diff --git a/cmd/list.go b/cmd/list.go
index 9cff248..cc348d3 100644
--- a/cmd/list.go
+++ b/cmd/list.go
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ var (
 	listLimit    int
 	listProjects bool
 	listTask     bool
+	listNames    bool
 )
 
 func init() {
@@ -38,6 +39,7 @@ func init() {
 	listCmd.Flags().BoolVar(&listProjects, "projects", false, "Show project workspaces only")
 	listCmd.Flags().StringVarP(&listCategory, "category", "c", "", "Filter by category")
 	listCmd.Flags().IntVarP(&listLimit, "limit", "n", 20, "Maximum entries to show")
+	listCmd.Flags().BoolVar(&listNames, "names", false, "Output one workspace directory basename per line, no header (for shell completion and scripting)")
 	rootCmd.AddCommand(listCmd)
 }
 
@@ -66,6 +68,18 @@ func runList(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	// v0.5.2: --names emits one directory basename per line, no header,
+	// empty stdout on no matches. Used by shell completion and scripting.
+	// We emit basenames (e.g. "2026-04-22_promptvolley") rather than bare
+	// slugs because basenames are unique under the resolver's exact-match
+	// step while slugs can collide across categories or dates.
+	if listNames {
+		for _, ws := range results {
+			fmt.Println(filepath.Base(ws.Path))
+		}
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	if len(results) == 0 {
 		switch {
 		case listTask:
diff --git a/cmd/list_test.go b/cmd/list_test.go
index 43ed02a..afd5abc 100644
--- a/cmd/list_test.go
+++ b/cmd/list_test.go
@@ -53,9 +53,9 @@ func runListCapture(t *testing.T, root string, all, projects, task bool) (string
 	t.Helper()
 
 	// Save and restore the package-level flag state.
-	prevAll, prevProjects, prevTask, prevCategory, prevLimit := listAll, listProjects, listTask, listCategory, listLimit
+	prevAll, prevProjects, prevTask, prevCategory, prevLimit, prevNames := listAll, listProjects, listTask, listCategory, listLimit, listNames
 	defer func() {
-		listAll, listProjects, listTask, listCategory, listLimit = prevAll, prevProjects, prevTask, prevCategory, prevLimit
+		listAll, listProjects, listTask, listCategory, listLimit, listNames = prevAll, prevProjects, prevTask, prevCategory, prevLimit, prevNames
 	}()
 
 	listAll = all
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ func runListCapture(t *testing.T, root string, all, projects, task bool) (string
 	listTask = task
 	listCategory = ""
 	listLimit = 20
+	listNames = false
 
 	// Save and restore env / stdout / stderr.
 	prevRoot := os.Getenv("CTASK_ROOT")
@@ -238,3 +239,148 @@ func TestListEmptyProjectsMessage(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("expected project-specific empty message, got: %q", out)
 	}
 }
+
+// runListNamesCapture invokes runList with --names enabled and the given
+// --all value. Returns captured stdout and the runList error.
+func runListNamesCapture(t *testing.T, root string, all bool) (string, error) {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	prevAll, prevProjects, prevTask, prevCategory, prevLimit, prevNames := listAll, listProjects, listTask, listCategory, listLimit, listNames
+	defer func() {
+		listAll, listProjects, listTask, listCategory, listLimit, listNames = prevAll, prevProjects, prevTask, prevCategory, prevLimit, prevNames
+	}()
+	listAll = all
+	listProjects = false
+	listTask = false
+	listCategory = ""
+	listLimit = 20
+	listNames = true
+
+	prevRoot := os.Getenv("CTASK_ROOT")
+	os.Setenv("CTASK_ROOT", root)
+	defer func() {
+		if prevRoot == "" {
+			os.Unsetenv("CTASK_ROOT")
+		} else {
+			os.Setenv("CTASK_ROOT", prevRoot)
+		}
+	}()
+
+	r, w, _ := os.Pipe()
+	prevStdout := os.Stdout
+	os.Stdout = w
+	defer func() { os.Stdout = prevStdout }()
+
+	err := runList(listCmd, nil)
+	w.Close()
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	buf.ReadFrom(r)
+	return buf.String(), err
+}
+
+func TestListNamesOutputsBasenames(t *testing.T) {
+	root := listTestEnv(t)
+	out, err := runListNamesCapture(t, root, false)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("runList: %v", err)
+	}
+	lines := strings.Split(strings.TrimRight(out, "\n"), "\n")
+
+	// Default filter is active-only, so 3 lines: task-active, legacy, proj-active.
+	wantPresent := []string{
+		"2026-04-05_task-active",
+		"2026-04-03_legacy",
+		"2026-04-02_proj-active",
+	}
+	wantAbsent := []string{
+		"2026-04-04_task-archived",
+		"2026-04-01_proj-archived",
+	}
+
+	for _, w := range wantPresent {
+		found := false
+		for _, line := range lines {
+			if line == w {
+				found = true
+				break
+			}
+		}
+		if !found {
+			t.Errorf("expected basename %q in output, got lines:\n%s", w, out)
+		}
+	}
+	for _, w := range wantAbsent {
+		for _, line := range lines {
+			if line == w {
+				t.Errorf("default --names should not include archived %q", w)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	// No header, no decoration.
+	if strings.Contains(out, "status") || strings.Contains(out, "category") {
+		t.Errorf("--names output must not contain table headers:\n%s", out)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestListNamesAllIncludesArchived(t *testing.T) {
+	root := listTestEnv(t)
+	out, err := runListNamesCapture(t, root, true)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("runList: %v", err)
+	}
+	want := []string{
+		"2026-04-05_task-active",
+		"2026-04-04_task-archived",
+		"2026-04-03_legacy",
+		"2026-04-02_proj-active",
+		"2026-04-01_proj-archived",
+	}
+	for _, w := range want {
+		if !strings.Contains(out, w) {
+			t.Errorf("--names --all missing %q:\n%s", w, out)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestListNamesEmptyHasEmptyStdout(t *testing.T) {
+	// Spec rule: empty result is empty stdout, zero exit code. No
+	// "No workspaces found" placeholder.
+	root := t.TempDir()
+	out, err := runListNamesCapture(t, root, false)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("runList should not error on empty: %v", err)
+	}
+	if out != "" {
+		t.Errorf("--names with no matches must produce empty stdout, got: %q", out)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestListNamesCandidatesResolveUniquely(t *testing.T) {
+	// Spec invariant: every line printed by `ctask list --names` must be
+	// accepted by workspace-taking commands and resolve to exactly one
+	// workspace under the same archive/filter policy.
+	root := listTestEnv(t)
+	out, err := runListNamesCapture(t, root, true) // include archived too
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("runList: %v", err)
+	}
+	lines := strings.Split(strings.TrimRight(out, "\n"), "\n")
+	if len(lines) == 0 {
+		t.Fatal("expected non-empty output for fixture root")
+	}
+
+	for _, line := range lines {
+		if line == "" {
+			continue
+		}
+		results, qerr := workspace.ResolveQuery([]string{root}, line, true)
+		if qerr != nil {
+			t.Errorf("ResolveQuery(%q): %v", line, qerr)
+			continue
+		}
+		if len(results) != 1 {
+			t.Errorf("emitted name %q must resolve to exactly 1 workspace, got %d", line, len(results))
+		}
+	}
+}