diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 70d7707..14633bb 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -295,6 +295,25 @@ dg usage --last-week -o yaml
 When running in a non-TTY environment (pipes, CI, or AI coding tools), the CLI
 automatically switches to structured JSON output with plain-text status messages.
 
+### Forcing non-interactive mode
+
+Three explicit ways to skip every prompt and run with defaults — useful from a
+real terminal where auto-detection wouldn't otherwise trigger:
+
+```bash
+# Global flag (works at any position)
+dg --non-interactive listen recording.wav
+dg listen --non-interactive recording.wav
+
+# Environment variable (good for whole scripts)
+CI=1 dg listen recording.wav
+```
+
+Also recognised: `--agent-friendly` (alias intended for AI coding tools — same
+effect plus JSON metadata output), and the auto-detected env vars
+`CLAUDECODE`, `CLAUDE_CODE_ENTRYPOINT`, `CODEX_SANDBOX`, and Aider's
+`OR_APP_NAME` / `OR_SITE_URL`.
+
 ## Plugins
 
 Extend the CLI with custom commands.
diff --git a/packages/deepctl-core/src/deepctl_core/output.py b/packages/deepctl-core/src/deepctl_core/output.py
index fdc2ea8..685cb72 100644
--- a/packages/deepctl-core/src/deepctl_core/output.py
+++ b/packages/deepctl-core/src/deepctl_core/output.py
@@ -34,9 +34,13 @@ def is_agentic() -> bool:
     """
     env = os.environ
 
-    # Hard signals: explicit agent mode flag or known AI tool env vars
+    # Hard signals: explicit non-interactive intent or known AI tool env vars
+    if "--non-interactive" in sys.argv:
+        return True
     if "--agent-friendly" in sys.argv:
         return True
+    if env.get("CI") in ("true", "1"):
+        return True
     if env.get("CLAUDECODE"):
         return True
     if env.get("CLAUDE_CODE_ENTRYPOINT"):
@@ -56,8 +60,6 @@ def is_agentic() -> bool:
         score += 1
     if not sys.stdout.isatty():
         score += 1
-    if env.get("CI") in ("true", "1"):
-        score += 1
     if not env.get("TERM") or env.get("TERM") == "dumb":
         score += 1
     if "NO_COLOR" in env:
diff --git a/packages/deepctl-core/src/deepctl_core/plugin_manager.py b/packages/deepctl-core/src/deepctl_core/plugin_manager.py
index d610d6c..e25628c 100644
--- a/packages/deepctl-core/src/deepctl_core/plugin_manager.py
+++ b/packages/deepctl-core/src/deepctl_core/plugin_manager.py
@@ -286,6 +286,13 @@ def _agent_friendly_callback(
             callback=_agent_friendly_callback,
         )(cmd)
 
+        cmd = click.option(
+            "--non-interactive",
+            is_flag=True,
+            expose_value=False,
+            help="Skip interactive prompts; use defaults for any optional features.",
+        )(cmd)
+
         return cmd
 
     def _build_help_text(self, instance: Any) -> str:
diff --git a/packages/deepctl-core/tests/unit/test_output.py b/packages/deepctl-core/tests/unit/test_output.py
index 8487868..2f01ed0 100644
--- a/packages/deepctl-core/tests/unit/test_output.py
+++ b/packages/deepctl-core/tests/unit/test_output.py
@@ -14,9 +14,128 @@
     print_warning,
     print_info,
     get_console,
+    is_agentic,
 )
 
 
+class TestIsAgentic:
+    """Cover every signal that flips the CLI into non-interactive mode."""
+
+    @pytest.fixture
+    def baseline(self, monkeypatch):
+        """Interactive baseline: clean argv, real-looking TTY env, no AI hints."""
+        monkeypatch.setattr("sys.argv", ["dg", "listen", "foo.wav"])
+        monkeypatch.setattr("sys.stdin.isatty", lambda: True)
+        monkeypatch.setattr("sys.stdout.isatty", lambda: True)
+        for var in (
+            "CI",
+            "CLAUDECODE",
+            "CLAUDE_CODE_ENTRYPOINT",
+            "CODEX_SANDBOX",
+            "CODEX_SANDBOX_NETWORK_DISABLED",
+            "OR_APP_NAME",
+            "OR_SITE_URL",
+            "NO_COLOR",
+        ):
+            monkeypatch.delenv(var, raising=False)
+        monkeypatch.setenv("TERM", "xterm-256color")
+
+    def test_baseline_is_interactive(self, baseline):
+        assert is_agentic() is False
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        "argv",
+        [
+            ["dg", "--non-interactive", "listen", "foo.wav"],
+            ["dg", "listen", "--non-interactive", "foo.wav"],
+            ["dg", "listen", "foo.wav", "--non-interactive"],
+        ],
+    )
+    def test_non_interactive_flag_anywhere_in_argv(
+        self, baseline, monkeypatch, argv
+    ):
+        monkeypatch.setattr("sys.argv", argv)
+        assert is_agentic() is True
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        "argv",
+        [
+            ["dg", "--agent-friendly", "listen", "foo.wav"],
+            ["dg", "listen", "--agent-friendly", "foo.wav"],
+        ],
+    )
+    def test_agent_friendly_flag_anywhere_in_argv(
+        self, baseline, monkeypatch, argv
+    ):
+        monkeypatch.setattr("sys.argv", argv)
+        assert is_agentic() is True
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("ci_value", ["1", "true"])
+    def test_ci_env_var_is_hard_signal(self, baseline, monkeypatch, ci_value):
+        monkeypatch.setenv("CI", ci_value)
+        assert is_agentic() is True
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        "ci_value",
+        ["false", "0", "", "yes", "TRUE"],
+    )
+    def test_other_ci_values_do_not_count(
+        self, baseline, monkeypatch, ci_value
+    ):
+        monkeypatch.setenv("CI", ci_value)
+        assert is_agentic() is False
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        "env_var",
+        [
+            "CLAUDECODE",
+            "CLAUDE_CODE_ENTRYPOINT",
+            "CODEX_SANDBOX",
+            "CODEX_SANDBOX_NETWORK_DISABLED",
+        ],
+    )
+    def test_ai_tool_env_var_is_hard_signal(
+        self, baseline, monkeypatch, env_var
+    ):
+        monkeypatch.setenv(env_var, "1")
+        assert is_agentic() is True
+
+    def test_aider_via_or_app_name(self, baseline, monkeypatch):
+        monkeypatch.setenv("OR_APP_NAME", "Aider")
+        assert is_agentic() is True
+
+    def test_aider_via_or_site_url(self, baseline, monkeypatch):
+        monkeypatch.setenv("OR_SITE_URL", "https://aider.example.com")
+        assert is_agentic() is True
+
+    def test_one_soft_signal_not_enough(self, baseline, monkeypatch):
+        monkeypatch.setattr("sys.stdout.isatty", lambda: False)
+        assert is_agentic() is False
+
+    def test_two_soft_signals_not_enough(self, baseline, monkeypatch):
+        monkeypatch.setattr("sys.stdin.isatty", lambda: False)
+        monkeypatch.setattr("sys.stdout.isatty", lambda: False)
+        assert is_agentic() is False
+
+    def test_three_soft_signals_trip_threshold(self, baseline, monkeypatch):
+        monkeypatch.setattr("sys.stdin.isatty", lambda: False)
+        monkeypatch.setattr("sys.stdout.isatty", lambda: False)
+        monkeypatch.setenv("NO_COLOR", "1")
+        assert is_agentic() is True
+
+    def test_dumb_term_counts_as_soft_signal(self, baseline, monkeypatch):
+        monkeypatch.setattr("sys.stdin.isatty", lambda: False)
+        monkeypatch.setattr("sys.stdout.isatty", lambda: False)
+        monkeypatch.setenv("TERM", "dumb")
+        assert is_agentic() is True
+
+    def test_unset_term_counts_as_soft_signal(self, baseline, monkeypatch):
+        monkeypatch.setattr("sys.stdin.isatty", lambda: False)
+        monkeypatch.setattr("sys.stdout.isatty", lambda: False)
+        monkeypatch.delenv("TERM", raising=False)
+        assert is_agentic() is True
+
+
 class TestOutputFormatter:
     """Test OutputFormatter class."""
 
diff --git a/src/deepctl/main.py b/src/deepctl/main.py
index 62f7e59..959f988 100644
--- a/src/deepctl/main.py
+++ b/src/deepctl/main.py
@@ -151,6 +151,13 @@ def preprocess_hyphenated_commands(args: list[str]) -> list[str]:
     is_flag=True,
     help="Show detailed performance timing information",
 )
+@click.option(
+    "--non-interactive",
+    is_flag=True,
+    is_eager=True,
+    expose_value=False,
+    help="Skip interactive prompts; use defaults for any optional features.",
+)
 @click.option(
     "--record-install-method",
     is_eager=True,