diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 6602626..b7ce127 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
     "start": "next start",
     "lint": "eslint .",
     "typecheck": "tsc --noEmit",
-    "test": "node --test tests/bootstrap.test.mjs && node --import tsx --test tests/components/shared/base-card.test.tsx && node --import tsx --test tests/components/shared/agent-avatar.test.tsx && node --import tsx --test tests/components/sessions/sessions-header.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/components/sessions/agent-station-logic.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/lib/parser.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/lib/pathing.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/components/shared/left-panel.test.tsx && node --import tsx --test tests/components/shared/top-bar.test.tsx && node --import tsx --test tests/components/shared/mobile-nav.test.tsx && node --import tsx --test tests/components/swarm/swarm-card.test.tsx && node --import tsx --test tests/hooks/url-state-integration.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/hooks/use-graph-analysis.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/components/graph/smart-dag.test.tsx && node --import tsx --test tests/components/unified-shell.test.tsx && node --import tsx --test tests/components/blocked-triage-modal.test.tsx && node --import tsx --test tests/components/graph/graph-node-labels.test.tsx && node --import tsx --test tests/components/graph/graph-node-assign.test.tsx && node --import tsx --test tests/components/graph/graph-node-conversation.test.tsx && node --import tsx --test tests/lib/coord-schema.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/lib/install-manifest.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/lib/runtime-manager.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/lib/coord-events.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/api/coord-events-route.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/lib/coord-projections-inbox.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/lib/coord-projections-reservations.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/components/sessions/conversation-drawer-coord.test.tsx && node --import tsx --test tests/scripts/beadboard-launcher.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/scripts/beadboard-launcher-runtime.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/scripts/beadboard-launcher-status-text.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/scripts/install-wrappers-contract.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/scripts/install-sh-smoke.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/scripts/install-legacy-migration.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/scripts/installer-ci-contract.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/docs/installer-quickstart-contract.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/docs/runtime-manager-adr-contract.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/cli/beadboard-cli.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/cli/beadboard-bin-routing.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/skills/beadboard-driver/resolve-bb.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/skills/beadboard-driver/session-preflight.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/skills/beadboard-driver/generate-agent-name.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/skills/beadboard-driver/readiness-report.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/skills/beadboard-driver/skill-local-runner.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/skills/beadboard-driver/diagnose-env.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/skills/beadboard-driver/heal-common-issues.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/lib/epic-graph.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/components/shared/left-panel-filtering.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/hooks/use-beads-subscription-contract.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/components/graph/dependency-graph-hide-closed-contract.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/components/shared/unified-shell-hide-closed-contract.test.ts",
+    "test": "node --test tests/bootstrap.test.mjs && node --import tsx --test tests/components/shared/base-card.test.tsx && node --import tsx --test tests/components/shared/agent-avatar.test.tsx && node --import tsx --test tests/components/sessions/sessions-header.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/components/sessions/agent-station-logic.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/lib/parser.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/lib/pathing.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/components/shared/left-panel.test.tsx && node --import tsx --test tests/components/shared/top-bar.test.tsx && node --import tsx --test tests/components/shared/mobile-nav.test.tsx && node --import tsx --test tests/components/swarm/swarm-card.test.tsx && node --import tsx --test tests/hooks/url-state-integration.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/hooks/use-graph-analysis.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/components/graph/smart-dag.test.tsx && node --import tsx --test tests/components/unified-shell.test.tsx && node --import tsx --test tests/components/blocked-triage-modal.test.tsx && node --import tsx --test tests/components/graph/graph-node-labels.test.tsx && node --import tsx --test tests/components/graph/graph-node-assign.test.tsx && node --import tsx --test tests/components/graph/graph-node-conversation.test.tsx && node --import tsx --test tests/lib/coord-schema.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/lib/install-manifest.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/lib/runtime-manager.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/lib/coord-events.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/api/coord-events-route.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/lib/coord-projections-inbox.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/lib/coord-projections-reservations.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/components/sessions/conversation-drawer-coord.test.tsx && node --import tsx --test tests/scripts/beadboard-launcher.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/scripts/beadboard-launcher-runtime.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/scripts/beadboard-launcher-status-text.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/scripts/install-wrappers-contract.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/scripts/install-sh-smoke.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/scripts/install-legacy-migration.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/scripts/installer-ci-contract.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/docs/installer-quickstart-contract.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/docs/runtime-manager-adr-contract.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/cli/beadboard-cli.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/cli/beadboard-bin-routing.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/cli/beadboard-help-output.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/skills/beadboard-driver/resolve-bb.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/skills/beadboard-driver/session-preflight.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/skills/beadboard-driver/generate-agent-name.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/skills/beadboard-driver/readiness-report.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/skills/beadboard-driver/skill-local-runner.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/skills/beadboard-driver/diagnose-env.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/skills/beadboard-driver/heal-common-issues.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/lib/epic-graph.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/components/shared/left-panel-filtering.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/hooks/use-beads-subscription-contract.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/components/graph/dependency-graph-hide-closed-contract.test.ts && node --import tsx --test tests/components/shared/unified-shell-hide-closed-contract.test.ts",
     "video": "remotion preview src/video/index.ts",
     "video:render": "remotion render src/video/index.ts Main out/video.mp4",
     "video:thumbnail": "remotion still src/video/index.ts Main out/thumbnail.png --frame=60"
diff --git a/src/cli/beadboard-cli.ts b/src/cli/beadboard-cli.ts
index 32cbd20..f00b194 100644
--- a/src/cli/beadboard-cli.ts
+++ b/src/cli/beadboard-cli.ts
@@ -75,9 +75,35 @@ export async function runCli(argv: string[], env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = process.en
   };
 }
 
+function renderHelpText(): string {
+  return [
+    'Usage:',
+    '  beadboard <command> [options]',
+    '',
+    'Runtime Commands:',
+    '  beadboard start              Start BeadBoard runtime',
+    '  beadboard open               Open BeadBoard in browser',
+    '  beadboard status [--json]    Show runtime + bd diagnostics',
+    '',
+    'Management Commands:',
+    '  beadboard doctor [--json]    Show install/runtime diagnostics',
+    '  beadboard self-update        Print update guidance',
+    '  beadboard uninstall --yes    Remove runtime + shims',
+    '',
+    'Options:',
+    '  --json                       Return structured JSON output',
+  ].join('\n');
+}
+
 async function main() {
-  const result = await runCli(process.argv.slice(2));
-  process.stdout.write(`${JSON.stringify(result, null, 2)}\n`);
+  const argv = process.argv.slice(2);
+  const asJson = argv.includes('--json');
+  const result = await runCli(argv);
+  if (!asJson && result.command === 'help') {
+    process.stdout.write(`${renderHelpText()}\n`);
+  } else {
+    process.stdout.write(`${JSON.stringify(result, null, 2)}\n`);
+  }
   if (!result.ok) {
     process.exitCode = 1;
   }
diff --git a/tests/cli/beadboard-help-output.test.ts b/tests/cli/beadboard-help-output.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..058ce7d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/cli/beadboard-help-output.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+import test from 'node:test';
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import path from 'node:path';
+import { execFile } from 'node:child_process';
+import { promisify } from 'node:util';
+
+const execFileAsync = promisify(execFile);
+const binPath = path.resolve('bin/beadboard.js');
+
+test('bb --help prints human-readable usage by default', async () => {
+  const { stdout } = await execFileAsync(process.execPath, [binPath, '--help']);
+  assert.match(stdout, /Usage:/i);
+  assert.match(stdout, /Runtime Commands:/i);
+  assert.match(stdout, /Management Commands:/i);
+  assert.doesNotMatch(stdout, /^\s*\{/);
+});
+
+test('bb --help --json returns structured payload', async () => {
+  const { stdout } = await execFileAsync(process.execPath, [binPath, '--help', '--json']);
+  const payload = JSON.parse(stdout);
+  assert.equal(payload.ok, true);
+  assert.equal(payload.command, 'help');
+});