diff --git a/PRD.md b/PRD.md
index 3adafd7..66ceb2c 100644
--- a/PRD.md
+++ b/PRD.md
@@ -813,6 +813,12 @@ JSON mode is a strict framing protocol:
 - An error includes the path, byte size, and content digest of its Diagnostic
   Log when one is available.
 
+CLI discovery is the sole framing exception. `ghidr --help`, every
+`ghidr <command> --help`, and `ghidr --version` are successful metadata
+requests rather than operations: they emit plain UTF-8 text on stdout, leave
+stderr empty, exit with status 0, and never initialize Ghidra, access the
+Analysis Store, or execute a command.
+
 Human-readable mode may present progress and concise diagnostics on stderr.
 
 Every Ghidra/adapter invocation captures diagnostics into a private temporary
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 78d22a4..1c89d68 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -21,6 +21,17 @@ Each command will identify the sample by its content, reuse compatible cached
 analysis, and produce versioned JSON by default. Human-readable presentation is
 available explicitly through `--format human`.
 
+Agents can discover the complete command surface without initializing Ghidra:
+
+```console
+ghidr --help
+ghidr decompile --help
+ghidr --version
+```
+
+These discovery requests return plain text on stdout with exit status 0 and
+leave stderr empty.
+
 ## Documents
 
 - [PRD.md](./PRD.md) defines the product requirements and initial delivery
diff --git a/docs/adr/0003-default-to-json-everywhere.md b/docs/adr/0003-default-to-json-everywhere.md
index d0fbf78..99a1f38 100644
--- a/docs/adr/0003-default-to-json-everywhere.md
+++ b/docs/adr/0003-default-to-json-everywhere.md
@@ -11,3 +11,10 @@ whether stdout is a terminal or pipe; human-readable presentation requires
 command has the same framing and semantics in every execution environment.
 JSON mode never emits interactive prompts; required confirmation is represented
 as a structured error and satisfied by an explicit flag.
+
+Clap discovery requests are intentionally outside the operation-result
+protocol. Root and subcommand `--help`, plus `--version`, return conventional
+plain UTF-8 text on stdout with status 0 and no stderr. They do not initialize
+the runtime or execute an operation. This narrow exception keeps the CLI
+self-describing for both people and automation agents without weakening JSON
+framing for analysis and cleanup commands.
diff --git a/src/output.rs b/src/output.rs
index 94a7f33..4cba2ec 100644
--- a/src/output.rs
+++ b/src/output.rs
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ use std::{
     io::{self, Write},
 };
 
-use clap::Parser as _;
+use clap::{Parser as _, error::ErrorKind};
 use serde_json::Value;
 
 use crate::{
@@ -46,6 +46,15 @@ where
     let arguments: Vec<OsString> = arguments.into_iter().map(Into::into).collect();
     match Cli::try_parse_from(arguments.clone()) {
         Ok(cli) => run_parsed(&cli, executor, stdout, stderr),
+        Err(error)
+            if matches!(
+                error.kind(),
+                ErrorKind::DisplayHelp | ErrorKind::DisplayVersion
+            ) =>
+        {
+            stdout.write_all(error.to_string().as_bytes())?;
+            Ok(ExitStatus::Success)
+        }
         Err(error) => {
             if requests_human_format(&arguments) {
                 stderr.write_all(error.to_string().as_bytes())?;
@@ -173,6 +182,35 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(document["error"]["code"], "invalid_arguments");
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn discovery_requests_use_plain_stdout_and_succeed() {
+        for (arguments, expected) in [
+            (&["ghidr", "--help"][..], "Usage: ghidr"),
+            (
+                &["ghidr", "decompile", "--help"][..],
+                "Usage: ghidr decompile",
+            ),
+            (&["ghidr", "--version"][..], "ghidr 0.1.0"),
+        ] {
+            let mut stdout = Vec::new();
+            let mut stderr = Vec::new();
+            let status = run_from(
+                arguments.iter().copied(),
+                &SuccessExecutor,
+                &mut stdout,
+                &mut stderr,
+            )
+            .expect("write succeeds");
+            assert_eq!(status, ExitStatus::Success);
+            assert!(stderr.is_empty());
+            assert!(
+                String::from_utf8(stdout)
+                    .expect("help is UTF-8")
+                    .contains(expected)
+            );
+        }
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn oversized_executor_success_cannot_escape_inline_bound() {
         let mut stdout = Vec::new();
diff --git a/tests/cli.rs b/tests/cli.rs
index ace59a9..ec773d8 100644
--- a/tests/cli.rs
+++ b/tests/cli.rs
@@ -10,6 +10,31 @@ use std::{
 };
 
 use rustix::process::{Pid, Signal, kill_process};
+
+#[test]
+fn help_and_version_are_successful_discovery_output() {
+    let cases = [
+        (vec!["--help"], "Usage: ghidr"),
+        (vec!["doctor", "--help"], "Usage: ghidr doctor"),
+        (vec!["inspect", "--help"], "Usage: ghidr inspect"),
+        (vec!["functions", "--help"], "Usage: ghidr functions"),
+        (vec!["decompile", "--help"], "Usage: ghidr decompile"),
+        (vec!["clean", "--help"], "Usage: ghidr clean"),
+        (vec!["--version"], "ghidr 0.1.0"),
+    ];
+
+    for (arguments, expected) in cases {
+        let output = Command::new(env!("CARGO_BIN_EXE_ghidr"))
+            .args(arguments)
+            .output()
+            .expect("run discovery request");
+        assert_eq!(output.status.code(), Some(0), "{:?}", output.stderr);
+        assert!(output.stderr.is_empty());
+        let stdout = String::from_utf8(output.stdout).expect("discovery output is UTF-8");
+        assert!(stdout.contains(expected), "{stdout:?}");
+    }
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn doctor_reports_ready_with_closed_runtime_paths() {
     let temp = tempfile::tempdir().expect("temp");