diff --git a/src/lerobot/policies/pi052/configuration_pi052.py b/src/lerobot/policies/pi052/configuration_pi052.py
index f79534bf1..030f039b6 100644
--- a/src/lerobot/policies/pi052/configuration_pi052.py
+++ b/src/lerobot/policies/pi052/configuration_pi052.py
@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@ This is the dual-head co-training pattern from the paper:
 
 with α = 10.0 per § IV.D of arxiv:2504.16054. The π0.5 model splits
 inference into a text-prediction step followed by an action-prediction
-step, which the multi-rate ``PI052Runtime`` (in
-``lerobot.policies.pi052.inference``) drives at separate rates.
+step, which the multi-rate runtime (``lerobot.runtime``, via the
+``lerobot-pi052-runtime`` CLI) drives at separate rates.
 """
 
 from dataclasses import dataclass
diff --git a/src/lerobot/policies/pi052/inference/__init__.py b/src/lerobot/policies/pi052/inference/__init__.py
index 6b613c3cd..21391157f 100644
--- a/src/lerobot/policies/pi052/inference/__init__.py
+++ b/src/lerobot/policies/pi052/inference/__init__.py
@@ -12,31 +12,14 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
-"""PI052 runtime adapter and CLI helpers."""
+"""PI052 bridge to the generic language-conditioned runtime.
 
-from lerobot.runtime import (
-    LanguageConditionedRuntime,
-    RuntimeState,
-    Tick,
-    TickClock,
-    VQAResult,
-)
+The runtime, REPL, and CLI are policy-agnostic and live in
+:mod:`lerobot.runtime`. PI052 supplies only :class:`PI052PolicyAdapter`;
+the ``lerobot-pi052-runtime`` entry point wires it into
+:func:`lerobot.runtime.cli.run`.
+"""
 
 from .pi052_adapter import PI052PolicyAdapter
-from .repl import StdinReader
-from .runtime import PI052Runtime
-from .ui import make_state_panel, print_robot_lines, print_user_line
 
-__all__ = [
-    "LanguageConditionedRuntime",
-    "PI052PolicyAdapter",
-    "PI052Runtime",
-    "RuntimeState",
-    "StdinReader",
-    "Tick",
-    "TickClock",
-    "VQAResult",
-    "make_state_panel",
-    "print_robot_lines",
-    "print_user_line",
-]
+__all__ = ["PI052PolicyAdapter"]
diff --git a/src/lerobot/policies/pi052/inference/pi052_adapter.py b/src/lerobot/policies/pi052/inference/pi052_adapter.py
index 2575d210f..6b263c327 100644
--- a/src/lerobot/policies/pi052/inference/pi052_adapter.py
+++ b/src/lerobot/policies/pi052/inference/pi052_adapter.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ import re
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 from typing import Any
 
-from lerobot.runtime import RuntimeState, VQAResult
+from lerobot.runtime import RuntimeState
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -73,18 +73,6 @@ class PI052PolicyAdapter:
         plan, _speech = split_plan_and_say(text)
         return "" if looks_like_gibberish(plan) else plan
 
-    def answer_vqa(
-        self,
-        question: str,
-        camera: str | None,
-        observation: dict[str, Any] | None,
-        state: RuntimeState,
-    ) -> VQAResult:
-        answer = self.select_text("vqa", observation, state, user_text=question)
-        from .vqa import parse_vqa_answer  # noqa: PLC0415
-
-        return VQAResult(answer=answer, parsed=parse_vqa_answer(answer), camera=camera)
-
     def update_language_state(self, observation: dict[str, Any] | None, state: RuntimeState) -> None:
         chunks_per_gen = max(1, int(state.extra.get("subtask_chunks_per_gen", 1) or 1))
         if "_hl_chunks_until_gen" not in state.extra:
@@ -171,8 +159,6 @@ class PI052PolicyAdapter:
             return messages
         if kind == "plan":
             return [{"role": "user", "content": state.task or ""}]
-        if kind == "vqa":
-            return [{"role": "user", "content": user_text or ""}]
         raise ValueError(f"Unknown PI052 text kind: {kind}")
 
 
diff --git a/src/lerobot/policies/pi052/inference/runtime.py b/src/lerobot/policies/pi052/inference/runtime.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 03765a138..000000000
--- a/src/lerobot/policies/pi052/inference/runtime.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,68 +0,0 @@
-# Copyright 2026 The HuggingFace Inc. team. All rights reserved.
-#
-# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
-# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
-# You may obtain a copy of the License at
-#
-#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
-#
-# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
-# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
-# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
-# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
-# limitations under the License.
-
-"""PI052 compatibility wrapper for the generic language-conditioned runtime."""
-
-from __future__ import annotations
-
-from collections.abc import Callable
-from typing import Any
-
-from lerobot.runtime import (
-    LanguageConditionedRuntime,
-    RuntimeState,
-    Tick,
-    TickClock,
-    VQAResult,
-)
-
-from .pi052_adapter import PI052PolicyAdapter
-
-
-class PI052Runtime(LanguageConditionedRuntime):
-    """Backwards-compatible PI052 runtime constructor."""
-
-    def __init__(
-        self,
-        policy: Any,
-        *,
-        observation_provider: Callable[[], dict | None] | None = None,
-        robot_executor: Callable[[Any], None] | None = None,
-        event_collector: Callable[[RuntimeState], None] | None = None,
-        chunk_hz: float = 4.0,
-        ctrl_hz: float = 50.0,
-        high_level_hz: float = 1.0,
-        max_rate_hz: float = 50.0,
-    ) -> None:
-        super().__init__(
-            policy_adapter=policy if isinstance(policy, PI052PolicyAdapter) else PI052PolicyAdapter(policy),
-            observation_provider=observation_provider,
-            action_executor=robot_executor,
-            event_collector=event_collector,
-            chunk_hz=chunk_hz,
-            ctrl_hz=ctrl_hz,
-            high_level_hz=high_level_hz,
-            max_rate_hz=max_rate_hz,
-        )
-
-
-__all__ = [
-    "LanguageConditionedRuntime",
-    "PI052PolicyAdapter",
-    "PI052Runtime",
-    "RuntimeState",
-    "Tick",
-    "TickClock",
-    "VQAResult",
-]
diff --git a/src/lerobot/policies/pi052/inference/vqa.py b/src/lerobot/policies/pi052/inference/vqa.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 6b690abc8..000000000
--- a/src/lerobot/policies/pi052/inference/vqa.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,406 +0,0 @@
-# Copyright 2026 The HuggingFace Inc. team. All rights reserved.
-#
-# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
-# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
-# You may obtain a copy of the License at
-#
-#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
-#
-# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
-# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
-# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
-# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
-# limitations under the License.
-"""Interactive VQA for the PI052 runtime.
-
-In ``/vlm`` mode a typed line is treated as a VQA question. This module
-runs the full interactive flow:
-
-  1. pull the current observation and list available cameras,
-  2. ask the operator which camera to ground the question on,
-  3. generate the answer with the VLM conditioned on that one camera,
-  4. parse the JSON answer; if it carries a bounding box (``bbox``) or a
-     point (``keypoint``), draw the overlay on the camera frame, save a
-     PNG to ``./vqa_overlays/`` and auto-open it.
-
-VQA answer schemas mirror the annotation pipeline's ``VQA_ANSWER_SHAPES``
-(see ``lerobot.annotations.steerable_pipeline.validator``):
-
-  * ``bbox``     — ``{"detections": [{"label", "bbox_format": "xyxy",
-                    "bbox": [x1, y1, x2, y2]}, ...]}``
-  * ``keypoint`` — ``{"label", "point_format": "xy", "point": [x, y]}``
-  * ``count`` / ``attribute`` / ``spatial`` — text-only, no overlay.
-"""
-
-from __future__ import annotations
-
-import json
-import logging
-import os
-import re
-import subprocess
-import sys
-import time
-import webbrowser
-from contextlib import suppress
-from pathlib import Path
-from typing import Any
-
-logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
-
-_IMAGE_PREFIX = "observation.images."
-
-# PaliGemma detection / pointing vocabulary. PI052 trains spatial VQA
-# answers in this native ``<locNNNN>`` format (index in [0, 1023],
-# normalized to the image axis) instead of pixel-coordinate JSON, so the
-# answer string the runtime parses can be e.g.
-# ``<loc0512><loc0301> blue cube`` (point) or
-# ``<loc0100><loc0080><loc0400><loc0360> blue cube`` (box).
-_LOC_RE = re.compile(r"<loc(\d{1,4})>")
-
-# Iteration order for shape matching — most specific keys first so an
-# answer is classified deterministically.
-_SHAPE_ORDER = ("bbox", "keypoint", "count", "attribute", "spatial")
-
-_BBOX_COLOR = (255, 64, 64)
-_POINT_COLOR = (64, 220, 64)
-
-
-# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# Camera selection
-# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
-def available_cameras(observation: dict | None) -> list[str]:
-    """Return the sorted ``observation.images.*`` keys present in ``observation``."""
-    if not observation:
-        return []
-    return sorted(k for k in observation if isinstance(k, str) and k.startswith(_IMAGE_PREFIX))
-
-
-def camera_short_name(camera_key: str) -> str:
-    """Strip the ``observation.images.`` prefix for display."""
-    return camera_key[len(_IMAGE_PREFIX) :] if camera_key.startswith(_IMAGE_PREFIX) else camera_key
-
-
-def prompt_camera_choice(
-    cameras: list[str],
-    *,
-    input_fn: Any = input,
-    print_fn: Any = print,
-) -> str | None:
-    """Ask the operator which camera frame to draw a VQA overlay on.
-
-    Accepts either the menu number or the (short or full) camera name.
-    A single-camera setup auto-selects without prompting. Returns the
-    chosen ``observation.images.*`` key, or ``None`` if the operator
-    cancels / gives an invalid answer.
-    """
-    if not cameras:
-        return None
-    if len(cameras) == 1:
-        return cameras[0]
-    print_fn("Draw the result on which camera?")
-    for i, cam in enumerate(cameras, 1):
-        print_fn(f"  [{i}] {camera_short_name(cam)}")
-    try:
-        raw = str(input_fn("camera> ")).strip()
-    except (EOFError, KeyboardInterrupt):
-        return None
-    if not raw:
-        return cameras[0]
-    if raw.isdigit():
-        idx = int(raw) - 1
-        return cameras[idx] if 0 <= idx < len(cameras) else None
-    for cam in cameras:
-        if raw == cam or raw == camera_short_name(cam):
-            return cam
-    return None
-
-
-# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# Answer parsing
-# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
-def _loc_to_norm(idx: int) -> float:
-    """PaliGemma ``<locNNNN>`` index → normalized [0, 1] axis coordinate."""
-    return max(0.0, min(1023.0, float(idx))) / 1023.0
-
-
-def parse_loc_answer(answer: str) -> dict | None:
-    """Parse a PaliGemma ``<loc>``-format spatial VQA answer.
-
-    Point: ``<label> <locY><locX>``; box: ``<label> <locY0><locX0><locY1><locX1>``;
-    multiple boxes joined by `` ; `` (label/loc order irrelevant). Returns
-    ``{"kind", "payload", "normalized": True}`` with [0, 1] coords mirroring the
-    JSON shapes (shared overlay code), or ``None`` without ``<loc>`` tokens.
-    """
-    if not answer or "<loc" not in answer:
-        return None
-    segments = [seg for seg in answer.split(";") if "<loc" in seg]
-    points: list[tuple[float, float, str]] = []
-    boxes: list[tuple[float, float, float, float, str]] = []
-    for seg in segments:
-        locs = [int(m) for m in _LOC_RE.findall(seg)]
-        label = _LOC_RE.sub("", seg).strip()
-        if len(locs) == 2:
-            y, x = (_loc_to_norm(v) for v in locs[:2])
-            points.append((x, y, label))
-        elif len(locs) >= 4:
-            y1, x1, y2, x2 = (_loc_to_norm(v) for v in locs[:4])
-            boxes.append((x1, y1, x2, y2, label))
-    if boxes:
-        detections = [
-            {"label": lbl, "bbox_format": "xyxy", "bbox": [x1, y1, x2, y2]} for (x1, y1, x2, y2, lbl) in boxes
-        ]
-        return {"kind": "bbox", "payload": {"detections": detections}, "normalized": True}
-    if len(points) == 1:
-        x, y, lbl = points[0]
-        return {
-            "kind": "keypoint",
-            "payload": {"label": lbl, "point_format": "xy", "point": [x, y]},
-            "normalized": True,
-        }
-    if points:  # several bare points → treat as detections-as-points
-        detections = [{"label": lbl, "bbox_format": "xyxy", "bbox": [x, y, x, y]} for (x, y, lbl) in points]
-        return {"kind": "bbox", "payload": {"detections": detections}, "normalized": True}
-    return None
-
-
-def parse_vqa_answer(answer: str) -> dict | None:
-    """Parse a VQA answer (``<loc>`` text or JSON) into ``{"kind", "payload"}``.
-
-    ``kind`` is a ``VQA_ANSWER_SHAPES`` name or ``"unknown"``; ``<loc>`` answers
-    are tried first. Returns ``None`` when neither format parses.
-    """
-    if not answer or not answer.strip():
-        return None
-    loc_parsed = parse_loc_answer(answer)
-    if loc_parsed is not None:
-        return loc_parsed
-    try:
-        payload = json.loads(answer)
-    except (ValueError, TypeError):
-        return None
-    if not isinstance(payload, dict):
-        return None
-
-    try:
-        from lerobot.annotations.steerable_pipeline.validator import (  # noqa: PLC0415
-            VQA_ANSWER_SHAPES,
-        )
-
-        shapes = VQA_ANSWER_SHAPES
-    except ImportError:  # pragma: no cover - annotation extra not installed
-        shapes = {
-            "bbox": {"detections"},
-            "keypoint": {"label", "point_format", "point"},
-            "count": {"label", "count"},
-            "attribute": {"label", "attribute", "value"},
-            "spatial": {"subject", "relation", "object"},
-        }
-
-    keys = set(payload)
-    for kind in _SHAPE_ORDER:
-        required = shapes.get(kind)
-        if required and required <= keys:
-            return {"kind": kind, "payload": payload}
-    return {"kind": "unknown", "payload": payload}
-
-
-def answer_has_overlay(parsed: dict | None) -> bool:
-    """True iff ``parsed`` carries drawable spatial coordinates."""
-    return bool(parsed) and parsed.get("kind") in ("bbox", "keypoint")
-
-
-# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# Overlay drawing
-# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
-def observation_image_to_pil(image_tensor: Any) -> Any:
-    """Convert an ``observation.images.*`` tensor to a PIL RGB image.
-
-    The runtime observation stores images as ``(1, C, H, W)`` (or
-    ``(C, H, W)``) float tensors in ``[0, 1]``. Reuses
-    ``image_array_to_pil_image`` which handles the CHW→HWC transpose and
-    the float→uint8 scaling.
-    """
-    from lerobot.datasets.image_writer import image_array_to_pil_image  # noqa: PLC0415
-
-    arr = image_tensor
-    if hasattr(arr, "detach"):
-        arr = arr.detach().cpu()
-    if hasattr(arr, "numpy"):
-        arr = arr.numpy()
-    while arr.ndim > 3:  # drop leading batch dim(s)
-        arr = arr[0]
-    return image_array_to_pil_image(arr).convert("RGB")
-
-
-def draw_vqa_overlay(image: Any, parsed: dict) -> Any:
-    """Draw ``bbox`` / ``keypoint`` answers onto a copy of ``image``.
-
-    Non-spatial answers (``count`` / ``attribute`` / ``spatial`` /
-    ``unknown``) are returned as an unmodified copy. When ``parsed`` has
-    ``normalized=True`` (PaliGemma ``<loc>`` answers) the [0, 1]
-    coordinates are scaled to the image's pixel size.
-    """
-    from PIL import ImageDraw  # noqa: PLC0415
-
-    img = image.convert("RGB").copy()
-    kind = parsed.get("kind")
-    payload = parsed.get("payload") or {}
-    draw = ImageDraw.Draw(img)
-    w, h = img.size
-    sx, sy = (w, h) if parsed.get("normalized") else (1, 1)
-
-    if kind == "bbox":
-        for det in payload.get("detections") or []:
-            if not isinstance(det, dict):
-                continue
-            box = det.get("bbox")
-            if not (isinstance(box, list | tuple) and len(box) == 4):
-                continue
-            try:
-                x1, y1, x2, y2 = (float(v) for v in box)
-            except (TypeError, ValueError):
-                continue
-            x1, x2 = x1 * sx, x2 * sx
-            y1, y2 = y1 * sy, y2 * sy
-            draw.rectangle([x1, y1, x2, y2], outline=_BBOX_COLOR, width=3)
-            label = str(det.get("label", "")).strip()
-            if label:
-                draw.text((x1 + 3, max(0.0, y1 - 12)), label, fill=_BBOX_COLOR)
-    elif kind == "keypoint":
-        point = payload.get("point")
-        if isinstance(point, list | tuple) and len(point) == 2:
-            try:
-                x, y = float(point[0]) * sx, float(point[1]) * sy
-            except (TypeError, ValueError):
-                return img
-            r = 6
-            draw.ellipse([x - r, y - r, x + r, y + r], outline=_POINT_COLOR, width=3)
-            draw.line([x - 2 * r, y, x + 2 * r, y], fill=_POINT_COLOR, width=2)
-            draw.line([x, y - 2 * r, x, y + 2 * r], fill=_POINT_COLOR, width=2)
-            label = str(payload.get("label", "")).strip()
-            if label:
-                draw.text((x + r + 3, y - r), label, fill=_POINT_COLOR)
-    return img
-
-
-def _open_file(path: Path) -> None:
-    """Best-effort open ``path`` in the OS default viewer."""
-    try:
-        if sys.platform == "darwin":
-            subprocess.run(["open", str(path)], check=False)  # nosec B607
-        elif sys.platform.startswith("linux"):
-            subprocess.run(["xdg-open", str(path)], check=False)  # nosec B607
-        elif os.name == "nt":
-            os.startfile(str(path))  # type: ignore[attr-defined]  # noqa: S606  # nosec B606
-        else:  # pragma: no cover - exotic platform
-            webbrowser.open(path.resolve().as_uri())
-    except Exception as exc:  # noqa: BLE001
-        logger.debug("could not auto-open %s: %s", path, exc)
-
-
-def save_and_open_overlay(image: Any, out_dir: str | Path = "./vqa_overlays") -> Path:
-    """Save ``image`` as a timestamped PNG under ``out_dir`` and auto-open it."""
-    out = Path(out_dir)
-    out.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
-    path = out / f"vqa_{int(time.time() * 1000)}.png"
-    image.save(path)
-    _open_file(path)
-    return path
-
-
-# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# Orchestrator
-# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
-def handle_vqa_query(
-    *,
-    policy_adapter: Any | None = None,
-    policy: Any | None = None,
-    observation_provider: Any,
-    question: str,
-    state: Any,
-    input_fn: Any = input,
-    print_fn: Any = print,
-) -> None:
-    """Run one interactive VQA question end to end.
-
-    Called synchronously from the input layer while the runtime is in
-    ``/question`` mode (the action loop is gated off, so the policy is
-    not in concurrent use). Progress is reported via both
-    ``state.log`` (REPL panel scrollback) and ``print_fn`` (direct stdout)
-    — in autonomous question mode the panel redraw is suspended,
-    so the direct print is what the operator actually sees.
-    """
-    if policy_adapter is None and policy is not None:
-        from .pi052_adapter import PI052PolicyAdapter  # noqa: PLC0415
-
-        policy_adapter = PI052PolicyAdapter(policy)
-
-    def report(line: str) -> None:
-        """Surface a line both to the panel scrollback and to stdout."""
-        if hasattr(state, "log"):
-            state.log(line)
-        else:
-            state.setdefault("log_lines", []).append(line)
-        with suppress(Exception):
-            print_fn(line)
-
-    if policy_adapter is None:
-        report("  [warn] vqa: no policy adapter — skipping")
-        return
-
-    observation: dict | None = None
-    if observation_provider is not None:
-        try:
-            observation = observation_provider()
-        except Exception as exc:  # noqa: BLE001
-            logger.debug("observation_provider raised %s", exc)
-
-    # Feed the FULL observation (every camera + state) to the VLM. The
-    # ``ask_vqa_*`` recipes look single-camera, but the image *block* is
-    # stripped before tokenization — the actual frames reach the model
-    # via PI052's ``OBS_IMAGES_*`` channels, and ``embed_prefix``
-    # consumes *all* ``config.image_features`` regardless of which
-    # camera the sub-recipe was tagged for. So the model always sees
-    # every camera; the operator never has to name one to ask.
-    result = policy_adapter.answer_vqa(question, None, observation, state)
-    answer = result.answer
-    if not answer:
-        report("  [info] vqa gen returned empty")
-        return
-    report(f"  vqa: {answer}")
-
-    parsed = result.parsed if result.parsed is not None else parse_vqa_answer(answer)
-    if not answer_has_overlay(parsed):
-        if parsed is None:
-            report("  [info] vqa answer is not JSON — no overlay")
-        return
-
-    # The answer carries a bounding box / point. Its pixel coordinates
-    # are camera-specific and the text answer doesn't say which camera,
-    # so ask the operator *now* — only when there is actually something
-    # to draw — which camera frame to render the overlay on.
-    cameras = available_cameras(observation)
-    if observation is None or not cameras:
-        report("  [info] no camera image — cannot draw overlay")
-        return
-    chosen = prompt_camera_choice(cameras, input_fn=input_fn, print_fn=print_fn)
-    if chosen is None:
-        report("  [info] overlay skipped — no camera selected")
-        return
-    try:
-        pil = observation_image_to_pil(observation[chosen])
-        overlay = draw_vqa_overlay(pil, parsed)
-        path = save_and_open_overlay(overlay)
-        report(f"  vqa overlay ({camera_short_name(chosen)}) saved: {path}")
-    except Exception as exc:  # noqa: BLE001
-        logger.warning("vqa overlay failed: %s", exc, exc_info=logger.isEnabledFor(logging.DEBUG))
-        report(f"  [warn] vqa overlay failed: {type(exc).__name__}: {exc}")
diff --git a/src/lerobot/policies/pi052/modeling_pi052.py b/src/lerobot/policies/pi052/modeling_pi052.py
index e398701c1..6907ddbe5 100644
--- a/src/lerobot/policies/pi052/modeling_pi052.py
+++ b/src/lerobot/policies/pi052/modeling_pi052.py
@@ -1786,7 +1786,7 @@ class PI052Policy(PreTrainedPolicy):
         suppress_loc_tokens: bool = False,
         use_kv_cache: bool = True,
     ) -> str:
-        """Generate text continuation from a multimodal prefix (used by PI052Runtime).
+        """Generate text continuation from a multimodal prefix (used by the runtime CLI).
 
         ``suppress_loc_tokens=True`` masks PaliGemma's reserved ``<locDDDD>`` ids
         ([256000, 257024)) before sampling — the pretraining prior drifts back to
diff --git a/src/lerobot/runtime/__init__.py b/src/lerobot/runtime/__init__.py
index a2b3f4520..ce0aaa130 100644
--- a/src/lerobot/runtime/__init__.py
+++ b/src/lerobot/runtime/__init__.py
@@ -12,7 +12,12 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
-"""Policy-agnostic high/low-level runtime for language-conditioned policies."""
+"""Policy-agnostic high/low-level runtime for language-conditioned policies.
+
+The tick loop, REPL, and interactive CLI here are policy-independent; a
+policy plugs in by implementing :class:`LanguageConditionedPolicyAdapter`
+and calling :func:`lerobot.runtime.cli.run` with an adapter factory.
+"""
 
 from .language_runtime import (
     LanguageConditionedPolicyAdapter,
@@ -20,7 +25,6 @@ from .language_runtime import (
     RuntimeState,
     Tick,
     TickClock,
-    VQAResult,
 )
 
 __all__ = [
@@ -29,5 +33,4 @@ __all__ = [
     "RuntimeState",
     "Tick",
     "TickClock",
-    "VQAResult",
 ]
diff --git a/src/lerobot/policies/pi052/inference/runtime_cli.py b/src/lerobot/runtime/cli.py
similarity index 90%
rename from src/lerobot/policies/pi052/inference/runtime_cli.py
rename to src/lerobot/runtime/cli.py
index afe723fbc..83537457c 100644
--- a/src/lerobot/policies/pi052/inference/runtime_cli.py
+++ b/src/lerobot/runtime/cli.py
@@ -12,13 +12,16 @@
 # WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
-"""``lerobot-pi052-runtime`` — interactive REPL for trained PI052.
+"""Interactive REPL for a language-conditioned robot policy.
 
-Drives the multi-rate runtime defined in
-:mod:`lerobot.policies.pi052.inference`. Stdin becomes the user
-channel: type a task, then natural-language interjections / questions.
-The runtime prints state changes (plan / subtask / memory / vqa /
-speech) as they happen.
+Policy-agnostic CLI over :class:`lerobot.runtime.LanguageConditionedRuntime`.
+A policy wires it up with :func:`run`, passing an adapter factory
+(``policy -> LanguageConditionedPolicyAdapter``); see
+``lerobot.scripts.lerobot_pi052_runtime`` for the PI052 entry point.
+
+Stdin is the user channel: type a task, then natural-language
+interjections. The runtime prints state changes (plan / subtask /
+memory) as they happen.
 
 Examples
 --------
@@ -27,16 +30,16 @@ Dry run on a Hub checkpoint, no robot connected — useful for sanity-
 checking text generation::
 
     uv run lerobot-pi052-runtime \\
-        --policy.path=pepijn223/pi052_hirobot_super_poulain_tool2 \\
+        --policy.path=<repo-or-dir> \\
         --no_robot \\
         --task="please clean the kitchen"
 
 Same, but feed real frames from an annotated dataset so plan / subtask
-/ memory / VQA generation runs against actual video + state::
+/ memory generation runs against actual video + state::
 
     uv run lerobot-pi052-runtime \\
-        --policy.path=pepijn223/pi052_hirobot_super_poulain_tool2 \\
-        --dataset.repo_id=pepijn223/super_poulain_annotated \\
+        --policy.path=<repo-or-dir> \\
+        --dataset.repo_id=<annotated-dataset> \\
         --dataset.episode=0 \\
         --no_robot \\
         --task="please clean the kitchen"
@@ -45,8 +48,7 @@ With a real robot::
 
     uv run lerobot-pi052-runtime \\
         --policy.path=... \\
-        --robot.type=so101 --robot.port=/dev/tty.usbmodem... \\
-        --tts.voice=alba
+        --robot.type=so101 --robot.port=/dev/tty.usbmodem...
 
 ``--policy.path`` accepts either a local directory or a Hugging Face
 Hub repo id. ``--dataset.repo_id`` likewise.
@@ -61,23 +63,23 @@ from collections.abc import Callable
 from contextlib import suppress
 from typing import Any
 
+from .language_runtime import LanguageConditionedPolicyAdapter, LanguageConditionedRuntime
 from .repl import _emit
 
-logger = logging.getLogger("lerobot.pi052.runtime")
+logger = logging.getLogger("lerobot.runtime")
 
 
-def _parse_args(argv: list[str] | None = None) -> argparse.Namespace:
+def _parse_args(argv: list[str] | None = None, *, prog: str | None = None) -> argparse.Namespace:
     p = argparse.ArgumentParser(
-        description=("Interactive REPL runtime for a trained PI052 hierarchical VLA checkpoint."),
+        prog=prog,
+        description="Interactive REPL runtime for a language-conditioned robot policy.",
     )
     p.add_argument(
         "--policy.path",
         dest="policy_path",
         type=str,
         required=True,
-        help=(
-            "Local directory or Hugging Face Hub repo id pointing at a trained PI052 ``pretrained_model``."
-        ),
+        help="Local directory or Hugging Face Hub repo id pointing at a trained ``pretrained_model``.",
     )
     p.add_argument(
         "--dataset.repo_id",
@@ -88,8 +90,8 @@ def _parse_args(argv: list[str] | None = None) -> argparse.Namespace:
             "Optional dataset (local path or Hub repo id) used to drive "
             "observations during dry-run inference. When set, the runtime "
             "reads camera frames + state from the chosen episode and feeds "
-            "them into all forward passes — so plan / subtask / memory / "
-            "VQA generation see the same visual context the policy was "
+            "them into all forward passes — so plan / subtask / memory "
+            "generation see the same visual context the policy was "
             "trained on."
         ),
     )
@@ -168,7 +170,7 @@ def _parse_args(argv: list[str] | None = None) -> argparse.Namespace:
     # an action executor that postprocesses (denormalises) the policy's
     # output and calls ``robot.send_action(...)`` at ``--ctrl_hz``. The
     # high-level REPL-style stdin still works in a background thread
-    # for interjections / VQA.
+    # for interjections.
     p.add_argument(
         "--robot.type",
         dest="robot_type",
@@ -306,7 +308,7 @@ def _parse_args(argv: list[str] | None = None) -> argparse.Namespace:
 
 
 # Columns the runtime supplies itself via its own message stream — strip
-# them so ``RenderMessagesStep`` / ``PI052TextTokenizerStep`` are no-ops.
+# them so the recipe render + text-tokenizer processor steps are no-ops.
 _RUNTIME_OWNED_LANGUAGE_COLS = ("language_persistent", "language_events")
 
 
@@ -331,7 +333,7 @@ def _load_policy_and_preprocessor(
     policy_path: str,
     dataset_repo_id: str | None,
 ) -> tuple[Any, Any, Any, Any]:
-    """Load a PI052 checkpoint (local path or Hub repo id).
+    """Load a policy checkpoint (local path or Hub repo id).
 
     Returns ``(policy, preprocessor, postprocessor, ds_meta)``.
     ``preprocessor`` / ``postprocessor`` / ``ds_meta`` are ``None``
@@ -439,7 +441,7 @@ def _bootstrap_state_from_dataset(
 ) -> dict[str, str]:
     """Pull task / active plan / memory / subtask at ``start_frame``, so the
     runtime's first prompt matches the canonical training prompts (an OOD
-    prompt makes the model fall back to its dominant mode, VQA JSON spam).
+    prompt makes the model fall back to its dominant training mode).
     """
     from lerobot.datasets.lerobot_dataset import LeRobotDataset  # noqa: PLC0415
 
@@ -519,7 +521,7 @@ def _select_task_interactively(
         # bootstrap default (may be None — REPL handles that).
         return bootstrap_task
 
-    print("\n[pi052] Select startup task:", flush=True)
+    print("\n[runtime] Select startup task:", flush=True)
     if options:
         for i, opt in enumerate(options, 1):
             marker = "  (dataset default)" if opt == bootstrap_task else ""
@@ -887,18 +889,13 @@ def _build_robot_action_executor(
 def _print_runtime_help() -> None:
     """Print the slash-command reference."""
     print(
-        "[pi052] commands (arguments need no quotes):\n"
+        "[runtime] commands (arguments need no quotes):\n"
         "  /action <task>     run the robot; an argument switches to that task\n"
         "  /action            resume the robot on the current task\n"
         "  /action <seconds>  run the robot for N seconds, then auto-pause\n"
         "  /pause             pause the action loop — robot holds position\n"
-        "  /question <text>   pause and answer one VQA question\n"
         "  /help              show this help\n"
-        "  stop | quit | exit end the session\n"
-        "\n"
-        "  VQA examples:\n"
-        "    /question point to the yellow cube     -> point overlay\n"
-        "    /question detect the blue cube         -> bounding-box overlay",
+        "  stop | quit | exit end the session",
         flush=True,
     )
 
@@ -935,7 +932,6 @@ def _handle_slash_command(runtime: Any, line: str) -> bool:
                             (seconds), no argument resumes the current
                             task.
       ``/pause``            pause the action loop — the robot holds.
-      ``/question "text"``  pause and answer one VQA question.
       ``/help``             print the command reference.
 
     Returns ``True`` when ``line`` was a recognised command (consumed).
@@ -955,7 +951,7 @@ def _handle_slash_command(runtime: Any, line: str) -> bool:
             secs = float(rest)
             runtime.state["action_deadline"] = _time.monotonic() + secs
             print(
-                f"[pi052] action — running {secs:g}s, then auto-pause",
+                f"[runtime] action — running {secs:g}s, then auto-pause",
                 flush=True,
             )
         else:
@@ -965,16 +961,16 @@ def _handle_slash_command(runtime: Any, line: str) -> bool:
                 # New task → drop the stale subtask so the high-level
                 # loop regenerates one for the new goal.
                 runtime.state["current_subtask"] = None
-                print(f"[pi052] action — task: {rest!r}", flush=True)
+                print(f"[runtime] action — task: {rest!r}", flush=True)
             elif runtime.state.get("task"):
                 print(
-                    f"[pi052] action — resuming: {runtime.state['task']!r}",
+                    f"[runtime] action — resuming: {runtime.state['task']!r}",
                     flush=True,
                 )
             else:
                 runtime.state["mode"] = "paused"
                 print(
-                    "[pi052] no task set — use /action <your task>",
+                    "[runtime] no task set — use /action <your task>",
                     flush=True,
                 )
         return True
@@ -983,22 +979,7 @@ def _handle_slash_command(runtime: Any, line: str) -> bool:
         runtime.state["mode"] = "paused"
         runtime.state["action_deadline"] = None
         _clear_action_queue(runtime)
-        print("[pi052] paused — robot holding position", flush=True)
-        return True
-
-    if cmd in {"/question", "/q", "/ask", "/vqa", "/vlm"}:
-        # A question always pauses the action loop first so the policy
-        # is not used concurrently by the background runtime thread.
-        runtime.state["mode"] = "paused"
-        runtime.state["action_deadline"] = None
-        _clear_action_queue(runtime)
-        if not rest:
-            print(
-                "[pi052] usage: /question <your question>  (e.g. /question point to the yellow cube)",
-                flush=True,
-            )
-            return True
-        _run_vqa_query(runtime, rest)
+        print("[runtime] paused — robot holding position", flush=True)
         return True
 
     if cmd in {"/help", "/?"}:
@@ -1007,22 +988,6 @@ def _handle_slash_command(runtime: Any, line: str) -> bool:
     return False
 
 
-def _run_vqa_query(runtime: Any, question: str) -> None:
-    """Run one interactive VQA question against the runtime's policy.
-
-    Invoked by ``/question`` — the action loop is paused first so the
-    policy is free for a synchronous VQA call.
-    """
-    from lerobot.policies.pi052.inference.vqa import handle_vqa_query  # noqa: PLC0415
-
-    handle_vqa_query(
-        policy_adapter=runtime.policy_adapter,
-        observation_provider=runtime.observation_provider,
-        question=question,
-        state=runtime.state,
-    )
-
-
 def _run_autonomous(
     runtime: Any,
     *,
@@ -1030,6 +995,7 @@ def _run_autonomous(
     auto_start: bool,
     initial_task: str | None,
     max_ticks: int | None,
+    panel_label: str = "Runtime",
 ) -> int:
     """Drive the runtime continuously at ``ctrl_hz`` while accepting
     stdin events in the foreground.
@@ -1049,10 +1015,10 @@ def _run_autonomous(
     if not auto_start and runtime.state.get("mode", "paused") == "action":
         try:
             input(
-                "[pi052] Robot connected — starting in ACTION mode. Press ENTER to begin, Ctrl+C to abort. "
+                "[runtime] Robot connected — starting in ACTION mode. Press ENTER to begin, Ctrl+C to abort. "
             )
         except (EOFError, KeyboardInterrupt):
-            print("\n[pi052] aborted before start", flush=True)
+            print("\n[runtime] aborted before start", flush=True)
             return 130
 
     if initial_task:
@@ -1061,7 +1027,7 @@ def _run_autonomous(
     thread = threading.Thread(
         target=runtime.run,
         kwargs={"max_ticks": max_ticks},
-        name="pi052-runtime-loop",
+        name="runtime-loop",
         daemon=True,
     )
     thread.start()
@@ -1085,7 +1051,9 @@ def _run_autonomous(
 
     runtime._flush_logs = _flush_into_scrollback  # type: ignore[method-assign]
 
-    redraw = _make_state_panel_renderer(runtime, mode_label="autonomous", scrollback=_scrollback)
+    redraw = _make_state_panel_renderer(
+        runtime, mode_label="autonomous", panel_label=panel_label, scrollback=_scrollback
+    )
     redraw()
     print(
         "  [autonomous] /action <task> to run  ·  /pause to stop  ·  "
@@ -1119,7 +1087,7 @@ def _run_autonomous(
                     if hasattr(queue, "clear"):
                         queue.clear()
                     print(
-                        "\n[pi052] timed action elapsed — paused",
+                        "\n[runtime] timed action elapsed — paused",
                         flush=True,
                     )
                 else:
@@ -1130,7 +1098,7 @@ def _run_autonomous(
                         print("> ", end="", flush=True)
             _panel_stop.wait(0.7)
 
-    panel_thread = threading.Thread(target=_panel_loop, name="pi052-panel-redraw", daemon=True)
+    panel_thread = threading.Thread(target=_panel_loop, name="runtime-panel-redraw", daemon=True)
     panel_thread.start()
 
     try:
@@ -1160,11 +1128,11 @@ def _run_autonomous(
                 _emit(runtime.state, "user_interjection")
             else:
                 print(
-                    "[pi052] no task yet — use /action <your task> to start",
+                    "[runtime] no task yet — use /action <your task> to start",
                     flush=True,
                 )
     except KeyboardInterrupt:
-        print("\n[pi052] interrupt — stopping", flush=True)
+        print("\n[runtime] interrupt — stopping", flush=True)
     finally:
         _panel_stop.set()
         runtime.stop()
@@ -1175,9 +1143,9 @@ def _run_autonomous(
             time.sleep(0.1)
         try:
             robot.disconnect()
-            print("[pi052] robot disconnected", flush=True)
+            print("[runtime] robot disconnected", flush=True)
         except Exception as exc:  # noqa: BLE001
-            print(f"[pi052] WARNING: robot.disconnect raised {exc}", flush=True)
+            print(f"[runtime] WARNING: robot.disconnect raised {exc}", flush=True)
 
     return 0
 
@@ -1186,6 +1154,7 @@ def _make_state_panel_renderer(
     runtime: Any,
     *,
     mode_label: str,
+    panel_label: str = "Runtime",
     scrollback: list[str] | None = None,
 ) -> Callable[[list[str] | None], None]:
     """Return a closure that prints the task/subtask/plan/memory panel.
@@ -1204,24 +1173,15 @@ def _make_state_panel_renderer(
         st = runtime.state
         run_mode = st.get("mode", "action")
         mode_tag = "[green]mode: action[/]" if run_mode == "action" else "[yellow]mode: paused[/]"
-        console.rule(f"[bold]PI052[/] · {mode_label} · {mode_tag}", style="cyan")
+        console.rule(f"[bold]{panel_label}[/] · {mode_label} · {mode_tag}", style="cyan")
         # Always-visible command hint so the operator never has to
         # remember the slash commands.
         if run_mode == "action":
-            console.print(
-                "  [dim]commands:[/] [bold]/pause[/] stop  ·  "
-                "[bold]/question[/] <text> ask  ·  [bold]/help[/]  ·  [bold]stop[/]"
-            )
+            console.print("  [dim]commands:[/] [bold]/pause[/] stop  ·  [bold]/help[/]  ·  [bold]stop[/]")
         else:
             console.print(
-                "  [dim]commands:[/] [bold]/action[/] <task> run  ·  "
-                "[bold]/question[/] <text> ask  ·  [bold]/help[/]  ·  [bold]stop[/]"
+                "  [dim]commands:[/] [bold]/action[/] <task> run  ·  [bold]/help[/]  ·  [bold]stop[/]"
             )
-        # Reference VQA prompts — the two answer shapes that draw an
-        # overlay (point + bounding box). No quotes needed.
-        console.print(
-            "  [dim]vqa examples:[/] /question point to the yellow cube  ·  /question detect the blue cube"
-        )
         for key, label in (
             ("task", "task"),
             ("current_subtask", "subtask"),
@@ -1238,13 +1198,8 @@ def _make_state_panel_renderer(
             if isinstance(st.get("action_queue"), (list, tuple)) or hasattr(st.get("action_queue"), "__len__")
             else 0
         )
-        pending = len(st.get("tool_calls_pending") or [])
         dispatched = int(st.get("actions_dispatched") or 0)
-        console.print(
-            f"  [dim]queued actions: {queue_len}    "
-            f"dispatched: {dispatched}    "
-            f"pending tool calls: {pending}[/]"
-        )
+        console.print(f"  [dim]queued actions: {queue_len}    dispatched: {dispatched}[/]")
 
         # Overfit / memorisation diagnostics. The high-level steps
         # surface the raw generation each time they fire (even when
@@ -1278,8 +1233,8 @@ def _make_state_panel_renderer(
             console.print(f"  [dim]gen rejects     memory:{mem_gib}  plan:{plan_gib}[/]")
         console.rule(style="cyan")
         # Runtime scrollback — log lines pushed from generation steps
-        # (warnings, gibberish rejections, plan/say speech, vqa
-        # answers). Last N lines, oldest first.
+        # (warnings, gibberish rejections, plan speech). Last N lines,
+        # oldest first.
         if scrollback:
             for line in scrollback:
                 console.print(f"  [magenta]{line.rstrip()}[/]")
@@ -1290,9 +1245,7 @@ def _make_state_panel_renderer(
             console.print()
         if not st.get("task"):
             console.print(
-                "  [dim]Type [bold]/action <your task>[/bold] to begin, "
-                "[bold]/question <text>[/bold] to ask, /help for commands, "
-                "stop to exit.[/]"
+                "  [dim]Type [bold]/action <your task>[/bold] to begin, /help for commands, stop to exit.[/]"
             )
 
     return _redraw
@@ -1338,8 +1291,21 @@ def _silence_noisy_loggers() -> None:
     logging.getLogger("lerobot.robots.utils").setLevel(logging.ERROR)
 
 
-def main(argv: list[str] | None = None) -> int:
-    args = _parse_args(argv)
+def run(
+    argv: list[str] | None = None,
+    *,
+    adapter_factory: Callable[[Any], LanguageConditionedPolicyAdapter],
+    panel_label: str = "Runtime",
+    prog: str | None = None,
+) -> int:
+    """Run the interactive language-conditioned runtime CLI.
+
+    A policy wires this up by passing ``adapter_factory`` — a callable
+    that turns a loaded policy into a :class:`LanguageConditionedPolicyAdapter`
+    (typically the adapter class itself). ``panel_label`` names the state
+    panel; ``prog`` sets the argparse program name for ``--help``.
+    """
+    args = _parse_args(argv, prog=prog)
     logging.basicConfig(
         level=logging.DEBUG if args.verbose else logging.INFO,
         format="%(asctime)s %(levelname)s %(message)s",
@@ -1349,14 +1315,14 @@ def main(argv: list[str] | None = None) -> int:
     autonomous_mode = bool(args.robot_type) and not args.no_robot
     if autonomous_mode and not args.dataset_repo_id:
         print(
-            "[pi052] ERROR: autonomous robot mode requires --dataset.repo_id "
+            "[runtime] ERROR: autonomous robot mode requires --dataset.repo_id "
             "for action-denormalisation stats and feature shapes. Pass the "
             "same dataset the policy was trained on.",
             file=sys.stderr,
         )
         return 2
 
-    print(f"[pi052] loading policy from {args.policy_path}", flush=True)
+    print(f"[runtime] loading policy from {args.policy_path}", flush=True)
     policy, preprocessor, postprocessor, ds_meta = _load_policy_and_preprocessor(
         args.policy_path, args.dataset_repo_id
     )
@@ -1387,7 +1353,7 @@ def main(argv: list[str] | None = None) -> int:
         )
         if chosen:
             args.task = chosen
-            print(f"[pi052] task: {args.task!r}", flush=True)
+            print(f"[runtime] task: {args.task!r}", flush=True)
 
     # No startup prompts — the runtime is command-driven. It comes up at
     # the command line in ``paused`` mode (robot idle) unless ``--mode``
@@ -1401,7 +1367,7 @@ def main(argv: list[str] | None = None) -> int:
 
     if autonomous_mode:
         print(
-            f"[pi052] connecting to robot.type={args.robot_type} port={args.robot_port}",
+            f"[runtime] connecting to robot.type={args.robot_type} port={args.robot_port}",
             flush=True,
         )
         robot = _build_robot(
@@ -1425,7 +1391,7 @@ def main(argv: list[str] | None = None) -> int:
         )
     elif args.dataset_repo_id is not None:
         print(
-            f"[pi052] streaming observations from {args.dataset_repo_id} "
+            f"[runtime] streaming observations from {args.dataset_repo_id} "
             f"episode={args.dataset_episode} "
             f"start_frame={args.dataset_start_frame}",
             flush=True,
@@ -1440,13 +1406,8 @@ def main(argv: list[str] | None = None) -> int:
             augment=getattr(args, "dataset_augment_at_inference", False),
         )
 
-    from lerobot.policies.pi052.inference import (  # noqa: PLC0415
-        LanguageConditionedRuntime,
-        PI052PolicyAdapter,
-    )
-
     runtime = LanguageConditionedRuntime(
-        policy_adapter=PI052PolicyAdapter(policy),
+        policy_adapter=adapter_factory(policy),
         observation_provider=observation_provider,
         action_executor=robot_executor,
         # No background event collector — the REPL drives ticks
@@ -1466,7 +1427,7 @@ def main(argv: list[str] | None = None) -> int:
     runtime.state["text_gen_min_new_tokens"] = int(getattr(args, "text_min_new_tokens", 0) or 0)
     runtime.state["text_gen_temperature"] = float(getattr(args, "text_temperature", 0.0) or 0.0)
     runtime.state["text_gen_top_p"] = float(getattr(args, "text_top_p", 1.0) or 1.0)
-    # Subtask throttle: the PI052 adapter updates language state only once every N
+    # Subtask throttle: the adapter updates language state only once every N
     # action-chunk boundaries. Lets you run N action chunks per LM-head
     # subtask gen (e.g. ``--subtask_chunks_per_gen=5`` ≈ 5 flow-matching
     # chunks per subtask refresh) so the subtask doesn't churn while
@@ -1493,6 +1454,7 @@ def main(argv: list[str] | None = None) -> int:
             auto_start=args.auto_start,
             initial_task=args.task,
             max_ticks=args.max_ticks,
+            panel_label=panel_label,
         )
     # Fire one full pipeline tick at startup so the obs diagnostic
     # *and* the subtask generation actually run before the REPL
@@ -1508,11 +1470,13 @@ def main(argv: list[str] | None = None) -> int:
             logger.warning("startup tick failed: %s", exc)
             startup_logs = []
         for line in startup_logs or []:
-            print(f"[pi052] {line}", flush=True)
-    return _run_repl(runtime, initial_task=args.task, max_ticks=args.max_ticks)
+            print(f"[runtime] {line}", flush=True)
+    return _run_repl(runtime, initial_task=args.task, max_ticks=args.max_ticks, panel_label=panel_label)
 
 
-def _run_repl(runtime: Any, *, initial_task: str | None, max_ticks: int | None) -> int:
+def _run_repl(
+    runtime: Any, *, initial_task: str | None, max_ticks: int | None, panel_label: str = "Runtime"
+) -> int:
     """Claude-Code-style block REPL.
 
     Each turn redraws a status block (task / subtask / plan / memory)
@@ -1526,12 +1490,12 @@ def _run_repl(runtime: Any, *, initial_task: str | None, max_ticks: int | None)
         from rich.console import Console  # noqa: PLC0415
     except ImportError:
         print(
-            "[pi052] rich is required for the interactive REPL. `pip install rich` and re-run.",
+            "[runtime] rich is required for the interactive REPL. `pip install rich` and re-run.",
             file=sys.stderr,
         )
         return 2
 
-    _redraw = _make_state_panel_renderer(runtime, mode_label="dry-run")
+    _redraw = _make_state_panel_renderer(runtime, mode_label="dry-run", panel_label=panel_label)
     # Keep a local ``console`` just for the styled input prompt; the
     # state panel is owned by the shared renderer.
     console = Console(highlight=False)
@@ -1570,7 +1534,7 @@ def _run_repl(runtime: Any, *, initial_task: str | None, max_ticks: int | None)
             # task to be meaningful.
             if not runtime.state.get("task"):
                 print(
-                    "[pi052] no task yet — use /action <your task>",
+                    "[runtime] no task yet — use /action <your task>",
                     flush=True,
                 )
                 _redraw(last_logs)
@@ -1588,7 +1552,3 @@ def _run_repl(runtime: Any, *, initial_task: str | None, max_ticks: int | None)
         console.print("\n[dim]interrupted[/]")
     console.print("[dim]runtime stopped[/]")
     return 0
-
-
-if __name__ == "__main__":
-    sys.exit(main())
diff --git a/src/lerobot/runtime/language_runtime.py b/src/lerobot/runtime/language_runtime.py
index af16a99d6..7410d16fd 100644
--- a/src/lerobot/runtime/language_runtime.py
+++ b/src/lerobot/runtime/language_runtime.py
@@ -26,15 +26,6 @@ from typing import Any, Protocol
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
-@dataclass
-class VQAResult:
-    """Text answer plus optional parsed spatial payload."""
-
-    answer: str
-    parsed: dict[str, Any] | None = None
-    camera: str | None = None
-
-
 @dataclass
 class RuntimeState:
     """Explicit state shared by the runtime and policy adapter."""
@@ -138,14 +129,6 @@ class LanguageConditionedPolicyAdapter(Protocol):
         user_text: str | None = None,
     ) -> str: ...
 
-    def answer_vqa(
-        self,
-        question: str,
-        camera: str | None,
-        observation: dict[str, Any] | None,
-        state: RuntimeState,
-    ) -> VQAResult: ...
-
 
 @dataclass
 class Tick:
@@ -290,8 +273,6 @@ class LanguageConditionedRuntime:
     def maybe_handle_user_events(self) -> None:
         if self.state.take_event("user_interjection"):
             self._handle_user_interjection()
-        if self.state.take_event("user_vqa_query"):
-            self._handle_vqa_query()
 
     def _handle_user_interjection(self) -> None:
         text = str(self.state.extra.get("recent_interjection") or "")
@@ -306,16 +287,6 @@ class LanguageConditionedRuntime:
             self.state.set_context("plan", plan, label="plan")
         self.state.extra["recent_interjection"] = None
 
-    def _handle_vqa_query(self) -> None:
-        question = str(self.state.extra.get("recent_vqa_query") or "")
-        if not question:
-            return
-        observation = self._current_observation()
-        result = self.policy_adapter.answer_vqa(question, None, observation, self.state)
-        if result.answer:
-            self.state.log(f"  vqa: {result.answer}")
-        self.state.extra["recent_vqa_query"] = None
-
     def maybe_enqueue_action_chunk(self, *, force: bool = False) -> None:
         if self.state.mode != "action" or not self.state.task:
             return
diff --git a/src/lerobot/policies/pi052/inference/repl.py b/src/lerobot/runtime/repl.py
similarity index 83%
rename from src/lerobot/policies/pi052/inference/repl.py
rename to src/lerobot/runtime/repl.py
index 6f025b15a..c7c07fead 100644
--- a/src/lerobot/policies/pi052/inference/repl.py
+++ b/src/lerobot/runtime/repl.py
@@ -11,21 +11,20 @@
 # WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
-"""Stdin REPL event collector for the PI052 runtime.
+"""Stdin REPL event collector for the language-conditioned runtime.
 
 Reads non-blocking stdin lines, classifies each one heuristically:
 
   "stop" / "quit" / "exit"               → state["stop"] = True
   "/action" / "/pause"                    → set state["mode"]
-  ends with "?"                           → user_vqa_query event
   starts with "task:" or first line       → set runtime task
   anything else                           → user_interjection event
 
 Plugged into the runtime via ``event_collector=StdinReader().poll``.
 
-Note: the shipped CLI (``lerobot-pi052-runtime``) drives stdin
-directly in its REPL / autonomous loops and does *not* wire this
-collector; it's kept as the documented embedding hook and for tests.
+Note: the shipped CLI drives stdin directly in its REPL / autonomous
+loops and does *not* wire this collector; it's kept as the documented
+embedding hook and for tests.
 """
 
 from __future__ import annotations
@@ -92,17 +91,12 @@ class StdinReader:
         if not state.get("task"):
             task = line[5:].strip() if lower.startswith("task:") else line
             state["task"] = task
-            print(f"[pi052] Task: {task}", flush=True)
+            print(f"[runtime] Task: {task}", flush=True)
             self._seen_first_line = True
             return
 
-        # Question → VQA; statement → interjection.
-        if lower.endswith("?"):
-            state["recent_vqa_query"] = line
-            _emit(state, "user_vqa_query")
-        else:
-            state["recent_interjection"] = line
-            _emit(state, "user_interjection")
+        state["recent_interjection"] = line
+        _emit(state, "user_interjection")
 
 
 def _emit(state: Any, event_name: str) -> None:
diff --git a/src/lerobot/policies/pi052/inference/ui.py b/src/lerobot/runtime/ui.py
similarity index 90%
rename from src/lerobot/policies/pi052/inference/ui.py
rename to src/lerobot/runtime/ui.py
index 05b127cdc..2059b774c 100644
--- a/src/lerobot/policies/pi052/inference/ui.py
+++ b/src/lerobot/runtime/ui.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 # WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
-"""Rich-based REPL layout for the PI052 runtime.
+"""Rich-based REPL layout for the language-conditioned runtime.
 
 Two-zone terminal layout:
 
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ _STATE_KEYS = (
 )
 
 
-def make_state_panel(state: dict[str, Any]) -> Any:
+def make_state_panel(state: dict[str, Any], *, title: str = "Runtime state") -> Any:
     """Render the persistent state panel for the live region.
 
     Returns a :class:`rich.panel.Panel`. Caller passes it to
@@ -76,19 +76,13 @@ def make_state_panel(state: dict[str, Any]) -> Any:
         table.add_row(label, rendered)
     queue = state.get("action_queue")
     queue_len = len(queue) if hasattr(queue, "__len__") else 0
-    pending = state.get("tool_calls_pending") or []
-    footer = Text.assemble(
-        ("queued actions: ", "dim"),
-        (str(queue_len), "bold cyan"),
-        ("    pending tool calls: ", "dim"),
-        (str(len(pending)), "bold magenta"),
-    )
+    footer = Text.assemble(("queued actions: ", "dim"), (str(queue_len), "bold cyan"))
     table.add_row("", footer)
     run_mode = state.get("mode", "action")
     mode_tag = "[green]action[/]" if run_mode == "action" else "[yellow]paused[/]"
     return Panel(
         table,
-        title=f"[bold]PI052 state[/] · mode: {mode_tag}",
+        title=f"[bold]{title}[/] · mode: {mode_tag}",
         border_style="cyan",
     )
 
diff --git a/src/lerobot/scripts/lerobot_pi052_runtime.py b/src/lerobot/scripts/lerobot_pi052_runtime.py
index a6339b44f..2b4efe619 100644
--- a/src/lerobot/scripts/lerobot_pi052_runtime.py
+++ b/src/lerobot/scripts/lerobot_pi052_runtime.py
@@ -13,13 +13,29 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
-"""Entry point for ``lerobot-pi052-runtime``."""
+"""Entry point for ``lerobot-pi052-runtime``.
+
+Wires PI052's adapter into the generic runtime CLI. A new
+language-conditioned policy adds its own such entry point with its
+adapter — no runtime/REPL code to copy.
+"""
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import sys
 
-from lerobot.policies.pi052.inference.runtime_cli import main
+
+def main(argv: list[str] | None = None) -> int:
+    from lerobot.policies.pi052.inference import PI052PolicyAdapter
+    from lerobot.runtime.cli import run
+
+    return run(
+        argv,
+        adapter_factory=PI052PolicyAdapter,
+        panel_label="PI052",
+        prog="lerobot-pi052-runtime",
+    )
+
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     sys.exit(main())
diff --git a/tests/policies/pi052/test_pi052_runtime_adapter.py b/tests/policies/pi052/test_pi052_runtime_adapter.py
index 12a742415..cc5a8702a 100644
--- a/tests/policies/pi052/test_pi052_runtime_adapter.py
+++ b/tests/policies/pi052/test_pi052_runtime_adapter.py
@@ -23,9 +23,6 @@ def test_pi052_adapter_builds_recipe_prompts_from_runtime_state():
         {"role": "assistant", "content": "Previous plan:\npick then place"},
         {"role": "user", "content": "wait"},
     ]
-    assert adapter.messages_for("vqa", state, user_text="where is the cup?") == [
-        {"role": "user", "content": "where is the cup?"}
-    ]
 
 
 def test_pi052_adapter_strips_say_markers_from_plan_text():
@@ -37,15 +34,19 @@ def test_pi052_adapter_strips_say_markers_from_plan_text():
 
 
 def test_pi052_runtime_cli_smoke_does_not_load_model(monkeypatch):
-    from lerobot.policies.pi052.inference import runtime_cli
+    """The pi052 entry wires its adapter into the generic runtime CLI."""
+    from lerobot.runtime import cli
+    from lerobot.scripts import lerobot_pi052_runtime
 
     fake_policy = SimpleNamespace(config=SimpleNamespace(device="cpu"))
 
     monkeypatch.setattr(
-        runtime_cli,
+        cli,
         "_load_policy_and_preprocessor",
         lambda policy_path, dataset_repo_id: (fake_policy, None, None, None),
     )
-    monkeypatch.setattr(runtime_cli, "_run_repl", lambda runtime, initial_task, max_ticks: 0)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(cli, "_run_repl", lambda runtime, **kwargs: 0)
 
-    assert runtime_cli.main(["--policy.path=fake", "--no_robot", "--task=clean", "--max_ticks=0"]) == 0
+    assert (
+        lerobot_pi052_runtime.main(["--policy.path=fake", "--no_robot", "--task=clean", "--max_ticks=0"]) == 0
+    )
diff --git a/tests/policies/pi052/test_pi052_vqa_loc.py b/tests/policies/pi052/test_pi052_vqa_loc.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 596778aed..000000000
--- a/tests/policies/pi052/test_pi052_vqa_loc.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,187 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env python
-
-# Copyright 2026 The HuggingFace Inc. team. All rights reserved.
-#
-# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
-# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
-# You may obtain a copy of the License at
-#
-#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
-#
-# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
-# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
-# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
-# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
-# limitations under the License.
-
-"""Training-side conversion of VQA answers to PaliGemma ``<loc>`` text.
-
-PI052 trains spatial VQA answers (``bbox`` / ``keypoint``) in
-PaliGemma's native ``<locNNNN>`` detection vocabulary so the LM head
-reuses the detection prior instead of fighting it (the ``<loc>``-salad
-bug). The dataset stores Qwen2.5-VL's grounding output — **0–1000
-normalized** coordinates, *not* pixels. (Verified empirically on the
-published datasets: x and y both span 0..1000 with ~30% of values
-exceeding the camera's pixel dimensions.) The conversion is therefore
-camera-resolution-independent. The dataset stays backbone-agnostic
-JSON; the conversion lives in PI052's tokenizer. These tests pin the
-JSON → ``<loc>`` rewrite.
-"""
-
-import pytest
-
-pytest.importorskip("transformers")
-
-from lerobot.policies.pi052.text_processor_pi052 import (  # noqa: E402
-    _loc_token,
-    _messages_vqa_to_loc,
-    _vqa_answer_to_loc,
-    register_paligemma_loc_tokens,
-)
-
-
-class _FakeTokenizer:
-    """Tracks ``add_tokens`` calls; mimics the bits ``register_paligemma_loc_tokens`` reads."""
-
-    def __init__(self, prepopulate: bool = False):
-        self.added_tokens_encoder: dict[str, int] = {}
-        self.calls: list[list[str]] = []
-        if prepopulate:
-            self.added_tokens_encoder["<loc0000>"] = 256000
-
-    def add_tokens(self, tokens: list[str]) -> int:
-        self.calls.append(list(tokens))
-        for t in tokens:
-            self.added_tokens_encoder.setdefault(t, len(self.added_tokens_encoder) + 256000)
-        return len(tokens)
-
-
-def test_register_loc_tokens_adds_full_1024_range():
-    tok = _FakeTokenizer()
-    out = register_paligemma_loc_tokens(tok)
-    assert out is tok  # returns same instance
-    assert len(tok.calls) == 1
-    added = tok.calls[0]
-    assert len(added) == 1024
-    assert added[0] == "<loc0000>"
-    assert added[-1] == "<loc1023>"
-    # Spot check a few in the middle.
-    assert added[162] == "<loc0162>"
-    assert added[759] == "<loc0759>"
-
-
-def test_register_loc_tokens_is_idempotent():
-    """If the loc tokens are already present we skip re-adding them."""
-    tok = _FakeTokenizer(prepopulate=True)
-    register_paligemma_loc_tokens(tok)
-    register_paligemma_loc_tokens(tok)
-    assert tok.calls == []  # never called add_tokens
-
-
-def test_loc_token_normalizes_and_clamps():
-    # Default scale is the 0–1000 Qwen convention.
-    assert _loc_token(0) == "<loc0000>"
-    assert _loc_token(1000) == "<loc1023>"
-    assert _loc_token(500) == f"<loc{round(500 / 1000 * 1023):04d}>"
-    # out-of-range coordinates clamp into [0, 1023]
-    assert _loc_token(9999) == "<loc1023>"
-    assert _loc_token(-5) == "<loc0000>"
-
-
-def test_vqa_answer_to_loc_keypoint_normalized():
-    # Label-first: avoids the "Assistant: → <loc>" attractor at training.
-    answer = {"label": "blue cube", "point_format": "xy", "point": [500, 500]}
-    assert _vqa_answer_to_loc(answer) == "blue cube <loc0512><loc0512>"
-
-
-def test_vqa_answer_to_loc_bbox_normalized():
-    answer = {
-        "detections": [{"label": "cube", "bbox_format": "xyxy", "bbox": [0, 0, 1000, 1000]}]
-    }
-    assert _vqa_answer_to_loc(answer) == "cube <loc0000><loc0000><loc1023><loc1023>"
-
-
-def test_vqa_answer_to_loc_multiple_detections_separator():
-    answer = {
-        "detections": [
-            {"label": "blue", "bbox_format": "xyxy", "bbox": [0, 0, 500, 500]},
-            {"label": "yellow", "bbox_format": "xyxy", "bbox": [500, 500, 1000, 1000]},
-        ]
-    }
-    out = _vqa_answer_to_loc(answer)
-    # Each segment is "label <locs>", joined by " ; "
-    assert out == (
-        "blue <loc0000><loc0000><loc0512><loc0512> ; "
-        "yellow <loc0512><loc0512><loc1023><loc1023>"
-    )
-
-
-def test_vqa_answer_to_loc_returns_none_for_non_spatial():
-    assert _vqa_answer_to_loc({"label": "cubes", "count": 2}) is None
-    assert _vqa_answer_to_loc({"weird": "payload"}) is None
-
-
-def test_messages_vqa_to_loc_rewrites_target_turn():
-    messages = [
-        {"role": "user", "content": [{"type": "text", "text": "where is the cube?"}]},
-        {
-            "role": "assistant",
-            "content": '{"label": "cube", "point_format": "xy", "point": [500, 500]}',
-        },
-    ]
-    out = _messages_vqa_to_loc(messages, target_indices=[1])
-    assert out[1]["content"] == "cube <loc0512><loc0512>"
-    # input messages are not mutated
-    assert messages[1]["content"].startswith("{")
-
-
-def test_messages_vqa_to_loc_leaves_plain_text_targets_untouched():
-    messages = [
-        {"role": "user", "content": "pick the cube"},
-        {"role": "assistant", "content": "pick up the cube"},
-    ]
-    out = _messages_vqa_to_loc(messages, target_indices=[1])
-    assert out[1]["content"] == "pick up the cube"
-
-
-def test_messages_vqa_to_loc_noop_without_target_indices():
-    messages = [
-        {"role": "assistant", "content": '{"label": "c", "point_format": "xy", "point": [1, 2]}'}
-    ]
-    assert _messages_vqa_to_loc(messages, []) is messages
-
-
-# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# Round-trip: training-side JSON -> <loc> -> runtime-side parse back
-#
-# Pins that the conversion preserves coordinate *order* (JSON is x-first,
-# PaliGemma <loc> is y-first) and the 0–1000 → [0, 1023] scaling. The
-# only loss is quantization to the 1024-bucket <loc> grid, so a coord
-# survives within half a bucket (~1000/2046 ≈ 0.49 on the 0–1000 scale).
-# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
-def test_loc_round_trip_keypoint_preserves_normalized_coords():
-    from lerobot.policies.pi052.inference.vqa import parse_vqa_answer
-
-    answer = {"label": "blue cube", "point_format": "xy", "point": [640, 480]}
-    loc = _vqa_answer_to_loc(answer)
-    parsed = parse_vqa_answer(loc)
-    nx, ny = parsed["payload"]["point"]
-    # parse_vqa_answer returns [0, 1] normalized; rescale back to 0–1000.
-    assert abs(nx * 1000.0 - 640) <= 1000.0 / 2046 + 1e-6
-    assert abs(ny * 1000.0 - 480) <= 1000.0 / 2046 + 1e-6
-    assert parsed["payload"]["label"] == "blue cube"
-
-
-def test_loc_round_trip_bbox_preserves_order_and_scale():
-    from lerobot.policies.pi052.inference.vqa import parse_vqa_answer
-
-    answer = {
-        "detections": [{"label": "cube", "bbox_format": "xyxy", "bbox": [100, 200, 800, 900]}]
-    }
-    loc = _vqa_answer_to_loc(answer)
-    parsed = parse_vqa_answer(loc)
-    x1, y1, x2, y2 = parsed["payload"]["detections"][0]["bbox"]
-    for got, want in ((x1, 100), (y1, 200), (x2, 800), (y2, 900)):
-        assert abs(got * 1000.0 - want) <= 1000.0 / 2046 + 1e-6
diff --git a/tests/runtime/test_language_runtime.py b/tests/runtime/test_language_runtime.py
index 6694d9412..8fd4e00fd 100644
--- a/tests/runtime/test_language_runtime.py
+++ b/tests/runtime/test_language_runtime.py
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 from lerobot.runtime import (
     LanguageConditionedRuntime,
     RuntimeState,
-    VQAResult,
 )
 
 
@@ -19,9 +18,6 @@ class FakeAdapter:
         self.text_calls.append((kind, user_text))
         return "new plan"
 
-    def answer_vqa(self, question, camera, observation, state):
-        return VQAResult(answer=f"answer: {question}")
-
     def update_language_state(self, observation, state):
         self.updated = True
         state.set_context("subtask", "pick cup", label="subtask")