diff --git a/src/cli.rs b/src/cli.rs
index f389e04..95a7ea0 100644
--- a/src/cli.rs
+++ b/src/cli.rs
@@ -158,6 +158,9 @@ struct LocalnetStatusArgs {
 struct LocalnetLogsArgs {
     #[arg(long, default_value_t = 200)]
     tail: usize,
+    /// Output logs as JSON (for CI/tooling)
+    #[arg(long)]
+    json: bool,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, clap::Args)]
@@ -259,7 +262,7 @@ pub(crate) fn run(args: Vec<String>) -> DynResult<()> {
                 },
                 LocalnetSubcommand::Stop => LocalnetAction::Stop,
                 LocalnetSubcommand::Status(args) => LocalnetAction::Status { json: args.json },
-                LocalnetSubcommand::Logs(args) => LocalnetAction::Logs { tail: args.tail },
+                LocalnetSubcommand::Logs(args) => LocalnetAction::Logs { tail: args.tail, json: args.json },
             };
             cmd_localnet(action)
         }
diff --git a/src/commands/localnet.rs b/src/commands/localnet.rs
index 3e1b45c..a5f0177 100644
--- a/src/commands/localnet.rs
+++ b/src/commands/localnet.rs
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ pub(crate) enum LocalnetAction {
     Start { timeout_sec: u64 },
     Stop,
     Status { json: bool },
-    Logs { tail: usize },
+    Logs { tail: usize, json: bool },
 }
 
 pub(crate) fn cmd_localnet(action: LocalnetAction) -> DynResult<()> {
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ fn cmd_localnet_in_project(project: &Project, action: LocalnetAction) -> DynResu
         LocalnetAction::Status { json } => {
             cmd_localnet_status(&state_path, &log_path, json, &localnet_addr, localnet_port)
         }
-        LocalnetAction::Logs { tail } => cmd_localnet_logs(&log_path, tail),
+        LocalnetAction::Logs { tail, json } => cmd_localnet_logs(&log_path, tail, json),
     }
 }
 
@@ -323,8 +323,27 @@ fn ownership_label(ownership: LocalnetOwnership) -> &'static str {
     }
 }
 
-fn cmd_localnet_logs(log_path: &Path, tail: usize) -> DynResult<()> {
+fn print_log_lines(tail: usize, lines: &[&str], log_path: &Path, json: bool) -> DynResult<()> {
+    if json {
+        println!("{}", serde_json::to_string_pretty(&serde_json::json!({
+            "tail": tail,
+            "lines": lines,
+        }))?);
+    } else if lines.is_empty() {
+        println!("log file is empty: {}", log_path.display());
+    } else {
+        for line in lines {
+            println!("{line}");
+        }
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+fn cmd_localnet_logs(log_path: &Path, tail: usize, json: bool) -> DynResult<()> {
     if !log_path.exists() {
+        if json {
+            return print_log_lines(tail, &[], log_path, true);
+        }
         println!("log file does not exist yet: {}", log_path.display());
         return Ok(());
     }
@@ -332,18 +351,10 @@ fn cmd_localnet_logs(log_path: &Path, tail: usize) -> DynResult<()> {
     let content = fs::read_to_string(log_path)
         .with_context(|| format!("failed to read log file {}", log_path.display()))?;
 
-    if content.trim().is_empty() {
-        println!("log file is empty: {}", log_path.display());
-        return Ok(());
-    }
-
     let lines: Vec<&str> = content.lines().collect();
-    let start = lines.len().saturating_sub(tail);
-    for line in &lines[start..] {
-        println!("{line}");
-    }
-
-    Ok(())
+    let non_empty: Vec<&str> = lines.iter().filter(|l| !l.trim().is_empty()).copied().collect();
+    let start = non_empty.len().saturating_sub(tail);
+    print_log_lines(tail, &non_empty[start..], log_path, json)
 }
 
 fn build_status_report(
diff --git a/tests/cli.rs b/tests/cli.rs
index 4a4c765..6263d3b 100644
--- a/tests/cli.rs
+++ b/tests/cli.rs
@@ -1704,3 +1704,64 @@ fn respond_last_block(stream: &mut TcpStream) {
     let _ = stream.write_all(response.as_bytes());
     let _ = stream.flush();
 }
+
+
+#[test]
+fn localnet_logs_json_flag_shown_in_help() {
+    Command::new(assert_cmd::cargo::cargo_bin!("logos-scaffold"))
+        .args(["localnet", "logs", "--help"])
+        .assert()
+        .success()
+        .stdout(predicate::str::contains("--json"));
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn localnet_logs_json_outputs_valid_json_when_no_log_file() {
+    let temp = tempdir().expect("tempdir");
+    let lssa_path = temp.path().join("lssa");
+    fs::create_dir_all(&lssa_path).expect("create lssa path");
+    write_scaffold_toml(temp.path(), &lssa_path, "wallet-not-installed-for-tests");
+
+    let assert = Command::new(assert_cmd::cargo::cargo_bin!("logos-scaffold"))
+        .current_dir(temp.path())
+        .args(["localnet", "logs", "--json"])
+        .assert()
+        .success();
+
+    let stdout = String::from_utf8(assert.get_output().stdout.clone()).expect("utf8 stdout");
+    let value: serde_json::Value = serde_json::from_str(&stdout).expect("valid json");
+
+    assert!(value.get("tail").is_some());
+    assert!(value.get("lines").is_some());
+    assert_eq!(value["lines"].as_array().unwrap().len(), 0);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn localnet_logs_json_outputs_lines_array() {
+    let temp = tempdir().expect("tempdir");
+    let lssa_path = temp.path().join("lssa");
+    fs::create_dir_all(&lssa_path).expect("create lssa path");
+    write_scaffold_toml(temp.path(), &lssa_path, "wallet-not-installed-for-tests");
+
+    fs::create_dir_all(temp.path().join(".scaffold/logs")).expect("create logs dir");
+    fs::write(
+        temp.path().join(".scaffold/logs/sequencer.log"),
+        "line-one\nline-two\nline-three\n",
+    )
+    .expect("write sequencer log");
+
+    let assert = Command::new(assert_cmd::cargo::cargo_bin!("logos-scaffold"))
+        .current_dir(temp.path())
+        .args(["localnet", "logs", "--json", "--tail", "2"])
+        .assert()
+        .success();
+
+    let stdout = String::from_utf8(assert.get_output().stdout.clone()).expect("utf8 stdout");
+    let value: serde_json::Value = serde_json::from_str(&stdout).expect("valid json");
+
+    let lines = value["lines"].as_array().expect("lines array");
+    assert_eq!(lines.len(), 2);
+    assert_eq!(lines[0].as_str().unwrap(), "line-two");
+    assert_eq!(lines[1].as_str().unwrap(), "line-three");
+    assert_eq!(value["tail"].as_u64().unwrap(), 2);
+}