diff --git a/src/desktop/fixture-backend.ts b/src/desktop/fixture-backend.ts
index b27d794..9b6c585 100644
--- a/src/desktop/fixture-backend.ts
+++ b/src/desktop/fixture-backend.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import type {
     DesktopCaptureBackend,
     CaptureDesktopOptions,
     DesktopElement,
+    DesktopTargetSummary,
     ExecuteDesktopOptions,
     ExecuteDesktopResult,
 } from './types'
@@ -51,6 +52,22 @@ export class FixtureBackend implements DesktopCaptureBackend {
         this.latencyMs = opts.latencyMs ?? 0
     }
 
+    async listTargets(): Promise<DesktopTargetSummary[]> {
+        if (this.latencyMs) await delay(this.latencyMs)
+
+        // One summary per registered preset. Use the preset key as
+        // window_id so a subsequent capture({ target: { window_id: key }})
+        // resolves back to the same preset.
+        return Object.entries(this.presets).map(([key, cap]) => ({
+            window_id: key,
+            process_name: cap.process_name,
+            process_id: cap.process_id,
+            window_title: cap.window_title,
+            window_class: cap.window_class,
+            has_focus: key === this.defaultPreset,
+        }))
+    }
+
     async capture(opts: CaptureDesktopOptions = {}): Promise<DesktopCapture> {
         if (this.latencyMs) await delay(this.latencyMs)
 
diff --git a/src/desktop/types.ts b/src/desktop/types.ts
index 54e897c..7692a07 100644
--- a/src/desktop/types.ts
+++ b/src/desktop/types.ts
@@ -23,6 +23,11 @@ export interface DesktopCaptureBackend {
      *  or `fixture` for tests. */
     readonly name: string
 
+    /** Enumerate top-level windows the backend can see. Returns lightweight
+     *  summaries (no element tree) so an agent can pick a target before
+     *  paying for the full capture. */
+    listTargets(): Promise<DesktopTargetSummary[]>
+
     /** Capture the current state of a target window/application. */
     capture(opts: CaptureDesktopOptions): Promise<DesktopCapture>
 
@@ -34,6 +39,23 @@ export interface DesktopCaptureBackend {
     close?(): Promise<void>
 }
 
+/** Lightweight summary of one open window — what `listTargets()` returns. */
+export interface DesktopTargetSummary {
+    /** Opaque handle the caller passes back as `target.window_id` to
+     *  capture this specific window. Format is backend-defined
+     *  (Windows: `hwnd:0x...`; macOS: `axapi:<pid>:<index>`; fixture:
+     *  the preset key). */
+    window_id: string
+    process_name?: string
+    process_id?: number
+    window_title: string
+    /** Toolkit / class hint — Windows class name (e.g. `XLMAIN`),
+     *  macOS AX role (e.g. `AXWindow`), useful for UI inspectors. */
+    window_class?: string
+    /** True when this window currently has keyboard focus. */
+    has_focus: boolean
+}
+
 /** Identifies a target window. Backends accept any combination they can
  *  resolve; if nothing is provided the currently focused window is used. */
 export interface DesktopTarget {
diff --git a/src/desktop/windows-uia-backend.ts b/src/desktop/windows-uia-backend.ts
index 6a0b88d..28874b3 100644
--- a/src/desktop/windows-uia-backend.ts
+++ b/src/desktop/windows-uia-backend.ts
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ import type {
     CaptureDesktopOptions,
     DesktopCapture,
     DesktopCaptureBackend,
+    DesktopTargetSummary,
     ExecuteDesktopAction,
     ExecuteDesktopOptions,
     ExecuteDesktopResult,
@@ -118,6 +119,20 @@ export class WindowsUiaBackend implements DesktopCaptureBackend {
 
     // ── DesktopCaptureBackend implementation ─────────────────────────
 
+    async listTargets(): Promise<DesktopTargetSummary[]> {
+        await this.ensureStarted()
+        const result = (await this.call('list_windows', {})) as { windows?: RawWindowSummary[] }
+        const raw = result?.windows ?? []
+        return raw.map((w) => ({
+            window_id: w.windowId,
+            process_name: w.processName ?? undefined,
+            process_id: w.processId ?? undefined,
+            window_title: w.windowTitle,
+            window_class: w.windowClass ?? undefined,
+            has_focus: !!w.hasFocus,
+        }))
+    }
+
     async capture(opts: CaptureDesktopOptions = {}): Promise<DesktopCapture> {
         await this.ensureStarted()
         const params = {
@@ -416,6 +431,15 @@ function resolveBridgePath(): string {
 // Wire format — raw shapes returned by the bridge
 // ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
+interface RawWindowSummary {
+    windowId: string
+    processName?: string | null
+    processId?: number | null
+    windowTitle: string
+    windowClass?: string | null
+    hasFocus: boolean
+}
+
 interface RawDesktopCapture {
     platform: 'windows' | 'macos' | 'linux'
     processName?: string | null
diff --git a/src/mcp/dispatcher.ts b/src/mcp/dispatcher.ts
index 7cf9df5..6efeb09 100644
--- a/src/mcp/dispatcher.ts
+++ b/src/mcp/dispatcher.ts
@@ -98,6 +98,8 @@ export async function dispatch(
                 return await openDesktop(state, args)
             case 'agentmark_desktop_close':
                 return await closeDesktop(state, args)
+            case 'agentmark_desktop_list_targets':
+                return await desktopListTargets(state, args)
             case 'agentmark_desktop_snapshot':
                 return await desktopSnapshot(state, args)
             case 'agentmark_desktop_execute':
@@ -395,6 +397,15 @@ async function closeDesktop(state: DispatcherState, args: Record<string, unknown
     return { text: `Desktop session ${id} closed.` }
 }
 
+async function desktopListTargets(state: DispatcherState, args: Record<string, unknown>): Promise<DispatchResult> {
+    const id = requireString(args, 'desktop_id')
+    const session = requireDesktop(state, id)
+    const windows = await session.backend.listTargets()
+    return {
+        text: JSON.stringify({ windows }, null, 2),
+    }
+}
+
 async function desktopSnapshot(state: DispatcherState, args: Record<string, unknown>): Promise<DispatchResult> {
     const id = requireString(args, 'desktop_id')
     const session = requireDesktop(state, id)
diff --git a/src/mcp/tool-defs.ts b/src/mcp/tool-defs.ts
index 463b6f2..70aa8a0 100644
--- a/src/mcp/tool-defs.ts
+++ b/src/mcp/tool-defs.ts
@@ -322,6 +322,23 @@ const DESKTOP_TOOLS: McpToolDef[] = [
             required: ['desktop_id'],
         },
     },
+    {
+        name: 'agentmark_desktop_list_targets',
+        description:
+            'Enumerate top-level windows the backend can see. Returns one '
+            + 'lightweight summary per window (process_name, process_id, '
+            + 'window_title, window_class, window_id, has_focus) without '
+            + 'walking the full element tree. Use this to let the user (or '
+            + 'agent) pick a window before calling agentmark_desktop_snapshot '
+            + 'with that specific window_id.',
+        inputSchema: {
+            type: 'object',
+            properties: {
+                desktop_id: { type: 'string' },
+            },
+            required: ['desktop_id'],
+        },
+    },
     {
         name: 'agentmark_desktop_snapshot',
         description:
diff --git a/test/desktop/windows-uia-backend.test.ts b/test/desktop/windows-uia-backend.test.ts
index b731bf5..e15e692 100644
--- a/test/desktop/windows-uia-backend.test.ts
+++ b/test/desktop/windows-uia-backend.test.ts
@@ -42,6 +42,19 @@ describe('WindowsUiaBackend', () => {
         expect(() => new WindowsUiaBackend({ bridgePath: FAKE_BRIDGE })).toThrow(/requires Windows/)
     })
 
+    it('listTargets maps the bridge `windows` array to snake_case DesktopTargetSummary', async () => {
+        backend = makeBackend()
+        const targets = await backend.listTargets()
+        expect(targets.length).toBeGreaterThan(0)
+        const w = targets[0]
+        // The fake bridge ships one synthetic window.
+        expect(w.window_id).toMatch(/^hwnd:/)
+        expect(w.window_title).toBe('Fake Window 1')
+        expect(w.process_name).toBe('FakeApp.exe')
+        expect(w.process_id).toBe(42)
+        expect(w.has_focus).toBe(true)
+    })
+
     it('captures via the bridge and maps the response to DesktopCapture', async () => {
         backend = makeBackend()
         const cap = await backend.capture({})
diff --git a/test/mcp/desktop-dispatcher.test.ts b/test/mcp/desktop-dispatcher.test.ts
index d6866a9..a423058 100644
--- a/test/mcp/desktop-dispatcher.test.ts
+++ b/test/mcp/desktop-dispatcher.test.ts
@@ -27,14 +27,45 @@ afterEach(async () => {
 })
 
 describe('MCP — desktop tools', () => {
-    it('registers all four desktop tools in ALL_TOOLS', () => {
+    it('registers all five desktop tools in ALL_TOOLS', () => {
         const names = ALL_TOOLS.map(t => t.name)
         expect(names).toContain('agentmark_desktop_open')
         expect(names).toContain('agentmark_desktop_close')
+        expect(names).toContain('agentmark_desktop_list_targets')
         expect(names).toContain('agentmark_desktop_snapshot')
         expect(names).toContain('agentmark_desktop_execute')
     })
 
+    it('agentmark_desktop_list_targets returns the fixture preset windows', async () => {
+        const open = await dispatch(state, 'agentmark_desktop_open', {})
+        const { desktop_id } = JSON.parse(open.text)
+
+        const result = await dispatch(state, 'agentmark_desktop_list_targets', { desktop_id })
+        expect(result.isError).toBeFalsy()
+
+        const body = JSON.parse(result.text)
+        expect(Array.isArray(body.windows)).toBe(true)
+        // Fixture ships two preset shapes: excel_blank and nowcerts_customer.
+        // Each is exposed under two keys (excel + excel_blank; nowcerts + nowcerts_customer)
+        // so length is 4. Don't over-constrain on the exact number; just
+        // require both preset families are represented.
+        const titles = body.windows.map((w: { window_title: string }) => w.window_title)
+        expect(titles.some((t: string) => t.includes('Excel'))).toBe(true)
+        expect(titles.some((t: string) => t.includes('NowCerts'))).toBe(true)
+        // Every entry has the right shape.
+        for (const w of body.windows) {
+            expect(w).toHaveProperty('window_id')
+            expect(w).toHaveProperty('window_title')
+            expect(typeof w.has_focus).toBe('boolean')
+        }
+    })
+
+    it('agentmark_desktop_list_targets errors on unknown desktop_id', async () => {
+        const result = await dispatch(state, 'agentmark_desktop_list_targets', { desktop_id: 'dt_missing' })
+        expect(result.isError).toBe(true)
+        expect(result.text).toContain('Unknown desktop_id')
+    })
+
     it('agentmark_desktop_open with no args defaults to the fixture backend', async () => {
         const result = await dispatch(state, 'agentmark_desktop_open', {})
         expect(result.isError).toBeFalsy()