diff --git a/mkimage/profiles/vm.late-pkgs b/mkimage/profiles/vm.late-pkgs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3387e72
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mkimage/profiles/vm.late-pkgs
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+# Installed via dpkg -i in a finish hook, after every Debian package is configured
+# (build-rootfs.sh). nash-default-shell MUST be last-stage: its divert flips /bin/sh to
+# nash, and anything configured after the flip runs under nash — so the divert is the
+# image's final configure step (mirrors the base tier).
+#
+# naros-tier-vm is deliberately NOT here: it is apt-installed at firstboot from the hosted
+# repo (NAROS.md §7.4), which is what shrinks the provisioning script to the meta + glue.
+nash-default-shell
+naros-tier-base
diff --git a/mkimage/profiles/vm.naros-pkgs b/mkimage/profiles/vm.naros-pkgs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dde1ea9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mkimage/profiles/vm.naros-pkgs
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+# Base Nucleic layer baked into the naros-vm rootfs so nash is the forced shell and the
+# hosted apt repo is trusted from the very first boot. The vsock agent (nucleic-linux-agent)
+# and the rest of the tier arrive at firstboot via `apt install naros-tier-vm` (NAROS.md
+# §7.4), so they are intentionally NOT baked here — this mirrors the base tier's layer.
+nash
+naros-init
+naros
+naros-keyring
diff --git a/mkimage/profiles/vm.pkgs b/mkimage/profiles/vm.pkgs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bf9b500
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mkimage/profiles/vm.pkgs
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+# naros-vm headless tier — bootable base + systemd (NAROS.md §7.4, milestone N4).
+#
+# The VM boots the naros base userspace with **systemd as PID 1** (§5: the VM flavor keeps
+# systemd). This list is deliberately just the bootable minimum: the base utility set plus
+# systemd/udev. Everything Nucleic-specific beyond the base layer — the vsock agent, the
+# `agent` sudoers, and (N5) the GNOME 50 desktop stack — arrives at FIRSTBOOT via
+# `apt install naros-tier-vm` (§7.4), NOT baked here.
+#
+# No linux-image: the VM boots an externally-sourced kernel + initrd whose matching modules
+# ride the two-phase payload (LINUX_VM.md; the kernel/initrd flow is a narOS non-goal to
+# change). A Debian kernel here would drag a whole second linux-image.
+ca-certificates
+curl
+git
+openssh-client
+iproute2
+# systemd as PID 1 + the networking/udev a bootable guest needs to reach the hosted apt
+# repo at firstboot. dbus/sudo are pulled in by naros-tier-vm, not baked.
+systemd
+systemd-sysv
+systemd-resolved
+udev
diff --git a/packages/naros-tier-vm/control b/packages/naros-tier-vm/control
index 84a8cf0..1104103 100644
--- a/packages/naros-tier-vm/control
+++ b/packages/naros-tier-vm/control
@@ -4,9 +4,10 @@ Architecture: all
 Maintainer: Nucleic <accounts@abkslm.com>
 Section: metapackages
 Priority: optional
-Depends: naros-tier-base, systemd, dbus, sudo
+Depends: naros-tier-base, nucleic-linux-agent, systemd, dbus, sudo
 Description: narOS VM guest tier — headless scope (NAROS.md §4, §7.4, milestone N4)
- The bootable-guest surface. Headless scope for now: systemd (the VM flavor
- keeps it as PID 1), dbus, sudo. nucleic-linux-agent packaging, the firstboot
- provisioning glue, and the GNOME 50 desktop stack (naros-desktop, N5) land in
- later milestones and will extend this meta.
+ The bootable-guest surface, apt-installed at firstboot onto the naros base
+ rootfs the two-phase build boots (§7.4). Headless scope: systemd (the VM flavor
+ keeps it as PID 1), dbus, sudo, and the vsock control-plane agent
+ (nucleic-linux-agent) so linux_vm_exec works with no provisioner hand-install.
+ The GNOME 50 desktop stack (naros-desktop, N5) lands later and extends this meta.
diff --git a/packages/nucleic-linux-agent/control b/packages/nucleic-linux-agent/control
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3f39312
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/nucleic-linux-agent/control
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+Package: nucleic-linux-agent
+Version: @VERSION@
+Architecture: @ARCH@
+Maintainer: Nucleic <accounts@abkslm.com>
+Section: admin
+Priority: optional
+Description: Nucleic Linux guest vsock control-plane agent (NAROS.md §3.1, §7.4)
+ The dependency-free static-C agent that answers the host over AF_VSOCK
+ (NDJSON, port 2035): ping + the streaming exec sub-protocol linux_vm_exec
+ speaks. Pulled in by naros-tier-vm (apt-installed at firstboot) so a booted
+ guest is reachable with no hand-install; started by its systemd unit as root in the
+ disposable, NAT-isolated guest. Computer-use (screen capture + HID) is entirely
+ host-side over virtio-gpu/USB, so this agent is needed only for exec.
diff --git a/packages/nucleic-linux-agent/postinst b/packages/nucleic-linux-agent/postinst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e3a08d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/nucleic-linux-agent/postinst
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# The enable symlink ships in the package (honored on next boot), so image builds need no
+# action here. On a LIVE system (the §7.3 apt-install conversion path), pick the unit up and
+# start it now. Guarded on a running systemd so it is a no-op inside the mmdebstrap chroot.
+set -e
+if [ "$1" = "configure" ] && [ -d /run/systemd/system ]; then
+  systemctl daemon-reload || true
+  systemctl enable --now nucleic-linux-agent.service || true
+fi
+exit 0
diff --git a/packages/nucleic-linux-agent/stage.sh b/packages/nucleic-linux-agent/stage.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c03d45e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/nucleic-linux-agent/stage.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+# Stage the prebuilt static nucleic-linux-agent binary (the guest vsock control-plane
+# agent, built per-arch from guest/nucleic-linux-agent/src/agent.c) plus its systemd unit
+# and a static enable symlink. The unit is the single source in guest/…/systemd — staged
+# here so the deb and the pre-narOS Ubuntu payload path can never drift.
+#
+# The enable symlink is shipped statically (not via `systemctl enable` in a postinst) so it
+# takes effect inside the mmdebstrap chroot, where no systemd is running (NAROS.md §4).
+stage() {
+  local dest="$1" arch="$2"
+  local bin="$OS_DIR/dist/bin/nucleic-linux-agent-$arch"
+  local unit="$OS_DIR/../guest/nucleic-linux-agent/systemd/nucleic-linux-agent.service"
+  if [ ! -x "$bin" ]; then
+    echo "prebuilt binary missing: $bin" > "$dest/.skip-reason"
+    return 1
+  fi
+  install -D -m 0755 "$bin" "$dest/usr/local/bin/nucleic-linux-agent"
+  install -D -m 0644 "$unit" "$dest/usr/lib/systemd/system/nucleic-linux-agent.service"
+  install -d "$dest/etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants"
+  ln -sf /usr/lib/systemd/system/nucleic-linux-agent.service \
+    "$dest/etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/nucleic-linux-agent.service"
+}