diff --git a/docs/design/codex-integration.md b/docs/design/codex-integration.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f73b6d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/design/codex-integration.md
@@ -0,0 +1,153 @@
+# Design: Codex CLI Integration
+
+> **References:** [Issue #54](https://github.com/vllm-project/agentic-api/issues/54),
+> [PR #67](https://github.com/vllm-project/agentic-api/pull/67)
+> **Owner:** @haoshan98 for Codex compatibility. @ashwing PR #67 owns the generic tool framework.
+
+---
+
+## Summary
+
+`agentic-api` should work as an upstream layer for Codex CLI while routing inference to vLLM-supported models.
+
+This PR is an MVP compatibility slice. It lets `agentic-api` accept and preserve Codex-used Responses traffic now,
+without waiting for the full generic tool framework from PR #67.
+
+The important split:
+
+- **This PR:** preserve Codex request/response shapes and continuation state.
+- **PR #67:** formalize generic tool normalization, execution, registry, ownership, and loop decisions.
+
+---
+
+## Current PR Scope
+
+This PR should do only the minimum needed for Codex compatibility:
+
+- Add this standalone design doc.
+- Accept Codex-used tool declarations without rejecting requests.
+- Preserve unknown tool declarations and unknown input/output items as raw JSON.
+- Preserve optional `namespace` on `function_call`.
+- Preserve `tool_search_call` and `custom_tool_call` shapes.
+- Preserve assistant tool-call items through `previous_response_id` rehydration.
+- Add model alias routing for Codex-facing model names to local vLLM models.
+- Add lightweight helper types/tests that document what #67 should formalize later.
+
+This PR should **not** build a second generic tool framework.
+
+---
+
+## Deferred To PR #67
+
+PR #67 should own the formal shared tool system:
+
+- `ToolHandler` / `Tool` trait shape.
+- Generic tool normalization before `call_inference()`.
+- Request-scoped tool registry.
+- Client-owned vs gateway-owned dispatch.
+- Requires-action / client-action loop decision.
+- Live `execution_loop` orchestration and streaming tool events.
+
+The helper types in this PR are temporary. They express Codex requirements, but the canonical versions should come
+from #67. After #67 lands, this slice should plug into or be refactored onto those abstractions.
+
+---
+
+## Compatibility Rules
+
+The gateway should not detect requests by user agent, route, or "is this Codex?" heuristics. Compatibility is
+driven by Responses tool shapes and execution semantics, so it can be always on.
+
+| Shape | Behavior |
+|-------|----------|
+| `function` | Client-owned by default. Preserve declaration and return matching calls to the client unless configured as gateway-owned. |
+| `namespace` | Model-facing grouping for function tools. Do not treat namespace as a separate executable call type. |
+| `tool_search` | Client-owned only when `execution == "client"`. Hosted/non-client search is provider-owned. |
+| `custom` | Client-owned by default. Preserve free-form / grammar metadata. |
+| Unknown tool | Preserve as raw JSON. Never execute by default. |
+
+For response items:
+
+| Response item | Behavior |
+|---------------|----------|
+| `function_call` | Preserve optional `namespace`. |
+| `tool_search_call` with `execution == "client"` | Return to the client for local deferred discovery. |
+| Hosted / non-client `tool_search_call` | Do not execute locally. Leave to provider-specific handling. |
+| `custom_tool_call` | Preserve free-form `input`; do not coerce into JSON function arguments. |
+| Unknown output item | Preserve as raw JSON. Never execute by default. |
+
+---
+
+## Requirements For #67
+
+The generic framework should preserve enough metadata for Codex-compatible behavior:
+
+- raw original tool JSON
+- model-visible tool name
+- original client-visible identity
+- optional namespace or an equivalent unambiguous key
+- execution owner: `Client`, `Gateway`, or provider-owned
+- raw hints such as `execution`, `format`, and `defer_loading`
+
+If namespaced tools need disambiguation, a split identity is useful:
+
+```rust
+pub struct ToolName {
+    pub namespace: Option<String>,
+    pub name: String,
+}
+```
+
+This avoids collisions such as two different namespaces both defining a tool named `run`.
+
+---
+
+## Continuation
+
+Codex-owned tool calls must survive response-store continuation.
+
+Expected rehydration shape:
+
+```text
+prior context + assistant tool call + Codex tool output + new input
+```
+
+On a turn that returns client-owned tool calls, storage should keep the assistant call item. On the next turn, Codex
+submits the matching tool output item, and `previous_response_id` should rebuild the full sequence.
+
+---
+
+## Model Aliases
+
+Model aliases route Codex-facing model names to local vLLM models:
+
+```toml
+[model_aliases]
+codex-compatible = "qwen3-coder"
+```
+
+Alias resolution is only model routing. It must not imply approval, auto-review, or human-confirmation behavior.
+
+---
+
+## Test Plan
+
+Current PR tests should cover:
+
+- `function`, `namespace`, `tool_search`, `custom`, and unknown tools round-trip.
+- Extra fields remain preserved.
+- `function_call.namespace` round-trips.
+- `tool_search_call` and `custom_tool_call` remain raw-compatible.
+- Unknown input/output items remain raw JSON.
+- `previous_response_id` rehydrates assistant tool calls before tool outputs.
+- Model aliases resolve on executor and proxy paths.
+
+Post-#67 tests should prove the same behavior through the formal tool framework.
+
+---
+
+## Open Questions
+
+1. What exact requires-action payload type should #67 expose?
+2. Should #67 use split `ToolName { namespace, name }` or a different unambiguous registry key?
+3. Which Codex-used fields should become typed framework fields, and which should remain raw metadata?