diff --git a/cmd/core-agent/main.go b/cmd/core-agent/main.go
index f0d3c24..bfaa6c8 100644
--- a/cmd/core-agent/main.go
+++ b/cmd/core-agent/main.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"os"
 	"os/signal"
-	"strconv"
 	"syscall"
 
 	"dappco.re/go/core"
@@ -33,20 +32,7 @@ func main() {
 		core.WithService(agentic.Register),
 		core.WithService(monitor.Register),
 		core.WithService(brain.Register),
-		// MCP — registered last, retrieves other services for tool registration
-		core.WithName("mcp", func(c *core.Core) core.Result {
-			agSvc, _ := core.ServiceFor[*agentic.PrepSubsystem](c, "agentic")
-			monSvc, _ := core.ServiceFor[*monitor.Subsystem](c, "monitor")
-			brnSvc, _ := core.ServiceFor[*brain.DirectSubsystem](c, "brain")
-			mcpSvc, err := mcp.New(mcp.Options{
-				Subsystems: []mcp.Subsystem{brnSvc, agSvc, monSvc},
-			})
-			if err != nil {
-				return core.Result{Value: core.E("main", "create MCP service", err), OK: false}
-			}
-			monSvc.SetNotifier(mcpSvc)
-			return core.Result{Value: mcpSvc, OK: true}
-		}),
+		core.WithService(mcp.Register),
 	)
 	if !r.OK {
 		core.Error("failed to create core", "err", r.Value)
@@ -329,12 +315,14 @@ func main() {
 	ctx, cancel := signal.NotifyContext(context.Background(), syscall.SIGINT, syscall.SIGTERM)
 	defer cancel()
 
+	// Start all services — registers commands, starts runners, wires IPC
+	c.ServiceStartup(ctx, nil)
+
 	// mcp — stdio transport (Claude Code integration)
 	c.Command("mcp", core.Command{
 		Description: "Start the MCP server on stdio",
 		Action: func(opts core.Options) core.Result {
-			mcpSvc, _ := core.ServiceFor[*mcp.Service](c, "mcp")
-			c.ServiceStartup(ctx, nil)
+			mcpSvc := c.Service("mcp").Value.(*mcp.Service)
 			if err := mcpSvc.Run(ctx); err != nil {
 				return core.Result{Value: err, OK: false}
 			}
@@ -347,7 +335,7 @@ func main() {
 	c.Command("serve", core.Command{
 		Description: "Start as a persistent HTTP daemon",
 		Action: func(opts core.Options) core.Result {
-			mcpSvc, _ := core.ServiceFor[*mcp.Service](c, "mcp")
+			mcpSvc := c.Service("mcp").Value.(*mcp.Service)
 
 			addr := core.Env("MCP_HTTP_ADDR")
 			if addr == "" {
@@ -391,83 +379,9 @@ func main() {
 		},
 	})
 
-	// run task — single task e2e (prep → spawn → wait → done)
-	c.Command("run/task", core.Command{
-		Description: "Run a single task end-to-end",
-		Action: func(opts core.Options) core.Result {
-			repo := opts.String("repo")
-			agent := opts.String("agent")
-			task := opts.String("task")
-			issueStr := opts.String("issue")
-			org := opts.String("org")
-
-			if repo == "" || task == "" {
-				core.Print(nil, "usage: core-agent run task --repo=<repo> --task=\"...\" --agent=codex [--issue=N] [--org=core]")
-				return core.Result{OK: false}
-			}
-			if agent == "" {
-				agent = "codex"
-			}
-			if org == "" {
-				org = "core"
-			}
-
-			issue := 0
-			if issueStr != "" {
-				if n, err := strconv.Atoi(issueStr); err == nil {
-					issue = n
-				}
-			}
-
-			core.Print(os.Stderr, "core-agent run task")
-			core.Print(os.Stderr, "  repo:  %s/%s", org, repo)
-			core.Print(os.Stderr, "  agent: %s", agent)
-			if issue > 0 {
-				core.Print(os.Stderr, "  issue: #%d", issue)
-			}
-			core.Print(os.Stderr, "  task:  %s", task)
-			core.Print(os.Stderr, "")
-
-			// Dispatch and wait
-			agSvc, _ := core.ServiceFor[*agentic.PrepSubsystem](c, "agentic")
-			result := agSvc.DispatchSync(ctx, agentic.DispatchSyncInput{
-				Org:   org,
-				Repo:  repo,
-				Agent: agent,
-				Task:  task,
-				Issue: issue,
-			})
-
-			if !result.OK {
-				core.Print(os.Stderr, "FAILED: %v", result.Error)
-				return core.Result{Value: result.Error, OK: false}
-			}
-
-			core.Print(os.Stderr, "DONE: %s", result.Status)
-			if result.PRURL != "" {
-				core.Print(os.Stderr, "  PR: %s", result.PRURL)
-			}
-			return core.Result{OK: true}
-		},
-	})
-
-	// run orchestrator — standalone queue runner without MCP stdio
-	c.Command("run/orchestrator", core.Command{
-		Description: "Run the queue orchestrator (standalone, no MCP)",
-		Action: func(opts core.Options) core.Result {
-			c.ServiceStartup(ctx, nil)
-
-			core.Print(os.Stderr, "core-agent orchestrator running (pid %s)", core.Env("PID"))
-			core.Print(os.Stderr, "  workspace: %s", agentic.WorkspaceRoot())
-			core.Print(os.Stderr, "  watching queue, draining on 30s tick + completion poke")
-
-			// Block until signal
-			<-ctx.Done()
-			core.Print(os.Stderr, "orchestrator shutting down")
-			c.ServiceShutdown(context.Background())
-			return core.Result{OK: true}
-		},
-	})
+	// Commands registered by services during OnStartup:
+	// - run/task (agentic)
+	// - run/orchestrator (agentic)
 
 	// Run CLI — resolves os.Args to command path
 	result := c.Cli().Run()
diff --git a/pkg/agentic/prep.go b/pkg/agentic/prep.go
index 9659db7..e56b14a 100644
--- a/pkg/agentic/prep.go
+++ b/pkg/agentic/prep.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	goio "io"
 	"net/http"
+	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
@@ -87,12 +88,90 @@ func (s *PrepSubsystem) SetCore(c *core.Core) {
 	s.core = c
 }
 
-// OnStartup implements core.Startable — starts the queue runner.
+// OnStartup implements core.Startable — starts the queue runner and registers commands.
 func (s *PrepSubsystem) OnStartup(ctx context.Context) error {
 	s.StartRunner()
+	s.registerCommands(ctx)
 	return nil
 }
 
+// registerCommands adds agentic CLI commands to Core's command tree.
+func (s *PrepSubsystem) registerCommands(ctx context.Context) {
+	c := s.core
+
+	c.Command("run/task", core.Command{
+		Description: "Run a single task end-to-end",
+		Action: func(opts core.Options) core.Result {
+			repo := opts.String("repo")
+			agent := opts.String("agent")
+			task := opts.String("task")
+			issueStr := opts.String("issue")
+			org := opts.String("org")
+
+			if repo == "" || task == "" {
+				core.Print(nil, "usage: core-agent run task --repo=<repo> --task=\"...\" --agent=codex [--issue=N] [--org=core]")
+				return core.Result{OK: false}
+			}
+			if agent == "" {
+				agent = "codex"
+			}
+			if org == "" {
+				org = "core"
+			}
+
+			issue := 0
+			if issueStr != "" {
+				for _, ch := range issueStr {
+					if ch >= '0' && ch <= '9' {
+						issue = issue*10 + int(ch-'0')
+					}
+				}
+			}
+
+			core.Print(os.Stderr, "core-agent run task")
+			core.Print(os.Stderr, "  repo:  %s/%s", org, repo)
+			core.Print(os.Stderr, "  agent: %s", agent)
+			if issue > 0 {
+				core.Print(os.Stderr, "  issue: #%d", issue)
+			}
+			core.Print(os.Stderr, "  task:  %s", task)
+			core.Print(os.Stderr, "")
+
+			result := s.DispatchSync(ctx, DispatchSyncInput{
+				Org:   org,
+				Repo:  repo,
+				Agent: agent,
+				Task:  task,
+				Issue: issue,
+			})
+
+			if !result.OK {
+				core.Print(os.Stderr, "FAILED: %v", result.Error)
+				return core.Result{Value: result.Error, OK: false}
+			}
+
+			core.Print(os.Stderr, "DONE: %s", result.Status)
+			if result.PRURL != "" {
+				core.Print(os.Stderr, "  PR: %s", result.PRURL)
+			}
+			return core.Result{OK: true}
+		},
+	})
+
+	c.Command("run/orchestrator", core.Command{
+		Description: "Run the queue orchestrator (standalone, no MCP)",
+		Action: func(opts core.Options) core.Result {
+			core.Print(os.Stderr, "core-agent orchestrator running (pid %s)", core.Env("PID"))
+			core.Print(os.Stderr, "  workspace: %s", WorkspaceRoot())
+			core.Print(os.Stderr, "  watching queue, draining on 30s tick + completion poke")
+
+			<-ctx.Done()
+			core.Print(os.Stderr, "orchestrator shutting down")
+			return core.Result{OK: true}
+		},
+	})
+}
+
 // OnShutdown implements core.Stoppable — freezes the queue.
 func (s *PrepSubsystem) OnShutdown(ctx context.Context) error {
 	s.frozen = true