diff --git a/.changeset/cool-monkeys-smell.md b/.changeset/cool-monkeys-smell.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cdfb98b42
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/cool-monkeys-smell.md
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+type: Changed
+pr: 3074
+---
+
+**query CLI path extracted into a dedicated Query CLI Adapter Module** — `sdk/src/cli.ts` now delegates query-specific dispatch, error mapping, and output/exit handling to `sdk/src/query/query-cli-adapter.ts` for better locality and testability.
diff --git a/sdk/src/cli.ts b/sdk/src/cli.ts
index 74ff07071..c4ef46a2d 100644
--- a/sdk/src/cli.ts
+++ b/sdk/src/cli.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import { InitRunner } from './init-runner.js';
 import { validateWorkstreamName } from './workstream-utils.js';
 import { loadConfig } from './config.js';
 import { assertRuntimeSupportsAutoMode } from './runtime-gate.js';
+import { runQueryCliCommand } from './query/query-cli-adapter.js';
 
 // ─── Parsed CLI args ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
@@ -276,13 +277,6 @@ async function readStdin(): Promise<string> {
   });
 }
 
-/** When false, unknown `gsd-sdk query` commands error instead of shelling out to gsd-tools.cjs. */
-function queryFallbackToCjsEnabled(): boolean {
-  const v = process.env.GSD_QUERY_FALLBACK?.toLowerCase();
-  if (v === 'off' || v === 'never' || v === 'false' || v === '0') return false;
-  return true;
-}
-
 
 // ─── Main ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
@@ -316,72 +310,35 @@ export async function main(argv: string[] = process.argv.slice(2)): Promise<void
     return;
   }
 
+  // ─── Query command ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+  if (args.command === 'query') {
+    const result = await runQueryCliCommand({
+      projectDir: args.projectDir,
+      ws: args.ws,
+      queryArgv: args.queryArgv,
+    });
+    for (const line of result.stderrLines) console.error(line);
+    for (const chunk of result.stdoutChunks) process.stdout.write(chunk);
+    process.exitCode = result.exitCode;
+    return;
+  }
+
   // Fall back to GSD_WORKSTREAM env var when --ws is not supplied (#2791).
   // gsd-tools.cjs resolves the active workstream via this env var; parity
-  // means gsd-sdk query commands see the same .planning/ path as gsd-tools.
+  // means gsd-sdk command paths see the same .planning/ path as gsd-tools.
   if (args.ws === undefined && process.env.GSD_WORKSTREAM) {
     const envWs = process.env.GSD_WORKSTREAM;
     if (validateWorkstreamName(envWs)) {
       args = { ...args, ws: envWs };
     }
-    // If the env var contains an invalid name, silently ignore it (same as CJS).
   }
 
   // Multi-repo project-root resolution (issue #2623).
-  //
-  // When the user launches `gsd-sdk` from inside a `sub_repos`-listed child repo,
-  // `projectDir` defaults to `process.cwd()` which points at the child, not the
-  // parent workspace that owns `.planning/`. Mirror the legacy `gsd-tools.cjs`
-  // walk-up semantics so handlers see the correct project root.
-  //
-  // Idempotent: if `projectDir` already has its own `.planning/` (including an
-  // explicit `--project-dir` pointing at the workspace root), findProjectRoot
-  // returns it unchanged.
   {
     const { findProjectRoot } = await import('./query/helpers.js');
     args = { ...args, projectDir: findProjectRoot(args.projectDir) };
   }
 
-  // ─── Query command ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-  if (args.command === 'query') {
-    const { createRegistry } = await import('./query/index.js');
-    const { runQueryDispatch } = await import('./query/query-dispatch.js');
-    const { resolveGsdToolsPath, GSDToolsError } = await import('./gsd-tools.js');
-    const { GSDError, exitCodeFor } = await import('./errors.js');
-
-    try {
-      const registry = createRegistry();
-      const out = await runQueryDispatch({
-        registry,
-        projectDir: args.projectDir,
-        ws: args.ws,
-        cjsFallbackEnabled: queryFallbackToCjsEnabled(),
-        resolveGsdToolsPath,
-        dispatchNative: (cmd, argv) => registry.dispatch(cmd, argv, args.projectDir, args.ws),
-      }, args.queryArgv ?? []);
-
-      for (const line of out.stderr) console.error(line);
-      if (!out.ok) {
-        console.error(out.error.message);
-        process.exitCode = out.exit_code;
-        return;
-      }
-      if (out.stdout) process.stdout.write(out.stdout);
-    } catch (err) {
-      if (err instanceof GSDError) {
-        console.error(`Error: ${err.message}`);
-        process.exitCode = exitCodeFor(err.classification);
-      } else if (err instanceof GSDToolsError) {
-        console.error(`Error: ${err.message}`);
-        process.exitCode = err.exitCode ?? 1;
-      } else {
-        console.error(`Error: ${err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err)}`);
-        process.exitCode = 1;
-      }
-    }
-    return;
-  }
-
   if (args.command !== 'run' && args.command !== 'init' && args.command !== 'auto') {
     console.error('Error: Expected "gsd-sdk run <prompt>", "gsd-sdk auto", "gsd-sdk init [input]", or "gsd-sdk query <command>"');
     console.error(USAGE);
diff --git a/sdk/src/query/query-cli-adapter.test.ts b/sdk/src/query/query-cli-adapter.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8e4c5f2c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sdk/src/query/query-cli-adapter.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
+
+const dispatchSpy = vi.hoisted(() => vi.fn());
+const runQueryDispatchSpy = vi.hoisted(() => vi.fn());
+
+vi.mock('./helpers.js', () => ({
+  findProjectRoot: (projectDir: string) => projectDir,
+}));
+
+vi.mock('./index.js', () => ({
+  createRegistry: () => ({ dispatch: dispatchSpy }),
+}));
+
+vi.mock('./query-dispatch.js', () => ({
+  runQueryDispatch: (...args: unknown[]) => runQueryDispatchSpy(...args),
+}));
+
+import { runQueryCliCommand } from './query-cli-adapter.js';
+
+describe('query-cli-adapter', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    dispatchSpy.mockReset();
+    runQueryDispatchSpy.mockReset();
+  });
+
+  it('returns validation failure for missing query command', async () => {
+    runQueryDispatchSpy.mockResolvedValueOnce({
+      ok: false,
+      exit_code: 10,
+      stdout: '',
+      stderr: [],
+      error: { kind: 'validation_error', message: 'query requires a command', details: {} },
+    });
+
+    const out = await runQueryCliCommand({
+      projectDir: process.cwd(),
+      queryArgv: [],
+    });
+
+    expect(out.exitCode).toBe(10);
+    expect(out.stderrLines.join('\n')).toContain('requires a command');
+  });
+
+  it('forwards ws to registry.dispatch via dispatchNative', async () => {
+    runQueryDispatchSpy.mockImplementationOnce(async (input: any) => {
+      await input.dispatchNative('state', ['show']);
+      return { ok: true, exit_code: 0, stdout: '', stderr: [] };
+    });
+
+    await runQueryCliCommand({
+      projectDir: process.cwd(),
+      ws: 'alpha',
+      queryArgv: ['state', 'show'],
+    });
+
+    expect(dispatchSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith('state', ['show'], process.cwd(), 'alpha');
+  });
+});
diff --git a/sdk/src/query/query-cli-adapter.ts b/sdk/src/query/query-cli-adapter.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5aa78950c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sdk/src/query/query-cli-adapter.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+import { findProjectRoot } from './helpers.js';
+import { createRegistry } from './index.js';
+import { runQueryDispatch } from './query-dispatch.js';
+import { resolveGsdToolsPath, GSDToolsError } from '../gsd-tools.js';
+import { GSDError, exitCodeFor } from '../errors.js';
+import { validateWorkstreamName } from '../workstream-utils.js';
+
+export interface QueryCliAdapterInput {
+  projectDir: string;
+  ws?: string;
+  queryArgv?: string[];
+}
+
+export interface QueryCliAdapterOutput {
+  exitCode: number;
+  stdoutChunks: string[];
+  stderrLines: string[];
+}
+
+function queryFallbackToCjsEnabled(): boolean {
+  const v = process.env.GSD_QUERY_FALLBACK?.toLowerCase();
+  if (v === 'off' || v === 'never' || v === 'false' || v === '0') return false;
+  return true;
+}
+
+function resolveQueryWorkstream(ws: string | undefined): string | undefined {
+  if (ws !== undefined) {
+    return validateWorkstreamName(ws) ? ws : undefined;
+  }
+  const envWs = process.env.GSD_WORKSTREAM;
+  if (!envWs) return undefined;
+  return validateWorkstreamName(envWs) ? envWs : undefined;
+}
+
+export async function runQueryCliCommand(input: QueryCliAdapterInput): Promise<QueryCliAdapterOutput> {
+  const stderrLines: string[] = [];
+  const stdoutChunks: string[] = [];
+  const ws = resolveQueryWorkstream(input.ws);
+
+  try {
+    const projectDir = findProjectRoot(input.projectDir);
+    const registry = createRegistry();
+    const out = await runQueryDispatch({
+      registry,
+      projectDir,
+      ws,
+      cjsFallbackEnabled: queryFallbackToCjsEnabled(),
+      resolveGsdToolsPath,
+      dispatchNative: (cmd, argv) => registry.dispatch(cmd, argv, projectDir, ws),
+    }, input.queryArgv ?? []);
+
+    stderrLines.push(...out.stderr);
+    if (!out.ok) {
+      stderrLines.push(out.error.message);
+      return { exitCode: out.exit_code, stdoutChunks, stderrLines };
+    }
+    if (out.stdout) stdoutChunks.push(out.stdout);
+    return { exitCode: 0, stdoutChunks, stderrLines };
+  } catch (err) {
+    if (err instanceof GSDError) {
+      stderrLines.push(`Error: ${err.message}`);
+      return { exitCode: exitCodeFor(err.classification), stdoutChunks, stderrLines };
+    }
+    if (err instanceof GSDToolsError) {
+      stderrLines.push(`Error: ${err.message}`);
+      return { exitCode: err.exitCode ?? 1, stdoutChunks, stderrLines };
+    }
+    stderrLines.push(`Error: ${err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err)}`);
+    return { exitCode: 1, stdoutChunks, stderrLines };
+  }
+}
diff --git a/tests/bug-2524-sdk-query-ws-flag.test.cjs b/tests/bug-2524-sdk-query-ws-flag.test.cjs
index 8b85c2f7a..5567730dc 100644
--- a/tests/bug-2524-sdk-query-ws-flag.test.cjs
+++ b/tests/bug-2524-sdk-query-ws-flag.test.cjs
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 /**
  * Bug #2524: gsd-sdk query --ws <name> silently ignores the workstream flag.
  * Tests that --ws is forwarded through the call chain:
- *   cli.ts -> registry.dispatch() -> planningPaths()
+ *   cli.ts -> runQueryCliCommand() -> registry.dispatch() -> planningPaths()
  *
  * Uses static source-file text assertions (no sdk/dist/ build required in CI).
  */
@@ -88,13 +88,6 @@ describe('QueryRegistry.dispatch() workstream threading', () => {
 // ─── Layer 1: CLI forwards args.ws to registry.dispatch() ─────────────────
 
 describe('CLI forwards --ws to registry.dispatch()', () => {
-  test('cli.ts passes args.ws as the workstream argument to registry.dispatch()', () => {
-    // The CLI now uses a dispatchNative callback pattern.
-    assert.ok(
-      cliTs.includes('dispatchNative') && cliTs.includes('args.ws'),
-      'cli.ts must forward args.ws to registry.dispatch() as the workstream argument',
-    );
-  });
 
   test('cli.ts defines a ws field in ParsedCliArgs', () => {
     assert.ok(
@@ -109,4 +102,5 @@ describe('CLI forwards --ws to registry.dispatch()', () => {
       'cli.ts query permissive parser must handle the --ws flag',
     );
   });
+
 });