diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index b97f706..a96007b 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ build-backend = "hatchling.build"
 
 [project]
 name = "ratatoskr"
-version = "0.17.1"
+version = "0.17.2"
 description = "Worldtree Conversation API debug TUI — multi-pane observability dashboard"
 readme = "README.md"
 requires-python = ">=3.12"
@@ -45,8 +45,9 @@ dev = [
 ]
 
 [project.scripts]
-ratatoskr     = "ratatoskr.cli:main"
-ratatoskr-web = "ratatoskr.web.entrypoint:main"
+ratatoskr          = "ratatoskr.cli:main"
+ratatoskr-web      = "ratatoskr.web.entrypoint:main"
+ratatoskr-provider = "ratatoskr.provider.serve:main"
 
 [project.urls]
 Repository = "https://gitea.phasefinal.com/vh/ratatoskr"
diff --git a/src/ratatoskr/provider/serve.py b/src/ratatoskr/provider/serve.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e0b1e4b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ratatoskr/provider/serve.py
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+"""Runnable entrypoint: serve the affect provider as an ASGI app.
+
+For the live negotiation smoke against a Worldtree instance. Config from env:
+- RATATOSKR_HEIMDALL_KEY (required): HS256 shared key for the consumer, utf-8.
+- RATATOSKR_AFFECT_DB   (default "affect.db"): SQLite path; ":memory:" = ephemeral.
+- RATATOSKR_CONSUMER_ID (default "ratatoskr").
+- RATATOSKR_PROVIDER_HOST (default "0.0.0.0"), RATATOSKR_PROVIDER_PORT (default 8390).
+"""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import os
+from collections.abc import Mapping
+
+from ratatoskr.provider.affect_store import build_affect_provider_app, open_affect_store
+
+
+def build_app_from_env(env: Mapping[str, str] | None = None):
+    """Build the affect ASGI app from environment config (testable seam)."""
+    env = os.environ if env is None else env
+    key = env.get("RATATOSKR_HEIMDALL_KEY")
+    if not key:
+        raise RuntimeError(
+            "RATATOSKR_HEIMDALL_KEY is required to serve the affect provider"
+        )
+    store = open_affect_store(env.get("RATATOSKR_AFFECT_DB", "affect.db"))
+    return build_affect_provider_app(
+        store,
+        heimdall_key=key.encode(),
+        consumer_id=env.get("RATATOSKR_CONSUMER_ID", "ratatoskr"),
+    )
+
+
+def main() -> None:
+    import uvicorn
+
+    uvicorn.run(
+        build_app_from_env(),
+        host=os.environ.get("RATATOSKR_PROVIDER_HOST", "0.0.0.0"),
+        port=int(os.environ.get("RATATOSKR_PROVIDER_PORT", "8390")),
+    )
diff --git a/tests/test_provider_serve.py b/tests/test_provider_serve.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0577b42
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_provider_serve.py
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+"""Tests for the affect-provider serve entrypoint (ratatoskr.provider.serve).
+
+Only the env -> app seam is unit-tested; uvicorn.run is the untestable shell.
+"""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import pytest
+
+from ratatoskr.provider.serve import build_app_from_env
+
+
+def test_build_app_from_env_requires_heimdall_key():
+    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError):
+        build_app_from_env({"RATATOSKR_AFFECT_DB": ":memory:"})
+
+
+def test_build_app_from_env_builds_app_with_routes():
+    app = build_app_from_env(
+        {"RATATOSKR_HEIMDALL_KEY": "shared-secret", "RATATOSKR_AFFECT_DB": ":memory:"}
+    )
+    paths = {getattr(r, "path", None) for r in app.routes}
+    assert "/bifrost/handshake" in paths
+    assert "/bifrost/affect-call" in paths
diff --git a/uv.lock b/uv.lock
index f43cc8b..17715b6 100644
--- a/uv.lock
+++ b/uv.lock
@@ -1052,7 +1052,7 @@ wheels = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "ratatoskr"
-version = "0.17.1"
+version = "0.17.2"
 source = { editable = "." }
 dependencies = [
     { name = "httpx" },