3 files changed, 69 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/makima/src/daemon/cli/directive.rs b/makima/src/daemon/cli/directive.rs
index 8a6a9f2..7c8451f 100644
--- a/makima/src/daemon/cli/directive.rs
+++ b/makima/src/daemon/cli/directive.rs
@@ -111,6 +111,45 @@ pub struct BatchAddStepsArgs {
     pub json: String,
 }
 
+/// Arguments for ask command (ask user a question from directive context).
+#[derive(Args, Debug)]
+pub struct AskArgs {
+    #[command(flatten)]
+    pub common: DirectiveArgs,
+
+    /// The question to ask
+    #[arg(index = 1)]
+    pub question: String,
+
+    /// Optional choices (comma-separated)
+    #[arg(long)]
+    pub choices: Option<String>,
+
+    /// Context about what this relates to
+    #[arg(long)]
+    pub context: Option<String>,
+
+    /// Timeout in seconds (default: 3600 = 1 hour)
+    #[arg(long, default_value = "3600")]
+    pub timeout: i32,
+
+    /// Block indefinitely until user responds (no timeout)
+    #[arg(long, default_value = "false")]
+    pub phaseguard: bool,
+
+    /// Allow selecting multiple choices (response will be comma-separated)
+    #[arg(long, default_value = "false")]
+    pub multi_select: bool,
+
+    /// Non-blocking mode - returns immediately without waiting for response
+    #[arg(long, default_value = "false")]
+    pub non_blocking: bool,
+
+    /// Question type (general, phase_confirmation, contract_complete)
+    #[arg(long, default_value = "general")]
+    pub question_type: String,
+}
+
 /// Arguments for update command.
 #[derive(Args, Debug)]
 pub struct UpdateArgs {
diff --git a/makima/src/daemon/cli/mod.rs b/makima/src/daemon/cli/mod.rs
index bcaaa70..8063541 100644
--- a/makima/src/daemon/cli/mod.rs
+++ b/makima/src/daemon/cli/mod.rs
@@ -249,6 +249,9 @@ pub enum DirectiveCommand {
 
     /// Update directive metadata (PR URL, etc.)
     Update(directive::UpdateArgs),
+
+    /// Ask a question and wait for user feedback
+    Ask(directive::AskArgs),
 }
 
 impl Cli {
diff --git a/makima/src/daemon/skills/directive.md b/makima/src/daemon/skills/directive.md
index 9d2b644..02de836 100644
--- a/makima/src/daemon/skills/directive.md
+++ b/makima/src/daemon/skills/directive.md
@@ -82,6 +82,32 @@ makima directive update --pr-url "<url>" --pr-branch "<branch>"
 ```
 Updates the directive's PR URL and/or PR branch. Used by completion tasks to store the PR URL after creating it.
 
+### Ask User a Question
+```bash
+makima directive ask "<question>"
+```
+Asks the user a question and waits for their response. Questions appear on the directive page with a yellow indicator and can be answered inline.
+
+Options:
+- `--choices "opt1,opt2,opt3"` - Provide choices for the user to select from
+- `--context "<context>"` - Additional context to help the user understand the question
+- `--timeout <seconds>` - Wait timeout (default: 3600 = 1 hour)
+- `--phaseguard` - Block indefinitely until the user responds (no timeout). Recommended for critical decisions during planning.
+- `--multi-select` - Allow the user to select multiple choices
+- `--non-blocking` - Return immediately without waiting for a response
+- `--question-type <general|phase_confirmation|contract_complete>` - Question type
+
+**When to use:**
+- During planning, when you need clarification on requirements or approach
+- When there are multiple valid approaches and user preference matters
+- When a decision requires domain knowledge you don't have
+- Always use `--phaseguard` for questions that block progress (the reconcile mode on the directive also controls this)
+
+**Example:**
+```bash
+makima directive ask "Should we use REST or GraphQL for the new API?" --choices "REST,GraphQL" --context "The existing codebase uses REST but the frontend team prefers GraphQL" --phaseguard
+```
+
 ## Memory Commands
 
 Directives have an optional key-value memory system that persists across steps and planning cycles. Use memory to share context, decisions, and learned information between steps — so downstream tasks don't need to re-discover what earlier steps already figured out.
@@ -167,6 +193,7 @@ makima directive memory-batch-set --json '{"framework": "axum", "orm": "sqlx", "
 ### Initial Setup
 1. Check the directive status to understand the goal
 2. Decompose the goal into steps with clear dependencies
+   - If requirements are unclear, use `makima directive ask` to get clarification before finalizing the plan
 3. Add steps using `add-step` with appropriate `--depends-on` flags
 4. Start the directive with `start`
 5. Steps with no dependencies will become `ready` immediately