diff --git a/tests/README.md b/tests/README.md
index bfdc27366..66a720b9b 100644
--- a/tests/README.md
+++ b/tests/README.md
@@ -33,6 +33,20 @@ the sub-area. The `area_*` names are registered in `pyproject.toml`; the dynamic
 `sub_*` names are registered before collection by `pytest_configure` in
 `tests/conftest.py`, so unknown-mark warnings still flag genuine typos.
 
+For common focused runs, use `tests/run_focus.py`. It validates area and
+sub-area names, accepts sub-areas with or without the `sub_` prefix, and passes
+extra pytest arguments after `--`:
+
+```bash
+python3 tests/run_focus.py --area security
+python3 tests/run_focus.py --area services --sub-area cookbook
+python3 tests/run_focus.py --sub-area sub_cookbook
+python3 tests/run_focus.py --keyword taxonomy
+python3 tests/run_focus.py --last-failed
+python3 tests/run_focus.py --dry-run --area services --sub-area cookbook
+python3 tests/run_focus.py --area services -- --maxfail=1 -q
+```
+
 ## Core principles
 
 - Keep PRs small and homogeneous: one kind of change per PR.
diff --git a/tests/run_focus.py b/tests/run_focus.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c09035f39
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/run_focus.py
@@ -0,0 +1,233 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""Focused test selection runner for the pytest taxonomy markers (issue #3442).
+
+This wraps ``pytest -m`` selection over the ``area_*`` / ``sub_*`` markers that
+``tests/conftest.py`` adds at collection time (issue #3491) so focused
+validation is repeatable and less error-prone than hand-written marker
+expressions. It builds a pytest command line and either prints it (``--dry-run``)
+or runs it.
+
+Examples:
+    tests/run_focus.py --area security
+    tests/run_focus.py --area services --sub-area cookbook
+    tests/run_focus.py --keyword taxonomy -- --maxfail=1 -q
+
+This script imports no production code and changes no test behavior. It only
+constructs and (optionally) executes a pytest invocation.
+"""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import argparse
+import shlex
+import subprocess
+import sys
+from collections.abc import Callable, Sequence
+from dataclasses import dataclass, field
+from pathlib import Path
+
+PROJECT_ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent
+TESTS_DIR = Path(__file__).resolve().parent
+if str(PROJECT_ROOT) not in sys.path:
+    sys.path.insert(0, str(PROJECT_ROOT))
+
+from tests._taxonomy import discover_markers, normalize_marker_name  # noqa: E402
+
+# The canonical taxonomy areas, mirroring the ``area_*`` markers declared in
+# pyproject.toml and produced by tests/_taxonomy.py.
+AREAS: tuple[str, ...] = (
+    "security",
+    "routes",
+    "services",
+    "cli",
+    "js",
+    "helpers",
+    "unit",
+    "uncategorized",
+)
+
+
+def normalize_sub_area(value: str) -> str:
+    """Normalize a CLI sub-area value and remove an optional ``sub_`` prefix."""
+    token = normalize_marker_name(value)
+    if token.startswith("sub_"):
+        token = token.removeprefix("sub_")
+    if not token:
+        raise argparse.ArgumentTypeError(
+            f"invalid sub-area {value!r}: must contain at least one letter or digit"
+        )
+    return token
+
+
+def discover_sub_areas(tests_dir: Path = TESTS_DIR) -> frozenset[str]:
+    """Discover valid taxonomy sub-areas from Python test filenames."""
+    paths = list(tests_dir.rglob("test_*.py"))
+    paths += list(tests_dir.rglob("*_test.py"))
+    markers = discover_markers(paths)
+    return frozenset(
+        marker.removeprefix("sub_")
+        for marker in markers
+        if marker.startswith("sub_")
+    )
+
+
+def sub_area_type(valid_sub_areas: frozenset[str]) -> Callable[[str], str]:
+    """Build an argparse converter that accepts only discovered sub-areas."""
+
+    def validate(value: str) -> str:
+        sub_area = normalize_sub_area(value)
+        if sub_area not in valid_sub_areas:
+            raise argparse.ArgumentTypeError(
+                f"unknown sub-area {value!r}; choose a discovered taxonomy sub-area"
+            )
+        return sub_area
+
+    return validate
+
+
+@dataclass(frozen=True)
+class FocusSelection:
+    """A single focused-selection request, decoupled from argparse and pytest."""
+
+    area: str | None = None
+    sub_area: str | None = None
+    keyword: str | None = None
+    last_failed: bool = False
+    pytest_args: tuple[str, ...] = field(default_factory=tuple)
+
+    @property
+    def has_focus(self) -> bool:
+        """True when at least one focusing selector (not just pass-through) is set."""
+        return bool(self.area or self.sub_area or self.keyword or self.last_failed)
+
+
+def build_marker_expression(area: str | None, sub_area: str | None) -> str | None:
+    """Build the ``-m`` marker expression from an area and/or sub-area.
+
+    Returns ``None`` when neither is given so the caller can omit ``-m``.
+    """
+    parts: list[str] = []
+    if area:
+        parts.append(f"area_{area}")
+    if sub_area:
+        parts.append(f"sub_{sub_area}")
+    if not parts:
+        return None
+    return " and ".join(parts)
+
+
+def build_pytest_command(
+    selection: FocusSelection, python: str | None = None
+) -> list[str]:
+    """Build the pytest argv list for ``selection``.
+
+    No shell is involved; the result is a plain argv list for subprocess. The
+    interpreter defaults to the one running this script (the project venv when
+    invoked as ``.venv/bin/python tests/run_focus.py``).
+    """
+    command = [python or sys.executable, "-m", "pytest"]
+    marker_expression = build_marker_expression(selection.area, selection.sub_area)
+    if marker_expression:
+        command += ["-m", marker_expression]
+    if selection.keyword:
+        command += ["-k", selection.keyword]
+    if selection.last_failed:
+        command += ["--last-failed", "--last-failed-no-failures=none"]
+    command += list(selection.pytest_args)
+    return command
+
+
+def selection_from_args(namespace: argparse.Namespace) -> FocusSelection:
+    """Convert parsed argparse values into a ``FocusSelection``."""
+    return FocusSelection(
+        area=namespace.area,
+        sub_area=namespace.sub_area,
+        keyword=namespace.keyword,
+        last_failed=namespace.last_failed,
+        pytest_args=tuple(namespace.pytest_args),
+    )
+
+
+def build_parser(
+    valid_sub_areas: frozenset[str] | None = None,
+) -> argparse.ArgumentParser:
+    """Build the argument parser for the focused runner."""
+    if valid_sub_areas is None:
+        valid_sub_areas = discover_sub_areas()
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
+        prog="run_focus.py",
+        description=(
+            "Run a focused subset of the test suite using the area_*/sub_* "
+            "taxonomy markers. Combine --area and --sub-area to intersect them."
+        ),
+        epilog=(
+            "Pass extra pytest arguments after a literal -- separator, e.g.: "
+            "run_focus.py --area services -- --maxfail=1 -q"
+        ),
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--area",
+        choices=AREAS,
+        help="select tests in one taxonomy area (marker area_<area>)",
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--sub-area",
+        type=sub_area_type(valid_sub_areas),
+        metavar="NAME",
+        help="select tests in a sub-area (marker sub_<name>); combinable with --area",
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "-k",
+        "--keyword",
+        help="pass a keyword expression through to pytest -k",
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--last-failed",
+        action="store_true",
+        help="re-run only tests that failed on the last run (pytest --last-failed)",
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--dry-run",
+        action="store_true",
+        help="print the pytest command without executing it",
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "pytest_args",
+        nargs="*",
+        metavar="-- PYTEST_ARGS",
+        help="extra arguments forwarded to pytest after a literal --",
+    )
+    return parser
+
+
+def run(
+    argv: Sequence[str] | None = None,
+    executor: Callable[[list[str]], int] = subprocess.call,
+) -> int:
+    """Parse ``argv``, build the pytest command, and run or print it.
+
+    ``executor`` is injected so tests can assert on the constructed command
+    without spawning a process. It must accept an argv list and return an exit
+    code, matching ``subprocess.call``.
+    """
+    parser = build_parser()
+    namespace = parser.parse_args(argv)
+    selection = selection_from_args(namespace)
+    if not selection.has_focus:
+        parser.error(
+            "no focus selected: pass at least one of --area, --sub-area, "
+            "--keyword, or --last-failed"
+        )
+    command = build_pytest_command(selection)
+    if namespace.dry_run:
+        print(shlex.join(command))
+        return 0
+    return executor(command)
+
+
+def main() -> int:
+    """Console entry point."""
+    return run(sys.argv[1:])
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    raise SystemExit(main())
diff --git a/tests/test_run_focus.py b/tests/test_run_focus.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..959ee0ca5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_run_focus.py
@@ -0,0 +1,218 @@
+"""Direct tests for the focused test-selection runner (tests/run_focus.py).
+
+Command construction is tested separately from process execution: the pure
+builder functions are asserted directly, and ``run`` is exercised with an
+injected fake executor so no pytest subprocess is ever spawned.
+"""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import argparse
+import sys
+
+import pytest
+
+from tests.run_focus import (
+    FocusSelection,
+    build_marker_expression,
+    build_pytest_command,
+    discover_sub_areas,
+    normalize_sub_area,
+    run,
+)
+
+PY = "PY"  # placeholder interpreter for deterministic command assertions
+
+
+def _cmd(**kwargs) -> list[str]:
+    """Build a pytest command for a FocusSelection made from kwargs."""
+    return build_pytest_command(FocusSelection(**kwargs), python=PY)
+
+
+# --- marker expression building -------------------------------------------
+
+
+def test_area_only_marker_expression():
+    assert build_marker_expression("security", None) == "area_security"
+
+
+def test_sub_area_only_marker_expression():
+    assert build_marker_expression(None, "cookbook") == "sub_cookbook"
+
+
+def test_area_and_sub_area_marker_expression():
+    assert build_marker_expression("services", "cookbook") == "area_services and sub_cookbook"
+
+
+def test_no_selection_marker_expression_is_none():
+    assert build_marker_expression(None, None) is None
+
+
+# --- command construction --------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def test_area_only_command():
+    assert _cmd(area="security") == [PY, "-m", "pytest", "-m", "area_security"]
+
+
+def test_sub_area_only_command():
+    assert _cmd(sub_area="cookbook") == [PY, "-m", "pytest", "-m", "sub_cookbook"]
+
+
+def test_area_and_sub_area_command():
+    assert _cmd(area="services", sub_area="cookbook") == [
+        PY, "-m", "pytest", "-m", "area_services and sub_cookbook",
+    ]
+
+
+def test_keyword_only_command():
+    assert _cmd(keyword="taxonomy") == [PY, "-m", "pytest", "-k", "taxonomy"]
+
+
+def test_area_and_keyword_command():
+    assert _cmd(area="services", keyword="cookbook") == [
+        PY, "-m", "pytest", "-m", "area_services", "-k", "cookbook",
+    ]
+
+
+def test_passthrough_pytest_args_appended_last():
+    command = _cmd(area="services", pytest_args=("--maxfail=1", "-q"))
+    assert command == [PY, "-m", "pytest", "-m", "area_services", "--maxfail=1", "-q"]
+
+
+def test_last_failed_appends_safe_flags():
+    assert _cmd(last_failed=True) == [
+        PY,
+        "-m",
+        "pytest",
+        "--last-failed",
+        "--last-failed-no-failures=none",
+    ]
+
+
+def test_default_python_is_current_interpreter():
+    command = build_pytest_command(FocusSelection(area="cli"))
+    assert command[0] == sys.executable
+
+
+# --- sub-area normalization ------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def test_normalize_sub_area_lowercases_and_collapses():
+    assert normalize_sub_area("Cook Book") == "cook_book"
+
+
+def test_normalize_sub_area_strips_separators():
+    assert normalize_sub_area("--owner.scope--") == "owner_scope"
+
+
+def test_normalize_sub_area_removes_marker_prefix():
+    assert normalize_sub_area("sub_cookbook") == "cookbook"
+
+
+def test_normalize_sub_area_rejects_empty_after_normalization():
+    with pytest.raises(argparse.ArgumentTypeError):
+        normalize_sub_area("!!!")
+
+
+def test_discover_sub_areas_from_test_filename(tmp_path):
+    (tmp_path / "test_cookbook_helpers.py").write_text("", encoding="utf-8")
+
+    assert discover_sub_areas(tmp_path) == frozenset({"cookbook"})
+
+
+# --- run(): dry-run, execution, validation ---------------------------------
+
+
+class _FakeExecutor:
+    """Records the command it was asked to run and returns a fixed code."""
+
+    def __init__(self, returncode: int = 0):
+        self.returncode = returncode
+        self.calls: list[list[str]] = []
+
+    def __call__(self, command: list[str]) -> int:
+        self.calls.append(command)
+        return self.returncode
+
+
+def test_dry_run_prints_command_and_does_not_execute(capsys):
+    executor = _FakeExecutor()
+    code = run(
+        ["--dry-run", "--area", "services", "--sub-area", "cookbook"],
+        executor=executor,
+    )
+    out = capsys.readouterr().out
+    assert code == 0
+    assert executor.calls == []
+    assert out == (
+        f"{sys.executable} -m pytest "
+        "-m 'area_services and sub_cookbook'\n"
+    )
+
+
+def test_dry_run_last_failed_prints_safe_flags(capsys):
+    executor = _FakeExecutor()
+    code = run(["--dry-run", "--last-failed"], executor=executor)
+    out = capsys.readouterr().out
+    assert code == 0
+    assert executor.calls == []
+    assert out == (
+        f"{sys.executable} -m pytest "
+        "--last-failed --last-failed-no-failures=none\n"
+    )
+
+
+def test_run_invokes_executor_with_built_command():
+    executor = _FakeExecutor(returncode=3)
+    code = run(["--keyword", "taxonomy", "--", "--maxfail=1"], executor=executor)
+    assert code == 3
+    assert executor.calls == [[sys.executable, "-m", "pytest", "-k", "taxonomy", "--maxfail=1"]]
+
+
+def test_run_last_failed_only():
+    executor = _FakeExecutor()
+    run(["--last-failed"], executor=executor)
+    assert executor.calls == [[
+        sys.executable,
+        "-m",
+        "pytest",
+        "--last-failed",
+        "--last-failed-no-failures=none",
+    ]]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("value", ["cookbook", "sub_cookbook"])
+def test_run_accepts_both_sub_area_forms(value):
+    executor = _FakeExecutor()
+    run(["--sub-area", value], executor=executor)
+    assert executor.calls == [[
+        sys.executable,
+        "-m",
+        "pytest",
+        "-m",
+        "sub_cookbook",
+    ]]
+
+
+def test_invalid_area_exits_with_error():
+    with pytest.raises(SystemExit) as excinfo:
+        run(["--area", "bogus"], executor=_FakeExecutor())
+    assert excinfo.value.code == 2
+
+
+def test_invalid_sub_area_exits_with_error(capsys):
+    with pytest.raises(SystemExit) as excinfo:
+        run(
+            ["--sub-area", "definitely_not_a_real_sub_area"],
+            executor=_FakeExecutor(),
+        )
+    assert excinfo.value.code == 2
+    assert "unknown sub-area" in capsys.readouterr().err
+
+
+def test_no_focus_selector_is_rejected():
+    executor = _FakeExecutor()
+    with pytest.raises(SystemExit) as excinfo:
+        run(["--", "-q"], executor=executor)
+    assert excinfo.value.code == 2
+    assert executor.calls == []