diff --git a/channels/tmux/src/main.rs b/channels/tmux/src/main.rs
index b3e3711..56a48b6 100644
--- a/channels/tmux/src/main.rs
+++ b/channels/tmux/src/main.rs
@@ -218,6 +218,98 @@ impl channel_server::Server for ChannelServerImpl {
     ) -> Promise<(), capnp::Error> {
         Promise::ok(())
     }
+
+    fn open(
+        &mut self,
+        params: channel_server::OpenParams,
+        _results: channel_server::OpenResults,
+    ) -> Promise<(), capnp::Error> {
+        let params = pry!(params.get());
+        let label = pry!(pry!(params.get_label()).to_str()).to_string();
+
+        // Check if already open
+        {
+            let s = self.state.borrow();
+            if s.pane_labels.contains(&label) {
+                return Promise::ok(());
+            }
+        }
+
+        // Find the tmux pane by name (window or pane title)
+        let pane_id = match find_pane_by_name(&label) {
+            Some(id) => id,
+            None => return Promise::err(capnp::Error::failed(
+                format!("no tmux pane named '{}'", label))),
+        };
+
+        info!("opening channel tmux.{} (pane {})", label, pane_id);
+
+        // Register in state
+        {
+            let mut s = self.state.borrow_mut();
+            s.pane_labels.push(label.clone());
+        }
+
+        // Start pipe-pane reader
+        let pane = PaneConfig { pane_id, label };
+        let reader_state = self.state.clone();
+        tokio::task::spawn_local(async move {
+            pipe_pane_reader(reader_state, pane).await;
+        });
+
+        Promise::ok(())
+    }
+
+    fn close(
+        &mut self,
+        params: channel_server::CloseParams,
+        _results: channel_server::CloseResults,
+    ) -> Promise<(), capnp::Error> {
+        let params = pry!(params.get());
+        let channel = pry!(pry!(params.get_channel()).to_str()).to_string();
+        let label = channel.strip_prefix("tmux.").unwrap_or(&channel).to_string();
+
+        let mut s = self.state.borrow_mut();
+        if let Some(pos) = s.pane_labels.iter().position(|l| *l == label) {
+            info!("closing channel tmux.{}", label);
+            s.pane_labels.remove(pos);
+            s.channel_logs.remove(&format!("tmux.{}", label));
+
+            // Disconnect pipe-pane — find the pane ID
+            if let Some(pane_id) = find_pane_by_name(&label) {
+                let _ = std::process::Command::new("tmux")
+                    .args(["pipe-pane", "-t", &pane_id])
+                    .output();
+            }
+        }
+
+        Promise::ok(())
+    }
+}
+
+// ── Pane lookup ──────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+/// Find a tmux pane by its title/name. Returns the pane ID (e.g. "%5")
+/// if found. Searches pane titles first, then window names.
+fn find_pane_by_name(name: &str) -> Option<String> {
+    let output = std::process::Command::new("tmux")
+        .args(["list-panes", "-a", "-F", "#{pane_id}\t#{pane_title}\t#{window_name}"])
+        .output()
+        .ok()?;
+    if !output.status.success() { return None; }
+
+    let stdout = String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stdout);
+    for line in stdout.lines() {
+        let parts: Vec<&str> = line.splitn(3, '\t').collect();
+        if parts.len() < 3 { continue; }
+        let pane_id = parts[0];
+        let pane_title = parts[1];
+        let window_name = parts[2];
+        if pane_title == name || window_name == name {
+            return Some(pane_id.to_string());
+        }
+    }
+    None
 }
 
 // ── Cleanup ───────────────────────────────────────────────────
diff --git a/schema/channel.capnp b/schema/channel.capnp
index 4d70e76..1a61b17 100644
--- a/schema/channel.capnp
+++ b/schema/channel.capnp
@@ -56,4 +56,11 @@ interface ChannelServer {
 
     # List available channels and their status.
     list      @3 () -> (channels :List(ChannelInfo));
+
+    # Open a channel — start monitoring. Daemon-specific semantics:
+    # tmux: find pane by label name, attach pipe-pane.
+    open      @4 (label :Text) -> ();
+
+    # Close a channel — stop monitoring and clean up.
+    close     @5 (channel :Text) -> ();
 }
diff --git a/src/agent/tools/channels.rs b/src/agent/tools/channels.rs
index c74eccd..a143934 100644
--- a/src/agent/tools/channels.rs
+++ b/src/agent/tools/channels.rs
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ use super::Tool;
 
 // ── Tool registry ──────────────────────────────────────────────
 
-pub fn tools() -> [Tool; 4] {
+pub fn tools() -> [Tool; 6] {
     [
         Tool { name: "channel_list",
                description: "List all available channels and their status (connected, unread count).",
@@ -28,6 +28,14 @@ pub fn tools() -> [Tool; 4] {
                description: "Get pending channel notifications (unread signals). Does not consume messages — use channel_recv for that.",
                parameters_json: r#"{"type":"object","properties":{}}"#,
                handler: |_a, _v| Box::pin(async { channel_notifications().await }) },
+        Tool { name: "channel_open",
+               description: "Open a channel — start monitoring. For tmux: finds the pane by name and attaches pipe-pane.",
+               parameters_json: r#"{"type":"object","properties":{"label":{"type":"string","description":"Channel label / tmux pane name"}},"required":["label"]}"#,
+               handler: |_a, v| Box::pin(async move { channel_open(&v).await }) },
+        Tool { name: "channel_close",
+               description: "Close a channel — stop monitoring and clean up.",
+               parameters_json: r#"{"type":"object","properties":{"channel":{"type":"string","description":"Channel path (e.g. tmux.ktest)"}},"required":["channel"]}"#,
+               handler: |_a, v| Box::pin(async move { channel_close(&v).await }) },
     ]
 }
 
@@ -107,6 +115,35 @@ async fn channel_notifications() -> Result<String> {
     }
 }
 
+async fn channel_open(args: &serde_json::Value) -> Result<String> {
+    let label = args.get("label").and_then(|v| v.as_str())
+        .context("label is required")?
+        .to_string();
+    let prefix = label.split('.').next().unwrap_or("tmux");
+    let sock = daemon_sock(prefix)?;
+    tokio::task::spawn_blocking(move || {
+        let rt = tokio::runtime::Builder::new_current_thread()
+            .enable_all().build().unwrap();
+        let local = tokio::task::LocalSet::new();
+        local.block_on(&rt, rpc_open(&sock, &label))
+    }).await?
+        .map_err(|e| anyhow::anyhow!("{}", e))
+}
+
+async fn channel_close(args: &serde_json::Value) -> Result<String> {
+    let channel = args.get("channel").and_then(|v| v.as_str())
+        .context("channel is required")?
+        .to_string();
+    let sock = daemon_sock(&channel)?;
+    tokio::task::spawn_blocking(move || {
+        let rt = tokio::runtime::Builder::new_current_thread()
+            .enable_all().build().unwrap();
+        let local = tokio::task::LocalSet::new();
+        local.block_on(&rt, rpc_close(&sock, &channel))
+    }).await?
+        .map_err(|e| anyhow::anyhow!("{}", e))
+}
+
 // ── Socket helpers ─────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 fn channels_dir() -> std::path::PathBuf {
@@ -195,6 +232,22 @@ async fn rpc_list(sock: &std::path::Path) -> Option<Vec<(String, bool, u32)>> {
     Some(result)
 }
 
+async fn rpc_open(sock: &std::path::Path, label: &str) -> Result<String, String> {
+    let client = rpc_connect(sock).await?;
+    let mut req = client.open_request();
+    req.get().set_label(label);
+    req.send().promise.await.map_err(|e| format!("open failed: {e}"))?;
+    Ok(format!("opened channel tmux.{}", label))
+}
+
+async fn rpc_close(sock: &std::path::Path, channel: &str) -> Result<String, String> {
+    let client = rpc_connect(sock).await?;
+    let mut req = client.close_request();
+    req.get().set_channel(channel);
+    req.send().promise.await.map_err(|e| format!("close failed: {e}"))?;
+    Ok(format!("closed channel {}", channel))
+}
+
 // ── Fetch all channels ─────────────────────────────────────────
 
 /// Fetch channel status from all daemon sockets.