diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/scale.test.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/scale.test.ts
index 6a3065b8..05dba0d1 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/scale.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/scale.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { describe, it, expect, afterEach } from 'vitest';
-import { mkdtempSync, writeFileSync, rmSync, existsSync, readFileSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { mkdtempSync, writeFileSync, rmSync, existsSync, readFileSync, mkdirSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { spawnSync } from 'node:child_process';
 import { join } from 'node:path';
 import { tmpdir } from 'node:os';
 import {
@@ -263,6 +264,45 @@ describe('scale command registration', () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe('scale down JSON mode', () => {
+  it('updates fleet state when --json is used without --dry-run', () => {
+    const dir = makeTempDir();
+    const stateDir = join(dir, '.sh1pt');
+    mkdirSync(stateDir, { recursive: true });
+    const statePath = join(stateDir, 'credentials.json');
+    writeFileSync(statePath, JSON.stringify({
+      apiKey: 'preserve-me',
+      instances: [
+        { id: 'inst-0001', provider: 'aws', status: 'running', createdAt: '', hourlyRate: 0.1 },
+        { id: 'inst-0002', provider: 'aws', status: 'running', createdAt: '', hourlyRate: 0.2 },
+      ],
+      lastUpdated: '',
+    }));
+
+    const scaleModule = new URL('./scale.ts', import.meta.url).href;
+    const runScaleDown = [
+      `import { scaleCmd } from ${JSON.stringify(scaleModule)};`,
+      `await scaleCmd.parseAsync(['node', 'sh1pt', 'down', '--instances', '1', '--json']);`,
+    ].join('\n');
+    const result = spawnSync(
+      process.execPath,
+      ['--import', 'tsx', '--input-type=module', '--eval', runScaleDown],
+      {
+        env: { ...process.env, HOME: dir, USERPROFILE: dir },
+        encoding: 'utf8',
+      },
+    );
+
+    expect(result.status, result.stderr).toBe(0);
+    const output = JSON.parse(result.stdout);
+    expect(output.removed).toHaveLength(1);
+
+    const saved = JSON.parse(readFileSync(statePath, 'utf-8'));
+    expect(saved.apiKey).toBe('preserve-me');
+    expect(saved.instances.map((instance: FleetEntry) => instance.id)).toEqual(['inst-0002']);
+  });
+});
+
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Rollout strategy logic (unit test of getNextId with fleet context)
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/scale.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/scale.ts
index 6ecf0c71..9145a153 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/scale.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/scale.ts
@@ -410,44 +410,47 @@ scaleCmd
     const removedHourly = toRemove.reduce((sum, i) => sum + i.hourlyRate, 0);
     const newHourly = currentHourly - removedHourly;
 
-    if (opts.json) {
-      console.log(JSON.stringify({
-        removed: toRemove.map(i => ({
-          id: i.id,
-          provider: i.provider,
-          status: i.status,
-          publicIp: i.publicIp,
-          hourlyRate: i.hourlyRate,
-        })),
-        fleet: {
-          instances: fleet.instances.length - removeCount,
-          hourly: newHourly,
-        },
-      }, null, 2));
-      return;
-    }
+    const result = {
+      removed: toRemove.map(i => ({
+        id: i.id,
+        provider: i.provider,
+        status: i.status,
+        publicIp: i.publicIp,
+        hourlyRate: i.hourlyRate,
+      })),
+      fleet: {
+        instances: fleet.instances.length - removeCount,
+        hourly: newHourly,
+      },
+    };
 
     // Human-readable output
-    console.log(kleur.bold('\n📉 Scale Down Plan'));
-    console.log(kleur.dim('─'.repeat(52)));
-    console.log(`${kleur.cyan('Removing:'.padEnd(20))} ${removeCount} instance(s)`);
-    if (opts.provider) {
-      console.log(`${kleur.cyan('Provider filter:'.padEnd(20))} ${opts.provider}`);
-    }
-    console.log(`${kleur.cyan('Current hourly:'.padEnd(20))} $${currentHourly.toFixed(3)}/hr`);
-    console.log(`${kleur.cyan('Savings:'.padEnd(20))} $${removedHourly.toFixed(3)}/hr ($${(removedHourly * 730).toFixed(2)}/mo)`);
-    console.log(`${kleur.cyan('Projected hourly:'.padEnd(20))} $${newHourly.toFixed(3)}/hr`);
+    if (!opts.json) {
+      console.log(kleur.bold('\n📉 Scale Down Plan'));
+      console.log(kleur.dim('─'.repeat(52)));
+      console.log(`${kleur.cyan('Removing:'.padEnd(20))} ${removeCount} instance(s)`);
+      if (opts.provider) {
+        console.log(`${kleur.cyan('Provider filter:'.padEnd(20))} ${opts.provider}`);
+      }
+      console.log(`${kleur.cyan('Current hourly:'.padEnd(20))} $${currentHourly.toFixed(3)}/hr`);
+      console.log(`${kleur.cyan('Savings:'.padEnd(20))} $${removedHourly.toFixed(3)}/hr ($${(removedHourly * 730).toFixed(2)}/mo)`);
+      console.log(`${kleur.cyan('Projected hourly:'.padEnd(20))} $${newHourly.toFixed(3)}/hr`);
 
-    console.log(kleur.dim('─'.repeat(52)));
-    console.log(kleur.bold('Instances being torn down:'));
-    for (const inst of toRemove) {
-      const statusIcon = inst.status === 'failed' ? kleur.red('✖') : inst.status === 'stopped' ? kleur.yellow('■') : kleur.green('●');
-      console.log(`  ${statusIcon} ${inst.id} ${kleur.dim(`(${inst.provider})`)} ${inst.publicIp ?? 'no IP'} $${inst.hourlyRate.toFixed(3)}/hr`);
+      console.log(kleur.dim('─'.repeat(52)));
+      console.log(kleur.bold('Instances being torn down:'));
+      for (const inst of toRemove) {
+        const statusIcon = inst.status === 'failed' ? kleur.red('✖') : inst.status === 'stopped' ? kleur.yellow('■') : kleur.green('●');
+        console.log(`  ${statusIcon} ${inst.id} ${kleur.dim(`(${inst.provider})`)} ${inst.publicIp ?? 'no IP'} $${inst.hourlyRate.toFixed(3)}/hr`);
+      }
+      console.log(kleur.dim('─'.repeat(52)));
     }
-    console.log(kleur.dim('─'.repeat(52)));
 
     if (opts.dryRun) {
-      console.log(kleur.dim('Dry-run — no changes made.'));
+      if (opts.json) {
+        console.log(JSON.stringify(result, null, 2));
+      } else {
+        console.log(kleur.dim('Dry-run — no changes made.'));
+      }
       return;
     }
 
@@ -455,6 +458,11 @@ scaleCmd
     fleet.instances = fleet.instances.filter(i => !removedIds.has(i.id));
     saveFleet(fleet);
 
+    if (opts.json) {
+      console.log(JSON.stringify(result, null, 2));
+      return;
+    }
+
     console.log(kleur.green(`✅ ${removeCount} instance(s) torn down.`));
     console.log(kleur.dim(`Remaining fleet: ${fleet.instances.length} instance(s), $${newHourly.toFixed(3)}/hr`));
   });