diff --git a/src/mcp/server.ts b/src/mcp/server.ts
index dd78ac427c..fdf5674167 100644
--- a/src/mcp/server.ts
+++ b/src/mcp/server.ts
@@ -13,10 +13,13 @@ import {
   listBountiesByRepo,
   getContributorEvidence,
   getLatestRepoGithubTotalsSnapshot,
+  getInstallation,
   getIssue,
   getRepository,
+  getRepositorySettings,
   getRepoQueueTrendSnapshot,
   listCheckSummaries,
+  listPendingAgentActions,
   listContributorRepoStats,
   listContributorIssues,
   listContributorPullRequests,
@@ -98,6 +101,8 @@ import {
   type LocalWriteActionSpec,
 } from "./local-write-tools";
 import { applyStepResult, buildPlanDag, nextReadySteps, planProgress, validatePlanDag, type PlanDag } from "../services/plan-dag";
+import { isGlobalAgentPause, resolveAgentActionMode, resolveAgentPermissionReadiness } from "../settings/agent-execution";
+import { AGENT_ACTION_CLASSES, isActingAutonomyLevel, resolveAutonomy } from "../settings/autonomy";
 import { loadRepoFocusManifest } from "../signals/focus-manifest-loader";
 import { buildPredictedGateVerdict } from "../rules/predicted-gate";
 import { buildIssueSlopAssessment, buildSlopAssessment, ISSUE_SLOP_RUBRIC_MARKDOWN, SLOP_RUBRIC_MARKDOWN } from "../signals/slop";
@@ -318,6 +323,20 @@ const planViewOutputSchema = {
   validation: z.object({ valid: z.boolean(), errors: z.array(z.string()) }).optional(),
 };
 
+// #784 (MCP slice) — the read side of the agent automation control surface for a repo.
+const automationStateOutputSchema = {
+  repoFullName: z.string().optional(),
+  configured: z.boolean().optional(),
+  autonomy: z.record(z.string(), z.string()).optional(),
+  autoMaintain: z.object({ requireApprovals: z.number(), mergeMethod: z.string() }).optional(),
+  agentPaused: z.boolean().optional(),
+  agentDryRun: z.boolean().optional(),
+  mode: z.string().optional(),
+  permissionReadiness: z.string().optional(),
+  actingActionClasses: z.array(z.string()).optional(),
+  pendingActionCount: z.number().optional(),
+};
+
 const localBranchAnalysisShape = {
   login: z.string().min(1).max(SCENARIO_MAX_BRANCH_REF_CHARS),
   repoFullName: z.string().min(3).max(SCENARIO_MAX_REPO_FULL_NAME_CHARS),
@@ -1166,6 +1185,19 @@ export class GittensoryMcp {
       async (input) => this.toolResult(this.recordStepResult(input)),
     );
 
+    // #784 (MCP control surface, read side): a repo's agent automation posture — autonomy dial, kill-switch /
+    // dry-run mode, write-permission readiness, and the pending-approval count. Repo-access scoped.
+    server.registerTool(
+      "gittensory_get_automation_state",
+      {
+        description:
+          "Return a repo's agent automation state: the per-action autonomy levels, kill-switch / dry-run mode, GitHub write-permission readiness, and how many auto_with_approval actions are awaiting a maintainer decision.",
+        inputSchema: ownerRepoShape,
+        outputSchema: automationStateOutputSchema,
+      },
+      async (input) => this.toolResult(await this.getAutomationState(input)),
+    );
+
     server.registerTool(
       "gittensory_explain_score_breakdown",
       {
@@ -1953,6 +1985,38 @@ export class GittensoryMcp {
     return { summary: `Recorded ${input.outcome} for step ${input.stepId}; plan is now ${planProgress(plan).status}.`, data: this.planView(plan) };
   }
 
+  // #784 — read the agent automation state for a repo. Repo-access scoped; surfaces the count (not the
+  // details) of the approval queue — the full queue + accept/reject stay behind the maintainer-authed REST API.
+  private async getAutomationState(input: { owner: string; repo: string }): Promise<ToolPayload> {
+    const fullName = `${input.owner}/${input.repo}`;
+    await this.requireRepoAccess(fullName);
+    const [repo, settings, pending] = await Promise.all([
+      getRepository(this.env, fullName),
+      getRepositorySettings(this.env, fullName),
+      listPendingAgentActions(this.env, { repoFullName: fullName, status: "pending" }),
+    ]);
+    const autonomy = settings.autonomy;
+    const actingActionClasses = AGENT_ACTION_CLASSES.filter((actionClass) => isActingAutonomyLevel(resolveAutonomy(autonomy, actionClass)));
+    const installation = repo?.installationId ? await getInstallation(this.env, repo.installationId) : null;
+    const mode = resolveAgentActionMode({ globalPaused: isGlobalAgentPause(this.env), agentPaused: settings.agentPaused, agentDryRun: settings.agentDryRun });
+    const permissionReadiness = resolveAgentPermissionReadiness({ autonomy, installationPermissions: installation?.permissions ?? null });
+    return {
+      summary: `Agent automation for ${fullName}: mode=${mode}, ${actingActionClasses.length} acting class(es), ${pending.length} pending approval(s).`,
+      data: {
+        repoFullName: fullName,
+        configured: actingActionClasses.length > 0,
+        autonomy,
+        autoMaintain: settings.autoMaintain,
+        agentPaused: settings.agentPaused === true,
+        agentDryRun: settings.agentDryRun === true,
+        mode,
+        permissionReadiness,
+        actingActionClasses,
+        pendingActionCount: pending.length,
+      },
+    };
+  }
+
   private async explainScoreBreakdown(input: z.infer<z.ZodObject<typeof scorePreviewShape>>): Promise<ToolPayload> {
     if (!input.contributorLogin) throw new Error("contributorLogin is required for score breakdown.");
     this.requireContributorAccess(input.contributorLogin);
diff --git a/test/unit/mcp-automation-state.test.ts b/test/unit/mcp-automation-state.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b8fc58e2ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/mcp-automation-state.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+import { Client } from "@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/client/index.js";
+import { InMemoryTransport } from "@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/inMemory.js";
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { GittensoryMcp } from "../../src/mcp/server";
+import { createPendingAgentActionIfAbsent, upsertInstallation, upsertRepositoryFromGitHub, upsertRepositorySettings } from "../../src/db/repositories";
+import { createTestEnv } from "../helpers/d1";
+
+async function connect(env: Env) {
+  const server = new GittensoryMcp(env).createServer();
+  const [clientTransport, serverTransport] = InMemoryTransport.createLinkedPair();
+  await server.connect(serverTransport);
+  const client = new Client({ name: "gittensory-automation-test", version: "0.1.0" }, { capabilities: {} });
+  await client.connect(clientTransport);
+  return client;
+}
+
+type State = {
+  configured: boolean;
+  autonomy: Record<string, string>;
+  agentPaused: boolean;
+  agentDryRun: boolean;
+  mode: string;
+  permissionReadiness: string;
+  actingActionClasses: string[];
+  pendingActionCount: number;
+};
+
+describe("MCP gittensory_get_automation_state (#784)", () => {
+  it("surfaces a configured repo's autonomy, mode, readiness, and pending-approval count", async () => {
+    const env = createTestEnv();
+    await upsertRepositoryFromGitHub(env, { name: "repo", full_name: "owner/repo", private: false, owner: { login: "owner" } }, 5);
+    await upsertInstallation(env, {
+      installation: { id: 5, account: { login: "owner", id: 1, type: "User" }, repository_selection: "selected", permissions: { metadata: "read", pull_requests: "write", issues: "write" }, events: ["pull_request"] },
+      repositories: [{ name: "repo", full_name: "owner/repo", private: false, owner: { login: "owner" } }],
+    });
+    await upsertRepositorySettings(env, { repoFullName: "owner/repo", autonomy: { merge: "auto", label: "auto_with_approval" }, agentDryRun: true });
+    await createPendingAgentActionIfAbsent(env, { repoFullName: "owner/repo", pullNumber: 7, installationId: 5, actionClass: "merge", autonomyLevel: "auto_with_approval", params: {}, reason: "x" });
+
+    const client = await connect(env);
+    const result = await client.callTool({ name: "gittensory_get_automation_state", arguments: { owner: "owner", repo: "repo" } });
+    expect(result.isError).toBeFalsy();
+    const data = result.structuredContent as State;
+    expect(data.configured).toBe(true);
+    expect(data.mode).toBe("dry_run"); // agentDryRun → dry_run
+    expect(data.permissionReadiness).toBe("ready"); // pull_requests: write granted
+    expect(data.actingActionClasses).toEqual(expect.arrayContaining(["merge", "label"]));
+    expect(data.pendingActionCount).toBe(1);
+    // surfaces the COUNT, not the queue details — no reward/wallet leakage either
+    expect(JSON.stringify(data)).not.toMatch(/wallet|hotkey|reward|payout|trust score/i);
+  });
+
+  it("reports unconfigured + not_required readiness for an unknown / un-onboarded repo (no repo record)", async () => {
+    const env = createTestEnv();
+    // no repo seeded → getRepository returns null (exercises the no-installation path) + default settings.
+    const client = await connect(env);
+    const result = await client.callTool({ name: "gittensory_get_automation_state", arguments: { owner: "owner", repo: "ghost" } });
+    const data = result.structuredContent as State;
+    expect(data.configured).toBe(false);
+    expect(data.actingActionClasses).toEqual([]);
+    expect(data.permissionReadiness).toBe("not_required"); // no acting PR-write class
+    expect(data.pendingActionCount).toBe(0);
+    expect(data.mode).toBe("live"); // nothing paused or dry-run
+  });
+});