diff --git a/ccw/frontend/src/components/a2ui/A2UIPopupCard.tsx b/ccw/frontend/src/components/a2ui/A2UIPopupCard.tsx
index e332376d..bb333ccb 100644
--- a/ccw/frontend/src/components/a2ui/A2UIPopupCard.tsx
+++ b/ccw/frontend/src/components/a2ui/A2UIPopupCard.tsx
@@ -3,9 +3,9 @@
 // ========================================
 // Centered popup dialog for A2UI surfaces with minimalist design
 // Used for displayMode: 'popup' surfaces (e.g., ask_question)
-// Supports markdown content parsing
+// Supports markdown content parsing and multi-page navigation
 
-import { useCallback, useMemo } from 'react';
+import { useState, useCallback, useMemo } from 'react';
 import { useIntl } from 'react-intl';
 import ReactMarkdown from 'react-markdown';
 import remarkGfm from 'remark-gfm';
@@ -30,7 +30,14 @@ interface A2UIPopupCardProps {
   onClose: () => void;
 }
 
-type QuestionType = 'confirm' | 'select' | 'multi-select' | 'input' | 'unknown';
+type QuestionType = 'confirm' | 'select' | 'multi-select' | 'input' | 'multi-question' | 'unknown';
+
+interface PageMeta {
+  index: number;
+  questionId: string;
+  title: string;
+  type: string;
+}
 
 // ========== Helpers ==========
 
@@ -73,6 +80,37 @@ function isActionButton(component: SurfaceComponent): boolean {
   return 'Button' in comp;
 }
 
+// ========== "Other" Text Input Component ==========
+
+interface OtherInputProps {
+  visible: boolean;
+  value: string;
+  onChange: (value: string) => void;
+  placeholder?: string;
+}
+
+function OtherInput({ visible, value, onChange, placeholder }: OtherInputProps) {
+  if (!visible) return null;
+
+  return (
+    <div className="mt-2 animate-in fade-in-0 slide-in-from-top-1 duration-200">
+      <input
+        type="text"
+        value={value}
+        onChange={(e) => onChange(e.target.value)}
+        placeholder={placeholder || 'Enter your answer...'}
+        className={cn(
+          'w-full px-3 py-2 text-sm rounded-md border border-border',
+          'bg-background text-foreground placeholder:text-muted-foreground',
+          'focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-ring focus:border-transparent',
+          'transition-colors'
+        )}
+        autoFocus
+      />
+    </div>
+  );
+}
+
 // ========== Markdown Component ==========
 
 interface MarkdownContentProps {
@@ -114,15 +152,21 @@ function MarkdownContent({ content, className }: MarkdownContentProps) {
   );
 }
 
-// ========== Component ==========
+// ========== Single-Page Popup (Legacy) ==========
 
-export function A2UIPopupCard({ surface, onClose }: A2UIPopupCardProps) {
+function SinglePagePopup({ surface, onClose }: A2UIPopupCardProps) {
   const { formatMessage } = useIntl();
   const sendA2UIAction = useNotificationStore((state) => state.sendA2UIAction);
 
   // Detect question type
   const questionType = useMemo(() => detectQuestionType(surface), [surface]);
 
+  // "Other" option state
+  const [otherSelected, setOtherSelected] = useState(false);
+  const [otherText, setOtherText] = useState('');
+
+  const questionId = (surface.initialState as any)?.questionId as string | undefined;
+
   // Extract title, message, and description from surface components
   const titleComponent = surface.components.find(
     (c) => c.id === 'title' && 'Text' in (c.component as any)
@@ -171,9 +215,33 @@ export function A2UIPopupCard({ surface, onClose }: A2UIPopupCardProps) {
     [surface, actionButtons]
   );
 
+  // Handle "Other" text change
+  const handleOtherTextChange = useCallback(
+    (value: string) => {
+      setOtherText(value);
+      if (questionId) {
+        sendA2UIAction('input-change', surface.surfaceId, {
+          questionId: `__other__:${questionId}`,
+          value,
+        });
+      }
+    },
+    [sendA2UIAction, surface.surfaceId, questionId]
+  );
+
   // Handle A2UI actions
   const handleAction = useCallback(
     (actionId: string, params?: Record<string, unknown>) => {
+      // Track "Other" selection state
+      if (actionId === 'select' && params?.value === '__other__') {
+        setOtherSelected(true);
+      } else if (actionId === 'select' && params?.value !== '__other__') {
+        setOtherSelected(false);
+      }
+      if (actionId === 'toggle' && params?.value === '__other__') {
+        setOtherSelected((prev) => !prev);
+      }
+
       // Send action to backend via WebSocket
       sendA2UIAction(actionId, surface.surfaceId, params);
 
@@ -211,6 +279,9 @@ export function A2UIPopupCard({ surface, onClose }: A2UIPopupCardProps) {
     }
   }, [questionType]);
 
+  // Check if this question type supports "Other" input
+  const hasOtherOption = questionType === 'select' || questionType === 'multi-select';
+
   return (
     <Dialog open onOpenChange={handleOpenChange}>
       <DialogContent
@@ -269,6 +340,14 @@ export function A2UIPopupCard({ surface, onClose }: A2UIPopupCardProps) {
             ) : (
               <A2UIRenderer surface={bodySurface} onAction={handleAction} />
             )}
+            {/* "Other" text input — shown when Other is selected */}
+            {hasOtherOption && (
+              <OtherInput
+                visible={otherSelected}
+                value={otherText}
+                onChange={handleOtherTextChange}
+              />
+            )}
           </div>
         )}
 
@@ -291,4 +370,308 @@ export function A2UIPopupCard({ surface, onClose }: A2UIPopupCardProps) {
   );
 }
 
+// ========== Multi-Page Popup ==========
+
+function MultiPagePopup({ surface, onClose }: A2UIPopupCardProps) {
+  const { formatMessage } = useIntl();
+  const sendA2UIAction = useNotificationStore((state) => state.sendA2UIAction);
+
+  const state = surface.initialState as Record<string, unknown>;
+  const pages = state.pages as PageMeta[];
+  const totalPages = state.totalPages as number;
+  const compositeId = state.questionId as string;
+
+  const [currentPage, setCurrentPage] = useState(0);
+
+  // "Other" per-page state
+  const [otherSelectedPages, setOtherSelectedPages] = useState<Set<number>>(new Set());
+  const [otherTexts, setOtherTexts] = useState<Map<number, string>>(new Map());
+
+  // Group components by page
+  const pageComponentGroups = useMemo(() => {
+    const groups: SurfaceComponent[][] = [];
+    for (let i = 0; i < totalPages; i++) {
+      groups.push(
+        surface.components.filter((c) => (c as any).page === i)
+      );
+    }
+    return groups;
+  }, [surface.components, totalPages]);
+
+  // Extract current page title and body components
+  const currentPageData = useMemo(() => {
+    const comps = pageComponentGroups[currentPage] || [];
+    const titleComp = comps.find((c) => c.id.endsWith('-title'));
+    const messageComp = comps.find((c) => c.id.endsWith('-message'));
+    const descComp = comps.find((c) => c.id.endsWith('-description'));
+    const bodyComps = comps.filter(
+      (c) => !c.id.endsWith('-title') && !c.id.endsWith('-message') && !c.id.endsWith('-description')
+    );
+
+    return {
+      title: getTextContent(titleComp),
+      message: getTextContent(messageComp),
+      description: getTextContent(descComp),
+      bodyComponents: bodyComps,
+      pageMeta: pages[currentPage],
+    };
+  }, [pageComponentGroups, currentPage, pages]);
+
+  // Handle "Other" text change for a specific page
+  const handleOtherTextChange = useCallback(
+    (pageIdx: number, value: string) => {
+      setOtherTexts((prev) => {
+        const next = new Map(prev);
+        next.set(pageIdx, value);
+        return next;
+      });
+      // Send input-change to backend with __other__:{questionId}
+      const qId = pages[pageIdx]?.questionId;
+      if (qId) {
+        sendA2UIAction('input-change', surface.surfaceId, {
+          questionId: `__other__:${qId}`,
+          value,
+        });
+      }
+    },
+    [sendA2UIAction, surface.surfaceId, pages]
+  );
+
+  // Handle A2UI actions (pass through to backend without closing dialog)
+  const handleAction = useCallback(
+    (actionId: string, params?: Record<string, unknown>) => {
+      // Track "Other" selection state per page
+      if (actionId === 'select' && params?.value === '__other__') {
+        setOtherSelectedPages((prev) => new Set(prev).add(currentPage));
+      } else if (actionId === 'select' && params?.value !== '__other__') {
+        setOtherSelectedPages((prev) => {
+          const next = new Set(prev);
+          next.delete(currentPage);
+          return next;
+        });
+      }
+      if (actionId === 'toggle' && params?.value === '__other__') {
+        setOtherSelectedPages((prev) => {
+          const next = new Set(prev);
+          if (next.has(currentPage)) {
+            next.delete(currentPage);
+          } else {
+            next.add(currentPage);
+          }
+          return next;
+        });
+      }
+
+      sendA2UIAction(actionId, surface.surfaceId, params);
+    },
+    [sendA2UIAction, surface.surfaceId, currentPage]
+  );
+
+  // Handle Cancel
+  const handleCancel = useCallback(() => {
+    sendA2UIAction('cancel', surface.surfaceId, { questionId: compositeId });
+    onClose();
+  }, [sendA2UIAction, surface.surfaceId, compositeId, onClose]);
+
+  // Handle Submit All
+  const handleSubmitAll = useCallback(() => {
+    sendA2UIAction('submit-all', surface.surfaceId, {
+      compositeId,
+      questionIds: pages.map((p) => p.questionId),
+    });
+    onClose();
+  }, [sendA2UIAction, surface.surfaceId, compositeId, pages, onClose]);
+
+  // Handle dialog close
+  const handleOpenChange = useCallback(
+    (open: boolean) => {
+      if (!open) {
+        handleCancel();
+      }
+    },
+    [handleCancel]
+  );
+
+  // Navigation
+  const goNext = useCallback(() => {
+    setCurrentPage((p) => Math.min(p + 1, totalPages - 1));
+  }, [totalPages]);
+
+  const goPrev = useCallback(() => {
+    setCurrentPage((p) => Math.max(p - 1, 0));
+  }, []);
+
+  const isFirstPage = currentPage === 0;
+  const isLastPage = currentPage === totalPages - 1;
+
+  return (
+    <Dialog open onOpenChange={handleOpenChange}>
+      <DialogContent
+        className={cn(
+          'sm:max-w-[480px]',
+          'max-h-[80vh]',
+          'bg-card p-6 rounded-xl shadow-lg border border-border/50',
+          // Animation classes
+          'data-[state=open]:animate-in data-[state=closed]:animate-out',
+          'data-[state=open]:fade-in-0 data-[state=closed]:fade-out-0',
+          'data-[state=open]:zoom-in-95 data-[state=closed]:zoom-out-95',
+          'data-[state=open]:duration-300 data-[state=closed]:duration-200'
+        )}
+        onInteractOutside={(e) => e.preventDefault()}
+        onEscapeKeyDown={(e) => e.preventDefault()}
+      >
+        {/* Header with current page title */}
+        <DialogHeader className="space-y-2 pb-4">
+          <DialogTitle className="text-lg font-semibold leading-tight">
+            {currentPageData.title ||
+              formatMessage({ id: 'askQuestion.defaultTitle', defaultMessage: 'Question' })}
+          </DialogTitle>
+          {currentPageData.message && (
+            <div className="text-base text-foreground">
+              <MarkdownContent content={currentPageData.message} />
+            </div>
+          )}
+          {currentPageData.description && (
+            <div className="text-sm text-muted-foreground">
+              <MarkdownContent content={currentPageData.description} className="prose-muted" />
+            </div>
+          )}
+        </DialogHeader>
+
+        {/* Page content with slide animation */}
+        <div className="overflow-hidden">
+          <div
+            className="flex transition-transform duration-300 ease-in-out"
+            style={{ transform: `translateX(-${currentPage * 100}%)` }}
+          >
+            {pageComponentGroups.map((pageComps, pageIdx) => {
+              const bodyComps = pageComps.filter(
+                (c) =>
+                  !c.id.endsWith('-title') &&
+                  !c.id.endsWith('-message') &&
+                  !c.id.endsWith('-description')
+              );
+              const pageType = pages[pageIdx]?.type || 'unknown';
+              const hasOther = pageType === 'select' || pageType === 'multi-select';
+              const isOtherSelected = otherSelectedPages.has(pageIdx);
+
+              return (
+                <div key={pageIdx} className="w-full flex-shrink-0">
+                  {bodyComps.length > 0 && (
+                    <div
+                      className={cn(
+                        'py-3',
+                        pageType === 'multi-select' && 'space-y-2 max-h-[300px] overflow-y-auto px-1'
+                      )}
+                    >
+                      {pageType === 'multi-select' ? (
+                        bodyComps.map((comp) => (
+                          <div key={comp.id} className="py-1">
+                            <A2UIRenderer
+                              surface={{ ...surface, components: [comp] }}
+                              onAction={handleAction}
+                            />
+                          </div>
+                        ))
+                      ) : (
+                        <A2UIRenderer
+                          surface={{ ...surface, components: bodyComps }}
+                          onAction={handleAction}
+                        />
+                      )}
+                      {/* "Other" text input */}
+                      {hasOther && (
+                        <OtherInput
+                          visible={isOtherSelected}
+                          value={otherTexts.get(pageIdx) || ''}
+                          onChange={(v) => handleOtherTextChange(pageIdx, v)}
+                        />
+                      )}
+                    </div>
+                  )}
+                </div>
+              );
+            })}
+          </div>
+        </div>
+
+        {/* Dot indicator */}
+        <div className="flex justify-center gap-2 py-3">
+          {pages.map((_, i) => (
+            <button
+              key={i}
+              type="button"
+              onClick={() => setCurrentPage(i)}
+              className={cn(
+                'rounded-full transition-all duration-200',
+                i === currentPage
+                  ? 'bg-primary w-4 h-2'
+                  : 'bg-muted-foreground/30 w-2 h-2 hover:bg-muted-foreground/50'
+              )}
+              aria-label={`Page ${i + 1}`}
+            />
+          ))}
+        </div>
+
+        {/* Footer - Navigation buttons */}
+        <DialogFooter className="pt-2">
+          <div className="flex flex-row justify-between w-full">
+            {/* Left: Cancel */}
+            <button
+              type="button"
+              onClick={handleCancel}
+              className="px-4 py-2 text-sm rounded-md border border-border hover:bg-muted transition-colors"
+            >
+              {formatMessage({ id: 'askQuestion.cancel', defaultMessage: 'Cancel' })}
+            </button>
+
+            {/* Right: Prev / Next / Submit */}
+            <div className="flex flex-row gap-2">
+              {!isFirstPage && (
+                <button
+                  type="button"
+                  onClick={goPrev}
+                  className="px-4 py-2 text-sm rounded-md border border-border hover:bg-muted transition-colors"
+                >
+                  {formatMessage({ id: 'askQuestion.previous', defaultMessage: 'Previous' })}
+                </button>
+              )}
+              {isLastPage ? (
+                <button
+                  type="button"
+                  onClick={handleSubmitAll}
+                  className="px-4 py-2 text-sm rounded-md bg-primary text-primary-foreground hover:bg-primary/90 transition-colors"
+                >
+                  {formatMessage({ id: 'askQuestion.submit', defaultMessage: 'Submit' })}
+                </button>
+              ) : (
+                <button
+                  type="button"
+                  onClick={goNext}
+                  className="px-4 py-2 text-sm rounded-md bg-primary text-primary-foreground hover:bg-primary/90 transition-colors"
+                >
+                  {formatMessage({ id: 'askQuestion.next', defaultMessage: 'Next' })}
+                </button>
+              )}
+            </div>
+          </div>
+        </DialogFooter>
+      </DialogContent>
+    </Dialog>
+  );
+}
+
+// ========== Main Component ==========
+
+export function A2UIPopupCard({ surface, onClose }: A2UIPopupCardProps) {
+  const state = surface.initialState as Record<string, unknown> | undefined;
+  const isMultiPage = state?.questionType === 'multi-question' && (state?.totalPages as number) > 1;
+
+  if (isMultiPage) {
+    return <MultiPagePopup surface={surface} onClose={onClose} />;
+  }
+
+  return <SinglePagePopup surface={surface} onClose={onClose} />;
+}
+
 export default A2UIPopupCard;
diff --git a/ccw/frontend/src/components/codexlens/ModelCard.tsx b/ccw/frontend/src/components/codexlens/ModelCard.tsx
index f405f956..0be86f27 100644
--- a/ccw/frontend/src/components/codexlens/ModelCard.tsx
+++ b/ccw/frontend/src/components/codexlens/ModelCard.tsx
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ export function ModelCard({
   };
 
   return (
-    <Card className={cn('overflow-hidden', !model.installed && 'opacity-80')}>
+    <Card className={cn('overflow-hidden hover-glow', !model.installed && 'opacity-80')}>
       {/* Header */}
       <div className="p-4">
         <div className="flex items-start justify-between gap-3">
@@ -105,12 +105,15 @@ export function ModelCard({
                 </Badge>
               </div>
               <div className="flex items-center gap-3 mt-1 text-xs text-muted-foreground">
-                <span>Backend: {model.backend}</span>
-                <span>Size: {formatSize(model.size)}</span>
+                {model.dimensions && <span>{model.dimensions}d</span>}
+                <span>{formatSize(model.size)}</span>
+                {model.recommended && (
+                  <Badge variant="success" className="text-[10px] px-1 py-0">Rec</Badge>
+                )}
               </div>
-              {model.cache_path && (
-                <p className="text-xs text-muted-foreground mt-1 font-mono truncate">
-                  {model.cache_path}
+              {model.description && (
+                <p className="text-xs text-muted-foreground mt-1">
+                  {model.description}
                 </p>
               )}
             </div>
diff --git a/ccw/frontend/src/components/codexlens/ModelsTab.tsx b/ccw/frontend/src/components/codexlens/ModelsTab.tsx
index aa6a837f..4450c173 100644
--- a/ccw/frontend/src/components/codexlens/ModelsTab.tsx
+++ b/ccw/frontend/src/components/codexlens/ModelsTab.tsx
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ function filterModels(models: CodexLensModel[], filter: FilterType, search: stri
     filtered = filtered.filter(m =>
       m.name.toLowerCase().includes(query) ||
       m.profile.toLowerCase().includes(query) ||
-      m.backend.toLowerCase().includes(query)
+      (m.description?.toLowerCase().includes(query) ?? false)
     );
   }
 
diff --git a/ccw/frontend/src/components/codexlens/SearchTab.tsx b/ccw/frontend/src/components/codexlens/SearchTab.tsx
index 647696ac..10e7e5dc 100644
--- a/ccw/frontend/src/components/codexlens/SearchTab.tsx
+++ b/ccw/frontend/src/components/codexlens/SearchTab.tsx
@@ -2,10 +2,11 @@
 // CodexLens Search Tab
 // ========================================
 // Semantic code search interface with multiple search types
+// Includes LSP availability check and hybrid search mode switching
 
 import { useState } from 'react';
 import { useIntl } from 'react-intl';
-import { Search, FileCode, Code } from 'lucide-react';
+import { Search, FileCode, Code, Sparkles, CheckCircle, AlertTriangle } from 'lucide-react';
 import { Button } from '@/components/ui/Button';
 import { Input } from '@/components/ui/Input';
 import { Label } from '@/components/ui/Label';
@@ -20,11 +21,13 @@ import {
   useCodexLensSearch,
   useCodexLensFilesSearch,
   useCodexLensSymbolSearch,
+  useCodexLensLspStatus,
+  useCodexLensSemanticSearch,
 } from '@/hooks/useCodexLens';
-import type { CodexLensSearchParams } from '@/lib/api';
+import type { CodexLensSearchParams, CodexLensSemanticSearchMode, CodexLensFusionStrategy } from '@/lib/api';
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils';
 
-type SearchType = 'search' | 'search_files' | 'symbol';
+type SearchType = 'search' | 'search_files' | 'symbol' | 'semantic';
 type SearchMode = 'dense_rerank' | 'fts' | 'fuzzy';
 
 interface SearchTabProps {
@@ -35,14 +38,19 @@ export function SearchTab({ enabled }: SearchTabProps) {
   const { formatMessage } = useIntl();
   const [searchType, setSearchType] = useState<SearchType>('search');
   const [searchMode, setSearchMode] = useState<SearchMode>('dense_rerank');
+  const [semanticMode, setSemanticMode] = useState<CodexLensSemanticSearchMode>('fusion');
+  const [fusionStrategy, setFusionStrategy] = useState<CodexLensFusionStrategy>('rrf');
   const [query, setQuery] = useState('');
   const [hasSearched, setHasSearched] = useState(false);
 
+  // LSP status check
+  const lspStatus = useCodexLensLspStatus({ enabled });
+
   // Build search params based on search type
   const searchParams: CodexLensSearchParams = {
     query,
     limit: 20,
-    mode: searchType !== 'symbol' ? searchMode : undefined,
+    mode: searchType !== 'symbol' && searchType !== 'semantic' ? searchMode : undefined,
     max_content_length: 200,
     extra_files_count: 10,
   };
@@ -63,12 +71,25 @@ export function SearchTab({ enabled }: SearchTabProps) {
     { enabled: enabled && hasSearched && searchType === 'symbol' && query.trim().length > 0 }
   );
 
+  const semanticSearch = useCodexLensSemanticSearch(
+    {
+      query,
+      mode: semanticMode,
+      fusion_strategy: semanticMode === 'fusion' ? fusionStrategy : undefined,
+      limit: 20,
+      include_match_reason: true,
+    },
+    { enabled: enabled && hasSearched && searchType === 'semantic' && query.trim().length > 0 }
+  );
+
   // Get loading state based on search type
   const isLoading = searchType === 'search'
     ? contentSearch.isLoading
     : searchType === 'search_files'
       ? fileSearch.isLoading
-      : symbolSearch.isLoading;
+      : searchType === 'symbol'
+        ? symbolSearch.isLoading
+        : semanticSearch.isLoading;
 
   const handleSearch = () => {
     if (query.trim()) {
@@ -84,17 +105,52 @@ export function SearchTab({ enabled }: SearchTabProps) {
 
   const handleSearchTypeChange = (value: SearchType) => {
     setSearchType(value);
-    setHasSearched(false); // Reset search state when changing type
+    setHasSearched(false);
   };
 
   const handleSearchModeChange = (value: SearchMode) => {
     setSearchMode(value);
-    setHasSearched(false); // Reset search state when changing mode
+    setHasSearched(false);
+  };
+
+  const handleSemanticModeChange = (value: CodexLensSemanticSearchMode) => {
+    setSemanticMode(value);
+    setHasSearched(false);
+  };
+
+  const handleFusionStrategyChange = (value: CodexLensFusionStrategy) => {
+    setFusionStrategy(value);
+    setHasSearched(false);
   };
 
   const handleQueryChange = (value: string) => {
     setQuery(value);
-    setHasSearched(false); // Reset search state when query changes
+    setHasSearched(false);
+  };
+
+  // Get result count for display
+  const getResultCount = (): string => {
+    if (searchType === 'symbol') {
+      return symbolSearch.data?.success
+        ? `${symbolSearch.data.symbols?.length ?? 0} ${formatMessage({ id: 'codexlens.search.resultsCount' })}`
+        : '';
+    }
+    if (searchType === 'search') {
+      return contentSearch.data?.success
+        ? `${contentSearch.data.results?.length ?? 0} ${formatMessage({ id: 'codexlens.search.resultsCount' })}`
+        : '';
+    }
+    if (searchType === 'search_files') {
+      return fileSearch.data?.success
+        ? `${fileSearch.data.files?.length ?? 0} ${formatMessage({ id: 'codexlens.search.resultsCount' })}`
+        : '';
+    }
+    if (searchType === 'semantic') {
+      return semanticSearch.data?.success
+        ? `${semanticSearch.data.count ?? 0} ${formatMessage({ id: 'codexlens.search.resultsCount' })}`
+        : '';
+    }
+    return '';
   };
 
   if (!enabled) {
@@ -115,6 +171,29 @@ export function SearchTab({ enabled }: SearchTabProps) {
 
   return (
     <div className="space-y-6">
+      {/* LSP Status Indicator */}
+      <div className="flex items-center gap-2 text-sm">
+        <span className="text-muted-foreground">{formatMessage({ id: 'codexlens.search.lspStatus' })}:</span>
+        {lspStatus.isLoading ? (
+          <span className="text-muted-foreground">...</span>
+        ) : lspStatus.available ? (
+          <span className="flex items-center gap-1 text-green-600 dark:text-green-400">
+            <CheckCircle className="w-3.5 h-3.5" />
+            {formatMessage({ id: 'codexlens.search.lspAvailable' })}
+          </span>
+        ) : !lspStatus.semanticAvailable ? (
+          <span className="flex items-center gap-1 text-yellow-600 dark:text-yellow-400">
+            <AlertTriangle className="w-3.5 h-3.5" />
+            {formatMessage({ id: 'codexlens.search.lspNoSemantic' })}
+          </span>
+        ) : (
+          <span className="flex items-center gap-1 text-yellow-600 dark:text-yellow-400">
+            <AlertTriangle className="w-3.5 h-3.5" />
+            {formatMessage({ id: 'codexlens.search.lspNoVector' })}
+          </span>
+        )}
+      </div>
+
       {/* Search Options */}
       <div className="grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-2 gap-4">
         {/* Search Type */}
@@ -143,12 +222,18 @@ export function SearchTab({ enabled }: SearchTabProps) {
                   {formatMessage({ id: 'codexlens.search.symbol' })}
                 </div>
               </SelectItem>
+              <SelectItem value="semantic" disabled={!lspStatus.available}>
+                <div className="flex items-center gap-2">
+                  <Sparkles className="w-4 h-4" />
+                  {formatMessage({ id: 'codexlens.search.semantic' })}
+                </div>
+              </SelectItem>
             </SelectContent>
           </Select>
         </div>
 
-        {/* Search Mode - only for content and file search */}
-        {searchType !== 'symbol' && (
+        {/* Search Mode - for CLI search types (content / file) */}
+        {(searchType === 'search' || searchType === 'search_files') && (
           <div className="space-y-2">
             <Label>{formatMessage({ id: 'codexlens.search.mode' })}</Label>
             <Select value={searchMode} onValueChange={handleSearchModeChange}>
@@ -169,8 +254,60 @@ export function SearchTab({ enabled }: SearchTabProps) {
             </Select>
           </div>
         )}
+
+        {/* Semantic Search Mode - for semantic search type */}
+        {searchType === 'semantic' && (
+          <div className="space-y-2">
+            <Label>{formatMessage({ id: 'codexlens.search.semanticMode' })}</Label>
+            <Select value={semanticMode} onValueChange={handleSemanticModeChange}>
+              <SelectTrigger>
+                <SelectValue />
+              </SelectTrigger>
+              <SelectContent>
+                <SelectItem value="fusion">
+                  {formatMessage({ id: 'codexlens.search.semanticMode.fusion' })}
+                </SelectItem>
+                <SelectItem value="vector">
+                  {formatMessage({ id: 'codexlens.search.semanticMode.vector' })}
+                </SelectItem>
+                <SelectItem value="structural">
+                  {formatMessage({ id: 'codexlens.search.semanticMode.structural' })}
+                </SelectItem>
+              </SelectContent>
+            </Select>
+          </div>
+        )}
       </div>
 
+      {/* Fusion Strategy - only when semantic + fusion mode */}
+      {searchType === 'semantic' && semanticMode === 'fusion' && (
+        <div className="space-y-2">
+          <Label>{formatMessage({ id: 'codexlens.search.fusionStrategy' })}</Label>
+          <Select value={fusionStrategy} onValueChange={handleFusionStrategyChange}>
+            <SelectTrigger>
+              <SelectValue />
+            </SelectTrigger>
+            <SelectContent>
+              <SelectItem value="rrf">
+                {formatMessage({ id: 'codexlens.search.fusionStrategy.rrf' })}
+              </SelectItem>
+              <SelectItem value="dense_rerank">
+                {formatMessage({ id: 'codexlens.search.fusionStrategy.dense_rerank' })}
+              </SelectItem>
+              <SelectItem value="binary">
+                {formatMessage({ id: 'codexlens.search.fusionStrategy.binary' })}
+              </SelectItem>
+              <SelectItem value="hybrid">
+                {formatMessage({ id: 'codexlens.search.fusionStrategy.hybrid' })}
+              </SelectItem>
+              <SelectItem value="staged">
+                {formatMessage({ id: 'codexlens.search.fusionStrategy.staged' })}
+              </SelectItem>
+            </SelectContent>
+          </Select>
+        </div>
+      )}
+
       {/* Query Input */}
       <div className="space-y-2">
         <Label htmlFor="search-query">{formatMessage({ id: 'codexlens.search.query' })}</Label>
@@ -205,21 +342,7 @@ export function SearchTab({ enabled }: SearchTabProps) {
               {formatMessage({ id: 'codexlens.search.results' })}
             </h3>
             <span className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">
-              {searchType === 'symbol'
-                ? (symbolSearch.data?.success
-                    ? `${symbolSearch.data.symbols?.length ?? 0} ${formatMessage({ id: 'codexlens.search.resultsCount' })}`
-                    : ''
-                  )
-                : searchType === 'search'
-                  ? (contentSearch.data?.success
-                      ? `${contentSearch.data.results?.length ?? 0} ${formatMessage({ id: 'codexlens.search.resultsCount' })}`
-                      : ''
-                    )
-                  : (fileSearch.data?.success
-                      ? `${fileSearch.data.results?.length ?? 0} ${formatMessage({ id: 'codexlens.search.resultsCount' })}`
-                      : ''
-                    )
-              }
+              {getResultCount()}
             </span>
           </div>
 
@@ -255,7 +378,7 @@ export function SearchTab({ enabled }: SearchTabProps) {
             fileSearch.data.success ? (
               <div className="rounded-lg border bg-muted/50 p-4">
                 <pre className="text-xs overflow-auto max-h-96">
-                  {JSON.stringify(fileSearch.data.results, null, 2)}
+                  {JSON.stringify(fileSearch.data.files, null, 2)}
                 </pre>
               </div>
             ) : (
@@ -264,6 +387,20 @@ export function SearchTab({ enabled }: SearchTabProps) {
               </div>
             )
           )}
+
+          {searchType === 'semantic' && semanticSearch.data && (
+            semanticSearch.data.success ? (
+              <div className="rounded-lg border bg-muted/50 p-4">
+                <pre className="text-xs overflow-auto max-h-96">
+                  {JSON.stringify(semanticSearch.data.results, null, 2)}
+                </pre>
+              </div>
+            ) : (
+              <div className="text-sm text-destructive">
+                {semanticSearch.data.error || formatMessage({ id: 'common.error' })}
+              </div>
+            )
+          )}
         </div>
       )}
     </div>
diff --git a/ccw/frontend/src/components/dashboard/DashboardHeader.tsx b/ccw/frontend/src/components/dashboard/DashboardHeader.tsx
index 8e970e3b..c1d34649 100644
--- a/ccw/frontend/src/components/dashboard/DashboardHeader.tsx
+++ b/ccw/frontend/src/components/dashboard/DashboardHeader.tsx
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ export function DashboardHeader({
   return (
     <div className="flex items-center justify-between">
       <div>
-        <h1 className="text-2xl font-semibold text-foreground">
+        <h1 className="text-2xl font-semibold text-foreground gradient-text">
           {formatMessage({ id: titleKey })}
         </h1>
         <p className="text-sm text-muted-foreground mt-1">
diff --git a/ccw/frontend/src/components/dashboard/widgets/WorkflowTaskWidget.tsx b/ccw/frontend/src/components/dashboard/widgets/WorkflowTaskWidget.tsx
index 95fa6755..da173926 100644
--- a/ccw/frontend/src/components/dashboard/widgets/WorkflowTaskWidget.tsx
+++ b/ccw/frontend/src/components/dashboard/widgets/WorkflowTaskWidget.tsx
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@ function WorkflowTaskWidgetComponent({ className }: WorkflowTaskWidgetProps) {
   return (
     <div className={cn('flex flex-col gap-2', className)}>
       {/* Project Info Banner - Separate Card */}
-      <Card className="shrink-0">
+      <Card className="shrink-0 border-gradient-brand">
         {projectLoading ? (
           <div className="px-4 py-3 flex items-center gap-4">
             <div className="h-5 w-32 bg-muted rounded animate-pulse" />
diff --git a/ccw/frontend/src/components/layout/AppShell.tsx b/ccw/frontend/src/components/layout/AppShell.tsx
index b9ebaecb..15170ef0 100644
--- a/ccw/frontend/src/components/layout/AppShell.tsx
+++ b/ccw/frontend/src/components/layout/AppShell.tsx
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import { MainContent } from './MainContent';
 import { CliStreamMonitor } from '@/components/shared/CliStreamMonitor';
 import { NotificationPanel } from '@/components/notification';
 import { AskQuestionDialog, A2UIPopupCard } from '@/components/a2ui';
+import { BackgroundImage } from '@/components/shared/BackgroundImage';
 import { useNotificationStore, selectCurrentQuestion, selectCurrentPopupCard } from '@/stores';
 import { useWorkflowStore } from '@/stores/workflowStore';
 import { useWebSocketNotifications, useWebSocket } from '@/hooks';
@@ -160,6 +161,9 @@ export function AppShell({
 
   return (
     <div className="flex flex-col min-h-screen bg-background">
+      {/* Background image layer (z-index: -3 to -2) */}
+      <BackgroundImage />
+
       {/* Header - fixed at top */}
       <Header
         onRefresh={onRefresh}
@@ -180,7 +184,7 @@ export function AppShell({
         {/* Main content area */}
         <MainContent
           className={cn(
-            'transition-all duration-300',
+            'app-shell-content transition-all duration-300',
             sidebarCollapsed ? 'md:ml-16' : 'md:ml-64'
           )}
         >
diff --git a/ccw/frontend/src/components/layout/Header.tsx b/ccw/frontend/src/components/layout/Header.tsx
index f5083e34..456ba08c 100644
--- a/ccw/frontend/src/components/layout/Header.tsx
+++ b/ccw/frontend/src/components/layout/Header.tsx
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ export function Header({
 
   return (
     <header
-      className="flex items-center justify-between px-4 md:px-5 h-14 bg-card border-b border-border sticky top-0 z-50 shadow-sm"
+      className="relative flex items-center justify-between px-4 md:px-5 h-14 bg-card border-b border-border sticky top-0 z-50 shadow-sm"
       role="banner"
     >
       {/* Left side - Logo */}
@@ -200,6 +200,7 @@ export function Header({
           </div>
         </div>
       </div>
+      <div className="absolute bottom-0 left-0 right-0 h-0.5 bg-gradient-accent" aria-hidden="true" />
     </header>
   );
 }
diff --git a/ccw/frontend/src/components/mcp/CcwToolsMcpCard.tsx b/ccw/frontend/src/components/mcp/CcwToolsMcpCard.tsx
index 30055ef4..f13459be 100644
--- a/ccw/frontend/src/components/mcp/CcwToolsMcpCard.tsx
+++ b/ccw/frontend/src/components/mcp/CcwToolsMcpCard.tsx
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import {
   FileText,
   HardDrive,
   MessageCircleQuestion,
+  SearchCode,
   ChevronDown,
   ChevronRight,
   Globe,
@@ -90,6 +91,7 @@ export const CCW_MCP_TOOLS: CcwTool[] = [
   { name: 'read_file', desc: 'Read file contents', core: true },
   { name: 'core_memory', desc: 'Core memory management', core: true },
   { name: 'ask_question', desc: 'Interactive questions (A2UI)', core: false },
+  { name: 'smart_search', desc: 'Intelligent code search', core: true },
 ];
 
 // ========== Component ==========
@@ -470,6 +472,8 @@ function getToolIcon(toolName: string): React.ReactElement {
       return <Settings {...iconProps} />;
     case 'ask_question':
       return <MessageCircleQuestion {...iconProps} />;
+    case 'smart_search':
+      return <SearchCode {...iconProps} />;
     default:
       return <Settings {...iconProps} />;
   }
diff --git a/ccw/frontend/src/components/shared/BackgroundImage.tsx b/ccw/frontend/src/components/shared/BackgroundImage.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..613609f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ccw/frontend/src/components/shared/BackgroundImage.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+import { useState, useCallback } from 'react';
+import { useAppStore } from '@/stores/appStore';
+import { DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_CONFIG } from '@/lib/theme';
+import type { BackgroundConfig } from '@/types/store';
+
+/**
+ * BackgroundImage Component
+ * Renders background image layer with visual effects (blur, darken, grain, vignette).
+ * Positioned behind all content via z-index layering.
+ */
+export function BackgroundImage() {
+  const activeSlotId = useAppStore((s) => s.activeSlotId);
+  const themeSlots = useAppStore((s) => s.themeSlots);
+  const activeSlot = themeSlots.find((s) => s.id === activeSlotId);
+  const config: BackgroundConfig = activeSlot?.backgroundConfig ?? DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_CONFIG;
+
+  const [loaded, setLoaded] = useState(false);
+  const [error, setError] = useState(false);
+
+  const handleLoad = useCallback(() => {
+    setLoaded(true);
+    setError(false);
+  }, []);
+
+  const handleError = useCallback(() => {
+    setError(true);
+    setLoaded(false);
+  }, []);
+
+  // Reset load state when image URL changes
+  const imageUrl = config.imageUrl;
+  const [prevUrl, setPrevUrl] = useState(imageUrl);
+  if (imageUrl !== prevUrl) {
+    setPrevUrl(imageUrl);
+    setLoaded(false);
+    setError(false);
+  }
+
+  // Don't render anything in gradient-only mode
+  if (config.mode === 'gradient-only') return null;
+
+  // Don't render if no image URL or image failed to load
+  if (!imageUrl || error) return null;
+
+  const { blur, darkenOpacity, saturation } = config.effects;
+
+  const imageStyle: React.CSSProperties = {
+    filter: [
+      blur > 0 ? `blur(${blur}px)` : '',
+      saturation !== 100 ? `saturate(${saturation / 100})` : '',
+    ].filter(Boolean).join(' ') || undefined,
+    // Scale slightly when blurred to prevent white edges
+    transform: blur > 0 ? 'scale(1.05)' : undefined,
+  };
+
+  return (
+    <>
+      {/* Background image layer */}
+      <div
+        className="bg-image-layer"
+        style={{ opacity: loaded ? 1 : 0 }}
+      >
+        <img
+          src={imageUrl}
+          alt=""
+          role="presentation"
+          style={imageStyle}
+          onLoad={handleLoad}
+          onError={handleError}
+          draggable={false}
+        />
+      </div>
+
+      {/* Darken overlay */}
+      {darkenOpacity > 0 && (
+        <div
+          className="bg-darken-overlay"
+          style={{ backgroundColor: `rgba(0, 0, 0, ${darkenOpacity / 100})` }}
+        />
+      )}
+
+      {/* Grain texture overlay */}
+      <div className="bg-grain-overlay" />
+
+      {/* Vignette overlay */}
+      <div className="bg-vignette-overlay" />
+
+      {/* Loading spinner (hidden img for preloading) */}
+      {!loaded && !error && (
+        <div
+          className="fixed inset-0 z-[-3] flex items-center justify-center pointer-events-none"
+        >
+          <div className="w-6 h-6 border-2 border-border border-t-accent rounded-full animate-spin" />
+        </div>
+      )}
+    </>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/ccw/frontend/src/components/shared/BackgroundImagePicker.tsx b/ccw/frontend/src/components/shared/BackgroundImagePicker.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1f795af5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ccw/frontend/src/components/shared/BackgroundImagePicker.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,405 @@
+import { useState, useCallback, useRef } from 'react';
+import { useIntl } from 'react-intl';
+import { useTheme } from '@/hooks/useTheme';
+import { useUnsplashSearch } from '@/hooks/useUnsplashSearch';
+import { triggerUnsplashDownload, uploadBackgroundImage } from '@/lib/unsplash';
+import type { UnsplashPhoto } from '@/lib/unsplash';
+import type { BackgroundMode } from '@/types/store';
+
+const MODES: { value: BackgroundMode; labelId: string }[] = [
+  { value: 'gradient-only', labelId: 'theme.background.mode.gradientOnly' },
+  { value: 'image-only', labelId: 'theme.background.mode.imageOnly' },
+  { value: 'image-gradient', labelId: 'theme.background.mode.imageGradient' },
+];
+
+/**
+ * BackgroundImagePicker Component
+ * Allows users to search Unsplash, pick a background image,
+ * adjust visual effects, and switch between background modes.
+ */
+export function BackgroundImagePicker() {
+  const { formatMessage } = useIntl();
+  const {
+    backgroundConfig,
+    setBackgroundMode,
+    setBackgroundImage,
+    updateBackgroundEffect,
+  } = useTheme();
+
+  const [searchQuery, setSearchQuery] = useState('');
+  const [page, setPage] = useState(1);
+  const [customUrl, setCustomUrl] = useState('');
+  const [isUploading, setIsUploading] = useState(false);
+  const [uploadError, setUploadError] = useState<string | null>(null);
+  const fileInputRef = useRef<HTMLInputElement>(null);
+
+  const { data, isLoading, isError, error } = useUnsplashSearch(searchQuery, page);
+
+  const showImageControls = backgroundConfig.mode !== 'gradient-only';
+
+  const handlePhotoSelect = useCallback(async (photo: UnsplashPhoto) => {
+    setBackgroundImage(photo.regularUrl, {
+      photographerName: photo.photographer,
+      photographerUrl: photo.photographerUrl,
+      photoUrl: photo.photoUrl,
+    });
+    // Trigger download event per Unsplash API guidelines
+    triggerUnsplashDownload(photo.downloadLocation).catch(() => {});
+  }, [setBackgroundImage]);
+
+  const handleCustomUrlApply = useCallback(() => {
+    if (customUrl.trim()) {
+      setBackgroundImage(customUrl.trim(), null);
+      setCustomUrl('');
+    }
+  }, [customUrl, setBackgroundImage]);
+
+  const handleRemoveImage = useCallback(() => {
+    setBackgroundImage(null, null);
+  }, [setBackgroundImage]);
+
+  const handleFileUpload = useCallback(async (e: React.ChangeEvent<HTMLInputElement>) => {
+    const file = e.target.files?.[0];
+    if (!file) return;
+
+    // Reset file input so the same file can be re-selected
+    e.target.value = '';
+
+    setUploadError(null);
+
+    if (file.size > 10 * 1024 * 1024) {
+      setUploadError(formatMessage({ id: 'theme.background.fileTooLarge' }));
+      return;
+    }
+
+    if (!file.type.startsWith('image/') || !['image/jpeg', 'image/png', 'image/webp', 'image/gif'].includes(file.type)) {
+      setUploadError(formatMessage({ id: 'theme.background.invalidType' }));
+      return;
+    }
+
+    setIsUploading(true);
+    try {
+      const result = await uploadBackgroundImage(file);
+      setBackgroundImage(result.url, null);
+    } catch (err) {
+      setUploadError((err as Error).message || formatMessage({ id: 'theme.background.uploadError' }));
+    } finally {
+      setIsUploading(false);
+    }
+  }, [formatMessage, setBackgroundImage]);
+
+  return (
+    <div className="space-y-4">
+      {/* Section title */}
+      <h3 className="text-sm font-medium text-text">
+        {formatMessage({ id: 'theme.background.title' })}
+      </h3>
+
+      {/* Background mode selector */}
+      <div
+        className="flex gap-2"
+        role="radiogroup"
+        aria-label={formatMessage({ id: 'theme.background.title' })}
+      >
+        {MODES.map(({ value, labelId }) => (
+          <button
+            key={value}
+            onClick={() => setBackgroundMode(value)}
+            role="radio"
+            aria-checked={backgroundConfig.mode === value}
+            className={`
+              flex-1 px-3 py-2 rounded-lg text-xs font-medium
+              transition-all duration-200 border-2
+              ${backgroundConfig.mode === value
+                ? 'border-accent bg-surface shadow-md'
+                : 'border-border bg-bg hover:bg-surface'
+              }
+              focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-accent focus:ring-offset-2
+            `}
+          >
+            {formatMessage({ id: labelId })}
+          </button>
+        ))}
+      </div>
+
+      {/* Image selection area */}
+      {showImageControls && (
+        <div className="space-y-3">
+          {/* Current image preview */}
+          {backgroundConfig.imageUrl && (
+            <div className="relative rounded-lg overflow-hidden border border-border">
+              <img
+                src={backgroundConfig.imageUrl}
+                alt="Current background"
+                className="w-full h-32 object-cover"
+              />
+              <button
+                onClick={handleRemoveImage}
+                className="absolute top-2 right-2 px-2 py-1 text-xs bg-black/60 text-white rounded hover:bg-black/80 transition-colors"
+              >
+                {formatMessage({ id: 'theme.background.removeImage' })}
+              </button>
+              {/* Unsplash attribution */}
+              {backgroundConfig.attribution && (
+                <div className="absolute bottom-0 left-0 right-0 px-2 py-1 bg-black/50 text-white text-xs">
+                  Photo by{' '}
+                  <a
+                    href={`${backgroundConfig.attribution.photographerUrl}?utm_source=ccw&utm_medium=referral`}
+                    target="_blank"
+                    rel="noopener noreferrer"
+                    className="underline"
+                  >
+                    {backgroundConfig.attribution.photographerName}
+                  </a>{' '}
+                  on{' '}
+                  <a
+                    href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ccw&utm_medium=referral"
+                    target="_blank"
+                    rel="noopener noreferrer"
+                    className="underline"
+                  >
+                    Unsplash
+                  </a>
+                </div>
+              )}
+            </div>
+          )}
+
+          {/* Search box */}
+          <input
+            type="text"
+            value={searchQuery}
+            onChange={(e) => { setSearchQuery(e.target.value); setPage(1); }}
+            placeholder={formatMessage({ id: 'theme.background.searchPlaceholder' })}
+            className="w-full px-3 py-2 text-sm rounded-lg border border-border bg-bg text-text
+              focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-accent focus:ring-offset-1"
+          />
+
+          {/* Photo grid */}
+          {isLoading && (
+            <div className="flex justify-center py-4">
+              <div className="w-5 h-5 border-2 border-border border-t-accent rounded-full animate-spin" />
+            </div>
+          )}
+
+          {isError && (
+            <p className="text-xs text-destructive py-2">
+              {(error as Error)?.message || formatMessage({ id: 'theme.background.searchError' })}
+            </p>
+          )}
+
+          {data && data.photos.length > 0 && (
+            <>
+              <div className="grid grid-cols-3 gap-2 max-h-60 overflow-y-auto">
+                {data.photos.map((photo) => (
+                  <button
+                    key={photo.id}
+                    onClick={() => handlePhotoSelect(photo)}
+                    className={`
+                      relative rounded overflow-hidden border-2 transition-all
+                      hover:border-accent focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-accent
+                      ${backgroundConfig.imageUrl === photo.regularUrl
+                        ? 'border-accent ring-2 ring-accent'
+                        : 'border-transparent'
+                      }
+                    `}
+                  >
+                    <img
+                      src={photo.thumbUrl}
+                      alt={`Photo by ${photo.photographer}`}
+                      className="w-full h-20 object-cover"
+                      loading="lazy"
+                    />
+                  </button>
+                ))}
+              </div>
+
+              {/* Pagination */}
+              {data.totalPages > 1 && (
+                <div className="flex items-center justify-between">
+                  <button
+                    onClick={() => setPage((p) => Math.max(1, p - 1))}
+                    disabled={page <= 1}
+                    className="px-2 py-1 text-xs rounded border border-border disabled:opacity-50 hover:bg-surface"
+                  >
+                    {formatMessage({ id: 'theme.background.prev' })}
+                  </button>
+                  <span className="text-xs text-text-secondary">
+                    {page} / {data.totalPages}
+                  </span>
+                  <button
+                    onClick={() => setPage((p) => Math.min(data.totalPages, p + 1))}
+                    disabled={page >= data.totalPages}
+                    className="px-2 py-1 text-xs rounded border border-border disabled:opacity-50 hover:bg-surface"
+                  >
+                    {formatMessage({ id: 'theme.background.next' })}
+                  </button>
+                </div>
+              )}
+            </>
+          )}
+
+          {data && data.photos.length === 0 && searchQuery.trim() && (
+            <p className="text-xs text-text-secondary py-2 text-center">
+              {formatMessage({ id: 'theme.background.noResults' })}
+            </p>
+          )}
+
+          {/* Custom URL input */}
+          <div className="flex gap-2">
+            <input
+              type="url"
+              value={customUrl}
+              onChange={(e) => setCustomUrl(e.target.value)}
+              placeholder={formatMessage({ id: 'theme.background.customUrlPlaceholder' })}
+              className="flex-1 px-3 py-2 text-xs rounded-lg border border-border bg-bg text-text
+                focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-accent focus:ring-offset-1"
+            />
+            <button
+              onClick={handleCustomUrlApply}
+              disabled={!customUrl.trim()}
+              className="px-3 py-2 text-xs rounded-lg bg-accent text-white disabled:opacity-50 hover:opacity-90 transition-opacity"
+            >
+              {formatMessage({ id: 'theme.background.apply' })}
+            </button>
+          </div>
+
+          {/* Upload local image */}
+          <div className="space-y-1">
+            <input
+              ref={fileInputRef}
+              type="file"
+              accept="image/jpeg,image/png,image/webp,image/gif"
+              onChange={handleFileUpload}
+              className="hidden"
+            />
+            <button
+              onClick={() => fileInputRef.current?.click()}
+              disabled={isUploading}
+              className="w-full px-3 py-2 text-xs rounded-lg border border-dashed border-border
+                bg-bg text-text hover:bg-surface hover:border-accent
+                disabled:opacity-50 transition-all flex items-center justify-center gap-2"
+            >
+              {isUploading ? (
+                <>
+                  <div className="w-3.5 h-3.5 border-2 border-border border-t-accent rounded-full animate-spin" />
+                  {formatMessage({ id: 'theme.background.uploading' })}
+                </>
+              ) : (
+                formatMessage({ id: 'theme.background.upload' })
+              )}
+            </button>
+            {uploadError && (
+              <p className="text-xs text-destructive">{uploadError}</p>
+            )}
+          </div>
+        </div>
+      )}
+
+      {/* Effects panel */}
+      {showImageControls && (
+        <div className="space-y-3 pt-2 border-t border-border">
+          <h4 className="text-xs font-medium text-text-secondary">
+            {formatMessage({ id: 'theme.background.effects' })}
+          </h4>
+
+          {/* Blur slider */}
+          <div className="space-y-1">
+            <div className="flex justify-between">
+              <label className="text-xs text-text">
+                {formatMessage({ id: 'theme.background.blur' })}
+              </label>
+              <span className="text-xs text-text-secondary">{backgroundConfig.effects.blur}px</span>
+            </div>
+            <input
+              type="range"
+              min="0"
+              max="20"
+              step="1"
+              value={backgroundConfig.effects.blur}
+              onChange={(e) => updateBackgroundEffect('blur', Number(e.target.value))}
+              className="w-full accent-[hsl(var(--accent))]"
+            />
+          </div>
+
+          {/* Darken slider */}
+          <div className="space-y-1">
+            <div className="flex justify-between">
+              <label className="text-xs text-text">
+                {formatMessage({ id: 'theme.background.darken' })}
+              </label>
+              <span className="text-xs text-text-secondary">{backgroundConfig.effects.darkenOpacity}%</span>
+            </div>
+            <input
+              type="range"
+              min="0"
+              max="80"
+              step="1"
+              value={backgroundConfig.effects.darkenOpacity}
+              onChange={(e) => updateBackgroundEffect('darkenOpacity', Number(e.target.value))}
+              className="w-full accent-[hsl(var(--accent))]"
+            />
+          </div>
+
+          {/* Saturation slider */}
+          <div className="space-y-1">
+            <div className="flex justify-between">
+              <label className="text-xs text-text">
+                {formatMessage({ id: 'theme.background.saturation' })}
+              </label>
+              <span className="text-xs text-text-secondary">{backgroundConfig.effects.saturation}%</span>
+            </div>
+            <input
+              type="range"
+              min="0"
+              max="200"
+              step="5"
+              value={backgroundConfig.effects.saturation}
+              onChange={(e) => updateBackgroundEffect('saturation', Number(e.target.value))}
+              className="w-full accent-[hsl(var(--accent))]"
+            />
+          </div>
+
+          {/* Frosted glass checkbox */}
+          <label className="flex items-center gap-2 cursor-pointer">
+            <input
+              type="checkbox"
+              checked={backgroundConfig.effects.enableFrostedGlass}
+              onChange={(e) => updateBackgroundEffect('enableFrostedGlass', e.target.checked)}
+              className="w-4 h-4 rounded border-border text-accent focus:ring-2 focus:ring-accent focus:ring-offset-2"
+            />
+            <span className="text-sm text-text">
+              {formatMessage({ id: 'theme.background.frostedGlass' })}
+            </span>
+          </label>
+
+          {/* Grain checkbox */}
+          <label className="flex items-center gap-2 cursor-pointer">
+            <input
+              type="checkbox"
+              checked={backgroundConfig.effects.enableGrain}
+              onChange={(e) => updateBackgroundEffect('enableGrain', e.target.checked)}
+              className="w-4 h-4 rounded border-border text-accent focus:ring-2 focus:ring-accent focus:ring-offset-2"
+            />
+            <span className="text-sm text-text">
+              {formatMessage({ id: 'theme.background.grain' })}
+            </span>
+          </label>
+
+          {/* Vignette checkbox */}
+          <label className="flex items-center gap-2 cursor-pointer">
+            <input
+              type="checkbox"
+              checked={backgroundConfig.effects.enableVignette}
+              onChange={(e) => updateBackgroundEffect('enableVignette', e.target.checked)}
+              className="w-4 h-4 rounded border-border text-accent focus:ring-2 focus:ring-accent focus:ring-offset-2"
+            />
+            <span className="text-sm text-text">
+              {formatMessage({ id: 'theme.background.vignette' })}
+            </span>
+          </label>
+        </div>
+      )}
+    </div>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/ccw/frontend/src/components/shared/IssueCard.tsx b/ccw/frontend/src/components/shared/IssueCard.tsx
index 311e1c30..374090c5 100644
--- a/ccw/frontend/src/components/shared/IssueCard.tsx
+++ b/ccw/frontend/src/components/shared/IssueCard.tsx
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ export function IssueCard({
         onClick={handleClick}
         className={cn(
           'p-3 bg-card border border-border rounded-lg cursor-pointer',
-          'hover:shadow-md hover:border-primary/50 transition-all',
+          'hover:shadow-md hover:border-primary/50 transition-all hover-glow',
           className
         )}
       >
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ export function IssueCard({
       {...draggableProps}
       onClick={handleClick}
       className={cn(
-        'p-4 cursor-pointer hover:shadow-md hover:border-primary/50 transition-all',
+        'p-4 cursor-pointer hover:shadow-md hover:border-primary/50 transition-all hover-glow',
         className
       )}
     >
diff --git a/ccw/frontend/src/components/shared/RuleCard.tsx b/ccw/frontend/src/components/shared/RuleCard.tsx
index 94b192ad..55f08a40 100644
--- a/ccw/frontend/src/components/shared/RuleCard.tsx
+++ b/ccw/frontend/src/components/shared/RuleCard.tsx
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ export function RuleCard({
   return (
     <Card
       className={cn(
-        'group transition-all duration-200 hover:shadow-md hover:border-primary/30',
+        'group transition-all duration-200 hover:shadow-md hover:border-primary/30 hover-glow',
         !rule.enabled && 'opacity-60',
         className
       )}
diff --git a/ccw/frontend/src/components/shared/SkillCard.tsx b/ccw/frontend/src/components/shared/SkillCard.tsx
index 1a02debd..75570a02 100644
--- a/ccw/frontend/src/components/shared/SkillCard.tsx
+++ b/ccw/frontend/src/components/shared/SkillCard.tsx
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ export function SkillCard({
         onClick={handleClick}
         className={cn(
           'p-3 bg-card border rounded-lg cursor-pointer',
-          'hover:shadow-md transition-all',
+          'hover:shadow-md transition-all hover-glow',
           skill.enabled ? 'border-border hover:border-primary/50' : 'border-dashed border-muted-foreground/50 bg-muted/50 grayscale-[0.5]',
           className
         )}
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ export function SkillCard({
     <Card
       onClick={handleClick}
       className={cn(
-        'p-4 cursor-pointer hover:shadow-md transition-all',
+        'p-4 cursor-pointer hover:shadow-md transition-all hover-glow',
         skill.enabled ? 'hover:border-primary/50' : 'border-dashed border-muted-foreground/50 bg-muted/30 grayscale-[0.3]',
         className
       )}
diff --git a/ccw/frontend/src/components/shared/StatCard.tsx b/ccw/frontend/src/components/shared/StatCard.tsx
index 3d29b696..c27369d1 100644
--- a/ccw/frontend/src/components/shared/StatCard.tsx
+++ b/ccw/frontend/src/components/shared/StatCard.tsx
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import { TrendingUp, TrendingDown, Minus, type LucideIcon } from 'lucide-react';
 import { Sparkline } from '@/components/charts/Sparkline';
 
 const statCardVariants = cva(
-  'transition-all duration-200 hover:shadow-md',
+  'transition-all duration-200 hover:shadow-md hover-glow',
   {
     variants: {
       variant: {
diff --git a/ccw/frontend/src/components/shared/ThemeSelector.tsx b/ccw/frontend/src/components/shared/ThemeSelector.tsx
index 0fbcc5cb..d0479870 100644
--- a/ccw/frontend/src/components/shared/ThemeSelector.tsx
+++ b/ccw/frontend/src/components/shared/ThemeSelector.tsx
@@ -1,9 +1,15 @@
-import React, { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
+import React, { useState, useEffect, useRef, useCallback } from 'react';
 import { useIntl } from 'react-intl';
 import { useTheme } from '@/hooks/useTheme';
-import { COLOR_SCHEMES, THEME_MODES, getThemeName } from '@/lib/theme';
+import { useNotifications } from '@/hooks/useNotifications';
+import { COLOR_SCHEMES, THEME_MODES, getThemeName, THEME_SLOT_LIMIT, DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_CONFIG } from '@/lib/theme';
 import type { ColorScheme, ThemeMode } from '@/lib/theme';
-import { generateThemeFromHue } from '@/lib/colorGenerator';
+import type { ThemeSlotId, StyleTier } from '@/types/store';
+import { generateThemeFromHue, applyStyleTier } from '@/lib/colorGenerator';
+import { checkThemeContrast, generateContrastFix } from '@/lib/accessibility';
+import type { ContrastResult, FixSuggestion } from '@/lib/accessibility';
+import type { ThemeSharePayload } from '@/lib/themeShare';
+import { BackgroundImagePicker } from './BackgroundImagePicker';
 
 /**
  * Theme Selector Component
@@ -28,17 +34,52 @@ export function ThemeSelector() {
     gradientLevel,
     enableHoverGlow,
     enableBackgroundAnimation,
+    motionPreference,
     setColorScheme,
     setTheme,
     setCustomHue,
     setGradientLevel,
     setEnableHoverGlow,
     setEnableBackgroundAnimation,
+    setMotionPreference,
+    styleTier,
+    setStyleTier,
+    themeSlots,
+    activeSlotId,
+    canAddSlot,
+    setActiveSlot,
+    copySlot,
+    renameSlot,
+    deleteSlot,
+    undoDeleteSlot,
+    exportThemeCode,
+    importThemeCode,
+    setBackgroundConfig,
   } = useTheme();
+  const { addToast, removeToast } = useNotifications();
 
   // Local state for preview hue (uncommitted changes)
   const [previewHue, setPreviewHue] = useState<number | null>(customHue);
 
+  // Contrast warning state (non-blocking)
+  const [contrastWarnings, setContrastWarnings] = useState<ContrastResult[]>([]);
+  const [contrastFixes, setContrastFixes] = useState<Record<string, FixSuggestion[]>>({});
+  const [showContrastWarning, setShowContrastWarning] = useState(false);
+
+  // Slot management state
+  const [renamingSlotId, setRenamingSlotId] = useState<ThemeSlotId | null>(null);
+  const [renameValue, setRenameValue] = useState('');
+  const renameInputRef = useRef<HTMLInputElement>(null);
+  const undoToastIdRef = useRef<string | null>(null);
+
+  // Share/import state (local to component, not in store)
+  const [showImportPanel, setShowImportPanel] = useState(false);
+  const [importCode, setImportCode] = useState('');
+  const [importPreview, setImportPreview] = useState<ThemeSharePayload | null>(null);
+  const [importWarning, setImportWarning] = useState<string | null>(null);
+  const [importError, setImportError] = useState<string | null>(null);
+  const [copyFeedback, setCopyFeedback] = useState(false);
+
   // Sync preview with customHue from store
   useEffect(() => {
     setPreviewHue(customHue);
@@ -55,6 +96,25 @@ export function ThemeSelector() {
     return hslValue ? `hsl(${hslValue})` : '#888';
   };
 
+  // Style tier definitions for the selector UI
+  const STYLE_TIERS: Array<{ id: StyleTier; nameKey: string; descKey: string }> = [
+    { id: 'soft', nameKey: 'theme.styleTier.soft', descKey: 'theme.styleTier.softDesc' },
+    { id: 'standard', nameKey: 'theme.styleTier.standard', descKey: 'theme.styleTier.standardDesc' },
+    { id: 'high-contrast', nameKey: 'theme.styleTier.highContrast', descKey: 'theme.styleTier.highContrastDesc' },
+  ];
+
+  // Get tier preview swatch colors (bg, surface, accent for a sample tier)
+  const getTierPreviewColors = (tier: StyleTier): { bg: string; surface: string; accent: string } => {
+    const sampleHue = customHue ?? 220; // Use current hue or default blue
+    const baseVars = generateThemeFromHue(sampleHue, mode);
+    const tieredVars = tier === 'standard' ? baseVars : applyStyleTier(baseVars, tier, mode);
+    return {
+      bg: tieredVars['--bg'] ? `hsl(${tieredVars['--bg']})` : '#888',
+      surface: tieredVars['--surface'] ? `hsl(${tieredVars['--surface']})` : '#888',
+      accent: tieredVars['--accent'] ? `hsl(${tieredVars['--accent']})` : '#888',
+    };
+  };
+
   const handleSchemeSelect = (scheme: ColorScheme) => {
     // When selecting a preset scheme, reset custom hue
     if (isCustomTheme) {
@@ -73,6 +133,28 @@ export function ThemeSelector() {
   const handleHueSave = () => {
     if (previewHue !== null) {
       setCustomHue(previewHue);
+
+      // Run contrast check on the new custom theme
+      const mode: ThemeMode = resolvedTheme;
+      const vars = generateThemeFromHue(previewHue, mode);
+      const results = checkThemeContrast(vars);
+      const failures = results.filter(r => !r.passed);
+
+      if (failures.length > 0) {
+        setContrastWarnings(failures);
+        // Generate fixes for each failing pair
+        const fixes: Record<string, FixSuggestion[]> = {};
+        for (const failure of failures) {
+          const key = `${failure.fgVar}|${failure.bgVar}`;
+          fixes[key] = generateContrastFix(failure.fgVar, failure.bgVar, vars, failure.required);
+        }
+        setContrastFixes(fixes);
+        setShowContrastWarning(true);
+      } else {
+        setContrastWarnings([]);
+        setContrastFixes({});
+        setShowContrastWarning(false);
+      }
     }
   };
 
@@ -99,8 +181,379 @@ export function ThemeSelector() {
     }
   };
 
+  // ========== Slot Management Handlers ==========
+
+  const handleSlotSelect = useCallback((slotId: ThemeSlotId) => {
+    if (slotId !== activeSlotId) {
+      setActiveSlot(slotId);
+    }
+  }, [activeSlotId, setActiveSlot]);
+
+  const handleCopySlot = useCallback(() => {
+    if (!canAddSlot) return;
+    copySlot();
+  }, [canAddSlot, copySlot]);
+
+  const handleStartRename = useCallback((slotId: ThemeSlotId, currentName: string) => {
+    setRenamingSlotId(slotId);
+    setRenameValue(currentName);
+    // Focus input after render
+    setTimeout(() => renameInputRef.current?.focus(), 0);
+  }, []);
+
+  const handleConfirmRename = useCallback(() => {
+    if (renamingSlotId && renameValue.trim()) {
+      renameSlot(renamingSlotId, renameValue.trim());
+    }
+    setRenamingSlotId(null);
+    setRenameValue('');
+  }, [renamingSlotId, renameValue, renameSlot]);
+
+  const handleCancelRename = useCallback(() => {
+    setRenamingSlotId(null);
+    setRenameValue('');
+  }, []);
+
+  const handleRenameKeyDown = useCallback((e: React.KeyboardEvent<HTMLInputElement>) => {
+    if (e.key === 'Enter') {
+      e.preventDefault();
+      handleConfirmRename();
+    } else if (e.key === 'Escape') {
+      e.preventDefault();
+      handleCancelRename();
+    }
+  }, [handleConfirmRename, handleCancelRename]);
+
+  const handleDeleteSlot = useCallback((slotId: ThemeSlotId) => {
+    const slot = themeSlots.find(s => s.id === slotId);
+    if (!slot || slot.isDefault) return;
+
+    deleteSlot(slotId);
+
+    // Remove previous undo toast if exists
+    if (undoToastIdRef.current) {
+      removeToast(undoToastIdRef.current);
+    }
+
+    // Show undo toast with 10-second duration
+    const toastId = addToast('info',
+      formatMessage({ id: 'theme.slot.undoDelete' }),
+      undefined,
+      {
+        duration: 10000,
+        dismissible: true,
+        action: {
+          label: formatMessage({ id: 'theme.slot.undo' }),
+          onClick: () => {
+            undoDeleteSlot();
+            removeToast(toastId);
+            undoToastIdRef.current = null;
+          },
+        },
+      }
+    );
+    undoToastIdRef.current = toastId;
+  }, [themeSlots, deleteSlot, addToast, removeToast, undoDeleteSlot, formatMessage]);
+
+  // ========== Share/Import Handlers ==========
+
+  const handleCopyThemeCode = useCallback(async () => {
+    try {
+      const code = exportThemeCode();
+      await navigator.clipboard.writeText(code);
+      setCopyFeedback(true);
+      setTimeout(() => setCopyFeedback(false), 2000);
+    } catch {
+      // Clipboard API may not be available
+      addToast('error', 'Failed to copy to clipboard');
+    }
+  }, [exportThemeCode, addToast]);
+
+  const handleOpenImport = useCallback(() => {
+    setShowImportPanel(true);
+    setImportCode('');
+    setImportPreview(null);
+    setImportWarning(null);
+    setImportError(null);
+  }, []);
+
+  const handleCloseImport = useCallback(() => {
+    setShowImportPanel(false);
+    setImportCode('');
+    setImportPreview(null);
+    setImportWarning(null);
+    setImportError(null);
+  }, []);
+
+  const handleImportCodeChange = useCallback((value: string) => {
+    setImportCode(value);
+    setImportError(null);
+    setImportWarning(null);
+    setImportPreview(null);
+
+    if (!value.trim()) return;
+
+    const result = importThemeCode(value);
+    if (result.ok) {
+      setImportPreview(result.payload);
+      if (result.warning) {
+        setImportWarning(result.warning);
+      }
+    } else {
+      setImportError(result.error);
+    }
+  }, [importThemeCode]);
+
+  const handleApplyImport = useCallback(() => {
+    if (!importPreview) return;
+
+    // Check if we can add a slot or overwrite current
+    if (!canAddSlot && activeSlotId === 'default') {
+      // Apply to the default slot directly via individual setters
+      if (importPreview.customHue !== null) {
+        setCustomHue(importPreview.customHue);
+      } else {
+        setCustomHue(null);
+        setColorScheme(importPreview.colorScheme);
+      }
+      setGradientLevel(importPreview.gradientLevel);
+      setEnableHoverGlow(importPreview.enableHoverGlow);
+      setEnableBackgroundAnimation(importPreview.enableBackgroundAnimation);
+      setStyleTier(importPreview.styleTier);
+    } else if (canAddSlot) {
+      // Create a new slot via copySlot then apply settings
+      copySlot();
+      // After copySlot, the new slot is active. Apply imported settings.
+      if (importPreview.customHue !== null) {
+        setCustomHue(importPreview.customHue);
+      } else {
+        setCustomHue(null);
+        setColorScheme(importPreview.colorScheme);
+      }
+      setGradientLevel(importPreview.gradientLevel);
+      setEnableHoverGlow(importPreview.enableHoverGlow);
+      setEnableBackgroundAnimation(importPreview.enableBackgroundAnimation);
+      setStyleTier(importPreview.styleTier);
+    } else {
+      // Apply to current active slot via individual setters
+      if (importPreview.customHue !== null) {
+        setCustomHue(importPreview.customHue);
+      } else {
+        setCustomHue(null);
+        setColorScheme(importPreview.colorScheme);
+      }
+      setGradientLevel(importPreview.gradientLevel);
+      setEnableHoverGlow(importPreview.enableHoverGlow);
+      setEnableBackgroundAnimation(importPreview.enableBackgroundAnimation);
+      setStyleTier(importPreview.styleTier);
+    }
+
+    // Apply background config from import (v2+ feature)
+    setBackgroundConfig(importPreview.backgroundConfig ?? DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_CONFIG);
+
+    addToast('success', formatMessage({ id: 'theme.share.importSuccess' }));
+    handleCloseImport();
+  }, [
+    importPreview, canAddSlot, activeSlotId, copySlot,
+    setCustomHue, setColorScheme, setGradientLevel,
+    setEnableHoverGlow, setEnableBackgroundAnimation, setStyleTier,
+    setBackgroundConfig,
+    addToast, formatMessage, handleCloseImport,
+  ]);
+
+  /** Generate preview swatch colors from an import payload */
+  const getImportPreviewColors = useCallback((payload: ThemeSharePayload) => {
+    const hue = payload.customHue ?? 220;
+    const baseVars = generateThemeFromHue(hue, mode);
+    const tieredVars = payload.styleTier === 'standard'
+      ? baseVars
+      : applyStyleTier(baseVars, payload.styleTier, mode);
+    return {
+      bg: tieredVars['--bg'] ? `hsl(${tieredVars['--bg']})` : '#888',
+      surface: tieredVars['--surface'] ? `hsl(${tieredVars['--surface']})` : '#888',
+      accent: tieredVars['--accent'] ? `hsl(${tieredVars['--accent']})` : '#888',
+      text: tieredVars['--text'] ? `hsl(${tieredVars['--text']})` : '#888',
+    };
+  }, [mode]);
+
+  /** Map error keys to i18n message IDs */
+  const getShareErrorMessageId = (errorKey: string): string => {
+    switch (errorKey) {
+      case 'incompatible_version':
+        return 'theme.share.incompatibleVersion';
+      default:
+        return 'theme.share.invalidCode';
+    }
+  };
+
+  // Focus rename input when entering rename mode
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (renamingSlotId && renameInputRef.current) {
+      renameInputRef.current.focus();
+      renameInputRef.current.select();
+    }
+  }, [renamingSlotId]);
+
   return (
     <div className="space-y-6">
+      {/* Theme Slot Switcher */}
+      <div>
+        <div className="flex items-center justify-between mb-3">
+          <h3 className="text-sm font-medium text-text">
+            {formatMessage({ id: 'theme.slot.title' })}
+          </h3>
+          <button
+            onClick={handleCopySlot}
+            disabled={!canAddSlot}
+            title={
+              canAddSlot
+                ? formatMessage({ id: 'theme.slot.copy' })
+                : formatMessage({ id: 'theme.slot.limitReached' }, { limit: THEME_SLOT_LIMIT })
+            }
+            className={`
+              px-2 py-1 rounded text-xs font-medium
+              transition-all duration-200
+              ${canAddSlot
+                ? 'bg-accent text-white hover:bg-accent-hover focus:ring-2 focus:ring-accent focus:ring-offset-1'
+                : 'bg-muted text-muted-text cursor-not-allowed'
+              }
+              focus:outline-none
+            `}
+          >
+            + {formatMessage({ id: 'theme.slot.copy' })}
+          </button>
+        </div>
+
+        <div className="flex gap-2" role="tablist" aria-label={formatMessage({ id: 'theme.slot.title' })}>
+          {themeSlots.map((slot) => {
+            const isActive = slot.id === activeSlotId;
+            const isRenaming = slot.id === renamingSlotId;
+
+            return (
+              <div
+                key={slot.id}
+                role="tab"
+                aria-selected={isActive}
+                tabIndex={isActive ? 0 : -1}
+                onClick={() => handleSlotSelect(slot.id)}
+                className={`
+                  relative flex-1 min-w-0 p-2.5 rounded-lg cursor-pointer
+                  transition-all duration-200 border-2 group
+                  ${isActive
+                    ? 'border-accent bg-surface shadow-md'
+                    : 'border-border bg-bg hover:bg-surface'
+                  }
+                  focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-accent focus:ring-offset-1
+                `}
+              >
+                {/* Active indicator */}
+                {isActive && (
+                  <span className="absolute -top-1 -right-1 w-2.5 h-2.5 rounded-full bg-accent border-2 border-bg" />
+                )}
+
+                {/* Slot name - inline rename or display */}
+                <div className="flex items-center gap-1 min-w-0">
+                  {isRenaming ? (
+                    <input
+                      ref={renameInputRef}
+                      type="text"
+                      value={renameValue}
+                      onChange={(e) => setRenameValue(e.target.value)}
+                      onKeyDown={handleRenameKeyDown}
+                      onBlur={handleConfirmRename}
+                      onClick={(e) => e.stopPropagation()}
+                      className="
+                        w-full px-1 py-0.5 text-xs font-medium text-text
+                        bg-bg border border-accent rounded
+                        focus:outline-none focus:ring-1 focus:ring-accent
+                      "
+                      maxLength={20}
+                    />
+                  ) : (
+                    <span
+                      className="text-xs font-medium text-text truncate"
+                      title={slot.name}
+                      onDoubleClick={(e) => {
+                        e.stopPropagation();
+                        if (!slot.isDefault) {
+                          handleStartRename(slot.id, slot.name);
+                        }
+                      }}
+                    >
+                      {slot.name}
+                    </span>
+                  )}
+                </div>
+
+                {/* Active label */}
+                {isActive && !isRenaming && (
+                  <span className="text-[10px] text-accent font-medium mt-0.5 block">
+                    {formatMessage({ id: 'theme.slot.active' })}
+                  </span>
+                )}
+
+                {/* Action buttons - show on hover for non-default slots */}
+                {!slot.isDefault && !isRenaming && (
+                  <div className="
+                    absolute top-1 right-1 flex gap-0.5
+                    opacity-0 group-hover:opacity-100 transition-opacity duration-150
+                  ">
+                    <button
+                      onClick={(e) => {
+                        e.stopPropagation();
+                        handleStartRename(slot.id, slot.name);
+                      }}
+                      title={formatMessage({ id: 'theme.slot.rename' })}
+                      className="
+                        p-0.5 rounded text-text-tertiary hover:text-text hover:bg-surface-hover
+                        transition-colors duration-150 focus:outline-none
+                      "
+                    >
+                      <svg width="12" height="12" viewBox="0 0 16 16" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
+                        <path d="M11.5 1.5L14.5 4.5L5 14H2V11L11.5 1.5Z" stroke="currentColor" strokeWidth="1.5" strokeLinecap="round" strokeLinejoin="round"/>
+                      </svg>
+                    </button>
+                    <button
+                      onClick={(e) => {
+                        e.stopPropagation();
+                        handleDeleteSlot(slot.id);
+                      }}
+                      title={formatMessage({ id: 'theme.slot.delete' })}
+                      className="
+                        p-0.5 rounded text-text-tertiary hover:text-error hover:bg-error-light
+                        transition-colors duration-150 focus:outline-none
+                      "
+                    >
+                      <svg width="12" height="12" viewBox="0 0 16 16" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
+                        <path d="M4 4L12 12M12 4L4 12" stroke="currentColor" strokeWidth="1.5" strokeLinecap="round"/>
+                      </svg>
+                    </button>
+                  </div>
+                )}
+
+                {/* Default slot: show disabled delete tooltip */}
+                {slot.isDefault && (
+                  <div className="
+                    absolute top-1 right-1 flex gap-0.5
+                    opacity-0 group-hover:opacity-100 transition-opacity duration-150
+                  ">
+                    <button
+                      disabled
+                      title={formatMessage({ id: 'theme.slot.cannotDeleteDefault' })}
+                      className="p-0.5 rounded text-muted-text cursor-not-allowed"
+                    >
+                      <svg width="12" height="12" viewBox="0 0 16 16" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
+                        <path d="M4 4L12 12M12 4L4 12" stroke="currentColor" strokeWidth="1.5" strokeLinecap="round"/>
+                      </svg>
+                    </button>
+                  </div>
+                )}
+              </div>
+            );
+          })}
+        </div>
+      </div>
+
       {/* Color Scheme Selection */}
       <div>
         <h3 className="text-sm font-medium text-text mb-3">
@@ -265,6 +718,64 @@ export function ThemeSelector() {
         </div>
       )}
 
+      {/* Style Tier Selection */}
+      <div>
+        <h3 className="text-sm font-medium text-text mb-3">
+          {formatMessage({ id: 'theme.styleTier.label' })}
+        </h3>
+        <div
+          className="grid grid-cols-3 gap-3"
+          role="radiogroup"
+          aria-label={formatMessage({ id: 'theme.styleTier.label' })}
+        >
+          {STYLE_TIERS.map((tier) => {
+            const preview = getTierPreviewColors(tier.id);
+            const isSelected = styleTier === tier.id;
+            return (
+              <button
+                key={tier.id}
+                onClick={() => setStyleTier(tier.id)}
+                role="radio"
+                aria-checked={isSelected}
+                className={`
+                  flex flex-col items-center gap-2 p-3 rounded-lg
+                  transition-all duration-200 border-2
+                  ${isSelected
+                    ? 'border-accent bg-surface shadow-md'
+                    : 'border-border bg-bg hover:bg-surface'
+                  }
+                  focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-accent focus:ring-offset-2
+                `}
+              >
+                {/* Preview swatches */}
+                <div className="flex gap-1" aria-hidden="true">
+                  <div
+                    className="w-5 h-5 rounded-sm border border-border"
+                    style={{ backgroundColor: preview.bg }}
+                  />
+                  <div
+                    className="w-5 h-5 rounded-sm border border-border"
+                    style={{ backgroundColor: preview.surface }}
+                  />
+                  <div
+                    className="w-5 h-5 rounded-sm border border-border"
+                    style={{ backgroundColor: preview.accent }}
+                  />
+                </div>
+                {/* Tier name */}
+                <span className="text-xs font-medium text-text text-center">
+                  {formatMessage({ id: tier.nameKey })}
+                </span>
+                {/* Description */}
+                <span className="text-[10px] text-text-tertiary text-center leading-tight">
+                  {formatMessage({ id: tier.descKey })}
+                </span>
+              </button>
+            );
+          })}
+        </div>
+      </div>
+
       {/* Gradient Effects Settings */}
       <div>
         <h3 className="text-sm font-medium text-text mb-3">
@@ -333,6 +844,86 @@ export function ThemeSelector() {
         </div>
       </div>
 
+      {/* Background Image */}
+      <BackgroundImagePicker />
+
+      {/* Motion Preference */}
+      <div>
+        <h3 className="text-sm font-medium text-text mb-3">
+          {formatMessage({ id: 'theme.motion.label' })}
+        </h3>
+        <div
+          className="flex gap-2"
+          role="radiogroup"
+          aria-label={formatMessage({ id: 'theme.motion.label' })}
+        >
+          {(['system', 'reduce', 'enable'] as const).map((pref) => (
+            <button
+              key={pref}
+              onClick={() => setMotionPreference(pref)}
+              role="radio"
+              aria-checked={motionPreference === pref}
+              className={`
+                flex-1 px-3 py-2 rounded-lg text-sm font-medium
+                transition-all duration-200 border-2
+                ${motionPreference === pref
+                  ? 'border-accent bg-surface shadow-md'
+                  : 'border-border bg-bg hover:bg-surface'
+                }
+                focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-accent focus:ring-offset-2
+              `}
+            >
+              {formatMessage({ id: `theme.motion.${pref}` })}
+            </button>
+          ))}
+        </div>
+      </div>
+
+      {/* Contrast Warning Banner (non-blocking) */}
+      {showContrastWarning && contrastWarnings.length > 0 && (
+        <div className="p-3 rounded-lg bg-warning-light border border-warning text-warning-text space-y-2">
+          <p className="text-xs font-medium">
+            {formatMessage({ id: 'theme.accessibility.contrastWarning' })}
+          </p>
+          <ul className="text-xs space-y-1">
+            {contrastWarnings.map((w) => {
+              const key = `${w.fgVar}|${w.bgVar}`;
+              const fixes = contrastFixes[key] || [];
+              return (
+                <li key={key} className="space-y-1">
+                  <span>
+                    {w.fgVar} / {w.bgVar}: {w.ratio}:1 (min {w.required}:1)
+                  </span>
+                  {fixes.length > 0 && (
+                    <div className="ml-2 text-[10px]">
+                      {fixes.slice(0, 1).map((fix, i) => (
+                        <span key={i} className="block">
+                          {formatMessage(
+                            { id: 'theme.accessibility.fixSuggestion' },
+                            {
+                              target: fix.target === 'fg' ? w.fgVar : w.bgVar,
+                              original: fix.original,
+                              suggested: fix.suggested,
+                              ratio: fix.resultRatio,
+                            }
+                          )}
+                        </span>
+                      ))}
+                    </div>
+                  )}
+                </li>
+              );
+            })}
+          </ul>
+          <button
+            onClick={() => setShowContrastWarning(false)}
+            className="text-xs font-medium underline"
+          >
+            {formatMessage({ id: 'theme.accessibility.dismiss' })}
+          </button>
+        </div>
+      )}
+
       {/* Theme Mode Selection */}
       <div>
         <h3 className="text-sm font-medium text-text mb-3">
@@ -379,6 +970,173 @@ export function ThemeSelector() {
           {formatMessage({ id: 'theme.current' }, { name: getThemeName(colorScheme, mode) })}
         </p>
       </div>
+
+      {/* Theme Sharing Section */}
+      <div>
+        <h3 className="text-sm font-medium text-text mb-3">
+          {formatMessage({ id: 'theme.share.label' })}
+        </h3>
+
+        <div className="flex gap-2">
+          {/* Copy Theme Code button */}
+          <button
+            onClick={handleCopyThemeCode}
+            className="
+              flex-1 px-3 py-2 rounded-lg text-sm font-medium
+              border-2 border-border bg-bg text-text
+              hover:bg-surface transition-all duration-200
+              focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-accent focus:ring-offset-2
+            "
+          >
+            {copyFeedback
+              ? formatMessage({ id: 'theme.share.copied' })
+              : formatMessage({ id: 'theme.share.copyCode' })
+            }
+          </button>
+
+          {/* Import Theme button */}
+          <button
+            onClick={showImportPanel ? handleCloseImport : handleOpenImport}
+            className={`
+              flex-1 px-3 py-2 rounded-lg text-sm font-medium
+              transition-all duration-200 border-2
+              ${showImportPanel
+                ? 'border-accent bg-surface shadow-md'
+                : 'border-border bg-bg text-text hover:bg-surface'
+              }
+              focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-accent focus:ring-offset-2
+            `}
+          >
+            {formatMessage({ id: 'theme.share.import' })}
+          </button>
+        </div>
+
+        {/* Import Panel */}
+        {showImportPanel && (
+          <div className="mt-3 space-y-3">
+            {/* Paste textarea */}
+            <textarea
+              value={importCode}
+              onChange={(e) => handleImportCodeChange(e.target.value)}
+              placeholder={formatMessage({ id: 'theme.share.paste' })}
+              rows={3}
+              className="
+                w-full px-3 py-2 rounded-lg text-sm font-mono
+                bg-bg border-2 border-border text-text
+                placeholder-text-tertiary resize-none
+                focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-accent focus:border-accent
+              "
+            />
+
+            {/* Error message */}
+            {importError && (
+              <div className="p-2 rounded-lg bg-error-light border border-error text-error-text text-xs">
+                {formatMessage({ id: getShareErrorMessageId(importError) })}
+              </div>
+            )}
+
+            {/* Version warning */}
+            {importWarning && !importError && (
+              <div className="p-2 rounded-lg bg-warning-light border border-warning text-warning-text text-xs">
+                {formatMessage({ id: 'theme.share.versionWarning' })}
+              </div>
+            )}
+
+            {/* Import Preview Card */}
+            {importPreview && !importError && (
+              <div className="p-3 rounded-lg bg-surface border border-border space-y-3">
+                <p className="text-xs font-medium text-text">
+                  {formatMessage({ id: 'theme.share.preview' })}
+                </p>
+
+                {/* Preview swatches */}
+                <div className="flex gap-3 items-end">
+                  {(() => {
+                    const previewColors = getImportPreviewColors(importPreview);
+                    return (
+                      <>
+                        <div className="flex flex-col items-center gap-1">
+                          <div
+                            className="w-10 h-10 rounded border-2 border-border shadow-sm"
+                            style={{ backgroundColor: previewColors.bg }}
+                          />
+                          <span className="text-[10px] text-text-tertiary">
+                            {formatMessage({ id: 'theme.preview.background' })}
+                          </span>
+                        </div>
+                        <div className="flex flex-col items-center gap-1">
+                          <div
+                            className="w-10 h-10 rounded border-2 border-border shadow-sm"
+                            style={{ backgroundColor: previewColors.surface }}
+                          />
+                          <span className="text-[10px] text-text-tertiary">
+                            {formatMessage({ id: 'theme.preview.surface' })}
+                          </span>
+                        </div>
+                        <div className="flex flex-col items-center gap-1">
+                          <div
+                            className="w-10 h-10 rounded border-2 border-border shadow-sm"
+                            style={{ backgroundColor: previewColors.accent }}
+                          />
+                          <span className="text-[10px] text-text-tertiary">
+                            {formatMessage({ id: 'theme.preview.accent' })}
+                          </span>
+                        </div>
+                      </>
+                    );
+                  })()}
+                </div>
+
+                {/* Settings summary */}
+                <div className="text-xs text-text-secondary space-y-1">
+                  <p>
+                    {formatMessage({ id: 'theme.styleTier.label' })}: {formatMessage({ id: `theme.styleTier.${importPreview.styleTier === 'high-contrast' ? 'highContrast' : importPreview.styleTier}` })}
+                  </p>
+                  <p>
+                    {formatMessage({ id: 'theme.gradient.title' })}: {formatMessage({ id: `theme.gradient.${importPreview.gradientLevel}` })}
+                  </p>
+                  {importPreview.customHue !== null && (
+                    <p>
+                      {formatMessage({ id: 'theme.hueValue' }, { value: importPreview.customHue })}
+                    </p>
+                  )}
+                  {importPreview.customHue === null && (
+                    <p>
+                      {formatMessage({ id: 'theme.title.colorScheme' })}: {formatMessage({ id: `theme.colorScheme.${importPreview.colorScheme}` })}
+                    </p>
+                  )}
+                </div>
+
+                {/* Apply / Cancel buttons */}
+                <div className="flex gap-2 pt-1">
+                  <button
+                    onClick={handleApplyImport}
+                    className="
+                      flex-1 px-4 py-2 rounded-lg text-sm font-medium
+                      bg-accent text-white hover:bg-accent-hover
+                      transition-all duration-200
+                      focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-accent focus:ring-offset-2
+                    "
+                  >
+                    {formatMessage({ id: 'theme.share.apply' })}
+                  </button>
+                  <button
+                    onClick={handleCloseImport}
+                    className="
+                      px-4 py-2 rounded-lg text-sm font-medium
+                      border-2 border-border bg-bg text-text
+                      hover:bg-surface transition-all duration-200
+                      focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-accent focus:ring-offset-2
+                    "
+                  >
+                    {formatMessage({ id: 'theme.share.cancel' })}
+                  </button>
+                </div>
+              </div>
+            )}
+          </div>
+        )}
+      </div>
     </div>
   );
 }
diff --git a/ccw/frontend/src/components/ui/Badge.tsx b/ccw/frontend/src/components/ui/Badge.tsx
index 64cdf2fc..1f7b269e 100644
--- a/ccw/frontend/src/components/ui/Badge.tsx
+++ b/ccw/frontend/src/components/ui/Badge.tsx
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ const badgeVariants = cva(
           "border-transparent bg-info text-white",
         review:
           "border-transparent bg-purple-600 text-white",
+        gradient:
+          "border-transparent bg-gradient-brand bg-primary text-primary-foreground",
       },
     },
     defaultVariants: {
diff --git a/ccw/frontend/src/hooks/useCodexLens.ts b/ccw/frontend/src/hooks/useCodexLens.ts
index c1ff2617..064aee41 100644
--- a/ccw/frontend/src/hooks/useCodexLens.ts
+++ b/ccw/frontend/src/hooks/useCodexLens.ts
@@ -56,11 +56,16 @@ import {
   type CodexLensWorkspaceStatus,
   type CodexLensSearchParams,
   type CodexLensSearchResponse,
+  type CodexLensFileSearchResponse,
   type CodexLensSymbolSearchResponse,
   type CodexLensIndexesResponse,
   type CodexLensIndexingStatusResponse,
-  type CodexLensSemanticInstallResponse,
   type CodexLensWatcherStatusResponse,
+  type CodexLensLspStatusResponse,
+  type CodexLensSemanticSearchParams,
+  type CodexLensSemanticSearchResponse,
+  fetchCodexLensLspStatus,
+  semanticSearchCodexLens,
 } from '../lib/api';
 import { useWorkflowStore, selectProjectPath } from '@/stores/workflowStore';
 
@@ -83,6 +88,8 @@ export const codexLensKeys = {
   search: (params: CodexLensSearchParams) => [...codexLensKeys.all, 'search', params] as const,
   filesSearch: (params: CodexLensSearchParams) => [...codexLensKeys.all, 'filesSearch', params] as const,
   symbolSearch: (params: Pick<CodexLensSearchParams, 'query' | 'limit'>) => [...codexLensKeys.all, 'symbolSearch', params] as const,
+  lspStatus: () => [...codexLensKeys.all, 'lspStatus'] as const,
+  semanticSearch: (params: CodexLensSemanticSearchParams) => [...codexLensKeys.all, 'semanticSearch', params] as const,
   watcher: () => [...codexLensKeys.all, 'watcher'] as const,
 };
 
@@ -1288,10 +1295,18 @@ export function useCodexLensSearch(params: CodexLensSearchParams, options: UseCo
   };
 }
 
+export interface UseCodexLensFileSearchReturn {
+  data: CodexLensFileSearchResponse | undefined;
+  files: string[] | undefined;
+  isLoading: boolean;
+  error: Error | null;
+  refetch: () => Promise<void>;
+}
+
 /**
  * Hook for file search using CodexLens
  */
-export function useCodexLensFilesSearch(params: CodexLensSearchParams, options: UseCodexLensSearchOptions = {}): UseCodexLensSearchReturn {
+export function useCodexLensFilesSearch(params: CodexLensSearchParams, options: UseCodexLensSearchOptions = {}): UseCodexLensFileSearchReturn {
   const { enabled = false } = options;
 
   const query = useQuery({
@@ -1308,7 +1323,7 @@ export function useCodexLensFilesSearch(params: CodexLensSearchParams, options:
 
   return {
     data: query.data,
-    results: query.data?.results,
+    files: query.data?.files,
     isLoading: query.isLoading,
     error: query.error,
     refetch,
@@ -1357,6 +1372,98 @@ export function useCodexLensSymbolSearch(
   };
 }
 
+// ========== LSP / Semantic Search Hooks ==========
+
+export interface UseCodexLensLspStatusOptions {
+  enabled?: boolean;
+  staleTime?: number;
+}
+
+export interface UseCodexLensLspStatusReturn {
+  data: CodexLensLspStatusResponse | undefined;
+  available: boolean;
+  semanticAvailable: boolean;
+  vectorIndex: boolean;
+  modes: string[];
+  strategies: string[];
+  isLoading: boolean;
+  error: Error | null;
+  refetch: () => Promise<void>;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Hook for checking CodexLens LSP/semantic search availability
+ */
+export function useCodexLensLspStatus(options: UseCodexLensLspStatusOptions = {}): UseCodexLensLspStatusReturn {
+  const { enabled = true, staleTime = STALE_TIME_MEDIUM } = options;
+
+  const query = useQuery({
+    queryKey: codexLensKeys.lspStatus(),
+    queryFn: fetchCodexLensLspStatus,
+    staleTime,
+    enabled,
+    retry: 2,
+  });
+
+  const refetch = async () => {
+    await query.refetch();
+  };
+
+  return {
+    data: query.data,
+    available: query.data?.available ?? false,
+    semanticAvailable: query.data?.semantic_available ?? false,
+    vectorIndex: query.data?.vector_index ?? false,
+    modes: query.data?.modes ?? [],
+    strategies: query.data?.strategies ?? [],
+    isLoading: query.isLoading,
+    error: query.error,
+    refetch,
+  };
+}
+
+export interface UseCodexLensSemanticSearchOptions {
+  enabled?: boolean;
+}
+
+export interface UseCodexLensSemanticSearchReturn {
+  data: CodexLensSemanticSearchResponse | undefined;
+  results: CodexLensSemanticSearchResponse['results'] | undefined;
+  isLoading: boolean;
+  error: Error | null;
+  refetch: () => Promise<void>;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Hook for semantic search using CodexLens Python API
+ */
+export function useCodexLensSemanticSearch(
+  params: CodexLensSemanticSearchParams,
+  options: UseCodexLensSemanticSearchOptions = {}
+): UseCodexLensSemanticSearchReturn {
+  const { enabled = false } = options;
+
+  const query = useQuery({
+    queryKey: codexLensKeys.semanticSearch(params),
+    queryFn: () => semanticSearchCodexLens(params),
+    enabled,
+    staleTime: STALE_TIME_SHORT,
+    retry: 1,
+  });
+
+  const refetch = async () => {
+    await query.refetch();
+  };
+
+  return {
+    data: query.data,
+    results: query.data?.results,
+    isLoading: query.isLoading,
+    error: query.error,
+    refetch,
+  };
+}
+
 // ========== File Watcher Hooks ==========
 
 export interface UseCodexLensWatcherOptions {
diff --git a/ccw/frontend/src/hooks/useTheme.ts b/ccw/frontend/src/hooks/useTheme.ts
index 301f1e07..1d988121 100644
--- a/ccw/frontend/src/hooks/useTheme.ts
+++ b/ccw/frontend/src/hooks/useTheme.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 // ========================================
 // Convenient hook for theme management with multi-color scheme support
 
-import { useCallback } from 'react';
+import { useCallback, useMemo } from 'react';
 import {
   useAppStore,
   selectTheme,
@@ -13,8 +13,16 @@ import {
   selectGradientLevel,
   selectEnableHoverGlow,
   selectEnableBackgroundAnimation,
+  selectMotionPreference,
+  selectThemeSlots,
+  selectActiveSlotId,
+  selectDeletedSlotBuffer,
 } from '../stores/appStore';
-import type { Theme, ColorScheme, GradientLevel } from '../types/store';
+import type { Theme, ColorScheme, GradientLevel, MotionPreference, StyleTier, ThemeSlot, ThemeSlotId, BackgroundConfig, BackgroundEffects, BackgroundMode, UnsplashAttribution } from '../types/store';
+import { resolveMotionPreference } from '../lib/accessibility';
+import { THEME_SLOT_LIMIT, DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_CONFIG } from '../lib/theme';
+import { encodeTheme, decodeTheme } from '../lib/themeShare';
+import type { ImportResult } from '../lib/themeShare';
 
 export interface UseThemeReturn {
   /** Current theme preference ('light', 'dark', 'system') */
@@ -35,6 +43,10 @@ export interface UseThemeReturn {
   enableHoverGlow: boolean;
   /** Whether background gradient animation is enabled */
   enableBackgroundAnimation: boolean;
+  /** User's motion preference setting */
+  motionPreference: MotionPreference;
+  /** Resolved motion preference (true = reduce motion) */
+  resolvedMotion: boolean;
   /** Set theme preference */
   setTheme: (theme: Theme) => void;
   /** Set color scheme */
@@ -49,6 +61,46 @@ export interface UseThemeReturn {
   setEnableHoverGlow: (enabled: boolean) => void;
   /** Set background animation enabled */
   setEnableBackgroundAnimation: (enabled: boolean) => void;
+  /** Set motion preference */
+  setMotionPreference: (pref: MotionPreference) => void;
+  /** Current style tier ('soft', 'standard', 'high-contrast') */
+  styleTier: StyleTier;
+  /** Set style tier */
+  setStyleTier: (tier: StyleTier) => void;
+  /** All theme slots */
+  themeSlots: ThemeSlot[];
+  /** Currently active slot ID */
+  activeSlotId: ThemeSlotId;
+  /** Currently active slot object */
+  activeSlot: ThemeSlot | undefined;
+  /** Buffer holding recently deleted slot for undo */
+  deletedSlotBuffer: ThemeSlot | null;
+  /** Whether user can add more slots (below THEME_SLOT_LIMIT) */
+  canAddSlot: boolean;
+  /** Switch to a different theme slot */
+  setActiveSlot: (slotId: ThemeSlotId) => void;
+  /** Copy current slot to a new slot */
+  copySlot: () => void;
+  /** Rename a slot */
+  renameSlot: (slotId: ThemeSlotId, name: string) => void;
+  /** Delete a slot (moves to deletedSlotBuffer for undo) */
+  deleteSlot: (slotId: ThemeSlotId) => void;
+  /** Undo the last slot deletion */
+  undoDeleteSlot: () => void;
+  /** Export current active slot as a shareable theme code string */
+  exportThemeCode: () => string;
+  /** Decode and validate an imported theme code string */
+  importThemeCode: (code: string) => ImportResult;
+  /** Current background configuration for the active slot */
+  backgroundConfig: BackgroundConfig;
+  /** Set full background config */
+  setBackgroundConfig: (config: BackgroundConfig) => void;
+  /** Update a single background effect property */
+  updateBackgroundEffect: <K extends keyof BackgroundEffects>(key: K, value: BackgroundEffects[K]) => void;
+  /** Set background mode */
+  setBackgroundMode: (mode: BackgroundMode) => void;
+  /** Set background image URL and attribution */
+  setBackgroundImage: (url: string | null, attribution: UnsplashAttribution | null) => void;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -78,6 +130,7 @@ export function useTheme(): UseThemeReturn {
   const gradientLevel = useAppStore(selectGradientLevel);
   const enableHoverGlow = useAppStore(selectEnableHoverGlow);
   const enableBackgroundAnimation = useAppStore(selectEnableBackgroundAnimation);
+  const motionPreference = useAppStore(selectMotionPreference);
   const setThemeAction = useAppStore((state) => state.setTheme);
   const setColorSchemeAction = useAppStore((state) => state.setColorScheme);
   const setCustomHueAction = useAppStore((state) => state.setCustomHue);
@@ -85,6 +138,26 @@ export function useTheme(): UseThemeReturn {
   const setGradientLevelAction = useAppStore((state) => state.setGradientLevel);
   const setEnableHoverGlowAction = useAppStore((state) => state.setEnableHoverGlow);
   const setEnableBackgroundAnimationAction = useAppStore((state) => state.setEnableBackgroundAnimation);
+  const setMotionPreferenceAction = useAppStore((state) => state.setMotionPreference);
+  const setStyleTierAction = useAppStore((state) => state.setStyleTier);
+
+  // Slot state
+  const themeSlots = useAppStore(selectThemeSlots);
+  const activeSlotId = useAppStore(selectActiveSlotId);
+  const deletedSlotBuffer = useAppStore(selectDeletedSlotBuffer);
+
+  // Background actions
+  const setBackgroundConfigAction = useAppStore((state) => state.setBackgroundConfig);
+  const updateBackgroundEffectAction = useAppStore((state) => state.updateBackgroundEffect);
+  const setBackgroundModeAction = useAppStore((state) => state.setBackgroundMode);
+  const setBackgroundImageAction = useAppStore((state) => state.setBackgroundImage);
+
+  // Slot actions
+  const setActiveSlotAction = useAppStore((state) => state.setActiveSlot);
+  const copySlotAction = useAppStore((state) => state.copySlot);
+  const renameSlotAction = useAppStore((state) => state.renameSlot);
+  const deleteSlotAction = useAppStore((state) => state.deleteSlot);
+  const undoDeleteSlotAction = useAppStore((state) => state.undoDeleteSlot);
 
   const setTheme = useCallback(
     (newTheme: Theme) => {
@@ -132,6 +205,85 @@ export function useTheme(): UseThemeReturn {
     [setEnableBackgroundAnimationAction]
   );
 
+  const setMotionPreference = useCallback(
+    (pref: MotionPreference) => {
+      setMotionPreferenceAction(pref);
+    },
+    [setMotionPreferenceAction]
+  );
+
+  const setStyleTier = useCallback(
+    (tier: StyleTier) => {
+      setStyleTierAction(tier);
+    },
+    [setStyleTierAction]
+  );
+
+  const resolvedMotion = resolveMotionPreference(motionPreference);
+
+  // Slot computed values
+  const activeSlot = useMemo(
+    () => themeSlots.find(s => s.id === activeSlotId),
+    [themeSlots, activeSlotId]
+  );
+  const canAddSlot = themeSlots.length < THEME_SLOT_LIMIT;
+  const styleTier = activeSlot?.styleTier ?? 'standard';
+  const backgroundConfig = activeSlot?.backgroundConfig ?? DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_CONFIG;
+
+  // Slot callbacks
+  const setActiveSlot = useCallback(
+    (slotId: ThemeSlotId) => {
+      setActiveSlotAction(slotId);
+    },
+    [setActiveSlotAction]
+  );
+
+  const copySlot = useCallback(() => {
+    copySlotAction();
+  }, [copySlotAction]);
+
+  const renameSlot = useCallback(
+    (slotId: ThemeSlotId, name: string) => {
+      renameSlotAction(slotId, name);
+    },
+    [renameSlotAction]
+  );
+
+  const deleteSlot = useCallback(
+    (slotId: ThemeSlotId) => {
+      deleteSlotAction(slotId);
+    },
+    [deleteSlotAction]
+  );
+
+  const undoDeleteSlot = useCallback(() => {
+    undoDeleteSlotAction();
+  }, [undoDeleteSlotAction]);
+
+  const exportThemeCode = useCallback((): string => {
+    if (!activeSlot) {
+      // Fallback: build a minimal slot from current state
+      const fallbackSlot: ThemeSlot = {
+        id: activeSlotId,
+        name: '',
+        colorScheme,
+        customHue,
+        isCustomTheme,
+        gradientLevel,
+        enableHoverGlow,
+        enableBackgroundAnimation,
+        styleTier,
+        isDefault: false,
+      };
+      return encodeTheme(fallbackSlot);
+    }
+    return encodeTheme(activeSlot);
+  }, [activeSlot, activeSlotId, colorScheme, customHue, isCustomTheme, gradientLevel, enableHoverGlow, enableBackgroundAnimation, styleTier]);
+
+  const importThemeCode = useCallback((code: string): ImportResult => {
+    return decodeTheme(code);
+  }, []);
+
   return {
     theme,
     resolvedTheme,
@@ -142,6 +294,8 @@ export function useTheme(): UseThemeReturn {
     gradientLevel,
     enableHoverGlow,
     enableBackgroundAnimation,
+    motionPreference,
+    resolvedMotion,
     setTheme,
     setColorScheme,
     setCustomHue,
@@ -149,5 +303,25 @@ export function useTheme(): UseThemeReturn {
     setGradientLevel,
     setEnableHoverGlow,
     setEnableBackgroundAnimation,
+    setMotionPreference,
+    styleTier,
+    setStyleTier,
+    themeSlots,
+    activeSlotId,
+    activeSlot,
+    deletedSlotBuffer,
+    canAddSlot,
+    setActiveSlot,
+    copySlot,
+    renameSlot,
+    deleteSlot,
+    undoDeleteSlot,
+    exportThemeCode,
+    importThemeCode,
+    backgroundConfig,
+    setBackgroundConfig: setBackgroundConfigAction,
+    updateBackgroundEffect: updateBackgroundEffectAction,
+    setBackgroundMode: setBackgroundModeAction,
+    setBackgroundImage: setBackgroundImageAction,
   };
 }
diff --git a/ccw/frontend/src/hooks/useUnsplashSearch.ts b/ccw/frontend/src/hooks/useUnsplashSearch.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c7390246
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ccw/frontend/src/hooks/useUnsplashSearch.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+/**
+ * React Query hook for searching Unsplash photos with debounce.
+ */
+import { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
+import { useQuery } from '@tanstack/react-query';
+import { searchUnsplash } from '@/lib/unsplash';
+import type { UnsplashSearchResult } from '@/lib/unsplash';
+
+export function useUnsplashSearch(query: string, page = 1, perPage = 20) {
+  const [debouncedQuery, setDebouncedQuery] = useState(query);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const timer = setTimeout(() => {
+      setDebouncedQuery(query);
+    }, 500);
+    return () => clearTimeout(timer);
+  }, [query]);
+
+  return useQuery<UnsplashSearchResult>({
+    queryKey: ['unsplash-search', debouncedQuery, page, perPage],
+    queryFn: () => searchUnsplash(debouncedQuery, page, perPage),
+    enabled: debouncedQuery.trim().length > 0,
+    staleTime: 5 * 60 * 1000, // 5 minutes
+    retry: 1,
+  });
+}
diff --git a/ccw/frontend/src/hooks/useWebSocket.ts b/ccw/frontend/src/hooks/useWebSocket.ts
index 32e06dd8..9290a637 100644
--- a/ccw/frontend/src/hooks/useWebSocket.ts
+++ b/ccw/frontend/src/hooks/useWebSocket.ts
@@ -340,6 +340,9 @@ export function useWebSocket(options: UseWebSocketOptions = {}): UseWebSocketRet
   // Schedule reconnection with exponential backoff
   // Define this first to avoid circular dependency
   const scheduleReconnect = useCallback(() => {
+    // Don't reconnect after unmount
+    if (!mountedRef.current) return;
+
     if (reconnectTimeoutRef.current) {
       clearTimeout(reconnectTimeoutRef.current);
     }
@@ -363,7 +366,14 @@ export function useWebSocket(options: UseWebSocketOptions = {}): UseWebSocketRet
   }, []); // No dependencies - uses connectRef and getStoreState()
 
   const connect = useCallback(() => {
-    if (!enabled) return;
+    if (!enabled || !mountedRef.current) return;
+
+    // Close existing connection to avoid orphaned sockets
+    if (wsRef.current) {
+      wsRef.current.onclose = null; // Prevent onclose from triggering reconnect
+      wsRef.current.close();
+      wsRef.current = null;
+    }
 
     // Construct WebSocket URL
     const protocol = window.location.protocol === 'https:' ? 'wss:' : 'ws:';
@@ -430,6 +440,9 @@ export function useWebSocket(options: UseWebSocketOptions = {}): UseWebSocketRet
 
   // Connect on mount, cleanup on unmount
   useEffect(() => {
+    // Reset mounted flag (needed after React Strict Mode remount)
+    mountedRef.current = true;
+
     if (enabled) {
       connect();
     }
@@ -455,6 +468,7 @@ export function useWebSocket(options: UseWebSocketOptions = {}): UseWebSocketRet
         clearTimeout(reconnectTimeoutRef.current);
       }
       if (wsRef.current) {
+        wsRef.current.onclose = null; // Prevent onclose from triggering orphaned reconnect
         wsRef.current.close();
         wsRef.current = null;
       }
diff --git a/ccw/frontend/src/index.css b/ccw/frontend/src/index.css
index b32746d6..f416a12b 100644
--- a/ccw/frontend/src/index.css
+++ b/ccw/frontend/src/index.css
@@ -454,6 +454,10 @@
   -webkit-text-fill-color: inherit;
 }
 
+[data-gradient="off"] .border-gradient-brand::before {
+  display: none;
+}
+
 /* Standard gradients (default) */
 [data-gradient="standard"] .bg-gradient-primary {
   background: linear-gradient(135deg, hsl(var(--primary)) 0%, hsl(var(--accent)) 100%);
@@ -467,6 +471,13 @@
   background: linear-gradient(90deg, hsl(var(--accent)) 0%, hsl(var(--primary)) 100%);
 }
 
+[data-gradient="standard"] .gradient-text {
+  background: linear-gradient(135deg, hsl(var(--primary)) 0%, hsl(var(--accent)) 100%);
+  -webkit-background-clip: text;
+  background-clip: text;
+  -webkit-text-fill-color: transparent;
+}
+
 /* Enhanced gradients - more vibrant with multiple color stops */
 [data-gradient="enhanced"] .bg-gradient-primary {
   background: linear-gradient(135deg,
@@ -492,6 +503,17 @@
   );
 }
 
+[data-gradient="enhanced"] .gradient-text {
+  background: linear-gradient(135deg,
+    hsl(var(--primary)) 0%,
+    hsl(var(--accent)) 50%,
+    hsl(var(--secondary)) 100%
+  );
+  -webkit-background-clip: text;
+  background-clip: text;
+  -webkit-text-fill-color: transparent;
+}
+
 /* Hover glow effects - disabled when data-hover-glow="false" */
 .hover-glow,
 .hover-glow-primary {
@@ -581,3 +603,144 @@
   0%, 100% { transform: translate(0, 0); }
   50% { transform: translate(-2%, -2%); }
 }
+
+/* ===========================
+   Reduced Motion System
+   data-reduced-motion attribute + prefers-reduced-motion fallback
+   =========================== */
+
+/* Disable View Transition animations when reduced motion is active */
+[data-reduced-motion="true"]::view-transition-old(*),
+[data-reduced-motion="true"]::view-transition-new(*),
+[data-reduced-motion="true"]::view-transition-group(*) {
+  animation-duration: 0s !important;
+}
+
+/* Disable background gradient animation */
+[data-reduced-motion="true"] .animate-slow-gradient {
+  animation: none;
+  background-size: 100% 100%;
+}
+
+/* Disable hover glow pulse */
+[data-reduced-motion="true"] .hover-glow:hover,
+[data-reduced-motion="true"] .hover-glow-primary:hover {
+  box-shadow: none;
+}
+
+/* Disable ambient gradient shift animation */
+[data-reduced-motion="true"] body::before {
+  animation: none !important;
+}
+
+/* Reduce gradient opacity for enhanced mode */
+[data-reduced-motion="true"][data-gradient="enhanced"] body::before {
+  opacity: 0.5;
+}
+
+/* OS-level prefers-reduced-motion fallback (applies when data attr not set) */
+@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
+  ::view-transition-old(*),
+  ::view-transition-new(*),
+  ::view-transition-group(*) {
+    animation-duration: 0s !important;
+  }
+
+  .animate-slow-gradient {
+    animation: none;
+    background-size: 100% 100%;
+  }
+
+  .hover-glow:hover,
+  .hover-glow-primary:hover {
+    box-shadow: none;
+  }
+
+  body::before {
+    animation: none !important;
+  }
+
+  [data-gradient="enhanced"] body::before {
+    opacity: 0.5;
+  }
+}
+
+/* ===========================
+   Background Image System
+   Layered rendering with effects
+   =========================== */
+
+/* Hide gradient layer when image-only mode */
+[data-bg-mode="image-only"] body::before {
+  display: none;
+}
+
+/* Reduce gradient opacity when overlaying on image */
+[data-bg-mode="image-gradient"] body::before {
+  opacity: 0.6;
+}
+
+/* Background image layer */
+.bg-image-layer {
+  position: fixed;
+  inset: 0;
+  z-index: -3;
+  overflow: hidden;
+  transition: opacity 0.5s ease;
+}
+
+.bg-image-layer img {
+  width: 100%;
+  height: 100%;
+  object-fit: cover;
+}
+
+/* Darken overlay */
+.bg-darken-overlay {
+  position: fixed;
+  inset: 0;
+  z-index: -2;
+  pointer-events: none;
+}
+
+/* Grain texture overlay */
+.bg-grain-overlay {
+  position: fixed;
+  inset: 0;
+  z-index: -2;
+  pointer-events: none;
+  opacity: 0;
+  background-image: url("data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg viewBox='0 0 256 256' xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%3E%3Cfilter id='n'%3E%3CfeTurbulence type='fractalNoise' baseFrequency='0.7' numOctaves='4' stitchTiles='stitch'/%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Crect width='100%25' height='100%25' filter='url(%23n)' opacity='0.5'/%3E%3C/svg%3E");
+  background-repeat: repeat;
+  background-size: 256px 256px;
+}
+
+[data-bg-grain="true"] .bg-grain-overlay {
+  opacity: 0.08;
+}
+
+/* Vignette overlay */
+.bg-vignette-overlay {
+  position: fixed;
+  inset: 0;
+  z-index: -2;
+  pointer-events: none;
+  opacity: 0;
+  background: radial-gradient(ellipse at center, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) 100%);
+}
+
+[data-bg-vignette="true"] .bg-vignette-overlay {
+  opacity: 1;
+}
+
+/* Frosted glass effect on content area */
+[data-bg-frosted="true"] .app-shell-content {
+  backdrop-filter: blur(12px) saturate(1.2);
+  -webkit-backdrop-filter: blur(12px) saturate(1.2);
+  background-color: hsla(var(--bg), 0.75);
+}
+
+/* Disable image layer transitions when reduced motion is active */
+[data-reduced-motion="true"] .bg-image-layer {
+  transition: none !important;
+}
diff --git a/ccw/frontend/src/lib/accessibility.ts b/ccw/frontend/src/lib/accessibility.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..48770fac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ccw/frontend/src/lib/accessibility.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,336 @@
+// ========================================
+// Accessibility Utilities
+// ========================================
+// WCAG 2.1 contrast checking and motion preference management
+// for the theme system. Operates on HSL 'H S% L%' format strings.
+
+// ========== Types ==========
+
+/** User preference for animation behavior */
+export type MotionPreference = 'system' | 'reduce' | 'enable';
+
+/** Result of evaluating one critical color pair against WCAG thresholds */
+export interface ContrastResult {
+  /** Foreground CSS variable name (e.g. '--text') */
+  fgVar: string;
+  /** Background CSS variable name (e.g. '--bg') */
+  bgVar: string;
+  /** Computed contrast ratio (e.g. 4.52) */
+  ratio: number;
+  /** Required minimum contrast ratio for this pair */
+  required: number;
+  /** Whether the pair passes WCAG AA */
+  passed: boolean;
+}
+
+/** A single suggested fix to improve contrast, with visual distance metric */
+export interface FixSuggestion {
+  /** Which variable to adjust ('fg' or 'bg') */
+  target: 'fg' | 'bg';
+  /** Original HSL value */
+  original: string;
+  /** Suggested replacement HSL value */
+  suggested: string;
+  /** Resulting contrast ratio after applying the fix */
+  resultRatio: number;
+  /** Visual distance from original (lower = less visible change) */
+  distance: number;
+}
+
+// ========== Critical Color Pairs ==========
+
+/**
+ * Whitelist of critical UI color pairs to check for WCAG AA compliance.
+ * Each entry: [foreground variable, background variable, required ratio]
+ *
+ * - 4.5:1 for normal text (WCAG AA)
+ * - 3.0:1 for large text / UI components (WCAG AA)
+ */
+export const CRITICAL_COLOR_PAIRS: ReadonlyArray<[string, string, number]> = [
+  // Text on backgrounds (4.5:1 - normal text)
+  ['--text', '--bg', 4.5],
+  ['--text', '--surface', 4.5],
+  ['--text-secondary', '--bg', 4.5],
+  ['--text-secondary', '--surface', 4.5],
+  ['--muted-text', '--muted', 4.5],
+  ['--muted-text', '--bg', 4.5],
+
+  // Tertiary/disabled text (3:1 - large text threshold)
+  ['--text-tertiary', '--bg', 3.0],
+  ['--text-disabled', '--bg', 3.0],
+
+  // Accent/interactive on backgrounds (3:1 - UI component threshold)
+  ['--accent', '--bg', 3.0],
+  ['--accent', '--surface', 3.0],
+
+  // Semantic text on semantic light backgrounds (4.5:1)
+  ['--success-text', '--success-light', 4.5],
+  ['--warning-text', '--warning-light', 4.5],
+  ['--error-text', '--error-light', 4.5],
+  ['--info-text', '--info-light', 4.5],
+
+  // Foreground on primary/destructive buttons (4.5:1)
+  ['--primary-foreground', '--primary', 4.5],
+  ['--destructive-foreground', '--destructive', 4.5],
+
+  // Text on muted surface (4.5:1)
+  ['--text', '--muted', 4.5],
+];
+
+// ========== HSL Parsing and Color Conversion ==========
+
+/**
+ * Parse 'H S% L%' format HSL string into numeric [h, s, l] values.
+ * h in degrees (0-360), s and l as fractions (0-1).
+ */
+function parseHSL(hslString: string): [number, number, number] | null {
+  const trimmed = hslString.trim();
+  // Match patterns: "220 60% 65%" or "220 60% 65"
+  const match = trimmed.match(/^([\d.]+)\s+([\d.]+)%?\s+([\d.]+)%?$/);
+  if (!match) return null;
+  const h = parseFloat(match[1]);
+  const s = parseFloat(match[2]) / 100;
+  const l = parseFloat(match[3]) / 100;
+  if (isNaN(h) || isNaN(s) || isNaN(l)) return null;
+  return [h, s, l];
+}
+
+/**
+ * Convert HSL values to linear sRGB [R, G, B] in 0-1 range.
+ * Then apply sRGB linearization per WCAG 2.1 spec.
+ */
+function hslToLinearRGB(h: number, s: number, l: number): [number, number, number] {
+  // HSL to sRGB conversion
+  const c = (1 - Math.abs(2 * l - 1)) * s;
+  const hPrime = h / 60;
+  const x = c * (1 - Math.abs((hPrime % 2) - 1));
+  const m = l - c / 2;
+
+  let r1: number, g1: number, b1: number;
+  if (hPrime < 1) { r1 = c; g1 = x; b1 = 0; }
+  else if (hPrime < 2) { r1 = x; g1 = c; b1 = 0; }
+  else if (hPrime < 3) { r1 = 0; g1 = c; b1 = x; }
+  else if (hPrime < 4) { r1 = 0; g1 = x; b1 = c; }
+  else if (hPrime < 5) { r1 = x; g1 = 0; b1 = c; }
+  else { r1 = c; g1 = 0; b1 = x; }
+
+  const rSRGB = r1 + m;
+  const gSRGB = g1 + m;
+  const bSRGB = b1 + m;
+
+  // sRGB linearization per WCAG 2.1
+  const linearize = (v: number): number => {
+    if (v <= 0.04045) return v / 12.92;
+    return Math.pow((v + 0.055) / 1.055, 2.4);
+  };
+
+  return [linearize(rSRGB), linearize(gSRGB), linearize(bSRGB)];
+}
+
+/**
+ * Parse 'H S% L%' format HSL string, convert to sRGB,
+ * compute WCAG 2.1 relative luminance.
+ *
+ * Formula: L = 0.2126*R + 0.7152*G + 0.0722*B
+ * with sRGB linearization applied.
+ *
+ * @param hslString - HSL string in 'H S% L%' format (e.g. '220 60% 65%')
+ * @returns Relative luminance (0-1), or -1 if parsing fails
+ */
+export function hslToRelativeLuminance(hslString: string): number {
+  const parsed = parseHSL(hslString);
+  if (!parsed) return -1;
+  const [h, s, l] = parsed;
+  const [rLin, gLin, bLin] = hslToLinearRGB(h, s, l);
+  // Round to 4-decimal precision to avoid floating-point edge cases
+  return Math.round((0.2126 * rLin + 0.7152 * gLin + 0.0722 * bLin) * 10000) / 10000;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Compute WCAG contrast ratio from two relative luminance values.
+ * Returns ratio in format X:1 (just the X number).
+ *
+ * @param l1 - Relative luminance of first color
+ * @param l2 - Relative luminance of second color
+ * @returns Contrast ratio (always >= 1)
+ */
+export function getContrastRatio(l1: number, l2: number): number {
+  const lighter = Math.max(l1, l2);
+  const darker = Math.min(l1, l2);
+  return Math.round(((lighter + 0.05) / (darker + 0.05)) * 100) / 100;
+}
+
+// ========== Theme Contrast Checking ==========
+
+/**
+ * Evaluate all critical color pairs in a generated theme against WCAG AA thresholds.
+ * Only checks pairs where both variables exist in the provided vars map.
+ *
+ * @param vars - Record of CSS variable names to HSL values (e.g. from generateThemeFromHue)
+ * @returns Array of ContrastResult for each evaluated pair
+ */
+export function checkThemeContrast(vars: Record<string, string>): ContrastResult[] {
+  const results: ContrastResult[] = [];
+
+  for (const [fgVar, bgVar, required] of CRITICAL_COLOR_PAIRS) {
+    const fgValue = vars[fgVar];
+    const bgValue = vars[bgVar];
+    if (!fgValue || !bgValue) continue;
+
+    const fgLum = hslToRelativeLuminance(fgValue);
+    const bgLum = hslToRelativeLuminance(bgValue);
+    if (fgLum < 0 || bgLum < 0) continue;
+
+    const ratio = getContrastRatio(fgLum, bgLum);
+    // Use 0.01 tolerance buffer for borderline cases
+    const passed = ratio >= (required - 0.01);
+
+    results.push({ fgVar, bgVar, ratio, required, passed });
+  }
+
+  return results;
+}
+
+// ========== Contrast Fix Generation ==========
+
+/**
+ * Reconstruct 'H S% L%' string from components.
+ */
+function toHSLString(h: number, s: number, l: number): string {
+  const clampedL = Math.max(0, Math.min(100, Math.round(l * 10) / 10));
+  const clampedS = Math.max(0, Math.min(100, Math.round(s * 10) / 10));
+  return `${Math.round(h)} ${clampedS}% ${clampedL}%`;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Generate 2-3 lightness-adjusted alternatives that achieve target contrast ratio.
+ * Preserves hue and saturation, only adjusts lightness.
+ * Sorted by minimal visual change (distance).
+ *
+ * @param fgVar - Foreground CSS variable name
+ * @param bgVar - Background CSS variable name
+ * @param currentVars - Current theme variable values
+ * @param targetRatio - Target contrast ratio to achieve
+ * @returns Array of 2-3 FixSuggestion sorted by distance (ascending)
+ */
+export function generateContrastFix(
+  fgVar: string,
+  bgVar: string,
+  currentVars: Record<string, string>,
+  targetRatio: number
+): FixSuggestion[] {
+  const fgValue = currentVars[fgVar];
+  const bgValue = currentVars[bgVar];
+  if (!fgValue || !bgValue) return [];
+
+  const fgParsed = parseHSL(fgValue);
+  const bgParsed = parseHSL(bgValue);
+  if (!fgParsed || !bgParsed) return [];
+
+  const suggestions: FixSuggestion[] = [];
+
+  // Strategy 1: Adjust foreground lightness (darken or lighten)
+  const bgLum = hslToRelativeLuminance(bgValue);
+  const fgSuggestions = findLightnessForContrast(
+    fgParsed[0], fgParsed[1], fgParsed[2], bgLum, targetRatio
+  );
+  for (const newL of fgSuggestions) {
+    const suggested = toHSLString(fgParsed[0], fgParsed[1] * 100, newL * 100);
+    const newFgLum = hslToRelativeLuminance(suggested);
+    if (newFgLum < 0) continue;
+    const resultRatio = getContrastRatio(newFgLum, bgLum);
+    if (resultRatio >= targetRatio - 0.01) {
+      suggestions.push({
+        target: 'fg',
+        original: fgValue,
+        suggested,
+        resultRatio,
+        distance: Math.abs(newL - fgParsed[2]),
+      });
+    }
+  }
+
+  // Strategy 2: Adjust background lightness
+  const fgLum = hslToRelativeLuminance(fgValue);
+  const bgSuggestions = findLightnessForContrast(
+    bgParsed[0], bgParsed[1], bgParsed[2], fgLum, targetRatio
+  );
+  for (const newL of bgSuggestions) {
+    const suggested = toHSLString(bgParsed[0], bgParsed[1] * 100, newL * 100);
+    const newBgLum = hslToRelativeLuminance(suggested);
+    if (newBgLum < 0) continue;
+    const resultRatio = getContrastRatio(fgLum, newBgLum);
+    if (resultRatio >= targetRatio - 0.01) {
+      suggestions.push({
+        target: 'bg',
+        original: bgValue,
+        suggested,
+        resultRatio,
+        distance: Math.abs(newL - bgParsed[2]),
+      });
+    }
+  }
+
+  // Sort by distance (minimal visual change first) and take up to 3
+  suggestions.sort((a, b) => a.distance - b.distance);
+  return suggestions.slice(0, 3);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Find lightness values that achieve target contrast against a reference luminance.
+ * Searches in both lighter and darker directions from current lightness.
+ * Returns up to 2 candidates (one lighter, one darker if found).
+ */
+function findLightnessForContrast(
+  h: number,
+  s: number,
+  currentL: number,
+  refLum: number,
+  targetRatio: number
+): number[] {
+  const candidates: number[] = [];
+  const step = 0.01;
+
+  // Search darker direction (decreasing lightness)
+  for (let l = currentL - step; l >= 0; l -= step) {
+    const hsl = toHSLString(h, s * 100, l * 100);
+    const lum = hslToRelativeLuminance(hsl);
+    if (lum < 0) continue;
+    const ratio = getContrastRatio(lum, refLum);
+    if (ratio >= targetRatio) {
+      candidates.push(l);
+      break;
+    }
+  }
+
+  // Search lighter direction (increasing lightness)
+  for (let l = currentL + step; l <= 1; l += step) {
+    const hsl = toHSLString(h, s * 100, l * 100);
+    const lum = hslToRelativeLuminance(hsl);
+    if (lum < 0) continue;
+    const ratio = getContrastRatio(lum, refLum);
+    if (ratio >= targetRatio) {
+      candidates.push(l);
+      break;
+    }
+  }
+
+  return candidates;
+}
+
+// ========== Motion Preference ==========
+
+/**
+ * Resolve user preference to actual reduced-motion boolean.
+ * 'system' checks matchMedia, 'reduce' returns true, 'enable' returns false.
+ *
+ * @param pref - User's motion preference setting
+ * @returns true if motion should be reduced, false otherwise
+ */
+export function resolveMotionPreference(pref: MotionPreference): boolean {
+  if (pref === 'reduce') return true;
+  if (pref === 'enable') return false;
+  // 'system' - check OS preference
+  if (typeof window === 'undefined') return false;
+  return window.matchMedia('(prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)').matches;
+}
diff --git a/ccw/frontend/src/lib/api.ts b/ccw/frontend/src/lib/api.ts
index b499902e..a1b83143 100644
--- a/ccw/frontend/src/lib/api.ts
+++ b/ccw/frontend/src/lib/api.ts
@@ -3239,7 +3239,7 @@ function buildCcwMcpServerConfig(config: {
   if (config.enabledTools && config.enabledTools.length > 0) {
     env.CCW_ENABLED_TOOLS = config.enabledTools.join(',');
   } else {
-    env.CCW_ENABLED_TOOLS = 'write_file,edit_file,read_file,core_memory,ask_question';
+    env.CCW_ENABLED_TOOLS = 'write_file,edit_file,read_file,core_memory,ask_question,smart_search';
   }
 
   if (config.projectRoot) {
@@ -3352,7 +3352,7 @@ export async function installCcwMcp(
   projectPath?: string
 ): Promise<CcwMcpConfig> {
   const serverConfig = buildCcwMcpServerConfig({
-    enabledTools: ['write_file', 'edit_file', 'read_file', 'core_memory', 'ask_question'],
+    enabledTools: ['write_file', 'edit_file', 'read_file', 'core_memory', 'ask_question', 'smart_search'],
   });
 
   if (scope === 'project' && projectPath) {
@@ -3853,7 +3853,7 @@ export interface CodexLensGpuListResponse {
 }
 
 /**
- * Model info
+ * Model info (normalized from CLI output)
  */
 export interface CodexLensModel {
   profile: string;
@@ -3863,10 +3863,26 @@ export interface CodexLensModel {
   size?: string;
   installed: boolean;
   cache_path?: string;
+  /** Original HuggingFace model name */
+  model_name?: string;
+  /** Model description */
+  description?: string;
+  /** Use case description */
+  use_case?: string;
+  /** Embedding dimensions */
+  dimensions?: number;
+  /** Whether this model is recommended */
+  recommended?: boolean;
+  /** Model source: 'predefined' | 'discovered' */
+  source?: string;
+  /** Estimated size in MB */
+  estimated_size_mb?: number;
+  /** Actual size in MB (when installed) */
+  actual_size_mb?: number | null;
 }
 
 /**
- * Model list response
+ * Model list response (normalized)
  */
 export interface CodexLensModelsResponse {
   success: boolean;
@@ -4067,9 +4083,43 @@ export async function uninstallCodexLens(): Promise<CodexLensUninstallResponse>
 
 /**
  * Fetch CodexLens models list
+ * Normalizes the CLI response format to match the frontend interface.
+ * CLI returns: { success, result: { models: [{ model_name, estimated_size_mb, ... }] } }
+ * Frontend expects: { success, models: [{ name, size, type, backend, ... }] }
  */
 export async function fetchCodexLensModels(): Promise<CodexLensModelsResponse> {
-  return fetchApi<CodexLensModelsResponse>('/api/codexlens/models');
+  // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
+  const raw = await fetchApi<any>('/api/codexlens/models');
+
+  // Handle nested result structure from CLI
+  const rawModels = raw?.result?.models ?? raw?.models ?? [];
+
+  const models: CodexLensModel[] = rawModels.map((m: Record<string, unknown>) => ({
+    profile: (m.profile as string) || '',
+    name: (m.model_name as string) || (m.name as string) || (m.profile as string) || '',
+    type: (m.type as 'embedding' | 'reranker') || 'embedding',
+    backend: (m.source as string) || 'fastembed',
+    size: m.installed && m.actual_size_mb
+      ? `${(m.actual_size_mb as number).toFixed(0)} MB`
+      : m.estimated_size_mb
+        ? `~${m.estimated_size_mb} MB`
+        : undefined,
+    installed: (m.installed as boolean) ?? false,
+    cache_path: m.cache_path as string | undefined,
+    model_name: m.model_name as string | undefined,
+    description: m.description as string | undefined,
+    use_case: m.use_case as string | undefined,
+    dimensions: m.dimensions as number | undefined,
+    recommended: m.recommended as boolean | undefined,
+    source: m.source as string | undefined,
+    estimated_size_mb: m.estimated_size_mb as number | undefined,
+    actual_size_mb: m.actual_size_mb as number | null | undefined,
+  }));
+
+  return {
+    success: raw?.success ?? true,
+    models,
+  };
 }
 
 /**
@@ -4240,6 +4290,17 @@ export interface CodexLensSymbolSearchResponse {
   error?: string;
 }
 
+/**
+ * CodexLens file search response (returns file paths only)
+ */
+export interface CodexLensFileSearchResponse {
+  success: boolean;
+  query?: string;
+  count?: number;
+  files: string[];
+  error?: string;
+}
+
 /**
  * Perform content search using CodexLens
  */
@@ -4257,7 +4318,7 @@ export async function searchCodexLens(params: CodexLensSearchParams): Promise<Co
 /**
  * Perform file search using CodexLens
  */
-export async function searchFilesCodexLens(params: CodexLensSearchParams): Promise<CodexLensSearchResponse> {
+export async function searchFilesCodexLens(params: CodexLensSearchParams): Promise<CodexLensFileSearchResponse> {
   const queryParams = new URLSearchParams();
   queryParams.append('query', params.query);
   if (params.limit) queryParams.append('limit', String(params.limit));
@@ -4265,7 +4326,7 @@ export async function searchFilesCodexLens(params: CodexLensSearchParams): Promi
   if (params.max_content_length) queryParams.append('max_content_length', String(params.max_content_length));
   if (params.extra_files_count) queryParams.append('extra_files_count', String(params.extra_files_count));
 
-  return fetchApi<CodexLensSearchResponse>(`/api/codexlens/search_files?${queryParams.toString()}`);
+  return fetchApi<CodexLensFileSearchResponse>(`/api/codexlens/search_files?${queryParams.toString()}`);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -4279,6 +4340,84 @@ export async function searchSymbolCodexLens(params: Pick<CodexLensSearchParams,
   return fetchApi<CodexLensSymbolSearchResponse>(`/api/codexlens/symbol?${queryParams.toString()}`);
 }
 
+// ========== CodexLens LSP / Semantic Search API ==========
+
+/**
+ * CodexLens LSP status response
+ */
+export interface CodexLensLspStatusResponse {
+  available: boolean;
+  semantic_available: boolean;
+  vector_index: boolean;
+  project_count?: number;
+  embeddings?: Record<string, unknown>;
+  modes?: string[];
+  strategies?: string[];
+  error?: string;
+}
+
+/**
+ * CodexLens semantic search params (Python API)
+ */
+export type CodexLensSemanticSearchMode = 'fusion' | 'vector' | 'structural';
+export type CodexLensFusionStrategy = 'rrf' | 'staged' | 'binary' | 'hybrid' | 'dense_rerank';
+
+export interface CodexLensSemanticSearchParams {
+  query: string;
+  path?: string;
+  mode?: CodexLensSemanticSearchMode;
+  fusion_strategy?: CodexLensFusionStrategy;
+  vector_weight?: number;
+  structural_weight?: number;
+  keyword_weight?: number;
+  kind_filter?: string[];
+  limit?: number;
+  include_match_reason?: boolean;
+}
+
+/**
+ * CodexLens semantic search result
+ */
+export interface CodexLensSemanticSearchResult {
+  name?: string;
+  kind?: string;
+  file_path?: string;
+  score?: number;
+  match_reason?: string;
+  range?: { start_line: number; end_line: number };
+  [key: string]: unknown;
+}
+
+/**
+ * CodexLens semantic search response
+ */
+export interface CodexLensSemanticSearchResponse {
+  success: boolean;
+  results?: CodexLensSemanticSearchResult[];
+  query?: string;
+  mode?: string;
+  fusion_strategy?: string;
+  count?: number;
+  error?: string;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Fetch CodexLens LSP status
+ */
+export async function fetchCodexLensLspStatus(): Promise<CodexLensLspStatusResponse> {
+  return fetchApi<CodexLensLspStatusResponse>('/api/codexlens/lsp/status');
+}
+
+/**
+ * Perform semantic search using CodexLens Python API
+ */
+export async function semanticSearchCodexLens(params: CodexLensSemanticSearchParams): Promise<CodexLensSemanticSearchResponse> {
+  return fetchApi<CodexLensSemanticSearchResponse>('/api/codexlens/lsp/search', {
+    method: 'POST',
+    body: JSON.stringify(params),
+  });
+}
+
 // ========== CodexLens Index Management API ==========
 
 /**
diff --git a/ccw/frontend/src/lib/colorGenerator.ts b/ccw/frontend/src/lib/colorGenerator.ts
index 42a7790c..2b276082 100644
--- a/ccw/frontend/src/lib/colorGenerator.ts
+++ b/ccw/frontend/src/lib/colorGenerator.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,126 @@
  * @module colorGenerator
  */
 
+import type { StyleTier } from '../types/store';
+
+// ========== Style Tier System ==========
+
+/** Per-tier adjustment factors for saturation, lightness, and contrast */
+export interface StyleTierCoefficients {
+  saturationScale: number;
+  lightnessOffset: { light: number; dark: number };
+  contrastBoost: number;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Style tier coefficient definitions.
+ * - soft: reduced saturation, lighter feel, lower contrast
+ * - standard: identity transform (no change)
+ * - high-contrast: boosted saturation, sharper text/background separation
+ */
+export const STYLE_TIER_COEFFICIENTS: Record<StyleTier, StyleTierCoefficients> = {
+  soft: {
+    saturationScale: 0.6,
+    lightnessOffset: { light: 5, dark: -3 },
+    contrastBoost: 0.9,
+  },
+  standard: {
+    saturationScale: 1.0,
+    lightnessOffset: { light: 0, dark: 0 },
+    contrastBoost: 1.0,
+  },
+  'high-contrast': {
+    saturationScale: 1.3,
+    lightnessOffset: { light: -5, dark: 3 },
+    contrastBoost: 1.2,
+  },
+};
+
+/**
+ * Parse 'H S% L%' format HSL string into numeric components.
+ * H in degrees (0-360), S and L as percentages (0-100).
+ *
+ * @param hslString - HSL string in 'H S% L%' format (e.g. '220 60% 65%')
+ * @returns Parsed components or null if parsing fails
+ */
+export function parseHSL(hslString: string): { h: number; s: number; l: number } | null {
+  const trimmed = hslString.trim();
+  const match = trimmed.match(/^([\d.]+)\s+([\d.]+)%?\s+([\d.]+)%?$/);
+  if (!match) return null;
+  const h = parseFloat(match[1]);
+  const s = parseFloat(match[2]);
+  const l = parseFloat(match[3]);
+  if (isNaN(h) || isNaN(s) || isNaN(l)) return null;
+  return { h, s, l };
+}
+
+/**
+ * Format numeric HSL values back to 'H S% L%' string.
+ * Values are clamped to valid ranges.
+ *
+ * @param h - Hue in degrees (0-360)
+ * @param s - Saturation as percentage (0-100)
+ * @param l - Lightness as percentage (0-100)
+ * @returns Formatted HSL string
+ */
+export function formatHSL(h: number, s: number, l: number): string {
+  const clampedS = Math.max(0, Math.min(100, Math.round(s * 10) / 10));
+  const clampedL = Math.max(0, Math.min(100, Math.round(l * 10) / 10));
+  return `${Math.round(h)} ${clampedS}% ${clampedL}%`;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Apply style tier coefficients to a set of CSS variable values.
+ * Adjusts saturation and lightness per tier, preserving hue.
+ *
+ * Processing pipeline per variable:
+ * 1. Scale saturation: s * saturationScale
+ * 2. Apply contrast boost: stretch lightness from midpoint (50%)
+ * 3. Apply lightness offset (mode-specific)
+ * 4. Clamp to valid ranges
+ *
+ * Standard tier is an identity transform (returns input unchanged).
+ *
+ * @param vars - Record of CSS variable names to HSL values in 'H S% L%' format
+ * @param tier - Style tier to apply
+ * @param mode - Current theme mode
+ * @returns Modified CSS variables record
+ */
+export function applyStyleTier(
+  vars: Record<string, string>,
+  tier: StyleTier,
+  mode: 'light' | 'dark'
+): Record<string, string> {
+  if (tier === 'standard') return vars;
+
+  const coeffs = STYLE_TIER_COEFFICIENTS[tier];
+  const offset = mode === 'light' ? coeffs.lightnessOffset.light : coeffs.lightnessOffset.dark;
+  const result: Record<string, string> = {};
+
+  for (const [varName, value] of Object.entries(vars)) {
+    const parsed = parseHSL(value);
+    if (!parsed) {
+      result[varName] = value;
+      continue;
+    }
+
+    // 1. Apply saturation scaling
+    let s = parsed.s * coeffs.saturationScale;
+    s = Math.max(0, Math.min(100, s));
+
+    // 2. Apply contrast boost (stretch lightness from midpoint)
+    let l = 50 + (parsed.l - 50) * coeffs.contrastBoost;
+
+    // 3. Apply lightness offset
+    l = l + offset;
+    l = Math.max(0, Math.min(100, l));
+
+    result[varName] = formatHSL(parsed.h, s, l);
+  }
+
+  return result;
+}
+
 /**
  * Generate a complete theme from a single hue value
  *
diff --git a/ccw/frontend/src/lib/theme.ts b/ccw/frontend/src/lib/theme.ts
index b02d3ee7..e4146716 100644
--- a/ccw/frontend/src/lib/theme.ts
+++ b/ccw/frontend/src/lib/theme.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
  * Defines available color schemes and theme modes for the CCW application
  */
 
+import type { ThemeSlot, ThemeSlotId, BackgroundEffects, BackgroundConfig } from '../types/store';
+
 export type ColorScheme = 'blue' | 'green' | 'orange' | 'purple';
 export type ThemeMode = 'light' | 'dark';
 export type ThemeId = `${ThemeMode}-${ColorScheme}`;
@@ -112,3 +114,62 @@ export const DEFAULT_THEME: Theme = {
   mode: 'light',
   name: '经典蓝 · 浅色'
 };
+
+// ========== Background Defaults ==========
+
+export const DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_EFFECTS: BackgroundEffects = {
+  blur: 0,
+  darkenOpacity: 0,
+  saturation: 100,
+  enableFrostedGlass: false,
+  enableGrain: false,
+  enableVignette: false,
+};
+
+export const DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_CONFIG: BackgroundConfig = {
+  mode: 'gradient-only',
+  imageUrl: null,
+  attribution: null,
+  effects: DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_EFFECTS,
+};
+
+// ========== Theme Slot Constants ==========
+
+/** Maximum number of theme slots a user can have */
+export const THEME_SLOT_LIMIT = 3;
+
+/** Default theme slot with preset values */
+export const DEFAULT_SLOT: ThemeSlot = {
+  id: 'default',
+  name: 'Default',
+  colorScheme: 'blue',
+  customHue: null,
+  isCustomTheme: false,
+  gradientLevel: 'standard',
+  enableHoverGlow: true,
+  enableBackgroundAnimation: false,
+  styleTier: 'standard',
+  isDefault: true,
+};
+
+/**
+ * Factory function to create a new empty theme slot with default values.
+ *
+ * @param id - Slot identifier
+ * @param name - Display name for the slot
+ * @returns A new ThemeSlot with default theme values
+ */
+export function createEmptySlot(id: ThemeSlotId, name: string): ThemeSlot {
+  return {
+    id,
+    name,
+    colorScheme: 'blue',
+    customHue: null,
+    isCustomTheme: false,
+    gradientLevel: 'standard',
+    enableHoverGlow: true,
+    enableBackgroundAnimation: false,
+    styleTier: 'standard',
+    isDefault: false,
+  };
+}
diff --git a/ccw/frontend/src/lib/themeShare.ts b/ccw/frontend/src/lib/themeShare.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..dc43ba6e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ccw/frontend/src/lib/themeShare.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,327 @@
+/**
+ * Theme Sharing Module
+ * Encodes/decodes theme configurations as compact base64url strings
+ * for copy-paste sharing between users.
+ *
+ * Format: 'ccw{version}:{base64url_payload}'
+ * Payload uses short field names for compactness:
+ *   v=version, c=colorScheme, h=customHue, t=styleTier,
+ *   g=gradientLevel, w=enableHoverGlow, a=enableBackgroundAnimation
+ *   bm=backgroundMode, bi=backgroundImageUrl, bp=photographerName,
+ *   bu=photographerUrl, bpu=photoUrl, be=backgroundEffects
+ *
+ * @module themeShare
+ */
+
+import type { ThemeSlot, BackgroundConfig, BackgroundEffects } from '../types/store';
+import type { ColorScheme, GradientLevel, StyleTier, BackgroundMode } from '../types/store';
+import { DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_EFFECTS } from './theme';
+
+// ========== Constants ==========
+
+/** Current share format version. Bump when payload schema changes. */
+export const SHARE_VERSION = 2;
+
+/** Maximum encoded string length accepted for import */
+const MAX_ENCODED_LENGTH = 800;
+
+/** Version prefix pattern: 'ccw' followed by version number and colon */
+const PREFIX_PATTERN = /^ccw(\d+):(.+)$/;
+
+// ========== Types ==========
+
+/** Serializable theme state for encoding/decoding */
+export interface ThemeSharePayload {
+  version: number;
+  colorScheme: ColorScheme;
+  customHue: number | null;
+  styleTier: StyleTier;
+  gradientLevel: GradientLevel;
+  enableHoverGlow: boolean;
+  enableBackgroundAnimation: boolean;
+  backgroundConfig?: BackgroundConfig;
+}
+
+/** Compact wire format using short keys for smaller base64 output */
+interface CompactPayload {
+  v: number;
+  c: string;
+  h: number | null;
+  t: string;
+  g: string;
+  w: boolean;
+  a: boolean;
+  // v2 background fields (optional)
+  bm?: string;
+  bi?: string;
+  bp?: string;
+  bu?: string;
+  bpu?: string;
+  be?: CompactEffects;
+}
+
+/** Compact background effects */
+interface CompactEffects {
+  b: number;  // blur
+  d: number;  // darkenOpacity
+  s: number;  // saturation
+  f: boolean; // enableFrostedGlass
+  g: boolean; // enableGrain
+  v: boolean; // enableVignette
+}
+
+/** Result of decoding and validating an import string */
+export type ImportResult =
+  | { ok: true; payload: ThemeSharePayload; warning?: string }
+  | { ok: false; error: string };
+
+/** Version compatibility check result */
+export interface VersionCheckResult {
+  compatible: boolean;
+  warning?: string;
+}
+
+// ========== Validation Constants ==========
+
+const VALID_COLOR_SCHEMES: readonly string[] = ['blue', 'green', 'orange', 'purple'];
+const VALID_STYLE_TIERS: readonly string[] = ['soft', 'standard', 'high-contrast'];
+const VALID_GRADIENT_LEVELS: readonly string[] = ['off', 'standard', 'enhanced'];
+const VALID_BACKGROUND_MODES: readonly string[] = ['gradient-only', 'image-only', 'image-gradient'];
+
+// ========== Encoding ==========
+
+/**
+ * Encode a theme slot into a compact URL-safe base64 string with version prefix.
+ *
+ * Output format: 'ccw2:{base64url}'
+ * The base64url payload contains JSON with short keys for compactness.
+ * Background fields are only included when mode != gradient-only.
+ *
+ * @param slot - Theme slot to encode
+ * @returns Encoded theme string (typically under 300 characters)
+ */
+export function encodeTheme(slot: ThemeSlot): string {
+  const compact: CompactPayload = {
+    v: SHARE_VERSION,
+    c: slot.colorScheme,
+    h: slot.customHue,
+    t: slot.styleTier,
+    g: slot.gradientLevel,
+    w: slot.enableHoverGlow,
+    a: slot.enableBackgroundAnimation,
+  };
+
+  // Only include background fields when mode != gradient-only
+  const bg = slot.backgroundConfig;
+  if (bg && bg.mode !== 'gradient-only') {
+    compact.bm = bg.mode;
+    if (bg.imageUrl) compact.bi = bg.imageUrl;
+    if (bg.attribution) {
+      compact.bp = bg.attribution.photographerName;
+      compact.bu = bg.attribution.photographerUrl;
+      compact.bpu = bg.attribution.photoUrl;
+    }
+    compact.be = {
+      b: bg.effects.blur,
+      d: bg.effects.darkenOpacity,
+      s: bg.effects.saturation,
+      f: bg.effects.enableFrostedGlass,
+      g: bg.effects.enableGrain,
+      v: bg.effects.enableVignette,
+    };
+  }
+
+  const json = JSON.stringify(compact);
+
+  // Use TextEncoder for consistent UTF-8 handling
+  const encoder = new TextEncoder();
+  const bytes = encoder.encode(json);
+
+  // Convert bytes to binary string for btoa
+  let binary = '';
+  for (let i = 0; i < bytes.length; i++) {
+    binary += String.fromCharCode(bytes[i]);
+  }
+
+  // Base64 encode, then make URL-safe
+  const base64 = btoa(binary);
+  const base64url = base64
+    .replace(/\+/g, '-')
+    .replace(/\//g, '_')
+    .replace(/=+$/, '');
+
+  return `ccw${SHARE_VERSION}:${base64url}`;
+}
+
+// ========== Decoding ==========
+
+/**
+ * Decode and validate a theme share string.
+ * Checks version compatibility and validates all field types/ranges.
+ * Invalid input never causes side effects.
+ * Handles both v1 (no background) and v2 (with background) payloads.
+ *
+ * @param encoded - The encoded theme string to decode
+ * @returns ImportResult with decoded payload on success, or error message on failure
+ */
+export function decodeTheme(encoded: string): ImportResult {
+  // Guard: reject empty input
+  if (!encoded || typeof encoded !== 'string') {
+    return { ok: false, error: 'empty_input' };
+  }
+
+  const trimmed = encoded.trim();
+
+  // Guard: reject strings exceeding max length
+  if (trimmed.length > MAX_ENCODED_LENGTH) {
+    return { ok: false, error: 'too_long' };
+  }
+
+  // Extract version and payload from prefix
+  const prefixMatch = trimmed.match(PREFIX_PATTERN);
+  if (!prefixMatch) {
+    return { ok: false, error: 'invalid_format' };
+  }
+
+  const prefixVersion = parseInt(prefixMatch[1], 10);
+  const base64url = prefixMatch[2];
+
+  // Restore standard base64 from URL-safe variant
+  let base64 = base64url.replace(/-/g, '+').replace(/_/g, '/');
+  // Add padding if needed
+  const remainder = base64.length % 4;
+  if (remainder === 2) base64 += '==';
+  else if (remainder === 3) base64 += '=';
+
+  // Decode base64 to bytes
+  let json: string;
+  try {
+    const binary = atob(base64);
+    const bytes = new Uint8Array(binary.length);
+    for (let i = 0; i < binary.length; i++) {
+      bytes[i] = binary.charCodeAt(i);
+    }
+    // Use TextDecoder for consistent UTF-8 handling
+    const decoder = new TextDecoder();
+    json = decoder.decode(bytes);
+  } catch {
+    return { ok: false, error: 'decode_failed' };
+  }
+
+  // Parse JSON
+  let compact: unknown;
+  try {
+    compact = JSON.parse(json);
+  } catch {
+    return { ok: false, error: 'parse_failed' };
+  }
+
+  // Validate object shape
+  if (!compact || typeof compact !== 'object' || Array.isArray(compact)) {
+    return { ok: false, error: 'invalid_payload' };
+  }
+
+  const obj = compact as Record<string, unknown>;
+
+  // Extract and validate version
+  const payloadVersion = typeof obj.v === 'number' ? obj.v : prefixVersion;
+
+  // Check version compatibility
+  const versionCheck = isVersionCompatible(payloadVersion);
+  if (!versionCheck.compatible) {
+    return { ok: false, error: 'incompatible_version' };
+  }
+
+  // Validate colorScheme
+  if (typeof obj.c !== 'string' || !VALID_COLOR_SCHEMES.includes(obj.c)) {
+    return { ok: false, error: 'invalid_field' };
+  }
+
+  // Validate customHue
+  if (obj.h !== null && (typeof obj.h !== 'number' || !isFinite(obj.h))) {
+    return { ok: false, error: 'invalid_field' };
+  }
+
+  // Validate styleTier
+  if (typeof obj.t !== 'string' || !VALID_STYLE_TIERS.includes(obj.t)) {
+    return { ok: false, error: 'invalid_field' };
+  }
+
+  // Validate gradientLevel
+  if (typeof obj.g !== 'string' || !VALID_GRADIENT_LEVELS.includes(obj.g)) {
+    return { ok: false, error: 'invalid_field' };
+  }
+
+  // Validate booleans
+  if (typeof obj.w !== 'boolean' || typeof obj.a !== 'boolean') {
+    return { ok: false, error: 'invalid_field' };
+  }
+
+  const payload: ThemeSharePayload = {
+    version: payloadVersion,
+    colorScheme: obj.c as ColorScheme,
+    customHue: obj.h as number | null,
+    styleTier: obj.t as StyleTier,
+    gradientLevel: obj.g as GradientLevel,
+    enableHoverGlow: obj.w,
+    enableBackgroundAnimation: obj.a,
+  };
+
+  // Decode v2 background fields (optional — v1 payloads simply lack them)
+  if (typeof obj.bm === 'string' && VALID_BACKGROUND_MODES.includes(obj.bm)) {
+    const effects: BackgroundEffects = { ...DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_EFFECTS };
+
+    // Parse compact effects
+    if (obj.be && typeof obj.be === 'object' && !Array.isArray(obj.be)) {
+      const be = obj.be as Record<string, unknown>;
+      if (typeof be.b === 'number') effects.blur = be.b;
+      if (typeof be.d === 'number') effects.darkenOpacity = be.d;
+      if (typeof be.s === 'number') effects.saturation = be.s;
+      if (typeof be.f === 'boolean') effects.enableFrostedGlass = be.f;
+      if (typeof be.g === 'boolean') effects.enableGrain = be.g;
+      if (typeof be.v === 'boolean') effects.enableVignette = be.v;
+    }
+
+    payload.backgroundConfig = {
+      mode: obj.bm as BackgroundMode,
+      imageUrl: typeof obj.bi === 'string' ? obj.bi : null,
+      attribution: (typeof obj.bp === 'string' && typeof obj.bu === 'string' && typeof obj.bpu === 'string')
+        ? { photographerName: obj.bp, photographerUrl: obj.bu, photoUrl: obj.bpu }
+        : null,
+      effects,
+    };
+  }
+
+  return {
+    ok: true,
+    payload,
+    warning: versionCheck.warning,
+  };
+}
+
+// ========== Version Compatibility ==========
+
+/**
+ * Check if a payload version is within +/-2 of the current SHARE_VERSION.
+ * Versions outside range are incompatible. Versions within range but
+ * not equal get a warning that accuracy may vary.
+ *
+ * @param payloadVersion - Version number from the decoded payload
+ * @returns Compatibility result with optional warning
+ */
+export function isVersionCompatible(payloadVersion: number): VersionCheckResult {
+  const diff = Math.abs(payloadVersion - SHARE_VERSION);
+
+  if (diff > 2) {
+    return { compatible: false };
+  }
+
+  if (diff > 0) {
+    return {
+      compatible: true,
+      warning: 'version_mismatch',
+    };
+  }
+
+  return { compatible: true };
+}
diff --git a/ccw/frontend/src/lib/unsplash.ts b/ccw/frontend/src/lib/unsplash.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b35aaddb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ccw/frontend/src/lib/unsplash.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+/**
+ * Unsplash API Client
+ * Frontend functions to search Unsplash via the backend proxy.
+ */
+
+export interface UnsplashPhoto {
+  id: string;
+  thumbUrl: string;
+  smallUrl: string;
+  regularUrl: string;
+  photographer: string;
+  photographerUrl: string;
+  photoUrl: string;
+  blurHash: string | null;
+  downloadLocation: string;
+}
+
+export interface UnsplashSearchResult {
+  photos: UnsplashPhoto[];
+  total: number;
+  totalPages: number;
+}
+
+function getCsrfToken(): string | null {
+  const match = document.cookie.match(/XSRF-TOKEN=([^;]+)/);
+  return match ? decodeURIComponent(match[1]) : null;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Search Unsplash photos via backend proxy.
+ */
+export async function searchUnsplash(
+  query: string,
+  page = 1,
+  perPage = 20
+): Promise<UnsplashSearchResult> {
+  const params = new URLSearchParams({
+    query,
+    page: String(page),
+    per_page: String(perPage),
+  });
+
+  const response = await fetch(`/api/unsplash/search?${params}`, {
+    credentials: 'same-origin',
+  });
+
+  if (!response.ok) {
+    const body = await response.json().catch(() => ({}));
+    throw new Error(body.error || `Unsplash search failed: ${response.status}`);
+  }
+
+  return response.json();
+}
+
+/**
+ * Upload a local image as background.
+ * Sends raw binary to avoid base64 overhead.
+ */
+export async function uploadBackgroundImage(file: File): Promise<{ url: string; filename: string }> {
+  const headers: Record<string, string> = {
+    'Content-Type': file.type,
+    'X-Filename': file.name,
+  };
+  const csrfToken = getCsrfToken();
+  if (csrfToken) {
+    headers['X-CSRF-Token'] = csrfToken;
+  }
+
+  const response = await fetch('/api/background/upload', {
+    method: 'POST',
+    headers,
+    credentials: 'same-origin',
+    body: file,
+  });
+
+  if (!response.ok) {
+    const body = await response.json().catch(() => ({}));
+    throw new Error(body.error || `Upload failed: ${response.status}`);
+  }
+
+  return response.json();
+}
+
+/**
+ * Trigger Unsplash download event (required by API guidelines).
+ */
+export async function triggerUnsplashDownload(downloadLocation: string): Promise<void> {
+  const headers: Record<string, string> = {
+    'Content-Type': 'application/json',
+  };
+  const csrfToken = getCsrfToken();
+  if (csrfToken) {
+    headers['X-CSRF-Token'] = csrfToken;
+  }
+
+  await fetch('/api/unsplash/download', {
+    method: 'POST',
+    headers,
+    credentials: 'same-origin',
+    body: JSON.stringify({ downloadLocation }),
+  });
+}
diff --git a/ccw/frontend/src/locales/en/codexlens.json b/ccw/frontend/src/locales/en/codexlens.json
index 54bd52b2..b6da6d8d 100644
--- a/ccw/frontend/src/locales/en/codexlens.json
+++ b/ccw/frontend/src/locales/en/codexlens.json
@@ -224,10 +224,26 @@
     "content": "Content Search",
     "files": "File Search",
     "symbol": "Symbol Search",
+    "semantic": "Semantic Search (LSP)",
     "mode": "Mode",
     "mode.semantic": "Semantic (default)",
     "mode.exact": "Exact (FTS)",
     "mode.fuzzy": "Fuzzy",
+    "semanticMode": "Search Mode",
+    "semanticMode.fusion": "Fusion Search",
+    "semanticMode.vector": "Vector Search",
+    "semanticMode.structural": "Structural Search",
+    "fusionStrategy": "Fusion Strategy",
+    "fusionStrategy.rrf": "RRF (default)",
+    "fusionStrategy.dense_rerank": "Dense Rerank",
+    "fusionStrategy.binary": "Binary",
+    "fusionStrategy.hybrid": "Hybrid",
+    "fusionStrategy.staged": "Staged",
+    "lspStatus": "LSP Status",
+    "lspAvailable": "Semantic search available",
+    "lspUnavailable": "Semantic search unavailable",
+    "lspNoVector": "Vector index required",
+    "lspNoSemantic": "Semantic dependencies required",
     "query": "Query",
     "queryPlaceholder": "Enter search query...",
     "button": "Search",
diff --git a/ccw/frontend/src/locales/en/mcp-manager.json b/ccw/frontend/src/locales/en/mcp-manager.json
index 835706c7..7dcbadab 100644
--- a/ccw/frontend/src/locales/en/mcp-manager.json
+++ b/ccw/frontend/src/locales/en/mcp-manager.json
@@ -132,6 +132,10 @@
       "ask_question": {
         "name": "ask_question",
         "desc": "Ask interactive questions through A2UI interface"
+      },
+      "smart_search": {
+        "name": "smart_search",
+        "desc": "Intelligent code search with fuzzy and semantic modes"
       }
     },
     "paths": {
diff --git a/ccw/frontend/src/locales/en/theme.json b/ccw/frontend/src/locales/en/theme.json
index 428e6d69..2b72474e 100644
--- a/ccw/frontend/src/locales/en/theme.json
+++ b/ccw/frontend/src/locales/en/theme.json
@@ -34,5 +34,87 @@
     "enhanced": "Enhanced",
     "hoverGlow": "Enable hover glow effects",
     "bgAnimation": "Enable background gradient animation"
+  },
+  "accessibility": {
+    "contrastWarning": "Some color combinations may not meet WCAG AA contrast requirements:",
+    "fixSuggestion": "Suggested fix: adjust {target} from {original} to {suggested} (ratio: {ratio}:1)",
+    "applyFix": "Apply Fix",
+    "dismiss": "Dismiss"
+  },
+  "motion": {
+    "label": "Motion Preference",
+    "system": "System",
+    "reduce": "Reduce",
+    "enable": "Enable"
+  },
+  "slot": {
+    "title": "Theme Slots",
+    "default": "Default",
+    "custom1": "Custom 1",
+    "custom2": "Custom 2",
+    "copy": "Copy Slot",
+    "rename": "Rename",
+    "delete": "Delete",
+    "undoDelete": "Slot deleted. Undo?",
+    "undo": "Undo",
+    "limitReached": "Maximum of {limit} theme slots reached",
+    "deleteConfirm": "Delete this theme slot?",
+    "cannotDeleteDefault": "Cannot delete the default slot",
+    "renameEmpty": "Slot name cannot be empty",
+    "copyOf": "Copy of {name}",
+    "active": "Active"
+  },
+  "styleTier": {
+    "label": "Style Tier",
+    "soft": "Soft",
+    "standard": "Standard",
+    "highContrast": "High Contrast",
+    "softDesc": "Reduced saturation, gentle colors",
+    "standardDesc": "Default balanced appearance",
+    "highContrastDesc": "Enhanced readability, sharper colors"
+  },
+  "background": {
+    "title": "Background Image",
+    "mode": {
+      "gradientOnly": "Gradient",
+      "imageOnly": "Image",
+      "imageGradient": "Image+Gradient"
+    },
+    "searchPlaceholder": "Search Unsplash photos...",
+    "customUrlPlaceholder": "Custom image URL...",
+    "apply": "Apply",
+    "removeImage": "Remove",
+    "effects": "Visual Effects",
+    "blur": "Blur",
+    "darken": "Darken",
+    "saturation": "Saturation",
+    "frostedGlass": "Frosted glass effect on content",
+    "grain": "Noise texture overlay",
+    "vignette": "Vignette (dark edges)",
+    "searchError": "Failed to search photos. Check if Unsplash API is configured.",
+    "noResults": "No photos found",
+    "prev": "Prev",
+    "next": "Next",
+    "loadFailed": "Image failed to load, fallback to gradient",
+    "upload": "Upload local image",
+    "uploading": "Uploading...",
+    "uploadError": "Upload failed",
+    "fileTooLarge": "File too large (max 10MB)",
+    "invalidType": "Only JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF supported"
+  },
+  "share": {
+    "label": "Theme Sharing",
+    "copyCode": "Copy Theme Code",
+    "copied": "Theme code copied to clipboard",
+    "import": "Import Theme",
+    "paste": "Paste theme code here...",
+    "preview": "Import Preview",
+    "apply": "Apply Theme",
+    "cancel": "Cancel",
+    "invalidCode": "Invalid theme code. Please check and try again.",
+    "incompatibleVersion": "This theme code is from an incompatible version and cannot be imported.",
+    "versionWarning": "This theme code is from a different version. Some settings may not be accurate.",
+    "importSuccess": "Theme imported successfully",
+    "noSlotAvailable": "No available theme slot. Delete a custom slot first."
   }
 }
diff --git a/ccw/frontend/src/locales/zh/codexlens.json b/ccw/frontend/src/locales/zh/codexlens.json
index 52795c63..c3ddfacb 100644
--- a/ccw/frontend/src/locales/zh/codexlens.json
+++ b/ccw/frontend/src/locales/zh/codexlens.json
@@ -224,10 +224,26 @@
     "content": "内容搜索",
     "files": "文件搜索",
     "symbol": "符号搜索",
+    "semantic": "语义搜索 (LSP)",
     "mode": "模式",
     "mode.semantic": "语义（默认）",
     "mode.exact": "精确（FTS）",
     "mode.fuzzy": "模糊",
+    "semanticMode": "搜索模式",
+    "semanticMode.fusion": "融合搜索",
+    "semanticMode.vector": "向量搜索",
+    "semanticMode.structural": "结构搜索",
+    "fusionStrategy": "融合策略",
+    "fusionStrategy.rrf": "RRF（默认）",
+    "fusionStrategy.dense_rerank": "Dense Rerank",
+    "fusionStrategy.binary": "Binary",
+    "fusionStrategy.hybrid": "Hybrid",
+    "fusionStrategy.staged": "Staged",
+    "lspStatus": "LSP 状态",
+    "lspAvailable": "语义搜索可用",
+    "lspUnavailable": "语义搜索不可用",
+    "lspNoVector": "需要先建立向量索引",
+    "lspNoSemantic": "需要先安装语义依赖",
     "query": "查询",
     "queryPlaceholder": "输入搜索查询...",
     "button": "搜索",
@@ -294,6 +310,7 @@
     "installing": "安装中..."
   },
   "watcher": {
+    "title": "文件监听器",
     "status": {
       "running": "运行中",
       "stopped": "已停止"
diff --git a/ccw/frontend/src/locales/zh/mcp-manager.json b/ccw/frontend/src/locales/zh/mcp-manager.json
index 1ca1f2ea..ff09ea78 100644
--- a/ccw/frontend/src/locales/zh/mcp-manager.json
+++ b/ccw/frontend/src/locales/zh/mcp-manager.json
@@ -132,6 +132,10 @@
       "ask_question": {
         "name": "ask_question",
         "desc": "通过 A2UI 界面发起交互式问答"
+      },
+      "smart_search": {
+        "name": "smart_search",
+        "desc": "智能代码搜索，支持模糊和语义搜索模式"
       }
     },
     "paths": {
diff --git a/ccw/frontend/src/locales/zh/theme.json b/ccw/frontend/src/locales/zh/theme.json
index d27df90c..73aa9a46 100644
--- a/ccw/frontend/src/locales/zh/theme.json
+++ b/ccw/frontend/src/locales/zh/theme.json
@@ -34,5 +34,87 @@
     "enhanced": "增强",
     "hoverGlow": "启用悬停光晕效果",
     "bgAnimation": "启用背景渐变动画"
+  },
+  "accessibility": {
+    "contrastWarning": "部分颜色组合可能不符合 WCAG AA 对比度要求:",
+    "fixSuggestion": "建议修复: 将{target}从 {original} 调整为 {suggested} (对比度: {ratio}:1)",
+    "applyFix": "应用修复",
+    "dismiss": "忽略"
+  },
+  "motion": {
+    "label": "动效偏好",
+    "system": "跟随系统",
+    "reduce": "减少动效",
+    "enable": "启用动效"
+  },
+  "slot": {
+    "title": "主题槽位",
+    "default": "默认",
+    "custom1": "自定义 1",
+    "custom2": "自定义 2",
+    "copy": "复制槽位",
+    "rename": "重命名",
+    "delete": "删除",
+    "undoDelete": "槽位已删除，是否撤销？",
+    "undo": "撤销",
+    "limitReached": "最多只能创建 {limit} 个主题槽位",
+    "deleteConfirm": "确定删除此主题槽位？",
+    "cannotDeleteDefault": "无法删除默认槽位",
+    "renameEmpty": "槽位名称不能为空",
+    "copyOf": "{name}的副本",
+    "active": "使用中"
+  },
+  "styleTier": {
+    "label": "风格档位",
+    "soft": "柔和",
+    "standard": "标准",
+    "highContrast": "高对比",
+    "softDesc": "降低饱和度，柔和色彩",
+    "standardDesc": "默认均衡外观",
+    "highContrastDesc": "增强可读性，色彩更鲜明"
+  },
+  "background": {
+    "title": "背景图片",
+    "mode": {
+      "gradientOnly": "仅渐变",
+      "imageOnly": "仅图片",
+      "imageGradient": "图片+渐变"
+    },
+    "searchPlaceholder": "搜索 Unsplash 图片...",
+    "customUrlPlaceholder": "自定义图片 URL...",
+    "apply": "应用",
+    "removeImage": "移除",
+    "effects": "视觉效果",
+    "blur": "模糊",
+    "darken": "暗化",
+    "saturation": "饱和度",
+    "frostedGlass": "内容区毛玻璃效果",
+    "grain": "噪点纹理叠加",
+    "vignette": "暗角效果",
+    "searchError": "搜索图片失败，请检查 Unsplash API 是否已配置。",
+    "noResults": "未找到图片",
+    "prev": "上一页",
+    "next": "下一页",
+    "loadFailed": "图片加载失败，已回退到渐变模式",
+    "upload": "上传本地图片",
+    "uploading": "上传中...",
+    "uploadError": "上传失败",
+    "fileTooLarge": "文件过大（最大 10MB）",
+    "invalidType": "仅支持 JPG、PNG、WebP、GIF"
+  },
+  "share": {
+    "label": "主题分享",
+    "copyCode": "复制主题代码",
+    "copied": "主题代码已复制到剪贴板",
+    "import": "导入主题",
+    "paste": "在此粘贴主题代码...",
+    "preview": "导入预览",
+    "apply": "应用主题",
+    "cancel": "取消",
+    "invalidCode": "无效的主题代码，请检查后重试。",
+    "incompatibleVersion": "此主题代码来自不兼容的版本，无法导入。",
+    "versionWarning": "此主题代码来自不同版本，部分设置可能不准确。",
+    "importSuccess": "主题导入成功",
+    "noSlotAvailable": "没有可用的主题槽位，请先删除一个自定义槽位。"
   }
 }
diff --git a/ccw/frontend/src/packages/a2ui-runtime/core/A2UITypes.ts b/ccw/frontend/src/packages/a2ui-runtime/core/A2UITypes.ts
index 671e662f..ba1fbc1f 100644
--- a/ccw/frontend/src/packages/a2ui-runtime/core/A2UITypes.ts
+++ b/ccw/frontend/src/packages/a2ui-runtime/core/A2UITypes.ts
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ export const CheckboxComponentSchema = z.object({
     checked: BooleanContentSchema.optional(),
     onChange: ActionSchema,
     label: TextContentSchema.optional(),
+    description: TextContentSchema.optional(),
   }),
 });
 
@@ -202,6 +203,8 @@ export const ComponentSchema: z.ZodType<any> = z.union([
 export const SurfaceComponentSchema = z.object({
   id: z.string(),
   component: ComponentSchema,
+  /** Page index for multi-page surfaces (0-based) */
+  page: z.number().int().min(0).optional(),
 });
 
 /** Display mode for A2UI surfaces */
diff --git a/ccw/frontend/src/packages/a2ui-runtime/renderer/components/A2UICheckbox.tsx b/ccw/frontend/src/packages/a2ui-runtime/renderer/components/A2UICheckbox.tsx
index ce1d5981..cc79e593 100644
--- a/ccw/frontend/src/packages/a2ui-runtime/renderer/components/A2UICheckbox.tsx
+++ b/ccw/frontend/src/packages/a2ui-runtime/renderer/components/A2UICheckbox.tsx
@@ -51,17 +51,28 @@ export const A2UICheckbox: ComponentRenderer = ({ component, state, onAction, re
     ? resolveTextContent(checkboxConfig.label, resolveBinding)
     : '';
 
+  // Resolve description text
+  const descriptionText = checkboxConfig.description
+    ? resolveTextContent(checkboxConfig.description, resolveBinding)
+    : '';
+
   return (
-    <div className="flex items-center space-x-2">
+    <div className="flex items-start space-x-2">
       <Checkbox
+        className="mt-0.5"
         checked={checked}
         onCheckedChange={handleChange}
       />
-      {labelText && (
-        <Label className="text-sm font-medium leading-none peer-disabled:cursor-not-allowed peer-disabled:opacity-70">
-          {labelText}
-        </Label>
-      )}
+      <div className="grid gap-0.5">
+        {labelText && (
+          <Label className="text-sm font-medium leading-none peer-disabled:cursor-not-allowed peer-disabled:opacity-70">
+            {labelText}
+          </Label>
+        )}
+        {descriptionText && (
+          <p className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">{descriptionText}</p>
+        )}
+      </div>
     </div>
   );
 };
diff --git a/ccw/frontend/src/pages/HelpPage.tsx b/ccw/frontend/src/pages/HelpPage.tsx
index ac02fe80..14a1610f 100644
--- a/ccw/frontend/src/pages/HelpPage.tsx
+++ b/ccw/frontend/src/pages/HelpPage.tsx
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ export function HelpPage() {
       </div>
 
       {/* Search Documentation CTA */}
-      <Card className="p-6 sm:p-8 bg-gradient-to-r from-primary/5 to-primary/10 border-primary/20">
+      <Card className="p-6 sm:p-8 bg-gradient-accent border-primary/20">
         <div className="flex flex-col sm:flex-row items-start sm:items-center gap-4 sm:justify-between">
           <div className="flex items-start gap-4 flex-1 min-w-0">
             <div className="p-3 rounded-lg bg-primary/20 flex-shrink-0">
diff --git a/ccw/frontend/src/pages/ProjectOverviewPage.tsx b/ccw/frontend/src/pages/ProjectOverviewPage.tsx
index df790a78..a6f76b64 100644
--- a/ccw/frontend/src/pages/ProjectOverviewPage.tsx
+++ b/ccw/frontend/src/pages/ProjectOverviewPage.tsx
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ export function ProjectOverviewPage() {
           {/* Header Row */}
           <div className="flex items-start justify-between mb-4 pb-3 border-b border-border">
             <div className="flex-1">
-              <h1 className="text-lg font-semibold text-foreground mb-1">
+              <h1 className="text-lg font-semibold text-foreground gradient-text mb-1">
                 {projectOverview.projectName}
               </h1>
               <p className="text-sm text-muted-foreground">
diff --git a/ccw/frontend/src/stores/appStore.ts b/ccw/frontend/src/stores/appStore.ts
index fd885866..c77b05cc 100644
--- a/ccw/frontend/src/stores/appStore.ts
+++ b/ccw/frontend/src/stores/appStore.ts
@@ -5,11 +5,12 @@
 
 import { create } from 'zustand';
 import { persist, devtools } from 'zustand/middleware';
-import type { AppStore, Theme, ColorScheme, GradientLevel, Locale, ViewMode, SessionFilter, LiteTaskType, DashboardLayouts, WidgetConfig } from '../types/store';
+import type { AppStore, Theme, ColorScheme, GradientLevel, Locale, ViewMode, SessionFilter, LiteTaskType, DashboardLayouts, WidgetConfig, MotionPreference, StyleTier, ThemeSlot, ThemeSlotId, BackgroundConfig, BackgroundEffects, BackgroundMode, UnsplashAttribution } from '../types/store';
 import { DEFAULT_DASHBOARD_LAYOUT } from '../components/dashboard/defaultLayouts';
 import { getInitialLocale, updateIntl } from '../lib/i18n';
-import { getThemeId } from '../lib/theme';
-import { generateThemeFromHue } from '../lib/colorGenerator';
+import { getThemeId, DEFAULT_SLOT, THEME_SLOT_LIMIT, DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_CONFIG } from '../lib/theme';
+import { generateThemeFromHue, applyStyleTier } from '../lib/colorGenerator';
+import { resolveMotionPreference, checkThemeContrast } from '../lib/accessibility';
 
 // Helper to resolve system theme
 const getSystemTheme = (): 'light' | 'dark' => {
@@ -25,6 +26,12 @@ const resolveTheme = (theme: Theme): 'light' | 'dark' => {
   return theme;
 };
 
+/** Get the style tier from the active slot */
+const getActiveStyleTier = (themeSlots: ThemeSlot[], activeSlotId: ThemeSlotId): StyleTier => {
+  const slot = themeSlots.find(s => s.id === activeSlotId);
+  return slot?.styleTier ?? 'standard';
+};
+
 /**
  * DOM Theme Application Helper
  *
@@ -44,7 +51,9 @@ const applyThemeToDocument = (
   customHue: number | null,
   gradientLevel: GradientLevel = 'standard',
   enableHoverGlow: boolean = true,
-  enableBackgroundAnimation: boolean = false
+  enableBackgroundAnimation: boolean = false,
+  motionPreference: MotionPreference = 'system',
+  styleTier: StyleTier = 'standard'
 ): void => {
   if (typeof document === 'undefined') return;
 
@@ -78,11 +87,29 @@ const applyThemeToDocument = (
 
     // Apply custom theme or preset theme
     if (customHue !== null) {
-      const cssVars = generateThemeFromHue(customHue, resolvedTheme);
+      let cssVars = generateThemeFromHue(customHue, resolvedTheme);
+      // Apply style tier post-processing
+      if (styleTier !== 'standard') {
+        cssVars = applyStyleTier(cssVars, styleTier, resolvedTheme);
+      }
       Object.entries(cssVars).forEach(([varName, varValue]) => {
         document.documentElement.style.setProperty(varName, varValue);
       });
       document.documentElement.setAttribute('data-theme', `custom-${resolvedTheme}`);
+
+      // Contrast validation for non-standard tiers
+      if (styleTier !== 'standard') {
+        const contrastResults = checkThemeContrast(cssVars);
+        const failures = contrastResults.filter(r => !r.passed);
+        if (failures.length > 0) {
+          console.warn(
+            '[Theme] Style tier "%s" caused %d WCAG AA contrast failures:',
+            styleTier,
+            failures.length,
+            failures.map(f => `${f.fgVar}/${f.bgVar}: ${f.ratio}:1 (min ${f.required}:1)`)
+          );
+        }
+      }
     } else {
       // Clear custom CSS variables
       customVars.forEach(varName => {
@@ -91,6 +118,35 @@ const applyThemeToDocument = (
       // Apply preset theme
       const themeId = getThemeId(colorScheme, resolvedTheme);
       document.documentElement.setAttribute('data-theme', themeId);
+
+      // Apply style tier to preset theme (if not standard)
+      if (styleTier !== 'standard') {
+        const computed = getComputedStyle(document.documentElement);
+        const presetVars: Record<string, string> = {};
+        for (const varName of customVars) {
+          const value = computed.getPropertyValue(varName).trim();
+          if (value) {
+            presetVars[varName] = value;
+          }
+        }
+        const tieredVars = applyStyleTier(presetVars, styleTier, resolvedTheme);
+        Object.entries(tieredVars).forEach(([varName, varValue]) => {
+          document.documentElement.style.setProperty(varName, varValue);
+        });
+
+        // Contrast validation for preset themes with non-standard tiers
+        const contrastResults = checkThemeContrast(tieredVars);
+        const failures = contrastResults.filter(r => !r.passed);
+        if (failures.length > 0) {
+          console.warn(
+            '[Theme] Style tier "%s" on preset "%s" caused %d WCAG AA contrast failures:',
+            styleTier,
+            colorScheme,
+            failures.length,
+            failures.map(f => `${f.fgVar}/${f.bgVar}: ${f.ratio}:1 (min ${f.required}:1)`)
+          );
+        }
+      }
     }
 
     // Set color scheme attribute
@@ -100,10 +156,19 @@ const applyThemeToDocument = (
     document.documentElement.setAttribute('data-gradient', gradientLevel);
     document.documentElement.setAttribute('data-hover-glow', String(enableHoverGlow));
     document.documentElement.setAttribute('data-bg-animation', String(enableBackgroundAnimation));
+
+    // Apply reduced motion preference
+    const reducedMotion = resolveMotionPreference(motionPreference);
+    document.documentElement.setAttribute('data-reduced-motion', String(reducedMotion));
+
+    // Set style tier data attribute
+    document.documentElement.setAttribute('data-style-tier', styleTier);
   };
 
   // Use View Transition API for smooth transitions (progressive enhancement)
-  if (typeof document !== 'undefined' && 'startViewTransition' in document) {
+  // Skip view transition when reduced motion is active
+  const reducedMotion = resolveMotionPreference(motionPreference);
+  if (!reducedMotion && typeof document !== 'undefined' && 'startViewTransition' in document) {
     (document as unknown as { startViewTransition: (callback: () => void) => void }).startViewTransition(performThemeUpdate);
   } else {
     // Fallback: apply immediately without transition
@@ -111,6 +176,23 @@ const applyThemeToDocument = (
   }
 };
 
+/**
+ * Apply background configuration to document data attributes.
+ * Sets data-bg-* attributes on <html> that CSS rules respond to.
+ */
+const applyBackgroundToDocument = (config: BackgroundConfig): void => {
+  if (typeof document === 'undefined') return;
+
+  const el = document.documentElement;
+  el.setAttribute('data-bg-mode', config.mode);
+  el.setAttribute('data-bg-blur', String(config.effects.blur));
+  el.setAttribute('data-bg-darken', String(config.effects.darkenOpacity));
+  el.setAttribute('data-bg-saturation', String(config.effects.saturation));
+  el.setAttribute('data-bg-frosted', String(config.effects.enableFrostedGlass));
+  el.setAttribute('data-bg-grain', String(config.effects.enableGrain));
+  el.setAttribute('data-bg-vignette', String(config.effects.enableVignette));
+};
+
 // Initial state
 const initialState = {
   // Theme
@@ -125,6 +207,9 @@ const initialState = {
   enableHoverGlow: true,
   enableBackgroundAnimation: false,
 
+  // Motion preference
+  motionPreference: 'system' as MotionPreference,
+
   // Locale
   locale: getInitialLocale() as Locale,
 
@@ -146,6 +231,11 @@ const initialState = {
 
   // Dashboard layout
   dashboardLayout: null,
+
+  // Theme slots
+  themeSlots: [DEFAULT_SLOT] as ThemeSlot[],
+  activeSlotId: 'default' as ThemeSlotId,
+  deletedSlotBuffer: null as ThemeSlot | null,
 };
 
 export const useAppStore = create<AppStore>()(
@@ -161,31 +251,60 @@ export const useAppStore = create<AppStore>()(
           set({ theme, resolvedTheme: resolved }, false, 'setTheme');
 
           // Apply theme using helper (encapsulates DOM manipulation)
-          const { colorScheme, customHue, gradientLevel, enableHoverGlow, enableBackgroundAnimation } = get();
-          applyThemeToDocument(resolved, colorScheme, customHue, gradientLevel, enableHoverGlow, enableBackgroundAnimation);
+          const state = get();
+          const styleTier = getActiveStyleTier(state.themeSlots, state.activeSlotId);
+          applyThemeToDocument(resolved, state.colorScheme, state.customHue, state.gradientLevel, state.enableHoverGlow, state.enableBackgroundAnimation, state.motionPreference, styleTier);
         },
 
         setColorScheme: (colorScheme: ColorScheme) => {
-          set({ colorScheme, customHue: null, isCustomTheme: false }, false, 'setColorScheme');
+          set((state) => ({
+            colorScheme,
+            customHue: null,
+            isCustomTheme: false,
+            themeSlots: state.themeSlots.map(slot =>
+              slot.id === state.activeSlotId
+                ? { ...slot, colorScheme, customHue: null, isCustomTheme: false }
+                : slot
+            ),
+          }), false, 'setColorScheme');
 
           // Apply color scheme using helper (encapsulates DOM manipulation)
-          const { resolvedTheme, gradientLevel, enableHoverGlow, enableBackgroundAnimation } = get();
-          applyThemeToDocument(resolvedTheme, colorScheme, null, gradientLevel, enableHoverGlow, enableBackgroundAnimation);
+          const state = get();
+          const styleTier = getActiveStyleTier(state.themeSlots, state.activeSlotId);
+          applyThemeToDocument(state.resolvedTheme, colorScheme, null, state.gradientLevel, state.enableHoverGlow, state.enableBackgroundAnimation, state.motionPreference, styleTier);
         },
 
         setCustomHue: (hue: number | null) => {
           if (hue === null) {
             // Reset to preset theme
-            const { colorScheme, resolvedTheme, gradientLevel, enableHoverGlow, enableBackgroundAnimation } = get();
-            set({ customHue: null, isCustomTheme: false }, false, 'setCustomHue');
-            applyThemeToDocument(resolvedTheme, colorScheme, null, gradientLevel, enableHoverGlow, enableBackgroundAnimation);
+            const state = get();
+            const styleTier = getActiveStyleTier(state.themeSlots, state.activeSlotId);
+            set((s) => ({
+              customHue: null,
+              isCustomTheme: false,
+              themeSlots: s.themeSlots.map(slot =>
+                slot.id === s.activeSlotId
+                  ? { ...slot, customHue: null, isCustomTheme: false }
+                  : slot
+              ),
+            }), false, 'setCustomHue');
+            applyThemeToDocument(state.resolvedTheme, state.colorScheme, null, state.gradientLevel, state.enableHoverGlow, state.enableBackgroundAnimation, state.motionPreference, styleTier);
             return;
           }
 
           // Apply custom hue
-          set({ customHue: hue, isCustomTheme: true }, false, 'setCustomHue');
-          const { resolvedTheme, colorScheme, gradientLevel, enableHoverGlow, enableBackgroundAnimation } = get();
-          applyThemeToDocument(resolvedTheme, colorScheme, hue, gradientLevel, enableHoverGlow, enableBackgroundAnimation);
+          set((state) => ({
+            customHue: hue,
+            isCustomTheme: true,
+            themeSlots: state.themeSlots.map(slot =>
+              slot.id === state.activeSlotId
+                ? { ...slot, customHue: hue, isCustomTheme: true }
+                : slot
+            ),
+          }), false, 'setCustomHue');
+          const state = get();
+          const styleTier = getActiveStyleTier(state.themeSlots, state.activeSlotId);
+          applyThemeToDocument(state.resolvedTheme, state.colorScheme, hue, state.gradientLevel, state.enableHoverGlow, state.enableBackgroundAnimation, state.motionPreference, styleTier);
         },
 
         toggleTheme: () => {
@@ -197,21 +316,64 @@ export const useAppStore = create<AppStore>()(
         // ========== Gradient Settings Actions ==========
 
         setGradientLevel: (level: GradientLevel) => {
-          set({ gradientLevel: level }, false, 'setGradientLevel');
-          const { resolvedTheme, colorScheme, customHue, enableHoverGlow, enableBackgroundAnimation } = get();
-          applyThemeToDocument(resolvedTheme, colorScheme, customHue, level, enableHoverGlow, enableBackgroundAnimation);
+          set((state) => ({
+            gradientLevel: level,
+            themeSlots: state.themeSlots.map(slot =>
+              slot.id === state.activeSlotId
+                ? { ...slot, gradientLevel: level }
+                : slot
+            ),
+          }), false, 'setGradientLevel');
+          const state = get();
+          const styleTier = getActiveStyleTier(state.themeSlots, state.activeSlotId);
+          applyThemeToDocument(state.resolvedTheme, state.colorScheme, state.customHue, level, state.enableHoverGlow, state.enableBackgroundAnimation, state.motionPreference, styleTier);
         },
 
         setEnableHoverGlow: (enabled: boolean) => {
-          set({ enableHoverGlow: enabled }, false, 'setEnableHoverGlow');
-          const { resolvedTheme, colorScheme, customHue, gradientLevel, enableBackgroundAnimation } = get();
-          applyThemeToDocument(resolvedTheme, colorScheme, customHue, gradientLevel, enabled, enableBackgroundAnimation);
+          set((state) => ({
+            enableHoverGlow: enabled,
+            themeSlots: state.themeSlots.map(slot =>
+              slot.id === state.activeSlotId
+                ? { ...slot, enableHoverGlow: enabled }
+                : slot
+            ),
+          }), false, 'setEnableHoverGlow');
+          const state = get();
+          const styleTier = getActiveStyleTier(state.themeSlots, state.activeSlotId);
+          applyThemeToDocument(state.resolvedTheme, state.colorScheme, state.customHue, state.gradientLevel, enabled, state.enableBackgroundAnimation, state.motionPreference, styleTier);
         },
 
         setEnableBackgroundAnimation: (enabled: boolean) => {
-          set({ enableBackgroundAnimation: enabled }, false, 'setEnableBackgroundAnimation');
-          const { resolvedTheme, colorScheme, customHue, gradientLevel, enableHoverGlow } = get();
-          applyThemeToDocument(resolvedTheme, colorScheme, customHue, gradientLevel, enableHoverGlow, enabled);
+          set((state) => ({
+            enableBackgroundAnimation: enabled,
+            themeSlots: state.themeSlots.map(slot =>
+              slot.id === state.activeSlotId
+                ? { ...slot, enableBackgroundAnimation: enabled }
+                : slot
+            ),
+          }), false, 'setEnableBackgroundAnimation');
+          const state = get();
+          const styleTier = getActiveStyleTier(state.themeSlots, state.activeSlotId);
+          applyThemeToDocument(state.resolvedTheme, state.colorScheme, state.customHue, state.gradientLevel, state.enableHoverGlow, enabled, state.motionPreference, styleTier);
+        },
+
+        setMotionPreference: (pref: MotionPreference) => {
+          set({ motionPreference: pref }, false, 'setMotionPreference');
+          const state = get();
+          const styleTier = getActiveStyleTier(state.themeSlots, state.activeSlotId);
+          applyThemeToDocument(state.resolvedTheme, state.colorScheme, state.customHue, state.gradientLevel, state.enableHoverGlow, state.enableBackgroundAnimation, pref, styleTier);
+        },
+
+        setStyleTier: (tier: StyleTier) => {
+          set((state) => ({
+            themeSlots: state.themeSlots.map(slot =>
+              slot.id === state.activeSlotId
+                ? { ...slot, styleTier: tier }
+                : slot
+            ),
+          }), false, 'setStyleTier');
+          const state = get();
+          applyThemeToDocument(state.resolvedTheme, state.colorScheme, state.customHue, state.gradientLevel, state.enableHoverGlow, state.enableBackgroundAnimation, state.motionPreference, tier);
         },
 
         // ========== Locale Actions ==========
@@ -302,10 +464,216 @@ export const useAppStore = create<AppStore>()(
         resetDashboardLayout: () => {
           set({ dashboardLayout: DEFAULT_DASHBOARD_LAYOUT }, false, 'resetDashboardLayout');
         },
+
+        // ========== Theme Slot Actions ==========
+
+        setActiveSlot: (slotId: ThemeSlotId) => {
+          const { themeSlots, motionPreference } = get();
+          const slot = themeSlots.find(s => s.id === slotId);
+          if (!slot) return;
+
+          const resolved = resolveTheme(get().theme);
+          set({
+            activeSlotId: slotId,
+            colorScheme: slot.colorScheme,
+            customHue: slot.customHue,
+            isCustomTheme: slot.isCustomTheme,
+            gradientLevel: slot.gradientLevel,
+            enableHoverGlow: slot.enableHoverGlow,
+            enableBackgroundAnimation: slot.enableBackgroundAnimation,
+          }, false, 'setActiveSlot');
+
+          applyThemeToDocument(
+            resolved,
+            slot.colorScheme,
+            slot.customHue,
+            slot.gradientLevel,
+            slot.enableHoverGlow,
+            slot.enableBackgroundAnimation,
+            motionPreference,
+            slot.styleTier
+          );
+          applyBackgroundToDocument(slot.backgroundConfig ?? DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_CONFIG);
+        },
+
+        copySlot: () => {
+          const state = get();
+          if (state.themeSlots.length >= THEME_SLOT_LIMIT) return;
+
+          // Determine next available slot id
+          const usedIds = new Set(state.themeSlots.map(s => s.id));
+          const candidateIds: ThemeSlotId[] = ['custom-1', 'custom-2'];
+          const nextId = candidateIds.find(id => !usedIds.has(id));
+          if (!nextId) return;
+
+          const activeSlot = state.themeSlots.find(s => s.id === state.activeSlotId);
+          if (!activeSlot) return;
+
+          const newSlot: ThemeSlot = {
+            id: nextId,
+            name: `Copy of ${activeSlot.name}`,
+            colorScheme: state.colorScheme,
+            customHue: state.customHue,
+            isCustomTheme: state.isCustomTheme,
+            gradientLevel: state.gradientLevel,
+            enableHoverGlow: state.enableHoverGlow,
+            enableBackgroundAnimation: state.enableBackgroundAnimation,
+            styleTier: activeSlot.styleTier,
+            isDefault: false,
+            backgroundConfig: activeSlot.backgroundConfig,
+          };
+
+          set({
+            themeSlots: [...state.themeSlots, newSlot],
+            activeSlotId: nextId,
+          }, false, 'copySlot');
+        },
+
+        renameSlot: (slotId: ThemeSlotId, name: string) => {
+          set((state) => ({
+            themeSlots: state.themeSlots.map(slot =>
+              slot.id === slotId ? { ...slot, name } : slot
+            ),
+          }), false, 'renameSlot');
+        },
+
+        deleteSlot: (slotId: ThemeSlotId) => {
+          const state = get();
+          const slot = state.themeSlots.find(s => s.id === slotId);
+          if (!slot || slot.isDefault) return;
+
+          set({
+            themeSlots: state.themeSlots.filter(s => s.id !== slotId),
+            deletedSlotBuffer: slot,
+            activeSlotId: 'default',
+          }, false, 'deleteSlot');
+
+          // Load default slot values into active state
+          const defaultSlot = state.themeSlots.find(s => s.id === 'default');
+          if (defaultSlot) {
+            const resolved = resolveTheme(state.theme);
+            set({
+              colorScheme: defaultSlot.colorScheme,
+              customHue: defaultSlot.customHue,
+              isCustomTheme: defaultSlot.isCustomTheme,
+              gradientLevel: defaultSlot.gradientLevel,
+              enableHoverGlow: defaultSlot.enableHoverGlow,
+              enableBackgroundAnimation: defaultSlot.enableBackgroundAnimation,
+            }, false, 'deleteSlot/applyDefault');
+
+            applyThemeToDocument(
+              resolved,
+              defaultSlot.colorScheme,
+              defaultSlot.customHue,
+              defaultSlot.gradientLevel,
+              defaultSlot.enableHoverGlow,
+              defaultSlot.enableBackgroundAnimation,
+              state.motionPreference,
+              defaultSlot.styleTier
+            );
+            applyBackgroundToDocument(defaultSlot.backgroundConfig ?? DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_CONFIG);
+          }
+
+          // Clear buffer after 10 seconds
+          setTimeout(() => {
+            const current = useAppStore.getState();
+            if (current.deletedSlotBuffer?.id === slotId) {
+              useAppStore.setState({ deletedSlotBuffer: null }, false);
+            }
+          }, 10000);
+        },
+
+        undoDeleteSlot: () => {
+          const state = get();
+          const restored = state.deletedSlotBuffer;
+          if (!restored) return;
+          if (state.themeSlots.length >= THEME_SLOT_LIMIT) return;
+
+          set({
+            themeSlots: [...state.themeSlots, restored],
+            deletedSlotBuffer: null,
+            activeSlotId: restored.id,
+          }, false, 'undoDeleteSlot');
+
+          // Apply restored slot values
+          const resolved = resolveTheme(state.theme);
+          set({
+            colorScheme: restored.colorScheme,
+            customHue: restored.customHue,
+            isCustomTheme: restored.isCustomTheme,
+            gradientLevel: restored.gradientLevel,
+            enableHoverGlow: restored.enableHoverGlow,
+            enableBackgroundAnimation: restored.enableBackgroundAnimation,
+          }, false, 'undoDeleteSlot/apply');
+
+          applyThemeToDocument(
+            resolved,
+            restored.colorScheme,
+            restored.customHue,
+            restored.gradientLevel,
+            restored.enableHoverGlow,
+            restored.enableBackgroundAnimation,
+            state.motionPreference,
+            restored.styleTier
+          );
+          applyBackgroundToDocument(restored.backgroundConfig ?? DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_CONFIG);
+        },
+
+        // ========== Background Actions ==========
+
+        setBackgroundConfig: (config: BackgroundConfig) => {
+          set((state) => ({
+            themeSlots: state.themeSlots.map(slot =>
+              slot.id === state.activeSlotId
+                ? { ...slot, backgroundConfig: config }
+                : slot
+            ),
+          }), false, 'setBackgroundConfig');
+          applyBackgroundToDocument(config);
+        },
+
+        updateBackgroundEffect: <K extends keyof BackgroundEffects>(key: K, value: BackgroundEffects[K]) => {
+          const state = get();
+          const activeSlot = state.themeSlots.find(s => s.id === state.activeSlotId);
+          const current = activeSlot?.backgroundConfig ?? DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_CONFIG;
+          const updated: BackgroundConfig = {
+            ...current,
+            effects: { ...current.effects, [key]: value },
+          };
+          get().setBackgroundConfig(updated);
+        },
+
+        setBackgroundMode: (mode: BackgroundMode) => {
+          const state = get();
+          const activeSlot = state.themeSlots.find(s => s.id === state.activeSlotId);
+          const current = activeSlot?.backgroundConfig ?? DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_CONFIG;
+          const updated: BackgroundConfig = { ...current, mode };
+          get().setBackgroundConfig(updated);
+        },
+
+        setBackgroundImage: (url: string | null, attribution: UnsplashAttribution | null) => {
+          const state = get();
+          const activeSlot = state.themeSlots.find(s => s.id === state.activeSlotId);
+          const current = activeSlot?.backgroundConfig ?? DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_CONFIG;
+          const updated: BackgroundConfig = {
+            ...current,
+            imageUrl: url,
+            attribution,
+          };
+          // Auto-switch mode if currently gradient-only and setting an image
+          if (url && current.mode === 'gradient-only') {
+            updated.mode = 'image-gradient';
+          }
+          // Auto-switch to gradient-only if removing image
+          if (!url && current.mode !== 'gradient-only') {
+            updated.mode = 'gradient-only';
+          }
+          get().setBackgroundConfig(updated);
+        },
       }),
       {
         name: 'ccw-app-store',
-        // Only persist theme and locale preferences
+        // Only persist theme, locale, and slot preferences
         partialize: (state) => ({
           theme: state.theme,
           colorScheme: state.colorScheme,
@@ -313,26 +681,59 @@ export const useAppStore = create<AppStore>()(
           gradientLevel: state.gradientLevel,
           enableHoverGlow: state.enableHoverGlow,
           enableBackgroundAnimation: state.enableBackgroundAnimation,
+          motionPreference: state.motionPreference,
           locale: state.locale,
           sidebarCollapsed: state.sidebarCollapsed,
           expandedNavGroups: state.expandedNavGroups,
           dashboardLayout: state.dashboardLayout,
+          themeSlots: state.themeSlots,
+          activeSlotId: state.activeSlotId,
         }),
         onRehydrateStorage: () => (state) => {
-          // Apply theme on rehydration
           if (state) {
+            // Migrate legacy schema: if no themeSlots, construct from flat fields
+            if (!state.themeSlots || !Array.isArray(state.themeSlots) || state.themeSlots.length === 0) {
+              const migratedSlot: ThemeSlot = {
+                id: 'default',
+                name: 'Default',
+                colorScheme: state.colorScheme ?? 'blue',
+                customHue: state.customHue ?? null,
+                isCustomTheme: (state.customHue ?? null) !== null,
+                gradientLevel: state.gradientLevel ?? 'standard',
+                enableHoverGlow: state.enableHoverGlow ?? true,
+                enableBackgroundAnimation: state.enableBackgroundAnimation ?? false,
+                styleTier: 'standard',
+                isDefault: true,
+              };
+              state.themeSlots = [migratedSlot];
+              state.activeSlotId = 'default';
+            }
+
+            // Ensure activeSlotId is valid
+            if (!state.activeSlotId || !state.themeSlots.find(s => s.id === state.activeSlotId)) {
+              state.activeSlotId = 'default';
+            }
+
+            // Apply theme on rehydration
             const resolved = resolveTheme(state.theme);
             state.resolvedTheme = resolved;
             state.isCustomTheme = state.customHue !== null;
             // Apply theme using helper (encapsulates DOM manipulation)
+            const rehydratedStyleTier = getActiveStyleTier(state.themeSlots, state.activeSlotId);
             applyThemeToDocument(
               resolved,
               state.colorScheme,
               state.customHue,
               state.gradientLevel ?? 'standard',
               state.enableHoverGlow ?? true,
-              state.enableBackgroundAnimation ?? false
+              state.enableBackgroundAnimation ?? false,
+              state.motionPreference ?? 'system',
+              rehydratedStyleTier
             );
+
+            // Apply background config on rehydration
+            const activeSlot = state.themeSlots.find(s => s.id === state.activeSlotId);
+            applyBackgroundToDocument(activeSlot?.backgroundConfig ?? DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_CONFIG);
           }
           // Apply locale on rehydration
           if (state) {
@@ -354,13 +755,16 @@ if (typeof window !== 'undefined') {
       const resolved = getSystemTheme();
       useAppStore.setState({ resolvedTheme: resolved });
       // Apply theme using helper (encapsulates DOM manipulation)
+      const styleTier = getActiveStyleTier(state.themeSlots, state.activeSlotId);
       applyThemeToDocument(
         resolved,
         state.colorScheme,
         state.customHue,
         state.gradientLevel,
         state.enableHoverGlow,
-        state.enableBackgroundAnimation
+        state.enableBackgroundAnimation,
+        state.motionPreference,
+        styleTier
       );
     }
   });
@@ -368,14 +772,21 @@ if (typeof window !== 'undefined') {
   // Apply initial theme immediately (before localStorage rehydration)
   // This ensures gradient attributes are set from the start
   const state = useAppStore.getState();
+  const initialStyleTier = getActiveStyleTier(state.themeSlots, state.activeSlotId);
   applyThemeToDocument(
     state.resolvedTheme,
     state.colorScheme,
     state.customHue,
     state.gradientLevel,
     state.enableHoverGlow,
-    state.enableBackgroundAnimation
+    state.enableBackgroundAnimation,
+    state.motionPreference,
+    initialStyleTier
   );
+
+  // Apply initial background config
+  const initialActiveSlot = state.themeSlots.find(s => s.id === state.activeSlotId);
+  applyBackgroundToDocument(initialActiveSlot?.backgroundConfig ?? DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_CONFIG);
 }
 
 // Selectors for common access patterns
@@ -387,8 +798,12 @@ export const selectIsCustomTheme = (state: AppStore) => state.isCustomTheme;
 export const selectGradientLevel = (state: AppStore) => state.gradientLevel;
 export const selectEnableHoverGlow = (state: AppStore) => state.enableHoverGlow;
 export const selectEnableBackgroundAnimation = (state: AppStore) => state.enableBackgroundAnimation;
+export const selectMotionPreference = (state: AppStore) => state.motionPreference;
 export const selectLocale = (state: AppStore) => state.locale;
 export const selectSidebarOpen = (state: AppStore) => state.sidebarOpen;
 export const selectCurrentView = (state: AppStore) => state.currentView;
 export const selectIsLoading = (state: AppStore) => state.isLoading;
 export const selectError = (state: AppStore) => state.error;
+export const selectThemeSlots = (state: AppStore) => state.themeSlots;
+export const selectActiveSlotId = (state: AppStore) => state.activeSlotId;
+export const selectDeletedSlotBuffer = (state: AppStore) => state.deletedSlotBuffer;
diff --git a/ccw/frontend/src/types/store.ts b/ccw/frontend/src/types/store.ts
index 76202883..e4fdb807 100644
--- a/ccw/frontend/src/types/store.ts
+++ b/ccw/frontend/src/types/store.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,32 @@
 export type Theme = 'light' | 'dark' | 'system';
 export type ColorScheme = 'blue' | 'green' | 'orange' | 'purple';
 export type GradientLevel = 'off' | 'standard' | 'enhanced';
+export type MotionPreference = 'system' | 'reduce' | 'enable';
+export type StyleTier = 'soft' | 'standard' | 'high-contrast';
+export type ThemeSlotId = 'default' | 'custom-1' | 'custom-2';
+export type BackgroundMode = 'gradient-only' | 'image-only' | 'image-gradient';
+
+export interface BackgroundEffects {
+  blur: number;              // 0-20 px
+  darkenOpacity: number;     // 0-80 %
+  saturation: number;        // 0-200 % (100=normal)
+  enableFrostedGlass: boolean;
+  enableGrain: boolean;
+  enableVignette: boolean;
+}
+
+export interface UnsplashAttribution {
+  photographerName: string;
+  photographerUrl: string;
+  photoUrl: string;
+}
+
+export interface BackgroundConfig {
+  mode: BackgroundMode;
+  imageUrl: string | null;
+  attribution: UnsplashAttribution | null;
+  effects: BackgroundEffects;
+}
 export type Locale = 'en' | 'zh';
 export type ViewMode = 'sessions' | 'liteTasks' | 'project-overview' | 'sessionDetail' | 'liteTaskDetail' | 'loop-monitor' | 'issue-manager' | 'orchestrator';
 export type SessionFilter = 'all' | 'active' | 'archived';
@@ -35,6 +61,20 @@ export type LiteTaskType = 'lite-plan' | 'lite-fix' | null;
  */
 export type SessionType = 'workflow' | 'review' | 'tdd' | 'test' | 'docs' | 'lite-plan' | 'lite-fix';
 
+export interface ThemeSlot {
+  id: ThemeSlotId;
+  name: string;
+  colorScheme: ColorScheme;
+  customHue: number | null;
+  isCustomTheme: boolean;
+  gradientLevel: GradientLevel;
+  enableHoverGlow: boolean;
+  enableBackgroundAnimation: boolean;
+  styleTier: StyleTier;
+  isDefault: boolean;
+  backgroundConfig?: BackgroundConfig;
+}
+
 export interface AppState {
   // Theme
   theme: Theme;
@@ -48,6 +88,9 @@ export interface AppState {
   enableHoverGlow: boolean; // Enable hover glow effects
   enableBackgroundAnimation: boolean; // Enable background gradient animation
 
+  // Motion preference
+  motionPreference: MotionPreference; // Reduced motion preference: system, reduce, enable
+
   // Locale
   locale: Locale;
 
@@ -69,6 +112,11 @@ export interface AppState {
 
   // Dashboard layout
   dashboardLayout: DashboardLayoutState | null;
+
+  // Theme slots
+  themeSlots: ThemeSlot[];
+  activeSlotId: ThemeSlotId;
+  deletedSlotBuffer: ThemeSlot | null;
 }
 
 export interface AppActions {
@@ -82,6 +130,8 @@ export interface AppActions {
   setGradientLevel: (level: GradientLevel) => void;
   setEnableHoverGlow: (enabled: boolean) => void;
   setEnableBackgroundAnimation: (enabled: boolean) => void;
+  setMotionPreference: (pref: MotionPreference) => void;
+  setStyleTier: (tier: StyleTier) => void;
 
   // Locale actions
   setLocale: (locale: Locale) => void;
@@ -107,6 +157,19 @@ export interface AppActions {
   setDashboardLayouts: (layouts: DashboardLayouts) => void;
   setDashboardWidgets: (widgets: WidgetConfig[]) => void;
   resetDashboardLayout: () => void;
+
+  // Theme slot actions
+  setActiveSlot: (slotId: ThemeSlotId) => void;
+  copySlot: () => void;
+  renameSlot: (slotId: ThemeSlotId, name: string) => void;
+  deleteSlot: (slotId: ThemeSlotId) => void;
+  undoDeleteSlot: () => void;
+
+  // Background actions
+  setBackgroundConfig: (config: BackgroundConfig) => void;
+  updateBackgroundEffect: <K extends keyof BackgroundEffects>(key: K, value: BackgroundEffects[K]) => void;
+  setBackgroundMode: (mode: BackgroundMode) => void;
+  setBackgroundImage: (url: string | null, attribution: UnsplashAttribution | null) => void;
 }
 
 export type AppStore = AppState & AppActions;
diff --git a/ccw/src/core/a2ui/A2UITypes.ts b/ccw/src/core/a2ui/A2UITypes.ts
index 087adc7f..2eff7a30 100644
--- a/ccw/src/core/a2ui/A2UITypes.ts
+++ b/ccw/src/core/a2ui/A2UITypes.ts
@@ -65,9 +65,37 @@ export const QuestionAnswerSchema = z.object({
 
 export type QuestionAnswer = z.infer<typeof QuestionAnswerSchema>;
 
+// ========== AskUserQuestion-style Types ==========
+
+/** AskUserQuestion-style option (value auto-generated from label) */
+export const SimpleOptionSchema = z.object({
+  label: z.string(),
+  description: z.string().optional(),
+});
+
+export type SimpleOption = z.infer<typeof SimpleOptionSchema>;
+
+/** AskUserQuestion-style question */
+export const SimpleQuestionSchema = z.object({
+  question: z.string(),                    // 问题文本 → 映射到 title
+  header: z.string(),                      // 短标签 → 映射到 id
+  multiSelect: z.boolean().default(false),
+  options: z.array(SimpleOptionSchema).optional(),
+});
+
+export type SimpleQuestion = z.infer<typeof SimpleQuestionSchema>;
+
+/** 新格式参数 (questions 数组) */
+export const AskQuestionSimpleParamsSchema = z.object({
+  questions: z.array(SimpleQuestionSchema).min(1).max(4),
+  timeout: z.number().optional(),
+});
+
+export type AskQuestionSimpleParams = z.infer<typeof AskQuestionSimpleParamsSchema>;
+
 // ========== Ask Question Parameters ==========
 
-/** Parameters for ask_question tool */
+/** Parameters for ask_question tool (legacy format) */
 export const AskQuestionParamsSchema = z.object({
   question: QuestionSchema,
   timeout: z.number().optional().default(300000), // 5 minutes default
diff --git a/ccw/src/core/a2ui/A2UIWebSocketHandler.ts b/ccw/src/core/a2ui/A2UIWebSocketHandler.ts
index 721bed71..234c354f 100644
--- a/ccw/src/core/a2ui/A2UIWebSocketHandler.ts
+++ b/ccw/src/core/a2ui/A2UIWebSocketHandler.ts
@@ -4,10 +4,13 @@
 // WebSocket transport for A2UI surfaces and actions
 
 import type { Duplex } from 'stream';
+import http from 'http';
 import type { IncomingMessage } from 'http';
 import { createWebSocketFrame, parseWebSocketFrame, wsClients } from '../websocket.js';
 import type { QuestionAnswer, AskQuestionParams, Question } from './A2UITypes.js';
 
+const DASHBOARD_PORT = Number(process.env.CCW_PORT || 3456);
+
 // ========== A2UI Message Types ==========
 
 /** A2UI WebSocket message types */
@@ -60,8 +63,20 @@ export class A2UIWebSocketHandler {
 
   private multiSelectSelections = new Map<string, Set<string>>();
   private singleSelectSelections = new Map<string, string>();
+  private inputValues = new Map<string, string>();
+
+  /** Answers resolved by Dashboard but not yet consumed by MCP polling */
+  private resolvedAnswers = new Map<string, { answer: QuestionAnswer; timestamp: number }>();
+  private resolvedMultiAnswers = new Map<string, { compositeId: string; answers: QuestionAnswer[]; timestamp: number }>();
 
   private answerCallback?: (answer: QuestionAnswer) => boolean;
+  private multiAnswerCallback?: (compositeId: string, answers: QuestionAnswer[]) => boolean;
+
+  /** Buffered surfaces waiting to be replayed to newly connected clients */
+  private pendingSurfaces: Array<{
+    surfaceUpdate: { surfaceId: string; components: unknown[]; initialState: Record<string, unknown>; displayMode?: 'popup' | 'panel' };
+    message: unknown;
+  }> = [];
 
   /**
    * Register callback for handling question answers
@@ -71,6 +86,14 @@ export class A2UIWebSocketHandler {
     this.answerCallback = callback;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Register callback for handling multi-question composite answers (submit-all)
+   * @param callback - Function to handle composite answers
+   */
+  registerMultiAnswerCallback(callback: (compositeId: string, answers: QuestionAnswer[]) => boolean): void {
+    this.multiAnswerCallback = callback;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Get the registered answer callback
    */
@@ -78,6 +101,20 @@ export class A2UIWebSocketHandler {
     return this.answerCallback;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Initialize multi-select tracking for a question (used by multi-page surfaces)
+   */
+  initMultiSelect(questionId: string): void {
+    this.multiSelectSelections.set(questionId, new Set<string>());
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Initialize single-select tracking for a question (used by multi-page surfaces)
+   */
+  initSingleSelect(questionId: string): void {
+    this.singleSelectSelections.set(questionId, '');
+  }
+
   /**
    * Send A2UI surface to all connected clients
    * @param surfaceUpdate - A2UI surface update to send
@@ -115,6 +152,13 @@ export class A2UIWebSocketHandler {
       }
     }
 
+    // No local WebSocket clients — forward via HTTP to Dashboard server
+    // (Happens when running in MCP stdio process, separate from Dashboard)
+    if (wsClients.size === 0) {
+      this.forwardSurfaceViaDashboard(surfaceUpdate);
+      return 0;
+    }
+
     // Broadcast to all clients
     const frame = createWebSocketFrame(message);
     let sentCount = 0;
@@ -132,6 +176,72 @@ export class A2UIWebSocketHandler {
     return sentCount;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Replay buffered surfaces to a newly connected client, then clear the buffer.
+   * @param client - The newly connected WebSocket client
+   * @returns Number of surfaces replayed
+   */
+  replayPendingSurfaces(client: Duplex): number {
+    if (this.pendingSurfaces.length === 0) {
+      return 0;
+    }
+
+    const count = this.pendingSurfaces.length;
+    for (const { surfaceUpdate, message } of this.pendingSurfaces) {
+      try {
+        const frame = createWebSocketFrame(message);
+        client.write(frame);
+      } catch (e) {
+        console.error(`[A2UI] Failed to replay surface ${surfaceUpdate.surfaceId}:`, e);
+      }
+    }
+
+    console.log(`[A2UI] Replayed ${count} buffered surface(s) to new client`);
+    this.pendingSurfaces = [];
+    return count;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Forward surface to Dashboard server via HTTP POST /api/hook.
+   * Used when running in a separate process (MCP stdio) without local WebSocket clients.
+   */
+  private forwardSurfaceViaDashboard(surfaceUpdate: {
+    surfaceId: string;
+    components: unknown[];
+    initialState: Record<string, unknown>;
+    displayMode?: 'popup' | 'panel';
+  }): void {
+    // Send flat so the hook handler wraps it as { type, payload: { ...fields } }
+    // which matches the frontend's expected format: data.type === 'a2ui-surface' && data.payload
+    const body = JSON.stringify({
+      type: 'a2ui-surface',
+      surfaceId: surfaceUpdate.surfaceId,
+      components: surfaceUpdate.components,
+      initialState: surfaceUpdate.initialState,
+      displayMode: surfaceUpdate.displayMode,
+    });
+
+    const req = http.request({
+      hostname: 'localhost',
+      port: DASHBOARD_PORT,
+      path: '/api/hook',
+      method: 'POST',
+      headers: {
+        'Content-Type': 'application/json',
+        'Content-Length': Buffer.byteLength(body),
+      },
+    });
+
+    req.on('error', (err) => {
+      console.error(`[A2UI] Failed to forward surface ${surfaceUpdate.surfaceId} to Dashboard:`, err.message);
+    });
+
+    req.write(body);
+    req.end();
+
+    console.log(`[A2UI] Forwarded surface ${surfaceUpdate.surfaceId} to Dashboard via HTTP`);
+  }
+
   /**
    * Send A2UI surface to specific client
    * @param client - Specific WebSocket client
@@ -226,12 +336,16 @@ export class A2UIWebSocketHandler {
 
     const resolveAndCleanup = (answer: QuestionAnswer): boolean => {
       const handled = answerCallback(answer);
-      if (handled) {
-        this.activeSurfaces.delete(questionId);
-        this.multiSelectSelections.delete(questionId);
-        this.singleSelectSelections.delete(questionId);
+      if (!handled) {
+        // answerCallback couldn't deliver (MCP process has no local pendingQuestions)
+        // Store answer for HTTP polling retrieval
+        this.resolvedAnswers.set(questionId, { answer, timestamp: Date.now() });
       }
-      return handled;
+      // Always clean up UI state regardless of delivery
+      this.activeSurfaces.delete(questionId);
+      this.multiSelectSelections.delete(questionId);
+      this.singleSelectSelections.delete(questionId);
+      return true;
     };
 
     switch (action.actionId) {
@@ -278,15 +392,88 @@ export class A2UIWebSocketHandler {
       }
 
       case 'submit': {
+        const otherText = this.inputValues.get(`__other__:${questionId}`);
+
         // Check if this is a single-select or multi-select
         const singleSelection = this.singleSelectSelections.get(questionId);
         if (singleSelection !== undefined) {
-          // Single-select submit
-          return resolveAndCleanup({ questionId, value: singleSelection, cancelled: false });
+          // Resolve __other__ to actual text input
+          const value = singleSelection === '__other__' && otherText ? otherText : singleSelection;
+          this.inputValues.delete(`__other__:${questionId}`);
+          return resolveAndCleanup({ questionId, value, cancelled: false });
         }
         // Multi-select submit
         const multiSelected = this.multiSelectSelections.get(questionId) ?? new Set<string>();
-        return resolveAndCleanup({ questionId, value: Array.from(multiSelected), cancelled: false });
+        // Resolve __other__ in multi-select: replace with actual text
+        const values = Array.from(multiSelected).map(v =>
+          v === '__other__' && otherText ? otherText : v
+        );
+        this.inputValues.delete(`__other__:${questionId}`);
+        return resolveAndCleanup({ questionId, value: values, cancelled: false });
+      }
+
+      case 'input-change': {
+        // Track text input value for multi-page surfaces
+        const value = params.value;
+        if (typeof value !== 'string') {
+          return false;
+        }
+        this.inputValues.set(questionId, value);
+        return true;
+      }
+
+      case 'submit-all': {
+        // Multi-question composite submit
+        const compositeId = typeof params.compositeId === 'string' ? params.compositeId : undefined;
+        const questionIds = Array.isArray(params.questionIds) ? params.questionIds as string[] : undefined;
+        if (!compositeId || !questionIds) {
+          return false;
+        }
+
+        // Collect answers for all sub-questions
+        const answers: QuestionAnswer[] = [];
+        for (const qId of questionIds) {
+          const singleSel = this.singleSelectSelections.get(qId);
+          const multiSel = this.multiSelectSelections.get(qId);
+          const inputVal = this.inputValues.get(qId);
+          const otherText = this.inputValues.get(`__other__:${qId}`);
+
+          if (singleSel !== undefined) {
+            // Resolve __other__ to actual text input
+            const value = singleSel === '__other__' && otherText ? otherText : singleSel;
+            answers.push({ questionId: qId, value, cancelled: false });
+          } else if (multiSel !== undefined) {
+            // Resolve __other__ in multi-select: replace with actual text
+            const values = Array.from(multiSel).map(v =>
+              v === '__other__' && otherText ? otherText : v
+            );
+            answers.push({ questionId: qId, value: values, cancelled: false });
+          } else if (inputVal !== undefined) {
+            answers.push({ questionId: qId, value: inputVal, cancelled: false });
+          } else {
+            // No value recorded — include empty
+            answers.push({ questionId: qId, value: '', cancelled: false });
+          }
+
+          // Cleanup per-question tracking
+          this.singleSelectSelections.delete(qId);
+          this.multiSelectSelections.delete(qId);
+          this.inputValues.delete(qId);
+          this.inputValues.delete(`__other__:${qId}`);
+        }
+
+        // Call multi-answer callback
+        let handled = false;
+        if (this.multiAnswerCallback) {
+          handled = this.multiAnswerCallback(compositeId, answers);
+        }
+        if (!handled) {
+          // Store for HTTP polling retrieval
+          this.resolvedMultiAnswers.set(compositeId, { compositeId, answers, timestamp: Date.now() });
+        }
+        // Always clean up UI state
+        this.activeSurfaces.delete(compositeId);
+        return true;
       }
 
       default:
@@ -324,6 +511,7 @@ export class A2UIWebSocketHandler {
 
     this.activeSurfaces.delete(questionId);
     this.multiSelectSelections.delete(questionId);
+    this.inputValues.delete(questionId);
     return true;
   }
 
@@ -346,6 +534,32 @@ export class A2UIWebSocketHandler {
     this.activeSurfaces.clear();
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Get and remove a resolved answer (one-shot read).
+   * Used by MCP HTTP polling to retrieve answers stored by the Dashboard.
+   */
+  getResolvedAnswer(questionId: string): QuestionAnswer | undefined {
+    const entry = this.resolvedAnswers.get(questionId);
+    if (entry) {
+      this.resolvedAnswers.delete(questionId);
+      return entry.answer;
+    }
+    return undefined;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Get and remove a resolved multi-answer (one-shot read).
+   * Used by MCP HTTP polling to retrieve composite answers stored by the Dashboard.
+   */
+  getResolvedMultiAnswer(compositeId: string): QuestionAnswer[] | undefined {
+    const entry = this.resolvedMultiAnswers.get(compositeId);
+    if (entry) {
+      this.resolvedMultiAnswers.delete(compositeId);
+      return entry.answers;
+    }
+    return undefined;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Remove stale surfaces (older than specified time)
    * @param maxAge - Maximum age in milliseconds
@@ -362,6 +576,18 @@ export class A2UIWebSocketHandler {
       }
     }
 
+    // Clean up stale resolved answers
+    for (const [id, entry] of this.resolvedAnswers) {
+      if (now - entry.timestamp > maxAge) {
+        this.resolvedAnswers.delete(id);
+      }
+    }
+    for (const [id, entry] of this.resolvedMultiAnswers) {
+      if (now - entry.timestamp > maxAge) {
+        this.resolvedMultiAnswers.delete(id);
+      }
+    }
+
     return removed;
   }
 }
diff --git a/ccw/src/core/routes/codexlens/index-handlers.ts b/ccw/src/core/routes/codexlens/index-handlers.ts
index cc907a1e..923a2f7b 100644
--- a/ccw/src/core/routes/codexlens/index-handlers.ts
+++ b/ccw/src/core/routes/codexlens/index-handlers.ts
@@ -259,7 +259,8 @@ export async function handleCodexLensIndexRoutes(ctx: RouteContext): Promise<boo
 
       // Build CLI arguments based on index type
       // Use 'index init' subcommand (new CLI structure)
-      const args = ['index', 'init', targetPath, '--json'];
+      // --force flag ensures full reindex (not incremental)
+      const args = ['index', 'init', targetPath, '--force', '--json'];
       if (resolvedIndexType === 'normal') {
         args.push('--no-embeddings');
       } else {
@@ -380,8 +381,10 @@ export async function handleCodexLensIndexRoutes(ctx: RouteContext): Promise<boo
         }
       }
 
-      // Build CLI arguments for incremental update using 'index update' subcommand
-      const args = ['index', 'update', targetPath, '--json'];
+      // Build CLI arguments for incremental update using 'index init' without --force
+      // 'index init' defaults to incremental mode (skip unchanged files)
+      // 'index update' is only for single-file updates in hooks
+      const args = ['index', 'init', targetPath, '--json'];
       if (resolvedIndexType === 'normal') {
         args.push('--no-embeddings');
       } else {
diff --git a/ccw/src/core/routes/codexlens/semantic-handlers.ts b/ccw/src/core/routes/codexlens/semantic-handlers.ts
index 885fc8ef..96dd7ea5 100644
--- a/ccw/src/core/routes/codexlens/semantic-handlers.ts
+++ b/ccw/src/core/routes/codexlens/semantic-handlers.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ import {
   executeCodexLens,
   installSemantic,
 } from '../../../tools/codex-lens.js';
+import { getCodexLensPython } from '../../../utils/codexlens-path.js';
+import { spawn } from 'child_process';
 import type { GpuMode } from '../../../tools/codex-lens.js';
 import { loadLiteLLMApiConfig, getAvailableModelsForType, getProvider, getAllProviders } from '../../../config/litellm-api-config-manager.js';
 import {
@@ -19,6 +21,86 @@ import { extractJSON } from './utils.js';
 import { getDefaultTool } from '../../../tools/claude-cli-tools.js';
 import { getCodexLensDataDir } from '../../../utils/codexlens-path.js';
 
+/**
+ * Execute CodexLens Python API call directly (bypasses CLI for richer API access).
+ */
+async function executeCodexLensPythonAPI(
+  apiFunction: string,
+  args: Record<string, unknown>,
+  timeout: number = 60000
+): Promise<{ success: boolean; results?: unknown; error?: string }> {
+  return new Promise((resolve) => {
+    const pythonScript = `
+import json
+import sys
+from dataclasses import is_dataclass, asdict
+from codexlens.api import ${apiFunction}
+
+def to_serializable(obj):
+    if obj is None:
+        return None
+    if is_dataclass(obj) and not isinstance(obj, type):
+        return asdict(obj)
+    if isinstance(obj, list):
+        return [to_serializable(item) for item in obj]
+    if isinstance(obj, dict):
+        return {key: to_serializable(value) for key, value in obj.items()}
+    if isinstance(obj, tuple):
+        return tuple(to_serializable(item) for item in obj)
+    return obj
+
+try:
+    args = ${JSON.stringify(args)}
+    result = ${apiFunction}(**args)
+    output = to_serializable(result)
+    print(json.dumps({"success": True, "result": output}))
+except Exception as e:
+    print(json.dumps({"success": False, "error": str(e)}))
+    sys.exit(1)
+`;
+
+    const pythonPath = getCodexLensPython();
+    const child = spawn(pythonPath, ['-c', pythonScript], {
+      stdio: ['ignore', 'pipe', 'pipe'],
+      timeout,
+    });
+
+    let stdout = '';
+    let stderr = '';
+
+    child.stdout.on('data', (data: Buffer) => {
+      stdout += data.toString();
+    });
+
+    child.stderr.on('data', (data: Buffer) => {
+      stderr += data.toString();
+    });
+
+    child.on('close', (code) => {
+      if (code !== 0) {
+        try {
+          const errorData = JSON.parse(stderr || stdout);
+          resolve({ success: false, error: errorData.error || 'Unknown error' });
+        } catch {
+          resolve({ success: false, error: stderr || stdout || `Process exited with code ${code}` });
+        }
+        return;
+      }
+
+      try {
+        const data = JSON.parse(stdout);
+        resolve({ success: data.success, results: data.result, error: data.error });
+      } catch (err) {
+        resolve({ success: false, error: `Failed to parse output: ${(err as Error).message}` });
+      }
+    });
+
+    child.on('error', (err) => {
+      resolve({ success: false, error: `Failed to execute: ${err.message}` });
+    });
+  });
+}
+
 export async function handleCodexLensSemanticRoutes(ctx: RouteContext): Promise<boolean> {
   const { pathname, url, req, res, initialPath, handlePostRequest } = ctx;
 
@@ -928,5 +1010,154 @@ except Exception as e:
     return true;
   }
 
+  // ============================================================
+  // LSP / SEMANTIC SEARCH API ENDPOINTS
+  // ============================================================
+
+  // API: LSP Status - Check if LSP/semantic search capabilities are available
+  if (pathname === '/api/codexlens/lsp/status') {
+    try {
+      const venvStatus = await checkVenvStatus();
+      if (!venvStatus.ready) {
+        res.writeHead(200, { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' });
+        res.end(JSON.stringify({
+          available: false,
+          semantic_available: false,
+          vector_index: false,
+          error: 'CodexLens not installed'
+        }));
+        return true;
+      }
+
+      // Check semantic deps and vector index availability in parallel
+      const [semanticStatus, workspaceResult] = await Promise.all([
+        checkSemanticStatus(),
+        executeCodexLens(['status', '--json'])
+      ]);
+
+      let hasVectorIndex = false;
+      let projectCount = 0;
+      let embeddingsInfo: Record<string, unknown> = {};
+
+      if (workspaceResult.success) {
+        try {
+          const status = extractJSON(workspaceResult.output ?? '');
+          if (status.success !== false && status.result) {
+            projectCount = status.result.projects_count || 0;
+            embeddingsInfo = status.result.embeddings || {};
+            // Check if any projects have embeddings
+            hasVectorIndex = projectCount > 0 && Object.keys(embeddingsInfo).length > 0;
+          } else if (status.projects_count !== undefined) {
+            projectCount = status.projects_count || 0;
+            embeddingsInfo = status.embeddings || {};
+            hasVectorIndex = projectCount > 0 && Object.keys(embeddingsInfo).length > 0;
+          }
+        } catch {
+          // Parse failed
+        }
+      }
+
+      res.writeHead(200, { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' });
+      res.end(JSON.stringify({
+        available: semanticStatus.available && hasVectorIndex,
+        semantic_available: semanticStatus.available,
+        vector_index: hasVectorIndex,
+        project_count: projectCount,
+        embeddings: embeddingsInfo,
+        modes: ['fusion', 'vector', 'structural'],
+        strategies: ['rrf', 'staged', 'binary', 'hybrid', 'dense_rerank'],
+      }));
+    } catch (err: unknown) {
+      res.writeHead(200, { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' });
+      res.end(JSON.stringify({
+        available: false,
+        semantic_available: false,
+        vector_index: false,
+        error: err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err)
+      }));
+    }
+    return true;
+  }
+
+  // API: LSP Semantic Search - Advanced semantic search via Python API
+  if (pathname === '/api/codexlens/lsp/search' && req.method === 'POST') {
+    handlePostRequest(req, res, async (body) => {
+      const {
+        query,
+        path: projectPath,
+        mode = 'fusion',
+        fusion_strategy = 'rrf',
+        vector_weight = 0.5,
+        structural_weight = 0.3,
+        keyword_weight = 0.2,
+        kind_filter,
+        limit = 20,
+        include_match_reason = false,
+      } = body as {
+        query?: unknown;
+        path?: unknown;
+        mode?: unknown;
+        fusion_strategy?: unknown;
+        vector_weight?: unknown;
+        structural_weight?: unknown;
+        keyword_weight?: unknown;
+        kind_filter?: unknown;
+        limit?: unknown;
+        include_match_reason?: unknown;
+      };
+
+      const resolvedQuery = typeof query === 'string' ? query.trim() : '';
+      if (!resolvedQuery) {
+        return { success: false, error: 'Query parameter is required', status: 400 };
+      }
+
+      const targetPath = typeof projectPath === 'string' && projectPath.trim().length > 0 ? projectPath : initialPath;
+      const resolvedMode = typeof mode === 'string' && ['fusion', 'vector', 'structural'].includes(mode) ? mode : 'fusion';
+      const resolvedStrategy = typeof fusion_strategy === 'string' &&
+        ['rrf', 'staged', 'binary', 'hybrid', 'dense_rerank'].includes(fusion_strategy) ? fusion_strategy : 'rrf';
+      const resolvedVectorWeight = typeof vector_weight === 'number' ? vector_weight : 0.5;
+      const resolvedStructuralWeight = typeof structural_weight === 'number' ? structural_weight : 0.3;
+      const resolvedKeywordWeight = typeof keyword_weight === 'number' ? keyword_weight : 0.2;
+      const resolvedLimit = typeof limit === 'number' ? limit : 20;
+      const resolvedIncludeReason = typeof include_match_reason === 'boolean' ? include_match_reason : false;
+
+      // Build Python API call args
+      const apiArgs: Record<string, unknown> = {
+        project_root: targetPath,
+        query: resolvedQuery,
+        mode: resolvedMode,
+        vector_weight: resolvedVectorWeight,
+        structural_weight: resolvedStructuralWeight,
+        keyword_weight: resolvedKeywordWeight,
+        fusion_strategy: resolvedStrategy,
+        limit: resolvedLimit,
+        include_match_reason: resolvedIncludeReason,
+      };
+
+      if (Array.isArray(kind_filter) && kind_filter.length > 0) {
+        apiArgs.kind_filter = kind_filter;
+      }
+
+      try {
+        const result = await executeCodexLensPythonAPI('semantic_search', apiArgs);
+        if (result.success) {
+          return {
+            success: true,
+            results: result.results,
+            query: resolvedQuery,
+            mode: resolvedMode,
+            fusion_strategy: resolvedStrategy,
+            count: Array.isArray(result.results) ? result.results.length : 0,
+          };
+        } else {
+          return { success: false, error: result.error || 'Semantic search failed', status: 500 };
+        }
+      } catch (err: unknown) {
+        return { success: false, error: err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err), status: 500 };
+      }
+    });
+    return true;
+  }
+
   return false;
 }
diff --git a/ccw/src/core/routes/mcp-routes.ts b/ccw/src/core/routes/mcp-routes.ts
index 48dfc036..31cb0cbc 100644
--- a/ccw/src/core/routes/mcp-routes.ts
+++ b/ccw/src/core/routes/mcp-routes.ts
@@ -1197,7 +1197,7 @@ export async function handleMcpRoutes(ctx: RouteContext): Promise<boolean> {
       // Parse enabled tools from request body
       const enabledTools = Array.isArray(body.enabledTools) && body.enabledTools.length > 0
         ? (body.enabledTools as string[]).join(',')
-        : 'write_file,edit_file,read_file,core_memory,ask_question';
+        : 'write_file,edit_file,read_file,core_memory,ask_question,smart_search';
 
       // Generate CCW MCP server config
       // Use cmd /c on Windows to inherit Claude Code's working directory
diff --git a/ccw/src/core/routes/system-routes.ts b/ccw/src/core/routes/system-routes.ts
index 4371f55e..b003d48d 100644
--- a/ccw/src/core/routes/system-routes.ts
+++ b/ccw/src/core/routes/system-routes.ts
@@ -648,5 +648,104 @@ export async function handleSystemRoutes(ctx: SystemRouteContext): Promise<boole
     return true;
   }
 
+  // API: Test multi-page ask_question popup (for development testing)
+  if (pathname === '/api/test/ask-question-multi' && req.method === 'GET') {
+    try {
+      const { a2uiWebSocketHandler } = await import('../a2ui/A2UIWebSocketHandler.js');
+
+      const compositeId = `multi-${Date.now()}`;
+      const surfaceId = `question-${compositeId}`;
+
+      const testSurface = {
+        surfaceId,
+        components: [
+          // Page 0: Select question
+          { id: 'page-0-title', page: 0, component: { Text: { text: { literalString: 'Which framework?' }, usageHint: 'h3' } } },
+          { id: 'page-0-radio-group', page: 0, component: {
+            RadioGroup: {
+              options: [
+                { label: { literalString: 'React' }, value: 'React', description: { literalString: 'UI library' } },
+                { label: { literalString: 'Vue' }, value: 'Vue', description: { literalString: 'Progressive framework' } },
+                { label: { literalString: 'Other' }, value: '__other__', description: { literalString: 'Provide a custom answer' } },
+              ],
+              onChange: { actionId: 'select', parameters: { questionId: 'Framework' } },
+            },
+          }},
+          // Page 1: Multi-select question
+          { id: 'page-1-title', page: 1, component: { Text: { text: { literalString: 'Which features?' }, usageHint: 'h3' } } },
+          { id: 'page-1-checkbox-0', page: 1, component: {
+            Checkbox: { label: { literalString: 'Auth' }, description: { literalString: 'Authentication' }, onChange: { actionId: 'toggle', parameters: { questionId: 'Features', value: 'Auth' } }, checked: { literalBoolean: false } },
+          }},
+          { id: 'page-1-checkbox-1', page: 1, component: {
+            Checkbox: { label: { literalString: 'Cache' }, description: { literalString: 'Caching layer' }, onChange: { actionId: 'toggle', parameters: { questionId: 'Features', value: 'Cache' } }, checked: { literalBoolean: false } },
+          }},
+          { id: 'page-1-checkbox-other', page: 1, component: {
+            Checkbox: { label: { literalString: 'Other' }, description: { literalString: 'Provide a custom answer' }, onChange: { actionId: 'toggle', parameters: { questionId: 'Features', value: '__other__' } }, checked: { literalBoolean: false } },
+          }},
+        ],
+        initialState: {
+          questionId: compositeId,
+          questionType: 'multi-question',
+          pages: [
+            { index: 0, questionId: 'Framework', title: 'Which framework?', type: 'select' },
+            { index: 1, questionId: 'Features', title: 'Which features?', type: 'multi-select' },
+          ],
+          totalPages: 2,
+        },
+        displayMode: 'popup' as const,
+      };
+
+      const sentCount = a2uiWebSocketHandler.sendSurface(testSurface);
+
+      res.writeHead(200, { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' });
+      res.end(JSON.stringify({
+        success: true,
+        message: 'Multi-page test popup sent',
+        sentToClients: sentCount,
+        surfaceId,
+        compositeId,
+      }));
+    } catch (err) {
+      res.writeHead(500, { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' });
+      res.end(JSON.stringify({ error: 'Failed to send test popup', details: String(err) }));
+    }
+    return true;
+  }
+
+  // API: A2UI answer broker — retrieve answers stored for MCP polling
+  if (pathname === '/api/a2ui/answer' && req.method === 'GET') {
+    const questionId = url.searchParams.get('questionId');
+    const isComposite = url.searchParams.get('composite') === 'true';
+
+    if (!questionId) {
+      res.writeHead(400, { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' });
+      res.end(JSON.stringify({ error: 'questionId is required' }));
+      return true;
+    }
+
+    const { a2uiWebSocketHandler } = await import('../a2ui/A2UIWebSocketHandler.js');
+
+    if (isComposite) {
+      const answers = a2uiWebSocketHandler.getResolvedMultiAnswer(questionId);
+      if (answers) {
+        res.writeHead(200, { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' });
+        res.end(JSON.stringify({ pending: false, answers }));
+      } else {
+        res.writeHead(200, { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' });
+        res.end(JSON.stringify({ pending: true }));
+      }
+    } else {
+      const answer = a2uiWebSocketHandler.getResolvedAnswer(questionId);
+      if (answer) {
+        res.writeHead(200, { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' });
+        res.end(JSON.stringify({ pending: false, answer }));
+      } else {
+        res.writeHead(200, { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' });
+        res.end(JSON.stringify({ pending: true }));
+      }
+    }
+    return true;
+  }
+
   return false;
 }
diff --git a/ccw/src/core/routes/unsplash-routes.ts b/ccw/src/core/routes/unsplash-routes.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fdf54b34
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ccw/src/core/routes/unsplash-routes.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,238 @@
+/**
+ * Unsplash Proxy Routes & Background Image Upload
+ * Proxies Unsplash API requests to keep API key server-side.
+ * API key is read from process.env.UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY.
+ * Also handles local background image upload and serving.
+ */
+import { mkdirSync, writeFileSync, readFileSync, existsSync } from 'fs';
+import { join } from 'path';
+import { randomBytes } from 'crypto';
+import { homedir } from 'os';
+import type { RouteContext } from './types.js';
+
+const UNSPLASH_API = 'https://api.unsplash.com';
+
+// Background upload config
+const UPLOADS_DIR = join(homedir(), '.ccw', 'uploads', 'backgrounds');
+const MAX_UPLOAD_SIZE = 10 * 1024 * 1024; // 10MB
+const ALLOWED_TYPES = new Set(['image/jpeg', 'image/png', 'image/webp', 'image/gif']);
+const EXT_MAP: Record<string, string> = {
+  'image/jpeg': 'jpg',
+  'image/png': 'png',
+  'image/webp': 'webp',
+  'image/gif': 'gif',
+};
+const MIME_MAP: Record<string, string> = {
+  jpg: 'image/jpeg',
+  jpeg: 'image/jpeg',
+  png: 'image/png',
+  webp: 'image/webp',
+  gif: 'image/gif',
+};
+
+function getAccessKey(): string | undefined {
+  return process.env.UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY;
+}
+
+interface UnsplashPhoto {
+  id: string;
+  urls: { thumb: string; small: string; regular: string };
+  user: { name: string; links: { html: string } };
+  links: { html: string; download_location: string };
+  blur_hash: string | null;
+}
+
+interface UnsplashSearchResult {
+  results: UnsplashPhoto[];
+  total: number;
+  total_pages: number;
+}
+
+export async function handleBackgroundRoutes(ctx: RouteContext): Promise<boolean> {
+  const { pathname, req, res } = ctx;
+
+  // POST /api/background/upload
+  if (pathname === '/api/background/upload' && req.method === 'POST') {
+    const contentType = req.headers['content-type'] || '';
+    if (!ALLOWED_TYPES.has(contentType)) {
+      res.writeHead(415, { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' });
+      res.end(JSON.stringify({ error: 'Unsupported image type. Only JPEG, PNG, WebP, GIF allowed.' }));
+      return true;
+    }
+
+    try {
+      const chunks: Buffer[] = [];
+      let totalSize = 0;
+
+      for await (const chunk of req) {
+        totalSize += chunk.length;
+        if (totalSize > MAX_UPLOAD_SIZE) {
+          res.writeHead(413, { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' });
+          res.end(JSON.stringify({ error: 'File too large. Maximum size is 10MB.' }));
+          return true;
+        }
+        chunks.push(chunk);
+      }
+
+      const buffer = Buffer.concat(chunks);
+      const ext = EXT_MAP[contentType] || 'bin';
+      const filename = `${Date.now()}-${randomBytes(4).toString('hex')}.${ext}`;
+
+      mkdirSync(UPLOADS_DIR, { recursive: true });
+      writeFileSync(join(UPLOADS_DIR, filename), buffer);
+
+      const url = `/api/background/uploads/${filename}`;
+      res.writeHead(200, { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' });
+      res.end(JSON.stringify({ url, filename }));
+    } catch (err) {
+      console.error('[background] Upload error:', err);
+      res.writeHead(500, { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' });
+      res.end(JSON.stringify({ error: 'Upload failed' }));
+    }
+    return true;
+  }
+
+  // GET /api/background/uploads/:filename
+  if (pathname.startsWith('/api/background/uploads/') && req.method === 'GET') {
+    const filename = pathname.slice('/api/background/uploads/'.length);
+
+    // Security: reject path traversal
+    if (!filename || filename.includes('..') || filename.includes('/') || filename.includes('\\')) {
+      res.writeHead(400, { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' });
+      res.end(JSON.stringify({ error: 'Invalid filename' }));
+      return true;
+    }
+
+    const filePath = join(UPLOADS_DIR, filename);
+    if (!existsSync(filePath)) {
+      res.writeHead(404, { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' });
+      res.end(JSON.stringify({ error: 'File not found' }));
+      return true;
+    }
+
+    const ext = filename.split('.').pop()?.toLowerCase() || '';
+    const mime = MIME_MAP[ext] || 'application/octet-stream';
+
+    try {
+      const data = readFileSync(filePath);
+      res.writeHead(200, {
+        'Content-Type': mime,
+        'Content-Length': data.length,
+        'Cache-Control': 'public, max-age=86400',
+      });
+      res.end(data);
+    } catch (err) {
+      console.error('[background] Serve error:', err);
+      res.writeHead(500, { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' });
+      res.end(JSON.stringify({ error: 'Failed to read file' }));
+    }
+    return true;
+  }
+
+  return false;
+}
+
+export async function handleUnsplashRoutes(ctx: RouteContext): Promise<boolean> {
+  const { pathname, url, req, res } = ctx;
+
+  // GET /api/unsplash/search?query=...&page=1&per_page=20
+  if (pathname === '/api/unsplash/search' && req.method === 'GET') {
+    const accessKey = getAccessKey();
+    if (!accessKey) {
+      res.writeHead(503, { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' });
+      res.end(JSON.stringify({ error: 'Unsplash API key not configured' }));
+      return true;
+    }
+
+    const query = url.searchParams.get('query') || '';
+    const page = url.searchParams.get('page') || '1';
+    const perPage = url.searchParams.get('per_page') || '20';
+
+    if (!query.trim()) {
+      res.writeHead(400, { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' });
+      res.end(JSON.stringify({ error: 'Missing query parameter' }));
+      return true;
+    }
+
+    try {
+      const apiUrl = `${UNSPLASH_API}/search/photos?query=${encodeURIComponent(query)}&page=${page}&per_page=${perPage}&orientation=landscape`;
+      const response = await fetch(apiUrl, {
+        headers: { Authorization: `Client-ID ${accessKey}` },
+      });
+
+      if (!response.ok) {
+        const status = response.status;
+        res.writeHead(status, { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' });
+        res.end(JSON.stringify({ error: `Unsplash API error: ${status}` }));
+        return true;
+      }
+
+      const data = (await response.json()) as UnsplashSearchResult;
+
+      // Return simplified data
+      const photos = data.results.map((photo) => ({
+        id: photo.id,
+        thumbUrl: photo.urls.thumb,
+        smallUrl: photo.urls.small,
+        regularUrl: photo.urls.regular,
+        photographer: photo.user.name,
+        photographerUrl: photo.user.links.html,
+        photoUrl: photo.links.html,
+        blurHash: photo.blur_hash,
+        downloadLocation: photo.links.download_location,
+      }));
+
+      res.writeHead(200, { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' });
+      res.end(JSON.stringify({
+        photos,
+        total: data.total,
+        totalPages: data.total_pages,
+      }));
+    } catch (err) {
+      console.error('[unsplash] Search error:', err);
+      res.writeHead(500, { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' });
+      res.end(JSON.stringify({ error: 'Failed to search Unsplash' }));
+    }
+    return true;
+  }
+
+  // POST /api/unsplash/download — trigger download event (Unsplash API requirement)
+  if (pathname === '/api/unsplash/download' && req.method === 'POST') {
+    const accessKey = getAccessKey();
+    if (!accessKey) {
+      res.writeHead(503, { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' });
+      res.end(JSON.stringify({ error: 'Unsplash API key not configured' }));
+      return true;
+    }
+
+    try {
+      const chunks: Buffer[] = [];
+      for await (const chunk of req) {
+        chunks.push(chunk);
+      }
+      const body = JSON.parse(Buffer.concat(chunks).toString());
+      const downloadLocation = body.downloadLocation;
+
+      if (!downloadLocation) {
+        res.writeHead(400, { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' });
+        res.end(JSON.stringify({ error: 'Missing downloadLocation' }));
+        return true;
+      }
+
+      // Trigger download event (Unsplash API guideline)
+      await fetch(downloadLocation, {
+        headers: { Authorization: `Client-ID ${accessKey}` },
+      });
+
+      res.writeHead(200, { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' });
+      res.end(JSON.stringify({ ok: true }));
+    } catch (err) {
+      console.error('[unsplash] Download trigger error:', err);
+      res.writeHead(500, { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' });
+      res.end(JSON.stringify({ error: 'Failed to trigger download' }));
+    }
+    return true;
+  }
+
+  return false;
+}
diff --git a/ccw/src/core/server.ts b/ccw/src/core/server.ts
index fd0dcdb6..d5fc32c2 100644
--- a/ccw/src/core/server.ts
+++ b/ccw/src/core/server.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import { handleMemoryRoutes } from './routes/memory-routes.js';
 import { handleCoreMemoryRoutes } from './routes/core-memory-routes.js';
 import { handleMcpRoutes } from './routes/mcp-routes.js';
 import { handleHooksRoutes } from './routes/hooks-routes.js';
+import { handleUnsplashRoutes, handleBackgroundRoutes } from './routes/unsplash-routes.js';
 import { handleCodexLensRoutes } from './routes/codexlens-routes.js';
 import { handleGraphRoutes } from './routes/graph-routes.js';
 import { handleSystemRoutes } from './routes/system-routes.js';
@@ -461,7 +462,7 @@ export async function startServer(options: ServerOptions = {}): Promise<http.Ser
   const tokenManager = getTokenManager();
   const secretKey = tokenManager.getSecretKey();
   tokenManager.getOrCreateAuthToken();
-  const unauthenticatedPaths = new Set<string>(['/api/auth/token', '/api/csrf-token', '/api/hook', '/api/test/ask-question']);
+  const unauthenticatedPaths = new Set<string>(['/api/auth/token', '/api/csrf-token', '/api/hook', '/api/test/ask-question', '/api/a2ui/answer']);
 
   const server = http.createServer(async (req, res) => {
     const url = new URL(req.url ?? '/', `http://localhost:${serverPort}`);
@@ -627,6 +628,16 @@ export async function startServer(options: ServerOptions = {}): Promise<http.Ser
         if (await handleHooksRoutes(routeContext)) return;
       }
 
+      // Background image upload/serve routes (/api/background/*)
+      if (pathname.startsWith('/api/background/')) {
+        if (await handleBackgroundRoutes(routeContext)) return;
+      }
+
+      // Unsplash proxy routes (/api/unsplash/*)
+      if (pathname.startsWith('/api/unsplash/')) {
+        if (await handleUnsplashRoutes(routeContext)) return;
+      }
+
       // CodexLens routes (/api/codexlens/*)
       if (pathname.startsWith('/api/codexlens/')) {
         if (await handleCodexLensRoutes(routeContext)) return;
@@ -728,11 +739,12 @@ export async function startServer(options: ServerOptions = {}): Promise<http.Ser
         if (await handleFilesRoutes(routeContext)) return;
       }
 
-      // System routes (data, health, version, paths, shutdown, notify, storage, dialog)
+      // System routes (data, health, version, paths, shutdown, notify, storage, dialog, a2ui answer broker)
       if (pathname === '/api/data' || pathname === '/api/health' ||
           pathname === '/api/version-check' || pathname === '/api/shutdown' ||
           pathname === '/api/recent-paths' || pathname === '/api/switch-path' ||
           pathname === '/api/remove-recent-path' || pathname === '/api/system/notify' ||
+          pathname === '/api/a2ui/answer' ||
           pathname.startsWith('/api/storage/') || pathname.startsWith('/api/dialog/')) {
         if (await handleSystemRoutes(routeContext)) return;
       }
diff --git a/ccw/src/core/websocket.ts b/ccw/src/core/websocket.ts
index fc6d4191..0216d38b 100644
--- a/ccw/src/core/websocket.ts
+++ b/ccw/src/core/websocket.ts
@@ -164,6 +164,9 @@ export function handleWebSocketUpgrade(req: IncomingMessage, socket: Duplex, _he
   wsClients.add(socket);
   console.log(`[WS] Client connected (${wsClients.size} total)`);
 
+  // Replay any buffered A2UI surfaces to the new client
+  a2uiWebSocketHandler.replayPendingSurfaces(socket);
+
   // Handle incoming messages
   let pendingBuffer = Buffer.alloc(0);
 
diff --git a/ccw/src/mcp-server/index.ts b/ccw/src/mcp-server/index.ts
index 06ba5a53..c4812dc1 100644
--- a/ccw/src/mcp-server/index.ts
+++ b/ccw/src/mcp-server/index.ts
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@ const SERVER_VERSION = '6.2.0';
 const ENV_PROJECT_ROOT = 'CCW_PROJECT_ROOT';
 const ENV_ALLOWED_DIRS = 'CCW_ALLOWED_DIRS';
 
-// Default enabled tools (core set - file operations and core memory only)
-const DEFAULT_TOOLS: string[] = ['write_file', 'edit_file', 'read_file', 'core_memory'];
+// Default enabled tools (core set - file operations, core memory, and smart search)
+const DEFAULT_TOOLS: string[] = ['write_file', 'edit_file', 'read_file', 'core_memory', 'smart_search'];
 
 /**
  * Get list of enabled tools from environment or defaults
diff --git a/ccw/src/tools/__tests__/ask-question.test.ts b/ccw/src/tools/__tests__/ask-question.test.ts
index e014799d..bb8c3e8e 100644
--- a/ccw/src/tools/__tests__/ask-question.test.ts
+++ b/ccw/src/tools/__tests__/ask-question.test.ts
@@ -7,16 +7,18 @@ import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach, vi } from 'vitest';
 import {
   execute,
   handleAnswer,
+  handleMultiAnswer,
   cancelQuestion,
   getPendingQuestions,
   clearPendingQuestions,
-} from '../tools/ask-question';
+  handler,
+} from '../ask-question';
 import type {
   Question,
   QuestionAnswer,
   AskQuestionParams,
   AskQuestionResult,
-} from '../core/a2ui/A2UITypes';
+} from '../../core/a2ui/A2UITypes';
 
 describe('ask_question Tool', () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
@@ -44,8 +46,11 @@ describe('ask_question Tool', () => {
       };
 
       // Should not throw during validation
-      const result = await execute(params);
-      expect(result).toBeDefined();
+      const executePromise = execute(params);
+      expect(getPendingQuestions()).toHaveLength(1);
+
+      cancelQuestion('test-question-1');
+      await executePromise;
     });
 
     it('should validate a valid select question with options', async () => {
@@ -60,9 +65,11 @@ describe('ask_question Tool', () => {
       };
 
       const params: AskQuestionParams = { question };
-      const result = await execute(params);
+      const executePromise = execute(params);
+      expect(getPendingQuestions()).toHaveLength(1);
 
-      expect(result).toBeDefined();
+      cancelQuestion('test-select');
+      await executePromise;
     });
 
     it('should validate a valid input question', async () => {
@@ -74,9 +81,11 @@ describe('ask_question Tool', () => {
       };
 
       const params: AskQuestionParams = { question };
-      const result = await execute(params);
+      const executePromise = execute(params);
+      expect(getPendingQuestions()).toHaveLength(1);
 
-      expect(result).toBeDefined();
+      cancelQuestion('test-input');
+      await executePromise;
     });
 
     it('should validate a valid multi-select question', async () => {
@@ -92,9 +101,11 @@ describe('ask_question Tool', () => {
       };
 
       const params: AskQuestionParams = { question };
-      const result = await execute(params);
+      const executePromise = execute(params);
+      expect(getPendingQuestions()).toHaveLength(1);
 
-      expect(result).toBeDefined();
+      cancelQuestion('test-multi');
+      await executePromise;
     });
 
     it('should reject question with missing id', async () => {
@@ -162,7 +173,7 @@ describe('ask_question Tool', () => {
       const result = await execute(params);
 
       expect(result.success).toBe(false);
-      expect(result.error).toContain('options');
+      expect(result.error).toContain('option');
     });
 
     it('should reject options with missing value', async () => {
@@ -554,10 +565,9 @@ describe('ask_question Tool', () => {
         id: 'test-timeout',
         type: 'confirm',
         title: 'Test',
-        timeout: 5000, // 5 seconds
       };
 
-      const params: AskQuestionParams = { question };
+      const params: AskQuestionParams = { question, timeout: 5000 };
       const executePromise = execute(params);
 
       // Fast-forward time
@@ -658,7 +668,8 @@ describe('ask_question Tool', () => {
       };
 
       const params1: AskQuestionParams = { question };
-      const executePromise1 = execute(params1);
+      // Don't await — first promise becomes orphaned when id is reused
+      execute(params1);
 
       // Second execution with same ID should replace first
       const question2: Question = {
@@ -671,10 +682,11 @@ describe('ask_question Tool', () => {
 
       // There should still be only one pending
       expect(getPendingQuestions()).toHaveLength(1);
+      expect(getPendingQuestions()[0].question.title).toBe('Second');
 
-      // Clean up
+      // Clean up the active pending question
       cancelQuestion('duplicate-id');
-      await Promise.all([executePromise1, executePromise2]);
+      await executePromise2;
     });
 
     it('should handle answer after question is cancelled', async () => {
@@ -730,4 +742,204 @@ describe('ask_question Tool', () => {
       }
     });
   });
+
+  describe('AskUserQuestion-style Format (via handler)', () => {
+    it('should handle single select question', async () => {
+      const params = {
+        questions: [{
+          question: 'Which library?',
+          header: 'Library',
+          multiSelect: false,
+          options: [
+            { label: 'React', description: 'UI library' },
+            { label: 'Vue', description: 'Progressive framework' },
+          ],
+        }],
+      };
+
+      const handlerPromise = handler(params);
+
+      // Answer the normalized question (id = header)
+      const pending = getPendingQuestions();
+      expect(pending).toHaveLength(1);
+      expect(pending[0].id).toBe('Library');
+      expect(pending[0].question.type).toBe('select');
+      expect(pending[0].question.title).toBe('Which library?');
+
+      // Options should use label as value
+      expect(pending[0].question.options).toEqual([
+        { value: 'React', label: 'React', description: 'UI library' },
+        { value: 'Vue', label: 'Vue', description: 'Progressive framework' },
+      ]);
+
+      const answer: QuestionAnswer = {
+        questionId: 'Library',
+        value: 'React',
+      };
+      handleAnswer(answer);
+
+      const result = await handlerPromise;
+      expect(result.success).toBe(true);
+      expect((result.result as any).answersDict).toEqual({ Library: 'React' });
+    });
+
+    it('should handle multiSelect question', async () => {
+      const params = {
+        questions: [{
+          question: 'Which features?',
+          header: 'Features',
+          multiSelect: true,
+          options: [
+            { label: 'Auth', description: 'Authentication' },
+            { label: 'Cache', description: 'Caching layer' },
+            { label: 'Logging' },
+          ],
+        }],
+      };
+
+      const handlerPromise = handler(params);
+
+      const pending = getPendingQuestions();
+      expect(pending[0].question.type).toBe('multi-select');
+
+      const answer: QuestionAnswer = {
+        questionId: 'Features',
+        value: ['Auth', 'Logging'],
+      };
+      handleAnswer(answer);
+
+      const result = await handlerPromise;
+      expect(result.success).toBe(true);
+      expect((result.result as any).answersDict).toEqual({ Features: ['Auth', 'Logging'] });
+    });
+
+    it('should handle input question (no options)', async () => {
+      const params = {
+        questions: [{
+          question: 'What is your name?',
+          header: 'Name',
+          multiSelect: false,
+        }],
+      };
+
+      const handlerPromise = handler(params);
+
+      const pending = getPendingQuestions();
+      expect(pending[0].question.type).toBe('input');
+
+      const answer: QuestionAnswer = {
+        questionId: 'Name',
+        value: 'John',
+      };
+      handleAnswer(answer);
+
+      const result = await handlerPromise;
+      expect(result.success).toBe(true);
+      expect((result.result as any).answersDict).toEqual({ Name: 'John' });
+    });
+
+    it('should handle multiple questions in single multi-page surface', async () => {
+      const params = {
+        questions: [
+          {
+            question: 'Which library?',
+            header: 'Library',
+            multiSelect: false,
+            options: [
+              { label: 'React' },
+              { label: 'Vue' },
+            ],
+          },
+          {
+            question: 'Which level?',
+            header: 'Level',
+            multiSelect: false,
+            options: [
+              { label: 'Beginner' },
+              { label: 'Advanced' },
+            ],
+          },
+        ],
+      };
+
+      const handlerPromise = handler(params);
+
+      // A single composite question should be pending
+      const pending = getPendingQuestions();
+      expect(pending).toHaveLength(1);
+      expect(pending[0].id).toMatch(/^multi-/);
+
+      const compositeId = pending[0].id;
+
+      // Simulate submit-all with answers for all pages
+      handleMultiAnswer(compositeId, [
+        { questionId: 'Library', value: 'React', cancelled: false },
+        { questionId: 'Level', value: 'Advanced', cancelled: false },
+      ]);
+
+      const result = await handlerPromise;
+      expect(result.success).toBe(true);
+      expect((result.result as any).answersDict).toEqual({
+        Library: 'React',
+        Level: 'Advanced',
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('should cancel multi-question composite on cancel', async () => {
+      const params = {
+        questions: [
+          {
+            question: 'First?',
+            header: 'Q1',
+            multiSelect: false,
+            options: [{ label: 'A' }],
+          },
+          {
+            question: 'Second?',
+            header: 'Q2',
+            multiSelect: false,
+            options: [{ label: 'B' }],
+          },
+        ],
+      };
+
+      const handlerPromise = handler(params);
+
+      // Cancel the composite question
+      const pending = getPendingQuestions();
+      expect(pending).toHaveLength(1);
+      cancelQuestion(pending[0].id);
+
+      const result = await handlerPromise;
+      expect(result.success).toBe(true);
+      expect(result.result?.cancelled).toBe(true);
+    });
+
+    it('should still support legacy format via handler', async () => {
+      const params = {
+        question: {
+          id: 'legacy-test',
+          type: 'confirm',
+          title: 'Legacy question?',
+        },
+      };
+
+      const handlerPromise = handler(params as any);
+
+      const pending = getPendingQuestions();
+      expect(pending).toHaveLength(1);
+      expect(pending[0].id).toBe('legacy-test');
+
+      const answer: QuestionAnswer = {
+        questionId: 'legacy-test',
+        value: true,
+      };
+      handleAnswer(answer);
+
+      const result = await handlerPromise;
+      expect(result.success).toBe(true);
+      // Legacy format should NOT have answersDict
+      expect((result.result as any).answersDict).toBeUndefined();
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/ccw/src/tools/ask-question.ts b/ccw/src/tools/ask-question.ts
index e377ce2d..a49f4a98 100644
--- a/ccw/src/tools/ask-question.ts
+++ b/ccw/src/tools/ask-question.ts
@@ -13,9 +13,19 @@ import type {
   AskQuestionParams,
   AskQuestionResult,
   PendingQuestion,
+  SimpleQuestion,
 } from '../core/a2ui/A2UITypes.js';
+import http from 'http';
 import { a2uiWebSocketHandler } from '../core/a2ui/A2UIWebSocketHandler.js';
 
+const DASHBOARD_PORT = Number(process.env.CCW_PORT || 3456);
+const POLL_INTERVAL_MS = 1000;
+
+// Register multi-answer callback for multi-page question surfaces
+a2uiWebSocketHandler.registerMultiAnswerCallback(
+  (compositeId: string, answers: QuestionAnswer[]) => handleMultiAnswer(compositeId, answers)
+);
+
 // ========== Constants ==========
 
 /** Default question timeout (5 minutes) */
@@ -114,6 +124,10 @@ function validateAnswer(question: Question, answer: QuestionAnswer): boolean {
       if (!question.options) {
         return false;
       }
+      // Accept __other__ as a valid value (custom input)
+      if (answer.value === '__other__' || answer.value.startsWith('__other__:')) {
+        return true;
+      }
       return question.options.some((opt) => opt.value === answer.value);
 
     case 'multi-select':
@@ -124,13 +138,51 @@ function validateAnswer(question: Question, answer: QuestionAnswer): boolean {
         return false;
       }
       const validValues = new Set(question.options.map((opt) => opt.value));
-      return answer.value.every((v) => validValues.has(v));
+      // Accept __other__ as a valid value (custom input)
+      validValues.add('__other__');
+      return answer.value.every((v) => typeof v === 'string' && (validValues.has(v) || v.startsWith('__other__:')));
 
     default:
       return false;
   }
 }
 
+// ========== Simple Format Normalization ==========
+
+/**
+ * Normalize a SimpleQuestion (AskUserQuestion-style) to internal Question format
+ * @param simple - SimpleQuestion to normalize
+ * @returns Normalized Question
+ */
+function normalizeSimpleQuestion(simple: SimpleQuestion): Question {
+  let type: QuestionType;
+  if (simple.options && simple.options.length > 0) {
+    type = simple.multiSelect ? 'multi-select' : 'select';
+  } else {
+    type = 'input';
+  }
+
+  const options: QuestionOption[] | undefined = simple.options?.map((opt) => ({
+    value: opt.label,
+    label: opt.label,
+    description: opt.description,
+  }));
+
+  return {
+    id: simple.header,
+    type,
+    title: simple.question,
+    options,
+  } as Question;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Detect if params use the new "questions" array format
+ */
+function isSimpleFormat(params: Record<string, unknown>): params is { questions: SimpleQuestion[]; timeout?: number } {
+  return Array.isArray(params.questions);
+}
+
 // ========== A2UI Surface Generation ==========
 
 /**
@@ -223,6 +275,13 @@ function generateQuestionSurface(question: Question, surfaceId: string): {
         description: opt.description ? { literalString: opt.description } : undefined,
       })) || [];
 
+      // Add "Other" option for custom input
+      options.push({
+        label: { literalString: 'Other' },
+        value: '__other__',
+        description: { literalString: 'Provide a custom answer' },
+      });
+
       // Use RadioGroup for direct selection display (not dropdown)
       components.push({
         id: 'radio-group',
@@ -267,6 +326,7 @@ function generateQuestionSurface(question: Question, surfaceId: string): {
       const options = question.options?.map((opt) => ({
         label: { literalString: opt.label },
         value: opt.value,
+        description: opt.description ? { literalString: opt.description } : undefined,
       })) || [];
 
       // Add each checkbox as a separate component for better layout control
@@ -276,6 +336,7 @@ function generateQuestionSurface(question: Question, surfaceId: string): {
           component: {
             Checkbox: {
               label: opt.label,
+              ...(opt.description && { description: opt.description }),
               onChange: { actionId: 'toggle', parameters: { questionId: question.id, value: opt.value } },
               checked: { literalBoolean: false },
             },
@@ -283,6 +344,19 @@ function generateQuestionSurface(question: Question, surfaceId: string): {
         });
       });
 
+      // Add "Other" checkbox for custom input
+      components.push({
+        id: 'checkbox-other',
+        component: {
+          Checkbox: {
+            label: { literalString: 'Other' },
+            description: { literalString: 'Provide a custom answer' },
+            onChange: { actionId: 'toggle', parameters: { questionId: question.id, value: '__other__' } },
+            checked: { literalBoolean: false },
+          },
+        },
+      });
+
       // Submit/cancel actions for multi-select so users can choose multiple options before resolving
       components.push({
         id: 'submit-btn',
@@ -390,7 +464,12 @@ export async function execute(params: AskQuestionParams): Promise<ToolResult<Ask
 
     // Send A2UI surface via WebSocket to frontend
     const a2uiSurface = generateQuestionSurface(question, surfaceId);
-    a2uiWebSocketHandler.sendSurface(a2uiSurface.surfaceUpdate);
+    const sentCount = a2uiWebSocketHandler.sendSurface(a2uiSurface.surfaceUpdate);
+
+    // If no local WS clients, start HTTP polling for answer from Dashboard
+    if (sentCount === 0) {
+      startAnswerPolling(question.id);
+    }
 
     // Wait for answer
     const result = await resultPromise;
@@ -440,6 +519,85 @@ export function handleAnswer(answer: QuestionAnswer): boolean {
   return true;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Handle multi-question composite answer from frontend (submit-all)
+ * @param compositeId - The composite question ID (multi-xxx)
+ * @param answers - Array of answers for each page
+ * @returns True if answer was processed
+ */
+export function handleMultiAnswer(compositeId: string, answers: QuestionAnswer[]): boolean {
+  const pending = pendingQuestions.get(compositeId);
+  if (!pending) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  pending.resolve({
+    success: true,
+    surfaceId: pending.surfaceId,
+    cancelled: false,
+    answers,
+    timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
+  });
+
+  pendingQuestions.delete(compositeId);
+  return true;
+}
+
+// ========== Answer Polling (MCP stdio mode) ==========
+
+/**
+ * Poll Dashboard server for answers when running in a separate MCP process.
+ * Starts polling GET /api/a2ui/answer and resolves the pending promise when an answer arrives.
+ * Automatically stops when the questionId is no longer in pendingQuestions (timeout cleanup).
+ */
+function startAnswerPolling(questionId: string, isComposite: boolean = false): void {
+  const path = `/api/a2ui/answer?questionId=${encodeURIComponent(questionId)}&composite=${isComposite}`;
+
+  const poll = () => {
+    // Stop if the question was already resolved or timed out
+    if (!pendingQuestions.has(questionId)) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    const req = http.get({ hostname: 'localhost', port: DASHBOARD_PORT, path }, (res) => {
+      let data = '';
+      res.on('data', (chunk: Buffer) => { data += chunk.toString(); });
+      res.on('end', () => {
+        try {
+          const parsed = JSON.parse(data);
+          if (parsed.pending) {
+            // No answer yet, schedule next poll
+            setTimeout(poll, POLL_INTERVAL_MS);
+            return;
+          }
+
+          if (isComposite && Array.isArray(parsed.answers)) {
+            handleMultiAnswer(questionId, parsed.answers as QuestionAnswer[]);
+          } else if (!isComposite && parsed.answer) {
+            handleAnswer(parsed.answer as QuestionAnswer);
+          } else {
+            // Unexpected shape, keep polling
+            setTimeout(poll, POLL_INTERVAL_MS);
+          }
+        } catch {
+          // Parse error, keep polling
+          setTimeout(poll, POLL_INTERVAL_MS);
+        }
+      });
+    });
+
+    req.on('error', () => {
+      // Network error (Dashboard not reachable), keep trying
+      if (pendingQuestions.has(questionId)) {
+        setTimeout(poll, POLL_INTERVAL_MS);
+      }
+    });
+  };
+
+  // Start first poll after a short delay to give the Dashboard time to receive the surface
+  setTimeout(poll, POLL_INTERVAL_MS);
+}
+
 // ========== Cleanup ==========
 
 /**
@@ -488,12 +646,70 @@ export function clearPendingQuestions(): void {
 
 export const schema: ToolSchema = {
   name: 'ask_question',
-  description: 'Ask the user a question through an interactive A2UI interface. Supports confirmation dialogs, selection from options, text input, and multi-select checkboxes.',
+  description: `Ask the user a question through an interactive A2UI interface. Supports two calling styles:
+
+**Style 1 - AskUserQuestion-compatible (recommended)**:
+\`\`\`json
+{
+  "questions": [{
+    "question": "Which library?",
+    "header": "Library",
+    "multiSelect": false,
+    "options": [
+      { "label": "React", "description": "UI library" },
+      { "label": "Vue", "description": "Progressive framework" }
+    ]
+  }]
+}
+\`\`\`
+Response includes \`answersDict\`: \`{ "Library": "React" }\`
+
+Type inference: options + multiSelect=true → multi-select; options + multiSelect=false → select; no options → input.
+
+**Style 2 - Legacy format**:
+\`\`\`json
+{
+  "question": {
+    "id": "q1",
+    "type": "select",
+    "title": "Which library?",
+    "options": [{ "value": "react", "label": "React" }]
+  }
+}
+\`\`\``,
   inputSchema: {
     type: 'object',
     properties: {
+      questions: {
+        type: 'array',
+        description: 'AskUserQuestion-style questions array (1-4 questions). Use this OR "question", not both.',
+        items: {
+          type: 'object',
+          properties: {
+            question: { type: 'string', description: 'The question text' },
+            header: { type: 'string', description: 'Short label, also used as response key (max 12 chars)' },
+            multiSelect: { type: 'boolean', description: 'Allow multiple selections (default: false)' },
+            options: {
+              type: 'array',
+              description: 'Available choices. Omit for text input.',
+              items: {
+                type: 'object',
+                properties: {
+                  label: { type: 'string', description: 'Display text, also used as value' },
+                  description: { type: 'string', description: 'Option description' },
+                },
+                required: ['label'],
+              },
+            },
+          },
+          required: ['question', 'header'],
+        },
+        minItems: 1,
+        maxItems: 4,
+      },
       question: {
         type: 'object',
+        description: 'Legacy format: single question object. Use this OR "questions", not both.',
         properties: {
           id: { type: 'string', description: 'Unique identifier for this question' },
           type: {
@@ -524,16 +740,343 @@ export const schema: ToolSchema = {
         required: ['id', 'type', 'title'],
       },
       timeout: { type: 'number', description: 'Timeout in milliseconds (default: 300000 / 5 minutes)' },
-      surfaceId: { type: 'string', description: 'Custom surface ID (auto-generated if not provided)' },
+      surfaceId: { type: 'string', description: 'Custom surface ID (auto-generated if not provided). Legacy format only.' },
     },
-    required: ['question'],
   },
 };
 
 /**
  * Tool handler for MCP integration
- * Wraps the execute function to match the expected handler signature
+ * Supports both legacy format (question object) and AskUserQuestion-style format (questions array)
  */
 export async function handler(params: Record<string, unknown>): Promise<ToolResult<AskQuestionResult>> {
+  if (isSimpleFormat(params)) {
+    return executeSimpleFormat(params.questions, params.timeout);
+  }
   return execute(params as AskQuestionParams);
 }
+
+// ========== Multi-Question Surface Generation ==========
+
+/**
+ * Page metadata for multi-question surfaces
+ */
+interface PageMeta {
+  index: number;
+  questionId: string;
+  title: string;
+  type: string;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Generate a single A2UI surface containing all questions, each tagged with a page index.
+ * @param questions - Array of SimpleQuestion
+ * @returns Surface update with page-tagged components and page metadata
+ */
+function generateMultiQuestionSurface(
+  questions: SimpleQuestion[],
+  surfaceId: string,
+): {
+  surfaceUpdate: {
+    surfaceId: string;
+    components: unknown[];
+    initialState: Record<string, unknown>;
+    displayMode: 'popup';
+  };
+  pages: PageMeta[];
+} {
+  const components: unknown[] = [];
+  const pages: PageMeta[] = [];
+
+  for (let pageIdx = 0; pageIdx < questions.length; pageIdx++) {
+    const simpleQ = questions[pageIdx];
+    const question = normalizeSimpleQuestion(simpleQ);
+    const qId = question.id; // header used as id
+
+    pages.push({
+      index: pageIdx,
+      questionId: qId,
+      title: question.title,
+      type: question.type,
+    });
+
+    // Title
+    components.push({
+      id: `page-${pageIdx}-title`,
+      page: pageIdx,
+      component: {
+        Text: {
+          text: { literalString: question.title },
+          usageHint: 'h3',
+        },
+      },
+    });
+
+    // Message
+    if (question.message) {
+      components.push({
+        id: `page-${pageIdx}-message`,
+        page: pageIdx,
+        component: {
+          Text: {
+            text: { literalString: question.message },
+            usageHint: 'p',
+          },
+        },
+      });
+    }
+
+    // Description
+    if (question.description) {
+      components.push({
+        id: `page-${pageIdx}-description`,
+        page: pageIdx,
+        component: {
+          Text: {
+            text: { literalString: question.description },
+            usageHint: 'small',
+          },
+        },
+      });
+    }
+
+    // Interactive components based on question type
+    switch (question.type) {
+      case 'select': {
+        const options = question.options?.map((opt) => ({
+          label: { literalString: opt.label },
+          value: opt.value,
+          description: opt.description ? { literalString: opt.description } : undefined,
+        })) || [];
+
+        // Add "Other" option for custom input
+        options.push({
+          label: { literalString: 'Other' },
+          value: '__other__',
+          description: { literalString: 'Provide a custom answer' },
+        });
+
+        components.push({
+          id: `page-${pageIdx}-radio-group`,
+          page: pageIdx,
+          component: {
+            RadioGroup: {
+              options,
+              selectedValue: question.defaultValue ? { literalString: String(question.defaultValue) } : undefined,
+              onChange: { actionId: 'select', parameters: { questionId: qId } },
+            },
+          },
+        });
+        break;
+      }
+
+      case 'multi-select': {
+        const options = question.options?.map((opt) => ({
+          label: { literalString: opt.label },
+          value: opt.value,
+          description: opt.description ? { literalString: opt.description } : undefined,
+        })) || [];
+
+        options.forEach((opt, idx) => {
+          components.push({
+            id: `page-${pageIdx}-checkbox-${idx}`,
+            page: pageIdx,
+            component: {
+              Checkbox: {
+                label: opt.label,
+                ...(opt.description && { description: opt.description }),
+                onChange: { actionId: 'toggle', parameters: { questionId: qId, value: opt.value } },
+                checked: { literalBoolean: false },
+              },
+            },
+          });
+        });
+
+        // Add "Other" checkbox for custom input
+        components.push({
+          id: `page-${pageIdx}-checkbox-other`,
+          page: pageIdx,
+          component: {
+            Checkbox: {
+              label: { literalString: 'Other' },
+              description: { literalString: 'Provide a custom answer' },
+              onChange: { actionId: 'toggle', parameters: { questionId: qId, value: '__other__' } },
+              checked: { literalBoolean: false },
+            },
+          },
+        });
+        break;
+      }
+
+      case 'input': {
+        components.push({
+          id: `page-${pageIdx}-input`,
+          page: pageIdx,
+          component: {
+            TextField: {
+              value: question.defaultValue ? { literalString: String(question.defaultValue) } : undefined,
+              onChange: { actionId: 'input-change', parameters: { questionId: qId } },
+              placeholder: question.placeholder || 'Enter your answer',
+              type: 'text',
+            },
+          },
+        });
+        break;
+      }
+
+      case 'confirm': {
+        // Confirm type gets handled as a single boolean per page
+        // No extra component — the page navigation handles yes/no
+        break;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  return {
+    surfaceUpdate: {
+      surfaceId,
+      components,
+      initialState: {
+        questionId: `multi-${Date.now()}`,
+        questionType: 'multi-question',
+        pages,
+        totalPages: questions.length,
+      },
+      displayMode: 'popup',
+    },
+    pages,
+  };
+}
+
+/**
+ * Execute questions in AskUserQuestion-style format.
+ * Single question: falls back to legacy sequential popup.
+ * Multiple questions: generates a single multi-page surface.
+ */
+async function executeSimpleFormat(
+  questions: SimpleQuestion[],
+  timeout?: number,
+): Promise<ToolResult<AskQuestionResult>> {
+  // Single question: use legacy single-popup flow
+  if (questions.length === 1) {
+    const simpleQ = questions[0];
+    const question = normalizeSimpleQuestion(simpleQ);
+    const params = {
+      question,
+      timeout: timeout ?? DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_MS,
+    } satisfies AskQuestionParams;
+
+    const result = await execute(params);
+    if (!result.success || !result.result) {
+      return result;
+    }
+
+    if (result.result.cancelled) {
+      return result;
+    }
+
+    const answersDict: Record<string, string | string[]> = {};
+    if (result.result.answers.length > 0) {
+      const answer = result.result.answers[0];
+      answersDict[simpleQ.header] = answer.value as string | string[];
+    }
+
+    return {
+      success: true,
+      result: {
+        success: true,
+        surfaceId: result.result.surfaceId,
+        cancelled: false,
+        answers: result.result.answers,
+        timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
+        answersDict,
+      } as AskQuestionResult & { answersDict: Record<string, string | string[]> },
+    };
+  }
+
+  // Multiple questions: single multi-page surface
+  const compositeId = `multi-${Date.now()}`;
+  const surfaceId = `question-${compositeId}`;
+
+  const { surfaceUpdate, pages } = generateMultiQuestionSurface(questions, surfaceId);
+
+  // Create promise for the composite answer
+  const resultPromise = new Promise<AskQuestionResult>((resolve, reject) => {
+    const pendingQuestion: PendingQuestion = {
+      id: compositeId,
+      surfaceId,
+      question: {
+        id: compositeId,
+        type: 'input', // placeholder type — multi-question uses custom answer handling
+        title: 'Multi-question',
+        required: false,
+      },
+      timestamp: Date.now(),
+      timeout: timeout ?? DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_MS,
+      resolve,
+      reject,
+    };
+    pendingQuestions.set(compositeId, pendingQuestion);
+
+    // Also register each sub-question's questionId pointing to the same pending entry
+    // so that select/toggle actions on individual questions get tracked
+    for (const page of pages) {
+      // Initialize selection tracking in the websocket handler
+      if (page.type === 'multi-select') {
+        a2uiWebSocketHandler.initMultiSelect(page.questionId);
+      } else if (page.type === 'select') {
+        a2uiWebSocketHandler.initSingleSelect(page.questionId);
+      }
+    }
+
+    setTimeout(() => {
+      if (pendingQuestions.has(compositeId)) {
+        pendingQuestions.delete(compositeId);
+        resolve({
+          success: false,
+          surfaceId,
+          cancelled: false,
+          answers: [],
+          timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
+          error: 'Question timed out',
+        });
+      }
+    }, timeout ?? DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_MS);
+  });
+
+  // Send the surface
+  const sentCount = a2uiWebSocketHandler.sendSurface(surfaceUpdate);
+
+  // If no local WS clients, start HTTP polling for answer from Dashboard
+  if (sentCount === 0) {
+    startAnswerPolling(compositeId, true);
+  }
+
+  // Wait for answer
+  const result = await resultPromise;
+
+  // If cancelled, return as-is
+  if (result.cancelled) {
+    return { success: true, result };
+  }
+
+  // Build answersDict from the answers array
+  const answersDict: Record<string, string | string[]> = {};
+  if (result.answers) {
+    for (const answer of result.answers) {
+      // Find the matching SimpleQuestion by questionId (which maps to header)
+      const simpleQ = questions.find(q => q.header === answer.questionId);
+      if (simpleQ) {
+        answersDict[simpleQ.header] = answer.value as string | string[];
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  return {
+    success: true,
+    result: {
+      ...result,
+      answersDict,
+    } as AskQuestionResult & { answersDict: Record<string, string | string[]> },
+  };
+}