diff --git a/tempest/references/cli-worked-recipes.md b/tempest/references/cli-worked-recipes.md
index 347f2b0..77908d2 100644
--- a/tempest/references/cli-worked-recipes.md
+++ b/tempest/references/cli-worked-recipes.md
@@ -121,16 +121,24 @@ on `type` before indexing.
 tempest forecast --station-id 12799 --days 3 --dry-run --json
 # -> {"dry_run": true, "command": "forecast", "station_id": 12799, "days": 3}
 
-# Every documented command has a dry-run plan: current, obs, forecast, stations
+# Every documented command has a dry-run plan — current, obs, forecast,
+# stations, and udp listen (plans the bind, creates no socket, safe off-LAN)
 tempest obs --device-id 60526 --days 2 --dry-run --json
+tempest udp listen --port 50222 --timeout 30 --dry-run --json
+# -> {"dry_run": true, "command": "udp", "subcommand": "listen",
+#     "bind_address": "0.0.0.0", "port": 50222, "timeout_seconds": 30,
+#     "show_all": false}
 
 # Quiet/verbose piping: logs on stderr, data on stdout
 tempest current --json --quiet | jq .observation.air_temperature
 ```
 
 Behavior contract: `--dry-run` works without `TEMPEST_TOKEN` set (no credential
-needed to see a plan); `--help` and `--dry-run` are always offline. Without
-`--dry-run`, a missing token exits 1 with
+needed to see a plan); `--help` and `--dry-run` are always offline. For
+`udp listen`, dry-run describes the listen parameters (bind address, port,
+timeout, show-all) and exits 0 without creating or binding any socket — the
+real listener waits for hub traffic on UDP 50222 and needs the hub's LAN.
+Without `--dry-run`, a missing token exits 1 with
 `Error: TEMPEST_TOKEN not set...` before any request is attempted.
 
 ## Recipe 6: JSON error paths you'll actually see
diff --git a/tempest/scripts/tempest b/tempest/scripts/tempest
index 0592f09..6061107 100755
--- a/tempest/scripts/tempest
+++ b/tempest/scripts/tempest
@@ -732,6 +732,17 @@ def udp_listen(args: argparse.Namespace) -> None:
     timeout = args.timeout
     show_all = args.show_all
 
+    if GLOBAL_FLAGS.get("dry_run", False):
+        # Dry-run plans the listen instead of opening it: exits 0 without
+        # creating or binding any socket, so it is safe anywhere (no hub
+        # required, no LAN needed, no hanging on a broadcast port).
+        emit("[dry-run] Would listen for Tempest UDP broadcasts on "
+             f"{UDP_BROADCAST_ADDR}:{port} — binds no socket now.",
+             {"dry_run": True, "command": "udp", "subcommand": "listen",
+              "bind_address": UDP_BROADCAST_ADDR, "port": port,
+              "timeout_seconds": timeout, "show_all": show_all})
+        return
+
     sock = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_DGRAM)
     sock.setsockopt(socket.SOL_SOCKET, socket.SO_REUSEADDR, 1)
     sock.bind((UDP_BROADCAST_ADDR, port))
diff --git a/tempest/scripts/test_tempest.py b/tempest/scripts/test_tempest.py
index edfe085..ab778ac 100644
--- a/tempest/scripts/test_tempest.py
+++ b/tempest/scripts/test_tempest.py
@@ -316,6 +316,56 @@ class DryRunTests(CliTestCase):
         self.assertEqual(code, 0)
         self.assertEqual(json.loads(out)["command"], "stations")
 
+    def test_udp_listen_dry_run_plan_shape(self):
+        # VAL-TEMP-011: udp listen honors --dry-run — a plan JSON, exit 0,
+        # and (pinned by the socket patch below) NO socket is ever created
+        # or bound, so the dry run cannot hang waiting for hub traffic.
+        code, out = run_main(["udp", "listen", "--port", "50222",
+                              "--timeout", "30", "--dry-run", "--json"])
+        self.assertEqual(code, 0)
+        plan = json.loads(out)
+        self.assertEqual(plan["dry_run"], True)
+        self.assertEqual(plan["command"], "udp")
+        self.assertEqual(plan["subcommand"], "listen")
+        self.assertEqual(plan["bind_address"], ts.UDP_BROADCAST_ADDR)
+        self.assertEqual(plan["port"], 50222)
+        self.assertEqual(plan["timeout_seconds"], 30)
+        self.assertEqual(plan["show_all"], False)
+
+    def test_udp_listen_dry_run_defaults_and_show_all(self):
+        # Defaults land in the plan; --show-all propagates.
+        code, out = run_main(["udp", "listen", "--show-all", "--dry-run", "--json"])
+        self.assertEqual(code, 0)
+        plan = json.loads(out)
+        self.assertEqual(plan["port"], ts.DEFAULT_UDP_PORT)
+        self.assertEqual(plan["timeout_seconds"], 0)
+        self.assertEqual(plan["show_all"], True)
+
+    def test_udp_listen_dry_run_creates_no_socket(self):
+        # Prove the "binds no socket" half of the contract: if udp_listen
+        # reached its listen path, socket.socket() would be constructed and
+        # this fake's bind() would blow up the test.
+        bound = []
+
+        class NoBindSock:
+            def bind(self, *a, **k):
+                bound.append(a)
+                raise AssertionError("dry-run udp listen must not bind a socket")
+
+        with patch.object(ts.socket, "socket", side_effect=AssertionError(
+                "dry-run udp listen must not create a socket")):
+            code, out = run_main(["udp", "listen", "--dry-run", "--json"])
+        self.assertEqual(code, 0)
+        self.assertEqual(bound, [])
+        self.assertEqual(json.loads(out)["dry_run"], True)
+
+    def test_udp_listen_dry_run_without_token_is_fine(self):
+        # UDP needs no token, and the dry run must not demand one either.
+        with patch_token(""):
+            code, out = run_main(["udp", "listen", "--dry-run", "--json"])
+        self.assertEqual(code, 0)
+        self.assertEqual(json.loads(out)["command"], "udp")
+
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Class 4: mocked REST client logic (no real network anywhere)