diff --git a/rust/crates/runtime/src/worker_boot.rs b/rust/crates/runtime/src/worker_boot.rs
index c8ed3d0..15cb72c 100644
--- a/rust/crates/runtime/src/worker_boot.rs
+++ b/rust/crates/runtime/src/worker_boot.rs
@@ -560,6 +560,7 @@ fn push_event(
     let timestamp = now_secs();
     let seq = worker.events.len() as u64 + 1;
     worker.updated_at = timestamp;
+    worker.status = status;
     worker.events.push(WorkerEvent {
         seq,
         kind,
@@ -568,6 +569,45 @@ fn push_event(
         payload,
         timestamp,
     });
+    emit_state_file(worker);
+}
+
+/// Write current worker state to `.claw/worker-state.json` under the worker's cwd.
+/// This is the file-based observability surface: external observers (clawhip, orchestrators)
+/// poll this file instead of requiring an HTTP route on the opencode binary.
+fn emit_state_file(worker: &Worker) {
+    let state_dir = std::path::Path::new(&worker.cwd).join(".claw");
+    if let Err(_) = std::fs::create_dir_all(&state_dir) {
+        return;
+    }
+    let state_path = state_dir.join("worker-state.json");
+    let tmp_path = state_dir.join("worker-state.json.tmp");
+
+    #[derive(serde::Serialize)]
+    struct StateSnapshot<'a> {
+        worker_id: &'a str,
+        status: WorkerStatus,
+        is_ready: bool,
+        trust_gate_cleared: bool,
+        prompt_in_flight: bool,
+        last_event: Option<&'a WorkerEvent>,
+        updated_at: u64,
+    }
+
+    let snapshot = StateSnapshot {
+        worker_id: &worker.worker_id,
+        status: worker.status,
+        is_ready: worker.status == WorkerStatus::ReadyForPrompt,
+        trust_gate_cleared: worker.trust_gate_cleared,
+        prompt_in_flight: worker.prompt_in_flight,
+        last_event: worker.events.last(),
+        updated_at: worker.updated_at,
+    };
+
+    if let Ok(json) = serde_json::to_string_pretty(&snapshot) {
+        let _ = std::fs::write(&tmp_path, json);
+        let _ = std::fs::rename(&tmp_path, &state_path);
+    }
 }
 
 fn path_matches_allowlist(cwd: &str, trusted_root: &str) -> bool {
@@ -1058,6 +1098,38 @@ mod tests {
             .any(|event| event.kind == WorkerEventKind::Failed));
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn emit_state_file_writes_worker_status_on_transition() {
+        let cwd_path = std::env::temp_dir().join(format!("claw-state-test-{}", std::time::SystemTime::now().duration_since(std::time::UNIX_EPOCH).unwrap_or_default().as_nanos()));
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(&cwd_path).expect("test dir should create");
+        let cwd = cwd_path.to_str().expect("test path should be utf8");
+        let registry = WorkerRegistry::new();
+        let worker = registry.create(cwd, &[], true);
+
+        // After create the worker is Spawning — state file should exist
+        let state_path = cwd_path.join(".claw").join("worker-state.json");
+        assert!(state_path.exists(), "state file should exist after worker creation");
+
+        let raw = std::fs::read_to_string(&state_path).expect("state file should be readable");
+        let value: serde_json::Value = serde_json::from_str(&raw).expect("state file should be valid JSON");
+        assert_eq!(value["status"].as_str(), Some("spawning"), "initial status should be spawning");
+        assert_eq!(value["is_ready"].as_bool(), Some(false));
+
+        // Transition to ReadyForPrompt by observing trust-cleared text
+        registry
+            .observe(&worker.worker_id, "Ready for input\n>")
+            .expect("observe ready should succeed");
+
+        let raw = std::fs::read_to_string(&state_path).expect("state file should be readable after observe");
+        let value: serde_json::Value = serde_json::from_str(&raw).expect("state file should be valid JSON after observe");
+        assert_eq!(
+            value["status"].as_str(),
+            Some("ready_for_prompt"),
+            "status should be ready_for_prompt after observe"
+        );
+        assert_eq!(value["is_ready"].as_bool(), Some(true), "is_ready should be true when ReadyForPrompt");
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn observe_completion_accepts_normal_finish_with_tokens() {
         let registry = WorkerRegistry::new();
diff --git a/rust/crates/rusty-claude-cli/src/main.rs b/rust/crates/rusty-claude-cli/src/main.rs
index 847b0fa..330afb6 100644
--- a/rust/crates/rusty-claude-cli/src/main.rs
+++ b/rust/crates/rusty-claude-cli/src/main.rs
@@ -211,6 +211,7 @@ fn run() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
         CliAction::Login { output_format } => run_login(output_format)?,
         CliAction::Logout { output_format } => run_logout(output_format)?,
         CliAction::Doctor { output_format } => run_doctor(output_format)?,
+        CliAction::State { output_format } => run_worker_state(output_format)?,
         CliAction::Init { output_format } => run_init(output_format)?,
         CliAction::Export {
             session_reference,
@@ -293,6 +294,9 @@ enum CliAction {
     Doctor {
         output_format: CliOutputFormat,
     },
+    State {
+        output_format: CliOutputFormat,
+    },
     Init {
         output_format: CliOutputFormat,
     },
@@ -611,6 +615,7 @@ fn parse_single_word_command_alias(
         })),
         "sandbox" => Some(Ok(CliAction::Sandbox { output_format })),
         "doctor" => Some(Ok(CliAction::Doctor { output_format })),
+        "state" => Some(Ok(CliAction::State { output_format })),
         other => bare_slash_command_guidance(other).map(Err),
     }
 }
@@ -1322,6 +1327,32 @@ fn run_doctor(output_format: CliOutputFormat) -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::
 ///
 /// Tool descriptors come from [`tools::mvp_tool_specs`] and calls are
 /// dispatched through [`tools::execute_tool`], so this server exposes exactly
+/// Read `.claw/worker-state.json` from the current working directory and print it.
+/// This is the file-based worker observability surface: `push_event()` in `worker_boot.rs`
+/// atomically writes state transitions here so external observers (clawhip, orchestrators)
+/// can poll current `WorkerStatus` without needing an HTTP route on the opencode binary.
+fn run_worker_state(output_format: CliOutputFormat) -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
+    let cwd = env::current_dir()?;
+    let state_path = cwd.join(".claw").join("worker-state.json");
+    if !state_path.exists() {
+        match output_format {
+            CliOutputFormat::Text => println!("No worker state file found at {}", state_path.display()),
+            CliOutputFormat::Json => println!("{}", serde_json::json!({"error": "no_state_file", "path": state_path.display().to_string()})),
+        }
+        return Ok(());
+    }
+    let raw = std::fs::read_to_string(&state_path)?;
+    match output_format {
+        CliOutputFormat::Text => println!("{raw}"),
+        CliOutputFormat::Json => {
+            // Validate it parses as JSON before re-emitting
+            let _: serde_json::Value = serde_json::from_str(&raw)?;
+            println!("{raw}");
+        }
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 /// the same surface the in-process agent loop uses.
 fn run_mcp_serve() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
     let tools = mvp_tool_specs()
@@ -8547,6 +8578,19 @@ mod tests {
                 output_format: CliOutputFormat::Text,
             }
         );
+        assert_eq!(
+            parse_args(&["state".to_string()]).expect("state should parse"),
+            CliAction::State {
+                output_format: CliOutputFormat::Text,
+            }
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            parse_args(&["state".to_string(), "--output-format".to_string(), "json".to_string()])
+                .expect("state --output-format json should parse"),
+            CliAction::State {
+                output_format: CliOutputFormat::Json,
+            }
+        );
         assert_eq!(
             parse_args(&["init".to_string()]).expect("init should parse"),
             CliAction::Init {