diff --git a/src/cli.ts b/src/cli.ts
index 548f20c4c..32b19a43f 100644
--- a/src/cli.ts
+++ b/src/cli.ts
@@ -577,6 +577,16 @@ if (enabledModelPatterns && enabledModelPatterns.length > 0) {
   }
 }
 
+// Welcome screen — shown on every fresh interactive session before TUI takes over
+{
+  const { printWelcomeScreen } = await import('./welcome-screen.js')
+  printWelcomeScreen({
+    version: process.env.GSD_VERSION || '0.0.0',
+    modelName: settingsManager.getDefaultModel() || undefined,
+    provider: settingsManager.getDefaultProvider() || undefined,
+  })
+}
+
 const interactiveMode = new InteractiveMode(session)
 markStartup('InteractiveMode')
 printStartupTimings()
diff --git a/src/tests/welcome-screen.test.ts b/src/tests/welcome-screen.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..347f4fda9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tests/welcome-screen.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+/**
+ * Welcome screen unit tests.
+ */
+
+import test from 'node:test'
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict'
+
+import { printWelcomeScreen } from '../../dist/welcome-screen.js'
+
+function capture(opts: Parameters<typeof printWelcomeScreen>[0]): string {
+  const chunks: string[] = []
+  const original = process.stderr.write.bind(process.stderr)
+  ;(process.stderr as any).write = (chunk: string) => { chunks.push(chunk); return true }
+  const origIsTTY = (process.stderr as any).isTTY
+  ;(process.stderr as any).isTTY = true
+
+  try {
+    printWelcomeScreen(opts)
+  } finally {
+    ;(process.stderr as any).write = original
+    ;(process.stderr as any).isTTY = origIsTTY
+  }
+
+  return chunks.join('')
+}
+
+function strip(s: string): string {
+  // eslint-disable-next-line no-control-regex
+  return s.replace(/\x1b\[[0-9;]*m/g, '')
+}
+
+test('renders GSD logo', () => {
+  const out = strip(capture({ version: '1.0.0' }))
+  assert.ok(out.includes('██'), 'logo block characters missing')
+})
+
+test('renders version', () => {
+  const out = strip(capture({ version: '2.38.0' }))
+  assert.ok(out.includes('v2.38.0'), 'version missing')
+  assert.ok(out.includes('Get Shit Done'), 'brand name missing')
+})
+
+test('renders model and provider', () => {
+  const out = strip(capture({ version: '1.0.0', modelName: 'claude-opus-4-6', provider: 'Anthropic' }))
+  assert.ok(out.includes('claude-opus-4-6'), 'model name missing')
+  assert.ok(out.includes('Anthropic'), 'provider missing')
+})
+
+test('renders cwd hint', () => {
+  const out = strip(capture({ version: '1.0.0' }))
+  assert.ok(out.includes('/gsd to begin'), 'hint line missing')
+})
+
+test('skips when not a TTY', () => {
+  const chunks: string[] = []
+  const original = process.stderr.write.bind(process.stderr)
+  ;(process.stderr as any).write = (chunk: string) => { chunks.push(chunk); return true }
+  const origIsTTY = (process.stderr as any).isTTY
+  ;(process.stderr as any).isTTY = false
+
+  try {
+    printWelcomeScreen({ version: '1.0.0' })
+    assert.equal(chunks.join(''), '', 'should produce no output when not TTY')
+  } finally {
+    ;(process.stderr as any).write = original
+    ;(process.stderr as any).isTTY = origIsTTY
+  }
+})
+
+test('renders without model or provider', () => {
+  const out = strip(capture({ version: '3.0.0' }))
+  assert.ok(out.includes('v3.0.0'), 'version missing when no model provided')
+})
diff --git a/src/welcome-screen.ts b/src/welcome-screen.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4d4b13772
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/welcome-screen.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+/**
+ * GSD Welcome Screen
+ *
+ * Rendered to stderr before the TUI takes over.
+ * No box, no panels — logo with metadata alongside, dim hint below.
+ */
+
+import os from 'node:os'
+import chalk from 'chalk'
+import { GSD_LOGO } from './logo.js'
+
+export interface WelcomeScreenOptions {
+  version: string
+  modelName?: string
+  provider?: string
+}
+
+function getShortCwd(): string {
+  const cwd = process.cwd()
+  const home = os.homedir()
+  return cwd.startsWith(home) ? '~' + cwd.slice(home.length) : cwd
+}
+
+export function printWelcomeScreen(opts: WelcomeScreenOptions): void {
+  if (!process.stderr.isTTY) return
+
+  const { version, modelName, provider } = opts
+  const shortCwd = getShortCwd()
+
+  // Info lines to sit alongside the logo (one per logo row)
+  const modelLine = [modelName, provider].filter(Boolean).join('  ·  ')
+  const INFO: (string | undefined)[] = [
+    `  ${chalk.bold('Get Shit Done')}  ${chalk.dim('v' + version)}`,
+    undefined,
+    modelLine ? `  ${chalk.dim(modelLine)}` : undefined,
+    `  ${chalk.dim(shortCwd)}`,
+    undefined,
+    undefined,
+  ]
+
+  const lines: string[] = ['']
+  for (let i = 0; i < GSD_LOGO.length; i++) {
+    lines.push(chalk.cyan(GSD_LOGO[i]) + (INFO[i] ?? ''))
+  }
+
+  // Tool status + hint — dim, aligned under the info text
+  const pad = ' '.repeat(28) + '  '  // aligns with the info text column
+
+  const toolParts: string[] = []
+  if (process.env.BRAVE_API_KEY)    toolParts.push('Brave ✓')
+  if (process.env.BRAVE_ANSWERS_KEY) toolParts.push('Answers ✓')
+  if (process.env.JINA_API_KEY)     toolParts.push('Jina ✓')
+  if (process.env.TAVILY_API_KEY)   toolParts.push('Tavily ✓')
+  if (process.env.CONTEXT7_API_KEY) toolParts.push('Context7 ✓')
+
+  if (toolParts.length > 0) {
+    lines.push(chalk.dim(pad + ['Web search loaded', ...toolParts].join('  ·  ')))
+  }
+
+  lines.push(chalk.dim(pad + '/gsd to begin  ·  /gsd help for all commands'))
+  lines.push('')
+
+  process.stderr.write(lines.join('\n') + '\n')
+}