diff --git a/scripts/bus/pub.py b/scripts/bus/pub.py
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..a4b11edb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/bus/pub.py
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""Publish a single event to the local DECNET bus.
+
+Usage: scripts/bus/pub.py <topic> [json-payload] [--type EVENT_TYPE]
+Examples:
+    scripts/bus/pub.py topology.abc.status '{"state": "active"}'
+    scripts/bus/pub.py topology.abc.mutation.applied '{"id": 1}' --type applied
+"""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import argparse
+import asyncio
+import json
+import os
+
+from decnet.bus.unix_client import UnixSocketBus
+
+
+async def main(topic: str, payload: dict, event_type: str) -> None:
+    sock = os.environ.get("DECNET_BUS_SOCKET", "/tmp/decnet-bus.sock")
+    client = UnixSocketBus(sock, client_name="scripts-pub")
+    await client.connect()
+    try:
+        await client.publish(topic, payload, event_type=event_type)
+        print(f"pub: {topic}  type={event_type!r}  payload={payload}")
+    finally:
+        await client.close()
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    ap = argparse.ArgumentParser()
+    ap.add_argument("topic")
+    ap.add_argument("payload", nargs="?", default="{}", help="JSON object (default {})")
+    ap.add_argument("--type", dest="event_type", default="", help="optional event_type tag")
+    args = ap.parse_args()
+
+    try:
+        payload = json.loads(args.payload)
+    except json.JSONDecodeError as exc:
+        raise SystemExit(f"pub: payload is not valid JSON: {exc}")
+    if not isinstance(payload, dict):
+        raise SystemExit("pub: payload must be a JSON object")
+
+    asyncio.run(main(args.topic, payload, args.event_type))
diff --git a/scripts/bus/smoke.sh b/scripts/bus/smoke.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..b8fe48a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/bus/smoke.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# End-to-end bus smoke test: boots a worker, subscribes, publishes,
+# verifies the event lands, tears everything down. Exits non-zero if
+# anything misbehaves.
+#
+# Usage: scripts/bus/smoke.sh
+set -euo pipefail
+
+SOCK="$(mktemp -u -t decnet-bus-smoke.XXXXXX.sock)"
+export DECNET_BUS_SOCKET="${SOCK}"
+LOGDIR="$(mktemp -d -t decnet-bus-smoke.XXXXXX)"
+trap 'rm -f "${SOCK}"; rm -rf "${LOGDIR}"' EXIT
+
+HERE="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+
+echo "smoke: socket=${SOCK}"
+
+decnet bus --socket "${SOCK}" --group "" --heartbeat 1 \
+    > "${LOGDIR}/worker.log" 2>&1 &
+WORKER_PID=$!
+trap 'kill ${WORKER_PID} 2>/dev/null || true; wait ${WORKER_PID} 2>/dev/null || true; rm -f "${SOCK}"; rm -rf "${LOGDIR}"' EXIT
+
+# Wait for the socket to exist.
+for _ in {1..40}; do
+    [[ -S "${SOCK}" ]] && break
+    sleep 0.05
+done
+if [[ ! -S "${SOCK}" ]]; then
+    echo "smoke: FAIL — worker never created ${SOCK}" >&2
+    cat "${LOGDIR}/worker.log" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+# Subscriber in the background, redirected to a file we can tail.
+python "${HERE}/sub.py" 'topology.>' > "${LOGDIR}/sub.log" 2>&1 &
+SUB_PID=$!
+trap 'kill ${SUB_PID} 2>/dev/null || true; kill ${WORKER_PID} 2>/dev/null || true; wait 2>/dev/null || true; rm -f "${SOCK}"; rm -rf "${LOGDIR}"' EXIT
+
+# Give the SUB frame a tick to register.
+sleep 0.3
+
+python "${HERE}/pub.py" topology.abc.status '{"state": "active"}' >/dev/null
+
+# Wait up to 2s for the event to show up.
+for _ in {1..40}; do
+    if grep -q 'topology.abc.status' "${LOGDIR}/sub.log"; then
+        echo "smoke: OK — subscriber received event"
+        grep 'topology.abc.status' "${LOGDIR}/sub.log"
+        exit 0
+    fi
+    sleep 0.05
+done
+
+echo "smoke: FAIL — subscriber never saw the event" >&2
+echo "--- worker.log ---" >&2; cat "${LOGDIR}/worker.log" >&2
+echo "--- sub.log ---"    >&2; cat "${LOGDIR}/sub.log"    >&2
+exit 1
diff --git a/scripts/bus/start.sh b/scripts/bus/start.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..d4b8bd7b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/bus/start.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Start a local `decnet bus` worker for manual smoke-testing.
+# Uses /tmp so it works without root and without the `decnet` POSIX group.
+# Usage: scripts/bus/start.sh [heartbeat-seconds]
+set -euo pipefail
+
+SOCK="${DECNET_BUS_SOCKET:-/tmp/decnet-bus.sock}"
+HEARTBEAT="${1:-3}"
+
+echo "bus: socket=${SOCK} heartbeat=${HEARTBEAT}s  (Ctrl-C to stop)"
+exec decnet bus --socket "${SOCK}" --group "" --heartbeat "${HEARTBEAT}"
diff --git a/scripts/bus/sub.py b/scripts/bus/sub.py
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..95ceec33
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/bus/sub.py
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""Subscribe to a pattern on the local DECNET bus and print events.
+
+Usage: scripts/bus/sub.py 'topology.>'
+       scripts/bus/sub.py 'system.bus.health'
+       DECNET_BUS_SOCKET=/tmp/decnet-bus.sock scripts/bus/sub.py 'topology.*.status'
+"""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import asyncio
+import os
+import sys
+
+from decnet.bus.unix_client import UnixSocketBus
+
+
+async def main(pattern: str) -> None:
+    sock = os.environ.get("DECNET_BUS_SOCKET", "/tmp/decnet-bus.sock")
+    client = UnixSocketBus(sock, client_name="scripts-sub")
+    await client.connect()
+    sub = client.subscribe(pattern)
+    print(f"sub: pattern={pattern!r} socket={sock}  (Ctrl-C to stop)", flush=True)
+    try:
+        async with sub:
+            async for ev in sub:
+                print(f"{ev.topic}  type={ev.type!r}  payload={ev.payload}", flush=True)
+    finally:
+        await client.close()
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    if len(sys.argv) != 2:
+        print("Usage: sub.py <pattern>", file=sys.stderr)
+        sys.exit(2)
+    try:
+        asyncio.run(main(sys.argv[1]))
+    except KeyboardInterrupt:
+        pass