diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 9fcef7a..798e6e6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -92,6 +92,20 @@ jobs:
         env:
           PTYWRIGHT_REQUIRED: "1"
         run: npm test --workspace @onkernel/cua-cli
+      - name: Build cua-cli
+        run: npm run build --workspace @onkernel/cua-cli
+      - name: Pack tarball
+        run: npm pack --workspace @onkernel/cua-cli --pack-destination "$RUNNER_TEMP"
+      - name: CLI bin smoke test
+        run: |
+          SMOKE_DIR=$(mktemp -d)
+          cd "$SMOKE_DIR"
+          npm init -y > /dev/null
+          npm install "$RUNNER_TEMP"/onkernel-cua-cli-*.tgz
+          OUTPUT=$(./node_modules/.bin/cua --help)
+          echo "$OUTPUT"
+          echo "$OUTPUT" | grep -q "Usage:"
+          echo "$OUTPUT" | grep -q "cua \[options\] \[prompt\.\.\.\]"
 
   integration:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index beae503..d1618ca 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -6116,6 +6116,7 @@
       },
       "devDependencies": {
         "@onkernel/ptywright": "0.1.0",
+        "tsdown": "^0.22.2",
         "vitest": "^3.2.4"
       },
       "engines": {
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index a189916..1f5397e 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
     "packages/cli"
   ],
   "scripts": {
-    "build": "npm run build --workspace @onkernel/cua-ai && npm run build --workspace @onkernel/cua-agent && tsc -b && npm run build:native --workspace @onkernel/ptywright --if-present",
+    "build": "npm run build --workspace @onkernel/cua-ai && npm run build --workspace @onkernel/cua-agent && tsc -b && npm run build --workspace @onkernel/cua-cli && npm run build:native --workspace @onkernel/ptywright --if-present",
     "build:cli": "npm run build --workspace @onkernel/cua-cli",
     "dev": "tsc -b --watch",
     "typecheck": "npm run build --workspace @onkernel/cua-ai && npm run build --workspace @onkernel/cua-agent && tsc -b",
diff --git a/packages/cli/package.json b/packages/cli/package.json
index 061eeca..4a43a43 100644
--- a/packages/cli/package.json
+++ b/packages/cli/package.json
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
   "license": "MIT",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "./dist/cli.js",
-  "types": "./dist/cli.d.ts",
   "repository": {
     "type": "git",
     "url": "git+https://github.com/kernel/cua.git",
@@ -29,9 +28,10 @@
     "node": ">=22.19.0"
   },
   "scripts": {
-    "build": "tsc -b && chmod +x dist/cli.js",
-    "clean": "tsc -b --clean",
-    "test": "vitest --run"
+    "build": "tsdown && chmod +x dist/cli.js",
+    "clean": "tsc -b --clean && rm -rf dist dist-tsc",
+    "test": "vitest --run",
+    "typecheck": "tsc -b"
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "@earendil-works/pi-coding-agent": "0.79.1",
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "@onkernel/ptywright": "0.1.0",
+    "tsdown": "^0.22.2",
     "vitest": "^3.2.4"
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/cli/tsconfig.build.json b/packages/cli/tsconfig.build.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d57acd1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/cli/tsconfig.build.json
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+{
+  "extends": "../../tsconfig.base.json",
+  "compilerOptions": {
+    "outDir": "./dist-tsc",
+    "rootDir": "./src",
+    "emitDeclarationOnly": true,
+    "sourceMap": false,
+    "declarationMap": false
+  },
+  "include": ["src/**/*"],
+  "exclude": ["node_modules", "dist", "**/*.d.ts"],
+  "references": [
+    { "path": "../ptywright" }
+  ]
+}
diff --git a/packages/cli/tsconfig.json b/packages/cli/tsconfig.json
index 95f9f63..d8faaf5 100644
--- a/packages/cli/tsconfig.json
+++ b/packages/cli/tsconfig.json
@@ -1,11 +1,3 @@
 {
-  "extends": "../../tsconfig.base.json",
-  "compilerOptions": {
-    "outDir": "./dist",
-    "rootDir": "./src"
-  },
-  "include": ["src/**/*"],
-  "references": [
-    { "path": "../ptywright" }
-  ]
+  "extends": "./tsconfig.build.json"
 }
diff --git a/packages/cli/tsdown.config.ts b/packages/cli/tsdown.config.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cb7d4f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/cli/tsdown.config.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+import { defineConfig } from "tsdown";
+
+export default defineConfig({
+  entry: ["src/cli.ts"],
+  format: ["esm"],
+  platform: "node",
+  dts: false,
+  sourcemap: false,
+  clean: true,
+  outExtensions: () => ({ js: ".js" }),
+});