diff --git a/packages/cli/__tests__/commands/status.test.ts b/packages/cli/__tests__/commands/status.test.ts
index a9db08dda..5a47c6259 100644
--- a/packages/cli/__tests__/commands/status.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/__tests__/commands/status.test.ts
@@ -605,6 +605,21 @@ describe("status command", () => {
     expect(errors).toContain("--interval must be a positive integer");
   });
 
+  it("ignores --interval entirely when --watch is not set", async () => {
+    mockTmux.mockResolvedValue(null);
+    mockSessionManager.list.mockResolvedValue([]);
+
+    // Invalid value (0) should NOT cause an error without --watch
+    await expect(
+      program.parseAsync(["node", "test", "status", "--interval", "0"]),
+    ).resolves.not.toThrow();
+
+    // Valid value should also be silently ignored without --watch
+    await expect(
+      program.parseAsync(["node", "test", "status", "--interval", "10"]),
+    ).resolves.not.toThrow();
+  });
+
   it("schedules watch refreshes with the requested interval", async () => {
     mockTmux.mockResolvedValue(null);
     setIntervalSpy = vi.spyOn(globalThis, "setInterval").mockImplementation(() => 1 as never);
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/status.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/status.ts
index a6dc5e74d..625e06370 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/status.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/status.ts
@@ -243,11 +243,13 @@ export function registerStatus(program: Command): void {
       }
 
       let watchIntervalSeconds = DEFAULT_WATCH_INTERVAL_SECONDS;
-      try {
-        watchIntervalSeconds = parseWatchIntervalSeconds(opts.interval);
-      } catch (err) {
-        console.error(chalk.red(err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err)));
-        process.exit(1);
+      if (opts.watch) {
+        try {
+          watchIntervalSeconds = parseWatchIntervalSeconds(opts.interval);
+        } catch (err) {
+          console.error(chalk.red(err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err)));
+          process.exit(1);
+        }
       }
 
       const renderStatus = async (refreshing = false): Promise<void> => {