diff --git a/apps/cli/CHANGELOG.md b/apps/cli/CHANGELOG.md
index f62bc4f..0463903 100644
--- a/apps/cli/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/apps/cli/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,15 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## 1.22.1 (2026-05-03) — daemon docs + help
+
+- Root `claudemesh --help` now lists the `daemon` subcommand suite under
+  its own section (was missing in 1.22.0).
+- `claudemesh daemon` (no subcommand) now prints a usage block instead of
+  silently launching the daemon. `daemon help|--help|-h` work too.
+- Bundled SKILL.md gained a "Daemon path (v0.9.0, opt-in, fastest)"
+  section explaining the runtime, lifecycle commands, and how it relates
+  to `claudemesh install` (independent — not auto-started).
+
 ## 1.22.0 (2026-05-03) — daemon v0.9.0
 
 ### New: `claudemesh daemon` — long-lived peer mesh runtime
diff --git a/apps/cli/package.json b/apps/cli/package.json
index 6d788e5..7b60370 100644
--- a/apps/cli/package.json
+++ b/apps/cli/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "claudemesh-cli",
-  "version": "1.22.0",
+  "version": "1.22.1",
   "description": "Peer mesh for Claude Code sessions — CLI + MCP server.",
   "keywords": [
     "claude-code",
diff --git a/apps/cli/skills/claudemesh/SKILL.md b/apps/cli/skills/claudemesh/SKILL.md
index c4f298a..3a98821 100644
--- a/apps/cli/skills/claudemesh/SKILL.md
+++ b/apps/cli/skills/claudemesh/SKILL.md
@@ -45,6 +45,23 @@ claudemesh send "<from_name>" "..." --mesh "<mesh_slug>"
 
 If the parent Claude session was launched via `claudemesh launch`, an MCP push-pipe is running and holds the per-mesh WS connection. CLI invocations dial `~/.claudemesh/sockets/<mesh-slug>.sock` and reuse that warm connection (~200ms total round-trip including Node.js startup). If no push-pipe is running (cron, scripts, hooks fired outside a session), the CLI opens its own WS, which takes ~500-700ms cold. **You don't manage this** — every verb auto-detects and falls through.
 
+### Daemon path (v0.9.0, opt-in, fastest)
+
+`claudemesh daemon up [--mesh <slug>]` starts a persistent per-user runtime that holds the broker WS, a durable SQLite outbox/inbox, and listens on `~/.claudemesh/daemon/daemon.sock` (UDS) plus an optional loopback TCP. When the daemon socket is present, every verb routes through it first (~1ms IPC) before falling back to bridge / cold paths. The send envelope carries a caller-stable `client_message_id`, so a `claudemesh send` that started before a daemon crash survives the restart via the on-disk outbox.
+
+Lifecycle:
+
+```bash
+claudemesh daemon up --mesh <slug>                     # foreground
+claudemesh daemon install-service --mesh <slug>        # macOS launchd / Linux systemd-user
+claudemesh daemon status [--json]                      # health + pid
+claudemesh daemon outbox list [--failed|--pending|...] # local queue inspection
+claudemesh daemon outbox requeue <id>                  # re-enqueue an aborted/dead row
+claudemesh daemon down                                 # SIGTERM + wait
+```
+
+`claudemesh install` (MCP + hooks registration) and the daemon are independent — install does not start the daemon, and the daemon does not require install. Run both for the warmest path: install gives you the in-session push-pipe, daemon gives you cross-invocation persistence and a survivable outbox.
+
 ## Spawning new sessions (no wizard)
 
 `claudemesh launch` is the canonical way to start a new Claude Code session connected to claudemesh. Pass every required flag up front so no interactive prompt fires — that's what makes the verb scriptable from tmux send-keys, AppleScript/iTerm spawn helpers, hooks, cron, and the `claudemesh launch` you call from inside another session. **Always use this verb, never `claude` directly with hand-rolled flags** — it sets up the per-session ed25519 keypair, exports `CLAUDEMESH_DISPLAY_NAME`, isolates the mesh config in a tmpdir, and passes the `--dangerously-load-development-channels server:claudemesh` plumbing that the MCP push-pipe needs.
diff --git a/apps/cli/src/commands/daemon.ts b/apps/cli/src/commands/daemon.ts
index 0fb0963..c904c56 100644
--- a/apps/cli/src/commands/daemon.ts
+++ b/apps/cli/src/commands/daemon.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ export async function runDaemonCommand(
 ): Promise<number> {
   switch (sub) {
     case undefined:
+      return printDaemonUsage();
+
     case "up":
     case "start":
       return runDaemon({
@@ -31,6 +33,11 @@ export async function runDaemonCommand(
         displayName: opts.displayName,
       });
 
+    case "help":
+    case "--help":
+    case "-h":
+      return printDaemonUsage();
+
     case "status":
       return runStatus(opts);
 
@@ -54,12 +61,47 @@ export async function runDaemonCommand(
       return runUninstallService(opts);
 
     default:
-      process.stderr.write(`unknown daemon subcommand: ${sub}\n`);
-      process.stderr.write(`usage: claudemesh daemon [up|status|version|down|accept-host|outbox|install-service|uninstall-service]\n`);
+      process.stderr.write(`unknown daemon subcommand: ${sub}\n\n`);
+      printDaemonUsage(process.stderr);
       return 2;
   }
 }
 
+function printDaemonUsage(stream: NodeJS.WritableStream = process.stdout): number {
+  stream.write(`claudemesh daemon — long-lived peer mesh runtime (v0.9.0)
+
+USAGE
+  claudemesh daemon <command> [options]
+
+COMMANDS
+  up | start                   start the daemon in the foreground
+  status                       show running pid + IPC health
+  version                      ipc + schema version of the running daemon
+  down | stop                  stop the running daemon (SIGTERM, then wait)
+  accept-host                  pin the current host fingerprint
+  outbox list                  list local outbox rows (newest first)
+  outbox requeue <id>          re-enqueue an aborted / dead outbox row
+  install-service --mesh <s>   write launchd (macOS) / systemd-user (Linux) unit
+  uninstall-service            remove the platform service unit
+
+OPTIONS
+  --mesh <slug>                attach to / target this mesh
+  --name <displayName>         override CLAUDEMESH_DISPLAY_NAME
+  --no-tcp                     disable the loopback TCP listener (UDS only)
+  --public-health              expose /v1/health unauthenticated on TCP
+  --json                       machine-readable output where supported
+
+OUTBOX FLAGS (for 'daemon outbox list')
+  --pending --inflight --done --failed --aborted   filter by status
+
+OUTBOX FLAGS (for 'daemon outbox requeue')
+  --new-client-id <id>         mint the new row with this client_message_id
+
+See ${"https://claudemesh.com/docs"} for the full daemon spec.
+`);
+  return 0;
+}
+
 interface OutboxRowResp {
   id: string;
   client_message_id: string;
diff --git a/apps/cli/src/entrypoints/cli.ts b/apps/cli/src/entrypoints/cli.ts
index c75de22..d895a7b 100644
--- a/apps/cli/src/entrypoints/cli.ts
+++ b/apps/cli/src/entrypoints/cli.ts
@@ -180,6 +180,17 @@ Security
   claudemesh backup [file]         encrypt config → portable recovery file
   claudemesh restore <file>        restore config from a backup file
 
+Daemon  (long-lived peer mesh runtime, v0.9.0)
+  claudemesh daemon up             start daemon (alias: start) [--mesh <slug>] [--no-tcp]
+  claudemesh daemon status         show running pid + IPC health [--json]
+  claudemesh daemon down           stop daemon (alias: stop)
+  claudemesh daemon version        ipc + schema version of running daemon
+  claudemesh daemon outbox list    list local outbox rows [--failed|--pending|--inflight|--done]
+  claudemesh daemon outbox requeue <id>   re-enqueue an aborted/dead row [--new-client-id <id>]
+  claudemesh daemon accept-host    pin current host fingerprint
+  claudemesh daemon install-service --mesh <slug>   write launchd / systemd-user unit
+  claudemesh daemon uninstall-service               remove the unit
+
 Setup
   claudemesh install               register MCP server + hooks
   claudemesh uninstall             remove MCP server + hooks