diff --git a/src/__tests__/unit/cli-v2/chat-v2-runtime.test.ts b/src/__tests__/unit/cli-v2/chat-v2-runtime.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..28364dd9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/__tests__/unit/cli-v2/chat-v2-runtime.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,120 @@
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
+import { formatChatV2RuntimeNotice, resolveChatV2Runtime } from '@/cli-v2/commands/chat-v2-command.js';
+import type { ResolvedRuntimeHost } from '@/core/runtime/daemon/index.js';
+import type { HeddleControlPlaneServerHandle } from '@/server/index.js';
+
+describe('chat-v2 runtime bootstrap', () => {
+  it('attaches to a fresh live control-plane server', async () => {
+    const startServer = vi.fn();
+    const runtime = await resolveChatV2Runtime({
+      workspaceRoot: '/repo',
+      stateDir: '.heddle',
+      preferApiKey: false,
+      forceOwnerConflict: false,
+      runtimeHost: freshRuntimeHost,
+    }, { startServer });
+
+    expect(startServer).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(runtime).toMatchObject({
+      kind: 'attached',
+      trpcUrl: 'http://127.0.0.1:8765/trpc',
+      serverId: 'server-1',
+    });
+    expect(formatChatV2RuntimeNotice(runtime)).toContain('attaching chat-v2');
+  });
+
+  it('starts an embedded control-plane server when no live server exists', async () => {
+    const close = vi.fn(async () => undefined);
+    const startServer = vi.fn(async (options) => createServerHandle({
+      serverId: 'embedded-1',
+      host: options.host,
+      port: 8123,
+      close,
+    }));
+
+    const runtime = await resolveChatV2Runtime({
+      workspaceRoot: '/repo',
+      stateDir: '.heddle-test',
+      preferApiKey: true,
+      forceOwnerConflict: false,
+      runtimeHost: {
+        kind: 'none',
+        registryPath: '/registry.json',
+      },
+    }, { startServer });
+
+    expect(startServer).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.objectContaining({
+      mode: 'embedded-chat',
+      workspaceRoot: '/repo',
+      stateRoot: '/repo/.heddle-test',
+      preferApiKey: true,
+      host: '127.0.0.1',
+      port: 0,
+      serveAssets: false,
+    }));
+    expect(runtime).toMatchObject({
+      kind: 'embedded',
+      trpcUrl: 'http://127.0.0.1:8123/trpc',
+      serverId: 'embedded-1',
+    });
+    await runtime.close();
+    expect(close).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+
+  it('starts embedded when force-owner-conflict bypasses a live server', async () => {
+    const startServer = vi.fn(async () => createServerHandle({
+      serverId: 'forced-embedded',
+      host: '127.0.0.1',
+      port: 8765,
+    }));
+
+    const runtime = await resolveChatV2Runtime({
+      workspaceRoot: '/repo',
+      stateDir: '.heddle',
+      preferApiKey: false,
+      forceOwnerConflict: true,
+      runtimeHost: freshRuntimeHost,
+    }, { startServer });
+
+    expect(startServer).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(runtime.kind).toBe('embedded');
+  });
+});
+
+const freshRuntimeHost: ResolvedRuntimeHost = {
+  kind: 'server',
+  registryPath: '/registry.json',
+  serverId: 'server-1',
+  mode: 'daemon',
+  endpoint: {
+    host: '127.0.0.1',
+    port: 8765,
+  },
+  startedAt: '2026-06-02T00:00:00.000Z',
+  lastSeenAt: '2026-06-02T00:00:01.000Z',
+  stale: false,
+  ageMs: 100,
+};
+
+function createServerHandle(input: {
+  serverId: string;
+  host: string;
+  port: number;
+  close?: () => Promise<void>;
+}): HeddleControlPlaneServerHandle {
+  return {
+    mode: 'embedded-chat',
+    serverId: input.serverId,
+    host: input.host,
+    port: input.port,
+    endpoint: {
+      host: input.host,
+      port: input.port,
+    },
+    registryPath: '/registry.json',
+    workspaceRoot: '/repo',
+    stateRoot: '/repo/.heddle',
+    startedAt: '2026-06-02T00:00:00.000Z',
+    close: input.close ?? (async () => undefined),
+  };
+}
diff --git a/src/__tests__/unit/core/import-boundaries.test.ts b/src/__tests__/unit/core/import-boundaries.test.ts
index c1992f36..d6b4a15c 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/unit/core/import-boundaries.test.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/unit/core/import-boundaries.test.ts
@@ -66,9 +66,9 @@ describe('core import boundaries', () => {
     expect(violations).toEqual([]);
   });
 
-  it('keeps cli-v2 on the shared client API boundary', () => {
+  it('keeps cli-v2 TUI/client code on the shared client API boundary', () => {
     const violations = findResolvedImportViolations(
-      sourceFiles.filter((file) => toSourcePath(file).startsWith('cli-v2/')),
+      sourceFiles.filter((file) => isCliV2TuiClientSource(file)),
       (resolvedPath) => resolvedPath.startsWith('core/') || resolvedPath.startsWith('server/'),
     );
 
@@ -149,6 +149,11 @@ function listSourceFiles(dir: string): string[] {
   });
 }
 
+function isCliV2TuiClientSource(file: string): boolean {
+  const sourcePath = toSourcePath(file);
+  return sourcePath.startsWith('cli-v2/') && !sourcePath.startsWith('cli-v2/commands/');
+}
+
 function findImportViolations(files: string[], disallowed: RegExp[]): string[] {
   return files.flatMap((file) => {
     const imports = readImports(file)
diff --git a/src/cli-v2/README.md b/src/cli-v2/README.md
index a80f7442..9cb6c00d 100644
--- a/src/cli-v2/README.md
+++ b/src/cli-v2/README.md
@@ -7,8 +7,13 @@ self-contained while it is being built next to the existing TUI.
 
 - `cli-v2` may import shared API-consumer code from `src/client-shared`.
 - `cli-v2` must not import from `src/cli/chat`.
-- `cli-v2` must not import core services, server controllers, or backend DTOs
-  directly. It consumes tRPC-derived types and the shared proxy client.
+- `cli-v2` TUI/client code must not import core services, server controllers,
+  or backend DTOs directly. It consumes tRPC-derived types and the shared proxy
+  client.
+- `cli-v2/commands` owns terminal command bootstrap. It may discover or start a
+  local control-plane server when needed, then command behavior should continue
+  through the shared control-plane API instead of calling core services
+  directly.
 - If terminal rendering code is worth preserving from the old TUI, copy it into
   this folder and make it consume `cli-v2` view/state types.
 
@@ -18,6 +23,8 @@ rewrite.
 
 ## Shape
 
+- `commands/`: terminal command bootstrap and process lifecycle around the
+  API-backed v2 clients.
 - `state/`: class-based API-consumer state and live subscription ownership.
 - `hooks/`: React/Ink hooks only. Hook files keep `useXxx` naming and return
   hook-shaped values.
diff --git a/src/cli-v2/commands/chat-v2-command.ts b/src/cli-v2/commands/chat-v2-command.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..beb71f84
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli-v2/commands/chat-v2-command.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,147 @@
+import { resolve } from 'node:path';
+import type { ResolvedRuntimeHost } from '@/core/runtime/daemon/index.js';
+import type { HeddleControlPlaneServerHandle, HeddleControlPlaneServerOptions } from '@/server/index.js';
+import { startHeddleControlPlaneServer } from '@/server/index.js';
+import { startChatCliV2 } from '../index.js';
+
+const DEFAULT_CONTROL_PLANE_HOST = '127.0.0.1';
+const EMBEDDED_CONTROL_PLANE_PORT = 0;
+
+export type ChatCliV2CommandOptions = {
+  workspaceRoot: string;
+  activeWorkspaceId: string;
+  model?: string;
+  maxSteps?: number;
+  preferApiKey: boolean;
+  stateDir: string;
+  searchIgnoreDirs: string[];
+  systemContext?: string;
+  runtimeHost: ResolvedRuntimeHost;
+  forceOwnerConflict: boolean;
+};
+
+export type ChatV2RuntimeInput = {
+  workspaceRoot: string;
+  stateDir: string;
+  preferApiKey: boolean;
+  runtimeHost: ResolvedRuntimeHost;
+  forceOwnerConflict: boolean;
+};
+
+export type ChatV2Runtime = {
+  kind: 'attached' | 'embedded';
+  trpcUrl: string;
+  endpoint: {
+    host: string;
+    port: number;
+  };
+  serverId: string;
+  close: () => Promise<void>;
+};
+
+type ChatV2RuntimeDependencies = {
+  startServer?: (options: HeddleControlPlaneServerOptions) => Promise<HeddleControlPlaneServerHandle>;
+};
+
+export async function runChatCliV2Command(options: ChatCliV2CommandOptions): Promise<void> {
+  const runtime = await resolveChatV2Runtime(options);
+  process.stdout.write(`${formatChatV2RuntimeNotice(runtime)}\n`);
+  const uninstallRuntimeShutdown =
+    runtime.kind === 'embedded' ? installChatV2EmbeddedRuntimeShutdown(runtime) : () => undefined;
+  const app = startChatCliV2({
+    trpcUrl: runtime.trpcUrl,
+    workspaceId: options.activeWorkspaceId,
+    model: options.model,
+    maxSteps: options.maxSteps,
+    searchIgnoreDirs: options.searchIgnoreDirs,
+    systemContext: options.systemContext,
+    preferApiKey: options.preferApiKey,
+  });
+  try {
+    await app.waitUntilExit();
+  } finally {
+    uninstallRuntimeShutdown();
+    await runtime.close();
+  }
+}
+
+export async function resolveChatV2Runtime(
+  input: ChatV2RuntimeInput,
+  dependencies: ChatV2RuntimeDependencies = {},
+): Promise<ChatV2Runtime> {
+  if (!input.forceOwnerConflict && input.runtimeHost.kind === 'server' && !input.runtimeHost.stale) {
+    return {
+      kind: 'attached',
+      trpcUrl: buildTrpcUrl(input.runtimeHost.endpoint),
+      endpoint: input.runtimeHost.endpoint,
+      serverId: input.runtimeHost.serverId,
+      close: async () => undefined,
+    };
+  }
+
+  const startServer = dependencies.startServer ?? startHeddleControlPlaneServer;
+  const handle = await startServer({
+    mode: 'embedded-chat',
+    workspaceRoot: input.workspaceRoot,
+    stateRoot: resolve(input.workspaceRoot, input.stateDir),
+    preferApiKey: input.preferApiKey,
+    host: DEFAULT_CONTROL_PLANE_HOST,
+    port: EMBEDDED_CONTROL_PLANE_PORT,
+    serveAssets: false,
+  });
+
+  return {
+    kind: 'embedded',
+    trpcUrl: buildTrpcUrl(handle.endpoint),
+    endpoint: handle.endpoint,
+    serverId: handle.serverId,
+    close: handle.close,
+  };
+}
+
+export function formatChatV2RuntimeNotice(runtime: ChatV2Runtime): string {
+  if (runtime.kind === 'attached') {
+    return [
+      'Heddle notice: attaching chat-v2 to the live control-plane server.',
+      `server=http://${runtime.endpoint.host}:${runtime.endpoint.port}`,
+      `serverId=${runtime.serverId}`,
+    ].join(' ');
+  }
+
+  return [
+    'Heddle notice: started embedded chat-v2 control-plane server.',
+    `server=http://${runtime.endpoint.host}:${runtime.endpoint.port}`,
+    `serverId=${runtime.serverId}`,
+  ].join(' ');
+}
+
+export function installChatV2EmbeddedRuntimeShutdown(runtime: ChatV2Runtime): () => void {
+  let shuttingDown = false;
+  const shutdown = (signal: NodeJS.Signals) => {
+    if (shuttingDown) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    shuttingDown = true;
+    runtime.close()
+      .catch((error) => {
+        process.stderr.write(`Heddle embedded chat-v2 server failed during ${signal} shutdown: ${String(error)}\n`);
+        process.exitCode = 1;
+      })
+      .finally(() => {
+        process.exit();
+      });
+  };
+
+  process.once('SIGINT', shutdown);
+  process.once('SIGTERM', shutdown);
+
+  return () => {
+    process.off('SIGINT', shutdown);
+    process.off('SIGTERM', shutdown);
+  };
+}
+
+function buildTrpcUrl(endpoint: { host: string; port: number }): string {
+  return `http://${endpoint.host}:${endpoint.port}/trpc`;
+}
diff --git a/src/cli-v2/index.tsx b/src/cli-v2/index.tsx
index 4fb51e7b..7bb7bdcd 100644
--- a/src/cli-v2/index.tsx
+++ b/src/cli-v2/index.tsx
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ export function startChatCliV2(options: ChatCliV2Options) {
     preferApiKey: options.preferApiKey,
   });
 
-  render(<App store={store} initialSelection={{
+  return render(<App store={store} initialSelection={{
     workspaceId: options.workspaceId,
     sessionId: options.sessionId,
   }} />);
diff --git a/src/cli/main.ts b/src/cli/main.ts
index e19e504b..99dddcc0 100644
--- a/src/cli/main.ts
+++ b/src/cli/main.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import { RuntimeCredentialService } from '@/core/runtime/credentials/index.js';
 import { AuthCliController } from './auth.js';
 import { AskCliHost } from './ask.js';
 import { startChatCli } from './chat/index.js';
-import { startChatCliV2 } from '@/cli-v2/index.js';
+import { runChatCliV2Command } from '@/cli-v2/commands/chat-v2-command.js';
 import { runDaemonCli } from './daemon.js';
 import { runEvalCli } from './eval/index.js';
 import { parseHeartbeatArgs, runHeartbeatCli } from './heartbeat.js';
@@ -88,19 +88,7 @@ async function main() {
     .action(async () => {
       const resolved = resolveCliOptions(program.opts<RootCliOptions>());
       chdir(resolved.workspaceRoot);
-      if (resolved.runtimeHost.kind !== 'server' || resolved.forceOwnerConflict) {
-        throw new Error('chat-v2 requires a running Heddle daemon because it only consumes the shared control-plane API.');
-      }
-      writeRuntimeHostNotice('chat-v2', resolved.runtimeHost);
-      startChatCliV2({
-        trpcUrl: `http://${resolved.runtimeHost.endpoint.host}:${resolved.runtimeHost.endpoint.port}/trpc`,
-        workspaceId: resolved.activeWorkspaceId,
-        model: resolved.model,
-        maxSteps: resolved.maxSteps,
-        searchIgnoreDirs: resolved.searchIgnoreDirs,
-        systemContext: resolved.systemContext,
-        preferApiKey: resolved.preferApiKey,
-      });
+      await runChatCliV2Command(resolved);
     });
 
   program