diff --git a/SPEC.md b/SPEC.md
index 4278e3f..03a0901 100644
--- a/SPEC.md
+++ b/SPEC.md
@@ -132,8 +132,9 @@ of the image (a `PreparedRootfs`, TempDir-backed): it exists only for
 the run and dies with it. Persistence crosses a workspace share or it
 does not happen.
 
-**Workspace shares.** `--share HOST:GUEST[:ro]`, one virtiofs share per
-entry (`krun_add_virtiofs`, `krun_set_root` keeps the rootfs itself).
+**Workspace shares.** `-v HOST:GUEST[:ro]` (`--volume`), one virtiofs
+share per entry (`krun_add_virtiofs`, `krun_set_root` keeps the rootfs
+itself).
 The host side is plain fs; the guest init mounts each share at its
 guest path. There is no implicit share: an empty sandbox is the
 default, and the consumer chooses what crosses. This is deliberate; a
@@ -174,15 +175,36 @@ machine with it. No orphan survives. This is stronger than `docker
 exec`'s cancel, which kills only the local client; the tests keep it
 true (T4).
 
-**Console.** Guest output reaches real stdout through a console file
-the parent streams while the machine runs, with a final drain after
-the reap. The direct stdio wiring does not survive contact with
-reality: with a tty on fd 0 libkrun's terminal setup stops a
+**Console.** Three wirings, chosen by the run's flags.
+
+Headless (the default): guest output reaches real stdout through a
+console file the parent streams while the machine runs, with a final
+drain after the reap. The direct stdio wiring does not survive contact
+with reality: with a tty on fd 0 libkrun's terminal setup stops a
 background caller with SIGTTOU, and without one its console bytes go
 to the log sink, not the terminal. The child therefore unwires fd 0 to
-/dev/null (v1 carries no guest input; a Ctrl-C to the process group is
-still forwarded into the guest). There is no QEMU monitor to mux;
-`--verbose` maps to `krun_set_log_level`.
+/dev/null (no guest input; a Ctrl-C to the process group is still
+forwarded into the guest).
+
+`-t`: the machine owns the terminal. With no console output file set,
+libkrun wires the guest console to the process's own stdin and stdout,
+puts the tty in raw mode, and restores it through its exit observers.
+The parent additionally saves and restores the termios around the run:
+the observers do not run in a SIGKILLed machine. Input is the typed
+keyboard; Ctrl-C reaches the guest as a byte (raw mode has no ISIG)
+and the guest's line discipline signals its own foreground job. The
+run refuses to start without a terminal on stdin and stdout, and
+`--capture` is refused with `-t` (the payload's streams cannot land in
+files and on the terminal at once).
+
+`-i` without `-t`: pipes. libkrun still owns the process stdio, and
+its non-tty streams surface in the guest as virtio console ports
+(`krun-stdin`, `krun-stdout`, `krun-stderr` under `/dev/virtio-ports`);
+the guest init re-points the payload's stdio onto whichever port nodes
+exist, so `echo hi | ecrou run -i alpine -- cat` crosses the machine.
+A stream the host left on a tty has no port node and stays on the
+console. There is no QEMU monitor to mux; `--verbose` maps to
+`krun_set_log_level`.
 
 **Networking.** TSI, libkrun's default: the guest has no interface, and
 its socket calls are proxied on the host's stack by the VMM process.
@@ -232,7 +254,8 @@ absent kernel entries only.
 ```rust
 pub struct Share { pub host: PathBuf, pub guest: String, pub read_only: bool }
 pub struct RunOptions {
-    pub image: String,          // distro ref or OCI image ref
+    pub image: String,          // distro ref, OCI image ref, or local
+                                // rootfs archive path (./x.tar.gz)
     pub arch: String,           // empty = host arch
     pub memory: String,         // default "1G"
     pub workspace: Option<Share>,   // the one rw share consumers name
@@ -241,6 +264,8 @@ pub struct RunOptions {
     pub workdir: String,        // guest cwd; empty = /
     pub env: Vec<(String, String)>, // composed envp; host env never inherited
     pub hostname: String,       // empty = generated ecrou-vm-XXXXXX
+    pub interactive: bool,      // host stdin feeds the guest
+    pub tty: bool,              // console on the terminal (implies interactive)
     pub log_level: LogLevel,    // Quiet | Normal | Verbose
     pub capture: Option<PathBuf>,   // payload stdout/stderr into files
 }
@@ -273,16 +298,24 @@ ecrou provision [OPTIONS] <IMAGE> [-- COMMAND...]
 ecrou probe
 ```
 
+The image is a distro name (`alpine`, `ubuntu:noble`), an OCI
+reference (`ghcr.io/org/image:tag`), or a local rootfs archive named
+with a path (`./rootfs.tar.gz`, `/tmp/rootfs.tar`): a path reference is
+read in place on every run, never downloaded and never cached as a
+pristine entry.
+
 | Flag | Default | Description |
 |------|---------|-------------|
-| `--share <HOST:GUEST[:ro]>` | none | Workspace share; repeatable |
+| `-i, --interactive` | false | Keep the machine's stdin open: the host's stdin feeds the guest |
+| `-t, --tty` | false | Console on the terminal: raw mode, the guest sees a tty (implies `-i`; needs a terminal on stdin and stdout) |
+| `-v, --volume <HOST:GUEST[:ro]>` | none | Share a directory into the machine; the first rw one is the workspace; repeatable |
 | `-m, --memory <size>` | 1G | Guest memory |
-| `--workdir <guest path>` | `/` | Guest cwd |
+| `-w, --workdir <guest path>` | `/` | Guest cwd |
 | `-e, --env <KEY=VALUE>` | none | Guest env; repeatable |
 | `--quiet` | false | Suppress kernel log on the console |
-| `--capture <DIR>` | none | Payload stdout/stderr into `<DIR>/stdout` and `<DIR>/stderr` |
-| `--no-cache` | false | Fresh download, ignore the cache |
-| `-v, --verbose` | false | Diagnostics; raises the libkrun log level |
+| `--capture <DIR>` | none | Payload stdout/stderr into `<DIR>/stdout` and `<DIR>/stderr`; incompatible with `-t` |
+| `--no-cache` | false | Fresh download, ignore the cache (a local archive is always read fresh) |
+| `--verbose` | false | Diagnostics; raises the libkrun log level |
 
 `ecrou provision IMAGE -- COMMAND` bakes a command into the image's
 cache entry: the command runs in a machine over a freshly prepared
diff --git a/crates/ecrou-cli/src/cli.rs b/crates/ecrou-cli/src/cli.rs
index 571003d..77aeb78 100644
--- a/crates/ecrou-cli/src/cli.rs
+++ b/crates/ecrou-cli/src/cli.rs
@@ -7,13 +7,13 @@ use clap::{Args, Parser, Subcommand};
     name = "ecrou",
     version,
     about = "One-shot microVM environments on libkrun",
-    after_help = "Run 'ecrou run IMAGE -- COMMAND' to boot a machine for one command."
+    after_help = "Examples:\n  ecrou run -it alpine                    a shell in the machine\n  ecrou run ./rootfs.tar.gz -- uname -a   boot a local rootfs archive\n  ecrou run -v $PWD:/workspace ubuntu -- make"
 )]
 pub struct Cli {
     #[command(subcommand)]
     pub command: Command,
     /// Print diagnostic messages
-    #[arg(short, long, global = true)]
+    #[arg(long, global = true)]
     pub verbose: bool,
 }
 
@@ -55,23 +55,32 @@ pub enum Command {
 
 #[derive(Args, Debug)]
 pub struct RunArgs {
-    /// Distribution name or OCI image reference; not needed with
-    /// `--layer`, which boots a provisioned cache entry
+    /// Distribution name, OCI image reference, or a local rootfs
+    /// archive (a path: ./rootfs.tar.gz, /tmp/rootfs.tar); not needed
+    /// with `--layer`, which boots a provisioned cache entry
     #[arg(required_unless_present = "layer")]
     pub image: Option<String>,
+    /// Keep the machine's stdin open: the host's stdin feeds the
+    /// guest, so shells and prompts read typed input
+    #[arg(short = 'i', long)]
+    pub interactive: bool,
+    /// Run the guest console on the terminal (implies --interactive);
+    /// needs a terminal on stdin and stdout
+    #[arg(short = 't', long)]
+    pub tty: bool,
     /// Command to run in the machine; the image's default shell when
     /// omitted. An argument vector after `--` is taken literally; a
     /// single quoted line runs through the image's shell.
     #[arg(last = true)]
     pub command: Vec<String>,
     /// Directory to share into the machine as HOST:GUEST[:ro] (repeatable)
-    #[arg(long = "share")]
-    pub shares: Vec<String>,
+    #[arg(short = 'v', long = "volume")]
+    pub volumes: Vec<String>,
     /// Guest memory size
     #[arg(short = 'm', long, default_value = "1G")]
     pub memory: String,
     /// Guest working directory
-    #[arg(long, default_value = "/")]
+    #[arg(short = 'w', long, default_value = "/")]
     pub workdir: String,
     /// Guest environment KEY=VALUE (repeatable)
     #[arg(short = 'e', long = "env")]
@@ -92,9 +101,9 @@ pub struct RunArgs {
     pub layer: Option<String>,
 }
 
-/// Parse one `HOST:GUEST[:ro]` share specification. The guest path must
-/// be absolute; the host side is checked for existence at run time.
-pub fn parse_share(spec: &str) -> anyhow::Result<ecrou::Share> {
+/// Parse one `HOST:GUEST[:ro]` volume specification. The guest path
+/// must be absolute; the host side is checked for existence at run time.
+pub fn parse_volume(spec: &str) -> anyhow::Result<ecrou::Share> {
     let parts: Vec<&str> = spec.split(':').collect();
     let (host, guest, ro) = match parts.as_slice() {
         [h, g] => (*h, *g, false),
@@ -102,10 +111,10 @@ pub fn parse_share(spec: &str) -> anyhow::Result<ecrou::Share> {
         [_, _, other] => {
             anyhow::bail!("share suffix must be 'ro', got ':{}' in {:?}", other, spec)
         }
-        _ => anyhow::bail!("share must be HOST:GUEST[:ro], got {:?}", spec),
+        _ => anyhow::bail!("volume must be HOST:GUEST[:ro], got {:?}", spec),
     };
     if host.is_empty() || guest.is_empty() {
-        anyhow::bail!("share must be HOST:GUEST[:ro], got {:?}", spec);
+        anyhow::bail!("volume must be HOST:GUEST[:ro], got {:?}", spec);
     }
     if !guest.starts_with('/') {
         anyhow::bail!("share guest path must be absolute, got {:?}", guest);
@@ -133,23 +142,72 @@ mod tests {
     use super::*;
 
     #[test]
-    fn shares_parse_rw_and_ro() {
-        let s = parse_share("/home/me/work:/workspace").unwrap();
+    fn volumes_parse_rw_and_ro() {
+        let s = parse_volume("/home/me/work:/workspace").unwrap();
         assert_eq!(s.host, std::path::Path::new("/home/me/work"));
         assert_eq!(s.guest, "/workspace");
         assert!(!s.read_only);
 
-        let s = parse_share("/skills:/skills:ro").unwrap();
+        let s = parse_volume("/skills:/skills:ro").unwrap();
         assert!(s.read_only);
     }
 
     #[test]
-    fn shares_reject_malformed_specs() {
-        assert!(parse_share("/only-host").is_err());
-        assert!(parse_share(":/guest").is_err());
-        assert!(parse_share("/host:relative").is_err());
-        assert!(parse_share("/h:/g:rw").is_err());
-        assert!(parse_share("/h:/g:ro:extra").is_err());
+    fn volumes_reject_malformed_specs() {
+        assert!(parse_volume("/only-host").is_err());
+        assert!(parse_volume(":/guest").is_err());
+        assert!(parse_volume("/host:relative").is_err());
+        assert!(parse_volume("/h:/g:rw").is_err());
+        assert!(parse_volume("/h:/g:ro:extra").is_err());
+        let err = format!("{:#}", parse_volume("/only-host").unwrap_err());
+        assert!(err.contains("volume"), "{err}");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn it_combines_into_interactive_and_tty() {
+        let cli =
+            Cli::try_parse_from(["ecrou", "run", "-it", "alpine", "--", "sh"]).expect("-it parses");
+        let Command::Run(args) = cli.command else {
+            panic!("run expected");
+        };
+        assert!(args.interactive);
+        assert!(args.tty);
+        assert_eq!(args.image.as_deref(), Some("alpine"));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn v_is_the_volume_short_at_the_run_level() {
+        let cli = Cli::try_parse_from([
+            "ecrou",
+            "run",
+            "-v",
+            "/work:/work:ro",
+            "-v",
+            "/data:/data",
+            "alpine",
+        ])
+        .expect("-v parses");
+        let Command::Run(args) = cli.command else {
+            panic!("run expected");
+        };
+        assert_eq!(args.volumes.len(), 2);
+        assert!(parse_volume(&args.volumes[0]).unwrap().read_only);
+        // Verbose stays reachable by its long form.
+        let cli = Cli::try_parse_from(["ecrou", "--verbose", "probe"]).expect("--verbose parses");
+        assert!(cli.verbose);
+        assert!(
+            Cli::try_parse_from(["ecrou", "-v", "probe"]).is_err(),
+            "-v belongs to run --volume, not the global verbose"
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn w_aliases_workdir() {
+        let cli = Cli::try_parse_from(["ecrou", "run", "-w", "/src", "alpine"]).expect("-w parses");
+        let Command::Run(args) = cli.command else {
+            panic!("run expected");
+        };
+        assert_eq!(args.workdir, "/src");
     }
 
     #[test]
diff --git a/crates/ecrou-cli/src/main.rs b/crates/ecrou-cli/src/main.rs
index 268d070..4338b73 100644
--- a/crates/ecrou-cli/src/main.rs
+++ b/crates/ecrou-cli/src/main.rs
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ use clap::Parser;
 use ecrou::vm::RunOptions;
 use ecrou::{LogLevel, NoProgress, Progress};
 
-use cli::{parse_env, parse_share, Cli, Command, RunArgs};
+use cli::{parse_env, parse_volume, Cli, Command, RunArgs};
 use progress::TermProgress;
 
 fn main() -> std::process::ExitCode {
@@ -157,6 +157,15 @@ fn cmd_provision(
 }
 
 fn cmd_run(args: &RunArgs, cli_verbose: bool) -> std::process::ExitCode {
+    // A tty drives the payload's output through the terminal while the
+    // capture share points the same streams at files: one of them has
+    // to lose, so the run refuses instead of picking.
+    if args.tty && args.capture.is_some() {
+        return fail(&anyhow::anyhow!(
+            "--capture and --tty cannot be combined: the payload's output \
+             cannot land in the capture files and on the terminal"
+        ));
+    }
     let mut options = RunOptions {
         // Without a layer the image is required by clap; with one the
         // field is dead — the layer entry carries the rootfs.
@@ -171,6 +180,8 @@ fn cmd_run(args: &RunArgs, cli_verbose: bool) -> std::process::ExitCode {
         } else {
             LogLevel::Normal
         },
+        interactive: args.interactive,
+        tty: args.tty,
         no_cache: args.no_cache,
         layer: args.layer.clone(),
         capture: args.capture.clone(),
@@ -183,8 +194,8 @@ fn cmd_run(args: &RunArgs, cli_verbose: bool) -> std::process::ExitCode {
         }
     }
     let mut shares = Vec::new();
-    for spec in &args.shares {
-        match parse_share(spec) {
+    for spec in &args.volumes {
+        match parse_volume(spec) {
             Ok(share) => shares.push(share),
             Err(err) => return fail(&err),
         }
diff --git a/crates/ecrou/src/distro.rs b/crates/ecrou/src/distro.rs
index 4678ed4..addfba7 100644
--- a/crates/ecrou/src/distro.rs
+++ b/crates/ecrou/src/distro.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+use std::path::PathBuf;
+
 use anyhow::{anyhow, Context};
 
 use crate::Result;
@@ -24,6 +26,10 @@ pub enum ImageSource {
         tag: String,
         architecture: String,
     },
+    /// A rootfs archive on the host filesystem, named with a path
+    /// ("./rootfs.tar.gz", "/tmp/rootfs.tar"): read directly at prepare
+    /// time, never downloaded and never cached as a pristine entry.
+    LocalTarball { path: PathBuf },
 }
 
 impl Distro {
@@ -53,6 +59,16 @@ pub fn parse_image_ref(input: &str, arch: &str) -> Result<ImageSource> {
         return Ok(parse_oci_ref(rest, arch)?);
     }
 
+    // A reference that names a path stays a path: "./x", "../x" and
+    // "/x" can never be a distro name or an OCI reference, and the
+    // shell hands unexpanded "~" over only when quoted, which is
+    // deliberate. Everything else with a '/' is a registry ref.
+    if input.starts_with("./") || input.starts_with("../") || input.starts_with('/') {
+        return Ok(ImageSource::LocalTarball {
+            path: PathBuf::from(input),
+        });
+    }
+
     // Check for registry prefix (contains /)
     if input.contains('/') {
         return Ok(parse_oci_ref(input, arch)?);
@@ -531,4 +547,31 @@ mod tests {
             url
         );
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn a_dotted_relative_reference_names_a_local_tarball() {
+        let local = |p: &str| ImageSource::LocalTarball {
+            path: std::path::PathBuf::from(p),
+        };
+        let src = parse_image_ref("./rootfs.tar.gz", "amd64").expect("parses");
+        assert_eq!(src, local("./rootfs.tar.gz"));
+        assert_eq!(
+            parse_image_ref("../images/rootfs.tar", "amd64").expect("parses"),
+            local("../images/rootfs.tar")
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            parse_image_ref("/tmp/rootfs.tar.zst", "amd64").expect("parses"),
+            local("/tmp/rootfs.tar.zst")
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn path_like_registry_references_are_never_local_files() {
+        // A leading path component that is a hostname stays OCI: only
+        // "./", "../" and "/" introduce a local archive.
+        assert_eq!(
+            parse("mydir/image"),
+            oci("docker.io", "mydir/image", "latest")
+        );
+    }
 }
diff --git a/crates/ecrou/src/download.rs b/crates/ecrou/src/download.rs
index c643596..795ab71 100644
--- a/crates/ecrou/src/download.rs
+++ b/crates/ecrou/src/download.rs
@@ -199,6 +199,13 @@ pub fn download_image(
                 progress,
             ))?)
         }
+        // A local archive is read in place by the prepare step; there
+        // is nothing to fetch.
+        ImageSource::LocalTarball { path } => Err(anyhow!(
+            "a local rootfs archive is never downloaded: {}",
+            path.display()
+        )
+        .into()),
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/crates/ecrou/src/guest.rs b/crates/ecrou/src/guest.rs
index e4b207b..8feef35 100644
--- a/crates/ecrou/src/guest.rs
+++ b/crates/ecrou/src/guest.rs
@@ -35,6 +35,27 @@ pub struct GuestCapture {
     pub stderr: String,
 }
 
+/// How the payload's stdio reaches the host.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub enum GuestStdio {
+    /// The guest console. The default: a tty machine gives the payload
+    /// a terminal, the headless machine points it at the streamed
+    /// console file.
+    Console,
+    /// Host pipes. An interactive machine without a terminal: libkrun
+    /// exposes the run's non-tty stdio streams as virtio console ports
+    /// (`krun-stdin`, `krun-stdout`, `krun-stderr`), and the init wires
+    /// whichever port nodes exist onto the payload, leaving any tty
+    /// stream on the console.
+    HostPipes,
+}
+
+/// The virtio port names libkrun gives the implicit console's pipe
+/// streams (its builder, `autoconfigure_console_ports`).
+pub const PORT_STDIN: &str = "/dev/virtio-ports/krun-stdin";
+pub const PORT_STDOUT: &str = "/dev/virtio-ports/krun-stdout";
+pub const PORT_STDERR: &str = "/dev/virtio-ports/krun-stderr";
+
 /// Shell-quote a string for safe interpolation into the init script.
 /// Single quotes wrap everything; an embedded single quote closes,
 /// escapes, and reopens.
@@ -50,6 +71,7 @@ pub fn init_script(
     payload: &[String],
     workdir: &str,
     hostname: &str,
+    stdio: GuestStdio,
     capture: Option<&GuestCapture>,
 ) -> String {
     let mut script = String::from(
@@ -93,6 +115,24 @@ pub fn init_script(
         sh_quote(if workdir.is_empty() { "/" } else { workdir })
     ));
 
+    // Host pipes: re-point the init shell's own stdio, per stream, at
+    // whichever port nodes libkrun created. A stream the host left on
+    // a tty has no port node and stays on the console. When /dev is
+    // empty (no devtmpfs automount) the port nodes cannot exist, so
+    // mount it first; best effort.
+    if stdio == GuestStdio::HostPipes {
+        script.push_str(
+            "if [ ! -e /dev/null ]; then mount -t devtmpfs devtmpfs /dev 2>/dev/null || true; fi\n",
+        );
+        for (node, redirect) in [(PORT_STDIN, "0<"), (PORT_STDOUT, "1>"), (PORT_STDERR, "2>")] {
+            script.push_str(&format!(
+                "if [ -c '{}' ]; then exec {}'{}'; fi\n",
+                node, redirect, node
+            ));
+        }
+        script.push('\n');
+    }
+
     // Captured runs wrap the payload in a redirection group: the
     // streams cross the capture share as files, and the group's exit
     // status - the payload's - is what `code=$?` reads below. The
@@ -151,7 +191,14 @@ mod tests {
                 read_only: true,
             },
         ];
-        let script = init_script(&shares, &["true".to_string()], "/", "ecrou-vm-x", None);
+        let script = init_script(
+            &shares,
+            &["true".to_string()],
+            "/",
+            "ecrou-vm-x",
+            GuestStdio::Console,
+            None,
+        );
         assert!(script.contains("mount_share 'ws0' '/workspace' 'rw'"));
         assert!(script.contains("mount_share 'sk1' '/mnt/skills' 'ro'"));
     }
@@ -163,7 +210,7 @@ mod tests {
             "-c".to_string(),
             "echo $HOME; rm -rf '/'".to_string(),
         ];
-        let script = init_script(&[], &payload, "/", "ecrou-vm-x", None);
+        let script = init_script(&[], &payload, "/", "ecrou-vm-x", GuestStdio::Console, None);
         assert!(script.contains(r"'/bin/bash' '-c' 'echo $HOME; rm -rf '\''/'\''' "));
         // The payload line must appear after the cd and before the code
         // capture, so its exit code is what gets written.
@@ -175,7 +222,14 @@ mod tests {
 
     #[test]
     fn writes_exit_code_then_exits() {
-        let script = init_script(&[], &["true".to_string()], "/work", "ecrou-vm-x", None);
+        let script = init_script(
+            &[],
+            &["true".to_string()],
+            "/work",
+            "ecrou-vm-x",
+            GuestStdio::Console,
+            None,
+        );
         assert!(script.contains(&format!("echo \"$code\" > '{}'", EXIT_FILE)));
         // The file write must precede the exit: it is the only
         // diagnostic when a boot dies without the init running.
@@ -191,7 +245,14 @@ mod tests {
 
     #[test]
     fn hostname_lands_in_proc_and_etc() {
-        let script = init_script(&[], &["true".to_string()], "/", "ecrou-vm-x", None);
+        let script = init_script(
+            &[],
+            &["true".to_string()],
+            "/",
+            "ecrou-vm-x",
+            GuestStdio::Console,
+            None,
+        );
         assert!(script.contains("echo 'ecrou-vm-x' > /proc/sys/kernel/hostname"));
         assert!(script.contains("echo 'ecrou-vm-x' > /etc/hostname"));
     }
@@ -207,6 +268,7 @@ mod tests {
             &["true".to_string()],
             "/work",
             "ecrou-vm-x",
+            GuestStdio::Console,
             Some(&cap),
         );
         // The payload line is a redirection group: the group's exit
@@ -217,19 +279,97 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(payload_at < capture_at);
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn host_pipes_wire_each_stream_that_has_a_port() {
+        let script = init_script(
+            &[],
+            &["cat".to_string()],
+            "/",
+            "ecrou-vm-x",
+            GuestStdio::HostPipes,
+            None,
+        );
+        assert!(script.contains(
+            "if [ -c '/dev/virtio-ports/krun-stdin' ]; then exec 0<'/dev/virtio-ports/krun-stdin'; fi"
+        ));
+        assert!(script.contains(
+            "if [ -c '/dev/virtio-ports/krun-stdout' ]; then exec 1>'/dev/virtio-ports/krun-stdout'; fi"
+        ));
+        assert!(script.contains(
+            "if [ -c '/dev/virtio-ports/krun-stderr' ]; then exec 2>'/dev/virtio-ports/krun-stderr'; fi"
+        ));
+        // A tty stream has no port node; the console fallback is the
+        // absence of the redirect, not a conditional mount of anything.
+        assert!(!script.contains("exec 0<'/dev/console'"));
+        // The wiring precedes the payload, whose fds it is.
+        let wire_at = script.find("exec 0<").unwrap();
+        let payload_at = script.find("'cat'").unwrap();
+        assert!(wire_at < payload_at);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn the_console_stdio_adds_no_wiring() {
+        let script = init_script(
+            &[],
+            &["true".to_string()],
+            "/",
+            "ecrou-vm-x",
+            GuestStdio::Console,
+            None,
+        );
+        assert!(!script.contains("virtio-ports"));
+        assert!(!script.contains("devtmpfs"));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn capture_survives_the_pipe_wiring() {
+        let cap = GuestCapture {
+            stdout: CAPTURE_STDOUT.into(),
+            stderr: CAPTURE_STDERR.into(),
+        };
+        let script = init_script(
+            &[],
+            &["true".to_string()],
+            "/",
+            "x",
+            GuestStdio::HostPipes,
+            Some(&cap),
+        );
+        // The redirection group overrides the shell-level exec for
+        // stdout and stderr; stdin stays on the port.
+        assert!(script.contains("{ 'true' ; } > '/.ecrou-io/stdout' 2> '/.ecrou-io/stderr' "));
+        let wire_at = script.find("exec 1>").unwrap();
+        let group_at = script.find("{ 'true'").unwrap();
+        assert!(wire_at < group_at);
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn capture_paths_are_quoted_like_any_operand() {
         let cap = GuestCapture {
             stdout: "/.ecrou-io/stdout".into(),
             stderr: "/.ecrou-io/stderr".into(),
         };
-        let script = init_script(&[], &["echo it's".to_string()], "/", "x", Some(&cap));
+        let script = init_script(
+            &[],
+            &["echo it's".to_string()],
+            "/",
+            "x",
+            GuestStdio::Console,
+            Some(&cap),
+        );
         assert!(script.contains("echo it'\\''s"));
     }
 
     #[test]
     fn empty_workdir_falls_back_to_root() {
-        let script = init_script(&[], &["true".to_string()], "", "ecrou-vm-x", None);
+        let script = init_script(
+            &[],
+            &["true".to_string()],
+            "",
+            "ecrou-vm-x",
+            GuestStdio::Console,
+            None,
+        );
         assert!(script.contains("cd '/'"));
     }
 }
diff --git a/crates/ecrou/src/rootfs.rs b/crates/ecrou/src/rootfs.rs
index 03dd60d..0e4897b 100644
--- a/crates/ecrou/src/rootfs.rs
+++ b/crates/ecrou/src/rootfs.rs
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ impl RootfsCache {
         let arch = std::env::consts::ARCH
             .replace("x86_64", "amd64")
             .replace("aarch64", "arm64");
-        extract_prepared(path, arch, progress).map_err(Error::Other)
+        extract_prepared(&path.clone(), path, arch, progress).map_err(Error::Other)
     }
 
     /// The cache path an image resolves to, keyed or not — the same
@@ -168,6 +168,23 @@ impl RootfsCache {
     pub fn prepare(&self, req: &PrepareRequest, progress: &dyn Progress) -> Result<PreparedRootfs> {
         let arch = req.resolved_arch();
         let source = resolve_source(&req.image, &arch)?;
+
+        // A local archive bypasses the cache: the file is the pristine
+        // source on every run (--no-cache has nothing to say about it),
+        // and the derived entry name only matters as the place a
+        // provisioning over it would persist into.
+        if let ImageSource::LocalTarball { path } = &source {
+            if !path.is_file() {
+                return Err(Error::Other(anyhow!(
+                    "local rootfs archive not found: {} (a reference naming a path \
+                     must be a rootfs tarball: ./rootfs.tar.gz)",
+                    path.display()
+                )));
+            }
+            let entry = self.tarball_path(&source, &arch);
+            return extract_prepared(path, entry, arch, progress).map_err(Error::Other);
+        }
+
         let cache_path = self.tarball_path(&source, &arch);
 
         // OCI images with a floating tag (":latest") need a freshness check:
@@ -228,7 +245,12 @@ impl RootfsCache {
             log::debug!("Using cached tarball: {}", cache_path.display());
         }
 
-        Ok(extract_prepared(cache_path, arch, progress)?)
+        Ok(extract_prepared(
+            &cache_path.clone(),
+            cache_path,
+            arch,
+            progress,
+        )?)
     }
 
     /// Prepare a provisioned rootfs with cache amortization: when the cache
@@ -259,7 +281,12 @@ impl RootfsCache {
 
         if !req.no_cache && cache_path.exists() && marker.exists() {
             log::debug!("Using provisioned cache entry: {}", cache_path.display());
-            return Ok(extract_prepared(cache_path, arch, progress)?);
+            return Ok(extract_prepared(
+                &cache_path.clone(),
+                cache_path,
+                arch,
+                progress,
+            )?);
         }
 
         // The miss path prepares the PRISTINE base — a keyed entry
@@ -406,6 +433,7 @@ fn resolve_source(image: &str, arch: &str) -> anyhow::Result<ImageSource> {
 }
 
 fn extract_prepared(
+    source: &Path,
     cache_path: PathBuf,
     arch: String,
     progress: &dyn Progress,
@@ -414,7 +442,7 @@ fn extract_prepared(
     let rootfs = temp.path().to_path_buf();
 
     log::debug!("Extracting to: {}", rootfs.display());
-    extract_tarball(&cache_path, &rootfs, progress)?;
+    extract_tarball(source, &rootfs, progress)?;
     provision_resolver(&rootfs);
 
     Ok(PreparedRootfs {
@@ -620,6 +648,26 @@ fn generate_cache_filename(source: &ImageSource, arch: &str) -> String {
                 safe_registry, safe_repo, tag, architecture
             )
         }
+        ImageSource::LocalTarball { path } => {
+            let stem = path
+                .file_stem()
+                .and_then(|s| s.to_str())
+                .unwrap_or("rootfs")
+                .replace(['/', '\\', ':'], "_");
+            // Size and mtime key the entry: a provisioning over a
+            // local archive persists into the cache under this name,
+            // never over the caller's file, and an edited archive
+            // lands in a fresh entry.
+            let meta = std::fs::metadata(path);
+            let len = meta.as_ref().map(|m| m.len()).unwrap_or(0);
+            let mtime = meta
+                .ok()
+                .and_then(|m| m.modified().ok())
+                .and_then(|t| t.duration_since(std::time::UNIX_EPOCH).ok())
+                .map(|d| d.as_secs())
+                .unwrap_or(0);
+            format!("local-{}-{:x}-{:x}.tar.gz", stem, len, mtime)
+        }
     }
 }
 
@@ -808,6 +856,71 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(!dest.with_extension("partial").exists());
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn a_local_archive_prepares_without_touching_the_cache() {
+        // A rootfs tree, packed next to itself as ./rootfs.tar.gz, the
+        // way a caller names a local archive.
+        let work = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        let tree = work.path().join("tree");
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(&tree).unwrap();
+        std::fs::write(tree.join("etc-marker"), b"local").unwrap();
+        let tarball = work.path().join("rootfs.tar.gz");
+        pack_rootfs(&tree, &tarball).unwrap();
+
+        let cache_dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        let cache = RootfsCache::new(cache_dir.path().to_path_buf());
+        // An absolute spelling: "./" would resolve against this test
+        // process's working directory, not the tempdir.
+        let req = PrepareRequest::new(tarball.to_str().unwrap());
+        let rootfs = cache.prepare(&req, &NoProgress).expect("prepares");
+        assert_eq!(
+            std::fs::read(rootfs.dir().join("etc-marker")).unwrap(),
+            b"local"
+        );
+        // Nothing was downloaded or stashed: the file is the source.
+        assert!(cache_dir.path().read_dir().unwrap().next().is_none());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn a_missing_local_archive_is_a_named_error() {
+        let cache = RootfsCache::new(std::env::temp_dir().join("ecrou-test-absent"));
+        let req = PrepareRequest::new("./definitely-not-here.tar.gz");
+        let err = format!("{:#}", cache.prepare(&req, &NoProgress).unwrap_err());
+        assert!(err.contains("definitely-not-here.tar.gz"), "{err}");
+        assert!(err.contains("local rootfs archive"), "{err}");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn a_local_archive_keys_its_derived_entry_by_size_and_mtime() {
+        let source = crate::distro::parse_image_ref("./rootfs.tar.gz", "amd64").expect("parses");
+        let cache = RootfsCache::new(std::path::PathBuf::from("/cache"));
+        let name = cache.tarball_path(&source, "amd64");
+        let name = name.file_name().unwrap().to_str().unwrap();
+        assert!(name.starts_with("local-rootfs.tar-"), "{name}");
+        assert!(name.ends_with(".tar.gz"), "{name}");
+        // A zero-length archive keys differently from a one-byte one:
+        // an edited file never lands in a stale derived entry.
+        let empty = tempfile::NamedTempFile::new().unwrap();
+        let source = crate::distro::parse_image_ref(empty.path().to_str().unwrap(), "amd64")
+            .expect("parses");
+        let empty_name = cache
+            .tarball_path(&source, "amd64")
+            .file_name()
+            .unwrap()
+            .to_str()
+            .unwrap()
+            .to_string();
+        std::fs::write(empty.path(), b"x").unwrap();
+        let grown = cache
+            .tarball_path(&source, "amd64")
+            .file_name()
+            .unwrap()
+            .to_str()
+            .unwrap()
+            .to_string();
+        assert_ne!(empty_name, grown);
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn a_layer_key_splices_into_the_entry_name() {
         let cache = RootfsCache::new(std::path::PathBuf::from("/cache"));
diff --git a/crates/ecrou/src/vm.rs b/crates/ecrou/src/vm.rs
index 87eb72a..588d322 100644
--- a/crates/ecrou/src/vm.rs
+++ b/crates/ecrou/src/vm.rs
@@ -42,6 +42,15 @@ pub struct RunOptions {
     pub workdir: String,
     pub env: Vec<(String, String)>,
     pub hostname: String,
+    /// Keep the machine's stdin open: the host's stdin feeds the guest
+    /// console, so a shell reads typed input and a payload reads a
+    /// pipe. `tty` implies it.
+    pub interactive: bool,
+    /// Run the guest console on the host terminal: raw mode, live
+    /// cursor, the guest sees a tty. Needs a terminal on the host's
+    /// stdin and stdout; without one, run returns an error before any
+    /// machine exists.
+    pub tty: bool,
     /// How much of the engine's own logging reaches stderr
     pub log_level: LogLevel,
     pub no_cache: bool,
@@ -87,6 +96,8 @@ impl Default for RunOptions {
             workdir: "/".to_string(),
             env: Vec::new(),
             hostname: String::new(),
+            interactive: false,
+            tty: false,
             log_level: LogLevel::Normal,
             no_cache: false,
             layer: None,
@@ -129,6 +140,19 @@ pub fn run_prepared(rootfs: &PreparedRootfs, options: &RunOptions) -> Result<i32
     if options.image.is_empty() {
         return Err(Error::Other(anyhow!("no image given")));
     }
+    // Interactive modes put the console on this process's own stdio;
+    // a tty run additionally demands a real terminal, before any
+    // machine exists to fail halfway into it.
+    let interactive = options.interactive || options.tty;
+    if options.tty {
+        let istty = |fd| unsafe { libc::isatty(fd) } == 1;
+        if !istty(libc::STDIN_FILENO) || !istty(libc::STDOUT_FILENO) {
+            return Err(Error::Other(anyhow!(
+                "a tty run needs a terminal on stdin and stdout"
+            )));
+        }
+    }
+
     krun::kvm_probe()?;
     let krun = Krun::load()?;
 
@@ -171,11 +195,20 @@ pub fn run_prepared(rootfs: &PreparedRootfs, options: &RunOptions) -> Result<i32
         stdout: guest::CAPTURE_STDOUT.to_string(),
         stderr: guest::CAPTURE_STDERR.to_string(),
     });
+    // A tty machine keeps the payload on the console; an interactive
+    // machine without a terminal has libkrun expose its pipe streams
+    // as virtio ports, which the init wires onto the payload.
+    let stdio = if interactive && !options.tty {
+        guest::GuestStdio::HostPipes
+    } else {
+        guest::GuestStdio::Console
+    };
     let script = guest::init_script(
         &shares,
         &payload,
         &options.workdir,
         &hostname,
+        stdio,
         capture.as_ref(),
     );
     std::fs::write(&init_path, script)
@@ -217,13 +250,19 @@ pub fn run_prepared(rootfs: &PreparedRootfs, options: &RunOptions) -> Result<i32
             .collect::<Vec<_>>(),
     )?;
 
-    // The console goes through a file we stream to real stdout: without
-    // a tty, libkrun would route guest output through its logger, and
-    // with one, its terminal setup stops a background process with
-    // SIGTTOU. A killed parent kills the machine through PDEATHSIG.
+    // Headless, the console goes through a file we stream to real
+    // stdout: without a tty, libkrun would route guest output through
+    // its logger, and with one, its terminal setup stops a background
+    // process with SIGTTOU. Interactive modes skip the file: with no
+    // console output set, libkrun wires the guest console to this
+    // process's own stdin and stdout (raw mode and its restore are
+    // libkrun's on a tty; pipe streams surface as virtio ports the
+    // init wires). A killed parent kills the machine through PDEATHSIG.
     let console_path = rootfs.dir().join(".ecrou-console");
-    std::fs::File::create(&console_path)
-        .with_context(|| format!("creating {}", console_path.display()))?;
+    if !interactive {
+        std::fs::File::create(&console_path)
+            .with_context(|| format!("creating {}", console_path.display()))?;
+    }
 
     // Fork with no other threads alive: the child only touches libkrun
     // configuration before entering the VM loop, which never returns (a
@@ -247,22 +286,28 @@ pub fn run_prepared(rootfs: &PreparedRootfs, options: &RunOptions) -> Result<i32
         };
         unsafe {
             libc::prctl(libc::PR_SET_PDEATHSIG, libc::SIGKILL);
-            // Unwire the console input: with a tty on fd 0 libkrun puts
-            // that terminal into raw mode, which fights whoever owns it
-            // (and stops a background caller with SIGTTOU). /dev/null
-            // keeps the console on its plain path and still forwards a
-            // Ctrl-C sent to the process group into the guest.
-            let null = libc::open(c"/dev/null".as_ptr(), libc::O_RDWR);
-            if null >= 0 {
-                libc::dup2(null, libc::STDIN_FILENO);
-                if null != libc::STDIN_FILENO {
-                    libc::close(null);
+            // Headless only: unwire the console input (with a tty on
+            // fd 0 libkrun puts that terminal into raw mode, which
+            // fights whoever owns it, and stops a background caller
+            // with SIGTTOU). /dev/null keeps the console on its plain
+            // path and still forwards a Ctrl-C sent to the process
+            // group into the guest. An interactive machine wants the
+            // opposite: fd 0 is its console input by design.
+            if !interactive {
+                let null = libc::open(c"/dev/null".as_ptr(), libc::O_RDWR);
+                if null >= 0 {
+                    libc::dup2(null, libc::STDIN_FILENO);
+                    if null != libc::STDIN_FILENO {
+                        libc::close(null);
+                    }
                 }
+                libc::signal(libc::SIGTTOU, libc::SIG_IGN);
             }
-            libc::signal(libc::SIGTTOU, libc::SIG_IGN);
         }
-        if let Err(err) = krun.set_console_output(ctx, &console_path) {
-            bail(format!("{err:#}"), 125);
+        if !interactive {
+            if let Err(err) = krun.set_console_output(ctx, &console_path) {
+                bail(format!("{err:#}"), 125);
+            }
         }
         if let Err(err) = krun.start_enter(ctx) {
             bail(format!("{err:#}"), 125);
@@ -276,9 +321,56 @@ pub fn run_prepared(rootfs: &PreparedRootfs, options: &RunOptions) -> Result<i32
         ));
     }
 
-    let reaped = std::sync::atomic::AtomicI32::new(-1);
-    stream_console(&console_path, child, &reaped)?;
-    wait_machine(child, &reaped, &exit_file_host)
+    // The parent holds the terminal's mode across an interactive
+    // machine: libkrun restores through the child's exit observers,
+    // which a SIGKILLed machine never runs. (Only a tty is saved, so a
+    // piped -i run is a no-op here.)
+    let tty_restore = TtyRestore::save(interactive);
+    let result = if interactive {
+        wait_machine(
+            child,
+            &std::sync::atomic::AtomicI32::new(-1),
+            &exit_file_host,
+        )
+    } else {
+        let reaped = std::sync::atomic::AtomicI32::new(-1);
+        stream_console(&console_path, child, &reaped)?;
+        wait_machine(child, &reaped, &exit_file_host)
+    };
+    tty_restore.restore();
+    result
+}
+
+/// The host terminal's mode, saved before a tty machine boots and
+/// restored after it ends.
+struct TtyRestore {
+    saved: Option<libc::termios>,
+}
+
+impl TtyRestore {
+    fn save(wanted: bool) -> Self {
+        let saved = if wanted && unsafe { libc::isatty(libc::STDIN_FILENO) } == 1 {
+            // Safety: tcgetattr on our own stdin; the storage is valid
+            // and the call fills the whole struct or fails.
+            let mut term: libc::termios = unsafe { std::mem::zeroed() };
+            if unsafe { libc::tcgetattr(libc::STDIN_FILENO, &mut term) } == 0 {
+                Some(term)
+            } else {
+                None
+            }
+        } else {
+            None
+        };
+        TtyRestore { saved }
+    }
+
+    fn restore(&self) {
+        if let Some(term) = &self.saved {
+            // Safety: the termios value came from tcgetattr on the
+            // same fd; TCSADRAIN flushes output before the switch.
+            unsafe { libc::tcsetattr(libc::STDIN_FILENO, libc::TCSADRAIN, term) };
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 /// Relay the console file to real stdout while the machine runs, so
diff --git a/snap/snapcraft.yaml b/snap/snapcraft.yaml
index c27abc9..b828695 100644
--- a/snap/snapcraft.yaml
+++ b/snap/snapcraft.yaml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ description: |
   ecrou boots disposable Linux environments as one-shot microVMs on
   libkrun: it resolves an image reference, boots one VM per command
   with live stdio, propagates the exit code, and throws the machine
-  away. Persistence crosses an explicit `--share` or it does not
+  away. Persistence crosses an explicit `-v/--volume` share or it does not
   happen.
 
   ## Confinement