diff --git a/src/config.rs b/src/config.rs
index c2d409b..c76c4f8 100644
--- a/src/config.rs
+++ b/src/config.rs
@@ -445,6 +445,8 @@ pub struct SessionConfig {
     pub memory_file_count: usize,
     pub session_dir: PathBuf,
     pub app: AppConfig,
+    /// Disable background agents (surface, observe, scoring)
+    pub no_agents: bool,
 }
 
 /// A fully resolved model ready to construct an ApiClient.
@@ -514,6 +516,7 @@ impl AppConfig {
             config_file_count, memory_file_count,
             session_dir,
             app: self.clone(),
+            no_agents: cli.no_agents,
         })
     }
 
diff --git a/src/mind/mod.rs b/src/mind/mod.rs
index 8255bec..5c78a49 100644
--- a/src/mind/mod.rs
+++ b/src/mind/mod.rs
@@ -208,7 +208,9 @@ impl Session {
 
         self.update_status();
         self.check_compaction();
-        self.start_memory_scoring();
+        if !self.config.no_agents {
+            self.start_memory_scoring();
+        }
         self.drain_pending();
     }
 
@@ -803,15 +805,20 @@ pub async fn run(cli: crate::user::CliArgs) -> Result<()> {
 
     let (turn_tx, mut turn_rx) = mpsc::channel::<(Result<TurnResult>, StreamTarget)>(1);
 
+    let no_agents = config.no_agents;
     let mut session = Session::new(agent, config, ui_tx.clone(), turn_tx);
     session.update_status();
-    session.start_memory_scoring(); // also sends initial agent snapshots
+    if !no_agents {
+        session.start_memory_scoring(); // also sends initial agent snapshots
+    }
     session.send_context_info();
 
     // Start observation socket
     let socket_path = session.config.session_dir.join("agent.sock");
     let (observe_input_tx, mut observe_input_rx) = observe::input_channel();
-    observe::start(socket_path, ui_tx.subscribe(), observe_input_tx);
+    if !no_agents {
+        observe::start(socket_path, ui_tx.subscribe(), observe_input_tx);
+    }
 
     let mut reader = EventStream::new();
 
diff --git a/src/user/mod.rs b/src/user/mod.rs
index 7e4c3ef..97e6a22 100644
--- a/src/user/mod.rs
+++ b/src/user/mod.rs
@@ -693,6 +693,10 @@ pub struct CliArgs {
     #[arg(long)]
     pub dmn_max_turns: Option<u32>,
 
+    /// Disable background agents (surface, observe, scoring)
+    #[arg(long)]
+    pub no_agents: bool,
+
     #[command(subcommand)]
     pub command: Option<SubCmd>,
 }