diff --git a/src/context.zig b/src/context.zig
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..efa692f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/context.zig
@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+const std = @import("std");
+const session_mod = @import("session.zig");
+
+// Compact local context formatting for same-user tools/agents.
+// req: session/002, governance/002, governance/003, testing/001, testing/002
+
+test {
+    _ = sessionContextAlloc;
+}
+
+pub const Limits = struct {
+    max_bytes_preview: usize = 48,
+    max_panel_summary: usize = 96,
+    max_task: usize = 96,
+};
+
+pub fn localContextAlloc(allocator: std.mem.Allocator, cwd: []const u8, task: ?[]const u8, intent: ?[]const u8, limits: Limits) ![]u8 {
+    var out = std.ArrayList(u8).empty;
+    errdefer out.deinit(allocator);
+    try appendLine(allocator, &out, "context:v1");
+    try appendField(allocator, &out, "cwd", cwd, limits.max_panel_summary);
+    if (task) |value| try appendField(allocator, &out, "task", value, limits.max_task);
+    if (intent) |value| try appendField(allocator, &out, "intent", value, limits.max_task);
+    return out.toOwnedSlice(allocator);
+}
+
+pub fn sessionContextAlloc(allocator: std.mem.Allocator, session: *const session_mod.Session, task: ?[]const u8, intent: ?[]const u8, limits: Limits) ![]u8 {
+    const snap = try session.snapshot();
+    const panel_path = try session.panelPathAlloc(allocator);
+    defer allocator.free(panel_path);
+    const panel_summary = try session.panelSummaryAlloc(allocator);
+    defer allocator.free(panel_summary);
+
+    var out = std.ArrayList(u8).empty;
+    errdefer out.deinit(allocator);
+    try appendLine(allocator, &out, "context:v1");
+    try appendNumber(allocator, &out, "cursor_byte", snap.cursor_byte);
+    try appendNumber(allocator, &out, "cursor_cell", snap.cursor_cell);
+    try appendNumber(allocator, &out, "bytes_len", snap.bytes.len);
+    try appendNumber(allocator, &out, "panel_depth", snap.panel_depth);
+    try appendField(allocator, &out, "active_panel", if (snap.active_panel_title) |title| title else "-", limits.max_panel_summary);
+    try appendField(allocator, &out, "panel_path", panel_path, limits.max_panel_summary);
+    try appendField(allocator, &out, "panel_summary", panel_summary, limits.max_panel_summary);
+    try appendField(allocator, &out, "buffer_preview", snap.bytes[0..@min(snap.bytes.len, limits.max_bytes_preview)], limits.max_bytes_preview);
+    if (task) |value| try appendField(allocator, &out, "task", value, limits.max_task);
+    if (intent) |value| try appendField(allocator, &out, "intent", value, limits.max_task);
+    return out.toOwnedSlice(allocator);
+}
+
+fn appendNumber(allocator: std.mem.Allocator, out: *std.ArrayList(u8), key: []const u8, value: usize) !void {
+    const line = try std.fmt.allocPrint(allocator, "{s}={d}", .{ key, value });
+    defer allocator.free(line);
+    try appendLine(allocator, out, line);
+}
+
+fn appendField(allocator: std.mem.Allocator, out: *std.ArrayList(u8), key: []const u8, value: []const u8, max_len: usize) !void {
+    const clean = try sanitizeAlloc(allocator, value, max_len);
+    defer allocator.free(clean);
+    const line = try std.fmt.allocPrint(allocator, "{s}={s}", .{ key, clean });
+    defer allocator.free(line);
+    try appendLine(allocator, out, line);
+}
+
+fn appendLine(allocator: std.mem.Allocator, out: *std.ArrayList(u8), line: []const u8) !void {
+    try out.appendSlice(allocator, line);
+    try out.append(allocator, '\n');
+}
+
+fn sanitizeAlloc(allocator: std.mem.Allocator, value: []const u8, max_len: usize) ![]u8 {
+    var out = std.ArrayList(u8).empty;
+    errdefer out.deinit(allocator);
+    var i: usize = 0;
+    while (i < value.len and out.items.len < max_len) {
+        const len = std.unicode.utf8ByteSequenceLength(value[i]) catch 1;
+        const end = @min(value.len, i + len);
+        const slice = value[i..end];
+        if (slice.len == 1 and (slice[0] <= 0x20 or slice[0] == '|')) {
+            try out.append(allocator, '_');
+        } else {
+            try out.appendSlice(allocator, slice);
+        }
+        i = end;
+    }
+    if (i < value.len) try out.appendSlice(allocator, "...");
+    if (out.items.len == 0) try out.append(allocator, '-');
+    return out.toOwnedSlice(allocator);
+}
+
+test "regular: session context includes compact editor and panel state" {
+    var session = session_mod.Session.init(std.testing.allocator);
+    defer session.deinit();
+    try session.openFixture("pub const x = 1;\n");
+    try session.openListPanel("diagnostics", &.{ "lsp:diagnostics:count_1", "lsp:diag:error:1:5:file:bad" });
+
+    const text = try sessionContextAlloc(std.testing.allocator, &session, "fix bug", "inspect", .{ .max_bytes_preview = 8, .max_panel_summary = 80, .max_task = 16 });
+    defer std.testing.allocator.free(text);
+    try std.testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, text, "context:v1\n") != null);
+    try std.testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, text, "active_panel=diagnostics") != null);
+    try std.testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, text, "panel_summary=") != null);
+    try std.testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, text, "buffer_preview=pub") != null);
+    try std.testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, text, "task=fix_bug") != null);
+}
+
+test "regular: local context is line oriented and sanitized" {
+    const text = try localContextAlloc(std.testing.allocator, "/tmp/mim repo", "ship v1", null, .{});
+    defer std.testing.allocator.free(text);
+    try std.testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, text, "cwd=/tmp/mim_repo") != null);
+    try std.testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, text, "task=ship_v1") != null);
+}
+
+test "adversarial: context output is bounded" {
+    const long = "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa";
+    const text = try localContextAlloc(std.testing.allocator, long, long, long, .{ .max_panel_summary = 8, .max_task = 8 });
+    defer std.testing.allocator.free(text);
+    try std.testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, text, "cwd=aaaaaaaa...") != null);
+    try std.testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, text, "task=aaaaaaaa...") != null);
+}
diff --git a/src/main.zig b/src/main.zig
index 6ba755a..c92e184 100644
--- a/src/main.zig
+++ b/src/main.zig
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 const std = @import("std");
+const context_mod = @import("context.zig");
 const input = @import("input.zig");
 const job = @import("job.zig");
 const layout = @import("layout.zig");
@@ -23,10 +24,12 @@ const help_text =
     \\Usage:
     \\  mim [--help]
     \\  mim [--version]
+    \\  mim context [task] [intent]
+    \\  mim mimctl context <socket|-> [task] [intent]
     \\  mim --mimctl <socket|-> <request...>
     \\
-    \\This early build exposes the canonical smoke path and a minimal local
-    \\session-control client for trusted tools.
+    \\This early build exposes the canonical smoke path, compact local context,
+    \\and a minimal local session-control client for trusted tools.
     \\
 ;
 
@@ -63,6 +66,29 @@ pub fn main(init: std.process.Init) !u8 {
 
     const first_arg = args.next();
     if (first_arg) |arg| {
+        if (std.mem.eql(u8, arg, "context")) {
+            try printLocalContext(allocator, init.io, &args, stdout);
+            return 0;
+        }
+        if (std.mem.eql(u8, arg, "mimctl")) {
+            const sub = args.next() orelse {
+                try stderr.writeStreamingAll(init.io, "mim: mimctl requires a subcommand\n");
+                return 64;
+            };
+            if (!std.mem.eql(u8, sub, "context")) {
+                try stderr.writeStreamingAll(init.io, "mim: unknown mimctl subcommand\n");
+                return 64;
+            }
+            const socket_path = args.next() orelse {
+                try stderr.writeStreamingAll(init.io, "mim: mimctl context requires a socket path or '-'\n");
+                return 64;
+            };
+            const line = try collectContextRequest(allocator, &args);
+            defer allocator.free(line);
+            requestMimctl(allocator, init.io, init.minimal.environ, stdout, stderr, socket_path, line) catch return 69;
+            return 0;
+        }
+
         if (std.mem.eql(u8, arg, "--mimctl")) {
             const socket_path = args.next() orelse {
                 try stderr.writeStreamingAll(init.io, "mim: --mimctl requires a socket path\n");
@@ -74,21 +100,7 @@ pub fn main(init: std.process.Init) !u8 {
                 try stderr.writeStreamingAll(init.io, "mim: --mimctl requires a request\n");
                 return 64;
             }
-            const resolved_socket_path = if (std.mem.eql(u8, socket_path, "-"))
-                std.process.Environ.getAlloc(init.minimal.environ, allocator, socket.socket_env_name) catch {
-                    try stderr.writeStreamingAll(init.io, "mim: MIM_SOCKET is not set\n");
-                    return 69;
-                }
-            else
-                try allocator.dupe(u8, socket_path);
-            defer allocator.free(resolved_socket_path);
-
-            const response = socket.request(allocator, resolved_socket_path, line) catch {
-                try stderr.writeStreamingAll(init.io, "mim: mimctl request failed\n");
-                return 69;
-            };
-            defer allocator.free(response);
-            try stdout.writeStreamingAll(init.io, response);
+            requestMimctl(allocator, init.io, init.minimal.environ, stdout, stderr, socket_path, line) catch return 69;
             return 0;
         }
     }
@@ -113,6 +125,51 @@ pub fn main(init: std.process.Init) !u8 {
     return 0;
 }
 
+fn printLocalContext(allocator: std.mem.Allocator, io: std.Io, args: *std.process.Args.Iterator, stdout: std.Io.File) !void {
+    const task = args.next();
+    const intent = args.next();
+    const text = try context_mod.localContextAlloc(allocator, ".", task, intent, .{});
+    defer allocator.free(text);
+    try stdout.writeStreamingAll(io, text);
+}
+
+fn requestMimctl(
+    allocator: std.mem.Allocator,
+    io: std.Io,
+    environ: std.process.Environ,
+    stdout: std.Io.File,
+    stderr: std.Io.File,
+    socket_path: []const u8,
+    line: []const u8,
+) !void {
+    const resolved_socket_path = if (std.mem.eql(u8, socket_path, "-"))
+        std.process.Environ.getAlloc(environ, allocator, socket.socket_env_name) catch {
+            try stderr.writeStreamingAll(io, "mim: MIM_SOCKET is not set\n");
+            return error.MimctlFailed;
+        }
+    else
+        try allocator.dupe(u8, socket_path);
+    defer allocator.free(resolved_socket_path);
+
+    const response = socket.request(allocator, resolved_socket_path, line) catch {
+        try stderr.writeStreamingAll(io, "mim: mimctl request failed\n");
+        return error.MimctlFailed;
+    };
+    defer allocator.free(response);
+    try stdout.writeStreamingAll(io, response);
+}
+
+fn collectContextRequest(allocator: std.mem.Allocator, args: *std.process.Args.Iterator) ![]u8 {
+    var line = std.ArrayList(u8).empty;
+    errdefer line.deinit(allocator);
+    try line.appendSlice(allocator, "context");
+    while (args.next()) |arg| {
+        try line.append(allocator, ' ');
+        try line.appendSlice(allocator, arg);
+    }
+    return line.toOwnedSlice(allocator);
+}
+
 fn collectRemainingArgs(allocator: std.mem.Allocator, args: *std.process.Args.Iterator) ![]u8 {
     var line = std.ArrayList(u8).empty;
     errdefer line.deinit(allocator);
@@ -126,6 +183,7 @@ fn collectRemainingArgs(allocator: std.mem.Allocator, args: *std.process.Args.It
 }
 
 test {
+    _ = context_mod;
     _ = input;
     _ = job;
     _ = layout;
@@ -146,6 +204,7 @@ test {
 test "regular: help text names the binary and smoke boundary" {
     try std.testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, help_text, "mim - mobile-first terminal code editor") != null);
     try std.testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, help_text, "canonical smoke path") != null);
+    try std.testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, help_text, "mim context") != null);
 }
 
 test "regular: version output is stable enough for smoke checks" {
diff --git a/src/protocol.zig b/src/protocol.zig
index 51d7a55..e2c5281 100644
--- a/src/protocol.zig
+++ b/src/protocol.zig
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 const std = @import("std");
+const context_mod = @import("context.zig");
 const session_mod = @import("session.zig");
 
 // Tiny local session protocol for trusted same-user tools.
@@ -13,6 +14,8 @@ pub const max_request_bytes = 4096;
 pub fn handleLine(allocator: std.mem.Allocator, session: *session_mod.Session, line: []const u8) ![]u8 {
     const trimmed = std.mem.trimEnd(u8, line, "\r\n");
     if (std.mem.eql(u8, trimmed, "state")) return stateResponse(allocator, session);
+    if (std.mem.eql(u8, trimmed, "context")) return context_mod.sessionContextAlloc(allocator, session, null, null, .{});
+    if (std.mem.startsWith(u8, trimmed, "context ")) return contextResponse(allocator, session, trimmed[8..]);
     if (std.mem.startsWith(u8, trimmed, "open ")) {
         const bytes = trimmed[5..];
         if (!std.unicode.utf8ValidateSlice(bytes)) return allocator.dupe(u8, "err invalid utf8\n");
@@ -25,6 +28,12 @@ pub fn handleLine(allocator: std.mem.Allocator, session: *session_mod.Session, l
     return allocator.dupe(u8, "err unknown request\n");
 }
 
+fn contextResponse(allocator: std.mem.Allocator, session: *session_mod.Session, payload: []const u8) ![]u8 {
+    const split = std.mem.indexOfScalar(u8, payload, ' ');
+    if (split) |index| return context_mod.sessionContextAlloc(allocator, session, payload[0..index], payload[index + 1 ..], .{});
+    return context_mod.sessionContextAlloc(allocator, session, payload, null, .{});
+}
+
 fn commandResponse(allocator: std.mem.Allocator, session: *session_mod.Session, command: []const u8) ![]u8 {
     if (std.mem.eql(u8, command, "move_left")) return dispatchAndRespond(allocator, session, .move_left);
     if (std.mem.eql(u8, command, "move_right")) return dispatchAndRespond(allocator, session, .move_right);
@@ -162,6 +171,21 @@ fn stateResponse(allocator: std.mem.Allocator, session: *session_mod.Session) ![
     );
 }
 
+test "regular: protocol context request returns compact agent context" {
+    var session = session_mod.Session.init(std.testing.allocator);
+    defer session.deinit();
+    try session.openFixture("abc");
+    try session.openListPanel("diag", &.{ "one", "two" });
+
+    const response = try handleLine(std.testing.allocator, &session, "context fix_bug inspect\n");
+    defer std.testing.allocator.free(response);
+    try std.testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, response, "context:v1\n") != null);
+    try std.testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, response, "active_panel=diag") != null);
+    try std.testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, response, "panel_summary=") != null);
+    try std.testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, response, "task=fix_bug") != null);
+    try std.testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, response, "intent=inspect") != null);
+}
+
 test "regular: protocol opens bytes, reports state, and dispatches commands" {
     var session = session_mod.Session.init(std.testing.allocator);
     defer session.deinit();
diff --git a/src/socket.zig b/src/socket.zig
index e440759..8459daa 100644
--- a/src/socket.zig
+++ b/src/socket.zig
@@ -244,3 +244,24 @@ test "regular: local socket panel command exposes inspectable panel state" {
     thread.join();
     try std.testing.expectEqualStrings("ok state cursor_byte=0 cursor_cell=0 bytes_len=0 panel_depth=1 active_panel=files panel_path=[files] panel_summary=empty\n", state);
 }
+
+test "regular: local socket context request returns compact session context" {
+    var session = session_mod.Session.init(std.testing.allocator);
+    defer session.deinit();
+    try session.openFixture("abc");
+    try session.openListPanel("diag", &.{ "one", "two" });
+
+    const path = "/tmp/mim-test-context.sock";
+    var server = try Server.listen(std.testing.allocator, path, &session);
+    defer server.deinit();
+
+    const thread = try std.Thread.spawn(.{}, Server.acceptOnce, .{&server});
+    const response = try request(std.testing.allocator, path, "context fix_bug inspect");
+    defer std.testing.allocator.free(response);
+    thread.join();
+
+    try std.testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, response, "context:v1\n") != null);
+    try std.testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, response, "active_panel=diag") != null);
+    try std.testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, response, "task=fix_bug") != null);
+    try std.testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, response, "intent=inspect") != null);
+}