diff --git a/plugins/codex/scripts/lib/app-server.mjs b/plugins/codex/scripts/lib/app-server.mjs
index 72b30a764..8ecacf213 100644
--- a/plugins/codex/scripts/lib/app-server.mjs
+++ b/plugins/codex/scripts/lib/app-server.mjs
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ const PLUGIN_MANIFEST_URL = new URL("../../.claude-plugin/plugin.json", import.m
 const PLUGIN_MANIFEST = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(PLUGIN_MANIFEST_URL, "utf8"));
 
 export const BROKER_ENDPOINT_ENV = "CODEX_COMPANION_APP_SERVER_ENDPOINT";
+export const BROKER_DISABLE_ENV = "CODEX_COMPANION_APP_SERVER_DISABLE_BROKER";
 export const BROKER_BUSY_RPC_CODE = -32001;
 
 /** @type {ClientInfo} */
@@ -332,10 +333,23 @@ class BrokerCodexAppServerClient extends AppServerClientBase {
   }
 }
 
+export function resolveDisableBroker(options) {
+  if (options.disableBroker !== undefined) {
+    return Boolean(options.disableBroker);
+  }
+  const raw = options.env?.[BROKER_DISABLE_ENV] ?? process.env[BROKER_DISABLE_ENV] ?? null;
+  if (raw === null || raw === undefined) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  const normalized = String(raw).trim().toLowerCase();
+  return normalized === "true" || normalized === "1" || normalized === "yes";
+}
+
 export class CodexAppServerClient {
   static async connect(cwd, options = {}) {
+    const disableBroker = resolveDisableBroker(options);
     let brokerEndpoint = null;
-    if (!options.disableBroker) {
+    if (!disableBroker) {
       brokerEndpoint = options.brokerEndpoint ?? options.env?.[BROKER_ENDPOINT_ENV] ?? process.env[BROKER_ENDPOINT_ENV] ?? null;
       if (!brokerEndpoint && options.reuseExistingBroker) {
         brokerEndpoint = loadBrokerSession(cwd)?.endpoint ?? null;
diff --git a/plugins/codex/scripts/lib/codex.mjs b/plugins/codex/scripts/lib/codex.mjs
index fead00cc4..2e260a5e2 100644
--- a/plugins/codex/scripts/lib/codex.mjs
+++ b/plugins/codex/scripts/lib/codex.mjs
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ import os from "node:os";
 import path from "node:path";
 
 import { readJsonFile } from "./fs.mjs";
-import { BROKER_BUSY_RPC_CODE, BROKER_ENDPOINT_ENV, CodexAppServerClient } from "./app-server.mjs";
+import { BROKER_BUSY_RPC_CODE, BROKER_ENDPOINT_ENV, CodexAppServerClient, resolveDisableBroker } from "./app-server.mjs";
 import { loadBrokerSession } from "./broker-lifecycle.mjs";
 import { binaryAvailable } from "./process.mjs";
 
@@ -904,6 +904,15 @@ export function getCodexAvailability(cwd) {
 }
 
 export function getSessionRuntimeStatus(env = process.env, cwd = process.cwd()) {
+  if (resolveDisableBroker({ env })) {
+    return {
+      mode: "direct",
+      label: "direct startup",
+      detail: "Broker discovery is disabled by CODEX_COMPANION_APP_SERVER_DISABLE_BROKER; each command starts its own Codex runtime.",
+      endpoint: null
+    };
+  }
+
   const endpoint = env?.[BROKER_ENDPOINT_ENV] ?? loadBrokerSession(cwd)?.endpoint ?? null;
   if (endpoint) {
     return {
diff --git a/tests/app-server.test.mjs b/tests/app-server.test.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1c4d75029
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/app-server.test.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+import test from "node:test";
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+
+import { buildEnv, installFakeCodex } from "./fake-codex-fixture.mjs";
+import { makeTempDir } from "./helpers.mjs";
+import { BROKER_DISABLE_ENV, CodexAppServerClient } from "../plugins/codex/scripts/lib/app-server.mjs";
+
+test("CodexAppServerClient.connect spawns directly when CODEX_COMPANION_APP_SERVER_DISABLE_BROKER is true", async () => {
+  const binDir = makeTempDir();
+  installFakeCodex(binDir);
+  const cwd = makeTempDir();
+  const env = { ...buildEnv(binDir), [BROKER_DISABLE_ENV]: "true" };
+
+  const client = await CodexAppServerClient.connect(cwd, { env });
+
+  assert.equal(client.transport, "direct");
+  await client.close();
+});
+
+test("CodexAppServerClient.connect accepts 1 as a truthy disableBroker env value", async () => {
+  const binDir = makeTempDir();
+  installFakeCodex(binDir);
+  const cwd = makeTempDir();
+  const env = { ...buildEnv(binDir), [BROKER_DISABLE_ENV]: "1" };
+
+  const client = await CodexAppServerClient.connect(cwd, { env });
+
+  assert.equal(client.transport, "direct");
+  await client.close();
+});
+
+test("CodexAppServerClient.connect treats an explicit disableBroker option as an override", async () => {
+  const binDir = makeTempDir();
+  installFakeCodex(binDir);
+  const cwd = makeTempDir();
+  // Even though the env var is set, an explicit option wins.
+  const client = await CodexAppServerClient.connect(cwd, {
+    env: buildEnv(binDir),
+    disableBroker: true
+  });
+
+  assert.equal(client.transport, "direct");
+  await client.close();
+});
diff --git a/tests/codex.test.mjs b/tests/codex.test.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..485b6c70b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/codex.test.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+import test from "node:test";
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+
+import { getSessionRuntimeStatus } from "../plugins/codex/scripts/lib/codex.mjs";
+import { BROKER_DISABLE_ENV } from "../plugins/codex/scripts/lib/app-server.mjs";
+import { makeTempDir } from "./helpers.mjs";
+
+test("getSessionRuntimeStatus reports direct mode when disable-broker env is set", () => {
+  const cwd = makeTempDir();
+  const env = { [BROKER_DISABLE_ENV]: "true" };
+
+  const status = getSessionRuntimeStatus(env, cwd);
+
+  assert.equal(status.mode, "direct");
+  assert.equal(status.endpoint, null);
+  assert.ok(status.detail.includes("disabled by CODEX_COMPANION_APP_SERVER_DISABLE_BROKER"));
+});
+
+test("getSessionRuntimeStatus honors disable-broker env even when endpoint is set", () => {
+  const cwd = makeTempDir();
+  const env = {
+    [BROKER_DISABLE_ENV]: "1",
+    CODEX_COMPANION_APP_SERVER_ENDPOINT: "tcp://127.0.0.1:12345"
+  };
+
+  const status = getSessionRuntimeStatus(env, cwd);
+
+  assert.equal(status.mode, "direct");
+  assert.equal(status.endpoint, null);
+});
+
+test("getSessionRuntimeStatus reports shared mode when endpoint is set and disable is unset", () => {
+  const cwd = makeTempDir();
+  const env = {
+    CODEX_COMPANION_APP_SERVER_ENDPOINT: "tcp://127.0.0.1:12345"
+  };
+
+  const status = getSessionRuntimeStatus(env, cwd);
+
+  assert.equal(status.mode, "shared");
+  assert.equal(status.endpoint, "tcp://127.0.0.1:12345");
+});
+
+test("getSessionRuntimeStatus reports direct mode when no endpoint or disable flag is set", () => {
+  const cwd = makeTempDir();
+  const status = getSessionRuntimeStatus({}, cwd);
+
+  assert.equal(status.mode, "direct");
+  assert.equal(status.endpoint, null);
+});