diff --git a/keeper/QUICKSTART.md b/keeper/QUICKSTART.md
index ab740e0..a4ae62f 100644
--- a/keeper/QUICKSTART.md
+++ b/keeper/QUICKSTART.md
@@ -59,7 +59,58 @@ soroban contract deploy \
   --network futurenet
 ```
 
-## Step 3: Start the Keeper
+## Step 3 (Optional): Dry-Run the Keeper
+
+Before spending real XLM, use dry-run mode to verify your configuration and simulate task execution without submitting any transactions.
+
+```bash
+npm run dry-run
+# or directly:
+node index.js --dry-run
+```
+
+In dry-run mode the keeper:
+- Connects to the RPC and loads your account (read-only)
+- Polls for due tasks exactly as it would in live mode
+- **Builds and simulates** each task's `execute()` transaction against the network
+- Logs the simulated fee estimate, task eligibility, and any contract errors
+- **Skips** signing, submitting, and confirmation — nothing is written on-chain
+
+### Sample dry-run output
+
+```
+{"level":30,"module":"keeper","msg":"Starting SoroTask Keeper in DRY-RUN mode — no transactions will be submitted"}
+{"level":30,"module":"keeper","msg":"Configuration loaded","network":"Test SDF Future Network ; October 2022"}
+{"level":30,"module":"dry-run","msg":"Simulating task — no transaction will be submitted","taskId":1}
+{"level":30,"module":"dry-run","msg":"Transaction built","taskId":1,"keeperAddress":"GXXX...","contractId":"CXXX..."}
+{"level":30,"module":"dry-run","msg":"Sending simulation request to RPC","taskId":1}
+{"level":30,"module":"dry-run","msg":"Simulation successful — task is eligible and would execute on-chain","taskId":1,"estimatedFee":12345,"latestLedger":987654}
+{"level":30,"module":"dry-run","msg":"SKIPPING sign, submit, and confirmation (dry-run mode active)","taskId":1}
+{"level":30,"module":"keeper","msg":"Dry-run result","taskId":1,"status":"DRY_RUN_SUCCESS","estimatedFee":12345,"error":null}
+```
+
+### Interpreting dry-run results
+
+| `status` | Meaning |
+|---|---|
+| `DRY_RUN_SUCCESS` | Task is due and the contract call would succeed on-chain |
+| `DRY_RUN_SIM_FAILED` | Task is due but the contract would revert — check the `error` field |
+| `DRY_RUN_ERROR` | Unexpected local error (bad config, RPC unreachable, etc.) |
+
+### Common dry-run issues
+
+**`DRY_RUN_SIM_FAILED` with "TaskPaused" or "TaskAlreadyActive"**
+The task exists but is not eligible for execution right now. This is not a keeper misconfiguration.
+
+**`DRY_RUN_ERROR` with "Account not found"**
+Your `KEEPER_SECRET` points to an unfunded account. Fund it via Friendbot before testing.
+
+**`DRY_RUN_ERROR` with "connect ECONNREFUSED"**
+The `SOROBAN_RPC_URL` is unreachable. Check your `.env` and network.
+
+---
+
+## Step 4: Start the Keeper
 
 ```bash
 npm start
@@ -79,7 +130,7 @@ Starting polling loop with interval: 10000ms
 [Poller] Poll complete in 234ms | Checked: 5 | Due: 2 | Skipped: 1 | Errors: 0
 ```
 
-## Step 4: Monitor Execution
+## Step 5: Monitor Execution
 
 Watch the logs for task execution:
 
@@ -101,7 +152,7 @@ Watch the logs for task execution:
 [Keeper] ===== Polling cycle complete =====
 ```
 
-## Step 5: Graceful Shutdown
+## Step 6: Graceful Shutdown
 
 Press `Ctrl+C` to stop the keeper:
 
diff --git a/keeper/index.js b/keeper/index.js
index f37bd8e..ca671cb 100644
--- a/keeper/index.js
+++ b/keeper/index.js
@@ -8,12 +8,20 @@ const { ExecutionQueue } = require('./src/queue');
 const TaskPoller = require('./src/poller');
 const TaskRegistry = require('./src/registry');
 const { createLogger } = require('./src/logger');
+const { dryRunTask } = require('./src/dryRun');
 
 // Create root logger for the main module
 const logger = createLogger('keeper');
 
+// Parse --dry-run flag from CLI arguments
+const DRY_RUN = process.argv.includes('--dry-run');
+
 async function main() {
-    logger.info('Starting SoroTask Keeper');
+    if (DRY_RUN) {
+        logger.info('Starting SoroTask Keeper in DRY-RUN mode — no transactions will be submitted');
+    } else {
+        logger.info('Starting SoroTask Keeper');
+    }
 
     let config;
     try {
@@ -55,11 +63,26 @@ async function main() {
     queue.on('cycle:complete', (stats) => queueLogger.info('Cycle complete', stats));
 
     // Task executor function - calls contract.execute(keeper, task_id)
+    // In dry-run mode, simulates the transaction without submitting it.
     const executeTask = async (taskId) => {
+        const account = await server.getAccount(keypair.publicKey());
+        const deps = {
+            server,
+            keypair,
+            account,
+            contractId: config.contractId,
+            networkPassphrase: config.networkPassphrase || Networks.FUTURENET,
+        };
+
+        if (DRY_RUN) {
+            const result = await dryRunTask(taskId, deps);
+            logger.info('Dry-run result', { taskId, status: result.status, estimatedFee: result.simulation?.estimatedFee ?? null, error: result.error });
+            return;
+        }
+
         try {
             // Build the execute transaction
             const contract = new Contract(config.contractId);
-            const account = await server.getAccount(keypair.publicKey());
 
             const operation = contract.call(
                 'execute',
diff --git a/keeper/package.json b/keeper/package.json
index ffa2053..1167d1c 100644
--- a/keeper/package.json
+++ b/keeper/package.json
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
   "main": "index.js",
   "scripts": {
     "start": "node index.js",
+    "dry-run": "node index.js --dry-run",
     "dev": "node index.js | pino-pretty",
     "test": "jest",
     "test:watch": "jest --watch",
diff --git a/keeper/src/dryRun.js b/keeper/src/dryRun.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..41fc611
--- /dev/null
+++ b/keeper/src/dryRun.js
@@ -0,0 +1,121 @@
+/**
+ * Dry-Run Executor for SoroTask Keeper
+ *
+ * Simulates task execution locally by building and simulating a Soroban
+ * transaction without signing or submitting it to the network.
+ *
+ * Use this to:
+ *  - Validate keeper configuration before going live
+ *  - Debug task eligibility and contract calls
+ *  - Estimate fees without spending real tokens
+ *
+ * Usage:
+ *   node index.js --dry-run
+ */
+
+const {
+  Contract,
+  xdr,
+  TransactionBuilder,
+  BASE_FEE,
+  Networks,
+  rpc: SorobanRpc,
+} = require('@stellar/stellar-sdk');
+const { createLogger } = require('./logger.js');
+
+const logger = createLogger('dry-run');
+
+/**
+ * Simulate a task execution without submitting a transaction.
+ *
+ * Mirrors the first three steps of executeTask (build → simulate → assemble)
+ * then stops. No signing, no network submission, no fees charged.
+ *
+ * @param {number|bigint} taskId
+ * @param {object} deps
+ * @param {import('@stellar/stellar-sdk').rpc.Server} deps.server
+ * @param {import('@stellar/stellar-sdk').Keypair} deps.keypair
+ * @param {import('@stellar/stellar-sdk').Account} deps.account
+ * @param {string} deps.contractId
+ * @param {string} deps.networkPassphrase
+ * @returns {Promise<{taskId, txHash: null, status: string, feePaid: 0, error: string|null, simulation: object|null}>}
+ */
+async function dryRunTask(taskId, { server, keypair, account, contractId, networkPassphrase }) {
+  const result = {
+    taskId,
+    txHash: null,
+    status: 'DRY_RUN_PENDING',
+    feePaid: 0,
+    error: null,
+    simulation: null,
+  };
+
+  logger.info('Simulating task — no transaction will be submitted', { taskId });
+
+  try {
+    const contract = new Contract(contractId);
+    const taskIdScVal = xdr.ScVal.scvU64(xdr.Uint64.fromString(taskId.toString()));
+
+    // ── Step 1: Build ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+    const tx = new TransactionBuilder(account, {
+      fee: BASE_FEE,
+      networkPassphrase: networkPassphrase || Networks.FUTURENET,
+    })
+      .addOperation(contract.call('execute', taskIdScVal))
+      .setTimeout(30)
+      .build();
+
+    logger.info('Transaction built', {
+      taskId,
+      keeperAddress: keypair.publicKey(),
+      contractId,
+      networkPassphrase,
+    });
+
+    // ── Step 2: Simulate ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+    logger.info('Sending simulation request to RPC', { taskId });
+    const simResult = await server.simulateTransaction(tx);
+
+    if (SorobanRpc.Api.isSimulationError(simResult)) {
+      logger.warn('Simulation returned an error — task would fail on-chain', {
+        taskId,
+        error: simResult.error,
+      });
+      result.status = 'DRY_RUN_SIM_FAILED';
+      result.error = simResult.error;
+      return result;
+    }
+
+    // ── Step 3: Assemble (validates footprint, does NOT sign/submit) ─────────
+    const assembledTx = SorobanRpc.assembleTransaction(tx, simResult).build();
+
+    const estimatedFee = simResult.minResourceFee
+      ? Number(simResult.minResourceFee)
+      : 0;
+
+    result.simulation = {
+      estimatedFee,
+      latestLedger: simResult.latestLedger,
+      transactionXdr: assembledTx.toEnvelope().toXDR('base64'),
+    };
+    result.status = 'DRY_RUN_SUCCESS';
+
+    logger.info('Simulation successful — task is eligible and would execute on-chain', {
+      taskId,
+      estimatedFee,
+      latestLedger: simResult.latestLedger,
+    });
+
+    // ── Dry-run boundary — sign & submit are intentionally skipped ───────────
+    logger.info('SKIPPING sign, submit, and confirmation (dry-run mode active)', { taskId });
+
+  } catch (err) {
+    result.status = 'DRY_RUN_ERROR';
+    result.error = err.message || String(err);
+    logger.error('Unexpected error during simulation', { taskId, error: result.error });
+  }
+
+  return result;
+}
+
+module.exports = { dryRunTask };