diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 445b160..1f36637 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -316,6 +316,21 @@ models:
 
 Each tier can optionally specify `auth_mode` (`auto` | `api_key` | `oauth`) to control whether Flynn uses API keys vs OAuth/token auth for that provider. `use_oauth: true` remains supported as a compatibility alias for `auth_mode: oauth`.
 
+### Agent Backends
+
+Flynn can run with the built-in native backend or delegate message processing to external CLI backends.
+
+```yaml
+backends:
+  native: { enabled: true }
+  codex: { enabled: false, path: /usr/local/bin/codex }
+  claude_code: { enabled: false, path: /usr/local/bin/claude }
+  opencode: { enabled: false, path: /usr/local/bin/opencode }
+  gemini: { enabled: false, path: /usr/local/bin/gemini }
+```
+
+If multiple external backends are enabled, Flynn selects the first in this order: `codex` -> `claude_code` -> `opencode` -> `gemini`.
+
 ### Native Audio Support
 
 Voice messages from channels can be handled in two ways:
diff --git a/src/config/schema.test.ts b/src/config/schema.test.ts
index bd14fe8..59b9d5c 100644
--- a/src/config/schema.test.ts
+++ b/src/config/schema.test.ts
@@ -196,6 +196,38 @@ describe('configSchema — server', () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe('configSchema — backends', () => {
+  const minimalConfig = {
+    telegram: { bot_token: 'test', allowed_chat_ids: [1] },
+    models: { default: { provider: 'anthropic', model: 'claude-3' } },
+  };
+
+  it('defaults backend flags to native enabled and externals disabled', () => {
+    const result = configSchema.parse(minimalConfig);
+    expect(result.backends.native.enabled).toBe(true);
+    expect(result.backends.claude_code.enabled).toBe(false);
+    expect(result.backends.opencode.enabled).toBe(false);
+    expect(result.backends.codex.enabled).toBe(false);
+    expect(result.backends.gemini.enabled).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it('accepts explicit external backend configs', () => {
+    const result = configSchema.parse({
+      ...minimalConfig,
+      backends: {
+        native: { enabled: false },
+        codex: { enabled: true, path: '/usr/local/bin/codex' },
+        gemini: { enabled: true, path: '/usr/local/bin/gemini' },
+      },
+    });
+    expect(result.backends.native.enabled).toBe(false);
+    expect(result.backends.codex.enabled).toBe(true);
+    expect(result.backends.codex.path).toBe('/usr/local/bin/codex');
+    expect(result.backends.gemini.enabled).toBe(true);
+    expect(result.backends.gemini.path).toBe('/usr/local/bin/gemini');
+  });
+});
+
 describe('configSchema — browser', () => {
   const minimalConfig = {
     telegram: { bot_token: 'test', allowed_chat_ids: [1] },
diff --git a/src/config/schema.ts b/src/config/schema.ts
index 00c151c..aefa329 100644
--- a/src/config/schema.ts
+++ b/src/config/schema.ts
@@ -195,6 +195,14 @@ const backendsSchema = z.object({
     args: z.array(z.string()).default([]),
     timeout_ms: z.number().min(1_000).max(600_000).default(120_000),
   }).default({ enabled: false }),
+  codex: z.object({
+    enabled: z.boolean().default(false),
+    path: z.string().optional(),
+  }).default({ enabled: false }),
+  gemini: z.object({
+    enabled: z.boolean().default(false),
+    path: z.string().optional(),
+  }).default({ enabled: false }),
   native: z.object({
     enabled: z.boolean().default(true),
   }).default({ enabled: true }),
diff --git a/src/daemon/index.test.ts b/src/daemon/index.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2abe66a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/daemon/index.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+
+import { configSchema } from '../config/schema.js';
+import { createConfiguredExternalBackend } from './index.js';
+
+describe('createConfiguredExternalBackend', () => {
+  const base = configSchema.parse({
+    telegram: { bot_token: 'test', allowed_chat_ids: [1] },
+    models: { default: { provider: 'anthropic', model: 'claude-3' } },
+  });
+
+  it('returns undefined when no external backend is enabled', () => {
+    const backend = createConfiguredExternalBackend(base);
+    expect(backend).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+  it('selects codex when enabled', () => {
+    const cfg = {
+      ...base,
+      backends: {
+        ...base.backends,
+        codex: { enabled: true, path: '/usr/bin/codex' },
+      },
+    };
+    const backend = createConfiguredExternalBackend(cfg);
+    expect(backend?.name).toBe('codex');
+  });
+
+  it('selects gemini when enabled and higher-priority backends are disabled', () => {
+    const cfg = {
+      ...base,
+      backends: {
+        ...base.backends,
+        gemini: { enabled: true, path: '/usr/bin/gemini' },
+      },
+    };
+    const backend = createConfiguredExternalBackend(cfg);
+    expect(backend?.name).toBe('gemini');
+  });
+});