diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/kestrel/cli/Repl.kt b/src/main/kotlin/kestrel/cli/Repl.kt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8120ca6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/kestrel/cli/Repl.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,207 @@
+package kestrel.cli
+
+import java.io.BufferedReader
+import kestrel.KestrelException
+import kestrel.LexException
+import kestrel.catalog.Catalog
+import kestrel.engine.BeginResult
+import kestrel.engine.CommitResult
+import kestrel.engine.CreateIndexResult
+import kestrel.engine.CreateTableResult
+import kestrel.engine.DeleteResult
+import kestrel.engine.DropIndexResult
+import kestrel.engine.DropTableResult
+import kestrel.engine.ExplainResult
+import kestrel.engine.Executor
+import kestrel.engine.InsertResult
+import kestrel.engine.RollbackResult
+import kestrel.engine.SelectResult
+import kestrel.engine.StatementResult
+import kestrel.engine.UpdateResult
+import kestrel.persistence.Persistence
+import kestrel.persistence.SqlWriter
+import kestrel.sql.ast.BeginStatement
+import kestrel.sql.ast.CommitStatement
+import kestrel.sql.ast.RollbackStatement
+import kestrel.sql.ast.Statement
+import kestrel.sql.lexer.Lexer
+import kestrel.sql.lexer.TokenType
+import kestrel.sql.parser.Parser
+
+class Repl(
+    private val output: Appendable = System.out,
+    private val errorOutput: Appendable = System.err,
+    private val persistence: Persistence? = null
+) {
+    private val catalog = Catalog()
+    private val executor = Executor(catalog)
+    private val pending = StringBuilder()
+    private var pendingCommit: MutableList<String>? = null
+    private var replaying = false
+
+    init {
+        if (persistence != null) {
+            val restored = persistence.load()
+            if (restored.isNotBlank()) {
+                replaying = true
+                executeBuffer(restored)
+                replaying = false
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    fun run(input: BufferedReader) {
+        while (true) {
+            val line = input.readLine() ?: break
+            if (handleLine(line)) {
+                finish()
+                return
+            }
+        }
+        flushPending()
+        finish()
+    }
+
+    private fun finish() {
+        if (executor.inTransaction) executor.execute(RollbackStatement)
+        pendingCommit = null
+        persistence?.checkpoint(SqlWriter.dump(catalog))
+    }
+
+    private fun handleLine(line: String): Boolean {
+        val trimmed = line.trim()
+        if (pending.isBlank() && trimmed.startsWith(".")) {
+            return handleMetaCommand(trimmed)
+        }
+        if (pending.isBlank() && trimmed.isEmpty()) return false
+        pending.append(line).append('\n')
+        maybeExecute()
+        return false
+    }
+
+    private fun maybeExecute() {
+        val tokens = try {
+            Lexer(pending.toString()).tokenize()
+        } catch (exception: LexException) {
+            if (exception.incomplete) return
+            printError(exception.message)
+            pending.setLength(0)
+            return
+        }
+        val meaningful = tokens.dropLast(1)
+        if (meaningful.isNotEmpty() && meaningful.last().type == TokenType.Semicolon) {
+            executeBuffer(pending.toString())
+            pending.setLength(0)
+        }
+    }
+
+    private fun flushPending() {
+        if (pending.isNotBlank()) {
+            executeBuffer(pending.toString())
+            pending.setLength(0)
+        }
+    }
+
+    private fun executeBuffer(sql: String) {
+        val statements = try {
+            Parser(Lexer(sql).tokenize()).parseProgram()
+        } catch (exception: KestrelException) {
+            printError(exception.message)
+            return
+        }
+        for (statement in statements) {
+            try {
+                val result = executor.execute(statement)
+                printResult(result)
+                if (!replaying) recordForPersistence(statement)
+            } catch (exception: KestrelException) {
+                printError(exception.message)
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    private fun recordForPersistence(statement: Statement) {
+        when (statement) {
+            is BeginStatement -> pendingCommit = mutableListOf()
+            is CommitStatement -> {
+                pendingCommit?.let { persistence?.appendWal(it) }
+                pendingCommit = null
+            }
+            is RollbackStatement -> pendingCommit = null
+            else -> if (SqlWriter.canPersist(statement)) {
+                val sql = SqlWriter.write(statement)
+                val buffer = pendingCommit
+                if (buffer != null) buffer.add(sql) else persistence?.appendWal(listOf(sql))
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    private fun printResult(result: StatementResult) {
+        if (replaying) return
+        when (result) {
+            is SelectResult -> output.appendLine(TableRenderer.render(result))
+            is InsertResult -> output.appendLine("${rowsWord(result.count)} inserted")
+            is UpdateResult -> output.appendLine("${rowsWord(result.count)} updated")
+            is DeleteResult -> output.appendLine("${rowsWord(result.count)} deleted")
+            is CreateTableResult -> output.appendLine("Table ${result.tableName} created")
+            is DropTableResult -> output.appendLine("Table ${result.tableName} dropped")
+            is CreateIndexResult -> output.appendLine("Index ${result.indexName} created")
+            is DropIndexResult -> output.appendLine("Index ${result.indexName} dropped")
+            is ExplainResult -> result.plan.forEach { output.appendLine(it) }
+            BeginResult -> output.appendLine("Transaction started")
+            CommitResult -> output.appendLine("Transaction committed")
+            RollbackResult -> output.appendLine("Transaction rolled back")
+        }
+    }
+
+    private fun handleMetaCommand(command: String): Boolean {
+        val parts = command.split(Regex("\\s+"), limit = 2)
+        when (parts[0]) {
+            ".exit", ".quit" -> return true
+            ".tables" -> {
+                val names = catalog.tableNames
+                if (names.isEmpty()) output.appendLine("(no tables)") else names.forEach { output.appendLine(it) }
+            }
+            ".indexes" -> {
+                val names = catalog.indexNames
+                if (names.isEmpty()) output.appendLine("(no indexes)") else names.forEach { output.appendLine(it) }
+            }
+            ".schema" -> {
+                if (parts.size < 2 || parts[1].isBlank()) {
+                    printError("usage: .schema <table>")
+                } else {
+                    printSchema(parts[1].trim())
+                }
+            }
+            else -> printError("unknown command: ${parts[0]}")
+        }
+        return false
+    }
+
+    private fun printSchema(tableName: String) {
+        val table = catalog.tableOrNull(tableName)
+        if (table == null) {
+            printError("no such table: $tableName")
+            return
+        }
+        val schema = table.schema
+        val builder = StringBuilder()
+        builder.appendLine("CREATE TABLE ${schema.name} (")
+        schema.columns.forEachIndexed { index, column ->
+            val constraints = buildString {
+                if (column.primaryKey) append(" PRIMARY KEY")
+                if (column.notNull && !column.primaryKey) append(" NOT NULL")
+            }
+            val comma = if (index < schema.columns.size - 1) "," else ""
+            builder.appendLine("  ${column.name} ${column.type.displayName}$constraints$comma")
+        }
+        builder.append(");")
+        output.appendLine(builder.toString())
+    }
+
+    private fun printError(message: String?) {
+        errorOutput.appendLine("Error: ${message ?: "unknown error"}")
+    }
+
+    private fun rowsWord(count: Int): String = if (count == 1) "1 row" else "$count rows"
+}
diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/kestrel/cli/TableRenderer.kt b/src/main/kotlin/kestrel/cli/TableRenderer.kt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1209ce9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/kestrel/cli/TableRenderer.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+package kestrel.cli
+
+import kestrel.engine.SelectResult
+import kestrel.storage.Value
+
+object TableRenderer {
+    fun render(result: SelectResult): String {
+        val headers = result.columns
+        val cells = result.rows.map { row -> row.map { formatValue(it) } }
+        val widths = IntArray(headers.size) { headers[it].length }
+        for (row in cells) {
+            for (index in row.indices) {
+                widths[index] = maxOf(widths[index], row[index].length)
+            }
+        }
+        val separator = buildSeparator(widths)
+        val builder = StringBuilder()
+        builder.appendLine(separator)
+        builder.appendLine(renderRow(headers, widths))
+        builder.appendLine(separator)
+        for (row in cells) {
+            builder.appendLine(renderRow(row, widths))
+        }
+        builder.appendLine(separator)
+        builder.append(rowsWord(cells.size))
+        return builder.toString()
+    }
+
+    fun formatValue(value: Value): String = when (value) {
+        is Value.IntegerValue -> value.value.toString()
+        is Value.RealValue -> value.value.toString()
+        is Value.TextValue -> value.value
+        is Value.BooleanValue -> value.value.toString()
+        is Value.NullValue -> "NULL"
+    }
+
+    private fun renderRow(cells: List<String>, widths: IntArray): String =
+        cells.mapIndexed { index, cell -> cell.padEnd(widths[index]) }
+            .joinToString(prefix = "| ", separator = " | ", postfix = " |")
+
+    private fun buildSeparator(widths: IntArray): String =
+        widths.joinToString(prefix = "+", separator = "+", postfix = "+") { "-".repeat(it + 2) }
+
+    private fun rowsWord(count: Int): String = if (count == 1) "1 row" else "$count rows"
+}