diff --git a/src/cockpit/welcome.js b/src/cockpit/welcome.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3a7f58a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cockpit/welcome.js
@@ -0,0 +1,260 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const path = require('node:path');
+
+const DEFAULT_WIDTH = 76;
+const MIN_WIDTH = 48;
+const MAX_WIDTH = 88;
+
+const DEFAULT_AGENTS = ['codex', 'claude', 'opencode', 'cursor', 'gemini'];
+const SHORTCUTS = [
+  ['n', 'new agent'],
+  ['t', 'terminal'],
+  ['s', 'settings'],
+  ['?', 'shortcuts'],
+  ['q', 'quit'],
+];
+
+const GUARD_MOTIF = [
+  '      __',
+  '     / _)',
+  ' .-^^^-/',
+  '/  gx  \\',
+  '|_|--|_|',
+];
+
+function stringValue(value, fallback = '') {
+  if (typeof value === 'string') {
+    return value.trim() || fallback;
+  }
+  if (value === null || value === undefined) {
+    return fallback;
+  }
+  return String(value).trim() || fallback;
+}
+
+function firstString(...values) {
+  for (const value of values) {
+    const text = stringValue(value);
+    if (text) {
+      return text;
+    }
+  }
+  return '';
+}
+
+function boundedWidth(settings = {}) {
+  const width = Number(settings.width || settings.welcomeWidth || settings.cockpitWidth);
+  if (!Number.isFinite(width)) {
+    return DEFAULT_WIDTH;
+  }
+  return Math.min(MAX_WIDTH, Math.max(MIN_WIDTH, Math.floor(width)));
+}
+
+function truncate(value, width) {
+  const text = stringValue(value);
+  if (width <= 0) {
+    return '';
+  }
+  if (text.length <= width) {
+    return text;
+  }
+  if (width <= 3) {
+    return text.slice(0, width);
+  }
+  return `${text.slice(0, width - 3)}...`;
+}
+
+function repoName(state = {}, settings = {}) {
+  const explicit = firstString(
+    settings.repoName,
+    state.repoName,
+    state.projectName,
+    state.repo,
+    state.name,
+  );
+  if (explicit) {
+    return explicit;
+  }
+
+  const repoPath = firstString(state.repoPath, state.repoRoot, state.agentsStatus && state.agentsStatus.repoRoot);
+  if (!repoPath) {
+    return '-';
+  }
+  return path.basename(repoPath) || repoPath;
+}
+
+function currentBranch(state = {}) {
+  return firstString(
+    state.currentBranch,
+    state.branch,
+    state.git && state.git.currentBranch,
+    state.agentsStatus && state.agentsStatus.currentBranch,
+  ) || '-';
+}
+
+function baseBranch(state = {}, settings = {}) {
+  return firstString(
+    state.baseBranch,
+    state.base,
+    settings.baseBranch,
+    settings.defaultBase,
+    state.git && state.git.baseBranch,
+    state.agentsStatus && state.agentsStatus.baseBranch,
+  ) || '-';
+}
+
+function hooksStatus(state = {}) {
+  const hooks = state.hooks || state.gitHooks || state.safetyHooks;
+  const direct = firstString(
+    state.hooksStatus,
+    state.hookStatus,
+    state.coreHooksPath,
+    state.safety && state.safety.hooksStatus,
+  );
+  if (direct) {
+    return direct;
+  }
+  if (typeof hooks === 'boolean') {
+    return hooks ? 'enabled' : 'disabled';
+  }
+  if (typeof hooks === 'string') {
+    return hooks.trim();
+  }
+  if (hooks && typeof hooks === 'object') {
+    return firstString(hooks.status, hooks.state, hooks.coreHooksPath, hooks.path, hooks.value);
+  }
+  return '';
+}
+
+function safetyStatus(state = {}) {
+  return firstString(
+    state.safetyStatus,
+    state.guardStatus,
+    state.guardexStatus,
+    state.safety && state.safety.status,
+    state.agentsStatus && state.agentsStatus.safetyStatus,
+  ) || 'unknown';
+}
+
+function normalizeAgentList(value) {
+  if (typeof value === 'string') {
+    return value.split(',').map((item) => item.trim()).filter(Boolean);
+  }
+  if (!Array.isArray(value)) {
+    return [];
+  }
+  return value
+    .map((agent) => {
+      if (typeof agent === 'string') {
+        return agent.trim();
+      }
+      if (agent && typeof agent === 'object') {
+        return firstString(agent.name, agent.agent, agent.id, agent.label);
+      }
+      return '';
+    })
+    .filter(Boolean);
+}
+
+function availableAgents(state = {}, settings = {}) {
+  const agents = [
+    ...normalizeAgentList(settings.availableAgents),
+    ...normalizeAgentList(settings.agents),
+    ...normalizeAgentList(state.availableAgents),
+    ...normalizeAgentList(state.agents),
+  ];
+
+  const source = agents.length > 0 ? agents : DEFAULT_AGENTS;
+  return Array.from(new Set(source)).join(', ');
+}
+
+function totalLockCount(state = {}) {
+  if (Number.isFinite(state.lockCount)) {
+    return Math.max(0, Math.floor(state.lockCount));
+  }
+  if (Array.isArray(state.locks)) {
+    return state.locks.length;
+  }
+  if (state.lockSummary && Number.isFinite(state.lockSummary.count)) {
+    return Math.max(0, Math.floor(state.lockSummary.count));
+  }
+  if (state.agentsStatus && Number.isFinite(state.agentsStatus.lockCount)) {
+    return Math.max(0, Math.floor(state.agentsStatus.lockCount));
+  }
+
+  const sessions = Array.isArray(state.sessions) ? state.sessions : [];
+  return sessions.reduce((count, session) => {
+    if (Array.isArray(session.locks)) {
+      return count + session.locks.length;
+    }
+    if (Number.isFinite(session.lockCount)) {
+      return count + Math.max(0, Math.floor(session.lockCount));
+    }
+    return count;
+  }, 0);
+}
+
+function row(label, value) {
+  return `${label.padEnd(12)} ${value}`;
+}
+
+function boxedLine(value, width) {
+  const innerWidth = width - 4;
+  const text = truncate(value, innerWidth);
+  return `| ${text.padEnd(innerWidth)} |`;
+}
+
+function divider(width) {
+  return `+${'-'.repeat(width - 2)}+`;
+}
+
+function emptyLine(width) {
+  return boxedLine('', width);
+}
+
+function renderWelcomePage(state = {}, settings = {}) {
+  const width = boundedWidth(settings);
+  const hooks = hooksStatus(state);
+  const lines = [
+    divider(width),
+    boxedLine('gitguardex | gx cockpit', width),
+    boxedLine('Guardian cockpit ready. No active agent lanes.', width),
+    emptyLine(width),
+  ];
+
+  GUARD_MOTIF.forEach((motifLine) => {
+    lines.push(boxedLine(motifLine, width));
+  });
+
+  lines.push(
+    emptyLine(width),
+    boxedLine(row('Repo:', repoName(state, settings)), width),
+    boxedLine(row('Branch:', `${currentBranch(state)} (base ${baseBranch(state, settings)})`), width),
+    boxedLine(row('Safety:', safetyStatus(state)), width),
+  );
+
+  if (hooks) {
+    lines.push(boxedLine(row('Hooks:', hooks), width));
+  }
+
+  lines.push(
+    boxedLine(row('Locks:', String(totalLockCount(state))), width),
+    boxedLine(row('Agents:', availableAgents(state, settings)), width),
+    emptyLine(width),
+    boxedLine('Shortcuts', width),
+    ...SHORTCUTS.map(([key, label]) => boxedLine(`  ${key} ${label}`, width)),
+    emptyLine(width),
+    boxedLine('Next actions', width),
+    boxedLine('  n new agent  - start a guarded agent lane', width),
+    boxedLine('  t terminal   - open a repo terminal', width),
+    boxedLine('  s settings   - tune cockpit defaults', width),
+    divider(width),
+  );
+
+  return `${lines.join('\n')}\n`;
+}
+
+module.exports = {
+  renderWelcomePage,
+};
diff --git a/test/cockpit-welcome.test.js b/test/cockpit-welcome.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1863a56
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/cockpit-welcome.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const assert = require('node:assert/strict');
+const test = require('node:test');
+
+const { renderWelcomePage } = require('../src/cockpit/welcome');
+
+test('renderWelcomePage snapshots the empty cockpit welcome strings', () => {
+  const output = renderWelcomePage({
+    repoPath: '/work/gitguardex',
+    currentBranch: 'agent/codex/welcome',
+    baseBranch: 'main',
+    hooksStatus: 'core.hooksPath=.githooks',
+    safetyStatus: 'guarded',
+    lockCount: 2,
+  }, {
+    width: 60,
+    availableAgents: ['codex', 'claude'],
+  });
+
+  assert.match(output, /gitguardex \| gx cockpit/);
+  assert.match(output, /Guardian cockpit ready\. No active agent lanes\./);
+  assert.match(output, /Repo:\s+gitguardex/);
+  assert.match(output, /Branch:\s+agent\/codex\/welcome \(base main\)/);
+  assert.match(output, /Safety:\s+guarded/);
+  assert.match(output, /Hooks:\s+core\.hooksPath=\.githooks/);
+  assert.match(output, /Locks:\s+2/);
+  assert.match(output, /Agents:\s+codex, claude/);
+  assert.match(output, /n new agent/);
+  assert.match(output, /t terminal/);
+  assert.match(output, /s settings/);
+  assert.match(output, /\? shortcuts/);
+  assert.match(output, /q quit/);
+  assert.match(output, /Next actions/);
+  assert.equal(output.endsWith('\n'), true);
+});
+
+test('renderWelcomePage stays width bounded and plain terminal safe', () => {
+  const width = 52;
+  const output = renderWelcomePage({
+    repoName: 'very-long-repository-name-that-will-be-truncated',
+    branch: 'feature/very-long-current-branch-name-that-will-be-truncated',
+    baseBranch: 'integration',
+    hooks: { status: 'installed' },
+    safety: { status: 'ready' },
+    sessions: [
+      { lockCount: 3 },
+      { locks: ['src/a.js', 'src/b.js'] },
+    ],
+    availableAgents: [{ name: 'codex' }, { id: 'gemini' }],
+  }, { width });
+
+  for (const line of output.trimEnd().split('\n')) {
+    assert.equal(line.length <= width, true, `line exceeded ${width}: ${line}`);
+  }
+
+  assert.match(output, /\/ _\)/);
+  assert.match(output, /\/  gx  \\/);
+  assert.match(output, /Locks:\s+5/);
+  assert.match(output, /Agents:\s+codex, gemini/);
+  assert.doesNotMatch(output, /[\u0080-\uffff]/);
+});
+
+test('renderWelcomePage uses defaults when optional state is missing', () => {
+  const output = renderWelcomePage({}, {});
+
+  assert.match(output, /Repo:\s+-/);
+  assert.match(output, /Branch:\s+- \(base -\)/);
+  assert.match(output, /Safety:\s+unknown/);
+  assert.match(output, /Locks:\s+0/);
+  assert.match(output, /Agents:\s+codex, claude, opencode, cursor, gemini/);
+});