diff --git a/poc-memory/src/agents/knowledge.rs b/poc-memory/src/agents/knowledge.rs
index 7c71121..8db1c9c 100644
--- a/poc-memory/src/agents/knowledge.rs
+++ b/poc-memory/src/agents/knowledge.rs
@@ -646,6 +646,31 @@ pub fn run_and_apply_with_log(
 ///
 /// This is the common pipeline shared by the knowledge loop, consolidation pipeline,
 /// and daemon. Callers handle action application (with or without depth tracking).
+/// Run an agent with explicit target keys, bypassing the agent's query.
+pub fn run_one_agent_with_keys(
+    store: &mut Store,
+    agent_name: &str,
+    keys: &[String],
+    count: usize,
+    llm_tag: &str,
+    log: &dyn Fn(&str),
+    debug: bool,
+) -> Result<AgentResult, String> {
+    let def = super::defs::get_def(agent_name)
+        .ok_or_else(|| format!("no .agent file for {}", agent_name))?;
+
+    log(&format!("targeting: {}", keys.join(", ")));
+    let graph = store.build_graph();
+    let (prompt, extra_keys) = super::defs::resolve_placeholders(
+        &def.prompt, store, &graph, keys, count,
+    );
+    let mut all_keys: Vec<String> = keys.to_vec();
+    all_keys.extend(extra_keys);
+    let agent_batch = super::prompts::AgentBatch { prompt, node_keys: all_keys };
+
+    run_one_agent_inner(store, agent_name, &def, agent_batch, llm_tag, log, debug)
+}
+
 pub fn run_one_agent(
     store: &mut Store,
     agent_name: &str,
@@ -660,6 +685,18 @@ pub fn run_one_agent(
     log("building prompt");
     let agent_batch = super::defs::run_agent(store, &def, batch_size)?;
 
+    run_one_agent_inner(store, agent_name, &def, agent_batch, llm_tag, log, debug)
+}
+
+fn run_one_agent_inner(
+    store: &mut Store,
+    agent_name: &str,
+    def: &super::defs::AgentDef,
+    agent_batch: super::prompts::AgentBatch,
+    _llm_tag: &str,
+    log: &dyn Fn(&str),
+    debug: bool,
+) -> Result<AgentResult, String> {
     let prompt_kb = agent_batch.prompt.len() / 1024;
     let tools_desc = if def.tools.is_empty() { "no tools".into() }
         else { format!("{} tools", def.tools.len()) };
@@ -679,7 +716,7 @@ pub fn run_one_agent(
     log(&format!("log: {}", log_path.display()));
 
     log("calling LLM");
-    let output = llm::call_for_def(&def, &agent_batch.prompt)?;
+    let output = llm::call_for_def(def, &agent_batch.prompt)?;
 
     // Append response to same log file
     use std::io::Write;
diff --git a/poc-memory/src/cli/agent.rs b/poc-memory/src/cli/agent.rs
index 627b639..5cb484b 100644
--- a/poc-memory/src/cli/agent.rs
+++ b/poc-memory/src/cli/agent.rs
@@ -5,14 +5,19 @@ use crate::store::StoreView;
 use crate::agents::llm;
 use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicUsize, Ordering};
 
-pub fn cmd_run_agent(agent: &str, count: usize, dry_run: bool, debug: bool) -> Result<(), String> {
+pub fn cmd_run_agent(agent: &str, count: usize, target: &[String], dry_run: bool, debug: bool) -> Result<(), String> {
     if dry_run {
         std::env::set_var("POC_MEMORY_DRY_RUN", "1");
     }
     let mut store = store::Store::load()?;
     let log = |msg: &str| eprintln!("[{}] {}", agent, msg);
 
-    if debug {
+    if !target.is_empty() {
+        // Override agent's query with explicit target keys
+        crate::agents::knowledge::run_one_agent_with_keys(
+            &mut store, agent, target, count, "test", &log, debug,
+        )?;
+    } else if debug {
         crate::agents::knowledge::run_one_agent(
             &mut store, agent, count, "test", &log, true,
         )?;
diff --git a/poc-memory/src/main.rs b/poc-memory/src/main.rs
index c9d8e01..b9107c5 100644
--- a/poc-memory/src/main.rs
+++ b/poc-memory/src/main.rs
@@ -565,6 +565,9 @@ enum AgentCmd {
         /// Batch size (number of seed nodes/fragments)
         #[arg(long, default_value_t = 5)]
         count: usize,
+        /// Target specific node keys (overrides agent's query)
+        #[arg(long)]
+        target: Vec<String>,
         /// Dry run — set POC_MEMORY_DRY_RUN=1 so mutations are no-ops
         #[arg(long)]
         dry_run: bool,
@@ -814,8 +817,8 @@ fn main() {
             AgentCmd::FactMine { path, batch, dry_run, output, min_messages }
                 => cli::agent::cmd_fact_mine(&path, batch, dry_run, output.as_deref(), min_messages),
             AgentCmd::FactMineStore { path } => cli::agent::cmd_fact_mine_store(&path),
-            AgentCmd::Run { agent, count, dry_run, debug }
-                => cli::agent::cmd_run_agent(&agent, count, dry_run, debug),
+            AgentCmd::Run { agent, count, target, dry_run, debug }
+                => cli::agent::cmd_run_agent(&agent, count, &target, dry_run, debug),
             AgentCmd::ReplayQueue { count } => cli::agent::cmd_replay_queue(count),
             AgentCmd::Evaluate { matchups, model, dry_run }
                 => cli::agent::cmd_evaluate_agents(matchups, &model, dry_run),