diff --git a/extensions/llm-task/README.md b/extensions/llm-task/README.md
new file mode 100644
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+++ b/extensions/llm-task/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+# LLM Task (plugin)
+
+Adds an **optional** agent tool `llm-task` for running **JSON-only** LLM tasks (drafting, summarizing, classifying) with optional JSON Schema validation.
+
+This is designed to be called from workflow engines (e.g. Lobster via `clawd.invoke --each`) without adding new Clawdbot code per workflow.
+
+## Enable
+
+1) Enable the plugin:
+
+```json
+{
+  "plugins": {
+    "entries": {
+      "llm-task": { "enabled": true }
+    }
+  }
+}
+```
+
+2) Allowlist the tool (it is registered with `optional: true`):
+
+```json
+{
+  "agents": {
+    "list": [
+      {
+        "id": "main",
+        "tools": { "allow": ["llm-task"] }
+      }
+    ]
+  }
+}
+```
+
+## Config (optional)
+
+```json
+{
+  "plugins": {
+    "entries": {
+      "llm-task": {
+        "enabled": true,
+        "config": {
+          "defaultProvider": "openai-codex",
+          "defaultModel": "gpt-5.2",
+          "allowedModels": ["openai-codex/gpt-5.2"],
+          "maxTokens": 800,
+          "timeoutMs": 30000
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
+```
+
+`allowedModels` is an allowlist of `provider/model` strings. If set, any request outside the list is rejected.
+
+## Tool API
+
+### Parameters
+
+- `prompt` (string, required)
+- `input` (any, optional)
+- `schema` (object, optional JSON Schema)
+- `provider` (string, optional)
+- `model` (string, optional)
+- `authProfileId` (string, optional)
+- `temperature` (number, optional)
+- `maxTokens` (number, optional)
+- `timeoutMs` (number, optional)
+
+### Output
+
+Returns `details.json` containing the parsed JSON (and validates against `schema` when provided).
+
+## Notes
+
+- The tool is **JSON-only** and instructs the model to output only JSON (no code fences, no commentary).
+- Side effects should be handled outside this tool (e.g. approvals in Lobster) before calling tools that send messages/emails.
+
+## Bundled extension note
+
+This extension depends on Clawdbot internal modules (the embedded agent runner). It is intended to ship as a **bundled** Clawdbot extension (like `lobster`) and be enabled via `plugins.entries` + tool allowlists.
+
+It is **not** currently designed to be copied into `~/.clawdbot/extensions` as a standalone plugin directory.
diff --git a/extensions/llm-task/clawdbot.plugin.json b/extensions/llm-task/clawdbot.plugin.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..08f8cc067
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extensions/llm-task/clawdbot.plugin.json
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+{
+  "id": "llm-task",
+  "name": "LLM Task",
+  "description": "Generic JSON-only LLM tool for structured tasks callable from workflows.",
+  "configSchema": {
+    "type": "object",
+    "additionalProperties": false,
+    "properties": {
+      "defaultProvider": { "type": "string" },
+      "defaultModel": { "type": "string" },
+      "defaultAuthProfileId": { "type": "string" },
+      "allowedModels": {
+        "type": "array",
+        "items": { "type": "string" },
+        "description": "Allowlist of provider/model keys like openai-codex/gpt-5.2."
+      },
+      "maxTokens": { "type": "number" },
+      "timeoutMs": { "type": "number" }
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/extensions/llm-task/index.ts b/extensions/llm-task/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..025a20fa1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extensions/llm-task/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+import { createLlmTaskTool } from "./src/llm-task-tool.js";
+
+export default function (api: any) {
+  api.registerTool(createLlmTaskTool(api), { optional: true });
+}
diff --git a/extensions/llm-task/package.json b/extensions/llm-task/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fbe66cd7b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extensions/llm-task/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+{
+  "name": "@clawdbot/llm-task",
+  "private": true,
+  "type": "module",
+  "main": "index.ts",
+  "version": "0.0.0"
+}
diff --git a/extensions/llm-task/src/llm-task-tool.test.ts b/extensions/llm-task/src/llm-task-tool.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..881feb243
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extensions/llm-task/src/llm-task-tool.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach } from "vitest";
+
+vi.mock("../../../src/agents/pi-embedded-runner.js", () => {
+  return {
+    runEmbeddedPiAgent: vi.fn(async () => ({
+      meta: { startedAt: Date.now() },
+      payloads: [{ text: "{}" }],
+    })),
+  };
+});
+
+import { runEmbeddedPiAgent } from "../../../src/agents/pi-embedded-runner.js";
+import { createLlmTaskTool } from "./llm-task-tool.js";
+
+function fakeApi(overrides: any = {}) {
+  return {
+    id: "llm-task",
+    name: "llm-task",
+    source: "test",
+    config: { agents: { defaults: { workspace: "/tmp", model: { primary: "openai-codex/gpt-5.2" } } } },
+    pluginConfig: {},
+    runtime: { version: "test" },
+    logger: { debug() {}, info() {}, warn() {}, error() {} },
+    registerTool() {},
+    ...overrides,
+  };
+}
+
+describe("llm-task tool (json-only)", () => {
+  beforeEach(() => vi.clearAllMocks());
+
+  it("returns parsed json", async () => {
+    (runEmbeddedPiAgent as any).mockResolvedValueOnce({
+      meta: {},
+      payloads: [{ text: JSON.stringify({ foo: "bar" }) }],
+    });
+    const tool = createLlmTaskTool(fakeApi() as any);
+    const res = await tool.execute("id", { prompt: "return foo" });
+    expect((res as any).details.json).toEqual({ foo: "bar" });
+  });
+
+  it("validates schema", async () => {
+    (runEmbeddedPiAgent as any).mockResolvedValueOnce({
+      meta: {},
+      payloads: [{ text: JSON.stringify({ foo: "bar" }) }],
+    });
+    const tool = createLlmTaskTool(fakeApi() as any);
+    const schema = {
+      type: "object",
+      properties: { foo: { type: "string" } },
+      required: ["foo"],
+      additionalProperties: false,
+    };
+    const res = await tool.execute("id", { prompt: "return foo", schema });
+    expect((res as any).details.json).toEqual({ foo: "bar" });
+  });
+
+  it("throws on invalid json", async () => {
+    (runEmbeddedPiAgent as any).mockResolvedValueOnce({ meta: {}, payloads: [{ text: "not-json" }] });
+    const tool = createLlmTaskTool(fakeApi() as any);
+    await expect(tool.execute("id", { prompt: "x" })).rejects.toThrow(/invalid json/i);
+  });
+
+  it("throws on schema mismatch", async () => {
+    (runEmbeddedPiAgent as any).mockResolvedValueOnce({
+      meta: {},
+      payloads: [{ text: JSON.stringify({ foo: 1 }) }],
+    });
+    const tool = createLlmTaskTool(fakeApi() as any);
+    const schema = { type: "object", properties: { foo: { type: "string" } }, required: ["foo"] };
+    await expect(tool.execute("id", { prompt: "x", schema })).rejects.toThrow(/match schema/i);
+  });
+
+  it("passes provider/model overrides to embedded runner", async () => {
+    (runEmbeddedPiAgent as any).mockResolvedValueOnce({
+      meta: {},
+      payloads: [{ text: JSON.stringify({ ok: true }) }],
+    });
+    const tool = createLlmTaskTool(fakeApi() as any);
+    await tool.execute("id", { prompt: "x", provider: "anthropic", model: "claude-4-sonnet" });
+    const call = (runEmbeddedPiAgent as any).mock.calls[0]?.[0];
+    expect(call.provider).toBe("anthropic");
+    expect(call.model).toBe("claude-4-sonnet");
+  });
+
+  it("enforces allowedModels", async () => {
+    (runEmbeddedPiAgent as any).mockResolvedValueOnce({
+      meta: {},
+      payloads: [{ text: JSON.stringify({ ok: true }) }],
+    });
+    const tool = createLlmTaskTool(fakeApi({ pluginConfig: { allowedModels: ["openai-codex/gpt-5.2"] } }) as any);
+    await expect(tool.execute("id", { prompt: "x", provider: "anthropic", model: "claude-4-sonnet" })).rejects.toThrow(
+      /not allowed/i,
+    );
+  });
+});
diff --git a/extensions/llm-task/src/llm-task-tool.ts b/extensions/llm-task/src/llm-task-tool.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a8ae0e3e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extensions/llm-task/src/llm-task-tool.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,200 @@
+import os from "node:os";
+import path from "node:path";
+import fs from "node:fs/promises";
+
+import Ajv from "ajv";
+import { Type } from "@sinclair/typebox";
+
+// NOTE: This extension is intended to be bundled with Clawdbot.
+// When running from source (tests/dev), Clawdbot internals live under src/.
+// When running from a built install, internals live under dist/ (no src/ tree).
+// So we resolve internal imports dynamically with src-first, dist-fallback.
+
+import type { ClawdbotPluginApi } from "../../../src/plugins/types.js";
+
+type RunEmbeddedPiAgentFn = (params: any) => Promise<any>;
+
+async function loadRunEmbeddedPiAgent(): Promise<RunEmbeddedPiAgentFn> {
+  // Source checkout (tests/dev)
+  try {
+    const mod = await import("../../../src/agents/pi-embedded-runner.js");
+    if (typeof (mod as any).runEmbeddedPiAgent === "function") return (mod as any).runEmbeddedPiAgent;
+  } catch {
+    // ignore
+  }
+
+  // Bundled install (built)
+  const mod = await import("../../../agents/pi-embedded-runner.js");
+  if (typeof (mod as any).runEmbeddedPiAgent !== "function") {
+    throw new Error("Internal error: runEmbeddedPiAgent not available");
+  }
+  return (mod as any).runEmbeddedPiAgent;
+}
+
+function stripCodeFences(s: string): string {
+  const trimmed = s.trim();
+  const m = trimmed.match(/^```(?:json)?s*([sS]*?)s*```$/i);
+  if (m) return (m[1] ?? "").trim();
+  return trimmed;
+}
+
+function collectText(payloads: Array<{ text?: string; isError?: boolean }> | undefined): string {
+  const texts = (payloads ?? [])
+    .filter((p) => !p.isError && typeof p.text === "string")
+    .map((p) => p.text ?? "");
+  return texts.join("n").trim();
+}
+
+function toModelKey(provider?: string, model?: string): string | undefined {
+  const p = provider?.trim();
+  const m = model?.trim();
+  if (!p || !m) return undefined;
+  return `${p}/${m}`;
+}
+
+type PluginCfg = {
+  defaultProvider?: string;
+  defaultModel?: string;
+  defaultAuthProfileId?: string;
+  allowedModels?: string[];
+  maxTokens?: number;
+  timeoutMs?: number;
+};
+
+export function createLlmTaskTool(api: ClawdbotPluginApi) {
+  return {
+    name: "llm-task",
+    description:
+      "Run a generic JSON-only LLM task and return schema-validated JSON. Designed for orchestration from Lobster workflows via clawd.invoke.",
+    parameters: Type.Object({
+      prompt: Type.String({ description: "Task instruction for the LLM." }),
+      input: Type.Optional(Type.Unknown({ description: "Optional input payload for the task." })),
+      schema: Type.Optional(Type.Unknown({ description: "Optional JSON Schema to validate the returned JSON." })),
+      provider: Type.Optional(Type.String({ description: "Provider override (e.g. openai-codex, anthropic)." })),
+      model: Type.Optional(Type.String({ description: "Model id override." })),
+      authProfileId: Type.Optional(Type.String({ description: "Auth profile override." })),
+      temperature: Type.Optional(Type.Number({ description: "Best-effort temperature override." })),
+      maxTokens: Type.Optional(Type.Number({ description: "Best-effort maxTokens override." })),
+      timeoutMs: Type.Optional(Type.Number({ description: "Timeout for the LLM run." })),
+    }),
+
+    async execute(_id: string, params: Record<string, unknown>) {
+      const prompt = String(params.prompt ?? "");
+      if (!prompt.trim()) throw new Error("prompt required");
+
+      const pluginCfg = (api.pluginConfig ?? {}) as PluginCfg;
+
+      const primary = api.config?.agents?.defaults?.model?.primary;
+      const primaryProvider = typeof primary === "string" ? primary.split("/")[0] : undefined;
+      const primaryModel = typeof primary === "string" ? primary.split("/").slice(1).join("/") : undefined;
+
+      const provider =
+        (typeof params.provider === "string" && params.provider.trim()) ||
+        (typeof pluginCfg.defaultProvider === "string" && pluginCfg.defaultProvider.trim()) ||
+        primaryProvider ||
+        undefined;
+
+      const model =
+        (typeof params.model === "string" && params.model.trim()) ||
+        (typeof pluginCfg.defaultModel === "string" && pluginCfg.defaultModel.trim()) ||
+        primaryModel ||
+        undefined;
+
+      const authProfileId =
+        (typeof (params as any).authProfileId === "string" && (params as any).authProfileId.trim()) ||
+        (typeof pluginCfg.defaultAuthProfileId === "string" && pluginCfg.defaultAuthProfileId.trim()) ||
+        undefined;
+
+      const modelKey = toModelKey(provider, model);
+      if (!provider || !model || !modelKey) {
+        throw new Error(
+          `provider/model could not be resolved (provider=${String(provider ?? "")}, model=${String(model ?? "")})`,
+        );
+      }
+
+      const allowed = Array.isArray(pluginCfg.allowedModels) ? pluginCfg.allowedModels : undefined;
+      if (allowed && allowed.length > 0 && !allowed.includes(modelKey)) {
+        throw new Error(
+          `Model not allowed by llm-task plugin config: ${modelKey}. Allowed models: ${allowed.join(", ")}`,
+        );
+      }
+
+      const timeoutMs =
+        (typeof params.timeoutMs === "number" && params.timeoutMs > 0 ? params.timeoutMs : undefined) ||
+        (typeof pluginCfg.timeoutMs === "number" && pluginCfg.timeoutMs > 0 ? pluginCfg.timeoutMs : undefined) ||
+        30_000;
+
+      const streamParams = {
+        temperature: typeof params.temperature === "number" ? params.temperature : undefined,
+        maxTokens:
+          typeof params.maxTokens === "number"
+            ? params.maxTokens
+            : typeof pluginCfg.maxTokens === "number"
+              ? pluginCfg.maxTokens
+              : undefined,
+      };
+
+      const input = (params as any).input as unknown;
+
+      const system = [
+        "You are a JSON-only function.",
+        "Return ONLY a valid JSON value.",
+        "Do not wrap in markdown fences.",
+        "Do not include commentary.",
+        "Do not call tools.",
+      ].join(" ");
+
+      const fullPrompt = `${system}nnTASK:n${prompt}nnINPUT_JSON:n${JSON.stringify(input ?? null, null, 2)}n`;
+
+      const tmpDir = await fs.mkdtemp(path.join(os.tmpdir(), "clawdbot-llm-task-"));
+      const sessionId = `llm-task-${Date.now()}`;
+      const sessionFile = path.join(tmpDir, "session.json");
+
+      const runEmbeddedPiAgent = await loadRunEmbeddedPiAgent();
+
+      const result = await runEmbeddedPiAgent({
+        sessionId,
+        sessionFile,
+        workspaceDir: api.config?.agents?.defaults?.workspace ?? process.cwd(),
+        config: api.config,
+        prompt: fullPrompt,
+        timeoutMs,
+        runId: `llm-task-${Date.now()}`,
+        provider,
+        model,
+        authProfileId,
+        authProfileIdSource: authProfileId ? "user" : "auto",
+        streamParams,
+      });
+
+      const text = collectText((result as any).payloads);
+      if (!text) throw new Error("LLM returned empty output");
+
+      const raw = stripCodeFences(text);
+      let parsed: unknown;
+      try {
+        parsed = JSON.parse(raw);
+      } catch {
+        throw new Error("LLM returned invalid JSON");
+      }
+
+      const schema = (params as any).schema as unknown;
+      if (schema && typeof schema === "object") {
+        const ajv = new Ajv({ allErrors: true, strict: false });
+        const validate = ajv.compile(schema as any);
+        const ok = validate(parsed);
+        if (!ok) {
+          const msg =
+            validate.errors?.map((e) => `${e.instancePath || "<root>"} ${e.message || "invalid"}`).join("; ") ??
+            "invalid";
+          throw new Error(`LLM JSON did not match schema: ${msg}`);
+        }
+      }
+
+      return {
+        content: [{ type: "text", text: JSON.stringify(parsed, null, 2) }],
+        details: { json: parsed, provider, model },
+      };
+    },
+  };
+}