diff --git a/pkg/agentic/commands_setup.go b/pkg/agentic/commands_setup.go
index f7b84b1..987cefd 100644
--- a/pkg/agentic/commands_setup.go
+++ b/pkg/agentic/commands_setup.go
@@ -3,8 +3,11 @@
 package agentic
 
 import (
+	"context"
+
 	"dappco.re/go/agent/pkg/setup"
 	core "dappco.re/go/core"
+	"github.com/modelcontextprotocol/go-sdk/mcp"
 )
 
 func (s *PrepSubsystem) registerSetupCommands() {
@@ -14,17 +17,27 @@ func (s *PrepSubsystem) registerSetupCommands() {
 }
 
 func (s *PrepSubsystem) cmdSetup(options core.Options) core.Result {
+	return s.handleSetup(context.Background(), options)
+}
+
+// result := c.Action("agentic.setup").Run(ctx, core.NewOptions(
+//
+//	core.Option{Key: "path", Value: "."},
+//	core.Option{Key: "template", Value: "auto"},
+//
+// ))
+func (s *PrepSubsystem) handleSetup(_ context.Context, options core.Options) core.Result {
 	serviceResult := s.Core().Service("setup")
 	if !serviceResult.OK {
 		if serviceResult.Value != nil {
-			return core.Result{Value: serviceResult.Value, OK: false}
+			return core.Result{Value: core.E("agentic.setup", "setup service is required", nil), OK: false}
 		}
-		return core.Result{Value: core.E("agentic.cmdSetup", "setup service is required", nil), OK: false}
+		return core.Result{Value: core.E("agentic.setup", "setup service is required", nil), OK: false}
 	}
 
 	service, ok := serviceResult.Value.(*setup.Service)
 	if !ok || service == nil {
-		return core.Result{Value: core.E("agentic.cmdSetup", "setup service is required", nil), OK: false}
+		return core.Result{Value: core.E("agentic.setup", "setup service is required", nil), OK: false}
 	}
 
 	result := service.Run(setup.Options{
@@ -39,3 +52,44 @@ func (s *PrepSubsystem) cmdSetup(options core.Options) core.Result {
 
 	return result
 }
+
+func (s *PrepSubsystem) registerSetupTool(server *mcp.Server) {
+	mcp.AddTool(server, &mcp.Tool{
+		Name:        "agentic_setup",
+		Description: "Scaffold a workspace with .core config files and optional templates.",
+	}, s.setupTool)
+}
+
+type SetupInput struct {
+	Path     string `json:"path,omitempty"`
+	DryRun   bool   `json:"dry_run,omitempty"`
+	Force    bool   `json:"force,omitempty"`
+	Template string `json:"template,omitempty"`
+}
+
+type SetupOutput struct {
+	Success bool   `json:"success"`
+	Path    string `json:"path"`
+}
+
+func (s *PrepSubsystem) setupTool(ctx context.Context, _ *mcp.CallToolRequest, input SetupInput) (*mcp.CallToolResult, SetupOutput, error) {
+	result := s.handleSetup(ctx, core.NewOptions(
+		core.Option{Key: "path", Value: input.Path},
+		core.Option{Key: "dry_run", Value: input.DryRun},
+		core.Option{Key: "force", Value: input.Force},
+		core.Option{Key: "template", Value: input.Template},
+	))
+	if !result.OK {
+		return nil, SetupOutput{}, resultErrorValue("agentic.setup", result)
+	}
+
+	path, ok := result.Value.(string)
+	if !ok {
+		return nil, SetupOutput{}, core.E("agentic.setup", "invalid setup output", nil)
+	}
+
+	return nil, SetupOutput{
+		Success: true,
+		Path:    path,
+	}, nil
+}
diff --git a/pkg/agentic/commands_setup_test.go b/pkg/agentic/commands_setup_test.go
index e88ab92..0fe60d2 100644
--- a/pkg/agentic/commands_setup_test.go
+++ b/pkg/agentic/commands_setup_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 package agentic
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
@@ -64,3 +65,23 @@ func TestCommandsSetup_CmdSetup_Ugly_DryRunDoesNotWrite(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.False(t, fs.Exists(core.JoinPath(dir, ".core")))
 	assert.False(t, fs.Exists(core.JoinPath(dir, "PROMPT.md")))
 }
+
+func TestCommandsSetup_HandleSetup_Good_ActionAlias(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	require.True(t, fs.WriteMode(core.JoinPath(dir, "go.mod"), "module example.com/test\n", 0644).OK)
+
+	c := core.New(core.WithService(setup.Register))
+	s := &PrepSubsystem{
+		ServiceRuntime: core.NewServiceRuntime(c, AgentOptions{}),
+		backoff:        make(map[string]time.Time),
+		failCount:      make(map[string]int),
+	}
+
+	result := s.handleSetup(context.Background(), core.NewOptions(core.Option{Key: "path", Value: dir}))
+	require.True(t, result.OK)
+
+	createdPath, ok := result.Value.(string)
+	require.True(t, ok)
+	assert.Equal(t, dir, createdPath)
+	assert.True(t, fs.Exists(core.JoinPath(dir, ".core", "build.yaml")))
+}
diff --git a/pkg/agentic/prep.go b/pkg/agentic/prep.go
index 959e29d..5da2393 100644
--- a/pkg/agentic/prep.go
+++ b/pkg/agentic/prep.go
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ func (s *PrepSubsystem) OnStartup(ctx context.Context) core.Result {
 		case "agentic.status", "agentic.scan", "agentic.watch",
 			"agentic.issue.get", "agentic.issue.list", "agentic.issue.assign", "agentic.pr.get", "agentic.pr.list",
 			"agentic.prompt", "agentic.task", "agentic.flow", "agentic.persona",
-			"agentic.prompt.version",
+			"agentic.prompt.version", "agentic.setup",
 			"agentic.sync.status", "agentic.fleet.nodes", "agentic.fleet.stats", "agentic.fleet.events",
 			"agentic.credits.balance", "agentic.credits.history",
 			"agentic.subscription.detect", "agentic.subscription.budget",
@@ -184,6 +184,7 @@ func (s *PrepSubsystem) OnStartup(ctx context.Context) core.Result {
 	c.Action("agentic.ingest", s.handleIngest).Description = "Create issues from agent findings"
 	c.Action("agentic.poke", s.handlePoke).Description = "Drain next queued task from the queue"
 	c.Action("agentic.mirror", s.handleMirror).Description = "Mirror agent branches to GitHub"
+	c.Action("agentic.setup", s.handleSetup).Description = "Scaffold a workspace with .core config files and optional templates"
 
 	c.Action("agentic.issue.get", s.handleIssueGet).Description = "Get a Forge issue by number"
 	c.Action("agentic.issue.list", s.handleIssueList).Description = "List Forge issues for a repo"
@@ -454,6 +455,7 @@ func (s *PrepSubsystem) RegisterTools(server *mcp.Server) {
 	s.registerPRTools(server)
 	s.registerContentTools(server)
 	s.registerLanguageTools(server)
+	s.registerSetupTool(server)
 
 	mcp.AddTool(server, &mcp.Tool{
 		Name:        "agentic_scan",
diff --git a/pkg/agentic/prep_test.go b/pkg/agentic/prep_test.go
index cbd130d..265d381 100644
--- a/pkg/agentic/prep_test.go
+++ b/pkg/agentic/prep_test.go
@@ -712,6 +712,7 @@ func TestPrep_RegisterTools_Good_RegistersCompletionTool(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Contains(t, toolNames, "agentic_complete")
 	assert.Contains(t, toolNames, "prompt_version")
 	assert.Contains(t, toolNames, "agentic_prompt_version")
+	assert.Contains(t, toolNames, "agentic_setup")
 	assert.Contains(t, toolNames, "session_complete")
 	assert.Contains(t, toolNames, "agentic_message_send")
 	assert.Contains(t, toolNames, "agent_send")
@@ -738,6 +739,7 @@ func TestPrep_OnStartup_Good_RegistersGenerateCommand(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Contains(t, c.Commands(), "prep-workspace")
 	assert.Contains(t, c.Commands(), "setup")
 	assert.Contains(t, c.Commands(), "agentic:setup")
+	assert.True(t, c.Action("agentic.setup").Exists())
 	assert.Contains(t, c.Commands(), "watch")
 	assert.Contains(t, c.Commands(), "workspace/watch")
 	assert.Contains(t, c.Commands(), "agentic:watch")