diff --git a/cmd/mesa/main.go b/cmd/mesa/main.go
index 8ba8711..3271a69 100644
--- a/cmd/mesa/main.go
+++ b/cmd/mesa/main.go
@@ -58,17 +58,19 @@ func main() {
 	verbosity := 0
 
 	dashboardAuth := false
+	externalAPIKey := ""
 
-	// CLI: mesa [-t <template>] [-m <model>] [-v|-vv|-vvv] [--auth] [doctor|wiki-search] [port]
+	// CLI: mesa [-t <template>] [-m <model>] [-v|-vv|-vvv] [--auth] [--api-key <key>] [doctor|wiki-search] [port]
 	args := os.Args[1:]
 	for i := 0; i < len(args); i++ {
 		arg := args[i]
 		if arg == "-h" || arg == "--help" {
-			fmt.Println("Usage: mesa [-t <template>] [-m <model>] [-v|-vv|-vvv] [--auth] [doctor|wiki-search] [port]")
+			fmt.Println("Usage: mesa [-t <template>] [-m <model>] [-v|-vv|-vvv] [--auth] [--api-key <key>] [doctor|wiki-search] [port]")
 			fmt.Println("  -t, --template  Team template: startup, dev-team, enterprise, saas, agency (default: startup)")
 			fmt.Println("  -m, --model     Default agent runner: claude, gemini, codex, opencode (default: claude)")
 			fmt.Println("  -v              Verbosity: -v info, -vv debug, -vvv debug+cmd")
 			fmt.Println("  --auth          Enable dashboard authentication with auto-generated token")
+			fmt.Println("  --api-key       Static API key for external access (non-expiring, not agent-scoped)")
 			fmt.Println("  doctor          Check that required CLI binaries are available")
 			fmt.Println("  wiki-search     Search wiki pages (usage: wiki-search <query>)")
 			fmt.Println("  port            HTTP port (default: 3001, or PORT env)")
@@ -104,11 +106,23 @@ func main() {
 			modelProvided = true
 		} else if arg == "--auth" {
 			dashboardAuth = true
+		} else if arg == "--api-key" {
+			if i+1 >= len(args) {
+				fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "error: --api-key requires a value")
+				os.Exit(1)
+			}
+			i++
+			externalAPIKey = args[i]
 		} else {
 			port = arg
 		}
 	}
 
+	// Also allow env override for external API key
+	if k := os.Getenv("MESA_API_KEY_EXTERNAL"); k != "" {
+		externalAPIKey = k
+	}
+
 	switch {
 	case verbosity >= 3:
 		logLevel.Set(slog.Level(-8)) // trace: per-line agent output
@@ -250,6 +264,9 @@ func main() {
 
 	// Handlers
 	api := handlers.NewAPI(database, sse, tmpl, wake, tg, dc)
+	if externalAPIKey != "" {
+		api.SetExternalKey(externalAPIKey)
+	}
 	ui := handlers.NewUI(database, sse, tmpl, wake, sched)
 	// Routes
 	mux := http.NewServeMux()
@@ -320,6 +337,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	// API routes (auth-wrapped)
 	mux.HandleFunc("GET /api/v1/inbox", api.Auth(api.Inbox))
+	mux.HandleFunc("GET /api/v1/issues", api.Auth(api.ListIssues))
 	mux.HandleFunc("GET /api/v1/issues/{key}", api.Auth(api.GetIssue))
 	mux.HandleFunc("POST /api/v1/issues/{key}/checkout", api.Auth(api.CheckoutIssue))
 	mux.HandleFunc("PATCH /api/v1/issues/{key}", api.Auth(api.UpdateIssue))
@@ -396,6 +414,10 @@ func main() {
 			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "\n  Dashboard auth enabled\n")
 			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "  Open: http://localhost:%s/dashboard?token=%s\n\n", port, dashToken)
 		}
+		if externalAPIKey != "" {
+			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "  External API key enabled\n")
+			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "  Usage: curl -H 'Authorization: Bearer %s' http://localhost:%s/api/v1/issues\n\n", externalAPIKey, port)
+		}
 		slog.Info("mesa running", "url", "http://localhost:"+port)
 		if err := srv.ListenAndServe(); err != nil && err != http.ErrServerClosed {
 			slog.Error("http server error", "error", err)
diff --git a/internal/handlers/api.go b/internal/handlers/api.go
index 91b881e..67e8460 100644
--- a/internal/handlers/api.go
+++ b/internal/handlers/api.go
@@ -33,19 +33,43 @@ type DiscordNotifier interface {
 }
 
 type API struct {
-	db       *db.DB
-	sse      *SSEHub
-	tmpl     *template.Template
-	wake     func(agent *models.Agent, issue *models.Issue)
-	telegram TelegramNotifier
-	discord  DiscordNotifier
+	db              *db.DB
+	sse             *SSEHub
+	tmpl            *template.Template
+	wake            func(agent *models.Agent, issue *models.Issue)
+	telegram        TelegramNotifier
+	discord         DiscordNotifier
+	externalKeyHash string // SHA-256 hex of the --api-key value; empty = disabled
 }
 
 func NewAPI(database *db.DB, sse *SSEHub, tmpl *template.Template, wake func(*models.Agent, *models.Issue), tg TelegramNotifier, dc DiscordNotifier) *API {
 	return &API{db: database, sse: sse, tmpl: tmpl, wake: wake, telegram: tg, discord: dc}
 }
 
-// Auth middleware extracts agent from API key
+// SetExternalKey configures a static API key for external access.
+// The key is hashed and compared against Bearer tokens in the Auth middleware.
+func (a *API) SetExternalKey(rawKey string) {
+	if rawKey == "" {
+		return
+	}
+	hash := sha256.Sum256([]byte(rawKey))
+	a.externalKeyHash = hex.EncodeToString(hash[:])
+}
+
+// externalAgent returns a synthetic agent used for external API key access.
+// It has a fixed ID and name so that endpoints requiring agent context work correctly.
+func externalAgent() *models.Agent {
+	return &models.Agent{
+		ID:            "external",
+		Name:          "External",
+		Slug:          "external",
+		ArchetypeSlug: "external",
+		Active:        true,
+	}
+}
+
+// Auth middleware extracts agent from API key.
+// If an external API key is configured (via --api-key), it is checked first.
 func (a *API) Auth(next http.HandlerFunc) http.HandlerFunc {
 	return func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		token := strings.TrimPrefix(r.Header.Get("Authorization"), "Bearer ")
@@ -55,6 +79,14 @@ func (a *API) Auth(next http.HandlerFunc) http.HandlerFunc {
 		}
 		hash := sha256.Sum256([]byte(token))
 		keyHash := hex.EncodeToString(hash[:])
+
+		// Check external key first (non-expiring, not agent-scoped)
+		if a.externalKeyHash != "" && keyHash == a.externalKeyHash {
+			r = r.WithContext(withAgent(r.Context(), externalAgent()))
+			next(w, r)
+			return
+		}
+
 		agent, err := a.db.GetAgentByAPIKey(keyHash)
 		if err != nil {
 			http.Error(w, `{"error":"invalid api key"}`, http.StatusUnauthorized)
@@ -75,6 +107,24 @@ func (a *API) Inbox(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	jsonOK(w, issues)
 }
 
+// ListIssues returns all issues, optionally filtered by ?status= and ?limit=.
+// Available to any authenticated caller (including external API keys).
+func (a *API) ListIssues(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+	status := r.URL.Query().Get("status")
+	limit := 100
+	if l := r.URL.Query().Get("limit"); l != "" {
+		if n, err := strconv.Atoi(l); err == nil && n > 0 {
+			limit = n
+		}
+	}
+	issues, err := a.db.ListIssues(status, limit)
+	if err != nil {
+		jsonError(w, err.Error(), http.StatusInternalServerError)
+		return
+	}
+	jsonOK(w, issues)
+}
+
 func (a *API) GetIssue(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	key := r.PathValue("key")
 	issue, err := a.db.GetIssue(key)
diff --git a/internal/handlers/handlers_test.go b/internal/handlers/handlers_test.go
index 3409b9c..2846246 100644
--- a/internal/handlers/handlers_test.go
+++ b/internal/handlers/handlers_test.go
@@ -243,6 +243,81 @@ func TestAuthValidKey(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestAuthExternalKey(t *testing.T) {
+	d := testDB(t)
+	hub := NewSSEHub()
+	defer hub.Close()
+	api := NewAPI(d, hub, nil, nil, &stubTelegram{}, nil)
+	api.SetExternalKey("my-external-key")
+
+	var gotAgent *models.Agent
+	handler := api.Auth(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		gotAgent = agentFromContext(r.Context())
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
+	})
+
+	req := httptest.NewRequest("GET", "/", nil)
+	req.Header.Set("Authorization", "Bearer my-external-key")
+	w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	handler(w, req)
+
+	if w.Code != http.StatusOK {
+		t.Errorf("status = %d, want 200", w.Code)
+	}
+	if gotAgent == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected agent in context")
+	}
+	if gotAgent.ID != "external" {
+		t.Errorf("agent ID = %q, want external", gotAgent.ID)
+	}
+	if gotAgent.Slug != "external" {
+		t.Errorf("agent slug = %q, want external", gotAgent.Slug)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestAuthExternalKeyWrongValue(t *testing.T) {
+	d := testDB(t)
+	hub := NewSSEHub()
+	defer hub.Close()
+	api := NewAPI(d, hub, nil, nil, &stubTelegram{}, nil)
+	api.SetExternalKey("my-external-key")
+
+	handler := api.Auth(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
+	})
+
+	req := httptest.NewRequest("GET", "/", nil)
+	req.Header.Set("Authorization", "Bearer wrong-key")
+	w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	handler(w, req)
+
+	if w.Code != http.StatusUnauthorized {
+		t.Errorf("status = %d, want 401", w.Code)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestAuthExternalKeyNotSet(t *testing.T) {
+	d := testDB(t)
+	hub := NewSSEHub()
+	defer hub.Close()
+	api := NewAPI(d, hub, nil, nil, &stubTelegram{}, nil)
+	// No SetExternalKey called
+
+	handler := api.Auth(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
+	})
+
+	req := httptest.NewRequest("GET", "/", nil)
+	req.Header.Set("Authorization", "Bearer some-key")
+	w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	handler(w, req)
+
+	// Should fail because no external key is set and "some-key" isn't a valid DB key
+	if w.Code != http.StatusUnauthorized {
+		t.Errorf("status = %d, want 401", w.Code)
+	}
+}
+
 // --- SSE ServeHTTP ---
 
 func TestSSEServeHTTP(t *testing.T) {