diff --git a/src/agents/status.js b/src/agents/status.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3db9ec15
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/agents/status.js
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+const { fs, path, LOCK_FILE_RELATIVE, TOOL_NAME } = require('../context');
+const { listAgentSessions } = require('./sessions');
+
+function readLockCounts(repoRoot) {
+  const lockPath = path.join(repoRoot, LOCK_FILE_RELATIVE);
+  let parsed = null;
+  try {
+    parsed = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(lockPath, 'utf8'));
+  } catch (_error) {
+    parsed = null;
+  }
+
+  const locks = parsed?.locks && typeof parsed.locks === 'object' && !Array.isArray(parsed.locks)
+    ? parsed.locks
+    : {};
+  const counts = new Map();
+  for (const entry of Object.values(locks)) {
+    const branch = typeof entry?.branch === 'string' ? entry.branch : '';
+    if (!branch) continue;
+    counts.set(branch, (counts.get(branch) || 0) + 1);
+  }
+  return counts;
+}
+
+function normalizeSessionForStatus(session, lockCounts) {
+  const branch = session.branch || '';
+  const worktreePath = session.worktreePath || '';
+  return {
+    id: session.id || '',
+    agent: session.agent || '',
+    task: session.task || '',
+    branch,
+    base: session.base || '',
+    status: session.status || '',
+    worktreePath,
+    worktreeExists: worktreePath ? fs.existsSync(worktreePath) : false,
+    lockCount: lockCounts.get(branch) || 0,
+  };
+}
+
+function buildAgentsStatus(repoRoot) {
+  const lockCounts = readLockCounts(repoRoot);
+  return {
+    schemaVersion: 1,
+    repoRoot,
+    sessions: listAgentSessions(repoRoot).map((session) => normalizeSessionForStatus(session, lockCounts)),
+  };
+}
+
+function formatValue(value) {
+  const text = String(value || '');
+  return text || '-';
+}
+
+function renderAgentsStatus(payload, options = {}) {
+  if (options.json) return `${JSON.stringify(payload, null, 2)}\n`;
+
+  if (payload.sessions.length === 0) {
+    return `[${TOOL_NAME}] Agent sessions: none (${payload.repoRoot})\n`;
+  }
+
+  const lines = [`[${TOOL_NAME}] Agent sessions: ${payload.sessions.length} (${payload.repoRoot})`];
+  for (const session of payload.sessions) {
+    lines.push(
+      `- ${formatValue(session.id)} ${formatValue(session.agent)} ${formatValue(session.status)} ` +
+      `branch=${formatValue(session.branch)} base=${formatValue(session.base)} ` +
+      `worktreeExists=${session.worktreeExists ? 'yes' : 'no'} locks=${session.lockCount} ` +
+      `task=${formatValue(session.task)} worktree=${formatValue(session.worktreePath)}`,
+    );
+  }
+  return `${lines.join('\n')}\n`;
+}
+
+function runStatusCommand(repoRoot, options = {}) {
+  return renderAgentsStatus(buildAgentsStatus(repoRoot), options);
+}
+
+module.exports = {
+  buildAgentsStatus,
+  renderAgentsStatus,
+  runStatusCommand,
+};
diff --git a/src/cli/args.js b/src/cli/args.js
index a8ba9db4..aea52225 100644
--- a/src/cli/args.js
+++ b/src/cli/args.js
@@ -447,8 +447,8 @@ function parseAgentsArgs(rawArgs) {
   if (options.branch && !['files', 'diff', 'locks', 'finish'].includes(options.subcommand)) {
     throw new Error('--branch is only supported with `gx agents files|diff|locks|finish`');
   }
-  if (options.json && !['files', 'diff', 'locks'].includes(options.subcommand)) {
-    throw new Error('--json is only supported with `gx agents files|diff|locks`');
+  if (options.json && !['status', 'files', 'diff', 'locks'].includes(options.subcommand)) {
+    throw new Error('--json is only supported with `gx agents status|files|diff|locks`');
   }
 
   return options;
diff --git a/src/cli/main.js b/src/cli/main.js
index be647b15..6b842c38 100755
--- a/src/cli/main.js
+++ b/src/cli/main.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ const toolchainModule = require('../toolchain');
 const finishCommands = require('../finish');
 const doctorModule = require('../doctor');
 const agentInspect = require('../agents/inspect');
+const agentStatus = require('../agents/status');
 const { finishAgentSession } = require('../agents/finish');
 const sessionSeverityReport = require('../report/session-severity');
 const cockpitModule = require('../cockpit');
@@ -2815,18 +2816,7 @@ function agents(rawArgs) {
     return;
   }
 
-  const existingState = readAgentsState(repoRoot);
-  if (!existingState) {
-    console.log(`[${TOOL_NAME}] Repo agents status: inactive (${repoRoot})`);
-    process.exitCode = 0;
-    return;
-  }
-
-  const reviewPid = Number.parseInt(String(existingState?.review?.pid || ''), 10);
-  const cleanupPid = Number.parseInt(String(existingState?.cleanup?.pid || ''), 10);
-  console.log(
-    `[${TOOL_NAME}] Repo agents status: review=${processAlive(reviewPid) ? 'running' : 'stopped'}(pid=${reviewPid || 0}), cleanup=${processAlive(cleanupPid) ? 'running' : 'stopped'}(pid=${cleanupPid || 0})`,
-  );
+  process.stdout.write(agentStatus.runStatusCommand(repoRoot, options));
   process.exitCode = 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/test/agents-status.test.js b/test/agents-status.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..77dfa512
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/agents-status.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,122 @@
+const {
+  test,
+  assert,
+  fs,
+  path,
+  runNode,
+  initRepo,
+  seedCommit,
+} = require('./helpers/install-test-helpers');
+const { createAgentSession } = require('../src/agents/sessions');
+
+function makeRepo() {
+  const repoDir = initRepo();
+  seedCommit(repoDir);
+  return repoDir;
+}
+
+test('agents status prints a compact empty state', () => {
+  const repoDir = makeRepo();
+
+  const result = runNode(['agents', 'status', '--target', repoDir], repoDir);
+
+  assert.equal(result.status, 0, result.stderr || result.stdout);
+  assert.equal(result.stdout.trim(), `[gitguardex] Agent sessions: none (${repoDir})`);
+});
+
+test('agents status prints one canonical session with worktree and lock count', () => {
+  const repoDir = makeRepo();
+  const worktreePath = path.join(repoDir, '.omx', 'agent-worktrees', 'demo');
+  fs.mkdirSync(worktreePath, { recursive: true });
+  createAgentSession(repoDir, {
+    id: 'session-1',
+    agent: 'codex',
+    task: 'Build status',
+    branch: 'agent/codex/status',
+    base: 'main',
+    status: 'working',
+    worktreePath,
+  });
+  const lockPath = path.join(repoDir, '.omx', 'state', 'agent-file-locks.json');
+  fs.mkdirSync(path.dirname(lockPath), { recursive: true });
+  fs.writeFileSync(lockPath, `${JSON.stringify({
+    locks: {
+      'src/a.js': { branch: 'agent/codex/status' },
+      'src/b.js': { branch: 'agent/codex/status' },
+      'src/other.js': { branch: 'agent/codex/other' },
+    },
+  }, null, 2)}\n`, 'utf8');
+
+  const result = runNode(['agents', 'status', '--target', repoDir], repoDir);
+
+  assert.equal(result.status, 0, result.stderr || result.stdout);
+  assert.match(result.stdout, new RegExp(`Agent sessions: 1 \\(${repoDir.replace(/[.*+?^${}()|[\]\\]/g, '\\$&')}\\)`));
+  assert.match(result.stdout, /session-1 codex working branch=agent\/codex\/status base=main/);
+  assert.match(result.stdout, /worktreeExists=yes locks=2 task=Build status/);
+  assert.match(result.stdout, new RegExp(`worktree=${worktreePath.replace(/[.*+?^${}()|[\]\\]/g, '\\$&')}`));
+});
+
+test('agents status marks missing worktrees', () => {
+  const repoDir = makeRepo();
+  const missingWorktree = path.join(repoDir, '.omx', 'agent-worktrees', 'missing');
+  createAgentSession(repoDir, {
+    id: 'session-missing',
+    agent: 'claude',
+    task: 'Missing worktree',
+    branch: 'agent/claude/missing',
+    base: 'dev',
+    status: 'stale',
+    worktreePath: missingWorktree,
+  });
+
+  const result = runNode(['agents', 'status', '--target', repoDir], repoDir);
+
+  assert.equal(result.status, 0, result.stderr || result.stdout);
+  assert.match(result.stdout, /session-missing claude stale branch=agent\/claude\/missing base=dev/);
+  assert.match(result.stdout, /worktreeExists=no locks=0 task=Missing worktree/);
+});
+
+test('agents status --json emits stable cockpit-ready payload', () => {
+  const repoDir = makeRepo();
+  const worktreePath = path.join(repoDir, '.omx', 'agent-worktrees', 'json');
+  fs.mkdirSync(worktreePath, { recursive: true });
+  createAgentSession(repoDir, {
+    id: 'session-json',
+    agent: 'codex',
+    task: 'JSON status',
+    branch: 'agent/codex/json',
+    base: 'main',
+    status: 'active',
+    worktreePath,
+  });
+
+  const result = runNode(['agents', 'status', '--target', repoDir, '--json'], repoDir);
+
+  assert.equal(result.status, 0, result.stderr || result.stdout);
+  const payload = JSON.parse(result.stdout);
+  assert.deepEqual(Object.keys(payload), ['schemaVersion', 'repoRoot', 'sessions']);
+  assert.equal(payload.schemaVersion, 1);
+  assert.equal(payload.repoRoot, repoDir);
+  assert.deepEqual(Object.keys(payload.sessions[0]), [
+    'id',
+    'agent',
+    'task',
+    'branch',
+    'base',
+    'status',
+    'worktreePath',
+    'worktreeExists',
+    'lockCount',
+  ]);
+  assert.deepEqual(payload.sessions[0], {
+    id: 'session-json',
+    agent: 'codex',
+    task: 'JSON status',
+    branch: 'agent/codex/json',
+    base: 'main',
+    status: 'active',
+    worktreePath,
+    worktreeExists: true,
+    lockCount: 0,
+  });
+});