diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 90f036a..bda7292 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@ exports `activate(ctx)`.
 - [Commands And Feedback](docs/commands-and-feedback.md): command return values, skipped work and background tasks.
 - [Layouts With React](docs/layouts-react.md): React/JSX/hooks layout authoring with host-provided React.
 - [Windows](docs/windows.md): opening plugin layouts in detached OS windows.
-- [Services](docs/services.md): workspace, tasks, tooling, events, config, terminal and windows facades.
+- [Services](docs/services.md): workspace files and bounded `workspace.execTool`, tasks,
+  tooling, events, config, terminal and windows facades.
 - [Packaging And Distribution](docs/packaging-distribution.md): build output, archive layout, hot reload and dependency rules.
 - [Codex Skills And IdeA Plugins](docs/codex-skills-and-idea-plugins.md): separate IdeA-native plugin skills from Codex plugin discovery.
 - [Project Plugin Assignments](docs/project-plugin-assignments.md): enable plugins per project and assign skills and MCP tools to agents.
@@ -23,6 +24,12 @@ The installable example lives in [`examples/hello-plugin`](examples/hello-plugin
 It demonstrates a menu command, storage, background-task feedback, a React layout
 component and `services.windows.open(...)`.
 
+For short project-scoped external tools, use
+`ctx.services.workspace.execTool()` with an explicit manifest
+`permissions.workspaceExec` allow rule. See [Services](docs/services.md) and
+[Manifest](docs/manifest.md). The primitive is generic and does not expose a
+native Git/SCM API.
+
 ## Install
 
 ```sh
diff --git a/docs/manifest.md b/docs/manifest.md
index bac8bbb..54dc60c 100644
--- a/docs/manifest.md
+++ b/docs/manifest.md
@@ -141,6 +141,39 @@ development loop.
 - `activationScope`: `"app"` by default, or `"project"` when activation needs a
   focused project immediately.
 - `capabilities`: `"ui"`, `"tooling"` and/or `"mcp"`.
+- `permissions.workspaceExec`: explicit generic executable rules used by
+  `ctx.services.workspace.execTool()`.
+
+## Workspace execution permissions
+
+Short project-scoped executable access is denied unless the active plugin
+manifest contains a matching rule:
+
+```json
+{
+  "permissions": {
+    "workspaceExec": {
+      "allow": [
+        {
+          "command": "tool",
+          "args": ["status", "*"],
+          "cwd": ".",
+          "effect": "read"
+        }
+      ]
+    }
+  }
+}
+```
+
+`command` is a bare ASCII executable name; paths and shell command lines are
+rejected. `args` is an argv pattern: literal tokens match exactly, `*` matches
+one token, and a final `*` matches the remaining suffix (including no token).
+`cwd` is an exact normalized project-relative directory; `*` permits any cwd
+that the host still proves is under the project root. `effect` is one of
+`read`, `write`, `network`, or `destructive` and drives sandbox/audit policy.
+The manifest declares generic process access only; it does not add native SCM
+semantics to IdeA.
 
 ## Contributions
 
diff --git a/docs/services.md b/docs/services.md
index 7268d31..2872bc3 100644
--- a/docs/services.md
+++ b/docs/services.md
@@ -29,6 +29,38 @@ Key APIs:
 - `stat(path, projectId?)`
 - `watch(path, handler, projectId?)`
 - `queryStructure(query?)`
+- `execTool(request)`
+
+### Short external tools
+
+`services.workspace.execTool()` runs a short external executable already available
+to the host. It is generic: IdeA does not expose Git, SVN, formatter, or linter
+semantics. The plugin owns the arguments and parses the returned output.
+
+```ts
+const result = await ctx.services!.workspace.execTool({
+  projectId,
+  command: "tool",
+  args: ["status", "--short"],
+  cwd: ".",
+  timeoutMs: 5_000,
+  maxStdoutBytes: 256_000,
+  maxStderrBytes: 64_000
+});
+```
+
+The host passes `command` and `args` directly without a shell. The plugin must
+declare a matching `permissions.workspaceExec.allow` rule, be active for the
+project, and use a project-relative `cwd`. IdeA canonicalizes the cwd, bounds
+time/stdin/output/concurrency, exposes only an allowlisted environment, applies
+the project filesystem sandbox where supported, and audits metadata without
+captured stdout/stderr contents. This API returns output directly and never
+creates a visible Work/background-task entry.
+
+Current host maxima are 30 seconds, 1,000,000 stdout bytes, 256,000 stderr bytes,
+and 64,000 stdin bytes. Requested output/time values above a maximum are clamped;
+zero is rejected. Output is returned as lossy UTF-8 with explicit truncation
+flags.
 
 ## Tasks
 
diff --git a/scripts/check-manifest-tools.mjs b/scripts/check-manifest-tools.mjs
index b1ed4fa..ae990a3 100644
--- a/scripts/check-manifest-tools.mjs
+++ b/scripts/check-manifest-tools.mjs
@@ -36,3 +36,26 @@ duplicate.contributes.mcpServers[0].tools.push({ name: "read_scene" });
 const duplicateResult = validatePluginManifest(duplicate);
 assert.equal(duplicateResult.success, false, "duplicate tool metadata is rejected");
 assert.ok(duplicateResult.errors.some((error) => error.includes("must be unique")));
+
+const withWorkspaceExec = structuredClone(base);
+withWorkspaceExec.permissions = {
+  workspaceExec: {
+    allow: [{ command: "tool", args: ["status", "*"], cwd: ".", effect: "read" }]
+  }
+};
+assert.equal(
+  validatePluginManifest(withWorkspaceExec).success,
+  true,
+  "valid generic workspace execution permissions are accepted"
+);
+
+for (const invalidRule of [
+  { command: "sh -c", args: [], cwd: ".", effect: "read" },
+  { command: "tool", args: ["sta*"], cwd: ".", effect: "read" },
+  { command: "tool", args: [], cwd: "../outside", effect: "read" },
+  { command: "tool", args: [], cwd: ".", effect: "git" }
+]) {
+  const invalid = structuredClone(base);
+  invalid.permissions = { workspaceExec: { allow: [invalidRule] } };
+  assert.equal(validatePluginManifest(invalid).success, false, "unsafe workspace exec rule is rejected");
+}
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 4304a60..3c96ff7 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@ export type {
   IdeAPluginActivationScope,
   IdeAPluginCapability,
   IdeAPluginManifest,
+  IdeAPluginPermissions,
+  IdeAPluginWorkspaceExecEffect,
+  IdeAPluginWorkspaceExecRule,
   IdeAPluginEngineConstraints,
   IdeAPluginLayoutContribution,
   IdeAPluginMcpServerContribution,
@@ -78,6 +81,8 @@ export type {
   WorkspaceBinaryFile,
   WorkspaceDirEntry,
   WorkspaceDirectoryListing,
+  WorkspaceExecToolRequest,
+  WorkspaceExecToolResult,
   WorkspaceFileChangedEvent,
   WorkspaceProject,
   WorkspaceResolvedPath,
diff --git a/src/manifest.ts b/src/manifest.ts
index 06ce975..a0b1802 100644
--- a/src/manifest.ts
+++ b/src/manifest.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ export interface IdeAPluginManifest {
    * Defaults to "app". Use "project" when activate(ctx) requires a focused project.
    */
   activationScope?: IdeAPluginActivationScope;
+  permissions?: IdeAPluginPermissions;
   contributes?: {
     skills?: IdeAPluginSkillContribution[];
     menus?: IdeAPluginTopLevelMenuContribution[];
@@ -23,6 +24,24 @@ export interface IdeAPluginManifest {
   };
 }
 
+export type IdeAPluginWorkspaceExecEffect = "read" | "write" | "network" | "destructive";
+
+export interface IdeAPluginWorkspaceExecRule {
+  /** Bare executable name resolved by the host without a shell. */
+  command: string;
+  /** Exact argv tokens. `*` matches one token, or the remaining suffix when last. */
+  args?: string[];
+  /** Exact project-relative cwd; `*` permits any host-confined cwd. Defaults to `.`. */
+  cwd?: string;
+  effect: IdeAPluginWorkspaceExecEffect;
+}
+
+export interface IdeAPluginPermissions {
+  workspaceExec?: {
+    allow: IdeAPluginWorkspaceExecRule[];
+  };
+}
+
 export type IdeAPluginCapability = "ui" | "mcp" | "tooling";
 
 export type IdeAPluginActivationScope = "app" | "project";
@@ -145,6 +164,7 @@ export function validatePluginManifest(input: unknown): PluginManifestValidation
   validateEngines(input.engines, errors);
   validateCapabilities(input.capabilities, errors);
   validateActivationScope(input.activationScope, errors);
+  validatePermissions(input.permissions, errors);
   validateContributes(input.contributes, errors);
 
   if (errors.length > 0) {
@@ -154,6 +174,56 @@ export function validatePluginManifest(input: unknown): PluginManifestValidation
   return { success: true, data: input as unknown as IdeAPluginManifest, errors: [] };
 }
 
+function validatePermissions(value: unknown, errors: string[]): void {
+  if (value === undefined) return;
+  if (!isRecord(value)) {
+    errors.push("permissions must be an object when provided");
+    return;
+  }
+  const workspaceExec = value.workspaceExec;
+  if (workspaceExec === undefined) return;
+  if (!isRecord(workspaceExec) || !Array.isArray(workspaceExec.allow)) {
+    errors.push("permissions.workspaceExec.allow must be an array");
+    return;
+  }
+  if (workspaceExec.allow.length > 64) {
+    errors.push("permissions.workspaceExec.allow must contain at most 64 rules");
+  }
+  workspaceExec.allow.forEach((rule, index) => {
+    const label = `permissions.workspaceExec.allow[${index}]`;
+    if (!isRecord(rule)) {
+      errors.push(`${label} must be an object`);
+      return;
+    }
+    requireString(rule, "command", errors, `${label}.command`);
+    if (typeof rule.command === "string" && !/^[A-Za-z0-9._+-]{1,128}$/.test(rule.command)) {
+      errors.push(`${label}.command must be a bare ASCII executable name`);
+    }
+    optionalStringArray(rule, "args", errors, `${label}.args`);
+    if (Array.isArray(rule.args)) {
+      if (rule.args.length > 64 || rule.args.some((arg) =>
+        typeof arg === "string" && (arg.length === 0 || arg.length > 4096 || (arg.includes("*") && arg !== "*")))) {
+        errors.push(`${label}.args contains an invalid token`);
+      }
+    }
+    optionalString(rule, "cwd", errors, `${label}.cwd`);
+    if (typeof rule.cwd === "string" && rule.cwd !== "*" && !isSafeWorkspaceCwd(rule.cwd)) {
+      errors.push(`${label}.cwd must be project-relative without empty, dot, or parent segments`);
+    }
+    if (!["read", "write", "network", "destructive"].includes(String(rule.effect))) {
+      errors.push(`${label}.effect must be "read", "write", "network" or "destructive"`);
+    }
+  });
+}
+
+function isSafeWorkspaceCwd(value: string): boolean {
+  if (value === ".") return true;
+  if (value.length === 0 || value.startsWith("/") || value.startsWith("\\") || value.includes(":")) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  return value.replaceAll("\\", "/").split("/").every((part) => part !== "" && part !== "." && part !== "..");
+}
+
 export function isPluginManifest(input: unknown): input is IdeAPluginManifest {
   return validatePluginManifest(input).success;
 }
diff --git a/src/runtime.ts b/src/runtime.ts
index a61922d..efc6152 100644
--- a/src/runtime.ts
+++ b/src/runtime.ts
@@ -137,6 +137,31 @@ export interface WorkspaceService {
   watch(path: string, handler: WorkspaceWatchHandler, projectId?: string): Promise<WorkspaceWatch>;
   /** Queries a bounded, generic project structure read model. */
   queryStructure(query?: WorkspaceStructureQuery): Promise<ProjectStructure>;
+  /** Runs one manifest-allowlisted binary directly, without a visible task. */
+  execTool(request: WorkspaceExecToolRequest): Promise<WorkspaceExecToolResult>;
+}
+
+export interface WorkspaceExecToolRequest {
+  projectId?: string;
+  command: string;
+  args?: string[];
+  cwd?: string;
+  env?: Record<string, string>;
+  timeoutMs?: number;
+  maxStdoutBytes?: number;
+  maxStderrBytes?: number;
+  stdin?: string;
+}
+
+export interface WorkspaceExecToolResult {
+  exitCode: number | null;
+  signal?: string;
+  timedOut: boolean;
+  stdout: string;
+  stderr: string;
+  stdoutTruncated: boolean;
+  stderrTruncated: boolean;
+  durationMs: number;
 }
 
 export interface WorkspaceResolvedPath {