diff --git a/packages/opencode/src/tool/registry.ts b/packages/opencode/src/tool/registry.ts
index fd57101d1b..691d6ef514 100644
--- a/packages/opencode/src/tool/registry.ts
+++ b/packages/opencode/src/tool/registry.ts
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ export const layer: Layer.Layer<
             tool.edit,
             tool.write,
             tool.task,
-            tool.taskstatus,
+            ...(Flag.OPENCODE_EXPERIMENTAL ? [tool.taskstatus] : []),
             tool.fetch,
             tool.todo,
             tool.search,
diff --git a/packages/opencode/src/tool/task.ts b/packages/opencode/src/tool/task.ts
index 8bd01f88af..43c02107dd 100644
--- a/packages/opencode/src/tool/task.ts
+++ b/packages/opencode/src/tool/task.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import { TuiEvent } from "@/cli/cmd/tui/event"
 import { Cause, Effect, Option, Schema } from "effect"
 import { Config } from "@/config/config"
 import { BackgroundJob } from "@/background/job"
+import { Flag } from "@opencode-ai/core/flag/flag"
 
 export interface TaskPromptOps {
   cancel(sessionID: SessionID): void
@@ -159,6 +160,9 @@ export const TaskTool = Tool.define(
         providerID: msg.info.providerID,
       }
       const background = params.background === true
+      if (background && !Flag.OPENCODE_EXPERIMENTAL) {
+        return yield* Effect.fail(new Error("Background tasks require OPENCODE_EXPERIMENTAL=true"))
+      }
 
       const metadata = {
         sessionId: nextSession.id,
diff --git a/packages/opencode/test/tool/task.test.ts b/packages/opencode/test/tool/task.test.ts
index 6267d8b506..63ccc78bd1 100644
--- a/packages/opencode/test/tool/task.test.ts
+++ b/packages/opencode/test/tool/task.test.ts
@@ -15,10 +15,14 @@ import { TaskTool, type TaskPromptOps } from "../../src/tool/task"
 import { Truncate } from "@/tool/truncate"
 import { ToolRegistry } from "@/tool/registry"
 import { BackgroundJob } from "@/background/job"
+import { Flag } from "@opencode-ai/core/flag/flag"
 import { provideTmpdirInstance } from "../fixture/fixture"
 import { testEffect } from "../lib/effect"
 
+const originalExperimental = Flag.OPENCODE_EXPERIMENTAL
+
 afterEach(async () => {
+  Flag.OPENCODE_EXPERIMENTAL = originalExperimental
   await Instance.disposeAll()
 })
 
@@ -442,6 +446,7 @@ describe("tool.task", () => {
   it.live("execute launches background tasks without waiting for completion", () =>
     provideTmpdirInstance(() =>
       Effect.gen(function* () {
+        Flag.OPENCODE_EXPERIMENTAL = true
         const sessions = yield* Session.Service
         const jobs = yield* BackgroundJob.Service
         const { chat, assistant } = yield* seed()
@@ -485,6 +490,7 @@ describe("tool.task", () => {
   it.live("background tasks inject completion into the parent session and resume when idle", () =>
     provideTmpdirInstance(() =>
       Effect.gen(function* () {
+        Flag.OPENCODE_EXPERIMENTAL = true
         const sessions = yield* Session.Service
         const jobs = yield* BackgroundJob.Service
         const { chat, assistant } = yield* seed()