diff --git a/scripts/work/cli.mjs b/scripts/work/cli.mjs
index 62e26ab..cd3ff66 100644
--- a/scripts/work/cli.mjs
+++ b/scripts/work/cli.mjs
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import { fileURLToPath } from "node:url";
 import { buildState } from "./state-builder.mjs";
 import { runCli as runPrdShip } from "./prd-ship.mjs";
 import { runCli as runDecompose } from "./decompose.mjs";
+import { runCli as runDispatch } from "./dispatch.mjs";
 
 const __dirname = path.dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));
 const REPO_ROOT = path.resolve(__dirname, "..", "..");
@@ -138,8 +139,8 @@ else if (cmd === "next") printNext();
 else if (cmd === "ready") printReady();
 else if (cmd === "blocked") printBlocked();
 else if (cmd === "dispatch") {
-  // Re-dispatch to the dispatch script so it can handle its own --execute flag
-  import("./dispatch.mjs").catch((e) => {
+  // dispatch.mjs handles its own --execute flag
+  runDispatch(process.argv.slice(3)).catch((e) => {
     console.error(e);
     process.exit(1);
   });
diff --git a/scripts/work/dispatch.mjs b/scripts/work/dispatch.mjs
index 99da3c7..0c07889 100644
--- a/scripts/work/dispatch.mjs
+++ b/scripts/work/dispatch.mjs
@@ -295,15 +295,22 @@ async function executeDispatch() {
   console.log("(Automatic state mutation by the orchestrator is v2.)");
 }
 
-// Only run the CLI when this module is invoked directly. Without this guard,
-// importing any export (e.g. `resolveClaudeAuth` from sibling work scripts)
-// triggers the CLI as a side effect.
-const invokedDirectly = import.meta.url === `file://${process.argv[1]}`;
-if (invokedDirectly) {
-  const args = process.argv.slice(2);
+/**
+ * Explicit CLI entry. Exported so cli.mjs can dispatch into this module
+ * without relying on a top-level side effect (which would also fire when
+ * sibling work scripts import `resolveClaudeAuth`, etc.).
+ */
+export async function runCli(args) {
   if (args.includes("--execute")) {
-    executeDispatch();
+    await executeDispatch();
   } else {
     printPlan();
   }
 }
+
+// When invoked directly (`node scripts/work/dispatch.mjs ...`), run the CLI.
+// When imported by cli.mjs or any sibling, do nothing — the caller decides.
+const invokedDirectly = import.meta.url === `file://${process.argv[1]}`;
+if (invokedDirectly) {
+  runCli(process.argv.slice(2));
+}