diff --git a/internal/cmd/witness.go b/internal/cmd/witness.go
index d68d3a46..ee7066c4 100644
--- a/internal/cmd/witness.go
+++ b/internal/cmd/witness.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/steveyegge/gastown/internal/claude"
 	"github.com/steveyegge/gastown/internal/config"
 	"github.com/steveyegge/gastown/internal/constants"
+	"github.com/steveyegge/gastown/internal/mail"
 	"github.com/steveyegge/gastown/internal/rig"
 	"github.com/steveyegge/gastown/internal/session"
 	"github.com/steveyegge/gastown/internal/style"
@@ -22,8 +23,9 @@ import (
 
 // Witness command flags
 var (
-	witnessForeground bool
-	witnessStatusJSON bool
+	witnessForeground  bool
+	witnessStatusJSON  bool
+	witnessProcessJSON bool
 )
 
 var witnessCmd = &cobra.Command{
@@ -105,6 +107,30 @@ Examples:
 	RunE: runWitnessRestart,
 }
 
+var witnessProcessCmd = &cobra.Command{
+	Use:   "process <rig>",
+	Short: "Process witness mail",
+	Long: `Process protocol messages in the Witness's mailbox.
+
+Reads unread messages and handles each based on protocol type:
+
+  POLECAT_DONE       - Auto-nuke if clean, create cleanup wisp if dirty
+  LIFECYCLE:Shutdown - Auto-nuke if clean
+  MERGED             - Verify and complete cleanup
+  MERGE_FAILED       - Notify polecat of failure
+  HELP               - Assess and escalate if needed
+  SWARM_START        - Initialize swarm tracking
+
+This command invokes the Go handlers that perform the actual cleanup
+operations (killing tmux sessions, removing worktrees, etc.).
+
+Examples:
+  gt witness process gastown
+  gt witness process gastown --json`,
+	Args: cobra.ExactArgs(1),
+	RunE: runWitnessProcess,
+}
+
 func init() {
 	// Start flags
 	witnessStartCmd.Flags().BoolVar(&witnessForeground, "foreground", false, "Run in foreground (default: background)")
@@ -112,12 +138,16 @@ func init() {
 	// Status flags
 	witnessStatusCmd.Flags().BoolVar(&witnessStatusJSON, "json", false, "Output as JSON")
 
+	// Process flags
+	witnessProcessCmd.Flags().BoolVar(&witnessProcessJSON, "json", false, "Output as JSON")
+
 	// Add subcommands
 	witnessCmd.AddCommand(witnessStartCmd)
 	witnessCmd.AddCommand(witnessStopCmd)
 	witnessCmd.AddCommand(witnessRestartCmd)
 	witnessCmd.AddCommand(witnessStatusCmd)
 	witnessCmd.AddCommand(witnessAttachCmd)
+	witnessCmd.AddCommand(witnessProcessCmd)
 
 	rootCmd.AddCommand(witnessCmd)
 }
@@ -458,3 +488,196 @@ func runWitnessRestart(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	fmt.Printf("  %s\n", style.Dim.Render("Use 'gt witness attach' to connect"))
 	return nil
 }
+
+// WitnessProcessResult tracks the result of processing witness mail.
+type WitnessProcessResult struct {
+	MessageID    string                `json:"message_id"`
+	ProtocolType witness.ProtocolType  `json:"protocol_type"`
+	From         string                `json:"from"`
+	Subject      string                `json:"subject"`
+	Handled      bool                  `json:"handled"`
+	Action       string                `json:"action"`
+	WispCreated  string                `json:"wisp_created,omitempty"`
+	Error        string                `json:"error,omitempty"`
+}
+
+func runWitnessProcess(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+	rigName := args[0]
+
+	townRoot, err := workspace.FindFromCwdOrError()
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("not in a Gas Town workspace: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	// Verify rig exists
+	_, r, err := getWitnessManager(rigName)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// Get witness mailbox
+	witnessAddr := fmt.Sprintf("%s/witness", rigName)
+	router := mail.NewRouter(townRoot)
+	mailbox, err := router.GetMailbox(witnessAddr)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("getting witness mailbox: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	// Get unread messages
+	messages, err := mailbox.ListUnread()
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("listing unread messages: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	if len(messages) == 0 {
+		if witnessProcessJSON {
+			fmt.Println("[]")
+		} else {
+			fmt.Printf("%s No pending messages\n", style.Dim.Render("○"))
+		}
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	if !witnessProcessJSON {
+		fmt.Printf("%s Processing %d message(s) for %s\n", style.Bold.Render("●"), len(messages), rigName)
+	}
+
+	var results []WitnessProcessResult
+	for _, msg := range messages {
+		result := processWitnessMessage(townRoot, r.Path, rigName, msg, router)
+		results = append(results, result)
+
+		if !witnessProcessJSON {
+			// Print result
+			if result.Error != "" {
+				fmt.Printf("  %s [%s] %s: %s\n",
+					style.Error.Render("✗"),
+					result.ProtocolType,
+					msg.Subject,
+					result.Error)
+			} else if result.Handled {
+				fmt.Printf("  %s [%s] %s\n",
+					style.Bold.Render("✓"),
+					result.ProtocolType,
+					result.Action)
+			} else {
+				fmt.Printf("  %s [%s] %s\n",
+					style.Dim.Render("○"),
+					result.ProtocolType,
+					result.Action)
+			}
+		}
+
+		// Archive handled messages
+		if result.Handled && result.Error == "" {
+			_ = mailbox.Delete(msg.ID)
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Output
+	if witnessProcessJSON {
+		enc := json.NewEncoder(os.Stdout)
+		enc.SetIndent("", "  ")
+		return enc.Encode(results)
+	}
+
+	// Summary
+	handled := 0
+	errors := 0
+	for _, r := range results {
+		if r.Handled {
+			handled++
+		}
+		if r.Error != "" {
+			errors++
+		}
+	}
+
+	fmt.Println()
+	fmt.Printf("%s Processed %d/%d messages",
+		style.Bold.Render("✓"), handled, len(results))
+	if errors > 0 {
+		fmt.Printf(" (%d errors)", errors)
+	}
+	fmt.Println()
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+// processWitnessMessage handles a single protocol message and returns the result.
+func processWitnessMessage(townRoot, rigPath, rigName string, msg *mail.Message, router *mail.Router) WitnessProcessResult {
+	result := WitnessProcessResult{
+		MessageID: msg.ID,
+		From:      msg.From,
+		Subject:   msg.Subject,
+	}
+
+	// Classify the message
+	result.ProtocolType = witness.ClassifyMessage(msg.Subject)
+
+	// Handle based on type
+	switch result.ProtocolType {
+	case witness.ProtoPolecatDone:
+		handlerResult := witness.HandlePolecatDone(rigPath, rigName, msg)
+		result.Handled = handlerResult.Handled
+		result.Action = handlerResult.Action
+		result.WispCreated = handlerResult.WispCreated
+		if handlerResult.Error != nil {
+			result.Error = handlerResult.Error.Error()
+		}
+
+	case witness.ProtoLifecycleShutdown:
+		handlerResult := witness.HandleLifecycleShutdown(rigPath, rigName, msg)
+		result.Handled = handlerResult.Handled
+		result.Action = handlerResult.Action
+		result.WispCreated = handlerResult.WispCreated
+		if handlerResult.Error != nil {
+			result.Error = handlerResult.Error.Error()
+		}
+
+	case witness.ProtoMerged:
+		handlerResult := witness.HandleMerged(rigPath, rigName, msg)
+		result.Handled = handlerResult.Handled
+		result.Action = handlerResult.Action
+		result.WispCreated = handlerResult.WispCreated
+		if handlerResult.Error != nil {
+			result.Error = handlerResult.Error.Error()
+		}
+
+	case witness.ProtoMergeFailed:
+		handlerResult := witness.HandleMergeFailed(rigPath, rigName, msg, router)
+		result.Handled = handlerResult.Handled
+		result.Action = handlerResult.Action
+		if handlerResult.Error != nil {
+			result.Error = handlerResult.Error.Error()
+		}
+
+	case witness.ProtoHelp:
+		handlerResult := witness.HandleHelp(rigPath, rigName, msg, router)
+		result.Handled = handlerResult.Handled
+		result.Action = handlerResult.Action
+		if handlerResult.Error != nil {
+			result.Error = handlerResult.Error.Error()
+		}
+
+	case witness.ProtoSwarmStart:
+		handlerResult := witness.HandleSwarmStart(rigPath, msg)
+		result.Handled = handlerResult.Handled
+		result.Action = handlerResult.Action
+		result.WispCreated = handlerResult.WispCreated
+		if handlerResult.Error != nil {
+			result.Error = handlerResult.Error.Error()
+		}
+
+	case witness.ProtoHandoff:
+		// Handoff messages are handled by the Claude agent reading them, not by Go code
+		result.Handled = false
+		result.Action = "handoff message - read by Claude agent, not processed here"
+
+	default:
+		result.Handled = false
+		result.Action = "unknown message type, skipped"
+	}
+
+	return result
+}
diff --git a/internal/witness/handlers.go b/internal/witness/handlers.go
index a67bcfa2..41652cf3 100644
--- a/internal/witness/handlers.go
+++ b/internal/witness/handlers.go
@@ -397,7 +397,7 @@ func createCleanupWisp(workDir, polecatName, issueID, branch string) (string, er
 	labels := strings.Join(CleanupWispLabels(polecatName, "pending"), ",")
 
 	output, err := util.ExecWithOutput(workDir, "bd", "create",
-		"--wisp",
+		"--ephemeral",
 		"--title", title,
 		"--description", description,
 		"--labels", labels,
@@ -431,7 +431,7 @@ func createSwarmWisp(workDir string, payload *SwarmStartPayload) (string, error)
 	labels := strings.Join(SwarmWispLabels(payload.SwarmID, payload.Total, 0, payload.StartedAt), ",")
 
 	output, err := util.ExecWithOutput(workDir, "bd", "create",
-		"--wisp",
+		"--ephemeral",
 		"--title", title,
 		"--description", description,
 		"--labels", labels,
@@ -450,7 +450,7 @@ func createSwarmWisp(workDir string, payload *SwarmStartPayload) (string, error)
 // findCleanupWisp finds an existing cleanup wisp for a polecat.
 func findCleanupWisp(workDir, polecatName string) (string, error) {
 	output, err := util.ExecWithOutput(workDir, "bd", "list",
-		"--wisp",
+		"--ephemeral",
 		"--labels", fmt.Sprintf("polecat:%s,state:merge-requested", polecatName),
 		"--status", "open",
 		"--json",