diff --git a/src/commands/takes.ts b/src/commands/takes.ts
index 981463822..8d7eca1cc 100644
--- a/src/commands/takes.ts
+++ b/src/commands/takes.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
  *
  * Subcommands:
  *   takes <slug>                          — list takes for a page
+ *   takes list                            — list all active takes (#2079)
  *   takes search "<query>" [--who h]       — keyword search across all takes
  *   takes add <slug> ...flags              — append a take (markdown + DB)
  *   takes update <slug> --row N ...flags   — update mutable fields
@@ -129,11 +130,10 @@ function writeBody(path: string, body: string): void {
 // --- Subcommands ---
 
 async function cmdList(engine: BrainEngine, args: string[]): Promise<void> {
-  const slug = args[0];
-  if (!slug) {
-    console.error('Usage: gbrain takes <slug> [--json]');
-    process.exit(1);
-  }
+  // #2079: slug is optional. `gbrain takes list` (no slug) lists ALL active
+  // takes — CLI parity with the takes_list operation. A leading flag is not
+  // a slug.
+  const slug = args[0] && !args[0].startsWith('-') ? args[0] : undefined;
   const json = flagPresent(args, '--json');
   const holder = flagValue(args, '--who');
   const kind = flagValue(args, '--kind') as string | undefined;
@@ -153,17 +153,19 @@ async function cmdList(engine: BrainEngine, args: string[]): Promise<void> {
     return;
   }
 
+  const scope = slug ?? 'this brain';
   if (takes.length === 0) {
-    console.log(`No takes on ${slug}.`);
+    console.log(`No takes on ${scope}.`);
     return;
   }
-  console.log(`# Takes on ${slug}\n`);
+  console.log(`# Takes on ${scope}\n`);
   for (const t of takes) {
     const tag = t.active ? '' : ' [superseded]';
     const w = Number(t.weight).toFixed(2);
     const since = t.since_date ?? '';
     const src = t.source ? ` — ${t.source}` : '';
-    console.log(`#${t.row_num} [${t.kind} • ${t.holder} • w=${w}${since ? ` • ${since}` : ''}]${tag}\n  ${t.claim}${src}\n`);
+    const where = slug ? '' : `${t.page_slug} `;
+    console.log(`${where}#${t.row_num} [${t.kind} • ${t.holder} • w=${w}${since ? ` • ${since}` : ''}]${tag}\n  ${t.claim}${src}\n`);
   }
 }
 
@@ -555,6 +557,8 @@ export async function runTakes(engine: BrainEngine, args: string[]): Promise<voi
 Subcommands:
   takes <slug> [--json] [--who h] [--kind k] [--sort weight|since_date|created_at] [--expired]
                                           List takes for a page
+  takes list [--json] [--who h] [--kind k] [--sort ...] [--expired]
+                                          List all active takes across the brain (#2079)
   takes search "<query>" [--limit N] [--json]
                                           Keyword search across all takes
   takes add <slug> --claim "..." --kind <fact|take|bet|hunch> --who <holder>
@@ -584,6 +588,9 @@ Common flags:
   const rest = args.slice(1);
 
   switch (sub) {
+    // #2079: `takes list` used to be parsed as page slug "list" and printed
+    // "No takes on list." — reading exactly like an empty takes table.
+    case 'list':        return cmdList(engine, rest);
     case 'search':      return cmdSearch(engine, rest);
     case 'add':         return cmdAdd(engine, rest, await resolveTakesSourceId(engine));
     case 'update':      return cmdUpdate(engine, rest, await resolveTakesSourceId(engine));
diff --git a/test/takes-list-subcommand.test.ts b/test/takes-list-subcommand.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..14aa46bcd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/takes-list-subcommand.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+/**
+ * #2079 — `gbrain takes list` used to parse "list" as a PAGE SLUG: cmdList
+ * looked up a page named "list" and printed "No takes on list." even when the
+ * brain held many takes — reading exactly like an empty takes table, so
+ * agents concluded there were no takes and moved on.
+ *
+ * Fix: `list` is a real subcommand (CLI parity with the takes_list op).
+ * Bare `takes <slug>` still lists per-page.
+ */
+
+import { afterAll, beforeAll, describe, expect, test } from 'bun:test';
+import { PGLiteEngine } from '../src/core/pglite-engine.ts';
+import { runTakes } from '../src/commands/takes.ts';
+
+let engine: PGLiteEngine;
+
+async function captureStdout(fn: () => Promise<void>): Promise<string> {
+  const lines: string[] = [];
+  const orig = console.log;
+  console.log = (...args: unknown[]) => { lines.push(args.join(' ')); };
+  try {
+    await fn();
+  } finally {
+    console.log = orig;
+  }
+  return lines.join('\n');
+}
+
+beforeAll(async () => {
+  engine = new PGLiteEngine();
+  await engine.connect({});
+  await engine.initSchema();
+  await engine.putPage('companies/acme-example', {
+    type: 'company',
+    title: 'Acme Example',
+    compiled_truth: 'Acme Example is a test company.',
+  });
+  const [row] = await engine.executeRaw<{ id: number }>(
+    `SELECT id FROM pages WHERE slug = 'companies/acme-example'`,
+  );
+  await engine.addTakesBatch([{
+    page_id: row.id,
+    row_num: 1,
+    claim: 'Acme will ship the widget by Q3.',
+    kind: 'bet',
+    holder: 'self',
+    weight: 0.7,
+  }]);
+});
+
+afterAll(async () => {
+  await engine.disconnect();
+});
+
+describe('gbrain takes list (#2079)', () => {
+  test('`takes list` lists all takes instead of slug-ifying "list"', async () => {
+    const out = await captureStdout(() => runTakes(engine, ['list']));
+    expect(out).not.toContain('No takes on list.');
+    expect(out).toContain('Acme will ship the widget by Q3.');
+    expect(out).toContain('companies/acme-example');
+  });
+
+  test('`takes list --json` returns the full take rows', async () => {
+    const out = await captureStdout(() => runTakes(engine, ['list', '--json']));
+    const parsed = JSON.parse(out);
+    expect(Array.isArray(parsed)).toBe(true);
+    expect(parsed.length).toBe(1);
+    expect(parsed[0].claim).toContain('Acme will ship');
+  });
+
+  test('per-page form still works: `takes <slug>`', async () => {
+    const out = await captureStdout(() => runTakes(engine, ['companies/acme-example']));
+    expect(out).toContain('# Takes on companies/acme-example');
+    expect(out).toContain('Acme will ship the widget by Q3.');
+  });
+});