diff --git a/.github/workflows/public-sdk.yml b/.github/workflows/public-sdk.yml
index 5f19b69..d3cc0a4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/public-sdk.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/public-sdk.yml
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ jobs:
           import { pathToFileURL } from 'node:url';
           const consumer = process.env.FACTORY_CONSUMER;
           const sdk = await import(pathToFileURL(join(consumer, 'node_modules', 'flujo-factory', 'src', 'public-sdk.mjs')));
-          for (const name of ['Factory', 'FactoryManagedFleet', 'buildSaviaCasePlan', 'observeSaviaCaseTopology', 'createObservatoryClient']) {
+          for (const name of ['Factory', 'FactoryManagedFleet', 'buildSaviaCasePlan', 'observeSaviaCaseTopology', 'createObservatoryClient', 'liteWorkerCommand']) {
             assert.equal(typeof sdk[name], 'function', `${name} is missing`);
           }
           const require = createRequire(join(consumer, 'index.mjs'));
@@ -50,4 +50,5 @@ jobs:
           assert.equal(factory.status().cells.length, 2);
           NODE
           node "$RUNNER_TEMP/consumer/node_modules/flujo-factory/bin/factory-public.mjs" --help
+          node "$RUNNER_TEMP/consumer/node_modules/flujo-factory/bin/factory-lite.mjs" --help
           FACTORY_TEST_MCP="$RUNNER_TEMP/consumer/node_modules/flujo-factory/bin/factory-mcp.mjs" node --test --test-name-pattern="public MCP stdio" test/public-sdk.test.mjs
diff --git a/PUBLIC_SDK.md b/PUBLIC_SDK.md
index 653f5b8..74f3bfd 100644
--- a/PUBLIC_SDK.md
+++ b/PUBLIC_SDK.md
@@ -67,6 +67,26 @@ same evidence record.
 
 ## CLI
 
+### Lite workers
+
+`factory-lite` opens a regular interactive Codex or Claude CLI session in the
+current directory. It does not provision a FLUJO worker or use the FLUJO
+conversation harness. The CLI retains its built-in tools and unrestricted file
+and command access. The only MCP server supplied for that session is FACTORY's
+local board/swarm server, connected to the specified durable database.
+
+```sh
+factory-lite codex /absolute/path/board.sqlite "Work on the Factory board"
+factory-lite claude /absolute/path/board.sqlite "Work on the Factory board"
+```
+
+Create the swarm first with `factory create` or the SDK. Lite Codex uses a
+dedicated persistent CLI home at `~/.factory/lite-codex`, so its first launch
+may require a separate Codex login. Claude uses its normal login and loads only
+the explicit FACTORY MCP config. The optional prompt can be
+omitted to start an interactive session without initial instructions.
+
+
 Use an absolute database path for a durable swarm:
 
 ```sh
diff --git a/bin/factory-lite.mjs b/bin/factory-lite.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..447f6ba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/factory-lite.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env node
+import { spawn } from 'node:child_process';
+import { mkdirSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { liteWorkerCommand } from '../src/lite-worker.mjs';
+
+const [provider, database, ...words] = process.argv.slice(2);
+if (provider === '--help' || provider === 'help' || !provider) {
+  process.stdout.write('Usage: factory-lite <codex|claude> <database-path> [prompt]\n');
+} else {
+  try {
+    const spec = liteWorkerCommand({ provider, database, prompt: words.length ? words.join(' ') : undefined });
+    if (spec.env?.CODEX_HOME) mkdirSync(spec.env.CODEX_HOME, { recursive: true, mode: 0o700 });
+    const child = spawn(spec.command, spec.args, { cwd: spec.cwd, env: spec.env, stdio: 'inherit' });
+    child.on('error', error => { process.stderr.write(`${error.message}\n`); process.exitCode = 1; });
+    child.on('exit', (code, signal) => { process.exitCode = code ?? (signal ? 1 : 0); });
+  } catch (error) {
+    process.stderr.write(`${error.message}\n`);
+    process.exitCode = 1;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index bfea2b9..f2616cf 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
     "src/",
     "bin/factory-public.mjs",
     "bin/factory-mcp.mjs",
+    "bin/factory-lite.mjs",
     "bin/factory.mjs",
     "scripts/watch-pilot.mjs",
     "scripts/pilot.mjs",
@@ -34,7 +35,8 @@
   },
   "bin": {
     "factory": "./bin/factory-public.mjs",
-    "factory-mcp": "./bin/factory-mcp.mjs"
+    "factory-mcp": "./bin/factory-mcp.mjs",
+    "factory-lite": "./bin/factory-lite.mjs"
   },
   "type": "module",
   "engines": {
diff --git a/src/lite-worker.mjs b/src/lite-worker.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2b11ecf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lite-worker.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+import { resolve } from 'node:path';
+import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
+import { homedir } from 'node:os';
+
+const mcp = fileURLToPath(new URL('../bin/factory-mcp.mjs', import.meta.url));
+
+/** Start a normal provider CLI with its native tools and only FACTORY's MCP server. */
+export function liteWorkerCommand({ provider, database, prompt, cwd = process.cwd() } = {}) {
+  if (!['codex', 'claude'].includes(provider)) throw new TypeError('provider must be codex or claude');
+  if (typeof database !== 'string' || !database.trim()) throw new TypeError('database path is required');
+  if (prompt !== undefined && (typeof prompt !== 'string' || !prompt.trim())) throw new TypeError('prompt must be nonempty');
+  const db = resolve(database);
+  const server = { command: process.execPath, args: [mcp, db] };
+  if (provider === 'claude') return {
+    command: 'claude', cwd, args: ['--dangerously-skip-permissions', '--strict-mcp-config',
+      '--mcp-config', JSON.stringify({ mcpServers: { factory: server } }), ...(prompt === undefined ? [] : [prompt])],
+  };
+  const toml = value => JSON.stringify(value);
+  const config = `mcp_servers={factory={command=${toml(server.command)},args=[${server.args.map(toml).join(',')}]}}`;
+  return { command: 'codex', cwd, env: { ...process.env, CODEX_HOME: resolve(homedir(), '.factory', 'lite-codex') },
+    args: ['--sandbox', 'danger-full-access', '--ask-for-approval', 'never',
+    '--config', config, ...(prompt === undefined ? [] : [prompt])] };
+}
diff --git a/src/public-sdk.mjs b/src/public-sdk.mjs
index 73a0776..2029f1f 100644
--- a/src/public-sdk.mjs
+++ b/src/public-sdk.mjs
@@ -82,3 +82,4 @@ export { buildSaviaCasePlan } from './flujo-swarm/template/savia-case-plan.mjs';
 export { observeSaviaCaseTopology } from './flujo-swarm/template/savia-topology.mjs';
 export { createPresentationServer, startPresentationServer } from './presentation.mjs';
 export { createObservatoryClient } from './observatory-client.mjs';
+export { liteWorkerCommand } from './lite-worker.mjs';
diff --git a/test/public-sdk.test.mjs b/test/public-sdk.test.mjs
index ca02999..5b42df3 100644
--- a/test/public-sdk.test.mjs
+++ b/test/public-sdk.test.mjs
@@ -7,11 +7,31 @@ import { spawnSync } from 'node:child_process';
 import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
 import { Client } from '@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/client/index.js';
 import { StdioClientTransport } from '@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/client/stdio.js';
-import { Factory, FactoryControl } from '../src/public-sdk.mjs';
+import { Factory, FactoryControl, liteWorkerCommand } from '../src/public-sdk.mjs';
 
 const cli = fileURLToPath(new URL('../bin/factory-public.mjs', import.meta.url));
 const mcp = process.env.FACTORY_TEST_MCP ?? fileURLToPath(new URL('../bin/factory-mcp.mjs', import.meta.url));
 
+test('lite workers launch native CLIs with only the Factory MCP configuration', () => {
+  for (const provider of ['codex', 'claude']) {
+    const spec = liteWorkerCommand({ provider, database: 'board.sqlite', prompt: 'Work on the board' });
+    assert.equal(spec.command, provider);
+    assert.equal(spec.args.at(-1), 'Work on the board');
+    assert.ok(spec.args.join(' ').includes('factory-mcp.mjs'));
+    assert.ok(spec.args.join(' ').includes('board.sqlite'));
+  }
+  const codex = liteWorkerCommand({ provider: 'codex', database: 'board.sqlite' });
+  assert.ok(codex.args.includes('danger-full-access'));
+  assert.ok(codex.args.includes('never'));
+  assert.equal(codex.args.filter(value => value === '--config').length, 1);
+  assert.ok(codex.env.CODEX_HOME.endsWith(join('.factory', 'lite-codex')));
+  const claude = liteWorkerCommand({ provider: 'claude', database: 'board.sqlite' });
+  assert.ok(claude.args.includes('--dangerously-skip-permissions'));
+  assert.ok(claude.args.includes('--strict-mcp-config'));
+  assert.deepEqual(Object.keys(JSON.parse(claude.args[claude.args.indexOf('--mcp-config') + 1]).mcpServers), ['factory']);
+  assert.throws(() => liteWorkerCommand({ provider: 'flujo', database: 'board.sqlite' }), /provider/);
+});
+
 test('public SDK and CLI coordinate a local swarm without a provider', async t => {
   const dir = await mkdtemp(join(tmpdir(), 'factory-public-'));
   t.after(() => rm(dir, { recursive: true, force: true }));