diff --git a/agent-queue/selftest.sh b/agent-queue/selftest.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..6949cb6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/agent-queue/selftest.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+#
+# selftest.sh — quick, dependency-light verification for agent-queue.
+#
+# Runs:
+#   1. shellcheck (if installed) at --severity=error on the runner
+#   2. bash -n syntax check on the runner + this script
+#   3. node --check on the dashboard (if node installed)
+#   4. a live init/add/run --once cycle against a throwaway queue using a
+#      no-op engine stub (no real agent CLI is ever invoked)
+#
+# It uses its own temp AGENT_QUEUE_ROOT so it never touches a real queue.
+# Exit 0 = all good. Run it before every commit.
+#
+set -euo pipefail
+
+HERE="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+AQ="$HERE/agent-queue.sh"
+
+pass() { printf '  \033[32m✓\033[0m %s\n' "$*"; }
+info() { printf '  \033[36m•\033[0m %s\n' "$*"; }
+fail() { printf '  \033[31m✗ %s\033[0m\n' "$*" >&2; exit 1; }
+
+tmp="$(mktemp -d "${TMPDIR:-/tmp}/aq-selftest.XXXXXX")"
+cleanup() { rm -rf "$tmp"; }
+trap cleanup EXIT
+
+echo "agent-queue self-test"
+
+# 1. shellcheck (optional)
+if command -v shellcheck >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  shellcheck --severity=error --shell=bash "$AQ" "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" && pass "shellcheck (errors): clean"
+else
+  info "shellcheck not installed — skipping"
+fi
+
+# 2. syntax
+bash -n "$AQ" && pass "bash -n agent-queue.sh"
+bash -n "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" && pass "bash -n selftest.sh"
+
+# 3. dashboard syntax (optional)
+if command -v node >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  node --check "$HERE/dashboard.mjs" && pass "node --check dashboard.mjs"
+else
+  info "node not installed — skipping dashboard check"
+fi
+
+# 4. live no-op cycle
+export AGENT_QUEUE_ROOT="$tmp/queue"
+stub="$tmp/noop-engine"
+printf '#!/usr/bin/env bash\n# no-op engine stub: drain stdin, succeed\ncat >/dev/null 2>&1 || true\nexit 0\n' > "$stub"
+chmod +x "$stub"
+
+work="$tmp/work"; mkdir -p "$work"
+task="$tmp/task.md"
+printf '%s\n' '---' 'engine: devin' "cwd: $work" 'yolo: true' '---' '' '# self-test no-op task' > "$task"
+
+"$AQ" init >/dev/null
+DEVIN_BIN="$stub" "$AQ" add "$task" >/dev/null
+DEVIN_BIN="$stub" "$AQ" run --once >/dev/null 2>&1
+
+if ls "$AGENT_QUEUE_ROOT"/done/*.md >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  pass "init/add/run --once → task landed in done/"
+else
+  echo "--- queue state ---" >&2
+  ls -R "$AGENT_QUEUE_ROOT" >&2 || true
+  fail "no-op cycle did not complete (expected a file in done/)"
+fi
+
+# status must not error
+"$AQ" status >/dev/null 2>&1 && pass "status runs clean"
+
+echo "self-test PASS"