diff --git a/.changeset/headless-agent-runtime-dom-free.md b/.changeset/headless-agent-runtime-dom-free.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b2e0e7f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/headless-agent-runtime-dom-free.md
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+---
+"@ignite-element/core": minor
+"@ignite-element/adapters": minor
+"@ignite-element/renderer": minor
+"ignite-element": minor
+---
+
+Make the headless agent runtime DOM-free, so `getSchema()` / `execute()` / `on()` / `watchView()` work in pure Node and edge runtimes with no jsdom polyfill.
+
+The agent runtime is meant to be headless, but it allocated its internal host element via `document.createElement`, so `getSchema()` / `execute()` threw `document is not defined` in a non-DOM runtime. That host is only ever used as an **EventTarget** — `on()` registers `host.addEventListener` / `removeEventListener` and effect emits go through `host.dispatchEvent` — so a real element was never required for headless use. `createRuntimeHost` now falls back to a bare `EventTarget` when there is no `document` (Node 22 ships `EventTarget` + `CustomEvent` globally), and keeps `document.createElement` when a real or jsdom DOM is present (no behavior change in the browser or in tests). The DOM render path (the custom element / DOM bridge) is unchanged and still requires a real DOM. This unblocks running an igniteTools agent loop — the act → observe → act surface — headless on a server, CLI, or edge device with zero DOM shim.
diff --git a/packages/ignite-element/src/IgniteElementFactory.ts b/packages/ignite-element/src/IgniteElementFactory.ts
index 7703cc97..d099b435 100644
--- a/packages/ignite-element/src/IgniteElementFactory.ts
+++ b/packages/ignite-element/src/IgniteElementFactory.ts
@@ -327,7 +327,24 @@ export default function igniteElementFactory<
 		sharedInstanceCount = 0;
 	};
 
-	const createRuntimeHost = () => document.createElement("div");
+	// The headless agent runtime (getSchema/execute/on/watchView) only ever uses
+	// its host as an EventTarget — `on()` calls host.addEventListener/
+	// removeEventListener and effect emits go through host.dispatchEvent. So in a
+	// non-DOM runtime (Node, edge) it does not need a real element: a bare
+	// EventTarget keeps the agent runtime fully DOM-free. The render path
+	// (createRuntimeDomBridge / the custom element) creates its own real element
+	// and still requires a DOM.
+	//
+	// The `as unknown as HTMLElement` cast is forced because the runtime host
+	// flows through the same `Host` generic the render path uses (typed
+	// HTMLElement for the JSX renderer's host.appendChild). It is safe here — no
+	// code path touches the runtime host with element-only APIs (verified) — but
+	// the proper fix is to split the agent-runtime host type (EventTarget) from
+	// the render-host `Host` generic so this cast disappears (tracked follow-up).
+	const createRuntimeHost = (): HTMLElement =>
+		typeof document === "undefined"
+			? (new EventTarget() as unknown as HTMLElement)
+			: document.createElement("div");
 
 	const createRuntimeDomBridge = (
 		renderer: ComponentRenderer<RenderArgs, View>,
diff --git a/packages/ignite-element/src/tests/agent-runtime-headless-node.test.ts b/packages/ignite-element/src/tests/agent-runtime-headless-node.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4abb26f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/ignite-element/src/tests/agent-runtime-headless-node.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+// @vitest-environment node
+//
+// The headless agent runtime must be DOM-free: getSchema()/execute()/on()/
+// watchView() have to work in pure Node (no jsdom). Before the createRuntimeHost
+// fix these threw "document is not defined" via createRuntimeHost ->
+// document.createElement. This file runs in the `node` environment (overriding
+// the package's global jsdom) so it would fail without a genuinely DOM-free
+// runtime. The DOM render path is intentionally not exercised here — it still
+// requires a real DOM.
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { assign, setup } from "xstate";
+import { igniteCore } from "../xstate";
+
+function createCounter() {
+	const machine = setup({
+		types: {
+			context: {} as { count: number },
+			events: {} as { type: "INC" },
+		},
+	}).createMachine({
+		id: "headless-counter",
+		context: { count: 0 },
+		initial: "active",
+		states: {
+			active: {
+				on: {
+					INC: {
+						actions: assign({ count: ({ context }) => context.count + 1 }),
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		},
+	});
+
+	return igniteCore({
+		source: machine,
+		events: (event) => ({ counted: event<{ count: number }>() }),
+		view: ({ snapshot }) => ({ count: snapshot.context.count }),
+		commands: ({ actor }) => ({
+			increment: () => actor.send({ type: "INC" }),
+		}),
+		effects: ({ emit, select }) => {
+			const count = select((state) => state.context.count);
+			if (count.changed) {
+				emit("counted", { count: count.current });
+			}
+		},
+	});
+}
+
+describe("agent runtime is DOM-free (pure Node, no jsdom)", () => {
+	it("runs in an environment with no document", () => {
+		expect(typeof document).toBe("undefined");
+	});
+
+	it("getSchema() builds the manifest without a DOM", () => {
+		const counter = createCounter();
+		const schema = counter.getSchema();
+		expect(Object.keys(schema.commands)).toContain("increment");
+		expect(schema.events).toContain("counted");
+		expect(schema.view).toMatchObject({ count: 0 });
+	});
+
+	it("execute() runs a command and returns the post-ack snapshot + events", async () => {
+		const counter = createCounter();
+		const result = await counter.execute("increment");
+		expect(result.state.context.count).toBe(1);
+		expect(result.events).toEqual([{ type: "counted", payload: { count: 1 } }]);
+	});
+
+	it("on() receives effect-emitted events via the host EventTarget", async () => {
+		const counter = createCounter();
+		const handler = vi.fn();
+		const subscription = counter.on("counted", handler);
+
+		await counter.execute("increment");
+
+		expect(handler).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+		const event = handler.mock.calls[0][0] as CustomEvent<{ count: number }>;
+		expect(event.detail).toEqual({ count: 1 });
+		subscription.unsubscribe();
+	});
+
+	it("watchView()/getView() observe the derived view without a DOM", async () => {
+		const counter = createCounter();
+		const seen: Array<{ count: number }> = [];
+		const subscription = counter.watchView((view) => seen.push(view));
+
+		await counter.execute("increment");
+
+		expect(counter.getView()).toEqual({ count: 1 });
+		expect(seen[seen.length - 1]).toEqual({ count: 1 });
+		subscription.unsubscribe();
+	});
+});