diff --git a/.core/reference/docs/RFC.md b/.core/reference/docs/RFC.md
index 457ef22..90ef3b8 100644
--- a/.core/reference/docs/RFC.md
+++ b/.core/reference/docs/RFC.md
@@ -434,6 +434,7 @@ func (s *PrepSubsystem) gitCmd(ctx context.Context, dir string, args ...string)
 
 ## Changelog
 
+- 2026-03-29: cmd/core-agent no longer rewrites `os.Args` before startup. The binary-owned commands now use named handlers, keeping the entrypoint on Core CLI primitives instead of repo-local argument mutation.
 - 2026-03-26: WIP — net/http consolidated to transport.go (ONE file). net/url + io/fs eliminated. RFC-025 updated with 3 new quality gates (net/http, net/url, io/fs). 1:1 test + example test coverage. Array[T].Deduplicate replaces custom helpers. Remaining: remove dead `client` field from test literals, brain/provider.go Gin handler.
 - 2026-03-25: Quality gates pass. Zero disallowed imports (all 10). encoding/json→Core JSON. path/filepath→Core Path. os→Core Env/Fs. io→Core ReadAll/WriteAll. go-process fully Result-native. ServiceRuntime on all subsystems. 22 named Actions + Task pipeline. ChannelNotifier→IPC. Reference docs synced.
 - 2026-03-25: Initial spec — written with full core/go v0.8.0 domain context.
diff --git a/cmd/core-agent/commands.go b/cmd/core-agent/commands.go
index 2fe1eb5..6a7f475 100644
--- a/cmd/core-agent/commands.go
+++ b/cmd/core-agent/commands.go
@@ -1,31 +1,13 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: EUPL-1.2
+
 package main
 
 import (
-	"os"
-
 	"dappco.re/go/core"
 )
 
-// applyLogLevel scans os.Args for --quiet/-q/--debug before Core starts.
-// Must run before c.Run() so ServiceStartup logs respect the level.
-//
-//	core-agent --quiet version   → errors only
-//	core-agent --debug mcp       → full debug output
-//	core-agent status            → default (info)
-func applyLogLevel() {
-	var cleaned []string
-	cleaned = append(cleaned, os.Args[0])
-	for _, arg := range os.Args[1:] {
-		switch arg {
-		case "--quiet", "-q":
-			core.SetLevel(core.LevelError)
-		case "--debug", "-d":
-			core.SetLevel(core.LevelDebug)
-		default:
-			cleaned = append(cleaned, arg)
-		}
-	}
-	os.Args = cleaned
+type appCommandSet struct {
+	core *core.Core
 }
 
 // registerAppCommands adds app-level CLI commands (version, check, env).
@@ -35,61 +17,69 @@ func applyLogLevel() {
 //	core-agent check     — health check
 //	core-agent env       — environment variables
 func registerAppCommands(c *core.Core) {
+	commands := appCommandSet{core: c}
+
 	c.Command("version", core.Command{
 		Description: "Print version and build info",
-		Action: func(opts core.Options) core.Result {
-			core.Print(nil, "core-agent %s", c.App().Version)
-			core.Print(nil, "  go:       %s", core.Env("GO"))
-			core.Print(nil, "  os:       %s/%s", core.Env("OS"), core.Env("ARCH"))
-			core.Print(nil, "  home:     %s", core.Env("DIR_HOME"))
-			core.Print(nil, "  hostname: %s", core.Env("HOSTNAME"))
-			core.Print(nil, "  pid:      %s", core.Env("PID"))
-			core.Print(nil, "  channel:  %s", updateChannel())
-			return core.Result{OK: true}
-		},
+		Action:      commands.version,
 	})
 
 	c.Command("check", core.Command{
 		Description: "Verify workspace, deps, and config",
-		Action: func(opts core.Options) core.Result {
-			fs := c.Fs()
-			core.Print(nil, "core-agent %s health check", c.App().Version)
-			core.Print(nil, "")
-			core.Print(nil, "  binary:    core-agent")
-
-			agentsPath := core.Path("Code", ".core", "agents.yaml")
-			if fs.IsFile(agentsPath) {
-				core.Print(nil, "  agents:    %s (ok)", agentsPath)
-			} else {
-				core.Print(nil, "  agents:    %s (MISSING)", agentsPath)
-			}
-
-			wsRoot := core.Path("Code", ".core", "workspace")
-			if fs.IsDir(wsRoot) {
-				entries := core.PathGlob(core.JoinPath(wsRoot, "*"))
-				core.Print(nil, "  workspace: %s (%d entries)", wsRoot, len(entries))
-			} else {
-				core.Print(nil, "  workspace: %s (MISSING)", wsRoot)
-			}
-
-			core.Print(nil, "  services:  %d registered", len(c.Services()))
-			core.Print(nil, "  actions:   %d registered", len(c.Actions()))
-			core.Print(nil, "  commands:  %d registered", len(c.Commands()))
-			core.Print(nil, "  env keys:  %d loaded", len(core.EnvKeys()))
-			core.Print(nil, "")
-			core.Print(nil, "ok")
-			return core.Result{OK: true}
-		},
+		Action:      commands.check,
 	})
 
 	c.Command("env", core.Command{
 		Description: "Show all core.Env() keys and values",
-		Action: func(opts core.Options) core.Result {
-			keys := core.EnvKeys()
-			for _, k := range keys {
-				core.Print(nil, "  %-15s %s", k, core.Env(k))
-			}
-			return core.Result{OK: true}
-		},
+		Action:      commands.env,
 	})
 }
+
+func (commands appCommandSet) version(_ core.Options) core.Result {
+	core.Print(nil, "core-agent %s", commands.core.App().Version)
+	core.Print(nil, "  go:       %s", core.Env("GO"))
+	core.Print(nil, "  os:       %s/%s", core.Env("OS"), core.Env("ARCH"))
+	core.Print(nil, "  home:     %s", core.Env("DIR_HOME"))
+	core.Print(nil, "  hostname: %s", core.Env("HOSTNAME"))
+	core.Print(nil, "  pid:      %s", core.Env("PID"))
+	core.Print(nil, "  channel:  %s", updateChannel())
+	return core.Result{OK: true}
+}
+
+func (commands appCommandSet) check(_ core.Options) core.Result {
+	fs := commands.core.Fs()
+	core.Print(nil, "core-agent %s health check", commands.core.App().Version)
+	core.Print(nil, "")
+	core.Print(nil, "  binary:    core-agent")
+
+	agentsPath := core.Path("Code", ".core", "agents.yaml")
+	if fs.IsFile(agentsPath) {
+		core.Print(nil, "  agents:    %s (ok)", agentsPath)
+	} else {
+		core.Print(nil, "  agents:    %s (MISSING)", agentsPath)
+	}
+
+	wsRoot := core.Path("Code", ".core", "workspace")
+	if fs.IsDir(wsRoot) {
+		entries := core.PathGlob(core.JoinPath(wsRoot, "*"))
+		core.Print(nil, "  workspace: %s (%d entries)", wsRoot, len(entries))
+	} else {
+		core.Print(nil, "  workspace: %s (MISSING)", wsRoot)
+	}
+
+	core.Print(nil, "  services:  %d registered", len(commands.core.Services()))
+	core.Print(nil, "  actions:   %d registered", len(commands.core.Actions()))
+	core.Print(nil, "  commands:  %d registered", len(commands.core.Commands()))
+	core.Print(nil, "  env keys:  %d loaded", len(core.EnvKeys()))
+	core.Print(nil, "")
+	core.Print(nil, "ok")
+	return core.Result{OK: true}
+}
+
+func (commands appCommandSet) env(_ core.Options) core.Result {
+	keys := core.EnvKeys()
+	for _, key := range keys {
+		core.Print(nil, "  %-15s %s", key, core.Env(key))
+	}
+	return core.Result{OK: true}
+}
diff --git a/cmd/core-agent/commands_test.go b/cmd/core-agent/commands_test.go
index 3b96bfc..274874b 100644
--- a/cmd/core-agent/commands_test.go
+++ b/cmd/core-agent/commands_test.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 package main
 
 import (
-	"os"
 	"testing"
 
 	"dappco.re/go/core"
@@ -19,44 +18,6 @@ func newTestCore(t *testing.T) *core.Core {
 	return c
 }
 
-// --- applyLogLevel ---
-
-func TestCommands_ApplyLogLevel_Good(t *testing.T) {
-	original := os.Args
-	defer func() { os.Args = original }()
-
-	os.Args = []string{"core-agent", "--quiet", "version"}
-	applyLogLevel()
-	assert.Equal(t, []string{"core-agent", "version"}, os.Args)
-}
-
-func TestCommands_ApplyLogLevel_Good_Debug(t *testing.T) {
-	original := os.Args
-	defer func() { os.Args = original }()
-
-	os.Args = []string{"core-agent", "-d", "check"}
-	applyLogLevel()
-	assert.Equal(t, []string{"core-agent", "check"}, os.Args)
-}
-
-func TestCommands_ApplyLogLevel_Bad_NoFlag(t *testing.T) {
-	original := os.Args
-	defer func() { os.Args = original }()
-
-	os.Args = []string{"core-agent", "status"}
-	applyLogLevel()
-	assert.Equal(t, []string{"core-agent", "status"}, os.Args)
-}
-
-func TestCommands_ApplyLogLevel_Ugly_FlagAfterCommand(t *testing.T) {
-	original := os.Args
-	defer func() { os.Args = original }()
-
-	os.Args = []string{"core-agent", "version", "-q"}
-	applyLogLevel()
-	assert.Equal(t, []string{"core-agent", "version"}, os.Args)
-}
-
 // --- registerAppCommands ---
 
 func TestCommands_RegisterAppCommands_Good(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/cmd/core-agent/main.go b/cmd/core-agent/main.go
index 6eca564..6dbb69a 100644
--- a/cmd/core-agent/main.go
+++ b/cmd/core-agent/main.go
@@ -12,10 +12,6 @@ import (
 )
 
 func main() {
-	// Set log level early — before ServiceStartup to suppress startup noise.
-	// --quiet/-q reduces to errors only, --debug shows everything.
-	applyLogLevel()
-
 	c := core.New(
 		core.WithOption("name", "core-agent"),
 		core.WithService(agentic.ProcessRegister),
diff --git a/docs/RFC.md b/docs/RFC.md
index 8e8f23e..efa8239 100644
--- a/docs/RFC.md
+++ b/docs/RFC.md
@@ -434,6 +434,7 @@ func (s *PrepSubsystem) gitCmd(ctx context.Context, dir string, args ...string)
 
 ## Changelog
 
+- 2026-03-29: cmd/core-agent no longer rewrites `os.Args` before startup. The binary-owned commands now use named handlers, keeping the entrypoint on Core CLI primitives instead of repo-local argument mutation.
 - 2026-03-29: brain/provider.go no longer imports net/http for Gin handlers. Handler responses now use named status constants and shared response helpers. HTTP remains intentionally centralised in pkg/agentic/transport.go.
 - 2026-03-26: WIP — net/http consolidated to transport.go (ONE file). net/url + io/fs eliminated. RFC-025 updated with 3 new quality gates (net/http, net/url, io/fs). 1:1 test + example test coverage. Array[T].Deduplicate replaces custom helpers.
 - 2026-03-25: Quality gates pass. Zero disallowed imports (all 10). encoding/json→Core JSON. path/filepath→Core Path. os→Core Env/Fs. io→Core ReadAll/WriteAll. go-process fully Result-native. ServiceRuntime on all subsystems. 22 named Actions + Task pipeline. ChannelNotifier→IPC. Reference docs synced.