diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/store/pet.test.ts b/apps/desktop/src/store/pet.test.ts
index 2837334ab37..ce2327becb4 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/store/pet.test.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/store/pet.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,14 @@
 import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
 
-import { $petActivity, $petState, derivePetState, flashPetActivity, setPetActivity } from './pet'
+import {
+  $petActivity,
+  $petAtRest,
+  $petMotion,
+  $petState,
+  derivePetState,
+  flashPetActivity,
+  setPetActivity
+} from './pet'
 
 describe('derivePetState', () => {
   it('rests at idle by default and uses waiting when awaiting input', () => {
@@ -32,6 +40,41 @@ describe('derivePetState', () => {
   })
 })
 
+describe('roam motion', () => {
+  it('only reports at-rest when the agent-driven state is plain idle', () => {
+    $petActivity.set({})
+    expect($petAtRest.get()).toBe(true)
+
+    $petActivity.set({ busy: true })
+    expect($petAtRest.get()).toBe(false)
+
+    $petActivity.set({})
+    expect($petAtRest.get()).toBe(true)
+  })
+
+  it('shows the roam pose while wandering, but never overrides real activity', () => {
+    $petActivity.set({})
+    $petMotion.set('run')
+    expect($petState.get()).toBe('run')
+
+    // Hops surface the jump pose.
+    $petMotion.set('jump')
+    expect($petState.get()).toBe('jump')
+
+    // Activity wins over a wander in progress.
+    $petActivity.set({ reasoning: true, busy: true })
+    expect($petState.get()).toBe('review')
+
+    // Back at rest, the wander resumes its pose; clearing it returns to idle.
+    $petActivity.set({})
+    expect($petState.get()).toBe('jump')
+    $petMotion.set(null)
+    expect($petState.get()).toBe('idle')
+
+    $petActivity.set({})
+  })
+})
+
 describe('flashPetActivity', () => {
   it('clears stale sibling beats so a completion never inherits a prior error', () => {
     // A turn errors (sad), then the next turn finishes cleanly. The celebrate
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/store/pet.ts b/apps/desktop/src/store/pet.ts
index 68b0c523982..1b189ac8291 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/store/pet.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/store/pet.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { atom, computed } from 'nanostores'
 
+import { persistBoolean, storedBoolean } from '@/lib/storage'
 import { $activeGatewayProfile, normalizeProfileKey } from '@/store/profile'
 import { $busy } from '@/store/session'
 
@@ -134,15 +135,15 @@ export const flashPetActivity = (next: Partial<PetActivity>, ms = 1600) => {
 export const setPetInfo = (info: PetInfo) => $petInfo.set(info)
 
 /**
- * The live pet state. Derives from the dedicated activity atom, falling back to
- * the always-present `$busy` chat signal so the pet reacts out of the box.
+ * Resolve the live activity state from the dedicated activity atom, falling back
+ * to the always-present `$busy` chat signal so the pet reacts out of the box.
  *
  * `awaitingInput` (a clarify/approval blocking on the user) is an explicit flag
  * on `$petActivity` — set by the controller from `$attentionSessionIds` and
  * mirrored to the pop-out overlay through the same atom, so both surfaces agree
  * without the overlay needing the session list.
  */
-export const $petState = computed([$petActivity, $busy], (activity, busy): PetState => {
+function deriveLivePetState(activity: PetActivity, busy: boolean): PetState {
   const live = activity.busy ?? busy
 
   return derivePetState({
@@ -156,4 +157,53 @@ export const $petState = computed([$petActivity, $busy], (activity, busy): PetSt
     justCompleted: activity.justCompleted,
     celebrate: activity.celebrate
   })
+}
+
+/**
+ * Opt-in: let the floating mascot wander around the window on its own while
+ * idle. Pure desktop-client behavior (no agent/config dependency), so it lives
+ * in localStorage like the pet's drag position — per-device, not per-profile.
+ */
+const ROAM_KEY = 'hermes.desktop.pet-roam.v1'
+export const $petRoam = atom<boolean>(storedBoolean(ROAM_KEY, false))
+
+export const setPetRoam = (on: boolean) => {
+  $petRoam.set(on)
+  persistBoolean(ROAM_KEY, on)
+}
+
+/**
+ * The pose the roam loop is currently driving: `run` while walking a surface,
+ * `jump` while hopping/falling between surfaces, or `null` at rest. Surfaced
+ * through `$petState` (below) so the canvas animates the wander without any prop
+ * change or re-render — it already subscribes to `$petState`.
+ */
+export const $petMotion = atom<PetState | null>(null)
+
+/**
+ * Horizontal travel direction while roaming: -1 left, 1 right, 0 not walking.
+ * The floating pet maps this to the directional run row + mirror, keeping the
+ * wander loop free of sprite-row knowledge.
+ */
+export const $petRoamDir = atom<-1 | 0 | 1>(0)
+
+/**
+ * Whether the agent-driven state is at rest (plain `idle`). The roam loop gates
+ * on this — never on `$petState` itself, which would feed back on its own
+ * `$petMotion`-driven pose and stall the wander.
+ */
+export const $petAtRest = computed(
+  [$petActivity, $busy],
+  (activity, busy): boolean => deriveLivePetState(activity, busy) === 'idle'
+)
+
+/**
+ * The live pet state. Activity always wins; only when the agent is at rest does
+ * a roam pose (walking → `run`, hopping → `jump`) show through, so the wander
+ * reads as deliberate movement.
+ */
+export const $petState = computed([$petActivity, $busy, $petMotion], (activity, busy, motion): PetState => {
+  const base = deriveLivePetState(activity, busy)
+
+  return base === 'idle' && motion ? motion : base
 })