diff --git a/src/commands/jq/jq.test.ts b/src/commands/jq/jq.test.ts
index 949561b9..e688c4a4 100644
--- a/src/commands/jq/jq.test.ts
+++ b/src/commands/jq/jq.test.ts
@@ -389,4 +389,115 @@ describe("jq", () => {
       expect(result.stdout).toBe("test\n");
     });
   });
+
+  describe("--arg", () => {
+    it("should bind a string variable", async () => {
+      const env = new Bash();
+      const result = await env.exec(
+        "echo '{\"a\":1}' | jq --arg name hello '{x: $name}'",
+      );
+      expect(result.exitCode).toBe(0);
+      expect(result.stdout).toContain('"x": "hello"');
+    });
+
+    it("should use $var in filter expression", async () => {
+      const env = new Bash();
+      const result = await env.exec(
+        'echo \'[{"name":"alice"},{"name":"bob"}]\' | jq --arg who bob \'[.[] | select(.name == $who)]\'',
+      );
+      expect(result.exitCode).toBe(0);
+      expect(result.stdout).toContain('"bob"');
+      expect(result.stdout).not.toContain('"alice"');
+    });
+
+    it("should support multiple --arg flags", async () => {
+      const env = new Bash();
+      const result = await env.exec(
+        "echo 'null' | jq -n --arg a hello --arg b world '{x: $a, y: $b}'",
+      );
+      expect(result.exitCode).toBe(0);
+      expect(result.stdout).toContain('"x": "hello"');
+      expect(result.stdout).toContain('"y": "world"');
+    });
+
+    it("should error if name is missing", async () => {
+      const env = new Bash();
+      const result = await env.exec("echo '{}' | jq --arg");
+      expect(result.exitCode).toBe(2);
+      expect(result.stderr).toContain("--arg requires two arguments");
+    });
+
+    it("should always bind as string (not number)", async () => {
+      const env = new Bash();
+      const result = await env.exec(
+        "echo 'null' | jq -n --arg x 42 '($x | type)'",
+      );
+      expect(result.exitCode).toBe(0);
+      expect(result.stdout).toContain('"string"');
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe("--argjson", () => {
+    it("should bind a JSON number", async () => {
+      const env = new Bash();
+      const result = await env.exec(
+        "echo 'null' | jq -n --argjson x 42 '{val: $x}'",
+      );
+      expect(result.exitCode).toBe(0);
+      expect(result.stdout).toContain('"val": 42');
+    });
+
+    it("should bind a JSON object", async () => {
+      const env = new Bash();
+      const result = await env.exec(
+        "echo 'null' | jq -n --argjson obj '{\"a\":1}' '$obj.a'",
+      );
+      expect(result.exitCode).toBe(0);
+      expect(result.stdout.trim()).toBe("1");
+    });
+
+    it("should bind a JSON array", async () => {
+      const env = new Bash();
+      const result = await env.exec(
+        "echo 'null' | jq -n --argjson arr '[1,2,3]' '$arr | length'",
+      );
+      expect(result.exitCode).toBe(0);
+      expect(result.stdout.trim()).toBe("3");
+    });
+
+    it("should bind a JSON boolean", async () => {
+      const env = new Bash();
+      const result = await env.exec(
+        "echo 'null' | jq -n --argjson flag true '$flag'",
+      );
+      expect(result.exitCode).toBe(0);
+      expect(result.stdout.trim()).toBe("true");
+    });
+
+    it("should error on invalid JSON", async () => {
+      const env = new Bash();
+      const result = await env.exec(
+        "echo '{}' | jq --argjson x 'not-json' '.'",
+      );
+      expect(result.exitCode).toBe(2);
+      expect(result.stderr).toContain("Invalid JSON value for --argjson");
+    });
+
+    it("should error if arguments are missing", async () => {
+      const env = new Bash();
+      const result = await env.exec("echo '{}' | jq --argjson x");
+      expect(result.exitCode).toBe(2);
+      expect(result.stderr).toContain("--argjson requires two arguments");
+    });
+
+    it("should work with --arg and --argjson together", async () => {
+      const env = new Bash();
+      const result = await env.exec(
+        "echo 'null' | jq -n --arg name test --argjson count 5 '{name: $name, count: $count}'",
+      );
+      expect(result.exitCode).toBe(0);
+      expect(result.stdout).toContain('"name": "test"');
+      expect(result.stdout).toContain('"count": 5');
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/commands/jq/jq.ts b/src/commands/jq/jq.ts
index cab1750d..696a94d2 100644
--- a/src/commands/jq/jq.ts
+++ b/src/commands/jq/jq.ts
@@ -127,6 +127,8 @@ const jqHelp = {
     "-S, --sort-keys   sort object keys",
     "-C, --color       colorize output (ignored)",
     "-M, --monochrome  monochrome output (ignored)",
+    "    --arg name v  set $name to string value v",
+    "    --argjson n v set $n to parsed JSON value v",
     "    --tab         use tabs for indentation",
     "    --help        display this help and exit",
   ],
@@ -214,6 +216,7 @@ export const jqCommand: Command = {
     let filter = ".";
     let filterSet = false;
     const files: string[] = [];
+    const initialVars = new Map<string, QueryValue>();
 
     for (let i = 0; i < args.length; i++) {
       const a = args[i];
@@ -231,7 +234,41 @@ export const jqCommand: Command = {
       } else if (a === "-M" || a === "--monochrome") {
         /* ignored */
       } else if (a === "--tab") useTab = true;
-      else if (a === "-") files.push("-");
+      else if (a === "--arg") {
+        const name = args[++i];
+        const value = args[++i];
+        if (name === undefined || value === undefined) {
+          return {
+            stdout: "",
+            stderr: "jq: --arg requires two arguments (name and value)\n",
+            exitCode: 2,
+          };
+        }
+        initialVars.set(`$${name}`, value);
+      } else if (a === "--argjson") {
+        const name = args[++i];
+        const jsonStr = args[++i];
+        if (name === undefined || jsonStr === undefined) {
+          return {
+            stdout: "",
+            stderr:
+              "jq: --argjson requires two arguments (name and JSON value)\n",
+            exitCode: 2,
+          };
+        }
+        try {
+          initialVars.set(
+            `$${name}`,
+            sanitizeParsedData(JSON.parse(jsonStr)) as QueryValue,
+          );
+        } catch {
+          return {
+            stdout: "",
+            stderr: `jq: Invalid JSON value for --argjson ${name}: ${jsonStr}\n`,
+            exitCode: 2,
+          };
+        }
+      } else if (a === "-") files.push("-");
       else if (a.startsWith("--")) return unknownOption("jq", a);
       else if (a.startsWith("-")) {
         for (const c of a.slice(1)) {
@@ -294,6 +331,7 @@ export const jqCommand: Command = {
           ? { maxIterations: ctx.limits.maxJqIterations }
           : undefined,
         env: ctx.env,
+        initialVars: initialVars.size > 0 ? initialVars : undefined,
         coverage: ctx.coverage,
         requireDefenseContext: ctx.requireDefenseContext,
       };
diff --git a/src/commands/query-engine/evaluator.ts b/src/commands/query-engine/evaluator.ts
index a8610325..084f5a22 100644
--- a/src/commands/query-engine/evaluator.ts
+++ b/src/commands/query-engine/evaluator.ts
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ export interface EvalContext {
 
 function createContext(options?: EvaluateOptions): EvalContext {
   return {
-    vars: new Map(),
+    vars: options?.initialVars ? new Map(options.initialVars) : new Map(),
     limits: {
       maxIterations:
         options?.limits?.maxIterations ?? DEFAULT_MAX_JQ_ITERATIONS,
@@ -358,6 +358,8 @@ function applyPathTransform(
 export interface EvaluateOptions {
   limits?: QueryExecutionLimits;
   env?: Map<string, string>;
+  /** Pre-defined variables (e.g. from jq --arg/--argjson). Keys should include $ prefix. */
+  initialVars?: Map<string, QueryValue>;
   coverage?: FeatureCoverageWriter;
   requireDefenseContext?: boolean;
 }