLI requests from container agents.
+ *
+ * When an agent writes a `cli_request` system message to outbound.db,
+ * the delivery poll picks it up and calls this handler. We dispatch
+ * the command and write the response back to inbound.db.
+ */
+import type Database from 'better-sqlite3';
+
+import { registerDeliveryAction } from '../delivery.js';
+import { insertMessage } from '../db/session-db.js';
+import { log } from '../log.js';
+import { dispatch } from './dispatch.js';
+import type { RequestFrame } from './frame.js';
+import type { Session } from '../types.js';
+
+registerDeliveryAction('cli_request', async (content, session, inDb) => {
+  const requestId = content.requestId as string;
+  const command = content.command as string;
+  const args = (content.args as Record<string, unknown>) ?? {};
+
+  if (!requestId || !command) {
+    log.warn('cli_request missing requestId or command', { sessionId: session.id });
+    return;
+  }
+
+  const req: RequestFrame = { id: requestId, command, args };
+  const ctx = {
+    caller: 'agent' as const,
+    sessionId: session.id,
+    agentGroupId: session.agent_group_id,
+    messagingGroupId: session.messaging_group_id ?? '',
+  };
+
+  log.info('CLI request from agent', { requestId, command, sessionId: session.id });
+
+  const response = await dispatch(req, ctx);
+
+  // Write response to inbound.db so the container can read it.
+  // trigger=0: don't wake the agent — this is an inline response to a tool call.
+  insertMessage(inDb, {
+    id: `cli-resp-${requestId}`,
+    kind: 'system',
+    timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
+    platformId: null,
+    channelType: null,
+    threadId: null,
+    content: JSON.stringify({
+      type: 'cli_response',
+      requestId,
+      frame: response,
+    }),
+    processAfter: null,
+    recurrence: null,
+    trigger: 0,
+  });
+
+  log.info('CLI response written', { requestId, ok: response.ok, sessionId: session.id });
+});
diff --git a/src/cli/dispatch.ts b/src/cli/dispatch.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7b247eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli/dispatch.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+/**
+ * Transport-agnostic dispatcher. Both the socket server (host caller) and
+ * the per-session DB poller (container caller) call dispatch() with the
+ * same frame and a transport-supplied CallerContext.
+ *
+ * Approval gating for risky calls from the container is the only branch
+ * that differs by caller. Host callers and `open` commands run inline.
+ */
+import { getAgentGroup } from '../db/agent-groups.js';
+import { getSession } from '../db/sessions.js';
+import { registerApprovalHandler, requestApproval } from '../modules/approvals/index.js';
+import type { CallerContext, ErrorCode, RequestFrame, ResponseFrame } from './frame.js';
+import { lookup } from './registry.js';
+
+export async function dispatch(req: RequestFrame, ctx: CallerContext): Promise<ResponseFrame> {
+  const cmd = lookup(req.command);
+  if (!cmd) {
+    return err(req.id, 'unknown-command', `no command "${req.command}"`);
+  }
+
+  if (ctx.caller !== 'host' && cmd.access === 'approval') {
+    const session = getSession(ctx.sessionId);
+    if (!session) {
+      return err(req.id, 'handler-error', 'Session not found.');
+    }
+    const agentGroup = getAgentGroup(ctx.agentGroupId);
+    const agentName = agentGroup?.name ?? ctx.agentGroupId;
+
+    const argSummary = Object.entries(req.args)
+      .map(([k, v]) => `--${k} ${v}`)
+      .join(' ');
+
+    await requestApproval({
+      session,
+      agentName,
+      action: 'cli_command',
+      payload: { frame: { id: req.id, command: req.command, args: req.args } },
+      title: `CLI: ${req.command}`,
+      question: `Agent "${agentName}" wants to run:\n\`ncl ${req.command}${argSummary ? ' ' + argSummary : ''}\``,
+    });
+
+    return err(req.id, 'approval-pending', 'Approval request sent to admin. You will be notified of the result.');
+  }
+
+  let parsed: unknown;
+  try {
+    parsed = cmd.parseArgs(req.args);
+  } catch (e) {
+    return err(req.id, 'invalid-args', errMsg(e));
+  }
+
+  try {
+    const data = await cmd.handler(parsed, ctx);
+    return { id: req.id, ok: true, data };
+  } catch (e) {
+    return err(req.id, 'handler-error', errMsg(e));
+  }
+}
+
+registerApprovalHandler('cli_command', async ({ session, payload, userId, notify }) => {
+  const frame = payload.frame as RequestFrame;
+  const response = await dispatch(frame, { caller: 'host' });
+
+  if (response.ok) {
+    const data = typeof response.data === 'string' ? response.data : JSON.stringify(response.data, null, 2);
+    notify(`Your \`ncl ${frame.command}\` request was approved and executed.\n\n${data}`);
+  } else {
+    notify(`Your \`ncl ${frame.command}\` request was approved but failed: ${response.error.message}`);
+  }
+});
+
+function err(id: string, code: ErrorCode, message: string): ResponseFrame {
+  return { id, ok: false, error: { code, message } };
+}
+
+function errMsg(e: unknown): string {
+  return e instanceof Error ? e.message : String(e);
+}
diff --git a/src/cli/format.ts b/src/cli/format.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9b54599
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli/format.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+/**
+ * Output formatting for the `ncl` binary. Two modes:
+ *   - human (default): a small auto-table for arrays of flat records,
+ *     JSON.stringify for everything else, plain "error: ..." line for !ok.
+ *   - json: the response frame, pretty-printed.
+ *
+ * The MCP / agent side will always pass --json so it parses the frame
+ * itself. The DB transport (when it lands) skips this layer entirely —
+ * the agent sees frames directly.
+ */
+import type { ResponseFrame } from './frame.js';
+
+export type FormatMode = 'human' | 'json';
+
+export function formatResponse(res: ResponseFrame, mode: FormatMode): string {
+  if (mode === 'json') return JSON.stringify(res, null, 2) + '\n';
+
+  if (!res.ok) {
+    return `error (${res.error.code}): ${res.error.message}\n`;
+  }
+  return formatHuman(res.data) + '\n';
+}
+
+function formatHuman(data: unknown): string {
+  if (data === null || data === undefined) return '';
+  if (typeof data === 'string') return data;
+  if (Array.isArray(data) && data.every(isFlatRecord)) {
+    return renderTable(data as Record<string, unknown>[]);
+  }
+  return JSON.stringify(data, null, 2);
+}
+
+function isFlatRecord(x: unknown): x is Record<string, unknown> {
+  if (!x || typeof x !== 'object') return false;
+  for (const v of Object.values(x as Record<string, unknown>)) {
+    if (v !== null && typeof v === 'object') return false;
+  }
+  return true;
+}
+
+function renderTable(rows: Record<string, unknown>[]): string {
+  if (rows.length === 0) return '(no rows)';
+  const cols = Object.keys(rows[0]);
+  const widths = cols.map((c) => Math.max(c.length, ...rows.map((r) => String(r[c] ?? '').length)));
+  const fmtRow = (vals: string[]): string => vals.map((v, i) => v.padEnd(widths[i])).join('  ');
+  const lines = [
+    fmtRow(cols),
+    fmtRow(widths.map((w) => '─'.repeat(w))),
+    ...rows.map((r) => fmtRow(cols.map((c) => String(r[c] ?? '')))),
+  ];
+  return lines.join('\n');
+}
diff --git a/src/cli/frame.ts b/src/cli/frame.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8e7604a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli/frame.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+/**
+ * Wire format shared between the socket transport (host caller) and — when
+ * it lands — the DB transport (container agent caller).
+ *
+ * Same JSON whether it goes over a socket as a line or sits in a
+ * `frame_json TEXT` column on a session DB. Caller identity is NOT carried
+ * in the frame — it's filled in by whichever server-side adapter received
+ * the bytes (see CallerContext).
+ */
+
+export type RequestFrame = {
+  /** Correlation key set by the client. */
+  id: string;
+  /** Registry name, e.g. "list-groups". */
+  command: string;
+  /** Command-specific. Each command's parseArgs validates. */
+  args: Record<string, unknown>;
+};
+
+export type ResponseFrame =
+  | { id: string; ok: true; data: unknown }
+  | { id: string; ok: false; error: { code: ErrorCode; message: string } };
+
+export type ErrorCode =
+  | 'unknown-command'
+  | 'invalid-args'
+  | 'permission-denied'
+  | 'approval-pending'
+  | 'not-found'
+  | 'handler-error'
+  | 'transport-error';
+
+/**
+ * Filled in by the transport adapter on the server side. Handlers read
+ * caller identity from here, never from the frame.
+ */
+export type CallerContext =
+  | { caller: 'host' }
+  | {
+      caller: 'agent';
+      sessionId: string;
+      agentGroupId: string;
+      messagingGroupId: string;
+    };
diff --git a/src/cli/registry.ts b/src/cli/registry.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a60e74a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli/registry.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+/**
+ * Command registry — single source of truth for what `ncl` can do.
+ *
+ * Each command file under `commands/` calls `register()` at top level,
+ * and `commands/index.ts` imports them all for side effects so the
+ * registry is populated before the host's CLI server accepts connections.
+ */
+import type { CallerContext } from './frame.js';
+
+export type Access = 'open' | 'approval' | 'hidden';
+
+export type CommandDef<TArgs = unknown, TData = unknown> = {
+  name: string;
+  description: string;
+  access: Access;
+  /** Resource this command belongs to (for help grouping). */
+  resource?: string;
+  /** Validates `frame.args` and produces the typed handler input. Throws on invalid. */
+  parseArgs: (raw: Record<string, unknown>) => TArgs;
+  handler: (args: TArgs, ctx: CallerContext) => Promise<TData>;
+};
+
+const registry = new Map<string, CommandDef>();
+
+export function register<TArgs, TData>(def: CommandDef<TArgs, TData>): void {
+  if (registry.has(def.name)) {
+    throw new Error(`CLI command "${def.name}" already registered`);
+  }
+  registry.set(def.name, def as CommandDef);
+}
+
+export function lookup(name: string): CommandDef | undefined {
+  return registry.get(name);
+}
+
+export function listCommands(): CommandDef[] {
+  return [...registry.values()].sort((a, b) => a.name.localeCompare(b.name));
+}
diff --git a/src/cli/resources/approvals.ts b/src/cli/resources/approvals.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c67f4bc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli/resources/approvals.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+import { registerResource } from '../crud.js';
+
+registerResource({
+  name: 'approval',
+  plural: 'approvals',
+  table: 'pending_approvals',
+  description:
+    'Pending approval — in-flight approval cards waiting for an admin response. Created by requestApproval() (self-mod install_packages/add_mcp_server) and OneCLI credential approval flow. Rows are deleted after the admin approves/rejects or the request expires.',
+  idColumn: 'approval_id',
+  columns: [
+    {
+      name: 'approval_id',
+      type: 'string',
+      description: 'Unique approval identifier (also used as the card questionId).',
+    },
+    {
+      name: 'session_id',
+      type: 'string',
+      description: 'Session that requested the approval. Null for OneCLI credential approvals.',
+    },
+    {
+      name: 'request_id',
+      type: 'string',
+      description: 'Original request identifier (OneCLI request UUID or same as approval_id).',
+    },
+    {
+      name: 'action',
+      type: 'string',
+      description:
+        'Action type — matches the registered approval handler (e.g. install_packages, add_mcp_server, onecli_credential).',
+    },
+    { name: 'payload', type: 'json', description: 'JSON payload carried through to the approval handler.' },
+    { name: 'created_at', type: 'string', description: 'Auto-set.' },
+    { name: 'agent_group_id', type: 'string', description: 'Originating agent group.' },
+    { name: 'channel_type', type: 'string', description: 'Channel the approval card was delivered on.' },
+    { name: 'platform_id', type: 'string', description: 'Platform chat ID the card was delivered to.' },
+    {
+      name: 'platform_message_id',
+      type: 'string',
+      description: 'Platform message ID of the delivered card (for editing on expiry).',
+    },
+    { name: 'expires_at', type: 'string', description: 'When this approval expires (OneCLI gateway TTL).' },
+    {
+      name: 'status',
+      type: 'string',
+      description: 'Current status.',
+      enum: ['pending', 'approved', 'rejected', 'expired'],
+    },
+    { name: 'title', type: 'string', description: 'Card title shown to the admin.' },
+    { name: 'options_json', type: 'json', description: 'Card button options as JSON array.' },
+  ],
+  operations: { list: 'open', get: 'open' },
+});
diff --git a/src/cli/resources/destinations.ts b/src/cli/resources/destinations.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4a56029
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli/resources/destinations.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+import { getDb } from '../../db/connection.js';
+import { registerResource } from '../crud.js';
+
+registerResource({
+  name: 'destination',
+  plural: 'destinations',
+  table: 'agent_destinations',
+  description:
+    'Agent destination — per-agent routing entry and ACL. Each row authorizes an agent to send messages to a target (channel or another agent) and assigns a local name the agent uses to address it. Names are scoped to the source agent — two agents can have different local names for the same target. Created automatically when wiring channels or when agents create child agents.',
+  idColumn: 'agent_group_id',
+  columns: [
+    {
+      name: 'agent_group_id',
+      type: 'string',
+      description: 'The agent that owns this destination. References agent_groups.id.',
+    },
+    {
+      name: 'local_name',
+      type: 'string',
+      description:
+        'Name the agent uses to address this target (e.g. <message to="local_name">). Unique per agent. Lowercase, dash-separated.',
+    },
+    {
+      name: 'target_type',
+      type: 'string',
+      description: '"channel" for messaging group targets, "agent" for agent-to-agent targets.',
+      enum: ['channel', 'agent'],
+    },
+    {
+      name: 'target_id',
+      type: 'string',
+      description: "The target's ID — messaging_groups.id for channels, agent_groups.id for agents.",
+    },
+    { name: 'created_at', type: 'string', description: 'Auto-set.' },
+  ],
+  operations: { list: 'open' },
+  customOperations: {
+    add: {
+      access: 'approval',
+      description: 'Add a destination for an agent. Use --agent-group-id, --local-name, --target-type, --target-id.',
+      handler: async (args) => {
+        const agentGroupId = args.agent_group_id as string;
+        const localName = args.local_name as string;
+        const targetType = args.target_type as string;
+        const targetId = args.target_id as string;
+        if (!agentGroupId) throw new Error('--agent-group-id is required');
+        if (!localName) throw new Error('--local-name is required');
+        if (!targetType || !['channel', 'agent'].includes(targetType)) {
+          throw new Error('--target-type must be channel or agent');
+        }
+        if (!targetId) throw new Error('--target-id is required');
+        getDb()
+          .prepare(
+            `INSERT INTO agent_destinations (agent_group_id, local_name, target_type, target_id, created_at)
+             VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, datetime('now'))`,
+          )
+          .run(agentGroupId, localName, targetType, targetId);
+        return { agent_group_id: agentGroupId, local_name: localName, target_type: targetType, target_id: targetId };
+      },
+    },
+    remove: {
+      access: 'approval',
+      description: 'Remove a destination from an agent. Use --agent-group-id and --local-name.',
+      handler: async (args) => {
+        const agentGroupId = args.agent_group_id as string;
+        const localName = args.local_name as string;
+        if (!agentGroupId) throw new Error('--agent-group-id is required');
+        if (!localName) throw new Error('--local-name is required');
+        const result = getDb()
+          .prepare('DELETE FROM agent_destinations WHERE agent_group_id = ? AND local_name = ?')
+          .run(agentGroupId, localName);
+        if (result.changes === 0) throw new Error('destination not found');
+        return { removed: { agent_group_id: agentGroupId, local_name: localName } };
+      },
+    },
+  },
+});
diff --git a/src/cli/resources/dropped-messages.ts b/src/cli/resources/dropped-messages.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..88bdf26
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli/resources/dropped-messages.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+import { registerResource } from '../crud.js';
+
+registerResource({
+  name: 'dropped-message',
+  plural: 'dropped-messages',
+  table: 'unregistered_senders',
+  description:
+    "Dropped message log — tracks messages that were dropped by the router or access gate. Aggregates by (channel_type, platform_id) with a running count. Reasons include: no_agent_wired (no wiring exists), no_agent_engaged (wiring exists but engage rules didn't fire), unknown_sender_strict (sender not recognized, strict policy), unknown_sender_request_approval (sender not recognized, approval requested).",
+  idColumn: 'channel_type',
+  columns: [
+    { name: 'channel_type', type: 'string', description: 'Channel adapter type of the dropped message.' },
+    { name: 'platform_id', type: 'string', description: 'Platform chat ID where the message was dropped.' },
+    { name: 'user_id', type: 'string', description: 'Sender user ID if resolved, null otherwise.' },
+    { name: 'sender_name', type: 'string', description: 'Sender display name if available.' },
+    {
+      name: 'reason',
+      type: 'string',
+      description: 'Why the message was dropped.',
+      enum: ['no_agent_wired', 'no_agent_engaged', 'unknown_sender_strict', 'unknown_sender_request_approval'],
+    },
+    { name: 'messaging_group_id', type: 'string', description: 'Messaging group ID if resolved.' },
+    { name: 'agent_group_id', type: 'string', description: 'Target agent group ID if resolved.' },
+    { name: 'message_count', type: 'number', description: 'Number of dropped messages from this sender on this chat.' },
+    { name: 'first_seen', type: 'string', description: 'First drop timestamp.' },
+    { name: 'last_seen', type: 'string', description: 'Most recent drop timestamp.' },
+  ],
+  operations: { list: 'open' },
+});
diff --git a/src/cli/resources/groups.ts b/src/cli/resources/groups.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e334fc1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli/resources/groups.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+import { registerResource } from '../crud.js';
+
+registerResource({
+  name: 'group',
+  plural: 'groups',
+  table: 'agent_groups',
+  description:
+    'Agent group — a logical agent identity. Each group has its own workspace folder (CLAUDE.md, skills, container config), conversation history, and container image. Multiple messaging groups can be wired to one agent group.',
+  idColumn: 'id',
+  columns: [
+    { name: 'id', type: 'string', description: 'UUID.', generated: true },
+    {
+      name: 'name',
+      type: 'string',
+      description: 'Display name shown in logs, help output, and channel adapters. Does not need to be unique.',
+      required: true,
+      updatable: true,
+    },
+    {
+      name: 'folder',
+      type: 'string',
+      description:
+        'Directory name under groups/ on the host. Must be unique. Contains CLAUDE.md, skills/, and container.json. Cannot be changed after creation.',
+      required: true,
+    },
+    {
+      name: 'agent_provider',
+      type: 'string',
+      description:
+        'LLM provider. Null means the default (claude). Skill-installed providers (e.g. opencode) register via /add-<provider>.',
+      updatable: true,
+      default: null,
+    },
+    { name: 'created_at', type: 'string', description: 'Auto-set.', generated: true },
+  ],
+  operations: { list: 'open', get: 'open', create: 'approval', update: 'approval', delete: 'approval' },
+});
diff --git a/src/cli/resources/index.ts b/src/cli/resources/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..816b32f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli/resources/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+/**
+ * Resource barrel — imports each resource module for its side-effect
+ * `registerResource(...)` call.
+ */
+import './groups.js';
+import './messaging-groups.js';
+import './wirings.js';
+import './users.js';
+import './roles.js';
+import './members.js';
+import './destinations.js';
+import './user-dms.js';
+import './dropped-messages.js';
+import './approvals.js';
+import './sessions.js';
diff --git a/src/cli/resources/members.ts b/src/cli/resources/members.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ac529be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli/resources/members.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+import { getDb } from '../../db/connection.js';
+import { registerResource } from '../crud.js';
+
+registerResource({
+  name: 'member',
+  plural: 'members',
+  table: 'agent_group_members',
+  description:
+    'Agent group member — grants an unprivileged user permission to interact with an agent group. Users with admin or owner roles on the group are implicitly members and do not need a separate membership row. Membership is checked by the router when sender_scope is "known".',
+  idColumn: 'user_id',
+  columns: [
+    {
+      name: 'user_id',
+      type: 'string',
+      description: 'The user to grant membership. Must reference an existing user (users.id).',
+    },
+    {
+      name: 'agent_group_id',
+      type: 'string',
+      description: 'The agent group to grant access to. Must reference an existing agent group (agent_groups.id).',
+    },
+    {
+      name: 'added_by',
+      type: 'string',
+      description: 'User ID of whoever added this member. Informational — not enforced.',
+    },
+    { name: 'added_at', type: 'string', description: 'ISO 8601 timestamp of when the membership was granted.' },
+  ],
+  operations: { list: 'open' },
+  customOperations: {
+    add: {
+      access: 'approval',
+      description: 'Add a user as a member of an agent group. Use --user and --group.',
+      handler: async (args) => {
+        const userId = args.user as string;
+        const groupId = args.group as string;
+        const addedBy = (args.added_by as string) ?? null;
+        if (!userId) throw new Error('--user is required');
+        if (!groupId) throw new Error('--group is required');
+        getDb()
+          .prepare(
+            `INSERT OR IGNORE INTO agent_group_members (user_id, agent_group_id, added_by, added_at)
+             VALUES (?, ?, ?, datetime('now'))`,
+          )
+          .run(userId, groupId, addedBy);
+        return { user_id: userId, agent_group_id: groupId };
+      },
+    },
+    remove: {
+      access: 'approval',
+      description: 'Remove a user from an agent group. Use --user and --group.',
+      handler: async (args) => {
+        const userId = args.user as string;
+        const groupId = args.group as string;
+        if (!userId) throw new Error('--user is required');
+        if (!groupId) throw new Error('--group is required');
+        const result = getDb()
+          .prepare('DELETE FROM agent_group_members WHERE user_id = ? AND agent_group_id = ?')
+          .run(userId, groupId);
+        if (result.changes === 0) throw new Error('member not found');
+        return { removed: { user_id: userId, agent_group_id: groupId } };
+      },
+    },
+  },
+});
diff --git a/src/cli/resources/messaging-groups.ts b/src/cli/resources/messaging-groups.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0cda1c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli/resources/messaging-groups.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+import { registerResource } from '../crud.js';
+
+registerResource({
+  name: 'messaging-group',
+  plural: 'messaging-groups',
+  table: 'messaging_groups',
+  description:
+    'Messaging group — one chat or channel on one platform (a Telegram DM, a Discord channel, a Slack thread root, an email address). Identity is the (channel_type, platform_id) pair, which must be unique.',
+  idColumn: 'id',
+  columns: [
+    { name: 'id', type: 'string', description: 'UUID.', generated: true },
+    {
+      name: 'channel_type',
+      type: 'string',
+      description:
+        'Channel adapter type — matches the adapter registered by /add-<channel> (e.g. telegram, discord, slack, whatsapp).',
+      required: true,
+    },
+    {
+      name: 'platform_id',
+      type: 'string',
+      description:
+        'Platform-specific chat ID. Format varies: Telegram chat ID, Discord channel snowflake, Slack channel ID, phone number, email address.',
+      required: true,
+    },
+    {
+      name: 'name',
+      type: 'string',
+      description: 'Display name. Often auto-populated by the channel adapter.',
+      updatable: true,
+    },
+    {
+      name: 'is_group',
+      type: 'number',
+      description: 'Multi-user group chat (1) or direct message (0). Affects session scoping.',
+      default: 0,
+      updatable: true,
+    },
+    {
+      name: 'unknown_sender_policy',
+      type: 'string',
+      description:
+        'What happens when an unrecognized sender posts. "strict" drops silently. "request_approval" sends an approval card to an admin. "public" allows anyone.',
+      enum: ['strict', 'request_approval', 'public'],
+      default: 'strict',
+      updatable: true,
+    },
+    {
+      name: 'denied_at',
+      type: 'string',
+      description:
+        'Set when the owner explicitly denies registering this channel. While set, the router drops all messages silently without re-escalating. Cleared by any explicit wiring mutation.',
+      updatable: true,
+    },
+    { name: 'created_at', type: 'string', description: 'Auto-set.', generated: true },
+  ],
+  operations: { list: 'open', get: 'open', create: 'approval', update: 'approval', delete: 'approval' },
+});
diff --git a/src/cli/resources/roles.ts b/src/cli/resources/roles.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9d51815
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli/resources/roles.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+import { getDb } from '../../db/connection.js';
+import { registerResource } from '../crud.js';
+
+registerResource({
+  name: 'role',
+  plural: 'roles',
+  table: 'user_roles',
+  description:
+    'User role — privilege grant. "owner" is always global and has full control. "admin" can be global (agent_group_id null) or scoped to a specific agent group. Admin at a group implies membership. Approval routing prefers admins/owners reachable on the same messaging platform as the request origin (e.g. a Telegram request routes the approval card to an admin on Telegram when possible).',
+  idColumn: 'user_id',
+  columns: [
+    { name: 'user_id', type: 'string', description: 'User receiving the role. Must exist in users table.' },
+    {
+      name: 'role',
+      type: 'string',
+      description: '"owner" has full control, always global. "admin" can manage groups and approve actions.',
+      enum: ['owner', 'admin'],
+    },
+    {
+      name: 'agent_group_id',
+      type: 'string',
+      description:
+        'Null = global (all groups). A specific ID limits the role to that group. Owner must always be null.',
+    },
+    { name: 'granted_by', type: 'string', description: 'Who granted this role. Informational.' },
+    { name: 'granted_at', type: 'string', description: 'Auto-set.' },
+  ],
+  operations: { list: 'open' },
+  customOperations: {
+    grant: {
+      access: 'approval',
+      description: 'Grant a role. Use --user, --role, and optionally --group for scoped admin.',
+      handler: async (args) => {
+        const userId = args.user as string;
+        const role = args.role as string;
+        const groupId = (args.group as string) ?? null;
+        const grantedBy = (args.granted_by as string) ?? null;
+        if (!userId) throw new Error('--user is required');
+        if (!role || !['owner', 'admin'].includes(role)) throw new Error('--role must be owner or admin');
+        if (role === 'owner' && groupId) throw new Error('owner role is always global (do not pass --group)');
+        getDb()
+          .prepare(
+            `INSERT OR IGNORE INTO user_roles (user_id, role, agent_group_id, granted_by, granted_at)
+             VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, datetime('now'))`,
+          )
+          .run(userId, role, groupId, grantedBy);
+        return { user_id: userId, role, agent_group_id: groupId };
+      },
+    },
+    revoke: {
+      access: 'approval',
+      description: 'Revoke a role. Use --user, --role, and --group if scoped.',
+      handler: async (args) => {
+        const userId = args.user as string;
+        const role = args.role as string;
+        const groupId = (args.group as string) ?? null;
+        if (!userId) throw new Error('--user is required');
+        if (!role) throw new Error('--role is required');
+        const result = getDb()
+          .prepare('DELETE FROM user_roles WHERE user_id = ? AND role = ? AND agent_group_id IS ?')
+          .run(userId, role, groupId);
+        if (result.changes === 0) throw new Error('role not found');
+        return { revoked: { user_id: userId, role, agent_group_id: groupId } };
+      },
+    },
+  },
+});
diff --git a/src/cli/resources/sessions.ts b/src/cli/resources/sessions.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f60fccc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli/resources/sessions.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+import { registerResource } from '../crud.js';
+
+registerResource({
+  name: 'session',
+  plural: 'sessions',
+  table: 'sessions',
+  description:
+    'Session — the runtime unit. Maps one (agent_group, messaging_group, thread) combination to a container with its own inbound.db and outbound.db. Created automatically by the router when a message arrives.',
+  idColumn: 'id',
+  columns: [
+    { name: 'id', type: 'string', description: 'UUID.', generated: true },
+    { name: 'agent_group_id', type: 'string', description: 'Agent group this session runs.' },
+    {
+      name: 'messaging_group_id',
+      type: 'string',
+      description: 'Messaging group this session serves. Null for agent-shared sessions.',
+    },
+    {
+      name: 'thread_id',
+      type: 'string',
+      description: 'Thread ID. Only set for per-thread session mode.',
+    },
+    {
+      name: 'agent_provider',
+      type: 'string',
+      description: 'Provider override. Null means inherit from agent group.',
+    },
+    {
+      name: 'status',
+      type: 'string',
+      description: '"active" receives messages. "closed" is archived.',
+      enum: ['active', 'closed'],
+    },
+    {
+      name: 'container_status',
+      type: 'string',
+      description:
+        '"running" — container alive and polling. "stopped" — container exited; the sweep will restart it automatically when due messages arrive. "idle" — reserved, currently unused.',
+      enum: ['running', 'idle', 'stopped'],
+    },
+    { name: 'last_active', type: 'string', description: 'Last message or heartbeat. Used for stale detection.' },
+    { name: 'created_at', type: 'string', description: 'Auto-set.', generated: true },
+  ],
+  operations: { list: 'open', get: 'open' },
+});
diff --git a/src/cli/resources/user-dms.ts b/src/cli/resources/user-dms.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..50b2763
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli/resources/user-dms.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+import { registerResource } from '../crud.js';
+
+registerResource({
+  name: 'user-dm',
+  plural: 'user-dms',
+  table: 'user_dms',
+  description:
+    "User DM cache — maps (user, channel_type) to the messaging group used for DM delivery. Populated lazily by ensureUserDm() when the host needs to cold-DM a user (approvals, pairing). For direct-addressable channels (Telegram, WhatsApp) the handle IS the DM chat ID. For resolution-required channels (Discord, Slack) the adapter's openDM resolves it.",
+  idColumn: 'user_id',
+  columns: [
+    { name: 'user_id', type: 'string', description: 'User this DM route is for.' },
+    { name: 'channel_type', type: 'string', description: 'Channel adapter type.' },
+    {
+      name: 'messaging_group_id',
+      type: 'string',
+      description: 'The messaging group used to deliver DMs to this user on this channel.',
+    },
+    { name: 'resolved_at', type: 'string', description: 'When this DM route was last resolved.' },
+  ],
+  operations: { list: 'open' },
+});
diff --git a/src/cli/resources/users.ts b/src/cli/resources/users.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0c4fd56
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli/resources/users.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+import { registerResource } from '../crud.js';
+
+registerResource({
+  name: 'user',
+  plural: 'users',
+  table: 'users',
+  description:
+    'User — a messaging-platform identity. Each row is one sender on one channel. A single human may have multiple user rows across channels (no cross-channel linking yet).',
+  idColumn: 'id',
+  columns: [
+    {
+      name: 'id',
+      type: 'string',
+      description:
+        'Namespaced "channel_type:handle" — e.g. "tg:6037840640", "discord:123456789", "email:user@example.com". Must be provided on create.',
+      required: true,
+    },
+    {
+      name: 'kind',
+      type: 'string',
+      description:
+        'Channel type identifier (e.g. "telegram", "discord"). Used as a fallback for DM resolution when the id prefix doesn\'t match a registered adapter.',
+      required: true,
+    },
+    {
+      name: 'display_name',
+      type: 'string',
+      description:
+        'Human-readable name. Shown in approval cards and logs. Often auto-populated from the channel adapter.',
+      updatable: true,
+    },
+    { name: 'created_at', type: 'string', description: 'Auto-set.', generated: true },
+  ],
+  operations: { list: 'open', get: 'open', create: 'approval', update: 'approval' },
+});
diff --git a/src/cli/resources/wirings.ts b/src/cli/resources/wirings.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d52f8b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli/resources/wirings.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+import { registerResource } from '../crud.js';
+
+registerResource({
+  name: 'wiring',
+  plural: 'wirings',
+  table: 'messaging_group_agents',
+  description:
+    'Wiring — connects a messaging group to an agent group. Determines which agent handles messages from which chat. The same messaging group can be wired to multiple agents; the same agent can be wired to multiple messaging groups.',
+  idColumn: 'id',
+  columns: [
+    { name: 'id', type: 'string', description: 'UUID.', generated: true },
+    {
+      name: 'messaging_group_id',
+      type: 'string',
+      description: 'The chat/channel to route from. References messaging_groups.id.',
+      required: true,
+    },
+    {
+      name: 'agent_group_id',
+      type: 'string',
+      description: 'The agent that handles messages. References agent_groups.id.',
+      required: true,
+    },
+    {
+      name: 'engage_mode',
+      type: 'string',
+      description:
+        'When the agent engages. "mention" — only when @mentioned or in DMs. "mention-sticky" — once mentioned in a thread, the agent subscribes and responds to all subsequent messages in that thread without needing further mentions. "pattern" — matches every message against engage_pattern regex.',
+      enum: ['pattern', 'mention', 'mention-sticky'],
+      default: 'mention',
+      updatable: true,
+    },
+    {
+      name: 'engage_pattern',
+      type: 'string',
+      description:
+        'Regex for engage_mode=pattern. Required when mode is pattern. Use "." to match every message (always-on). Ignored for mention modes.',
+      updatable: true,
+    },
+    {
+      name: 'sender_scope',
+      type: 'string',
+      description:
+        '"all" — any sender (subject to unknown_sender_policy). "known" — only users with a role or membership in this agent group.',
+      enum: ['all', 'known'],
+      default: 'all',
+      updatable: true,
+    },
+    {
+      name: 'ignored_message_policy',
+      type: 'string',
+      description:
+        'What happens to messages that don\'t trigger engagement. "drop" — agent never sees them. "accumulate" — stored as background context (trigger=0) so the agent has prior context when eventually triggered.',
+      enum: ['drop', 'accumulate'],
+      default: 'drop',
+      updatable: true,
+    },
+    {
+      name: 'session_mode',
+      type: 'string',
+      description:
+        '"shared" — one session per (agent, messaging group). "per-thread" — separate session per thread/topic. "agent-shared" — one session across all messaging groups wired to this agent. Note: threaded adapters in group chats force per-thread regardless of this setting.',
+      enum: ['shared', 'per-thread', 'agent-shared'],
+      default: 'shared',
+      updatable: true,
+    },
+    { name: 'created_at', type: 'string', description: 'Auto-set.', generated: true },
+  ],
+  operations: { list: 'open', get: 'open', create: 'approval', update: 'approval', delete: 'approval' },
+});
diff --git a/src/cli/socket-client.ts b/src/cli/socket-client.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4c80c5d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli/socket-client.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+/**
+ * SocketTransport — client side. Used by the `ncl` binary when running on
+ * the host (i.e. invoked from a shell or by Claude in the project).
+ *
+ * Wire format: line-delimited JSON. One request per connection; the server
+ * writes one response and closes.
+ */
+import net from 'net';
+import path from 'path';
+
+import { DATA_DIR } from '../config.js';
+import type { RequestFrame, ResponseFrame } from './frame.js';
+import type { Transport } from './transport.js';
+
+export const DEFAULT_SOCKET_PATH = path.join(DATA_DIR, 'ncl.sock');
+
+export class SocketTransport implements Transport {
+  constructor(private readonly socketPath: string = DEFAULT_SOCKET_PATH) {}
+
+  async sendFrame(req: RequestFrame): Promise<ResponseFrame> {
+    return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+      const client = net.createConnection(this.socketPath);
+      let buffer = '';
+      let settled = false;
+
+      const settle = (action: 'resolve' | 'reject', valueOrErr: ResponseFrame | Error): void => {
+        if (settled) return;
+        settled = true;
+        try {
+          client.end();
+        } catch (_e) {
+          // best-effort
+        }
+        if (action === 'resolve') resolve(valueOrErr as ResponseFrame);
+        else reject(valueOrErr as Error);
+      };
+
+      client.on('connect', () => {
+        client.write(JSON.stringify(req) + '\n');
+      });
+
+      client.on('data', (chunk) => {
+        buffer += chunk.toString('utf8');
+        const idx = buffer.indexOf('\n');
+        if (idx < 0) return;
+        const line = buffer.slice(0, idx);
+        try {
+          const frame = JSON.parse(line) as ResponseFrame;
+          settle('resolve', frame);
+        } catch (e) {
+          settle('reject', new Error(`malformed response from host: ${e instanceof Error ? e.message : String(e)}`));
+        }
+      });
+
+      client.on('error', (err) => settle('reject', err));
+      client.on('close', () => {
+        if (!settled) {
+          settle('reject', new Error('host closed connection before sending response'));
+        }
+      });
+    });
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/cli/socket-server.ts b/src/cli/socket-server.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9027848
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli/socket-server.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+/**
+ * Host-side socket listener. Started from src/index.ts, accepts one frame
+ * per connection, calls dispatch() with caller='host', writes the response
+ * frame, closes.
+ *
+ * Lives at data/ncl.sock (separate from data/cli.sock, which the existing
+ * chat-style CLI channel adapter owns). Socket file is chmod 0600 — only
+ * the user that started the host can connect.
+ */
+import fs from 'fs';
+import net from 'net';
+
+import { log } from '../log.js';
+import { dispatch } from './dispatch.js';
+import type { CallerContext, RequestFrame, ResponseFrame } from './frame.js';
+import { DEFAULT_SOCKET_PATH } from './socket-client.js';
+
+let server: net.Server | null = null;
+
+export async function startCliServer(socketPath: string = DEFAULT_SOCKET_PATH): Promise<void> {
+  // Stale-socket cleanup — a previous run that crashed may have left the
+  // file behind, and net.createServer refuses to bind to an existing path.
+  try {
+    fs.unlinkSync(socketPath);
+  } catch (err) {
+    const e = err as NodeJS.ErrnoException;
+    if (e.code !== 'ENOENT') {
+      log.warn('Failed to unlink stale ncl socket (will try to bind anyway)', { socketPath, err });
+    }
+  }
+
+  const s = net.createServer((conn) => handleConnection(conn));
+  server = s;
+  await new Promise<void>((resolve, reject) => {
+    s.once('error', reject);
+    s.listen(socketPath, () => {
+      try {
+        fs.chmodSync(socketPath, 0o600);
+      } catch (err) {
+        log.warn('Failed to chmod ncl socket (continuing)', { socketPath, err });
+      }
+      log.info('ncl CLI server listening', { socketPath });
+      resolve();
+    });
+  });
+}
+
+export async function stopCliServer(): Promise<void> {
+  if (!server) return;
+  const s = server;
+  server = null;
+  await new Promise<void>((resolve) => s.close(() => resolve()));
+}
+
+function handleConnection(conn: net.Socket): void {
+  let buffer = '';
+  conn.on('data', (chunk) => {
+    buffer += chunk.toString('utf8');
+    let idx: number;
+    while ((idx = buffer.indexOf('\n')) >= 0) {
+      const line = buffer.slice(0, idx).trim();
+      buffer = buffer.slice(idx + 1);
+      if (!line) continue;
+      void handleFrame(conn, line);
+    }
+  });
+  conn.on('error', (err) => {
+    log.warn('ncl CLI server connection error', { err });
+  });
+}
+
+async function handleFrame(conn: net.Socket, line: string): Promise<void> {
+  let req: RequestFrame;
+  try {
+    const parsed: unknown = JSON.parse(line);
+    if (!isRequestFrame(parsed)) throw new Error('bad request shape');
+    req = parsed;
+  } catch (e) {
+    write(conn, {
+      id: 'unknown',
+      ok: false,
+      error: {
+        code: 'transport-error',
+        message: `bad frame: ${e instanceof Error ? e.message : String(e)}`,
+      },
+    });
+    return;
+  }
+
+  // Host caller — connecting to data/ncl.sock requires file-system access
+  // to a 0600 socket owned by the host user, so we treat the socket path
+  // itself as the auth boundary.
+  const ctx: CallerContext = { caller: 'host' };
+  const res = await dispatch(req, ctx);
+  write(conn, res);
+}
+
+function write(conn: net.Socket, frame: ResponseFrame): void {
+  try {
+    conn.write(JSON.stringify(frame) + '\n');
+    conn.end();
+  } catch (err) {
+    log.warn('Failed to write ncl CLI response', { err });
+  }
+}
+
+function isRequestFrame(x: unknown): x is RequestFrame {
+  if (!x || typeof x !== 'object') return false;
+  const o = x as Record<string, unknown>;
+  return typeof o.id === 'string' && typeof o.command === 'string' && typeof o.args === 'object' && o.args !== null;
+}
diff --git a/src/cli/transport.ts b/src/cli/transport.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..14285ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli/transport.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+/**
+ * Client-side transport interface. The `ncl` binary picks one of these and
+ * calls sendFrame; the caller doesn't know whether bytes traveled over a
+ * Unix socket (host) or through outbound.db / inbound.db rows (container).
+ */
+import type { RequestFrame, ResponseFrame } from './frame.js';
+
+export interface Transport {
+  sendFrame(req: RequestFrame): Promise<ResponseFrame>;
+}
diff --git a/src/delivery.test.ts b/src/delivery.test.ts
index 5d23536..aadfde8 100644
--- a/src/delivery.test.ts
+++ b/src/delivery.test.ts
@@ -26,7 +26,14 @@ vi.mock('./config.js', async () => {
 
 const TEST_DIR = '/tmp/nanoclaw-test-delivery';
 
-import { initTestDb, closeDb, runMigrations, createAgentGroup, createMessagingGroup, createMessagingGroupAgent } from './db/index.js';
+import {
+  initTestDb,
+  closeDb,
+  runMigrations,
+  createAgentGroup,
+  createMessagingGroup,
+  createMessagingGroupAgent,
+} from './db/index.js';
 import { getDeliveredIds } from './db/session-db.js';
 import { resolveSession, outboundDbPath, openInboundDb } from './session-manager.js';
 import { deliverSessionMessages, setDeliveryAdapter } from './delivery.js';
@@ -233,10 +240,12 @@ describe('deliverSessionMessages — permission check', () => {
 
     // Insert an outbound message targeting mg-2 (discord) — not the origin chat
     const outDb = new Database(outboundDbPath('ag-1', session.id));
-    outDb.prepare(
-      `INSERT INTO messages_out (id, timestamp, kind, platform_id, channel_type, content)
+    outDb
+      .prepare(
+        `INSERT INTO messages_out (id, timestamp, kind, platform_id, channel_type, content)
        VALUES (?, datetime('now'), 'chat', 'discord:456', 'discord', ?)`,
-    ).run('out-unauth', JSON.stringify({ text: 'sneaky' }));
+      )
+      .run('out-unauth', JSON.stringify({ text: 'sneaky' }));
     outDb.close();
 
     const calls: string[] = [];
diff --git a/src/host-core.test.ts b/src/host-core.test.ts
index 1225b76..e6b9153 100644
--- a/src/host-core.test.ts
+++ b/src/host-core.test.ts
@@ -838,7 +838,6 @@ describe('agent-shared session resolution', () => {
     const { session } = resolveSession('ag-1', null, null, 'agent-shared');
     expect(session.messaging_group_id).toBeNull();
   });
-
 });
 
 describe('agent-to-agent routing', () => {
@@ -885,7 +884,12 @@ describe('agent-to-agent routing', () => {
     const { session: paSlackSession } = resolveSession('ag-pa', 'mg-slack', null, 'shared');
 
     await routeAgentMessage(
-      { id: 'out-a2a-1', platform_id: 'ag-researcher', content: JSON.stringify({ text: 'research this' }), in_reply_to: null },
+      {
+        id: 'out-a2a-1',
+        platform_id: 'ag-researcher',
+        content: JSON.stringify({ text: 'research this' }),
+        in_reply_to: null,
+      },
       paSlackSession,
     );
 
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 9ded3d6..f16992a 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -53,6 +53,12 @@ import './channels/index.js';
 // append registry-based modules. Imported for side effects (registrations).
 import './modules/index.js';
 
+// CLI command barrel — populates the `ncl` registry before the CLI server
+// accepts connections.
+import './cli/commands/index.js';
+import './cli/delivery-action.js';
+import { startCliServer, stopCliServer } from './cli/socket-server.js';
+
 import type { ChannelAdapter, ChannelSetup } from './channels/adapter.js';
 import { initChannelAdapters, teardownChannelAdapters, getChannelAdapter } from './channels/channel-registry.js';
 
@@ -163,6 +169,9 @@ async function main(): Promise<void> {
   startHostSweep();
   log.info('Host sweep started');
 
+  // 7. Start the `ncl` CLI socket server (data/ncl.sock).
+  await startCliServer();
+
   log.info('NanoClaw running');
 }
 
@@ -178,6 +187,7 @@ async function shutdown(signal: string): Promise<void> {
   }
   stopDeliveryPolls();
   stopHostSweep();
+  await stopCliServer();
   try {
     await teardownChannelAdapters();
   } finally {
diff --git a/src/modules/agent-to-agent/agent-route.test.ts b/src/modules/agent-to-agent/agent-route.test.ts
index fca0d4b..b0bc66e 100644
--- a/src/modules/agent-to-agent/agent-route.test.ts
+++ b/src/modules/agent-to-agent/agent-route.test.ts
@@ -328,7 +328,12 @@ describe('routeAgentMessage return-path', () => {
     // B replies to A, but in_reply_to references the C-originated row.
     // Guard rejects (SC belongs to C, not A) → falls through to newest of A.
     await routeAgentMessage(
-      { id: 'msg-reply-tamper', platform_id: A, content: JSON.stringify({ text: 'misdirected' }), in_reply_to: cInboundId },
+      {
+        id: 'msg-reply-tamper',
+        platform_id: A,
+        content: JSON.stringify({ text: 'misdirected' }),
+        in_reply_to: cInboundId,
+      },
       SB,
     );
 
@@ -353,7 +358,12 @@ describe('routeAgentMessage return-path', () => {
     // B replies to A with in_reply_to pointing to the channel message.
     // source_session_id is null → peer-affinity finds nothing → newest of A.
     await routeAgentMessage(
-      { id: 'msg-reply-channel', platform_id: A, content: JSON.stringify({ text: 'response' }), in_reply_to: 'channel-msg-1' },
+      {
+        id: 'msg-reply-channel',
+        platform_id: A,
+        content: JSON.stringify({ text: 'response' }),
+        in_reply_to: 'channel-msg-1',
+      },
       SB,
     );