diff --git a/9p b/9p
index 3a96284..5bb1783 160000
--- a/9p
+++ b/9p
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 3a96284d986478fbac63d3b25edcbbe3b16cfdc8
+Subproject commit 5bb1783808a91ed58c322791876b02d3ee4417e8
diff --git a/mkfile b/mkfile
index 94fe12d..c96c0df 100755
--- a/mkfile
+++ b/mkfile
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ scripts:V:
 	cp -f scripts/oq-schedule $HOME/.config/ollie/scripts/sched
 	cp -f scripts/ls        $HOME/.config/ollie/scripts/ls
 	cp -f scripts/kill      $HOME/.config/ollie/scripts/kill
+	cp -f scripts/optimize  $HOME/.config/ollie/scripts/optimize
 
 help:V:
 	echo 'Ollie monorepo build targets:'
diff --git a/scripts/optimize b/scripts/optimize
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d14b2fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/optimize
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# s/optimize: generate N candidate optimized prompts and select the best.
+set -euo pipefail
+
+for _arg; do
+    [ "$_arg" = "-help" ] && cat <<'EOF' && exit 0
+usage: optimize [flags] [prompt...]
+       echo "prompt" | optimize [flags]
+
+Generates N optimized candidates for a prompt, then judges and returns the best.
+Uses OLLIE_MODEL and OLLIE_BACKEND by default for both stages.
+
+Flags:
+  -n N          number of candidates to generate (default: 3)
+  -cb BACKEND   candidate generation backend
+  -cm MODEL     candidate generation model
+  -jb BACKEND   judge backend
+  -jm MODEL     judge model
+  -help         show this help
+EOF
+done
+
+n=3; cb=; cm=; jb=; jm=
+
+while [ $# -gt 0 ]; do
+    case $1 in
+        -n)    n=$2;  shift ;;
+        -cb)   cb=$2; shift ;;
+        -cm)   cm=$2; shift ;;
+        -jb)   jb=$2; shift ;;
+        -jm)   jm=$2; shift ;;
+        -help) ;;
+        --)    shift; break ;;
+        -*)    printf 'optimize: unknown flag: %s\n' "$1" >&2; exit 1 ;;
+        *)     break ;;
+    esac
+    shift
+done
+
+if [ $# -gt 0 ]; then
+    prompt="$*"
+elif ! [ -t 0 ]; then
+    prompt=$(cat)
+else
+    printf 'optimize: prompt required\n' >&2; exit 1
+fi
+
+[ -z "$prompt" ] && { printf 'optimize: empty prompt\n' >&2; exit 1; }
+
+Q="${0%/*}/q"
+
+c_flags=()
+j_flags=()
+[ -n "$cb" ] && c_flags+=(-backend "$cb")
+[ -n "$cm" ] && c_flags+=(-model "$cm")
+[ -n "$jb" ] && j_flags+=(-backend "$jb")
+[ -n "$jm" ] && j_flags+=(-model "$jm")
+
+printf 'generating %d candidates...\n' "$n" >&2
+candidates=$("$Q" "${c_flags[@]}" -parallel "$n" \
+    "Optimize the following prompt. Return only the optimized prompt, no explanation or preamble:
+
+$prompt")
+
+printf 'judging...\n' >&2
+"$Q" "${j_flags[@]}" \
+    "Review these candidate prompts and return only the single best one, no explanation or preamble:
+
+$candidates"