diff --git a/crates/bashkit/src/builtins/ls.rs b/crates/bashkit/src/builtins/ls.rs
index 7a590dfb..1ef75fc7 100644
--- a/crates/bashkit/src/builtins/ls.rs
+++ b/crates/bashkit/src/builtins/ls.rs
@@ -20,11 +20,12 @@ struct LsOptions {
     recursive: bool,
     sort_by_time: bool,
     classify: bool,
+    columns: bool,
 }
 
 /// The ls builtin - list directory contents.
 ///
-/// Usage: ls [-l] [-a] [-h] [-1] [-R] [-t] [-F] [PATH...]
+/// Usage: ls [-l] [-a] [-h] [-1] [-R] [-t] [-F] [-C] [PATH...]
 ///
 /// Options:
 ///   -l   Use long listing format
@@ -34,6 +35,7 @@ struct LsOptions {
 ///   -R   List subdirectories recursively
 ///   -t   Sort by modification time, newest first
 ///   -F   Append indicator (/ for dirs, * for executables, @ for symlinks, | for FIFOs)
+///   -C   List entries in columns (multi-column output)
 pub struct Ls;
 
 #[async_trait]
@@ -47,6 +49,7 @@ impl Builtin for Ls {
             recursive: false,
             sort_by_time: false,
             classify: false,
+            columns: false,
         };
 
         // Parse flags
@@ -64,6 +67,7 @@ impl Builtin for Ls {
                         'R' => opts.recursive = true,
                         't' => opts.sort_by_time = true,
                         'F' => opts.classify = true,
+                        'C' => opts.columns = true,
                         _ => {
                             return Ok(ExecResult::err(
                                 format!("ls: invalid option -- '{}'\n", c),
@@ -118,8 +122,8 @@ impl Builtin for Ls {
         }
 
         // Output file arguments first (preserving path as given by user)
-        for (path_str, metadata) in &file_args {
-            if opts.long {
+        if opts.long {
+            for (path_str, metadata) in &file_args {
                 let mut entry = format_long_entry(path_str, metadata, opts.human);
                 if opts.classify {
                     // Insert suffix before the trailing newline
@@ -129,12 +133,25 @@ impl Builtin for Ls {
                     }
                 }
                 output.push_str(&entry);
+            }
+        } else if !file_args.is_empty() {
+            let names: Vec<String> = file_args
+                .iter()
+                .map(|(path_str, metadata)| {
+                    let mut name = (*path_str).to_string();
+                    if opts.classify {
+                        name.push_str(classify_suffix(metadata));
+                    }
+                    name
+                })
+                .collect();
+            if opts.columns && !opts.one_per_line {
+                output.push_str(&format_columns(&names, 80));
             } else {
-                output.push_str(path_str);
-                if opts.classify {
-                    output.push_str(classify_suffix(metadata));
+                for name in &names {
+                    output.push_str(name);
+                    output.push('\n');
                 }
-                output.push('\n');
             }
         }
 
@@ -219,12 +236,14 @@ async fn list_directory(
             }
         }
     } else {
+        // Collect entry names for potential column formatting
+        let mut names: Vec<String> = Vec::new();
         for entry in &filtered {
-            output.push_str(&entry.name);
+            let mut name = entry.name.clone();
             if opts.classify {
-                output.push_str(classify_suffix(&entry.metadata));
+                name.push_str(classify_suffix(&entry.metadata));
             }
-            output.push('\n');
+            names.push(name);
             if opts.recursive && entry.metadata.file_type.is_dir() {
                 subdirs.push((
                     path.join(&entry.name),
@@ -232,6 +251,16 @@ async fn list_directory(
                 ));
             }
         }
+
+        // Precedence: -l > -1 > -C > default (one-per-line)
+        if opts.columns && !opts.one_per_line {
+            output.push_str(&format_columns(&names, 80));
+        } else {
+            for name in &names {
+                output.push_str(name);
+                output.push('\n');
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     // Recursive listing
@@ -262,6 +291,62 @@ fn classify_suffix(metadata: &crate::fs::Metadata) -> &'static str {
     }
 }
 
+/// Format entries in column-major order, like `ls -C`.
+/// Uses a fixed terminal width (80) since VFS has no real terminal.
+/// Per-column widths match GNU coreutils behavior.
+fn format_columns(entries: &[String], terminal_width: usize) -> String {
+    if entries.is_empty() {
+        return String::new();
+    }
+
+    // Try fitting as many columns as possible, starting from the maximum
+    let max_width = entries.iter().map(|e| e.len()).max().unwrap_or(0);
+    let max_possible_cols = (terminal_width / (max_width.min(1) + 2)).max(1);
+
+    let mut num_cols = 1;
+    let mut col_widths: Vec<usize> = vec![0];
+    let mut num_rows = entries.len();
+
+    // Try increasing column counts to find the best fit
+    for try_cols in 2..=max_possible_cols.min(entries.len()) {
+        let try_rows = entries.len().div_ceil(try_cols);
+        // Calculate per-column widths (max entry width in each column)
+        let mut widths = vec![0usize; try_cols];
+        for (i, entry) in entries.iter().enumerate() {
+            let col = i / try_rows;
+            if col < try_cols {
+                widths[col] = widths[col].max(entry.len());
+            }
+        }
+        // Total width: each column except last gets 2-space padding
+        let total: usize = widths.iter().sum::<usize>() + (try_cols - 1) * 2;
+        if total <= terminal_width {
+            num_cols = try_cols;
+            col_widths = widths;
+            num_rows = try_rows;
+        }
+    }
+
+    let mut output = String::new();
+    for row in 0..num_rows {
+        for (col, col_w) in col_widths.iter().enumerate() {
+            // Column-major order: fill columns top-to-bottom, left-to-right
+            let idx = col * num_rows + row;
+            if idx < entries.len() {
+                let is_last = col == num_cols - 1 || idx + num_rows >= entries.len();
+                if is_last {
+                    output.push_str(&entries[idx]);
+                } else {
+                    let width = col_w + 2; // entry width + 2 spaces
+                    output.push_str(&format!("{:<width$}", entries[idx], width = width));
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        output.push('\n');
+    }
+    output
+}
+
 fn format_long_entry(name: &str, metadata: &crate::fs::Metadata, human: bool) -> String {
     let file_type = match metadata.file_type {
         FileType::Directory => 'd',
diff --git a/crates/bashkit/tests/spec_cases/bash/ls.test.sh b/crates/bashkit/tests/spec_cases/bash/ls.test.sh
index 2ee16c14..aa003af6 100644
--- a/crates/bashkit/tests/spec_cases/bash/ls.test.sh
+++ b/crates/bashkit/tests/spec_cases/bash/ls.test.sh
@@ -75,6 +75,35 @@ ls -F /tmp/lscf/mydir /tmp/lscf/normal.txt
 /tmp/lscf/mydir:
 ### end
 
+### ls_columns_basic
+# ls -C should produce multi-column output
+mkdir -p /tmp/lscol
+touch /tmp/lscol/alpha /tmp/lscol/beta /tmp/lscol/delta /tmp/lscol/gamma
+ls -C /tmp/lscol
+### expect
+alpha  beta  delta  gamma
+### end
+
+### ls_columns_with_classify
+# ls -CF should combine classify and columns
+mkdir -p /tmp/lscf2/subdir
+touch /tmp/lscf2/file.txt
+ls -CF /tmp/lscf2
+### expect
+file.txt  subdir/
+### end
+
+### ls_one_per_line_overrides_columns
+# ls -1 should override -C (one per line)
+mkdir -p /tmp/ls1c
+touch /tmp/ls1c/aaa /tmp/ls1c/bbb /tmp/ls1c/ccc
+ls -C1 /tmp/ls1c
+### expect
+aaa
+bbb
+ccc
+### end
+
 ### ls_classify_long
 ### bash_diff: bashkit ls -l omits 'total' line
 # ls -lF should append indicators in long format