diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index aaba3cb..e1cc1a6 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -249,6 +249,7 @@ something to put behind it:
 
 ```sh
 moshcode template list                        # what there is
+moshcode template list --json                 # machine-readable template metadata
 moshcode template install bun-caddy-sqlite    # into the current directory
 moshcode template install caddy-static --into /srv/site
 moshcode template install owner/repo          # or a git URL, or a .tar.gz
diff --git a/src/cli-schema.mjs b/src/cli-schema.mjs
index a46782e..f97255a 100644
--- a/src/cli-schema.mjs
+++ b/src/cli-schema.mjs
@@ -229,9 +229,15 @@ export const CORE_CLI_COMMANDS = [
     group: "hosting",
     description: "scaffold a stack for a Moshpit-hosted service",
     synopsis: [
-      ["moshcode template list", "what there is"],
+      ["moshcode template list [--json]", "what there is"],
       ["moshcode template install <name>", "write it here"],
     ],
+    flags: [
+      ["--into <dir>", "write somewhere other than the current directory", ""],
+      ["--force", "overwrite files that are already there", ""],
+      ["--dry-run", "show changes without writing anything", ""],
+      ["--json", "machine-readable template list", ""],
+    ],
     examples: [["moshcode template install bun-caddy-sqlite", ""]],
     seeAlso: ["site"],
   },
diff --git a/src/completion.mjs b/src/completion.mjs
index b9d8ca0..953b7a7 100644
--- a/src/completion.mjs
+++ b/src/completion.mjs
@@ -205,6 +205,8 @@ Register-ArgumentCompleter -Native -CommandName moshcode -ScriptBlock {
       { $_ -in @('template', 'templates') } {
         if ($argumentIndex -eq 2) {
           $choices = $script:MoshcodeCompletionTemplate
+        } elseif ($nested -eq 'list' -and $wordToComplete.StartsWith('-')) {
+          $choices = $script:MoshcodeCompletionJson
         } elseif ($nested -eq 'install' -and $wordToComplete.StartsWith('-')) {
           $choices = $script:MoshcodeCompletionTemplateInstall
         }
@@ -306,6 +308,8 @@ _moshcode_completion() {
       template|templates)
         if (( COMP_CWORD == 2 )); then
           choices="list install"
+        elif [[ "$nested" == "list" && "$cur" == -* ]]; then
+          choices="--json"
         elif [[ "$nested" == "install" && "$cur" == -* ]]; then
           choices="--into --force --dry-run"
         fi
@@ -432,6 +436,8 @@ _moshcode() {
     template|templates)
       if (( CURRENT == 3 )); then
         _values "template command" list install
+      elif [[ "\${words[3]}" == "list" && "$PREFIX" == -* ]]; then
+        _values "template list option" --json
       elif [[ "\${words[3]}" == "install" && "$PREFIX" == -* ]]; then
         _values "template install option" --into --force --dry-run
       else
@@ -504,6 +510,7 @@ complete -c moshcode -n '__moshcode_nested_is dns resolve' -l json -d 'print JSO
 complete -c moshcode -n '__moshcode_nested_is dns resolve' -l open -d 'open a parked name in the Pit'
 complete -c moshcode -n '__moshcode_nested_is dns resolve' -l registry -r -d 'registry base URL'
 complete -c moshcode -n '${atSecondToken("template templates")}' -a 'list install' -d 'template command'
+complete -c moshcode -n '__moshcode_nested_is template list; or __moshcode_nested_is templates list' -l json -d 'print JSON'
 complete -c moshcode -n '__moshcode_nested_is template install; or __moshcode_nested_is templates install' -l into -r -d 'target directory'
 complete -c moshcode -n '__moshcode_nested_is template install; or __moshcode_nested_is templates install' -l force -d 'overwrite existing files'
 complete -c moshcode -n '__moshcode_nested_is template install; or __moshcode_nested_is templates install' -l dry-run -d 'preview without writing'
diff --git a/src/templates.mjs b/src/templates.mjs
index 1ca8ed7..9962bbe 100644
--- a/src/templates.mjs
+++ b/src/templates.mjs
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ export async function fetchRemote(
 
 const USAGE = `moshcode template — starting stacks for Moshpit-hosted services
 
-  moshcode template list                    the templates that ship with moshcode
+  moshcode template list [--json]           the templates that ship with moshcode
   moshcode template install <name>          copy a bundled one into this directory
   moshcode template install <url>           copy one from a git repo or a .tar.gz
   moshcode template install <owner/repo>    the GitHub shorthand
@@ -283,6 +283,7 @@ const USAGE = `moshcode template — starting stacks for Moshpit-hosted services
   --into <dir>   write somewhere other than the current directory
   --force        overwrite files that are already there
   --dry-run      show every create/overwrite without writing anything
+  --json         print the template list as JSON
 
 Nothing in a template is executed on install — the files are copied and what to
 run is yours to decide. Read them before you do.`;
@@ -339,7 +340,16 @@ export async function templateCommand(
   }
 
   if (sub === "list") {
+    const unknown = rest.filter((arg) => arg !== "--json");
+    if (unknown.length) {
+      out(`moshcode template list: unknown option ${JSON.stringify(unknown[0])}`);
+      return 1;
+    }
     const templates = await listTemplates();
+    if (rest.includes("--json")) {
+      out(JSON.stringify(templates, null, 2));
+      return 0;
+    }
     if (!templates.length) {
       out("no templates bundled with this install");
       return 0;
diff --git a/test/completion-powershell.test.mjs b/test/completion-powershell.test.mjs
index 8362c84..78bf3ad 100644
--- a/test/completion-powershell.test.mjs
+++ b/test/completion-powershell.test.mjs
@@ -59,12 +59,14 @@ test("PowerShell completes commands, install targets, and nested options", (t) =
   const installs = expand(executable, "moshcode install cl");
   const options = expand(executable, "moshcode mcp list --j");
   const templateCommands = expand(executable, "moshcode template ins");
+  const templateListOptions = expand(executable, "moshcode template list --j");
   const templateOptions = expand(executable, "moshcode template install --d");
   const templateAliasOptions = expand(executable, "moshcode templates install --i");
   assert.ok(commands.includes("engines"), JSON.stringify(commands));
   assert.ok(installs.includes("claude"), JSON.stringify(installs));
   assert.ok(options.includes("--json"), JSON.stringify(options));
   assert.ok(templateCommands.includes("install"), JSON.stringify(templateCommands));
+  assert.ok(templateListOptions.includes("--json"), JSON.stringify(templateListOptions));
   assert.ok(templateOptions.includes("--dry-run"), JSON.stringify(templateOptions));
   assert.ok(templateAliasOptions.includes("--into"), JSON.stringify(templateAliasOptions));
 });
diff --git a/test/completion.test.mjs b/test/completion.test.mjs
index 07ed033..a073a4c 100644
--- a/test/completion.test.mjs
+++ b/test/completion.test.mjs
@@ -132,6 +132,8 @@ test("bash completion respects argument depth and preserves file fallbacks", ()
   assert.ok(bashCompletions(["moshcode", "dns", ""]).includes("resolve"));
   assert.ok(bashCompletions(["moshcode", "dns", "resolve", "--j"]).includes("--json"));
   assert.ok(bashCompletions(["moshcode", "template", ""]).includes("install"));
+  assert.ok(bashCompletions(["moshcode", "template", "list", "--j"]).includes("--json"));
+  assert.ok(bashCompletions(["moshcode", "templates", "list", "--j"]).includes("--json"));
   assert.ok(bashCompletions(["moshcode", "template", "install", "--"]).includes("--dry-run"));
 
   assert.deepEqual(bashCompletions(["moshcode", "run", ""]), []);
diff --git a/test/help.test.mjs b/test/help.test.mjs
index 8d62f02..7530313 100644
--- a/test/help.test.mjs
+++ b/test/help.test.mjs
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ test("flags that the dispatcher parses are documented", () => {
       for (const flag of verb.flags) for (const f of flag.flags.split(/[ ,]+/)) documented.add(f.replace(/[<>].*$/, "").trim());
     }
   }
-  for (const flag of ["--json", "--max", "-n", "--dry-run", "--yes", "-y", "--device", "-d",
+  for (const flag of ["--json", "--max", "-n", "--dry-run", "--into", "--force", "--yes", "-y", "--device", "-d",
     "--browser", "-b", "--port", "--bind", "--ttyd", "--url", "--name", "-t", "-e", "-H",
     "--registry", "--check", "--nginx", "--all"]) {
     assert.ok(documented.has(flag), `${flag} is parsed somewhere but documented nowhere`);
diff --git a/test/templates.test.mjs b/test/templates.test.mjs
index b474d3c..169ec42 100644
--- a/test/templates.test.mjs
+++ b/test/templates.test.mjs
@@ -39,6 +39,29 @@ test("the bundled templates are listed with what they are for", async () => {
   }
 });
 
+test("template list --json prints the stable template metadata", async () => {
+  const lines = [];
+  const code = await templateCommand(["list", "--json"], (line) => lines.push(line));
+  const templates = JSON.parse(lines.join("\n"));
+
+  assert.equal(code, 0);
+  assert.ok(Array.isArray(templates));
+  assert.deepEqual(templates.map((template) => template.name), ["bun-caddy-sqlite", "caddy-static"]);
+  for (const template of templates) {
+    assert.deepEqual(Object.keys(template), ["name", "description"]);
+    assert.equal(typeof template.description, "string");
+    assert.ok(template.description.length > 0, `${template.name} has no description`);
+  }
+});
+
+test("template list rejects options it does not understand", async () => {
+  const lines = [];
+  const code = await templateCommand(["list", "--jsn"], (line) => lines.push(line));
+
+  assert.equal(code, 1);
+  assert.deepEqual(lines, ['moshcode template list: unknown option "--jsn"']);
+});
+
 test("an archive member that escapes the target is refused", () => {
   // Each of these writes outside the directory the user chose.
   for (const evil of [