diff --git a/crates/picloud-cli/tests/cli.rs b/crates/picloud-cli/tests/cli.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..82e8d72
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/picloud-cli/tests/cli.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,373 @@
+//! Bare-metal end-to-end integration test.
+//!
+//! Spawns a `picloud` subprocess against `DATABASE_URL` on a private
+//! port, logs in over HTTP to mint a bearer token, then drives the
+//! `pic` binary through the full edit-deploy-invoke-tail loop and
+//! cleans up the app it created.
+//!
+//! Gated on `DATABASE_URL`. To run:
+//!
+//!   docker compose up -d postgres
+//!   DATABASE_URL=postgres://picloud:picloud@127.0.0.1:15432/picloud \
+//!     cargo test -p picloud-cli --test cli -- --include-ignored
+
+#![allow(clippy::too_many_lines)]
+
+use std::io::{BufRead, BufReader};
+use std::path::PathBuf;
+use std::process::{Child, Command as StdCommand, Stdio};
+use std::sync::mpsc;
+use std::thread;
+use std::time::{Duration, Instant, SystemTime, UNIX_EPOCH};
+
+use assert_cmd::Command as AssertCommand;
+use predicates::prelude::*;
+use serde_json::Value;
+use tempfile::TempDir;
+
+// The bootstrap env vars are inert once any admin row exists, so we
+// can't carve out a dedicated test admin against the dev database. The
+// dev stack seeds `admin`/`admin` (see CLAUDE.md); we use those.
+// `PICLOUD_CLI_E2E_USERNAME` / `_PASSWORD` let CI override.
+fn admin_username() -> String {
+    std::env::var("PICLOUD_CLI_E2E_USERNAME").unwrap_or_else(|_| "admin".to_string())
+}
+
+fn admin_password() -> String {
+    std::env::var("PICLOUD_CLI_E2E_PASSWORD").unwrap_or_else(|_| "admin".to_string())
+}
+
+#[ignore = "needs DATABASE_URL pointing at a running Postgres"]
+#[test]
+fn end_to_end_login_deploy_invoke_logs() {
+    let Ok(database_url) = std::env::var("DATABASE_URL") else {
+        eprintln!("skipping: DATABASE_URL not set");
+        return;
+    };
+
+    let port = pick_free_port();
+    let url = format!("http://127.0.0.1:{port}");
+    let mut server = spawn_picloud(&database_url, port);
+    if let Err(e) = wait_for_health(&url, Duration::from_secs(60)) {
+        kill_subprocess(&mut server);
+        panic!("picloud failed to become healthy: {e}");
+    }
+
+    let outcome = std::panic::catch_unwind(std::panic::AssertUnwindSafe(|| {
+        run_flow(&url);
+    }));
+
+    // Always tear down regardless of outcome so a failed test doesn't
+    // leak a child process.
+    kill_subprocess(&mut server);
+
+    if let Err(p) = outcome {
+        std::panic::resume_unwind(p);
+    }
+}
+
+fn run_flow(url: &str) {
+    let token = login_for_bearer_token(url);
+
+    let cfg_dir = TempDir::new().expect("tempdir");
+    let home = TempDir::new().expect("home tempdir");
+    let env = TestEnv {
+        url: url.to_string(),
+        token,
+        config_dir: cfg_dir.path().to_path_buf(),
+        home: home.path().to_path_buf(),
+    };
+
+    // Slug carries the wall-clock so reruns against a long-lived dev
+    // database don't collide on the unique-slug constraint.
+    let slug = format!(
+        "pic-cli-e2e-{}",
+        SystemTime::now()
+            .duration_since(UNIX_EPOCH)
+            .unwrap()
+            .as_millis()
+    );
+
+    let username = admin_username();
+
+    // 1) login
+    pic(&env)
+        .args(["login"])
+        .assert()
+        .success()
+        .stdout(predicate::str::contains(format!(
+            "Logged in as {username}"
+        )));
+
+    let creds_path = env.config_dir.join("credentials");
+    assert!(
+        creds_path.exists(),
+        "credentials file should exist after login"
+    );
+    let body = std::fs::read_to_string(&creds_path).unwrap();
+    assert!(body.contains(&env.url), "creds should contain url: {body}");
+    assert!(
+        body.contains(&username),
+        "creds should contain username: {body}"
+    );
+
+    // 2) whoami
+    pic(&env)
+        .args(["whoami"])
+        .assert()
+        .success()
+        .stdout(predicate::str::contains(username.clone()));
+
+    // 3) apps create
+    pic(&env)
+        .args(["apps", "create", &slug])
+        .assert()
+        .success()
+        .stdout(predicate::str::contains(format!("Created app {slug}")));
+
+    // Ensure the app is cleaned up no matter what subsequent assertions do.
+    let _guard = AppGuard {
+        url: env.url.clone(),
+        token: env.token.clone(),
+        slug: slug.clone(),
+    };
+
+    // 4) apps ls
+    pic(&env)
+        .args(["apps", "ls"])
+        .assert()
+        .success()
+        .stdout(predicate::str::contains(slug.as_str()));
+
+    // 5) scripts deploy (create then update)
+    let fixture = fixture_path("hello.rhai");
+    pic(&env)
+        .args([
+            "scripts",
+            "deploy",
+            fixture.to_str().unwrap(),
+            "--app",
+            &slug,
+        ])
+        .assert()
+        .success()
+        .stdout(predicate::str::contains("Created hello v1"));
+
+    pic(&env)
+        .args([
+            "scripts",
+            "deploy",
+            fixture.to_str().unwrap(),
+            "--app",
+            &slug,
+        ])
+        .assert()
+        .success()
+        .stdout(predicate::str::contains("Updated hello v2"));
+
+    // 6) scripts ls and capture the id
+    let ls_out = pic(&env)
+        .args(["scripts", "ls", "--app", &slug])
+        .output()
+        .expect("scripts ls");
+    assert!(ls_out.status.success(), "scripts ls failed: {ls_out:?}");
+    let id = parse_first_id(std::str::from_utf8(&ls_out.stdout).unwrap())
+        .expect("scripts ls should print at least one row");
+
+    // 7) invoke
+    let invoke_out = pic(&env)
+        .args(["scripts", "invoke", &id])
+        .output()
+        .expect("scripts invoke");
+    assert!(
+        invoke_out.status.success(),
+        "invoke failed: {}",
+        String::from_utf8_lossy(&invoke_out.stderr)
+    );
+    let parsed: Value =
+        serde_json::from_slice(&invoke_out.stdout).expect("invoke stdout should be JSON");
+    assert_eq!(
+        parsed["ok"], true,
+        "expected hello.rhai response, got {parsed}"
+    );
+
+    // 8) logs (the invoke above should have produced exactly one row)
+    let logs_out = pic(&env).args(["logs", &id]).output().expect("pic logs");
+    assert!(logs_out.status.success(), "logs failed: {logs_out:?}");
+    let stdout = String::from_utf8_lossy(&logs_out.stdout);
+    assert!(
+        stdout.lines().any(|l| !l.trim().is_empty()),
+        "logs should have at least one row, got: {stdout}"
+    );
+}
+
+// --------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Helpers
+// --------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+struct TestEnv {
+    url: String,
+    token: String,
+    config_dir: PathBuf,
+    home: PathBuf,
+}
+
+fn pic(env: &TestEnv) -> AssertCommand {
+    let mut cmd = AssertCommand::cargo_bin("pic").expect("pic binary");
+    cmd.env("PICLOUD_URL", &env.url)
+        .env("PICLOUD_TOKEN", &env.token)
+        .env("PICLOUD_CONFIG_DIR", &env.config_dir)
+        .env("HOME", &env.home);
+    cmd
+}
+
+fn fixture_path(name: &str) -> PathBuf {
+    PathBuf::from(env!("CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR"))
+        .join("tests")
+        .join("fixtures")
+        .join(name)
+}
+
+fn picloud_binary_path() -> PathBuf {
+    // The integration test binary lives at
+    // `<target>/debug/deps/cli-<hash>`. CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR points at the
+    // crate; the workspace target dir is two levels up. `picloud` lands
+    // next to our own test executable.
+    let exe = std::env::current_exe().expect("current_exe");
+    // current_exe is `.../target/debug/deps/cli-<hash>`. Walk up twice
+    // to reach `.../target/debug`, then look for `picloud`.
+    let debug_dir = exe
+        .parent()
+        .and_then(|p| p.parent())
+        .expect("test binary should live under target/debug/deps");
+    debug_dir.join(if cfg!(windows) {
+        "picloud.exe"
+    } else {
+        "picloud"
+    })
+}
+
+fn pick_free_port() -> u16 {
+    // Bind to :0, read the assigned port, drop the listener.
+    let listener =
+        std::net::TcpListener::bind("127.0.0.1:0").expect("bind 127.0.0.1:0 to pick port");
+    listener.local_addr().expect("local addr").port()
+}
+
+fn spawn_picloud(database_url: &str, port: u16) -> Child {
+    // Execute the pre-built `picloud` binary directly. Going through
+    // `cargo run -p picloud` while inside `cargo test` would contend on
+    // the same build lock and can deadlock. We assume the binary was
+    // built as part of the workspace compile that produced this test —
+    // and check explicitly so the panic is informative if not.
+    let binary = picloud_binary_path();
+    assert!(
+        binary.exists(),
+        "expected picloud binary at {}. Run `cargo build -p picloud` first \
+         (or use `cargo test --workspace -- --include-ignored` which builds it)",
+        binary.display()
+    );
+    let mut child = StdCommand::new(&binary)
+        .env("PICLOUD_BIND", format!("127.0.0.1:{port}"))
+        .env("DATABASE_URL", database_url)
+        .env("PICLOUD_ADMIN_USERNAME", admin_username())
+        .env("PICLOUD_ADMIN_PASSWORD", admin_password())
+        .env("RUST_LOG", "warn")
+        .stdout(Stdio::null())
+        .stderr(Stdio::piped())
+        .spawn()
+        .expect("spawn picloud");
+
+    // Drain stderr in a side thread so the pipe buffer doesn't fill and
+    // block the server. We only echo to test output on failure.
+    if let Some(err) = child.stderr.take().map(BufReader::new) {
+        let (tx, _rx) = mpsc::channel::<String>();
+        thread::spawn(move || {
+            for line in err.lines().map_while(Result::ok) {
+                let _ = tx.send(line);
+            }
+        });
+    }
+    child
+}
+
+fn wait_for_health(url: &str, timeout: Duration) -> Result<(), String> {
+    let deadline = Instant::now() + timeout;
+    let client = reqwest::blocking::Client::builder()
+        .timeout(Duration::from_secs(2))
+        .build()
+        .map_err(|e| e.to_string())?;
+    while Instant::now() < deadline {
+        if let Ok(resp) = client.get(format!("{url}/healthz")).send() {
+            if resp.status().is_success() {
+                return Ok(());
+            }
+        }
+        thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(250));
+    }
+    Err(format!("/healthz never returned 200 within {timeout:?}"))
+}
+
+fn login_for_bearer_token(url: &str) -> String {
+    let client = reqwest::blocking::Client::new();
+    let resp = client
+        .post(format!("{url}/api/v1/admin/auth/login"))
+        .json(&serde_json::json!({
+            "username": admin_username(),
+            "password": admin_password(),
+        }))
+        .send()
+        .expect("login request");
+    assert!(
+        resp.status().is_success(),
+        "login should succeed, got {}: {}",
+        resp.status(),
+        resp.text().unwrap_or_default()
+    );
+    let v: Value = resp.json().expect("login json");
+    v["token"]
+        .as_str()
+        .expect("login returns token")
+        .to_string()
+}
+
+fn parse_first_id(table: &str) -> Option<String> {
+    // The header line starts with "id"; the first row's first
+    // tab-delimited cell is the script UUID.
+    let mut lines = table.lines().filter(|l| !l.trim().is_empty());
+    let header = lines.next()?;
+    if !header.starts_with("id") {
+        return None;
+    }
+    let row = lines.next()?;
+    let first = row.split('\t').next()?.trim();
+    if first.is_empty() {
+        None
+    } else {
+        Some(first.to_string())
+    }
+}
+
+fn kill_subprocess(child: &mut Child) {
+    let _ = child.kill();
+    let _ = child.wait();
+}
+
+struct AppGuard {
+    url: String,
+    token: String,
+    slug: String,
+}
+
+impl Drop for AppGuard {
+    fn drop(&mut self) {
+        let client = reqwest::blocking::Client::new();
+        let _ = client
+            .delete(format!(
+                "{}/api/v1/admin/apps/{}?force=true",
+                self.url, self.slug
+            ))
+            .bearer_auth(&self.token)
+            .send();
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/picloud-cli/tests/fixtures/hello.rhai b/crates/picloud-cli/tests/fixtures/hello.rhai
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c89cb75
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/picloud-cli/tests/fixtures/hello.rhai
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+// Smallest possible Rhai script for the integration test: returns a JSON
+// object so the orchestrator wraps it as the HTTP response body.
+let body = #{ ok: true, greeting: "hello from pic" };
+body