diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index eb981bb85c..e72b1de273 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ include fmt.mk
 .PHONY: docs-server check-docs-links
 .PHONY: storybook storybook-build test-storybook chromatic
 .PHONY: benchmark-terminal
-.PHONY: ensure-deps rebuild-native
+.PHONY: ensure-deps rebuild-native mux
 .PHONY: check-eager-imports check-bundle-size check-startup
 
 # Build tools
@@ -107,6 +107,17 @@ rebuild-native: node_modules/.installed ## Rebuild native modules (node-pty) for
 	@npx @electron/rebuild -f -m node_modules/node-pty
 	@echo "Native modules rebuilt successfully"
 
+# Run compiled CLI with trailing arguments (builds only if missing)
+mux: ## Run the compiled mux CLI (e.g., make mux server --port 3000)
+	@test -f dist/cli/index.js -a -f dist/cli/api.mjs || $(MAKE) build-main
+	@node dist/cli/index.js $(filter-out $@,$(MAKECMDGOALS))
+
+# Catch unknown targets passed to mux (prevents "No rule to make target" errors)
+ifneq ($(filter mux,$(MAKECMDGOALS)),)
+%:
+	@:
+endif
+
 ## Help
 help: ## Show this help message
 	@echo 'Usage: make [target]'
@@ -117,16 +128,18 @@ help: ## Show this help message
 ## Development
 ifeq ($(OS),Windows_NT)
 dev: node_modules/.installed build-main ## Start development server (Vite + nodemon watcher for Windows compatibility)
-	@echo "Starting dev mode (2 watchers: nodemon for main process, vite for renderer)..."
+	@echo "Starting dev mode (3 watchers: nodemon for main process, esbuild for api, vite for renderer)..."
 	# On Windows, use npm run because bunx doesn't correctly pass arguments to concurrently
 	# https://github.com/oven-sh/bun/issues/18275
 	@NODE_OPTIONS="--max-old-space-size=4096" npm x concurrently -k --raw \
 		"bun x nodemon --watch src --watch tsconfig.main.json --watch tsconfig.json --ext ts,tsx,json --ignore dist --ignore node_modules --exec node scripts/build-main-watch.js" \
+		"npx esbuild src/cli/api.ts --bundle --format=esm --platform=node --outfile=dist/cli/api.mjs --external:zod --external:commander --external:@trpc/server --watch" \
 		"vite"
 else
 dev: node_modules/.installed build-main build-preload ## Start development server (Vite + tsgo watcher for 10x faster type checking)
 	@bun x concurrently -k \
 		"bun x concurrently \"$(TSGO) -w -p tsconfig.main.json\" \"bun x tsc-alias -w -p tsconfig.main.json\"" \
+		"bun x esbuild src/cli/api.ts --bundle --format=esm --platform=node --outfile=dist/cli/api.mjs --external:zod --external:commander --external:@trpc/server --watch" \
 		"vite"
 endif
 
@@ -140,6 +153,7 @@ dev-server: node_modules/.installed build-main ## Start server mode with hot rel
 	@# On Windows, use npm run because bunx doesn't correctly pass arguments
 	@npmx concurrently -k \
 		"npmx nodemon --watch src --watch tsconfig.main.json --watch tsconfig.json --ext ts,tsx,json --ignore dist --ignore node_modules --exec node scripts/build-main-watch.js" \
+		"npx esbuild src/cli/api.ts --bundle --format=esm --platform=node --outfile=dist/cli/api.mjs --external:zod --external:commander --external:@trpc/server --watch" \
 		"npmx nodemon --watch dist/cli/index.js --watch dist/cli/server.js --delay 500ms --exec \"node dist/cli/index.js server --host $(or $(BACKEND_HOST),localhost) --port $(or $(BACKEND_PORT),3000)\"" \
 		"$(SHELL) -lc \"MUX_VITE_HOST=$(or $(VITE_HOST),127.0.0.1) MUX_VITE_PORT=$(or $(VITE_PORT),5173) VITE_BACKEND_URL=http://$(or $(BACKEND_HOST),localhost):$(or $(BACKEND_PORT),3000) vite\""
 else
@@ -151,6 +165,7 @@ dev-server: node_modules/.installed build-main ## Start server mode with hot rel
 	@echo "For remote access: make dev-server VITE_HOST=0.0.0.0 BACKEND_HOST=0.0.0.0"
 	@bun x concurrently -k \
 		"bun x concurrently \"$(TSGO) -w -p tsconfig.main.json\" \"bun x tsc-alias -w -p tsconfig.main.json\"" \
+		"bun x esbuild src/cli/api.ts --bundle --format=esm --platform=node --outfile=dist/cli/api.mjs --external:zod --external:commander --external:@trpc/server --watch" \
 		"bun x nodemon --watch dist/cli/index.js --watch dist/cli/server.js --delay 500ms --exec 'NODE_ENV=development node dist/cli/index.js server --host $(or $(BACKEND_HOST),localhost) --port $(or $(BACKEND_PORT),3000)'" \
 		"MUX_VITE_HOST=$(or $(VITE_HOST),127.0.0.1) MUX_VITE_PORT=$(or $(VITE_PORT),5173) VITE_BACKEND_URL=http://$(or $(BACKEND_HOST),localhost):$(or $(BACKEND_PORT),3000) vite"
 endif
@@ -163,13 +178,25 @@ start: node_modules/.installed build-main build-preload build-static ## Build an
 ## Build targets (can run in parallel)
 build: node_modules/.installed src/version.ts build-renderer build-main build-preload build-icons build-static ## Build all targets
 
-build-main: node_modules/.installed dist/cli/index.js ## Build main process
+build-main: node_modules/.installed dist/cli/index.js dist/cli/api.mjs ## Build main process
 
 dist/cli/index.js: src/cli/index.ts src/desktop/main.ts src/cli/server.ts src/version.ts tsconfig.main.json tsconfig.json $(TS_SOURCES)
 	@echo "Building main process..."
 	@NODE_ENV=production $(TSGO) -p tsconfig.main.json
 	@NODE_ENV=production bun x tsc-alias -p tsconfig.main.json
 
+# Build API CLI as ESM bundle (trpc-cli requires ESM with top-level await)
+dist/cli/api.mjs: src/cli/api.ts src/cli/proxifyOrpc.ts $(TS_SOURCES)
+	@echo "Building API CLI (ESM)..."
+	@bun x esbuild src/cli/api.ts \
+		--bundle \
+		--format=esm \
+		--platform=node \
+		--outfile=dist/cli/api.mjs \
+		--external:zod \
+		--external:commander \
+		--external:@trpc/server
+
 build-preload: node_modules/.installed dist/preload.js ## Build preload script
 
 dist/preload.js: src/desktop/preload.ts $(TS_SOURCES)
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 375273b2de..d8ee0e78c6 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -196,6 +196,7 @@
   },
   "files": [
     "dist/**/*.js",
+    "dist/**/*.mjs",
     "dist/**/*.js.map",
     "dist/**/*.wasm",
     "dist/**/*.html",
diff --git a/scripts/smoke-test.sh b/scripts/smoke-test.sh
index 7850f1d426..8b231ec06e 100755
--- a/scripts/smoke-test.sh
+++ b/scripts/smoke-test.sh
@@ -108,6 +108,15 @@ fi
 
 log_info "✅ mux binary found"
 
+# Test that mux api subcommand works (requires ESM bundle api.mjs)
+log_info "Testing mux api subcommand (ESM bundle)..."
+if ! node_modules/.bin/mux api --help >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  log_error "mux api --help failed - ESM bundle (api.mjs) may be missing from package"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+log_info "✅ mux api subcommand works"
+
 # Start the server in background
 log_info "Starting mux server on $SERVER_HOST:$SERVER_PORT..."
 node_modules/.bin/mux server --host "$SERVER_HOST" --port "$SERVER_PORT" >server.log 2>&1 &
diff --git a/src/cli/index.ts b/src/cli/index.ts
index e518c9e50f..c7edc176eb 100644
--- a/src/cli/index.ts
+++ b/src/cli/index.ts
@@ -40,9 +40,11 @@ if (subcommand === "run") {
   require("./server");
 } else if (subcommand === "api") {
   process.argv.splice(2, 1);
-  // Dynamic import required: trpc-cli is ESM-only and can't be require()'d
-  // eslint-disable-next-line no-restricted-syntax
-  void import("./api");
+  // Must use native import() to load ESM module - trpc-cli requires ESM with top-level await.
+  // Using Function constructor prevents TypeScript from converting this to require().
+  // The .mjs extension is critical for Node.js to treat it as ESM.
+  // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-implied-eval, @typescript-eslint/no-unsafe-call
+  void new Function("return import('./api.mjs')")();
 } else if (
   subcommand === "desktop" ||
   (isElectron && (subcommand === undefined || isElectronLaunchArg))