diff --git a/lib/actions/service.js b/lib/actions/service.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..88a3945
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/actions/service.js
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+import * as aa from '../db/repos/agent_actions.js';
+import { loadActions } from './registry.js';
+import { powerGuest } from './channels/proxmox.js';
+import { restartService } from './channels/ssh.js';
+
+// Single choke point. Dispatches one whitelisted action to its channel. The
+// registry + channels are injectable for tests; production wiring uses defaults.
+export function makeActionService({ registry = loadActions(), channels = { powerGuest, restartService } } = {}) {
+  async function execute(a) {
+    if (a.kind === 'guest_power') return channels.powerGuest({ node: a.node, vmid: a.vmid, op: a.op, kindPath: a.kindPath || 'lxc' });
+    if (a.kind === 'service_restart') return channels.restartService({ ip: registry.hostIp(a.host), actionId: a.id });
+    throw new Error(`unknown kind: ${a.kind}`);
+  }
+
+  async function run(actionId, actor, agent_id = null) {
+    const a = registry.get(actionId);
+    if (!a) throw new Error(`unknown action: ${actionId}`);
+    if (a.tier === 'risky') {
+      const row = await aa.create({ action_id: a.id, tier: a.tier, params: {}, agent_id, requested_by: actor });
+      return { queued: true, action_row_id: row.id };
+    }
+    const result = await execute(a);
+    const row = await aa.create({ action_id: a.id, tier: a.tier, agent_id, requested_by: actor });
+    await aa.resolve(row.id, 'executed', result, actor);
+    return { executed: true, result };
+  }
+
+  async function approve(rowId, owner) {
+    const row = await aa.getById(rowId);
+    if (!row || row.status !== 'pending') throw new Error('not a pending action');
+    const a = registry.get(row.action_id);
+    if (!a) throw new Error(`unknown action: ${row.action_id}`);
+    try {
+      const result = await execute(a);
+      return aa.resolve(rowId, 'executed', result, owner);
+    } catch (e) {
+      return aa.resolve(rowId, 'failed', { error: String(e?.message || e) }, owner);
+    }
+  }
+  const reject = (rowId, owner) => aa.resolve(rowId, 'rejected', null, owner);
+
+  return { run, approve, reject, list: () => registry.list() };
+}
diff --git a/tests/actions/service.test.js b/tests/actions/service.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aba11be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/actions/service.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeAll, beforeEach } from 'vitest';
+import { fileURLToPath } from 'url';
+import { resetDb } from '../helpers/db.js';
+import { migrateUp } from '../../lib/db/migrate.js';
+import * as aa from '../../lib/db/repos/agent_actions.js';
+import { makeActionService } from '../../lib/actions/service.js';
+import { loadActions } from '../../lib/actions/registry.js';
+
+const FIX = fileURLToPath(new URL('../fixtures/actions.test.json', import.meta.url));
+const owner = { kind: 'user', id: null };
+let svc, channels;
+beforeAll(async () => { await resetDb(); await migrateUp(); });
+beforeEach(() => {
+  channels = { powerGuest: vi.fn(async () => ({ ok: true, upid: 'U' })), restartService: vi.fn(async () => ({ ok: true, output: 'done' })) };
+  svc = makeActionService({ registry: loadActions(FIX), channels });
+});
+
+describe('action service', () => {
+  it('safe action executes immediately + audits', async () => {
+    const out = await svc.run('restart-caddy-ct100', owner);
+    expect(out.executed).toBe(true);
+    expect(channels.restartService).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+  });
+  it('risky action queues, does NOT execute', async () => {
+    const out = await svc.run('stop-ct107', owner);
+    expect(out.queued).toBe(true);
+    expect(channels.powerGuest).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect((await aa.listPending()).some(r => r.id === out.action_row_id)).toBe(true);
+  });
+  it('approve executes the queued risky action; reject does not', async () => {
+    const q = await svc.run('stop-ct107', owner);
+    const done = await svc.approve(q.action_row_id, owner);
+    expect(done.status).toBe('executed');
+    expect(channels.powerGuest).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+    const q2 = await svc.run('stop-ct107', owner);
+    const rej = await svc.reject(q2.action_row_id, owner);
+    expect(rej.status).toBe('rejected');
+    expect(channels.powerGuest).toHaveBeenCalledOnce(); // unchanged
+  });
+  it('unknown action → error', async () => {
+    await expect(svc.run('ghost', owner)).rejects.toThrow(/unknown action/i);
+  });
+});