diff --git a/docs/automation/README.md b/docs/automation/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e41d91be4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/automation/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+# Headless automation API
+
+Open CAD Studio can run without a GUI and be driven over a line-based JSON
+protocol — for scripts, batch jobs, or AI agents.
+
+```sh
+OpenCADStudio --serve
+```
+
+It reads one JSON request per line on **stdin** and writes one JSON response per
+line on **stdout**. The active document persists across requests, so a caller
+can act → observe → act.
+
+## Protocol
+
+| Request | Response |
+|---------|----------|
+| `{"op":"new"}` | `{"ok":true,"total":0,"by_type":{}}` |
+| `{"op":"open","path":"plan.dwg"}` | entity summary |
+| `{"op":"run","cmd":"LAYER Walls"}` | `{"ok":true,"cmd":...,"entities":N,"added":D}` |
+| `{"op":"entities"}` | `{"ok":true,"total":N,"by_type":{"Line":42,...}}` |
+| `{"op":"save","path":"out.dwg"}` | `{"ok":true,"saved":"out.dwg"}` (path optional once opened/saved) |
+
+Every response has `"ok"`; failures carry `"error"`. `run` drives Open CAD
+Studio's **own** command system — no separate bindings to maintain — so its
+coverage grows with the app.
+
+> **Status (first increment):** `run` applies synchronous commands (system
+> variables, layer ops, …). Pick-based interactive commands (drawing by clicking
+> points) need coordinate feeding and are not wired headless yet.
+
+## Python client
+
+[`ocs.py`](ocs.py) is a ~100-line client — nothing to compile:
+
+```python
+from ocs import Ocs
+
+with Ocs(binary="OpenCADStudio") as ocs:   # spawns `--serve`
+    ocs.open("plan.dwg")
+    ocs.run("LAYER Walls")
+    print(ocs.entities())
+    ocs.save("plan_out.dwg")
+```
+
+Any language can speak the same protocol over a subprocess pipe.
diff --git a/docs/automation/__pycache__/ocs.cpython-312.pyc b/docs/automation/__pycache__/ocs.cpython-312.pyc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..aa1e98f07
Binary files /dev/null and b/docs/automation/__pycache__/ocs.cpython-312.pyc differ
diff --git a/docs/automation/ocs.py b/docs/automation/ocs.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..461d4af21
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/automation/ocs.py
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+"""Thin Python client for the Open CAD Studio headless automation server.
+
+Launches `OpenCADStudio --serve` and talks to it over a line-based JSON protocol
+(one request object per line on stdin, one response per line on stdout). There
+is nothing to compile or maintain on the Python side — every method is one JSON
+message; the real work is Open CAD Studio's own command system.
+
+    from ocs import Ocs
+
+    with Ocs(binary="OpenCADStudio") as ocs:
+        ocs.open("plan.dwg")
+        ocs.run("LAYER Walls")
+        print(ocs.entities())          # {"total": 42, "by_type": {...}}
+        ocs.save("plan_out.dwg")
+
+Each call returns the parsed response dict and raises `OcsError` on `ok: false`.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import json
+import subprocess
+from typing import Any, Optional
+
+
+class OcsError(RuntimeError):
+    """Raised when the server replies with `{"ok": false, ...}`."""
+
+
+class Ocs:
+    def __init__(self, binary: str = "OpenCADStudio") -> None:
+        self.proc = subprocess.Popen(
+            [binary, "--serve"],
+            stdin=subprocess.PIPE,
+            stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
+            text=True,
+            bufsize=1,
+        )
+        self._read()  # the {"ready": true} greeting
+
+    # ── protocol ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+    def _read(self) -> dict[str, Any]:
+        line = self.proc.stdout.readline()
+        if not line:
+            raise OcsError("server closed the connection")
+        return json.loads(line)
+
+    def _send(self, **req: Any) -> dict[str, Any]:
+        self.proc.stdin.write(json.dumps(req) + "\n")
+        self.proc.stdin.flush()
+        resp = self._read()
+        if not resp.get("ok", False):
+            raise OcsError(resp.get("error", "unknown error"))
+        return resp
+
+    # ── operations ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+    def new(self) -> dict[str, Any]:
+        """Start an empty document."""
+        return self._send(op="new")
+
+    def open(self, path: str) -> dict[str, Any]:
+        """Load a DWG/DXF drawing."""
+        return self._send(op="open", path=path)
+
+    def run(self, cmd: str) -> dict[str, Any]:
+        """Run a command through Open CAD Studio's command system."""
+        return self._send(op="run", cmd=cmd)
+
+    def entities(self) -> dict[str, Any]:
+        """Total entity count and a breakdown by type."""
+        return self._send(op="entities")
+
+    def save(self, path: Optional[str] = None) -> dict[str, Any]:
+        """Write the document (defaults to the opened/last-saved path)."""
+        return self._send(op="save", path=path)
+
+    # ── lifecycle ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+    def close(self) -> None:
+        if self.proc.stdin:
+            self.proc.stdin.close()
+        try:
+            self.proc.wait(timeout=5)
+        except subprocess.TimeoutExpired:
+            self.proc.kill()
+
+    def __enter__(self) -> "Ocs":
+        return self
+
+    def __exit__(self, *_exc: object) -> None:
+        self.close()
diff --git a/src/app/automation.rs b/src/app/automation.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..360e0fd06
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/app/automation.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,194 @@
+//! Headless automation server (`OpenCADStudio --serve`).
+//!
+//! Drives the app without a GUI over a line-based JSON protocol: one request
+//! object per line on stdin, one response object per line on stdout. State (the
+//! active document) persists across requests, so an external process — a script
+//! or an AI agent — can act, observe, and act again.
+//!
+//! Operations:
+//! - `{"op":"new"}`                          — start an empty document
+//! - `{"op":"open","path":"file.dwg"}`       — load a drawing
+//! - `{"op":"run","cmd":"LAYER Walls"}`      — run a command (the same dispatcher
+//!                                             the GUI command line uses)
+//! - `{"op":"entities"}`                     — summary count by entity type
+//! - `{"op":"save","path":"out.dwg"}`        — write the document (path optional
+//!                                             once opened/saved)
+
+use std::io::{BufRead, Write};
+use std::path::PathBuf;
+
+use serde_json::{json, Value};
+
+use super::OpenCADStudio;
+
+/// Run the headless JSON server until stdin closes.
+pub fn serve() {
+    let mut app = OpenCADStudio::new();
+    let stdin = std::io::stdin();
+    let stdout = std::io::stdout();
+
+    emit(
+        &stdout,
+        json!({"ok": true, "ready": true, "version": env!("CARGO_PKG_VERSION")}),
+    );
+
+    for line in stdin.lock().lines() {
+        let Ok(line) = line else { break };
+        let line = line.trim();
+        if line.is_empty() {
+            continue;
+        }
+        let resp = app.automation_op(line);
+        emit(&stdout, resp);
+    }
+}
+
+fn emit(stdout: &std::io::Stdout, value: Value) {
+    let mut o = stdout.lock();
+    let _ = writeln!(o, "{value}");
+    let _ = o.flush();
+}
+
+fn err(msg: impl std::fmt::Display) -> Value {
+    json!({ "ok": false, "error": msg.to_string() })
+}
+
+impl OpenCADStudio {
+    /// Handle one JSON request line and return the JSON response.
+    pub(crate) fn automation_op(&mut self, line: &str) -> Value {
+        let req: Value = match serde_json::from_str(line) {
+            Ok(v) => v,
+            Err(e) => return err(format!("invalid JSON: {e}")),
+        };
+        match req["op"].as_str().unwrap_or("") {
+            "new" => {
+                let i = self.active_tab;
+                self.tabs[i].scene.document = acadrust::CadDocument::new();
+                self.tabs[i].current_path = None;
+                self.tabs[i].scene.bump_geometry();
+                self.entity_summary()
+            }
+            "open" => {
+                let Some(path) = req["path"].as_str() else {
+                    return err("open: missing \"path\"");
+                };
+                let bytes = match std::fs::read(path) {
+                    Ok(b) => b,
+                    Err(e) => return err(format!("open: {e}")),
+                };
+                let name = PathBuf::from(path)
+                    .file_name()
+                    .map(|n| n.to_string_lossy().into_owned())
+                    .unwrap_or_else(|| path.to_string());
+                match crate::io::load_bytes(&name, bytes) {
+                    Ok(doc) => {
+                        let i = self.active_tab;
+                        self.tabs[i].scene.document = doc;
+                        self.tabs[i].current_path = Some(PathBuf::from(path));
+                        self.tabs[i].scene.bump_geometry();
+                        self.entity_summary()
+                    }
+                    Err(e) => err(format!("open: {e}")),
+                }
+            }
+            "run" => {
+                let cmd = req["cmd"].as_str().unwrap_or("").to_string();
+                if cmd.is_empty() {
+                    return err("run: missing \"cmd\"");
+                }
+                let i = self.active_tab;
+                let before = self.tabs[i].scene.document.entities().count();
+                // The returned Task drives GUI follow-up; synchronous commands
+                // (system variables, layer ops, …) have already applied. Pick-
+                // based interactive commands need coordinate feeding — not yet
+                // wired headless.
+                let _ = self.dispatch_command(&cmd);
+                let after = self.tabs[i].scene.document.entities().count();
+                json!({
+                    "ok": true,
+                    "cmd": cmd,
+                    "entities": after,
+                    "added": after as i64 - before as i64,
+                })
+            }
+            "entities" => self.entity_summary(),
+            "save" => {
+                let i = self.active_tab;
+                let path = req["path"]
+                    .as_str()
+                    .map(PathBuf::from)
+                    .or_else(|| self.tabs[i].current_path.clone());
+                let Some(path) = path else {
+                    return err("save: no \"path\" and the document has none");
+                };
+                match crate::io::save(&self.tabs[i].scene.document, &path) {
+                    Ok(()) => {
+                        self.tabs[i].current_path = Some(path.clone());
+                        json!({ "ok": true, "saved": path.to_string_lossy() })
+                    }
+                    Err(e) => err(format!("save: {e}")),
+                }
+            }
+            "" => err("missing \"op\""),
+            other => err(format!("unknown op: {other}")),
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Count of entities in the active document, total and by type.
+    fn entity_summary(&self) -> Value {
+        let i = self.active_tab;
+        let mut by_type: std::collections::BTreeMap<String, u64> = Default::default();
+        let mut total = 0u64;
+        for e in self.tabs[i].scene.document.entities() {
+            *by_type
+                .entry(crate::entities::names::ui_name(e).to_string())
+                .or_default() += 1;
+            total += 1;
+        }
+        json!({ "ok": true, "total": total, "by_type": by_type })
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use crate::app::OpenCADStudio;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn automation_ops_round_trip() {
+        let mut app = OpenCADStudio::new_for_test();
+
+        let r = app.automation_op(r#"{"op":"new"}"#);
+        assert_eq!(r["ok"], true);
+        assert_eq!(r["total"], 0);
+
+        // A synchronous command runs through the real dispatcher.
+        let r = app.automation_op(r#"{"op":"run","cmd":"PDMODE 3"}"#);
+        assert_eq!(r["ok"], true);
+        assert_eq!(r["cmd"], "PDMODE 3");
+
+        let r = app.automation_op(r#"{"op":"entities"}"#);
+        assert_eq!(r["ok"], true);
+
+        // Errors are reported, never panics.
+        assert_eq!(app.automation_op(r#"{"op":"bogus"}"#)["ok"], false);
+        assert_eq!(app.automation_op("not json")["ok"], false);
+        assert_eq!(app.automation_op(r#"{"op":"run"}"#)["ok"], false);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn save_then_open_round_trips() {
+        let mut app = OpenCADStudio::new_for_test();
+        let path = std::env::temp_dir().join("ocs_automation_test.dxf");
+        let p = path.to_string_lossy();
+        app.automation_op(r#"{"op":"new"}"#);
+        assert_eq!(
+            app.automation_op(&format!(r#"{{"op":"save","path":"{p}"}}"#))["ok"],
+            true
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            app.automation_op(&format!(r#"{{"op":"open","path":"{p}"}}"#))["ok"],
+            true
+        );
+        let _ = std::fs::remove_file(&path);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/app/mod.rs b/src/app/mod.rs
index aa43a9618..ce09d5728 100644
--- a/src/app/mod.rs
+++ b/src/app/mod.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+#[cfg(not(target_arch = "wasm32"))]
+mod automation;
+#[cfg(not(target_arch = "wasm32"))]
+pub use automation::serve;
 mod cmd_result;
 mod commands;
 mod document;
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index d7c2b29d6..7b01737f1 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -39,6 +39,13 @@ fn main() -> iced::Result {
     }
     #[cfg(not(target_arch = "wasm32"))]
     {
+        // Headless automation server — drive the app over JSON on stdin/stdout
+        // with no GUI (issue #29). `--serve` is the opt-in; everything else
+        // launches the editor.
+        if std::env::args().skip(1).any(|a| a == "--serve") {
+            app::serve();
+            return Ok(());
+        }
         app::run()
     }
 }