diff --git a/src/hqt/cli.py b/src/hqt/cli.py
index cd056b7..9e99188 100644
--- a/src/hqt/cli.py
+++ b/src/hqt/cli.py
@@ -169,6 +169,68 @@ def tool_cmd(tool, window):
         raise SystemExit(1)
 
 
+PALETTE_ENTRIES = ["nvim", "lazygit", "shell", "clone"]
+
+# fzf colors matching the Catppuccin Frappé status bar / the Alt+o switcher.
+_PALETTE_FZF_COLORS = (
+    "bg:#292c3c,bg+:#414559,fg:#c6d0f5,fg+:#c6d0f5,hl:#ef9f76,hl+:#ef9f76,"
+    "pointer:#ef9f76,prompt:#8caaee,info:#838ba7,border:#838ba7"
+)
+
+
+def _palette_popup_command(window: str) -> str:
+    """Shell pipeline for the fzf popup; `window` is baked in as a literal.
+
+    display-popup does NOT format-expand its command, so the window name must be
+    concrete here (run-shell already expanded #{window_name} before `hqt palette`
+    ran). The selected entry runs `hqt tool <choice> <window>`.
+    """
+    import shlex
+
+    entries = "\\n".join(PALETTE_ENTRIES) + "\\n"
+    return (
+        f"printf '{entries}' | "
+        f"fzf --reverse --no-info --prompt='tool  ' --pointer='▌' "
+        f"--color='{_PALETTE_FZF_COLORS}' | "
+        f"xargs -r -I{{}} hqt tool {{}} {shlex.quote(window)}"
+    )
+
+
+@main.command(name="palette")
+@click.argument("window")
+def palette_cmd(window):
+    """Pop an fzf tool palette for the session in tmux WINDOW (bound to M-p)."""
+    from hqt.config import get_settings
+
+    settings = get_settings()
+    svc = _build_session_service()
+    if svc.session_id_for_window(window) is None:
+        subprocess.run(
+            [
+                settings.tmux_path,
+                "display-message",
+                "hqt: open the tool palette from a harness window",
+            ]
+        )
+        return
+    subprocess.run(
+        [
+            settings.tmux_path,
+            "display-popup",
+            "-E",
+            "-w",
+            "40%",
+            "-h",
+            "30%",
+            "-T",
+            " open tool ",
+            "-S",
+            "fg=#838ba7",
+            _palette_popup_command(window),
+        ]
+    )
+
+
 @main.command(name="list")
 def list_cmd():
     """List projects and sessions."""
diff --git a/tests/test_cli.py b/tests/test_cli.py
index 652116b..7472b75 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -63,3 +63,47 @@ def test_tool_cmd_reports_service_error(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
 
     assert result.exit_code == 1
     assert "not an hqt session window" in result.output
+
+
+def test_palette_cmd_shows_popup_for_session_window(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        "hqt.config.get_settings", lambda: Settings(db_path=tmp_path / "t.db")
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        "hqt.sessions.service.SessionService.session_id_for_window",
+        lambda self, window: 5,
+    )
+    runs = []
+    monkeypatch.setattr(cli.subprocess, "run", lambda argv, **kw: runs.append(argv))
+
+    result = CliRunner().invoke(cli.main, ["palette", "hqt-5"])
+
+    assert result.exit_code == 0, result.output
+    assert len(runs) == 1
+    argv = runs[0]
+    assert "display-popup" in argv
+    popup_cmd = argv[-1]
+    assert "fzf" in popup_cmd
+    assert "nvim" in popup_cmd and "clone" in popup_cmd
+    # the window is baked into the command for `hqt tool {} <window>`
+    assert "hqt-5" in popup_cmd
+
+
+def test_palette_cmd_hints_for_non_session_window(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        "hqt.config.get_settings", lambda: Settings(db_path=tmp_path / "t.db")
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        "hqt.sessions.service.SessionService.session_id_for_window",
+        lambda self, window: None,
+    )
+    runs = []
+    monkeypatch.setattr(cli.subprocess, "run", lambda argv, **kw: runs.append(argv))
+
+    result = CliRunner().invoke(cli.main, ["palette", "nvim"])
+
+    assert result.exit_code == 0, result.output
+    assert len(runs) == 1
+    argv = runs[0]
+    assert "display-message" in argv
+    assert "display-popup" not in argv