diff --git a/packages/cli/__tests__/index.test.ts b/packages/cli/__tests__/index.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..01f781616
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/cli/__tests__/index.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+
+const parse = vi.fn();
+
+vi.mock("../src/program.js", () => ({
+  createProgram: () => ({ parse }),
+}));
+
+describe("cli entrypoint", () => {
+  it("parses the created program", async () => {
+    await import("../src/index.js");
+    expect(parse).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/cli/__tests__/options/version.test.ts b/packages/cli/__tests__/options/version.test.ts
index 71e2cc140..506c1494e 100644
--- a/packages/cli/__tests__/options/version.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/__tests__/options/version.test.ts
@@ -1,14 +1,9 @@
 import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
-import { execFileSync } from "node:child_process";
-import { fileURLToPath } from "node:url";
 import packageJson from "../../package.json" with { type: "json" };
+import { getCliVersion } from "../../src/options/version.js";
 
-describe("ao --version", () => {
+describe("getCliVersion", () => {
   it("matches the CLI package version", () => {
-    const tsxEntry = fileURLToPath(new URL("../../node_modules/.bin/tsx", import.meta.url));
-    const cliEntry = fileURLToPath(new URL("../../src/index.ts", import.meta.url));
-    const output = execFileSync(tsxEntry, [cliEntry, "--version"], { encoding: "utf8" }).trim();
-
-    expect(output).toBe(packageJson.version);
+    expect(getCliVersion()).toBe(packageJson.version);
   });
 });
diff --git a/packages/cli/__tests__/program.test.ts b/packages/cli/__tests__/program.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..656ac51be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/cli/__tests__/program.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import packageJson from "../package.json" with { type: "json" };
+import { createProgram } from "../src/program.js";
+
+describe("createProgram", () => {
+  it("uses the CLI package version", () => {
+    expect(createProgram().version()).toBe(packageJson.version);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/index.ts b/packages/cli/src/index.ts
index d721b19b8..b7791ffbc 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/index.ts
@@ -1,56 +1,5 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env node
 
-import { Command } from "commander";
-import { createRequire } from "node:module";
-import { registerInit } from "./commands/init.js";
-import { registerStatus } from "./commands/status.js";
-import { registerSpawn, registerBatchSpawn } from "./commands/spawn.js";
-import { registerSession } from "./commands/session.js";
-import { registerSend } from "./commands/send.js";
-import { registerReviewCheck } from "./commands/review-check.js";
-import { registerDashboard } from "./commands/dashboard.js";
-import { registerOpen } from "./commands/open.js";
-import { registerStart, registerStop } from "./commands/start.js";
-import { registerLifecycleWorker } from "./commands/lifecycle-worker.js";
-import { registerVerify } from "./commands/verify.js";
-import { registerDoctor } from "./commands/doctor.js";
-import { registerUpdate } from "./commands/update.js";
-import { registerSetup } from "./commands/setup.js";
-import { registerPlugin } from "./commands/plugin.js";
-import { getConfigInstruction } from "./lib/config-instruction.js";
+import { createProgram } from "./program.js";
 
-const require = createRequire(import.meta.url);
-const packageJson = require("../package.json") as { version: string };
-const program = new Command();
-
-program
-  .name("ao")
-  .description("Agent Orchestrator — manage parallel AI coding agents")
-  .version(packageJson.version);
-
-registerInit(program);
-registerStart(program);
-registerStop(program);
-registerStatus(program);
-registerSpawn(program);
-registerBatchSpawn(program);
-registerSession(program);
-registerSend(program);
-registerReviewCheck(program);
-registerDashboard(program);
-registerOpen(program);
-registerLifecycleWorker(program);
-registerVerify(program);
-registerDoctor(program);
-registerUpdate(program);
-registerSetup(program);
-registerPlugin(program);
-
-program
-  .command("config-help")
-  .description("Show config schema and guide for creating agent-orchestrator.yaml")
-  .action(() => {
-    console.log(getConfigInstruction());
-  });
-
-program.parse();
+createProgram().parse();
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/options/version.ts b/packages/cli/src/options/version.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c8f49a58e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/cli/src/options/version.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+import { createRequire } from "node:module";
+
+const require = createRequire(import.meta.url);
+
+export function getCliVersion(): string {
+  const packageJson = require("../../package.json") as { version: string };
+  return packageJson.version;
+}
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/program.ts b/packages/cli/src/program.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..883ba0f85
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/cli/src/program.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+import { Command } from "commander";
+import { registerInit } from "./commands/init.js";
+import { registerStatus } from "./commands/status.js";
+import { registerSpawn, registerBatchSpawn } from "./commands/spawn.js";
+import { registerSession } from "./commands/session.js";
+import { registerSend } from "./commands/send.js";
+import { registerReviewCheck } from "./commands/review-check.js";
+import { registerDashboard } from "./commands/dashboard.js";
+import { registerOpen } from "./commands/open.js";
+import { registerStart, registerStop } from "./commands/start.js";
+import { registerLifecycleWorker } from "./commands/lifecycle-worker.js";
+import { registerVerify } from "./commands/verify.js";
+import { registerDoctor } from "./commands/doctor.js";
+import { registerUpdate } from "./commands/update.js";
+import { registerSetup } from "./commands/setup.js";
+import { registerPlugin } from "./commands/plugin.js";
+import { getConfigInstruction } from "./lib/config-instruction.js";
+import { getCliVersion } from "./options/version.js";
+
+export function createProgram(): Command {
+  const program = new Command();
+
+  program
+    .name("ao")
+    .description("Agent Orchestrator — manage parallel AI coding agents")
+    .version(getCliVersion());
+
+  registerInit(program);
+  registerStart(program);
+  registerStop(program);
+  registerStatus(program);
+  registerSpawn(program);
+  registerBatchSpawn(program);
+  registerSession(program);
+  registerSend(program);
+  registerReviewCheck(program);
+  registerDashboard(program);
+  registerOpen(program);
+  registerLifecycleWorker(program);
+  registerVerify(program);
+  registerDoctor(program);
+  registerUpdate(program);
+  registerSetup(program);
+  registerPlugin(program);
+
+  program
+    .command("config-help")
+    .description("Show config schema and guide for creating agent-orchestrator.yaml")
+    .action(() => {
+      console.log(getConfigInstruction());
+    });
+
+  return program;
+}