diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a8469f6..3fc409b 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -99,8 +99,9 @@ mere search python
 # install more packages
 mere install -p test busybox curl git
 
-# see what's in your profile
-mere profile list
+# see which package versions are active
+mere profile packages
+mere profile packages -p test
 
 # inspect the store
 ls /mere/store/
diff --git a/src/cli/commands/profile.zig b/src/cli/commands/profile.zig
index c1da168..01aec2d 100644
--- a/src/cli/commands/profile.zig
+++ b/src/cli/commands/profile.zig
@@ -51,6 +51,21 @@ const list_meta = command.CommandMeta{
     .description = "List all profiles",
 };
 
+/// Packages subcommand metadata
+const packages_meta = command.CommandMeta{
+    .name = "packages",
+    .description = "List packages in a profile's active state",
+    .flags = &[_]types.Flag{
+        .{
+            .name = "profile",
+            .short = 'p',
+            .description = "Profile to inspect (default: system)",
+            .flag_type = .string,
+            .value_name = "name",
+        },
+    },
+};
+
 /// Create subcommand metadata
 const create_meta = command.CommandMeta{
     .name = "create",
@@ -221,6 +236,99 @@ pub fn handleList(ctx: *mere.Context, args: *const types.ParsedArgs) MereError!t
     };
 }
 
+/// List package names and versions from a profile's active realized state.
+pub fn handlePackages(ctx: *mere.Context, args: *const types.ParsedArgs) MereError!types.CommandResult {
+    const profile_name = args.getString("profile") orelse "system";
+    const profile_dir = std.fs.path.join(ctx.allocator, &.{ ctx.root_path, "mere", "profiles", profile_name }) catch {
+        return MereError.OutOfMemory;
+    };
+    defer ctx.allocator.free(profile_dir);
+
+    const store_root = std.fs.path.join(ctx.allocator, &.{ ctx.root_path, "mere", "store" }) catch {
+        return MereError.OutOfMemory;
+    };
+    defer ctx.allocator.free(store_root);
+
+    var active_generation: ?u32 = null;
+    const active_path = if (std.mem.eql(u8, profile_name, "system")) blk: {
+        active_generation = generation_mod.getCurrentGeneration(profile_dir) catch |err| {
+            ctx.setDiagnosticContextFmt(profile_dir, "failed to read current generation: {s}", .{@errorName(err)});
+            return try command.errorResult(ctx, err, "failed to read current generation");
+        };
+        const generation = active_generation orelse {
+            return types.CommandResult{
+                .success = true,
+                .message = try std.fmt.allocPrint(ctx.allocator, "Profile '{s}' has no active generation", .{profile_name}),
+            };
+        };
+        break :blk generation_mod.getGenerationPath(ctx.allocator, profile_dir, generation) catch return MereError.OutOfMemory;
+    } else blk: {
+        const root_path = profile_mod.getRootPath(ctx.allocator, profile_dir) catch return MereError.OutOfMemory;
+        std.Io.Dir.accessAbsolute(path.currentIo(), root_path, .{}) catch |err| switch (err) {
+            error.FileNotFound => {
+                ctx.allocator.free(root_path);
+                return types.CommandResult{
+                    .success = true,
+                    .message = try std.fmt.allocPrint(ctx.allocator, "Profile '{s}' has no active realized state", .{profile_name}),
+                };
+            },
+            else => {
+                ctx.withDiagnosticContext(mere.errors.DiagnosticContext.init().withSubject(root_path));
+                const failure = try command.errorResult(ctx, err, "failed to inspect profile state");
+                ctx.allocator.free(root_path);
+                return failure;
+            },
+        };
+        break :blk root_path;
+    };
+    defer ctx.allocator.free(active_path);
+
+    var manifest = generation_mod.readManifest(ctx.allocator, store_root, active_path) catch |err| {
+        ctx.withDiagnosticContext(mere.errors.DiagnosticContext.init().withSubject(active_path));
+        return try command.errorResult(ctx, err, "failed to read active profile manifest");
+    };
+    defer manifest.deinit();
+
+    const packages = ctx.allocator.dupe(generation_mod.PackageEntry, manifest.packages.items) catch {
+        return MereError.OutOfMemory;
+    };
+    defer ctx.allocator.free(packages);
+    std.mem.sort(generation_mod.PackageEntry, packages, {}, struct {
+        fn lessThan(_: void, left: generation_mod.PackageEntry, right: generation_mod.PackageEntry) bool {
+            const name_order = std.mem.order(u8, left.name, right.name);
+            if (name_order != .eq) return name_order == .lt;
+            const version_order = std.mem.order(u8, left.version, right.version);
+            if (version_order != .eq) return version_order == .lt;
+            return left.release < right.release;
+        }
+    }.lessThan);
+
+    var output: std.ArrayList(u8) = .empty;
+    defer output.deinit(ctx.allocator);
+    var out_buf: std.Io.Writer.Allocating = .fromArrayList(ctx.allocator, &output);
+    const out = &out_buf.writer;
+
+    if (active_generation) |generation| {
+        out.print("Packages in profile '{s}' (gen-{d}):\n", .{ profile_name, generation }) catch return MereError.OutOfMemory;
+    } else {
+        out.print("Packages in profile '{s}':\n", .{profile_name}) catch return MereError.OutOfMemory;
+    }
+
+    if (packages.len == 0) {
+        out.writeAll("  (none)\n") catch return MereError.OutOfMemory;
+    } else {
+        for (packages) |pkg| {
+            out.print("  {s} {s}-{d}\n", .{ pkg.name, pkg.version, pkg.release }) catch return MereError.OutOfMemory;
+        }
+    }
+    output = out_buf.toArrayList();
+
+    return types.CommandResult{
+        .success = true,
+        .message = try ctx.allocator.dupe(u8, output.items),
+    };
+}
+
 /// Create profile handler
 pub fn handleCreate(ctx: *mere.Context, args: *const types.ParsedArgs) MereError!types.CommandResult {
     if (args.positional.len < 1) {
@@ -513,6 +621,9 @@ pub fn createCommand(allocator: std.mem.Allocator) !*command.Command {
     const list_cmd = try allocator.create(command.Command);
     list_cmd.* = command.Command.init(allocator, list_meta, handleList);
 
+    const packages_cmd = try allocator.create(command.Command);
+    packages_cmd.* = command.Command.init(allocator, packages_meta, handlePackages);
+
     const create_cmd = try allocator.create(command.Command);
     create_cmd.* = command.Command.init(allocator, create_meta, handleCreate);
 
@@ -523,6 +634,7 @@ pub fn createCommand(allocator: std.mem.Allocator) !*command.Command {
     apply_cmd.* = command.Command.init(allocator, apply_meta, handleApply);
 
     try profile_cmd.addSubcommand(list_cmd);
+    try profile_cmd.addSubcommand(packages_cmd);
     try profile_cmd.addSubcommand(create_cmd);
     try profile_cmd.addSubcommand(delete_cmd);
     try profile_cmd.addSubcommand(apply_cmd);
diff --git a/src/cli/commands_test.zig b/src/cli/commands_test.zig
index 9ee4249..7a4762e 100644
--- a/src/cli/commands_test.zig
+++ b/src/cli/commands_test.zig
@@ -166,3 +166,116 @@ test "pin add fails without ever touching gc-roots when the store lock can't be
     defer testing.allocator.free(gc_roots_dir);
     try testing.expectError(error.FileNotFound, std.Io.Dir.accessAbsolute(mere.path.currentIo(), gc_roots_dir, .{}));
 }
+
+fn writeProfileManifest(
+    ctx: *mere.Context,
+    profile_path: []const u8,
+    generation: ?u32,
+    packages: []const struct { name: []const u8, version: []const u8, release: u32 },
+) !void {
+    var profile_dir = try mere.path.makePathAndOpenDir(profile_path);
+    profile_dir.close(mere.path.currentIo());
+
+    var manifest = if (generation) |number|
+        mere.generation.GenerationManifest.init(ctx.allocator, number)
+    else
+        mere.generation.GenerationManifest.initRoot(ctx.allocator);
+    defer manifest.deinit();
+
+    for (packages) |pkg| {
+        const store_path = try std.fmt.allocPrint(ctx.allocator, "/mere/store/{s}-{s}-{s}", .{ "a" ** 64, pkg.name, pkg.version });
+        defer ctx.allocator.free(store_path);
+        try manifest.addPackage(pkg.name, pkg.version, pkg.release, "x86_64", store_path, "a" ** 64);
+    }
+    try mere.generation.writeManifest(ctx.allocator, profile_path, &manifest);
+}
+
+test "profile packages lists the active system generation deterministically" {
+    const testing = std.testing;
+    var tmp = testing.tmpDir(.{});
+    defer tmp.cleanup();
+
+    var path_buf: [std.fs.max_path_bytes]u8 = undefined;
+    const root_len = try tmp.dir.realPath(mere.path.currentIo(), &path_buf);
+    var ctx = mere.Context.init(testing.allocator, path_buf[0..root_len]);
+    defer ctx.deinit();
+
+    const profile_dir = try std.fs.path.join(testing.allocator, &.{ ctx.root_path, "mere", "profiles", "system" });
+    defer testing.allocator.free(profile_dir);
+    const gen_path = try std.fs.path.join(testing.allocator, &.{ profile_dir, "gen-2" });
+    defer testing.allocator.free(gen_path);
+    try writeProfileManifest(&ctx, gen_path, 2, &.{
+        .{ .name = "zlib", .version = "1.3.1", .release = 2 },
+        .{ .name = "busybox", .version = "1.36.1", .release = 4 },
+    });
+    var profile_handle = try std.Io.Dir.openDirAbsolute(mere.path.currentIo(), profile_dir, .{});
+    defer profile_handle.close(mere.path.currentIo());
+    try profile_handle.symLink(mere.path.currentIo(), "gen-2", mere.generation.CURRENT_SYMLINK, .{});
+
+    var args = types.ParsedArgs.init(testing.allocator);
+    defer args.deinit();
+    const result = try profile_cmd.handlePackages(&ctx, &args);
+    defer if (result.message) |message| testing.allocator.free(message);
+
+    try testing.expect(result.success);
+    try testing.expectEqualStrings(
+        "Packages in profile 'system' (gen-2):\n  busybox 1.36.1-4\n  zlib 1.3.1-2\n",
+        result.message.?,
+    );
+}
+
+test "profile packages reads a named profile's active root" {
+    const testing = std.testing;
+    var tmp = testing.tmpDir(.{});
+    defer tmp.cleanup();
+
+    var path_buf: [std.fs.max_path_bytes]u8 = undefined;
+    const root_len = try tmp.dir.realPath(mere.path.currentIo(), &path_buf);
+    var ctx = mere.Context.init(testing.allocator, path_buf[0..root_len]);
+    defer ctx.deinit();
+
+    const root_path = try std.fs.path.join(testing.allocator, &.{ ctx.root_path, "mere", "profiles", "tools", "root" });
+    defer testing.allocator.free(root_path);
+    try writeProfileManifest(&ctx, root_path, null, &.{
+        .{ .name = "git", .version = "2.51.0", .release = 1 },
+    });
+
+    var args = types.ParsedArgs.init(testing.allocator);
+    defer args.deinit();
+    try args.flags.put("profile", .{ .string = "tools" });
+    const result = try profile_cmd.handlePackages(&ctx, &args);
+    defer if (result.message) |message| testing.allocator.free(message);
+
+    try testing.expect(result.success);
+    try testing.expectEqualStrings("Packages in profile 'tools':\n  git 2.51.0-1\n", result.message.?);
+}
+
+test "profile packages distinguishes missing and empty active state" {
+    const testing = std.testing;
+    var tmp = testing.tmpDir(.{});
+    defer tmp.cleanup();
+
+    var path_buf: [std.fs.max_path_bytes]u8 = undefined;
+    const root_len = try tmp.dir.realPath(mere.path.currentIo(), &path_buf);
+    var ctx = mere.Context.init(testing.allocator, path_buf[0..root_len]);
+    defer ctx.deinit();
+    var args = types.ParsedArgs.init(testing.allocator);
+    defer args.deinit();
+
+    const missing = try profile_cmd.handlePackages(&ctx, &args);
+    defer if (missing.message) |message| testing.allocator.free(message);
+    try testing.expectEqualStrings("Profile 'system' has no active generation", missing.message.?);
+
+    const profile_dir = try std.fs.path.join(testing.allocator, &.{ ctx.root_path, "mere", "profiles", "system" });
+    defer testing.allocator.free(profile_dir);
+    const gen_path = try std.fs.path.join(testing.allocator, &.{ profile_dir, "gen-1" });
+    defer testing.allocator.free(gen_path);
+    try writeProfileManifest(&ctx, gen_path, 1, &.{});
+    var profile_handle = try std.Io.Dir.openDirAbsolute(mere.path.currentIo(), profile_dir, .{});
+    defer profile_handle.close(mere.path.currentIo());
+    try profile_handle.symLink(mere.path.currentIo(), "gen-1", mere.generation.CURRENT_SYMLINK, .{});
+
+    const empty = try profile_cmd.handlePackages(&ctx, &args);
+    defer if (empty.message) |message| testing.allocator.free(message);
+    try testing.expectEqualStrings("Packages in profile 'system' (gen-1):\n  (none)\n", empty.message.?);
+}