diff --git a/src/cli.ts b/src/cli.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6e0c78a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+import type Database from 'better-sqlite3';
+import {
+  applyMigrations,
+  listMigrations,
+  readAppliedRows,
+  stampMigration,
+} from './migrate.js';
+
+export type DbCommand = 'migrate' | 'status' | 'stamp';
+
+export interface RunCliOptions {
+  /** Caller-controlled DB open. Wrapper closes it before returning. */
+  openDb: () => Database.Database;
+  migrationsDir: string;
+  command: DbCommand;
+  /** Required for `stamp`. */
+  version?: string;
+  /** Default false. Forwarded to applyMigrations. */
+  stampGenesis?: boolean;
+  /** Default 'users'. Forwarded to applyMigrations. */
+  genesisProbeTable?: string;
+  /** Default process.stdout / process.stderr. Wired for tests. */
+  stdout?: NodeJS.WritableStream;
+  stderr?: NodeJS.WritableStream;
+}
+
+export function runMigrateCli(opts: RunCliOptions): number {
+  const stdout = opts.stdout ?? process.stdout;
+  const stderr = opts.stderr ?? process.stderr;
+
+  if (opts.command === 'stamp') {
+    if (!opts.version) {
+      stderr.write('error: version required\n');
+      return 1;
+    }
+    const db = opts.openDb();
+    try {
+      const file = stampMigration(db, opts.migrationsDir, opts.version);
+      stdout.write(`stamped:${file.version}\n`);
+      db.close();
+      return 0;
+    } catch (err) {
+      const msg = err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err);
+      stderr.write(`error: ${msg}\n`);
+      db.close();
+      return 1;
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (opts.command === 'status') {
+    const db = opts.openDb();
+    const files = listMigrations(opts.migrationsDir);
+    const appliedByVersion = new Map(
+      readAppliedRows(db).map((r) => [r.version, r]),
+    );
+
+    let exitCode = 0;
+    const pending: string[] = [];
+    const mismatched: string[] = [];
+
+    for (const file of files) {
+      const applied = appliedByVersion.get(file.version);
+      if (!applied) {
+        pending.push(file.version);
+        stdout.write(`pending:${file.version}\n`);
+        continue;
+      }
+      if (applied.checksum !== file.checksum) {
+        mismatched.push(file.version);
+        stdout.write(`checksum-mismatch:${file.version}\n`);
+        exitCode = 2;
+        continue;
+      }
+      stdout.write(`applied:${file.version}\n`);
+    }
+
+    if (pending.length === 0 && mismatched.length === 0) {
+      stdout.write(`pending:none\n`);
+    }
+
+    db.close();
+    return exitCode;
+  }
+
+  // migrate
+  const db = opts.openDb();
+  const summary = applyMigrations(db, opts.migrationsDir, {
+    stampGenesis: opts.stampGenesis,
+    genesisProbeTable: opts.genesisProbeTable,
+    logger: (msg) => stdout.write(`${msg}\n`),
+  });
+
+  if (summary.stamped.length > 0) {
+    stdout.write(`stamped:${summary.stamped.join(',')}\n`);
+  }
+  if (summary.applied === 0 && summary.stamped.length === 0) {
+    stdout.write(`pending:none\n`);
+  } else if (summary.applied > 0) {
+    stdout.write(`applied:${summary.applied}\n`);
+  }
+  stdout.write(
+    `migrations: ${summary.applied + summary.alreadyApplied} applied, ${summary.pending} pending\n`,
+  );
+
+  db.close();
+  return 0;
+}