diff --git a/main/gateway/ws_server.c b/main/gateway/ws_server.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..042ea70
--- /dev/null
+++ b/main/gateway/ws_server.c
@@ -0,0 +1,217 @@
+#include "ws_server.h"
+#include "mimi_config.h"
+#include "bus/message_bus.h"
+
+#include <string.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include "esp_log.h"
+#include "esp_http_server.h"
+#include "cJSON.h"
+
+static const char *TAG = "ws";
+
+static httpd_handle_t s_server = NULL;
+
+/* Simple client tracking */
+typedef struct {
+    int fd;
+    char chat_id[32];
+    bool active;
+} ws_client_t;
+
+static ws_client_t s_clients[MIMI_WS_MAX_CLIENTS];
+
+static ws_client_t *find_client_by_fd(int fd)
+{
+    for (int i = 0; i < MIMI_WS_MAX_CLIENTS; i++) {
+        if (s_clients[i].active && s_clients[i].fd == fd) {
+            return &s_clients[i];
+        }
+    }
+    return NULL;
+}
+
+static ws_client_t *find_client_by_chat_id(const char *chat_id)
+{
+    for (int i = 0; i < MIMI_WS_MAX_CLIENTS; i++) {
+        if (s_clients[i].active && strcmp(s_clients[i].chat_id, chat_id) == 0) {
+            return &s_clients[i];
+        }
+    }
+    return NULL;
+}
+
+static ws_client_t *add_client(int fd)
+{
+    for (int i = 0; i < MIMI_WS_MAX_CLIENTS; i++) {
+        if (!s_clients[i].active) {
+            s_clients[i].fd = fd;
+            snprintf(s_clients[i].chat_id, sizeof(s_clients[i].chat_id), "ws_%d", fd);
+            s_clients[i].active = true;
+            ESP_LOGI(TAG, "Client connected: %s (fd=%d)", s_clients[i].chat_id, fd);
+            return &s_clients[i];
+        }
+    }
+    ESP_LOGW(TAG, "Max clients reached, rejecting fd=%d", fd);
+    return NULL;
+}
+
+static void remove_client(int fd)
+{
+    for (int i = 0; i < MIMI_WS_MAX_CLIENTS; i++) {
+        if (s_clients[i].active && s_clients[i].fd == fd) {
+            ESP_LOGI(TAG, "Client disconnected: %s", s_clients[i].chat_id);
+            s_clients[i].active = false;
+            return;
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+static esp_err_t ws_handler(httpd_req_t *req)
+{
+    if (req->method == HTTP_GET) {
+        /* WebSocket handshake — register client */
+        int fd = httpd_req_to_sockfd(req);
+        add_client(fd);
+        return ESP_OK;
+    }
+
+    /* Receive WebSocket frame */
+    httpd_ws_frame_t ws_pkt = {0};
+    ws_pkt.type = HTTPD_WS_TYPE_TEXT;
+
+    /* Get frame length */
+    esp_err_t ret = httpd_ws_recv_frame(req, &ws_pkt, 0);
+    if (ret != ESP_OK) return ret;
+
+    if (ws_pkt.len == 0) return ESP_OK;
+
+    ws_pkt.payload = calloc(1, ws_pkt.len + 1);
+    if (!ws_pkt.payload) return ESP_ERR_NO_MEM;
+
+    ret = httpd_ws_recv_frame(req, &ws_pkt, ws_pkt.len);
+    if (ret != ESP_OK) {
+        free(ws_pkt.payload);
+        return ret;
+    }
+
+    int fd = httpd_req_to_sockfd(req);
+    ws_client_t *client = find_client_by_fd(fd);
+
+    /* Parse JSON message */
+    cJSON *root = cJSON_Parse((char *)ws_pkt.payload);
+    free(ws_pkt.payload);
+
+    if (!root) {
+        ESP_LOGW(TAG, "Invalid JSON from fd=%d", fd);
+        return ESP_OK;
+    }
+
+    cJSON *type = cJSON_GetObjectItem(root, "type");
+    cJSON *content = cJSON_GetObjectItem(root, "content");
+
+    if (type && cJSON_IsString(type) && strcmp(type->valuestring, "message") == 0
+        && content && cJSON_IsString(content)) {
+
+        /* Determine chat_id */
+        const char *chat_id = client ? client->chat_id : "ws_unknown";
+        cJSON *cid = cJSON_GetObjectItem(root, "chat_id");
+        if (cid && cJSON_IsString(cid)) {
+            chat_id = cid->valuestring;
+            /* Update client's chat_id if provided */
+            if (client) {
+                strncpy(client->chat_id, chat_id, sizeof(client->chat_id) - 1);
+            }
+        }
+
+        ESP_LOGI(TAG, "WS message from %s: %.40s...", chat_id, content->valuestring);
+
+        /* Push to inbound bus */
+        mimi_msg_t msg = {0};
+        strncpy(msg.channel, MIMI_CHAN_WEBSOCKET, sizeof(msg.channel) - 1);
+        strncpy(msg.chat_id, chat_id, sizeof(msg.chat_id) - 1);
+        msg.content = strdup(content->valuestring);
+        if (msg.content) {
+            message_bus_push_inbound(&msg);
+        }
+    }
+
+    cJSON_Delete(root);
+    return ESP_OK;
+}
+
+esp_err_t ws_server_start(void)
+{
+    memset(s_clients, 0, sizeof(s_clients));
+
+    httpd_config_t config = HTTPD_DEFAULT_CONFIG();
+    config.server_port = MIMI_WS_PORT;
+    config.ctrl_port = MIMI_WS_PORT + 1;
+    config.max_open_sockets = MIMI_WS_MAX_CLIENTS;
+
+    esp_err_t ret = httpd_start(&s_server, &config);
+    if (ret != ESP_OK) {
+        ESP_LOGE(TAG, "Failed to start WebSocket server: %s", esp_err_to_name(ret));
+        return ret;
+    }
+
+    /* Register WebSocket URI */
+    httpd_uri_t ws_uri = {
+        .uri = "/",
+        .method = HTTP_GET,
+        .handler = ws_handler,
+        .is_websocket = true,
+    };
+    httpd_register_uri_handler(s_server, &ws_uri);
+
+    ESP_LOGI(TAG, "WebSocket server started on port %d", MIMI_WS_PORT);
+    return ESP_OK;
+}
+
+esp_err_t ws_server_send(const char *chat_id, const char *text)
+{
+    if (!s_server) return ESP_ERR_INVALID_STATE;
+
+    ws_client_t *client = find_client_by_chat_id(chat_id);
+    if (!client) {
+        ESP_LOGW(TAG, "No WS client with chat_id=%s", chat_id);
+        return ESP_ERR_NOT_FOUND;
+    }
+
+    /* Build response JSON */
+    cJSON *resp = cJSON_CreateObject();
+    cJSON_AddStringToObject(resp, "type", "response");
+    cJSON_AddStringToObject(resp, "content", text);
+    cJSON_AddStringToObject(resp, "chat_id", chat_id);
+
+    char *json_str = cJSON_PrintUnformatted(resp);
+    cJSON_Delete(resp);
+
+    if (!json_str) return ESP_ERR_NO_MEM;
+
+    httpd_ws_frame_t ws_pkt = {
+        .type = HTTPD_WS_TYPE_TEXT,
+        .payload = (uint8_t *)json_str,
+        .len = strlen(json_str),
+    };
+
+    esp_err_t ret = httpd_ws_send_frame_async(s_server, client->fd, &ws_pkt);
+    free(json_str);
+
+    if (ret != ESP_OK) {
+        ESP_LOGW(TAG, "Failed to send to %s: %s", chat_id, esp_err_to_name(ret));
+        remove_client(client->fd);
+    }
+
+    return ret;
+}
+
+esp_err_t ws_server_stop(void)
+{
+    if (s_server) {
+        httpd_stop(s_server);
+        s_server = NULL;
+        ESP_LOGI(TAG, "WebSocket server stopped");
+    }
+    return ESP_OK;
+}
diff --git a/main/gateway/ws_server.h b/main/gateway/ws_server.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..22d5c9f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/main/gateway/ws_server.h
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include "esp_err.h"
+
+/**
+ * Initialize and start the WebSocket server on MIMI_WS_PORT.
+ * Allows external clients to interact with the Agent via JSON messages.
+ *
+ * Protocol:
+ *   Inbound:  {"type":"message","content":"hello","chat_id":"ws_client1"}
+ *   Outbound: {"type":"response","content":"Hi!","chat_id":"ws_client1"}
+ */
+esp_err_t ws_server_start(void);
+
+/**
+ * Send a text message to a specific WebSocket client by chat_id.
+ * @param chat_id  Client identifier (assigned on connection)
+ * @param text     Message text
+ */
+esp_err_t ws_server_send(const char *chat_id, const char *text);
+
+/**
+ * Stop the WebSocket server.
+ */
+esp_err_t ws_server_stop(void);